As the death
of Olaf Tryggvason is given in the Reader only from the longer
recension of the Heimskringla, I have been able to give the
shorter text, which is admirably suited for the purposes of this
book. The story of Au?°un is not only a beautiful one in itself,
but, together with the preceding piece, gives a vivid idea of the
Norse ideal of the kingly character, which was the foundation of
their whole political system. As the Reader does not include
poetry (except incidentally), I have added one of the finest of
the Eddaic poems, which is at the same time freest from obscurity
and corruption--the song of Thor's quest of his hammer.
In the glossary I have ventured to deviate from the very
inconvenient Scandinavian arrangement, which puts _??_, _?¦_, _?“_,
right at the end of the alphabet.
I have to acknowledge the great help I have had in preparing the
texts and the glossary from Wimmer's _Oldnordisk L?¦sebog_, which
I consider to be, on the whole, the best reading-book that exists
in any language.
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