Transcription of calligraphic manuscript by Paul Acker
[f.1r]
(THE TALE OF HALD)(S)
[H](ALDOR THE)
son of Snorri the Priest of Ice- land abode with King Harald Sigurdson whiles he was out of
the land, and for long after also when he was come to his kingdom in Norway, and he was well accounted of by the King. But it befell on a time that a certain man of Iceland, one Eylif fell under the wrath of King Harald, and pray- ed Haldor further his case before the King, and Haldor did so: Haldor was soft and cunning of speech, though a man of few words; so he prayed the King give Eilif place and peace; but the King denied it him flatly: now Haldor
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was hasty of temper like other Icelanders, and he took it ill that he gat not that which he had ask- ed, so he went his ways from Harald and Eilif with him, and came to Einar Thambarskelvir at Gimsar, of whom Haldor craved abiding-place and furtherance for Eilif: Einar said he would take him if Haldor would abide there also: Haldor said To what seat dost thou show me? Einar bade him sit in the high-seat over against him[.] Einar had to wife Bergliot daughter of Earl Hak- on the Evil the son of Sigurd the Ladir-earl; to her would Haldor oft be going, and would tell her tales of deeds done in the outlands amid his journeying with King Harald. Now there was one named Kali, young of years, and somewhat akin to Einar, a man evil of temper
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and somewhat sick of envy, a mocker, and a swag- gerer: he was footpage of Einar in those days, and had long served him: he was a deft smith in gold and silver, wherefore was he called Golden Kali: many a man had he slandered to Einar, and a man of strange words was he both in prose and in verse. Now he fell to mocking Haldor much, and bade others make scurvy rhymes on him, and when he failed herein he himself fell to jeering him. Haldor wotted hereof; and so on a day he went to Bergliot’s bower, and when he came to the door he heard exceeding loud talk therein, and Kali was therein and other folk: and now they tell the goodwife that scurvy rhyme that Kali had made on Haldor [last line blank]
Transcription by Paul Acker, Saint Louis University
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Morris illuminated manuscript, The Story of the Volsungs and Niblungs, 1871
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