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Hyndluljoth

23.[1] "Hervarth, Hjorvarth,  Hrani, Angantyr,Bui and Brami,  Barri and Reifnir,Tind and Tyrfing,  the Haddings twain,—And all are thy kinsmen,  Ottar, thou fool!
24.[2] "Eastward in Bolm  were born of oldThe sons of Arngrim  and Eyfura;With berserk-tumult  and baleful deedLike fire o'er land  and sea they fared,—And all are thy kinsmen,  Ottar, thou fool!
25.[3] "The sons of Jormunrek  all of yoreTo the gods in death  were as offerings given;
  1. ↑ Stanzas 23 and 24 name the twelve Berserkers, the sons of Arngrim and Eyfura, the story of whom is told in the Hervararsaga and the Orvar-Oddssaga. Saxo Grammaticus tells of the battle between them and Hjalmar and Orvar-Odd. Line 1 does not appear in the manuscript, but is added from the list of names given in the sagas. The Berserkers were wild warriors, distinguished above all by the fits of frenzy to which they were subject in battle; during these fits they howled like wild beasts, foamed at the mouth, and gnawed the iron rims of their shields. At such times they were proof against steel or fire, but when the fever abated they were weak. The etymology of the word berserk is disputed; probably, however, it means "bear-shirt."
  2. ↑ The manuscript omits the first half of line 1, here supplied from the Orvar-Oddssaga. Bolm: probably the island of Bolmsö, in the Swedish province of Smaland. In the manuscript and in most editions stanza 24 is followed by lines 3-4 of stanza 22. Some editors reject line 5 as spurious.
  3. ↑ In the manuscript line 1 stands after line 4 of stanza 29. Probably a stanza enumerating Jormunrek's sons has been lost. Many editors combine lines 3-4 of stanza 22 and lines 2-4 of

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