Editiones Arnamagnæanæ. Series A - 01.06.1997, Blaðsíða 372
Appendix D: The story of Mírmanns saga
(Summarized after the A-text)
Ch. 1. In the time of Pope Klemens there was a famous, wise king in
Frakkland called Hlöðvir. Everyone north of Mundíufjöll was heathen then.
There was a powerful earl called Hermann ruling firmly and well in Saxland.
His wife Brígiða, daughter of king Jading of Ungaraland, was young and
beautiful; she surpassed other women in everything, and with the knowledge
she had from heathen books she overcame kings and learned men in any ex-
change. But she grew savage and overbearing; great men who opposed her, or
did not send her at once anything of theirs she asked for, suffered greatly. Af-
ter six years she and the earl still had no child, which they thought a great
pity.
Ch.2. One night in bed she told the earl she was probably pregnant. He
said nothing for a long time. She asked what the reason was. He said it was
because of a strange dream. ‘I dreamt you had a snake in your chemise and
when I wanted to pull it away it bit me and I had no strength against it.’ She
tried to explain it away, but he would rather have lost half his domain than
have had that dream. She bore a son, who was named Mírmann. He took after
his mother, who rejoiced to see him using his exceptional strength against
others. She provided a Latin education for him, and when his teacher died,
she decided to send him to King Hlöðvir to continue his education.
Ch.3. Hlöðvir agreed to foster Mírmann, but he stayed at home that win-
ter and learned jousting, chess and other games with great success. He never
attended the worship of the gods, and when questioned said that they did not
speak or give benefits to anyone, and if he had power like his father, he would
break them in pieces. All thought this extraordinary. His father did not give
his opinion on it, but behaved as if he did not know whether he was his son or
not, and said he thought his conduct no benefit to the people.
Ch.4. Next summer, with his mother’s support, but without succeeding in
taking leave of his father, Mírmann went to King Hlöðvir, who received him
well. He served the king attentively, was generous to all, and became popular.
Hlöðvir was a wise ruler, of Jewish faith, who loved God and did not sacrifice
like the Saxons and Spaniards. Next his wife died, and they had no child
living. The nobles urged him to marry again, but he did not wish to take a
young wife in his old age, and proposed, if all agreed, to leave the kingdom to
Mírmann. But Mírmann reasoned against it. The nobles subsequently sugges-