Editiones Arnamagnæanæ. Series B - 01.06.1964, Qupperneq 55

45
epter uar fiordungur uazssins. þa kom upp triona
mikil og hrædilig og þui næst ormur allt framan at
3 bægslum. V(ilhialmur) hafdi þa engi uopn. enn
hesturinn steypti sier j kaf. enn V(ilhialmur) for af
baki og hliop upp a bak orminum. enn hann brauzst
a um fast og urdu bodafaull mikil og frysti eitri. enn
ecki matti þat saka V(ilhialm) þuiat hann var a baki
orminum. enn skinn þau sem Astrinomia hafdi gefit
a honum skyldu honum bædi uit kulda og eitri. Ormur-
inn Betti nu ut langa tungu og kræker henni til
V(ilhialmz) enn hann gripur vinstri hendi j hana enn
12 hinni hægri hendi bra hann tygilknifi er Astrinomia
hafdi gefit honum. og þo at hann væri litill þa heit
hann þo uel. og sker hann nu tunguna ormsins | suo 37r
15 mikit sem hnifurin tekur. dyrit sier nu huat titt er og
legzt at þeim og lystur sinum hala a naser orminum
8 and 12 skinn þau and tygilknifi] not mentioned before in the
saga.
10 og] with this word the text in 599 begins again, 13r.
have a quarter of the distance left, Vilhjálmr, who is un-
armed, catches sight first of all of some huge and terrifying
jaws and then of the whole of a dragon as far as its front
legs. The horse dives under water and Vilhjálmr throws
himself from its back onto the dragon’s. The latter jerks
itself violently backwards and forwards so that there are
towering waves, and at the same time it spits poison.
This does not trouble Vilhjálmr, however, partly because
he is sitting on its back and partly because of some skins
which Astrinomia has given him and which provide protec-
tion against both cold and poison. The dragon puts out
its tongue to get hold of Vilhjálmr but he seizes hold of
this with his left hand and with his right hand draws a
knife, which Astrinomia also gave him, and manages to
cut off its tongue, for although the knife is small, it cuts
well. The lion comes up and helps by giving the dragon
such a violent blow on the nose with its tail that it loses