The Icelandic Canadian - 01.09.2003, Qupperneq 17

Vol. 58 #1
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
15
Iceland’s Coat of Arms
by Kristin Adalsteinsdottir
out into the water and bellowing loudly. A
multitude of land-wrights followed him.
The warlock backed from there, swimming
around Reykjanes, and intended to come
ashore at Vikarsskeith. Then came against
him a mountain giant with an iron bar in
his hand, and his head was higher than the
mountains, and many other giants were
with him.
After this the warlock did not make any
other attempts to come ashore in Iceland
and returned to the king with the news.
The King of Denmark decided to sail his
fleet south along the land, and then back to
Denmark.
On Iceland's coat of arms you can see
four supporters. Those supporters are the
guardians of Iceland mentioned in the pas-
sage in Heimskringa from the Saga of Olav
Tryggvason.
The guardians are an eagle, a dragon, a
giant and a bull and the story tells us that
the King of Denmark intended to sail with
his fleet to Iceland to avenge an insult. In
advance the king asked a warlock to go to
Iceland and tell him what he found.
The warlock went in a whale's shape.
When he came to Iceland he tried to get
ashore in the east but a big dragon came
down the valley, followed by many ser-
pents, toads, and adders that blew poison at
him. He then turned to the north to try to
get ashore but there flew against him a bird
so large that its wings touched the moun-
tains on either side of the fjord, and a mul-
titude of other birds besides, both large and
small.
He then swam to the west along the land
and tried to get ashore in Breidafjordur.
There came against him a big bull wading