glorious lineage, living a loose and sensual life; and his soul, so degenerate, so far perverted and astray from the steps of his fathers, he loved to plunge into most abominable gulfs of foulness.  Fowl-fatteners, scullions, frying-pans, countless cook-houses, different cooks to roast or spice the banquet—­the choosing of these stood to him for glory.  As to arms, soldiering, and wars, he could endure neither to train himself to them, nor to let others practise them.  Thus he cast away all the ambitions of a man and aspired to those of women; for his incontinent itching of palate stirred in him love of every kitchen-stench.  Ever breathing of his debauch, and stripped of every rag of soberness, with his foul breath he belched the undigested filth in his belly.  He was as infamous in wantonness as Frode was illustrious in war.  So utterly had his spirit been enfeebled by the untimely seductions of gluttony.  Starkad was so disgusted at the excess of Ingild, that he forsook his friendship, and sought the fellowship of Halfdan, the King of Swedes, preferring work to idleness.  Thus he could not bear so much as to countenance excessive indulgence.  Now the sons of Swerting, fearing that they would have to pay to Ingild the penalty of their father’s crime, were fain to forestall his vengeance by a gift, and gave him their sister in marriage.  Antiquity relates that she bore him sons, Frode, Fridleif, Ingild, and Olaf (whom some say was the son of Ingild’s sister).

Ingild’s sister Helga had been led by amorous wooing to return the flame of a certain low-born goldsmith, who was apt for soft words, and furnished with divers of the little gifts which best charm a woman’s wishes.  For since the death of the king there had been none to honour the virtues of the father by attention to the child; she had lacked protection, and had no guardians.  When Starkad had learnt this from the repeated tales of travellers, he could not bear to let the wantonness of the smith pass unpunished.  For he was always heedful to bear kindness in mind, and as ready to punish arrogance.  So he hastened to chastise such bold and enormous insolence, wishing to repay the orphan ward the benefits he had of old received from Frode.  Then he travelled through Sweden, went into the house of the smith, and posted himself near the threshold muffling his face in a cap to avoid discovery.  The smith, who had not learnt the lesson that “strong hands are sometimes found under a mean garment”, reviled him, and bade him quickly leave the house, saying that he should have the last broken victuals among the crowd of paupers.  But the old man, whose ingrained self-control lent him patience, was nevertheless fain to rest there, and gradually study the wantonness of his host.  For his reason was stronger than his impetuosity, and curbed his increasing rage.  Then the smith approached the girl with open shamelessness, and cast himself in her lap, offering the hair of his head to be combed out by her maidenly hands.