glorious deeds, and famous for the highest qualities that can grace life.  Once, when a stripling, he mocked in boyish fashion at a champion of noble repute, who smote him with a buffet; whereupon Halfdan attacked him with the staff he was carrying and killed him.  This deed was an omen of his future honours; he had hitherto been held in scorn, but henceforth throughout his life he had the highest honour and glory.  The affair, indeed, was a prophecy of the greatness of his deeds in war.

At this period, Rothe, a Ruthenian rover, almost destroyed our country with his rapine and cruelty.  His harshness was so notable that, while other men spared their prisoners utter nakedness, he did not think it uncomely to strip of their coverings even the privy parts of their bodies; wherefore we are wont to this day to call all severe and monstrous acts of rapine Rothe-Ran (Rothe’s Robbery).  He used also sometimes to inflict the following kind of torture:  Fastening the men’s right feet firmly to the earth, he tied the left feet to boughs for the purpose that when these should spring back the body would be rent asunder.  Hane, Prince of Funen, wishing to win honour and glory, tried to attack this man with his sea-forces, but took to flight with one attendant.  It was in reproach of him that the proverb arose:  “The cock (Hane) fights better on its own dunghill.”  Then Borgar, who could not bear to see his countrymen perishing any longer, encountered Rothe.  Together they fought and together they perished.  It is said that in this battle Halfdan was sorely stricken, and was for some time feeble with the wounds he had received.  One of these was inflicted conspicuously on his mouth, and its scar was so manifest that it remained as an open blotch when all the other wounds were healed; for the crushed portion of the lip was so ulcerated by the swelling, that the flesh would not grow out again and mend the noisome gash.  This circumstance fixed on him a most insulting nickname,... although wounds in the front of the body commonly bring praise and not ignominy.  So spiteful a colour does the belief of the vulgar sometimes put upon men’s virtues.

Meanwhile Gurid, the daughter of Alf, seeing that the royal line was reduced to herself alone, and having no equal in birth whom she could marry, proclaimed a vow imposing chastity on herself, thinking it better to have no husband than to take one from the commons.  Moreover, to escape outrage, she guarded her room with a chosen band of champions.  Once Halfdan happened to come to see her.  The champions, whose brother he had himself slain in his boyhood, were away.  He told her that she ought to loose her virgin zone, and exchange her austere chastity for deeds of love; that she ought not to give in so much to her inclination for modesty as to be too proud to make a match, and so by her service repair the fallen monarchy.  So he bade her look on himself, who was of eminently illustrious birth, in the light