The Fridthjof's Saga: A Norse Romance on Ellide

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• attestation: Fridthjof's third chief treasure was the ship Ellide, a gift from the sea-god Aeger to Viking in gratitude for Viking's rescue of him from a shipwreck.

  "Lastly the ship, called Ellide, was one of the family jewels. Viking, so say they, returning triumphant from venturesome journeys, Sailed along coasting near Framness. There he espied on a shipwreck, Carelessly swinging, a sailor, sporting as 'twere with the billows."

• attestation: Ellide was built with heavy curved planks of oak that grew in one broad united piece, stretched like a dragon in the sea with a head lifted high and a throat blazing with red gold.

  "Kingly the gift to behold. The heavy curved planks of oak timber Matched not together like others, but grew in one broad piece united. It stretched its huge form in the sea like a dragon, its stem proudly lifted, A stately head high in the air. Its throat with red gold was all blazing"

• attestation: Ellide passed by descent from Viking to Thorstein and from Thorstein to Fridthjof as a family heirloom.

  "Lastly the ship, called Ellide, was one of the family jewels. Viking, so say they, returning triumphant from venturesome journeys"

• attestation: The ship Ellide is described as a 'dragon', reflecting the Norse convention of referring to warships as dragons.

  "Viking gazed, speechless with wonder; the sportive winds sang in low cadence: "AEger the rescued forgetteth no kindness, he gives thee the dragon.""

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• attestation: Two sea-goblins named Ham and Heyd attacked Ellide: Ham had the form of a polar bear with a snowy pelt, Heyd had eagle wings hovering like a storm-eagle.

  "'Gainst Ellide's stem, Two goblins warfare made. One was wind-cold Ham, One was snowy Heyd."

• attestation: Ellide is described as fighting the waves from both directions in the terrible storm — whatever way the waves contended, the ship's good timber defended her.

  "Waves whichever way contending, With or 'gainst Ellide's form, Meet good timbered sides, defending Menaced ship, defying storm."