The Iron Arrow Head or The Buckler Maiden: A Tale of the Northman Invasion

her craft, proceeding from the opposite direction, were ascending the river with forceful strokes of oars. Both these craft were of

on their shoulders for a long distance and set them floating again. Although the two holkers were of equal build and swiftness they resembled each other only in the sense that a robust man may be said to resemble a lissome lass. One of them, painted black, had for its prow ornament a sea eagle painted red; its beak and talons were of polished iron. On the top of the mast a weather vane, or, as they called it, "eire-wire," also representing a sea eagle engraved on a metal sheet, turned at the slightest breeze, the

rches, castles and abbeys, turning chapels into stables, cutting shirts and breeches for themselves out of altar-cloths, ravaging everything that they encountered-in this style, as they expressed themselves, they "sang the mass of the lances, beginning at dawn with the matins and closing at dusk with the vespers." To conduct his v

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and myself," thus did Gunkator, a famous sea-king who frequently ravaged the castles and churches of Gaul, speak of himself and his fellow pirates; "my brother in arms and myself never sacrifice to the Gods; we place our faith only upon our oars and our own strength; we get along very well in that way." Seve

, Ga?lo "never slept under a roof, nor emptied his cup near a sheltered fireplace." It was easy to surmise from the intrepidity of his eyes, and the curve of his lip that he also had often "from dawn to dusk sung the mass of the lances," perchance also carved his own shirt from some altar-cloth, and, who knows, more than once, burnt down an abbey after having eaten the abbot's supper. But he certainly never killed the abbot, if the latter was defenceless and offered no resistance. No; the noble cast of Ga?lo's face bore no trace of ferocity. Though he was of those who practiced the principle of Trodd the Dane of the country of Garderig: "A good pirate never seeks for shelter during a tempest, and

ike those of the black holker were of azure blue. A gilded swan ornamented its prow. On the top of its mast a swan with outspread wings and engraved upon a sheet of polished copper, responded to the rising evening breeze, which also raised a streamer of

man, a virgin of twenty years, known as the Beautiful Shigne. Like the female warriors whom she chieftained, Shigne wore an armor of steel mail so fine and flexible that it might have been taken for a grey silk. This species of tunic descended from the maid's neck to just above her knees, and fitted so closely that it betrayed the robust contours o

in with its ringlets a daring white face slightly tinged with the rose. The cold azure of the northern heaven seemed to be reflected in her

e haughty beings. One instance, taken from a thousand others, will convey an idea of their character. Thoborge, the daughter of the pirate Eric, a young "Buckler Maiden," beautiful and chaste, always armed, always ready for the combat, had refused all applicants for her hand. She chased them away with contempt, wounded and even killed several of them when they presumed to talk to her of love.

had been adopted by Rolf, an old Northman pirate chief, who was celebrated for his numerous excursions into Gaul. This year he had come in less than a fortnight from his northern seas to the mouth of the Seine, and was now ascending the river with the intent to lay s

d said to Ga?lo. "I challenge your holker to compete in swiftness with mine. The arms of your

t turns against you, will you allow my holker t

answered, smiling haughtily; saying which, she motioned to her ma

the Buckler Maidens had the advantage, but thanks to their redoubled efforts, Ga?lo's "Champions," as the Northman chieftains styled their men, recovered the lost distanc

Ga?lo. "Our vessels are exactly abreast of each oth

gainst my virgins," was the answer that the heroine

hampions, or do they imply mockery?

tion to land on one of these islets and to fight, seven against seven. You would

e vanquished in or

shall have her to-morrow on the isle of Garin, alone and armed; go there.' Orwarold came; we fought; he wounded me in my arm with a sword thrust; I k

laf; he is brave among the bravest. If he did not battle

ined: "I slashed Olaf's face with the poi

f your native land! You reject my lo

nmark. They could not vanquish me. The one tried and failed, and lost his life for his pr

st, that you will b

the warrior powerful and br

you not be filled with anger? Would

only admire

would be lost to me for a wife. But, seeing a combat is thus interdicted to us-would you at least love me if I accomplished s

l never throw min

d Rolf that the Franks had fortified the abbey of

at we may be detained several days before the monastery of St. Denis, which Rolf ha

the abbey of St. Denis, singl

sed the mail of her armor. Straightening up to her full length, she haughtily an

ed her virgins to row back and join the fleet of Rolf, w