THE SCENE: One can’t help but imagine that King Harald of Norway would have gotten a more accurate survey of Iceland if he had chosen to use traditional geographers, rather than a shape-shifting warlock.
THE TEXT: King Harald bade a warlock to journey to Iceland and find out what he could tell him. He went in a whale’s-shape. And when he came to Iceland he proceeded west and north around it. He saw that all mountains and hill were full of land-wights, some big and some small. And when he came to the Vapnafjord he swam into the fjord, intending to go ashore there. Then a big dragon came down the valley, followed by many serpents, toads, and adders that blew poison against him. Then he swam away, heading west along the land, all the way to the Eyjafjord, and he entered into that fjord. Then there flew against him a bird so large that its wings touched the mountains on either side of the fjord, and a multitude of other birds besides, both large and small. Away he backed from there, swimming west around the land and then south to the Breithafjord and entered that fjord. Then came against him a big bull, wading out into the water and bellowing fearfully. A multitude of land-wights followed him. Away he backed from there, swimming around Reykjaness, 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. From there he swam east along the whole land – “and there was nothing but sands and a harborless coast,” he said, “with a tremendous surf to seaward; and the sea between the lands is so wide that it is not feasible to sail there with warships.
– The Saga of Olaf Tryggvason, Snorri Sturluson, 13th Century AD
