In the shaw behind the temple, King Adhils makes conventional offerings of men and animals hanged, speared and left for Odin's ravens and also practices unorthodox witchcraft.
In the center of the city, Adhils has a wide stockaded square of buildings around a flagged courtyard. A gallery on one of these buildings gives a view of:
the royal garth;
the town;
grainfields;
the River Fyris;
woods to the south.
Adhils is an Yngling and rules Svithjodh. The Gota-King Bjovulf/Beowulf helped Adhils to gain his kingship. It is good to read of Beowulf's deeds other than those in Beowulf. After everything, Helgi made a good end. Having failed to persuade Yrsa to leave Adhils and return to Denmark with him, he set off on the return journey only to be treacherously attacked and killed by Adhil's men.
Now I must read more of a novel that will be discussed on Science Fiction.
2 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
A point to remember about the Yngling kings was their reputation for peering into things better left alone. That is, magic.
Sean
Kaor, Paul!
Another thought I had was to think Adhils did not NEED to treacherously kill King Helgi. I think Helgi had resigned himself to accepting that the "union" he had with Yyrsa was over for good.
And Bjovul/Beowulf and King Hroar assisted Adhils into becoming King of Sweden because they wanted a king in Uppsala who would not be their enemy. Unfortunately, Helgi's visit to Adhils aroused his fears and suspicions--leading to his treacherous killing of the Dane king.
Sean
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