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135:. In the third year of the reign of King Olaf, Norna-Gest comes into the presence of the king and asks to be admitted to his bodyguard. He is uncommonly tall and strong and somewhat stricken in years. After relating his life-story, Norna-Gest permits himself to be baptized at the king's desire, and lights the candle that the norn Skuld had prophesied about. In accordance with the prophecy, when the candle fails, Norna-Gest dies.
93:, the youngest of the Norns, deeming that the two others made rather light of her, determined to render void their promises of good fortune for the child. So she prophesied that his life was to last no longer than that of a candle standing lit beside the cradle. The eldest Norn (Urðr) instantly extinguished the flame and asked his mother to hide it well.
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When Norna-Gest has grown up he becomes the care-taker of the candle and he is said to have lived for three-hundred years. He reports that he took part in the battles of
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Norna-Gest is the son of a Danish man named Thord
Thingbiter, who once dwelt on the estate of Grøning in
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about the Norse hero
Nornagestr, sometimes called Gestr, and here anglicized as Norna-Gest.
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The story of
Nornagest and his candle has a counterpart in Greek mythology: the story of
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arrived and foretold the child's destiny. Two of them gave him good gifts. However
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The Talk of the Tits: Some Notes on the Death of Sigurðr Fáfnisbani in
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Norna-Gest's Thattr in
English Translation with Facing Old Norse Text
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is almost a default name for the
Swedish king. It could refer to
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According to the tale, Norna-Gest visits the court of King
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at the time when Olaf is trying to convert the Norse to
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McDonald, Sheryl, "Pagan Past and
Christian Future in
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Sögubrot af nokkrum fornkonungum í Dana ok Svíaveldi
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336:The Retrospective Methods Network (RMN) Newsletter
300:Gestr's 'Prime Sign': Source and Signification in
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404:Egils saga einhenda ok Ásmundar berserkjabana
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124:and with King Hlodver in Germany.
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454:Heiðreks saga konungs ok Hervarar
449:Hálfs saga konungs ok Hálfsrekka
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50:Story of Norna-Gest
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