Editing Örvar-Oddr (section)

==Plot summary==

=== Prophecy ===
Oddr was the son of [[Gríms saga loðinkinna|Grímr Loðinkinni]] and the grandson of [[Ketils saga hœngs|Ketill Hængr]] (both of whom have their own sagas) of [[Hålogaland]]. When he was an infant, a [[völva]] predicted that he would be killed by his own horse, Faxi, at the place where he was born, at the age of three hundred (which may signify 360, as the unit in question is probably the "[[long hundred]]" commonly used in medieval [[Germanic languages]], denoting 120 rather than 100).

In order to thwart the prediction, he killed his horse, buried it deep in the ground and left his home intending never to return again. As he was leaving, his father gave him some magic arrows (''Gusisnautar'') which soon earned him the [[cognomen]] ''arrow''. After a voyage to [[Finnmark]], [[Bjarmaland]], [[Holmgård]], [[Constantinople]] and [[Jotunheim]], he fought successfully against several Vikings.

=== Hjalmar and Angantyr ===

However, when he encountered the Swedish champion [[Hjalmar]], he met his match. The fight was even and the two warriors not only became friends, but entered [[sworn brotherhood]].

The two heroes fought many battles together (for more see [[Hjalmar]]), until after the famous battle of [[Samsø]] against the sons of [[Arngrim]], Örvar-Oddr had to bring the dead Hjalmar (killed by [[Angantyr]]) to [[Gamla Uppsala|Uppsala]] and his betrothed Ingeborg, the daughter of the Swedish king.

Örvar-Oddr travelled in the South fighting against the corsairs of the [[Mediterranean]], he was baptised in [[Sicily]], was shipwrecked and arrived alone in the [[Holy Land]].

=== Ögmundr Flóki ===
Oddr sought vengeance against Ögmundr Flóki ("Ogmund Tussock" or Ögmundr 'tuft';<ref name=lane-tussock/><ref name=tracy-tussock/> aka Ögmundr Eyþjófsbani{{sfnp|Fox|2020|p=175}} or "Eythjof's-killer"<ref name=edwards&palsson-tr-ch13-thord/>) for the murder of his blood-brother Þórðr stafnglamr (Thord Prow-Gleam).<ref name=edwards&palsson-tr-ch13-thord/> He and his crew headed toward a [[fjord]] in [[Helluland]] ("Slabland"), where Ögmundr was to be found, according to Oddr's half-giant son, Vignir. During their voyage, they encounter two huge sea-creatures that resembled islands:

{{quote|…said Vignir. "I'll tell you about it; these were two sea-monsters, one called [[Hafgufa|Sea-Reek]], and the other [[Lyngbakr|Heather-Back]]. The Sea-Reek is the biggest monster in the whole ocean. It swallows men and ships, and whales too, and anything else around. It stays underwater for days, then it puts up its mouth and nostrils, and when it does, it never stays on the surface for less than one tide.<ref>{{harvp|Boer|1888}}, p.[https://archive.org/details/rvaroddssaga00boergoog/page/n194 132]</ref><ref name=edwards&palsson-tr-ch21-hafgufa/>}}

There had been five men sent to disembark on what they thought was an island, but the Heather-Back (''lyngbakr'') plunged into sea, and those men perished.<ref name=kalinke/> However, the group had safely sailed through the jaws of the Sea-Reek (''hafgufa''), the other monster that Ögmundr had sent by magic to intercept the party.<ref name=edwards&palsson-tr-ch21-hafgufa/>

=== Barkman ===
Oddr becomes Barkman (''naefrmaðr'', 'birch bark man'), a sort of wildman dressed in bark.{{sfnp|Fox|2020|p=162}} He arrived in [[Hunaland]] and meets [[Herrauðr|King Herrauðr]], where his true identity was soon revealed due to his heroic actions.<ref>{{harvp|Boer|1888}}, pp.[https://books.google.com/books?d=7lBG_YS0J-0C&pg=PA139 139–141]</ref><ref name=edwards&palsson-tr-ch24/> After defeating the king of Bjalkaland ("pelt country"), who used to pay tribute to the king of Hunaland, he married the Herrauðr' daughter Silkisif and became the next king.

=== Death ===
After all this, Oddr became homesick and went back home. Walking over the grave of Faxi, he mocked the old prophecy, but tripped over the skull of a horse from which a snake appeared. The snake bit him and he died.