Re[4]: Viking Polearms (Halbards) and Niall's saga

["Morris, Beth" <bmorris@nacac.nacac.com>]

     Re: Halberds and Niall's Saga
     
>In the same saga, the mighty warrior Gunnar used one in the defense of 
>his house. Slaying the first of a group of warrior attempting to take 
>him in his sleep.  I have not seen any reference to actual halberds in 
>any article on viking weapons.  Could this have been a translation error 
>in the saga? ( I beleive that halberds have been used by the english 
>army as a badge of rank.  Could the translater have subsituted "Halberd" 
>for some simple other word for two handed axe?  

I had always assumed that the translators used 'halberd' generically for 
whatever pole-axe thing they were talking about.  But I'm not sure.

>The warrior slain by Gunnar, suffered from a belly cut receive wheh he 
>openned the door to look inside the house to see if Gunnar was at home.  
>( he of course died of his wounds after informing his companions " I 
>don't know if Gunnar is at home, But his beak is". ( a foot note stated 
>the beak was an idiom for a halberd)
     
     Isn't that the same scene where later, Hallgerdr (the b*tch) denies 
     Gunnar the use of her hair to braid a new bowstring?
     
     "Does anything depend upon it?" she asks.
     
     "Only my life" says Gunnar of Hlidarend.
     
     "Do you remember that slap you gave me?  You shall not have my hairs."
     
     "I shall not ask again," says Gunnar and proceeds to lay waste to many 
     of the intruders before they kill him.
     
     Keilyn Skaldkona