could resist such warriors as these berserks were. That they were not at
home was due to the fact that they were on one of their regular
expeditions. But why they had not been retained at home to cope with the
dragon is not explained. The first time it appeared, it came entirely
unexpected. The next year there may have been a question as to whether
it would appear or not. The third year it was definitely expected. It
seems, therefore, that preparations would have been made to resist it;
and when the berserks are not retained at home to cope with the monster,
it is due to the exigencies of the story. The berserks might have been
retained at home to cope unsuccessfully with the monster, or avoid
coping with it at all as the king's other men did, and thus place
Bjarki's feat of slaying it in the strongest relief. But by letting the
berserks be absent at Christmas and return later, the author
accomplished more than this. Bjarki slew the monster, which, in any
treatment of the story, he must be represented as doing. He seized one
of the berserks, who demanded that Bjarki recognize him as his superior
as a warrior, and threw him down with great violence. This was a more
spectacular method of showing superiority to the berserks than merely
doing what they dared not attempt to do, or could not do. But it is
especially in the treatment of Hott, that skillful manipulation of the
story is displayed in having the berserks return home and resume their
boastful manner, after Hott has become strong and daring. Compared with
the king's best warriors it is still a question as to how strong and
brave Hott now is. The question is answered when he is requested to
admit his inferiority to the berserks; for he seizes the one who
confronts him and treats him as Bjarki is treating one of the others.
Thus, in the presence of King Hrolf and the court, Hott displays his
superiority to the doughtiest of the king's famous warriors. Finally,
poetic justice is also achieved, for the very men who had made fun of
Hott and thrown bones at him are now compelled to recognize that he is