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He sat at the foot of the table. Freyvar greeted him scornfully. Starkad’s rage grew as he saw Ingjald and the Danes dispose of course after course of luxurious dishes, which he compared with the coarse fare his father Frodi had found sufficient.
    He egged Ingjald on to break off the peace with the Danes and go to war against Hroar. There was a fight in the hall, after which the Danes returned home, taking Freyvar with them. In the ensuing war, Ingjald burnt down Hroar’s hall, but Hroar and his cousin Hrolf Kraki defeated Ingjald’s men and slew him. Inciting this war was Starkad’s second shameful deed.
     
    4. Starkad’s Third Shameful Deed
     
    Later Starkad joined the forces of Ragnald, who fought his enemy Sigvaldi in a battle on Zealand in Denmark, from which battle Starkad fled. Then he joined the army of Ali the Brave, an ally of Sigurd Hring, and when the great conqueror Harald Wartooth came to demand tribute from his friend, Ali joined the war on Sigurd Hring’s side, commanding the fleet while Sigurd Hring controlled the land army.
    In the battle of Bravalla, Starkad encountered the shieldmaiden Vebjorg, who fought on Harald Wartooth’s side. She cut through his chin so it dropped so much that he had to hold it up by biting his beard. He fought his way through many of Harald’s champions and even cut the hand off Visna, the shieldmaiden who was Harald’s standard-bearer. Then he fought a champion named Haki and slew him, although his own wounds were severe: he had one through his throat so that a man might see inside him, another in the chest through which his lung protruded and also he lost a finger. At last, Harald Wartooth was slain and his army fled, leaving Sigurd Hring master of the field. Now Sigurd Hring came to rule over Harald’s empire.
    Many years later, while Sigurd Hring was defending his domain against the Kurlanders, Starkad was with his champions Alfar and Alfarin, the sons of Gandalf, who challenged the Gjukungs, Gunnar and Hogni, to fight against them. The battle took place at Jarnamotha, near Slesvig in Denmark.
    In the battle, Starkad made short work of the Gjukungs’ forces, until Gunnar sent Sigurd the Volsung against him.
    Sigurd asked Starkad, “What is your name?”
    “I am Starkad the Old,” Starkad replied.
    Sigurd said, “I have had heard little to your credit.”
    Starkad was angered by this. “What is the name of this man who insults me?” he demanded, but when Sigurd identified himself, he tried to flee. Sigurd pursued Starkad and knocked out two of his teeth with a blow from his sword Gram.
    Starkad and the sons of Gandalf retreated and the Gjukungs won the battle.
    Starkad returned to Ali’s warband. After several battles, they seized Uppsala from King On, son of Jorund, driving him away to Gautland. Here Ali reigned for twenty-five years. He committed acts of great cruelty until his half-brother and twelve of his earls conspired against him. They bribed Starkad with one hundred and twenty gold marks to murder Ali. Starkad took his sword and entered Ali’s bath chamber, where he was struck by the king’s keen gaze, which no man could endure, and he faltered. But Ali covered his eyes, knowing how they affected people, and he told his old champion, “Come closer and give me your message.”
    Now Starkad drew his sword and thrust it into Ali, who laughed as he died, knowing that his murder was his brother’s work. This was Starkad’s third and final shameful act.
    Starkad was so stricken with grief at what he had done that rather than accept the praises of the conspirators, he slew many of them. Soon after, King On returned to his throne. He ruled for many years, buying longer and longer life by sacrificing his sons to Odin until he was so old and enfeebled he had to suck up his food through a horn. At last the Swedes refused to let him sacrifice the last of his sons and he died.
    Meanwhile, bent with sorrow and age, Starkad wandered the lands, bearing around