A Romantic Viking Interlude

Vikings were suckers for melancholy romance. Didn't know that, did you? Just to give you an idea of what Viking romance looks like, consider to following poignant scene from Gautreks Saga:

King Gautrek ruled his kingdom in peace for a number of years. Then his wife fell ill, and had no relief till she died. King Gautrek was deeply grieved by this, and had a burial mound raised over the queen. Her death affected him so much, he paid no attention to matters of state. Every day he used to sit on her mound and from there he would fly his hawk. In this manner he would amuse himself and while away the time.

There's something about the spare Icelandic prose style that makes this passage all the more touching: no flowery poetry or effusive monologue, just simple -- even understated -- descriptions of action.