over the matter and Bósi kills Sjód. Herraud then returns to his father's court, offering to make compensation for Sjód's death; but King Hring refuses all offers. Civil war breaks out between father and son. Hring manages to capture Herraud and Bósi and prepares to execute them. But that night Busla, Bósi's foster-mother, noted for her magic powers, appears suddenly in King Hring's bedchamber, and harasses the king with a curses known as Buslubæn ('Busla's prayer') until the helpless king agrees to make peace with Herraud and Bósi to the extent of sending them on a dangerous quest instead of executing them. The quest The following day Hring exiles both Herraud and Bósi, Herraud for life and Bósi the same unless Bósi can find and bring back a vulture's egg inscribed with golden letters. The two head off to Bjarmaland and have many adventures. An erotic encounter between Bósi and a farmer's daughter is told in amusingly explicit riddling dialogue. The two companions are able to kill a vulture that guards the temple of Jomali in Bjarmaland, obtaining its egg; they slay the priestess Kolfrosta, the mother of King Harek of Bjarmaland; and they rescue Hleid (Hleið), the sister of King Godmund (Guðmundr) of Glæsisvellir, who has been magically brought there to be turned into the new priestess. Herraud takes Hleid as his wife and they and Bósi return to East Götaland where King Hring, on receiving the shell of the vulture's egg, is reconciled with Bósi and his son. Further adventures At that point Herraud and Bósi head off to aid King Harald in the famous Battle of Bråvalla and are among the few survivors. Meanwhile, King Godmund of Glæsisvellir, not knowing what has become of his sister Hleid, promises Siggeir, son of King Harek of Bjarmaland, that Siggeir can have her as his wife if he can find her. Siggeir and his brother Hrærek learn about Hleid's abduction from Bjarmaland by Herraud and Bósi and their destruction of the temple, and they set out for Götaland. There they attack King Hring who has small strength with him, most of his forces having gone to Bråvalla. Hring is killed in battle and Hleid is taken back to Glæsisvellir. On their return from Bråvalla, Herraud and Bósi, accompanied by Bósi's brother Smid and Bosi's foster-mother Busla, set out to rescue Hleid. They accomplish their goal after many further adventures (and