Saxo's traditions note drinking of a lion's blood that eats men as a
means of gaining might and strength; the drinking of bear's blood is
also declared to give great bodily power.

The tests for "madness" are of a primitive character, such as those
applied to Odusseus, who, however, was not able, like Hamlet, to evade
them.

The test for death is the red-hot iron or hot brand (used by the
Abyssinians of to-day, as it was supposed in the thirteenth century to
have been used by Grimhild. "And now Grimhild goes and takes a great
brand, where the house had burnt, and goes to Gernot her brother, and
thrusts the burning brand in his mouth, and will know whether he is dead
or living. But Gernot was clearly dead. And now she goes to Gislher and
thrusts the firebrand in his mouth. He was not dead before, but Gislher
died of that. Now King Thidrec of Bern saw what Grimhild is doing,
and speaks to King Attila. `See how that devil Grimhild, thy wife, is
killing her brothers, the good warriors, and how many men have lost
their lives for her sake, and how many good men she has destroyed, Huns
and Amalungs and Niflungs; and in the same way would she bring thee and
me to hell, if she could do it?' Then spake King Attila, `Surely she is
a devil, and slay thou her, and that were a good work if thou had done
it seven nights ago! Then many a gallant fellow were whole that is now
dead.' Now King Thidrec springs at Grimhild and swings up his sword
Eckisax, and hews her asunder at the middle").

It was believed (as in Polynesia, where "Captain Cook's path" was shown
in the grass) that the heat of the hero's body might blast the grass; so
Starcad's entrails withered the grass.