This test is in Old English, it is the earliest known case of a Norwegian boasting about his travels. The rather odd XML markup is one used by linguists.
Ōhthere sǣde his hlāforde, Ӕlfrede cyninge, þӕt he ealra Norðmonna norþmest būde. Hē cwӕð þӕt hē būde on þǣm lande norþweardum wiþ þā Westsǣ.
Hē sǣde þēah þӕt þӕt land sīe swiþe lang norþ þonan; ac it is eal wēste, būton on fēawum stōwum styccemǣlum wīciað Finnas, on huntoðe on wintra, ond on sumera, on fiscaðe be þǣre sǣ.
Hē sǣde þӕt hē æt summe cirre wolde fandian hū lo̧nge þӕt land norþryhte lǣge, oþþe hwӕðer ӕnig mon be norðan þǣm wēstenne būde.Þā fōr hē norþryhte be þǣm lande: lēt him ealne weg þӕt wēste land on ðӕt stēorbord, ond þā wīdsǣ on ðӕt bӕcbord, þrīe dagas. Þā wӕs hē swā feor norþ swā þā hwӕlhuntan firrest faraþ. Þā fōr hē þā gīet norþryhte swā feor swā hē meahte on þǣm ōþrum þrīm dagum gesiglan. Þā bēag þӕt land þǣr ēastryhte, oþþe sēo sǣ in on þӕt land, hē nysse hwӕðer, būtan hē wisse þӕt hē þǣr bād westanwindes and hwōn norþan, ond gesiglde þā east be lande swā swā hē meahte on fēower dagum gesiglan. Þā sceolde hē ðǣr bīdan ryhtnorþanwindes, forðǣm þӕt land bēag þǣr sūþryhte, oþþe sēo sǣ in on ðӕt land, hē nysse hwӕþer. Þā siglde hē þonan sūðryhte be lande swā swā hē meahte on fīf dagum gesiglan. Ðā lӕg þǣr ān micel ēa up in on þӕt land.Þā cirdon hīe up in on ðā ēa, forðǣm hīe ne dorston forþ bī þǣre ēa siglan for unfriþe; forðǣm ðӕt land wӕs eall gebūn on oþre healfe þǣre ēas. Ne mētte hē ǣr nān gebūn land, siþþan hē fram his āgnum hām fōr; ac him wӕs ealne weg wēste land on þӕt stēorbord, būtan fiscerum ond fugelerum ond huntum, ond þӕt wǣron eall Finnas; ond him wӕs ā wīdsǣ on þӕt bӕcbord. Þā Beormas hӕfdon swīþe wel gebūd hira land: ac hīe ne dorston þǣr on cuman. Ac þāra Terfinna land wӕs eal wēste, būton ðǣr huntan gewīcodon, oþþe fisceras, oþþe fugeleras.
