Part 29

|| As soon as there was come to him a fair wind, took King Harald the host east to the River, and thither came towards nightfall. Thus saith Thiodolf:

'Now drave King Harald hotly the war-ships towards the River, At nightfall Norway's King anigh the marches is. A Thing the King now holds at Thumla, there where Svein Will meet to war if so be the Danes shirk not the tryst.'

|| When the Danes learned that the hosts of the Norwegians were come, all those that were able to do so fled away.

The Norwegians likewise learnt that the Danish King had his host out, and was lying south off Funen and the small-isles; but when King Harald saw that King Svein would not come to meet him as had been agreed, nor do battle with him, then did he after the same fashion as before & let the peasant host return to Norway; but manned he one hundred and fiftySec. ships, & with these steered a course alongside Halland. There he plundered widely; and he put in also to Lofufjord with his host, and going up onto the land harried there likewise. Somewhile later came King Svein to the encounter with the Danish host, and to him was a tale of three hundredSec. ships. When the Norwegians saw this fleet bade King Harald a blast be blown to summon his host together, & many spake saying that they ought to flee, & that it was unavailing for them to fight, but the King answered thus: 'We will fall one atop of the other rather than flee!' Thus saith Stein Herdason:

'Said the chief high-minded, what now he awaited. Here (said the King) he had all hope of peace lost. Rather than yield, cried the King, should each man fall one on the top of the other. Their arms then took the men.'

|| Then let King Harald his ships be cleared for action, and brought his great dragon forward into the very midst of the host. Thus saith Thiodolf:

'The giver of kindly gifts Who oft to the wolf gave food, His dragon-ship put forward Midmost in the war-host.'

|| This ship was well fitted out, and had a large crew.

And again saith Thiodolf:

'The peace wishing King his ranks bade Bind fast the war-shields on the ships' sides; The prince's friends well ordered stand methinks. The leader of manly deeds, The doughty dragon closed, Outside the Niz, with shields, and one o'erlapped the other.'

|| Ulf the Marshal brought his ship up alongside the royal ship, & bade her men place her well forward. Stein Herdason was on Ulf's ship, and he chanted thus:

'Ulf, the Marshal of the King, Cheered us all on to battle; The spears trembled when The ships were rowed to the fight. And, no doubt, the wise King's Valiant friend did bid his men His ship advance beside The prince's; the lads obeyed.'

|| Stationed farthest out on one of the arms was Ivar Hakonson; under him had he many and the men to him were well equipped. Farthest out on the other arm were the chiefs of Throndhjem, and to them likewise was a large and goodly host.

|| And King Svein likewise ranged his host, and his ship laid he over against ye ship of Harald, in the midst of the host, and nighest to him was Earl Fin, and next to him again the Danes ranked all of their host that was bravest and best equipped. Thereafter either side lashed their ships together in the midmost part of the fleet, but the hosts being so large it befell that there was a great number of ships faring loose, and so each captain placed his ship as far forward as he had courage for; but that was exceeding varied. Now though the odds were so great yet nevertheless had either side a vast host, and in his to King Svein pertained as many as seven earls. Thus saith Stein Herdason:

'The "hersirs'" valiant lord a risk did take him, With ships fifty and a hundred he waited for the Danes. Next was it that the ruler dear who dwells in LeidraSec. The sea cleft thither with three hundred sea-steeds.'

|| Even so soon as he had made ready his ships, commanded King Harald the war-blast to be sounded, and after this was done, rowed his men ahead. Stein Herdason saith:

'Before the river's mouth, damage did Harald Svein. Hard withstanding made he; Harald asked not for peace. The King's sword-swinging lads forward off Halland rowed, And yonder on the sea caused wounds with blood to stream.'

|| Then did either side join combat, and the struggle waxed very fierce. Either King lustily cheered on his men, as saith Stein Herdason:

'Eager for war the good shield-bearers bade their lads To shoot and hew (but short the space was 'twixt the hosts). Both stones & arrows streamed when the sword shook from it, The light blood, depriving of life the men of either host.'

|| It was late in the day when battle was joined and the combatants fought the whole night; King Harald himself shot for long with his bow. Thiodolf saith thus:

'Elm-bow did the Upland King draw all the night; Shrewd ruler of the land sent Arrows 'gainst the white shields; Barbs bloody harmed the peasants, And the King's arrows Fast in the shields did lodge (The spear-shots grew apace).'

|| Earl Hakon & the men of his company did not lash their ships together, but rowed against the Danish keels that were faring loose, and every ship that they grappled did they clear. When the Danes noted this same did every man move his ship away from the spot whither the Earl was faring, but went he after them even as they withdrew, and wellnigh to fleeing were they.

But then came a boat rowing towards the Earl's ship, and those in it shouted & said that the other arm of ye battle array of King Harald had given way, and that many of their men had fallen there, so then rowed the Earl away thither and fierce was his onset, so that the Danes again caused their ships to fall astern. Thus did the Earl fare the whole of that night, rowing round outside the combatants, and laying about him wheresoever it was required; & whithersoever he went he was in no fashion to be withstood.

During the waning part of the night was there a general fight among the Danes; this was after King Harald & his band had boarded the own ship to King Svein, and so utterly cleared it that all his men were slain save and except those that leapt into the sea. Thus saith Arnor Earl's-skald:

'Svein courageous went not from off his ship Without good cause (that is my mind); Hard was the fight for the helmets wasted, And empty did his craft float ere the eloquent friend of the Jutes Fled from his dead chosen fighters.'

|| After the banner of King Svein had fallen & the ships to him had been cleared, fled away all his men save those who were slain, & they that fled sprang into the deep from those ships that were lashed together or climbed on to other ships that were faring loose, but all of the men of King Svein who were able to do so rowed off. Full many men fell there. And there, where the Kings themselves had fought & the greater number of the ships had been lashed one to another, lay over seventy of the ships of that King; thus saith Thiodolf:

'Bold King of the Sogn-folk, (So 'tis sung) ships seven Times ten of men and arms From Svein's fleet cleared away.'

|| King Harald after the Danes rowed hard and put them to rout, but no easy task was it, for so little sea-room was there betwixt the keels that motion was well-nigh not possible. Earl Fin would in no wise consent to flee and was taken captive; he could not see well. This is what Thiodolf saith: