第48章

(1) Norn, one of the Fates, stands here for women, whose business it was to sew the rings of iron upon the cloth which made these ring-mail coats or shirts.The needles, although some of them were of gold, appear to have been without eyes, and used like shoemaker's awls.-- L.

44.EARL SIGVALDE'S FLIGHT.

The Jomsborg vikings had larger and higher-sided ships; and both parties fought desperately.Vagn Akason laid his ship on board of Svein Earl Hakon's son's ship, and Svein allowed his ship to give way, and was on the point of flying.Then Earl Eirik came up, and laid his ship alongside of Vagn, and then Vagn gave way, and the ships came to lie in the same position as before.

Thereupon Eirik goes to the other wing, which had gone back a little, and Bue had cut the ropes, intending to pursue them.

Then Eirik laid himself, board to board, alongside of Bue's ship, and there was a severe combat hand to hand.Two or three of Eirik's ships then laid themselves upon Bue's single vessel.Athunder-storm came on at this moment, and such a heavy hail-storm that every hailstone weighed a pennyweight.The Earl Sigvalde cut his cable, turned his ship round, and took flight.Vagn Akason called to him not to fly; but as Earl Sigvalde paid no attention to what he said, Vagn threw his spear at him, and hit the man at the helm.Earl Sigvalde rowed away with 35 ships, leaving 25 of his fleet behind.

45.BUE THROWS HIMSELF OVERBOARD.

Then Earl Hakon laid his ship on the other side of Bue's ship, and now came heavy blows on Bue's men.Vigfus, a son of Vigaglum, took up an anvil with a sharp end, which lay upon the deck, and on which a man had welded the hilt to his sword just before, and being a very strong man cast the anvil with both hands at the head of Aslak Holmskalle, and the end of it went into his brains.Before this no weapon could wound this Aslak, who was Bue's foster-brother, and forecastle commander, although he could wound right and left.Another man among the strongest and bravest was Havard Hoggande.In this attack Eirik's men boarded Bue's ship, and went aft to the quarter-deck where Bue stood.There Thorstein Midlang cut at Bue across his nose, so that the nosepiece of his helmet was cut in two, and he got a great wound; but Bue, in turn, cut at Thorstein's side, so that the sword cut the man through.Then Bue lifted up two chests full of gold, and called aloud, "Overboard all Bue s men," and threw himself overboard with his two chests.Many of his people sprang overboard with him.Some fell in the ship, for it was of no use to call for quarter.Bue's ship was cleared of people from stem to stern, and afterwards all the others, the one after the other.

46.VIKINGS BOUND TOGETHER IN ONE CHAIN.

Earl Eirik then laid himself alongside of Vagn's ship, and there was a brave defence; but at last this ship too was cleared, and Vagn and thirty men were taken prisoners, and bound, and brought to land.Then came up Thorkel Leira, and said, "Thou madest a solemn vow, Vagn, to kill me, but now it seems more likely that Iwill kill thee." Vagn and his men sat all upon a log of wood together.Thorkel had an axe in his hands, with which he cut at him who sat outmost on the log.Vagn and the other prisoners were bound so that a rope was fastened on their feet, but they had their hands free.One of them said, "I will stick this cloak-pin that I have in my hand into the earth, if it be so that I know anything, after my head is cut off." His head was cut off, but the cloak-pin fell from his hand.There sat also a very handsome man with long hair, who twisted his hair over his head, put out his neck, and said, "Don't make my hair bloody." A man took the hair in his hands and held it fast.Thorkel hewed with his axe; but the viking twitched his head so strongly that he who was holding his hair fell forwards, and the axe cut off both his hands, and stuck fast in the earth.Then Earl Eirik came up, and asked, "Who is that handsome man?"He replies, "I am called Sigurd, and am Bue's son.But are all the Jomsborg vikings dead?"Eirik says, "Thou art certainly Boe's son.Wilt thou now take life and peace?""That depends," says he, "upon who it is that offers it.""He offers who has the power to do it -- Earl Eirik.""That will I," says he, "from his hands." And now the rope was loosened from him.

Then said Thorkel Leira, "Although thou should give all these men life and peace, earl, Vagn Akason shall never come from this with life." And he ran at him with uplifted axe; but the viking Skarde swung himself in the rope, and let himself fall just before Thorkel's feet, so that Thorkel _ell over him, and Vagn caught the axe and gave Thorkel a death-wound.Then said the earl, "Vagn, wilt thou accept life?""That I will," says he, "if you give it to all of us.""Loose them from the rope," said the earl, and it was done.

Eighteen were killed, and twelve got their lives.

47.DEATH OF GISSUR OF VALDERS.

Earl Hakon, and many with him, were sitting upon a piece of wood, and a bow-string twanged from Bue's ship, and the arrow struck Gissur from Valders, who was sitting next the earl, and was clothed splendidly.Thereupon the people went on board, and found Havard Hoggande standing on his knees at the ship's railing, for his feet had been cut off (1), and he had a bow in his hand.When they came on board the ship Havard asked, "Who fell by that shaft?"They answered, "A man called Gissur.""Then my luck was less than I thought," said he.

"Great enough was the misfortune," replied they; "but thou shalt not make it greater." And they killed him on the spot.

The dead were then ransacked, and the booty brought all together to be divided; and there were twenty-five ships of the Jomsborg vikings in the booty.So says Tind:

"Many a viking's body lay Dead on the deck this bloody day, Before they cut their sun-dried ropes, And in quick flight put all their hopes.

He whom the ravens know afar Cleared five-and-twenty ships of war: