From fleet to fleet so short the way, That stones and arrows have full play;And from the keen sword dropped the blood Of short-lived seamen in the flood."It was late in the day when the battle began, and it continued the whole night.King Harald shot for a long time with his bow.
So says Thiodolf: --
"The Upland king was all the night Speeding the arrows' deadly flight.
All in the dark his bow-string's twang Was answered; for some white shield rang, Or yelling shriek gave certain note The shaft had pierced some ring-mail coat, The foemen's shields and bulwarks bore A Lapland arrow-scat(1) or more."Earl Hakon, and the people who followed him, did not make fast their ships in the fleet, but rowed against the Danish ships that were loose, and slew the men of all the ships they came up with.
When the Danes observed this each drew his ship out of the way of the earl; but he set upon those who were trying to escape, and they were nearly driven to flight.Then a boat came rowing to the earl's ship and hailed him and said that the other wing of King Harald's fleet was giving way and many of their people had fallen.Then the earl rowed thither and gave so severe an assault that the Danes had to retreat before him.The earl went on in this way all the night, coming forward where he was most wanted, and wheresoever he came none could stand against him.
Hakon rowed outside around the battle.Towards the end of the night the greatest part of the Danish fleet broke into flight, for then King Harald with his men boarded the vessel of King Svein; and it was so completely cleared that all the crew fell in the ship, except those who sprang overboard.So says Arnor, the earls' skald: --"Brave Svein did not his vessel leave Without good cause, as I believe:
Oft on his casque the sword-blade rang, Before into the sea he sprang.
Upon the wave his vessel drives;
All his brave crew had lost their lives.
O'er dead courtmen into the sea The Jutland king had now to flee."And when King Svein's banner was cut down, and his ship cleared of its crew, all his forces took to flight, and some were killed.
The ships which were bound together could not be cast loose, so the people who were in them sprang overboard, and some got to the other ships that were loose; and all King Svein's men who could get off rowed away, but a great many of them were slain.Where the king himself fought the ships were mostly bound together, and there were more than seventy left behind of King Svein's vessels.
So says Thiodolf: --
"Svein's ships rode proudly o'er the deep, When, by a single sudden sweep, Full seventy sail, as we are told, Were seized by Norway's monarch bold."King Harald rowed after the Danes and pursued them; but that was not easy, for the ships lay so thick together that they scarcely could move.Earl Fin Arnason would not flee; and being also shortsighted, was taken prisoner.So says Thiodolf: --"To the six Danish earls who came To aid his force, and raise his name, No mighty thanks King Svein is owing For mighty actions of their doing.
Fin Arnason, in battle known, With a stout Norse heart of his own, Would not take flight his life to gain, And in the foremost ranks was ta'en."ENDNOTES:
(1) The Laplanders paid their seat, or yearly tax, in bows and arrows; and the meaning of the skald appears to be, that as many as were paid in a year were shot at the foe.-- L.
66.KING SVEIN'S FLIGHT.
Earl Hakon lay behind with his ships, while the king and the rest of the forces were pursuing the fugitives; for the earls' ships could not get forward on account of the ships which lay in the way before him.Then a man came rowing in a boat to the earl's ship and lay at the bulwarks.The man was stout and had on a white hat.He hailed the ship, "Where is the earl?" said he.
The earl was in the fore-hold, stopping a man's blood.The earl cast a look at the man in the hat and asked what his name was.
He answered, "Here is Vandrad: speak to me, earl."The earl leant over the ship's side to him.Then the man in the boat said, "Earl, I will accept of my life from thee, if thou wilt give it."Then the earl raised himself up, called two men who were friends dear to him, and said to them, "Go into the boat; bring Vandrad to the land; attend him to my friend's Karl the bonde; and tell Karl, as a token that these words come from me, that he let Vandrad have the horse which I gave to him yesterday, and also his saddle, and his son to attend him."Thereupon they went into the boat and took the oars in hand, while Vandrad steered.This took place just about daybreak, while the vessels were in movement, some rowing towards the land, some towards the sea, both small and great.Vandrad steered where he thought there was most room between the vessels; and when they came near to Norway's ships the earl's men gave their names and then they all allowed them to go where they pleased.
Vandrad steered along the shore, and only set in towards the land when they had come past the crowd of ships.They then went up to Karl the bonde's farm, and it was then beginning to be light.
They went into the room where Karl had just put on his clothes.
The earl's men told him their message and Karl said they must first take some food; and he set a table before them and gave them water to wash with.
Then came the housewife into the room and said, "I wonder why we could get no peace or rest all night with the shouting and screaming."Karl replies, "Dost thou not know that the kings were fighting all night?"She asked which had the better of it.
Karl answered, "The Northmen gained."
"Then," said she, "our king will have taken flight.""Nobody knows," says Karl, "whether he has fled or is fallen."She says, "What a useless sort of king we have! He is both slow and frightened."Then said Vandrad, "Frightened he is not; but he is not lucky."Then Vandrad washed his hands; but he took the towel and dried them right in the middle of the cloth.The housewife snatched the towel from him, and said, "Thou hast been taught little good;it is wasteful to wet the whole cloth at one time.