AFTER THE BATTLE. 205 



strike me quickly ; I have a belt-knife in iny hand. We 

 Jonisvikings have often talked of whether a man knew any- 

 thing (had some consciousness) after his head had been cut 

 off very quickly ; it shall be a sign that I will stretch forth 

 the knife if 1 know anything, else it will fall down.' Thorkel 

 struck ; the head flew off, but the knife fell down. The 

 eighth was taken, and Thorkel asked the same. He said he 

 liked it well, and when the death-blow was coming he said, 

 ' Ram ! ' Thorkel stopped the blow, and asked why he said 

 this. He answered : ' There will not be too many rams for 

 the ewes which you, the jarl's men, named yesterday when 

 you got wounded.', ' Thou art the greatest wretch/ said 

 Thorkel, and dealt him the blow. The ninth was untied ; 

 Thorkel asked the same. He said : ' I like well my death, as 

 do all my companions ; but I do not want to be beheaded like 

 a sheep, and 1 will sit for the blow ; strike me face to face, 

 and look carefully whether I winoe in any way, for we have 

 often talked of that.' This was done ; he sat with his face to 

 Thorkel, who walked to him and smote in his face ; he did 

 not wince, except that his eyelids sank down when death came 

 over him. The tenth was led forward. Thorkel asked him 

 the same. He said : ' I should like thee to wait while I 

 arrange my breeches.' ' I grant thee that,' said Thorkel. 

 When he had done, he said, ' Many things do not go as one 

 hoped ; I thought I should get into the bed of Thora, Skagi's 

 daughter, the jarl's wife.' Hakon jarl said : ' Behead that 

 man as quickly asthou canst; he has long had bad intentions.' 

 Thorkel cut him. . . . 



" Then a young man was led forward ; he had much hair, 

 yellow as silk. Thorkel asked the same. He said : ' I have 

 lived the finest part of my life, and such men have now 

 lost their life a little while ago that I do not care to live ; 

 1 do not want thralls to lead me to the death-blow, but 

 one who is no less a man than thou ; it is easy to get that 

 man, and he shall take hold of my hair, and pull away my 

 head so that my hair does not become bloody.' A hirdman came, 

 took the hair, and wound round his hand ; Thorkel raised his 

 sword, and intended to strike him as hard and quick as he 

 could. He struck ; but when the young man heard the sword 

 whistling in the air, he pulled away his head strongly, and so 

 it happened that the blow hit the man who had hold of his 

 hair, and Thorkel cut off both his arms at the elbows. The 

 young man jumped up, and said as a joke : ' What fellow is 

 owner of the hands in my hair ? ' Hakon jarl said : ' The men 

 who are still in the rope will do us great mischief; slay him 

 as soon as you can ; he has brought a great mishap on us, and 



