452 SOME EXPEDITIONS AND DEEDS OF GHEAT VIKINGS. 



gales, so that both his ships were wrecked on the coast of 

 England, but all his men got ashore with their clothes and 

 weapons. Thereupon he succeeded in taking villages and 

 burghs and castles, one after the other. King Ella, who ruled 

 England, had heard that Eagnar had left his country ; he sent 

 men to tell him when he had landed ; they came and brought 

 news of Eagnar. Ella sent messengers all over his realm, 

 summoning every man to come that could wield a shield and 

 ride on a horse and dared fight ; he thus gathered such a 

 large host that it was a wonder, and made ready for battle. 

 Ella said to his men : ' If we gain the victory in this battle, 

 and you see Eagnar, you must not attack him with weapons, 

 for he has sons who sooner or later will avenge his death.' 

 Eagnar made ready for battle, and used the cloth which 

 Eandalin had given him to be used as a coat-of-mail, and had 

 the spear in his hand with which he slew the serpent that lay 

 round the hall of Thora, which no other man dared to face ; 

 he had no armour except a helmet. When they met the fight 

 began. Eagnar had far fewer men. Many of Eagnar's men 

 fell after a short time, but where he went himself his foes drew 

 back, and that day he walked through their ranks ; whenever 

 he cut or thrust at shields, coats-of-mail or helmets, his blows 

 were so heavy that nothing stood against them, but never did 

 any blow or shot harm him ; he got no wounds, and slew many 

 of King Ella's men. In the end, when all Eagnar's men had 

 fallen, he was surrounded by shields and taken. He was 

 asked who he was, but was silent and gave no answer. Ella 

 said : ' That man must be punished if he will not tell who he 

 is ; now throw him into a snake-pit and let him sit there a long 

 time, and if he says anything by which we can see that he is 

 Eagnar, he shall be taken away as soon as possible.' So 

 Eagnar was taken there and sat there a long time, and the 

 snakes did not attack him. People said, ' This is a great man ; 

 the weapons did not wound him to-day, and now the snakes do 

 no harm to him.' Ella told them to take off his outer garment, 

 and when they had done so the snakes attacked him all over 

 his body. He said : ' The pigs would grunt now if they knew 

 what the old one l is suffering ; ' and though he said this they yet 

 knew not that he was Eagnar or any other king. He sang : 



' I have fought battles I little thought that snakes 



Fifty and one Would cause in y death ; 



Which were famous; Often that happens 



I have wounded many men. Which one least expects. 



1 The old one R.ignav ; the pigs = his sons. 



