482 SOME EXPEDITIONS AND DEEDS OF GREAT VIKINGS. 



and I will tell Eilif, though it will be thought a rumour. 

 But this farm thou shalt own.' Thord went into the town ; 

 he met his companion, Audun ; they went and told it to 

 Eilif. He bade the men be on their guard. Some believed 

 it, others said it was only an alarm. They heard the bell- 

 ringing as usual, and many thought the priest was ringing. 

 Those who believed Thord went armed, and all the others 

 unarmed. When they came into the churchyard there was a 

 great crowd. They could not get their weapons, for they 

 could not reach their houses. Eilif asked for their advice, 

 but they could give none ; he added, ' It does not seem to 

 me good advice to run into the church if it gives no shelter 

 and we show fear. I think it will be better to jump on the 

 shoulders of those who stand outside the churchyard wall, and 

 thus try to escape to the ships.' And they did so. Most of 

 those who were slain fell at the ships. Eilif escaped with 

 three ships, but none escaped from Slesvik, and Heming 

 fell there. Eilif went to Denmark. Some time after this 

 Jatmund (Edmund) was made king over England. He ruled 

 nine months. During that time he fought five battles against 

 Knut Sveinsson. Alrek Strjona, whom some called Eirek, 

 a brother of Emma, who had been married to .ZEthelred, the 

 king of the English, was the foster-father of Edmund. At 

 that time Thorkel the High was the most powerful man in 

 Denmark. They had a Thing in the spring after the slaying 

 of the Thingamen ; Eilif urged to go and take revenge, but 

 Thorkel answered : ' We have a young king, and it is not 

 proper to make warfare without the king partaking in it, 

 but after three years 1 think he will be valiant enough, 

 and it will take the English by surprise.' Eilif answered : 

 ' It is not sure that those will remember it for three winters, 

 who now do not care for it at all.' He went to Mikligard 

 (Constantinople), and became chief of the Vseringjar, and at 

 last fell there. After three winters, Knut, Thorkel, and Eirik 

 went with eight hundred ships to England. Thorkel had 

 thirty ships, and slew Ulfkel Snilling, and thus avenged 

 the death of his brother Heming, and married Ulfhild, the 

 daughter of King .ZEthelred, who had been married to Uifkel. 

 With Uifkel was slain every man on sixty ships, and Knut 

 captured Lundunaborg. Thorkel went along the coast, and 

 found Queen Emma on board a ship. He took her ashore and 

 urged Knut to ask her in marriage ; and the king married her. 

 She gave birth to a son in the winter, who was named Harald, 

 a natural son of Knut ; Horda-Knut was their son. The son 

 of Knut and Alfifa was named Sveiu ; his daughter Gunnhild 

 was married to the Emperor (of Germany) Heinrek Konradsson : 



