510 SOME EXPEDITIONS AND DEEDS OF GREAT VIKINGS. 

 " Then Thjodolf skald sang 



'Not shall I though the king Heirs of a king 



Himself sink to the ground Than these two. 



It goes as God will leave The hawks ( = sons) of Harald are 

 The heirs of the king. ready for revenge.' 



The sun shines not on sightlier 



"It is said by people that Tosti's advice, given first when 

 they saw the landhost, was the best and wisest, namely, that 

 they should go back to the ships ; but since a death-fated 

 man cannot be saved, they suffered from the stubbornness of 

 the king, who could not bear that this cautiousness should be 

 regarded as fear or flight by his foes. 



" They began the battle. The English horsemen made an 

 attack on the Northmen ; the resistance was very hard, for 

 the spears of the latter were so placed that the horsemen 

 could not reach them with their weapons. Then they rode 

 around the array, but as soon as they came near, the archers 

 of the Northmen shot at them as fast as they were able. The 

 English saw that they could effect nothing, and rode back. 

 The Northmen thought they were going to flee, and followed in 

 pursuit ; but as soon as the English saw that they had broken 

 their shieldburgh they rode at them from all sides, shooting 

 arrows and spears at them. When Harald Sigurdarson saw 

 that his men were falling, he rushed into the fray where it 

 was hottest. Many men fell on both sides. Harald, King of 

 Norway, fought with the greatest bravery, and became so 

 eager and furious that he rushed forward out of the array, 

 dealing blows on all sides ; neither helmet nor coat of mail 

 could withstand him ; he went through the ranks of his foes 

 as if he were walking through air, for all who came near him 

 fell back. Then, as the English almost fled, Harald Sigurdar- 

 son was hit with an arrow in the throat, so that a stream of 

 blood gushed from his mouth ; this was his death-wound ; he 

 fell there with all the men who had gone forward around 

 him, except those who retreated and kept their standard. 

 There was yet a stubborn fight, because the Northmen 

 were very eager, and each urged the other on. When Tosti 

 jaii became aware that the king had fallen he went to 

 where he saw the standard aloft, and under the king's 

 standard he urged the men on strongly ; a little after both 

 hosts rested themselves, and there was a Jong delay in the 

 battle. 



" Both sides made ready for battle again, but before the arrays 

 met, Harald, son of Godwin, offered peace to Tosti jarl, his 



