KM; WAH C-USTUMX. 



let my standard move forward in the middlo of the host, and 

 my hird and gestir shall follow it, together with those who 

 joined rue from Upplond and Thrandheim. To the right of 

 my standard Dag Hringsson shall stand, and the men with 

 whom he joined us. He shall have another standard. To the 

 left of my fylking shall stand the men from the King of 

 Sweden and all those who joined us in Sviaveldi. They shall 

 have the third standard. 1 want my men to form detachments, 

 and friends and kinsmen shall stand together, for then each 

 will defend the other best, and they will know each other. 



" ' We shall mark all our men by making a war-sign on our 

 helmets and shields, namely, paint on them the holy cross in 

 white. 



" ' When we come forward into battle we shall all have the 

 same watchword : " Forward, forward, Christ-men, cross-men, 

 king's men." We must have thin arrays if we have fewer men, 

 for I do not want them to surround us. 



" ' Now form sveitir. Then the sveitir shall be put together 

 to form fylkings, and each man must then know his place and 

 mind in what direction he stands from the standard to which 

 he belongs. We will keep our fylking and be fully armed day 

 and night till we know where we meet the boandr.' When 

 he had spoken they arrayed themselves, and arranged as the 

 king had told them " (St. Olaf's Saga, c. 210). 



" The chief Kalf Arnason raised his banner, and placed his 

 huskarls and Harek of Thjotta and his men round it. Thorir 

 Hund with his host was in front of the host, and in front of 

 the standards " (St. Olaf's Saga, ch. 233). 



Standards, often very elaborately worked, were used both on 

 sea and laud ; some of these had great reputations, and picked 

 warriors were always chosen to carry them, each fylking having 

 one. The poets or scalds seem to have stood close to them in 

 the shieldburg. 



" He, Egil Ullserk, was an old bondi who had been a great 

 warrior, and for a long time carried the banner of Harald the 

 Fairhaired. He said : ' I feared f< >r some time, while this great 

 peace lasted, that I should die from old age on my bench, and 

 I wished rather to fall in battle with my chief; now it may 

 happen so ' ' (Heimskringla, Hakon the Good, c. 23). 



"One summer the Scotch Jarl Finnleik staked out with 

 hazels a battle-field for Sigurd at Skidamyri on an appointed 

 day. Sigurd went to consult his mother, who knew many 

 things. He told her that there would be against him not less 



