CHAPTEE XI. 



MODE OF NAVAL WARFARE OF THE NORTHMEN. 



Sea fights Standard and shield burgh Method of fighting Use of grappling 

 irons Choice of the crew Boarding of ships Battle at the river Helga 

 Custom of strengthening ships' sides before a combat Rowers protected 

 I)} 7 shields Use of stones as weapons Harbours protected by cables 

 The war levy. 



FROM the numerous sea-fights described in the Sagas, we see 

 that the most important and decisive part of the struggle took 

 place near the prow and stem of the ship. Here the strongest 

 and most valiant men were always stationed, 1 among them the 

 standard-bearer of the chief or king, round whom they were 

 ranged in battle order, and formed the skjald-liorg (shield- 

 burg). 



" During the winter King Harald had a large dragon made 

 and fitted out very splendidly. He placed on it his hird and 

 Berserks. The stem defenders were the most carefully selected, 

 for they had the king's standard. That part aft of the prow- 

 near the pumping-room (austr-rum) was called rausn (fore- 

 castle). It was manned with Berserks Only those who sur- 

 passed others in strength and bravery and all kinds of skill 

 got into the hird of King Harald. Only with such men was 

 his ship manned, and he had then a large choice of iiirdmen 

 out of every Fylki" (Harald Fairhair's Saga, c. 9). 



In a sea-fight between Hakon Herdibreid and King Ingi : 



" Hakon went on board the east voyage 2 Knorr, and a shield- 

 burgh was put round him there, but his standard remained on 

 board the longship where he had been." 3 



Before the fight it was the custom to sound the horns and 

 hoist the standards, and to tie the stems of the ships together, 

 so that each line formed an unbroken whole ; sometimes several 



1 They were railed ^Lifnhiiar, stem Baltic (Russift, &c.). 



or prow men. 



'' East vovasre = voyage iu the East 



3 



115. 



Cf. also Olat' Tryggvason's Saga. c. 



