182 MODE OF NAVAL WARFARE OF THE NOETRMEN. 



anchors seem to have been employed for this purpose, as it is 

 said that they were used to hold the ships together during 

 the battle. When they came to the attack, the men sought to 

 drag the ships of the enemy closer by means of grappling- 

 hooks (stafnle) and anchors. Eirik Jaii decided the battle of 

 Svold by attacking the outermost ships of Olaf Tryggvason. 

 As soon as one ship was cleared of men, he loosened its 

 fastenings. 



" It was then customary when men fought on board ships 

 to tie them together and fight in the prows " (Harald Fair- 

 hair's Saga, ch. 11). 



In the celebrated battle of Svold most violent and fatal 

 was the defence on the Long Serpent among the forerooms- 

 men and the stem-defenders (see pp 192-3). 



After leaving Norway Olaf steered the Long Serpent him- 

 self, and the crew was so carefully chosen that no man who was 

 older than sixty or younger than twenty was to be 011 board, 

 and they were picked also with regard to valour and strength. 

 The king's hirdmen were first chosen, composed of the 

 strongest and bravest men from the country and foreign lands. 



" Ulf the red carried King Olaf's standard, and was placed 

 in the front (prow) of the Serpent together with Kolbjorn 

 Stallari, Thorstein Oxfoot, Vikar of Tiundaland the brother of 

 Arnljot Gellini. The following men were on the forecastle 

 (rausn) in the bows : Vakr Raumason Elfski, Bersi the 

 Strong, An the archer of Jamtaland, Thrand the Hardy of 

 Thelamork, and Uthyrmir (Unsparing), his brother. From 

 Halogaland were : Thraud the Squinting, Ogmund Sandi, 

 Hlodvir (Louis) the Long of Saltvik, Harek the Keen. 

 From the inner part of Thrandheim were : Ketil the Tall, 

 Thorfinn the Dashing, Havar of Orkadal and his brothers. 

 The following were in the foreroom : Bjorn of Studla, Bork of 

 Firdir, Thorgrim Thjodolfsson of Hvin, Asbjorn and Orm, 

 Thord of Njardarlog, Thorstein the white of Oprustadir, Arnor 

 of Mceri, Hallstein and Hauk of Firdir, Eyvind Snake, Berg- 

 thor Bestil, Hallkel of Fjalir, Olaf Dreng (good warrior), 

 Arnfinn of Sogn, Sigurd Axe, Einar of Hordaland, Finn, 

 Ketil of Eogaland, Clrjotgard the nimble. The following 

 were in the Krapparum 1 : Einar Thambarskelfir (he was not 



1 The narrow room, the third room or space from the stern. 



