204 



SEA BATTLES. 



they were bound with one rope, one at the other's side, not 

 loosely. The jarl and his men took their food, and sat down to 

 eat; he wanted to have them all beheaded leisurely and in 

 no hurry that day. 



" Before they sat down to eat, the ships and the property of 

 the Jomsvikings were taken ashore, and carried to the poles. 

 Hakoii and his men divided among themselves all the property, 

 and the weapons ; they thought they had won a great victory as 

 they had got all the property captured from the Jomsvikings, 

 and they boasted very much. When they had eaten enough, 

 they walked out of the war-booths to the captives, and it is said 

 that Thorkel Leira was appointed to behead them all. First 

 they talked to the Jomsvikings, and asked whether they were 

 as hardy men as was said ; but it is not told that the Joms- 

 vikings gave them any answer. 



" It is next stated that some sorely wounded men were 

 untied from the rope ; Skopti Kark and other thralls had hold 

 of it, and guarded them. When they were untied the thralls 

 twisted sticks 1 in their hair ; first three wounded men were 

 led forward in that way, and Thorkel went to them and cut off 

 each head ; then he asked his own companions if they had 

 seen him shudder at this work, 'for it is told,' said he, 'that 

 any man shudders if he beheads three men one after the other.' 

 Hakon answered : ' We do not see that thou hast shuddered at 

 this, though it seemed so to me before thou didst it.' 



The fourth man was led out of the rope, and a stick twisted 

 in his hair, and he was led to where Thorkel beheaded them ; he 

 was much wounded. When he came Thorkel asked, before he 

 struck, how he thought of his death. He answered : ' Well 

 think I of my death ; it will be with me as with my father ; I 

 shall die.' Thereupon Thorkel cut off that man's head, and 

 thus his life ended. The fifth was untied from the rope and 

 led thither ; when he came, Thorkel said : ' How likest thou 

 to die ? ' He said : ' I remember not the laws of the Joms- 

 vikings, if I am afraid of my death or speak a word of fear; 

 once in^st every man die.' Thorkel struck him. They wanted 

 to ask every man before he was slain, and try whether they 

 were as fearless as was told, and if no man spoke a word of 

 fear they thought it proved. The sixth was led forward, and 

 a stick twisted in his hair. Thorkel asked the same as 

 before ; the man said he liked well to die with a good fame, 

 'while thou, Thorkel, wilt live with shame.' He struck the 

 blow. Then the seventh was led thither, and Thorkel asked 

 the same. The man said : ' I like very much to die, but 



1 This practice was probably due to 

 their not vising a block ; so that the head 



was held for the blow as described in the 



Saga. 



