468 SOME EXPEDITIONS AND DEEDS OF GREAT VIKINGS. 



and plundered there. After this he sailed south to England, 1 

 and ravaged there, as in other places ; but all the people fled 

 wherever he went. As he was a very valiant man and had a 

 large host, he trusted so much to this that he went far up 

 into the land, and plundered and searched for men. The king 

 whom Edmund had set to defend the land there was named 

 Olaf; he gathered an overwhelming host, and went against 

 Eirik. There ensued a great battle. . . . Eirik and five kings 

 with him fell ; . . . and there was a great slaughter of North- 

 men ; those who escaped went to Northumberland, and told 

 Gunnhild and her sons the tidings " (Hakon the (rood, c. 4). 



"When (Eirik's wife) Gunnhild and her sons became aware 

 that Eirik had fallen, and had first plundered in the realm of 

 the Engla-king, they knew they could not expect peace there, 

 and at once made ready to leave Northumberland with all the 

 ships which Eirik had owned ; and also took with them all 

 those who wished to follow them. They also carried away 

 what property had been gathered from taxes in England, as 

 well as what had been won in warfare. They sailed with their 

 men north to the Orkneys, and stayed there awhile. Thorfiun 

 Hpusakljuf (head-cleaver) was then jarl. The sous of Eirik 

 subdued the Orkneys and Shetlands, and took taxes from 

 them ; they remained there during the winter, but went on 

 western viking expeditions in the summer in Scotland and 

 Ireland " (Hakon the Good, c. 5). 2 



The following account gives us an insight of the manners of 

 the time during ^Ethelstan : 



" Eirik saw no other choice than to leave the land (Norway), 

 and departed with Gunnhild his wife and their children. 

 Arinbjorn hersir was a foster-brother of King Eirik, and the 

 foster-father of his children, and dearest to him of all lendirmen. 

 . . . They went first westward across the sea to the Orkneys, 

 Then he married his daughter Ragnhild to Arnfin jarl, and 

 went with his host south, past Scotland, and made war there, 

 and thence south to England, ravaging there. King ythel- 

 stan heard this, and gathered men and went against Eirik. 

 When they met, words of reconciliation were carried between 

 them, and it was agreed upon that King ^Ethelstan gave Eirik 

 Northumberland (Northymbraland) to rule over ; and he was 

 to be his land-defender against the Scotch and the Irish. 

 vEthelstan had made Scotland tributary after the fall of King 



1 This shows that Bretlaud must have 

 en Wales. 



- Cf. also Egil's Saga, c. 62. 



