470 SOME EXPEDITIONS AND DEEDS OF GHEAT VIKINGS. 



ruled there heard of it, and gathered men, and went against 

 him. There ensued a great battle, which ended in a victory 

 for Olaf. Gudrek fell, and Alfgeir fled with most of their 

 men who got away from the battle. Alfgeir could stop no- 

 where, and Olaf conquered the whole of Northumberland. 

 Alfgeir went to vEthelstan and told him of his defeat, but as 

 soon as he heard that so numerous a host had entered the 

 country he summoned men, and sent word to his jarls and 

 chiefs. He at once departed with his host against the Scots. 

 When it was reported that Olaf, King of the Scots, had been 

 victorious, had conquered a large part of England, and had 

 a far greater force than ^Ethelstan, many chiefs went to him. 

 Hring and Adils had gathered many men, and went over to 

 King Olaf, who then had a very large army. ^Ethelstaii then 

 had a conference with his chiefs and counsellors to see what 

 was most expedient. He told the whole assembly distinctly 

 what he had heard about the Scottish king, and his great 

 number of men. All agreed that Alfgeir jarl had been most 

 to blame, and it seemed to them right to remove him from 

 his place. It was agreed that the king should go back to the 

 southern part of England, and gather men northwards through- 

 out the whole land, for they saw that the great number needed 

 would gather too slowly if the king himself did not call them 

 together. He made Thorolf and Egil leaders of the host 

 there; they were to lead the men whom vikings had taken 

 to the king, and Alfgeir had still the command of his own 

 men. The king also made those it pleased to him chiefs of 

 detachments (Sveit). When Egil came from the meeting, he 

 was asked what news he could tell about the king of the Scots. 

 He sang .... 



"Then they sent men to Olaf with the message that 

 ^Ethelstan would fence a field with hazels to offer it as a 

 battlefield to him on Vinheidi ( = Yin-heath), at Yinuskogar 

 ( = Vinu-forest) ; that he did not want them to ravage in his 

 land, and that the one who gained the battle should rule over 

 the realm, England ; they were to meet in the course of one 

 week, and he who should arrive there first was to wait one 

 week for the other. It was customary then, after a battlefield 

 had been enhazelled, to consider it a disgrace for a king to 

 plunder until after the battle. Olaf therefore stopped his 

 host, and did not ravage, but waited for the appointed day ; 

 then he moved his force to Vinheidi. There was a town 

 north of the heath, where he took up his quarters ; he had 

 there the greatest part of his host, for large provinces (herad) 

 lay up to it, and he thought it was easiest there to obtain 

 necessary supplies for the host. He sent some of his men 



