BATTLE OF BEUNANBUEtill. \~\\ 



and the men put on their armour; they began to array them 

 in battle order in two fylkings. Alfgeir commanded one >! 

 them, and had a standard carried in front of him : in this one 

 was the force which had followed him, and also those who had 

 gathered from the heracls (provinces). It was a much larger 

 host than that which followed Thorolf. Thorolf had a wide 

 and thick shield, a very strong helmet on his head, a sword 

 which he called Lang (the long), a large and good weapon. 

 He also had a spear ( = kesja) in his hand, of which the blade 

 was four feet long, the point four-edged, the upper part of the 

 blade broad, and the socket long and thick ; the handle was 

 no longer than one could reach with the hand to the socket, 

 but very thick ; there was an iron peg in the socket, and the 

 whole handle was wound with iron. These spears were called 

 brynthvari. Egil had the same outfit as Thorolf. He had 

 a sword he called Nadr (= viper), which he had got in 

 Kurland ; it was an excellent weapon. Neither of them had 

 on a coat of mail. They set up their standard, and Thor- 

 finn the Hard carried it. All their men had Northern shields, 

 and their whole equipment was Norwegian. All North- 

 men who were there were in their ranks. Thorolf and his 

 men arrayed themselves nearer to the forest, but the array of 

 Alfgeir along the river. Adils jarl and his brother saw that 

 they could not come on Thorolf and his men unawares. Then 

 they began to array their men in order of battle, and had al> 

 two fylkings and two standards. Adils arrayed his men against 

 Alfgeir, and Hring his against the vikings. Then the battle 

 began, and both sides went well forward. Adils pushed hard 

 forward until Alfgeir let his men retreat ; the men of Adils then 

 fought more boldly, and it was not long before Alfgeir fled. He 

 rode away southward off the heath with a detachment of men, 

 till he approached the burgh in which the king was stopping. 

 The jarl said : ' I do not think it is safe for us to go into the 

 burgh. We got a great scolding last time we went to the 

 king, when we had been defeated by Olaf, and he will not 

 think that our honour has improved after this journey. \\<- 

 need not expect any honour where he is.' Then he rode 

 southward day and night until they came west to Jarsiir-. 

 There he got passage southward across the sea. and went to 

 Valland (France), where he had one half of his kindred, 

 never since came back to England. 



" Adils first pursued the fleeing men, but not far before In- 

 returned to the battle and then made an attack. As Thorolf 

 saw this, he sent Egil against him, and ordered the standard 

 to be carried thither ; he bid his men follow each other well, 

 and stand closely together. ' Let us move toward the forest.' 



