HARALD SAILS r<Hi l-:M;l..l\D. 



him from England; and those who gathered to him from 

 England and Fltemingjaland " (Harald Hardradi's Saga. <. v_!). 



The following tells of his preparations against England, his 

 invading fleet amounting to over 240 warships, and describes 

 the Battle of Stamford Bridge (Stafnfurdubryggia) : 



"The host of Harald gathered in Solundir. When he \\as 

 ready to leave Nidaros he first went to the shrine of St. Olaf, 

 opened it, and cut his hair and nails ; then he shut the shrine 

 and threw the keys out on the Nid (a river), and went south- 

 ward with his host. So many men had gathered to him that 

 it is said he had nearly 2-10 ships, besides store-ships and small 

 skutas " (Harald Hardradi's Saga, c. 83). 



" When King Harald was ready for the expedition to 

 England and a fair wind rose, he sailed out to sea with all 

 his fleet; he reached Shetland, and lay a short while there, 

 and then sailed southward to the Orkneys, whence he took 

 many men, and the jarls Pal and Erlend, the sons of Thorfinn 

 jarl, but he left there Queen Ellisif, and their daughters 

 Maria and Ingigerd. Then he sailed southward past Scotland 

 till he came off England, to a place called Kliflond (Cleve- 

 land) ; then he went ashore, and ravaged and subdued the 

 land, meeting with no resistance. Thereupon he sailed to 

 Skardaborg (Scarborough) and fought against the townsmen ; 

 he went up on a high rock near the town, and set fire to a 

 large pile which he made. They took large poles and lifted 

 it up and threw it down into the town ; soon one house after 

 the other began to burn, and the whole town was destroyed. 

 The Northmen slew many people, and took all the property 

 they could get. There was no other choice for the English 

 who wanted to save their lives but to ask peace and become 

 King Harald's men ; thus he subdued the land wherever he 

 went. Then he sailed with all his host southward along the 

 shore, and landed at Hellornes, where a gathered host came 

 against him ; he fought a battle, and got the victory. Then 

 he went up the Humra (Humber) to Usa (Ouse), and there 

 he landed ; the sons of Godwin, Morcar and Waltheof, Earl 

 of Huntingdon, were at Jorvik (York) with an overwhelming 

 host, which had been gathering all summer. When the host 

 of the jarls came down, Harald went ashore and began to 

 array 1 his men : one wing 2 stood on the river bank, and tin- 

 other higher up, near a ditch which was deep, broad, and 



1 Fylkja; the array itself is called | " Fylkingar-arm. 

 Fylking. 



