VIKIXGS L\ SCOTLA A / ). T,; ;; ; 



grandfather, especially as it had been given to him, ;uil 

 ibre he refused to pay any tax. King Karl then niitdi- hi> 

 nephew, Moddan, Jarl of Caithness ; he gathered many men in 

 Sutherland (Sudrland). When this news reached Tln'.rlimi, lie- 

 gathered warriors in Caithness, and Thorkel came to his assist- 

 ance with a large force from the Orkneys. The S-ni> no\\ 

 found that Thorfinn had more men than they, ;md ivtiv.-iird : 

 whereupon Thorfinn Jarl subjugated Sutherland and lii.vs.iind 

 ravaged widely in Scotland, and returned to Dun <j I *!>; 

 (Duncansby) in Caithness. Moddan returned to King Karl in 

 Berwick, who became very angry when informed of the treat- 

 ment his nephew had received. 



"He embarked with eleven fully-equipped hmgships, while 

 Moddan was to march overland to Caithness, where the two 

 forces should meet, thus getting Thorfinn between two tires. 

 The king did not stop until he neared Caithness. When 

 Thorfinn became aware of his presence, he with his five ships 

 stood out into the Pentland Firth, intending to sail to the 

 Orkneys. Thorfinn thereupon sailed along the islands, bound 

 for Sandvik, and reached Dyrnes (Dearness), where he sent 

 word to Thorkel to gather men. As he was lying in under 

 Dyrnes, in the morning when it became light he beheld Karl 

 not far off. He held a consultation with Thorkel about what 

 had best be done, and he advised to abandon the ships and go 

 ashore, and thus escape ; but Thorfinn decided to fight with tjie 

 force he had, and urged his men to behave manfully. They 

 thereupon rowed against the king's fleet, and attacked it 

 fiercely. The battle was long and hard ; and when Thorfinn 

 saw the king's own ship, he urged his men to board it ; at 

 which he ordered his whole fleet to be cut loose, and his men 

 to take the oars and row away. Thorfinn himself reached the 

 stem of the king's ship, and ordered his standard to be carried 

 upon it, and many brave men followed him up. The king 

 jumped on another vessel with such of his men as were still 

 standing for most of them had fallen. He rode away, and all 

 the Scots fled. 



"King Karl sailed to Breidafjord (Broadfirth), when- In- 

 vent ashore and gathered a fresh host. 



"After the battle Thorfinn also retired, and met Thorkel, 

 who had gathered a strong force, with which they sailed south- 

 ward to Breidafjord (Broadfirth), and began to plunder tln-iv. 

 Then they heard that Moddan, with a large 1 force, was at 

 Thorsa (Thurso) in Caithness, and had besides sent to Ireland 

 for warriors. Thorfinn and Thorkel consulted, and agreed that 

 the latter should proceed to Caithness with some of the host, 

 while the former should remain with the remainder, and 



