1 6 2 Norway and the Norwegians 



' Thou art too brave a fellow, Eyvind,' said the king, 

 ' to bring me false alarms.' 



The king then left the hall, and went out to survey 

 the approaching fleet. It was now too late to raise the 

 country side; but there might yet be means of escape. 

 Hakon held a council of war to decide whether this was 

 the course which should be adopted. 



' For it is easy to see that we must now fight against 

 a much greater force than we have ever had arrayed 

 against us before; though we thought the same the 

 last time we fought against Gunhild's sons.' 



While others hesitated to answer, Eyvind spoke a 

 verse, advising that they should give battle and with 

 no thought of the odds against them. 



Hakon answered, ' Thy counsel is manly, Eyvind, and 

 after my own heart ; but I will wait to hear the opinion 

 of others upon the matter.' 



Then, as our saga-writer slily adds, 'as the king's men 

 thought they saw in what direction the king leant, they 

 replied that they would rather fight and fall like men 

 than fly before the Danes, and that they had often 

 gained a victory against greater odds than these.' So 

 the king put on his armour, and girt at his side 

 his famous sword — a present from the English King 

 Athelstan — which was called 'quern-biter' because it 

 would cut (if you like to believe it) to the heart of a 

 mill-stone ; and he drew up his men, house-carles and 

 bonders and bonders' men, in a body, and set up his 

 standard. 



Erik's sons had a force six times as strong as that of 

 Hakon. But the prowess of the king and of some of 

 the men of his chosen bodyguard counted for much. 



