Death of Hakon the Good 163 



On both sides they fought bravely, and much blood was 

 shed. The king had on a golden helmet which gleamed 

 in the sunlight, and attracted many hostile darts. But 

 it was said that he had thrown off his armour before 

 the battle began. His henchman, Eyvind, put a cap 

 over the golden helmet. Then one of the champions 

 from the other side called out, ' Does the King of the 

 Norsemen hide himself ? ' Hakon shouted back, ' Come 

 on as ye are coming, and ye will find the King of the 

 Norsemen ; ' and before long the man who had thus 

 spoken fell before a blow from the king. 



And now the Norse king went forward, cutting down 

 all who stood before him. Then there flew an arrow, 

 a three-edged dart, and entered the king's arm. He 

 had gained the victory, and Erik's sons were in flight. 

 But when the day was over, and Hakon bethought him 

 of having his wound bound up, the blood flowed from 

 it so fast, that it could not be stopped, and it soon 

 appeared that the king's life was ebbing away. He 

 commanded that they should place him in his boat and 

 row him northward ; for he hoped that he might reach 

 a property of his which lay very near to the present 

 town of Bergen. In these last hours, Hakon began to 

 repent him that he had not been more zealous in 

 spreading Christianity in Norway. 



' If fate,' he said, ' should prolong my life, I intend, 

 in any case, to leave the country and go to some 

 Christian land, and do penance for my sins against 

 God. But if I die in a heathen land, let them bury me 

 as they think fit.' 



Having no children of his own, Hakon left the suc- 

 cession to those life-long rivals of his, the sons of Erik. 



