Earl Erik s Attack 201 



and the earl cut them loose as fast as he cleared them 

 of men. The Danes and Swedes laid themselves now 

 out of shooting distance all around Olaf's ship ; but 

 Earl Erik lay always close alongside of the ships, and 

 used his swords and battle-axes, and as fast as people 

 fell in his vessel, others, Danes and Swedes, came in 

 their place. 



Then the fight became most severe, and many people 

 fell. But at last it came to this, that all King Olaf 

 Tryggvason's ships were cleared of men, except the 

 Long Serpent, on board of which all who could still 

 carry their arms were gathered. Then Erik laid his ship 

 Iron Beard alongside the Serpent^ and the fight went on 

 with battle-axe and sword. 



Earl Erik was in the forehold of his ship, where a 

 ' shield-burg ' had been set up. In the fight, both 

 hewing weapons, sword, and axe, and the thrust of 

 spears had been used; and all that could be used as 

 weapons for casting were cast. Some used bows, some 

 threw spears with the hand. So many weapons were 

 cast into the Serpent, and so thick flew spears and 

 arrows, that the shields could scarcely receive them ; 

 for on all sides the Serpent was surrounded by warships. 

 Then King Olaf's men became so mad with rage, that 

 they ran on board of the enemies' ships, to get at the 

 people with stroke of sword and kill them ; but many 

 did not lay themselves so near the Serpent, in order to 

 escape the close encounter with battle-axe or sword ; 

 and thus the most of Olaf's men went overboard and 

 sank under their weapons, thinking they were fighting 

 on plain ground. 



Einar Tarabarskelfir, one of the keenest of bow- 



