army of Northmen that followed him southwards to the Danish wall, to defend his kingdom on that side. So it is told in the "Vellekla":—
"Over the foaming salt sea spray
The Norse sea-horses took their way,
Racing across the ocean-plain
Southwards to Denmark's green domain.
The gallant chief of Hordaland[1]
Sat at the helm with steady hand,
In casque and shield, his men to bring
From Dovre to his friend the king.
He steered his war-ships o'er the wave
To help the Danish king to save
Mordalf, who, with a gallant band,
Was hastening from the Jutes' wild land,
Across the forest frontier rude,
With toil and pain through the thick wood.
Glad was the Danish king, I trow,
When he saw Hakon's galley's prow.
The monarch straightway gave command
To Hakon, with a steel-clad hand,
To man the Dane-work's rampart stout,
And keep the foreign foemen out."
The Emperor Otto came with his army from the south to the Danish wall, but Earl Hakon defended the rampart with his men. The Dane-work was con¬ structed in this way:—Two fiords run into the land, one on each side; and in the farthest bight of these fiords the Danes had made a great wall of stone, turf, and timber, and dug a deep and broad ditch in front of it, and had also built a castle over each gate of it. There was a hard battle there, of which the "Vellekla" speaks:—
"
Thick the storm of arrows flew,
Loud was the din, black was the view
Of close array of shield and spear
Of Vend, and Frank, and Saxon there.
But little recked our gallant men;
And loud the cry might he heard then
Of Norway's brave sea-roving son—
'On 'gainst the foe! on! lead us on!'"
- ↑ Earl Hakon. Hordaland is often used for Norway by the scald.
