people fell. But at last it came to this, that all King Olaf Tryggvesson's ships were cleared of men except the Long Serpent, on board of which all who could still carry their arms were gathered. Then Iron Beard lay side by side with the Serpent, and the tight went on with battle-axe and sword. So says Haldor:—
Hard pressed on ever side by foes,
The Serpent reels beneath the blows;
Crash go the shields around the bow!
Breat-plates and breasts pierced thro' and thro'!
Jn the sword-storm the Holm beside,
The Iron Beard lay alongside
The king's Long Serpent of the sea—
Fate gave the earl the victory."
Chapter. CXVII.
Of Earl Eric.
Earl Eric was in the forehold of his ship, where a cover of shields [1] 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 weapon for casting was 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 war ships. 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 over¬ board and sank under their weapons, thinking they were fighting on plain ground. So says Halfred:—
- ↑ Both in land and sea fights the commanders appear to have been protected from missile weapons,—stones, arrows, spears,— by a shieldburg; that is, by a party of men bearing shields surrounding them in such a way that the shields were a parapet, covering those within the circle. The Romans had a similar military arrangement of shields in sieges—the testudo.
