KINGS OF NORWAY. 85 But they who stood like men this fray saga ix. Round Mauro-kaare's* body lay." This song was composed by Stein Herdisarson about Olaf, son of King Harald ; and he speaks of Olaf being in this battle with King Harald his father. These things are also spoken of in the song called " Harald's Stave:"— " Earl Walthiof 's men Lay in the fen. By sword down hewed, So thickly strewed. That Norsemen say They paved a way Across the fen For the brave Norsemen/' Earl Walthiof, and the people who escaped, fled up to the castle in York ; and there the greatest loss of men had been. This battle took place upon the Wed- nesday next Mathias' day.f Earl Toste had come from Flanders to King Harald Chapter as soon as he arrived in England, and the earl was pre- of^Ead^^ sent at all these battles. It happened, as he had fore- Toste. told the king at their first meeting, that in England many people would flock to them, as being friends and relations of Earl Toste, and thus the king^s forces were much strengthened. After the battle now told of, all people in the nearest districts submitted to Harald, but some fled. Then the king advanced to take the castle, and laid his army at Stafnfurdo-bryggia J ; and as King Harald had gained so great a victory against so great chiefs and so great an army, the people were dismayed, and doubted if they could make any oppo- sition. The men of the castle therefore determined,
- This appears to be a mistake of Snorro, or of the scald Stein
Herdisarson. Mauro-kaare was not slain in this battle of Battlebridge. (See Torfaeus, Histor. Norv. pt. iii. p. 308.) Mauro-kaare, or Morcad and Walthiof, were not brothers, as stated in chap. 8?. Morcad's brother was Edwin, earl of Mercia. t Saint Matthew's Day is the 20th September.
- |: Stanford Bridge.
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