In those days were there great troubles in Norway. Harald the
Unshorn,[6] son of Halfdan the Black, was pushing forth for the
kingdom. Before that he was King of the Uplands; then he went north
through the land, and had many battles there, and ever won the day.
Thereafter he harried south in the land, and wheresoever he came,
laid all under him; but when he came to Hordaland, swarms of folk came
thronging against him; and their captains were Kiotvi the Wealthy, and
Thorir Longchin, and those of South Rogaland, and King Sulki. Geirmund
Helskin was then in the west over the Sea; nor was he in that battle,
though he had a kingdom in Hordaland.
[Footnote 6: "Harald the Unshorn:" he was so called at first because
he made a vow not to cut his hair till he was sole king of Norway.
When he had attained to this, and Earl Rognvald had taken him to the
bath and trimmed his hair, he was called "Fair-hair," from its length
and beauty.]
Now that autumn Onund and his fellows came from the west over the Sea;
and when Thorir Longchin and King Kiotvi heard thereof, they sent men
to meet them, and prayed them for help, and promised them honours.
Then they entered into fellowship with Thorir and his men; for they
were exceeding fain to try their strength, and said that there would
they be whereas the fight was hottest.
Now was the meeting with Harald the King in Rogaland, in that firth
which is called Hafrsfirth; and both sides had many men. This was the
greatest battle that has ever been fought in Norway, and hereof most
Sagas tell; for of those is ever most told, of whom the Sagas are
made; and thereto came folk from all the land, and many from other
lands and swarms of vikings.
Now Onund laid his ship alongside one board of the ship of Thorir
Longchin, about the midst of the fleet, but King Harald laid his on
the other board, because Thorir was the greatest bearserk, and the
stoutest of men; so the fight was of the fiercest on either side. Then
the king cried on his bearserks for an onslaught, and they were called
the Wolf-coats, for on them would no steel bite, and when they set
on nought might withstand them. Thorir defended him very stoutly, and
fell in all hardihood on board his ship; then was it cleared from stem
to stern, and cut from the grapplings, and let drift astern betwixt
the other ships. Thereafter the king's men laid their ship alongside
Onund's, and he was in the forepart thereof and fought manly; then the
king's folk said, "Lo, a forward man in the forecastle there, let him
have somewhat to mind him how that he was in this battle." Now Onund
put one foot out over the bulwark and dealt a blow at a man, and even
therewith a spear was aimed at him, and as he put the blow from him
he bent backward withal, and one of the king's forecastle men smote
at him, and the stroke took his leg below the knee and sheared it off,
and forthwith made him unmeet for fight. Then fell the more part of
the folk on board his ship; but Onund was brought to the ship of him
who is called Thrand; he was the son of Biorn, and brother of Eyvind
the Eastman; he was in the fight against King Harald and lay on the
other board of Onund's ship.
But now, after these things, the more part of the fleet scattered in
flight; Thrand and his men, with the other vikings, got them away each
as he might, and sailed west over the Sea; Onund went with him, and
Balk and Hallvard Sweeping; Onund was healed, but went with a wooden
leg all his life after; therefore as long as he lived was he called
Onund Treefoot.