24. BATTLE AT FREDARBERG.

Eirik's sons sailed northwards around Stad; as soon as the wind suited;

and when they had passed it, and heard where King Hakon was, they

sailed to meet him. King Hakon had nine ships, with which he lay under

Fredarberg in Feeysund; and Eirik's sons had twenty ships, with which

they brought up on the south side of the same cape, in Feeysund. King

Hakon sent them a message, asking them to go upon the land; and telling

them that he had hedged in with hazel boughs a place of combat at

Rastarkalf, where there is a flat large field, at the foot of a long

and rather low ridge. Then Eirik's sons left their ships, and went

northwards over the neck of land within Fredarberg, and onward to

Rastarkalf. Then Egil asked King Hakon to give him ten men with ten

banners, and the king did so. Then Egil went with his men under the

ridge; but King Hakon went out upon the open field with his army, and

set up his banner, and drew up his army, saying, "Let us draw up in a

long line, that they may not surround us, as they have the most men."

And so it was done; and there was a severe battle, and a very sharp

attack. Then Egil Ulserk set up the ten banners he had with him, and

placed the men who carried them so that they should go as near the

summit of the ridge as possible, and leaving a space between each of

them. They went so near the summit that the banners could be seen over

it, and moved on as if they were coming behind the army of Eirik's

sons. Now when the men who stood uppermost in the line of the troops of

Eirik's sons saw so many flying banners advancing high over the edge of

the ridge, they supposed a great force must be following, who would

come behind their army, and between them and their ships. They made each

other acquainted with what was going on in a loud shout, and the whole

took to flight; and when the king saw it, they fled with the rest. King

Hakon now pushes on briskly with his people, pursuing the flying, and

killing many.

Heimskringla; Or, The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway · 第 94 / 1013 题