When King Hakon, Athelstan's foster-son, had been king for twenty-six
years after his brother Eirik had left the country, it happened (A.D.
960) that he was at a feast in Hordaland in the house at Fitjar on the
island Stord, and he had with him at the feast his court and many of
the peasants. And just as the king was seated at the supper-table, his
watchmen who were outside observed many ships coming sailing along from
the south, and not very far from the island. Now, said the one to the
other, they should inform the king that they thought an armed force was
coming against them; but none thought it advisable to be the bearer of
an alarm of war to the king, as he had set heavy penalties on those who
raised such alarms falsely, yet they thought it unsuitable that the king
should remain in ignorance of what they saw. Then one of them went into
the room and asked Eyvind Finson to come out as fast as possible, for it
was very needful. Eyvind immediately came out and went to where he could
see the ships, and saw directly that a great army was on the way; and
he returned in all haste into the room, and, placing himself before
the kind, said, "Short is the hour for acting, and long the hour for
feasting." The king cast his eyes upon him, and said, "What now is in
the way?" Eyvind said--
"Up king! the avengers are at hand!
Eirik's bold sons approach the land!
The Judgment of the sword they crave
Against their foe. Thy wrath I brave;
Tho' well I know 'tis no light thing
To bring war-tidings to the king
And tell him 'tis no time to rest.
Up! gird your armour to your breast:
Thy honour's dearer than my life;
Therefore I say, up to the strife!"
Then said the king, "Thou art too brave a fellow, Eyvind, to bring us
any false alarm of war." The others all said it was a true report. The
king ordered the tables to be removed, and then he went out to look at
the ships; and when it could be clearly seen that these were ships of
war, the king asked his men what resolution they should take--whether
to give battle with the men they had, or go on board ship and sail away
northwards along the land. "For it is easy to see," said he, "that we
must now fight against a much greater force than we ever had against
us before; although we thought just the same the last time we fought
against Gunhild's sons." No one was in a hurry to give an answer to the
king; but at last Eyvind replied to the king's speech:--
"Thou who in the battle-plain
Hast often poured the sharp spear-rain!
Ill it beseems our warriors brave
To fly upon the ocean wave:
To fly upon the blue wave north,
When Harald from the south comes forth,
With many a ship riding in pride
Upon the foaming ocean-tide;
With many a ship and southern viking,--
Let us take shield in hand, brave king!"
The king replied, "Thy counsel, Eyvind, is manly, and after my own
heart; but I will hear the opinion of others upon this matter." Now as
the king's men thought they discerned what way the king was inclined to
take, they answered that they would rather fall bravely and like men,
than fly before the Danes; adding, that they had often gained the
victory against greater odds of numbers. The king thanked them for their
resolution, and bade them arm themselves; and all the men did so. The
king put on his armour, and girded on his sword Kvernbit, and put a gilt
helmet upon his head, and took a spear (Kesja) in his hand, and a shield
by his side. He then drew up his courtmen and the bondes in one body,
and set up his banner.