"Twas at the peep of day,--
Our brave earl led the way;
His ocean horses bounding--
His war-horns loudly sounding!
No joyful morn arose
For Yngve Frey's base foes
These Christian island-men
Wished themselves home again."
Then the fleets came together, and one of the sharpest of conflicts
began. Many fell on both sides, but the most by far on Hakon's side; for
the Jomsborg vikings fought desperately, sharply, and murderously, and
shot right through the shields. So many spears were thrown against Earl
Hakon that his armour was altogether split asunder, and he threw it off.
So says Tind Halkelson:--
"The ring-linked coat of strongest mail
Could not withstand the iron hail,
Though sewed with care and elbow bent,
By Norn (1), on its strength intent.
The fire of battle raged around,--
Odin's steel shirt flew all unbound!
The earl his ring-mail from him flung,
Its steel rings on the wet deck rung;
Part of it fell into the sea,--
A part was kept, a proof to be
How sharp and thick the arrow-flight
Among the sea-steeds in this fight."
ENDNOTES: (1) Norn, one of the Fates, stands here for women, whose
business it was to sew the rings of iron upon the cloth
which made these ring-mail coats or shirts. The needles,
although some of them were of gold, appear to have been
without eyes, and used like shoemaker's awls.--L.