"That I will," said he; took the helmet off his head, laid down his
sword and shield, and went forward to the forecastle deck.
The king struck him in the chin with the sharp point of his battle-axe,
and said, "I shall mark thee as a traitor to thy sovereign."
Then Aslak Fitiaskalle rose up, and struck Erling in the head with
an axe, so that it stood fast in his brain, and was instantly his
death-wound. Thus Erling lost his life.
The king said to Aslak, "May all ill luck attend thee for that stroke;
for thou hast struck Norway out of my hands."
Aslak replied, "It is bad enough if that stroke displease thee, for I
thought it was striking Norway into thy hands; and if I have given thee
offence, sire, by this stroke, and have thy ill-will for it, it will go
badly with me, for I will get so many men's ill-will and enmity for this
deed that I would need all your protection and favour."
The king replied that he should have it.
Thereafter the king ordered every man to return to his ship, and to get
ready to depart as fast as he could. "We will not plunder the slain,"
says he, "and each man may keep what he has taken." The men returned
to the ships and prepared themselves for the departure as quickly as
possible; and scarcely was this done before the vessels of the bondes
ran in from the south into the sound. It went with the bonde-army as is
often seen, that the men, although many in numbers, know not what to
do when they have experienced a check, have lost their chief, and
are without leaders. None of Erling's sons were there, and the bondes
therefore made no attack, and the king sailed on his way northwards. But
the bondes took Erling's corpse, adorned it, and carried it with them
home to Sole, and also the bodies of all who had fallen. There was great
lamentation over Erling; and it has been a common observation among
people, that Erling Skjalgson was the greatest and worthiest man in
Norway of those who had no high title. Sigvat made these verses upon the
occasion:--
"Thus Erling fell--and such a gain
To buy with such a loss was vain;
For better man than he ne'er died,
And the king's gain was small beside.
In truth no man I ever knew
Was, in all ways, so firm and true;
Free from servility and pride,
Honoured by all, yet thus he died."
Sigvat also says that Aslak had very unthinkingly committed this murder
of his own kinsman:--
"Norway's brave defender's dead!
Aslak has heaped on his own head
The guilt of murdering his own kin:
May few be guilty of such sin!
His kinsman's murder on him lies--
Our forefathers, in sayings wise,
Have said, what is unknown to few,
'Kinsmen to kinsmen should be true.'"