"Has the news reached you?--have you heard Of the great fight at Hafersfjord, Between our noble king brave Harald And King Kjotve rich in gold? The foeman came from out the East, Keen for the fray as for a feast. A gallant sight it was to see Their fleet sweep o'er the dark-blue sea: Each war-ship, with its threatening throat Of dragon fierce or ravenous brute (1) Grim gaping from the prow; its wales Glittering with burnished shields, (2) like scales Its crew of udal men of war, Whose snow-white targets shone from far And many a mailed spearman stout From the West countries round about, English and Scotch, a foreign host, And swordamen from the far French coast. And as the foemen's ships drew near, The dreadful din you well might hear Savage berserks roaring mad, And champions fierce in wolf-skins clad, (3) Howling like wolves; and clanking jar Of many a mail-clad man of war. Thus the foe came; but our brave king Taught them to fly as fast again. For when he saw their force come o'er, He launched his war-ships from the shore. On the deep sea he launched his fleet And boldly rowed the foe to meet. Fierce was the shock, and loud the clang Of shields, until the fierce Haklang, The foeman's famous berserk, fell. Then from our men burst forth the yell Of victory, and the King of Gold Could not withstand our Harald bold, But fled before his flaky locks For shelter to the island rocks. All in the bottom of the ships The wounded lay, in ghastly heaps; Backs up and faces down they lay Under the row-seats stowed away; And many a warrior's shield, I ween Might on the warrior's back be seen, To shield him as he fled amain From the fierce stone-storm's pelting rain. The mountain-folk, as I've heard say, Ne'er stopped as they ran from the fray, Till they had crossed the Jadar sea, And reached their homes--so keen each soul To drown his fright in the mead bowl." ENDNOTES: (1) The war-ships were called dragons, from being decorated with the head of a dragon, serpent, or other wild animal; and the word "draco" was adopted in the Latin of the Middle Ages to denote a ship of war of the larger class. The snekke was the cutter or smaller war-ship.--L. (2) The shields were hung over the side-rails of the ships.--L. (3) The wolf-skin pelts were nearly as good as armour against the sword. 20. HARALD SUPREME SOVEREIGN IN NORWAY.