"Hakon, defender of the land, Armed in the North his warrior-band To Sogn's old shore his force he led, And from all quarters thither sped War-ships and men; and haste was made By the young god of the sword-blade, The hero-viking of the wave, His wide domain from foes to save. With shining keels seven kings sailed on To meet this raven-feeding one. When the clash came, the stunning sound Was heard in Norway's farthest bound; And sea-borne corpses, floating far, Brought round the Naze news from the war." Earl Hakon sailed then with his fleet southwards around Stad; and when he heard that King Ragnfred with his army had gone towards Sogn, he turned there also with his men to meet him: and there Ragnfred and Hakon met. Hakon came to the land with his ships, marked out a battle-field with hazel branches for King Ragnfred, and took ground for his own men in it. So it is told in the "Vellekla":-- "In the fierce battle Ragnfred then Met the grim foe of Vindland men; And many a hero of great name Fell in the sharp sword's bloody game. The wielder of fell Narve's weapon, The conquering hero, valiant Hakon Had laid his war-ships on the strand, And ranged his warriors on the land." There was a great battle; but Earl Hakon, having by far the most people, gained the victory. It took place on the Thinganes, where Sogn and Hordaland meet. King Rangfred fled to his ships, after 300 of his men had fallen. So it is said in the "Vellekla":-- "Sharp was the battle-strife, I ween,-- Deadly and close it must have been, Before, upon the bloody plain, Three hundred corpses of the slain Were stretched for the black raven's prey; And when the conquerors took their way To the sea-shore, they had to tread O'er piled-up heaps of foemen dead." After this battle King Ragnfred fled from Norway; but Earl Hakon restored peace to the country, and allowed the great army which had followed him in summer to return home to the north country, and he himself remained in the south that harvest and winter (A.D. 972). 19. EARL HAKON'S MARRIAGE. Earl Hakon married a girl called Thora, a daughter of the powerful Skage Skoptason, and very beautiful she was. They had two sons, Svein and Heming, and a daughter called Bergljot who was afterwards married to Einar Tambaskielfer. Earl Hakon was much addicted to women, and had many children; among others a daughter Ragnhild, whom he married to Skopte Skagason, a brother of Thora. The Earl loved Thora so much that he held Thora's family in higher respect than any other people, and Skopte his brother-in-law in particular; and he gave him many great fiefs in More. Whenever they were on a cruise together, Skopte must lay his ship nearest to the earl's, and no other ship was allowed to come in between. 20. DEATH OF SKOPTE.