Natural history -- Scotland -- Orkney; Orkney (Scotland) -- Description and travel; Orkney (Scotland) -- History
“King Brian came with all his host to the burg; and on the Friday the
host fared out of the burg, and both armies were drawn up in array.
Brodir was on one wing of the battle, but King Sigtrygg on the other.
Earl Sigurd was in the mid-battle. Now, it must be told of King Brian
that he would not fight on the fast-day, and so a shieldburg was thrown
round him, and his host was drawn up in array in front of it. Wolf the
Quarrelsome was on that wing of the battle against which Brodir stood.
But on the other wing, where Sigtrygg stood against them, were Ospak
and his sons. But in mid-battle was Kerthialfad, and before him the
banners were borne. Now the wings fall on one another, and there was a
very hard fight. Brodir went through the host of the foe, and felled all
the foremost that stood there, but no steel would bite on him. Wolf the
Quarrelsome turned then to meet him, and thrust at him twice so hard that
Brodir fell before him at each thrust, and was well-nigh not getting on
his feet again. But as soon as ever he found his feet, he fled away into
the wood at once.
“Earl Sigurd had a hard battle against Kerthialfad, and Kerthialfad
came on so fast that he laid low all who were in the front rank, and
he broke the array of Earl Sigurd right up to his banner, and slew the
banner-bearer. Then he got another man to bear the banner, and there
was again a hard fight. Kerthialfad smote this man too his death-blow
at once, and so on one after the other all who stood near him. Then
Earl Sigurd called on Thorstein, the son of Hall of the Side, to bear
the banner, and Thorstein was just about to lift the banner. But then
Amundi the White said, ‘Don’t bear the banner! for all they who bear it
get their death.’ ‘Hrafn the Red!’ called out Earl Sigurd, ‘bear thou
the banner.’ ‘Bear thine own devil thyself,’ answered Hrafn. Then the
earl said, ‘’Tis fittest that the beggar should bear the bag;’ and with
that he took the banner from the staff and put it under his cloak. A
little after, Amundi the White was slain, and then the earl was pierced
through with a spear. Ospak had gone through all the battle on his wing.
He had been sore wounded, and lost both his sons ere King Sigtrygg fled
before him. Then flight broke out throughout all the host. Thorstein,
Hall of the Side’s son, stood still while all the others fled, and tied
his shoestring. Then Kerthialfad asked why he ran not as the others.
‘Because,’ said Thorstein, ‘I can’t get home to-night, since I am at home
out in Iceland.’ Kerthialfad gave him peace....
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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