The Viking Age. Volume 2 (of 2): The early history, manners, and customs of the ancestors of the English-speaking nationsDu Chaillu, Paul B. (Paul Belloni)
History
The Viking Age. Volume 2 (of 2): The early history, manners, and customs of the ancestors of the English-speaking nations
“Adils the Gay from Uppsalir stood in front of the standards and the
shields and not in the Fylkings; Sigvaldi, who had come with eleven
ships; Tryggvi and Tvivivil were there with twelve ships; Lœsir had a
skeid all manned with champions; Eirik Helsing had a large dragon, well
filled with warriors. Champions had also come to Hring from Thelamörk
(Thelemarken) and they were least honoured, for they were thought
slow-speaking and slovenly; these were: Thorkel the Stubborn, Thorleif
Goti the Overbearing, Hadd the Hard, Gretti, Hroald Toe. There was yet
one more who had come to Hring: Rögnvald the Tall, or Radard Hnefi, who
was the greatest of all champions; he was foremost in the point of the
wedge; next to him were Tryggvi and Lœsir, and then the sons of Alrek
and Yngvi; then were the Thelemarkians, whom none wanted to have, as
they were thought to be of little use; they were great archers.
“When these hosts were ready for battle, both had the horns sounded, and
raised the war-cry. The arrays met, and the battle was so severe, that
it is said in all old Sagas that no battle in the Northern lands was
ever fought with so many and so valiant picked men. When it had raged a
little while, Ubbi the Frisian, a champion, advanced in front of the
host of Harald, and attacked the snout of the array of Hring, and first
of all Rögnvald; their fight was very hard, and terrible blows could be
seen in the host where these dauntless champions rushed at each other,
dealing many and heavy cuts. Ubbi was such a great champion that he did
not cease until their single fight ended by Rögnvald’s fall; then he
rushed at Tryggvi, and gave him his death wound. When the sons of Alrek
saw his appalling rush into the host, they went against him; but he was
so hardy and skilled that he slew them both; then he killed Yngvi; and
rushed so furiously into the ranks that every one fled before him; he
slew all who were foremost in the snout, except those who were fighting
other champions.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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