26 EARLY KINGS OF NORWAY.

one, as people afterwards computed, springing swiftly to land, and ranking themselves ; Hakon, nevertlie- less, at once deciding not to take to liis ships and run, but to fight there,^one to six ; fighting, accordingly, in his most splendid manner, and at last gloriously prevailing; routing and scattering back to their ships and flight homeward these ^six-to-one Danes.

• During the struggle of the fight,' says Snorro, * he

' was very conspicuous among other men ; and while

• the sun shone, his bright gilded helmet glanced, and
• thereby many weapons were directed at him. One
• of his henchmen, Eyvind Finnson (^.e. Skaldaspillir,
• the poet), took a hat, and put ^it over the king's

' helmet. JS'ow, among the hostile first leaders were ' two uncles of the Ericsons, brothers of Gunhild, 'great champions both; Skreya, the elder of them, ' on the disappearance of the glittering helmet,

• shouted boastfully, " Does the king of the Norse-
• men hide himself, then, or has he fled? Where now

' is the golden helmet?" And so saying, Skreya, and ' his brother Alf with him, pushed on like fools or

• madmen. The king said, " Come on in that way,

' and you shall find the king of the Norsemen ! " '