“I will not do that,” says Hjort; “though I know my death is
sure, I will stand by thee still.”
Then they rode and came east by Knafaholes, and Kolskegg said,
“Seest thou, kinsman! Many spears stand up by the holes, and men
with weapons.”
“It does not take me unawares,” says Gunnar, “that my dream comes
true.”
“What is best to be done now?” says Kolskegg; “I guess thou wilt
not run away from them.”
“They shall not have that to jeer about,” says Gunnar, “but we
will ride on down to the ness by Rangriver; there is some vantage
ground there.”
Now they rode on to the ness, and made them ready there, and as
they rode on past them, Kol called out and said, “Whither art
thou running to now, Gunnar?”
But Kolskegg said, “Say the same thing farther on when this day
has come to an end.”
ENDNOTES:
1. “Ocean’s fire,” a periphrasis for “gold.” The whole line is
a periphrasis for “bountiful chief.”
62. THE SLAYING OF HJORT AND FOURTEEN MEN
After that Starkad egged on his men, and then they turn down upon
them into the ness. Sigurd Swinehead came first and had a red
targe, but in his other hand he held a cutlass. Gunnar sees him
and shoots an arrow at him from his bow; he held the shield up
aloft when he saw the arrow flying high, and the shaft passes
through the shield and into his eye, and so came out at the nape
of his neck, and that was the first man slain.
A second arrow Gunnar shot at Ulfhedinn, one of Starkad’s men,
and that struck him about the middle and he fell at the feet of a
yeoman, and the yeoman over him. Kolskegg cast a stone and
struck the yeoman on the head, and that was his deathblow.
Then Starkad said, “‘Twill never answer our end that he should
use his bow, but let us come on well and stoutly.” Then each man
egged on the other, and Gunnar guarded himself with his bow and
arrows as long as he could; after that he throws them down, and
then he takes his bill and sword and fights with both hands.
There is long the hardest fight, but still Gunnar and Kolskegg
slew man after man.
Then Thorgeir, Starkad’s son, said, “I vowed to bring Hildigunna
thy head, Gunnar.”
Then Gunnar sang a song:
“Thou, that battle-sleet down bringeth,
Scarce I trow thou speakest truth;
She, the girl with golden armlets,
Cannot care for such a gift;
But, O serpent’s hoard despoiler!
If the maid must have my head —
Maid whose wrist Rhine’s fire (1) wreatheth,
Closer come to crash of spear.”
