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 ! " '
