Maintain his right,
Win back his land
With blood-red hand,
And Edmund's son upon his throne replace--
Edmund, the star of every royal race!"

Sigvat also relates as follows:--

"At London Bridge stout Olaf gave
Odin's law to his war-men brave--
'To win or die!'
And their foemen fly.
Some by the dyke-side refuge gain--
Some in their tents on Southwark plain!
The sixth attack
Brought victory back."

13. THE SEVENTH BATTLE.

King Olaf passed all the winter with King Ethelred, and had a great
battle at Hringmara Heath in Ulfkel's land, the domain which Ulfkel
Snilling at that time held; and here again the king was victorious. So
says Sigvat the skald:--

"To Ulfkel's land came Olaf bold,
A seventh sword-thing he would hold.
The race of Ella filled the plain--
Few of them slept at home again!
Hringmara heath
Was a bed of death:
Harfager's heir
Dealt slaughter there."

And Ottar sings of this battle thus:--

"From Hringmara field
The chime of war,
Sword striking shield,
Rings from afar.
The living fly;
The dead piled high
The moor enrich;
Red runs the ditch."

The country far around was then brought in subjection to King Ethelred:
but the Thingmen (1) and the Danes held many castles, besides a great
part of the country.

ENDNOTES: (1) Thing-men were hired men-at-arms; called Thing-men
probably from being men above the class of thralls or unfree men,
and entitled to appear at Things, as being udal-born to land at
home.

14. EIGHTH AND NINTH BATTLES OF OLAF.

King Olaf was commander of all the forces when they went against
Canterbury; and they fought there until they took the town, killing many
people and burning the castle. So says Ottar Svarte:--

"All in the grey of morn
Broad Canterbury's forced.
Black smoke from house-roofs borne
Hides fire that does its worst;
And many a man laid low
By the battle-axe's blow,
Waked by the Norsemen's cries,
Scarce had time to rub his eyes."

Sigvat reckons this King Olaf's eighth battle:--

"Of this eighth battle I can tell
How it was fought, and what befell,
The castle tower
With all his power
He could not take,
Nor would forsake.