elmet glanced, and thereby many weapons were directed at him. One of
his henchmen, Eyvind Finnson (_i.e._ Skaldaspillir, the poet), took a
hat, and put it over the king's helmet. Now, 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 Norsemen
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.'" And in a short space of time braggart Skreya did
come up, swinging his sword, and made a cut at the king; but Thoralf the
Strong, an Icelander, who fought at the king's side, dashed his shield
so hard against Skreya, that he tottered with the shock. On the same
instant the king takes his sword "quernbiter" (able to cut _querns_
or millstones) with both hands, and hews Skreya through helm and head,
cleaving him down to the shoulders. Thoralf also slew Alf. That was what
they got by such over-hasty search for the king of the Norsemen. [5]

Snorro considers the fall of these two champion uncles as the crisis of
the fight; the Danish force being much disheartened by such a sight, and
King Hakon now pressing on so hard that all men gave way before him,
the battle on the Ericson part became a whirl of recoil; and in a few
minutes more a torrent of mere flight and haste to get on board their
ships, and put to sea again; in which operation many of them were
drowned, says Snorro; survivors making instant sail for Denmark in that
sad condition.

This seems to have been King Hakon's finest battle, and the most
conspicuous of his victories, due not a little to his own grand
qualities shown on the occasion. But, alas! it was his last also. He was
still zealously directing the chase of that mad Danish flight, or whirl
of recoil towards their ships, when an arrow, shot Most likely at a
venture, hit him under the left armpit; and this proved his death.

He was helped into his ship, and made sail for Alrekstad, where his
chief residence in those parts was; but had to stop at a smaller place
of his (which had been his mother's, and where he himself was born)--a
place called Hella (the Flat Rock), still known as "Hakon's Hella,"
faint from loss of blood, and crushed down as he had never before f