Heimskringla; Or, The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway

12. THE SIXTH BATTLE.

King Olaf ordered great platforms of floating wood to be tied together with hazel bands, and for this he took down old houses; and with these, as a roof, he covered over his ships so widely, that it reached over the ships' sides. Under this screen he set pillars so high and stout, that there both was room for swinging their swords, and the roofs were strong enough to withstand the stones cast down upon them. Now when the fleet and men were ready, they rode up along the river; but when they came near the bridge, there were cast down upon them so many stones and missile weapons, such as arrows and spears, that neither helmet nor shield could hold out against it; and the ships themselves were so greatly damaged, that many retreated out of it. But King Olaf, and the Northmen's fleet with him, rowed quite up under the bridge, laid their cables around the piles which supported it, and then rowed off with all the ships as hard as they could down the stream. The piles were thus shaken in the bottom, and were loosened under the bridge. Now as the armed troops stood thick of men upon the bridge, and there were likewise many heaps of stones and other weapons upon it, and the piles under it being loosened and broken, the bridge gave way; and a great part of the men upon it fell into the river, and all the ethers fled, some into the castle, some into Southwark. Thereafter Southwark was stormed and taken. Now when the people in the castle saw that the river Thames was mastered, and that they could not hinder the passage of ships up into the country, they became afraid, surrendered the tower, and took Ethelred to be their king. So says Ottar Svarte:—

     "London Bridge is broken down.—
     Gold is won, and bright renown.
          Shields resounding,
          War-horns sounding,
     Hild is shouting in the din!
          Arrows singing,
          Mail-coats ringing—
     Odin makes our Olaf win!"

And he also composed these:—

     "King Ethelred has found a friend:
     Brave Olaf will his throne defend—
          In bloody fight
          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."