Heimskringla; Or, The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway

88. THE BATTLE AT THE HUMBER.

When King Harald saw that the English array had come to the ditch against him, he ordered the charge to be sounded, and urged on his men. He ordered the banner which was called the Land-ravager to be carried before him, and made so severe an assault that all had to give way before it; and there was a great loss among the men of the earls, and they soon broke into flight, some running up the river, some down, and the most leaping into the ditch, which was so filled with dead that the Norsemen could go dry-foot over the fen. There Earl Morukare fell. So says Stein Herdison:—

     "The gallant Harald drove along,
     Flying but fighting, the whole throng.
     At last, confused, they could not fight,
     And the whole body took to flight.
     Up from the river's silent stream
     At once rose desperate splash and scream;
     But they who stood like men this fray
     Round Morukare's body lay."

This song was composed by Stein Herdison about Olaf, son of King Harald; and he speaks of Olaf being in this battle with King Harald, his father. These things are also spoken of in the song called "Harald's Stave":—

     "Earl Valthiof's men
     Lay in the fen,
     By sword down hewed,
     So thickly strewed,
     That Norsemen say
     They paved a way
     Across the fen
     For the brave Norsemen."

Earl Valthiof, and the people who escaped, fled up to the castle of York; and there the greatest loss of men had been. This battle took place upon the Wednesday next Mathias' day (A.D. 1066).