ll who escaped took to flight.
Then the Greek king was greatly incensed at his men-at-arms; and they
replied, that he should now take his wine-bags, the Varings. The king
says that he would not throw away his jewels, and allow so few men,
however bold they might be, to attack so vast an army. Then Thorer
Helsifig, who at that time was leader of the Varings replied to the
king's words, "If there was burning fire in the way, I and my people
would run into it, if I knew the king's advantage required it." Then the
king replied, "Call upon your holy King Olaf for help and strength."
The Varings, who were 450 men, made a vow with hand and word to build a
church in Constantinople, at their own expense and with the aid of other
good men, and have the church consecrated to the honour and glory of the
holy King Olaf; and thereupon the Varings rushed into the plain. When
the heathens saw them, they told their king that there was another troop
of the Greek king's army come out upon the plain; but they were only a
handful of people. The king says, "Who is that venerable man riding on
a white horse at the head of the troop?" They replied, "We do not see
him." There was so great a difference of numbers, that there were sixty
heathens for every Christian man; but notwithstanding the Varings went
boldly to the attack. As soon as they met terror and alarm seized the
army of the heathens, and they instantly began to fly; but the Varings
pursued, and soon killed a great number of them. When the Greeks and
Franks who before had fled from the heathens saw this, they hastened to
take part, and pursue the enemy with the others. Then the Varings had
reached the waggon-fortification, where the greatest defeat was given to
the enemy. The heathen king was taken in the flight of his people, and
the Varings brought him along with them; after which the Christians took
the camp of the heathens, and their waggon-fortification.

MAGNUS ERLINGSON'S SAGA.

PRELIMINARY REMARKS.

With this saga, which describes a series of conflicts, Snorre's
"Heimskringla" ends. King Eystein died in 1177, but Magnus Erlingson
continued to reign until his death in 1184. The conflicts continued
until the opposition party was led to victory by King Sverre.

The only skald quoted is Thorbjorn Skakkaskald.

1. OF MAGNUS ERLINGSON'S BEGINNING.

When Erling got certain intelligence of the determinations of Hakon and
his counsellors, he sent a message to all th