n great
astonishment from whom Ring could have learnt this method of disposing
his line, especially as Odin was the discoverer and imparter of this
teaching, and none but himself had ever learnt from him this new pattern
of warfare. At this Brun was silent, and it came into the king's mind
that here was Odin, and that the god whom he had once known so well
was now disguised in a changeful shape, in order either to give help or
withhold it. Presently he began to beseech him earnestly to grant the
final victory to the Danes, since he had helped them so graciously
before, and to fill up his last kindness to the measure of the first;
promising to dedicate to him as a gift the spirits of all who fell. But
Brun, utterly unmoved by his entreaties, suddenly jerked the king out of
the chariot, battered him to the earth, plucked the club from him as
he fell, whirled it upon his head, and slew him with his own weapon.
Countless corpses lay round the king's chariot, and the horrid heap
overtopped the wheels; the pile of carcases rose as high as the pole.
For about 12,000 of the nobles of Ring fell upon the field. But on the
side of Harald about 30,000 nobles fell, not to name the slaughter of
the commons.

When Ring heard that Harald was dead, he gave the signal to his men to
break up their line and cease fighting. Then under cover of truce he
made treaty with the enemy, telling them that it was vain to prolong the
fray without their captain. Next he told the Swedes to look everywhere
among the confused piles of carcases for the body of Harald, that the
corpse of the king might not wrongfully lack its due rights. So the
populace set eagerly to the task of turning over the bodies of the
slain, and over this work half the day was spent. At last the body was
found with the club, and he thought that propitiation should be made to
the shade of Harald. So he harnessed the horse on which he rode to the
chariot of the king, decked it honourably with a golden saddle, and
hallowed it in his honour. Then he proclaimed his vows, and added his
prayer that Harald would ride on this and outstrip those who shared his
death in their journey to Tartarus; and that he would pray Pluto, the
lord of Orcus, to grant a calm abode there for friend and foe. Then he
raised a pyre, and bade the Danes fling on the gilded chariot of their
king as fuel to the fire. And while the flames were burning the body
cast upon them, he went round the mourning nobles and e