ghtway cut it adrift from its lashings; then went he alongside
the one that was next, and with it fought until that too was cleared.
Then fell the crews to escaping from the lesser ships on to those that
were larger; but cut the Earl every ship from its lashings even as soon
as it was cleared, & thereon came up once more from all sides Danes and
Swedes into the battle over against the ships of King Olaf. Eirik the
Earl lay ever alongside one or other ship fighting thus in hand to hand
fight, and as the men fell on his ship, Danes and Swedes, other true men
took their place. Thus saith Halldor:

'Of sharp swords the brunt
O'er the "Long Serpent" went;
There golden spears did clash
And the men fought long,
In battle of foemen
Went forth to the south
Men of Sweden against him,
And Danish swordsmen doughty.'

|| Then waxed the battle very fierce, and men fell thick and fast, and so
at the end befell it that all the ships that pertained unto King Olaf
were cleared save and except the 'Long Serpent,' & by that time all
those of his folk who were still able to bear arms were come aboard of
her.

Then did Earl Eirik bring his bearded ship alongside the 'Serpent' and
thereon ensued a fight with man at sword's length from man.

Thus saith Halldor:

'Into so hard a trap fell now the "Long Serpent"
(The shields were cut asunder, together clashed the swords),
And when the axe-bearer laid his bearded ship
high bulwarked beside the "Serpent,"
The Earl did victory win at Holm.'

|| Earl Eirik took his stand in the forehold of his ship encompassed by a
wall of shields, & his men fought both with trenchant arms, and by the
thrusting of spears, and by the throwing of everything that could be
used as a weapon, though some shot with the bow or threw javelins with
the hand. From all sides had the war-ships been brought up around the
'Serpent,' and so great was the shower of weapons which fell on her, and
so thickly flew the arrows and javelins from all sides, that men could
but hardly ward off the missiles with their shields. The men that were
with King Olaf had ere now waxed so furious that they had climbed up on
to the bulwarks to the end that they might reach their foemen with their
swords and slay them; but many of their foes would not come so nigh
alongside the 'Serpent' that they could be beguiled into close combat,
whereas a many of the folk of Olaf being unmindful that they were not
fight