msvikings fought with all
their wonted strength. So many spears also were aimed at Hakon himself
that his armor was split asunder and he threw it aside.

When the earl saw that the battle was going against him, he called his
sons together and said, "I dislike to fight against these men, for I
believe that none are their equals, and I see that it will fare ill
with us unless we hit upon some plan. Stay here with the host and I
will go ashore and see what can be done."

Then the jarl went into the depths of a forest, and, sinking on his
knees, he prayed to the goddess Thorgerd. But when no answer came
to his cry, Hakon thought she was angry, and to appease her wrath he
sacrificed many precious things to her. Yet still the goddess hid her
face.

In his despair Hakon then promised to offer human sacrifices, but no
sign was given to him that his offering would be accepted.

"Thou shalt have my son, my youngest son Erling!" cried the King,
and then at length, so it seemed to Hakon, Thorgerd was satisfied. He
therefore gave his son, who was but seven years old, to his thrall,
and bade him offer the child as a sacrifice to the goddess.

Then Hakon went back to his ships, and lo! as the battle raged, the
sky began to grow dark though it was but noon, and a storm arose and
a heavy shower of hail fell. The hail was driven by the wind in the
faces of the vikings, and flashes of lightning blinded them and
loud peals of thunder made them afraid. But a short time before the
warriors had flung aside their garments because of the heat; now the
cold was so intense that they could scarce hold their weapons.

While the storm raged, Hakon praised the gods and encouraged his men
to fight more fiercely. Then, as the battle went against them, the
Jomsvikings saw in the clouds a troll, or fiend. In each finger the
troll held an arrow, which, as it seemed to them, always hit and
killed a man.

Sigvald saw that his men were growing fearful, and he, too; felt that
the gods were against them. "It seems to me," he said, "that it is
not men whom we have to fight to-day but fiends, and it requires some
manliness to go boldly against them."

But now the storm abated, and once more the vikings began to conquer.
Then the earl cried again to Thorgerd, saying that now he deserved
victory, for he had sacrificed to her his youngest son.

Then once more the storm-cloud crept over the sky and a terrific storm
of hail beat upon the vikings, and now t