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142 NOTES
PaGE 87. Faithful men.
The King’s final exhortation to his followers, which is clothed in words
of such tender and appealing beauty in Bjérnson’s poem, is given in
the Saga as follows:
“We have an host good and great, and although the bonders have
an host somewhat more, yet will fate rule the victory. I have to make
known unto you that I shall not flee from this battle ; I shall either
overcome the bonders, or shall fall here else. And this I pray, that that
lot come up which God sees will be for me the gainfullest. We shall
trust in this, that we have a more rightful cause to plead than the
bonders; and this furthermore, that God will make free our own to
us after this battle, or else will give us a reward mickle more for the
loss that we here get, than we ourselves know how to pray for. But if
it be my lot to have aught to say after the battle, then shall I reward
each one of you according to his work’s-worth, and according to the
way whereas each goeth forth in the battle; for then, if we gain the
victory, there will be enough to share between you, both of lands and
chattels, which are now in the hands of my foemen. Let us make the
hardest of onslaughts at first; for swiftly there will be a shifting, though
odds be mickle, and we have to hope for victory from speedy dealing;
whereas that will fall heavy on us, if we have to fight unto weariness,
so that men thereof become unfightworthy. For we shall have less fresh
folk than they, to go forth in turn, while some shield themselves and
rest. But if we make the brunt so hard that they turn aback who are
foremost, then will each fall across the other, and their mishap will be
the greater, the more they are together.”
PaGE 90. THE COMING OF ARNLJOT.
This Song is based upon Chapter 227 of the O. H. Saga.
“Tt befell again, when King Olaf was come to Sticklestead, that a
certain man came to him. But this was nought wondrous, in so far
that many men came to the king out of the countrysides there, but it
was deemed for new tidings, whereas this man was unlike unto other
men of them who had come to the king as then. He was a man so high,
that none of the others were more than up to the shoulder of him; he
was a very goodly man to look upon, and of fair hair. He was well-
weaponed, and had a full fair helm and a ring-byrny, and a red shield,
and was girt with a fair-wrought sword; he had in hand a gold-inlaid
great spear, the shaft thereof was so thick that a good handful it was.
This man went before the king and greeted him, and asked if he would
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