Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 1.djvu/420

 The earls Hakon and Eric had war-arrows split up and sent round the Drontheim country; and despatched messages to both the Möres, North Möre and South More, and to Raumsdal, and also north to Naumadal and Halogaland. They summond all the country to provide both men and ships. So it is said in Eric's lay:—

Earl Hakon set out immediately to the south, to Möre, to reconnoitre and gather people; and Earl Eric gathered an army from the north to follow.

The Jomsburg vikings assembled their fleet in Lymfiord, from whence they went to sea with sixty sail of vessels. When they came under the coast of Agde, they steered northwards to Rogaland with their fleet, and began to plunder when they came into the earl's territory; and so they sailed north along the coast, plundering and burning. A man, by name Geirmund, sailed in a light boat with a few men northwards to Möre, and there he fell in with Earl Hakon, stood before his dinner table, and told the earl the tidings of an army from Denmark having come to the south end of the land. The earl asked if he had any certainty of it. Then Geirmund stretched forth one arm, from which the hand was cut off, and said, "Here is the token that the enemy is in the land." Then the earl questioned him particularly about this army. Geirmund says it consists of Jomsburg vikings, who have killed many people, and plundered all around. "And hastily and hotly they pushed on," says he, "and I expect it will not