Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 2.djvu/20

 12 CHRONICLE OF THE sa ga v ii, Xhe country far around was then brought in sub- jection to King Ethelred; but the Thingmen* and the Danes held many castles, besides a great part of the country. Chapter King Olaf was commander of all the forces when Eighth and they went against Canterbury; and they fought there ties'of oiaf. unt ^ the y to °k the town, killing many people and burning the castle. So says Ottar Swart e : — " All in the grey of morn Broad Canterbury's forced. Black smoke from house-roofs borne Hides fire that does its worst; And many a man laid low By the battle-axe's blow, Waked by the Norsemen's cries, Scarce had time to rub his eyes." Sigvald reckons this King Olaf 's eighth battle : — " Of this eighth battle I can tell How it was fought, and what befell. The castle tower With all his power He could not take, Nor would forsake. The Perthmenf fought, Nor quarter sought; By death or flight They left the fight. Olaf could not this earl stout From Canterbury quite drive out." At this time King Olaf was entrusted with the whole land defence of England, and he sailed round from being men above the class of thralls or unfree men, and entitled to appear at Things, as being udal-born to land at home. They appear to have hired themselves out as hird-men; that is, court-men, or the body-guard of the kings. The Varingers at the court of Constanti- nople were of this description. The victories of King Swein and of Canute the Great have been ascribed to the superiority of these men, who formed bodies of standing troops, over levies of peasantry. "j" Perthshire men, as hired men-at-arms, are alluded to here by Sigvald; and allusions to hired men from other countries fighting with King Nokve at the battle of Hafursfiord, against Harald Haarfager, is made by the scald Hornklofe.
 * Thing-men were hired men-at-arms; called Thing-men probably