When all the preparations for the conflict were ready, Ivar sent Herlief to see how Starkad had drawn up his host, and how many men he had, and to stake the battle-field with him. Herlief reported that Starkad also had drawn up most of his men in wedge shape.
Starkad, in his turn, sent Bruni to see how Ivar had arranged his men.
When the hosts were ready for battle, Visma said to her champions: “Make your weapons ready, and thou, Eivind, ride to the host of Ivar the Gotlander, and challenge him to battle.”
Eivind did so, and, according to the custom, sent an arrow over the host, and shouted to them: “Odin owns you all.”
Then Ivar sent Alrek towards the host of Starkad, and he threw a spear into the host, and shouted also: “Odin owns you all.”
Both sides had the war-horn sounded and the red shields raised, and gave their war-cries. Then Ivar said: “If Odin does not want to grant me victory, as he has always done before, may he let me fall in the battle with all my host, and all the men who fall on this battle-field I give to Odin.”
The arrays met, and the battle from the first raged fiercely. Soon the champion Ubi the Frisian advanced in front of the host of Ivar, and attacked the apex of the array of Vejborg, and first of all the champion Rognvald. The single combat ended by Rognvald’s fall, and then Ubi rushed at Tryggvy and gave him his death-wound. When the sons of Alrek saw Ubi’s furious rush into the host, they sought him out, but he slew them both, and then every one retreated before him.
Meantime Hjalti, a champion of Starkad, attacked Ivar, and the contest lasted long, but finally Ivar with a blow of his sword gave him his death-wound. Then the champion Gnepi the Old met Ivar, and they fiercely attacked each other; but at last Gnepi too fell, pierced with many wounds, but displaying great courage to the end.
Then Ivar seeing the havoc made by Ubi, and fearful that his host would become demoralized by such an onslaught, said to Sigmund, his foster-brother, “Thou hadst better ride to Vejborg and tell her how matters stand.” Vejborg, when apprised of the great danger that menaced Ivar, made a terrible onset on Starkad’s host. First she attacked the champion Barri, dealing him blow after blow, and so quickly that he could only protect himself with his shield, and this only for a time, for one of her lightning strokes soon cleft his shield, and giving him a wound that disabled him, she left him. Then Styr the Strong met her. They attacked each other with great fierceness, but the throng of warriors was so great that they were separated against their will. Finally, after slaying Toki and several other champions whose hard fate placed them in her path, and after exhibiting the greatest valor, she fell herself under the sword of the champion Hjalti. After her fall, great events happened in a short time, first one array, then another, getting the upper hand. Hundreds of men on either side were doomed never to return home, and great was the host which was to enter Valhalla.
When the evening came, the white shields were raised and the truce proclaimed. The combatants went to their tents and dressed their wounds.