West from the Nid thereafter the King doth steer,
Into the sea drop the oars of his men.
Move can they, the King’s lads, the straight oars in the water.
The widows stand and wonder at the oar-strokes so swift,
The thole knows hurt when seventy oars do move her
I’ the water ere the war-folk on the sea their oars do strain.
Northmen the serpent row (nailed is she) out on the billow-stream icy;
‘Tis eagles’ wings that we behold.’
¶ Southward sailed King Harald with his host alongside the land, so that he might call out a general muster of men and ships. But when they were come eastward, and were off Vik, arose a strong contrary wind wherefore was the fleet obliged to stand in for harbour, making such havens as were to be found in the skerries as well as those in the fjords. ¤ Quoth Thiodolf:
‘Lee have the shaven hulls of the ships under the woods,