Alfred and Anlaf).

The order of battle of Bravalla fight is given, and the ideal array of a
host. To Woden is ascribed the device of the boar's head, hamalt fylking
(the swine-head array of Manu's Indian kings), the terrible column with
wedge head which could cleave the stoutest line.

The host of Ring has men from Wener, Wermland, Gotaelf, Thotn, Wick,
Thelemark, Throndham, Sogn, Firths, Fialer, Iceland; Sweden, Gislamark,
Sigtun, Upsala, Pannonia.

The host of Harold had men from Iceland, the Danish provinces, Frisia,
Lifland; Slavs, and men from Jom, Aland, and Sleswick.

The battle of Bravalla is said to have been won by the Gotland archers
and the men of Throndham, and the Dales. The death of Harald by
treachery completed the defeat, which began when Ubbe fell (after he had
broken the enemy's van) riddled with arrows.

The defeated, unless they could fly, got little quarter. One-fifth only
of the population of a province are said to have survived an invasion.
After sea-battles (always necessarily more deadly) the corpses choke the
harbours. Seventy sea-kings are swept away in one sea-fight. Heads seem
to have been taken in some cases, but not as a regular Teutonic usage,
and the practice, from its being attributed to ghosts and aliens,
must have already been considered savage by Saxo, and probably by his
informants and authorities.

Prisoners were slaves; they might be killed, put to cruel death,
outraged, used as slaves, but the feeling in favour of mercy was