Open [36.0 MB]

70 THE SCANDINAVIANS, AND
BOOK i. Constantine, King of the Scots, 1 whose daughter
L Aulaf had married, and whose dominions Atlielstan
8tan *
ftll!i
had made tributary.
Irish and Orkney allies, and from the assembled
" "
fleet of 615 ships he landed
"
at the mouth of the
Athelstan was not inattentive
Humber"A.D. 927. 2
Aulaf was also joined by some
^ the preparations of the invaders. He also collected
a formidable host, having the assistance of his tri-
butary king, Eric, with many of the Danes of
Northuinbria, and among his foreign auxiliaries
Thorolf and Egils, two celebrated Vikings, who
joined his standard with 300 warriors on hearing of
assistance. 3
large rewards offered for such mercenary
Aulaf here showed that he combined the caution of
a general with the courage of a soldier. With equal
credibility it is told of him, as of Alfred, 4 that on
the eve of the battle, and in the disguise of a harper,
he entered and examined the camp of his enemy ;
Auiaf defeated Du fc fortune was unkind Aulaf was defeated in the
at lirunan-
-, A.U. OOF. terrific struggle at Brunanburg, and fled
"O'er the deep water
Dublin to seek
Again Ireland
Shamed in mind." 5
LangtofFs Chronicle says
that he returned at
1 Flor. Wig., p. 578, says Con- (Egil's Saga., p. 285), and in the
stantine urged Aulaf to this attack battle was opposed to the Scotch
on Athelstan. auxiliaries of Aula, and defeated
8 Sim. Dunelin., p. 686 ; Flor. them.
Wig., 587 ; Chron. Mailros, p. 147. Ingulf, A.D. 872, p. 26 ; Will.
8 Kgil's Saga Hafnia?, 1825, pp. Malrasb., p. 23 ; Sax. Chron., A.D.
264, 266. Thorolf was killed in 938, p. 385 ; Ann. 4 Mast., 9:*S,
this battle, to the success of which where he is called " Aulaf, son of
he contributed. With his " two- Sitric."
handed sword" he killed Hryngr
in the night attack before the battle lib. v., p. 204.
6 Hen. Hunt, gives the date 945 ;