Lôgu fallnir í fen ofan
Valþjófs liðar vôpnum hǫggnir,
svát gunnhvatir ganga môttu
Norðmenn yfir at nôum einum.
Liðar Valþjófs lôgu fallnir ofan í fen hǫggnir vôpnum, svát gunnhvatir Norðmenn môttu ganga yfir at nôum einum.
The forces of Waltheof lay fallen down in the marsh, hacked by weapons, so that the battle-bold Norwegians could walk across on corpses alone.
[2] fen ‘the marsh’: Saga accounts of the battlefield of Fulford mention both the River Ouse and a marshy ditch or pool (see Mork 1928-32, 267-9; ÍF 28, 179-81). In terms of the skaldic verses from which the saga accounts derive, Steinn Óldr 1/1 refers to a móða ‘river’ and Óldr 2/1 to Úsa ‘Ouse’, and the latter is also mentioned in Arn Hardr 7/3. Harst is the only skaldic source to specify a marsh, and to employ the conceit of walking dry-shod across corpses.