THE SCENE: Sigmundur is a straight-up beast and anyone who disagrees with that sentiment is now dead.
THE TEXT: Then Sigmundur’s men attacked the fortifications, and their opponents mounted a fierce defense. Sigmundur rushed along the fortifications and sized them up. He was armed with a helmet and sword-belt, and carried his best weapon, a silver-ornamented double-axe with an iron-wrought shaft. He wore a red tunic beneath a lightweight chain-mail jacket, and there has never been anyone, friend or foe, in the Faroe Islands to rival him.
He noticed a spot where the wall of the fortifications had sagged, but there were no other weak points. Sigumundur took a step back from the defenses, and then, running at full speed, he leapt up against them, dug his axe into the walls, and pulled himself up the axe-shaft, and managed to climb up onto the fortification. Someone came at him immediately, slashing down at him with a sword. Sigmundur deflected the blow with his axe, then quickly thrust out, plunging the pointed axe-head into the man’s chest, killing him instantly. When Ossur saw what was happening, he ran at Sigmundur and swung at him, but Sigmundur parried his sword, and slashed at Ossur with his axe, hewing off his right hand; the sword dropped to the ground. Sigmundur struck again, catching Ossur in the torso, and Ossur fell. Other defenders rushed at Sigmundur, but he leapt backwards off the fortification and landed on his feet below.
The defenders on the wall crowded over Ossur as he died. Then Sigmundur called out to them that they had two choices: either he would keep them penned without food in the fortifications, then burn it down on top of them, or else they should agree to his original terms and he would let them go. The men conceded his right and gave themselves up.
– The Faroe-Island (Færeyinga) Saga, 13th Century AD
