THE SCENE: The short passage below describes the last stand of Arnkel, a local chieftain who was reckoned by some Icelanders to be “the most accomplished of all men in ancient times”, but whose life ended when he found himself alone in a haystack with only a sled-rail to defend himself.
THE TEXT: Arnkel had recognized the party of men as Snorri the Godi’s. He ripped the running-blade from the sled and took it up into the haystack with him. The haystack wall was tall on the outside and the hay was piled up even higher inside, except for at the end inside the wall, which as a good place to fight from. When Snorri and his men arrive at the haystack, it is not mentioned that they exchanged any words. They launched their attack at once, mostly with spears, and Arnkel defended himself with the running-blade. Many of their spear-shafts were broken but Arnkel was not wounded.
When they had run out of missiles, Thorleif Kimbi ran towards the haystack and climbed up it with a drawn sword, but Arnkel swung the running-blade at him and Thorleif had to fall down backwards from the haystack to avoid the blow. The blade hit the haystack wall and went over on to the frozen turfs, where it broke at the strap-holes, with one half flying out of the haystack. Arnkel had brought his sword and shield up into the haystack, and he took his weapons now to defend himself, although he was in great danger of being wounded. They came up into the haystack and attacked him, but Arnkel climbed higher up to the hay and held his position for a while. But in the end Arnkel was killed, and they hid his body under the hay in the haystack. After that Snorri and his men went back to Helgafell.
– The Saga of the People of Eyri, 13th Century AD
