THE SCENE: Bui the Jomsviking is one of the most feared warriors in Viking history. He finally met his end, though, when he faced an ambidextrous champion from the Faroes Islands.
THE TEXT: The leader of the Jomsvikings, Bui, snatched up a wickedly large halberd and incited his men to attack. Now he lunged into battle himself with a vengeance, striking such savage two-handed blows that all resistance gave way before him. When Earl Hakon saw what was happening, he ordered his entire fleet to encircle Bui and drive the Viking toward him. Finally, he called out to Sigumundur Brestirsson to bring his ship alongside Bui’s vessel and out an end to this rabble-rouser.
Sigmundur called back, “To reward those many honors you have bestowed me, your grace, and because I want you to rely on me in your hour of greatest danger, I will move against Bui.”
Earl Hakon picked his most loyal and toughest men to board Sigmundur’s shop and wished them luck. Then he took his ship alongside Bui’s and boarded it with a party of men, and they took the brunt of the fighting. Bui pounded them with severe blows; he was impossibly strong, and many an opponent fell before him and lost their lives.
Sigmundur exhorted him warriors to storm Bui’s ship. A group thirty men strong leapt together over the gunnels; Bui and his men rushed against them sharply, and a fierce, heated melee ensued. In the thick of the fighting, Bui and Sigmundur closed on one another in single combat. Bui was the stronger man, but Sigmundur was the quicker and better with a sword. Sigmundur switched his weapon to his other hand, as he could fight equally well with either hand – something which few or no men can do – and in a blinding slash, he cut off one of Bui’s hands at the wrist; then, just as quickly, the other. Standing with two missing hands, Bui thrust the stumps into handles of his gold-chest which was full of money. He then spoke in a completely normal way: “All Bui’s crew, abandon ship!”
At that, Bui leapt overboard but he never came back up to the surface. Thus Sigmundur won the victory on behalf of Earl Hakon.
– The Faroe-Island (Færeyinga) Saga, 13th Century AD
