THE SCENE: Witness the fury of Starkad Stórvirkr-son, the half-giant berserker who was blessed by Odin, cursed by Thor, and feared by all.
THE TEXT: And then he advanced into the ranks, so enraged that everyone whatsoever fled before him, and he felled all of those who stood foremost in the wedge, except for those who backed up against the other champions.
And when King Hring saw that, he urged his army not to let one man rout all such noble men as were with him – “but where is the champion Starkad, who has always borne the highest shield? Win victory for us.”
Starkad answered, “We have more than enough work, lord, but we shall try to win such a victory as we may. But that man, Ubbi, may turn out to be a real trial.”
But at the king’s urging Starkad charged out of the ranks against Ubbi, and there was a great battle between them, with huge blows and great strength, for both of them were bold. They fought for a while, and Starkad gave him one great wound, and in return he received six wounds, all large. It seemed to him that he had hardly ever had such a trial from one man. And because the ranks pressed so strongly, they were pushed in opposite directions, and thus their single combat was broken off.
Now Starkad rushed forward at the Danes. He attacked the champion named Hun and they battled each other. In the end Starkad killed him and, a little later, the one who tried to avenge him, named Ella. And then he advanced on the one named Borgar; they had a hard combat together, and in the end Starkad killed him. Starkad now charged the ranks with drawn sword and struck down one man after another. And next he struck down the one named Hjort, and then Visina the shield-maiden met him; she bore King Harald’s banner. Starkad attacked her fiercely.
Then she said to Starkad, “Now Hel’s greed has come upon you, and now you must die, you ogre.” He answered, “But first, you’ll let King Harald’s banner droop,” and he cut off her left hand. Then the man called Brai, the father of Saekalf, came against him to avenger her, and Starkad ran him through with his sword. Now one might see great heaps of corpses in the ranks, far and wide.
Somewhat later, Gnepja, a great champion, came against Starkad, and they attacked each other fiercely, and Starkad gave him a death-wound. Next he killed the champion named Haki, and he got the greatest wound in that moment. He was slashed between his neck and shoulders, so that his insides could be seen, and on the front of his chest he had such great wound that his lungs were falling out, and he had lost a finger on the right hand.
– Sogubrot, 13th Century AD
