Then he summoned Biorn and Erik, ravaged the Orkneys, landed at last on the territory of the Scots, and in a three-days’ battle wearied out their king Murial, and slew him.  But Ragnar’s sons, Dunwat and Radbard, after fighting nobly, were slain by the enemy.  So that the victory their father won was stained with their blood.  He returned to Denmark, and found that his wife Swanloga had in the meantime died of disease.  Straightway he sought medicine for his grief in loneliness, and patiently confined the grief of his sick soul within the walls of his house.  But this bitter sorrow was driven out of him by the sudden arrival of Iwar, who had been expelled from the kingdom.  For the Gauls had made him fly, and had wrongfully bestowed royal power on a certain Ella, the son of Hame.  Ragnar took Iwar to guide him, since he was acquainted with the country, gave orders for a fleet, and approached the harbour called York.  Here he disembarked his forces, and after a battle which lasted three days, he made Ella, who had trusted in the valour of the Gauls, desirous to fly.  The affair cost much blood to the English and very little to the Danes.  Here Ragnar completed a year of conquest, and then, summoning his sons to help him, he went to Ireland, slew its king Melbrik, besieged Dublin, which was filled with wealth of the barbarians, attacked it, and received its surrender.  There he lay in camp for a year; and then, sailing through the midland sea, he made his way to the Hellespont.  He won signal victories as he crossed all the intervening countries, and no ill-fortune anywhere checked his steady and prosperous advance.

Harald, meanwhile, with the adherence of certain Danes who were cold-hearted servants in the army of Ragnar, disturbed his country with renewed sedition, and came forward claiming the title of king.  He was met by the arms of Ragnar returning from the Hellespont; but being unsuccessful, and seeing that his resources of defence at home were exhausted, he went to ask help of Ludwig, who was then stationed at Mainz.  But Ludwig, filled with the greatest zeal for promoting his religion, imposed a condition on the Barbarian, promising him help if he would agree to follow the worship of Christ.  For he said there could be no agreement of hearts between those who embraced discordant creeds.  Anyone, therefore, who asked for help, must first have a fellowship in religion.  No men could be partners in great works who were separated by a different form of worship.  This decision procured not only salvation for Ludwig’s guest, but the praise of piety for Ludwig himself, who, as soon as Harald had gone to the holy font, accordingly strengthened him with Saxon auxiliaries.  Trusting in these, Harald built a temple in the land of Sleswik with much care and cost, to be hallowed to God.  Thus he borrowed a pattern of the most holy way from the worship of Rome.  He unhallowed, pulled down the shrines that had been profaned by the error of