ABSTRACT
THERE also comes to mind another Göta champion of famous memory, whose name was Haldan. He was born of a Gota father during the reign of King Karl, and flourished in those times. 1 The greater the extraordinary valour from which his marvellous deeds and exploits are known to have proceeded, the more care I shall take to include them in this book. He first passed his years as a fighting man in piracy, and later joined a campaign against the Swedes. 2 During this war he learned that a champion, Hakon, was present, whose skill was to blunt steel by manufacturing spells; consequently he fitted iron studs to a gigantic club and made it into a battering instrument, calculating that its wooden strength would prevail against the power of sorcery. Eventually, excelling the rest in his conspicuously valiant bearing, and finding himself among his fiercest foes, his head covered by a helmet, but without a shield, he poised and swung his cudgel with both hands against the opposing rampart of shields; however robust the obstacle, it was smashed to splinters at the impact of his bludgeon. Hence, when the champion came running against him through the fray, he was laid low when Haldan’s weapon came crashing furiously down on him. 2 3 Even so he was wounded and overcome, yielded to the might of the Swedes, and escaped to distant lands.
Haldan the champion
King Karl
Håkon the champion Steel is blunted Club made sharp with nails
