The The Life and Death of Cormac the Skald (Kormáks saga) on Holmgang

Life And Death Of Cormac The Skald

• attestation: The holmgang rules specified a hide five ells long with loops and pins called tjosnur; three squares were marked around it and four hazel poles at the corners marked a hazelled field.

  "It was the law of the holmgang that the hide should be five ells long, with loops at its corners. Into these should be driven certain pins with heads to them, called tjosnur. He who made it ready should go to the pins in such a manner that he could see sky between his legs, holding the lobes of his ears and speaking the forewords used in the rite called "The Sacrifice of the tjosnur." Three squares should be marked round the hide, each one foot broad. At the outermost corners of the squares should be four poles, called hazels; when this is done, it is a hazelled field."

• attestation: The holmgang rules allowed each fighter three shields; the challenged man struck the first blow; if wounded so blood fell on the hide, fighting stopped; stepping outside the hazel poles was 'going on one's heel' and running if both feet were outside.

  "Each man should have three shields, and when they were cut up he must get upon the hide if he had given way from it before, and guard himself with his weapons alone thereafter. He who had been challenged should strike the first stroke. If one was wounded so that blood fell upon the hide, he should fight no longer. If either set one foot outside the hazel poles "he went on his heel," they said; but he "ran" if both feet were outside."

• attestation: The holmgang custom required the defeated fighter to pay three marks of silver for his freedom; Bersi demanded this payment after wounding Cormac.

  ""the master of manhood must bring me Three marks for his ransom and rescue""