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Það var jól tímabil ok Haakon eik hélt mikla veislu fyrir vini sína ok þegna trygg. Kona Haakon er, Elin hrafn-hár, ok Boris kol-skegg ok konu hans, Máire græn-augu, voru í aðsókn. Borðin hélt besta mat ok drykk. Skaldar besta fram kvæði þeirra ok þættir. Fólkið unga dansaði ok gældi. Allir voru all-gemsmikill ok all-glaðligr. Það var friður í Hár-Þaksperra Sal.
Þeir heyrðu að berja á dyr skálanum. Synir Llupo gekk inn ok Haakon fagnar þeim á köldum vetrar nótt. Haakon sat þá á háum borð ok þjónuðu þeim besta mat hans ok vín. En Bolo kvarta að maturinn var kalt ok vínið of heitt. Haakon brosti ok panta meiri mat ok vín fyrir gestur hans. Þá Siward kvarta að hann var of langt frá eldinum. Haakon gaf Siward eigin sæti hans. Eins ok tíminn gekk eftir, þeir bræður drakk of mikið í tungum þeirra losnaði. Þeir gambrðu af kunnátta þeirra á holmgang ok brydduðu á Haakon ok Boris, að leita að berjast. Bolo kvarta fljótt hátt um skáld ok Haakon skipaði eigin skaldur sína til að framkvæma. Á hverju sinni, Haakon óx meira pirruð, en hann vissi kenningum Eddu sem gestgjafi verður að gefa þægindi til ferðast.
Á síðasta er drukkinn Bolo og Siward stóð, kasta yfir borðið, og sór að þeir höfðu aldrei verið í svona svín-stíu sem þetta sal. Þeir kallast gestgjafi þeirra hugleysingi og Elin hrafn-hár a sóði. Á góðan vilja þetta Haakon var tóm. Hann öskra á synir Llupo:
"Þú ættir að hafa lært orð hinna vitru,
Era svá gótt
sem gótt kveða
öl alda sonum
því at færa veit
er fleira drekkr
síns til geðs gumi
Við skulum hittast á daginn á hrafn-eyju, a hólmgang þarna til að berjast."
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Bræður-hólmgöngu reis um morguninn vissum að þeir myndu vinna. Haakon færðu þá til skips ok bað þá inn í það fyrst. Hann ok Boris fylgði. Fjögur stríðsmenn voru vopnaðir öxi ok skjöld. Báturinn báru þá yfir öldurótið ána til hrafn eyju. Þar hitti í blóðugum bardaga, ok rann blóð mikið. Á endanum Haakon ok Boris bæði sigruðu óvinir þeirra. Tvi-baka ok sæta-baka dó þann dag.
sem Skáld-gamli segir:
Á sker-garða elg-stafna
styri-flotna (fyr virðing)
(sveigr mikill leiks-sára)
(skorðir á holm) röri.
Sól-geisli al-skarlat
svaltung rauði fuðru;
sam-hljóði át ströndu
songar-sverða dverg-mælti.
Haakon flutt aftur til Hár-þaksperrur Sal minjagrip grimma - höfuð Bolo tví-baka. Hann samanstendur þá vísu þessa:
visku hagnaður sá sem í lífi hans
Lærir þessi speki vel
Hvenær í bardaga eða borð
Halda höfði, eða deyja!
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Bolo was a man, he was from Frisia. He was the son of Llupo. He was called "biscuit" Bolo. He was a mighty duelist. Many men feared him. Bolo had a brother named Siward "sweet-bake". He was also a grim duelist. Bolo and Siward sought champions to challenge. The Frisian heard of Haakon oak and Boris coal-beard. The Sons of llupo yearned to challenge the sons of Thorvaldr to a duel.
It was the Yule season and Haakon held a great feast for his friends and loyal thegns. Haakon, with his wife, Elin raven-hair, along with Boris and his wife, Maire green-eyes, were in attendance. The table was filled with the best meat and drink. The finest skalds performed their poems and stories. The young folk danced and flirted. Everyone was frolicsome and happy. There was peace in High-Rafters Hall.
Then they heard a knocking at the door of the hall. The sons of Llupo walked in and Haakon greeted them on a cold winter night. Haakon sat them at the high table and served them his best food and wine. But Bolo complained that the food was cold and the wine too warm. Haakon smiled and ordered more food and wine for his guest. Then Siward complained that he was too far from the fire. Haakon gave Siward his won seat. As time went by, the brothers drank too much an their tongues loosened. They bragged of their skill at holmgang and prodded at Haakon and Boris, looking for a fight. Bolo soon complained loudly about the skald and haakon ordered his own bard to perform. On each occasion, Haakon grew more irritated, but he knew the teachings of the Edda that the host must give comfort to the traveler.
At last, the drunken Bolo and Siward stood, throwing over the table, and swore that they had never been in such a pig-sty as this hall. They called their host a coward and Elin raven-hair a slut. At this Haakon´s good will was empty. He roared at the sons of Llupo:
"You should learn the words of the Wise,
Less good than they say for the sons of men
is the drinking oft of ale:
for the more they drink, the less can they think
and keep a watch o'er their wits.
We shall meet on the morrow on Raven-island, a challenge there to fight.´
The dueling brothers rose in the morning, certain they would win. Haakon brought them to the skiff and bade them enter it first. He and Boris followed. The four were armed with axe and shield. The skiff carried them across the raging river to Raven-isle. There they met in bloody battle, and much blood ran. In the end, Haakon and Boris both defeated their foes. Biscuit and Sweet-baked died that day.
As the old skald says:
to rock-reef elk of stems
Wielder of men (for fame)
(the brandisher great of wound-leek)
(you challenged to a duel) you rowed.
Sun-beams all-scarlet
sword-tongues red blazed;
harmony across the shore
the sword-songs dwarf-talked.
[Wielder of men you rowed / the stem-elk to the rock reef; / you challenged the great wound-leek / brandisher to a duel for fame. / Sun-beams all-scarlet / blazed sword-tongues red; / sword-songs dwarf-talked / harmony across the shore.]
Haakon brought back to High-Rafters a grim trophy - the head of Bolo biscuit. He then composed this verse:
Wise is he who in his life
Learns this wisdom well
When in battle or at Feast
Keep your head, or die!
