Boru's last costly victory
Page 9 of 10Not all of the defeated Vikings would be killed, however. Thorstein, the Viking who had wisely refused to carry Sigurd's raven banner, was exhausted and resigned to his fate. He had paused to tie his shoelace when the Munstermen caught him and asked why he had not continued to run. Thorstein replied, "Because I can't get home tonight, since I am at home out in Iceland. "The Irish, generous in their victory, allowed the Icelander to live.
Not so with another leading participant. It seems Brodir, hiding in the woods, saw Brian just outside, lightly guarded while most of his men were off in furious pursuit of the fugitives. The Vikings fell upon the few Irish retainers, decapitating Brian with one blow. Then they retreated, Brodir yelling, "Now let man tell man that Brodir felled Brian," and were quickly subdued and taken prisoner by the enraged Irish. According to the Viking sagas, Wolf the Quarrelsome ordered that Brodir's men be killed and that Brodir himself should die a lingering coward's death.
Losses to both sides were incredibly high. Out of a total of between 7,000 and 8,000 combatants, the estimated allied loss was more than 6,000, including almost all the leaders. Irish losses were least 1,600, and perhaps as high as 4,000, including their king, Brian Boru. It became one of the bloodiest battles in Irish history. The annals tell of blood dripping from trees in the forest where the most savage axe-fighting took place.
The next day, Donnchad arrived and tried to tempt Sigtrygg out of Dublin, but to no avail. So, on Easter Sunday, the dead Irish leaders were gathered up along with the wounded, and the Irish warriors marched home, leaving behind the stripped bodies of several thousand corpses.
Every invading Viking leader was killed during the Battle of Clontarf. Also slain was Maelmora of Leinster, together with most of his chieftains. Sigtrygg Silkbeard did not die, however, because he did not fight. With his mother Gormlaith, he watched the entire battle in safety from the walls of Dublin. Murrough, the son Brian Boru had trained to succeed him, was killed late in the day. Murrough's 15 year old son Turlough was found dead in the fishing weir at Clontarf, his fingers still clutching the hair of a slain Viking. Most of Brian's other sons died at Clontarf as well. There was no man left alive capable of taking the place of Brian Boru.
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