As the true version has always said and says today, Morold had the strength of four, making a force of four men. Such was the one side. On the other it comprised: first God; second Right; the third was their vassal and servitor, loyal Tristan; the fourth was Willing Heart, who works wonders in extremities. From the first four and the second, though I am no marshal, I quickly form two detachments, otherwise eight men.

At first you thought this tale grotesque for saying that two companies on as many mounts should ever come to blows. But now you have learnt how in fact on either side four knights under one helmet-or a fighting strength of four-were met together here. These now proceeded to ride hard at each other to the attack. Thus one group-Morold, four men strong-fell upon Tristan like a thunderclap. This cursed limb of Satan struck at him so powerfully that his blows all but robbed him of strength and reason. Had his shield not stood him in good stead, under which he had learned to guard and preserve himself with skill, neither his helmet nor his hauberk nor any other piece would have served him, but Morold would have killed him through his chain-mail. Morold gave him no chance to look up, such a rain of blows did he deal him. And so Morold went on hacking at him till he mastered him with blows, and Tristan, hard put to it to meet them, thrust out his shield too far and held his guard too high, so that finally Morold struck him such an ugly blow through the thigh, plunging almost to the very life of him, that his flesh and bone were laid bare through hauberk and jambs, and the blood spurted out and fell in a cloud on that island.

Gottfried's Tristan