{"collection":"myth-cosmogony","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_598/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_598","id":"gutenberg_598","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/598","summary":null,"tags":["Category: History - European","Category: History - Medieval/Middle Ages","Category: Mythology, Legends & Folklore","Iceland -- History","Norway -- History","Sagas -- Translations into English","Scandinavia -- History"],"text":"Produced by Douglas B. Killings\n\n\n\n\n\nHEIMSKRINGLA\n\nOR\n\nTHE CHRONICLE OF THE KINGS OF NORWAY\n\nBy Snorri Sturlason\n\n(c.1179-1241)\n\n\nOriginally written in Old Norse, app. 1225 A.D., by the poet and\nhistorian Snorri Sturlason.\n\n\nTRANSCRIBER'S NOTE:\n\nThe \"Heimskringla\" of Snorri Sturlason is a collection of sagas\nconcerning the various rulers of Norway, from about A.D. 850 to the year\nA.D. 1177.\n\nThe Sagas covered in this work are the following:\n\n  1.  Halfdan the Black Saga\n  2.  Harald Harfager's Saga\n  3.  Hakon the Good's Saga\n  4.  Saga of King Harald Grafeld and of Earl Hakon Son of Sigurd\n  5.  King Olaf Trygvason's Saga\n  6.  Saga of Olaf Haraldson (St. Olaf)\n  7.  Saga of Magnus the Good\n  8.  Saga of Harald Hardrade\n  9.  Saga of Olaf Kyrre\n  10. Magnus Barefoot's Saga\n  11. Saga of Sigurd the Crusader and His Brothers Eystein and Olaf\n  12. Saga of Magnus the Blind and of Harald Gille\n  13. Saga of Sigurd, Inge, and Eystein, the Sons of Harald\n  14. Saga of Hakon Herdebreid (\"Hakon the Broad-Shouldered\")\n  15. Magnus Erlingson's Saga\n\nWhile scholars and historians continue to debate the historical accuracy\nof Sturlason's work, the \"Heimskringla\" is still considered an important\noriginal source for information on the Viking Age, a period which\nSturlason covers almost in its entirety.\n\n\n\n\nPREFACE OF SNORRE STURLASON.\n\nIn this book I have had old stories written down, as I have heard\nthem told by intelligent people, concerning chiefs who have have held\ndominion in the northern countries, and who spoke the Danish tongue;\nand also concerning some of their family branches, according to what\nhas been told me. Some of this is found in ancient family registers,\nin which the pedigrees of kings and other personages of high birth are\nreckoned up, and part is written down after old songs and ballads which\nour forefathers had for their amusement. Now, although we cannot just\nsay what truth there may be in these, yet we have the certainty that old\nand wise men held them to be true.\n\nThjodolf of Hvin was the skald of Harald Harfager, and he composed a\npoem for King Rognvald the Mountain-high, which is called \"Ynglingatal.\"\nThis Rognvald was a son of Olaf Geirstadalf, the brother of King Halfdan\nthe Black. In this poem thirty of his forefathers are reckoned up, and\nthe death and burial-place of each are given. He begins with Fjolner, a\nson of Yngvefrey, whom the Swedes, long after his time, worshipped and\nsacrificed to, and from whom the race or family of the Ynglings take\ntheir name.\n\nEyvind Skaldaspiller also reckoned up the ancestors of Earl Hakon the\nGreat in a poem called \"Haleygjatal\", composed about Hakon; and therein\nhe mentions Saeming, a son of Yngvefrey, and he likewise tells of the\ndeath and funeral rites of each. The lives and times of the Yngling\nrace were written from Thjodolf's relation enlarged afterwards by the\naccounts of intelligent people.\n\nAs to funeral rites, the earliest age is called the Age of Burning;\nbecause all the dead were consumed by fire, and over their ashes were\nraised standing stones. But after Frey was buried under a cairn at\nUpsala, many chiefs raised cairns, as commonly as stones, to the memory\nof their relatives.\n\nThe Age of Cairns began properly in Denmark after Dan Milkillate had\nraised for himself a burial cairn, and ordered that he should be buried\nin it on his death, with his royal ornaments and armour, his horse and\nsaddle-furniture, and other valuable goods; and many of his descendants\nfollowed his example. But the burning of the dead continued, long after\nthat time, to be the custom of the Swedes and Northmen. Iceland was\noccupied in the time that Harald Harfager was the King of Norway. There\nwere skalds in Harald's court whose poems the people know by heart even\nat the present day, together with all the songs about the kings who have\nruled in Norway since his time; and we rest the foundations of our story\nprincipally upon the songs which were sung in the presence of the chiefs\nthemselves or of their sons, and take all to be true that is found in\nsuch poems about their feats and battles: for although it be the fashion\nwith skalds to praise most those in whose presence they are standing,\nyet no one would dare to relete to a chief what he, and all those who\nheard it, knew to be a false and imaginary, not a true account of his\ndeeds; because that would be mockery, not praise.\n\nOF THE PRIEST ARE FRODE\n\nThe priest Are Frode (the learned), a son of Thorgils the son of Geller,\nwas the first man in this country who wrote down in the Norse language\nnarratives of events both old and new. In the beginning of his book he\nwrote principally about the first settlements in Iceland, the laws and\ngovernment, and next of the lagmen, and how long each had administered\nthe law; and he reckoned the years at first, until the time when\nChristianity was introduced into Iceland, and afterwards reckoned from\nthat to his own times. To this he added many other subjects, such as\nthe lives and times of kings of Norway and Denmark, and also of England;\nbeside accounts of great events which have taken place in this country\nitself. His narratives are considered by many men of knowledge to be the\nmost remarkable of all; because he was a man of good understanding,\nand so old that his birth was as far back as the year after Harald\nSigurdson's fall. He wrote, as he himself says, the lives and times of\nthe kings of Norway from the report of Od Kolson, a grandson of Hal of\nSida. Od again took his information from Thorgeir Afradskol, who was an\nintelligent man, and so old that when Earl Hakon the Great was killed\nhe was dwelling at Nidarnes--the same place at which King Olaf Trygvason\nafterwards laid the foundation of the merchant town of Nidaros (i.e.,\nThrondhjem) which is now there. The priest Are came, when seven years\nold, to Haukadal to Hal Thorarinson, and was there fourteen years. Hal\nwas a man of great knowledge and of excellent memory; and he could even\nremember being baptized, when he was three years old, by the priest\nThanghrand, the year before Christianity was established by law in\nIceland. Are was twelve years of age when Bishop Isleif died, and at\nhis death eighty years had elapsed since the fall of Olaf Trygvason. Hal\ndied nine years later than Bishop Isleif, and had attained nearly the\nage of ninety-four years. Hal had traded between the two countries, and\nhad enjoyed intercourse with King Olaf the Saint, by which he had\ngained greatly in reputation, and he had become well acquainted with the\nkingdom of Norway. He had fixed his residence in Haukadal when he was\nthirty years of age, and he had dwelt there sixty-four years, as Are\ntells us. Teit, a son of Bishop Isleif, was fostered in the house of\nHal at Haukadal, and afterwards dwelt there himself. He taught Are the\npriest, and gave him information about many circumstances which Are\nafterwards wrote down. Are also got many a piece of information from\nThurid, a daughter of the gode Snorre. She was wise and intelligent, and\nremembered her father Snorre, who was nearly thirty-five years of age\nwhen Christianity was introduced into Iceland, and died a year after\nKing Olaf the Saint's fall. So it is not wonderful that Are the priest\nhad good information about ancient events both here in Iceland,\nand abroad, being a man anxious for information, intelligent and of\nexcellent memory, and having besides learned much from old intelligent\npersons. But the songs seem to me most reliable if they are sung\ncorrectly, and judiciously interpreted.\n\n\n\n\nHALFDAN THE BLACK SAGA.\n\n\nPRELIMINARY REMARKS.\n\nOf this saga there are other versions found in \"Fagrskinna\" and in\n\"Flateyjarbok\". The \"Flateyjarbok\" version is to a great extent a copy\nof Snorre. The story about Halfdan's dream is found both in \"Fagrskinna\"\nand in \"Flateyjarbok\". The probability is that both Snorre and\nthe author of \"Fagrskinna\" must have transcribed the same original\ntext.--Ed.\n\n\n\n\n1. HALFDAN FIGHTS WITH GANDALF AND SIGTRYG.\n\nHalfdan was a year old when his father was killed, and his mother Asa\nset off immediately with him westwards to Agder, and set herself there\nin the kingdom which her father Harald had possessed. Halfdan grew up\nthere, and soon became stout and strong; and, by reason of his black\nhair, was called Halfdan the Black. When he was eighteen years old he\ntook his kingdom in Agder, and went immediately to Vestfold, where he\ndivided that kingdom, as before related, with his brother Olaf. The same\nautumn he went with an army to Vingulmark against King Gandalf. They had\nmany battles, and sometimes one, sometimes the other gained the victory;\nbut at last they agreed that Halfdan should have half of Vingulmark,\nas his father Gudrod had had it before. Then King Halfdan proceeded to\nRaumarike, and subdued it. King Sigtryg, son of King Eystein, who then\nhad his residence in Hedemark, and who had subdued Raumarike before,\nhaving heard of this, came out with his army against King Halfdan, and\nthere was great battle, in which King Halfdan was victorious; and just\nas King Sigtryg and his troops were turning about to fly, an arrow\nstruck him under the left arm, and he fell dead. Halfdan then laid the\nwhole of Raumarike under his power. King Eystein's second son, King\nSigtryg's brother, was also called Eystein, and was then king in\nHedemark. As soon as Halfdan had returned to Vestfold, King Eystein went\nout with his army to Raumarike, and laid the whole country in subjection\nto him.\n\n\n\n\n2. BATTLE BETWEEN HALFDAN AND EYSTEIN.\n\nWhen King Halfdan heard of these disturbances in Raumarike, he again\ngathered his army together; and went out against King Eystein. A battle\ntook place between them, and Halfdan gained the victory, and Eystein\nfled up to Hedemark, pursued by Halfdan. Another battle took place, in\nwhich Halfdan was again victorious; and Eystein fled northwards, up\ninto the Dales to the herse Gudbrand. There he was strengthened with\nnew people, and in winter he went towards Hedemark, and met Halfdan the\nBlack upon a large island which lies in the Mjosen lake. There a great\nbattle was fought, and many people on both sides were slain, but Halfdan\nwon the victory. There fell Guthorm, the son of the herse Gudbrand, who\nwas one of the finest men in the Uplands. Then Eystein fled north up the\nvalley, and sent his relation Halvard Skalk to King Halfdan to beg for\npeace. On consideration of their relationship, King Halfdan gave King\nEystein half of Hedemark, which he and his relations had held before;\nbut kept to himself Thoten, and the district called Land. He likewise\nappropriated to himself Hadeland, and thus became a mighty king.\n\n\n\n\n3. HALFDAN'S MARRIAGE\n\nHalfdan the Black got a wife called Ragnhild, a daughter of Harald\nGulskeg (Goldbeard), who was a king in Sogn. They had a son, to whom\nHarald gave his own name; and the boy was brought up in Sogn, by his\nmother's father, King Harald. Now when this Harald had lived out his\ndays nearly, and was become weak, having no son, he gave his dominions\nto his daughter's son Harald, and gave him his title of king; and he\ndied soon after. The same winter his daughter Ragnhild died; and the\nfollowing spring the young Harald fell sick and died at ten years of\nage. As soon as Halfdan the Black heard of his son's death, he took the\nroad northwards to Sogn with a great force, and was well received. He\nclaimed the heritage and dominion after his son; and no opposition being\nmade, he took the whole kingdom. Earl Atle Mjove (the Slender), who was\na friend of King Halfdan, came to him from Gaular; and the king set\nhim over the Sogn district, to judge in the country according to the\ncountry's laws, and collect scat upon the king's account. Thereafter\nKing Halfdan proceeded to his kingdom in the Uplands.\n\n\n\n\n4. HALFDAN'S STRIFE WITH GANDALF'S SONS.\n\nIn autumn, King Halfdan proceeded to Vingulmark. One night when he was\nthere in guest quarters, it happened that about midnight a man came to\nhim who had been on the watch on horseback, and told him a war force was\ncome near to the house. The king instantly got up, ordered his men to\narm themselves, and went out of the house and drew them up in battle\norder. At the same moment, Gandalf's sons, Hysing and Helsing, made\ntheir appearance with a large army. There was a great battle; but\nHalfdan being overpowered by the numbers of people fled to the forest,\nleaving many of his men on this spot. His foster-father, Olver Spake\n(the Wise), fell here. The people now came in swarms to King Halfdan,\nand he advanced to seek Gandalf's sons. They met at Eid, near Lake\nOieren, and fought there. Hysing and Helsing fell, and their brother\nHake saved himself by flight. King Halfdan then took possession of the\nwhole of Vingulmark, and Hake fled to Alfheimar.\n\n\n\n\n5. HALFDAN'S MARRIAGE WITH HJORT'S DAUGHTER.\n\nSigurd Hjort was the name of a king in Ringerike, who was stouter and\nstronger than any other man, and his equal could not be seen for a\nhandsome appearance. His father was Helge Hvasse (the Sharp); and his\nmother was Aslaug, a daughter of Sigurd the worm-eyed, who again was a\nson of Ragnar Lodbrok. It is told of Sigurd that when he was only twelve\nyears old he killed in single combat the berserk Hildebrand, and eleven\nothers of his comrades; and many are the deeds of manhood told of him in\na long saga about his feats. Sigurd had two children, one of whom was\na daughter, called Ragnhild, then twenty years of age, and an excellent\nbrisk girl. Her brother Guthorm was a youth. It is related in regard\nto Sigurd's death that he had a custom of riding out quite alone in the\nuninhabited forest to hunt the wild beasts that are hurtful to man, and\nhe was always very eager at this sport. One day he rode out into the\nforest as usual, and when he had ridden a long way he came out at a\npiece of cleared land near to Hadeland. There the berserk Hake came\nagainst him with thirty men, and they fought. Sigurd Hjort fell there,\nafter killing twelve of Hake's men; and Hake himself lost one hand, and\nhad three other wounds. Then Hake and his men rode to Sigurd's house,\nwhere they took his daughter Ragnhild and her brother Guthorm, and\ncarried them, with much property and valuable articles, home to\nHadeland, where Hake had many great farms. He ordered a feast to be\nprepared, intending to hold his wedding with Ragnhild; but the time\npassed on account of his wounds, which healed slowly; and the berserk\nHake of Hadeland had to keep his bed, on account of his wounds, all the\nautumn and beginning of winter. Now King Halfdan was in Hedemark at the\nYule entertainments when he heard this news; and one morning early, when\nthe king was dressed, he called to him Harek Gand, and told him to go\nover to Hadeland, and bring him Ragnhild, Sigurd Hjort's daughter. Harek\ngot ready with a hundred men, and made his journey so that they came\nover the lake to Hake's house in the grey of the morning, and beset all\nthe doors and stairs of the places where the house-servants slept. Then\nthey broke into the sleeping-room where Hake slept, took Ragnhild, with\nher brother Guthorm, and all the goods that were there, and set fire\nto the house-servants' place, and burnt all the people in it. Then they\ncovered over a magnificent waggon, placed Ragnhild and Guthorm in it,\nand drove down upon the ice. Hake got up and went after them a while;\nbut when he came to the ice on the lake, he turned his sword-hilt to\nthe ground and let himself fall upon the point, so that the sword went\nthrough him. He was buried under a mound on the banks of the lake. When\nKing Halfdan, who was very quick of sight, saw the party returning over\nthe frozen lake, and with a covered waggon, he knew that their errand\nwas accomplished according to his desire. Thereupon he ordered the\ntables to be set out, and sent people all round in the neighbourhood to\ninvite plenty of guests; and the same day there was a good feast which\nwas also Halfdan's marriage-feast with Ragnhild, who became a great\nqueen. Ragnhild's mother was Thorny, a daughter of Klakharald king in\nJutland, and a sister of Thrye Dannebod who was married to the Danish\nking, Gorm the Old, who then ruled over the Danish dominions.\n\n\n\n\n6. OF RAGNHILD'S DREAM.\n\nRagnhild, who was wise and intelligent, dreamt great dreams. She dreamt,\nfor one, that she was standing out in her herb-garden, and she took a\nthorn out of her shift; but while she was holding the thorn in her hand\nit grew so that it became a great tree, one end of which struck itself\ndown into the earth, and it became firmly rooted; and the other end of\nthe tree raised itself so high in the air that she could scarcely see\nover it, and it became also wonderfully thick. The under part of the\ntree was red with blood, but the stem upwards was beautifully green and\nthe branches white as snow. There were many and great limbs to the tree,\nsome high up, others low down; and so vast were the tree's branches that\nthey seemed to her to cover all Norway, and even much more.\n\n\n\n\n7. OF HALFDAN'S DREAM.\n\nKing Halfdan never had dreams, which appeared to him an extraordinary\ncircumstance; and he told it to a man called Thorleif Spake (the Wise),\nand asked him what his advice was about it. Thorleif said that what he\nhimself did, when he wanted to have any revelation by dream, was to take\nhis sleep in a swine-sty, and then it never failed that he had dreams.\nThe king did so, and the following dream was revealed to him. He thought\nhe had the most beautiful hair, which was all in ringlets; some so long\nas to fall upon the ground, some reaching to the middle of his legs,\nsome to his knees, some to his loins or the middle of his sides, some\nto his neck, and some were only as knots springing from his head. These\nringlets were of various colours; but one ringlet surpassed all the\nothers in beauty, lustre, and size. This dream he told to Thorleif, who\ninterpreted it thus:--There should be a great posterity from him, and\nhis descendants should rule over countries with great, but not all with\nequally great, honour; but one of his race should be more celebrated\nthan all the others. It was the opinion of people that this ringlet\nbetokened King Olaf the Saint.\n\nKing Halfdan was a wise man, a man of truth and uprightness--who made\nlaws, observed them himself, and obliged others to observe them. And\nthat violence should not come in place of the laws, he himself fixed\nthe number of criminal acts in law, and the compensations, mulcts, or\npenalties, for each case, according to every one's birth and dignity\n(1).\n\nQueen Ragnhild gave birth to a son, and water was poured over him, and\nthe name of Harald given him, and he soon grew stout and remarkably\nhandsome. As he grew up he became very expert at all feats, and showed\nalso a good understanding. He was much beloved by his mother, but less\nso by his father.\n\n\n   ENDNOTES:\n\n(1) The penalty, compensation, or manbod for every injury, due\n     the party injured, or to his family and next of kin if the\n     injury was the death or premeditated murder of the party,\n     appears to have been fixed for every rank and condition,\n     from the murder of the king down to the maiming or beating a\n     man's cattle or his slave.  A man for whom no compensation\n     was due was a dishonored person, or an outlaw.  It appears\n     to have been optional with the injured party, or his kin if\n     he had been killed, to take the mulct or compensation, or to\n     refuse it, and wait for an opportunity of taking vengeance\n     for the injury on the party who inflicted it, or on his kin.\n     A part of each mulct or compensation was due to the king;\n     and, these fines or penalties appear to have constituted a\n     great proportion of the king's revenues, and to have been\n     settled in the Things held in every district for\n     administering the law with the lagman.--L.\n\n\n\n\n8. HALFDAN'S MEAT VANISHES AT A FEAST\n\nKing Halfdan was at a Yule-feast in Hadeland, where a wonderful thing\nhappened one Yule evening. When the great number of guests assembled\nwere going to sit down to table, all the meat and all the ale\ndisappeared from the table. The king sat alone very confused in mind;\nall the others set off, each to his home, in consternation. That the\nking might come to some certainty about what had occasioned this event,\nhe ordered a Fin to be seized who was particularly knowing, and tried to\nforce him to disclose the truth; but however much he tortured the man,\nhe got nothing out of him. The Fin sought help particularly from Harald,\nthe king's son, and Harald begged for mercy for him, but in vain. Then\nHarald let him escape against the king's will, and accompanied the man\nhimself. On their journey they came to a place where the man's chief had\na great feast, and it appears they were well received there. When they\nhad been there until spring, the chief said, \"Thy father took it much\namiss that in winter I took some provisions from him,--now I will repay\nit to thee by a joyful piece of news: thy father is dead; and now thou\nshalt return home, and take possession of the whole kingdom which he\nhad, and with it thou shalt lay the whole kingdom of Norway under thee.\"\n\n\n\n\n9. HALFDAN S DEATH.\n\nHalfdan the Black was driving from a feast in Hadeland, and it so\nhappened that his road lay over the lake called Rand. It was in\nspring, and there was a great thaw. They drove across the bight called\nRykinsvik, where in winter there had been a pond broken in the ice for\ncattle to drink at, and where the dung had fallen upon the ice the thaw\nhad eaten it into holes. Now as the king drove over it the ice broke,\nand King Halfdan and many with him perished. He was then forty years\nold. He had been one of the most fortunate kings in respect of good\nseasons. The people thought so much of him, that when his death was\nknown and his body was floated to Ringerike to bury it there, the people\nof most consequence from Raumarike, Vestfold, and Hedemark came to\nmeet it. All desired to take the body with them to bury it in their own\ndistrict, and they thought that those who got it would have good crops\nto expect. At last it was agreed to divide the body into four parts. The\nhead was laid in a mound at Stein in Ringerike, and each of the others\ntook his part home and laid it in a mound; and these have since been\ncalled Halfdan's Mounds.\n\n\n\n\nHARALD HARFAGER'S SAGA.\n\n\n\n\n1. HARALD'S STRIFE WITH HAKE AND HIS FATHER GANDALF.\n\nHarald (1) was but ten years old when he succeeded his father (Halfdan\nthe Black). He became a stout, strong, and comely man, and withal\nprudent and manly. His mother's brother, Guthorm, was leader of the\nhird, at the head of the government, and commander ('hertogi') of the\narmy. After Halfdan the Black's death, many chiefs coveted the dominions\nhe had left. Among these King Gandalf was the first; then Hogne and\nFrode, sons of Eystein, king of Hedemark; and also Hogne Karuson came\nfrom Ringerike. Hake, the son of Gandalf, began with an expedition of\n300 men against Vestfold, marched by the main road through some valleys,\nand expected to come suddenly upon King Harald; while his father Gandalf\nsat at home with his army, and prepared to cross over the fiord into\nVestfold. When Duke Guthorm heard of this he gathered an army, and\nmarched up the country with King Harald against Hake. They met in\na valley, in which they fought a great battle, and King Harald was\nvictorious; and there fell King Hake and most of his people. The place\nhas since been called Hakadale. Then King Harald and Duke Guthorm turned\nback, but they found King Gandalf had come to Vestfold. The two armies\nmarched against each other, and met, and had a great battle; and it\nended in King Gandalf flying, after leaving most of his men dead on the\nspot, and in that state he came back to his kingdom. Now when the sons\nof King Eystein in Hedemark heard the news, they expected the war would\ncome upon them, and they sent a message to Hogne Karuson and to Herse\nGudbrand, and appointed a meeting with them at Ringsaker in Hedemark.\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) The first twenty chapters of this saga refer to Harald's\n     youth and his conquest of Norway.  This portion of the saga\n     is of great importance to the Icelanders, as the settlement\n     of their Isle was a result of Harald's wars.  The second\n     part of the saga (chaps. 21-46) treats of the disputes\n     between Harald's sons, of the jarls of Orkney, and of the\n     jarls of More.  With this saga we enter the domain of\n     history.--Ed.\n\n\n\n\n2. KING HARALD OVERCOMES FIVE KINGS.\n\nAfter the battle King Harald and Guthorm turned back, and went with all\nthe men they could gather through the forests towards the Uplands. They\nfound out where the Upland kings had appointed their meeting-place, and\ncame there about the time of midnight, without the watchmen observing\nthem until their army was before the door of the house in which Hogne\nKaruson was, as well as that in which Gudbrand slept. They set fire to\nboth houses; but King Eystein's two sons slipped out with their men, and\nfought for a while, until both Hogne and Frode fell. After the fall of\nthese four chiefs, King Harald, by his relation Guthorm's success and\npowers, subdued Hedemark, Ringerike, Gudbrandsdal, Hadeland, Thoten,\nRaumarike, and the whole northern part of Vingulmark. King Harald and\nGuthorm had thereafter war with King Gandalf, and fought several battles\nwith him; and in the last of them King Gandalf was slain, and King\nHarald took the whole of his kingdom as far south as the river Raum.\n\n\n\n\n3. OF GYDA, DAUGHTER OF EIRIE.\n\nKing Harald sent his men to a girl called Gyda, daughter of King Eirik\nof Hordaland, who was brought up as foster-child in the house of a great\nbonde in Valdres. The king wanted her for his concubine; for she was\na remarkably handsome girl, but of high spirit withal. Now when the\nmessengers came there, and delivered their errand to the girl, she\nanswered, that she would not throw herself away even to take a king\nfor her husband, who had no greater kingdom to rule over than a few\ndistricts. \"And methinks,\" said she, \"it is wonderful that no king here\nin Norway will make the whole country subject to him, in the same way as\nGorm the Old did in Denmark, or Eirik at Upsala.\" The messengers thought\nher answer was dreadfully haughty, and asked what she thought would come\nof such an answer; for Harald was so mighty a man, that his invitation\nwas good enough for her. But although she had replied to their errand\ndifferently from what they wished, they saw no chance, on this occasion,\nof taking her with them against her will; so they prepared to return.\nWhen they were ready, and the people followed them out, Gyda said to the\nmessengers, \"Now tell to King Harald these my words. I will only agree\nto be his lawful wife upon the condition that he shall first, for my\nsake, subject to himself the whole of Norway, so that he may rule\nover that kingdom as freely and fully as King Eirik over the Swedish\ndominions, or King Gorm over Denmark; for only then, methinks, can he be\ncalled the king of a people.\"\n\n\n\n\n4. KING HARALD'S VOW.\n\nNow came the messengers back to King Harald, bringing him the words of\nthe girl, and saying she was so bold and foolish that she well deserved\nthat the king should send a greater troop of people for her, and inflict\non her some disgrace. Then answered the king, \"This girl has not spoken\nor done so much amiss that she should be punished, but rather she should\nbe thanked for her words. She has reminded me,\" said he, \"of something\nwhich it appears to me wonderful I did not think of before. And now,\"\nadded he, \"I make the solemn vow, and take God to witness, who made me\nand rules over all things, that never shall I clip or comb my hair\nuntil I have subdued the whole of Norway, with scat (1), and duties, and\ndomains; or if not, have died in the attempt.\" Guthorm thanked the\nking warmly for his vow; adding, that it was royal work to fulfil royal\nwords.\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) Scat was a land-tax, paid to the king in money, malt,\n     meal, or flesh-meat, from all lands, and was adjudged by the Thing\n     to each king upon his accession, and being proposed and\n     accepted as king.\n\n\n\n\n5. THE BATTLE IN ORKADAL.\n\nAfter this the two relations gather together a great force, and\nprepare for an expedition to the Uplands, and northwards up the valley\n(Gudbrandsdal), and north over Dovrefjeld; and when the king came\ndown to the inhabited land he ordered all the men to be killed, and\neverything wide around to be delivered to the flames. And when the\npeople came to know this, they fled every one where he could; some down\nthe country to Orkadal, some to Gaulardal, some to the forests. But some\nbegged for peace, and obtained it, on condition of joining the king and\nbecoming his men. He met no opposition until he came to Orkadal. There\na crowd of people had assembled, and he had his first battle with a\nking called Gryting. Harald won the victory, and King Gryting was made\nprisoner, and most of his people killed. He took service himself under\nthe king, and swore fidelity to him. Thereafter all the people in Orkadal\ndistrict went under King Harald, and became his men.\n\n\n\n\n6. KING HARALD S LAWS FOR LAND PROPERTY.\n\nKing Harald made this law over all the lands he conquered, that all the\nudal property should belong to him; and that the bondes, both great\nand small, should pay him land dues for their possessions. Over every\ndistrict he set an earl to judge according to the law of the land and to\njustice, and also to collect the land dues and the fines; and for this\neach earl received a third part of the dues, and services, and fines,\nfor the support of his table and other expenses. Each earl had under him\nfour or more herses, each of whom had an estate of twenty marks yearly\nincome bestowed on him and was bound to support twenty men-at-arms, and\nthe earl sixty men, at their own expenses. The king had increased the\nland dues and burdens so much, that each of his earls had greater power\nand income than the kings had before; and when that became known at\nThrondhjem, many great men joined the king and took his service.\n\n\n\n\n7. BATTLE IN GAULARDAL.\n\nIt is told that Earl Hakon Grjotgardson came to King Harald from Yrjar,\nand brought a great crowd of men to his service. Then King Harald went\ninto Gaulardal, and had a great battle, in which he slew two kings, and\nconquered their dominions; and these were Gaulardal district and Strind\ndistrict. He gave Earl Hakon Strind district to rule over as earl. King\nHarald then proceeded to Stjoradal, and had a third battle, in which\nhe gained the victory, and took that district also. There upon the\nThrondhjem people assembled, and four kings met together with their\ntroops. The one ruled over Veradal, the second over Skaun, third over\nthe Sparbyggja district, and the fourth over Eyin Idre (Inderoen); and\nthis latter had also Eyna district. These four kings marched with their\nmen against King Harald, but he won the battle; and some of these kings\nfell, and some fled. In all, King Harald fought at the least eight\nbattles, and slew eight kings, in the Throndhjem district, and laid the\nwhole of it under him.\n\n\n\n\n8. HARALD SEIZES NAUMUDAL DISTRICT.\n\nNorth in Naumudal were two brothers, kings,--Herlaug and Hrollaug; and\nthey had been for three summers raising a mound or tomb of stone and\nlime and of wood. Just as the work was finished, the brothers got the\nnews that King Harald was coming upon them with his army. Then King\nHerlaug had a great quantity of meat and drink brought into the mound,\nand went into it himself, with eleven companions, and ordered the mound\nto be covered up. King Hrollaug, on the contrary, went upon the summit\nof the mound, on which the kings were wont to sit, and made a throne to\nbe erected, upon which he seated himself. Then he ordered feather-beds\nto be laid upon the bench below, on which the earls were wont to be\nseated, and threw himself down from his high seat or throne into the\nearl's seat, giving himself the title of earl. Now Hrollaug went to meet\nKing Harald, gave up to him his whole kingdom, offered to enter into\nhis service, and told him his whole proceeding. Then took King Harald a\nsword, fastened it to Hrollaug's belt, bound a shield to his neck,\nand made him thereupon an earl, and led him to his earl's seat; and\ntherewith gave him the district Naumudal, and set him as earl over it\n((A.D. 866)). (1)\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) Before writing was in general use, this symbolical way of\n     performing all important legal acts appears to have entered\n     into the jurisprudence of all savage nations; and according\n     to Gibbon, chap. 44, \"the jurisprudence of the first Romans\n     exhibited the scenes of a pantomime; the words were adapted\n     to the gestures, and the slightest error or neglect in the\n     forms of proceeding was sufficient to annul the substance of\n     the fairest claims.\"--Ed.\n\n\n\n\n9. KING HARALD'S HOME AFFAIRS.\n\nKing Harald then returned to Throndhjem, where he dwelt during the\nwinter, and always afterwards called it his home. He fixed here his\nhead residence, which is called Lade. This winter he took to wife Asa, a\ndaughter of Earl Hakon Grjotgardson, who then stood in great favour and\nhonour with the king. In spring the king fitted out his ships. In\nwinter he had caused a great frigate (a dragon) to be built, and had it\nfitted-out in the most splendid way, and brought his house-troops and\nhis berserks on board. The forecastle men were picked men, for they had\nthe king's banner. From the stem to the mid-hold was called rausn,\nor the fore-defence; and there were the berserks. Such men only were\nreceived into King Harald's house-troop as were remarkable for strength,\ncourage, and all kinds of dexterity; and they alone got place in his\nship, for he had a good choice of house-troops from the best men of\nevery district. King Harald had a great army, many large ships, and many\nmen of might followed him. Hornklofe, in his poem called \"Glymdrapa\",\ntells of this; and also that King Harald had a battle with the people of\nOrkadal, at Opdal forest, before he went upon this expedition.\n\n     \"O'er the broad heath the bowstrings twang,\n     While high in air the arrows sang.\n     The iron shower drives to flight\n     The foeman from the bloody fight.\n     The warder of great Odin's shrine,\n     The fair-haired son of Odin's line,\n     Raises the voice which gives the cheer,\n     First in the track of wolf or bear.\n     His master voice drives them along\n     To Hel--a destined, trembling throng;\n     And Nokve's ship, with glancing sides,\n     Must fly to the wild ocean's tides.--\n     Must fly before the king who leads\n     Norse axe-men on their ocean steeds.\"\n\n\n\n\n10. BATTLE AT SOLSKEL\n\nKing Harald moved out with his army from Throndhjem, and went southwards\nto More. Hunthiof was the name of the king who ruled over the district\nof More. Solve Klofe was the name of his son, and both were great\nwarriors. King Nokve, who ruled over Raumsdal, was the brother of\nSolve's mother. Those chiefs gathered a great force when they heard of\nKing Harald, and came against him. They met at Solskel, and there was\na great battle, which was gained by King Harald (A.D. 867). Hornklofe\ntells of this battle:--\n\n     \"Thus did the hero known to fame,\n     The leader of the shields, whose name\n     Strikes every heart with dire dismay,\n     Launch forth his war-ships to the fray.\n     Two kings he fought; but little strife\n     Was needed to cut short their life.\n     A clang of arms by the sea-shore,--\n     And the shields' sound was heard no more.\"\n\nThe two kings were slain, but Solve escaped by flight; and King Harald\nlaid both districts under his power. He stayed here long in summer to\nestablish law and order for the country people, and set men to rule\nthem, and keep them faithful to him; and in autumn he prepared to\nreturn northwards to Throndhjem. Ragnvald Earl of More, a son of Eystein\nGlumra, had the summer before become one of Harald's men; and the king\nset him as chief over these two districts, North More and Raumsdal;\nstrengthened him both with men of might and bondes, and gave him\nthe help of ships to defend the coast against enemies. He was called\nRagnvald the Mighty, or the Wise; and people say both names suited him\nwell. King Harald came back to Throndhjem about winter.\n\n\n\n\n11. FALL OF KINGS ARNVID AND AUDBJORN.\n\nThe following spring (A.D. 868) King Harald raised a great force in\nThrondhjem, and gave out that he would proceed to South More. Solve\nKlofe had passed the winter in his ships of war, plundering in North\nMore, and had killed many of King Harald's men; pillaging some places,\nburning others, and making great ravage; but sometimes he had been,\nduring the winter, with his friend King Arnvid in South More. Now when\nhe heard that King Harald was come with ships and a great army, he\ngathered people, and was strong in men-at-arms; for many thought they\nhad to take vengeance of King Harald. Solve Klofe went southwards to\nFirdafylke (the Fjord district), which King Audbjorn ruled over, to ask\nhim to help, and join his force to King Arnvid's and his own. \"For,\"\nsaid he, \"it is now clear that we all have but one course to take;\nand that is to rise, all as one man, against King Harald, for we have\nstrength enough, and fate must decide the victory; for as to the other\ncondition of becoming his servants, that is no condition for us, who\nare not less noble than Harald. My father thought it better to fall in\nbattle for his kingdom, than to go willingly into King Harald's service,\nor not to abide the chance of weapons like the Naumudal kings.\" King\nSolve's speech was such that King Audbjorn promised his help, and\ngathered a great force together and went with it to King Arnvid, and\nthey had a great army. Now, they got news that King Harald was come from\nthe north, and they met within Solskel. And it was the custom to lash\nthe ships together, stem to stem; so it was done now. King Harald laid\nhis ship against King Arnvid's, and there was the sharpest fight, and\nmany men fell on both sides. At last King Harald was raging with anger,\nand went forward to the fore-deck, and slew so dreadfully that all the\nforecastle men of Arnvid's ship were driven aft of the mast, and some\nfell. Thereupon Harald boarded the ship, and King Arnvid's men tried to\nsave themselves by flight, and he himself was slain in his ship. King\nAudbjorn also fell; but Solve fled. So says Hornklofe:--\n\n     \"Against the hero's shield in vain\n     The arrow-storm fierce pours its rain.\n     The king stands on the blood-stained deck,\n     Trampling on many a stout foe's neck;\n     And high above the dinning stound\n     Of helm and axe, and ringing sound\n     Of blade and shield, and raven's cry,\n     Is heard his shout of 'Victory!'\"\n\nOf King Harald's men, fell his earls Asgaut and Asbjorn, together with\nhis brothers-in-law, Grjotgard and Herlaug, the sons of Earl Hakon of\nLade. Solve became afterwards a great sea-king, and often did great\ndamage in King Harald's dominions.\n\n\n\n\n12. KING VEMUND BURNT TO DEATH.\n\nAfter this battle (A.D. 868) King Harald subdued South More; but Vemund,\nKing Audbjorn's brother, still had Firdafylke. It was now late in\nharvest, and King Harald's men gave him the counsel not to proceed\nsouth-wards round Stad. Then King Harald set Earl Ragnvald over South\nand North More and also Raumsdal, and he had many people about him. King\nHarald returned to Throndhjem. The same winter (A.D. 869) Ragnvald went\nover Eid, and southwards to the Fjord district. There he heard news of\nKing Vemund, and came by night to a place called Naustdal, where King\nVemund was living in guest-quarters. Earl Ragnvald surrounded the house\nin which they were quartered, and burnt the king in it, together with\nninety men. The came Berdlukare to Earl Ragnvald with a complete armed\nlong-ship, and they both returned to More. The earl took all the ships\nVemund had, and all the goods he could get hold of. Berdlukare proceeded\nnorth to Throndhjem to King Harald, and became his man; and dreadful\nberserk he was.\n\n\n\n\n13. DEATH OF EARLS HAKON, AND ATLE MJOVE.\n\nThe following spring (A.D. 869) King Harald went southwards with his\nfleet along the coast, and subdued Firdafylke. Then he sailed eastward\nalong the land until he came to Vik; but he left Earl Hakon Grjotgardson\nbehind, and set him over the Fjord district. Earl Hakon sent word to\nEarl Atle Mjove that he should leave Sogn district, and be earl over\nGaular district, as he had been before, alleging that King Harald had\ngiven Sogn district to him. Earl Atle sent word that he would keep both\nSogn district and Gaular district, until he met King Harald. The two\nearls quarreled about this so long, that both gathered troops. They met\nat Fialar, in Stavanger fiord, and had a great battle, in which Earl\nHakon fell, and Earl Atle got a mortal wound, and his men carried him to\nthe island of Atley, where he died. So says Eyvind Skaldaspiller:--\n\n     \"He who stood a rooted oak,\n     Unshaken by the swordsman's stroke,\n     Amidst the whiz of arrows slain,\n     Has fallen upon Fjalar's plain.\n     There, by the ocean's rocky shore,\n     The waves are stained with the red gore\n     Of stout Earl Hakon Grjotgard's son,\n     And of brave warriors many a one.\"\n\n\n\n\n14. HARALD AND THE SWEDISH KING EIRIK.\n\nKing Harald came with his fleet eastward to Viken and landed at\nTunsberg, which was then a trading town. He had then been four years in\nThrondhjem, and in all that time had not been in Viken. Here he heard\nthe news that Eirik Eymundson, king of Sweden, had laid under him\nVermaland, and was taking scat or land-tax from all the forest settlers;\nand also that he called the whole country north to Svinasund, and west\nalong the sea, West Gautland; and which altogether he reckoned to his\nkingdom, and took land-tax from it. Over this country he had set an\nearl, by name Hrane Gauzke, who had the earldom between Svinasund and\nthe Gaut river, and was a mighty earl. And it was told to King Harald\nthat the Swedish king said he would not rest until he had as great\na kingdom in Viken as Sigurd Hring, or his son Ragnar Lodbrok, had\npossessed; and that was Raumarike and Vestfold, all the way to the isle\nGrenmar, and also Vingulmark, and all that lay south of it. In all these\ndistricts many chiefs, and many other people, had given obedience to\nthe Swedish king. King Harald was very angry at this, and summoned the\nbondes to a Thing at Fold, where he laid an accusation against them\nfor treason towards him. Some bondes defended themselves from the\naccusation, some paid fines, some were punished. He went thus through\nthe whole district during the summer, and in harvest he did the same in\nRaumarike, and laid the two districts under his power. Towards winter\nhe heard that Eirik king of Sweden was, with his court, going about in\nVermaland in guest-quarters.\n\n\n\n\n15. HARALD AT A FEAST OF THE PEASANT AKE.\n\nKing Harald takes his way across the Eid forest eastward, and comes out\nin Vermaland, where he also orders feasts to be prepared for himself.\nThere was a man by name Ake, who was the greatest of the bondes of\nVermaland, very rich, and at that time very aged. He sent men to King\nHarald, and invited him to a feast, and the king promised to come on the\nday appointed. Ake invited also King Eirik to a feast, and appointed the\nsame day. Ake had a great feasting hall, but it was old; and he made a\nnew hall, not less than the old one, and had it ornamented in the most\nsplendid way. The new hall he had hung with new hangings, but the old\nhad only its old ornaments. Now when the kings came to the feast, King\nEirik with his court was taken into the old hall; but Harald with\nhis followers into the new. The same difference was in all the table\nfurniture, and King Eirik and his men had the old-fashioned vessels and\nhorns, but all gilded and splendid; while King Harald and his men\nhad entirely new vessels and horns adorned with gold, all with carved\nfigures, and shining like glass; and both companies had the best of\nliquor. Ake the bonde had formerly been King Halfdan the Black s man.\nNow when daylight came, and the feast was quite ended, and the kings\nmade themselves ready for their journey, and the horses were saddled,\ncame Ake before King Harald, leading in his hand his son Ubbe, a boy of\ntwelve years of age, and said, \"If the goodwill I have shown to thee,\nsire, in my feast, be worth thy friendship, show it hereafter to my son.\nI give him to thee now for thy service.\" The king thanked him with many\nagreeable words for his friendly entertainment, and promised him his\nfull friendship in return. Then Ake brought out great presents, which he\ngave to the king, and they gave each other thereafter the parting kiss.\nAke went next to the Swedish king, who was dressed and ready for the\nroad, but not in the best humour. Ake gave to him also good and valuable\ngifts; but the king answered only with few words, and mounted his horse.\nAke followed the king on the road and talked with him. The road led\nthrough a wood which was near to the house; and when Ake came to\nthe wood, the king said to him, \"How was it that thou madest such\na difference between me and King Harald as to give him the best of\neverything, although thou knowest thou art my man?\" \"I think\" answered\nAke, \"that there failed in it nothing, king, either to you or to your\nattendants, in friendly entertainment at this feast. But that all the\nutensils for your drinking were old, was because you are now old; but\nKing Harald is in the bloom of youth, and therefore I gave him the new\nthings. And as to my being thy man, thou art just as much my man.\" On\nthis the king out with his sword, and gave Ake his deathwound. King\nHarald was ready now also to mount his horse, and desired that Ake\nshould be called. The people went to seek him; and some ran up the road\nthat King Eirik had taken, and found Ake there dead. They came back, and\ntold the news to King Harald, and he bids his men to be up, and avenge\nAke the bonde. And away rode he and his men the way King Eirik had\ntaken, until they came in sight of each other. Each for himself rode as\nhard as he could, until Eirik came into the wood which divides Gautland\nand Vermaland. There King Harald wheels about, and returns to Vermaland,\nand lays the country under him, and kills King Eirik's men wheresoever\nhe can find them. In winter King Harald returned to Raumarike, and dwelt\nthere a while.\n\n\n\n\n16. HARALD'S JOURNEY TO TUNSBERG.\n\nKing Harald went out in winter to his ships at Tunsberg, rigged them,\nand sailed away eastward over the fiord, and subjected all Vingulmark\nto his dominion. All winter he was out with his ships, and marauded in\nRanrike; so says Thorbjorn Hornklofe:--\n\n     \"The Norseman's king is on the sea,\n     Tho' bitter wintry cold it be.--\n     On the wild waves his Yule keeps he.\n     When our brisk king can get his way,\n     He'll no more by the fireside stay\n     Than the young sun; he makes us play\n     The game of the bright sun-god Frey.\n     But the soft Swede loves well the fire\n     The well-stuffed couch, the doway glove,\n     And from the hearth-seat will not move.\"\n\nThe Gautlanders gathered people together all over the country.\n\n\n\n\n17. THE BATTLE IN GAUTLAND.\n\nIn spring, when the ice was breaking up, the Gautlanders drove stakes\ninto the Gaut river to hinder King Harald with his ships from coming\nto the land. But King Harald laid his ships alongside the stakes, and\nplundered the country, and burnt all around; so says Horn klofe:--\n\n     \"The king who finds a dainty feast,\n     For battle-bird and prowling beast,\n     Has won in war the southern land\n     That lies along the ocean's strand.\n     The leader of the helmets, he\n     Who leads his ships o'er the dark sea,\n     Harald, whose high-rigged masts appear\n     Like antlered fronts of the wild deer,\n     Has laid his ships close alongside\n     Of the foe's piles with daring pride.\"\n\nAfterwards the Gautlanders came down to the strand with a great army,\nand gave battle to King Harald, and great was the fall of men. But it\nwas King Harald who gained the day. Thus says Hornklofe:--\n\n     \"Whistles the battle-axe in its swing\n     O'er head the whizzing javelins sing,\n     Helmet and shield and hauberk ring;\n     The air-song of the lance is loud,\n     The arrows pipe in darkening cloud;\n     Through helm and mail the foemen feel\n     The blue edge of our king's good steel\n     Who can withstand our gallant king?\n     The Gautland men their flight must wing.\"\n\n\n\n\n18. HRANE GAUZKE'S DEATH.\n\nKing Harald went far and wide through Gautland, and many were the\nbattles he fought there on both sides of the river, and in general he\nwas victorious. In one of these battles fell Hrane Gauzke; and then the\nking took his whole land north of the river and west of the Veneren, and\nalso Vermaland. And after he turned back there-from, he set Duke Guthorm\nas chief to defend the country, and left a great force with him. King\nHarald himself went first to the Uplands, where he remained a while, and\nthen proceeded northwards over the Dovrefjeld to Throndhjem, where he\ndwelt for a long time. Harald began to have children. By Asa he had four\nsons. The eldest was Guthorm. Halfdan the Black and Halfdan the\nWhite were twins. Sigfrod was the fourth. They were all brought up in\nThrondhjem with all honour.\n\n\n\n\n19. BATTLE IN HAFERSFJORD.\n\nNews came in from the south land that the people of Hordaland and\nRogaland, Agder and Thelemark, were gathering, and bringing together\nships and weapons, and a great body of men. The leaders of this were\nEirik king of Hordaland; Sulke king of Rogaland, and his brother Earl\nSote: Kjotve the Rich, king of Agder, and his son Thor Haklang; and from\nThelemark two brothers, Hroald Hryg and Had the Hard. Now when Harald\ngot certain news of this, he assembled his forces, set his ships on the\nwater, made himself ready with his men, and set out southwards along the\ncoast, gathering many people from every district. King Eirik heard of\nthis when he same south of Stad; and having assembled all the men he\ncould expect, he proceeded southwards to meet the force which he knew\nwas coming to his help from the east. The whole met together north of\nJadar, and went into Hafersfjord, where King Harald was waiting with his\nforces. A great battle began, which was both hard and long; but at last\nKing Harald gained the day. There King Eirik fell, and King Sulke, with\nhis brother Earl Sote. Thor Haklang, who was a great berserk, had\nlaid his ship against King Harald's, and there was above all measure\na desperate attack, until Thor Haklang fell, and his whole ship was\ncleared of men. Then King Kjotve fled to a little isle outside, on which\nthere was a good place of strength. Thereafter all his men fled, some to\ntheir ships, some up to the land; and the latter ran southwards over the\ncountry of Jadar. So says Hornklofe, viz.:--\n\n     \"Has the news reached you?--have you heard\n     Of the great fight at Hafersfjord,\n     Between our noble king brave Harald\n     And King Kjotve rich in gold?\n     The foeman came from out the East,\n     Keen for the fray as for a feast.\n     A gallant sight it was to see\n     Their fleet sweep o'er the dark-blue sea:\n     Each war-ship, with its threatening throat\n     Of dragon fierce or ravenous brute (1)\n     Grim gaping from the prow; its wales\n     Glittering with burnished shields, (2) like scales\n     Its crew of udal men of war,\n     Whose snow-white targets shone from far\n     And many a mailed spearman stout\n     From the West countries round about,\n     English and Scotch, a foreign host,\n     And swordamen from the far French coast.\n     And as the foemen's ships drew near,\n     The dreadful din you well might hear\n     Savage berserks roaring mad,\n     And champions fierce in wolf-skins clad, (3)\n     Howling like wolves; and clanking jar\n     Of many a mail-clad man of war.\n     Thus the foe came; but our brave king\n     Taught them to fly as fast again.\n     For when he saw their force come o'er,\n     He launched his war-ships from the shore.\n     On the deep sea he launched his fleet\n     And boldly rowed the foe to meet.\n     Fierce was the shock, and loud the clang\n     Of shields, until the fierce Haklang,\n     The foeman's famous berserk, fell.\n     Then from our men burst forth the yell\n     Of victory, and the King of Gold\n     Could not withstand our Harald bold,\n     But fled before his flaky locks\n     For shelter to the island rocks.\n     All in the bottom of the ships\n     The wounded lay, in ghastly heaps;\n     Backs up and faces down they lay\n     Under the row-seats stowed away;\n     And many a warrior's shield, I ween\n     Might on the warrior's back be seen,\n     To shield him as he fled amain\n     From the fierce stone-storm's pelting rain.\n     The mountain-folk, as I've heard say,\n     Ne'er stopped as they ran from the fray,\n     Till they had crossed the Jadar sea,\n     And reached their homes--so keen each soul\n     To drown his fright in the mead bowl.\"\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) The war-ships were called dragons, from being decorated\n     with the head of a dragon, serpent, or other wild animal; and the\n     word \"draco\" was adopted in the Latin of the Middle Ages to\n     denote a ship of war of the larger class.  The snekke was\n     the cutter or smaller war-ship.--L.\n(2) The shields were hung over the side-rails of the ships.--L.\n(3) The wolf-skin pelts were nearly as good as armour against\n     the sword.\n\n\n\n\n20. HARALD SUPREME SOVEREIGN IN NORWAY.\n\nAfter this battle King Harald met no opposition in Norway, for all his\nopponents and greatest enemies were cut off. But some, and they were a\ngreat multitude, fled out of the country, and thereby great districts\nwere peopled. Jemtaland and Helsingjaland were peopled then, although\nsome Norwegians had already set up their habitation there. In the\ndiscontent that King Harald seized on the lands of Norway, the\nout-countries of Iceland and the Farey Isles were discovered and\npeopled. The Northmen had also a great resort to Hjaltland (Shetland\nIsles) and many men left Norway, flying the country on account of King\nHarald, and went on viking cruises into the West sea. In winter they\nwere in the Orkney Islands and Hebrides; but marauded in summer in\nNorway, and did great damage. Many, however, were the mighty men who\ntook service under King Harald, and became his men, and dwelt in the\nland with him.\n\n\n\n\n21. HARALD'S MARRIAGE AND HIS CHILDREN.\n\nWhen King Harald had now become sole king over all Norway, he remembered\nwhat that proud girl had said to him; so he sent men to her, and had her\nbrought to him, and took her to his bed. And these were their children:\nAlof--she was the eldest; then was their son Hrorek; then Sigtryg,\nFrode, and Thorgils. King Harald had many wives and many children. Among\nthem he had one wife, who was called Ragnhild the Mighty, a daughter of\nKing Eirik, from Jutland; and by her he had a son, Eirik Blood-axe. He\nwas also married to Svanhild, a daughter of Earl Eystein; and their sons\nwere Olaf Geirstadaalf, Bjorn and Ragnar Rykkil. Lastly, King Harald\nmarried Ashild, a daughter of Hring Dagson, up in Ringerike; and their\nchildren were, Dag, Hring, Gudrod Skiria, and Ingigerd. It is told that\nKing Harald put away nine wives when he married Ragnhild the Mighty. So\nsays Hornklofe:--\n\n     \"Harald, of noblest race the head,\n     A Danish wife took to his bed;\n     And out of doors nine wives he thrust,--\n     The mothers of the princes first.\n     Who 'mong Holmrygians hold command,\n     And those who rule in Hordaland.\n     And then he packed from out the place\n     The children born of Holge's race.\"\n\nKing Harald's children were all fostered and brought up by their\nrelations on the mother's side. Guthorm the Duke had poured water over\nKing Harald's eldest son and had given him his own name. He set the\nchild upon his knee, and was his foster-father, and took him with\nhimself eastward to Viken, and there he was brought up in the house of\nGuthorm. Guthorm ruled the whole land in Viken and the Uplands, when\nKing Harald was absent.\n\n\n\n\n22. KING HARALD'S VOYAGE TO THE WEST.\n\nKing Harald heard that the vikings, who were in the West sea in winter,\nplundered far and wide in the middle part of Norway; and therefore every\nsummer he made an expedition to search the isles and out-skerries (1) on\nthe coast. Wheresoever the vikings heard of him they all took to flight,\nand most of them out into the open ocean. At last the king grew weary of\nthis work, and therefore one summer he sailed with his fleet right out\ninto the West sea. First he came to Hjaltland (Shetland), and he slew\nall the vikings who could not save themselves by flight. Then King\nHarald sailed southwards, to the Orkney Islands, and cleared them all\nof vikings. Thereafter he proceeded to the Sudreys (Hebrides), plundered\nthere, and slew many vikings who formerly had had men-at-arms under\nthem. Many a battle was fought, and King Harald was always victorious.\nHe then plundered far and wide in Scotland itself, and had a battle\nthere. When he was come westward as far as the Isle of Man, the report\nof his exploits on the land had gone before him; for all the inhabitants\nhad fled over to Scotland, and the island was left entirely bare both\nof people and goods, so that King Harald and his men made no booty when\nthey landed. So says Hornklofe:--\n\n     \"The wise, the noble king, great\n     Whose hand so freely scatters gold,\n     Led many a northern shield to war\n     Against the town upon the shore.\n     The wolves soon gathered on the sand\n     Of that sea-shore; for Harald's hand\n     The Scottish army drove away,\n     And on the coast left wolves a prey.\"\n\nIn this war fell Ivar, a son of Ragnvald, Earl of More; and King Harald\ngave Ragnvald, as a compensation for the loss, the Orkney and Shetland\nisles, when he sailed from the West; but Ragnvald immediately gave both\nthese countries to his brother Sigurd, who remained behind them; and\nKing Harald, before sailing eastward, gave Sigurd the earldom of them.\nThorstein the Red, a son of Olaf the White and of Aud the Wealthy,\nentered into partnership with him; and after plundering in Scotland,\nthey subdued Caithness and Sutherland, as far as Ekkjalsbakke. Earl\nSigurd killed Melbridge Tooth, a Scotch earl, and hung his head to his\nstirrup-leather; but the calf of his leg were scratched by the teeth,\nwhich were sticking out from the head, and the wound caused inflammation\nin his leg, of which the earl died, and he was laid in a mound at\nEkkjalsbakke. His son Guthorm ruled over these countries for about a\nyear thereafter, and died without children. Many vikings, both Danes and\nNorthmen, set themselves down then in those countries.\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) Skerries are the uninhabited dry or halt-tide rocks of a\n     coast.--L.\n\n\n\n\n23. HARALD HAS HIS HAIR CLIPPED.\n\nAfter King Harald had subdued the whole land, he was one day at a feast\nin More, given by Earl Ragnvald. Then King Harald went into a bath, and\nhad his hair dressed. Earl Ragnvald now cut his hair, which had been\nuncut and uncombed for ten years; and therefore the king had been called\nLufa (i.e., with rough matted hair). But then Earl Ragnvald gave him the\ndistinguishing name--Harald Harfager (i.e., fair hair); and all who saw\nhim agreed that there was the greatest truth in the surname, for he had\nthe most beautiful and abundant head of hair.\n\n\n\n\n24. ROLF GANGER DRIVEN INTO BANISHMENT.\n\nEarl Ragnvald was King Harald's dearest friend, and the king had the\ngreatest regard for him. He was married to Hild, a daughter of Rolf\nNefia, and their sons were Rolf and Thorer. Earl Ragnvald had also three\nsons by concubines,--the one called Hallad, the second Einar, the third\nHrollaug; and all three were grown men when their brothers born in\nmarriage were still children Rolf became a great viking, and was of so\nstout a growth that no horse could carry him, and wheresoever he went he\nmust go on foot; and therefore he was called Rolf Ganger. He plundered\nmuch in the East sea. One summer, as he was coming from the eastward on\na viking's expedition to the coast of Viken, he landed there and made\na cattle foray. As King Harald happened, just at that time, to be in\nViken, he heard of it, and was in a great rage; for he had forbid,\nby the greatest punishment, the plundering within the bounds of the\ncountry. The king assembled a Thing, and had Rolf declared an outlaw\nover all Norway. When Rolf's mother, Hild heard of it she hastened to\nthe king, and entreated peace for Rolf; but the king was so enraged that\nhere entreaty was of no avail. Then Hild spake these lines:--\n\n     \"Think'st thou, King Harald, in thy anger,\n     To drive away my brave Rolf Ganger\n     Like a mad wolf, from out the land?\n     Why, Harald, raise thy mighty hand?\n     Why banish Nefia's gallant name-son,\n     The brother of brave udal-men?\n     Why is thy cruelty so fell?\n     Bethink thee, monarch, it is ill\n     With such a wolf at wolf to play,\n     Who, driven to the wild woods away\n     May make the king's best deer his prey.\"\n\nRolf Ganger went afterwards over sea to the West to the Hebrides, or\nSudreys; and at last farther west to Valland, where he plundered and\nsubdued for himself a great earldom, which he peopled with Northmen,\nfrom which that land is called Normandy. Rolf Ganger's son was William,\nfather to Richard, and grandfather to another Richard, who was the\nfather of Robert Longspear, and grandfather of William the Bastard, from\nwhom all the following English kings are descended. From Rolf Ganger\nalso are descended the earls in Normandy. Queen Ragnhild the Mighty\nlived three years after she came to Norway; and, after her death, her\nson and King Harald's was taken to the herse Thorer Hroaldson, and Eirik\nwas fostered by him.\n\n\n\n\n25. OF THE FIN SVASE AND KING HARALD.\n\nKing Harald, one winter, went about in guest-quarters in the Uplands,\nand had ordered a Christmas feast to be prepared for him at the farm\nThoptar. On Christmas eve came Svase to the door, just as the king went\nto table, and sent a message to the king to ask if he would go out with\nhim. The king was angry at such a message, and the man who had brought\nit in took out with him a reply of the king's displeasure. But Svase,\nnotwithstanding, desired that his message should be delivered a second\ntime; adding to it, that he was the Fin whose hut the king had promised\nto visit, and which stood on the other side of the ridge. Now the king\nwent out, and promised to go with him, and went over the ridge to his\nhut, although some of his men dissuaded him. There stood Snaefrid, the\ndaughter of Svase, a most beautiful girl; and she filled a cup of\nmead for the king. But he took hold both of the cup and of her hand.\nImmediately it was as if a hot fire went through his body; and he wanted\nthat very night to take her to his bed. But Svase said that should not\nbe unless by main force, if he did not first make her his lawful\nwife. Now King Harald made Snaefrid his lawful wife, and loved her so\npassionately that he forgot his kingdom, and all that belonged to his\nhigh dignity. They had four sons: the one was Sigurd Hrise; the others\nHalfdan Haleg, Gudrod Ljome and Ragnvald Rettilbeine. Thereafter\nSnaefrid died; but her corpse never changed, but was as fresh and red\nas when she lived. The king sat always beside her, and thought she\nwould come to life again. And so it went on for three years that he\nwas sorrowing over her death, and the people over his delusion. At\nlast Thorleif the Wise succeeded, by his prudence, in curing him of his\ndelusion by accosting him thus:--\"It is nowise wonderful, king, that\nthou grievest over so beautiful and noble a wife, and bestowest costly\ncoverlets and beds of down on her corpse, as she desired; but these\nhonours fall short of what is due, as she still lies in the same\nclothes. It would be more suitable to raise her, and change her dress.\"\nAs soon as the body was raised in the bed all sorts of corruption and\nfoul smells came from it, and it was necessary in all haste to gather a\npile of wood and burn it; but before this could be done the body turned\nblue, and worms, toads, newts, paddocks, and all sorts of ugly reptiles\ncame out of it, and it sank into ashes. Now the king came to his\nunderstanding again, threw the madness out of his mind, and after that\nday ruled his kingdom as before. He was strengthened and made joyful by\nhis subjects, and his subjects by him and the country by both.\n\n\n\n\n26. OF THJODOLF OF HVIN, THE SKALD.\n\nAfter King Harald had experienced the cunning of the Fin woman, he was\nso angry that he drove from him the sons he had with her, and would not\nsuffer them before his eyes. But one of them, Gudrod Ljome, went to his\nfoster-father Thjodolf of Hvin, and asked him to go to the king, who was\nthen in the Uplands; for Thjodolf was a great friend of the king. And\nso they went, and came to the king's house late in the evening, and sat\ndown together unnoticed near the door. The king walked up and down\nthe floor casting his eye along the benches; for he had a feast in the\nhouse, and the mead was just mixed. The king then murmured out these\nlines:--\n\n     \"Tell me, ye aged gray-haired heroes,\n     Who have come here to seek repose,\n     Wherefore must I so many keep\n     Of such a set, who, one and all,\n     Right dearly love their souls to steep,\n     From morn till night, in the mead-bowl?\"\n\nThen Thjodolf replies:--\n\n     \"A certain wealthy chief, I think,\n     Would gladly have had more to drink\n     With him, upon one bloody day,\n     When crowns were cracked in our sword-play.\"\n\nThjodolf then took off his hat, and the king recognised him, and gave\nhim a friendly reception. Thjodolf then begged the king not to cast off\nhis sons; \"for they would with great pleasure have taken a better family\ndescent upon the mother's side, if the king had given it to them.\" The\nking assented, and told him to take Gudrod with him as formerly; and he\nsent Halfdan and Sigurd to Ringerike, and Ragnvald to Hadaland, and all\nwas done as the king ordered. They grew up to be very clever men, very\nexpert in all exercises. In these times King Harald sat in peace in the\nland, and the land enjoyed quietness and good crops.\n\n\n\n\n27. OF EARL TORFEINAR'S OBTAINING ORKNEY.\n\nWhen Earl Ragnvald in More heard of the death of his brother Earl\nSigurd, and that the vikings were in possession of the country, he sent\nhis son Hallad westward, who took the title of earl to begin with, and\nhad many men-at-arms with him. When he arrived at the Orkney Islands,\nhe established himself in the country; but both in harvest, winter, and\nspring, the vikings cruised about the isles plundering the headlands,\nand committing depredations on the coast. Then Earl Hallad grew tired\nof the business, resigned his earldom, took up again his rights as an\nallodial owner, and afterwards returned eastward into Norway. When Earl\nRagnvald heard of this he was ill pleased with Hallad, and said his son\nwere very unlike their ancestors. Then said Einar, \"I have enjoyed but\nlittle honour among you, and have little affection here to lose: now\nif you will give me force enough, I will go west to the islands, and\npromise you what at any rate will please you--that you shall never see\nme again.\" Earl Ragnvald replied, that he would be glad if he never came\nback; \"For there is little hope,\" said he, \"that thou will ever be an\nhonour to thy friends, as all thy kin on thy mother's side are born\nslaves.\" Earl Ragnvald gave Einar a vessel completely equipped, and he\nsailed with it into the West sea in harvest. When he came to the Orkney\nIsles, two vikings, Thorer Treskeg and Kalf Skurfa, were in his way with\ntwo vessels. He attacked them instantly, gained the battle, and slew the\ntwo vikings. Then this was sung:--\n\n     \"Then gave he Treskeg to the trolls,\n     Torfeinar slew Skurfa.\"\n\nHe was called Torfeinar, because he cut peat for fuel, there being no\nfirewood, as in Orkney there are no woods. He afterwards was earl over\nthe islands, and was a mighty man. He was ugly, and blind of an eye, yet\nvery sharp-sighted withal.\n\n\n\n\n28. KING EIRIK EYMUNDSON'S DEATH.\n\nDuke Guthorm dwelt principally at Tunsberg, and governed the whole of\nViken when the king was not there. He defended the land, which, at that\ntime, was much plundered by the vikings. There were disturbances also up\nin Gautland as long as King Eirik Eymundson lived; but he died when King\nHarald Harfager had been ten years king of all Norway.\n\n\n\n\n29. GUTHORM'S DEATH IN TUNSBERG.\n\nAfter Eirik, his son Bjorn was king of Svithjod for fifty years. He was\nfather of Eirik the Victorious, and of Olaf the father of Styrbjorn.\nGuthorm died on a bed of sickness at Tunsberg, and King Harald gave his\nson Guthorm the government of that part of his dominions and made him\nchief of it.\n\n\n\n\n30. EARL RAGNVALD BURNT IN HIS HOUSE.\n\nWhen King Harald was forty years of age many of his sons were well\nadvanced, and indeed they all came early to strength and manhood. And\nnow they began to take it ill that the king would not give them any\npart of the kingdom, but put earls into every district; for they thought\nearls were of inferior birth to them. Then Halfdan Haleg and Gudrod\nLjome set off one spring with a great force, and came suddenly upon Earl\nRagnvald, earl of More, and surrounded the house in which he was, and\nburnt him and sixty men in it. Thereafter Halfdan took three long-ships,\nand fitted them out, and sailed into the West sea; but Gudrod set\nhimself down in the land which Ragnvald formerly had. Now when King\nHarald heard this he set out with a great force against Gudrod, who\nhad no other way left but to surrender, and he was sent to Agder. King\nHarald then set Earl Ragnvald's son Thorer over More, and gave him\nhis daughter Alof, called Arbot, in marriage. Earl Thorer, called the\nSilent, got the same territory his father Earl Ragnvald had possessed.\n\n\n\n\n31. HALFDAN HALEG'S DEATH.\n\nHalfdan Haleg came very unexpectedly to Orkney, and Earl Einar\nimmediately fled; but came back soon after about harvest time, unnoticed\nby Halfdan. They met and after a short battle Halfdan fled the same\nnight. Einar and his men lay all night without tents, and when it was\nlight in the morning they searched the whole island and killed every\nman they could lay hold of. Then Einar said \"What is that I see upon the\nisle of Rinansey? Is it a man or a bird? Sometimes it raises itself\nup, and sometimes lies down again.\" They went to it, and found it was\nHalfdan Haleg, and took him prisoner.\n\nEarl Einar sang the following song the evening before he went into this\nbattle:--\n\n     \"Where is the spear of Hrollaug?  where\n     Is stout Rolf Ganger's bloody spear!\n     I see them not; yet never fear,\n     For Einar will not vengeance spare\n     Against his father's murderers, though\n     Hrollaug and Rolf are somewhat slow,\n     And silent Thorer sits add dreams\n     At home, beside the mead-bowl's streams.\"\n\nThereafter Earl Einar went up to Halfdan, and cut a spread eagle\nupon his back, by striking his sword through his back into his belly,\ndividing his ribs from the backbone down to his loins, and tearing out\nhis lungs; and so Halfdan was killed. Einar then sang:--\n\n     \"For Ragnvald's death my sword is red:\n     Of vengeance it cannot be said\n     That Einar's share is left unsped.\n     So now, brave boys, let's raise a mound,--\n     Heap stones and gravel on the ground\n     O'er Halfdan's corpse: this is the way\n     We Norsemen our scat duties pay.\"\n\nThen Earl Einar took possession of the Orkney Isles as before. Now when\nthese tidings came to Norway, Halfdan's brothers took it much to heart,\nand thought that his death demanded vengeance; and many were of the same\nopinion. When Einar heard this, he sang:--\n\n     \"Many a stout udal-man, I know,\n     Has cause to wish my head laid low;\n     And many an angry udal knife\n     Would gladly drink of Eina's life.\n     But ere they lay Earl Einar low,--\n     Ere this stout heart betrays its cause,\n     Full many a heart will writhe, we know,\n     In the wolf's fangs, or eagle's claws.\"\n\n\n\n\n32. HARALD AND EINAR RECONCILED.\n\nKing Harald now ordered a levy, and gathered a great force, with which\nhe proceeded westward to Orkney; and when Earl Einar heard that King\nHarald was come, he fled over to Caithness. He made the following verses\non this occasion:--\n\n     \"Many a bearded man must roam,\n     An exile from his house and home,\n     For cow or horse; but Halfdan's gore\n     Is red on Rinansey's wild shore.\n     A nobler deed--on Harald's shield\n     The arm of one who ne'er will yield\n     Has left a scar.  Let peasants dread\n     The vengeance of the Norsemen's head:\n     I reck not of his wrath, but sing,\n     'Do thy worst!--I defy thee, king!--'\"\n\nMen and messages, however, passed between the king and the earl, and at\nlast it came to a conference; and when they met the earl submitted the\ncase altogether to the king's decision, and the king condemned the earl\nEinar and the Orkney people to pay a fine of sixty marks of gold. As the\nbondes thought this was too heavy for them to pay, the earl offered to\npay the whole if they would surrender their udal lands to him. This they\nall agreed to do: the poor because they had but little pieces of land;\nthe rich because they could redeem their udal rights again when they\nliked. Thus the earl paid the whole fine to the king, who returned in\nharvest to Norway. The earls for a long time afterwards possessed all\nthe udal lands in Orkney, until Sigurd son of Hlodver gave back the udal\nrights.\n\n\n\n\n33. DEATH OF GUTHORM AND HALFDAN THE WHITE.\n\nWhile King Harald's son Guthorm had the defence of Viken, he sailed\noutside of the islands on the coast, and came in by one of the mouths\nof the tributaries of the Gaut river. When he lay there Solve Klofe came\nupon him, and immediately gave him battle, and Guthorm fell. Halfdan the\nWhite and Halfdan the Black went out on an expedition, and plundered\nin the East sea, and had a battle in Eistland, where Halfdan the White\nfell.\n\n\n\n\n34. MARRIAGE OF EIRIK.\n\nEirik, Harald's son, was fostered in the house of the herse Thorer, son\nof Hroald, in the Fjord district. He was the most beloved and honoured\nby King Harald of all his sons. When Eirik was twelve years old,\nKing Harald gave him five long-ships, with which he went on an\nexpedition,--first in the Baltic; then southwards to Denmark, Friesland,\nand Saxland; on which expedition he passed four years. He then sailed\nout into the West sea and plundered in Scotland, Bretland, Ireland, and\nValland, and passed four years more in this way. Then he sailed north to\nFinmark, and all the way to Bjarmaland, where he had many a battle, and\nwon many a victory. When he came back to Finmark, his men found a girl\nin a Lapland hut, whose equal for beauty they never had seen. She said\nher name was Gunhild, and that her father dwelt in Halogaland, and was\ncalled Ozur Tote. \"I am here,\" she said, \"to learn sorcery from two of\nthe most knowing Fins in all Finmark, who are now out hunting. They both\nwant me in marriage. They are so skilful that they can hunt out traces\neither upon the frozen or the thawed earth, like dogs; and they can run\nso swiftly on skees that neither man nor beast can come near them in\nspeed. They hit whatever they take aim at, and thus kill every man\nwho comes near them. When they are angry the very earth turns away in\nterror, and whatever living thing they look upon then falls dead. Now ye\nmust not come in their way; but I will hide you here in the hut, and ye\nmust try to get them killed.\" They agreed to it, and she hid them, and\nthen took a leather bag, in which they thought there were ashes which\nshe took in her hand, and strewed both outside and inside of the hut.\nShortly after the Fins came home, and asked who had been there; and she\nanswered, \"Nobody has been here.\" \"That is wonderful,\" said they, \"we\nfollowed the traces close to the hut, and can find none after that.\"\nThen they kindled a fire, and made ready their meat, and Gunhild\nprepared her bed. It had so happened that Gunhild had slept the three\nnights before, but the Fins had watched the one upon the other, being\njealous of each other. \"Now,\" she said to the Fins, \"come here, and lie\ndown one on each side of me.\" On which they were very glad to do so. She\nlaid an arm round the neck of each and they went to sleep directly. She\nroused them up; but they fell to sleep again instantly, and so soundly\nthe she scarcely could waken them. She even raised them up in the bed,\nand still they slept. Thereupon she too two great seal-skin bags, and\nput their heads in them, and tied them fast under their arms; and then\nshe gave a wink to the king's men. They run forth with their weapons,\nkill the two Fins, and drag them out of the hut. That same night came\nsuch a dreadful thunder-storm that the could not stir. Next morning they\ncame to the ship, taking Gunhild with them, and presented her to Eirik.\nEirik and his followers then sailed southwards to Halogaland and he sent\nword to Ozur Tote, the girl's father, to meet him. Eirik said he would\ntake his daughter in marriage, to which Ozur Tote consented, and Eirik\ntook Gunhild and went southwards with her (A.D. 922).\n\n\n\n\n35. HARALD DIVIDES HIS KINGDOM.\n\nWhen King Harald was fifty years of age many of his sons were grown up,\nand some were dead. Many of them committed acts of great violence in the\ncountry, and were in discord among themselves. They drove some of the\nking's earls out of their properties, and even killed some of them.\nThen the king called together a numerous Thing in the south part of the\ncountry, and summoned to it all the people of the Uplands. At this\nThing he gave to all his sons the title of king, and made a law that his\ndescendants in the male line should each succeed to the kingly title and\ndignity; but his descendants by the female side only to that of earl.\nAnd he divided the country among them thus:--Vingulmark, Raumarike,\nVestfold and Thelamark, he bestowed on Olaf, Bjorn, Sigtryg, Frode, and\nThorgils. Hedemark and Gudbrandsdal he gave to Dag, Hring, and Ragnar.\nTo Snaefrid's sons he gave Ringerike, Hadeland, Thoten, and the lands\nthereto belonging. His son Guthorm, as before mentioned, he had set over\nthe country from Glommen to Svinasund and Ranrike. He had set him to\ndefend the country to the East, as before has been written. King Harald\nhimself generally dwelt in the middle of the country, and Hrorek and\nGudrod were generally with his court, and had great estates in Hordaland\nand in Sogn. King Eirik was also with his father King Harald; and the\nking loved and regarded him the most of all his sons, and gave him\nHalogaland and North More, and Raumsdal. North in Throndhjem he gave\nHalfdan the Black, Halfdan the White, and Sigrod land to rule over. In\neach of these districts he gave his sons the one half of his revenues,\ntogether with the right to sit on a high-seat,--a step higher than\nearls, but a step lower than his own high-seat. His king's seat each of\nhis sons wanted for himself after his death, but he himself destined it\nfor Eirik. The Throndhjem people wanted Halfdan the Black to succeed to\nit. The people of Viken, and the Uplands, wanted those under whom they\nlived. And thereupon new quarrels arose among the brothers; and because\nthey thought their dominions too little, they drove about in piratical\nexpeditions. In this way, as before related, Guthorm fell at the mouth\nof the Gaut river, slain by Solve Klofe; upon which Olaf took the\nkingdom he had possessed. Halfdan the White fell in Eistland, Halfdan\nHaleg in Orkney. King Harald gave ships of war to Thorgils and Frode,\nwith which they went westward on a viking cruise, and plundered in\nScotland, Ireland, and Bretland. They were the first of the Northmen\nwho took Dublin. It is said that Frode got poisoned drink there; but\nThorgils was a long time king over Dublin, until he fell into a snare of\nthe Irish, and was killed.\n\n\n\n\n36. DEATH OF RAGNVALD RETTILBEINE.\n\nEirik Blood-axe expected to be head king over all his brothers and\nKing Harald intended he should be so; and the father and son lived long\ntogether. Ragnvald Rettilbeine governed Hadaland, and allowed himself to\nbe instructed in the arts of witchcraft, and became an area warlock.\nNow King Harald was a hater of all witchcraft. There was a warlock in\nHordaland called Vitgeir; and when the king sent a message to him that\nhe should give up his art of witchcraft, he replied in this verse:--\n\n     \"The danger surely is not great\n     From wizards born of mean estate,\n     When Harald's son in Hadeland,\n     King Ragnvald, to the art lays hand.\"\n\nBut when King Harald heard this, King Eirik Blood-axe went by his orders\nto the Uplands, and came to Hadeland and burned his brother Ragnvald in\na house, along with eighty other warlocks; which work was much praised.\n\n\n\n\n37. DEATH OF GUDROD LJOME.\n\nGudrod Ljome was in winter on a friendly visit to his foster-father\nThjodolf in Hvin, and had a well-manned ship, with which he wanted to go\nnorth to Rogaland. It was blowing a heavy storm at the time; but Gudrod\nwas bent on sailing, and would not consent to wait. Thjodolf sang\nthus:--\n\n     \"Wait, Gudrod, till the storm is past,--\n     Loose not thy long-ship while the blast\n     Howls over-head so furiously,--\n     Trust not thy long-ship to the sea,--\n     Loose not thy long-ship from the shore;\n     Hark to the ocean's angry roar!\n     See how the very stones are tost\n     By raging waves high on the coast!\n     Stay, Gudrod, till the tempest's o'er--\n     Deep runs the sea off the Jadar's shore.\"\n\nGudrod set off in spite of what Thjodolf could say: and when they came\noff the Jadar the vessel sunk with them, and all on board were lost.\n\n\n\n\n38. KING BJORN KAUPMAN'S DEATH.\n\nKing Harald's son, Bjorn, ruled over Vestfold at that time, and\ngenerally lived at Tunsberg, and went but little on war expeditions.\nTunsberg at that time was much frequented by merchant vessels, both from\nViken and the north country, and also from the south, from Denmark, and\nSaxland. King Bjorn had also merchant ships on voyages to other lands,\nby which he procured for himself costly articles, and such things as\nhe thought needful; and therefore his brothers called him Farman\n(the Seaman), and Kaupman (the Chapman). Bjorn was a man of sense and\nunderstanding, and promised to become a good ruler. He made a good and\nsuitable marriage, and had a son by his wife, who was named Gudrod.\nEirik Blood-axe came from his Baltic cruise with ships of war, and\na great force, and required his brother Bjorn to deliver to him King\nHarald's share of the scat and incomes of Vestfold. But it had always\nbeen the custom before, that Bjorn himself either delivered the money\ninto the king's hands, or sent men of his own with it; and therefore\nhe would continue with the old custom, and would not deliver the\nmoney. Eirik again wanted provisions, tents, and liquor. The brothers\nquarrelled about this; but Eirik got nothing and left the town. Bjorn\nwent also out of the town towards evening up to Saeheim. In the night\nEirik came back after Bjorn, and came to Saeheim just as Bjorn and his\nmen were seated at table drinking. Eirik surrounded the house in which\nthey were; but Bjorn with his men went out and fought. Bjorn, and many\nmen with him, fell. Eirik, on the other hand, got a great booty, and\nproceeded northwards. But this work was taken very ill by the people of\nViken, and Eirik was much disliked for it; and the report went that King\nOlaf would avenge his brother Bjorn, whenever opportunity offered. King\nBjorn lies in the mound of Farmanshaug at Saeheim.\n\n\n\n\n39. RECONCILIATION OF THE KINGS.\n\nKing Eirik went in winter northwards to More, and was at a feast in\nSolve, within the point Agdanes; and when Halfdan the Black heard of it\nhe set out with his men, and surrounded the house in which they were.\nEirik slept in a room which stood detached by itself, and he escaped\ninto the forest with four others; but Halfdan and his men burnt the main\nhouse, with all the people who were in it. With this news Eirik came\nto King Harald, who was very wroth at it, and assembled a great force\nagainst the Throndhjem people. When Halfdan the Black heard this he\nlevied ships and men, so that he had a great force, and proceeded\nwith it to Stad, within Thorsbjerg. King Harald lay with his men at\nReinsletta. Now people went between them, and among others a clever man\ncalled Guthorm Sindre, who was then in Halfdan the Black's army, but had\nbeen formerly in the service of King Harald, and was a great friend of\nboth. Guthorm was a great skald, and had once composed a song both about\nthe father and the son, for which they had offered him a reward. But he\nwould take nothing; but only asked that, some day or other, they should\ngrant him any request he should make, which they promised to do. Now he\npresented himself to King Harald, brought words of peace between them,\nand made the request to them both that they should be reconciled. So\nhighly did the king esteem him, that in consequence of his request they\nwere reconciled. Many other able men promoted this business as well as\nhe; and it was so settled that Halfdan should retain the whole of his\nkingdom as he had it before, and should let his brother Eirik sit in\npeace. After this event Jorun, the skald-maid, composed some verses in\n\"Sendibit\" (\"The Biting Message\"):--\n\n     \"I know that Harald Fairhair\n     Knew the dark deed of Halfdan.\n     To Harald Halfdan seemed\n     Angry and cruel.\"\n\n\n\n\n40. BIRTH OF HAKON THE GOOD.\n\nEarl Hakon Grjotgardson of Hlader had the whole rule over Throndhjem\nwhen King Harald was anywhere away in the country; and Hakon stood\nhigher with the king than any in the country of Throndhjem. After\nHakon's death his son Sigurd succeeded to his power in Throndhjem, and\nwas the earl, and had his mansion at Hlader. King Harald's sons, Halfdan\nthe Black and Sigrod, who had been before in the house of his father\nEarl Hakon, continued to be brought up in his house. The sons of Harald\nand Sigurd were about the same age. Earl Sigurd was one of the wisest\nmen of his time, and married Bergljot, a daughter of Earl Thorer the\nSilent; and her mother was Alof Arbot, a daughter of Harald Harfager.\nWhen King Harald began to grow old he generally dwelt on some of his\ngreat farms in Hordaland; namely, Alreksstader or Saeheim, Fitjar,\nUtstein, or Ogvaldsnes in the island Kormt. When Harald was seventy\nyears of age he begat a son with a girl called Thora Mosterstang,\nbecause her family came from Moster. She was descended from good people,\nbeing connected with Kare (Aslakson) of Hordaland; and was moreover\na very stout and remarkably handsome girl. She was called the king's\nservant-girl; for at that time many were subject to service to the king\nwho were of good birth, both men and women. Then it was the custom, with\npeople of consideration, to choose with great care the man who should\npour water over their children, and give them a name. Now when the time\ncame that Thora, who was then at Moster, expected her confinement,\nshe would to King Harald, who was then living at Saeheim; and she went\nnorthwards in a ship belonging to Earl Sigurd. They lay at night close\nto the land; and there Thora brought forth a child upon the land, up\namong the rocks, close to the ship's gangway, and it was a man child.\nEarl Sigurd poured water over him, and called him Hakon, after his own\nfather, Hakon earl of Hlader. The boy soon grew handsome, large in size,\nand very like his father King Harald. King Harald let him follow his\nmother, and they were both in the king's house as long as he was an\ninfant.\n\n\n\n\n41. KING ATHELSTAN'S MESSAGE\n\nAt this time a king called Aethelstan had taken the Kingdom of England.\nHe was called victorious and faithful. He sent men to Norway to King\nHarald, with the errand that the messengers should present him with a\nsword, with the hilt and handle gilt, and also the whole sheath adorned\nwith gold and silver, and set with precious jewels. The ambassador\npresented the sword-hilt to the king, saying, \"Here is a sword which\nKing Athelstan sends thee, with the request that thou wilt accept it.\"\nThe king took the sword by the handle; whereupon the ambassador said,\n\"Now thou hast taken the sword according to our king's desire, and\ntherefore art thou his subject as thou hast taken his sword.\" King\nHarald saw now that this was an insult, for he would be subject to no\nman. But he remembered it was his rule, whenever anything raised his\nanger, to collect himself, and let his passion run off, and then take\nthe matter into consideration coolly. Now he did so, and consulted his\nfriends, who all gave him the advice to let the ambassadors, in the\nfirst place, go home in safety.\n\n\n\n\n42. HAUK'S JOURNEY TO ENGLAND.\n\nThe following summer King Harald sent a ship westward to England, and\ngave the command of it to Hauk Habrok. He was a great warrior, and very\ndear to the king. Into his hands he gave his son Hakon. Hank proceeded\nwestward in England, and found King Athelstan in London, where there was\njust at the time a great feast and entertainment. When they came to the\nhall, Hauk told his men how they should conduct themselves; namely, that\nhe who went first in should go last out, and all should stand in a row\nat the table, at equal distance from each other; and each should have\nhis sword at his left side, but should fasten his cloak so that his\nsword should not be seen. Then they went into the hall, thirty in\nnumber. Hauk went up to the king and saluted him, and the king bade him\nwelcome. Then Hauk took the child Hakon, and set it on the king's knee.\nThe king looks at the boy, and asks Hauk what the meaning of this is.\nHauk replies, \"Herald the king bids thee foster his servant-girl's\nchild.\" The king was in great anger, and seized a sword which lay beside\nhim, and drew it, as if he was going to kill the child. Hauk says, \"Thou\nhast borne him on thy knee, and thou canst murder him if thou wilt; but\nthou wilt not make an end of all King Harald's sons by so doing.\" On\nthat Hauk went out with all his men, and took the way direct to his\nship, and put to sea,--for they were ready,--and came back to King\nHarald. The king was highly pleased with this; for it is the common\nobservation of all people, that the man who fosters another's children\nis of less consideration than the other. From these transactions between\nthe two kings, it appears that each wanted to be held greater than the\nother; but in truth there was no injury, to the dignity of either, for\neach was the upper king in his own kingdom till his dying day.\n\n\n\n\n43. HAKON, THE FOSTER-SON OF ATHELSTAN, IS BAPTIZED.\n\nKing Athelstan had Hakon baptized, and brought up in the right faith,\nand in good habits, and all sorts of good manners, and he loved Hakon\nabove all his relations; and Hakon was beloved by all men. He was\nhenceforth called Athelstan's foster-son. He was an accomplished skald,\nand he was larger, stronger and more beautiful than other men; he was\na man of understanding and eloquence, and also a good Christian. King\nAthelstan gave Hakon a sword, of which the hilt and handle were gold,\nand the blade still better; for with it Hakon cut down a mill-stone to\nthe centre eye, and the sword thereafter was called the Quernbite (1).\nBetter sword never came into Norway, and Hakon carried it to his dying\nday.\n\n\n   ENDNOTES:\n     (1) Quern is the name of the small hand mill-stones still\n     found.\n     in use among the cottars in Orkney, Shetland, and the\n     Hebrides.  This sword is mentioned in the Younger Edda.\n     There were many excellent swords in the olden time, and many\n     of them had proper names.\n\n\n\n\n44. EIRIK BROUGHT TO THE SOVEREIGNTY.\n\nWhen King Harald was eighty years of age (A.D. 930) he became very\nheavy, and unable to travel through the country, or do the business of\na king. Then he brought his son Eirik to his high-seat, and gave him the\npower and command over the whole land. Now when King Harald's other sons\nheard this, King Halfdan the Black also took a king's high-seat, and\ntook all Throndhjem land, with the consent of all the people, under his\nrule as upper king. After the death of Bjorn the Chapman, his brother\nOlaf took the command over Vestfold, and took Bjorn's son, Gudrod,\nas his foster-child. Olaf's son was called Trygve; and the two\nfoster-brothers were about the same age, and were hopeful and clever.\nTrygve, especially, was remarkable as a stout and strong man. Now when\nthe people of Viken heard that those of Hordaland had taken Eirik as\nupper king, they did the same, and made Olaf the upper king in Viken,\nwhich kingdom he retained. Eirik did not like this at all. Two years\nafter this, Halfdan the Black died suddenly at a feast in Throndhjem\nand the general report was that Gunhild had bribed a witch to give him\na death-drink. Thereafter the Throndhjem people took Sigrod to be their\nking.\n\n\n\n\n45. KING HARALD'S DEATH.\n\nKing Harald lived three years after he gave Eirik the supreme authority\nover his kingdom, and lived mostly on his great farms which he\npossessed, some in Rogaland, and some in Hordaland. Eirik and Gunhild\nhad a son on whom King Harald poured water, and gave him his own name,\nand the promise that he should be king after his father Eirik. King\nHarald married most of his daughters within the country to his earls,\nand from them many great families are descended. Harald died on a bed of\nsickness in Hogaland (A.D. 933), and was buried under a mound at Haugar\nin Karmtsund. In Haugesund is a church, now standing; and not far from\nthe churchyard, at the north-west side, is King Harald Harfager's mound;\nbut his grave-stone stands west of the church, and is thirteen feet and\na half high, and two ells broad. One stone was set at head and one at\nthe feet; on the top lay the slab, and below on both sides were laid\nsmall stones. The grave, mound, and stone, are there to the present day.\nHarald Harfager was, according to the report of men of knowledge, or\nremarkably handsome appearance, great and strong, and very generous\nand affable to his men. He was a great warrior in his youth; and people\nthink that this was foretold by his mother's dream before his birth,\nas the lowest part of the tree she dreamt of was red as blood. The stem\nagain was green and beautiful, which betokened his flourishing kingdom;\nand that the tree was white at the top showed that he should reach a\ngrey-haired old age. The branches and twigs showed forth his posterity,\nspread over the whole land; for of his race, ever since. Norway has\nalways had kings.\n\n\n\n\n46. THE DEATH OF OLAF AND OF SIGROD.\n\nKing Eirik took all the revenues (A.D. 934), which the king had in the\nmiddle of the country, the next winter after King Harald's decease. But\nOlaf took all the revenues eastward in Viken, and their brother Sigrod\nall that of the Throndhjem country. Eirik was very ill pleased with\nthis; and the report went that he would attempt with force to get the\nsole sovereignty over the country, in the same way as his father had\ngiven it to him. Now when Olaf and Sigrod heard this, messengers passed\nbetween them; and after appointing a meeting place, Sigrod went eastward\nin spring to Viken, and he and his brother Olaf met at Tunsberg, and\nremained there a while. The same spring (A.D. 934), King Eirik levied a\ngreat force, and ships and steered towards Viken. He got such a strong\nsteady gale that he sailed night and day, and came faster than the news\nof him. When he came to Tunsberg, Olaf and Sigrod, with their forces,\nwent out of the town a little eastward to a ridge, where they drew up\ntheir men in battle order; but as Eirik had many more men he won the\nbattle. Both brothers, Olaf and Sigrod, fell there; and both their\ngrave-mounds are upon the ridge where they fell. Then King Eirik went\nthrough Viken, and subdued it, and remained far into summer. Gudrod and\nTrygve fled to the Uplands. Eirik was a stout handsome man, strong, and\nvery manly,--a great and fortunate man of war; but bad-minded, gruff,\nunfriendly, and silent. Gunhild, his wife, was the most beautiful\nof women,--clever, with much knowledge, and lively; but a very false\nperson, and very cruel in disposition. The children of King Eirik\nand Gunhild were, Gamle, the oldest; then Guthorm, Harald, Ragnfrod,\nRagnhild, Erling, Gudrod, and Sigurd Sleva. All were handsome, and of\nmanly appearance (1).\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) Of Eirik, his wife, and children, see the following sagas.\n\n\n\n\nHAKON THE GOOD'S SAGA.\n\n\nPRELIMINARY REMARKS.\n\nOf Eirik Blood-axe's five years' reign Snorre has no separate saga. He\nappears not to have been beloved by the people and his queen Gunhild\nseems to have had a bad influence on him.\n\nOther accounts of Hakon may be found in \"Fagrskinna\" (chaps. 25-34),\n\"Agrip\", \"Historia\", \"Norvegiae\", and in \"Thjodrek\" (chap. 4).\n\nThe reader is also referred to \"Saxo\", \"Egla\", \"Laxdaela\", \"Kormaks\nSaga\", \"Gisle Surssons Saga\", \"Halfred's Saga\", \"Floamanna Saga\", \"Viga\nGlum's Saga\", and to \"Landnamabok\".\n\nSkald mentioned in this Saga are:--Glum Geirason, Thord Sjarekson,\nGuthorm Sindre, Kormak Ogmundson, and Eyvind Skaldaspiller. In\nthe \"Egla\" are found many poems belonging to this epoch by Egil\nSkallagrimson.\n\nIn \"Fagrskinna\" is found a poem (not given by Snorre) which Gunhild (his\nwife) had made on King Eirik after his death, telling how Odin welcomed\nhim to Valhal. The author or skald who composed it is not known, but\nit is considered to be one of the gems of old Norse poetry, and we here\nquote it in Vigfusson's translation in his \"Corpus Poeticum\", vol.\ni. pp. 260, 261. Gudbrand Vigfusson has filled up a few gaps from\n\"Hakonarmat\", the poem at the end of this Saga. We have changed\nVigfusson's orthography of names, and brought them into harmony with the\nspelling used in this work:--Ed.\n\n\"Odin wakes in the morning and cries, as he opens his eyes, with his\ndream still fresh in his mind:--'What dreams are these? I thought I\narose before daybreak to make Valhal ready for a host of slain. I woke\nup the host of the chosen. I bade them ride up to strew the benches, and\nto till up the beer-vats, and I bade valkyries to bear the wine, as if\na king were coming. I look for the coming of some noble chiefs from the\nearth, wherefore my heart is glad.'\n\n\"Brage, Odin's counsellor, now wakes, as a great din is heard without,\nand calls out:--'What is that thundering? as if a thousand men or some\ngreat host were tramping on--the walls and the benches are creaking\nwithal--as if Balder was coming back to the ball of Odin?'\n\n\"Odin answers:--'Surely thou speakest foolishly, good Brage, although\nthou art very wise. It thunders for Eirik the king, that is coming to\nthe hall of Odin.'\n\n\"Then turning to his heroes, he cries:--'Sigmund and Sinfjotle, rise in\nhaste and go forth to meet the prince! Bid him in if it be Eirik, for it\nis he whom I look for.'\n\n\"Sigmund answers:--'Why lookest thou more for Eirik, the king, to Odin's\nhall, than for other kings?'\n\n\"Odin answers:--'Because he has reddened his brand, and borne his bloody\nsword in many a land.'\n\n\"Quoth Sigmund:--'Why didst thou rob him, the chosen king of victory\nthen, seeing thou thoughtest him so brave?'\n\n\"Odin answered:--'Because it is not surely to be known, when the grey\nwolf shall come upon the seat of the god.'\n\nSECOND SCENE.--Without Valhal. Sigmund and Sinfjotle go outside the hall\nand meet Eirik.\n\n\"Quoth Sigmund:--'Hail to thee, Eirik, be welcome here, and come into\nthe hall, thou gallant king! Now I will ask thee, what kings are these\nthat follow thee from the clash of the sword edges?'\n\n\"Eirik answers:--'They are five kings; I will tell thee all their names;\nI myself am the sixth (the names followed in the song, whereof the rest\nis lost.)\n\n\"Fagrskinna\" says \"Hakonarmal\" was the model of this poem.\n\n\n\n\n1. HAKON CHOSEN KING.\n\nHakon, Athelstan's foster-son, was in England at the time (A.D. 934) he\nheard of his father King Harald's death, and he immediately made himself\nready to depart. King Athelstan gave him men, and a choice of good\nships, and fitted him out for his journey most excellently. In harvest\ntime he came to Norway, where he heard of the death of his brothers,\nand that King Eirik was then in Viken. Then Hakon sailed northwards to\nThrondhjem, where he went to Sigurd earl of Hlader who was the ablest\nman in Norway. He gave Hakon a good reception; and they made a league\nwith each other, by which Hakon promised great power to Sigurd if he\nwas made king. They assembled then a numerous Thing, and Sigurd the earl\nrecommended Hakon's cause to the Thing, and proposed him to the bondes\nas king. Then Hakon himself stood up and spoke; and the people said to\neach other, two and two, as they heard him, \"Herald Harfager is come\nagain, grown and young.\" The beginning of Hakon's speech was, that he\noffered himself to the bondes as king, and desired from them the title\nof king, and aid and forces to defend the kingdom. He promised, on the\nother hand, to make all the bondes udal-holders, and give every man udal\nrights to the land he lived on. This speech met such joyful applause,\nthat the whole public cried and shouted that they would take him to be\nking. And so it was that the Throndhjem people took Hakon, who was\nthen fifteen years old, for king; and he took a court or bodyguard,\nand servants, and proceeded through the country. The news reached the\nUplands that the people in Throndhjem had taken to themselves a\nking, who in every respect was like King Harald Harfager,--with the\ndifference, that Harald had made all the people of the land vassals, and\nunfree; but this Hakon wished well to every man, and offered the bondes\nto give them their udal rights again, which Harald had taken from them.\nAll were rejoiced at this news, and it passed from mouth to mouth,--it\nflew, like fire in dry grass, through the whole land, and eastward to\nthe land's end. Many bondes came from the Uplands to meet King Hakon.\nSome sent messengers, some tokens; and all to the same effect--that his\nmen they would be: and the king received all thankfully.\n\n\n\n\n2. KING HAKON'S PROGRESS THROUGH THE COUNTRY.\n\nEarly in winter (935), the king went to the Uplands, and summoned the\npeople to a Thing; and there streamed all to him who could come. He was\nproclaimed king at every Thing; and then he proceeded eastward to Viken,\nwhere his brother's sons, Trygve and Gudrod, and many others, came\nunto him, and complained of the sorrow and evil his brother Eirik had\nwrought. The hatred to King Eirik grew more and more, the more liking\nall men took to King Hakon; and they got more boldness to say what they\nthought. King Hakon gave Trygve and Gudrod the title of kings, and the\ndominions which King Harald had bestowed on their fathers. Trygve got\nRanrike and Vingulmark, and Gudrod, Vestfold; but as they were young,\nand in the years of childhood, he appointed able men to rule the land\nfor them. He gave them the country on the same conditions as it had been\ngiven before,--that they should have half of the scat and revenues with\nhim. Towards spring King Hakon returned north, over the Uplands, to\nThrondhjem.\n\n\n\n\n3. EIRIK'S DEPARTURE FROM THE COUNTRY.\n\nKing Hakon, early in spring, collected a great army at Throndhjem, and\nfitted out ships. The people of Viken also had a great force on foot,\nand intended to join Hakon. King Eirik also levied people in the middle\nof the country; but it went badly with him to gather people, for the\nleading men left him, and went over to Hakon. As he saw himself not\nnearly strong enough to oppose Hakon, he sailed (A.D. 935) out to the\nWest sea with such men as would follow him. He first sailed to Orkney,\nand took many people with him from that country; and then went south\ntowards England, plundering in Scotland, and in the north parts of\nEngland, wherever he could land. Athelstan, the king of England, sent\na message to Eirik, offering him dominions under him in England; saying\nthat King Harald his father was a good friend of King Athelstan, and\ntherefore he would do kindly towards his sons. Messengers passed between\nthe two kings; and it came to an agreement that King Eirik should take\nNorthumberland as a fief from King Athelstan, and which land he should\ndefend against the Danes or other vikings. Eirik should let himself be\nbaptized, together with his wife and children, and all the people who\nhad followed him. Eirik accepted this offer, and was baptized, and\nadopted the right faith. Northumberland is called a fifth part of\nEngland. Eirik had his residence at York, where Lodbrok's sons, it was\nsaid, had formerly been, and Northumberland was principally inhabited by\nNorthmen. Since Lodbrok's sons had taken the country, Danes and Northmen\noften plundered there, when the power of the land was out of their\nhands. Many names of places in the country are Norwegian; as Grimsby,\nHaukfliot, and many others.\n\n\n\n\n4. EIRIK'S DEATH.\n\nKing Eirik had many people about him, for he kept many Northmen who had\ncome with him from the East; and also many of his friends had joined\nhim from Norway. But as he had little land, he went on a cruise every\nsummer, and plundered in Scotland, the Hebrides, Ireland, and Bretland,\nby which he gathered property. King Athelstan died on a sick bed, after\na reign of fourteen years, eight weeds, and three days. After him\nhis brother Jatmund was king of England, and he was no friend to the\nNorthmen. King Eirik, also, was in no great favour with him; and\nthe word went about that King Jatmund would set another chief over\nNorthumberland. Now when King Eirik heard this, he set off on a viking\ncruise to the westward; and from the Orkneys took with him the Earls\nArnkel and Erlend, the sons of Earl Torfeinar. Then he sailed to the\nHebrides, where there were many vikings and troop-kings, who joined\ntheir men to his. With all this force he steered to Ireland first,\nwhere he took with him all the men he could, and then to Bretland, and\nplundered; and sailed thereafter south to England, and marauded there\nas elsewhere. The people fled before him wherever he appeared. As King\nEirik was a bold warrior, and had a great force, he trusted so much to\nhis people that he penetrated far inland in the country, following and\nplundering the fugitives. King Jatmund had set a king, who was called\nOlaf, to defend the land; and he gathered an innumerable mass of people,\nwith whom he marched against King Eirik. A dreadful battle ensued, in\nwhich many Englishmen fell; but for one who fell came three in his place\nout of the country behind, and when evening came on the loss of men\nturned on the side of the Northmen, and many people fell. Towards the\nend of the day, King Eirik and five kings with him fell. Three of them\nwere Guthorm and his two sons, Ivar and Harek: there fell, also, Sigurd\nand Ragnvald; and with them Torfeinar's two sons, Arnkel and Erlend.\nBesides these, there was a great slaughter of Northmen; and those who\nescaped went to Northumberland, and brought the news to Gunhild and her\nsons (A.D. 941).\n\n\n\n\n5. GUNHILD AND HER SONS.\n\nWhen Gunhild and her sons knew for certain that King Eirik had fallen,\nafter having plundered the land of the King of England, they thought\nthere was no peace to be expected for them; and they made themselves\nready to depart from Northumberland, with all the ships King Eirik had\nleft, and all the men who would go with them. They took also all the\nloose property, and goods which they had gathered partly as taxes in\nEngland, partly as booty on their expeditions. With their army they\nfirst steered northward to Orkney, where Thorfin Hausakljufer was earl,\na son of Torfeinar, and took up their station there for a time. Eirik's\nsons subdued these islands and Hjaltland, took scat for themselves, and\nstaid there all the winter; but went on viking cruises in summer to the\nWest, and plundered in Scotland and Ireland. About this Glum Geirason\nsings:--\n\n     \"The hero who knows well to ride\n     The sea-horse o'er the foamingtide,--\n     He who in boyhood wild rode o'er\n     The seaman's horse to Skanea's shore.\n     And showed the Danes his galley's bow,\n     Right nobly scours the ocean now.\n     On Scotland's coast he lights the brand\n     Of flaming war; with conquering hand\n     Drives many a Scottish warrior tall\n     To the bright seats in Odin's hall.\n     The fire-spark, by the fiend of war\n     Fanned to a flame, soon spreads afar.\n     Crowds trembling fly,--the southern foes\n     Fall thick beneath the hero's blows:\n     The hero's blade drips red with gore,\n     Staining the green sward on the shore.\"\n\n\n\n\n6. BATTLE IN JUTLAND.\n\nWhen King Eirik had left the country, King Hakon, Athelstan's\nfoster-son, subdued the whole of Norway. The first winter (A.D. 936)\nhe visited the western parts, and then went north, and settled in\nThrondhjem. But as no peace could be reasonably looked for so long as\nKing Eirik with his forces could come to Norway from the West sea, he\nset himself with his men-at-arms in the middle of the country,--in the\nFjord district, or in Sogn, or Hordaland, or Rogaland. Hakon placed\nSigurd earl of Hlader over the whole Throradhjem district, as he and his\nfather had before had it under Harald Harfager. When King Hakon heard\nof his brother Eirik's death, and also that his sons had no footing in\nEngland, he thought there was not much to fear from them, and he went\nwith his troops one summer eastward to Viken. At that time the Danes\nplundered often in Viken, and wrought much evil there; but when they\nheard that King Hakon was come with a great army, they got out of the\nway, to Halland; and those who were nearest to King Hakon went out to\nsea, and over to Jotland (Jutland). When the king heard of this, he\nsailed after them with all his army. On arriving in Jutland he plundered\nall round; and when the country people heard of it, they assembled in a\ngreat body, and determined to defend their land, and fight. There was\na great battle; and King Hakon fought so boldly, that he went forward\nbefore his banner without helmet or coat of mail. King Hakon won the\nvictory, and drove the fugitives far up the country. So says Guthorm\nSindre, in his song of Hakon:--\n\n     \"Furrowing the deep-blue sea with oars,\n     The king pursues to Jutland's shores.\n     They met; and in the battle storm\n     Of clashing shields, full many a form\n     Of goodly warrior on the plain,\n     Full many a corpse by Hakon slain,\n     Glutted the ravens, who from far,\n     Scenting the banquet-feast of war,\n     Came in black flocks to Jutland's plains\n     To drink the blood-wine from the veins.\"\n\n\n\n\n7. BATTLE IN EYRARSUND (THE SOUND).\n\nThen Hakon steered southwards with his fleet to seek the vikings, and\nso on to Sealand. He rowed with two cutters into the Eyrarsund, where he\nfound eleven viking ships, and instantly attacked them. It ended in his\ngaining the victory, and clearing the viking ships of all their men. So\nsays Guthorm Sindre:--\n\n     \"Hakon the Brave, whose skill all know\n     To bend in battle storm the bow,\n     Rushed o'er the waves to Sealand's tongue,\n     His two war-ships with gilt shields hung,\n     And cleared the decks with his blue sword\n     That rules the fate of war, on board\n     Eleven ships of the Vindland men.--\n     Famous is Hakon's name since then.\"\n\n\n\n\n8. KING HAKON'S EXPEDITION TO DENMARK.\n\nThereafter King Hakon carried war far and wide in Sealand; plundering\nsome, slaying others, taking some prisoners of war, taking ransom from\nothers, and all without opposition. Then Hakon proceeded along the\ncoast of Skane, pillaging everywhere, levying taxes and ransome from the\ncountry, and killing all vikings, both Danish and Vindish. He then went\neastwards to the district of Gautland, marauded there, and took great\nransom from the country. So says Guthorm Sindre:--\n\n     \"Hakon, who midst the battle shock\n     Stands like a firmly-rooted oak,\n     Subdued all Sealand with the sword:\n     From Vindland vikings the sea-bord\n     Of Scania swept; and, with the shield\n     Of Odin clad, made Gautland yield\n     A ransom of the ruddy gold,\n     Which Hakon to his war-men bold\n     Gave with free hand, who in his feud\n     Against the arrow-storm had stood.\"\n\nKing Hakon returned back in autumn with his army and an immense booty;\nand remained all the winter (A.D. 946) in Viken to defend it against the\nDanes and Gautlanders, if they should attack it.\n\n\n\n\n9. OF KING TRYGVE.\n\nIn the same winter King Trygve Olafson returned from a viking cruise in\nthe West sea, having before ravaged in Ireland and Scotland. In spring\n(A.D. 946) King Hakon went north, and set his brother's son, King\nTrygve, over Viken to defend that country against enemies. He gave him\nalso in property all that he could reconquer of the country in Denmark,\nwhich the summer before King Hakon had subjected to payment of scat to\nhim. So says Guthorm:--\n\n     \"King Hakon, whose sharp sword dyes red\n     The bright steel cap on many a head,\n     Has set a warrior brave and stout\n     The foreign foeman to keep out,--\n     To keep that green land safe from war\n     Which black Night bore to dwarf Annar (1).\n     For many a carle whose trade's to wield\n     The battle-axe, and swing the shield,\n     On the swan's ocean-skates has come,\n     In white-winged ships, across the foam,--\n     Across the sea, from far Ireland,\n     To war against the Norseman's land.\"\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) The dwarf Annar was the husband of Night, and Earth was\n     their daughter.--L.\n\n\n\n\n10. OF GUNHILD S SONS.\n\nKing Harald Gormson ruled over Denmark at that time. He took it much\namiss that King Hakon had made war in his dominions, and the report went\nthat he would take revenge; but this did not take place so soon. When\nGunhild and her sons heard there was enmity between Denmark and Norway,\nthey began to turn their course from the West. They married King Eirik's\ndaughter, Ragnhild, to Arnfin, a son of Thorfin Hausakljufer; and as\nsoon as Eirik's sons went away, Thorfin took the earldom again over\nthe Orkney Islands. Gamle Eirikson was somewhat older than the other\nbrothers, but still he was not a grown man. When Gunhild and her sons\ncame from the westward to Denmark, they were well received by King\nHarald. He gave them great fiefs in his kingdom, so that they could\nmaintain themselves and their men very well. He also took Harald\nEirikson to be his foster-son, set him on his knee, and thereafter he\nwas brought up at the Danish king's court. Some of Eirik's sons went\nout on viking expeditions as soon as they were old enough, and gathered\nproperty, ravaging all around in the East sea. They grew up quickly to\nbe handsome men, and far beyond their years in strength and perfection.\nGlum Geirason tells of one of them in the Grafeld song:--\n\n     \"I've heard that, on the Eastland coast,\n     Great victories were won and lost.\n     The king, whose hand is ever graced\n     With gift to skald, his banner placed\n     On, and still on; while, midst the play\n     Of swords, sung sharp his good sword's sway\n     As strong in arm as free of gold,\n     He thinn'd the ranks of warriors bold.\"\n\nThen Eirik's sons turned northwards with their troops to Viken and\nmarauded there; but King Trygve kept troops on foot with which he met\nthem, and they had many a battle, in which the victory was sometimes on\none side, and sometimes on the other. Sometimes Eirik's sons plundered\nin Viken, and sometimes Trygve in Sealand and Halland.\n\n\n\n\n11. KING HAKON AS A LAW-GIVER.\n\nAs long as Hakon was king in Norway, there was good peace between the\nbondes and merchants; so that none did harm either to the life or goods\nof the other. Good seasons also there were, both by sea and land. King\nHakon was of a remarkably cheerful disposition, clever in words, and\nvery condescending. He was a man of great understanding also, and\nbestowed attention on law-giving. He gave out the Gula-thing's laws on\nthe advice of Thorleif Spake (the Wise); also the Frosta-thing's laws\non the advice of Earl Sigurd, and of other Throndhjem men of wisdom.\nEidsiva-thing laws were first established in the country by Halfdan the\nBlack, as has before been written.\n\n\n\n\n12. THE BIRTH OF EARL HAKON THE GREAT.\n\nKing Hakon kept Yule at Throndhjem, and Earl Sigurd had made a feast\nfor him at Hlader. The night of the first day of Yule the earl's wife,\nBergljot, was brought to bed of a boy-child, which afterwards King\nHakon poured water over, and gave him his own name. The boy grew up, and\nbecame in his day a mighty and able man, and was earl after his father,\nwho was King Hakon's dearest friend.\n\n\n\n\n13. OF EYSTEIN THE BAD.\n\nEystein, a king of the Uplands, whom some called the Great, and some the\nBad, once on a time made war in Throndhjem, and subdued Eyna district\nand Sparbyggia district, and set his own son Onund over them; but the\nThrondhjem people killed him. Then King Eystein made another inroad into\nThrondhjem, and ravaged the land far and wide, and subdued it. He then\noffered the people either his slave, who was called Thorer Faxe, or his\ndog, whose name was Saur, to be their king. They preferred the dog,\nas they thought they would sooner get rid of him. Now the dog was, by\nwitchcraft, gifted with three men's wisdom; and when he barked, he spoke\none word and barked two. A collar and chain of gold and silver were\nmade for him, and his courtiers carried him on their shoulders when the\nweather or ways were foul. A throne was erected for him, and he sat\nupon a high place, as kings are used to sit. He dwelt on Eyin Idre (Idre\nIsle), and had his mansion in a place now called Saurshaug. It is told\nthat the occasion of his death was that the wolves one day broke into\nhis fold, and his courtiers stirred him up to defend his cattle; but\nwhen he ran down from his mound, and attacked the wolves, they tore\nhim into pieces. Many other extraordinary things were done by this\nKing Eystein against the Throndhjem people, and in consequence of this\npersecution and trouble, many chiefs and people fled and left their udal\nproperties.\n\n\n\n\n14. JAMTALAND AND HELSINGJALAND.\n\nKetil Jamte, a son of Earl Onund of Sparabu, went eastward across the\nmountain ridge, and with him a great multitude, who took all their\nfarm-stock and goods with them. They cleared the woods, and established\nlarge farms, and settled the country afterwards called Jamtaland.\nThorer Helsing, Ketil's grandson, on account of a murder, ran away from\nJamtaland and fled eastward through the forest, and settled there. Many\npeople followed, and that country, which extends eastward down to the\nseacoast, was called Helsingjaland; and its eastern parts are inhabited\nby Swedes. Now when Harald Harfager took possession of the whole country\nmany people fled before him, both people of Throndhjem and of Naumudal\ndistricts; and thus new settlers came to Jamtaland, and some all the way\nto Helsingjaland. The Helsingjaland people travelled into Svithiod for\ntheir merchandise, and thus became altogether subjects of that country.\nThe Jamtaland people, again, were in a manner between the two countries;\nand nobody cared about them, until Hakon entered into friendly\nintercourse with Jamtaland, and made friends of the more powerful\npeople. Then they resorted to him, and promised him obedience and\npayment of taxes, and became his subjects; for they saw nothing but what\nwas good in him, and being of Norwegian race they would rather stand\nunder his royal authority than under the king of Sweden: and he gave\nthem laws, and rights to their land. All the people of Helsingjaland did\nthe same,--that is, all who were of Norwegian race, from the other side\nof the great mountain ridge.\n\n\n\n\n\n15. HAKON SPREADS CHRISTIANITY.\n\nKing Hakon was a good Christian when he came to Norway; but as the whole\ncountry was heathen, with much heathenish sacrifice, and as many\ngreat people, as well as the favour of the common people, were to be\nconciliated, he resolved to practice his Christianity in private. But\nhe kept Sundays, and the Friday fasts, and some token of the greatest\nholy-days. He made a law that the festival of Yule should begin at\nthe same time as Christian people held it, and that every man, under\npenalty, should brew a meal of malt into ale, and therewith keep the\nYule holy as long as it lasted. Before him, the beginning of Yule, or\nthe slaughter night, was the night of mid-winter (Dec. 14), and Yule was\nkept for three days thereafter. It was his intent, as soon as he had set\nhimself fast in the land, and had subjected the whole to his power,\nto introduce Christianity. He went to work first by enticing to\nChristianity the men who were dearest to him; and many, out of\nfriendship to him, allowed themselves to be baptized, and some laid\naside sacrifices. He dwelt long in the Throndhjem district, for the\nstrength of the country lay there; and when he thought that, by the\nsupport of some powerful people there, he could set up Christianity he\nsent a message to England for a bishop and other teachers; and when\nthey arrived in Norway, Hakon made it known that he would proclaim\nChristianity over all the land. The people of More and Raumsdal referred\nthe matter to the people of Throndhjem. King Hakon then had several\nchurches consecrated, and put priests into them; and when he came to\nThrondhjem he summoned the bondes to a Thing, and invited them to accept\nChristianity. They gave an answer to the effect that they would defer\nthe matter until the Frosta-thing, at which there would be men from\nevery district of the Throndhjem country, and then they would give their\ndetermination upon this difficult matter.\n\n\n\n\n16. ABOUT SACRIFICES.\n\nSigurd, earl of Hlader, was one of the greatest men for sacrifices, and\nso had Hakon his father been; and Sigurd always presided on account of\nthe king at all the festivals of sacrifice in the Throndhjem country.\nIt was an old custom, that when there was to be sacrifice all the bondes\nshould come to the spot where the temple stood and bring with them all\nthat they required while the festival of the sacrifice lasted. To this\nfestival all the men brought ale with them; and all kinds of cattle, as\nwell as horses, were slaughtered, and all the blood that came from\nthem was called \"hlaut\", and the vessels in which it was collected were\ncalled hlaut-vessels. Hlaut-staves were made, like sprinkling brushes,\nwith which the whole of the altars and the temple walls, both outside\nand inside, were sprinkled over, and also the people were sprinkled with\nthe blood; but the flesh was boiled into savoury meat for those present.\nThe fire was in the middle of the floor of the temple, and over it hung\nthe kettles, and the full goblets were handed across the fire; and he\nwho made the feast, and was a chief, blessed the full goblets, and\nall the meat of the sacrifice. And first Odin's goblet was emptied for\nvictory and power to his king; thereafter, Niord's and Freyja's goblets\nfor peace and a good season. Then it was the custom of many to empty the\nbrage-goblet (1); and then the guests emptied a goblet to the memory of\ndeparted friends, called the remembrance goblet. Sigurd the earl was an\nopen-handed man, who did what was very much celebrated; namely, he made\na great sacrifice festival at Hlader of which he paid all the expenses.\nKormak Ogmundson sings of it in his ballad of Sigurd:--\n\n     \"Of cup or platter need has none\n     The guest who seeks the generous one,--\n     Sigurd the Generous, who can trace\n     His lineage from the giant race;\n     For Sigurd's hand is bounteous, free,--\n     The guardian of the temples he.\n     He loves the gods, his liberal hand\n     Scatters his sword's gains o'er the land--\"\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) The brage-goblet, over which vows were made.--L.\n\n\n\n\n17. THE FROSTA-THING.\n\nKing Hakon came to the Frosta-thing, at which a vast multitude of people\nwere assembled. And when the Thing was seated, the king spoke to the\npeople, and began his speech with saying,--it was his message and\nentreaty to the bondes and householding men, both great and small, and\nto the whole public in general, young and old, rich and poor, women as\nwell as men, that they should all allow themselves to be baptized, and\nshould believe in one God, and in Christ the son of Mary and refrain\nfrom all sacrifices and heathen gods; and should keep holy the seventh\nday, and abstain from all work on it, and keep a fast on the seventh\nday. As soon as the king had proposed this to the bondes, great was the\nmurmur and noise among the crowd. They complained that the king wanted\nto take their labour and their old faith from them, and the land could\nnot be cultivated in that way. The labouring men and slaves thought that\nthey could not work if they did not get meat; and they said it was\nthe character of King Hakon, and his father, and all the family, to be\ngenerous enough with their money, but sparing with their diet. Asbjorn\nof Medalhus in the Gaulardal stood up, and answered thus to the king's\nproposal:--\n\n\"We bondes, King Hakon, when we elected thee to be our king, and got\nback our udal rights at the Thing held in Throndhjem, thought we had got\ninto heaven; but now we don't know whether we have really got back our\nfreedom, or whether thou wishest to make vassals of us again by this\nextraordinary proposal that we should abandon the ancient faith which\nour fathers and forefathers have held from the oldest times, in the\ntimes when the dead were burnt, as well as since that they are laid\nunder mounds, and which, although they were braver than the people of\nour days, has served us as a faith to the present time. We have also\nheld thee so dear, that we have allowed thee to rule and give law and\nright to all the country. And even now we bondes will unanimously hold\nby the law which thou givest us here in the Frosta-thing, and to which\nwe have also given our assent; and we will follow thee, and have thee\nfor our king, as long as there is a living man among us bondes here in\nthis Thing assembled. But thou, king, must use some moderation towards\nus, and only require from us such things as we can obey thee in, and are\nnot impossible for us. If, however, thou wilt take up this matter with\na high hand, and wilt try thy power and strength against us, we\nbondes have resolved among ourselves to part with thee, and to take to\nourselves some other chief, who will so conduct himself towards us\nthat we can freely and safely enjoy that faith that suits our own\ninclinations. Now, king, thou must choose one or other of these\nconditions before the Thing is ended.\"\n\nThe bondes gave loud applause to this speech, and said it expressed\ntheir will, and they would stand or fall by what had been spoken. When\nsilence was again restored, Earl Sigurd said, \"It is King Hakon's will\nto give way to you, the bondes, and never to separate himself from your\nfriendship.\" The bondes replied, that it was their desire that the king\nshould offer a sacrifice for peace and a good year, as his father was\nwant to do; and thereupon the noise and tumult ceased, and the Thing was\nconcluded. Earl Sigurd spoke to the king afterwards, and advised him\nnot to refuse altogether to do as the people desired, saying there was\nnothing else for it but to give way to the will of the bondes; \"for\nit is, as thou hast heard thyself, the will and earnest desire of the\nhead-people, as well as of the multitude. Hereafter we may find a good\nway to manage it.\" And in this resolution the king and earl agreed (A.D.\n950).\n\n\n\n\n18. KING HAKON OFFERS SACRIFICES.\n\nThe harvest thereafter, towards the winter season, there was a festival\nof sacrifice at Hlader, and the king came to it. It had always been his\ncustom before, when he was present at a place where there was sacrifice,\nto take his meals in a little house by himself, or with some few of\nhis men; but the bondes grumbled that he did not seat himself in his\nhigh-seat at these the most joyous of the meetings of the people. The\nearl said that the king should do so this time. The king accordingly\nsat upon his high-seat. Now when the first full goblet was filled, Earl\nSigurd spoke some words over it, blessed it in Odin's name, and drank to\nthe king out of the horn; and the king then took it, and made the sign\nof the cross over it. Then said Kar of Gryting, \"What does the king mean\nby doing so? Will he not sacrifice?\" Earl Sigurd replies, \"The king is\ndoing what all of you do, who trust to your power and strength. He is\nblessing the full goblet in the name of Thor, by making the sign of his\nhammer over it before he drinks it.\" On this there was quietness for\nthe evening. The next day, when the people sat down to table, the bondes\npressed the king strongly to eat of horse-flesh (1); and as he would on\nno account do so, they wanted him to drink of the soup; and as he would\nnot do this, they insisted he should at least taste the gravy; and on\nhis refusal they were going to lay hands on him. Earl Sigurd came and\nmade peace among them, by asking the king to hold his mouth over the\nhandle of the kettle, upon which the fat smoke of the boiled horse-flesh\nhad settled itself; and the king first laid a linen cloth over the\nhandle, and then gaped over it, and returned to the high-seat; but\nneither party was satisfied with this.\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) This eating of horse-flesh at these religious festivals\n     was considered the most direct proof of paganism in the\n     following times, and was punished by death or mutilation by\n     Saint Olaf.  It was a ceremony apparently commemorative of\n     their Asiatic origin and ancestors.\n\n\n\n\n19. FEAST OF THE SACRIFICE AT MORE.\n\nThe winter thereafter the king prepared a Yule feast in More, and eight\nchiefs resolved with each other to meet at it. Four of them were from\nwithout the Throndhjem district--namely, Kar of Gryting, Asbjorn\nof Medalhus, Thorberg of Varnes, and Orm from Ljoxa; and from the\nThrondhjem district, Botolf of Olvishaug, Narfe of Staf in Veradal,\nThrand Hak from Egg, and Thorer Skeg from Husaby in Eyin Idre. These\neight men bound themselves, the four first to root out Christianity in\nNorway, and the four others to oblige the king to offer sacrifice to the\ngods. The four first went in four ships southwards to More, and killed\nthree priests, and burnt three churches, and then they returned. Now,\nwhen King Hakon and Earl Sigurd came to More with their court, the\nbondes assembled in great numbers; and immediately, on the first day of\nthe feast, the bondes insisted hard with the king that he should offer\nsacrifice, and threatened him with violence if he refused. Earl Sigurd\ntried to make peace between them, and brought it so far that the king\ntook some bits of horse-liver, and emptied all the goblets the bondes\nfilled for him without the sign of the cross; but as soon as the feast\nwas over, the king and the earl returned to Hlader. The king was very\nill pleased, and made himself ready to leave Throndhjem forthwith with\nall his people; saying that the next time he came to Throndhjem, he\nwould come with such strength of men-at-arms that he would repay the\nbondes for their enmity towards him. Earl Sigurd entreated the king not\nto take it amiss of the bondes; adding, that it was not wise to threaten\nthem, or to make war upon the people within the country, and especially\nin the Throndhjem district, where the strength of the land lay; but the\nking was so enraged that he would not listen to a word from anybody. He\nwent out from Throndhjem, and proceeded south to More, where he remained\nthe rest of the winter, and on to the spring season (A.D. 950); and when\nsummer came he assembled men, and the report was that he intended with\nthis army to attack the Throndhjem people.\n\n\n\n\n20. BATTLE AT OGVALDSNES.\n\nBut just as the king had embarked with a great force of troops, the news\nwas brought him from the south of the country, that King Eirik's sons\nhad come from Denmark to Viken and had driven King Trygve Olafson from\nhis ships at Sotanes, and then had plundered far and wide around in\nViken, and that many had submitted to them. Now when King Hakon heard\nthis news, he thought that help was needed; and he sent word to Earl\nSigurd, and to the other chiefs from whom he could expect help, to\nhasten to his assistance. Sigurd the earl came accordingly with a great\nbody of men, among whom were all the Throndhjem people who had set upon\nhim the hardest to offer sacrifice; and all made their peace with the\nking, by the earl's persuasion. Now King Hakon sailed south along the\ncoast; and when he came south as far as Stad, he heard that Eirik's sons\nwere come to North Agder. Then they advanced against each other, and\nmet at Kormt. Both parties left their ships there, and gave battle at\nOgvaldsnes. Both parties had a great force, and it was a great battle.\nKing Hakon went forward bravely, and King Guthorm Eirikson met him with\nhis troop, and they exchanged blows with each other. Guthorm fell, and\nhis standard was cut down. Many people fell around him. The army of\nEirik's sons then took flight to their ships and rowed away with the\nloss of many a man. So says Guthorm Sindre:--\n\n\n     \"The king's voice waked the silent host\n     Who slept beside the wild sea-coast,\n     And bade the song of spear and sword\n     Over the battle plain be heard.\n     Where heroes' shields the loudest rang,\n     Where loudest was the sword-blade's clang,\n     By the sea-shore at Kormt Sound,\n     Hakon felled Guthorm to the ground.\"\n\nNow King Hakon returned to his ships, and pursued Gunhild's sons. And\nboth parties sailed all they could sail, until they came to East Adger,\nfrom whence Eirik's sons set out to sea, and southwards for Jutland\n(A.D. 950). Guthorm Sindre speaks of it in his song:--\n\n     \"And Guthorm's brothers too, who know\n     So skilfully to bend the bow,\n     The conquering hand must also feel\n     Of Hakon, god of the bright steel,--\n     The sun-god, whose bright rays, that dart\n     Flame-like, are swords that pierce the heart.\n     Well I remember how the King\n     Hakon, the battle's life and spring,\n     O'er the wide ocean cleared away\n     Eirik's brave sons.  They durst not stay,\n     But round their ships' sides hung their shields\n     And fled across the blue sea-fields.\"\n\nKing Hakon returned then northwards to Norway, but Eirik's sons remained\na long time in Denmark.\n\n\n\n\n21. KING HAKON'S LAWS.\n\nKing Hakon after this battle made a law, that all inhabited land over\nthe whole country along the sea-coast, and as far back from it as\nthe salmon swims up in the rivers, should be divided into ship-raths\naccording to the districts; and it was fixed by law how many ships there\nshould be from each district, and how great each should be, when the\nwhole people were called out on service. For this outfit the whole\ninhabitants should be bound whenever a foreign army came to the country.\nWith this came also the order that beacons should be erected upon the\nhills, so that every man could see from the one to the other; and it is\ntold that a war-signal could thus be given in seven days, from the most\nsoutherly beacon to the most northerly Thing-seat in Halogaland\n\n\n\n\n22. CONCERNING EIRIK'S SONS.\n\nEirik's sons plundered much on the Baltic coasts and sometimes, as\nbefore related, in Norway; but so long as Hakon ruled over Norway there\nwas in general good peace, and good seasons, and he was the most beloved\nof kings. When Hakon had reigned about twenty years in Norway (A.D.\n954), Eirik's sons came from Denmark with a powerful army, of which\na great part consisted of the people who had followed them on their\nexpeditions; but a still greater army of Danes had been placed at their\ndisposal by King Harald Gormson. They sailed with a fair wind from\nVendil, and came to Agder; and then sailed northwards, night and day,\nalong the coast. But the beacons were not fired, because it had been\nusual to look for them lighted from the east onwards, and nobody had\nobserved them from the east coast; and besides King Hakon had set\nheavy penalties for giving false alarm, by lighting the beacons without\noccasion. The reason of this was, that ships of war and vikings cruised\nabout and plundered among the outlying islands, and the country people\ntook them for Eirik's sons, and lighted the beacons, and set the whole\ncountry in trouble and dread of war. Sometimes, no doubt, the sons of\nEirik were there; but having only their own troops, and no Danish army\nwith them, they returned to Denmark; and sometimes these were other\nvikings. King Hakon was very angry at this, because it cost both trouble\nand money to no purpose. The bondes also suffered by these false alarms\nwhen they were given uselessly; and thus it happened that no news of\nthis expedition of Eirik's sons circulated through the land until they\nhad come as far north as Ulfasund, where they lay for seven days. Then\nspies set off across Eid and northwards to More. King Hakon was at that\ntime in the island Frede, in North More, at a place called Birkistrand,\nwhere he had a dwelling-house, and had no troops with him, only his\nbodyguard or court, and the neighbouring bondes he had invited to his\nhouse.\n\n\n\n\n23. OF EGIL ULSERK.\n\nThe spies came to King Hakon, and told him that Eirik's sons, with a\ngreat army, lay just to the south of Stad. Then he called together\nthe most understanding of the men about him, and asked their opinion,\nwhether he should fight with Eirik's sons, although they had such\na great multitude with them, or should set off northwards to gather\ntogether more men. Now there was a bonde there, by name Egil Ulserk, who\nwas a very old man, but in former days had been strong and stout beyond\nmost men, and a hardy man-at-arms withal, having long carried King\nHarald Harfager's banner. Egil answered thus to the king's speech,--\"I\nwas in several battles with thy father Harald the king, and he gave\nbattle sometimes with many, sometimes with few people; but he always\ncame off with victory. Never did I hear him ask counsel of his friends\nwhether he should fly--and neither shalt thou get any such counsel from\nus, king; but as we know we have a brave leader, thou shalt get a trusty\nfollowing from us.\" Many others agreed with this speech, and the king\nhimself declared he was most inclined to fight with such strength as\nthey could gather. It was so determined. The king split up a war-arrow,\nwhich he sent off in all directions, and by that token a number of men\nwas collected in all haste. Then said Egil Ulserk,--\"At one time the\npeace had lasted so long I was afraid I might come to die the death of\nold age (1), within doors upon a bed of straw, although I would rather\nfall in battle following my chief. And now it may so turn out in the end\nas I wished it to be.\"\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) In all the sagas of this pagan time, the dying on a bed of\n     sickness is mentioned as a kind of derogatory end of a man\n     of any celebrity.--L.\n\n\n\n\n24. BATTLE AT FREDARBERG.\n\nEirik's sons sailed northwards around Stad; as soon as the wind suited;\nand when they had passed it, and heard where King Hakon was, they\nsailed to meet him. King Hakon had nine ships, with which he lay under\nFredarberg in Feeysund; and Eirik's sons had twenty ships, with which\nthey brought up on the south side of the same cape, in Feeysund. King\nHakon sent them a message, asking them to go upon the land; and telling\nthem that he had hedged in with hazel boughs a place of combat at\nRastarkalf, where there is a flat large field, at the foot of a long\nand rather low ridge. Then Eirik's sons left their ships, and went\nnorthwards over the neck of land within Fredarberg, and onward to\nRastarkalf. Then Egil asked King Hakon to give him ten men with ten\nbanners, and the king did so. Then Egil went with his men under the\nridge; but King Hakon went out upon the open field with his army, and\nset up his banner, and drew up his army, saying, \"Let us draw up in a\nlong line, that they may not surround us, as they have the most men.\"\nAnd so it was done; and there was a severe battle, and a very sharp\nattack. Then Egil Ulserk set up the ten banners he had with him, and\nplaced the men who carried them so that they should go as near the\nsummit of the ridge as possible, and leaving a space between each of\nthem. They went so near the summit that the banners could be seen over\nit, and moved on as if they were coming behind the army of Eirik's\nsons. Now when the men who stood uppermost in the line of the troops of\nEirik's sons saw so many flying banners advancing high over the edge of\nthe ridge, they supposed a great force must be following, who would\ncome behind their army, and between them and their ships. They made each\nother acquainted with what was going on in a loud shout, and the whole\ntook to flight; and when the king saw it, they fled with the rest. King\nHakon now pushes on briskly with his people, pursuing the flying, and\nkilling many.\n\n\n\n\n25. OF KING GAMLE.\n\nWhen Gamle Eirikson came up the ridge of the hill he turned round, and\nhe observed that not more people were following than his men had been\nengaged with already, and he saw it was but a stratagem of war; so he\nordered the war-horns to be blown, his banner to be set up, and he put\nhis men in battle order. On this, all his Northmen stood, and turned\nwith him, but the Danes fled to the ships; and when King Hakon and his\nmen came thither, there was again sharp conflict; but now Hakon had most\npeople. At last the Eirik's sons' force fled, and took the road south\nabout the hill; but a part of their army retreated upon the hill\nsouthwards, followed by King Hakon. There is a flat field east of the\nridge which runs westward along the range of hills, and is bounded\non its west side by a steep ridge. Gamle's men retreated towards this\nground; but Hakon followed so closely that he killed some, and others\nran west over the ridge, and were killed on that side of it. King Hakon\ndid not part with them till the last man of them was killed.\n\n\n\n\n26. KING GAMLE AND ULSERK FALL.\n\nGamle Eirikson fled from the ridge down upon the plain to the south of\nthe hill. There he turned himself again, and waited until more people\ngathered to him. All his brothers, and many troops of their men,\nassembled there. Egil Ulserk was in front, and in advance of Hakon's\nmen, and made a stout attack. He and King Gamle exchanged blows with\neach other, and King Gamle got a grievous wound; but Egil fell, and\nmany people with him. Then came Hakon the king with the troops which had\nfollowed him, and a new battle began. King Hakon pushed on, cutting down\nmen on both sides of him, and killing the one upon the top of the other.\nSo sings Guthorm Sindre:--\n\n     \"Scared by the sharp sword's singing sound,\n     Brandished in air, the foe gave ground.\n     The boldest warrior cannot stand\n     Before King Hakon's conquering hand;\n     And the king's banner ever dies\n     Where the spear-forests thickest rise.\n     Altho' the king had gained of old\n     Enough of Freyja's tears of gold (1),\n     He spared himself no more than tho'\n     He'd had no well-filled purse to show.\"\n\nWhen Eirik's sons saw their men falling all round, they turned and fled\nto their ships; but those who had sought the ships before had pushed off\nsome of them from the land, while some of them were still hauled up and\non the strand. Now the sons of Eirik and their men plunged into the sea,\nand betook themselves to swimming. Gamle Eirikson was drowned; but the\nother sons of Eirik reached their ships, and set sail with what men\nremained. They steered southwards to Denmark, where they stopped a\nwhile, very ill satisfied with their expedition.\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) Freyja's husband was Od; and her tears, when she wept at\n     the long absence of her husband, were tears of gold.  Od's\n     wife's tears is the skald's expression here for gold--\n     understood, no doubt, as readily as any allusion to Plutus\n     would convey the equivalent meaning in modern poetry.--L.\n\n\n\n\n27. EGIL ULSERK'S BURIAL-GROUND.\n\nKing Hakon took all the ships of the sons of Eirik that had been left\nupon the strand, and had them drawn quite up, and brought on the land.\nThen he ordered that Egil Ulserk, and all the men of his army who had\nfallen, should be laid in the ships, and covered entirely over with\nearth and stones. King Hakon made many of the ships to be drawn up to\nthe field of battle, and the hillocks over them are to be seen to the\npresent day a little to the south of Fredarberg. At the time when King\nHakon was killed, when Glum Geirason, in his song, boasted of King\nHakon's fall, Eyvind Skaldaspiller composed these verses on this\nbattle:--\n\n     \"Our dauntless king with Gamle's gore\n     Sprinkled his bright sword o'er and o'er:\n     Sprinkled the gag that holds the mouth\n     Of the fell demon Fenriswolf (1).\n     Proud swelled our warriors' hearts when he\n     Drove Eirik's sons out to the sea,\n     With all their Guatland host: but now\n     Our warriors weep--Hakon lies low!\"\n\nHigh standing stones mark Egil Uslerk s grave.\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) The Fenriswolf, one of the children of Loke, begotten with\n     a giantess, was chained to a rock, and gagged by a sword\n     placed in his mouth, to prevent him devouring mankind.\n     Fenriswolf's gag is a skaldic expression for a sword.--L.\n\n\n\n\n28. NEWS OF WAR COMES TO KING HAKON.\n\nWhen King Hakon, Athelstan's foster-son, had been king for twenty-six\nyears after his brother Eirik had left the country, it happened (A.D.\n960) that he was at a feast in Hordaland in the house at Fitjar on the\nisland Stord, and he had with him at the feast his court and many of\nthe peasants. And just as the king was seated at the supper-table, his\nwatchmen who were outside observed many ships coming sailing along from\nthe south, and not very far from the island. Now, said the one to the\nother, they should inform the king that they thought an armed force was\ncoming against them; but none thought it advisable to be the bearer of\nan alarm of war to the king, as he had set heavy penalties on those who\nraised such alarms falsely, yet they thought it unsuitable that the king\nshould remain in ignorance of what they saw. Then one of them went into\nthe room and asked Eyvind Finson to come out as fast as possible, for it\nwas very needful. Eyvind immediately came out and went to where he could\nsee the ships, and saw directly that a great army was on the way; and\nhe returned in all haste into the room, and, placing himself before\nthe kind, said, \"Short is the hour for acting, and long the hour for\nfeasting.\" The king cast his eyes upon him, and said, \"What now is in\nthe way?\" Eyvind said--\n\n     \"Up king!  the avengers are at hand!\n     Eirik's bold sons approach the land!\n     The Judgment of the sword they crave\n     Against their foe.  Thy wrath I brave;\n     Tho' well I know 'tis no light thing\n     To bring war-tidings to the king\n     And tell him 'tis no time to rest.\n     Up!  gird your armour to your breast:\n     Thy honour's dearer than my life;\n     Therefore I say, up to the strife!\"\n\nThen said the king, \"Thou art too brave a fellow, Eyvind, to bring us\nany false alarm of war.\" The others all said it was a true report. The\nking ordered the tables to be removed, and then he went out to look at\nthe ships; and when it could be clearly seen that these were ships of\nwar, the king asked his men what resolution they should take--whether\nto give battle with the men they had, or go on board ship and sail away\nnorthwards along the land. \"For it is easy to see,\" said he, \"that we\nmust now fight against a much greater force than we ever had against\nus before; although we thought just the same the last time we fought\nagainst Gunhild's sons.\" No one was in a hurry to give an answer to the\nking; but at last Eyvind replied to the king's speech:--\n\n     \"Thou who in the battle-plain\n     Hast often poured the sharp spear-rain!\n     Ill it beseems our warriors brave\n     To fly upon the ocean wave:\n     To fly upon the blue wave north,\n     When Harald from the south comes forth,\n     With many a ship riding in pride\n     Upon the foaming ocean-tide;\n     With many a ship and southern viking,--\n     Let us take shield in hand, brave king!\"\n\nThe king replied, \"Thy counsel, Eyvind, is manly, and after my own\nheart; but I will hear the opinion of others upon this matter.\" Now as\nthe king's men thought they discerned what way the king was inclined to\ntake, they answered that they would rather fall bravely and like men,\nthan fly before the Danes; adding, that they had often gained the\nvictory against greater odds of numbers. The king thanked them for their\nresolution, and bade them arm themselves; and all the men did so. The\nking put on his armour, and girded on his sword Kvernbit, and put a gilt\nhelmet upon his head, and took a spear (Kesja) in his hand, and a shield\nby his side. He then drew up his courtmen and the bondes in one body,\nand set up his banner.\n\n\n\n\n29. THE ARMAMENT OF EIRIK'S SONS.\n\nAfter Gamle's death King Harald, Eirik's son, was the chief of the\nbrothers, and he had a great army with him from Denmark. In their army\nwere also their mother's brothers,--Eyvind Skreyja, and Alf Askman, both\nstrong and able men, and great man slayers. The sons of Eirik brought up\nwith their ships off the island, and it is said that their force was not\nless than six to one,--so much stronger in men were Eirik's sons.\n\n\n\n\n30. KING HAKON'S BATTLE ARRAY.\n\nWhen King Hakon had drawn up his men, it is told of him that he threw\noff his armour before the battle began. So sings Eyvind Skaldaspiller,\nin Hakmarmal:--\n\n     \"They found Blorn's brother bold\n     Under his banner as of old,\n     Ready for battle.  Foes advance,--\n     The front rank raise the shining lance:\n     And now begins the bloody fray!\n     Now!  now begins Hild's wild play!\n     Our noble king, whose name strikes fear\n     Into each Danish heart,--whose spear\n     Has single-handed spilt the blood\n     Of many a Danish noble,--stood\n     Beneath his helmet's eagle wing\n     Amidst his guards; but the brave king\n     Scorned to wear armour, while his men\n     Bared naked breasts against the rain\n     Of spear and arrow, his breast-plate rung\n     Against the stones; and, blithe and gay,\n     He rushed into the thickest fray.\n     With golden helm, and naked breast,\n     Brave Hakon played at slaughter's feast.\"\n\nKing Hakon selected willingly such men for his guard or court-men as\nwere distinguished for their strength and bravery, as his father King\nHarald also used to do; and among these was Thoralf Skolmson the Strong,\nwho went on one side of the king. He had helmet and shield, spear and\nsword; and his sword was called by the name of Footbreadth. It was said\nthat Thoralf and King Hakon were equal in strength. Thord Sjarekson\nspeaks of it in the poem he composed concerning Thoralf:--\n\n     \"The king's men went with merry words\n     To the sharp clash of shields and flame swords,\n     When these wild rovers of the sea\n     At Fitlar fought.  Stout Thoralf he\n     Next to the Northmen's hero came,\n     Scattering wide round the battle flame\n     For in the storm of shields not one\n     Ventured like him with brave Hakon.\"\n\nWhen both lines met there was a hard combat, and much bloodshed. The\ncombatants threw their spears and then drew their swords. Then King\nHakon, and Thoralf with him, went in advance of the banner, cutting down\non both sides of them. So says Eyvind Skaldaspiller:--\n\n     \"The body-coats of naked steel,\n     The woven iron coats of mail,\n     Like water fly before the swing\n     Of Hakon's sword--the champion-king.\n     About each Gotland war-man's head\n     Helm splits, like ice beneath the tread,\n     Cloven by the axe or sharp swordblade,\n     The brave king, foremost in the fight,\n     Dyes crimson-red the spotless white\n     Of his bright shield with foemen's gore.--\n     Amidst the battle's wild uproar,\n     Wild pealing round from shore to shore.\"\n\n\n\n\n31. FALL OF SKREYJA AND ASKMAN.\n\nKing Hakon was very conspicuous among other men, and also when the sun\nshone his helmet glanced, and thereby many weapons were directed at him.\nThen Eyvind Finson took a hat and put it over the king's helmet. Now\nEyvind Skreyja called out, \"Does the king of the Norsemen hide himself,\nor has he fled? Where is now the golden helmet?\" Then Eyvind, and his\nbrother Alf with him, pushed on like fools or madmen. King Hakon shouted\nto Eyvind, \"Come on as thou art coming, and thou shalt find the king of\nthe Norsemen.\" So says Eyvind Skaldaspiller:--\n\n     \"The raiser of the storm of shields,\n     The conqueror in battle fields,--\n     Hakon the brave, the warrior's friend,\n     Who scatters gold with liberal hand,\n     Heard Skreyja's taunt, and saw him rush,\n     Amidst the sharp spears' thickest push,\n     And loudly shouted in reply--\n     'If thou wilt for the victory try,\n     The Norseman's king thou soon shall find!\n     Hold onwards, friend!  Hast thou a mind!\"\n\nIt was also but a short space of time before Eyvind did come up swinging\nhis sword, and made a cut at the king; but Thoralf thrust his shield so\nhard against Eyvind that he tottered with the shock. Now the king takes\nhis sword Kvernbit with both hands, and hewed Eyvind through helm and\nhead, and clove him down to the shoulders. Thoralf also slew Alf Askman.\nSo says Eyvind Skaldaspiller:--\n\n     \"With both his hands the gallant king\n     Swung round his sword, and to the chin\n     Clove Eyvind down: his faithless mail\n     Against it could no more avail,\n     Than the thin plank against the shock\n     When the ship's side beats on the rock.\n     By his bright sword with golden haft\n     Thro' helm, and head, and hair, was cleft\n     The Danish champion; and amain,\n     With terror smitten, fled his men.\"\n\nAfter this fall of the two brothers, King Hakon pressed on so hard that\nall men gave way before his assault. Now fear came over the army of\nEirik's sons, and the men began to fly; and King Hakon, who was at the\nhead of his men, pressed on the flying, and hewed down oft and hard.\nThen flew an arrow, one of the kind called \"flein\", into Hakon's arm,\ninto the muscles below the shoulder; and it is said by many people that\nGunhild's shoe-boy, whose name was Kisping, ran out and forwards amidst\nthe confusion of arms, called out \"Make room for the king-killer,\" and\nshot King Hakon with the flein. Others again say that nobody could tell\nwho shot the king, which is indeed the most likely; for spears, arrows,\nand all kinds of missiles flew as thick as a snow-drift. Many of the\npeople of Eirik's sons were killed, both on the field of battle and on\nthe way to the ships, and also on the strand, and many threw themselves\ninto the water. Many also, among whom were Eirik's sons, got on board\ntheir ships, and rowed away as fast as they could, and Hakon's men after\nthem. So says Thord Sjarekson:--\n\n     \"The wolf, the murderer, and the thief,\n     Fled from before the people's chief:\n     Few breakers of the peace grew old\n     Under the Northmen's king so bold.\n     When gallant Hakon lost his life\n     Black was the day, and dire the strife.\n     It was bad work for Gunhild's sons,\n     Leading their pack of Hungry Danes\n     From out the south, to have to fly,\n     And many a bonde leave to die,\n     Leaning his heavy wounded head\n     On the oar-bench for feather-bed.\n     Thoralf was nearest to the side\n     Of gallant Hakon in the tide\n     Of battle; his the sword that best\n     Carved out the raven's bloody feast:\n     Amidst the heaps of foemen slain\n     He was named bravest on the plain.\"\n\n\n\n\n32. HAKON'S DEATH.\n\nWhen King Hakon came out to his ship he had his wound bound up; but\nthe blood ran from it so much and so constantly, that it could not be\nstopped; and when the day was drawing to an end his strength began to\nleave him. Then he told his men that he wanted to go northwards to his\nhouse at Alreksstader; but when he came north, as far as Hakonarhella\nHill, they put in towards the land, for by this time the king was almost\nlifeless. Then he called his friends around him, and told them what he\nwished to be done with regard to his kingdom. He had only one child,\na daughter, called Thora, and had no son. Now he told them to send a\nmessage to Eirik's sons, that they should be kings over the country;\nbut asked them to hold his friends in respect and honour. \"And if\nfate,\" added he, \"should prolong my life, I will, at any rate, leave the\ncountry, and go to a Christian land, and do penance for what I have done\nagainst God; but should I die in heathen land, give me any burial you\nthink fit.\" Shortly afterwards Hakon expired, at the little hill on the\nshore-side at which he was born. So great was the sorrow over Hakon's\ndeath, that he was lamented both by friends and enemies; and they said\nthat never again would Norway see such a king. His friends removed his\nbody to Saeheim, in North Hordaland, and made a great mound, in which\nthey laid the king in full armour and in his best clothes, but with no\nother goods. They spoke over his grave, as heathen people are used to\ndo, and wished him in Valhal. Eyvind Skaldaspiller composed a poem on\nthe death of King Hakon, and on how well he was received in Valhal. The\npoem is called \"Hakonarmal\":--\n\n     \"In Odin's hall an empty place\n     Stands for a king of Yngve's race;\n     'Go, my valkyries,' Odin said,\n     'Go forth, my angels of the dead,\n     Gondul and Skogul, to the plain\n     Drenched with the battle's bloody rain,\n     And to the dying Hakon tell,\n     Here in Valhal shall he dwell.'\n\n     \"At Stord, so late a lonely shore,\n     Was heard the battle's wild uproar;\n     The lightning of the flashing sword\n     Burned fiercely at the shore of Stord.\n     From levelled halberd and spearhead\n     Life-blood was dropping fast and red;\n     And the keen arrows' biting sleet\n     Upon the shore at Stord fast beat.\n\n     \"Upon the thundering cloud of shield\n     Flashed bright the sword-storm o'er the field;\n     And on the plate-mail rattled loud\n     The arrow-shower's rushing cloud,\n     In Odin's tempest-weather, there\n     Swift whistling through the angry air;\n     And the spear-torrents swept away\n     Ranks of brave men from light of day.\n\n     \"With batter'd shield, and blood-smear'd sword\n     Slits one beside the shore of Stord,\n     With armour crushed and gashed sits he,\n     A grim and ghastly sight to see;\n     And round about in sorrow stand\n     The warriors of his gallant band:\n     Because the king of Dags' old race\n     In Odin's hall must fill a place.\n\n     \"Then up spake Gondul, standing near\n     Resting upon her long ash spear,--\n     'Hakon!  the gods' cause prospers well,\n     And thou in Odin's halls shalt dwell!'\n     The king beside the shore of Stord\n     The speech of the valkyrie heard,\n     Who sat there on his coal-black steed,\n     With shield on arm and helm on head.\n\n     \"Thoughtful, said Hakon, 'Tell me why\n     Ruler of battles, victory\n     Is so dealt out on Stord's red plain?\n     Have we not well deserved to gain?'\n     'And is it not as well dealt out?'\n     Said Gondul. 'Hearest thou not the shout?\n     The field is cleared--the foemen run--\n     The day is ours--the battle won!'\n\n     \"Then Skogul said, 'My coal-black steed,\n     Home to the gods I now must speed,\n     To their green home, to tell the tiding\n     That Hakon's self is thither riding.'\n     To Hermod and to Brage then\n     Said Odin, 'Here, the first of men,\n     Brave Hakon comes, the Norsemen's king,--\n     Go forth, my welcome to him bring.'\n\n     \"Fresh from the battle-field came in,\n     Dripping with blood, the Norsemen'a king.\n     'Methinks,' said he, great Odin's will\n     Is harsh, and bodes me further ill;\n     Thy son from off the field to-day\n     From victory to snatch away!'\n     But Odin said, 'Be thine the joy\n     Valhal gives, my own brave boy!'\n\n     \"And Brage said, 'Eight brothers here\n     Welcome thee to Valhal's cheer,\n     To drain the cup, or fights repeat\n     Where Hakon Eirik's earls beat.'\n     Quoth the stout king, 'And shall my gear,\n     Helm, sword, and mail-coat, axe and spear,\n     Be still at hand!  'Tis good to hold\n     Fast by our trusty friends of old.'\n\n     \"Well was it seen that Hakon still\n     Had saved the temples from all ill (1);\n     For the whole council of the gods\n     Welcomed the king to their abodes.\n     Happy the day when men are born\n     Like Hakon, who all base things scorn.--\n     Win from the brave and honoured name,\n     And die amidst an endless fame.\n\n     \"Sooner shall Fenriswolf devour\n     The race of man from shore to shore,\n     Than such a grace to kingly crown\n     As gallant Hakon want renown.\n     Life, land, friends, riches, all will fly,\n     And we in slavery shall sigh.\n     But Hakon in the blessed abodes\n     For ever lives with the bright gods.\"\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) Hakon, although a Christian, appears to have favoured the\n     old religion, and spared the temples of Odin, and therefore\n     a place in Valhal is assigned him.--L.\n\n\n\n\nSAGA OF KING HARALD GRAFELD AND OF EARL HAKON SON OF SIGURD.\n\n\nPRELIMINARY REMARKS\n\nThis saga might be called Gunhild's Saga, as she is the chief person in\nit. The reign of King Harald and Earl Hakon is more fully described\nin the next saga, that is, Olaf Trygvason's. Other literature on this\nepoch:\n\n\"Agrip\" (chap. 8), \"Historia Norvegia\", (p. 12), \"Thjodrek\" (chap. 5),\n\"Saxo\" (pp. 479-482), \"Egla\" (chaps. 81, 82), \"Floamanna\" (chap.\n12), \"Fareyinga\" (chaps. 2, 4, 10), \"Halfred's Saga\" (chap. 2), \"Hord\nGrimkelsons Saga\" (chaps. 13, 18), \"Kormak\" (chaps. 19-27), \"Laxdaela\"\n(chaps. 19-21), \"Njala\" (chaps, 3-6).\n\nThe skalds of this saga are:--Glum Geirason, Kormak Agmundson, Eyvind\nSkaldaspiller, and Einar Helgason Skalaglam.\n\n\n\n\n1. GOVERNMENT OF THE SONS OF EIRIK.\n\nWhen King Hakon was killed, the sons of Eirik took the sovereignty of\nNorway. Harald, who was the oldest of the living brothers, was over them\nin dignity. Their mother Gunhild, who was called the King-mother, mixed\nherself much in the affairs of the country. There were many chiefs in\nthe land at that time. There was Trygve Olafson in the Eastland, Gudrod\nBjornson in Vestfold, Sigurd earl of Hlader in the Throndhjem land; but\nGunhild's sons held the middle of the country the first winter. There\nwent messages and ambassadors between Gunhild's sons and Trygve and\nGudrod, and all was settled upon the footing that they should hold from\nGunhild's sons the same part of the country which they formerly had\nheld under King Hakon. A man called Glum Geirason, who was King Harald's\nskald, and was a very brave man, made this song upon King Hakon's\ndeath:--\n\n     \"Gamle is avenged by Harald!\n     Great is thy deed, thou champion bold!\n     The rumour of it came to me\n     In distant lands beyond the sea,\n     How Harald gave King Hakon's blood\n     To Odin's ravens for their food.\"\n\nThis song was much favoured. When Eyvind Finson heard of it he composed\nthe song which was given before, viz.:--\n\n     \"Our dauntless king with Gamle's gore\n     Sprinkled his bright sword o'er and o'er,\" &c.\n\nThis song also was much favoured, and was spread widely abroad; and\nwhen King Harald came to hear of it, he laid a charge against Evyind\naffecting his life; but friends made up the quarrel, on the condition\nthat Eyvind should in future be Harald's skald, as he had formerly been\nKing Hakon's. There was also some relationship between them, as Gunhild,\nEyvind's mother, was a daughter of Earl Halfdan, and her mother was\nIngibjorg, a daughter of Harald Harfager. Thereafter Eyvind made a song\nabout King Harald:--\n\n     \"Guardian of Norway, well we know\n     Thy heart failed not when from the bow\n     The piercing arrow-hail sharp rang\n     On shield and breast-plate, and the clang\n     Of sword resounded in the press\n     Of battle, like the splitting ice;\n     For Harald, wild wolf of the wood,\n     Must drink his fill of foeman's blood.\"\n\nGunhild's sons resided mostly in the middle of the country, for they did\nnot think it safe for them to dwell among the people of Throndhjem or\nof Viken, where King Hakon's best friends lived; and also in both places\nthere were many powerful men. Proposals of agreement then passed between\nGunhild's sons and Earl Sigurd, \nor they got no scat from the Throndhjem\ncountry; and at last an agreement was concluded between the kings and\nthe earl, and confirmed by oath. Earl Sigurd was to get the same power\nin the Throndhjem land which he had possessed under King Hakon, and on\nthat they considered themselves at peace. All Gunhild's sons had the\ncharacter of being penurious; and it was said they hid their money in\nthe ground. Eyvind Skaldaspiller made a song about this:--\n\n     \"Main-mast of battle!  Harald bold!\n     In Hakon's days the skald wore gold\n     Upon his falcon's seat; he wore\n     Rolf Krake's seed, the yellow ore\n     Sown by him as he fled away,\n     The avenger Adils' speed to stay.\n     The gold crop grows upon the plain;\n     But Frode's girls so gay (1) in vain\n     Grind out the golden meal, while those\n     Who rule o'er Norway's realm like foes,\n     In mother earth's old bosom hide\n     The wealth which Hakon far and wide\n     Scattered with generous hand: the sun\n     Shone in the days of that great one,\n     On the gold band of Fulla's brow,(2)\n     On gold-ringed hands that bend the bow,\n     On the skald's hand; but of the ray\n     Of bright gold, glancing like the spray\n     Of sun-lit waves, no skald now sings--\n     Buried are golden chains and rings.\"\n\nNow when King Harald heard this song, he sent a message to Eyvind to\ncome to him, and when Eyvind came made a charge against him of being\nunfaithful. \"And it ill becomes thee,\" said the king, \"to be my enemy,\nas thou hast entered into my service.\" Eyvind then made these verses:--\n\n     \"One lord I had before thee, Harald!\n     One dear-loved lord!  Now am I old,\n     And do not wish to change again,--\n     To that loved lord, through strife and pain,\n     Faithful I stood; still true to Hakon,--\n     To my good king, and him alone.\n     But now I'm old and useless grown,\n     My hands are empty, wealth is flown;\n     I am but fir for a short space\n     In thy court-hall to fill a place.\"\n\nBut King Harald forced Eyvind to submit himself to his clemency. Eyvind\nhad a great gold ring, which was called Molde, that had been dug up out\nof the earth long since. This ring the King said he must have as the\nmulet for the offence; and there was no help for it. Then Eyvind sang:--\n\n     \"I go across the ocean-foam,\n     Swift skating to my Iceland home\n     Upon the ocean-skates, fast driven\n     By gales by Thurse's witch fire given.\n     For from the falcon-bearing hand\n     Harald has plucked the gold snake band\n     My father wore--by lawless might\n     Has taken what is mine by right.\"\n\nEyvind went home; but it is not told that he ever came near the king\nagain.\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) Menja and Fenja were strong girls of the giant race, whom\n     Frode bought in Sweden to grind gold and good luck to him;\n     and their meal means gold.--L.\n(2) Fulla was one of Frig's attendants, who wore a gold band on\n     the forehead, and the figure means gold,--that the sun\n     shone on gold rings on the hands of the skalds in Hakon's\n     days.--L.\n\n\n\n\n2. CHRISTIANITY OF GUNHILD'S SONS.\n\nGunhild's sons embraced Christianity in England, as told before; but\nwhen they came to rule over Norway they made no progress in spreading\nChristianity--only they pulled down the temples of the idols, and cast\naway the sacrifices where they had it in their power, and raised great\nanimosity by doing so. The good crops of the country were soon wasted in\ntheir days, because there were many kings, and each had his court about\nhim. They had therefore great expenses, and were very greedy. Besides,\nthey only observed those laws of King Hakon which suited themselves.\nThey were, however, all of them remarkably handsome men--stout, strong,\nand expert in all exercises. So says Glum Geirason, in the verses he\ncomposed about Harald, Gunhild's son:--\n\n     \"The foeman's terror, Harald bold,\n     Had gained enough of yellow gold;\n     Had Heimdal's teeth (1) enough in store,\n     And understood twelve arts or more.\"\n\nThe brothers sometimes went out on expeditions together, and sometimes\neach on his own account. They were fierce, but brave and active; and\ngreat warriors, and very successful.\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) Heimdal was one of the gods, whose horse was called\n       Gold-top; and the horse's teeth were of gold.\n\n\n\n\n3. COUNCILS BY GUNHILD AND HER SONS.\n\nGunhild the King-mother, and her sons, often met, and talked together\nupon the government of the country. Once Gunhild asked her sons what\nthey intended to do with their kingdom of Throndhjem. \"Ye have the title\nof king, as your forefathers had before you; but ye have little land or\npeople, and there are many to divide with. In the East, at Viken, there\nare Trygve and Gudrod; and they have some right, from relationship, to\ntheir governments. There is besides Earl Sigurd ruling over the whole\nThrondhjem country; and no reason can I see why ye let so large a\nkingdom be ruled by an earl, and not by yourselves. It appears wonderful\nto me that ye go every summer upon viking cruises against other lands,\nand allow an earl within the country to take your father's heritage from\nyou. Your grandfather, whose name you bear, King Harald, thought it\nbut a small matter to take an earl's life and land when he subdued all\nNorway, and held it under him to old age.\"\n\nHarald replied, \"It is not so easy, mother, to cut off Earl Sigurd as\nto slay a kid or a calf. Earl Sigurd is of high birth, powerful in\nrelations, popular, and prudent; and I think if the Throndhjem people\nknew for certain there was enmity between us, they would all take his\nside, and we could expect only evil from them. I don't think it would\nbe safe for any of us brothers to fall into the hands of the Throndhjem\npeople.\"\n\nThen said Gunhild, \"We shall go to work another way, and not put\nourselves forward. Harald and Erling shall come in harvest to North\nMore, and there I shall meet you, and we shall consult together what is\nto be done.\" This was done.\n\n\n\n\n4. GUNHILD'S SONS AND GRJOTGARD.\n\nEarl Sigurd had a brother called Grjotgard, who was much younger, and\nmuch less respected; in fact, was held in no title of honour. He had\nmany people, however, about him, and in summer went on viking cruises,\nand gathered to himself property. Now King Harald sent messengers to\nThrondhjem with offers of friendship, and with presents. The messengers\ndeclared that King Harald was willing to be on the same friendly terms\nwith the earl that King Hakon had been; adding, that they wished the\nearl to come to King Harald, that their friendship might be put on a\nfirm footing. The Earl Sigurd received well the king's messengers and\nfriendly message, but said that on account of his many affairs he could\nnot come to the king. He sent many friendly gifts, and many glad and\ngrateful words to the king, in return for his friendship. With this\nreply the messengers set off, and went to Grjotgard, for whom they had\nthe same message, and brought him good presents, and offered him King\nHarald's friendship, and invited him to visit the king. Grjotgard\npromised to come and at the appointed time he paid a visit to King\nHarald and Gunhild, and was received in the most friendly manner. They\ntreated him on the most intimate footing, so that Grjotgard had\naccess to their private consultations and secret councils. At last the\nconversation, by an understanding between the king and queen, was turned\nupon Earl Sigurd; and they spoke to Grjotgard about the earl having kept\nhim so long in obscurity, and asked him if he would not join the king's\nbrothers in an attack on the earl. If he would join with them, the\nking promised Grjotgard that he should be his earl, and have the same\ngovernment that Sigurd had. It came so far that a secret agreement was\nmade between them, that Grjotgard should spy out the most favourable\nopportunity of attacking by surprise Earl Sigurd, and should give King\nHarald notice of it. After this agreement Grjotgard returned home with\nmany good presents from the king.\n\n\n\n\n5. SIGURD BURNT IN A HOUSE IN STJORADAL\n\nEarl Sigurd went in harvest into Stjoradal to guest-quarters, and from\nthence went to Oglo to a feast. The earl usually had many people about\nhim, for he did not trust the king; but now, after friendly messages\nhad passed between the king and him, he had no great following of people\nwith him. Then Grjotgard sent word to the king that he could never\nexpect a better opportunity to fall upon Earl Sigurd; and immediately,\nthat very evening, Harald and Erling sailed into Throndhjem fjord with\nseveral ships and many people. They sailed all night by starlight, and\nGrjotgard came out to meet them. Late in the night they came to Oglo,\nwhere Earl Sigurd was at the feast, and set fire to the house; and burnt\nthe house, the earl, and all his men. As soon as it was daylight, they\nset out through the fjord, and south to More, where they remained a long\ntime.\n\n\n\n\n6. HISTORY OF HAKON, SIGURD'S SON.\n\nHakon, the son of Earl Sigurd, was up in the interior of the Throndhjem\ncountry when he heard this news. Great was the tumult through all the\nThrondhjem land, and every vessel that could swim was put into the\nwater; and as soon as the people were gathered together they took Earl\nSigurd's son Hakon to be their earl and the leader of the troops, and\nthe whole body steered out of Throndhjem fjord. When Gunhild's sons\nheard of this, they set off southwards to Raumsdal and South More; and\nboth parties kept eye on each other by their spies. Earl Sigurd was\nkilled two years after the fall of King Hakon (A.D. 962). So says Eyvind\nSkaldaspiller in the \"Haleygjatal\":--\n\n     \"At Oglo, as I've heard, Earl Sigurd\n     Was burnt to death by Norway's lord,--\n     Sigurd, who once on Hadding's grave\n     A feast to Odin's ravens gave.\n     In Oglo's hall, amidst the feast,\n     When bowls went round and ale flowed fast,\n     He perished: Harald lit the fire\n     Which burnt to death the son of Tyr.\"\n\nEarl Hakan, with the help of his friends, maintained himself in the\nThrondhjem country for three years; and during that time (A.D. 963-965)\nGunhild's sons got no revenues from it. Hakon had many a battle with\nGunhild's sons, and many a man lost his life on both sides. Of this\nEinar Skalaglam speaks in his lay, called \"Vellekla,\" which he composed\nabout Earl Hakon:--\n\n     \"The sharp bow-shooter on the sea\n     Spread wide his fleet, for well loved he\n     The battle storm: well loved the earl\n     His battle-banner to unfurl,\n     O'er the well-trampled battle-field\n     He raised the red-moon of his shield;\n     And often dared King Eirik's son\n     To try the fray with the Earl Hakon.\"\n\nAnd he also says:--\n\n     \"Who is the man who'll dare to say\n     That Sigurd's son avoids the fray?\n     He gluts the raven--he ne'er fears\n     The arrow's song or flight of spears,\n     With thundering sword he storms in war,\n     As Odin dreadful; or from far\n     He makes the arrow-shower fly\n     To swell the sail of victory.\n     The victory was dearly bought,\n     And many a viking-fight was fought\n     Before the swinger of the sword\n     Was of the eastern country lord.\"\n\nAnd Einar tells also how Earl Hakon avenged his father's murderer:--\n\n     \"I praise the man, my hero he,\n     Who in his good ship roves the sea,\n     Like bird of prey, intent to win\n     Red vengeance for his slaughtered kin.\n     From his blue sword the iron rain\n     That freezes life poured down amain\n     On him who took his father's life,\n     On him and his men in the strife.\n     To Odin many a soul was driven,--\n     To Odin many a rich gift given.\n     Loud raged the storm on battle-field--\n     Axe rang on helm, and sword on shield.\"\n\nThe friends on both sides at last laid themselves between, and brought\nproposals of peace; for the bondes suffered by this strife and war in\nthe land. At last it was brought to this, by the advice of prudent men,\nthat Earl Hakon should have the same power in the Throndhjem land which\nhis father Earl Sigurd had enjoyed; and the kings, on the other hand,\nshould have the same dominion as King Hakon had: and this agreement was\nsettled with the fullest promises of fidelity to it. Afterwards a great\nfriendship arose between Earl Hakon and Gunhild, although they sometimes\nattempted to deceive each other. And thus matters stood for three years\nlonger (A.D. 966-968), in which time Earl Hakon sat quietly in his\ndominions.\n\n\n\n\n7. OF HARALD GRAFELD.\n\nKing Hakon had generally his seat in Hordaland and Rogaland, and also\nhis brothers; but very often, also, they went to Hardanger. One summer\nit happened that a vessel came from Iceland belonging to Icelanders, and\nloaded with skins and peltry. They sailed to Hardanger, where they heard\nthe greatest number of people assembled; but when the folks came to deal\nwith them, nobody would buy their skins. Then the steersman went to King\nHarald, whom he had been acquainted with before, and complained of his\nill luck. The king promised to visit him, and did so. King Harald was\nvery condescending, and full of fun. He came with a fully manned boat,\nlooked at the skins, and then said to the steersman, \"Wilt thou give me\na present of one of these gray-skins?\" \"Willingly,\" said the steersman,\n\"if it were ever so many.\" On this the king wrapped himself up in a\ngray-skin, and went back to his boat; but before they rowed away from\nthe ship, every man in his suite bought such another skin as the king\nwore for himself. In a few days so many people came to buy skins, that\nnot half of them could be served with what they wanted; and thereafter\nthe king was called Harald Grafeld (Grayskin).\n\n\n\n\n8. EARL EIRIK'S BIRTH.\n\nEarl Hakon came one winter to the Uplands to a feast, and it so happened\nthat he had intercourse with a girl of mean birth. Some time after the\ngirl had to prepare for her confinement, and she bore a child, a boy,\nwho had water poured on him, and was named Eirik. The mother carried the\nboy to Earl Hakon, and said that he was the father. The earl placed\nhim to be brought up with a man called Thorleif the Wise, who dwelt in\nMedaldal, and was a rich and powerful man, and a great friend of the\nearl. Eirik gave hopes very early that he would become an able man, was\nhandsome in countenance, and stout and strong for a child; but the\nearl did not pay much attention to him. The earl himself was one of\nthe handsomest men in countenance,--not tall, but very strong, and\nwell practised in all kinds of exercises; and withal prudent, of good\nunderstanding, and a deadly man at arms.\n\n\n\n\n9. KING TRYGVE OLAFSON'S MURDER.\n\nIt happened one harvest (A.D. 962) that Earl Hakon, on a journey in\nthe Uplands, came to Hedemark; and King Trygve Olafson and King Gudrod\nBjornson met him there, and Dale-Gudbrand also came to the meeting. They\nhad agreed to meet, and they talked together long by themselves; but so\nmuch only was known of their business, that they were to be friends of\neach other. They parted, and each went home to his own kingdom. Gunhild\nand her sons came to hear of this meeting, and they suspected it must\nhave been to lay a treasonable plot against the kings; and they often\ntalked of this among themselves. When spring (A.D. 963) began to set\nin, King Harald and his brother King Gudrod proclaimed that they were to\nmake a viking cruise, as usual, either in the West sea, or the Baltic.\nThe people accordingly assembled, launched the ships into the sea, and\nmade themselves ready to sail. When they were drinking the farewell\nale,--and they drank bravely,--much and many things were talked over\nat the drink-table, and, among other things, were comparisons between\ndifferent men, and at last between the kings themselves. One said that\nKing Harald excelled his brothers by far, and in every way. On this King\nGudrod was very angry, and said that he was in no respect behind Harald,\nand was ready to prove it. Instantly both parties were so inflamed that\nthey challenged each other to battle, and ran to their arms. But some of\nthe guests who were less drunk, and had more understanding, came between\nthem, and quieted them; and each went to his ship, but nobody expected\nthat they would all sail together. Gudrod sailed east ward along the\nland, and Harald went out to sea, saying he would go to the westward;\nbut when he came outside of the islands he steered east along the coast,\noutside of the rocks and isles. Gudrod, again, sailed inside, through\nthe usual channel, to Viken, and eastwards to Folden. He then sent\na message to King Trygve to meet him, that they might make a cruise\ntogether in summer in the Baltic to plunder. Trygve accepted willingly,\nand as a friend, the invitation; and as heard King Gudrod had but few\npeople with him, he came to meet him with a single boat. They met\nat Veggen, to the east of Sotanes; but just as they were come to the\nmeeting place, Gudrod's men ran up and killed King Trygve and twelve\nmen. He lies buried at a place called Trygve's Cairn (A.D. 963).\n\n\n\n\n10. KING GUDROD'S FALL.\n\nKing Harald sailed far outside of the rocks and isles; but set his\ncourse to Viken, and came in the night-time to Tunsberg, and heard that\nGudrod Bjornson was at a feast a little way up the country. Then King\nHarald set out immediately with his followers, came in the night, and\nsurrounded the house. King Gudrod Bjornson went out with his people;\nbut after a short resistance he fell, and many men with him. Then King\nHarald joined his brother King Gudrod, and they subdued all Viken.\n\n\n\n\n11. OF HARALD GRENSKE.\n\nKing Gudrod Bjornson had made a good and suitable marriage, and had\nby his wife a son called Harald, who had been sent to be fostered to\nGrenland to a lenderman called Hroe the White. Hroe's son, called Hrane\nVidforle (the Far-travelled), was Harald's foster-brother, and about\nthe same age. After his father Gudrod's fall, Harald, who was called\nGrenske, fled to the Uplands, and with him his foster-brother Hrane,\nand a few people. Harald staid a while there among his relations; but\nas Eirik's sons sought after every man who interfered with them, and\nespecially those who might oppose them, Harald Grenske's friends and\nrelations advised him to leave the country. Harald therefore went\neastward into Svithjod, and sought shipmates, that he might enter into\ncompany with those who went out a cruising to gather property. Harald\nbecame in this way a remarkably able man. There was a man in Svithjod at\nthat time called Toste, one of the most powerful and clever in the land\namong those who had no high name or dignity; and he was a great warrior,\nwho had been often in battle, and was therefore called Skoglar-Toste.\nHarald Grenske came into his company, and cruised with Toste in summer;\nand wherever Harald came he was well thought of by every one. In the\nwinter Harald, after passing two years in the Uplands, took up his abode\nwith Toste, and lived five years with him. Toste had a daughter, who\nwas both young and handsome, but she was proud and high-minded. She was\ncalled Sigrid, and was afterwards married to the Swedish king, Eirik\nthe Victorious, and had a son by him, called Olaf the Swede, who was\nafterwards king of Svithjod. King Eirik died in a sick-bed at Upsala ten\nyears after the death of Styrbjorn.\n\n\n\n\n12. EARL HAKON'S FEUDS.\n\nGunhild's sons levied a great army in Viken (A.D. 963), and sailed along\nthe land northwards, collecting people and ships on the way out of every\ndistrict. They then made known their intent, to proceed northwards with\ntheir army against Earl Hakon in Throndhjem. When Earl Hakon heard this\nnews, he also collected men, and fitted out ships; and when he heard\nwhat an overwhelming force Gunhild's sons had with them, he steered\nsouth with his fleet to More, pillaging wherever he came, and\nkilling many people. He then sent the whole of the bonde army back to\nThrondhjem; but he himself, with his men-at-arms, proceeded by both the\ndistricts of More and Raumsdal, and had his spies out to the south of\nStad to spy the army of Gunhild's sons; and when he heard they were come\ninto the Fjords, and were waiting for a fair wind to sail northwards\nround Stad, Earl Hakon set out to sea from the north side of Stad, so\nfar that his sails could not be seen from the land, and then sailed\neastward on a line with the coast, and came to Denmark, from whence he\nsailed into the Baltic, and pillaged there during the summer. Gunhild's\nsons conducted their army north to Throndhjem, and remained there\nthe whole summer collecting the scat and duties. But when summer\nwas advanced they left Sigurd Slefa and Gudron behind; and the other\nbrothers returned eastward with the levied army they had taken up in\nsummer.\n\n\n\n\n13. OF EARL HAKON AND GUNHILD'S SONS.\n\nEarl Hakon, towards harvest (A.D. 963), sailed into the Bothnian Gulf\nto Helsingjaland, drew his ships up there on the beach, and took the\nland-ways through Helsingjaland and Jamtaland, and so eastwards round\nthe dividing ridge (the Kjol, or keel of the country), and down into the\nThrondhjem district. Many people streamed towards him, and he fitted out\nships. When the sons of Gunhild heard of this they got on board their\nships, and sailed out of the Fjord; and Earl Hakon came to his seat at\nHlader, and remained there all winter. The sons of Gunhild, on the other\nhand, occupied More; and they and the earl attacked each other in\nturns, killing each other's people. Earl Hakon kept his dominions of\nThrondhjem, and was there generally in the winter; but in summer he\nsometimes went to Helsingjaland, where he went on board of his ships\nand sailed with them down into the Baltic, and plundered there; and\nsometimes he remained in Throndhjem, and kept an army on foot, so that\nGunhild's sons could get no hold northwards of Stad.\n\n\n\n\n14. SIGURD SLEFA'S MURDER.\n\nOne summer Harald Grayskin with his troops went north to Bjarmaland,\nwhere be forayed, and fought a great battle with the inhabitants on the\nbanks of the Vina (Dwina). King Harald gained the victory, killed many\npeople, plundered and wasted and burned far and wide in the land, and\nmade enormous booty. Glum Geirason tells of it thus:--\n\n     \"I saw the hero Harald chase\n     With bloody sword Bjarme's race:\n     They fly before him through the night,\n     All by their burning city's light.\n     On Dwina's bank, at Harald's word,\n     Arose the storm of spear and sword.\n     In such a wild war-cruise as this,\n     Great would he be who could bring peace.\"\n\nKing Sigurd Slefa came to the Herse Klyp's house. Klyp was a son of\nThord, and a grandson of Hordakare, and was a man of power and great\nfamily. He was not at home; but his wife Alof give a good reception to\nthe king, and made a great feast at which there was much drinking. Alof\nwas a daughter of Asbjorn, and sister to Jarnskegge, north in Yrjar.\nAsbjorn's brother was called Hreidar, who was father to Styrkar, whose\nson was Eindride, father of Einar Tambaskielfer. In the night the king\nwent to bed to Alof against her will, and then set out on his journey.\nThe harvest thereafter, King Harald and his brother King Sigurd Slefa\nwent to Vors, and summoned the bondes to a Thing. There the bondes fell\non them, and would have killed them, but they escaped and took different\nroads. King Harald went to Hardanger, but King Sigurd to Alrekstader.\nNow when the Herse Klyp heard of this, he and his relations assembled to\nattack the king; and Vemund Volubrjot (1) was chief of their troop. Now\nwhen they came to the house they attacked the king, and Herse Klyp, it\nis said, ran him through with his sword and killed him; but instantly\nKlyp was killed on the spot by Erling Gamle (A.D. 965).\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) Volubrjotr.--Literally \"the one who breaks the vala\", that\n     is, breaks the skulls of witches.\n\n\n\n\n15. GRJOTGARD'S FALL.\n\nKing Harald Grafeld and his brother King Gudrod gathered together a\ngreat army in the east country, with which they set out northwards to\nThrondhjem (A.D. 968). When Earl Hakon heard of it he collected men,\nand set out to More, where he plundered. There his father's brother,\nGrjotgard, had the command and defence of the country on account of\nGunhild's sons, and he assembled an army by order of the kings.\nEarl Hakon advanced to meet him, and gave him battle; and there fell\nGrjotgard and two other earls, and many a man besides. So says Einar\nSkalaglam:--\n\n     \"The helm-crown'd Hakon, brave as stout,\n     Again has put his foes to rout.\n     The bowl runs o'er with Odin's mead, (1)\n     That fires the skald when mighty deed\n     Has to be sung.  Earl Hakon's sword,\n     In single combat, as I've heard,\n     Three sons of earls from this one fray\n     To dwell with Odin drove away.\" (2)\n\nThereafter Earl Hakon went out to sea, and sailed outside the coast,\nand came to Denmark. He went to the Danish King, Harald Gormson, and was\nwell received by him, and staid with him all winter (A.D. 969). At that\ntime there was also with the Danish king a man called Harald, a son of\nKnut Gormson, and a brother's son of King Harald. He was lately come\nhome from a long viking cruise, on which he had gathered great riches,\nand therefore he was called Gold Harald. He thought he had a good chance\nof coming to the Danish kingdom.\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) Odin's mead, called Bodn, was the blood or mead the sons\nof     Brage, the god of poets, drank to inspire them.--L.\n(2) To dwell with Odin,--viz. slew them.--L.\n\n\n\n\n16. KING ERLING'S FALL.\n\nKing Harald Grafeld and his brothers proceeded northwards to Throndhjem,\nwhere they met no opposition. They levied the scat-duties, and all other\nrevenues, and laid heavy penalties upon the bondes; for the kings had\nfor a long time received but little income from Throndhjem, because Earl\nHakon was there with many troops, and was at variance with these kings.\nIn autumn (A.D. 968) King Harald went south with the greater part of\nthe men-at-arms, but King Erlin remained behind with his men. He raised\ngreat contributions from the bondes, and pressed severely on them; at\nwhich the bondes murmured greatly, and submitted to their losses with\nimpatience. In winter they gathered together in a great force to go\nagainst King Erling, just as he was at a feast; and they gave battle to\nhim, and he with the most of his men fell (A.D. 969).\n\n\n\n\n17. THE SEASONS IN NORWAY AT THIS TIME.\n\nWhile Gunhild's sons reigned in Norway the seasons were always bad, and\nthe longer they reigned the worse were the crops; and the bondes laid\nthe blame on them. They were very greedy, and used the bondes harshly.\nIt came at length to be so bad that fish, as well as corn, were wanting.\nIn Halogaland there was the greatest famine and distress; for scarcely\nany corn grew, and even snow was lying, and the cattle were bound in\nthe byres (1) all over the country until midsummer. Eyvind Skaldaspiller\ndescribes it in his poem, as he came outside of his house and found a\nthick snowdrift at that season:--\n\n     \"Tis midsummer, yet deep snows rest\n     On Odin's mother's frozen breast:\n     Like Laplanders, our cattle-kind\n     In stall or stable we must bind.\"\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) Byres = gards or farms.\n\n\n\n\n18. THE ICELANDERS AND EYVIND THE SKALD.\n\nEyvind composed a poem about the people of Iceland, for which they\nrewarded him by each bonde giving him three silver pennies, of full\nweight and white in the fracture. And when the silver was brought\ntogether at the Althing, the people resolved to have it purified, and\nmade into a row of clasps; and after the workmanship of the silver was\npaid, the row of clasps was valued at fifty marks. This they sent to\nEyvind; but Eyvind was obliged to separate the clasps from each other,\nand sell them to buy food for his household. But the same spring a shoal\nof herrings set in upon the fishing ground beyond the coast-side, and\nEyvind manned a ship's boat with his house servants and cottars, and\nrowed to where the herrings were come, and sang:--\n\n     \"Now let the steed of ocean bound\n     O'er the North Sea with dashing sound:\n     Let nimble tern and screaming gull\n     Fly round and round--our net is full.\n     Fain would I know if Fortune sends\n     A like provision to my friends.\n     Welcome provision 'tis, I wot,\n     That the whale drives to our cook's pot.\"\n\nSo entirely were his movable goods exhausted, that he was obliged to\nsell his arrows to buy herrings, or other meat for his table:--\n\n     \"Our arms and ornaments of gold\n     To buy us food we gladly sold:\n     The arrows of the bow gave we\n     For the bright arrows of the sea.\" (1)\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) Herrings, from their swift darting along, are called the\n     arrows of the sea.\n\n\n\n\nKING OLAF TRYGVASON'S SAGA.\n\n\nPRELIMINARY REMARKS.\n\nHitherto the narrative has been more or less fragmentary. With Olaf\nTrygvason's Saga reliable history begins, and the narration is full and\nconnected. The story of Hakon the earl is incorporated in this saga.\n\nAccounts of Olaf Trygvason may be found in Od the Monk's legendary saga,\nin parts of \"Agrip\", \"Historia Norvegiae\", and in Thjodrek. Icelandic\nworks on this epoch are:\n\n\"Egla\", \"Eyrbyggja\", \"Finboga\", \"Floamanna\", \"Faereyinga\", \"Hallfredar\nSaga\", \"Havardar Saga\", \"Are's Islendinga-bok\", \"Kristni Saga\",\n\"Laxdaela\", \"Ljosvetninga\", \"Njala\", \"Orkneyinga\", \"Viga Glums Saga\",\nand \"Viga Styrs Saga\".\n\nThe skalds quoted are: Glum Geirason, Eyvind Finson, Skaldaspiller,\nEinar Skalaglam, Tind Halkelson, Eyjolf Dadaskald, Hallarstein,\nHalfred Vandraedaskald, Haldor Ukristne, Skule Thorsteinson, and Thord\nKolbeinson.\n\n\n\n\n1. OLAF TRYGVASON'S BIRTH.\n\nKing Trygve Olafson had married a wife who was called Astrid. She was a\ndaughter of Eirik Bjodaskalle, a great man, who dwelt at Oprustader. But\nafter Trygve's death (A.D. 963) Astrid fled, and privately took with her\nall the loose property she could. Her foster-father, Thorolf Lusarskeg,\nfollowed her, and never left her; and others of her faithful followers\nspied about to discover her enemies, and where they were. Astrid was\npregnant with a child of King Trygve, and she went to a lake, and\nconcealed herself in a holm or small island in it with a few men. Here\nher child was born, and it was a boy; and water was poured over it, and\nit was called Olaf after the grandfather. Astrid remained all summer\nhere in concealment; but when the nights became dark, and the day began\nto shorten and the weather to be cold, she was obliged to take to the\nland, along with Thorolf and a few other men. They did not seek for\nhouses unless in the night-time, when they came to them secretly;\nand they spoke to nobody. One evening, towards dark, they came to\nOprustader, where Astrid's father Eirik dwelt, and privately sent a man\nto Eirik to tell him; and Eirik took them to an out-house, and spread a\ntable for them with the best of food. When Astrid had been here a short\ntime her travelling attendants left her, and none remained, behind with\nher but two servant girls, her child Olaf, Thorolf Lusarskeg, and his\nson Thorgils, who was six years old; and they remained all winter (A.D.\n964).\n\n\n\n\n2. OF GUNHILD S SONS.\n\nAfter Trygve Olafson's murder, Harald Grafeld and his brother Gudrod\nwent to the farm which he owned; but Astrid was gone, and they could\nlearn no tidings of her. A loose report came to their ears that she was\npregnant to King Trygve; but they soon went away northwards, as before\nrelated. As soon as they met their mother Gunhild they told her all that\nhad taken place. She inquired particularly about Astrid, and they told\nher the report they had heard; but as Gunhild's sons the same harvest\nand winter after had bickerings with Earl Hakon, as before related, they\ndid not seek after Astrid and her son that winter.\n\n\n\n\n3. ASTRID'S JOURNEY.\n\nThe spring after (A.D. 964) Gunhild sent spies to the Uplands, and all\nthe way down to Viken, to spy what they could about Astrid; and her men\ncame back, and could only tell her that Astrid must be with her father\nEirik, and it was probable was bringing up her infant, the son of\nTrygve. Then Gunhild, without delay, sent off men well furnished with\narms and horses, and in all a troop of thirty; and as their leader she\nsent a particular friend of her own, a powerful man called Hakon. Her\norders were to go to Oprustader, to Eirik, and take King Trygve's son\nfrom thence, and bring the child to her; and with these orders the men\nwent out. Now when they were come to the neighbourhood of Oprustader,\nsome of Eirik's friends observed the troop of travellers, and about the\nclose of the day brought him word of their approach. Eirik immediately,\nin the night, made preparation for Astrid's flight, gave her good\nguides, and send her away eastward to Svithjod, to his good friend Hakon\nGamle, who was a powerful man there. Long before day they departed,\nand towards evening they reached a domain called Skaun. Here they saw\na large mansion, towards which they went, and begged a night's lodging.\nFor the sake of concealment they were clad in mean clothing. There\ndwelt here a bonde called Bjorn Eiterkveisa, who was very rich, but very\ninhospitable. He drove them away; and therefore, towards dark, they went\nto another domain close by that was called Vidar. Thorstein was the name\nof the bonde; and he gave them lodging, and took good care of them,\nso that they slept well, and were well entertained. Early that morning\nGunhild's men had come to Oprustader, and inquired for Astrid and her\nson. As Eirik told them she was not there, they searched the whole\nhouse, and remained till late in the day before they got any news of\nAstrid. Then they rode after her the way she had taken, and late\nat night they came to Bjorn Eiterkveisa in Skaun, and took up their\nquarters there. Hakon asked Bjorn if he knew anything about Astrid, and\nhe said some people had been there in the evening wanting lodgings;\n\"but I drove them away, and I suppose they have gone to some of the\nneighbouring houses.\" Thorstein's labourer was coming from the forest,\nhaving left his work at nightfall, and called in at Bjorn's house\nbecause it was in his way; and finding there were guests come to the\nhouse, and learning their business, he comes to Thorstein and tells him\nof it. As about a third part of the night was still remaining, Thorstein\nwakens his guests and orders them in an angry voice to go about their\nbusiness; but as soon as they were out of the house upon the road,\nThorstein tells them that Gunhild's messengers were at Bjorn's house,\nand are upon the trace of them. They entreat of him to help them, and\nhe gave them a guide and some provisions. He conducted them through a\nforest to a lake, in which there was an islet overgrown with reeds. They\nwaded out to the islet, and hid themselves among the reeds. Early in the\nmorning Hakon rode away from Bjorn's into the township, and wherever he\ncame he asked after Astrid; and when he came to Thorstein's he asked if\nshe had been there. He said that some people had been there; but as soon\nas it was daylight they had set off again, eastwards, to the forest.\nHakon made Thorstein go along with them, as he knew all the roads and\nhiding-places. Thorstein went with them; but when they were come into\nthe woods, he led them right across the way Astrid had taken. They went\nabout and about the whole day to no purpose, as they could find no trace\nof her, so they turned back to tell Gunhild the end of their travel.\nAstrid and her friends proceeded on their journey, and came to Svithjod,\nto Hakon Gamle (the Old), where she and her son remained a long time,\nand had friendly welcome.\n\n\n\n\n4. HAKON'S EMBASSY TO SWEDEN.\n\nWhen Gunhild, the mother of the kings, heard that Astrid and her son\nOlaf were in the kingdom of Svithjod, she again sent Hakon, with a\ngood attendance, eastward, to Eirik king of Sweden, with presents and\nmessages of friendship. The ambassadors were well received and well\ntreated. Hakon, after a time, disclosed his errand to the king, saying\nthat Gunhild had sent him with the request that the king would assist\nhim in getting hold of Olaf Trygvason, to conduct him to Norway, where\nGunhild would bring him up. The king gave Hakon people with him, and he\nrode with them to Hakon the Old, where Hakon desired, with many friendly\nexpressions, that Olaf should go with him. Hakon the Old returned a\nfriendly answer, saying that it depended entirely upon Olaf's mother.\nBut Astrid would on no account listen to the proposal; and the\nmessengers had to return as they came, and to tell King Eirik how the\nmatter stood. The ambassadors then prepared to return home, and asked\nthe king for some assistance to take the boy, whether Hakon the Old\nwould or not. The king gave them again some attendants; and when they\ncame to Hakon the Old, they again asked for the boy, and on his refusal\nto deliver him they used high words and threatened violence. But one of\nthe slaves, Buste by name, attacked Hakon, and was going to kill him;\nand they barely escaped from the thralls without a cudgelling, and\nproceeded home to Norway to tell Gunhild their ill success, and that\nthey had only seen Olaf.\n\n\n\n\n5. OF SIGURD EIRIKSON.\n\nAstrid had a brother called Sigurd, a son of Eirik Bjodaskalle, who had\nlong been abroad in Gardarike (Russia) with King Valdemar, and was there\nin great consideration. Astrid had now a great inclination to travel to\nher brother there. Hakon the Old gave her good attendants, and what was\nneedful for the journey, and she set out with some merchants. She had\nthen been two years (A.D. 965-966) with Hakon the Old, and Olaf was\nthree years of age. As they sailed out into the Baltic, they were\ncaptured by vikings of Eistland, who made booty both of the people and\ngoods, killing some, and dividing others as slaves. Olaf was separated\nfrom his mother, and an Eistland man called Klerkon got him as his share\nalong with Thorolf and Thorgils. Klerkon thought that Thorolf was too\nold for a slave, and that there was not much work to be got out of him,\nso he killed him; but took the boys with him, and sold them to a man\ncalled Klerk for a stout and good ram. A third man, called Reas, bought\nOlaf for a good cloak. Reas had a wife called Rekon, and a son by her\nwhose name was Rekone. Olaf was long with them, was treated well, and\nwas much beloved by the people. Olaf was six years in Eistland in this\nbanishment (A.D. 987-972).\n\n\n\n\n6. OLAF IS SET FREE IN EISTLAND.\n\nSigurd, the son of Eirik (Astrid's brother), came into Eistland from\nNovgorod, on King Valdemar's business to collect the king's taxes and\nrents. Sigurd came as a man of consequence, with many followers and\ngreat magnificence. In the market-place he happened to observe a\nremarkably handsome boy; and as he could distinguish that he was a\nforeigner, he asked him his name and family. He answered him, that\nhis name was Olaf; that he was a son of Trygve Olafson; and Astrid, a\ndaughter of Eirik Bjodaskalle, was his mother. Then Sigurd knew that the\nboy was his sister's son, and asked him how he came there. Olaf told him\nminutely all his adventures, and Sigurd told him to follow him to the\npeasant Reas. When he came there he bought both the boys, Olaf and\nThorgils, and took them with him to Holmgard. But, for the first, he\nmade nothing known of Olaf's relationship to him, but treated him well.\n\n\n\n\n7. KLERKON KILLED BY OLAF.\n\nOlaf Trygvason was one day in the market-place, where there was a\ngreat number of people. He recognized Klerkon again, who had killed his\nfoster-father Thorolf Lusarskeg. Olaf had a little axe in his hand, and\nwith it he clove Klerkon's skull down to the brain, and ran home to his\nlodging, and told his friend Sigurd what he had done. Sigurd immediately\ntook Olaf to Queen Allogia's house, told her what had happened, and\nbegged her to protect the boy. She replied, that the boy appeared far\ntoo comely to allow him to be slain; and she ordered her people to\nbe drawn out fully armed. In Holmgard the sacredness of peace is so\nrespected, that it is law there to slay whoever puts a man to death\nexcept by judgment of law; and, according to this law and usage, the\nwhole people stormed and sought after the boy. It was reported that\nhe was in the Queen's house, and that there was a number of armed men\nthere. When this was told to the king, he went there with his people,\nbut would allow no bloodshed. It was settled at last in peace, that the\nking should name the fine for the murder; and the queen paid it. Olaf\nremained afterwards with the queen, and was much beloved. It is a law\nat Holmgard, that no man of royal descent shall stay there without the\nking's permission. Sigurd therefore told the queen of what family Olaf\nwas, and for what reason he had come to Russia; namely, that he could\nnot remain with safety in his own country: and begged her to speak to\nthe king about it. She did so, and begged the king to help a king's son\nwhose fate had been so hard; and in consequence of her entreaty the king\npromised to assist him, and accordingly he received Olaf into his court,\nand treated him nobly, and as a king's son. Olaf was nine years old when\nhe came to Russia, and he remained nine years more (A.D. 978-981) with\nKing Valdemar. Olaf was the handsomest of men, very stout and strong,\nand in all bodily exercises he excelled every Northman that ever was\nheard of.\n\n\n\n\n8. OF HAKON EARL OF HLADER.\n\nEarl Hakon, Sigurd's son, was with the Danish king, Harald Gormson, the\nwinter after he had fled from Norway before Gunhild's sons. During the\nwinter (A.D. 969) the earl had so much care and sorrow that he took to\nbed, and passed many sleepless nights, and ate and drank no more than\nwas needful to support his strength. Then he sent a private message to\nhis friends north in Throndhjem, and proposed to them that they should\nkill King Erling, if they had an opportunity; adding, that he would come\nto them in summer. The same winter the Throndhjem people accordingly, as\nbefore related, killed King Erling. There was great friendship between\nEarl Hakon and Gold Harald, and Harald told Hakon all his intentions. He\ntold him that he was tired of a ship-life, and wanted to settle on the\nland; and asked Hakon if he thought his brother King Harald would agree\nto divide the kingdom with him if he asked it. \"I think,\" replied Hakon,\n\"that the Danish king would not deny thy right; but the best way to know\nis to speak to the king himself. I know for certain so much, that\nyou will not get a kingdom if you don't ask for it.\" Soon after this\nconversation Gold Harald spoke to the king about the matter, in the\npresence of many great men who were friends to both; and Gold Harald\nasked King Harald to divide the kingdom with him in two equal parts,\nto which his royal birth and the custom of the Danish monarchy gave him\nright. The king was highly incensed at this demand, and said that no man\nhad asked his father Gorm to be king over half of Denmark, nor yet his\ngrandfather King Hordaknut, or Sigurd Orm, or Ragnar Lodbrok; and he was\nso exasperated and angry, that nobody ventured to speak of it to him.\n\n\n\n\n9. OF GOLD HARALD.\n\nGold Harald was now worse off than before; for he had got no kingdom,\nand had got the king's anger by proposing it. He went as usual to his\nfriend Hakon, and complained to him of his fate, and asked for good\nadvice, and if he could help him to get his share of the kingdom; saying\nthat he would rather try force, and the chance of war, than give it up.\n\nHakon advised him not to speak to any man so that this should be known;\n\"for,\" said he, \"it concerns thy life: and rather consider with thyself\nwhat thou art man enough to undertake; for to accomplish such a purpose\nrequires a bold and firm man, who will neither stick at good nor evil to\ndo that which is intended; for to take up great resolutions, and then to\nlay them aside, would only end in dishonour.\"\n\nGold Harald replies--\"I will so carry on what I begin, that I will not\nhesitate to kill Harald with my own hands, if I can come thereby to\nthe kingdom he denies me, and which is mine by right.\" And so they\nseparated.\n\nNow King Harald comes also to Earl Hakon, and tells him the demand on\nhis kingdom which Gold Harald had made, and also his answer, and that\nhe would upon no account consent to diminish his kingdom. \"And if Gold\nHarald persists in his demand, I will have no hesitation in having him\nkilled; for I will not trust him if he does not renounce it.\"\n\nThe earl answered,--\"My thoughts are, that Harald has carried his demand\nso far that he cannot now let it drop, and I expect nothing but war in\nthe land; and that he will be able to gather a great force, because his\nfather was so beloved. And then it would be a great enormity if you were\nto kill your relation; for, as things now stand, all men would say that\nhe was innocent. But I am far from saying, or advising, that you should\nmake yourself a smaller king than your father Gorm was, who in many ways\nenlarged, but never diminished his kingdom.\"\n\nThe king replies,--\"What then is your advice,--if I am neither to divide\nmy kingdom, nor to get rid of my fright and danger?\"\n\n\"Let us meet again in a few days,\" said Earl Hakon, \"and I will then\nhave considered the matter well, and will give you my advice upon it.\"\n\nThe king then went away with his people.\n\n\n\n\n10. COUNCILS HELD BY HAKON AND HARALD.\n\nEarl Hakon had now great reflection, and many opinions to weigh, and he\nlet only very few be in the house with him. In a few days King Harald\ncame again to the earl to speak with him, and ask if he had yet\nconsidered fully the matter they had been talking of.\n\n\"I have,\" said the earl, \"considered it night and day ever since, and\nfind it most advisable that you retain and rule over the whole of\nyour kingdom just as your father left it; but that you obtain for your\nrelation Harald another kingdom, that he also may enjoy honour and\ndignity.\"\n\n\"What kind of kingdom is that,\" said the king, \"which I can give to\nHarald, that I may possess Denmark entire?\"\n\n\"It is Norway,\" said the earl. \"The kings who are there are oppressive\nto the people of the country, so that every man is against them who has\ntax or service to pay.\"\n\nThe king replies,--\"Norway is a large country, and the people fierce,\nand not good to attack with a foreign army. We found that sufficiently\nwhen Hakon defended that country; for we lost many people, and gained no\nvictory. Besides, Harald the son of Eirik is my foster-son, and has sat\non my knee.\"\n\nThe earl answers, \"I have long known that you have helped Gunhild's sons\nwith your force, and a bad return you have got for it; but we shall get\nat Norway much more easily than by fighting for it with all the Danish\nforce. Send a message to your foster-son Harald, Eirik's son, and offer\nhim the lands and fiefs which Gunhild's sons held before in Denmark.\nAppoint him a meeting, and Gold Harald will soon conquer for himself a\nkingdom in Norway from Harald Grafeld.\"\n\nThe king replies, that it would be called a bad business to deceive his\nown foster-son.\n\n\"The Danes,\" answered the earl, \"will rather say that it was better to\nkill a Norwegian viking than a Danish, and your own brother's son.\"\n\nThey spoke so long over the matter, that they agreed on it.\n\n\n\n\n11. HARALD GORMSON'S MESSAGE TO NORWAY.\n\nThereafter Gold Harald had a conference with Earl Hakon; and the earl\ntold him he had now advanced his business so far, that there was hope a\nkingdom might stand open for him in Norway. \"We can then continue,\" said\nhe, \"our ancient friendship, and I can be of the greatest use to you in\nNorway. Take first that kingdom. King Harald is now very old, and has\nbut one son, and cares but little about him, as he is but the son of a\nconcubine.\"\n\nThe Earl talked so long to Gold Harald that the project pleased him\nwell; and the king, the earl, and Gold Harald often talked over the\nbusiness together. The Danish king then sent messengers north to Norway\nto Harald Grafeld, and fitted them out magnificently for their journey.\nThey were well received by Harald. The messengers told him that Earl\nHakon was in Denmark, but was lying dangerously sick, and almost out\nof his senses. They then delivered from Harald, the Danish king, the\ninvitation to Harald Grafeld, his foster-son, to come to him and receive\ninvestiture of the fiefs he and his brothers before him had formerly\nheld in Denmark; and appointing a meeting in Jutland. Harald Grafeld\nlaid the matter before his mother and other friends. Their opinions were\ndivided. Some thought that the expedition was not without its danger,\non account of the men with whom they had to deal; but the most were in\nhaste to begin the journey, for at that time there was such a famine in\nNorway that the kings could scarcely feed their men-at-arms; and on this\naccount the Fjord, on which the kings resided, usually got the name\nof Hardanger (Hardacre). In Denmark, on the other hand, there had been\ntolerably good crops; so that people thought that if King Harald got\nfiefs, and something to rule over there they would get some assistance.\nIt was therefore concluded, before the messengers returned, that Harald\nshould travel to Denmark to the Danish king in summer, and accept the\nconditions King Harald offered.\n\n\n\n\n12. TREACHERY OF HARALD AND HAKON.\n\nHarald Grafeld went to Denmark in the summer (A.D. 969) with three\nlong-ships; and Herse Arinbjorn, from the Fjord district, commanded one\nof them. King Harald sailed from Viken over to Limfjord in Jutland, and\nlanded at the narrow neck of land where the Danish king was expected.\nNow when Gold Harald heard of this, he sailed there with nine ships\nwhich he had fitted out before for a viking cruise. Earl Hakon had also\nhis war force on foot; namely, twelve large ships, all ready, with which\nhe proposed to make an expedition. When Gold Harald had departed Earl\nHakon says to the king, \"Now I don't know if we are not sailing on an\nexpedition, and yet are to pay the penalty of not having joined it. Gold\nHarald may kill Harald Grafeld, and get the kingdom of Norway; but you\nmust not think he will be true to you, although you do help him to so\nmuch power, for he told me in winter that he would take your life if he\ncould find opportunity to do so. Now I will win Norway for you, and kill\nGold Harald, if you will promise me a good condition under you. I will\nbe your earl; swear an oath of fidelity to you, and, with your help,\nconquer all Norway for you; hold the country under your rule; pay you\nthe scat and taxes; and you will be a greater king than your father, as\nyou will have two kingdoms under you.\" The king and the earl agreed upon\nthis, and Hakon set off to seek Gold Harald.\n\n\n\n\n13. DEATH OF HARALD GRAFELD.\n\nGold Harald came to the neck of land at Limfjord, and immediately\nchallenged Harald Grafeld to battle; and although Harald had fewer men,\nhe went immediately on the land, prepared for battle, and drew up his\ntroops. Before the lines came together Harald Grafeld urged on his men,\nand told them to draw their swords. He himself advanced the foremost of\nthe troop, hewing down on each side. So says Glum Geirason, in Grafeld's\nlay:--\n\n     \"Brave were thy words in battlefield,\n     Thou stainer of the snow-white shield!--\n     Thou gallant war-god!  With thy voice\n     Thou couldst the dying man rejoice:\n     The cheer of Harald could impart\n     Courage and life to every heart.\n     While swinging high the blood-smeared sword,\n     By arm and voice we knew our lord.\"\n\nThere fell Harald Grafeld. So says Glum Geirason:--\n\n     \"On Limfjord's strand, by the tide's flow,\n     Stern Fate has laid King Harald low;\n     The gallant viking-cruiser--he\n     Who loved the isle-encircling sea.\n     The generous ruler of the land\n     Fell at the narrow Limfjord strand.\n     Enticed by Hakon's cunning speech\n     To his death-bed on Limfjord's beach.\"\n\nThe most of King Harald's men fell with him. There also fell Herse\nArinbjorn.\n\nThis happened fifteen years after the death of Hakon, Athelstan's\nfoster-son, and thirteen years after that of Sigurd earl of Hlader. The\npriest Are Frode says that Earl Hakon was thirteen years earl over his\nfather's dominions in Throndhjem district before the fall of Harald\nGrafeld; but, for the last six years of Harald Grafeld's life, Are Frode\nsays the Earl Hakon and Gunhild's sons fought against each other, and\ndrove each other out of the land by turns.\n\n\n\n\n14. GOLD HARALD'S DEATH.\n\nSoon after Harald Grafeld's fall, Earl Hakon came up to Gold Harald, and\nthe earl immediately gave battle to Harald. Hakon gained the victory,\nand Harald was made prisoner; but Hakon had him immediately hanged on a\ngallows. Hakon then went to the Danish king, and no doubt easily settled\nwith him for the killing his relative Gold Harald.\n\n\n\n\n15. DIVISION OF THE COUNTRY.\n\nSoon after King Harald Gormson ordered a levy of men over all his\nkingdom, and sailed with 600 ships (1). There were with him Earl Hakon,\nHarald Grenske, a son of King Gudrod, and many other great men who had\nfled from their udal estates in Norway on account of Gunhild's sons. The\nDanish king sailed with his fleet from the south to Viken, where all\nthe people of the country surrendered to him. When he came to Tunsberg\nswarms of people joined him; and King Harald gave to Earl Hakon the\ncommand of all the men who came to him in Norway, and gave him the\ngovernment over Rogaland, Hordaland, Sogn, Fjord-district, South More,\nRaumsdal, and North More. These seven districts gave King Harald to Earl\nHakon to rule over, with the same rights as Harald Harfager gave with\nthem to his sons; only with the difference, that Hakon should there, as\nwell as in Throndhjem, have the king's land-estates and land-tax, and\nuse the king's money and goods according to his necessities whenever\nthere was war in the country. King Harald also gave Harald Grenske\nVingulmark, Vestfold, and Agder all the way to Lidandisnes (the Naze),\ntogether with the title of king; and let him have these dominions with\nthe same rights as his family in former times had held them, and as\nHarald Harfager had given with them to his sons. Harald Grenske was then\neighteen years old, and he became afterwards a celebrated man. Harald\nking of Denmark returned home thereafter with all his army.\n\n\n   ENDNOTES:\n     (1) i.e., 720 ships, as they were counted by long hundreds,\n     100=120.\n\n\n\n\n16. GUNHILD'S SONS LEAVE THE COUNTRY.\n\nEarl Hakon proceeded northwards along the coast with his force; and when\nGunhild and her sons got the tidings they proceeded to gather troops,\nbut were ill off for men. Then they took the same resolution as before,\nto sail out to sea with such men as would follow them away to the\nwestward (A.D. 969). They came first to the Orkney Islands, and remained\nthere a while. There were in Orkney then the Earls Hlodver. Arnfid,\nLjot, and Skule, the sons of Thorfin Hausakljufer.\n\nEarl Hakon now brought all the country under him, and remained all\nwinter (A.D. 970) in Throndhjem. Einar Skalaglam speaks of his conquests\nin \"Vellekla\":--\n\n     \"Norway's great watchman, Harald, now\n     May bind the silk snood on his brow--\n     Seven provinces he seized.  The realm\n     Prospers with Hakon at the helm.\"\n\nAs Hakon the earl proceeded this summer along the coast subjecting all\nthe people to him, he ordered that over all his dominions the temples\nand sacrifices should be restored, and continued as of old. So it is\nsaid in the \"Vellekla\":--\n\n     \"Hakon the earl, so good and wise,\n     Let all the ancient temples rise;--\n     Thor's temples raised with fostering hand\n     That had been ruined through the land.\n     His valiant champions, who were slain\n     On battle-fields across the main,\n     To Thor, the thunder-god, may tell\n     How for the gods all turns out well.\n     The hardy warrior now once more\n     Offers the sacrifice of gore;\n     The shield-bearer in Loke's game\n     Invokes once more great Odin's name.\n     The green earth gladly yields her store,\n     As she was wont in days of yore,\n     Since the brave breaker of the spears\n     The holy shrines again uprears.\n     The earl has conquered with strong hand\n     All that lies north of Viken land:\n     In battle storm, and iron rain\n     Hakon spreads wide his sword's domain.\"\n\nThe first winter that Hakon ruled over Norway the herrings set in\neverywhere through the fjords to the land, and the seasons ripened to\na good crop all that had been sown. The people, therefore, laid in\nseed for the next year, and got their lands sowed, and had hope of good\ntimes.\n\n\n17. HAKON'S BATTLE WITH RAGNFRED.\n\nKing Ragnfred and King Gudrod, both sons of Gunhild and Eirik, were now\nthe only sons of Gunhild remaining in life. So says Glum Geirason in\nGrafeld's lay:--\n\n     \"When in the battle's bloody strife\n     The sword took noble Harald's life,\n     Half of my fortunes with him fell:\n     But his two brothers, I know well,\n     My loss would soon repair, should they\n     Again in Norway bear the sway,\n     And to their promises should stand,\n     If they return to rule the land.\"\n\nRagnfred began his course in the spring after he had been a year in the\nOrkney Islands. He sailed from thence to Norway, and had with him fine\ntroops, and large ships. When he came to Norway he learnt that Earl\nHakon was in Throndhjem; therefore he steered northwards around Stad,\nand plundered in South More. Some people submitted to him; for it often\nhappens, when parties of armed men scour over a country, that those who\nare nearest the danger seek help where they think it may be expected. As\nsoon as Earl Hakon heard the news of disturbance in More, he fitted out\nships, sent the war-token through the land, made ready in all haste,\nand proceeded out of the fjord. He had no difficulty in assembling men.\nRagnfred and Earl Hakon met at the north corner of More; and Hakon, who\nhad most men, but fewer ships, began the battle. The combat was severe,\nbut heaviest on Hakon's side; and as the custom then was, they fought\nbow to bow, and there was a current in the sound which drove all the\nships in upon the land. The earl ordered to row with the oars to the\nland where landing seemed easiest. When the ships were all grounded, the\nearl with all his men left them, and drew them up so far that the\nenemy might not launch them down again, and then drew up his men on a\ngrass-field, and challenged Ragnfred to land. Ragnfred and his men laid\ntheir vessels in along the land, and they shot at each other a long\ntime; but upon the land Ragnfred would not venture: and so they\nseparated. Ragnfred sailed with his fleet southwards around Stad; for\nhe was much afraid the whole forces of the country would swarm around\nHakon. Hakon, on his part, was not inclined to try again a battle, for\nhe thought the difference between their ships in size was too great; so\nin harvest he went north to Throndhjem, and staid there all winter (A.D.\n971). King Ragnfred consequently had all the country south of Stad at\nhis mercy; namely, Fjord district, Hordaland, Sogn, Rogaland; and he had\nmany people about him all winter. When spring approached he ordered out\nthe people and collected a large force. By going about the districts he\ngot many men, ships, and warlike stores sent as he required.\n\n\n\n\n18. BATTLE BETWEEN HAKON AND RAGNFRED.\n\nTowards spring Earl Hakon ordered out all the men north in the country;\nand got many people from Halogaland and Naumudal; so that from Bryda to\nStad he had men from all the sea-coast. People flocked to him from all\nthe Throndhjem district and from Raumsdal. It was said for certain that\nhe had men from four great districts, and that seven earls followed him,\nand a matchless number of men. So it is said in the \"Vellekla\":--\n\n     \"Hakon, defender of the land,\n     Armed in the North his warrior-band\n     To Sogn's old shore his force he led,\n     And from all quarters thither sped\n     War-ships and men; and haste was made\n     By the young god of the sword-blade,\n     The hero-viking of the wave,\n     His wide domain from foes to save.\n     With shining keels seven kings sailed on\n     To meet this raven-feeding one.\n     When the clash came, the stunning sound\n     Was heard in Norway's farthest bound;\n     And sea-borne corpses, floating far,\n     Brought round the Naze news from the war.\"\n\nEarl Hakon sailed then with his fleet southwards around Stad; and when\nhe heard that King Ragnfred with his army had gone towards Sogn, he\nturned there also with his men to meet him: and there Ragnfred and Hakon\nmet. Hakon came to the land with his ships, marked out a battle-field\nwith hazel branches for King Ragnfred, and took ground for his own men\nin it. So it is told in the \"Vellekla\":--\n\n     \"In the fierce battle Ragnfred then\n     Met the grim foe of Vindland men;\n     And many a hero of great name\n     Fell in the sharp sword's bloody game.\n     The wielder of fell Narve's weapon,\n     The conquering hero, valiant Hakon\n     Had laid his war-ships on the strand,\n     And ranged his warriors on the land.\"\n\nThere was a great battle; but Earl Hakon, having by far the most people,\ngained the victory. It took place on the Thinganes, where Sogn and\nHordaland meet.\n\nKing Rangfred fled to his ships, after 300 of his men had fallen. So it\nis said in the \"Vellekla\":--\n\n     \"Sharp was the battle-strife, I ween,--\n     Deadly and close it must have been,\n     Before, upon the bloody plain,\n     Three hundred corpses of the slain\n     Were stretched for the black raven's prey;\n     And when the conquerors took their way\n     To the sea-shore, they had to tread\n     O'er piled-up heaps of foemen dead.\"\n\nAfter this battle King Ragnfred fled from Norway; but Earl Hakon\nrestored peace to the country, and allowed the great army which had\nfollowed him in summer to return home to the north country, and he\nhimself remained in the south that harvest and winter (A.D. 972).\n\n\n\n\n19. EARL HAKON'S MARRIAGE.\n\nEarl Hakon married a girl called Thora, a daughter of the powerful Skage\nSkoptason, and very beautiful she was. They had two sons, Svein and\nHeming, and a daughter called Bergljot who was afterwards married to\nEinar Tambaskielfer. Earl Hakon was much addicted to women, and had many\nchildren; among others a daughter Ragnhild, whom he married to Skopte\nSkagason, a brother of Thora. The Earl loved Thora so much that he held\nThora's family in higher respect than any other people, and Skopte his\nbrother-in-law in particular; and he gave him many great fiefs in\nMore. Whenever they were on a cruise together, Skopte must lay his ship\nnearest to the earl's, and no other ship was allowed to come in between.\n\n\n\n\n20. DEATH OF SKOPTE.\n\nOne summer that Earl Hakon was on a cruise, there was a ship with him\nof which Thorleif Spake (the Wise) was steersman. In it was also\nEirik, Earl Hakon's son, then about ten or eleven years old. Now in the\nevenings, as they came into harbour, Eirik would not allow any ship but\nhis to lie nearest to the earl's. But when they came to the south, to\nMore, they met Skopte the earl's brother-in-law, with a well-manned\nship; and as they rowed towards the fleet, Skopte called out that\nThorleif should move out of the harbour to make room for him, and should\ngo to the roadstead. Eirik in haste took up the matter, and ordered\nSkopte to go himself to the roadstead. When Earl Hakon heard that his\nson thought himself too great to give place to Skopte, he called to them\nimmediately that they should haul out from their berth, threatening them\nwith chastisement if they did not. When Thorleif heard this, he ordered\nhis men to slip their land-cable, and they did so; and Skopte laid his\nvessel next to the earl's as he used to do. When they came together,\nSkopte brought the earl all the news he had gathered, and the earl\ncommunicated to Skopte all the news he had heard; and Skopte was\ntherefore called Tidindaskopte (the Newsman Skopte). The winter after\n(A.D. 973) Eirik was with his foster-father Thorleif, and early in\nspring he gathered a crew of followers, and Thorleif gave him a boat\nof fifteen benches of rowers, with ship furniture, tents, and ship\nprovisions; and Eirik set out from the fjord, and southwards to More.\nTidindaskopte happened also to be going with a fully manned boat of\nfifteen rowers' benches from one of his farms to another, and Eirik went\nagainst him to have a battle. Skopte was slain, but Eirik granted\nlife to those of his men who were still on their legs. So says Eyjolf\nDadaskald in the \"Banda Lay\":--\n\n     \"At eve the youth went out\n     To meet the warrior stout--\n     To meet stout Skopte--he\n     Whose war-ship roves the sea\n     Like force was on each side,\n     But in the whirling tide\n     The young wolf Eirik slew\n     Skopte, and all his crew\n     And he was a gallant one,\n     Dear to the Earl Hakon.\n     Up, youth of steel-hard breast--\n     No time hast thou to rest!\n     Thy ocean wings spread wide--\n     Speed o'er the foaming tide!\n     Speed on--speed on thy way!\n     For here thou canst not stay.\"\n\nEirik sailed along the land and came to Denmark, and went to King Harald\nGormson, and staid with him all winter (A.D. 974). In spring the\nDanish king sent him north to Norway, and gave him an earldom, and the\ngovernment of Vingulmark and Raumarike, on the same terms as the small\nscat-paying kings had formerly held these domains. So says Eyjolf\nDadaskald:--\n\n     \"South through ocean's spray\n     His dragon flew away\n     To Gormson's hall renowned.\n     Where the bowl goes bravely round.\n     And the Danish king did place\n     This youth of noble race\n     Where, shield and sword in hand,\n     He would aye defend his land.\"\n\nEirik became afterwards a great chief.\n\n\n\n\n21. OLAF TRYGVASON'S JOURNEY FROM RUSSIA.\n\nAll this time Olaf Trygvason was in Gardarike (Russia), and highly\nesteemed by King Valdemar, and beloved by the queen. King Valdemar made\nhim chief over the men-at-arms whom he sent out to defend the land. So\nsays Hallarsteid:--\n\n     \"The hater of the niggard band,\n     The chief who loves the Northman's land,\n     Was only twelve years old when he\n     His Russian war-ships put to sea.\n     The wain that ploughs the sea was then\n     Loaded with war-gear by his men--\n     With swords, and spears, and helms: and deep\n     Out to the sea his good ships sweep.\"\n\nOlaf had several battles, and was lucky as a leader of troops. He\nhimself kept a great many men-at-arms at his own expense out of the pay\nthe king gave him. Olaf was very generous to his men, and therefore\nvery popular. But then it came to pass, what so often happens when a\nforeigner is raised to higher power and dignity than men of the country,\nthat many envied him because he was so favoured by the king, and also\nnot less so by the queen. They hinted to the king that he should take\ncare not to make Olaf too powerful,--\"for such a man may be dangerous to\nyou, if he were to allow himself to be used for the purpose of doing you\nor your kingdom harm; for he is extremely expert in all exercises and\nfeats, and very popular. We do not, indeed, know what it is he can have\nto talk of so often with the queen.\" It was then the custom among great\nmonarchs that the queen should have half of the court attendants,\nand she supported them at her own expense out of the scat and revenue\nprovided for her for that purpose. It was so also at the court of King\nValdemar that the queen had an attendance as large as the king, and they\nvied with each other about the finest men, each wanting to have such\nin their own service. It so fell out that the king listened to such\nspeeches, and became somewhat silent and blunt towards Olaf. When Olaf\nobserved this, he told it to the queen; and also that he had a great\ndesire to travel to the Northern land, where his family formerly had\npower and kingdoms, and where it was most likely he would advance\nhimself. The queen wished him a prosperous journey, and said he would\nbe found a brave man wherever he might be. Olaf then made ready, went on\nboard, and set out to sea in the Baltic.\n\nAs he was coming from the east he made the island of Borgundarholm\n(Bornholm), where he landed and plundered. The country people hastened\ndown to the strand, and gave him battle; but Olaf gained the victory,\nand a large booty.\n\n\n\n\n22. OLAF TRYGVASON'S MARRIAGE.\n\nWhile Olaf lay at Borgundarholm there came on bad weather, storm, and\na heavy sea, so that his ships could not lie there; and he sailed\nsouthwards under Vindland, where they found a good harbour. They\nconducted themselves very peacefully, and remained some time. In\nVindland there was then a king called Burizleif, who had three\ndaughters,--Geira, Gunhild, and Astrid. The king's daughter Geira had\nthe power and government in that part where Olaf and his people landed,\nand Dixen was the name of the man who most usually advised Queen Geira.\nNow when they heard that unknown people were came to the country, who\nwere of distinguished appearance, and conducted themselves peaceably,\nDixen repaired to them with a message from Queen Geira, inviting the\nstrangers to take up their winter abode with her; for the summer was\nalmost spent, and the weather was severe and stormy. Now when Dixen came\nto the place he soon saw that the leader was a distinguished man,\nboth from family and personal appearance, and he told Olaf the queen's\ninvitation with the most kindly message. Olaf willingly accepted the\ninvitation, and went in harvest (A.D. 982) to Queen Geira. They liked\neach other exceedingly, and Olaf courted Queen Geira; and it was so\nsettled that Olaf married her the same winter, and was ruler, along with\nQueen Geira, over her dominions. Halfred Vandredaskald tells of these\nmatters in the lay he composed about King Olaf:--\n\n     \"Why should the deeds the hero did\n     In Bornholm and the East he hid?\n     His deadly weapon Olaf bold\n     Dyed red: why should not this be told?\"\n\n\n\n\n23. EARL HAKON PAYS NO SCAT.\n\nEarl Hakon ruled over Norway, and paid no scat; because the Danish king\ngave him all the scat revenue that belonged to the king in Norway,\nfor the expense and trouble he had in defending the country against\nGunhild's sons.\n\n\n\n\n24. HARALD OPPOSES CHRISTIANITY.\n\nThe Emperor Otta (Otto) was at that time in the Saxon country, and sent\na message to King Harald, the Danish king, that he must take on the true\nfaith and be baptized, he and all his people whom he ruled; \"otherwise,\"\nsays the emperor, \"we will march against him with an army.\" The Danish\nking ordered the land defence to be fitted out, Danavirke (1) (the\nDanish wall) to be well fortified, and his ships of war rigged out.\nHe sent a message also to Earl Hakon in Norway to come to him early in\nspring, and with as many men as he could possibly raise. In spring (A.D.\n975) Earl Hakon levied an army over the whole country which was very\nnumerous, and with it he sailed to meet the Danish king. The king\nreceived him in the most honourable manner. Many other chiefs also\njoined the Danish king with their men, so that he had gathered a very\nlarge army.\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) Danavirke. The Danish work was a wall of earth, stones,\n     and wood, with a deep ditch in front, and a castle at every\n     hundred fathoms, between the rivers Eider and Slien,\n     constructed by Harald Blatand (Bluetooth) to oppose the\n     progress of Charlemagne.  Some traces of it still exist.\n     --L.\n\n\n\n\n25. OLAF TRYGVASON'S WAR EXPEDITION.\n\nOlaf Trygvason had been all winter (A.D. 980) in Vindland, as before\nrelated, and went the same winter to the baronies in Vindland which\nhad formerly been under Queen Geira, but had withdrawn themselves from\nobedience and payment of taxes. There Olaf made war, killed many\npeople, burnt out others, took much property, and laid all of them under\nsubjection to him, and then went back to his castle. Early in spring\nOlaf rigged out his ships and set off to sea. He sailed to Skane and\nmade a landing. The people of the country assembled, and gave him\nbattle; but King Olaf conquered, and made a great booty. He then sailed\neastward to the island of Gotland, where he captured a merchant vessel\nbelonging to the people of Jamtaland. They made a brave defence; but the\nend of it was that Olaf cleared the deck, killed many of the men, and\ntook all the goods. He had a third battle in Gotland, in which he\nalso gained the victory, and made a great booty. So says Halfred\nVandredaskald:--\n\n     \"The king, so fierce in battle-fray,\n     First made the Vindland men give way:\n     The Gotlanders must tremble next;\n     And Scania's shores are sorely vexed\n     By the sharp pelting arrow shower\n     The hero and his warriors pour;\n     And then the Jamtaland men must fly,\n     Scared by his well-known battle-cry.\"\n\n\n\n\n26. OTTA AND HAKON IN BATTLE.\n\nThe Emperor Otta assembled a great army from Saxland, Frakland,\nFrisland, and Vindland. King Burizleif followed him with a large army,\nand in it was his son-in-law, Olaf Trygvason. The emperor had a great\nbody of horsemen, and still greater of foot people, and a great army\nfrom Holstein. Harald, the Danish king, sent Earl Hakon with the army\nof Northmen that followed him southwards to Danavirke, to defend his\nkingdom on that side. So it is told in the \"Vellekla\":--\n\n     \"Over the foaming salt sea spray\n     The Norse sea-horses took their way,\n     Racing across the ocean-plain\n     Southwards to Denmark's green domain.\n     The gallant chief of Hordaland\n     Sat at the helm with steady hand,\n     In casque and shield, his men to bring\n     From Dovre to his friend the king.\n     He steered his war-ships o'er the wave\n     To help the Danish king to save\n     Mordalf, who, with a gallant band\n     Was hastening from the Jutes' wild land,\n     Across the forest frontier rude,\n     With toil and pain through the thick wood.\n     Glad was the Danish king, I trow,\n     When he saw Hakon's galley's prow.\n     The monarch straightway gave command\n     To Hakon, with a steel-clad band,\n     To man the Dane-work's rampart stout,\n     And keep the foreign foemen out.\"\n\nThe Emperor Otta came with his army from the south to Danavirke, but\nEarl Hakon defended the rampart with his men. The Dane-work (Danavirke)\nwas constructed in this way:--Two fjords run into the land, one on each\nside; and in the farthest bight of these fjords the Danes had made a\ngreat wall of stone, turf, and timber, and dug a deep and broad ditch in\nfront of it, and had also built a castle over each gate of it. There was\na hard battle there, of which the \"Vellekla\" speaks:--\n\n     \"Thick the storm of arrows flew,\n     Loud was the din, black was the view\n     Of close array of shield and spear\n     Of Vind, and Frank, and Saxon there.\n     But little recked our gallant men;\n     And loud the cry might be heard then\n     Of Norway's brave sea-roving son--\n     'On 'gainst the foe!  On!  Lead us on!\"\n\nEarl Hakon drew up his people in ranks upon all the gate-towers of the\nwall, but the greater part of them he kept marching along the wall\nto make a defence wheresoever an attack was threatened. Many of\nthe emperor's people fell without making any impression on the\nfortification, so the emperor turned back without farther attempt at an\nassault on it. So it is said in the \"Vellekla\":--\n\n     \"They who the eagle's feast provide\n     In ranked line fought side by side,\n     'Gainst lines of war-men under shields\\\n     Close packed together on the fields,\n     Earl Hakon drive by daring deeds\n     The Saxons to their ocean-steeds;\n     And the young hero saves from fall\n     The Danavirke--the people's wall.\"\n\nAfter this battle Earl Hakon went back to his ships, and intended to\nsail home to Norway; but he did not get a favourable wind, and lay for\nsome time outside at Limafjord.\n\n\n\n\n27. HARALD AND HAKON ARE BAPTIZED.\n\nThe Emperor Otta turned back with his troops to Slesvik, collected his\nships of war, and crossed the fjord of Sle into Jutland. As soon as the\nDanish king heard of this he marched his army against him, and there was\na battle, in which the emperor at last got the victory. The Danish king\nfled to Limafjord and took refuge in the island Marsey. By the help\nof mediators who went between the king and the emperor, a truce and a\nmeeting between them were agreed on. The Emperor Otta and the Danish\nking met upon Marsey. There Bishop Poppo instructed King Harald in\nthe holy faith; he bore red hot irons in his hands, and exhibited his\nunscorched hands to the king. Thereafter King Harald allowed himself to\nbe baptized, and also the whole Danish army. King Harald, while he\nwas in Marsey, had sent a message to Hakon that he should come to his\nsuccour; and the earl had just reached the island when the king had\nreceived baptism. The king sends word to the earl to come to him, and\nwhen they met the king forced the earl to allow himself also to be\nbaptized. So Earl Hakon and all the men who were with him were baptized;\nand the king gave them priests and other learned men with them, and\nordered that the earl should make all the people in Norway be baptized.\nOn that they separated; and the earl went out to sea, there to wait for\na wind.\n\n\n\n\n28. HAKON RENOUNCES CHRISTIANITY.\n\nWhen a wind came with which he thought he could get clear out to sea, he\nput all the learned men on shore again, and set off to the ocean; but\nas the wind came round to the south-west, and at last to west, he sailed\neastward, out through Eyrarsund, ravaging the land on both sides. He\nthen sailed eastward along Skane, plundering the country wherever he\ncame. When he got east to the skerries of East Gautland, he ran in and\nlanded, and made a great blood-sacrifice. There came two ravens flying\nwhich croaked loudly; and now, thought the earl, the blood-offering has\nbeen accepted by Odin, and he thought good luck would be with him any\nday he liked to go to battle. Then he set fire to his ships, landed\nhis men, and went over all the country with armed hand. Earl Ottar, who\nruled over Gautland, came against him, and they held a great battle with\neach other; but Earl Hakon gained the day, and Earl Ottar and a great\npart of his men were killed. Earl Hakon now drove with fire and\nsword over both the Gautlands, until he came into Norway; and then he\nproceeded by land all the way north to Throndhjem. The \"Vellekla\" tells\nabout this:--\n\n     \"On the silent battle-field,\n     In viking garb, with axe and shield,\n     The warrior, striding o'er the slain,\n     Asks of the gods 'What days will gain?'\n     Two ravens, flying from the east,\n     Come croaking to the bloody feast:\n     The warrior knows what they foreshow--\n     The days when Gautland blood will flow.\n     A viking-feast Earl Hakon kept,\n     The land with viking fury swept,\n     Harrying the land far from the shore\n     Where foray ne'er was known before.\n     Leaving the barren cold coast side,\n     He raged through Gautland far and wide,--\n     Led many a gold-decked viking shield\n     O'er many a peaceful inland field.\n     Bodies on bodies Odin found\n     Heaped high upon each battle ground:\n     The moor, as if by witchcraft's power,\n     Grows green, enriched by bloody shower.\n     No wonder that the gods delight\n     To give such luck in every fight\n     To Hakon's men--for he restores\n     Their temples on our Norway shores.\"\n\n\n\n\n29. THE EMPEROR OTTA RETURNS HOME.\n\nThe Emperor Otta went back to his kingdom in the Saxon land, and parted\nin friendship with the Danish king. It is said that the Emperor Otta\nstood godfather to Svein, King Harald's son, and gave him his name;\nso that he was baptized Otta Svein. King Harald held fast by his\nChristianity to his dying day.\n\nKing Burizleif went to Vindland, and his son-in-law King Olaf went with\nhim. This battle is related also by Halfred Vandredaskald in his song on\nOlaf:--\n\n     \"He who through the foaming surges\n     His white-winged ocean-coursers urges,\n     Hewed from the Danes, in armour dressed,\n     The iron bark off mail-clad breast.\"\n\n\n\n\n30. OLAF'S JOURNEY FROM VINDLAND.\n\nOlaf Trygvason was three years in Vindland (A.D. 982-984) when Geira\nhis queen fell sick, and she died of her illness. Olaf felt his loss so\ngreat that he had no pleasure in Vindland after it. He provided himself,\ntherefore, with warships, and went out again a plundering, and\nplundered first in Frisland, next in Saxland, and then all the way to\nFlaemingjaland (Flanders). So says Halfred Vandredaskald:--\n\n     \"Olaf's broad axe of shining steel\n     For the shy wolf left many a meal.\n     The ill-shaped Saxon corpses lay\n     Heaped up, the witch-wife's horses' (1) prey.\n     She rides by night: at pools of blood.\n     Where Frisland men in daylight stood,\n     Her horses slake their thirst, and fly\n     On to the field where Flemings lie.\n     The raven-friend in Odin's dress--\n     Olaf, who foes can well repress,\n     Left Flemish flesh for many a meal\n     With his broad axe of shining steel.\"\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) Ravens were the witches' horses.--L.\n\n\n\n\n31. KING OLAF'S FORAYS.\n\nThereafter Olaf Trygvason sailed to England, and ravaged wide around\nin the land. He sailed all the way north to Northumberland, where he\nplundered; and thence to Scotland, where he marauded far and wide.\nThen he went to the Hebrides, where he fought some battles; and then\nsouthwards to Man, where he also fought. He ravaged far around in\nIreland, and thence steered to Bretland, which he laid waste with fire\nand sword, and all the district called Cumberland. He sailed westward\nfrom thence to Valland, and marauded there. When he left the west,\nintending to sail to England, he came to the islands called the Scilly\nIsles, lying westward from England in the ocean. Thus tells Halfred\nVandraskald of these events:--\n\n     The brave young king, who ne'er retreats,\n     The Englishman in England beats.\n     Death through Northumberland is spread\n     From battleaxe and broad spearhead.\n     Through Scotland with his spears he rides;\n     To Man his glancing ships he guides:\n     Feeding the wolves where'er he came,\n     The young king drove a bloody game.\n     The gallant bowmen in the isles\n     Slew foemen, who lay heaped in piles.\n     The Irish fled at Olaf's name--\n     Fled from a young king seeking fame.\n     In Bretland, and in Cumberland,\n     People against him could not stand:\n     Thick on the fields their corpses lay,\n     To ravens and howling wolves a prey.\"\n\nOlaf Trygvason had been four years on this cruise (A.D. 985-988), from\nthe time he left Vindland till he came to the Scilly Islands.\n\n\n\n\n32. KING OLAF IS BAPTIZED.\n\nWhile Olaf Trygvason lay in the Scilly Isles he heard of a seer, or\nfortune-teller, on the islands, who could tell beforehand things not\nyet done, and what he foretold many believed was really fulfilled. Olaf\nbecame curious to try this man's gift of prophecy. He therefore sent\none of his men, who was the handsomest and strongest, clothed him\nmagnificently, and bade him say he was the king; for Olaf was known\nin all countries as handsomer, stronger, and braver than all others,\nalthough, after he had left Russia, he retained no more of his name than\nthat he was called Ole, and was Russian. Now when the messenger came\nto the fortune-teller, and gave himself out for the king, he got the\nanswer, \"Thou art not the king, but I advise thee to be faithful to thy\nking.\" And more he would not say to that man. The man returned, and told\nOlaf, and his desire to meet the fortune-teller was increased; and now\nhe had no doubt of his being really a fortune-teller. Olaf repaired\nhimself to him, and, entering into conversation, asked him if he could\nforesee how it would go with him with regard to his kingdom, or of any\nother fortune he was to have. The hermit replies in a holy spirit of\nprophecy, \"Thou wilt become a renowned king, and do celebrated deeds.\nMany men wilt thou bring to faith and baptism, and both to thy own and\nothers' good; and that thou mayst have no doubt of the truth of this\nanswer, listen to these tokens: When thou comest to thy ships many of\nthy people will conspire against thee, and then a battle will follow\nin which many of thy men will fall, and thou wilt be wounded almost to\ndeath, and carried upon a shield to thy ship; yet after seven days thou\nshalt be well of thy wounds, and immediately thou shalt let thyself be\nbaptized.\" Soon after Olaf went down to his ships, where he met some\nmutineers and people who would destroy him and his men. A fight took\nplace, and the result was what the hermit had predicted, that Olaf was\nwounded, and carried upon a shield to his ship, and that his wound was\nhealed in seven days. Then Olaf perceived that the man had spoken truth,\nthat he was a true fortune-teller, and had the gift of prophecy. Olaf\nwent once more to the hermit, and asked particularly how he came to have\nsuch wisdom in foreseeing things to be. The hermit replied, that the\nChristian God himself let him know all that he desired; and he\nbrought before Olaf many great proofs of the power of the Almighty.\nIn consequence of this encouragement Olaf agreed to let himself be\nbaptized, and he and all his followers were baptized forthwith. He\nremained here a long time, took the true faith, and got with him priests\nand other learned men.\n\n\n\n\n33. OLAF MARRIES GYDA.\n\nIn autumn (A.D. 988) Olaf sailed from Scilly to England, where he\nput into a harbour, but proceeded in a friendly way; for England was\nChristian, and he himself had become Christian. At this time a summons\nto a Thing went through the country, that all men should come to hold a\nThing. Now when the Thing was assembled a queen called Gyda came to it,\na sister of Olaf Kvaran, who was king of Dublin in Ireland. She had been\nmarried to a great earl in England, and after his death she was at the\nhead of his dominions. In her territory there was a man called Alfvine,\nwho was a great champion and single-combat man. He had paid his\naddresses to her; but she gave for answer, that she herself would choose\nwhom of the men in her dominions she would take in marriage; and on\nthat account the Thing was assembled, that she might choose a husband.\nAlfvine came there dressed out in his best clothes, and there were many\nwell-dressed men at the meeting. Olaf had come there also; but had on\nhis bad-weather clothes, and a coarse over-garment, and stood with his\npeople apart from the rest of the crowd. Gyda went round and looked at\neach, to see if any appeared to her a suitable man. Now when she came to\nwhere Olaf stood she looked at him straight in the face, and asked \"what\nsort of man he was?\"\n\nHe said, \"I am called Ole; and I am a stranger here.\"\n\nGyda replies, \"Wilt thou have me if I choose thee?\"\n\n\"I will not say no to that,\" answered he; and he asked what her name\nwas, and her family, and descent.\n\n\"I am called Gyda,\" said she; \"and am daughter of the king of Ireland,\nand was married in this country to an earl who ruled over this\nterritory. Since his death I have ruled over it, and many have courted\nme, but none to whom I would choose to be married.\"\n\nShe was a young and handsome woman. They afterwards talked over the\nmatter together, and agreed, and Olaf and Gyda were betrothed.\n\n\n\n\n34. KING OLAF AND ALFVINE'S DUEL.\n\nAlfvine was very ill pleased with this. It was the custom then in\nEngland, if two strove for anything, to settle the matter by single\ncombat (1); and now Alfvine challenges Olaf Trygvason to fight about\nthis business. The time and place for the combat were settled, and that\neach should have twelve men with him. When they met, Olaf told his men\nto do exactly as they saw him do. He had a large axe; and when Alfvine\nwas going to cut at him with his sword he hewed away the sword out of\nhis hand, and with the next blow struck down Alfvine himself. He then\nbound him fast. It went in the same way with all Alfvine's men. They\nwere beaten down, bound, and carried to Olaf's lodging. Thereupon he\nordered Alfvine to quit the country, and never appear in it again; and\nOlaf took all his property. Olaf in this way got Gyda in marriage, and\nlived sometimes in England, and sometimes in Ireland.\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) Holm-gang: so called because the combatants went to a holm\n     or uninhabited isle to fight in Norway.--L.\n\n\n\n\n35. KING OLAF GETS HIS DOG VIGE.\n\nWhile Olaf was in Ireland he was once on an expedition which went by\nsea. As they required to make a foray for provisions on the coast, some\nof his men landed, and drove down a large herd of cattle to the strand.\nNow a peasant came up, and entreated Olaf to give him back the cows that\nbelonged to him. Olaf told him to take his cows, if he could distinguish\nthem; \"but don't delay our march.\" The peasant had with him a large\nhouse-dog, which he put in among the herd of cattle, in which many\nhundred head of beasts were driven together. The dog ran into the herd,\nand drove out exactly the number which the peasant had said he wanted;\nand all were marked with the same mark, which showed that the dog knew\nthe right beasts, and was very sagacious. Olaf then asked the peasant\nif he would sell him the dog. \"I would rather give him to you,\" said the\npeasant. Olaf immediately presented him with a gold ring in return, and\npromised him his friendship in future. This dog was called Vige, and was\nthe very best of dogs, and Olaf owned him long afterwards.\n\n\n\n\n36. HARALD GORMSON SAILS AGAINST ICELAND.\n\nThe Danish king, Harald Gormson, heard that Earl Hakon had thrown off\nChristianity, and had plundered far and wide in the Danish land. The\nDanish king levied an army, with which he went to Norway; and when he\ncame to the country which Earl Hakon had to rule over he laid waste the\nwhole land, and came with his fleet to some islands called Solunder.\nOnly five houses were left standing in Laeradal; but all the people\nfled up to the mountains, and into the forest, taking with them all the\nmoveable goods they could carry with them. Then the Danish king proposed\nto sail with his fleet to Iceland, to avenge the mockery and scorn\nall the Icelanders had shown towards him; for they had made a law in\nIceland, that they should make as many lampoons against the Danish king\nas there were headlands in his country; and the reason was, because a\nvessel which belonged to certain Icelanders was stranded in Denmark, and\nthe Danes took all the property, and called it wreck. One of the king's\nbailiffs called Birger was to blame for this; but the lampoons were made\nagainst both. In the lampoons were the following lines:--\n\n     \"The gallant Harald in the field\n     Between his legs lets drop his shield;\n     Into a pony he was changed.\n     And kicked his shield, and safely ranged.\n     And Birger, he who dwells in halls\n     For safety built with four stone walls,\n     That these might be a worthy pair,\n     Was changed into a pony mare.\"\n\n\n\n\n37. HARALD SENDS A WARLOCK TO ICELAND.\n\nKing Harald told a warlock to hie to Iceland in some altered shape,\nand to try what he could learn there to tell him: and he set out in the\nshape of a whale. And when he came near to the land he went to the west\nside of Iceland, north around the land, where he saw all the mountains\nand hills full of guardian-spirits, some great, some small. When he came\nto Vapnafjord he went in towards the land, intending to go on shore; but\na huge dragon rushed down the dale against him with a train of serpents,\npaddocks, and toads, that blew poison towards him. Then he turned to\ngo westward around the land as far as Eyjafjord, and he went into the\nfjord. Then a bird flew against him, which was so great that its wings\nstretched over the mountains on either side of the fjord, and many\nbirds, great and small, with it. Then he swam farther west, and then\nsouth into Breidafjord. When he came into the fjord a large grey bull\nran against him, wading into the sea, and bellowing fearfully, and he\nwas followed by a crowd of land-spirits. From thence he went round by\nReykjanes, and wanted to land at Vikarsskeid, but there came down a\nhill-giant against him with an iron staff in his hands. He was a head\nhigher than the mountains, and many other giants followed him. He then\nswam eastward along the land, and there was nothing to see, he said, but\nsand and vast deserts, and, without the skerries, high-breaking surf;\nand the ocean between the countries was so wide that a long-ship\ncould not cross it. At that time Brodhelge dwelt in Vapnafjord, Eyjolf\nValgerdson in Eyjafjord, Thord Geller in Breidafjord, and Thorod Gode in\nOlfus. Then the Danish king turned about with his fleet, and sailed back\nto Denmark.\n\nHakon the earl settled habitations again in the country that had been\nlaid waste, and paid no scat as long as he lived to Denmark.\n\n\n\n\n38. HARALD GORMSON'S DEATH.\n\nSvein, King Harald's son, who afterwards was called Tjuguskeg (forked\nbeard), asked his father King Harald for a part of his kingdom; but now,\nas before, Harald would not listen to dividing the Danish dominions, and\ngiving him a kingdom. Svein collected ships of war, and gave out that he\nwas going on a viking cruise; but when all his men were assembled, and\nthe Jomsborg viking Palnatoke had come to his assistance he ran into\nSealand to Isafjord, where his father had been for some time with his\nships ready to proceed on an expedition. Svein instantly gave battle,\nand the combat was severe. So many people flew to assist King Harald,\nthat Svein was overpowered by numbers, and fled. But King Harald\nreceived a wound which ended in his death: and Svein was chosen King of\nDenmark. At this time Sigvalde was earl over Jomsborg in Vindland. He\nwas a son of King Strutharald, who had ruled over Skane. Heming, and\nThorkel the Tall, were Sigvalde's brothers. Bue the Thick from Bornholm,\nand Sigurd his brother, were also chiefs among the Jomsborg vikings:\nand also Vagn, a son of Ake and Thorgunna, and a sister's son of Bue and\nSigurd. Earl Sigvalde had taken King Svein prisoner, and carried him\nto Vindland, to Jomsborg, where he had forced him to make peace with\nBurizleif, the king of the Vinds, and to take him as the peace-maker\nbetween them. Earl Sigvalde was married to Astrid, a daughter of King\nBurizleif; and told King Svein that if he did not accept of his terms,\nhe would deliver him into the hands of the Vinds. The king knew that\nthey would torture him to death, and therefore agreed to accept the\nearl's mediation. The earl delivered this judgment between them--that\nKing Svein should marry Gunhild, King Burizleif's daughter; and King\nBurizleif again Thyre, a daughter of Harald, and King Svein's sister;\nbut that each party should retain their own dominions, and there should\nbe peace between the countries. Then King Svein returned home to Denmark\nwith his wife Gunhild. Their sons were Harald and Knut (Canute) the\nGreat. At that time the Danes threatened much to bring an army into\nNorway against Earl Hakon.\n\n\n\n\n39. VOW OF THE JOMSBORG VIKINGS.\n\nKing Svein made a magnificent feast, to which he invited all the\nchiefs in his dominions; for he would give the succession-feast, or the\nheirship-ale, after his father Harald. A short time before, Strutharald\nin Skane, and Vesete in Bornholm, father to Bue the Thick and to Sigurd,\nhad died; and King Svein sent word to the Jomsborg vikings that Earl\nSigvalde and Bue, and their brothers, should come to him, and drink the\nfuneral-ale for their fathers in the same feast the king was giving.\nThe Jomsborg vikings came to the festival with their bravest men, forty\nships of them from Vindland, and twenty ships from Skane. Great was the\nmultitude of people assembled. The first day of the feast, before King\nSvein went up into his father's high-seat, he drank the bowl to his\nfather's memory, and made the solemn vow, that before three winters were\npast he would go over with his army to England, and either kill King\nAdalrad (Ethelred), or chase him out of the country. This heirship\nbowl all who were at the feast drank. Thereafter for the chiefs of the\nJomsborg vikings was filled and drunk the largest horn to be found,\nand of the strongest drink. When that bowl was emptied, all men drank\nChrist's health; and again the fullest measure and the strongest drink\nwere handed to the Jomsborg vikings. The third bowl was to the memory of\nSaint Michael, which was drunk by all. Thereafter Earl Sigvalde emptied\na remembrance bowl to his father's honour, and made the solemn vow, that\nbefore three winters came to an end he would go to Norway, and either\nkill Earl Hakon, or chase him out of the country. Thereupon Thorkel the\nTall, his brother, made a solemn vow to follow his brother Sigvalde to\nNorway, and not flinch from the battle so long as Sigvalde would fight\nthere. Then Bue the Thick vowed to follow them to Norway, and not flinch\nso long as the other Jomsborg vikings fought. At last Vagn Akason vowed\nthat he would go with them to Norway, and not return until he had slain\nThorkel Leira, and gone to bed to his daughter Ingebjorg without her\nfriends' consent. Many other chiefs made solemn vows about different\nthings. Thus was the heirship-ale drunk that day, but the next morning,\nwhen the Jomsborg vikings had slept off their drink, they thought they\nhad spoken more than enough. They held a meeting to consult how they\nshould proceed with their undertaking, and they determined to fit out\nas speedily as possible for the expedition; and without delay ships and\nmen-at-arms were prepared, and the news spread quickly.\n\n\n\n\n40. EIRIK AND HAKON MAKE A WAR LEVY.\n\nWhen Earl Eirik, the son of Hakon, who at that time was in Raumarike,\nheard the tidings, he immediately gathered troops, and went to the\nUplands, and thence over the mountains to Throndhjem, and joined\nhis father Earl Hakon. Thord Kolbeinson speaks of this in the lay of\nEirik:--\n\n     \"News from the south are flying round;\n     The bonde comes with look profound,\n     Bad news of bloody battles bringing,\n     Of steel-clad men, of weapons ringing.\n     I hear that in the Danish land\n     Long-sided ships slide down the strand,\n     And, floating with the rising tide,\n     The ocean-coursers soon will ride.\"\n\nThe earls Hakon and Eirik had war-arrows split up and sent round the\nThrondhjem country; and despatched messages to both the Mores, North\nMore and South More, and to Raumsdal, and also north to Naumudal and\nHalogaland. They summoned all the country to provide both men and ships.\nSo it is said in Eirik's lay:\n\n     \"The skald must now a war-song raise,\n     The gallant active youth must praise,\n     Who o'er the ocean's field spreads forth\n     Ships, cutters, boats, from the far north.\n     His mighty fleet comes sailing by,--\n     The people run to see them glide,\n     Mast after mast, by the coast-side.\"\n\nEarl Hakon set out immediately to the south, to More, to reconnoitre and\ngather people; and Earl Eirik gathered an army from the north to follow.\n\n\n\n\n41. EXPEDITION OF THE JOMSBORG VIKINGS.\n\nThe Jomsborg vikings assembled their fleet in Limafjord, from whence\nthey went to sea with sixty sail of vessels. When they came under the\ncoast of Agder, they steered northwards to Rogaland with their fleet,\nand began to plunder when they came into the earl's territory; and so\nthey sailed north along the coast, plundering and burning. A man, by\nname Geirmund, sailed in a light boat with a few men northwards to More,\nand there he fell in with Earl Hakon, stood before his dinner table,\nand told the earl the tidings of an army from Denmark having come to\nthe south end of the land. The earl asked if he had any certainty of it.\nThen Geirmund stretched forth one arm, from which the hand was cut off,\nand said, \"Here is the token that the enemy is in the land.\" Then the\nearl questioned him particularly about this army. Geirmund says it\nconsists of Jomsborg vikings, who have killed many people, and plundered\nall around. \"And hastily and hotly they pushed on,\" says he \"and I\nexpect it will not be long before they are upon you.\" On this the earl\nrode into every fjord, going in along the one side of the land and out\nat the other, collecting men; and thus he drove along night and day.\nHe sent spies out upon the upper ridges, and also southwards into the\nFjords; and he proceeded north to meet Eirik with his men. This appears\nfrom Eirik's lay:--\n\n     \"The earl, well skilled in war to speed\n     O'er the wild wave the viking-steed,\n     Now launched the high stems from the shore,\n     Which death to Sigvalde's vikings bore.\n     Rollers beneath the ships' keels crash,\n     Oar-blades loud in the grey sea splash,\n     And they who give the ravens food\n     Row fearless through the curling flood.\"\n\nEirik hastened southwards with his forces the shortest way he could.\n\n\n\n\n42. OF THE JOMSBORG VIKINGS.\n\nEarl Sigvalde steered with his fleet northwards around Stad, and came\nto the land at the Herey Isles. Although the vikings fell in with the\ncountry people, the people never told the truth about what the earl was\ndoing; and the vikings went on pillaging and laying waste. They laid\nto their vessels at the outer end of Hod Island, landed, plundered, and\ndrove both men and cattle down to the ships, killing all the men able to\nbear arms.\n\nAs they were going back to their ships, came a bonde, walking near to\nBue's troop, who said to them, \"Ye are not doing like true warriors, to\nbe driving cows and calves down to the strand, while ye should be giving\nchase to the bear, since ye are coming near to the bear's den.\"\n\n\"What says the old man?\" asked some. \"Can he tell us anything about Earl\nHakon?\"\n\nThe peasant replies, \"The earl went yesterday into the Hjorundarfjord\nwith one or two ships, certainly not more than three, and then he had no\nnews about you.\"\n\nBue ran now with his people in all haste down to the ships, leaving all\nthe booty behind. Bue said, \"Let us avail ourselves now of this news we\nhave got of the earl, and be the first to the victory.\" When they came\nto their ships they rode off from the land. Earl Sigvalde called to\nthem, and asked what they were about. They replied, \"The earl is in the\nfjord;\" on which Earl Sigvalde with the whole fleet set off, and rowed\nnorth about the island Hod.\n\n\n\n\n43. BATTLE WITH THE JOMSBORG VIKINGS.\n\nThe earls Hakon and Eirik lay in Halkelsvik, where all their forces\nwere assembled. They had 150 ships, and they had heard that the Jomsborg\nvikings had come in from sea, and lay at the island Hod; and they, in\nconsequence, rowed out to seek them. When they reached a place called\nHjorungavag they met each other, and both sides drew up their ships in\nline for an attack. Earl Sigvalde's banner was displayed in the midst of\nhis army, and right against it Earl Hakon arranged his force for attack.\nEarl Sigvalde himself had 20 ships, but Earl Hakon had 60. In Earl's\narmy were these chiefs,--Thorer Hjort from Halogaland, and Styrkar from\nGimsar. In the wing of the opposite array of the Jomsborg vikings was\nBue the Thick, and his brother Sigurd, with 20 ships. Against him\nEarl Eirik laid himself with 60 ships; and with him were these\nchiefs,--Gudbrand Hvite from the Uplands, and Thorkel Leira from Viken.\nIn the other wing of the Jomsborg vikings' array was Vagn Akason with 20\nships; and against him stood Svein the son of Hakon, in whose division\nwas Skegge of Yrjar at Uphaug, and Rognvald of Aervik at Stad, with 60\nships. It is told in the Eirik's lay thus:--\n\n     \"The bonde's ships along the coast\n     Sailed on to meet the foemen's host;\n     The stout earl's ships, with eagle flight,\n     Rushed on the Danes in bloody fight.\n     The Danish ships, of court-men full,\n     Were cleared of men,--and many a hull\n     Was driving empty on the main,\n     With the warm corpses of the slain.\"\n\nEyvind Skaldaspiller says also in the \"Haleygja-tal\":--\n\n     \"Twas at the peep of day,--\n     Our brave earl led the way;\n     His ocean horses bounding--\n     His war-horns loudly sounding!\n     No joyful morn arose\n     For Yngve Frey's base foes\n     These Christian island-men\n     Wished themselves home again.\"\n\nThen the fleets came together, and one of the sharpest of conflicts\nbegan. Many fell on both sides, but the most by far on Hakon's side; for\nthe Jomsborg vikings fought desperately, sharply, and murderously, and\nshot right through the shields. So many spears were thrown against Earl\nHakon that his armour was altogether split asunder, and he threw it off.\nSo says Tind Halkelson:--\n\n     \"The ring-linked coat of strongest mail\n     Could not withstand the iron hail,\n     Though sewed with care and elbow bent,\n     By Norn (1), on its strength intent.\n     The fire of battle raged around,--\n     Odin's steel shirt flew all unbound!\n     The earl his ring-mail from him flung,\n     Its steel rings on the wet deck rung;\n     Part of it fell into the sea,--\n     A part was kept, a proof to be\n     How sharp and thick the arrow-flight\n     Among the sea-steeds in this fight.\"\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) Norn, one of the Fates, stands here for women, whose\n     business it was to sew the rings of iron upon the cloth\n     which made these ring-mail coats or shirts.  The needles,\n     although some of them were of gold, appear to have been\n     without eyes, and used like shoemaker's awls.--L.\n\n\n\n\n44. EARL SIGVALDE'S FLIGHT.\n\nThe Jomsborg vikings had larger and higher-sided ships; and both parties\nfought desperately. Vagn Akason laid his ship on board of Svein Earl\nHakon's son's ship, and Svein allowed his ship to give way, and was\non the point of flying. Then Earl Eirik came up, and laid his ship\nalongside of Vagn, and then Vagn gave way, and the ships came to lie\nin the same position as before. Thereupon Eirik goes to the other wing,\nwhich had gone back a little, and Bue had cut the ropes, intending to\npursue them. Then Eirik laid himself, board to board, alongside of\nBue's ship, and there was a severe combat hand to hand. Two or three\nof Eirik's ships then laid themselves upon Bue's single vessel. A\nthunder-storm came on at this moment, and such a heavy hail-storm that\nevery hailstone weighed a pennyweight. The Earl Sigvalde cut his cable,\nturned his ship round, and took flight. Vagn Akason called to him not to\nfly; but as Earl Sigvalde paid no attention to what he said, Vagn threw\nhis spear at him, and hit the man at the helm. Earl Sigvalde rowed away\nwith 35 ships, leaving 25 of his fleet behind.\n\n\n\n\n45. BUE THROWS HIMSELF OVERBOARD.\n\nThen Earl Hakon laid his ship on the other side of Bue's ship, and now\ncame heavy blows on Bue's men. Vigfus, a son of Vigaglum, took up an\nanvil with a sharp end, which lay upon the deck, and on which a man had\nwelded the hilt to his sword just before, and being a very strong man\ncast the anvil with both hands at the head of Aslak Holmskalle, and the\nend of it went into his brains. Before this no weapon could wound this\nAslak, who was Bue's foster-brother, and forecastle commander, although\nhe could wound right and left. Another man among the strongest and\nbravest was Havard Hoggande. In this attack Eirik's men boarded Bue's\nship, and went aft to the quarter-deck where Bue stood. There Thorstein\nMidlang cut at Bue across his nose, so that the nosepiece of his helmet\nwas cut in two, and he got a great wound; but Bue, in turn, cut at\nThorstein's side, so that the sword cut the man through. Then Bue lifted\nup two chests full of gold, and called aloud, \"Overboard all Bue s men,\"\nand threw himself overboard with his two chests. Many of his people\nsprang overboard with him. Some fell in the ship, for it was of no\nuse to call for quarter. Bue's ship was cleared of people from stem to\nstern, and afterwards all the others, the one after the other.\n\n\n\n\n46. VIKINGS BOUND TOGETHER IN ONE CHAIN.\n\nEarl Eirik then laid himself alongside of Vagn's ship, and there was\na brave defence; but at last this ship too was cleared, and Vagn and\nthirty men were taken prisoners, and bound, and brought to land. Then\ncame up Thorkel Leira, and said, \"Thou madest a solemn vow, Vagn, to\nkill me, but now it seems more likely that I will kill thee.\" Vagn and\nhis men sat all upon a log of wood together. Thorkel had an axe in his\nhands, with which he cut at him who sat outmost on the log. Vagn and the\nother prisoners were bound so that a rope was fastened on their feet,\nbut they had their hands free. One of them said, \"I will stick this\ncloak-pin that I have in my hand into the earth, if it be so that I\nknow anything, after my head is cut off.\" His head was cut off, but the\ncloak-pin fell from his hand. There sat also a very handsome man with\nlong hair, who twisted his hair over his head, put out his neck, and\nsaid, \"Don't make my hair bloody.\" A man took the hair in his hands and\nheld it fast. Thorkel hewed with his axe; but the viking twitched his\nhead so strongly that he who was holding his hair fell forwards, and the\naxe cut off both his hands, and stuck fast in the earth. Then Earl Eirik\ncame up, and asked, \"Who is that handsome man?\"\n\nHe replies, \"I am called Sigurd, and am Bue's son. But are all the\nJomsborg vikings dead?\"\n\nEirik says, \"Thou art certainly Boe's son. Wilt thou now take life and\npeace?\"\n\n\"That depends,\" says he, \"upon who it is that offers it.\"\n\n\"He offers who has the power to do it--Earl Eirik.\"\n\n\"That will I,\" says he, \"from his hands.\" And now the rope was loosened\nfrom him.\n\nThen said Thorkel Leira, \"Although thou should give all these men life\nand peace, earl, Vagn Akason shall never come from this with life.\" And\nhe ran at him with uplifted axe; but the viking Skarde swung himself\nin the rope, and let himself fall just before Thorkel's feet, so that\nThorkel \nell over him, and Vagn caught the axe and gave Thorkel a\ndeath-wound. Then said the earl, \"Vagn, wilt thou accept life?\"\n\n\"That I will,\" says he, \"if you give it to all of us.\"\n\n\"Loose them from the rope,\" said the earl, and it was done. Eighteen\nwere killed, and twelve got their lives.\n\n\n\n\n47. DEATH OF GISSUR OF VALDERS.\n\nEarl Hakon, and many with him, were sitting upon a piece of wood, and\na bow-string twanged from Bue's ship, and the arrow struck Gissur from\nValders, who was sitting next the earl, and was clothed splendidly.\nThereupon the people went on board, and found Havard Hoggande standing\non his knees at the ship's railing, for his feet had been cut off (1),\nand he had a bow in his hand. When they came on board the ship Havard\nasked, \"Who fell by that shaft?\"\n\nThey answered, \"A man called Gissur.\"\n\n\"Then my luck was less than I thought,\" said he.\n\n\"Great enough was the misfortune,\" replied they; \"but thou shalt not\nmake it greater.\" And they killed him on the spot.\n\nThe dead were then ransacked, and the booty brought all together to be\ndivided; and there were twenty-five ships of the Jomsborg vikings in the\nbooty. So says Tind:\n\n     \"Many a viking's body lay\n     Dead on the deck this bloody day,\n     Before they cut their sun-dried ropes,\n     And in quick flight put all their hopes.\n     He whom the ravens know afar\n     Cleared five-and-twenty ships of war:\n     A proof that in the furious fight\n     None can withstand the Norsemen's might.\"\n\nThen the army dispersed. Earl Hakon went to Throndhjem, and was much\ndispleased that Earl Eirik had given quarter to Vagn Akason. It was said\nthat at this battle Earl Hakon had sacrificed for victory his son, young\nErling, to the gods; and instantly came the hailstorm, and the defeat\nand slaughter of the Jomsborg vikings.\n\nEarl Eirik went to the Uplands, and eastward by that route to his\nown kingdom, taking Vagn Akason with him. Earl Eirik married Vagn to\nIngebjorg, a daughter of Thorkel Leira, and gave him a good ship of\nwar and all belonging to it, and a crew; and they parted the best of\nfriends. Then Vagn went home south to Denmark, and became afterwards\na man of great consideration, and many great people are descended from\nhim.\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) This traditionary tale of a warrior fighting on his knees\n     after his legs were cut off, appears to have been a popular\n     idea among the Northmen, and is related by their descendants\n     in the ballad o\n Chevy Chase.--L.\n\n\n\n\n48. KING HARALD GRENSKE'S DEATH.\n\nHarald Grenske, as before related, was king in Vestfold, and was married\nto Asta, a daughter of Gudbrand Kula. One summer (A.D. 994) Harald\nGrenske made an expedition to the Baltic to gather property, and he\ncame to Svithjod. Olaf the Swede was king there, a son of Eirik the\nVictorious, and Sigrid, a daughter of Skoglartoste. Sigrid was then a\nwidow, and had many and great estates in Svithjod. When she heard that\nher foster-brother was come to the country a short distance from her,\nshe sent men to him to invite him to a feast. He did not neglect the\ninvitation, but came to her with a great attendance of his followers,\nand was received in the most friendly way. He and the queen sat in the\nhigh-seat, and drank together towards the evening, and all his men were\nentertained in the most hospitable manner. At night, when the king went\nto rest, a bed was put up for him with a hanging of fine linen around\nit, and with costly bedclothes; but in the lodging-house there were few\nmen. When the king was undressed, and had gone to bed, the queen came\nto him, filled a bowl herself for him to drink, and was very gay, and\npressed to drink. The king was drunk above measure, and, indeed, so were\nthey both. Then he slept, and the queen went away, and laid herself down\nalso. Sigrid was a woman of the greatest understanding, and clever\nin many things. In the morning there was also the most excellent\nentertainment; but then it went on as usual when people have drunk too\nmuch, that next day they take care not to exceed. The queen was very\ngay, and she and the king talked of many things with each other; among\nother things she valued her property, and the dominions she had in\nSvithjod, as nothing less than his property in Norway. With that\nobservation the king was nowise pleased, and he found no pleasure in\nanything after that, but made himself ready for his journey in an ill\nhumor. On the other hand, the queen was remarkably gay, and made him\nmany presents, and followed him out to the road. Now Harald returned\nabout harvest to Norway, and was at home all winter; but was very silent\nand cast down. In summer he went once more to the Baltic with his ships,\nand steered to Svithjod. He sent a message to Queen Sigrid that he\nwished to have a meeting with her and she rode down to meet him. They\ntalked together and he soon brought out the proposal that she should\nmarry him. She replied, that this was foolish talk for him, who was so\nwell married already that he might think himself well off. Harald says,\n\"Asta is a good and clever woman; but she is not so well born as I am.\"\nSigrid replies, \"It may be that thou art of higher birth, but I think\nshe is now pregnant with both your fortunes.\" They exchanged but few\nwords more before the queen rode away. King Harald was now depressed in\nmind, and prepared himself again to ride up the country to meet Queen\nSigrid. Many of his people dissuaded him; but nevertheless he set off\nwith a great attendance, and came to the house in which the queen dwelt.\nThe same evening came another king, called Vissavald, from Gardarike\n(Russia), likewise to pay his addresses to Queen Sigrid. Lodging was\ngiven to both the kings, and to all their people, in a great old room\nof an out-building, and all the furniture was of the same character; but\nthere was no want of drink in the evening, and that so strong that all\nwere drunk, and the watch, both inside and outside, fell fast asleep.\nThen Queen Sigrid ordered an attack on them in the night, both with fire\nand sword. The house was burnt, with all who were in it and those who\nslipped out were put to the sword. Sigrid said that she would make these\nsmall kings tired of coming to court her. She was afterwards called\nSigrid the Haughty (Storrada).\n\n\n\n\n49. BIRTH OF OLAF, SON OF HARALD GRENSKE.\n\nThis happened the winter after the battle of the Jomsborg vikings at\nHjorungavag. When Harald went up the country after Sigrid, he left Hrane\nbehind with the ships to look after the men. Now when Hrane heard that\nHarald was cut off, he returned to Norway the shortest way he could, and\ntold the news. He repaired first to Asta, and related to her all that\nhad happened on the journey, and also on what errand Harald had visited\nQueen Sigrid. When Asta got these tidings she set off directly to her\nfather in the Uplands, who received her well; but both were enraged at\nthe design which had been laid in Svithjod, and that King Harald had\nintended to set her in a single condition. In summer (A.D. 995) Asta,\nGudbrand's daughter, was confined, and had a boy child, who had water\npoured over him, and was called Olaf. Hrane himself poured water over\nhim, and the child was brought up at first in the house of Gudbrand and\nhis mother Asta.\n\n\n\n\n50. ABOUT EARL HAKON.\n\nEarl Hakon ruled over the whole outer part of Norway that lies on the\nsea, and had thus sixteen districts under his sway. The arrangement\nintroduced by Harald Harfager, that there should be an earl in each\ndistrict, was afterward continued for a long time; and thus Earl Hakon\nhad sixteen earls under him. So says the \"Vellekla\":--\n\n     \"Who before has ever known\n     Sixteen earls subdued by one?\n     Who has seen all Norway's land\n     Conquered by one brave hero's hand?\n     It will be long in memory held,\n     How Hakon ruled by sword and shield.\n     When tales at the viking's mast go round,\n     His praise will every mouth resound.\"\n\nWhile Earl Hakon ruled over Norway there were good crops in the land,\nand peace was well preserved in the country among the bondes. The Earl,\nfor the greater part of his lifetime, was therefore much beloved by the\nbondes; but it happened, in the longer course of time, that the earl\nbecame very intemperate in his intercourse with women, and even carried\nit so far that he made the daughters of people of consideration be\ncarried away and brought home to him; and after keeping them a week\nor two as concubines, he sent them home. He drew upon himself the\nindignation of me relations of these girls; and the bondes began to\nmurmur loudly, as the Throndhjem people have the custom of doing when\nanything goes against their judgment.\n\n\n\n\n51. THORER KLAKKA'S JOURNEY.\n\nEarl Hakon, in the mean time, hears some whisper that to the westward,\nover the Nor\nh sea, was a man called Ole, who was looked upon as a king.\nFrom the conversation of some people, he fell upon the suspicion that he\nmust be of the royal race of Norway. It was, indeed, said that this Ole\nwas from Russia; but the earl had heard that Trygve Olafson had had a\nson called Olaf, who in his infancy had gone east to Gardarike, and had\nbeen brought up by King Valdemar. The earl had carefully inquired about\nthis man, and had his suspicion that he must be the same person who had\nnow come to these western countries. The earl had a very good friend\ncalled Thorer Klakka, who had been long upon viking expeditions,\nsometimes also upon merchant voyages; so that he was well acquainted all\naround. This Thorer Earl Hakon sends over the North sea, and told him to\nmake a merchant voyage to Dublin, many were in the habit of doing, and\ncarefully to discover who this Ole was. Provided he got any certainty\nthat he was Olaf Trygvason, or any other of the Norwegian royal race,\nthen Thorer should endeavor to ensnare him by some deceit, and bring him\ninto the earl's power.\n\n\n\n\n52. OLAF TRYGVASON COMES TO NORWAY.\n\nOn this Thorer sails westward to Ireland, and hears that Ole is in\nDublin with his wife's father King Olaf Kvaran. Thorer, who was a\nplausible man, immediately got acquainted with Ole; and as they often\nmet, and had long conversations together, Ole began to inquire\nabout news from Norway, and above all of the Upland kings and great\npeople,--which of them were in life, and what dominations they now had.\nHe asked also about Earl Hakon, and if he was much liked in the country.\nThorer replies, that the earl is such a powerful man that no one dares\nto speak otherwise than he would like; but that comes from there being\nnobody else in the country to look to. \"Yet, to say the truth, I know\nit to be the mind of many brave men, and of whole communities, that\nthey would much rather see a king of Harald Harfager's race come to the\nkingdom. But we know of no one suited for this, especially now that it\nis proved how vain every attack on Earl Hakon must be.\" As they often\ntalked together in the same strain, Olaf disclosed to Thorer his name\nand family, and asked him his opinion, and whether he thought the bondes\nwould take him for their king if he were to appear in Norway. Thorer\nencouraged him very eagerly to the enterprise, and praised him and his\ntalents highly. Then Olaf's inclination to go to the heritage of his\nancestors became strong. Olaf sailed accordingly, accompanied by Thorer,\nwith five ships; first to the Hebrides, and from thence to the Orkneys.\nAt that time Earl Sigurd, Hlodver's son, lay in Osmundswall, in the\nisland South Ronaldsa, with a ship of war, on his way to Caithness. Just\nat the same time Olaf was sailing with his fleet from the westward to\nthe islands, and ran into the same harbour, because Pentland Firth was\nnot to be passed at that tide. When the king was informed that the earl\nwas there, he made him be called; and when the earl came on board to\nspeak with the king, after a few words only had passed between them, the\nking says the earl must allow himself to be baptized, and all the people\nof the country also, or he should be put to death directly; and he\nassured the earl he would lay waste the islands with fire and sword, if\nthe people did not adopt Christianity. In the position the earl found\nhimself, he preferred becoming Christian, and he and all who were with\nhim were baptized. Afterwards the earl took an oath to the king, went\ninto his service, and gave him his son, whose name was Hvelp (Whelp), or\nHunde (Dog), as an hostage; and the king took Hvelp to Norway with him.\nThereafter Olaf went out to sea to the eastward, and made the land at\nMorster Island, where he first touched the ground of Norway. He had\nhigh mass sung in a tent, and afterwards on the spot a church was built.\nThorer Klakka said now to the king, that the best plan for him would\nbe not to make it known who he was, or to let any report about him get\nabroad; but to seek out Earl Hakon as fast as possible and fall upon\nhim by surprise. King Olaf did so, sailing northward day and night, when\nwind permitted, and did not let the people of the country know who it\nwas that was sailing in such haste. When he came north to Agdanes,\nhe heard that the earl was in the fjord, and was in discord with the\nbondes. On hearing this, Thorer saw that things were going in a very\ndifferent way from what he expected; for after the battle with the\nJomsborg vikings all men in Norway were the most sincere friends of\nthe earl on account of the victory he had gained, and of the peace and\nsecurity he had given to the country; and now it unfortunately turns out\nthat a great chief has come to the country at a time when the bondes are\nin arms against the earl.\n\n\n\n\n53. EARL HAKON'S FLIGHT.\n\nEarl Hakon was at a feast in Medalhus in Gaulardal and his ships lay out\nby Viggja. There was a powerful bonde, by name Orm Lyrgja, who dwelt in\nBunes, who had a wife called Gudrun, a daughter of Bergthor of Lundar.\nShe was called the Lundasol; for she was the most-beautiful of women.\nThe earl sent his slaves to Orm, with the errand that they should bring\nOrm's wife, Gudrun, to the earl. The thralls tell their errand, and\nOrm bids them first seat themselves to supper; but before they had done\neating, many people from the neighbourhood, to whom Orm had sent notice,\nhad gathered together: and now Orm declared he would not send Gudrun\nwith the messengers. Gudrun told the thralls to tell the earl that she\nwould not come to him, unless he sent Thora of Rimul after her. Thora\nwas a woman of great influence, and one of the earl's best beloved. The\nthralls say that they will come another time, and both the bonde and his\nwife would be made to repent of it; and they departed with many threats.\nOrm, on the other hand, sent out a message-token to all the neighbouring\ncountry, and with it the message to attack Earl Hakon with weapons and\nkill him. He sent also a message to Haldor in Skerdingsstedja, who also\nsent out his message-token. A short time before, the earl had taken away\nthe wife of a man called Brynjolf, and there had very nearly been\nan insurrection about that business. Having now again got this\nmessage-token, the people made a general revolt, and set out all to\nMedalhus. When the earl heard of this, he left the house with his\nfollowers, and concealed himself in a deep glen, now called Jarlsdal\n(Earl's Dale). Later in the day, the earl got news of the bondes' army.\nThey had beset all the roads; but believed the earl had escaped to his\nships, which his son Erlend, a remarkably handsome and hopeful young\nman, had the command of. When night came the earl dispersed his people,\nand ordered them to go through the forest roads into Orkadal; \"for\nnobody will molest you,\" said he, \"when I am not with you. Send a\nmessage to Erlend to sail out of the fjord, and meet me in More. In the\nmean time I will conceal myself from the bondes.\" Then the earl went his\nway with one thrall or slave, called Kark, attending him. There was ice\nupon the Gaul (the river of Gaulardal), and the earl drove his horse\nupon it, and left his coat lying upon the ice. They then went to a hole,\nsince called Jarlshella (the Earl's Hole), where they slept. When Kark\nawoke he told his dream,--that a black threatening mad had come into the\nhole, and was angry that people should have entered it; and that the\nman had said, \"Ulle is dead.\" The earl said that his son Erlend must be\nkilled. Kark slept again and was again disturbed in his sleep; and when\nhe awoke he told his dream,--that the same man had again appeared to\nhim, and bade him tell the earl that all the sounds were closed. From\nthis dream the earl began to suspect that it betokened a short life to\nhim. They stood up, and went to the house of Rimul. The earl now sends\nKark to Thora, and begs of her to come secretly to him. She did so and\nreceived the earl kindly and he begged her to conceal him for a few\nnights until the army of the bondes had dispersed. \"Here about my\nhouse,\" said she, \"you will be hunted after, both inside and outside;\nfor many know that I would willingly help you if I can. There is but one\nplace about the house where they could never expect to find such a man\nas you, and that is the swine-stye.\" When they came there the earl said,\n\"Well, let it be made ready for us; as to save our life is the first and\nforemost concern.\" The slave dug a great hole in it, bore away the earth\nthat he dug out, and laid wood over it. Thora brought the tidings to\nthe earl that Olaf Trygvason had come from sea into the fjord, and had\nkilled his son Erlend. Then the earl and Kark both went into the hole.\nThora covered it with wood, and threw earth and dung over it, and drove\nthe swine upon the top of it. The swine-style was under a great stone.\n\n\n\n\n54. ERLEND'S DEATH.\n\nOlaf Trygvason came from sea into the fjord with five long-ships,\nand Erlend, Hakon's son, rowed towards him with three ships. When the\nvessels came near to each other, Erlend suspected they might be enemies,\nand turned towards the land. When Olaf and his followers saw long-ships\ncoming in haste out of the fjord, and rowing towards them, they thought\nEarl Hakon must be here; and they put out all oars to follow them.\nAs soon as Erlend and his ships got near the land they rowed aground\ninstantly, jumped overboard, and took to the land; but at the same\ninstant Olaf's ship came up with them. Olaf saw a remarkably handsome\nman swimming in the water, and laid hold of a tiller and threw it at\nhim. The tiller struck Erlend, the son of Hakon the earl, on the head,\nand clove it to the brain; and there left Erlend his life. Olaf and his\npeople killed many; but some escaped, and some were made prisoners, and\ngot life and freedom that they might go and tell what had happened. They\nlearned then that the bondes had driven away Earl Hakon, and that he had\nfled, and his troops were all dispersed.\n\n\n\n\n55. EARL HAKON'S DEATH.\n\nThe bondes then met Olaf, to the joy of both, and they made an agreement\ntogether. The bondes took Olaf to be their king, and resolved, one and\nall, to seek out Earl Hakon. They went up Gaulardal; for it seemed to\nthem likely that if the earl was concealed in any house it must be at\nRimul, for Thora was his dearest friend in that valley. They come up,\ntherefore, and search everywhere, outside and inside the house, but\ncould not find him. Then Olaf held a House Thing (trusting), or council\nout in the yard, and stood upon a great stone which lay beside the\nswine-stye, and made a speech to the people, in which he promised to\nenrich the man with rewards and honours who should kill the earl. This\nspeech was heard by the earl and the thrall Kark. They had a light in\ntheir room.\n\n\"Why art thou so pale,\" says the earl, \"and now again black as earth?\nThou hast not the intention to betray me?\"\n\n\"By no means,\" replies Kark.\n\n\"We were born on the same night,\" says the earl, \"and the time will be\nshort between our deaths.\"\n\nKing Olaf went away in the evening. When night came the earl kept\nhimself awake but Kark slept, and was disturbed in his sleep. The earl\nwoke him, and asked him \"what he was dreaming of?\"\n\nHe answered, \"I was at Hlader and Olaf Trygvason was laying a gold ring\nabout my neck.\"\n\nThe earl says, \"It will be a red ring Olaf will lay about thy neck if\nhe catches thee. Take care of that! From me thou shalt enjoy all that is\ngood, therefore betray me not.\"\n\nThey then kept themselves awake both; the one, as it were, watching upon\nthe other. But towards day the earl suddenly dropped asleep; but his\nsleep was so unquiet that he drew his heels under him, and raised his\nneck, as if going to rise, and screamed dreadfully high. On this Kark,\ndreadfully alarmed, drew a large knife out of his belt, stuck it in the\nearl's throat, and cut it across, and killed Earl Hakon. Then Kark cut\noff the earl's head, and ran away. Late in the day he came to Hlader,\nwhere he delivered the earl's head to King Olaf, and told all these\ncircumstances of his own and Earl Hakon's doings. Olaf had him taken out\nand beheaded.\n\n\n\n\n56. EARL HAKON'S HEAD.\n\nKing Olaf, and a vast number of bondes with him, then went out to\nNidarholm, and had with him the heads of Earl Hakon and Kark. This holm\nwas used then for a place of execution of thieves and ill-doers, and\nthere stood a gallows on it. He had the heads of the earl and of Kark\nhung upon it, and the whole army of the bondes cast stones at them,\nscreaming and shouting that the one worthless fellow had followed the\nother. They then sent up to Gaulardal for the earl's dead body. So great\nwas the enmity of the Throndhjem people against Earl Hakon, that no man\ncould venture to call him by any other name than Hakon the Bad; and he\nwas so called long after those days. Yet, sooth to say of Earl Hakon,\nhe was in many respects fitted to be a chief: first, because he was\ndescended from a high race; then because he had understanding and\nknowledge to direct a government; also manly courage in battle to\ngain victories, and good luck in killing his enemies. So says Thorleif\nRaudfeldson:--\n\n     \"In Norway's land was never known\n     A braver earl than the brave Hakon.\n     At sea, beneath the clear moon's light,\n     No braver man e'er sought to fight.\n     Nine kings to Odin's wide domain\n     Were sent, by Hakon's right hand slain!\n     So well the raven-flocks were fed--\n     So well the wolves were filled with dead!\"\n\nEarl Hakon was very generous; but the greatest misfortunes attended even\nsuch a chief at the end of his days: and the great cause of this was\nthat the time was come when heathen sacrifices and idolatrous worship\nwere doomed to fall, and the holy faith and good customs to come in\ntheir place.\n\n\n\n\n57. OLAF TRYGVASON ELECTED KING.\n\nOlaf Trvgvason was chosen at Throndhjem by the General Thing to be the\nking over the whole country, as Harald Harfager had been. The whole\npublic and the people throughout all the land would listen to nothing\nelse than that Olaf Trygvason should be king. Then Olaf went round the\nwhole country, and brought it under his rule, and all the people of\nNorway gave in their submission; and also the chiefs in the Uplands and\nin Viken, who before had held their lands as fiefs from the Danish king,\nnow became King Olaf's men, and held their hands from him. He went thus\nthrough the whole country during the first winter (A.D. 996) and the\nfollowing summer. Earl Eirik, the son of Earl Hakon, his brother Svein,\nand their friends and relations, fled out of the country, and went east\nto Sweden to King Olaf the Swede, who gave them a good reception. So\nsays Thord Kolbeinson:--\n\n     \"O thou whom bad men drove away,\n     After the bondes by foul play,\n     Took Hakon's life!  Fate will pursue\n     These bloody wolves, and make them rue.\n     When the host came from out the West,\n     Like some tall stately war-ship's mast,\n     I saw the son of Trygve stand,\n     Surveying proud his native land.\"\n\nAnd again,--\n\n     \"Eirik has more upon his mind,\n     Against the new Norse king designed,\n     Than by his words he seems to show--\n     And truly it may well be so.\n     Stubborn and stiff are Throndhjem men,\n     But Throndhjem's earl may come again;\n     In Swedish land he knows no rest--\n     Fierce wrath is gathering in his breast.\"\n\n\n\n\n58. LODIN'S MARRIAGE\n\nLodin was the name of a man from Viken who was rich and of good family.\nHe went often on merchant voyages, and sometimes on viking cruises.\nIt happened one summer that he went on a merchant voyage with much\nmerchandise in a ship of his own. He directed his course first to\nEistland, and was there at a market in summer. To the place at which the\nmarket was held many merchant goods were brought, and also many thralls\nor slaves for sale. There Lodin saw a woman who was to be sold as a\nslave: and on looking at her he knew her to be Astrid Eirik's daughter,\nwho had been married to King Trygve. But now she was altogether unlike\nwhat she had been when he last saw her; for now she was pale, meagre in\ncountenance, and ill clad. He went up to her, and asked her how matters\nstood with her. She replied, \"It is heavy to be told; for I have been\nsold as a slave, and now again I am brought here for sale.\" After\nspeaking together a little Astrid knew him, and begged him to buy her;\nand bring her home to her friends. \"On this condition,\" said he, \"I will\nbring thee home tn Norway, that thou wilt marry me.\" Now as Astrid stood\nin great need, and moreover knew that Lodin was a man of high birth,\nrich, and brave, she promised to do so for her ransom. Lodin accordingly\nbought Astrid, took her home to Norway with him, and married her with\nher friends' consent. Their children were Thorkel Nefia, Ingerid, and\nIngegerd. Ingebjorg and Astrid were daughters of Astrid by King Trygve.\nEirik Bjodaskalle's sons were Sigird, Karlshofud, Jostein, and Thorkel\nDydril, who were all rich and brave people who had estates east in\nthe country. In Viken in the east dwelt two brothers, rich and of good\ndescent; one called Thorgeir, and the other Hyrning; and they married\nLodin and Astrid's daughters, Ingerid and Ingegerd.\n\n\n\n\n59. OLAF BAPTIZES THE COUNTRY OF VIKEN.\n\nWhen Harald Gormson, king of Denmark, had adopted Christianity, he sent\na message over all his kingdom that all people should be baptized, and\nconverted to the true faith. He himself followed his message, and used\npower and violence where nothing else would do. He sent two earls,\nUrguthrjot and Brimilskjar, with many people to Norway, to proclaim\nChristianity there. In Viken, which stood directly under the king's\npower, this succeeded, and many were baptized of the country folk. But\nwhen Svein Forked-beard, immediately after his father King Harald's\ndeath, went out on war expeditions in Saxland, Frisland, and at last\nin England, the Northmen who had taken up Christianity returned back to\nheathen sacrifices, just as before; and the people in the north of the\ncountry did the same. But now that Olaf Trygvason was king of Norway, he\nremained long during the summer (A.D. 996) in Viken, where many of his\nrelatives and some of his brothers-in-law were settled, and also many\nwho had been great friends of his father; so that he was received with\nthe greatest affection. Olaf called together his mother's brothers, his\nstepfather Lodin, and his brothers-in-law Thorgeir and Hyrning, to speak\nwith them, and to disclose with the greatest care the business which he\ndesired they themselves should approve of, and support with all their\npower; namely, the proclaiming Christianity over all his kingdom. He\nwould, he declared, either bring it to this, that all Norway should be\nChristian, or die. \"I shall make you all,\" said he, \"great and mighty\nmen in promoting this work; for I trust to you most, as blood relations\nor brothers-in-law.\" All agreed to do what he asked, and to follow him\nin what he desired. King Olaf immediately made it known to the public\nthat he recommended Christianity to all the people in his kingdom, which\nmessage was well received and approved of by those who had before given\nhim their promise; and these being the most powerful among the people\nassembled, the others followed their example, and all the inhabitants of\nthe east part of Viken allowed themselves to be baptized. The king\nthen went to the north part of Viken and invited every man to accept\nChristianity; and those who opposed him he punished severely, killing\nsome, mutilating others, and driving some into banishment. At length he\nbrought it so far, that all the kingdom which his father King Trvgve had\nruled over, and also that of his relation Harald Grenske, accepted of\nChristianity; and during that summer (A.D. 996) and the following winter\n(A.D. 997) all Viken was made Christian.\n\n\n\n\n60. OF THE HORDALAND PEOPLE.\n\nEarly in spring (A.D. 997) King Olaf set out from Viken with a great\nforce northwards to Agder, and proclaimed that every man should be\nbaptized. And thus the people received Christianity, for nobody dared\noppose the king's will, wheresoever he came. In Hordaland, however, were\nmany bold and great men of Hordakare's race. He, namely, had left four\nsons,--the first Thorleif Spake; the second, Ogmund, father of Thorolf\nSkialg, who was father of Erling of Sole; the third was Thord father of\nthe Herse Klyp who killed King Sigurd Slefa, Gunhild's son; and lastly,\nOlmod, father of Askel, whose son was Aslak Fitjaskalle; and that family\nbranch was the greatest and most considered in Hordaland. Now when this\nfamily heard the bad tidings, that the king was coming along the country\nfrom the eastward with a great force, and was breaking the ancient law\nof the people, and imposing punishment and hard conditions on all who\nopposed him, the relatives appointed a meeting to take counsel with each\nother, for they knew the king would come down upon them at once: and\nthey all resolved to appear in force at the Gula-Thing, there to hold a\nconference with King Olaf Trygvason.\n\n\n\n\n61. ROGALAND BAPTIZED.\n\nWhen King Olaf came to Rogaland, he immediately summoned the people to a\nThing; and when the bondes received the message-token for a Thing, they\nassembled in great numbers well armed. After they had come together,\nthey resolved to choose three men, the best speakers of the whole, who\nshould answer King Olaf, and argue with the king; and especially should\ndecline to accept of anything against the old law, even if the king\nshould require it of them. Now when the bondes came to the Thing, and\nthe Thing was formed, King Olaf arose, and at first spoke good-humoredly\nto the people; but they observed he wanted them to accept Christianity,\nwith all his fine words: and in the conclusion he let them know that\nthose who should speak against him, and not submit to his proposal, must\nexpect his displeasure and punishment, and all the ill that it was in\nhis power to inflict. When he had ended his speech, one of the bondes\nstood up, who was considered the most eloquent, and who had been chosen\nas the first who should reply to King Olaf. But when he would begin to\nspeak such a cough seized him, and such a difficulty of breathing, that\nhe could not bring out a word, and had to sit down again. Then another\nbonde stood up, resolved not to let an answer be wanting, although it\nhad gone so ill with the former: but he stammered so that he could not\nget a word uttered, and all present set up a laughter, amid which\nthe bonde sat down again. And now the third stood up to make a speech\nagainst King Olaf's; but when he began he became so hoarse and husky in\nhis throat, that nobody could hear a word he said, and he also had to\nsit down. There was none of the bondes now to speak against the king,\nand as nobody answered him there was no opposition; and it came to this,\nthat all agreed to what the king had proposed. All the people of the\nThing accordingly were baptized before the Thing was dissolved.\n\n\n\n\n62. ERLING SKJALGSON'S WOOING.\n\nKing Olaf went with his men-at-arms to the Gula-Thing; for the bondes\nhad sent him word that they would reply there to his speech. When\nboth parties had come to the Thing, the king desired first to have a\nconference with the chief people of the country; and when the meeting\nwas numerous the king set forth his errand,--that he desired them,\naccording to his proposal, to allow themselves to be baptized. Then said\nOlmod the Old, \"We relations have considered together this matter, and\nhave come to one resolution. If thou thinkest, king, to force us who are\nrelated together to such things as to break our old law, or to bring us\nunder thyself by any sort of violence, then will we stand against thee\nwith all our might: and be the victory to him to whom fate ordains it.\nBut if thou, king, wilt advance our relations' fortunes, then thou shalt\nhave leave to do as thou desirest, and we will all serve thee with zeal\nin thy purpose.\"\n\nThe king replies, \"What do you propose for obtaining this agreement?\"\n\nThen answers Olmod, \"The first is, that thou wilt give thy sister Astrid\nin marriage to Erling Skjalgson, our relation, whom we look upon as the\nmost hopeful young man in all Norway.\"\n\nKing Olaf replied, that this marriage appeared to him also very\nsuitable; \"as Erling is a man of good birth, and a good-looking man in\nappearance: but Astrid herself must answer to this proposal.\"\n\nThereupon the king spoke to his sister. She said, \"It is but of little\nuse that I am a king's sister, and a king's daughter, if I must marry\na man who has no high dignity or office. I will rather wait a few years\nfor a better match.\" Thus ended this conference.\n\n\n63. HORDALAND BAPTIZED.\n\nKing Olaf took a falcon that belonged to Astrid, plucked off all its\nfeathers, and then sent it to her. Then said Astrid, \"Angry is my\nbrother.\" And she stood up, and went to the king, who received her\nkindly, and she said that she left it to the king to determine her\nmarriage. \"I think,\" said the king, \"that I must have power enough in\nthis land to raise any man I please to high dignity.\" Then the king\nordered Olmod and Erling to be called to a conference, and all their\nrelations; and the marriage was determined upon, and Astrid betrothed to\nErling. Thereafter the king held the Thing, and recommended Christianity\nto the bondes; and as Olmod, and Erling, and all their relations, took\nupon themselves the most active part in forwarding the king's desire,\nnobody dared to speak against it; and all the people were baptized, and\nadopted Christianity.\n\n\n\n\n64. ERLING SKJALGSON'S WEDDING.\n\nErling Skjalgson had his wedding in summer, and a great many people\nwere assembled at it. King Olaf was also there, and offered Erling an\nearldom. Erling replied thus: \"All my relations have been herses only,\nand I will take no higher title than they have; but this I will accept\nfrom thee, king, that thou makest me the greatest of that title in the\ncountry.\" The king consented; and at his departure the king invested\nhis brother-in law Erling with all the land north of the Sognefjord, and\neast to the Lidandisnes, on the same terms as Harald Harfager had given\nland to his sons, as before related.\n\n\n\n\n65. RAUMSDAL AND FJORD-DISTRICTS BAPTIZED.\n\nThe same harvest King Olaf summoned the bondes to a Thing of the four\ndistricts at Dragseid, in Stad: and there the people from Sogn, the\nFjord-districts, South More, and Raumsdal, were summoned to meet. King\nOlaf came there with a great many people who had followed him from\nthe eastward, and also with those who had joined him from Rogaland and\nHordaland. When the king came to the Thing, he proposed to them there,\nas elsewhere, Christianity; and as the king had such a powerful\nhost with him, they were frightened. The king offered them two\nconditions,--either to accept Christianity, or to fight. But the\nbondes saw they were in no condition to fight the king, and resolved,\ntherefore, that all the people should agree to be baptized. The king\nproceeded afterwards to North More, and baptized all that district. He\nthen sailed to Hlader, in Throndhjem; had the temple there razed to the\nground; took all the ornaments and all property out of the temple, and\nfrom the gods in it; and among other things the great gold ring which\nEarl Hakon had ordered to be made, and which hung in the door of the\ntemple; and then had the temple burnt. But when the bondes heard of\nthis, they sent out a war-arrow as a token through the whole district,\nordering out a warlike force, and intended to meet the king with it. In\nthe meantime King Olaf sailed with a war force out of the fjord along\nthe coast northward, intending to proceed to Halogaland, and baptize\nthere. When he came north to Bjarnaurar, he heard from Halogaland that\na force was assembled there to defend the country against the king. The\nchiefs of this force were Harek of Thjotta, Thorer Hjort from Vagar,\nand Eyvind Kinrifa. Now when King Olaf heard this, he turned about\nand sailed southwards along the land; and when he got south of Stad\nproceeded at his leisure, and came early in winter (A.D. 998) all the\nway east to Viken.\n\n\n\n\n66. OLAF PROPOSES MARRIAGE TO QUEEN SIGRID.\n\nQueen Sigrid in Svithjod, who had for surname the Haughty, sat in her\nmansion, and during the same winter messengers went between King Olaf\nand Sigrid to propose his courtship to her, and she had no objection;\nand the matter was fully and fast resolved upon. Thereupon King Olaf\nsent to Queen Sigrid the great gold ring he had taken from the temple\ndoor of Hlader, which was considered a distinguished ornament. The\nmeeting for concluding the business was appointed to be in spring on the\nfrontier, at the Gaut river. Now the ring which King Olaf had sent Queen\nSigrid was highly prized by all men; yet the queen's gold-smiths,\ntwo brothers, who took the ring in their hands, and weighed it, spoke\nquietly to each other about it, and in a manner that made the queen call\nthem to her, and ask \"what they smiled at?\" But they would not say a\nword, and she commanded them to say what it was they had discovered.\nThen they said the ring is false. Upon this she ordered the ring to be\nbroken into pieces, and it was found to be copper inside. Then the queen\nwas enraged, and said that Olaf would deceive her in more ways than this\none. In the same year (A.D. 998) King Olaf went into Ringenke, and there\nthe people also were baptized.\n\n\n\n\n67. OLAF HARALDSON BAPTIZED.\n\nAsta, the daughter of Gudbrand, soon after the fall of Harald Grenske\nmarried again a man who was called Sigurd Syr, who was a king in\nRingerike. Sigurd was a son of Halfdan, and grandson of Sigurd Hrise,\nwho was a son of Harald Harfager. Olaf, the son of Asta and Harald\nGrenske, lived with Asta, and was brought up from childhood in the house\nof his stepfather, Sigurd Syr. Now when King Olaf Trygvason came to\nRingerike to spread Christianity, Sigurd Syr and his wife allowed\nthemselves to be baptized, along with Olaf her son; and Olaf Trygvason\nwas godfather to Olaf, the stepson of Harald Grenske. Olaf was then\nthree years old. Olaf returned from thence to Viken, where he remained\nall winter. He had now been three years king in Norway (A.D. 998).\n\n\n\n\n68. MEETING OF OLAF AND SIGRID.\n\nEarly in spring (A.D. 998) King Olaf went eastwards to Konungahella\nto the meeting with Queen Sigrid; and when they met the business was\nconsidered about which the winter before they had held communication,\nnamely, their marriage; and the business seemed likely to be concluded.\nBut when Olaf insisted that Sigrid should let herself be baptized, she\nanswered thus:--\"I must not part from the faith which I have held,\nand my forefathers before me; and, on the other hand, I shall make no\nobjection to your believing in the god that pleases you best.\" Then King\nOlaf was enraged, and answered in a passion, \"Why should I care to have\nthee, an old faded woman, and a heathen jade?\" and therewith struck her\nin the face with his glove which he held in his hands, rose up, and they\nparted. Sigrid said, \"This may some day be thy death.\" The king set off\nto Viken, the queen to Svithjod.\n\n\n\n\n69. THE BURNING OF WARLOCKS.\n\nThen the king proceeded to Tunsberg, and held a Thing, at which he\ndeclared in a speech that all the men of whom it should be known to a\ncertainty that they dealt with evil spirits, or in witchcraft, or were\nsorcerers, should be banished forth of the land. Thereafter the king had\nall the neighborhood ransacked after such people, and called them all\nbefore him; and when they were brought to the Thing there was a man\namong them called Eyvind Kelda, a grandson of Ragnvald Rettilbeine,\nHarald Harfager's son. Eyvind was a sorcerer, and particularly knowing\nin witchcraft. The king let all these men be seated in one room, which\nwas well adorned, and made a great feast for them, and gave them strong\ndrink in plenty. Now when they were all very drunk, he ordered the house\nbe set on fire, and it and all the people within it were consumed, all\nbut Eyvind Kelda, who contrived to escape by the smoke-hole in the roof.\nAnd when he had got a long way off, he met some people on the road going\nto the king, and he told them to tell the king that Eyvind Kelda had\nslipped away from the fire, and would never come again in King Olaf's\npower, but would carry on his arts of witchcraft as much as ever. When\nthe people came to the king with such a message from Eyvind, the king\nwas ill pleased that Eyvind had escaped death.\n\n\n\n\n70. EYVIND KELDA'S DEATH.\n\nWhen spring (A.D. 998) came King Olaf went out to Viken, and was on\nvisits to his great farms. He sent notice over all Viken that he would\ncall out an army in summer, and proceed to the north parts of the\ncountry. Then he went north to Agder; and when Easter was approaching\nhe took the road to Rogaland with 300 (=360) men, and came on Easter\nevening north to Ogvaldsnes, in Kormt Island, where an Easter feast was\nprepared for him. That same night came Eyvind Kelda to the island with\na well-manned long-ship, of which the whole crew consisted of sorcerers\nand other dealers with evil spirits. Eyvind went from his ship to the\nland with his followers, and there they played many of their pranks of\nwitchcraft. Eyvind clothed them with caps of darkness, and so thick a\nmist that the king and his men could see nothing of them; but when they\ncame near to the house at Ogvaldsnes, it became clear day. Then it went\ndifferently from what Eyvind had intended: for now there came just such\na darkness over him and his comrades in witchcraft as they had made\nbefore, so that they could see no more from their eyes than from the\nback of their heads but went round and round in a circle upon the\nisland. When the king's watchman saw them going about, without knowing\nwhat people these were, they told the king. Thereupon he rose up with\nhis people, put on his clothes, and when he saw Eyvind with his men\nwandering about he ordered his men to arm, and examine what folk these\nwere. The king's men discovered it was Eyvind, took him and all his\ncompany prisoners, and brought them to the king. Eyvind now told all he\nhad done on his journey. Then the king ordered these all to be taken out\nto a skerry which was under water in flood tide, and there to be left\nbound. Eyvind and all with him left their lives on this rock, and the\nskerry is still called Skrattasker.\n\n\n\n\n71. OLAF AND ODIN'S APPARITION.\n\nIt is related that once on a time King Olaf was at a feast at this\nOgvaldsnes, and one eventide there came to him an old man very gifted in\nwords, and with a broad-brimmed hat upon his head. He was one-eyed, and\nhad something to tell of every land. He entered into conversation with\nthe king; and as the king found much pleasure in the guest's speech, he\nasked him concerning many things, to which the guest gave good answers:\nand the king sat up late in the evening. Among other things, the king\nasked him if he knew who the Ogvald had been who had given his name both\nto the ness and to the house. The guest replied, that this Ogvald was a\nking, and a very valiant man, and that he made great sacrifices to a cow\nwhich he had with him wherever he went, and considered it good for his\nhealth to drink her milk. This same King Ogvald had a battle with a king\ncalled Varin, in which battle Ogvald fell. He was buried under a mound\nclose to the house; \"and there stands his stone over him, and close\nto it his cow also is laid.\" Such and many other things, and ancient\nevents, the king inquired after. Now, when the king had sat late into\nthe night, the bishop reminded him that it was time to go to bed, and\nthe king did so. But after the king was undressed, and had laid himself\nin bed, the guest sat upon the foot-stool before the bed, and still\nspoke long with the king; for after one tale was ended, he still wanted\na new one. Then the bishop observed to the king, it was time to go to\nsleep, and the king did so; and the guest went out. Soon after the king\nawoke, asked for the guest, and ordered him to be called, but the guest\nwas not to be found. The morning after, the king ordered his cook and\ncellar-master to be called, and asked if any strange person had been\nwith them. They said, that as they were making ready the meat a man\ncame to them, and observed that they were cooking very poor meat for the\nking's table; whereupon he gave them two thick and fat pieces of beef,\nwhich they boiled with the rest of the meat. Then the king ordered that\nall the meat should be thrown away, and said this man can be no other\nthan the Odin whom the heathens have so long worshipped; and added, \"but\nOdin shall not deceive us.\"\n\n\n\n\n72. THE THING IN THRONDHJEM.\n\nKing Olaf collected a great army in the east of the country towards\nsummer, and sailed with it north to Nidaros in the Throndhjem country.\nFrom thence he sent a message-token over all the fjord, calling the\npeople of eight different districts to a Thing; but the bondes changed\nthe Thing-token into a war-token; and called together all men, free and\nunfree, in all the Throndhjem land. Now when the king met the Thing,\nthe whole people came fully armed. After the Thing was seated, the king\nspoke, and invited them to adopt Christianity; but he had only spoken a\nshort time when the bondes called out to him to be silent, or they\nwould attack him and drive him away. \"We did so,\" said they, \"with Hakon\nfoster-son of Athelstan, when he brought us the same message, and we\nheld him in quite as much respect as we hold thee.\" When King Olaf saw\nhow incensed the bondes were, and that they had such a war force that he\ncould make no resistance, he turned his speech as if he would give way\nto the bondes, and said, \"I wish only to be in a good understanding\nwith you as of old; and I will come to where ye hold your greatest\nsacrifice-festival, and see your customs, and thereafter we shall\nconsider which to hold by.\" And in this all agreed; and as the king\nspoke mildly and friendly with the bondes, their answer was appeased,\nand their conference with the king went off peacefully. At the close\nof it a midsummer sacrifice was fixed to take place in Maeren, and all\nchiefs and great bondes to attend it as usual. The king was to be at it.\n\n\n\n\n73. JARNSKEGGE OR IRON BEARD.\n\nThere was a great bonde called Skegge, and sometimes Jarnskegge, or\nIron Beard, who dwelt in Uphaug in Yrjar. He spoke first at the Thing\nto Olaf; and was the foremost man of the bondes in speaking against\nChristianity. The Thing was concluded in this way for that time,--the\nbondes returned home, and the king went to Hlader.\n\n\n\n\n74. THE FEAST AT HLADER.\n\nKing Olaf lay with his ships in the river Nid, and had thirty vessels,\nwhich were manned with many brave people; but the king himself was often\nat Hlader, with his court attendants. As the time now was approaching at\nwhich the sacrifices should be made at Maeren, the king prepared a\ngreat feast at Hlader, and sent a message to the districts of Strind,\nGaulardal, and out to Orkadal, to invite the chiefs and other great\nbondes. When the feast was ready, and the chiefs assembled, there was a\nhandsome entertainment the first evening, at which plenty of liquor went\nround, and the guests were made very drunk. The night after they all\nslept in peace. The following morning, when the king was dressed, he had\nthe early mass sung before him; and when the mass was over, ordered to\nsound the trumpets for a House Thing: upon which all his men left the\nships to come up to the Thing. When the Thing was seated, the king stood\nup, and spoke thus: \"We held a Thing at Frosta, and there I invited the\nbondes to allow themselves to be baptized; but they, on the other hand,\ninvited me to offer sacrifice to their gods, as King Hakon, Athelstan's\nfoster-son, had done; and thereafter it was agreed upon between us that\nwe should meet at Maerin, and there make a great sacrifice. Now if I,\nalong with you, shall turn again to making sacrifice, then will I make\nthe greatest of sacrifices that are in use; and I will sacrifice men.\nBut I will not select slaves or malefactors for this, but will take the\ngreatest men only to be offered to the gods; and for this I select\nOrm Lygra of Medalhus, Styrkar of Gimsar, Kar of Gryting, Asbjorn\nThorbergson of Varnes, Orm of Lyxa, Haldor of Skerdingsstedja;\" and\nbesides these he named five others of the principal men. All these, he\nsaid, he would offer in sacrifice to the gods for peace and a fruitful\nseason; and ordered them to be laid hold of immediately. Now when the\nbondes saw that they were not strong enough to make head against the\nking, they asked for peace, and submitted wholly to the king's pleasure.\nSo it was settled that all the bondes who had come there should be\nbaptized, and should take an oath to the king to hold by the right\nfaith, and to renounce sacrifice to the gods. The king then kept all\nthese men as hostages who came to his feast, until they sent him their\nsons, brothers, or other near relations.\n\n\n\n\n75. OF THE THING IN THRONDHJEM.\n\nKing Olaf went in with all his forces into the Throndhjem country; and\nwhen he came to Maeren all among the chiefs of the Throndhjem people who\nwere most opposed to Christianity were assembled, and had with them all\nthe great bondes who had before made sacrifice at that place. There\nwas thus a greater multitude of bondes than there had been at the\nFrosta-Thing. Now the king let the people be summoned to the Thing,\nwhere both parties met armed; and when the Thing was seated the king\nmade a speech, in which he told the people to go over to Christianity.\nJarnskegge replies on the part of the bondes, and says that the will\nof the bondes is now, as formerly, that the king should not break their\nlaws. \"We want, king,\" said he, \"that thou shouldst offer sacrifice, as\nother kings before thee have done.\" All the bondes applauded his speech\nwith a loud shout, and said they would have all things according to what\nSkegge said. Then the king said he would go into the temple of their\ngods with them, and see what the practices were when they sacrificed.\nThe bondes thought well of this proceeding, and both parties went to the\ntemple.\n\n\n\n\n76. THE THRONDHJEM PEOPLE BAPTIZED.\n\nNow King Olaf entered into the temple with some few of his men and a few\nbondes; and when the king came to where their gods were, Thor, as\nthe most considered among their gods, sat there adorned with gold and\nsilver. The king lifted up his gold-inlaid axe which he carried in his\nhands, and struck Thor so that the image rolled down from its seat. Then\nthe king's men turned to and threw down all the gods from their seats;\nand while the king was in the temple, Jarnskegge was killed outside of\nthe temple doors, and the king's men did it. When the king came forth\nout of the temple he offered the bondes two conditions,--that all should\naccept of Christianity forthwith, or that they should fight with him.\nBut as Skegge was killed, there was no leader in the bondes' army to\nraise the banner against King Olaf; so they took the other condition, to\nsurrender to the king's will and obey his order. Then King Olaf had\nall the people present baptized, and took hostages from them for their\nremaining true to Christianity; and he sent his men round to every\ndistrict, and no man in the Throndhjem country opposed Christianity, but\nall people took baptism.\n\n\n\n\n77. A TOWN IN THE THRONDHJEM COUNTRY.\n\nKing Olaf with his people went out to Nidaros, and made houses on the\nflat side of the river Nid, which he raised to be a merchant town, and\ngave people ground to build houses upon. The king's house he had built\njust opposite Skipakrok; and he transported thither, in harvest, all\nthat was necessary for his winter residence, and had many people about\nhim there.\n\n\n\n\n78. KING OLAF'S MARRIAGE.\n\nKing Olaf appointed a meeting with the relations of Jarnskegge, and\noffered them the compensation or penalty for his bloodshed; for there\nwere many bold men who had an interest in that business. Jarnskegge had\na daughter called Gudrun; and at last it was agreed upon between the\nparties that the king should take her in marriage. When the wedding day\ncame King Olaf and Gudrun went to bed together. As soon as Gudrun, the\nfirst night they lay together, thought the king was asleep, she drew a\nknife, with which she intended to run him through; but the king saw it,\ntook the knife from her, got out of bed, and went to his men, and told\nthem what had happened. Gudrun also took her clothes, and went away\nalong with all her men who had followed her thither. Gudrun never came\ninto the king's bed again.\n\n\n\n\n79. BUILDING OF THE SHIP CRANE.\n\nThe same autumn (A.D. 998) King Olaf laid the keel of a great long-ship\nout on the strand at the river Nid. It was a snekkja; and he employed\nmany carpenters upon her, so that early in winter the vessel was ready.\nIt had thirty benches for rowers, was high in stem and stern, but\nwas not broad. The king called this ship Tranen (the Crane). After\nJarnskegge's death his body was carried to Yrjar, and lies there in the\nSkegge mound on Austrat.\n\n\n\n\n80. THANGBRAND THE PRIEST GOES TO ICELAND.\n\nWhen King Olaf Trygvason had been two years king of Norway (A.D. 997),\nthere was a Saxon priest in his house who was called Thangbrand, a\npassionate, ungovernable man, and a great man-slayer; but he was a good\nscholar, and a clever man. The king would not have him in his house upon\naccount of his misdeeds; but gave him the errand to go to Iceland, and\nbring that land to the Christian faith. The king gave him a merchant\nvessel: and, as far as we know of this voyage of his, he landed first in\nIceland at Austfjord in the southern Alptfjord, and passed the winter in\nthe house of Hal of Sida. Thangbrand proclaimed Christianity in Iceland,\nand on his persuasion Hal and all his house people, and many other\nchiefs, allowed themselves to be baptized; but there were many more\nwho spoke against it. Thorvald Veile and Veterlide the skald composed\na satire about Thangbrand; but he killed them both outright. Thangbrand\nwas two years in Iceland, and was the death of three men before he left\nit.\n\n\n\n\n81. OF SIGURD AND HAUK.\n\nThere was a man called Sigurd, and another called Hauk, both of\nHalogaland, who often made merchant voyages. One summer (A.D. 998) they\nhad made a voyage westward to England; and when they came back to Norway\nthey sailed northwards along the coast, and at North More they met King\nOlaf's people. When it was told the king that some Halogaland people\nwere come who were heathen, he ordered the steersmen to be brought to\nhim, and he asked them if they would consent to be baptized; to which\nthey replied, no. The king spoke with them in many ways, but to no\npurpose. He then threatened them with death and torture: but they would\nnot allow themselves to be moved. He then had them laid in irons, and\nkept them in chains in his house for some time, and often conversed with\nthem, but in vain. At last one night they disappeared, without any man\nbeing able to conjecture how they got away. But about harvest they came\nnorth to Harek of Thjotta, who received them kindly, and with whom they\nstopped all winter (A.D. 999), and were hospitably entertained.\n\n\n\n\n82. OF HAREK OF THJOTTA.\n\nIt happened one good-weather day in spring (A.D. 999) that Harek was\nat home in his house with only few people, and time hung heavy on his\nhands. Sigurd asked him if he would row a little for amusement. Harek\nwas willing; and they went to the shore, and drew down a six-oared\nskiff; and Sigurd took the mast and rigging belonging to the boat out of\nthe boat-house, for they often used to sail when they went for amusement\non the water. Harek went out into the boat to hang the rudder. The\nbrothers Sigurd and Hauk, who were very strong men, were fully armed, as\nthey were used to go about at home among the peasants. Before they went\nout to the boat they threw into her some butter-kits and a bread-chest,\nand carried between them a great keg of ale. When they had rowed a\nshort way from the island the brothers hoisted the sail, while Harek was\nseated at the helm; and they sailed away from the island. Then the two\nbrothers went aft to where Harek the bonde was sitting; and Sigurd says\nto him, \"Now thou must choose one of these conditions,--first, that we\nbrothers direct this voyage; or, if not, that we bind thee fast and take\nthe command; or, third, that we kill thee.\" Harek saw how matters stood\nwith him. As a single man, he was not better than one of those brothers,\neven if he had been as well armed; so it appeared to him wisest to let\nthem determine the course to steer, and bound himself by oath to abide\nby this condition. On this Sigurd took the helm, and steered south\nalong the land, the brothers taking particular care that they did not\nencounter people. The wind was very favourable; and they held on sailing\nalong until they came south to Throndhjem and to Nidaros, where they\nfound the king. Then the king called Harek to him, and in a conference\ndesired him to be baptized. Harek made objections; and although the king\nand Harek talked over it many times, sometimes in the presence of other\npeople, and sometimes alone, they could not agree upon it. At last the\nking says to Harek, \"Now thou mayst return home, and I will do thee no\ninjury; partly because we are related together, and partly that thou\nmayst not have it to say that I caught thee by a trick: but know\nfor certain that I intend to come north next summer to visit you\nHalogalanders, and ye shall then see if I am not able to punish those\nwho reject Christianity.\" Harek was well pleased to get away as fast\nas he could. King Olaf gave Harek a good boat of ten or twelve pair of\noars, and let it be fitted out with the best of everything needful;\nand besides he gave Harek thirty men, all lads of mettle, and well\nappointed.\n\n\n\n\n83. EYVIND KINRIFA'S DEATH.\n\nHarek of Thjotta went away from the town as fast as he could; but Hauk\nand Sigurd remained in the king's house, and both took baptism. Harek\npursued his voyage until he came to Thjotta. He sent immediately a\nmessage to his friend Eyvind Kinrifa, with the word that he had been\nwith King Olaf; but would not let himself be cowed down to accept\nChristianity. The message at the same time informed him that King Olaf\nintended coming to the north in summer against them, and they must be\nat their posts to defend themselves; it also begged Eyvind to come and\nvisit him, the sooner the better. When this message was delivered to\nEyvind, he saw how very necessary it was to devise some counsel to avoid\nfalling into the king's hands. He set out, therefore, in a light vessel\nwith a few hands as fast as he could. When he came to Thjotta he was\nreceived by Harek in the most friendly way, and they immediately entered\ninto conversation with each other behind the house. When they had spoken\ntogether but a short time, King Olaf's men, who had secretly followed\nHarek to the north, came up, and took Eyvind prisoner, and carried him\naway to their ship. They did not halt on their voyage until they came\nto Throndhjem, and presented themselves to King Olaf at Nidaros. Then\nEyvind was brought up to a conference with the king, who asked him to\nallow himself to be baptized, like other people; but Eyvind decidedly\nanswered he would not. The king still, with persuasive words, urged him\nto accept Christianity, and both he and the bishop used many suitable\narguments; but Eyvind would not allow himself to be moved. The king\noffered him gifts and great fiefs, but Eyvind refused all. Then the king\nthreatened him with tortures and death, but Eyvind was steadfast. Then\nthe king ordered a pan of glowing coals to be placed upon Eyvind's\nbelly, which burst asunder. Eyvind cried, \"Take away the pan, and I will\nsay something before I die,\" which also was done. The king said, \"Wilt\nthou now, Eyvind, believe in Christ?\" \"No,\" said Eyvind, \"I can take no\nbaptism; for I am an evil spirit put into a man's body by the sorcery of\nFins because in no other way could my father and mother have a child.\"\nWith that died Eyvind, who had been one of the greatest sorcerers.\n\n\n\n\n84. HALOGALAND MADE CHRISTIAN.\n\nThe spring after (A.D. 999) King Olaf fitted out and manned his ships,\nand commanded himself his ship the Crane. He had many and smart people\nwith him; and when he was ready, he sailed northwards with his fleet\npast Bryda, and to Halogaland. Wheresoever he came to the land, or to\nthe islands, he held a Thing, and told the people to accept the right\nfaith, and to be baptized. No man dared to say anything against it, and\nthe whole country he passed through was made Christian. King Olaf was\na guest in the house of Harek of Thjotta, who was baptized with all his\npeople. At parting the king gave Harek good presents; and he entered\ninto the king's service, and got fiefs, and the privileges of lendsman\nfrom the king.\n\n\n\n\n85. THORER HJORT'S DEATH.\n\nThere was a bonde, by name Raud the Strong, who dwelt in Godey in\nSalten fjord. Raud was a very rich man, who had many house servants; and\nlikewise was a powerful man, who had many Fins in his service when he\nwanted them. Raud was a great idolater, and very skillful in witchcraft,\nand was a great friend of Thorer Hjort, before spoken of. Both were\ngreat chiefs. Now when they heard that King Olaf was coming with a great\nforce from the south to Halogaland, they gathered together an army,\nordered out ships, and they too had a great force on foot. Raud had\na large ship with a gilded head formed like a dragon, which ship had\nthirty rowing benches, and even for that kind of ship was very large.\nThorer Hjort had also a large ship. These men sailed southwards with\ntheir ships against King Olaf, and as soon as they met gave battle. A\ngreat battle there was, and a great fall of men; but principally on the\nside of the Halogalanders, whose ships were cleared of men, so that a\ngreat terror came upon them. Raud rode with his dragon out to sea, and\nset sail. Raud had always a fair wind wheresoever he wished to sail,\nwhich came from his arts of witchcraft; and, to make a short story, he\ncame home to Godey. Thorer Hjort fled from the ships up to the land:\nbut King Olaf landed people, followed those who fled, and killed them.\nUsually the king was the foremost in such skirmishes, and was so now.\nWhen the king saw where Thorer Hjort, who was quicker on foot than any\nman, was running to, he ran after him with his dog Vige. The king said,\n\"Vige! Vige! Catch the deer.\" Vige ran straight in upon him; on which\nThorer halted, and the king threw a spear at him. Thorer struck with his\nsword at the dog, and gave him a great wound; but at the same moment the\nking's spear flew under Thorer's arm, and went through and through him,\nand came out at his other-side. There Thorer left his life; but Vige was\ncarried to the ships.\n\n\n\n\n86. KING OLAF'S VOYAGE TO GODEY.\n\nKing Olaf gave life and freedom to all the men who asked it and agreed\nto become Christian. King Olaf sailed with his fleet northwards along\nthe coast, and baptized all the people among whom he came; and when\nhe came north to Salten fjord, he intended to sail into it to look for\nRaud, but a dreadful tempest and storm was raging in the fjord. They\nlay there a whole week, in which the same weather was raging within\nthe fjord, while without there was a fine brisk wind only, fair for\nproceeding north along the land. Then the king continued his voyage\nnorth to Omd, where all the people submitted to Christianity. Then the\nking turned about and sailed to the south again; but when he came to the\nnorth side of Salten fjord, the same tempest was blowing, and the sea\nran high out from the fjord, and the same kind of storm prevailed for\nseveral days while the king was lying there. Then the king applied to\nBishop Sigurd, and asked him if he knew any counsel about it; and the\nbishop said he would try if God would give him power to conquer these\narts of the Devil.\n\n\n\n\n87. OF RAUD'S BEING TORTURED.\n\nBishop Sigurd took all his mass robes and went forward to the bow of\nthe king's ship; ordered tapers to be lighted, and incense to be brought\nout. Then he set the crucifix upon the stem of the vessel, read the\nEvangelist and many prayers, besprinkled the whole ship with holy water,\nand then ordered the ship-tent to be stowed away, and to row into the\nfjord. The king ordered all the other ships to follow him. Now when all\nwas ready on board the Crane to row, she went into the fjord without the\nrowers finding any wind; and the sea was curled about their keel track\nlike as in a calm, so quiet and still was the water; yet on each side\nof them the waves were lashing up so high that they hid the sight of\nthe mountains. And so the one ship followed the other in the smooth sea\ntrack; and they proceeded this way the whole day and night, until they\nreached Godey. Now when they came to Raud's house his great ship, the\ndragon, was afloat close to the land. King Olaf went up to the house\nimmediately with his people; made an attack on the loft in which Raud\nwas sleeping, and broke it open. The men rushed in: Raud was taken\nand bound, and of the people with him some were killed and some made\nprisoners. Then the king's men went to a lodging in which Raud's house\nservants slept, and killed some, bound others, and beat others. Then\nthe king ordered Raud to be brought before him, and offered him baptism.\n\"And,\" says the king, \"I will not take thy property from thee, but\nrather be thy friend, if thou wilt make thyself worthy to be so.\" Raud\nexclaimed with all his might against the proposal, saying he would never\nbelieve in Christ, and making his scoff of God. Then the king was wroth,\nand said Raud should die the worst of deaths. And the king ordered him\nto be bound to a beam of wood, with his face uppermost, and a round pin\nof wood set between his teeth to force his mouth open. Then the king\nordered an adder to be stuck into the mouth of him; but the serpent\nwould not go into his mouth, but shrunk back when Raud breathed against\nit. Now the king ordered a hollow branch of an angelica root to be stuck\ninto Raud's mouth; others say the king put his horn into his mouth,\nand forced the serpent to go in by holding a red-hot iron before the\nopening. So the serpent crept into the mouth of Raud and down his\nthroat, and gnawed its way out of his side; and thus Raud perished. King\nOlaf took here much gold and silver, and other property of weapons, and\nmany sorts of precious effects; and all the men who were with Raud he\neither had baptized, or if they refused had them killed or tortured.\nThen the king took the dragonship which Raud had owned, and steered it\nhimself; for it was a much larger and handsomer vessel than the Crane.\nIn front it had a dragon's head, and aft a crook, which turned up, and\nended with the figure of the dragon's tail. The carved work on each side\nof the stem and stern was gilded. This ship the king called the Serpent.\nWhen the sails were hoisted they represented, as it were, the dragon's\nwings; and the ship was the handsomest in all Norway. The islands on\nwhich Raud dwelt were called Gylling and Haering; but the whole islands\ntogether were called Godey Isles, and the current between the isles and\nthe mainland the Godey Stream. King Olaf baptized the whole people of\nthe fjord, and then sailed southwards along the land; and on this\nvoyage happened much and various things, which are set down in tales\nand sagas,--namely, how witches and evil spirits tormented his men, and\nsometimes himself; but we will rather write about what occurred when\nKing Olaf made Norway Christian, or in the other countries in which he\nadvanced Christianity. The same autumn Olaf with his fleet returned to\nThrondhjem, and landed at Nidaros, where he took up his winter abode.\nWhat I am now going to write about concerns the Icelanders.\n\n\n\n\n88. OF THE ICELANDERS.\n\nKjartan Olafson, a son's son of Hoskuld, and a daughter's son of Egil\nSkallagrimson, came the same autumn (A.D. 999) from Iceland to Nidaros,\nand he was considered to be the most agreeable and hopeful man of any\nborn in Iceland. There was also Haldor, a son of Gudmund of Modruveller;\nand Kolbein, a son of Thord, Frey's gode, and a brother's son of\nBrennuflose; together with Sverting, a son of the gode Runolf. All\nthese were heathens; and besides them there were many more,--some men\nof power, others common men of no property. There came also from\nIceland considerable people, who, by Thangbrand's help, had been made\nChristians; namely, Gissur the white, a son of Teit Ketilbjornson;\nand his mother was Alof, daughter of herse Bodvar, who was the son of\nVikingakare. Bodvar's brother was Sigurd, father of Eirik Bjodaskalle,\nwhose daughter Astrid was King Olaf's mother. Hjalte Skeggjason was\nthe name of another Iceland man, who was married to Vilborg, Gissur the\nWhite's daughter. Hjalte was also a Christian; and King Olaf was very\nfriendly to his relations Gissur and Hjalte, who live with him. But the\nIceland men who directed the ships, and were heathens, tried to sail\naway as soon as the king came to the town of Nidaros, for they were told\nthe king forced all men to become Christians; but the wind came stiff\nagainst them, and drove them back to Nidarholm. They who directed the\nships were Thorarin Nefjulson, the skald Halfred Ottarson, Brand the\nGenerous, and Thorleik, Brand's son. It was told the king that there\nwere Icelanders with ships there, and all were heathen, and wanted to\nfly from a meeting with the king. Then the king sent them a message\nforbidding them to sail, and ordering them to bring their ships up to\nthe town, which they did, but without discharging the cargoes.\n\n(They carried on their dealings and held a market at the king's pier. In\nspring they tried three times to slip away, but never succeeded; so they\ncontinued lying at the king's pier. It happened one fine day that\nmany set out to swim for amusement, and among them was a man who\ndistinguished himself above the others in all bodily exercises. Kjartan\nchallenged Halfred Vandredaskald to try himself in swimming against\nthis man, but he declined it. \"Then will I make a trial,\" said Kjartan,\ncasting off his clothes, and springing into the water. Then he set after\nthe man, seizes hold of his foot, and dives with him under water. They\ncome up again, and without speaking a word dive again, and are much\nlonger under water than the first time. They come up again, and without\nsaying a word dive a third time, until Kjartan thought it was time to\ncome up again, which, however, he could in no way accomplish, which\nshowed sufficiently the difference in their strength. They were under\nwater so long that Kjartan was almost drowned. They then came up, and\nswam to land. This Northman asked what the Icelander's name was. Kjartan\ntells his name.\n\nHe says, \"Thou art a good swimmer; but art thou expert also in other\nexercises?\"\n\nKjartan replied, that such expertness was of no great value.\n\nThe Northman asks, \"Why dost thou not inquire of me such things as I\nhave asked thee about?\"\n\nKjartan replies, \"It is all one to me who thou art, or what thy name\nis.\"\n\n\"Then will I,\" says he, \"tell thee: I am Olaf Trygvason.\"\n\nHe asked Kjartan much about Iceland, which he answered generally, and\nwanted to withdraw as hastily as he could; but the king said, \"Here is a\ncloak which I will give thee, Kjartan.\" And Kjartan took the cloak with\nmany thanks.) (1)\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) The part included in parenthesis is not found in the\n     original text of \"Heimskringla\", but taken from \"Codex\n     Frisianus\".\n\n\n\n\n89. BAPTISM OF THE ICELANDERS.\n\nWhen Michaelmas came, the king had high mass sung with great splendour.\nThe Icelanders went there, listening to the fine singing and the sound\nof the bells; and when they came back to their ships every man told his\nopinion of the Christian man's worship. Kjartan expressed his pleasure\nat it, but most of the others scoffed at it; and it went according to\nthe proverb, \"the king had many ears,\" for this was told to the king.\nHe sent immediately that very day a message to Kjartan to come to him.\nKjartan went with some men, and the king received him kindly. Kjartan\nwas a very stout and handsome man, and of ready and agreeable speech.\nAfter the king and Kjartan had conversed a little, the king asked him to\nadopt Christianity. Kjartan replies, that he would not say no to that,\nif he thereby obtained the king's friendship; and as the king promised\nhim the fullest friendship, they were soon agreed. The next day Kjartan\nwas baptized, together with his relation Bolle Thorlakson, and all their\nfellow-travelers. Kjartan and Bolle were the king's guests as long\nas they were in their white baptismal clothes, and the king had much\nkindness for them. Wherever they came they were looked upon as people of\ndistinction.\n\n\n\n\n90. HALFRED VANDREDASKALD BAPTIZED.\n\nAs King Olaf one day was walking in the street some men met him, and he\nwho went the foremost saluted the king. The king asked the man his name,\nand he called himself Halfred.\n\n\"Art thou the skald?\" said the king.\n\n\"I can compose poetry,\" replied he.\n\n\"Wilt thou then adopt Christianity, and come into my service?\" asked the\nking.\n\n\"If I am baptized,\" replies he, \"it must be on one condition,--that thou\nthyself art my godfather; for no other will I have.\"\n\nThe king replies, \"That I will do.\" And Halfred was baptized, the king\nholding him during the baptism.\n\nAfterwards the king said, \"Wilt thou enter into my service?\"\n\nHalfred replied, \"I was formerly in Earl Hakon's court; but now I will\nneither enter into thine nor into any other service, unless thou promise\nme it shall never be my lot to be driven away from thee.\"\n\n\"It has been reported to me,\" said the king, \"that thou are neither so\nprudent nor so obedient as to fulfil my commands.\"\n\n\"In that case,\" replied Halfred, \"put me to death.\"\n\n\"Thou art a skald who composes difficulties,\" says the king; \"but into\nmy service, Halfred, thou shalt be received.\"\n\nHalfred says, \"if I am to be named the composer of difficulties, what\ncost thou give me, king, on my name-day?\"\n\nThe king gave him a sword without a scabbard, and said, \"Now compose me\na song upon this sword, and let the word sword be in every line of the\nstrophe.\" Halfred sang thus:\n\n     \"This sword of swords is my reward.\n     For him who knows to wield a sword,\n     And with his sword to serve his lord,\n     Yet wants a sword, his lot is hard.\n     I would I had my good lord's leave\n     For this good sword a sheath to choose:\n     I'm worth three swords when men use,\n     But for the sword-sheath now I grieve.\"\n\nThen the king gave him the scabbard, observing that the word sword was\nwanting in one line of his strophe. \"But there instead are three\nswords in one of the lines,\" says Halfred. \"That is true,\" replies the\nking.--Out of Halfred's lays we have taken the most of the true and\nfaithful accounts that are here related about Olaf Trygvason.\n\n\n\n\n91. THANGBRAND RETURNS FROM ICELAND.\n\nThe same harvest (A.D. 999) Thangbrand the priest came back from Iceland\nto King Olaf, and told the ill success of his journey; namely, that the\nIcelanders had made lampoons about him; and that some even sought to\nkill him, and there was little hope of that country ever being made\nChristian. King Olaf was so enraged at this, that he ordered all the\nIcelanders to be assembled by sound of horn, and was going to kill all\nwho were in the town, but Kjartan, Gissur, and Hjalte, with the other\nIcelanders who had become Christians, went to him, and said, \"King,\nthou must not fail from thy word--that however much any man may irritate\nthee, thou wilt forgive him if he turn from heathenism and become\nChristian. All the Icelanders here are willing to be baptized; and\nthrough them we may find means to bring Christianity into Iceland: for\nthere are many amongst them, sons of considerable people in Iceland,\nwhose friends can advance the cause; but the priest Thangbrand proceeded\nthere as he did here in the court, with violence and manslaughter, and\nsuch conduct the people there would not submit to.\" The king harkened\nto those remonstrances; and all the Iceland men who were there were\nbaptized.\n\n\n\n\n92. OF KING OLAF'S FEATS.\n\nKing Olaf was more expert in all exercises than any man in Norway whose\nmemory is preserved to us in sagas; and he was stronger and more agile\nthan most men, and many stories are written down about it. One is that\nhe ascended the Smalsarhorn, and fixed his shield upon the very peak.\nAnother is, that one of his followers had climbed up the peak after him,\nuntil he came to where he could neither get up nor down; but the king\ncame to his help, climbed up to him, took him under his arm, and bore\nhim to the flat ground. King Olaf could run across the oars outside of\nthe vessel while his men were rowing the Serpent. He could play with\nthree daggers, so that one was always in the air, and he took the one\nfalling by the handle. He could walk all round upon the ship's rails,\ncould strike and cut equally well with both hands, and could cast two\nspears at once. King Olaf was a very merry frolicsome man; gay and\nsocial; was very violent in all respects; was very generous; was very\nfinical in his dress, but in battle he exceeded all in bravery. He was\ndistinguished for cruelty when he was enraged, and tortured many of his\nenemies. Some he burnt in fire; some he had torn in pieces by mad\ndogs; some he had mutilated, or cast down from high precipices. On this\naccount his friends were attached to him warmly, and his enemies\nfeared him greatly; and thus he made such a fortunate advance in his\nundertakings, for some obeyed his will out of the friendliest zeal, and\nothers out of dread.\n\n\n\n\n93. BAPTISM OF LEIF EIRIKSON.\n\nLeif, a son of Eirik the Red, who first settled in Greenland, came this\nsummer (A.D. 999) from Greenland to Norway; and as he met King Olaf he\nadopted Christianity, and passed the winter (A.D. 1000) with the king.\n\n\n\n\n94. FALL OF KING GUDROD.\n\nGudrod, a son of Eirik Bloodaxe and Gunhild, had been ravaging in the\nwest countries ever since he fled from Norway before the Earl Hakon. But\nthe summer before mentioned (A.D. 999), where King Olaf Trygvason had\nruled four years over Norway, Gudrod came to the country, and had many\nships of war with him. He had sailed from England; and when he thought\nhimself near to the Norway coast, he steered south along the land, to\nthe quarter where it was least likely King Olaf would be. Gudrod sailed\nin this way south to Viken; and as soon as he came to the land he began\nto plunder, to subject the people to him, and to demand that they should\naccept of him as king. Now as the country people saw that a great army\nwas come upon them, they desired peace and terms. They offered King\nGudrod to send a Thing-message over all the country, and to accept of\nhim at the Thing as king, rather than suffer from his army; but\nthey desired delay until a fixed day, while the token of the Thing's\nassembling was going round through the land. The king demanded\nmaintenance during the time this delay lasted. The bondes preferred\nentertaining the king as a guest, by turns, as long as he required it;\nand the king accepted of the proposal to go about with some of his men\nas a guest from place to place in the land, while others of his men\nremained to guard the ships. When King Olaf's relations, Hyrning and\nThorgeir, heard of this, they gathered men, fitted out ships, and went\nnorthwards to Viken. They came in the night with their men to a place at\nwhich King Gudrod was living as a guest, and attacked him with fire and\nweapons; and there King Gudrod fell, and most of his followers. Of those\nwho were with his ships some were killed, some slipped away and fled to\ngreat distances; and now were all the sons of Eirik and Gunhild dead.\n\n\n\n\n95. BUILDING OF THE SHIP LONG SERPENT.\n\nThe winter after, King Olaf came from Halogaland (A.D. 1000), he had a\ngreat vessel built at Hladhamrar, which was larger than any ship in the\ncountry, and of which the beam-knees are still to be seen. The length of\nkeel that rested upon the grass was seventy-four ells. Thorberg Skafhog\nwas the man's name who was the master-builder of the ship; but there\nwere many others besides,--some to fell wood, some to shape it, some to\nmake nails, some to carry timber; and all that was used was of the best.\nThe ship was both long and broad and high-sided, and strongly timbered.\n\nWhile they were planking the ship, it happened that Thorberg had to go\nhome to his farm upon some urgent business; and as he remained there a\nlong time, the ship was planked up on both sides when he came back. In\nthe evening the king went out, and Thorberg with him, to see how the\nvessel looked, and everybody said that never was seen so large and so\nbeautiful a ship of war. Then the king returned to the town. Early next\nmorning the king returns again to the ship, and Thorberg with him. The\ncarpenters were there before them, but all were standing idle with their\narms across. The king asked, \"what was the matter?\" They said the ship\nwas destroyed; for somebody had gone from, stem to stern, and cut one\ndeep notch after the other down the one side of the planking. When the\nking came nearer he saw it was so, and said, with an oath, \"The man\nshall die who has thus destroyed the vessel out of envy, if he can be\ndiscovered, and I shall bestow a great reward on whoever finds him out.\"\n\n\"I can tell you, king,\" said Thorberg, \"who has done this piece of\nwork.\"--\n\n\"I don't think,\" replies the king, \"that any one is so likely to find it\nout as thou art.\"\n\nThorberg says, \"I will tell you, king, who did it. I did it myself.\"\n\nThe king says, \"Thou must restore it all to the same condition as\nbefore, or thy life shall pay for it.\"\n\nThen Thorberg went and chipped the planks until the deep notches were\nall smoothed and made even with the rest; and the king and all present\ndeclared that the ship was much handsomer on the side of the hull which\nThorberg, had chipped, and bade him shape the other side in the same\nway; and gave him great thanks for the improvement. Afterwards Thorberg\nwas the master builder of the ship until she was entirely finished.\nThe ship was a dragon, built after the one the king had captured\nin Halogaland; but this ship was far larger, and more carefully put\ntogether in all her parts. The king called this ship Serpent the Long,\nand the other Serpent the Short. The long Serpent had thirty-four\nbenches for rowers. The head and the arched tail were both gilt, and the\nbulwarks were as high as in sea-going ships. This ship was the best and\nmost costly ship ever made in Norway.\n\n\n\n\n96. EARL EIRIK, THE SON OF HAKON.\n\nEarl Eirik, the son of Earl Hakon, and his brothers, with many other\nvaliant men their relations, had left the country after Earl Hakon's\nfall. Earl Eirik went eastwards to Svithjod, to Olaf, the Swedish king,\nand he and his people were well received. King Olaf gave the earl peace\nand freedom in the land, and great fiefs; so that he could support\nhimself and his men well. Thord Kolbeinson speaks of this in the verses\nbefore given. Many people who fled from the country on account of King\nOlaf Trygvason came out of Norway to Earl Eirik; and the earl resolved\nto fit out ships and go a-cruising, in order to get property for himself\nand his people. First he steered to Gotland, and lay there long in\nsummer watching for merchant vessels sailing towards the land, or for\nvikings. Sometimes he landed and ravaged all round upon the sea-coasts.\nSo it is told in the \"Banda-drapa\":--\n\n     \"Eirik, as we have lately heard,\n     Has waked the song of shield and sword--\n     Has waked the slumbering storm of shields\n     Upon the vikings' water-fields:\n     From Gotland's lonely shore has gone\n     Far up the land, and battles won:\n     And o'er the sea his name is spread,\n     To friends a shield, to foes a dread.\"\n\nAfterwards Earl Eirik sailed south to Vindland, and at Stauren found\nsome viking ships, and gave them battle. Eirik gained the victory, and\nslew the vikings. So it is told in the \"Banda-drapa\":--\n\n     \"Earl Eirik, he who stoutly wields\n     The battle-axe in storm of shields,\n     With his long ships surprised the foe\n     At Stauren, and their strength laid low\n     Many a corpse floats round the shore;\n     The strand with dead is studded o'er:\n     The raven tears their sea-bleached skins--\n     The land thrives well when Eirik wins.\"\n\n\n\n\n97. EIRIK'S FORAY ON THE BALTIC COASTS.\n\nEarl Eirik sailed back to Sweden in autumn, and staid there all winter\n(A.D. 997); but in the spring fitted out his war force again, and sailed\nup the Baltic. When he came to Valdemar's dominions he began to plunder\nand kill the inhabitants, and burn the dwellings everywhere as he\ncame along, and to lay waste the country. He came to Aldeigiuburg, and\nbesieged it until he took the castle; and he killed many people, broke\ndown and burned the castle, and then carried destruction all around far\nand wide in Gardarike. So it is told in the \"Banda-drapa\":--\n\n     \"The generous earl, brave and bold,\n     Who scatters his bright shining gold,\n     Eirik with fire-scattering hand,\n     Wasted the Russian monarch's land,--\n     With arrow-shower, and storm of war,\n     Wasted the land of Valdemar.\n     Aldeiga burns, and Eirik's might\n     Scours through all Russia by its light.\"\n\nEarl Eirik was five years in all on this foray; and when he returned\nfrom Gardarike he ravaged all Adalsysla and Eysysla, and took there four\nviking ships from the Danes and killed every man on board. So it is told\nin the \"Banda-drapa\":--\n\n     \"Among the isles flies round the word,\n     That Eirik's blood-devouring sword\n     Has flashed like fire in the sound,\n     And wasted all the land around.\n     And Eirik too, the bold in fight,\n     Has broken down the robber-might\n     Of four great vikings, and has slain\n     All of the crew--nor spared one Dane.\n     In Gautland he has seized the town,\n     In Syssels harried up and down;\n     And all the people in dismay\n     Fled to the forests far away.\n     By land or sea, in field or wave,\n     What can withstand this earl brave?\n     All fly before his fiery hand--\n     God save the earl, and keep the land.\"\n\nWhen Eirik had been a year in Sweden he went over to Denmark (A.D. 996)\nto King Svein Tjuguskeg, the Danish king, and courted his daughter Gyda.\nThe proposal was accepted, and Earl Eirik married Gyda; and a year after\n(A.D. 997) they had a son, who was called Hakon. Earl Eirik was in\nthe winter in Denmark, or sometimes in Sweden; but in summer he went\na-cruising.\n\n\n\n\n98. KING SVEIN'S MARRIAGE.\n\nThe Danish king, Svein Tjuguskeg, was married to Gunhild, a daughter\nof Burizleif, king of the Vinds. But in the times we have just been\nspeaking of it happened that Queen Gunhild fell sick and died. Soon\nafter King Svein married Sigrid the Haughty, a daughter of Skoglartoste,\nand mother of the Swedish king Olaf; and by means of this relationship\nthere was great friendship between the kings and Earl Eirik, Hakon's\nson.\n\n\n\n\n99. KING BURIZLEIF'S MARRIAGE.\n\nBurizleif, the king of the Vinds, complained to his relation Earl\nSigvalde, that the agreement was broken which Sigvalde had made between\nKing Svein and King Burizleif, by which Burizleif was to get in marriage\nThyre, Harald's daughter, a sister of King Svein: but that marriage had\nnot proceeded, for Thyre had given positive no to the proposal to marry\nher to an old and heathen king. \"Now,\" said King Burizleif to Earl\nSigvalde, \"I must have the promise fulfilled.\" And he told Earl Sigvalde\nto go to Denmark, and bring him Thyre as his queen. Earl Sigvalde loses\nno time, but goes to King Svein of Denmark, explains to him the case;\nand brings it so far by his persuasion, that the king delivered his\nsister Thyre into his hands. With her went some female attendants, and\nher foster-father, by name Ozur Agason, a man of great power, and some\nother people. In the agreement between the king and the earl, it was\nsettled that Thyre should have in property the possessions which Queen\nGunhild had enjoyed in Vindland, besides other great properties as\nbride-gifts. Thyre wept sorely, and went very unwillingly. When the\nearl came to Vindland, Burizleif held his wedding with Queen Thyre,\nand received her in marriage; bus as long as she was among heathens she\nwould neither eat nor drink with them, and this lasted for seven days.\n\n\n\n\n100. OLAF GETS THYRE IN MARRIAGE.\n\nIt happened one night that Queen Thyre and Ozur ran away in the dark,\nand into the woods, and, to be short in our story, came at last to\nDenmark. But here Thyre did not dare to remain, knowing that if her\nbrother King Svein heard of her, he would send her back directly to\nVindland. She went on, therefore, secretly to Norway, and never stayed\nher journey until she fell in with King Olaf, by whom she was kindly\nreceived. Thyre related to the king her sorrows, and entreated\nhis advice in her need, and protection in his kingdom. Thyre was a\nwell-spoken woman, and the king had pleasure in her conversation. He saw\nshe was a handsome woman, and it came into his mind that she would be a\ngood match; so he turns the conversation that way, and asks if she will\nmarry him. Now, as she saw that her situation was such that she could\nnot help herself, and considered what a luck it was for her to marry so\ncelebrated a man, she bade him to dispose himself of her hand and fate;\nand, after nearer conversation, King Olaf took Thyre in marriage. This\nwedding was held in harvest after the king returned from Halogaland\n(A.D. 999), and King Olaf and Queen Thyre remained all winter (A.D.\n1000) at Nidaros.\n\nThe following spring Queen Thyre complained often to King Olaf, and wept\nbitterly over it, that she who had so great property in Vindland had no\ngoods or possessions here in the country that were suitable for a queen;\nand sometimes she would entreat the king with fine words to get her\nproperty restored to her, and saying that King Burizleif was so great\na friend of King Olaf that he would not deny King Olaf anything if they\nwere to meet. But when King Olaf's friends heard of such speeches, they\ndissuaded him from any such expedition. It is related at the king one\nday early in spring was walking in the street, and met a man in the\nmarket with many, and, for that early season, remarkably large angelica\nroots. The king took a great stalk of the angelica in his hand, and went\nhome to Queen Thyre's lodging. Thyre sat in her room weeping as the king\ncame in. The king said, \"Set here, queen, is a great angelica stalk,\nwhich I give thee.\" She threw it away, and said, \"A greater present\nHarald Gormson gave to my mother; and he was not afraid to go out of the\nland and take his own. That was shown when he came here to Norway, and\nlaid waste the greater part of the land, and seized on all the scat and\nrevenues; and thou darest not go across the Danish dominions for this\nbrother of mine, King Svein.\" As she spoke thus, King Olaf sprang up,\nand answered with loud oath, \"Never did I fear thy brother King Svein;\nand if we meet he shall give way before me!\"\n\n\n\n\n101. OLAF'S LEVY FOR WAR.\n\nSoon after the king convoked a Thing in the town, and proclaimed to all\nthe public, that in summer would go abroad upon an expedition out of the\ncountry, and would raise both ships and men from every district; and at\nthe same time fixed how many ships would have from the whole Throndhjem\nfjord. Then he sent his message-token south and north, both along the\nsea-coast and up in the interior of the country, to let an army be\ngathered. The king ordered the Long Serpent to be put into the water,\nalong with all his other ships both small and great. He himself steered\nthe Long Serpent. When the crews were taken out for the ships, they were\nso carefully selected that no man on board the Long Serpent was older\nthan sixty or younger than twenty years, and all were men distinguished\nfor strength and courage. Those who were Olaf's bodyguard were in\nparticular chosen men, both of the natives and of foreigners, and the\nboldest and strongest.\n\n\n\n\n102. CREW ON BOARD OF THE LONG SERPENT.\n\nUlf the Red was the name of the man who bore King Olaf's banner, and\nwas in the forecastle of the Long Serpent; and with him was Kolbjorn the\nmarshal, Thorstein Uxafot, and Vikar of Tiundaland, a brother of Arnliot\nGelline. By the bulkhead next the forecastle were Vak Raumason from Gaut\nRiver, Berse the Strong, An Skyte from Jamtaland, Thrand the Strong from\nThelamork, and his brother Uthyrmer. Besides these were, of Halogaland\nmen, Thrand Skjalge and Ogmund Sande, Hlodver Lange from Saltvik,\nand Harek Hvasse; together with these Throndhjem men--Ketil the High,\nThorfin Eisle, Havard and his brothers from Orkadal. The following were\nin the fore-hold: Bjorn from Studla, Bork from the fjords. Thorgrim\nThjodolfson from Hvin, Asbjorn and Orm, Thord from Njardarlog, Thorstein\nthe White from Oprustadar, Arnor from More, Halstein and Hauk from the\nFjord district, Eyvind Snak, Bergthor Bestil, Halkel from Fialer, Olaf\nDreng, Arnfin from Sogn, Sigurd Bild, Einar from Hordaland, and Fin, and\nKetil from Rogaland and Grjotgard the Brisk. The following were in the\nhold next the mast: Einar Tambaskelfer, who was not reckoned as fully\nexperienced, being only eighteen years old; Thorstein Hlifarson,\nThorolf, Ivar Smetta, and Orm Skogarnef. Many other valiant men were\nin the Serpent, although we cannot tell all their names. In every half\ndivision of the hold were eight men, and each and all chosen men; and in\nthe fore-hold were thirty men. It was a common saying among people, that\nthe Long Serpent's crew was as distinguished for bravery, strength, and\ndaring, among other men, as the Long Serpent was distinguished among\nother ships. Thorkel Nefja, the king's brother, commanded the Short\nSerpent; and Thorkel Dydril and Jostein, the king's mother's brothers,\nhad the Crane; and both these ships were well manned. King Olaf had\neleven large ships from Throndhjem, besides vessels with twenty rowers'\nbenches, smaller vessels, and provision-vessels.\n\n\n\n\n103. ICELAND BAPTIZED.\n\nWhen King Olaf had nearly rigged out his fleet in Nidaros, he appointed\nmen over the Throndhjem country in all districts and communities. He\nalso sent to Iceland Gissur the White and Hjalte Skeggjason, to proclaim\nChristianity there; and sent with them a priest called Thormod, along\nwith several men in holy orders. But he retained with him, as hostages,\nfour Icelanders whom he thought the most important; namely, Kjartan\nOlafson, Haldor Gudmundson, Kolbein Thordson, and Sverting Runolfson.\nOf Gissur and Hjalte's progress, it is related that they came to\nIceland before the Althing, and went to the Thing; and in that Thing\nChristianity was introduced by law into Iceland, and in the course of\nthe summer all the people were baptized (A.D. 1000).\n\n\n\n\n104. GREENLAND BAPTIZED\n\nThe same spring King Olaf also sent Leif Eirikson (A.D. 1000) to\nGreenland to proclaim Christianity there, and Leif went there that\nsummer. In the ocean he took up the crew of a ship which had been lost,\nand who were clinging to the wreck. He also found Vinland the Good;\narrived about harvest in Greenland; and had with him for it a priest and\nother teachers, with whom he went to Brattahild to lodge with his father\nEirik. People called him afterwards Leif the Lucky: but his father Eirik\nsaid that his luck and ill luck balanced each other; for if Leif had\nsaved a wreck in the ocean, he had brought a hurtful person with him to\nGreenland, and that was the priest.\n\n\n\n\n105. RAGNVALD SENDS MESSENGERS TO OLAF.\n\nThe winter after King Olaf had baptized Halogaland, he and Queen Thyre\nwere in Nidaros; and the summer before Queen Thyre had brought King Olaf\na boy child, which was both stout and promising, and was called\nHarald, after its mother's father. The king and queen loved the infant\nexceedingly, and rejoiced in the hope that it would grow up and inherit\nafter its father; but it lived barely a year after its birth, which both\ntook much to heart. In that winter were many Icelanders and other clever\nmen in King Olaf's house, as before related. His sister Ingebjorg,\nTrygve's daughter, King Olaf's sister, was also at the court at that\ntime. She was beautiful in appearance, modest and frank with the people,\nhad a steady manly judgment, and was beloved of all. She was very fond\nof the Icelanders who were there, but most of Kjartan Olafson, for he\nhad been longer than the others in the king's house; and he found it\nalways amusing to converse with her, for she had both understanding and\ncleverness in talk. The king was always gay and full of mirth in his\nintercourse with people; and often asked about the manners of the\ngreat men and chiefs in the neighbouring countries, when strangers\nfrom Denmark or Sweden came to see him. The summer before Halfred\nVandredaskald had come from Gautland, where he had been with Earl\nRagnvald, Ulf's son, who had lately come to the government of West\nGautland. Ulf, Ragnvald's father, was a brother of Sigurd the Haughty;\nso that King Olaf the Swede and Earl Ragnvald were brother's and\nsister's children. Halfred told Olaf many things about the earl: he said\nhe was an able chief, excellently fitted for governing, generous with\nmoney, brave and steady in friendship. Halfred said also the earl\ndesired much the friendship of King Olaf, and had spoken of making court\nIngebjorg, Trygve's daughter. The same winter came ambassadors from\nGautland, and fell in with King Olaf in the north, in Nidaros, and\nbrought the message which Halfred had spoken of,--that the earl desired\nto be King Olaf's entire friend, and wished to become his brother-in-law\nby obtaining his sister Ingebjorg in marriage. Therewith the ambassadors\nlaid before the king sufficient tokens in proof that in reality they\ncame from the earl on this errand. The king listened with approbation\nto their speech; but said that Ingebjorg must determine on his assent to\nthe marriage. The king then talked to his sister about the matter, and\nasked her opinion about it. She answered to this effect,--\"I have been\nwith you for some time, and you have shown brotherly care and tender\nrespect for me ever since you came to the country. I will agree\ntherefore to your proposal about my marriage, provided that you do not\nmarry me to a heathen man.\" The king said it should be as she wished.\nThe king then spoke to the ambassadors; and it was settled before they\ndeparted that in summer Earl Ragnvald should meet the king in the east\nparts of the country, to enter into the fullest friendship with each\nother, and when they met they would settle about the marriage. With this\nreply the earl's messengers went westward, and King Olaf remained all\nwinter in Nidaros in great splendour, and with many people about him.\n\n\n\n\n106. OLAF SENDS EXPEDITION TO VINDLAND.\n\nKing Olaf proceeded in summer with his ships and men southwards along\nthe land (and past Stad. With him were Queen Thyre and Ingebjorg,\nTrygveis daughter, the king's sister). Many of his friends also joined\nhim, and other persons of consequence who had prepared themselves to\ntravel with the king. The first man among these was his brother-in-law,\nErling Skjalgson, who had with him a large ship of thirty benches of\nrowers, and which was in every respect well equipt. His brothers-in-law\nHyrning and Thorgeir also joined him, each of whom for himself steered\na large vessel; and many other powerful men besides followed him. (With\nall this war-force he sailed southwards along the land; but when he\ncame south as far as Rogaland he stopped there, for Erling Skjalgson had\nprepared for him a splendid feast at Sole. There Earl Ragnvald, Ulf's\nson, from Gautland, came to meet the king, and to settle the business\nwhich had been proposed in winter in the messages between them, namely,\nthe marriage with Ingebjorg the king's sister. Olaf received him kindly;\nand when the matter came to be spoken of, the king said he would keep\nhis word, and marry his sister Ingebjorg to him, provided he would\naccept the true faith, and make all his subjects he ruled over in his\nland be baptized; The earl agreed to this, and he and all his followers\nwere baptized. Now was the feast enlarged that Erling had prepared, for\nthe earl held his wedding there with Ingebjorg the king's sister. King\nOlaf had now married off all his sisters. The earl, with Ingebjorg, set\nout on his way home; and the king sent learned men with him to baptize\nthe people in Gautland, and to teach them the right faith and morals.\nThe king and the earl parted in the greatest friendship.)\n\n\n\n\n107. OLAF'S EXPEDITION VINDLAND.\n\n(After his sister Ingebjorg's wedding, the king made ready in all haste\nto leave the country with his army, which was both great and made up\nof fine men.) When he left the land and sailed southwards he had sixty\nships of war, with which he sailed past Denmark, and in through the\nSound, and on to Vindland. He appointed a meeting with King Burizleif;\nand when the kings met, they spoke about the property which King Olaf\ndemanded, and the conference went off peaceably, as a good account was\ngiven of the properties which King Olaf thought himself entitled to\nthere. He passed here much of the summer, and found many of his old\nfriends.\n\n\n\n\n108. CONSPIRACY AGAINST KING OLAF.\n\nThe Danish king, Svein Tjuguskeg, was married, as before related, to\nSigrid the Haughty. Sigrid was King Olaf Trygvason's greatest enemy; the\ncause of which, as before said, was that King Olaf had broken off with\nher, and had struck her in the face. She urged King Svein much to give\nbattle to King Olaf Trygvason; saying that he had reason enough, as\nOlaf had married his sister Thyre without his leave, \"and that your\npredecessors would not have submitted to.\" Such persuasions Sigrid\nhad often in her mouth; and at last she brought it so far that Svein\nresolved firmly on doing so. Early in spring King Svein sent messengers\neastward into Svithjod, to his son-in-law Olaf, the Swedish king, and to\nEarl Eirik; and informed them that King Olaf of Norway was levying men\nfor an expedition, and intended in summer to go to Vindland. To this\nnews the Danish king added an invitation to the Swedish king and Earl\nEirik to meet King Svein with an army, so that all together they might\nmake an attack; on King Olaf Trygvason. The Swedish king and Earl Eirik\nwere ready enough for this, and immediately assembled a great fleet\nand an army through all Svithjod, with which they sailed southwards to\nDenmark, and arrived there after King Olaf Trygvason had sailed to\nthe eastward. Haldor the Unchristian tells of this in his lay on Earl\nEirik:--\n\n     \"The king-subduer raised a host\n     Of warriors on the Swedish coast.\n     The brave went southwards to the fight,\n     Who love the sword-storm's gleaming light;\n     The brave, who fill the wild wolf's mouth,\n     Followed bold Eirik to the south;\n     The brave, who sport in blood--each one\n     With the bold earl to sea is gone.\"\n\nThe Swedish king and Earl Eirik sailed to meet the Danish king, and they\nhad all, when together, an immense force.\n\n\n\n\n109. EARL SIGVALDE'S TREACHEROUS PLANS.\n\nAt the same time that king Svein sent a message to Svithjod for an\narmy, he sent Earl Sigvalde to Vindland to spy out King Olaf Trygvason's\nproceedings, and to bring it about by cunning devices that King Svein\nand King Olaf should fall in with each other. So Sigvalde sets out to\ngo to Vindland. First, he came to Jomsborg, and then he sought out King\nOlaf Trygvason. There was much friendship in their conversation, and\nthe earl got himself into great favour with the king. Astrid, the\nEarl's wife, King Burizleif's daughter, was a great friend of King Olaf\nTrygvason, particularly on account of the connection which had been\nbetween them when Olaf was married to her sister Geira. Earl Sigvalde\nwas a prudent, ready-minded man; and as he had got a voice in King\nOlaf's council, he put him off much from sailing homewards, finding\nvarious reasons for delay. Olaf's people were in the highest degree\ndissatisfied with this; for the men were anxious to get home, and they\nlay ready to sail, waiting only for a wind. At last Earl Sigvalde got\na secret message from Denmark that the Swedish king's army was arrived\nfrom the east, and that Earl Eirik's also was ready; and that all these\nchiefs had resolved to sail eastwards to Vindland, and wait for King\nOlaf at an island which is called Svold. They also desired the earl to\ncontrive matters so that they should meet King Olaf there.\n\n\n\n\n110. KING OLAF'S VOYAGE FROM VINDLAND.\n\nThere came first a flying report to Vindland that the Danish king,\nSvein, had fitted out an army; and it was soon whispered that he\nintended to attack King Olaf. But Earl Sigvalde says to King Olaf, \"It\nnever can be King Svein's intention to venture with the Danish force\nalone, to give battle to thee with such a powerful army; but if thou\nhast any suspicion that evil is on foot, I will follow thee with my\nforce (at that time it was considered a great matter to have Jomsborg\nvikings with an army), and I will give thee eleven well-manned ships.\"\nThe king accepted this offer; and as the light breeze of wind that\ncame was favourable, he ordered the ships to get under weigh, and the\nwar-horns to sound the departure. The sails were hoisted and all the\nsmall vessels, sailing fastest, got out to sea before the others. The\nearl, who sailed nearest to the king's ship, called to those on board to\ntell the king to sail in his keel-track: \"For I know where the water\nis deepest between the islands and in the sounds, and these large ships\nrequire the deepest.\" Then the earl sailed first with his eleven ships,\nand the king followed with his large ships, also eleven in number; but\nthe whole of the rest of the fleet sailed out to sea. Now when Earl\nSigvalde came sailing close under the island Svold, a skiff rowed out\nto inform the earl that the Danish king's army was lying in the harbour\nbefore them. Then the earl ordered the sails of his vessels to be\nstruck, and they rowed in under the island. Haldor the Unchristian\nsays:--\n\n     \"From out the south bold Trygve's son\n     With one-and-seventy ships came on,\n     To dye his sword in bloody fight,\n     Against the Danish foeman's might.\n     But the false earl the king betrayed;\n     And treacherous Sigvalde, it is said,\n     Deserted from King Olaf's fleet,\n     And basely fled, the Danes to meet.\"\n\nIt is said here that King Olaf and Earl Sigvalde had seventy sail of\nvessels: and one more, when they sailed from the south.\n\n\n\n\n111. CONSULTATION OF THE KINGS.\n\nThe Danish King Svein, the Swedish King Olaf, and Earl Eirik, were there\nwith all their forces (1000). The weather being fine and clear sunshine,\nall these chiefs, with a great suite, went out on the isle to see the\nvessels sailing out at sea, and many of them crowded together; and they\nsaw among them one large and glancing ship. The two kings said, \"That is\na large and very beautiful vessel: that will be the Long Serpent.\"\n\nEarl Eirik replied, \"That is not the Long Serpent.\" And he was right;\nfor it was the ship belonging to Eindride of Gimsar.\n\nSoon after they saw another vessel coming sailing along much larger than\nthe first; then says King Svein, \"Olaf Trygvason must be afraid, for\nhe does not venture to sail with the figure-head of the dragon upon his\nship.\"\n\nSays Earl Eirik, \"That is not the king's ship yet; for I know that\nship by the coloured stripes of cloth in her sail. That is Erling\nSkialgson's. Let him sail; for it is the better for us that the ship is\naway from Olaf's fleet, so well equipt as she is.\"\n\nSoon after they saw and knew Earl Sigvalde's ships, which turned in and\nlaid themselves under the island. Then they saw three ships coming along\nunder sail, and one of them very large. King Svein ordered his men to go\nto their ships, \"for there comes the Long Serpent.\"\n\nEarl Eirik says, \"Many other great and stately vessels have they besides\nthe Long Serpent. Let us wait a little.\"\n\nThen said many, \"Earl Eirik will not fight and avenge his father; and it\nis a great shame that it should be told that we lay here with so great a\nforce, and allowed King Olaf to sail out to sea before our eyes.\"\n\nBut when they had spoken thus for a short time, they saw four ships\ncoming sailing along, of which one had a large dragon-head richly gilt.\nThen King Svein stood up and said, \"That dragon shall carry me this\nevening high, for I shall steer it.\"\n\nThen said many, \"The Long Serpent is indeed a wonderfully large and\nbeautiful vessel, and it shows a great mind to have built such a ship.\"\n\nEarl Eirik said so loud that several persons heard him, \"If King Olaf\nhad no ether vessels but only that one, King Svein would never take it\nfrom him with the Danish force alone.\"\n\nThereafter all the people rushed on board their ships, took down the\ntents, and in all haste made ready for battle.\n\nWhile the chiefs were speaking among themselves as above related, they\nsaw three very large ships coming sailing along, and at last after them\na fourth, and that was the Long Serpent. Of the large ships which had\ngone before, and which they had taken for the Long Serpent, the first\nwas the Crane; the one after that was the Short Serpent; and when they\nreally, saw the Long Serpent, all knew, and nobody had a word to say\nagainst it, that it must be Olaf Trygvason who was sailing in such a\nvessel; and they went to their ships to arm for the fight.\n\nAn agreement had been concluded among the chiefs, King Svein, King Olaf\nthe Swede, and Earl Eirik, that they should divide Norway among them in\nthree parts, in case they succeeded against Olaf Trygvason; but that he\nof the chiefs who should first board the Serpent should have her, and\nall the booty found in her, and each should have the ships he cleared\nfor himself. Earl Eirik had a large ship of war which he used upon his\nviking expeditions; and there was an iron beard or comb above on both\nsides of the stem, and below it a thick iron plate as broad as the\ncombs, which went down quite to the gunnel.\n\n\n\n\n112. OF KING OLAF'S PEOPLE.\n\nWhen Earl Sigvalde with his vessels rowed in under the island, Thorkel\nDydril of the Crane, and the other ship commanders who sailed with him,\nsaw that he turned his ships towards the isle, and thereupon let fall\nthe sails, and rowed after him, calling out, and asking why he sailed\nthat way. The Earl answered, that he was waiting for king Olaf, as he\nfeared there were enemies in the water. They lay upon their oars until\nThorkel Nefia came up with the Short Serpent and the three ships which\nfollowed him. When they told them the same they too struck sail, and\nlet the ships drive, waiting for king Olaf. But when the king sailed in\ntowards the isle, the whole enemies' fleet came rowing within them out\nto the Sound. When they saw this they begged the king to hold on his\nway, and not risk battle with so great a force. The king replied, high\non the quarter-deck where he stood, \"Strike the sails; never shall men\nof mine think of flight. I never fled from battle. Let God dispose of my\nlife, but flight I shall never take.\" It was done as the king commanded.\nHalfred tells of it thus:--\n\n     \"And far and wide the saying bold\n     Of the brave warrior shall be told.\n     The king, in many a fray well tried,\n     To his brave champions round him cried,\n     'My men shall never learn from me\n     From the dark weapon-cloud to flee.'\n     Nor were the brave words spoken then\n     Forgotten by his faithful men.\"\n\n\n\n\n113. OLAF'S SHIPS PREPARED FOR BATTLE.\n\nKing Olaf ordered the war-horns to sound for all his ships to close up\nto each other. The king's ship lay in the middle of the line, and on\none side lay the Little Serpent, and on the other the Crane; and as they\nmade fast the stems together (1), the Long Serpent's stem and the short\nSerpent's were made fast together; but when the king saw it he called\nout to his men, and ordered them to lay the larger ship more in advance,\nso that its stern should not lie so far behind in the fleet.\n\nThen says Ulf the Red, \"If the Long Serpent is to lie as much more ahead\nof the other ships as she is longer than them, we shall have hard work\nof it here on the forecastle.\"\n\nThe king replies, \"I did not think I had a forecastle man afraid as well\nas red.\"\n\nSays Ulf, \"Defend thou the quarterdeck as I shall the forecastle.\"\n\nThe king had a bow in his hands, and laid an arrow on the string, and\naimed at Ulf.\n\nUlf said, \"Shoot another way, king, where it is more needful: my work is\nthy gain.\"\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) The mode of fighting in sea battles appears, from this and\n     many other descriptions, to have been for each party to bind\n     together the stems and sterns of their own ships, forming\n     them thus into a compact body as soon as the fleets came\n     within fighting distance, or within spears' throw.  They\n     appear to have fought principally from the forecastles; and\n     to have used grappling irons for dragging a vessel out of\n     the line, or within boarding distance.--L.\n\n\n\n\n114. OF KING OLAF.\n\nKing Olaf stood on the Serpent's quarterdeck, high over the others. He\nhad a gilt shield, and a helmet inlaid with gold; over his armour he had\na short red coat, and was easy to be distinguished from other men. When\nKing Olaf saw that the scattered forces of the enemy gathered themselves\ntogether under the banners of their ships, he asked, \"Who is the chief\nof the force right opposite to us?\"\n\nHe was answered, that it was King Svein with the Danish army.\n\nThe king replies, \"We are not afraid of these soft Danes, for there is\nno bravery in them; but who are the troops on the right of the Danes?\"\n\nHe was answered, that it was King Olaf with the Swedish forces.\n\n\"Better it were,\" says King Olaf, \"for these Swedes to be sitting at\nhome killing their sacrifices, than to be venturing under our weapons\nfrom the Long Serpent. But who owns the large ships on the larboard side\nof the Danes?\"\n\n\"That is Earl Eirik Hakonson,\" say they.\n\nThe king replies, \"He, methinks, has good reason for meeting us; and we\nmay expect the sharpest conflict with these men, for they are Norsemen\nlike ourselves.\"\n\n\n\n\n115. THE BATTLE BEGINS.\n\nThe kings now laid out their oars, and prepared to attack (A.D. 1000).\nKing Svein laid his ship against the Long Serpent. Outside of him Olaf\nthe Swede laid himself, and set his ship's stern against the outermost\nship of King Olaf's line; and on the other side lay Earl Eirik. Then a\nhard combat began. Earl Sigvalde held back with the oars on his ships,\nand did not join the fray. So says Skule Thorsteinson, who at that time\nwas with Earl Eirik:--\n\n     \"I followed Sigvalde in my youth,\n     And gallant Eirik, and in truth\n     The' now I am grown stiff and old,\n     In the spear-song I once was bold.\n     Where arrows whistled on the shore\n     Of Svold fjord my shield I bore,\n     And stood amidst the loudest clash\n     When swords on shields made fearful crash.\"\n\nAnd Halfred also sings thus:--\n\n     \"In truth I think the gallant king,\n     Midst such a foemen's gathering,\n     Would be the better of some score\n     Of his tight Throndhjem lads, or more;\n     For many a chief has run away,\n     And left our brave king in the fray,\n     Two great kings' power to withstand,\n     And one great earl's, with his small band,\n     The king who dares such mighty deed\n     A hero for his skald would need.\"\n\n\n\n\n116. FLIGHT OF SVEIN AND OLAF THE SWEDE.\n\nThis battle was one of the severest told of, and many were the people\nslain. The forecastle men of the Long Serpent, the Little Serpent, and\nthe Crane, threw grapplings and stem chains into King Svein's ship, and\nused their weapons well against the people standing below them, for they\ncleared the decks of all the ships they could lay fast hold of; and\nKing Svein, and all the men who escaped, fled to other vessels, and laid\nthemselves out of bow-shot. It went with this force just as King Olaf\nTrygvason had foreseen. Then King Olaf the Swede laid himself in their\nplace; but when he came near the great ships it went with him as with\nthem, for he lost many men and some ships, and was obliged to get away.\nBut Earl Eirik laid his ship side by side with the outermost of King\nOlaf's ships, thinned it of men, cut the cables, and let it drive. Then\nhe laid alongside of the next, and fought until he had cleared it of men\nalso. Now all the people who were in the smaller ships began to run into\nthe larger, and the earl cut them loose as fast as he cleared them of\nmen. The Danes and Swedes laid themselves now out of shooting distance\nall around Olaf's ship; but Earl Eirik lay always close alongside of the\nships, and used hid swords and battle-axes, and as fast as people fell\nin his vessel others, Danes and Swedes, came in their place. So says\nHaldor, the Unchristian:--\n\n     \"Sharp was the clang of shield and sword,\n     And shrill the song of spears on board,\n     And whistling arrows thickly flew\n     Against the Serpent's gallant crew.\n     And still fresh foemen, it is said,\n     Earl Eirik to her long side led;\n     Whole armies of his Danes and Swedes,\n     Wielding on high their blue sword-blades.\"\n\nThen the fight became most severe, and many people fell. But at last it\ncame to this, that all King Olaf Trygvason's ships were cleared of men\nexcept the Long Serpent, on board of which all who could still carry\ntheir arms were gathered. Then Earl Eirik lay with his ship by the side\nof the Serpent, and the fight went on with battle-axe and sword. So says\nHaldor:--\n\n     \"Hard pressed on every side by foes,\n     The Serpent reels beneath the blows;\n     Crash go the shields around the bow!\n     Breast-plates and breasts pierced thro' and thro!\n     In the sword-storm the Holm beside,\n     The earl's ship lay alongside\n     The king's Long Serpent of the sea--\n     Fate gave the earl the victory.\"\n\n\n\n\n117. OF EARL EIRIK.\n\nEarl Eirik was in the forehold of his ship, where a cover of shields (1)\nhad been set up. In the fight, both hewing weapons, sword, and axe, and\nthe thrust of spears had been used; and all that could be used as weapon\nfor casting was cast. Some used bows, some threw spears with the hand.\nSo many weapons were cast into the Serpent, and so thick flew spears and\narrows, that the shields could scarcely receive them, for on all sides\nthe Serpent was surrounded by war-ships. Then King Olaf's men became so\nmad with rage, that they ran on board of the enemies ships, to get at\nthe people with stroke of sword and kill them; but many did not lay\nthemselves so near the Serpent, in order to escape the close encounter\nwith battle-axe or sword; and thus the most of Olaf's men went overboard\nand sank under their weapons, thinking they were fighting on plain\nground. So says Halfred:--\n\n     \"The daring lads shrink not from death;--\n     O'erboard they leap, and sink beneath\n     The Serpent's keel: all armed they leap,\n     And down they sink five fathoms deep.\n     The foe was daunted at the cheers;\n     The king, who still the Serpent steers,\n     In such a strait--beset with foes--\n     Wanted but some more lads like those.\"\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) Both in land and sea fights the commanders appear to have\n     been protected from missile weapons,--stones, arrows,\n     spears,--by a shieldburg: that is, by a party of men\n     bearing shields surrounding them in such a way that the\n     shields were a parapet, covering those within the circle.\n     The Romans had a similar military arrangement of shields in\n     sieges--the testudo.--L.\n\n\n\n\n118. OF EINAR TAMBARSKELVER.\n\nEinar Tambarskelver, one of the sharpest of bowshooters, stood by the\nmast, and shot with his bow. Einar shot an arrow at Earl Eirik, which\nhit the tiller end just above the earl's head so hard that it entered\nthe wood up to the arrow-shaft. The earl looked that way, and asked\nif they knew who had shot; and at the same moment another arrow flew\nbetween his hand and his side, and into the stuffing of the chief's\nstool, so that the barb stood far out on the other side. Then said the\nearl to a man called Fin,--but some say he was of Fin (Laplander) race,\nand was a superior archer,--\"Shoot that tall man by the mast.\" Fin shot;\nand the arrow hit the middle of Einar's bow just at the moment that\nEinar was drawing it, and the bow was split in two parts.\n\n\"What is that,\" cried King Olaf, \"that broke with such a noise?\"\n\n\"Norway, king, from thy hands,\" cried Einar.\n\n\"No! not quite so much as that,\" says the king; \"take my bow, and\nshoot,\" flinging the bow to him.\n\nEinar took the bow, and drew it over the head of the arrow. \"Too weak,\ntoo weak,\" said he, \"for the bow of a mighty king!\" and, throwing the\nbow aside, he took sword and shield, and fought Valiantly.\n\n\n\n\n119. OLAF GIVES HIS MEN SHARP SWORDS.\n\nThe king stood on the gangways of the Long Serpent, and shot the greater\npart of the day; sometimes with the bow, sometimes with the spear,\nand always throwing two spears at once. He looked down over the ship's\nsides, and saw that his men struck briskly with their swords, and yet\nwounded but seldom. Then he called aloud, \"Why do ye strike so gently\nthat ye seldom cut?\" One among the people answered, \"The swords are\nblunt and full of notches.\" Then the king went down into the forehold,\nopened the chest under the throne, and took out many sharp swords, which\nhe handed to his men; but as he stretched down his right hand with them,\nsome observed that blood was running down under his steel glove, but no\none knew where he was wounded.\n\n\n\n\n120. THE SERPENT BOARDED.\n\nDesperate was the defence in the Serpent, and there was the heaviest\ndestruction of men done by the forecastle crew, and those of the\nforehold, for in both places the men were chosen men, and the ship was\nhighest, but in the middle of the ship the people were thinned. Now when\nEarl Eirik saw there were but few people remaining beside the ship's\nmast, he determined to board; and he entered the Serpent with four\nothers. Then came Hyrning, the king's brother-in-law, and some others\nagainst him, and there was the most severe combat; and at last the earl\nwas forced to leap back on board his own ship again, and some who\nhad accompanied him were killed, and others wounded. Thord Kolbeinson\nalludes to this:--\n\n     \"On Odin's deck, all wet with blood,\n     The helm-adorned hero stood;\n     And gallant Hyrning honour gained,\n     Clearing all round with sword deep stained.\n     The high mountain peaks shall fall,\n     Ere men forget this to recall.\"\n\nNow the fight became hot indeed, and many men fell on board the Serpent;\nand the men on board of her began to be thinned off, and the defence to\nbe weaker. The earl resolved to board the Serpent again, and again he\nmet with a warm reception. When the forecastle men of the Serpent saw\nwhat he was doing, they went aft and made a desperate fight; but so many\nmen of the Serpent had fallen, that the ship's sides were in many places\nquite bare of defenders; and the earl's men poured in all around into\nthe vessel, and all the men who were still able to defend the ship\ncrowded aft to the king, and arrayed themselves for his defence. So says\nHaldor the Unchristian:--\n\n     \"Eirik cheers on his men,--\n     'On to the charge again!'\n     The gallant few\n     Of Olaf's crew\n     Must refuge take\n     On the quarter-deck.\n     Around the king\n     They stand in ring;\n     Their shields enclose\n     The king from foes,\n     And the few who still remain\n     Fight madly, but in vain.\n     Eirik cheers on his men--\n     'On to the charge again!'\"\n\n\n\n\n121. THE SERPENT'S DECKS CLEARED.\n\nKolbjorn the marshal, who had on clothes and arms like the kings,\nand was a remarkably stout and handsome man, went up to king on the\nquarter-deck. The battle was still going on fiercely even in the\nforehold (1). But as many of the earl's men had now got into the Serpent\nas could find room, and his ships lay all round her, and few were the\npeople left in the Serpent for defence against so great a force; and in\na short time most of the Serpent's men fell, brave and stout though they\nwere. King Olaf and Kolbjorn the marshal both sprang overboard, each on\nhis own side of the ship; but the earl's men had laid out boats around\nthe Serpent, and killed those who leaped overboard. Now when the king\nhad sprung overboard, they tried to seize him with their hands, and\nbring him to Earl Eirik; but King Olaf threw his shield over his head,\nand sank beneath the waters. Kolbjorn held his shield behind him to\nprotect himself from the spears cast at him from the ships which lay\nround the Serpent, and he fell so upon his shield that it came under\nhim, so that he could not sink so quickly. He was thus taken and brought\ninto a boat, and they supposed he was the king. He was brought before\nthe earl; and when the earl saw it was Kolbjorn, and not the king, he\ngave him his life. At the same moment all of King Olaf's men who were\nin life sprang overboard from the Serpent; and Thorkel Nefia, the king's\nbrother, was the last of all the men who sprang overboard. It is thus\ntold concerning the king by Halfred:--\n\n     \"The Serpent and the Crane\n     Lay wrecks upon the main.\n     On his sword he cast a glance,--\n     With it he saw no chance.\n     To his marshal, who of yore\n     Many a war-chance had come o'er,\n     He spoke a word--then drew in breath,\n     And sprang to his deep-sea death.\"\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) From the occasional descriptions of vessels in this and\n     other battles, it may be inferred that even the Long\n     Serpent, described in the 95th chapter as of 150 feet of\n     keel was only docked fore and aft; the thirty-four benches\n     for rowers occupying the open area in the middle, and\n     probably gangways running along the side for communicating\n     from the quarter-deck to the forcastle.--L.\n\n\n\n\n122. REPORT AMONG THE PEOPLE.\n\nEarl Sigvalde, as before related, came from Vindland, in company with\nKing Olaf, with ten ships; but the eleventh ship was manned with the men\nof Astrid, the king's daughter, the wife of Earl Sigvalde. Now when King\nOlaf sprang overboard, the whole army raised a shout of victory; and\nthen Earl Sigvalde and his men put their oars in the water and rowed\ntowards the battle. Haldor the Unchristian tells of it thus:--\n\n     \"Then first the Vindland vessels came\n     Into the fight with little fame;\n     The fight still lingered on the wave,\n     Tho' hope was gone with Olaf brave.\n     War, like a full-fed ravenous beast,\n     Still oped her grim jaws for the feast.\n     The few who stood now quickly fled,\n     When the shout told--'Olaf is dead!'\"\n\nBut the Vindland cutter, in which Astrid's men were, rowed back to\nVindland; and the report went immediately abroad and was told by many,\nthat King Olaf had cast off his coat-of-mail under water, and had swum,\ndiving under the longships, until he came to the Vindland cutter, and\nthat Astrid's men had conveyed him to Vindland: and many tales have been\nmade since about the adventures of Olaf the king. Halfred speaks thus\nabout it:--\n\n     \"Does Olaf live? or is he dead?\n     Has he the hungry ravens fed?\n     I scarcely know what I should say,\n     For many tell the tale each way.\n     This I can say, nor fear to lie,\n     That he was wounded grievously--\n     So wounded in this bloody strife,\n     He scarce could come away with life.\"\n\nBut however this may have been, King Olaf Trygvason never came back\nagain to his kingdom of Norway. Halfred Vandredaskald speaks also thus\nabout it:\n\n     \"The witness who reports this thing\n     Of Trygvason, our gallant king,\n     Once served the king, and truth should tell,\n     For Olaf hated lies like hell.\n     If Olaf 'scaped from this sword-thing,\n     Worse fate, I fear, befel our king\n     Than people guess, or e'er can know,\n     For he was hemm'd in by the foe.\n     From the far east some news is rife\n     Of king sore wounded saving life;\n     His death, too sure, leaves me no care\n     For cobweb rumours in the air.\n     It never was the will of fate\n     That Olaf from such perilous strait\n     Should 'scape with life!  this truth may grieve--\n     'What people wish they soon believe.'\"\n\n\n\n\n123. OF EARL EIRIK, THE SON OF HAKON.\n\nBy this victory Earl Eirik Hakonson became owner of the Long Serpent,\nand made a great booty besides; and he steered the Serpent from the\nbattle. So says Haldor:--\n\n     \"Olaf, with glittering helmet crowned,\n     Had steered the Serpent through the Sound;\n     And people dressed their boats, and cheered\n     As Olaf's fleet in splendour steered.\n     But the descendent of great Heming,\n     Whose race tells many a gallant sea-king,\n     His blue sword in red life-blood stained,\n     And bravely Olaf's long ship gained.\"\n\nSvein, a son of Earl Hakon, and Earl Eirik's brother, was engaged at\nthis time to marry Holmfrid, a daughter of King Olaf the Swedish king.\nNow when Svein the Danish king, Olaf the Swedish king, and Earl Eirik\ndivided the kingdom of Norway between them, King Olaf got four districts\nin the Throndhjem country, and also the districts of More and Raumsdal;\nand in the east part of the land he got Ranrike, from the Gaut river\nto Svinasund. Olaf gave these dominions into Earl Svein's hands, on the\nsame conditions as the sub kings or earls had held them formerly from\nthe upper-king of the country. Earl Eirik got four districts in the\nThrondhjem country, and Halogaland, Naumudal, the Fjord districts, Sogn,\nHordaland, Rogaland, and North Agder, all the way to the Naze. So says\nThord Kolbeinson:--\n\n     \"All chiefs within our land\n     On Eirik's side now stand:\n     Erling alone, I know\n     Remains Earl Eirik's foe.\n     All praise our generous earl,--\n     He gives, and is no churl:\n     All men are well content\n     Fate such a chief has sent.\n     From Veiga to Agder they,\n     Well pleased, the earl obey;\n     And all will by him stand,\n     To guard the Norsemen's land.\n     And now the news is spread\n     That mighty Svein is dead,\n     And luck is gone from those\n     Who were the Norsemen's foes.\"\n\nThe Danish king Svein retained Viken as he had held it before, but he\ngave Raumarike and Hedemark to Earl Eirik. Svein Hakonson got the title\nof earl from Olaf the Swedish king. Svein was one of the handsomest\nmen ever seen. The earls Eirik and Svein both allowed themselves to\nbe baptized, and took up the true faith; but as long as they ruled in\nNorway they allowed every one to do as he pleased in holding by his\nChristianity. But, on the other hand, they held fast by the old laws,\nand all the old rights and customs of the land, and were excellent men\nand good rulers. Earl Eirik had most to say of the two brothers in all\nmatters of government.\n\n\n\n\nSAGA OF OLAF HARALDSON. (1)\n\n\nPRELIMINARY REMARKS.\n\nOlaf Haraldson the Saint's Saga is the longest, the most important, and\nthe most finished of all the sagas in \"Heimskringla\". The life of Olaf\nwill be found treated more or less freely in \"Agrip\", in \"Historia\nNorvegiae\", in \"Thjodrek the Monk\", in the legendary saga, and in\n\"Fagrskinna\". Other old Norse literature relating to this epoch:\n\nAre's \"Islendingabok\", \"Landnama\", \"Kristni Saga\", \"Biskupa-sogur\",\n\"Njala\", \"Gunlaugs Saga\", \"Ormstungu\", \"Bjarnar Saga Hitdaelakappa\",\n\"Hallfredar Thattr Vandraedaskalde\", \"Eyrbyggia\", \"Viga Styrs Saga\",\n\"Laxdaela\", \"Fostbraedra\", \"Gretla\", \"Liosvetninga\", \"Faereyinga\",\n\"Orkneyinga\".\n\nOlaf Haraldson was born 995, went as a viking at the age of twelve,\n1007; visited England, one summer and three winters, 1009-1012; in\nFrance two summers and one winter, 1012-1013; spent the winter in\nNormandy, 1014; returned to Norway and was recognized as King, April 3,\n1015; fled from Norway the winter of 1028-1029; fell at Stiklestad, July\n29 (or August 31), 1030.\n\nSkalds quoted in this saga are:--Ottar Svarte, Sigvat Skald, Thord\nKolbeinson, Berse Torfason, Brynjolf, Arnor Jarlaskald, Thord Siarekson,\nHarek, Thorarin Loftunga, Halvard Hareksblese, Bjarne Gulbraskald, Jokul\nBardson, Thormod Kolbrunarskald, Gissur, Thorfin Mun, Hofgardaref.\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) King Olaf the Saint reigned from about the year 1015 to\n     1030.  The death of King Olaf Trygvason was in the year\n     1000: and Earl Eirik held the government for the Danish and\n     Swedish kings about fifteen years.--L.\n\n\n\n\n1. OF SAINT OLAF'S BRINGING UP.\n\nOlaf, Harald Grenske's son, was brought up by his stepfather Sigurd Syr\nand his mother Asta. Hrane the Far-travelled lived in the house of\nAsta, and fostered this Olaf Haraldson. Olaf came early to manhood, was\nhandsome in countenance, middle-sized in growth, and was even when very\nyoung of good understanding and ready speech. Sigurd his stepfather was\na careful householder, who kept his people closely to their work, and\noften went about himself to inspect his corn-rigs and meadowland, the\ncattle, and also the smith-work, or whatsoever his people had on hand to\ndo.\n\n\n\n\n2. OF OLAF AND KING SIGURD SYR.\n\nIt happened one day that King Sigurd wanted to ride from home, but there\nwas nobody about the house; so he told his stepson Olaf to saddle his\nhorse. Olaf went to the goats' pen, took out the he-goat that was the\nlargest, led him forth, and put the king's saddle on him, and then went\nin and told King Sigurd he had saddled his riding horse. Now when King\nSigurd came out and saw what Olaf had done, he said \"It is easy to see\nthat thou wilt little regard my orders; and thy mother will think\nit right that I order thee to do nothing that is against thy own\ninclination. I see well enough that we are of different dispositions,\nand that thou art far more proud than I am.\" Olaf answered little, but\nwent his way laughing.\n\n\n\n\n3. OF RING OLAF'S ACCOMPLISHMENTS.\n\nWhen Olaf Haraldson grew up he was not tall, but middle-sized in height,\nalthough very thick, and of good strength. He had light brown hair, and\na broad face, which was white and red. He had particularly fine eyes,\nwhich were beautiful and piercing, so that one was afraid to look him\nin the face when he was angry. Olaf was very expert in all bodily\nexercises, understood well to handle his bow, and was distinguished\nparticularly in throwing his spear by hand: he was a great swimmer,\nand very handy, and very exact and knowing in all kinds of smithwork,\nwhether he himself or others made the thing. He was distinct and acute\nin conversation, and was soon perfect in understanding and strength. He\nwas beloved by his friends and acquaintances, eager in his amusements,\nand one who always liked to be the first, as it was suitable he should\nbe from his birth and dignity. He was called Olaf the Great.\n\n\n\n\n4. KING OLAF'S WAR EXPEDITION.\n\nOlaf Haraldson was twelve years old when he, for the first time, went\non board a ship of war (A.D. 1007). His mother Asta got Hrane, who was\ncalled the foster-father of kings, to command a ship of war and take\nOlaf under his charge; for Hrane had often been on war expeditions.\nWhen Olaf in this way got a ship and men, the crew gave him the title of\nking; for it was the custom that those commanders of troops who were of\nkingly descent, on going out upon a viking cruise, received the title of\nking immediately although they had no land or kingdom. Hrane sat at the\nhelm; and some say that Olaf himself was but a common rower, although he\nwas king of the men-at-arms. They steered east along the land, and came\nfirst to Denmark. So says Ottar Svarte, in his lay which he made about\nKing Olaf:--\n\n     \"Young was the king when from his home\n     He first began in ships to roam,\n     His ocean-steed to ride\n     To Denmark o'er the tide.\n     Well exercised art thou in truth--\n     In manhood's earnest work, brave youth!\n     Out from the distant north\n     Mighty hast thou come forth.\"\n\nTowards autumn he sailed eastward to the Swedish dominions, and there\nharried and burnt all the country round; for he thought he had good\ncause of hostility against the Swedes, as they killed his father Harald.\nOttar Svarte says distinctly that he came from the east, out by way of\nDenmark:--\n\n     \"Thy ship from shore to shore,\n     With many a well-plied car,\n     Across the Baltic foam is dancing.--\n     Shields, and spears, and helms glancing!\n     Hoist high the swelling sail\n     To catch the freshening gale!\n     There's food for the raven-flight\n     Where thy sail-winged ship shall light;\n          Thy landing-tread\n          The people dread;\n     And the wolf howls for a feast\n     On the shore-side in the east.\"\n\n\n\n\n5. OLAF'S FIRST BATTLE.\n\nThe same autumn Olaf had his first battle at Sotasker, which lies in the\nSwedish skerry circle. He fought there with some vikings, whose leader\nwas Sote. Olaf had much fewer men, but his ships were larger, and he\nhad his ships between some blind rocks, which made it difficult for the\nvikings to get alongside; and Olaf's men threw grappling irons into the\nships which came nearest, drew them up to their own vessels, and cleared\nthem of men. The vikings took to flight after losing many men. Sigvat\nthe skald tells of this fight in the lay in which he reckons up King\nOlaf's battles:--\n\n     \"They launch his ship where waves are foaming--\n          To the sea shore\n          Both mast and oar,\n     And sent his o'er the seas a-roaming.\n     Where did the sea-king first draw blood?\n          In the battle shock\n          At Sote's rock;\n     The wolves howl over their fresh food.\"\n\n\n\n\n6. FORAY IN SVITHJOD.\n\nKing Olaf steered thereafter eastwards to Svithjod, and into the Lag\n(the Maelar lake), and ravaged the land on both sides. He sailed all\nthe way up to Sigtuna, and laid his ships close to the old Sigtuna.\nThe Swedes say the stone-heaps are still to be seen which Olaf had laid\nunder the ends of the gangways from the shore to the ships. When autumn\nwas advanced, Olaf Haraldson heard that Olaf the Swedish king was\nassembling an army, and also that he had laid iron chains across\nStoksund (the channel between the Maelar lake and the sea), and had laid\ntroops there; for the Swedish king thought that Olaf Haraldson would\nbe kept in there till frost came, and he thought little of Olaf's force\nknowing he had but few people. Now when King Olaf Haraldson came to\nStoksund he could not get through, as there was a castle west of the\nsound, and men-at-arms lay on the south; and he heard that the Swedish\nking was come there with a great army and many ships. He therefore dug a\ncanal across the flat land Agnafit out to the sea. Over all Svithjod all\nthe running waters fall into the Maelar lake; but the only outlet of it\nto the sea is so small that many rivers are wider, and when much rain or\nsnow falls the water rushes in a great cataract out by Stoksund, and\nthe lake rises high and floods the land. It fell heavy rain just at\nthis time; and as the canal was dug out to the sea, the water and stream\nrushed into it. Then Olaf had all the rudders unshipped and hoisted all\nsail aloft. It was blowing a strong breeze astern, and they steered with\ntheir oars, and the ships came in a rush over all the shallows, and\ngot into the sea without any damage. Now went the Swedes to their king,\nOlaf, and told him that Olaf the Great had slipped out to sea; on which\nthe king was enraged against those who should have watched that Olaf did\nnot get away. This passage has since been called King's Sound; but large\nvessels cannot pass through it, unless the waters are very high. Some\nrelate that the Swedes were aware that Olaf had cut across the tongue of\nland, and that the water was falling out that way; and they flocked to\nit with the intention to hinder Olaf from getting away, but the water\nundermined the banks on each side so that they fell in with the people,\nand many were drowned: but the Swedes contradict this as a false report,\nand deny the loss of people. The king sailed to Gotland in harvest, and\nprepared to plunder; but the Gotlanders assembled, and sent men to the\nking, offering him a scat. The king found this would suit him, and\nhe received the scat, and remained there all winter. So says Ottar\nSvarte:--\n\n     \"Thou seaman-prince! thy men are paid:\n     The scat on Gotlanders is laid;\n          Young man or old\n          To our seamen bold\n          Must pay, to save his head:\n          The Yngling princes fled,\n          Eysvssel people bled;\n     Who can't defend the wealth they have\n     Must die, or share with the rover brave.\"\n\n\n\n\n7. THE SECOND BATTLE.\n\nIt is related here that King Olaf, when spring set in, sailed east to\nEysyssel, and landed and plundered; the Eysyssel men came down to the\nstrand and grave him battle. King Olaf gained the victory, pursued those\nwho fled, and laid waste the land with fire and sword. It is told that\nwhen King Olaf first came to Eysvssel they offered him scat, and when\nthe scat was to be brought down to the strand the king came to meet it\nwith an armed force, and that was not what the bondes there expected;\nfor they had brought no scat, but only their weapons with which they\nfought against the king, as before related. So says Sigvat the skald:--\n\n     \"With much deceit and bustle\n     To the heath of Eysyssel\n     The bondes brought the king,\n     To get scat at their weapon-thing.\n     But Olaf was too wise\n     To be taken by surprise;\n     Their legs scarce bore them off\n     O'er the common test enough.\"\n\n\n\n\n8. THE THIRD BATTLE.\n\nAfter this they sailed to Finland and plundered there, and went up the\ncountry. All the people fled to the forest, and they had emptied their\nhouses of all household goods. The king went far up the country, and\nthrough some woods, and came to some dwellings in a valley called\nHerdaler,--where, however, they made but small booty, and saw no people;\nand as it was getting late in the day, the king turned back to his\nships. Now when they came into the woods again people rushed upon them\nfrom all quarters, and made a severe attack. The king told his men to\ncover themselves with their shields, but before they got out of the\nwoods he lost many people, and many were wounded; but at last, late\nin the evening, he got to the ships. The Finlanders conjured up in the\nnight, by their witchcraft, a dreadful storm and bad weather on the sea;\nbut the king ordered the anchors to be weighed and sail hoisted, and\nbeat off all night to the outside of the land. The king's luck prevailed\nmore than the Finlanders' witchcraft; for he had the luck to beat round\nthe Balagard's side in the night, and so got out to sea. But the Finnish\narmy proceeded on land, making the same progress as the king made with\nhis ships. So says Sigvat:--\n\n     \"The third fight was at Herdaler, where\n     The men of Finland met in war\n     The hero of the royal race,\n     With ringing sword-blades face to face.\n     Off Balagard's shore the waves\n     Ran hollow; but the sea-king saves\n     His hard-pressed ship, and gains the lee\n     Of the east coast through the wild sea.\"\n\n\n\n\n9. THE FOURTH BATTLE IN SUDERVIK.\n\nKing Olaf sailed from thence to Denmark, where he met Thorkel the Tall,\nbrother of Earl Sigvalde, and went into partnership with him; for he was\njust ready to set out on a cruise. They sailed southwards to the Jutland\ncoast, to a place called Sudervik, where they overcame many viking\nships. The vikings, who usually have many people to command, give\nthemselves the title of kings, although they have no lands to rule over.\nKing Olaf went into battle with them, and it was severe; but King Olaf\ngained the victory, and a great booty. So says Sigvat:--\n\n     \"Hark!  hark!  The war-shout\n          Through Sudervik rings,\n     And the vikings bring out\n          To fight the two kings.\n     Great honour, I'm told,\n     Won these vikings so bold:\n     But their bold fight was vain,\n     For the two brave kings gain.\"\n\n\n\n\n10. THE FIFTH BATTLE IN FRIESLAND.\n\nKing Olaf sailed from thence south to Friesland, and lay under the\nstrand of Kinlima in dreadful weather. The king landed with his men; but\nthe people of the country rode down to the strand against them, and he\nfought them. So says Sigvat:--\n\n     \"Under Kinlima's cliff,\n     This battle is the fifth.\n     The brave sea-rovers stand\n     All on the glittering sand;\n     And down the horsemen ride\n     To the edge of the rippling tide:\n     But Olaf taught the peasant band\n     To know the weight of a viking's hand.\"\n\n\n\n\n11. DEATH OF KING SVEIN FORKED BEARD.\n\nThe king sailed from thence westward to England. It was then the case\nthat the Danish king, Svein Forked Beard, was at that time in England\nwith a Danish army, and had been fixed there for some time, and had\nseized upon King Ethelred's kingdom. The Danes had spread themselves\nso widely over England, that it was come so far that King Ethelred\nhad departed from the country, and had gone south to Valland. The same\nautumn that King Olaf came to England, it happened that King Svein died\nsuddenly in the night in his bed; and it is said by Englishmen that\nEdmund the Saint killed him, in the same way that the holy Mercurius\nhad killed the apostate Julian. When Ethelred, the king of the English,\nheard this in Flanders, he returned directly to England; and no sooner\nwas he come back, than he sent an invitation to all the men who would\nenter into his pay, to join him in recovering the country. Then many\npeople flocked to him; and among others, came King Olaf with a great\ntroop of Northmen to his aid. They steered first to London, and sailed\ninto the Thames with their fleet; but the Danes had a castle within. On\nthe other side of the river is a great trading place, which is called\nSudvirke. There the Danes had raised a great work, dug large ditches,\nand within had built a bulwark of stone, timber, and turf, where they\nhad stationed a strong army. King Ethelred ordered a great assault;\nbut the Danes defended themselves bravely, and King Ethelred could make\nnothing of it. Between the castle and Southwark (Sudvirke) there was a\nbridge, so broad that two wagons could pass each other upon it. On the\nbridge were raised barricades, both towers and wooden parapets, in the\ndirection of the river, which were nearly breast high; and under the\nbridge were piles driven into the bottom of the river. Now when the\nattack was made the troops stood on the bridge everywhere, and defended\nthemselves. King Ethelred was very anxious to get possession of the\nbridge, and he called together all the chiefs to consult how they should\nget the bridge broken down. Then said King Olaf he would attempt to lay\nhis fleet alongside of it, if the other ships would do the same. It was\nthen determined in this council that they should lay their war forces\nunder the bridge; and each made himself ready with ships and men.\n\n\n\n\n12. THE SIXTH BATTLE.\n\nKing Olaf ordered great platforms of floating wood to be tied together\nwith hazel bands, and for this he took down old houses; and with these,\nas a roof, he covered over his ships so widely, that it reached over the\nships' sides. Under this screen he set pillars so high and stout, that\nthere both was room for swinging their swords, and the roofs were strong\nenough to withstand the stones cast down upon them. Now when the fleet\nand men were ready, they rode up along the river; but when they came\nnear the bridge, there were cast down upon them so many stones and\nmissile weapons, such as arrows and spears, that neither helmet nor\nshield could hold out against it; and the ships themselves were so\ngreatly damaged, that many retreated out of it. But King Olaf, and the\nNorthmen's fleet with him, rowed quite up under the bridge, laid their\ncables around the piles which supported it, and then rowed off with all\nthe ships as hard as they could down the stream. The piles were thus\nshaken in the bottom, and were loosened under the bridge. Now as the\narmed troops stood thick of men upon the bridge, and there were likewise\nmany heaps of stones and other weapons upon it, and the piles under it\nbeing loosened and broken, the bridge gave way; and a great part of the\nmen upon it fell into the river, and all the ethers fled, some into the\ncastle, some into Southwark. Thereafter Southwark was stormed and\ntaken. Now when the people in the castle saw that the river Thames was\nmastered, and that they could not hinder the passage of ships up\ninto the country, they became afraid, surrendered the tower, and took\nEthelred to be their king. So says Ottar Svarte:--\n\n     \"London Bridge is broken down.--\n     Gold is won, and bright renown.\n          Shields resounding,\n          War-horns sounding,\n     Hild is shouting in the din!\n          Arrows singing,\n          Mail-coats ringing--\n     Odin makes our Olaf win!\"\n\nAnd he also composed these:--\n\n     \"King Ethelred has found a friend:\n     Brave Olaf will his throne defend--\n          In bloody fight\n          Maintain his right,\n          Win back his land\n          With blood-red hand,\n     And Edmund's son upon his throne replace--\n     Edmund, the star of every royal race!\"\n\nSigvat also relates as follows:--\n\n     \"At London Bridge stout Olaf gave\n     Odin's law to his war-men brave--\n          'To win or die!'\n          And their foemen fly.\n     Some by the dyke-side refuge gain--\n     Some in their tents on Southwark plain!\n          The sixth attack\n          Brought victory back.\"\n\n\n\n\n13. THE SEVENTH BATTLE.\n\nKing Olaf passed all the winter with King Ethelred, and had a great\nbattle at Hringmara Heath in Ulfkel's land, the domain which Ulfkel\nSnilling at that time held; and here again the king was victorious. So\nsays Sigvat the skald:--\n\n     \"To Ulfkel's land came Olaf bold,\n     A seventh sword-thing he would hold.\n     The race of Ella filled the plain--\n     Few of them slept at home again!\n     Hringmara heath\n     Was a bed of death:\n     Harfager's heir\n     Dealt slaughter there.\"\n\nAnd Ottar sings of this battle thus:--\n\n     \"From Hringmara field\n          The chime of war,\n     Sword striking shield,\n          Rings from afar.\n     The living fly;\n     The dead piled high\n     The moor enrich;\n     Red runs the ditch.\"\n\nThe country far around was then brought in subjection to King Ethelred:\nbut the Thingmen (1) and the Danes held many castles, besides a great\npart of the country.\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) Thing-men were hired men-at-arms; called Thing-men\n     probably from being men above the class of thralls or unfree men,\n     and entitled to appear at Things, as being udal-born to land at\n     home.\n\n\n\n\n14. EIGHTH AND NINTH BATTLES OF OLAF.\n\nKing Olaf was commander of all the forces when they went against\nCanterbury; and they fought there until they took the town, killing many\npeople and burning the castle. So says Ottar Svarte:--\n\n     \"All in the grey of morn\n          Broad Canterbury's forced.\n     Black smoke from house-roofs borne\n          Hides fire that does its worst;\n     And many a man laid low\n     By the battle-axe's blow,\n     Waked by the Norsemen's cries,\n     Scarce had time to rub his eyes.\"\n\nSigvat reckons this King Olaf's eighth battle:--\n\n     \"Of this eighth battle I can tell\n     How it was fought, and what befell,\n          The castle tower\n          With all his power\n          He could not take,\n          Nor would forsake.\n          The Perthmen fought,\n          Nor quarter sought;\n          By death or flight\n          They left the fight.\n     Olaf could not this earl stout\n     From Canterbury quite drive out.\"\n\nAt this time King Olaf was entrusted with the whole land defence of\nEngland, and he sailed round the land with his ships of War. He laid his\nships at land at Nyjamoda, where the troops of the Thingmen were, and\ngave them battle and gained the victory. So says Sigvat the skald:--\n\n     \"The youthful king stained red the hair\n     Of Angeln men, and dyed his spear\n     At Newport in their hearts' dark blood:\n     And where the Danes the thickest stood--\n     Where the shrill storm round Olaf's head\n     Of spear and arrow thickest fled.\n     There thickest lay the Thingmen dead!\n     Nine battles now of Olaf bold,\n     Battle by battle, I have told.\"\n\nKing Olaf then scoured all over the country, taking scat of the people\nand plundering where it was refused. So says Ottar:--\n\n     \"The English race could not resist thee,\n     With money thou madest them assist thee;\n     Unsparingly thou madest them pay\n     A scat to thee in every way;\n     Money, if money could be got--\n     Goods, cattle, household gear, if not.\n     Thy gathered spoil, borne to the strand,\n     Was the best wealth of English land.\"\n\nOlaf remained here for three years (A.D. 1010-1012).\n\n\n\n\n15. THE TENTH BATTLE.\n\nThe third year King Ethelred died, and his sons Edmund and Edward took\nthe government (A.D. 1012). Then Olaf sailed southwards out to sea, and\nhad a battle at Hringsfjord, and took a castle situated at Holar, where\nvikings resorted, and burnt the castle. So says Sigvat the skald:--\n\n     \"Of the tenth battle now I tell,\n     Where it was fought, and what befell.\n     Up on the hill in Hringsfjord fair\n     A robber nest hung in the air:\n     The people followed our brave chief,\n     And razed the tower of the viking thief.\n     Such rock and tower, such roosting-place,\n     Was ne'er since held by the roving race.\"\n\n\n\n\n16. ELEVENTH, TWELFTH AND THIRTEENTH BATTLES.\n\nThen King Olaf proceeded westwards to Grislupollar, and fought there\nwith vikings at Williamsby; and there also King Olaf gained the victory.\nSo says Sigvat:--\n\n     \"The eleventh battle now I tell,\n     Where it was fought, and what befell.\n     At Grislupol our young fir's name\n     O'ertopped the forest trees in fame:\n     Brave Olaf's name--nought else was heard\n     But Olaf's name, and arm, and sword.\n     Of three great earls, I have heard say,\n     His sword crushed helm and head that day.\"\n\nNext he fought westward on Fetlafjord, as Sigvat tells:--\n\n     \"The twelfth fight was at Fetlafjord,\n     Where Olaf's honour-seeking sword\n     Gave the wild wolf's devouring teeth\n     A feast of warriors doomed to death.\"\n\nFrom thence King Olaf sailed southwards to Seljupollar, where he had a\nbattle. He took there a castle called Gunvaldsborg, which was very large\nand old. He also made prisoner the earl who ruled over the castle and\nwho was called Geirfin. After a conference with the men of the castle,\nhe laid a scat upon the town and earl, as ransom, of twelve thousand\ngold shillings: which was also paid by those on whom it was imposed. So\nsays Sigvat:--\n\n     \"The thirteenth battle now I tell,\n     Where it was fought, and what befell.\n     In Seljupol was fought the fray,\n     And many did not survive the day.\n     The king went early to the shore,\n     To Gunvaldsborg's old castle-tower;\n     And a rich earl was taken there,\n     Whose name was Geridin, I am sure.\"\n\n\n\n\n17. FOURTEENTH BATTLE AND OLAF'S DREAM.\n\nThereafter King Olaf steered with his fleet westward to Karlsar, and\ntarried there and had a fight. And while King Olaf was lying in Karlsa\nriver waiting a wind, and intending to sail up to Norvasund, and then on\nto the land of Jerusalem, he dreamt a remarkable dream--that there came\nto him a great and important man, but of a terrible appearance withal,\nwho spoke to him, and told him to give up his purpose of proceeding to\nthat land. \"Return back to thy udal, for thou shalt be king over Norway\nfor ever.\" He interpreted this dream to mean that he should be king over\nthe country, and his posterity after him for a long time.\n\n\n\n\n18. FIFTEENTH BATTLE.\n\nAfter this appearance to him he turned about, and came to Poitou, where\nhe plundered and burnt a merchant town called Varrande. Of this Ottar\nspeaks:--\n\n     \"Our young king, blythe and gay,\n     Is foremost in the fray:\n     Poitou he plunders, Tuskland burns,--\n     He fights and wins where'er he turns.\"\n\nAnd also Sigvat says:--\n\n     \"The Norsemen's king is on his cruise,\n          His blue steel staining,\n          Rich booty gaining,\n     And all men trembling at the news.\n     The Norsemen's kings up on the Loire:\n          Rich Partheney\n          In ashes lay;\n     Far inland reached the Norsemen's spear.\"\n\n\n\n\n19. OF THE EARLS OF ROUEN.\n\nKing Olaf had been two summers and one winter in the west in Valland on\nthis cruise; and thirteen years had now passed since the fall of King\nOlaf Trygvason. During this time earls had ruled over Norway; first\nHakon's sons Eirik and Svein, and afterwards Eirik's sons Hakon and\nSvein. Hakon was a sister's son of King Canute, the son of Svein. During\nthis time there were two earls in Valland, William and Robert; their\nfather was Richard earl of Rouen. They ruled over Normandy. Their sister\nwas Queen Emma, whom the English king Ethelred had married; and their\nsons were Edmund, Edward the Good, Edwy, and Edgar. Richard the earl of\nRouen was a son of Richard the son of William Long Spear, who was the\nson of Rolf Ganger, the earl who first conquered Normandy; and he again\nwas a son of Ragnvald the Mighty, earl of More, as before related. From\nRolf Ganger are descended the earls of Rouen, who have long reckoned\nthemselves of kin to the chiefs in Norway, and hold them in such respect\nthat they always were the greatest friends of the Northmen; and every\nNorthman found a friendly country in Normandy, if he required it. To\nNormandy King Olaf came in autumn (A.D. 1013), and remained all winter\n(A.D. 1014) in the river Seine in good peace and quiet.\n\n\n\n\n20. OF EINAR TAMBASKELFER.\n\nAfter Olaf Trygvason's fall, Earl Eirik gave peace to Einar\nTambaskelfer, the son of Eindride Styrkarson; and Einar went north with\nthe earl to Norway. It is said that Einar was the strongest man and the\nbest archer that ever was in Norway. His shooting was sharp beyond all\nothers; for with a blunt arrow he shot through a raw, soft ox-hide,\nhanging over a beam. He was better than any man at running on\nsnow-shoes, was a great man at all exercises, was of high family, and\nrich. The earls Eirik and Svein married their sister Bergliot to Einar.\nTheir son was named Eindride. The earls gave Einar great fiefs in\nOrkadal, so that he was one of the most powerful and able men in the\nThrondhjem country, and was also a great friend of the earls, and a\ngreat support and aid to them.\n\n\n\n\n21. OF ERLING SKIALGSON.\n\nWhen Olaf Trygvason ruled over Norway, he gave his brother-in-law Erling\nhalf of the land scat, and royal revenues between the Naze and Sogn. His\nother sister he married to the Earl Ragnvald Ulfson, who long ruled\nover West Gautland. Ragnvald's father, Ulf, was a brother of Sigrid the\nHaughty, the mother of Olaf the Swedish king. Earl Eirik was ill pleased\nthat Erling Skialgson had so large a dominion, and he took to himself\nall the king's estates, which King Olaf had given to Erling. But\nErling levied, as before, all the land scat in Rogaland; and thus the\ninhabitants had often to pay him the land scat, otherwise he laid waste\ntheir land. The earl made little of the business, for no bailiff of his\ncould live there, and the earl could only come there in guest-quarters,\nwhen he had a great many people with him. So says Sigvat:--\n\n     \"Olaf the king\n     Thought the bonde Erling\n     A man who would grace\n     His own royal race.\n     One sister the king\n     Gave the bonde Erling;\n     And one to an earl,\n     And she saved him in peril.\"\n\nEarl Eirik did not venture to fight with Erling, because he had very\npowerful and very many friends, and was himself rich and popular, and\nkept always as many retainers about him as if he held a king's court.\nErling was often out in summer on plundering expeditions, and procured\nfor himself means of living; for he continued his usual way of high and\nsplendid living, although now he had fewer and less convenient fiefs\nthan in the time of his brother-in-law King Olaf Trygvason. Erling was\none of the handsomest, largest, and strongest men; a better warrior than\nany other; and in all exercises he was like King Olaf himself. He was,\nbesides, a man of understanding, jealous in everything he undertook, and\na deadly man at arms. Sigvat talks thus of him:--\n\n     \"No earl or baron, young or old,\n     Match with this bonde brave can hold.\n     Mild was brave Erling, all men say,\n     When not engaged in bloody fray:\n     His courage he kept hid until\n     The fight began, then foremost still\n     Erling was seen in war's wild game,\n     And famous still is Erling's name.\"\n\nIt was a common saying among the people, that Erling had been the most\nvaliant who ever held lands under a king in Norway. Erlings and Astrid s\nchildren were these--Aslak, Skialg, Sigurd, Lodin, Thorer, and Ragnhild,\nwho was married to Thorberg Arnason. Erling had always with him ninety\nfree-born men or more, and both winter and summer it was the custom in\nhis house to drink at the mid-day meal according to a measure (1), but\nat the night meal there was no measure in drinking. When the earl was in\nthe neighbourhood he had 200 (2) men or more. He never went to sea with\nless than a fully-manned ship of twenty benches of rowers. Erling had\nalso a ship of thirty-two benches of rowers, which was besides, very\nlarge for that size, and which he used in viking cruises, or on an\nexpedition; and in it there were 200 men at the very least.\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) There were silver-studs in a row from the rim to the\n     bottom of the drinking born or cup; and as it went round each drank\n     till the stud appeared above the liquor.  This was drinking\n     by measure.--L.\n(2) I.e., 240.\n\n\n\n\n22. OF THE HERSE ERLING SKIALGSON.\n\nErling had always at home on his farm thirty slaves, besides other\nserving-people. He gave his slaves a certain day's work; but after it he\ngave them leisure, and leave that each should work in the twilight and\nat night for himself, and as he pleased. He gave them arable land to sow\ncorn in, and let them apply their crops to their own use. He laid upon\neach a certain quantity of labour to work themselves free by doing it;\nand there were many who bought their freedom in this way in one year, or\nin the second year, and all who had any luck could make themselves free\nwithin three years. With this money he bought other slaves: and to some\nof his freed people he showed how to work in the herring-fishery, to\nothers he showed some useful handicraft; and some cleared his outfields\nand set up houses. He helped all to prosperity.\n\n\n\n\n23. OF EARL EIRIK.\n\nWhen Earl Eirik had ruled over Norway for twelve years, there came a\nmessage to him from his brother-in-law King Canute, the Danish king,\nthat he should go with him on an expedition westward to England; for\nEirik was very celebrated for his campaigns, as he had gained the\nvictory in the two hardest engagements which had ever been fought in\nthe north countries. The one was that in which the Earls Hakon and Eirik\nfought with the Jomsborg vikings; the other that in which Earl Eirik\nfought with King Olaf Trygvason. Thord Kolbeinson speaks of this:--\n\n     \"A song of praise\n     Again I raise.\n     To the earl bold\n     The word is told,\n     That Knut the Brave\n     His aid would crave;\n     The earl, I knew,\n     To friend stands true.\"\n\nThe earl would not sleep upon the message of the king, but sailed\nimmediately out of the country, leaving behind his son Earl Hakon to\ntake care of Norway; and, as he was but seventeen years of age, Einar\nTambaskelfer was to be at his hand to rule the country for him.\n\nEirik met King Canute in England, and was with him when he took the\ncastle of London. Earl Eirik had a battle also to the westward of\nthe castle of London, and killed Ulfkel Snilling. So says Thord\nKolbeinson:--\n\n     \"West of London town we passed,\n     And our ocean-steeds made fast,\n     And a bloody fight begin,\n     England's lands to lose or win.\n     Blue sword and shining spear\n     Laid Ulfkel's dead corpse there,\n     Our Thingmen hear the war-shower sounding\n     Our grey arrows from their shields rebounding.\"\n\nEarl Eirik was a winter in England, and had many battles there. The\nfollowing autumn he intended to make a pilgrimage to Rome, but he died\nin England of a bloody flux.\n\n\n\n\n24. THE MURDER OF EDMUND.\n\nKing Canute came to England the summer that King Ethelred died, and had\nmany battles with Ethelred's sons, in which the victory was sometimes\non one side, sometimes on the other. Then King Canute took Queen Emma in\nmarriage; and their children were Harald, Hardacanute, and Gunhild. King\nCanute then made an agreement with King Edmund, that each of them should\nhave a half of England. In the same month Henry Strion murdered King\nEdmund. King Canute then drove all Ethelred's sons out of England. So\nsays Sigvat:--\n\n     \"Now all the sons of Ethelred\n     Were either fallen, or had fled:\n     Some slain by Canute,--some they say,\n     To save their lives had run away.\"\n\n\n\n\n25. OLAF AND ETHELRED'S SONS.\n\nKing Ethelred's sons came to Rouen in Valland from England, to their\nmother's brother, the same summer that King Olaf Haraldson came from\nthe west from his viking cruise, and they were all during the winter in\nNormandy together. They made an agreement with each other that King Olaf\nshould have Northumberland, if they could succeed in taking England from\nthe Danes. Therefore about harvest, Olaf sent his foster-father Hrane to\nEngland to collect men-at-arms; and Ethelred's sons sent tokens to their\nfriends and relations with him. King Olaf, besides, gave him much money\nwith him to attract people to them. Hrane was all winter in England, and\ngot promises from many powerful men of fidelity, as the people of the\ncountry would rather have native kings over them; but the Danish power\nhad become so great in England, that all the people were brought under\ntheir dominion.\n\n\n\n\n26. BATTLE OF KING OLAF.\n\nIn spring (A.D. 1014) King Olaf and King Ethelred's sons set out\ntogether to the west, and came to a place in England called Jungufurda,\nwhere they landed with their army and moved forward against the castle.\nMany men were there who had promised them their aid. They took the\ncastle; and killed many people. Now when King Canute's men heard of this\nthey assembled an army, and were soon in such force that Ethelred's sons\ncould not stand against it; and they saw no other way left but to return\nto Rouen. Then King Olaf separated from them, and would not go back\nto Valland, but sailed northwards along England, all the way to\nNorthumberland, where he put into a haven at a place called Valde;\nand in a battle there with the townspeople and merchants he gained the\nvictory, and a great booty.\n\n\n\n\n27. OLAF'S EXPEDITION TO NORWAY.\n\nKing Olaf left his long-ships there behind, but made ready two ships of\nburden; and had with him 220 men in them, well-armed, and chosen people.\nHe sailed out to sea northwards in harvest, but encountered a tremendous\nstorm and they were in danger of being lost; but as they had a chosen\ncrew, and the king s luck with them, all went on well. So says Ottar:--\n\n     \"Olaf, great stem of kings, is brave--\n     Bold in the fight, bold on the wave.\n          No thought of fear\n          Thy heart comes near.\n     Undaunted, 'midst the roaring flood,\n     Firm at his post each shipman stood;\n          And thy two ships stout\n          The gale stood out.\"\n\nAnd further he says:--\n\n     \"Thou able chief!  with thy fearless crew\n     Thou meetest, with skill and courage true,\n          The wild sea's wrath\n          On thy ocean path.\n     Though waves mast-high were breaking round.\n     Thou findest the middle of Norway's ground,\n          With helm in hand\n          On Saela's strand.\"\n\nIt is related here that King Olaf came from the sea to the very middle\nof Norway; and the isle is called Saela where they landed, and is\noutside of Stad. King Olaf said he thought it must be a lucky day for\nthem, since they had landed at Saela in Norway; and observed it was a\ngood omen that it so happened. As they were going up in the isle,\nthe king slipped with one foot in a place where there was clay, but\nsupported himself with the other foot. Then said he \"The king falls.\"\n\"Nay,\" replies Hrane, \"thou didst not fall, king, but set fast foot\nin the soil.\" The king laughed thereat, and said, \"It may be so if God\nwill.\" They went down again thereafter to their ships, and sailed to\nUlfasund, where they heard that Earl Hakon was south in Sogn, and was\nexpected north as soon as wind allowed with a single ship.\n\n\n\n\n28. HAKON TAKEN PRISONER BY OLAF.\n\nKing Olaf steered his ships within the ordinary ships' course when he\ncame abreast of Fjaler district, and ran into Saudungssund. There he\nlaid his two vessels one on each side of the sound with a thick cable\nbetween them. At the same moment Hakon, Earl Eirik's son, came rowing\ninto the sound with a manned ship; and as they thought these were but\ntwo merchant-vessels that were lying in the sound, they rowed between\nthem. Then Olaf and his men draw the cable up right under Hakon's ship's\nkeel and wind it up with the capstan. As soon as the vessel's course was\nstopped her stern was lifted up, and her bow plunged down; so that the\nwater came in at her fore-end and over both sides, and she upset. King\nOlaf's people took Earl Hakon and all his men whom they could get hold\nof out of the water, and made them prisoners; but some they killed with\nstones and other weapons, and some were drowned. So says Ottar:--\n\n     \"The black ravens wade\n     In the blood from thy blade.\n     Young Hakon so gay,\n     With his ship, is thy prey:\n     His ship, with its gear,\n     Thou hast ta'en; and art here,\n     Thy forefather's land\n     From the earl to demand.\"\n\nEarl Hakon was led up to the king's ship. He was the handsomest man that\ncould be seen. He had long hair, as fine as silk, bound about his bead\nwith a gold ornament.\n\nWhen he sat down in the fore-hold, the king said to him, \"It is not\nfalse what is said of your family, that ye are handsome people to look\nat; but now your luck has deserted you.\"\n\nHakon the earl replied, \"It has always been the case that success is\nchangeable; and there is no luck in the matter. It has gone with your\nfamily as with mine, to have by turns the better lot. I am little\nbeyond childhood in years; and at any rate we could not have defended\nourselves, as we did not expect any attack on the way. It may turn out\nbetter with us another time.\"\n\nThen said King Olaf, \"Dost thou not apprehend that thou art in that\ncondition that, hereafter, there can be neither victory nor defeat for\nthee?\"\n\nThe earl replies, \"That is what thou only canst determine, king,\naccording to thy pleasure.\"\n\nOlaf says, \"What wilt thou give me, earl, if for this time I let thee\ngo, whole and unhurt?\"\n\nThe earl asks what he would take.\n\n\"Nothing,\" says the king, \"except that thou shalt leave the country,\ngive up thy kingdom, and take an oath that thou shalt never go into\nbattle against me.\"\n\nThe earl answered, that he would do so. And now Earl Hakon took the oath\nthat he would never fight against Olaf, or seek to defend Norway against\nhim, or attack him; and King Olaf thereupon gave him and all his men\nlife and peace. The earl got back the ship which had brought him there,\nand he and his men rowed their way. Thus says Sigvat of him:--\n\n     \"In old Saudungs sound\n     The king Earl Hakon found,\n     Who little thought that there\n     A foeman was so near.\n     The best and fairest youth\n     Earl Hakon was in truth,\n     That speaks the Danish tongue,\n     And of the race of great Hakon.\"\n\n\n\n\n29. HAKON'S DEPARTURE FROM NORWAY.\n\nAfter this (A.D. 1014) the earl made ready as fast as possible to leave\nthe country and sail over to England. He met King Canute, his mother's\nbrother, there, and told him all that had taken place between him and\nKing Olaf. King Canute received him remarkably well, placed him in his\ncourt in his own house, and gave him great power in his kingdom. Earl\nHakon dwelt a long time with King Canute. During the time Svein and\nHakon ruled over Norway, a reconciliation with Erling Skialgson was\neffected, and secured by Aslak, Erling's son, marrying Gunhild, Earl\nSvein's daughter; and the father and son, Erling and Aslak, retained\nall the fiefs which King Olaf Trygvason had given to Erling. Thus Erling\nbecame a firm friend of the earl's, and their mutual friendship was\nconfirmed by oath.\n\n\n\n\n30. ASTA RECEIVES HER SON OLAF.\n\nKing Olaf went now eastward along the land, holding Things with the\nbondes all over the country. Many went willingly with him; but some,\nwho were Earl Svein's friends or relations, spoke against him. Therefore\nKing Olaf sailed in all haste eastward to Viken; went in there with his\nships; set them on the land; and proceeded up the country, in order\nto meet his stepfather, Sigurd Syr. When he came to Vestfold he was\nreceived in a friendly way by many who had been his father's friends or\nacquaintances; and also there and in Folden were many of his family. In\nautumn (A.D. 1014) he proceeded up the country to his stepfather King\nSigurd's, and came there one day very early. As Olaf was coming near to\nthe house, some of the servants ran beforehand to the house, and into\nthe room. Olaf's mother, Asta, was sitting in the room, and around her\nsome of her girls. When the servants told her of King Olaf's approach,\nand that he might soon be expected, Asta stood up directly, and ordered\nthe men and girls to put everything in the best order. She ordered four\ngirls to bring out all that belonged to the decoration of the room and\nput it in order with hangings and benches. Two fellows brought straw\nfor the floor, two brought forward four-cornered tables and the\ndrinking-jugs, two bore out victuals and placed the meat on the table,\ntwo she sent away from the house to procure in the greatest haste all\nthat was needed, and two carried in the ale; and all the other serving\nmen and girls went outside of the house. Messengers went to seek King\nSigurd wherever he might be, and brought to him his dress-clothes, and\nhis horse with gilt saddle, and his bridle, which was gilt and set\nwith precious stones. Four men she sent off to the four quarters of the\ncountry to invite all the great people to a feast, which she prepared as\na rejoicing for her son's return. All who were before in the house she\nmade to dress themselves with the best they had, and lent clothes to\nthose who had none suitable.\n\n\n\n\n31. KING SIGURD'S DRESS.\n\nKing Sigurd Syr was standing in his corn-field when the messengers came\nto him and brought him the news, and also told him all that Asta was\ndoing at home in the house. He had many people on his farm. Some\nwere then shearing corn, some bound it together, some drove it to the\nbuilding, some unloaded it and put it in stack or barn; but the king,\nand two men with him, went sometimes into the field, sometimes to the\nplace where the corn was put into the barn. His dress, it is told, was\nthis:--he had a blue kirtle and blue breeches; shoes which were laced\nabout the legs; a grey cloak, and a grey wide-brimmed hat; a veil before\nhis face; a staff in his hand with a gilt-silver head on it and a silver\nring around it. Of Sigurd's living and disposition it is related that\nhe was a very gain-making man who attended carefully to his cattle and\nhusbandry, and managed his housekeeping himself. He was nowise given\nto pomp, and was rather taciturn. But he was a man of the best\nunderstanding in Norway, and also excessively wealthy in movable\nproperty. Peaceful he was, and nowise haughty. His wife Asta was\ngenerous and high-minded. Their children were, Guthorm, the eldest; then\nGunhild; the next Halfdan, Ingerid, and Harald. The messengers said to\nSigurd, \"Asta told us to bring thee word how much it lay at her heart\nthat thou shouldst on this occasion comport thyself in the fashion of\ngreat men, and show a disposition more akin to Harald Harfager's race\nthan to thy mother's father's, Hrane Thin-nose, or Earl Nereid the Old,\nalthough they too were very wise men.\" The king replies, \"The news ye\nbring me is weighty, and ye bring it forward in great heat. Already\nbefore now Asta has been taken up much with people who were not so near\nto her; and I see she is still of the same disposition. She takes this\nup with great warmth; but can she lead her son out of the business with\nthe same splendour she is leading him into it? If it is to proceed so\nmethinks they who mix themselves up in it regard little property or\nlife. For this man, King Olaf, goes against a great superiority of\npower; and the wrath of the Danish and Swedish kings lies at the foot of\nhis determination, if he ventures to go against them.\"\n\n\n\n\n32. OF THE FEAST.\n\nWhen the king had said this he sat down, and made them take off his\nshoes, and put corduvan boots on, to which he bound his gold spurs.\nThen he put off his cloak and coat, and dressed himself in his finest\nclothes, with a scarlet cloak over all; girded on his sword, set\na gilded helmet upon his head, and mounted his horse. He sent his\nlabouring people out to the neighbourhood, and gathered to him thirty\nwell-clothed men, and rode home with them. As they rode up to the house,\nand were near the room, they saw on the other side of the house the\nbanners of Olaf coming waving; and there was he himself, with about\n100 men all well equipped. People were gathered over all upon the\nhouse-tops. King Sigurd immediately saluted his stepson from horseback\nin a friendly way, and invited him and his men to come in and drink a\ncup with him. Asta, on the contrary, went up and kissed her son, and\ninvited him to stay with her; and land, and people, and all the good she\ncould do for him stood at his service. King Olaf thanked her kindly for\nher invitation. Then she took him by the hand, and led him into the room\nto the high-seat. King Sigurd got men to take charge of their clothes,\nand give their horses corn; and then he himself went to his high-seat,\nand the feast was made with the greatest splendour.\n\n\n\n\n33. CONVERSATION OF OLAF AND SIGURD.\n\nKing Olaf had not been long here before he one day called his stepfather\nKing Sigurd, his mother Asta, and his foster-father Hrane to a\nconference and consultation. Olaf began thus: \"It has so happened,\" said\nhe, \"as is well known to you, that I have returned to this country after\na very long sojourn in foreign parts, during all which time I and my men\nhave had nothing for our support but what we captured in war, for which\nwe have often hazarded both life and soul: for many an innocent man have\nwe deprived of his property, and some of their lives; and foreigners are\nnow sitting in the possessions which my father, his father, and their\nforefathers for a long series of generations owned, and to which I have\nudal right. They have not been content with this, but have taken to\nthemselves also the properties of all our relations who are descended\nfrom Harald Harfager. To some they have left little, to others nothing\nat all. Now I will disclose to you what I have long concealed in my own\nmind, that I intend to take the heritage of my forefathers; but I will\nnot wait upon the Danish or Swedish king to supplicate the least thing\nfrom them, although they for the time call that their property which was\nHarald Harfager's heritage. To say the truth, I intend rather to seek\nmy patrimony with battle-axe and sword, and that with the help of all\nmy friends and relations, and of those who in this business will take my\nside. And in this matter I will so lay hand to the work that one of two\nthings shall happen,--either I shall lay all this kingdom under my rule\nwhich they got into their hands by the slaughter of my kinsman Olaf\nTrygvason, or I shall fall here upon my inheritance in the land of my\nfathers. Now I expect of thee, Sigurd, my stepfather, as well as\nother men here in the country who have udal right of succession to the\nkingdom, according to the law made by King Harald Harfager, that nothing\nshall be of such importance to you as to prevent you from throwing off\nthe disgrace from our family of being slow at supporting the man who\ncomes forward to raise up again our race. But whether ye show any\nmanhood in this affair or not, I know the inclination of the people\nwell,--that all want to be free from the slavery of foreign masters,\nand will give aid and strength to the attempt. I have not proposed\nthis matter to any before thee, because I know thou art a man of\nunderstanding, and can best judge how this my purpose shall be brought\nforward in the beginning, and whether we shall, in all quietness, talk\nabout it to a few persons, or instantly declare it to the people at\nlarge. I have already shown my teeth by taking prisoner the Earl Hakon,\nwho has now left the country, and given me, under oath, the part of the\nkingdom which he had before; and I think it will be easier to have\nEarl Svein alone to deal with, than if both were defending the country\nagainst us.\"\n\nKing Sigurd answers, \"It is no small affair, King Olaf, thou hast in thy\nmind; and thy purpose comes more, methinks, from hasty pride than from\nprudence. But it may be there is a wide difference between my humble\nways and the high thoughts thou hast; for whilst yet in thy childhood\nthou wast full always of ambition and desire of command, and now thou\nart experienced in battles, and hast formed thyself upon the manner of\nforeign chiefs. I know therefore well, that as thou hast taken this into\nthy head, it is useless to dissuade thee from it; and also it is not\nto be denied that it goes to the heart of all who have courage in them,\nthat the whole Harfager race and kingdom should go to the ground. But\nI will not bind myself by any promise, before I know the views and\nintentions of other Upland kings; but thou hast done well in letting\nme know thy purpose, before declaring it publicly to the people. I will\npromise thee, however, my interest with the kings, and other chiefs, and\ncountry people; and also, King Olaf, all my property stands to thy\naid, and to strengthen thee. But we will only produce the matter to the\ncommunity so soon as we see some progress, and expect some strength to\nthis undertaking; for thou canst easily perceive that it is a daring\nmeasure to enter into strife with Olaf the Swedish king, and Canute, who\nis king both of Denmark and England; and thou requirest great support\nunder thee, if it is to succeed. It is not unlikely, in my opinion, that\nthou wilt get good support from the people, as the commonalty always\nloves what is new; and it went so before, when Olaf Trygvason came here\nto the country, that all rejoiced at it, although he did not long enjoy\nthe kingdom.\"\n\nWhen the consultation had proceeded so far, Asta took up the word. \"For\nmy part, my son, I am rejoiced at thy arrival, but much more at thy\nadvancing thy honour. I will spare nothing for that purpose that stands\nin my power, although it be but little help that can be expected from\nme. But if a choice could be made, I would rather that thou shouldst be\nthe supreme king of Norway, even if thou shouldst not sit longer in\nthy kingdom than Olaf Trygvason did, than that thou shouldst not be a\ngreater king than Sigurd Syr is, and die the death of old age.\" With\nthis the conference closed. King Olaf remained here a while with all his\nmen. King Sigurd entertained them, day about, the one day with fish and\nmilk, the other day with flesh-meat and ale.\n\n\n\n\n34. KINGS IN THE UPLAND DISTRICTS.\n\nAt that time there were many kings in the Uplands who had districts to\nrule over, and the most of them were descended from Harald Harfager. In\nHedemark two brothers ruled--Hrorek and Ring; in Gudbrandsdal, Gudrod;\nand there was also a king in Raumarike; and one had Hadaland and Thoten;\nand in Valders also there was a king. With these district-kings Sigurd\nhad a meeting up in Hadaland, and Olaf Haraldson also met with them. To\nthese district-kings whom Sigurd had assembled he set forth his stepson\nOlaf's purpose, and asked their aid, both of men and in counsel and\nconsent; and represented to them how necessary it was to cast off the\nyoke which the Danes and Swedes had laid upon them. He said that there\nwas now a man before them who could head such an enterprise; and he\nrecounted the many brave actions which Olaf had achieved upon his\nwar-expeditions.\n\nThen King Hrorek says, \"True it is that Harald Harfager's kingdom has\ngone to decay, none of his race being supreme king over Norway. But\nthe people here in the country have experienced many things. When King\nHakon, Athelstan's foster-son, was king, all were content; but when\nGunhild's sons ruled over the country, all were so weary of their\ntyranny and injustice that they would rather have foreign men as kings,\nand be themselves more their own rulers; for the foreign kings were\nusually abroad and cared little about the customs of the people if the\nscat they laid on the country was paid. When enmity arose between\nthe Danish king Harald and Earl Hakon, the Jomsborg vikings made an\nexpedition against Norway; then the whole people arose, and threw the\nhostilities from themselves; and thereafter the people encouraged Earl\nHakon to keep the country, and defend it with sword and spear against\nthe Danish king. But when he had set himself fast in the kingdom with\nthe help of the people, he became so hard and overbearing towards the\ncountry-folks, that they would no longer suffer him. The Throndhjem\npeople killed him, and raised to the kingly power Olaf Trygvason, who\nwas of the udal succession to the kingdom, and in all respects well\nfitted to be a chief. The whole country's desire was to make him supreme\nking, and raise again the kingdom which Harald Harfager had made for\nhimself. But when King Olaf thought himself quite firmly seated in his\nkingdom, no man could rule his own concerns for him. With us small kings\nhe was so unreasonable, as to take to himself not only all the scat and\nduties which Harald Harfager had levied from us, but a great deal more.\nThe people at last had so little freedom under him, that it was not\nallowed to every man to believe in what god he pleased. Now since he\nhas been taken away we have kept friendly with the Danish king; have\nreceived great help from him when we have had any occasion for it; and\nhave been allowed to rule ourselves, and live in peace and quiet in the\ninland country, and without any overburden. I am therefore content that\nthings be as they are, for I do not see what better rights I am to enjoy\nby one of my relations ruling over the country; and if I am to be no\nbetter off, I will take no part in the affair.\"\n\nThen said King Ring, his brother, \"I will also declare my opinion that\nit is better for me, if I hold the same power and property as now, that\nmy relative is king over Norway, rather than a foreign chief, so that\nour family may again raise its head in the land. It is, besides, my\nopinion about this man Olaf, that his fate and luck must determine\nwhether he is to obtain the kingdom or not; and if he succeed in making\nhimself supreme king, then he will be the best off who has best deserved\nhis friendship. At present he has in no respect greater power than any\nof us; nay, indeed, he has less; as we have lands and kingdoms to rule\nover, and he has nothing, and we are equally entitled by the udal right\nto the kingdom as he is himself. Now, if we will be his men, give him\nour aid, allow him to take the highest dignity in the country, and stand\nby him with our strength, how should he not reward us well, and hold\nit in remembrance to our great advantage, if he be the honourable man\nI believe him to be, and all say he is? Therefore let us join the\nadventure, say I, and bind ourselves in friendship with him.\"\n\nThen the others, one after the other, stood up and spoke; and the\nconclusion was, that the most of them determined to enter into a league\nwith King Olaf. He promised them his perfect friendship, and that he\nwould hold by and improve the country's laws and rights, if he became\nsupreme king of Norway. This league was confirmed by oath.\n\n\n\n\n35. OLAF GETS THE TITLE OF KING FROM THE THING.\n\nThereafter the kings summoned a Thing, and there King Olaf set forth\nthis determination to all the people, and his demand on the kingly\npower. He desires that the bondes should receive him as king; and\npromises, on the other hand, to allow them to retain their ancient laws,\nand to defend the land from foreign masters and chiefs. On this point he\nspoke well, and long; and he got great praise for his speech. Then the\nkings rose and spoke, the one after the other, and supported his cause,\nand this message to the people. At last it came to this, that King Olaf\nwas proclaimed king over the whole country, and the kingdom adjudged to\nhim according to law in the Uplands (A.D. 1014).\n\n\n\n\n36. KING OLAF TRAVELS IN THE UPLANDS.\n\nKing Olaf began immediately his progress through the country, appointing\nfeasts before him wherever there were royal farms. First he travelled\nround in Hadaland, and then he proceeded north to Gudbrandsdal. And now\nit went as King Sigurd Syr had foretold, that people streamed to him\nfrom all quarters; and he did not appear to have need for half of them,\nfor he had nearly 300 men. But the entertainments bespoken did not\nhalf serve; for it had been the custom that kings went about in\nguest-quarters in the Uplands with 60 or 70 men only, and never with\nmore than 100 men. The king therefore hastened over the country, only\nstopping one night at the same place. When he came north to Dovrefield,\nhe arranged his journey so that he came over the mountain and down upon\nthe north side of it, and then came to Opdal, where he remained all\nnight. Afterwards he proceeded through Opdal forest, and came out at\nMedaldal, where he proclaimed a Thing, and summoned the bondes to meet\nhim at it. The king made a speech to the Thing, and asked the bondes to\naccept him as king; and promised, on his part, the laws and rights which\nKing Olaf Trygvason had offered them. The bondes had no strength to\nmake opposition to the king; so the result was that they received him as\nking, and confirmed it by oath: but they sent word to Orkadal and Skaun\nof all that they knew concerning Olaf's proceedings.\n\n\n\n\n37. LEVY AGAINST OLAF IN THRONDHJEM.\n\nEinar Tambaskelfer had a farm and house at Husaby in Skaun; and now when\nhe got news of Olaf's proceedings, he immediately split up a war-arrow,\nand sent it out as a token to the four quarters--north, south, east,\nwest,--to call together all free and unfree men in full equipment of\nwar: therewith the message, that they were to defend the land against\nKing Olaf. The message-stick went to Orkadal, and thence to Gaulardal,\nwhere the whole war-force was to assemble.\n\n\n\n\n38. OLAF'S PROGRESS IN THRONDHJEM.\n\nKing Olaf proceeded with his men down into Orkadal, and advanced in\npeace and with all gentleness; but when he came to Griotar he met the\nassembled bondes, amounting to more than 700 men. Then the king arrayed\nhis army, for he thought the bondes were to give battle. When the bondes\nsaw this, they also began to put their men in order; but it went on\nvery slowly, for they had not agreed beforehand who among them should be\ncommander. Now when King Olaf saw there was confusion among the bondes,\nhe sent to them Thorer Gudbrandson; and when he came he told them King\nOlaf did not want to fight them, but named twelve of the ablest men in\ntheir flock of people, who were desired to come to King Olaf. The bondes\nagreed to this; and the twelve men went over a rising ground which is\nthere, and came to the place where the king's army stood in array. The\nking said to them, \"Ye bondes have done well to give me an opportunity\nto speak with you, for now I will explain to you my errand here to the\nThrondhjem country. First I must tell you, what ye already must have\nheard, that Earl Hakon and I met in summer; and the issue of our meeting\nwas, that he gave me the whole kingdom he possessed in the Throndhjem\ncountry, which, as ye know, consists of Orkadal, Gaulardal, Strind, and\nEyna district. As a proof of this, I have here with me the very men who\nwere present, and saw the earl's and my own hands given upon it, and\nheard the word and oath, and witnessed the agreement the earl made\nwith me. Now I offer you peace and law, the same as King Olaf Trygvason\noffered before me.\"\n\nThe king spoke well, and long; and ended by proposing to the bondes two\nconditions--either to go into his service and be subject to him, or to\nfight him. Thereupon the twelve bondes went back to their people, and\ntold the issue of their errand, and considered with the people what they\nshould resolve upon. Although they discussed the matter backwards and\nforwards for a while, they preferred at last to submit to the king; and\nit was confirmed by the oath of the bondes. The king now proceeded on\nhis journey, and the bondes made feasts for him. The king then proceeded\nto the sea-coast, and got ships; and among others he got a long-ship of\ntwenty benches of rowers from Gunnar of Gelmin; another ship of twenty\nbenches he got from Loden of Viggia; and three ships of twenty benches\nfrom the farm of Angrar on the ness which farm Earl Hakon had possessed,\nbut a steward managed it for him, by name Bard White. The king had,\nbesides, four or five boats; and with these vessels he went in all haste\ninto the fjord of Throndhjem.\n\n\n\n\n39. OF EARL SVEIN'S PROCEEDINGS.\n\nEarl Svein was at that time far up in the Throndhjem fjord at Steinker,\nwhich at that time was a merchant town, and was there preparing for\nthe yule festival (A.D. 1015). When Einar Tambaskelfer heard that the\nOrkadal people had submitted to King Olaf, he sent men to Earl Svein\nto bring him the tidings. They went first to Nidaros, and took a\nrowing-boat which belonged to Einar, with which they went out into the\nfjord, and came one day late in the evening to Steinker, where they\nbrought to the earl the news about all King Olaf's proceedings. The earl\nowned a long-ship, which was lying afloat and rigged just outside the\ntown: and immediately, in the evening, he ordered all his movable goods,\nhis people's clothes, and also meat and drink, as much as the\nvessel could carry, to be put on board, rowed immediately out in the\nnight-time, and came with daybreak to Skarnsund. There he saw King Olaf\nrowing in with his fleet into the fjord. The earl turned towards the\nland within Masarvik, where there was a thick wood, and lay so near the\nrocks that the leaves and branches hung over the vessel. They cut down\nsome large trees, which they laid over the quarter on the sea-side,\nso that the ship could not be seen for leaves, especially as it was\nscarcely clear daylight when the king came rowing past them. The weather\nwas calm, and the king rowed in among the islands; and when the king's\nfleet was out of sight the earl rowed out of the fjord, and on to\nFrosta, where his kingdom lay, and there he landed.\n\n\n\n\n40. EARL SVEIN'S AND EINAR'S CONSULTATIONS.\n\nEarl Svein sent men out to Gaulardal to his brother-in-law, Einar\nTambaskelfer; and when Einar came the earl told him how it had been with\nhim and King Olaf, and that now he would assemble men to go out against\nKing Olaf, and fight him.\n\nEinar answers, \"We should go to work cautiously, and find out what King\nOlaf intends doing; and not let him hear anything concerning us but\nthat we are quiet. It may happen that if he hears nothing about our\nassembling people, he may sit quietly where he is in Steinker all the\nYule; for there is plenty prepared for him for the Yule feast: but if he\nhears we are assembling men, he will set right out of the fjord with his\nvessels, and we shall not get hold of him.\" Einar's advice was taken;\nand the earl went to Stjoradal, into guest-quarters among the bondes.\n\nWhen King Olaf came to Steinker he collected all the meat prepared for\nthe Yule feast, and made it be put on board, procured some transport\nvessels, took meat and drink with him, and got ready to sail as fast as\npossible, and went out all the way to Nidaros. Here King Olaf Trygvason\nhad laid the foundation of a merchant town, and had built a king's\nhouse: but before that Nidaros was only a single house, as before\nrelated. When Earl Eirik came to the country, he applied all his\nattention to his house of Lade, where his father had had his main\nresidence, and he neglected the houses which Olaf had erected at the\nNid; so that some were fallen down, and those which stood were scarcely\nhabitable. King Olaf went now with his ships up the Nid, made all the\nhouses to be put in order directly that were still standing, and built\nanew those that had fallen down, and employed in this work a great\nmany people. Then he had all the meat and drink brought on shore to the\nhouses, and prepared to hold Yule there; so Earl Svein and Einar had to\nfall upon some other plan.\n\n\n\n\n41. OF SIGVAT THE SKALD.\n\nThere was an Iceland man called Thord Sigvaldaskald, who had been long\nwith Earl Sigvalde, and afterwards with the earl's brother, Thorkel the\nTall; but after the earl's death Thord had become a merchant. He\nmet King Olaf on his viking cruise in the west, and entered into his\nservice, and followed him afterwards. He was with the king when the\nincidents above related took place. Thord had a son called Sigvat\nfostered in the house of Thorkel at Apavatn, in Iceland. When he was\nnearly a grown man he went out of the country with some merchants; and\nthe ship came in autumn to the Throndhjem country, and the crew lodged\nin the hered (district). The same winter King Olaf came to Throndhjem,\nas just now related by us. Now when Sigvat heard that his father Thord\nwas with the king, he went to him, and stayed a while with him. Sigvat\nwas a good skald at an early age. He made a lay in honour of King Olaf,\nand asked the king to listen to it. The king said he did not want poems\ncomposed about him, and said he did not understand the skald's craft.\nThen Sigvat sang:--\n\n     \"Rider of dark-blue ocean's steeds!\n     Allow one skald to sing thy deeds;\n     And listen to the song of one\n     Who can sing well, if any can.\n     For should the king despise all others,\n     And show no favour to my brothers,\n     Yet I may all men's favour claim,\n     Who sing, still of our great king's fame.\"\n\nKing Olaf gave Sigvat as a reward for his verse a gold ring that weighed\nhalf a mark, and Sigvat was made one of King Olaf's court-men. Then\nSigvat sang:--\n\n     \"I willingly receive this sword--\n     By land or sea, on shore, on board,\n     I trust that I shall ever be\n     Worthy the sword received from thee.\n     A faithful follower thou hast bound--\n     A generous master I have found;\n     Master and servant both have made\n     Just what best suits them by this trade.\"\n\nEarl Svein had, according to custom, taken one half of the harbour-dues\nfrom the Iceland ship-traders about autumn (A.D. 1014); for the Earls\nEirik and Hakon had always taken one half of these and all other\nrevenues in the Throndhjem country. Now when King Olaf came there, he\nsent his men to demand that half of the tax from the Iceland traders;\nand they went up to the king's house and asked Sigvat to help them. He\nwent to the king, and sang:--\n\n     \"My prayer, I trust, will not be vain--\n     No gold by it have I to gain:\n     All that the king himself here wins\n     Is not red gold, but a few skins.\n     it is not right that these poor men\n     Their harbour-dues should pay again.\n     That they paid once I know is true;\n     Remit, great king, what scarce is due.\"\n\n\n\n\n42. OF EARL SVEIN.\n\nEarl Svein and Einar Tambaskelfer gathered a large armed force, with\nwhich they came by the upper road into Gaulardal, and so down to\nNidaros, with nearly 2000 men. King Olaf's men were out upon the Gaular\nridge, and had a guard on horseback. They became aware that a force was\ncoming down the Gaulardal, and they brought word of it to the king about\nmidnight. The king got up immediately, ordered the people to be wakened,\nand they went on board of the ships, bearing all their clothes and arms\non board, and all that they could take with them, and then rowed out of\nthe river. Then came the earl's men to the town at the same moment, took\nall the Christmas provision, and set fire to the houses. King Olaf went\nout of the fjord down to Orkadal, and there landed the men from\ntheir ships. From Orkadal they went up to the mountains, and over the\nmountains eastwards into Gudbrandsdal. In the lines composed about Kleng\nBrusason, it is said that Earl Eirik burned the town of Nidaros:--\n\n     \"The king's half-finished hall,\n     Rafters, root, and all,\n     Is burned down by the river's side;\n     The flame spreads o'er the city wide.\"\n\n\n\n\n43. OF KING OLAF.\n\nKing Olaf went southwards through Gudbrandsdal, and thence out\nto Hedemark. In the depth of winter (A.D. 1015) he went about in\nguest-quarters; but when spring returned he collected men, and went to\nViken. He had with him many people from Hedemark, whom the kings had\ngiven him; and also many powerful people from among the bondes joined\nhim, among whom Ketil Kalf from Ringanes. He had also people from\nRaumarike. His stepfather, Sigurd Syr, gave him the help also of a great\nbody of men. They went down from thence to the coast, and made ready\nto put to sea from Viken. The fleet, which was manned with many fine\nfellows, went out then to Tunsberg.\n\n\n\n\n44. OF EARL SVEIN'S FORCES.\n\nAfter Yule (A.D. 1015) Earl Svein gathers all the men of the Throndhjem\ncountry, proclaims a levy for an expedition, and fits out ships. At that\ntime there were in the Throndhjem country a great number of lendermen;\nand many of them were so powerful and well-born, that they descended\nfrom earls, or even from the royal race, which in a short course of\ngenerations reckoned to Harald Harfager, and they were also very rich.\nThese lendermen were of great help to the kings or earls who ruled\nthe land; for it was as if the lenderman had the bonde-people of each\ndistrict in his power. Earl Svein being a good friend of the lendermen,\nit was easy for him to collect people. His brother-in-law, Einar\nTambaskelfer, was on his side, and with him many other lendermen; and\namong them many, both lendermen and bondes, who the winter before had\ntaken the oath of fidelity to King Olaf. When they were ready for sea\nthey went directly out of the fjord, steering south along the land, and\ndrawing men from every district. When they came farther south, abreast\nof Rogaland, Erling Skialgson came to meet them, with many people and\nmany lendermen with him. Now they steered eastward with their whole\nfleet to Viken, and Earl Svein ran in there towards the end of Easter.\nThe earl steered his fleet to Grenmar, and ran into Nesjar (A.D. 1015).\n\n\n\n\n45. KING OLAF S FORCES.\n\nKing Olaf steered his fleet out from Viken, until the two fleets were\nnot far from each other, and they got news of each other the Saturday\nbefore Palm Sunday. King Olaf himself had a ship called the Carl's Head,\non the bow of which a king's head was carved out, and he himself had\ncarved it. This head was used long after in Norway on ships which kings\nsteered themselves.\n\n\n\n\n46. KING OLAF'S SPEECH.\n\nAs soon as day dawned on Sunday morning, King Olaf got up, put on his\nclothes, went to the land, and ordered to sound the signal for the whole\narmy to come on shore. Then he made a speech to the troops, and told the\nwhole assembly that he had heard there was but a short distance between\nthem and Earl Svein. \"Now,\" said he, \"we shall make ready; for it can be\nbut a short time until we meet. Let the people arm, and every man be at\nthe post that has been appointed him, so that all may be ready when I\norder the signal to sound for casting off from the land. Then let us row\noff at once; and so that none go on before the rest of the ships, and\nnone lag behind when I row out of the harbour: for we cannot tell if we\nshall find the earl where he was lying, or if he has come out to meet\nus. When we do meet, and the battle begins, let people be alert to bring\nall our ships in close order, and ready to bind them together. Let us\nspare ourselves in the beginning, and take care of our weapons, that\nwe do not cast them into the sea, or shoot them away in the air to\nno purpose. But when the fight becomes hot and the ships are bound\ntogether, then let each man show what is in him of manly spirit.\"\n\n\n\n\n47. OF THE BATTLE AT NESJAR.\n\nKing Olaf had in his ship 100 men armed in coats of ring-mail, and in\nforeign helmets. The most of his men had white shields, on which the\nholy cross was gilt; but some had painted it in blue or red. He had also\nhad the cross painted in front on all the helmets, in a pale colour. He\nhad a white banner on which was a serpent figured. He ordered a mass\nto be read before him, went on board ship, and ordered his people to\nrefresh themselves with meat and drink. He then ordered the war-horns to\nsound to battle, to leave the harbour, and row off to seek the earl. Now\nwhen they came to the harbour where the earl had lain, the earl's men\nwere armed, and beginning to row out of the harbour; but when they saw\nthe king's fleet coming they began to bind the ships together, to set up\ntheir banners, and to make ready for the fight. When King Olaf saw this\nhe hastened the rowing, laid his ship alongside the earl's, and the\nbattle began. So says Sigvat the skald:--\n\n     \"Boldly the king did then pursue\n     Earl Svein, nor let him out of view.\n     The blood ran down the reindeer's flank\n     Of each sea-king--his vessel's plank.\n     Nor did the earl's stout warriors spare\n     In battle-brunt the sword and spear.\n     Earl Svein his ships of war pushed on,\n     And lashed their stout stems one to one.\"\n\nIt is said that King Olaf brought his ships into battle while Svein was\nstill lying in the harbour. Sigvat the skald was himself in the fight;\nand in summer, just after the battle, he composed a lay, which is called\nthe \"Nesjar Song\", in which he tells particularly the circumstances:--\n\n     \"In the fierce fight 'tis known how near\n     The scorner of the ice-cold spear\n     Laid the Charles' head the earl on board,\n     All eastward of the Agder fjord.\"\n\nThen was the conflict exceedingly sharp, and it was long before it could\nbe seen how it was to go in the end. Many fell on both sides, and many\nwere the wounded. So says Sigvat:--\n\n     \"No urging did the earl require,\n     Midst spear and sword--the battle's fire;\n     No urging did the brave king need\n     The ravens in this shield-storm to feed.\n     Of limb-lopping enough was there,\n     And ghastly wounds of sword and spear.\n     Never, I think, was rougher play\n     Than both the armies had that day.\"\n\nThe earl had most men, but the king had a chosen crew in his ship, who\nhad followed him in all his wars; and, besides, they were so excellently\nequipped, as before related, that each man had a coat of ring-mail, so\nthat he could not be wounded. So says Sigvat:--\n\n     \"Our lads, broad-shouldered, tall, and hale,\n     Drew on their cold shirts of ring-mail.\n     Soon sword on sword was shrilly ringing,\n     And in the air the spears were singing.\n     Under our helms we hid our hair,\n     For thick flew arrows through the air.\n     Right glad was I our gallant crew,\n     Steel-clad from head to foot, to view.\"\n\n\n\n\n48. EARL SVEIN'S FLIGHT.\n\nWhen the men began to fall on board the earl's ships, and many appeared\nwounded, so that the sides of the vessels were but thinly beset with\nmen, the crew of King Olaf prepared to board. Their banner was brought\nup to the ship that was nearest the earl's, and the king himself\nfollowed the banner. So says Sigvat:--\n\n     \"'On with the king!' his banners waving:\n     'On with the king!' the spears he's braving!\n     'On, steel-clad men! and storm the deck,\n     Slippery with blood and strewed with wreck.\n     A different work ye have to share,\n     His banner in war-storm to bear,\n     From your fair girl's, who round the hall\n     Brings the full mead-bowl to us all.'\"\n\nNow was the severest fighting. Many of Svein's men fell, and some sprang\noverboard. So says Sigvat:--\n\n     \"Into the ship our brave lads spring,--\n     On shield and helm their red blades ring;\n     The air resounds with stroke on stroke,--\n     The shields are cleft, the helms are broke.\n     The wounded bonde o'er the side\n     Falls shrieking in the blood-stained tide--\n     The deck is cleared with wild uproar--\n     The dead crew float about the shore.\"\n\nAnd also these lines:--\n\n     \"The shields we brought from home were white,\n     Now they are red-stained in the fight:\n     This work was fit for those who wore\n     Ringed coats-of-mail their breasts before.\n     Where for the foe blunted the best sword\n     I saw our young king climb on board.\n     He stormed the first; we followed him--\n     The war-birds now in blood may swim.\"\n\nNow defeat began to come down upon the earl's men. The king's men\npressed upon the earl's ship and entered it; but when the earl saw how\nit was going, he called out to his forecastle-men to cut the cables\nand cast the ship loose, which they did. Then the king's men threw\ngrapplings over the timber heads of the ship, and so held her fast to\ntheir own; but the earl ordered the timber heads to be cut away, which\nwas done. So says Sigvat:--\n\n     \"The earl, his noble ship to save,\n     To cut the posts loud order gave.\n     The ship escaped: our greedy eyes\n     Had looked on her as a clear prize.\n     The earl escaped; but ere he fled\n     We feasted Odin's fowls with dead:--\n     With many a goodly corpse that floated\n     Round our ship's stern his birds were bloated.\"\n\nEinar Tambaskelfer had laid his ship right alongside the earl's. They\nthrew an anchor over the bows of the earl's ship, and thus towed her\naway, and they slipped out of the fjord together. Thereafter the whole\nof the earl's fleet took to flight, and rowed out of the fjord. The\nskald Berse Torfason was on the forecastle of the earl's ship; and as it\nwas gliding past the king's fleet, King Olaf called out to him--for he\nknew Berse, who was distinguished as a remarkably handsome man, always\nwell equipped in clothes and arms--\"Farewell, Berse!\" He replied,\n\"Farewell, king!\" So says Berse himself, in a poem he composed when he\nfell into King Olaf's power, and was laid in prison and in fetters on\nboard a ship:--\n\n     \"Olaf the Brave\n     A 'farewell' gave,\n     (No time was there to parley long,)\n     To me who knows the art of song.\n          The skald was fain\n          'Farewell' again\n     In the same terms back to send--\n     The rule in arms to foe or friend.\n          Earl Svein's distress\n          I well can guess,\n     When flight he was compelled to take:\n     His fortunes I will ne'er forsake,\n          Though I lie here\n     In chains a year,\n     In thy great vessel all forlorn,\n     To crouch to thee I still will scorn:\n          I still will say,\n          No milder sway\n     Than from thy foe this land e'er knew:\n     To him, my early friend, I'm true.\"\n\n\n\n\n49. EARL SVEIN LEAVES THE COUNTRY.\n\nNow some of the earl's men fled up the country, some surrendered at\ndiscretion; but Svein and his followers rowed out of the fjord, and the\nchiefs laid their vessels together to talk with each other, for the earl\nwanted counsel from his lendermen. Erling Skialgson advised that they\nshould sail north, collect people, and fight King Olaf again; but as\nthey had lost many people, the most were of opinion that the earl should\nleave the country, and repair to his brother-in-law the Swedish King,\nand strengthen himself there with men. Einar Tambaskelfer approved also\nof that advice, as they had no power to hold battle against Olaf. So\nthey discharged their fleet. The earl sailed across Folden, and with\nhim Einar Tambaskelfer. Erling Skialgson again, and likewise many other\nlendermen who would not abandon their udal possessions, went north to\ntheir homes; and Erling had many people that summer about him.\n\n\n\n\n50. OLAF'S AND SIGURD'S CONSULTATION.\n\nWhen King Olaf and his men saw that the earl had gathered his ships\ntogether, Sigurd Syr was in haste for pursuing the earl, and letting\nsteel decide their cause. But King Olaf replies, that he would first see\nwhat the earl intended doing--whether he would keep his force together\nor discharge his fleet. Sigurd Syr said, \"It is for thee, king, to\ncommand; but,\" he adds, \"I fear, from thy disposition and wilfulness,\nthat thou wilt some day be betrayed by trusting to those great people,\nfor they are accustomed of old to bid defiance to their sovereigns.\"\nThere was no attack made, for it was soon seen that the earl's fleet was\ndispersing. Then King Olaf ransacked the slain, and remained there some\ndays to divide the booty. At that time Sigvat made these verses:--\n\n     \"The tale I tell is true\n     To their homes returned but few\n     Of Svein's men who came to meet\n     King Olaf's gallant fleet.\n     From the North these warmen came\n     To try the bloody game,--\n     On the waves their corpses borne\n     Show the game that Sunday morn.\n     The Throndhjem girls so fair\n     Their jeers, I think, will spare,\n     For the king's force was but small\n     That emptied Throndhjem's hall.\n     But if they will have their jeer,\n     They may ask their sweethearts dear,\n     Why they have returned shorn\n     Who went to shear that Sunday morn.\"\n\nAnd also these:--\n\n     \"Now will the king's power rise,\n     For the Upland men still prize\n     The king who o'er the sea\n     Steers to bloody victory.\n     Earl Svein!  thou now wilt know\n     That our lads can make blood flow--\n     That the Hedemarkers hale\n     Can do more than tap good ale.\"\n\nKing Olaf gave his stepfather King Sigurd Syr, and the other chiefs\nwho had assisted him, handsome presents at parting. He gave Ketil of\nRinganes a yacht of fifteen benches of rowers, which Ketil brought up\nthe Raum river and into the Mjosen lake.\n\n\n\n\n51. OF KING OLAF.\n\nKing Olaf sent spies out to trace the earl's doings (A.D. 1015); and\nwhen he found that the earl had left the country he sailed out west, and\nto Viken, where many people came to him. At the Thing there he was taken\nas king, and so he proceeded all the way to the Naze; and when he heard\nthat Erling Skialgson had gathered a large force, he did not tarry\nin North Agder, but sailed with a steady fair wind to the Throndhjem\ncountry; for there it appeared to him was the greatest strength of the\nland, if he could subdue it for himself while the earl was abroad. When\nOlaf came to Throndhjem there was no opposition, and he was elected\nthere to be king. In harvest (A.D. 1015) he took his seat in the town\nof Nidaros, and collected the needful winter provision (A.D. 1016). He\nbuilt a king's house, and raised Clement's church on the spot on which\nit now stands. He parcelled out building ground, which he gave to\nbondes, merchants, or others who he thought would build. There he sat\ndown with many men-at-arms around him; for he put no great confidence\nin the Throndhjem people, if the earl should return to the country. The\npeople of the interior of the Throndhjem country showed this clearly,\nfor he got no land-scat from them.\n\n\n\n\n52. PLAN OF SVEIN AND THE SWEDISH KING.\n\nEarl Svein went first to Svithjod to his brother-in-law Olaf the Swedish\nking, told him all that had happened between him and Olaf the Thick, and\nasked his advice about what he should now undertake. The king said that\nthe earl should stay with him if he liked, and get such a portion of his\nkingdom to rule over as should seem to him sufficient; \"or otherwise,\"\nsays he, \"I will give thee help of forces to conquer the country again\nfrom Olaf.\" The earl chose the latter; for all those among his men who\nhad great possessions in Norway, which was the case with many who were\nwith him, were anxious to get back; and in the council they held about\nthis, it was resolved that in winter they should take the land-way over\nHelsingjaland and Jamtaland, and so down into the Throndhjem land;\nfor the earl reckoned most upon the faithful help and strength of the\nThrondhjem people of the interior as soon as he should appear there. In\nthe meantime, however, it was determined to take a cruise in summer in\nthe Baltic to gather property.\n\n\n\n\n53. EARL SVEIN'S DEATH.\n\nEarl Svein went eastward with his forces to Russia, and passed the\nsummer (A.D. 1015) in marauding there; but on the approach of autumn\nreturned with his ships to Svithjod. There he fell into a sickness,\nwhich proved fatal. After the earl's death some of the people who had\nfollowed him remained in Svithjod; others went to Helsingjaland, thence\nto Jamtaland, and so from the east over the dividing ridge of the\ncountry to the Throndhjem district, where they told all that had\nhappened upon their journey: and thus the truth of Earl Svein's death\nwas known (A.D. 1016).\n\n\n\n\n54. OF THE THRONDHJEM PEOPLE.\n\nEinar Tambaskelfer, and the people who had followed him went in winter\nto the Swedish king, and were received in a friendly manner. There were\nalso among them many who had followed the earl. The Swedish king took it\nmuch amiss that Olaf the Thick had set himself down in his scat-lands,\nand driven the earl out of them, and therefore he threatened the king\nwith his heaviest vengeance when opportunity offered. He said that Olaf\nought not to have had the presumption to take the dominions which the\nearl had held of him; and all the Swedish king's men agreed with him.\nBut the Throndhjem people, when they heard for certain that the earl was\ndead. and could not be expected back to Norway, turned all to obedience\nto King Olaf. Many came from the interior of the Throndhjem country,\nand became King Olaf's men; others sent word and tokens that they would\nservice him. Then, in autumn, he went into the interior of Throndhjem,\nand held Things with the bondes, and was received as king in each\ndistrict. He returned to Nidaros, and brought there all the king's scat\nand revenue, and had his winter-seat provided there (A.D. 1016).\n\n\n\n\n55. OF KING OLAF'S HOUSEHOLD.\n\nKing Olaf built a king's house in Nidaros, and in it was a large room\nfor his court, with doors at both ends. The king's high-seat was in the\nmiddle of the room; and within sat his court-bishop, Grimkel, and next\nhim his other priests; without them sat his counsellors; and in the\nother high-seat opposite to the king sat his marshal, Bjorn, and next\nto him his pursuivants. When people of importance came to him, they also\nhad a seat of honour. The ale was drunk by the fire-light. He divided\nthe service among his men after the fashion of other kings. He had in\nhis house sixty court-men and thirty pursuivants; and to them he gave\npay and certain regulations. He had also thirty house-servants to do\nthe needful work about the house, and procure what was required. He had,\nbesides, many slaves. At the house were many outbuildings, in which the\ncourt-men slept. There was also a large room, in which the king held his\ncourt-meetings.\n\n\n\n\n56. OF KING OLAF'S HABITS.\n\nIt was King Olaf's custom to rise betimes in the morning, put on his\nclothes, wash his hands, and then go to the church and hear the matins\nand morning mass. Thereafter he went to the Thing-meeting, to bring\npeople to agreement with each other, or to talk of one or the other\nmatter that appeared to him necessary. He invited to him great and small\nwho were known to be men of understanding. He often made them recite to\nhim the laws which Hakon Athelstan's foster-son had made for Throndhjem;\nand after considering them with those men of understanding, he ordered\nlaws adding to or taking from those established before. But Christian\nprivileges he settled according to the advice of Bishop Grimbel and\nother learned priests; and bent his whole mind to uprooting heathenism,\nand old customs which he thought contrary to Christianity. And he\nsucceeded so far that the bondes accepted of the laws which the king\nproposed. So says Sigvat:--\n\n     \"The king, who at the helm guides\n     His warlike ship through clashing tides,\n     Now gives one law for all the land--\n     A heavenly law, which long will stand.\"\n\nKing Olaf was a good and very gentle man, of little speech, and\nopen-handed although greedy of money. Sigvat the skald, as before\nrelated, was in King Olaf's house, and several Iceland men. The king\nasked particularly how Christianity was observed in Iceland, and it\nappeared to him to be very far from where it ought to be; for, as\nto observing Christian practices, it was told the king that it was\npermitted there to eat horse-flesh, to expose infants as heathens do,\nbesides many other things contrary to Christianity. They also told the\nking about many principal men who were then in Iceland. Skapte Thorodson\nwas then the lagman of the country. He inquired also of those who were\nbest acquainted with it about the state of people in other distant\ncountries; and his inquiries turned principally on how Christianity was\nobserved in the Orkney, Shetland, and Farey Islands: and, as far as\nhe could learn, it was far from being as he could have wished. Such\nconversation was usually carried on by him; or else he spoke about the\nlaws and rights of the country.\n\n\n\n\n57. KING OLAF'S MESSENGERS.\n\nThe same winter (A.D. 1016) came messengers from the Swedish king,\nOlaf the Swede, out of Svithjod: and their leaders were two brothers,\nThorgaut Skarde and Asgaut the bailiff; and they, had twenty-four men\nwith them, when they came from the eastward, over the ridge of the\ncountry down into Veradal, they summoned a Thing of the bondes, talked\nto them, and demanded of them scat and duties upon account of the king\nof Sweden. But the bondes, after consulting with each other, determined\nonly to pay the scat which the Swedish king required in so far as King\nOlaf required none upon his account, but refused to pay scat to both.\nThe messengers proceeded farther down the valley; but received at every\nThing they held the same answer, and no money. They went forward to\nSkaun, held a Thing there, and demanded scat; but it went there as\nbefore. Then they came to Stjoradal, and summoned a Thing, but the\nbondes would not come to it. Now the messengers saw that their business\nwas a failure; and Thorgaut proposed that they should turn about, and go\neastward again. \"I do not think,\" says Asgaut, \"that we have performed\nthe king's errand unless we go to King Olaf the Thick, since the bondes\nrefer the matter to him.\" He was their commander; so they proceeded to\nthe town (Nidaros), and took lodging there. The day after they presented\nthemselves to the king, just as he was seated at table, saluted him, and\nsaid they came with a message of the Swedish king. The king told them to\ncome to him next day. Next day the king, having heard mass, went to his\nThing-house, ordered the messengers of the Swedish king to be called,\nand told them to produce their message. Then Thorgaut spoke, and told\nfirst what his errand was, and next how the Throndhjem people of\nthe interior had replied to it; and asked the king's decision on the\nbusiness, that they might know what result their errand there was to\nhave. The king answers, \"While the earls ruled over the country, it was\nnot to be wondered at if the country people thought themselves bound to\nobey them, as they were at least of the royal race of the kingdom. But\nit would have been more just if those earls had given assistance and\nservice to the kings who had a right to the country, rather than to\nforeign kings, or to stir up opposition to their lawful kings, depriving\nthem of their land and kingdom. With regard to Olaf the Swede, who\ncalls himself entitled to the kingdom of Norway, I, who in fact am so\nentitled, can see no ground for his claim; but well remember the skaith\nand damage we have suffered from him and his relations.\"\n\nThen says Asgaut. \"It is not wonderful that thou art called Olaf the\nThick, seeing thou answerest so haughtily to such a prince's message,\nand canst not see clearly how heavy the king's wrath will be for thee\nto support, as many have experienced who had greater strength than thou\nappearest to have. But if thou wishest to keep hold of thy kingdom, it\nwill be best for thee to come to the king, and be his man; and we shall\nbeg him to give thee this kingdom in fief under him.\"\n\nThe king replies with all gentleness, \"I will give thee an advice,\nAsgaut, in return. Go back to the east again to thy king, and tell him\nthat early in spring I will make myself ready, and will proceed eastward\nto the ancient frontier that divided formerly the kingdom of the kings\nof Norway from Sweden. There he may come if he likes, that we may\nconclude a peace with each other; and each of us will retain the kingdom\nto which he is born.\"\n\nNow the messengers turned back to their lodging, and prepared for their\ndeparture, and the king went to table. The messengers came back soon\nafter to the king's house; but the doorkeepers saw it, and reported it\nto the king, who told them not to let the messengers in. \"I will not\nspeak with them,\" said he. Then the messengers went off, and Thorgaut\nsaid he would now return home with his men; but Asgaut insisted still\nthat he would go forward with the king's errand: so they separated.\nThorgaut proceeded accordingly through Strind; but Asgaut went into\nGaulardal and Orkadal, and intended proceeding southwards to More, to\ndeliver his king's message. When King Olaf came to the knowledge of this\nhe sent out his pursuivants after them, who found them at the ness in\nStein, bound their hands behind their backs, and led them down to the\npoint called Gaularas, where they raised a gallows, and hanged them so\nthat they could be seen by those who travelled the usual sea-way out of\nthe fjord. Thorgaut heard this news before he had travelled far on his\nway home through the Throndhjem country; and he hastened on his journey\nuntil he came to the Swedish king, and told him how it had gone with\nthem. The king was highly enraged when he heard the account of it; and\nhe had no lack of high words.\n\n\n\n\n58. OLAF AND ERLING RECONCILED.\n\nThe spring thereafter (A.D. 1016) King Olaf Haraldson calls out an army\nfrom the Throndhjem land, and makes ready to proceed eastward. Some of\nthe Iceland traders were then ready to sail from Norway. With them King\nOlaf sent word and token to Hjalte Skeggjason, and summoned him to come\nto him, and at the same time sent a verbal message to Skapte the lagman,\nand other men who principally took part in the lawgiving of Iceland, to\ntake out of the law whatever appeared contrary to Christianity. He sent,\nbesides, a message of friendship to the people in general. The king\nthen proceeded southwards himself along the coast, stopping at every\ndistrict, and holding Things with the bondes; and in each Thing he\nordered the Christian law to be read, together with the message of\nsalvation thereunto belonging, and with which many ill customs and much\nheathenism were swept away at once among the common people: for the\nearls had kept well the old laws and rights of the country; but with\nrespect to keeping Christianity, they had allowed every man to do as he\nliked. It was thus come so far that the people were baptized in the most\nplaces on the sea-coast, but the most of them were ignorant of Christian\nlaw. In the upper ends of the valleys, and in the habitations among the\nmountains, the greater part of the people were heathen; for when the\ncommon man is left to himself, the faith he has been taught in his\nchildhood is that which has the strongest hold over his inclination. But\nthe king threatened the most violent proceedings against great or small,\nwho, after the king's message, would not adopt Christianity. In the\nmeantime Olaf was proclaimed king in every Law Thing in the country,\nand no man spoke against him. While he lay in Karmtsund messengers went\nbetween him and Erling Skjalgson, who endeavoured to make peace between\nthem; and the meeting was appointed in Whitings Isle. When they met\nthey spoke with each other about agreement together; but Erling found\nsomething else than he expected in the conversation: for when he\ninsisted on having all the fiefs which Olaf Trygvason, and afterwards\nthe Earls Svein and Hakon, had given him, and on that condition would\nbe his man and dutiful friend, the king answered, \"It appears to me,\nErling, that it would be no bad bargain for thee to get as great fiefs\nfrom me for thy aid and friendship as thou hadst from Earl Eirik, a man\nwho had done thee the greatest injury by the bloodshed of thy men;\nbut even if I let thee remain the greatest lenderman in Norway, I will\nbestow my fiefs according to my own will, and not act as if ye lendermen\nhad udal right to my ancestor's heritage, and I was obliged to buy your\nservices with manifold rewards.\" Erling had no disposition to sue for\neven the smallest thing; and he saw that the king was not easily dealt\nwith. He saw also that he had only two conditions before him: the one\nwas to make no agreement with the king, and stand by the consequences;\nthe other to leave it entirely to the king's pleasure. Although it was\nmuch against his inclination, he chose the latter, and merely said to\nthe king, \"The service will be the most useful to thee which I give with\na free will.\" And thus their conference ended. Erling's relations and\nfriends came to him afterwards, and advised him to give way, and proceed\nwith more prudence and less pride. \"Thou wilt still,\" they said, \"be the\nmost important and most respected lenderman in Norway, both on account\nof thy own and thy relations' abilities and great wealth.\" Erling found\nthat this was prudent advice, and that they who gave it did so with a\ngood intention, and he followed it accordingly. Erling went into the\nking's service on such conditions as the king himself should determine\nand please. Thereafter they separated in some shape reconciled, and Olaf\nwent his way eastward along the coast (A.D. 1016).\n\n\n\n\n59. EILIF OF GAUTLAND'S MURDER.\n\nAs soon as it was reported that Olaf had come to Viken, the Danes who\nhad offices under the Danish king set off for Denmark, without waiting\nfor King Olaf. But King Olaf sailed in along Viken, holding Things\nwith the bondes. All the people of the country submitted to him, and\nthereafter he took all the king's taxes, and remained the summer (A.D.\n1016) in Viken. He then sailed east from Tunsberg across the fjord, and\nall the way east to Svinasund. There the Swedish king's dominions begin,\nand he had set officers over this country; namely, Eilif Gautske over\nthe north part, and Hroe Skialge over the east part, all the way to the\nGaut river. Hroe had family friends on both sides of the river, and also\ngreat farms on Hising Island, and was besides a mighty and very rich\nman. Eilif was also of great family, and very wealthy. Now when King\nOlaf came to Ranrike he summoned the people to a Thing, and all who\ndwelt on the sea-coast or in the out-islands came to him. Now when the\nThing was seated the king's marshal, Bjorn, held a speech to them, in\nwhich he told the bondes to receive Olaf as their king, in the same\nway as had been done in all other parts of Norway. Then stood up a bold\nbonde by name Brynjolf Ulfalde, and said, \"We bondes know where the\ndivision-boundaries between the Norway and Danish and Swedish kings'\nlands have stood by rights in old times; namely, that the Gaut river\ndivided their lands between the Vener lake and the sea; but towards the\nnorth the forests until Eid forest, and from thence the ridge of the\ncountry all north to Finmark. We know, also, that by turns they have\nmade inroads upon each other's territories, and that the Swedes have\nlong had power all the way to Svinasund. But, sooth to say, I know that\nit is the inclination of many rather to serve the king of Norway,\nbut they dare not; for the Swedish king's dominions surround us, both\neastward, southwards, and also up the country; and besides, it may be\nexpected that the king of Norway must soon go to the north, where the\nstrength of his kingdom lies, and then we have no power to withstand the\nGautlanders. Now it is for the king to give us good counsel, for we have\ngreat desire to be his men.\" After the Thing, in the evening, Brynjolf\nwas in the king's tent, and the day after likewise, and they had much\nprivate conversation together. Then the king proceeded eastwards\nalong Viken. Now when Eilif heard of his arrival, he sent out spies\nto discover what he was about; but he himself, with thirty men, kept\nhimself high up in the habitations among the hills, where he had\ngathered together bondes. Many of the bondes came to King Olaf, but some\nsent friendly messages to him. People went between King Olaf and Eilif,\nand they entreated each separately to hold a Thing-meeting between\nthemselves, and make peace in one way or another. They told Eilif that\nthey might expect violent treatment from King Olaf if they opposed his\norders; but promised Eilif he should not want men. It was determined\nthat they should come down from the high country, and hold a thing\nwith the bondes and the king. King Olaf thereupon sent the chief of his\npursuivants, Thorer Lange, with six men, to Brynjolf. They were equipped\nwith their coats-of-mail under their cloaks, and their hats over their\nhelmets. The following day the bondes came in crowds down with Eilif;\nand in his suite was Brynjolf, and with him Thorer. The king laid his\nships close to a rocky knoll that stuck out into the sea, and upon it\nthe king went with his people, and sat down. Below was a flat field, on\nwhich the bondes' force was; but Eilif's men were drawn up, forming a\nshield-fence before him. Bjorn the marshal spoke long and cleverly upon\nthe king's account, and when he sat down Eilif arose to speak; but at\nthe same moment Thorer Lange rose, drew his sword, and struck Eilif on\nthe neck, so that his head flew off. Then the whole bonde-force started\nup; but the Gautland men set off in full flight and Thorer with his\npeople killed several of them. Now when the crowd was settled again,\nand the noise over the king stood up, and told the bondes to seat\nthemselves. They did so, and then much was spoken. The end of it was\nthat they submitted to the king, and promised fidelity to him; and he,\non the other hand, promised not to desert them, but to remain at hand\nuntil the discord between him and the Swedish Olaf was settled in one\nway or other. King Olaf then brought the whole northern district under\nhis power, and went in summer eastward as far as the Gaut river, and got\nall the king's scat among the islands. But when summer (A.D. 1016) was\ndrawing towards an end he returned north to Viken, and sailed up the\nRaum river to a waterfall called Sarp. On the north side of the fall, a\npoint of land juts out into the river. There the king ordered a rampart\nto be built right across the ness, of stone, turf, and wood, and a ditch\nto be dug in front of it; so that it was a large earthen fort or burgh,\nwhich he made a merchant town of. He had a king's house put up, and\nordered the building of Mary church. He also laid out plans for other\nhouses, and got people to build on them. In harvest (A.D. 1016) he let\neverything be gathered there that was useful for his winter residence\n(A.D. 1017), and sat there with a great many people, and the rest he\nquartered in the neighbouring districts. The king prohibited all exports\nfrom Viken to Gautland of herrings and salt, which the Gautland people\ncould ill do without. This year the king held a great Yule feast, to\nwhich he invited many great bondes.\n\n\n\n\n60. THE HISTORY OF EYVIND URARHORN.\n\nThere was a man called Eyvind Urarhorn, who was a great man, of high\nbirth, who had his descent from the East Agder country. Every summer he\nwent out on a viking cruise, sometimes to the West sea, sometimes to\nthe Baltic, sometimes south to Flanders, and had a well-armed cutter\n(snekkia) of twenty benches of rowers. He had been also at Nesjar, and\ngiven his aid to the king; and when they separated the king promised\nhim his favour, and Eyvind, again, promised to come to the king's aid\nwhenever he was required. This winter (A.D. 1017) Eyvind was at the Yule\nfeast of the king, and received goodly gifts from him. Brynjolf Ulfalde\nwas also with the king, and he received a Yule present from the king of\na gold-mounted sword, and also a farm called Vettaland, which is a very\nlarge head-farm of the district. Brynjolf composed a song about these\ngifts, of which the refrain was--\n\n     \"The song-famed hero to my hand\n     Gave a good sword, and Vettaland.\"\n\nThe king afterwards gave him the title of Lenderman, and Brynjolf was\never after the king's greatest friend.\n\n\n\n\n61. THRAND WHITE'S MURDER.\n\nThis winter (A.D. 1017) Thrand White from Throndhjem went east to\nJamtaland, to take up scat upon account of King Olaf. But when he had\ncollected the scat he was surprised by men of the Swedish king, who\nkilled him and his men, twelve in all, and brought the scat to the\nSwedish king. King Olaf was very ill-pleased when he heard this news.\n\n\n\n\n62. CHRISTIANITY PROCLAIMED IN VIKEN.\n\nKing Olaf made Christian law to be proclaimed in Viken, in the same way\nas in the North country. It succeeded well, because the people of Viken\nwere better acquainted with the Christian customs than the people in the\nnorth; for, both winter and summer, there were many merchants in Viken,\nboth Danish and Saxon. The people of Viken, also, had much trading\nintercourse with England, and Saxony, and Flanders, and Denmark; and\nsome had been on viking expeditions, and had had their winter abode in\nChristian lands.\n\n\n\n\n63. HROE'S FALL.\n\nAbout spring-time (A.D. 1017) King Olaf sent a message that Eyvind\nUrarhorn should come to him; and they spake together in private for a\nlong time. Thereafter Eyvind made himself ready for a viking cruise. He\nsailed south towards Viken, and brought up at the Eikreys Isles without\nHising Isle. There he heard that Hroe Skialge had gone northwards\ntowards Ordost, and had there made a levy of men and goods on account\nof the Swedish king, and was expected from the north. Eyvind rowed in\nby Haugasund, and Hroe came rowing from the north, and they met in the\nsound and fought. Hroe fell there, with nearly thirty men; and Eyvind\ntook all the goods Hroe had with him. Eyvind then proceeded to the\nBaltic, and was all summer on a viking cruise.\n\n\n\n\n64. FALL OF GUDLEIK AND THORGAUT.\n\nThere was a man called Gudleik Gerske, who came originally from Agder.\nHe was a great merchant, who went far and wide by sea, was very\nrich, and drove a trade with various countries. He often went east\nto Gardarike (Russia), and therefore was called Gudleik Gerske (the\nRussian). This spring (A.D. 1017) Gudleik fitted out his ship, and\nintended to go east in summer to Russia. King Olaf sent a message to\nhim that he wanted to speak to him; and when Gudleik came to the king he\ntold him he would go in partnership with him, and told him to purchase\nsome costly articles which were difficult to be had in this country.\nGudleik said that it should be according to the king's desire. The\nking ordered as much money to be delivered to Gudleik as he thought\nsufficient, and then Gudleik set out for the Baltic. They lay in a sound\nin Gotland; and there it happened, as it often does, that people cannot\nkeep their own secrets, and the people of the country came to know\nthat in this ship was Olaf the Thick's partner. Gudleik went in summer\neastwards to Novgorod, where he bought fine and costly clothes, which\nhe intended for the king as a state dress; and also precious furs, and\nremarkably splendid table utensils. In autumn (A.D. 1017), as Gudleik\nwas returning from the east, he met a contrary wind, and lay for a long\ntime at the island Eyland. There came Thorgaut Skarde, who in autumn\nhad heard of Gudleik's course, in a long-ship against him, and gave him\nbattle. They fought long, and Gudleik and his people defended themselves\nfor a long time; but the numbers against them were great, and Gudleik\nand many of his ship's crew fell, and a great many of them were wounded.\nThorgaut took all their goods, and King Olaf's, and he and his comrades\ndivided the booty among them equally; but he said the Swedish king ought\nto have the precious articles of King Olaf, as these, he said, should\nbe considered as part of the scat due to him from Norway. Thereafter\nThorgaut proceeded east to Svithjod. These tidings were soon known; and\nas Eyvind Urarhorn came soon after to Eyland, he heard the news, and\nsailed east after Thorgaut and his troop, and overtook them among the\nSwedish isles on the coast, and gave battle. There Thorgaut and the most\nof his men were killed, and the rest sprang overboard. Eyvind took\nall the goods and all the costly articles of King Olaf which they had\ncaptured from Gudleik, and went with these back to Norway in autumn, and\ndelivered to King Olaf his precious wares. The king thanked him in the\nmost friendly way for his proceeding, and promised him anew his favour\nand friendship. At this time Olaf had been three years king over Norway\n(A.D. 1015-1017).\n\n\n\n\n65. MEETING OF OLAF AND RAGNVALD.\n\nThe same summer (A.D. 1017) King Olaf ordered a levy, and went out\neastwards to the Gaut river, where he lay a great part of the summer.\nMessages were passing between King Olaf, Earl Ragnvald, and the earl's\nwife, Ingebjorg, the daughter of Trygve. She was very zealous about\ngiving King Olaf of Norway every kind of help, and made it a matter of\nher deepest interest. For this there were two causes. She had a great\nfriendship for King Olaf; and also she could never forget that the\nSwedish king had been one at the death of her brother, Olaf Trygvason;\nand also that he, on that account only, had any presence to rule over\nNorway. The earl, by her persuasion, turned much towards friendship with\nKing Olaf; and it proceeded so far that the earl and the king appointed\na meeting, and met at the Gaut river. They talked together of many\nthings, but especially of the Norwegian and Swedish kings' relations\nwith each other; both agreeing, as was the truth also, that it was the\ngreatest loss, both to the people of Viken and of Gautland, that there\nwas no peace for trade between the two countries; and at last both\nagreed upon a peace, and still-stand of arms between them until next\nsummer; and they parted with mutual gifts and friendly speeches.\n\n\n\n\n66. KING OLAF THE SWEDE.\n\nThe king thereupon returned north to Viken, and had all the royal\nrevenues up to the Gaut river; and all the people of the country there\nhad submitted to him. King Olaf the Swede had so great a hatred of Olaf\nHaraldson, that no man dared to call him by his right name in the king's\nhearing. They called him the thick man; and never named him without some\nhard by-name.\n\n\n\n\n67. ACCOUNT OF THEIR RECONCILIATION.\n\nThe bondes in Viken spoke with each other about there being nothing for\nit but that the kings should make peace and a league with each other,\nand insisted upon it that they were badly used by the kings going to\nwar; but nobody was so bold as to bring these murmurs before the king.\nAt last they begged Bjorn the marshal to bring this matter before the\nking, and entreat him to send messengers to the Swedish king to offer\npeace on his side. Bjorn was disinclined to do this, and put it off from\nhimself with excuses; but on the entreaties of many of his friends, he\npromised at last to speak of it to the king; but declared, at the same\ntime, that he knew it would be taken very ill by the king to propose\nthat he should give way in anything to the Swedish king. The same\nsummer (A.D. 1017) Hjalte Skeggjason came over to Norway from Iceland,\naccording to the message sent him by King Olaf, and went directly to\nthe king. He was well received by the king, who told him to lodge in his\nhouse, and gave him a seat beside Bjorn the marshal, and Hjalte became\nhis comrade at table. There was good-fellowship immediately between\nthem.\n\nOnce, when King Olaf had assembled the people and bondes to consult upon\nthe good of the country, Bjorn the marshal said, \"What think you, king,\nof the strife that is between the Swedish king and you? Many people\nhave fallen on both sides, without its being at all more determined than\nbefore what each of you shall have of the kingdom. You have now been\nsitting in Viken one winter and two summers, and the whole country\nto the north is lying behind your back unseen; and the men who have\nproperty or udal rights in the north are weary of sitting here. Now it\nis the wish of the lendermen, of your other people, and of the bondes\nthat this should come to an end. There is now a truce, agreement, and\npeace with the earl, and the West Gautland people who are nearest to us;\nand it appears to the people it would be best that you sent messengers\nto the Swedish king to offer a reconciliation on your side; and, without\ndoubt, many who are about the Swedish king will support the proposal,\nfor it is a common gain for those who dwell in both countries, both here\nand there.\" This speech of Bjorn's received great applause.\n\nThen the king said, \"It is fair, Bjorn, that the advice thou hast given\nshould be carried out by thyself. Thou shalt undertake this embassy\nthyself, and enjoy the good of it, if thou hast advised well; and if it\ninvolve any man in danger, thou hast involved thyself in it. Moreover,\nit belongs to thy office to declare to the multitude what I wish to have\ntold.\" Then the king stood up, went to the church, and had high mass\nsung before him; and thereafter went to table.\n\nThe following day Hjalte said to Bjorn, \"Why art thou so melancholy,\nman? Art thou sick, or art thou angry at any one?\" Bjorn tells Hjalte\nhis conversation with the king, and says it is a very dangerous errand.\n\nHjalte says, \"It is their lot who follow kings that they enjoy high\nhonours, and are more respected than other men, but stand often in\ndanger of their lives: and they must understand how to bear both parts\nof their lot. The king's luck is great; and much honour will be gained\nby this business, if it succeed.\"\n\nBjorn answered, \"Since thou makest so light of this business in thy\nspeech, wilt thou go with me? The king has promised that I shall have\ncompanions with me on the journey.\"\n\n\"Certainly,\" says Hjalte; \"I will follow thee, if thou wilt: for never\nagain shall I fall in with such a comrade if we part.\"\n\n\n\n\n68. JOURNEY OF BJORN THE MARSHAL.\n\nA few days afterwards, when the king was at a Thing-meeting, Bjorn came\nwith eleven others. He says to the king that they were now ready to\nproceed on their mission, and that their horses stood saddled at the\ndoor. \"And now,\" says he, \"I would know with what errand I am to go, or\nwhat orders thou givest us.\"\n\nThe king replies, \"Ye shall carry these my words to the Swedish\nking--that I will establish peace between our countries up to the\nfrontier which Olaf Trygvason had before me; and each shall bind himself\nfaithfully not to trespass over it. But with regard to the loss of\npeople, no man must mention it if peace there is to be; for the Swedish\nking cannot with money pay for the men the Swedes have deprived us of.\"\nThereupon the king rose, and went out with Bjorn and his followers; and\nhe took a gold-mounted sword and a gold ring, and said, in handing over\nthe sword to Bjorn, \"This I give thee: it was given to me in summer by\nEarl Ragnvald. To him ye shall go; and bring him word from me to advance\nyour errand with his counsel and strength. This thy errand I will think\nwell fulfilled if thou hearest the Swedish king's own words, be they\nyea or nay: and this gold ring thou shalt give Earl Ragnvald. These are\ntokens (1) he must know well.\"\n\nHjalte went up to the king, saluted him, and said, \"We need much, king,\nthat thy luck attend us;\" and wished that they might meet again in good\nhealth.\n\nThe king asked where Hjalte was going.\n\n\"With Bjorn,\" said he.\n\nThe king said, \"It will assist much to the good success of the journey\nthat thou goest too, for thy good fortune has often been proved; and be\nassured that I shall wish that all my luck, if that be of any weight,\nmay attend thee and thy company.\"\n\nBjorn and his followers rode their way, and came to Earl Ragnvald's\ncourt, where they were well received. Bjorn was a celebrated and\ngenerally known man,--known by sight and speech to all who had ever\nseen King Olaf; for at every Thing, Bjorn stood up and told the king's\nmessage. Ingebjorg, the earl's wife, went up to Hjalte and looked\nat him. She recognized him, for she was living with her brother Olaf\nTrygvason when Hjalte was there: and she knew how to reckon up the\nrelationship between King Olaf and Vilborg, the wife of Hjalte; for\nEirik Bjodaskalle father of Astrid, King Olaf Trygvason's mother, and\nBodvar father of Olaf, mother of Gissur White the father of Vilborg,\nwere brother's sons of the lenderman Vikingakare of Vors.\n\nThey enjoyed here good entertainment. One day Bjorn entered into\nconversation with the earl and Ingebjorg, in which he set forth his\nerrand, and produced to the earl his tokens.\n\nThe earl replies, \"What hast thou done, Bjorn, that the king wishes thy\ndeath? For, so far from thy errand having any success, I do not think a\nman can be found who could speak these words to the Swedish king without\nincurring wrath and punishment. King Olaf, king of Sweden, is too proud\nfor any man to speak to him on anything he is angry at.\"\n\nThen Bjorn says, \"Nothing has happened to me that King Olaf is offended\nat; but many of his disposition act both for themselves and others, in\na way that only men who are daring can succeed in. But as yet all his\nplans have had good success, and I think this will turn out well too; so\nI assure you, earl, that I will actually travel to the Swedish king,\nand not turn back before I have brought to his ears every word that King\nOlaf told me to say to him, unless death prevent me, or that I am in\nbonds, and cannot perform my errand; and this I must do, whether you\ngive any aid or no aid to me in fulfilling the king's wishes.\"\n\nThen said IngebJorg, \"I will soon declare my opinion. I think, earl,\nthou must turn all thy attention to supporting King Olaf the king of\nNorway's desire that this message be laid before the Swedish king, in\nwhatever way he may answer it. Although the Swedish king's anger should\nbe incurred, and our power and property be at stake, yet will I rather\nrun the risk, than that it should be said the message of King Olaf was\nneglected from fear of the Swedish king. Thou hast that birth, strength\nof relations, and other means, that here in the Swedish land it is free\nto thee to tell thy mind, if it be right and worthy of being heard,\nwhether it be listened to by few or many, great or little people, or by\nthe king himself.\"\n\nThe earl replies, \"It is known to every one how thou urgest me: it may\nbe, according to thy counsel, that I should promise the king's men to\nfollow them, so that they may get their errand laid before the Swedish\nking, whether he take it ill or take it well. But I will have my own\ncounsel followed, and will not run hastily into Bjorn's or any other\nman's measures, in such a highly important matter. It is my will that ye\nall remain here with me, so long as I think it necessary for the purpose\nof rightly forwarding this mission.\" Now as the earl had thus given them\nto understand that he would support them in the business, Bjorn thanked\nhim most kindly, and with the assurance that his advice should rule them\naltogether. Thereafter Bjorn and his fellow-travellers remained very\nlong in the earl's house.\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) Before writing was a common accomplishment in courts, the\n     only way of accrediting a special messenger between kings\n     and great men was by giving the messenger a token; that is.\n     some article well known by the person receiving the message\n     to be the property of and valued by the person sending it.\n\n\n\n\n69. CONVERSATION OF BJORN AND INGEBJORG.\n\nIngebjorg was particularly kind to them; and Bjorn often spoke with her\nabout the matter, and was ill at ease that their journey was so long\ndelayed. Hjalte and the others often spoke together also about the\nmatter; and Hjalte said; \"I will go to the king if ye like; for I am not\na man of Norway, and the Swedes can have nothing to say to me. I\nhave heard that there are Iceland men in the king's house who are my\nacquaintances, and are well treated; namely, the skalds Gissur Black\nand Ottar Black. From them I shall get out what I can about the Swedish\nking; and if the business will really be so difficult as it now appears,\nor if there be any other way of promoting it, I can easily devise some\nerrand that may appear suitable for me.\"\n\nThis counsel appeared to Bjorn and Ingebjorg to be the wisest, and they\nresolved upon it among themselves. Ingebjorg put Hjalte in a position to\ntravel; gave him two Gautland men with him, and ordered them to follow\nhim, and assist him with their service, and also to go wherever he might\nhave occasion to send them. Besides, Ingebjorg gave him twenty marks of\nweighed silver money for travelling expenses, and sent word and token by\nhim to the Swedish king Olaf's daughter, Ingegerd, that she should give\nall her assistance to Hjalte's business, whenever he should find himself\nunder the necessity of craving her help. Hjalte set off as soon as he\nwas ready. When he came to King Olaf he soon found the skalds Gissur and\nOttar, and they were very glad at his coming. Without delay they went to\nthe king, and told him that a man was come who was their countryman,\nand one of the most considerable in their native land, and requested\nthe king to receive him well. The king told them to take Hjalte and his\nfellow-travellers into their company and quarters. Now when Hjalte had\nresided there a short time, and got acquainted with people, he was much\nrespected by everybody. The skalds were often in the king's house, for\nthey were well-spoken men; and often in the daytime they sat in front of\nthe king's high-seat, and Hjalte, to whom they paid the highest respect\nin all things, by their side. He became thus known to the king, who\nwillingly entered into conversation with him, and heard from him news\nabout Iceland.\n\n\n\n\n70. OF SIGVAT THE SKALD.\n\nIt happened that before Bjorn set out from home he asked Sigvat the\nskald, who at that time was with King Olaf, to accompany him on his\njourney. It was a journey for which people had no great inclination.\nThere was, however, great friendship between Bjorn and Sigvat. Then\nSigvat sang:--\n\n     \"With the king's marshals all have I,\n          In days gone by,\n          Lived joyously,--\n     With all who on the king attend,\n     And knee before him humbly bend,\n     Bjorn, thou oft hast ta'en my part--\n          Pleaded with art,\n          And touched the heart.\n     Bjorn!  brave stainer of the sword,\n     Thou art my friend--I trust thy word.\"\n\nWhile they were riding up to Gautland, Sigvat made these verses:--\n\n     \"Down the Fjord sweep wind and rain,\n     Our stout ship's sails and tackle strain;\n          Wet to the skin.\n          We're sound within,\n     And gaily o'er the waves are dancing,\n     Our sea-steed o'er the waves high prancing!\n          Through Lister sea\n          Flying all free;\n     Off from the wind with swelling sail,\n     We merrily scud before the gale,\n          And reach the sound\n          Where we were bound.\n     And now our ship, so gay and grand,\n     Glides past the green and lovely land,\n          And at the isle\n          Moors for a while.\n     Our horse-hoofs now leave hasty print;\n     We ride--of ease there's scanty stint--\n          In heat and haste\n          O'er Gautland's waste:\n     Though in a hurry to be married,\n     The king can't say that we have tarried.\"\n\nOne evening late they were riding through Gautland, and Sigvat made\nthese verses:--\n\n     \"The weary horse will at nightfall\n     Gallop right well to reach his stall;\n     When night meets day, with hasty hoof\n     He plies the road to reach a roof.\n     Far from the Danes, we now may ride\n     Safely by stream or mountain-side;\n     But, in this twilight, in some ditch\n     The horse and rider both may pitch.\"\n\nThey rode through the merchant town of Skara, and down the street to the\nearl's house. He sang:--\n\n     \"The shy sweet girls, from window high\n     In wonder peep at the sparks that fly\n     From our horses heels, as down the street\n     Of the earl's town we ride so fleet.\n     Spur on!--that every pretty lass\n     May hear our horse-hoofs as we pass\n     Clatter upon the stones so hard,\n     And echo round the paved court-yard.\"\n\n\n\n\n71. HJALTE SKEGGJASON WHILE HE WAS IN SVITHIOD.\n\nOne day Hjalte, and the skalds with him, went before the king, and he\nbegan thus:--\"It has so happened, king, as is known to you, that I\nhave come here after a long and difficult journey; but when I had once\ncrossed the ocean and heard of your greatness, it appeared to me unwise\nto go back without having seen you in your splendour and glory. Now it\nis a law between Iceland and Norway, that Iceland men pay landing due\nwhen they come into Norway, but while I was coming across the sea I took\nmyself all the landing dues from my ship's people; but knowing that thou\nhave the greatest right to all the power in Norway, I hastened hither to\ndeliver to you the landing dues.\" With this he showed the silver to the\nking, and laid ten marks of silver in Gissur Black's lap.\n\nThe king replies, \"Few have brought us any such dues from Norway for\nsome time; and now, Hjalte, I will return you my warmest thanks for\nhaving given yourself so much trouble to bring us the landing dues,\nrather than pay them to our enemies. But I will that thou shouldst take\nthis money from me as a gift, and with it my friendship.\"\n\nHjalte thanked the king with many words, and from that day set himself\nin great favour with the king, and often spoke with him; for the king\nthought, what was true, that he was a man of much understanding and\neloquence. Now Hjalte told Gissur and Ottar that he was sent with\ntokens to the king's daughter Ingegerd, to obtain her protection and\nfriendship; and he begged of them to procure him some opportunity to\nspeak with her. They answered, that this was an easy thing to do; and\nwent one day to her house, where she sat at the drinking table with many\nmen. She received the skalds in a friendly manner, for they were known\nto her. Hjalte brought her a salutation from the earl's wife, Ingebjorg;\nand said she had sent him here to obtain friendly help and succour\nfrom her, and in proof whereof produced his tokens. The king's\ndaughter received him also kindly, and said he should be welcome to her\nfriendship. They sat there till late in the day drinking. The king's\ndaughter made Hjalte tell her much news, and invited him to come often\nand converse with her. He did so: came there often, and spoke with the\nking's daughter; and at last entrusted her with the purpose of Bjorn's\nand his comrade's journey, and asked her how she thought the Swedish\nking would receive the proposal that there should be a reconciliation\nbetween the kings. The king's daughter replied, that, in her opinion,\nit would be a useless attempt to propose to the king any reconciliation\nwith Olaf the Thick; for the king was so enraged against him, that he\nwould not suffer his name to be mentioned before him. It happened one\nday that Hjalte was sitting with the king and talking to him, and the\nking was very merry and drunk. Then Hjalte said, \"Manifold splendour and\ngrandeur have I seen here; and I have now witnessed with my eyes what I\nhave often heard of, that no monarch in the north is so magnificent: but\nit is very vexatious that we who come so far to visit it have a road\nso long and troublesome, both on account of the great ocean, but more\nespecially because it is not safe to travel through Norway for those who\nare coming here in a friendly disposition. But why is there no one to\nbring proposals for a peace between you and King Olaf the Thick? I heard\nmuch in Norway, and in west Gautland, of the general desire that this\npeace should have taken place; and it has been told me for truth, as the\nNorway king's words, that he earnestly desires to be reconciled to you;\nand the reason I know is, that he feels how much less his power is than\nyours. It is even said that he intends to pay his court to your daughter\nIngegerd; and that would lead to a useful peace, for I have heard from\npeople of credit that he is a remarkably distinguished man.\"\n\nThe king answers. \"Thou must not speak thus, Hjalte; but for this time\nI will not take it amiss of thee, as thou dost not know what people have\nto avoid here. That fat fellow shall not be called king in my court, and\nthere is by no means the stuff in him that people talk of: and thou must\nsee thyself that such a connection is not suitable; for I am the tenth\nking in Upsala who, relation after relation, has been sole monarch over\nthe Swedish, and many other great lands, and all have been the superior\nkings over other kings in the northern countries. But Norway is little\ninhabited, and the inhabitants are scattered. There have only been small\nkings there; and although Harald Harfager was the greatest king in that\ncountry, and strove against the small kings, and subdued them, yet he\nknew so well his position that he did not covet the Swedish dominions,\nand therefore the Swedish kings let him sit in peace, especially as\nthere was relationship between them. Thereafter, while Hakon Athelstan's\nfoster-son was in Norway he sat in peace, until he began to maraud in\nGautland and Denmark; on which a war-force came upon him, and took\nfrom him both life and land. Gunhild's sons also were cut off when they\nbecame disobedient to the Danish kings; and Harald Gormson joined Norway\nto his own dominions, and made it subject to scat to him. And we reckon\nHarald Gormson to be of less power and consideration than the Upsala\nkings, for our relation Styrbjorn subdued him, and Harald became his\nman; and yet Eirik the Victorious, my father, rose over Styrbjorn's head\nwhen it came to a trial between them. When Olaf Trygvason came to Norway\nand proclaimed himself king, we would not permit it, but we went with\nKing Svein, and cut him off; and thus we have appropriated Norway, as\nthou hast not heard, and with no less right than if I had gained it in\nbattle, and by conquering the kings who ruled it before. Now thou canst\nwell suppose, as a man of sense, that I will not let slip the kingdom of\nNorway for this thick fellow. It is wonderful he does not remember how\nnarrowly he made his escape, when we had penned him in in the Malar\nlake. Although he slipped away with life from thence, he ought,\nmethinks, to have something else in his mind than to hold out against us\nSwedes. Now, Hjalte, thou must never again open thy mouth in my presence\non such a subject.\"\n\nHjalte saw sufficiently that there was no hope of the king's listening\nto any proposal of a peace, and desisted from speaking of it, and turned\nthe conversation to something else. When Hjalte, afterwards, came\ninto discourse with the king's daughter Ingegerd, he tells her his\nconversation with the king. She told him she expected such an answer\nfrom the king. Hjalte begged of her to say a good word to the king about\nthe matter, but she thought the king would listen as little to what she\nsaid: \"But speak about it I will, if thou requirest it.\" Hjalte assured\nher he would be thankful for the attempt. One day the king's daughter\nIngegerd had a conversation with her father Olaf; and as she found her\nfather was in a particularly good humour, she said, \"What is now thy\nintention with regard to the strife with Olaf the Thick? There are many\nwho complain about it, having lost their property by it; others have\nlost their relations by the Northmen, and all their peace and quiet; so\nthat none of your men see any harm that can be done to Norway. It would\nbe a bad counsel if thou sought the dominion over Norway; for it is a\npoor country, difficult to come at, and the people dangerous: for the\nmen there will rather have any other for their king than thee. If I\nmight advise, thou wouldst let go all thoughts about Norway, and not\ndesire Olaf's heritage; and rather turn thyself to the kingdoms in the\nEast country, which thy forefathers the former Swedish kings had, and\nwhich our relation Styrbjorn lately subdued, and let the thick Olaf\npossess the heritage of his forefathers and make peace with him.\"\n\nThe king replies in a rage, \"It is thy counsel, Ingegerd, that I should\nlet slip the kingdom of Norway, and give thee in marriage to this thick\nOlaf.\"--\"No,\" says he, \"something else shall first take place. Rather\nthan that, I shall, at the Upsala Thing in winter, issue a proclamation\nto all Swedes, that the whole people shall assemble for an expedition,\nand go to their ships before the ice is off the waters; and I will\nproceed to Norway, and lay waste the land with fire and sword, and burn\neverything, to punish them for their want of fidelity.\"\n\nThe king was so mad with rage that nobody ventured to say a word, and\nshe went away. Hjalte, who was watching for her, immediately went to her\nand asked how her errand to the king had turned out. She answered, it\nturned out as she had expected; that none could venture to put in a word\nwith the king; but, on the contrary, he had used threats; and she begged\nHjalte never to speak of the matter again before the king. As Hjalte and\nIngegerd spoke together often, Olaf the Thick was often the subject, and\nhe told her about him and his manners; and Hjalte praised the king of\nNorway what he could, but said no more than was the truth, and she could\nwell perceive it. Once, in a conversation, Hjalte said to her, \"May I be\npermitted, daughter of the king, to tell thee what lies in my mind?\"\n\n\"Speak freely,\" says she; \"but so that I alone can hear it.\"\n\n\"Then,\" said Hjalte, \"what would be thy answer, if the Norway king Olaf\nsent messengers to thee with the errand to propose marriage to thee?\"\n\nShe blushed, and answered slowly but gently, \"I have not made up my mind\nto answer to that; but if Olaf be in all respects so perfect as thou\ntellest me, I could wish for no other husband; unless, indeed, thou hast\ngilded him over with thy praise more than sufficiently.\"\n\nHjalte replied, that he had in no respect spoken better of the king than\nwas true. They often spoke together on the same subject. Ingegerd begged\nHjalte to be cautious not to mention it to any other person, for the\nking would be enraged against him if it came to his knowledge. Hjalte\nonly spoke of it to the skalds Gissur and Ottar, who thought it was the\nmost happy plan, if it could but be carried into effect. Ottar, who was\na man of great power of conversation, and much beloved in the court,\nsoon brought up the subject before the king's daughter, and recounted\nto her, as Hjalte had done, all King Olaf's excellent qualities. Often\nspoke Hjalte and the others about him; and now that Hjalte knew\nthe result of his mission, he sent those Gautland men away who had\naccompanied him, and let them return to the earl with letters (1) which\nthe king's daughter Ingegerd sent to the earl and Ingebjorg. Hjalte also\nlet them give a hint to the earl about the conversation he had had with\nIngegerd, and her answer thereto: and the messengers came with it to the\nearl a little before Yule.\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) This seems the first notice we have in the sagas of\n     written letters being sent instead of tokens and verbal messages.\n     --L.\n\n\n\n\n72. OLAF'S JOURNEY TO THE UPLANDS.\n\nWhen King Olaf had despatched Bjorn and his followers to Gautland, he\nsent other people also to the Uplands, with the errand that they should\nhave guest-quarters prepared for him, as he intended that winter (A.D.\n1018) to live as guest in the Uplands; for it had been the custom of\nformer kings to make a progress in guest-quarters every third year in\nthe Uplands. In autumn he began his progress from Sarpsborg, and went\nfirst to Vingulmark. He ordered his progress so that he came first to\nlodge in the neighbourhood of the forest habitations, and summoned to\nhim all the men of the habitations who dwelt at the greatest distance\nfrom the head-habitations of the district; and he inquired particularly\nhow it stood with their Christianity, and, where improvement was\nneedful, he taught them the right customs. If any there were who would\nnot renounce heathen ways, he took the matter so zealously that he drove\nsome out of the country, mutilated others of hands or feet, or stung\ntheir eyes out; hung up some, cut down some with the sword; but let none\ngo unpunished who would not serve God. He went thus through the whole\ndistrict, sparing neither great nor small. He gave them teachers, and\nplaced these as thickly in the country as he saw needful. In this manner\nhe went about in that district, and had 300 deadly men-at-arms with him;\nand then proceeded to Raumarike. He soon perceived that Christianity was\nthriving less the farther he proceeded into the interior of the country.\nHe went forward everywhere in the same way, converting all the people to\nthe right faith, and severely punishing all who would not listen to his\nword.\n\n\n\n\n73. TREACHERY OF THE UPLAND KINGS.\n\nNow when the king who at that time ruled in Raumarike heard of this, he\nthought it was a very bad affair; for every day came men to him, both\ngreat and small, who told him what was doing. Therefore this king\nresolved to go up to Hedemark, and consult King Hrorek, who was the\nmost eminent for understanding of the kings who at that time were in the\ncountry. Now when these kings spoke with each other, they agreed to\nsend a message to Gudrod, the valley-king north in the Gudbrandsdal,\nand likewise to the king who was in Hadaland, and bid them to come to\nHedemark, to meet Hrorek and the other kings there. They did not spare\ntheir travelling; for five kings met in Hedemark, at a place called\nRingsaker. Ring, King Hrorek's brother, was the fifth of these kings.\nThe kings had first a private conference together, in which he who\ncame from Raumarike first took up the word, and told of King Olaf's\nproceedings, and of the disturbance he was causing both by killing and\nmutilating people. Some he drove out of the country, some he deprived\nof their offices or property if they spoke anything against him; and,\nbesides, he was travelling over the country with a great army, not\nwith the number of people fixed by law for a royal progress in\nguest-quarters. He added, that he had fled hither upon account of this\ndisturbance, and many powerful people with him had fled from their udal\nproperties in Raumarike. \"But although as yet the evil is nearest to\nus, it will be but a short time before ye will also be exposed to it;\ntherefore it is best that we all consider together what resolution we\nshall take.\" When he had ended his speech, Hrorek was desired to speak;\nand he said, \"Now is the day come that I foretold when we had had our\nmeeting at Hadaland, and ye were all so eager to raise Olaf over our\nheads; namely, that as soon as he was the supreme master of the country\nwe would find it hard to hold him by the horns. We have but two things\nnow to do: the one is, to go all of us to him, and let him do with us as\nhe likes, which I think is the best thing we can do; or the other is,\nto rise against him before he has gone farther through the country.\nAlthough he has 300 or 400 men, that is not too great a force for us to\nmeet, if we are only all in movement together: but, in general, there is\nless success and advantage to be gained when several of equal strength\nare joined together, than when one alone stands at the head of his own\nforce; therefore it is my advice, that we do not venture to try our luck\nagainst Olaf Haraldson.\"\n\nThereafter each of the kings spoke according to his own mind some\ndissuading from going out against King Olaf, others urging it; and no\ndetermination was come to, as each had his own reasons to produce.\n\nThen Gudrod, the valley-king, took up the word, and spoke:--\"It appears\nwonderful to me, that ye make such a long roundabout in coming to a\nresolution; and probably ye are frightened for him. We are here five\nkings, and none of less high birth than Olaf. We gave him the strength\nto fight with Earl Svein, and with our forces he has brought the country\nunder his power. But if he grudges each of us the little kingdom he had\nbefore, and threatens us with tortures, or gives us ill words, then, say\nI for myself, that I will withdraw myself from the king's slavery; and I\ndo not call him a man among you who is afraid to cut him off, if he come\ninto your hands here up in Hedemark. And this I can tell you, that we\nshall never bear our heads in safety while Olaf is in life.\" After this\nencouragement they all agreed to his determination.\n\nThen said Hrorek, \"With regard to this determination, it appears to me\nnecessary to make our agreement so strong that no one shall fail in his\npromise to the other. Therefore, if ye determine upon attacking Olaf at\na fixed time, when he comes here to Hedemark, I will not trust much to\nyou if some are north in the valleys, others up in Hedemark; but if\nour resolution is to come to anything, we must remain here assembled\ntogether day and night.\"\n\nThis the kings agreed to, and kept themselves there all assembled,\nordering a feast to be provided for them at Ringsaker, and drank there a\ncup to success; sending out spies to Raumarike, and when one set came\nin sending out others, so that day and night they had intelligence of\nOlaf's proceedings, and of the numbers of his men. King Olaf went\nabout in Raumarike in guest-quarters, and altogether in the way before\nrelated; but as the provision of the guest-quarter was not always\nsufficient, upon account of his numerous followers, he laid it upon the\nbondes to give additional contributions wherever he found it necessary\nto stay. In some places he stayed longer, in others, shorter than was\nfixed; and his journey down to the lake Miosen was shorter than had\nbeen fixed on. The kings, after taking their resolution, sent out\nmessage-tokens, and summoned all the lendermen and powerful bondes from\nall the districts thereabout; and when they had assembled the kings had\na private meeting with them, and made their determination known, setting\na day for gathering together and carrying it into effect; and it was\nsettled among them that each of the kings should have 300 (1) men. Then\nthey sent away the lendermen to gather the people, and meet all at the\nappointed place. The most approved of the measure; but it happened\nhere, as it usually does, that every one has some friend even among his\nenemies.\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) I.e., 360.\n\n\n\n\n74. MUTILATING OF THE UPLAND KINGS.\n\nKetil of Ringanes was at this meeting. Now when he came home in the\nevening he took his supper, put on his clothes, and went down with his\nhouse-servants to the lake; took a light vessel which he had, the same\nthat King Olaf had made him a present of, and launched it on the water.\nThey found in the boat-house everything ready to their hands; betook\nthemselves to their oars, and rowed out into the lake. Ketil had forty\nwell-armed men with him, and came early in the morning to the end of the\nlake. He set off immediately with twenty men, leaving the other twenty\nto look after the ship. King Olaf was at that time at Eid, in the upper\nend of Raumarike. Thither Ketil arrived just as the king was coming from\nmatins. The king received Ketil kindly. He said he must speak with the\nking in all haste; and they had a private conference together. There\nKetil tells the king the resolution which the kings had taken, and their\nagreement, which he had come to the certain knowledge of. When the king\nlearnt this he called his people together, and sent some out to collect\nriding-horses in the country; others he sent down to the lake to take\nall the rowing-vessels they could lay hold of, and keep them for his\nuse. Thereafter he went to the church, had mass sung before him, and\nthen sat down to table. After his meal he got ready, and hastened down\nto the lake, where the vessels were coming to meet him. He himself went\non board the light vessel, and as many men with him as it could stow,\nand all the rest of his followers took such boats as they could get hold\nof; and when it was getting late in the evening they set out from the\nland, in still and calm weather. He rowed up the water with 400 men, and\ncame with them to Ringsaker before day dawned; and the watchmen were not\naware of the army before they were come into the very court. Ketil knew\nwell in what houses the kings slept, and the king had all these houses\nsurrounded and guarded, so that nobody could get out; and so they stood\ntill daylight. The kings had not people enough to make resistance, but\nwere all taken prisoners, and led before the king. Hrorek was an able\nbut obstinate man, whose fidelity the king could not trust to if he made\npeace with him; therefore he ordered both his eyes to be punched out,\nand took him in that condition about with him. He ordered Gudrod's\ntongue to be cut out; but Ring and two others he banished from Norway,\nunder oath never to return. Of the lendermen and bondes who had actually\ntaken part in the traitorous design, some he drove out of the country,\nsome he mutilated, and with others he made peace. Ottar Black tells of\nthis:--\n\n     \"The giver of rings of gold,\n     The army leader bold,\n          In vengeance springs\n          On the Hedemark kings.\n     Olaf the bold and great,\n     Repays their foul deceit--\n          In full repays\n          Their treacherous ways.\n     He drives with steel-clad hand\n     The small kings from the land,--\n          Greater by far\n          In deed of war.\n     The king who dwelt most north\n     Tongueless must wander forth:\n          All fly away\n          In great dismay.\n     King Olaf now rules o'er\n     What five kings ruled before.\n          To Eid's old bound\n          Extends his ground.\n     No kings in days of yore\n     E'er won so much before:\n          That this is so\n          All Norsemen know.\"\n\nKing Olaf took possession of the land these five kings had possessed,\nand took hostages from the lendermen and bondes in it. He took money\ninstead of guest-quarters from the country north of the valley district,\nand from Hedemark; and then returned to Raumarike, and so west to\nHadaland. This winter (A.D. 1018) his stepfather Sigurd Syr died; and\nKing Olaf went to Ringerike, where his mother Asta made a great feast\nfor him. Olaf alone bore the title of king now in Norway.\n\n\n\n\n75. KING OLAF'S HALF-BROTHERS.\n\nIt is told that when King Olaf was on his visit to his mother Asta,\nshe brought out her children, and showed them to him. The king took his\nbrother Guthorm on the one knee, and his brother Halfdan on the other.\nThe king looked at Guthorm, made a wry face, and pretended to be angry\nat them: at which the boys were afraid. Then Asta brought her youngest\nson, called Harald, who was three years old, to him. The king made a wry\nface at him also; but he looked the king in the face without regarding\nit. The king took the boy by the hair, and plucked it; but the boy\nseized the king's whiskers, and gave them a tug. \"Then,\" said the king,\n\"thou wilt be revengeful, my friend, some day.\" The following day the\nking was walking with his mother about the farm, and they came to\na playground, where Asta's sons, Guthorm and Halfdan, were amusing\nthemselves. They were building great houses and barns in their play, and\nwere supposing them full of cattle and sheep; and close beside them, in\na clay pool, Harald was busy with chips of wood, sailing them, in\nhis sport along the edge. The king asked him what these were; and he\nanswered, these were his ships of war. The king laughed, and said, \"The\ntime may come, friend, when thou wilt command ships.\"\n\nThen the king called to him Halfdan and Guthorm; and first he asked\nGuthorm, \"What wouldst thou like best to have?\"\n\n\"Corn land,\" replied he.\n\n\"And how great wouldst thou like thy corn land to be?\"\n\n\"I would have the whole ness that goes out into the lake sown with corn\nevery summer.\" On that ness there are ten farms.\n\nThe king replies, \"There would be a great deal of corn there.\" And,\nturning to Halfdan, he asked, \"And what wouldst thou like best to have?\"\n\n\"Cows,\" he replied.\n\n\"How many wouldst thou like to have?\"\n\n\"When they went to the lake to be watered I would have so many, that\nthey stood as tight round the lake as they could stand.\"\n\n\"That would be a great housekeeping,\" said the king; \"and therein ye\ntake after your father.\"\n\nThen the king says to Harald, \"And what wouldst thou like best to have?\"\n\n\"House-servants.\"\n\n\"And how many wouldst thou have?\"\n\n\"Oh! so many I would like to have as would eat up my brother Halfdan's\ncows at a single meal.\"\n\nThe king laughed, and said to Asta, \"Here, mother, thou art bringing up\na king.\" And more is not related of them on this occasion.\n\n\n\n\n76. THE DIVISION OF THE COUNTRY.\n\nIn Svithjod it was the old custom, as long as heathenism prevailed, that\nthe chief sacrifice took place in Goe month at Upsala. Then sacrifice\nwas offered for peace, and victory to the king; and thither came people\nfrom all parts of Svithjod. All the Things of the Swedes, also, were\nheld there, and markets, and meetings for buying, which continued for\na week: and after Christianity was introduced into Svithjod, the Things\nand fairs were held there as before. After Christianity had taken\nroot in Svithjod, and the kings would no longer dwell in Upsala, the\nmarket-time was moved to Candlemas, and it has since continued so, and\nit lasts only three days. There is then the Swedish Thing also, and\npeople from all quarters come there. Svithjod is divided into many\nparts. One part is West Gautland, Vermaland, and the Marks, with what\nbelongs to them; and this part of the kingdom is so large, that the\nbishop who is set over it has 1100 churches under him. The other part is\nEast Gautland, where there is also a bishop's seat, to which the islands\nof Gotland and Eyland belong; and forming all together a still greater\nbishopric. In Svithjod itself there is a part of the country called\nSudermanland, where there is also a bishopric. Then comes Westmanland,\nor Fiathrundaland, which is also a bishopric. The third portion of\nSvithjod proper is called Tiundaland; the fourth Attandaland; the\nfifth Sialand, and what belongs to it lies eastward along the coast.\nTiundaland is the best and most inhabited part of Svithjod, under which\nthe other kingdoms stand. There Upsala is situated, the seat of the king\nand archbishop; and from it Upsala-audr, or the domain of the Swedish\nkings, takes its name. Each of these divisions of the country has its\nLag-thing, and its own laws in many parts. Over each is a lagman, who\nrules principally in affairs of the bondes: for that becomes law which\nhe, by his speech, determines them to make law: and if king, earl, or\nbishop goes through the country, and holds a Thing with the bondes, the\nlagmen reply on account of the bondes, and they all follow their lagmen;\nso that even the most powerful men scarcely dare to come to their\nAl-thing without regarding the bondes' and lagmen's law. And in all\nmatters in which the laws differ from each other, Upsala-law is the\ndirecting law; and the other lagmen are under the lagman who dwells in\nTiundaland.\n\n\n\n\n77. OF THE LAGMAN THORGNY.\n\nIn Tiundaland there was a lagman who was called Thorgny, whose father\nwas called Thorgny Thorgnyson. His forefathers had for a long course of\nyears, and during many kings' times, been lagmen of Tiundaland. At this\ntime Thorgny was old, and had a great court about him. He was considered\none of the wisest men in Sweden, and was Earl Ragnvald's relation and\nfoster-father.\n\n\n\n\n78. MEETING OF RAGNVALD AND INGEGERD.\n\nNow we must go back in our story to the time when the men whom the\nking's daughter Ingegerd and Hjalte had sent from the east came to Earl\nRagnvald. They relate their errand to the earl and his wife Ingebjorg,\nand tell how the king's daughter had oft spoken to the Swedish king\nabout a peace between him and King Olaf the Thick, and that she was a\ngreat friend of King Olaf; but that the Swedish king flew into a passion\nevery time she named Olaf, so that she had no hopes of any peace. The\nEarl told Bjorn the news he had received from the east; but Bjorn gave\nthe same reply, that he would not turn back until he had met the Swedish\nking, and said the earl had promised to go with him. Now the winter was\npassing fast, and immediately after Yule the earl made himself ready\nto travel with sixty men, among whom where the marshal Bjorn and his\ncompanions. The earl proceeded eastward all the way to Svithjod; but\nwhen he came a little way into the country he sent his men before him\nto Upsala with a message to Ingegerd the king's daughter to come out\nto meet him at Ullaraker, where she had a large farm. When the king's\ndaughter got the earl's message she made herself ready immediately to\ntravel with a large attendance, and Hjalte accompanied her. But before\nhe took his departure he went to King Olaf, and said, \"Continue always\nto be the most fortunate of monarchs! Such splendour as I have seen\nabout thee I have in truth never witnessed elsewhere, and wheresoever I\ncome it shall not be concealed. Now, king, may I entreat thy favour and\nfriendship in time to come?\"\n\nThe king replies, \"Why art thou in so great a haste, and where art thou\ngoing?\"\n\nHjalte replies, \"I am to ride out to Ullaraker with Ingegerd thy\ndaughter.\"\n\nThe king says, \"Farewell, then: a man thou art of understanding and\npoliteness, and well suited to live with people of rank.\"\n\nThereupon Hjalte withdrew.\n\nThe king's daughter Ingegerd rode to her farm in Ullaraker, and ordered\na great feast to be prepared for the earl. When the earl arrived he was\nwelcomed with gladness, and he remained there several days. The earl and\nthe king's daughter talked much, and of many things, but most about the\nSwedish and Norwegian kings; and she told the earl that in her opinion\nthere was no hope of peace between them.\n\nThen said the earl, \"How wouldst thou like it, my cousin, if Olaf king\nof Norway were to pay his addresses to thee? It appears to us that it\nwould contribute most towards a settled peace if there was relationship\nestablished between the kings; but I would not support such a matter if\nit were against thy inclination.\"\n\nShe replies, \"My father disposes of my hand; but among all my other\nrelations thou art he whose advice I would rather follow in weighty\naffairs. Dost thou think it would be advisable?\" The earl recommended\nit to her strongly, and reckoned up many excellent achievements of King\nOlaf's. He told her, in particular, about what had lately been done;\nthat King Olaf in an hours time one morning had taken five kings\nprisoners, deprived them all of their governments, and laid their\nkingdoms and properties under his own power. Much they talked about the\nbusiness, and in all their conversations they perfectly agreed with each\nother. When the earl was ready he took leave, and proceeded on his way,\ntaking Hjalte with him.\n\n\n\n\n79. RAGNVALD AND THORGNY.\n\nEarl Ragnvald came towards evening one day to the house of Lagman\nThorgny. It was a great and stately mansion, and many people stood\noutside, who received the earl kindly, and took care of the horses\nand baggage. The earl went into the room, where there was a number of\npeople. In the high-seat sat an old man; and never had Bjorn or his\ncompanions seen a man so stout. His beard was so long that it lay upon\nhis knee, and was spread over his whole breast; and the man, moreover,\nwas handsome and stately in appearance. The earl went forward and\nsaluted him. Thorgny received him joyfully and kindly, and bade him go\nto the seat he was accustomed to take. The earl seated himself on the\nother side, opposite Thorgny. They remained there some days before the\nearl disclosed his errand, and then he asked Thorgny to go with him into\nthe conversing room. Bjorn and his followers went there with the earl.\nThen the earl began, and told how Olaf king of Norway had sent these men\nhither to conclude a peaceful agreement. He showed at great length what\ninjury it was of to the West Gautland people, that there was hostility\nbetween their country and Norway. He further related that Olaf the king\nof Norway had sent ambassadors, who were here present, and to whom he\nhad promised he would attend them to the Swedish king; but he added,\n\"The Swedish king takes the matter so grievously, that he has uttered\nmenaces against those who entertain it. Now so it is, my foster-father,\nthat I do not trust to myself in this matter; but am come on a visit to\nthee to get good counsel and help from thee in the matter.\"\n\nNow when the earl had done speaking Thorgny sat silent for a while,\nand then took up the word. \"Ye have curious dispositions who are so\nambitious of honour and renown, and yet have no prudence or counsel in\nyou when you get into any mischief. Why did you not consider, before\nyou gave your promise to this adventure, that you had no power to stand\nagainst King Olaf? In my opinion it is not a less honourable condition\nto be in the number of bondes and have one's words free, and be able\nto say what one will, even if the king be present. But I must go to the\nUpsala Thing, and give thee such help that without fear thou canst speak\nbefore the king what thou findest good.\"\n\nThe earl thanked him for the promise, remained with Thorgny, and rode\nwith him to the Upsala Thing. There was a great assemblage of people at\nthe Thing, and King Olaf was there with his court.\n\n\n\n\n80. OF THE UPSALA THING.\n\nThe first day the Thing sat, King Olaf was seated on a stool, and his\ncourt stood in a circle around him. Right opposite to him sat Earl\nRagnvald and Thorgny in the Thing upon one stool, and before them the\nearl's court and Thorgny's house-people. Behind their stool stood the\nbonde community, all in a circle around them. Some stood upon hillocks\nand heights, in order to hear the better. Now when the king's messages,\nwhich are usually handled in the Things, were produced and settled, the\nmarshal Bjorn rose beside the earl's stool, and said aloud, \"King Olaf\nsends me here with the message that he will offer to the Swedish king\npeace, and the frontiers that in old times were fixed between Norway and\nSvithjod.\" He spoke so loud that the Swedish king could distinctly hear\nhim; but at first, when he heard King Olaf's name spoken, he thought the\nspeaker had some message or business of his own to execute; but when he\nheard of peace, and the frontiers between Norway and Svithjod, he saw\nfrom what root it came, and sprang up, and called out that the man\nshould be silent, for that such speeches were useless. Thereupon Bjorn\nsat down; and when the noise had ceased Earl Ragnvald stood up and made\na speech.\n\nHe spoke of Olaf the Thick's message, and proposal of peace to Olaf the\nSwedish king; and that all the West Gautland people sent their entreaty\nto Olaf that he would make peace with the king of Norway. He recounted\nall the evils the West Gautlanders were suffering under; that they must\ngo without all the things from Norway which were necessary in their\nhouseholds; and, on the other hand, were exposed to attack and hostility\nwhenever the king of Norway gathered an army and made an inroad on them.\nThe earl added, that Olaf the Norway king had sent men hither with the\nintent to obtain Ingegerd the king's daughter in marriage.\n\nWhen the earl had done speaking Olaf the Swedish king stood up and\nreplied, and was altogether against listening to any proposals of peace,\nand made many and heavy reproaches against the earl for his impudence\nin entering into a peaceful truce with the thick fellow, and making up\na peaceful friendship with him, and which in truth he considered treason\nagainst himself. He added, that it would be well deserved if Earl\nRagnvald were driven out of the kingdom. The earl had, in his opinion,\nthe influence of his wife Ingebjorg to thank for what might happen; and\nit was the most imprudent fancy he could have fallen upon to take up\nwith such a wife. The king spoke long and bitterly, turning his speech\nalways against Olaf the Thick. When he sat down not a sound was to be\nheard at first.\n\n\n\n\n81. THORGNY'S SPEECH.\n\nThen Thorgny stood up; and when he arose all the bondes stood up who\nhad before been sitting, and rushed together from all parts to listen to\nwhat Lagman Thorgny would say. At first there was a great din of people\nand weapons; but when the noise was settled into silent listening,\nThorguy made his speech. \"The disposition of Swedish kings is different\nnow from what it has been formerly. My grandfather Thorgny could well\nremember the Upsala king Eirik Eymundson, and used to say of him that\nwhen he was in his best years he went out every summer on expeditions\nto different countries, and conquered for himself Finland, Kirjalaland,\nCourland, Esthonia, and the eastern countries all around; and at the\npresent day the earth-bulwarks, ramparts, and other great works which he\nmade are to be seen. And, more over, he was not so proud that he would\nnot listen to people who had anything to say to him. My father, again,\nwas a long time with King Bjorn, and was well acquainted with his ways\nand manners. In Bjorn's lifetime his kingdom stood in great power, and\nno kind of want was felt, and he was gay and sociable with his friends.\nI also remember King Eirik the Victorious, and was with him on many\na war-expedition. He enlarged the Swedish dominion, and defended it\nmanfully; and it was also easy and agreeable to communicate our opinions\nto him. But the king we have now got allows no man to presume to talk\nwith him, unless it be what he desires to hear. On this alone he applies\nall his power, while he allows his scat-lands in other countries to\ngo from him through laziness and weakness. He wants to have the Norway\nkingdom laid under him, which no Swedish king before him ever desired,\nand therewith brings war and distress on many a man. Now it is our will,\nwe bondes, that thou King Olaf make peace with the Norway king, Olaf\nthe Thick, and marry thy daughter Ingegerd to him. Wilt thou, however,\nreconquer the kingdoms in the east countries which thy relations and\nforefathers had there, we will all for that purpose follow thee to the\nwar. But if thou wilt not do as we desire, we will now attack thee,\nand put thee to death; for we will no longer suffer law and peace to be\ndisturbed. So our forefathers went to work when they drowned five\nkings in a morass at the Mula-thing, and they were filled with the same\ninsupportable pride thou hast shown towards us. Now tell us, in all\nhaste, what resolution thou wilt take.\" Then the whole public approved,\nwith clash of arms and shouts, the lagman's speech.\n\nThe king stands up and says he will let things go according to the\ndesire of the bondes. \"All Swedish kings,\" he said, \"have done so, and\nhave allowed the bondes to rule in all according to their will.\" The\nmurmur among the bondes then came to an end, and the chiefs, the\nking, the earl, and Thorgny talked together, and concluded a truce and\nreconciliation, on the part of the Swedish king, according to the terms\nwhich the king of Norway had proposed by his ambassadors; and it was\nresolved at the Thing that Ingegerd, the king's daughter, should be\nmarried to Olaf Haraldson. The king left it to the earl to make the\ncontract feast, and gave him full powers to conclude this marriage\naffair; and after this was settled at the Thing, they separated. When\nthe earl returned homewards, he and the king's daughter Ingegerd had a\nmeeting, at which they talked between themselves over this matter. She\nsent Olaf a long cloak of fine linen richly embroidered with gold, and\nwith silk points. The earl returned to Gautland, and Bjorn with him; and\nafter staying with him a short time, Bjorn and his company returned to\nNorway. When he came to King Olaf he told him the result of his errand,\nand the king returned him many thanks for his conduct, and said\nBjorn had had great success in bringing his errand to so favourabie a\nconclusion against such animosity.\n\n\n\n\n82. OF KING HROREK'S TREACHERY.\n\nOn the approach of spring (A.D. 1018) King Olaf went down to the coast,\nhad his ships rigged out, summoned troops to him, and proceeded in\nspring out from Viken to the Naze, and so north to Hordaland. He then\nsent messages to all the lendermen, selected the most considerable men\nin each district, and made the most splendid preparations to meet his\nbride. The wedding-feast was to be in autumn, at the Gaut river, on the\nfrontiers of the two countries. King Olaf had with him the blind king\nHrorek. When his wound was healed, the king gave him two men to serve\nhim, let him sit in the high-seat by his side, and kept him in meat and\nclothes in no respect Norse than he had kept himself before. Hrorek was\ntaciturn, and answered short and cross when any one spoke to him. It was\nhis custom to make his footboy, when he went out in the daytime, lead\nhim away from people, and then to beat the lad until he ran away. He\nwould then complain to King Olaf that the lad would not serve him. The\nking changed his servants, but it was as before; no servant would hold\nit out with King Hrorek. Then the king appointed a man called Svein\nto wait upon and serve King Hrorek. He was Hrorek's relation, and\nhad formerly been in his service. Hrorek continued with his habits of\nmoroseness, and of solitary walks; but when he and Svein were alone\ntogether, he was merry and talkative. He used to bring up many things\nwhich had happened in former days when he was king. He alluded, too,\nto the man who had, in his former days, torn him from his kingdom and\nhappiness, and made him live on alms. \"It is hardest of all,\" says he,\n\"that thou and my other relations, who ought to be men of bravery, are\nso degenerated that thou wilt not avenge the shame and disgrace brought\nupon our race.\" Such discourse he often brought out. Svein said, they\nhad too great a power to deal with, while they themselves had but little\nmeans. Hrorek said, \"Why should we live longer as mutilated men with\ndisgrace? I, a blind man, may conquer them as well as they conquered\nme when I was asleep. Come then, let us kill this thick Olaf. He is not\nafraid for himself at present. I will lay the plan, and would not\nspare my hands if I could use them, but that I cannot by reason of my\nblindness; therefore thou must use the weapons against him, and as soon\nas Olaf is killed I can see well enough that his power must come into\nthe hands of his enemies, and it may well be that I shall be king, and\nthou shalt be my earl.\" So much persuasion he used that Svein at last\nagreed to join in the deed. The plan was so laid that when the king was\nready to go to vespers, Svein stood on the threshold with a drawn dagger\nunder his cloak. Now when the king came out of the room, it so happened\nthat he walked quicker than Svein expected; and when he looked the king\nin the face he grew pale, and then white as a corpse, and his hand sank\ndown. The king observed his terror and said, \"What is this, Svein? Wilt\nthou betray me?\" Svein threw down his cloak and dagger, and fell at the\nking's feet, saying, \"All is in Gods hands and thine, king!\" The king\nordered his men to seize Svein, and he was put in irons. The king\nordered Hrorek's seat to be moved to another bench. He gave Svein his\nlife, and he left the country. The king appointed a different lodging\nfor Hrorek to sleep in from that in which he slept himself, and in which\nmany of his court-people slept. He set two of his court-men, who had\nbeen long with him, and whose fidelity he had proof of, to attend Hrorek\nday and night; but it is not said whether they were people of high\nbirth or not. King Hrorek's mood was very different at different times.\nSometimes he would sit silent for days together, so that no man could\nget a word out of him; and sometimes he was so merry and gay, that\npeople found a joke in every word he said. Sometimes his words were very\nbitter. He was sometimes in a mood that he would drink them all under\nthe benches, and made all his neighbours drunk; but in general he drank\nbut little. King Olaf gave him plenty of pocket-money. When he went to\nhis lodgings he would often, before going to bed, have some stoups of\nmead brought in, which he gave to all the men in the house to drink, so\nthat he was much liked.\n\n\n\n\n83. OF LITTLE FIN.\n\nThere was a man from the Uplands called Fin the Little, and some said of\nhim that he was of Finnish (1) race. He was a remarkable little man, but\nso swift of foot that no horse could overtake him. He was a particularly\nwell-excercised runner with snow-shoes, and shooter with the bow. He had\nlong been in the service of King Hrorek, and often employed in errands\nof trust. He knew the roads in all the Upland hills, and was well known\nto all the great people. Now when King Hrorek was set under guards on\nthe journey Fin would often slip in among the men of the guard, and\nfollowed, in general, with the lads and serving-men; but as often as he\ncould he waited upon Hrorek, and entered into conversation with him. The\nking, however, only spoke a word or two with him at a time, to prevent\nsuspicion. In spring, when they came a little way beyond Viken, Fin\ndisappeared from the army for some days, but came back, and stayed\nwith them a while. This happened often, without anyone observing it\nparticularly; for there were many such hangers-on with the army.\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) The Laplanders are called Fins In Norway and Sweden.--L.\n\n\n\n\n84. MURDER OF OLAF'S COURT-MEN.\n\nKing Olaf came to Tunsberg before Easter (A.D. 1018), and remained\nthere late in spring. Many merchant vessels came to the town, both from\nSaxon-land and Denmark, and from Viken, and from the north parts of the\ncountry. There was a great assemblage of people; and as the times were\ngood, there was many a drinking meeting. It happened one evening that\nKing Hrorek came rather late to his lodging; and as he had drunk a great\ndeal, he was remarkably merry. Little Fin came to him with a stoup of\nmead with herbs in it, and very strong. The king made every one in the\nhouse drunk, until they fell asleep each in his berth. Fin had gone\naway, and a light was burning in the lodging. Hrorek waked the men who\nusually followed him, and told them he wanted to go out into the yard.\nThey had a lantern with them, for outside it was pitch dark. Out in the\nyard there was a large privy standing upon pillars, and a stair to go\nup to it. While Hrorek and his guards were in the yard they heard a man\nsay, \"Cut down that devil;\" and presently a crash, as if somebody fell.\nHrorek said, \"These fellows must be dead drunk to be fighting with each\nother so: run and separate them.\" They rushed out; but when they came\nout upon the steps both of them were killed: the man who went out the\nlast was the first killed. There were twelve of Hrorek's men there, and\namong them Sigurd Hit, who had been his banner-man, and also little\nFin. They drew the dead bodies up between the houses, took the king with\nthem, ran out to a boat they had in readiness, and rowed away. Sigvat\nthe skald slept in King Olaf's lodgings. He got up in the night, and his\nfootboy with him, and went to the privy. But as they were returning, on\ngoing down the stairs Sigvat's foot slipped, and he fell on his knee;\nand when he put out his hands he felt the stairs wet. \"I think,\" said\nhe, laughing, \"the king must have given many of us tottering legs\ntonight.\" When they came into the house in which light was burning the\nfootboy said, \"Have you hurt yourself that you are all over so bloody?\"\nHe replied, \"I am not wounded, but something must have happened here.\"\nThereupon he wakened Thord Folason, who was standard-bearer, and his\nbedfellow. They went out with a light, and soon found the blood. They\ntraced it, and found the corpses, and knew them. They saw also a great\nstump of a tree in which clearly a gash had been cut, which, as was\nafterwards known, had been done as a stratagem to entice those out\nwho had been killed. Sigvat and Thord spoke together and agreed it\nwas highly necessary to let the king know of this without delay. They\nimmediately sent a lad to the lodging where Hrorek had been. All the men\nin it were asleep; but the king was gone. He wakened the men who were in\nthe house, and told them what had happened. The men arose, and ran out\nto the yard where the bodies were; but, however needful it appeared to\nbe that the king should know it, nobody dared to waken him.\n\nThen said Sigvat to Thord, \"What wilt thou rather do, comrade, waken the\nking, or tell him the tidings?\"\n\nThord replies, \"I do not dare to waken him, and I would rather tell him\nthe news.\"\n\nThen said Sigvat, \"There is minch of the night still to pass, and before\nmorning Hrorek may get himself concealed in such a way that it may be\ndifficult to find him; but as yet he cannot be very far off, for the\nbodies are still warm. We must never let the disgrace rest upon us of\nconcealing this treason from the king. Go thou, up to the lodging, and\nwait for me there.\"\n\nSigvat then went to the church, and told the bell-ringer to toll for\nthe souls of the king's court-men, naming the men who were killed.\nThe-bell-ringer did as he was told. The king awoke at the ringing, sat\nup in his bed, and asked if it was already the hours of matins.\n\nThord replies, \"It is worse than that, for there has occurred a very\nimportant affair. Hrorek is fled, and two of the court-men are killed.\"\n\nThe king asked how this had taken place, and Thord told him all he knew.\nThe king got up immediately, ordered to sound the call for a meeting of\nthe court, and when the people were assembled he named men to go out\nto every quarter from the town, by sea and land, to search for Hrorek.\nThorer Lange took a boat, and set off with thirty men; and when day\ndawned they saw two small boats before them in the channel, and when\nthey saw each other both parties rowed as hard as they could. King\nHrorek was there with thirty men. When they came quite close to each\nother Hrorek and his men turned towards the land, and all sprang on\nshore except the king, who sat on the aft seat. He bade them farewell,\nand wished they might meet each other again in better luck. At the same\nmoment Thorer with his company rowed to the land. Fin the Little shot\noff an arrow, which hit Thorer in the middle of the body, and was his\ndeath; and Sigurd Hit, with his men, ran up into the forest. Thorer's\nmen took his body, and transported it, together with Hrorek, to\nTunsberg. King Olaf undertook himself thereafter to look after King\nHrorek, made him be carefully guarded, and took good care of his\ntreason, for which reason he had a watch over him night and day. King\nHrorek thereafter was very gay, and nobody could observe but that he was\nin every way well satisfied.\n\n\n\n\n85. OF HROREK'S ASSAULT.\n\nIt happened on Ascension-day that King Olaf went to high mass, and the\nbishop went in procession around the church, and conducted the king; and\nwhen they came back to the church the bishop led the king to his seat\non the north side of the choir. There Hrorek sat next to the king,\nand concealed his countenance in his upper cloak. When Olaf had seated\nhimself Hrorek laid his hand on the king's shoulder, and felt it.\n\n\"Thou hast fine clothes on, cousin, today,\" said he.\n\nKing Olaf replies, \"It is a festival today, in remembrance that Jesus\nChrist ascended to heaven from earth.\"\n\nKing Hrorek says, \"I understand nothing about it so as to hold in my\nmind what ye tell me about Christ. Much of what ye tell me appears to me\nincredible, although many wonderful things may have come to pass in old\ntimes.\"\n\nWhen the mass was finished Olaf stood up, held his hands up over his\nhead, and bowed down before the altar, so that his cloak hung down\nbehind his shoulders. Then King Hrorek started up hastily and sharply,\nand struck at the king with a long knife of the kind called ryting; but\nthe blow was received in the upper cloak at the shoulder, because the\nking was bending himself forwards. The clothes were much cut, but the\nking was not wounded. When the king perceived the attack he sprang upon\nthe floor; and Hrorek struck at him again with the knife, but did not\nreach him, and said, \"Art thou flying, Olaf, from me, a blind men?\" The\nking ordered his men to seize him and lead him out of the church, which\nwas done. After this attempt many hastened to King Olaf, and advised\nthat King Hrorek should be killed. \"It is,\" said they, \"tempting your\nluck in the highest degree, king, to keep him with you, and protect him,\nwhatever mischief he may undertake; for night and day he thinks upon\ntaking your life. And if you send him away, we know no one who can watch\nhim so that he will not in all probability escape; and if once he gets\nloose he will assemble a great multitude, and do much evil.\"\n\nThe king replies, \"You say truly that many a one has suffered death for\nless offence than Hrorek's; but willingly I would not darken the victory\nI gained over the Upland kings, when in one morning hour I took five\nkings prisoners, and got all their kingdoms: but yet, as they were my\nrelations, I should not be their murderer but upon need. As yet I can\nscarcely see whether Hrorek puts me in the necessity of killing him or\nnot.\"\n\nIt was to feel if King Olaf had armour on or not that Hrorek had laid\nhis hand on the king's shoulder.\n\n\n\n\n86. KING HROREK'S JOURNEY TO ICELAND.\n\nThere was an Iceland man, by name Thorarin Nefiulfson, who had his\nrelations in the north of the country. He was not of high birth, but\nparticularly prudent, eloquent, and agreeable in conversation with\npeople of distinction. He was also a far-travelled man, who had been\nlong in foreign parts. Thorarin was a remarkably ugly man, principally\nbecause he had very ungainly limbs. He had great ugly hands, and\nhis feet were still uglier. Thorarin was in Tunsberg when this event\nhappened which has just been related, and he was known to King Olaf by\ntheir having had conversations together. Thorarin was just then done\nwith rigging out a merchant vessel which he owned, and with which he\nintended to go to Iceland in summer. King Olaf had Thorarin with him as\na guest for some days, and conversed much with him; and Thorarin even\nslept in the king's lodgings. One morning early the king awoke while\nthe others were still sleeping. The sun had newly risen in the sky, and\nthere was much light within. The king saw that Thorarin had stretched\nout one of his feet from under the bed-clothes, and he looked at the\nfoot a while. In the meantime the others in the lodging awoke; and the\nking said to Thorarin, \"I have been awake for a while, and have seen a\nsight which was worth seeing; and that is a man's foot so ugly that I\ndo not think an uglier can be found in this merchant town.\" Thereupon he\ntold the others to look at it, and see if it was not so; and all agreed\nwith the king. When Thorarin observed what they were talking about, he\nsaid, \"There are few things for which you cannot find a match, and that\nmay be the case here.\"\n\nThe king says, \"I would rather say that such another ugly foot cannot be\nfound in the town, and I would lay any wager upon it.\"\n\nThen said Thorarin, \"I am willing to bet that I shall find an uglier\nfoot still in the town.\"\n\nThe king--\"Then he who wins shall have the right to get any demand from\nthe other he chooses to make.\"\n\n\"Be it so,\" said Thorarin. Thereupon he stretches out his other foot\nfrom under the bed-clothes, and it was in no way handsomer than the\nother, and moreover, wanted the little toe. \"There,\" said Thorarin, \"see\nnow, king, my other foot, which is so much uglier; and, besides, has no\nlittle toe. Now I have won.\"\n\nThe king replies, \"That other foot was so much uglier than this one by\nhaving five ugly toes upon it, and this has only four; and now I have\nwon the choice of asking something from thee.\"\n\n\"The sovereign's decision must be right,\" says Thorarin; \"but what does\nthe king require of me?\"\n\n\"To take Hrorek,\" said the king, \"to Greenland, and deliver him to Leif\nEirikson.\"\n\nThorarin replies, \"I have never been in Greenland.\"\n\nThe king--\"Thou, who art a far-travelled man, wilt now have an\nopportunity of seeing Greenland, if thou hast never been there before.\"\n\nAt first Thorarin did not say much about it; but as the king insisted\non his wish he did not entirely decline, but said, \"I will let you hear,\nking, what my desire would have been had I gained the wager. It would\nhave been to be received into your body of court-men; and if you\nwill grant me that, I will be the more zealous now in fulfilling your\npleasure.\" The king gave his consent, and Thorarin was made one of the\ncourt-men. Then Thorarin rigged out his vessel, and when he was ready\nhe took on board King Hrorek. When Thorarin took leave of King Olaf,\nhe said, \"Should it now turn out, king, as is not improbable, and often\nhappens, that we cannot effect the voyage to Greenland, but must run for\nIceland or other countries, how shall I get rid of this king in a way\nthat will be satisfactory to you?\"\n\nThe king--\"If thou comest to Iceland, deliver him into the hands of\nGudmund Eyolfson, or of Skapte, the lagman, or of some other chief who\nwill receive my tokens and message of friendship. But if thou comest to\nother countries nearer to this, do so with him that thou canst know with\ncertainty that King Hrorek never again shall appear in Norway; but do so\nonly when thou seest no other way of doing whatsoever.\"\n\nWhen Thorarin was ready for sea, and got a wind, he sailed outside of\nall the rocks and islands, and when he was to the north of the Naze set\nright out into the ocean. He did not immediately get a good wind, but\nhe avoided coming near the land. He sailed until he made land which he\nknew, in the south part of Iceland, and sailed west around the land out\ninto the Greenland ocean.\n\nThere he encountered heavy storms, and drove long about upon the ocean;\nbut when summer was coming to an end he landed again in Iceland in\nBreidafjord. Thorgils Arason (1) was the first man of any consequence\nwho came to him. Thorarin brings him the king's salutation, message,\nand tokens, with which was the desire about King Hrorek's reception.\nThorgils received these in a friendly way, and invited King Hrorek to\nhis house, where he stayed all winter. But he did not like being there,\nand begged that Thorgils would let him go to Gudmund; saying he had\nheard some time or other that there in Gudmund's house, was the most\nsumptuous way of living in Iceland, and that it was intended he should\nbe in Gudmund's hands. Thorgils let him have his desire, and conducted\nhim with some men to Gudmund at Modruveller. Gudmund received Hrorek\nkindly on account of the king's message, and he stayed there the next\nwinter. He did not like being there either; and then Gudmund gave him a\nhabitation upon a small farm called Kalfskin, where there were but few\nneighbours. There Hrorek passed the third winter, and said that since he\nhad laid down his kingdom he thought himself most comfortably situated\nhere; for here he was most respected by all. The summer after Hrorek\nfell sick, and died; and it is said he is the only king whose bones\nrest in Iceland. Thorarin Nefiulfson was afterwards for a long time upon\nvoyages; but sometimes he was with King Olaf.\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) Thorgils was the son of Are Marson, who visited America\n     (Vindland).  Thorgils, who was still alive in the year 1024,\n     was noted for his kindness toward all persecuted persons.\n\n\n\n\n87. BATTLE IN ULFREKS-FJORD.\n\nThe summer that Thorarin went with Hrorek to Iceland, Hjalte Skeggjason\nwent also to Iceland, and King Olaf gave him many friendly gifts\nwith him when they parted. The same summer Eyvind Urarhorn went on an\nexpedition to the west sea, and came in autumn to Ireland, to the Irish\nking Konofogor (1). In autumn Einar earl of Orkney and this Irish king\nmet in Ulfreks-fjord, and there was a great battle, in which Konofogor\ngained the victory, having many more people. The earl fled with a single\nship and came back about autumn to Orkney, after losing most of his men\nand all the booty they had made. The earl was much displeased with his\nexpedition, and threw the blame upon the Northmen, who had been in the\nbattle on the side of the Irish king, for making him lose the victory.\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) Konofogor's Irish name was Connor.\n\n\n\n\n88. OLAF PREPARES FOR HIS BRIDAL JOURNEY.\n\nNow we begin again our story where we let it slip--at King Olaf's\ntravelling to his bridal, to receive his betrothed Ingegerd the king's\ndaughter. The king had a great body of men with him, and so chosen a\nbody that all the great people he could lay hold of followed him; and\nevery man of consequence had a chosen band of men with him distinguished\nby birth or other qualifications. The whole were well appointed,\nand equipped in ships, weapons, and clothes. They steered the fleet\neastwards to Konungahella; but when they arrived there they heard\nnothing of the Swedish king and none of his men had come there. King\nOlaf remained a long time in summer (A.D. 1018) at Konungahella, and\nendeavored carefully to make out what people said of the Swedish king's\nmovements, or what were his designs; but no person could tell him\nanything for certain about it. Then he sent men up to Gautland to Earl\nRagnvald, to ask him if he knew how it came to pass that the Swedish\nking did not come to the meeting agreed on. The earl replies, that he\ndid not know. \"But as soon,\" said he, \"as I hear, I shall send some of\nmy men to King Olaf, to let him know if there be any other cause for\nthe delay than the multitude of affairs; as it often happens that the\nSwedish king's movements are delayed by this more than he could have\nexpected.\"\n\n\n\n\n89. OF THE SWEDISH KING'S CHILDREN.\n\nThis Swedish king, Olaf Eirikson, had first a concubine who was called\nEdla, a daughter of an earl of Vindland, who had been captured in war,\nand therefore was called the king's slave-girl. Their children were\nEmund, Astrid, Holmfrid.... They had, besides, a son, who was born the\nday before St. Jacob's-day. When the boy was to be christened the bishop\ncalled him Jacob, which the Swedes did not like, as there never had been\na Swedish king called Jacob. All King Olaf's children were handsome in\nappearance, and clever from childhood. The queen was proud, and did not\nbehave well towards her step-children; therefore the king sent his son\nEmund to Vindland, to be fostered by his mother's relations, where he\nfor a long time neglected his Christianity. The king's daughter, Astrid,\nwas brought up in West Gautland, in the house of a worthy man called\nEgil. She was a very lovely girl: her words came well into her\nconversation; she was merry, but modest, and very generous. When she was\ngrown up she was often in her father's house, and every man thought well\nof her. King Olaf was haughty and harsh in his speech. He took very ill\nthe uproar and clamour the country people had raised against him at the\nUpsala Thing, as they had threatened him with violence, for which he\nlaid the chief blame on Earl Ragnvald. He made no preparation for the\nbridal, according to the agreement to marry his daughter Ingegerd\nto Olaf the king of Norway, and to meet him on the borders for that\npurpose. As the summer advanced many of his men were anxious to know\nwhat the kings intentions were; whether to keep to the agreement with\nKing Olaf, or break his word, and with it the peace of the country. But\nno one was so bold as to ask the king, although they complained of it\nto Ingegerd, and besought her to find out what the king intended. She\nreplied \"I have no inclination to speak to the king again about the\nmatters between him and King Olaf; for he answered me ill enough once\nbefore when I brought forward Olaf's name.\" In the meantime Ingegerd,\nthe king's daughter, took it to heart, became melancholy and sorrowful\nand yet very curious to know what the king intended. She had much\nsuspicion that he would not keep his word and promise to King Olaf; for\nhe appeared quite enraged whenever Olaf the Thick's name was in any way\nmentioned.\n\n\n\n\n90. OF THE SWEDISH KING OLAF'S HUNTING.\n\nOne morning early the king rode out with his dogs and falcons, and his\nmen around him. When they let slip the falcons the king's falcon killed\ntwo black-cocks in one flight, and three in another. The dogs ran and\nbrought the birds when they had fallen to the ground. The king ran after\nthem, took the game from them himself, was delighted with his sport, and\nsaid, \"It will be long before the most of you have such success.\" They\nagreed in this; adding, that in their opinion no king had such luck in\nhunting as he had. Then the king rode home with his followers in high\nspirits. Ingegerd, the king's daughter, was just going out of her\nlodging when the king came riding into the yard, and she turned round\nand saluted him. He saluted her in return, laughing; produced the birds,\nand told her the success of his chase.\n\n\"Dost thou know of any king,\" said he, \"who made so great a capture in\nso short a time?\"\n\n\"It is indeed,\" replied she, \"a good morning's hunting, to have got five\nblack-cocks; but it was a still better when, in one morning, the king of\nNorway, Olaf, took five kings, and subdued all their kingdoms.\"\n\nWhen the king heard this he sprang from his horse, turned to Ingegerd,\nand said, \"Thou shalt know, Ingegerd, that however great thy love may\nbe for this man, thou shalt never get him, nor he get thee. I will marry\nthee to some chief with whom I can be in friendship; but never can I be\na friend of the man who has robbed me of my kingdom, and done me great\nmischief by marauding and killing through the land.\" With that their\nconversation broke off, and each went away.\n\n\n\n\n91. OLAF THE NORWAY KING'S COUNSELS.\n\nIngegerd, the king's daughter, had now full certainty of King Olaf's\nintention, and immediately sent men to West Gautland to Earl Ragnvald,\nand let him know how it stood with the Swedish king, and that the\nagreement made with the king of Norway was broken; and advising the earl\nand people of West Gautland to be upon their guard, as no peace from the\npeople of Norway was to be expected. When the earl got this news he sent\na message through all his kingdom, and told the people to be cautious,\nand prepared in case of war or pillage from the side of Norway. He also\nsent men to King Olaf the Thick, and let him know the message he had\nreceived, and likewise that he wished for himself to hold peace and\nfriendship with King Olaf; and therefore he begged him not to pillage in\nhis kingdom. When this message came to King Olaf it made him both angry\nand sorry; and for some days nobody got a word from him. He then held\na House-Thing with his men, and in it Bjorn arose, and first took the\nword. He began his speech by telling that he had proceeded eastward last\nwinter to establish a peace, and he told how kindly Earl Ragnvald\nhad received him; and, on the other hand, how crossly and heavily the\nSwedish king had accepted the proposal. \"And the agreement,\" said he,\n\"which was made, was made more by means of the strength of the people,\nthe power of Thorgny, and the aid of the earl, than by the king's\ngood-will. Now, on these grounds, we know for certain that it is the\nking who has caused the breach of the agreement; therefore we ought\nby no means to make the earl suffer, for it is proved that he is King\nOlaf's firm friend.\" The king wished now to hear from the chiefs and\nother leaders of troops what course he should adopt. \"Whether shall we\ngo against Gautland, and maraud there with such men as we have got; or\nis there any other course that appears to you more advisable?\" He spoke\nboth long and well.\n\nThereafter many powerful men spoke, and all were at last agreed in\ndissuading from hostilities. They argued thus:--\"Although we are a\nnumerous body of men who are assembled here, yet they are all only\npeople of weight and power; but, for a war expedition, young men who are\nin quest of property and consideration are more suitable. It is also\nthe custom of people of weight and power, when they go into battle or\nstrife, to have many people with them whom they can send out before\nthem for their defence; for the men do not fight worse who have little\nproperty, but even better than those who are brought up in the midst of\nwealth.\" After these considerations the king resolved to dismiss this\narmy from any expedition, and to give every man leave to return home;\nbut proclaimed, at the same time, that next summer the people over\nthe whole country would be called out in a general levy, to march\nimmediately against the Swedish king, and punish him for his want of\nfaith. All thought well of this plan. Then the king returned northwards\nto Viken, and took his abode at Sarpsborg in autumn, and ordered all\nthings necessary for winter provision to be collected there; and he\nremained there all winter (A.D. 1019) with a great retinue.\n\n\n\n\n92. SIGVAT THE SKALD'S JOURNEY EASTWARDS.\n\nPeople talked variously about Earl Ragnvald; some said he was King\nOlaf's sincere friend; others did not think this likely, and thought it\nstood in his power to warn the Swedish king to keep his word, and the\nagreement concluded on between him and King Olaf. Sigvat the poet often\nexpressed himself in conversation as Earl Ragnvald's great friend, and\noften spoke of him to King Olaf; and he offered to the king to travel to\nEarl Ragnvald's and spy after the Swedish kings doings, and to attempt,\nif possible, to get the settlement of the agreement. The king thought\nwell of this plan; for he oft, and with pleasure, spoke to his\nconfidential friends about Ingegerd, the king's daughter. Early\nin winter (A.D. 1019) Sigvat the skald, with two companions, left\nSarpsborg, and proceeded eastwards over the moors to Gautland. Before\nSigvat and King Olaf parted he composed these verses:--\n\n     \"Sit happy in thy hall, O king!\n     Till I come back, and good news bring:\n     The skald will bid thee now farewell,\n     Till he brings news well worth to tell.\n     He wishes to the helmed hero\n     Health, and long life, and a tull flow\n     Of honour, riches, and success--\n     And, parting, ends his song with this.\n     The farewell word is spoken now __\n     The word that to the heart lies nearest;\n     And yet, O king!  before I go,\n     One word on what I hold the dearest,\n     I fain would say, \"O!  may God save\n     To thee the bravest of the brave,\n     The land, which is thy right by birth!\"\n     This is my dearest with on earth.\"\n\nThen they proceeded eastwards towards Eid, and had difficulty in\ncrossing the river in a little cobble; but they escaped, though with\ndanger: and Sigvat sang:--\n\n     \"On shore the crazy boat I drew,\n     Wet to the skin, and frightened too;\n     For truly there was danger then;\n     The mocking hill elves laughed again.\n     To see us in this cobble sailing,\n     And all our sea-skill unavailing.\n     But better did it end, you see,\n     Than any of us could foresee.\"\n\nThen they went through the Eid forest, and Sigvat sang:--\n\n     \"A hundred miles through Eid's old wood,\n     And devil an alehouse, bad or good,--\n     A hundred miles, and tree and sky\n     Were all that met the weary eye.\n     With many a grumble, many a groan.\n     A hundred miles we trudged right on;\n     And every king's man of us bore\n     On each foot-sole a bleeding sore.\"\n\nThey came then through Gautland, and in the evening reached a farm-house\ncalled Hof. The door was bolted so that they could not come in; and the\nservants told them it was a fast-day, and they could not get admittance.\nSigvat sang:--\n\n     \"Now up to Hof in haste I hie,\n     And round the house and yard I pry.\n     Doors are fast locked--but yet within,\n     Methinks, I hear some stir and din.\n     I peep, with nose close to the ground.\n     Below the door, but small cheer found.\n     My trouble with few words was paid--\n     \"'Tis holy time,' the house-folkd said.\n     Heathens!  to shove me thus away!\n     I' the foul fiend's claws may you all lay.\"\n\nThen they came to another farm, where the good-wife was standing at the\ndoor, and told them not to come in, for they were busy with a sacrifice\nto the elves. Sigvat sang of it thus:--\n\n     \"'My poor lad, enter not, I pray!'\n     Thus to me did the old wife say;\n     'For all of us are heathens here,\n     And I for Odin's wrath do fear.'\n     The ugly witch drove me away,\n     Like scared wolf sneaking from his prey.\n     When she told me that there within\n     Was sacrifice to foul Odin.\"\n\nAnother evening, they came to three bondes, all of them of the name of\nOlver, who drove them away. Sigvat sang:--\n\n     \"Three of one name,\n     To their great shame,\n     The traveller late\n     Drove from their gate!\n     Travellers may come\n     From our viking-home,\n     Unbidden guests\n     At these Olvers' feasts.\"\n\nThey went on farther that evening, and came to a fourth bonde, who was\nconsidered the most hospitable man in the country; but he drove them\naway also. Then Sigvat sang:--\n\n     \"Then on I went to seek night's rest\n     From one who was said to be the best,\n     The kindest host in the land around,\n     And there I hoped to have quarters found.\n     But, faith,'twas little use to try;\n     For not so much as raise an eye\n     Would this huge wielder of the spade:\n     If he's the hest, it must be said\n     Bad is the best, and the skald's praise\n     Cannot be given to churls like these.\n     I almost wished that Asta's son\n     In the Eid forest had been one\n     When we, his men, were even put\n     Lodging to crave in a heathen's hut.\n     I knew not where the earl to find;\n     Four times driven off by men unkind,\n     I wandered now the whole night o'er,\n     Driven like a dog from door to door.\"\n\nNow when they came to Earl Ragnvald's the earl said they must have had a\nsevere journey. Then Sigvat sang:--\n\n     \"The message-bearers of the king\n     From Norway came his words to bring;\n     And truly for their master they\n     Hard work have done before to-day.\n     We did not loiter on the road,\n     But on we pushed for thy abode:\n     Thy folk, in sooth, were not so kind\n     That we cared much to lag hehind.\n     But Eid to rest safe we found,\n     From robbers free to the eastern bound:\n     This praise to thee, great earl, is due--\n     The skald says only what is true.\"\n\nEarl Ragnvald gave Sigvat a gold arm-ring, and a woman said \"he had not\nmade the journey with his black eyes for nothing.\" Sigvat sang:--\n\n     \"My coal-black eyes\n     Dost thou despise?\n     They have lighted me\n     Across the sea\n     To gain this golden prize:\n     They have lighted me,\n     Thy eyes to see,\n     O'er Iceland's main,\n     O'er hill and plain:\n     Where Nanna's lad would fear to be\n     They have lighted me.\"\n\nSigvat was long entertained kindly and well in the house of Earl\nRagnvald. The earl heard by letters, sent by Ingegerd the king's\ndaughter, that ambassadors from King Jarisleif were come from Russia to\nKing Olaf of Svithjod to ask his daughter Ingegerd in marriage, and that\nKing Olaf had given them hopes that he would agree to it. About the same\ntime King Olaf's daughter Astrid came to Earl Ragnvald's court, and\na great feast was made for her. Sigvat soon became acquainted by\nconversation with the king's daughter, and she knew him by name and\nfamily, for Ottar the skald, Sigvat's sister's son, had long intimate\nacquaintance with King Olaf, the Swedish king. Among other things talked\nof, Earl Ragnvald asked Sigvat if the king of Norway would not marry the\nking's daughter Astrid. \"If he would do that,\" said he, \"I think we need\nnot ask the Swedish king for his consent.\" Astrid, the kings daughter,\nsaid exactly the same. Soon after Sigvat returns home, and comes to King\nOlaf at Sarpsborg a little before Yule.\n\nWhen Sigvat came home to King Olaf he went into the hall, and, looking\naround on the walls, he sang:--\n\n     \"When our men their arms are taking\n     The raven's wings with greed are shaking;\n     When they come back to drink in hall\n     Brave spoil they bring to deck the wall--\n     Shield, helms, and panzers (1), all in row,\n     Stripped in the field from lifeless fow.\n     In truth no royal nail comes near\n     Thy splendid hall in precious gear.\"\n\nAfterwards Sigvat told of his journey, and sang these verses:--\n\n     \"The king's court-guards desire to hear\n     About our journey and our cheer,\n     Our ships in autumn reach the sound,\n     But long the way to Swedish ground.\n     With joyless weather, wind and raind,\n     And pinching cold, and feet in pain--\n     With sleep, fatigue, and want oppressed,\n     No songs had we--we scarce had rest.\"\n\nAnd when he came into conversation with the king he sang:--\n\n     \"When first I met the earl I told\n     How our king loved a friend so bold;\n     How in his heart he loved a man\n     With hand to do, and head to plan.\n     Thou generous king!  with zeal and care\n     I sought to advance thy great affair;\n     For messengers from Russian land\n     Had come to ask Ingegerd's hand.\n     The earl, thy friend, bids thee, who art\n     So mild and generous of heart,\n     His servants all who here may come\n     To cherish in thy royal home;\n     And thine who may come to the east\n     In Ragnvald's hall shall find a feast--\n     In Ragnvald's house shall find a home--\n     At Ragnvald's court be still welcome.\n     When first I came the people's mind\n     Incensed by Eirik's son I find;\n     And he refused the wish to meet,\n     Alleging treachery and deceit.\n     But I explained how it was here,\n     For earl and king, advantage clear\n     With thee to hold the strictest peace,\n     And make all force and foray cease.\n     The earl is wise, and understands\n     The need of peace for both the lands;\n     And he entreats thee not to break\n     The present peace for vengeance's sake!\"\n\nHe immediately tells King Olaf the news he had heard; and at first the\nking was much cast down when he heard of King Jarisleif's suit, and he\nsaid he expected nothing but evil from King Olaf; but wished he might\nbe able to return it in such a way as Olaf should remember. A while\nafterwards the king asks Sigvat about various news from Gautland. Sigvat\nspoke a great deal about Astrid, the kings daughter; how beautiful she\nwas, how agreeable in her conversation; and that all declared she was in\nno respect behind her sister Ingegerd. The king listened with pleasure\nto this. Then Sigvat told him the conversation he and Astrid had had\nbetween themselves, and the king was delighted at the idea. \"The\nSwedish king,\" said he, \"will scarcely think that I will dare to marry\na daughter of his without his consent.\" But this speech of his was not\nknown generally. King Olaf and Sigvat the skald often spoke about\nit. The king inquired particularly of Sigvat what he knew about Earl\nRagnvald, and \"if he be truly our friend,\" said the king. Sigvat said\nthat the earl was King Olaf's best friend, and sang these verses:--\n\n     \"The mighty Olaf should not cease\n     With him to hold good terms and peace;\n     For this good earl unwearied shows\n     He is thy friend where all are foes.\n     Of all who dwell by the East Sea\n     So friendly no man is as he:\n     At all their Things he takes thy part,\n     And is thy firm friend, hand and heart.\"\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) The Pantzer--a complete suit of plate-armour.\n\n\n\n\n93. RAGNVALD AND ASTRA'S JOURNEY.\n\nAfter Yule (A.D. 1019), Thord Skotakol, a sister's son of Sigvat,\nattended by one of Sigvat's footboys, who had been with Sigvat the\nautumn before in Gautland, went quite secretly from the court, and\nproceeded to Gautland. When they came to Earl Ragnvald's court, they\nproduced the tokens which Olaf himself had sent to the earl, that he\nmight place confidence in Thord. Without delay the earl made himself\nready for a journey, as did Astrid, the king's daughter; and the earl\ntook with him 120 men, who were chosen both from among his courtmen and\nthe sons of great bondes, and who were carefully equipped in all things,\nclothes, weapons, and horses. Then they rode northwards to Sarpsborg,\nand came there at Candlemas.\n\n\n\n\n94. OF KING OLAF'S MARRIAGE.\n\nKing Olaf had put all things in order in the best style. There were\nall sorts of liquors of the best that could be got, and all other\npreparations of the same quality. Many people of consequence were\nsummoned in from their residences. When the earl arrived with his\nretinue the king received him particularly well; and the earl was shown\nto a large, good, and remarkably well-furnished house for his lodging;\nand serving-men and others were appointed to wait on him; and nothing\nwas wanting, in any respect, that could grace a feast. Now when the\nentertainment had lasted some days, the king, the earl, and Astrid had\na conference together; and the result of it was, that Earl Ragnvald\ncontracted Astrid, daughter of the Swedish king Olaf, to Olaf king\nof Norway, with the same dowry which had before been settled that her\nsister Ingegerd should have from home. King Olaf, on his part, should\ngive Astrid the same bride-gift that had been intended for her sister\nIngegerd. Thereupon an eke was made to the feast, and King Olaf and\nQueen Astrid's wedding was drunk in great festivity. Earl Ragnvald then\nreturned to Gautland, and the king gave the earl many great and good\ngifts at parting; and they parted the dearest of friends, which they\ncontinued to be while they lived.\n\n\n\n\n95. THE AGREEMENT BROKEN BY OLAF.\n\nThe spring (A.D. 1019) thereafter came ambassadors from King Jarisleif\nin Novgorod to Svithjod, to treat more particularly about the promise\ngiven by King Olaf the preceding summer to marry his daughter Ingegerd\nto King Jarisleif. King Olaf tallied about the business with Ingegerd,\nand told her it was his pleasure that she should marry King Jarisleif.\nShe replied. \"If I marry King Jarisleif, I must have as my bride-gift\nthe town and earldom of Ladoga.\" The Russian ambassadors agreed to this,\non the part of their sovereign. Then said Ingegerd, \"If I go east to\nRussia, I must choose the man in Svithjod whom I think most suitable\nto accompany me; and I must stipulate that he shall not have any less\ntitle, or in any respect less dignity, privilege, and consideration\nthere, than he has, here.\" This the king and the ambassadors agreed to,\nand gave their hands upon it in confirmation of the condition.\n\n\"And who,\" asked the king, \"is the man thou wilt take with thee as thy\nattendant?\"\n\n\"That man,\" she replied, \"is my relation Earl Ragnvald.\"\n\nThe king replies, \"I have resolved to reward Earl Ragnvald in a\ndifferent manner for his treason against his master in going to Norway\nwith my daughter, and giving her as a concubine to that fellow, who he\nknew was my greatest enemy. I shall hang him up this summer.\"\n\nThen Ingegerd begged her father to be true to the promise he had made\nher, and had confirmed by giving his hand upon it. By her entreaties it\nwas at last agreed that the king should promise to let Earl Ragnvald\ngo in peace from Svithjod, but that he should never again appear in the\nking's presence, or come back to Svithjod while Olaf reigned. Ingegerd\nthen sent messengers to the earl to bring him these tidings, and to\nappoint a place of meeting. The earl immediately prepared for his\njourney; rode up to East Gautland; procured there a vessel, and, with\nhis retinue, joined Ingegerd, and they proceeded together eastward to\nRussia. There Ingegerd was married to King Jarisleif; and their children\nwere Valdemar, Vissivald, and Holte the Bold. Queen Ingegerd gave Earl\nRagnvald the town of Ladoga, and earldom belonging to it. Earl\nRagnvald was there a long time, and was a celebrated man. His sons and\nIngebjorg's were Earl Ulf and Earl Eilif.\n\n\n\n\n96. HISTORY OF THE LAGMAN EMUND.\n\nThere was a man called Emund of Skara, who was lagman of west Gautland,\nand was a man of great understanding and eloquence, and of high birth,\ngreat connection, and very wealthy; but was considered deceitful, and\nnot to be trusted. He was the most powerful man in West Gautland after\nthe earl was gone. The same spring (A.D. 1019) that Earl Ragnvald left\nGautland the Gautland people held a Thing among themselves, and often\nexpressed their anxiety to each other about what the Swedish king\nmight do. They heard he was incensed because they had rather held in\nfriendship with the king of Norway than striven against him; and he\nwas also enraged against those who had attended his daughter Astrid to\nNorway. Some proposed to seek help and support from the king of Norway,\nand to offer him their services; others dissuaded from this measure, as\nWest Gautland had no strength to oppose to the Swedes. \"And the king of\nNorway,\" said they, \"is far from us, the chief strength of his country\nvery distant; and therefore let us first send men to the Swedish king\nto attempt to come to some reconciliation with him. If that fail, we\ncan still turn to the king of Norway.\" Then the bondes asked Emund to\nundertake this mission, to which he agreed; and he proceeded with\nthirty men to East Gautland, where there were many of his relations and\nfriends, who received him hospitably. He conversed there with the most\nprudent men about this difficult business; and they were all unanimous\non one point,--that the king's treatment of them was against law and\nreason. From thence Emund went into Svithjod, and conversed with many\nmen of consequence, who all expressed themselves in the same way. Emund\ncontinued his journey thus, until one day, towards evening, he arrived\nat Upsala, where he and his retinue took a good lodging, and stayed\nthere all night. The next day Emund waited upon the king, who was just\nthen sitting in the Thing surrounded by many people. Emund went before\nhim, bent his knee, and saluted him. The king looked at him, saluted\nhim, and asked him what news he brought.\n\nEmund replies, \"There is little news among us Gautlanders; but it\nappears to us a piece of remarkable news that the proud, stupid Atte, in\nVermaland, whom we look upon as a great sportsman, went up to the forest\nin winter with his snow-shoes and his bow. After he had got as many\nfurs in the mountains as filled his hand-sledge so full that he could\nscarcely drag it, he returned home from the woods. But on the way he saw\na squirrel in the trees, and shot at it, but did not hit; at which he\nwas so angry, that he left the sledge to run after the squirrel: but\nstill the squirrel sprang where the wood was thickest, sometimes among\nthe roots of the trees, sometimes in the branches, sometimes among the\narms that stretch from tree to tree. When Atte shot at it the arrows\nflew too high or too low, and the squirrel never jumped so that Atte\ncould get a fair aim at him. He was so eager upon this chase that he ran\nthe whole day after the squirrel, and yet could not get hold of it. It\nwas now getting dark; so he threw himself down upon the snow, as he was\nwont, and lay there all night in a heavy snow-storm. Next day Atte got\nup to look after his sledge, but never did he find it again; and so he\nreturned home. And this is the only news, king, I have to tell.\"\n\nThe king says, \"This is news of but little importance, if it be all thou\nhast to tell.\"\n\nErnund replies, \"Lately something happened which may well be called\nnews. Gaute Tofason went with five warships out of the Gaut river,\nand when he was lying at the Eikrey Isles there came five large Danish\nmerchant-ships there. Gaute and his men immediately took four of the\ngreat vessels, and made a great booty without the loss of a man: but the\nfifth vessel slipped out to sea, and sailed away. Gaute gave chase with\none ship, and at first came nearer to them; but as the wind increased,\nthe Danes got away. Then Gaute wanted to turn back; but a storm came on\nso that he lost his ship at Hlesey, with all the goods, and the greater\npart of his crew. In the meantime his people were waiting for him at the\nEikrey Isles: but the Danes came over in fifteen merchant-ships, killed\nthem all, and took all the booty they had made. So but little luck had\nthey with their greed of plunder.\"\n\nThe king replied. \"That is great news, and worth being told; but what\nnow is thy errand here?\"\n\nEmund replies, \"I travel, sire, to obtain your judgment in a difficult\ncase, in which our law and the Upsala law do not agree.\"\n\nThe king asks, \"What is thy appeal case?\"\n\nEmund replies, \"There were two noble-born men of equal birth, but\nunequal in property and disposition. They quarrelled about some land,\nand did each other much damage; but most was done to him who was the\nmore powerful of the two. This quarrel, however, was settled, and judged\nof at a General Thing; and the judgment was, that the most powerful\nshould pay a compensation. But at the first payment, instead of paying\na goose, he paid a gosling; for an old swine he paid a sucking pig; and\nfor a mark of stamped gold only a half-mark, and for the other half-mark\nnothing but clay and dirt; and, moreover, threatened, in the most\nviolent way, the people whom he forced to receive such goods in payment.\nNow, sire, what is your judgment?\"\n\nThe king replies, \"He shall pay the full equivalent whom the judgment\nordered to do so, and that faithfully; and further, threefold to his\nking: and if payment be not made within a year and a day, he shall be\ncut off from all his property, his goods confiscated, and half go the\nking's house, and half to the other party.\"\n\nEmund took witnesses to this judgment among the most considerable of\nthe men who were present, according to the laws which were held in the\nUpsala Thing. He then saluted the king, and went his way; and other men\nbrought their cases before the king, and he sat late in the day upon\nthe cases of the people. Now when the king came to table, he asked where\nLagman Emund was. It was answered, he was home at his lodgings. \"Then,\"\nsaid the king, \"go after him, and tell him to be my guest to-day.\"\nThereafter the dishes were borne in; then came the musicians with harps,\nfiddles, and musical instruments; and lastly, the cup-bearers. The king\nwas particularly merry, and had many great people at table with him, so\nthat he thought little of Emund. The king drank the whole day, and slept\nall the night after; but in the morning the king awoke, and recollected\nwhat Emund had said the day before: and when he had put on his clothes,\nhe let his wise men be summoned to him; for he had always twelve of the\nwisest men who sat in judgment with him, and treated the more difficult\ncases; and that was no easy business, for the king was ill-pleased if\nthe judgment was not according to justice, and yet it was of no use\nto contradict him. In this meeting the king ordered Lagman Emund to\nbe called before them. The messenger returned, and said, \"Sire, Lagman\nEmund rode away yesterday as soon as he had dined.\" \"Then,\" said the\nking, \"tell me, ye good chiefs, what may have been the meaning of that\nlaw-case which Emund laid before us yesterday?\"\n\nThey replied, \"You must have considered it yourself, if you think there\nwas any other meaning under it than what he said.\"\n\nThe king replied, \"By the two noble-born men whom he spoke of, who were\nat variance, and of whom one was more powerful than the other, and who\ndid each other damage, he must have meant us and Olaf the Thick.\"\n\nThey answered, \"It is, sire, as you say.\"\n\nThe king--\"Our case was judged at the Upsala Thing. But what was his\nmeaning when he said that bad payment was made; namely, a gosling for\na goose, a pig for a swine, and clay and dirt for half of the money\ninstead of gold?\"\n\nArnvid the Blind replied, \"Sire, red gold and clay are things very\nunlike; but the difference is still greater between king and slave. You\npromised Olaf the Thick your daughter Ingegerd, who, in all branches of\nher descent, is born of kings, and of the Upland Swedish race of kings,\nwhich is the most noble in the North; for it is traced up to the gods\nthemselves. But now Olaf has got Astrid; and although she is a king's\nchild, her mother was but a slave-woman, and, besides, of Vindish race.\nGreat difference, indeed, must there be between these kings, when the\none takes thankfully such a match; and now it is evident, as might be\nexpected, that no Northman is to be placed by the side of the Upsala\nkings. Let us all give thanks that it has so turned out; for the gods\nhave long protected their descendants, although many now neglect this\nfaith.\"\n\nThere were three brothers:--Arnvid the Blind, who had a great\nunderstanding, but was so weak-sighted that he was scarcely fit for\nwar; the second was Thorvid the Stammerer, who could not utter two words\ntogether at one time, but was remarkably bold and courageous; the third\nwas Freyvid the Deaf, who was hard of hearing. All these brothers were\nrich and powerful men, of noble birth, great wisdom, and all very dear\nto the king.\n\nThen said King Olaf, \"What means that which Emund said about Atte the\nDull?\"\n\nNone made any reply, but the one looked at the other.\n\n\"Speak freely,\" said the king.\n\nThen said Thorvid the Stammerer,\n\"Atte--quarrel--some--greedy--jealous--deceitful--dull.\"\n\nThen said the king, \"To whom are these words of reproach and mockery\napplied?\"\n\nFreyvid the Deaf replied, \"We will speak more clearly if we have your\npermission.\"\n\nThe king--\"Speak freely, Freyvid, what you will.\"\n\nFreyvid took up the word, and spoke. \"My brother Thorvid, who\nis considered to be the wisest of us brothers, holds the words\n'quarrelsome, greedy, jealous, dull,' to be one and the same thing; for\nit applies to him who is weary of peace, longs for small things without\nattaining them, while he lets great and useful things pass away as they\ncame. I am deaf; yet so loud have many spoken out, that I can perceive\nthat all men, both great and small, take it ill that you have not kept\nyour promise to the king of Norway; and, worse than that, that you broke\nthe decision of the community as it was delivered at Upsala Thing. You\nneed not fear either the king of Norway, or the king of Denmark, or any\nother, so long as the Swedish army will follow you; but if the people\nof the country unanimously turn against you, we, your friends, see no\ncounsel that can be of advantage to you.\"\n\nThe king asks, \"Who is the chief who dares to betray the country and\nme?\"\n\nFreyvid replies, \"All Swedes desire to have the ancient laws, and their\nfull rights. Look but here, sire, how many chiefs are sitting in\ncouncil with you. I think, in truth, we are but six whom you call your\ncouncillors: all the others, so far as I know, have ridden forth through\nthe districts to hold Things with the people; and we will not conceal\nit from you, that the message-token has gone forth to assemble a\nRetribution-thing (1). All of us brothers have been invited to take part\nin the decisions of this council, but none of us will bear the name of\ntraitor to the sovereign; for that our father never was.\"\n\nThen the king said, \"What council shall we take in this dangerous affair\nthat is in our hands? Good chiefs give me council, that I may keep my\nkingdom, and the heritage of my forefathers; for I cannot enter into\nstrife against the whole Swedish force.\"\n\nArnvid the Blind replies, \"Sire, it is my advice that you ride down to\nAros with such men as will follow you; take your ship there and go out\ninto the Maeler lake; summon all people to meet you; proceed no longer\nwith haughtiness, but promise every man the law and rights of old\nestablished in the country; keep back in this way the message-token,\nfor it cannot as yet, in so short a time have travelled far through the\nland. Send, then those of your men in whom you have the most confidence\nto those who have this business on hand, and try if this uproar can be\nappeased.\"\n\nThe king says that he will adopt this advice. \"I will,\" says he, \"that\nye brothers undertake this business; for I trust to you the most among\nmy men.\"\n\nThorvid the Stammerer said, \"I remain behind. Let Jacob, your son, go\nwith them, for that is necessary.\"\n\nThen said Freyvid, \"Let us do as Thorvid says: he will not leave you,\nand I and Arnvid must travel.\"\n\nThis counsel was followed. Olaf went to his ships, and set out into\nthe Maelar lake, and many people came to him. The brothers Arnvid and\nFreyvid rode out to Ullaraker, and had with them the king's son Jacob;\nbut they kept it a secret that he was there. The brothers observed that\nthere was a great concourse and war-gathering, for the bondes held the\nThing night and day. When Arnvid and Freyvid met their relations and\nfriends, they said they would join with the people; and many agreed to\nleave the management of the business in the hands of the brothers. But\nall, as one man, declared they would no longer have King Olaf over them,\nand no longer suffer his unlawful proceedings, and over-weening pride\nwhich would not listen to any man's remonstrances, even when the great\nchiefs spoke the truth to him. When Freyvid observed the heat of the\npeople, he saw in what a bad situation the king's cause was. He\nsummoned the chiefs of the land to a meeting with him and addressed them\nthus:--\"It appears to me, that if we are to depose Olaf Eirikson from\nhis kingdom, we Swedes of the Uplands should be the leading men in it:\nfor so it has always been, that the counsel which the Upland chiefs have\nresolved among themselves has always been followed by the men of the\nrest of the country. Our forefathers did not need to take advice from\nthe West Gautlanders about the government of the Swedes. Now we will\nnot be so degenerate as to need Emund to give us counsel; but let us,\nfriends and relations, unite ourselves for the purpose of coming to\na determination.\" All agreed to this, and thought it was well said.\nThereafter the people joined this union which the Upland chiefs made\namong themselves, and Freyvid and Arnvid were chiefs of the whole\nassemblage. When Emund heard this he suspected how the matter would end,\nand went to both the brothers to have a conversation with them. Then\nFreyvid asked Emund, \"Who, in your opinion, should we take for king, in\ncase Olaf Eirikson's days are at an end?\"\n\nEmund--\"He whom we think best suited to it, whether he be of the race of\nchiefs or not.\"\n\nFreyvid answers, \"We Uplanders will not, in our time, have the kingdom\ngo out of the old race of our ancestors, which has given us kings for a\nlong course of generations, so long as we have so good a choice as now.\nKing Olaf has two sons, one of whom we will choose for king, although\nthere is a great difference between them. The one is noble-born, and\nof Swedish race on both sides; the other is a slave-woman's son, and of\nVindish race on the mother's side.\"\n\nThis decision was received with loud applause, and all would have Jacob\nfor king.\n\nThen said Emund. \"Ye Upland Swedes have the power this time to\ndeterminate the matter; but I will tell you what will happen:--some of\nthose who now will listen to nothing but that the kingdom remain in the\nold race will live to see the day when they will wish the kingdom in\nanother race, as being of more advantage.\"\n\nThereupon the brothers Freyvid and Arnvid led the king's son Jacob into\nthe Thing, and saluted him with the title of king; and the Swedes gave\nhim the name of Onund, which he afterwards retained as long as he lived.\nHe was then ten or twelve years old. Thereafter King Onund took a court,\nand chose chiefs to be around him; and they had as many attendants\nin their suite as were thought necessary, so that he gave the whole\nassemblage of bondes leave to return home. After that ambassadors went\nbetween the two kings; and at last they had a meeting, and came to an\nagreement. Olaf was to remain king over the country as long as he lived;\nbut should hold peace and be reconciled with King Olaf of Norway, and\nalso with all who had taken part in this business. Onund should also\nbe king, and have a part of the land, such as the father and son should\nagree upon; but should be bound to support the bondes in case King Olaf\ndid anything which the bondes would not suffer.\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) Refsithing--a Thing for punishment by penalty or death for\n     crimes and misdemeanours.--L.\n\n\n\n\n97. MEETING OF RECONCILIATION BETWEEN THE KINGS, AND THEIR GAME    AT DICE.\n\nThereafter ambassadors were sent to Norway to King Olaf, with the errand\nthat he should come with his retinue to a meeting at Konungahella with\nthe Swedish kings, and that the Swedish kings would there confirm their\nreconciliation. When King Olaf heard this message, he was willing, now\nas formerly, to enter into the agreement, and proceeded to the appointed\nplace. There the Swedish kings also came; and the relations, when they\nmet, bound themselves mutually to peace and agreement. Olaf the Swedish\nking was then remarkably mild in manner, and agreeable to talk with.\nThorstein Frode relates of this meeting, that there was an inhabited\ndistrict in Hising which had sometimes belonged to Norway, and sometimes\nto Gautland. The kings came to the agreement between themselves that\nthey would cast lots by the dice to determine who should have this\nproperty, and that he who threw the highest should have the district.\nThe Swedish king threw two sixes, and said King Olaf need scarcely\nthrow. He replied, while shaking the dice in his hand, \"Although there\nbe two sixes on the dice, it would be easy, sire, for God Almighty to\nlet them turn up in my favour.\" Then he threw, and had sixes also. Now\nthe Swedish king threw again, and had again two sixes. Olaf king of\nNorway then threw, and had six upon one dice, and the other split in\ntwo, so as to make seven eyes in all upon it; and the district was\nadjudged to the king of Norway. We have heard nothing else of any\ninterest that took place at this meeting; and the kings separated the\ndearest of friends with each other.\n\n\n\n\n98. OF OLAF OF NORWAY, AFTER THE MEETING.\n\nAfter the events now related Olaf returned with his people to Viken.\nHe went first to Tunsberg, and remained there a short time, and then\nproceeded to the north of the country. In harvest-time he sailed north\nto Throndhjem, and had winter provision laid in there, and remained\nthere all winter (A.D. 1090). Olaf Haraldson was now sole and supreme\nking of Norway, and the whole of that sovereignty, as Harald Harfager\nhad possessed it, and had the advantage over that monarch of being the\nonly king in the land. By a peaceful agreement he had also recovered\nthat part of the country which Olaf the Swedish king had before\noccupied; and that part of the country which the Danish king had got\nhe retook by force, and ruled over it as elsewhere in the country. The\nDanish king Canute ruled at that time both over Denmark and England;\nbut he himself was in England for the most part, and set chiefs over the\ncountry in Denmark, without at that time making any claim upon Norway.\n\n\n\n\n99. HISTORY OF THE EARLS OF ORKNEY.\n\nIt is related that in the days of Harald Harfager, the king of Norway,\nthe islands of Orkney, which before had been only a resort for vikings,\nwere settled. The first earl in the Orkney Islands was called Sigurd,\nwho was a son of Eystein Giumra, and brother of Ragnvald earl of\nMore. After Sigurd his son Guthorm was earl for one year. After him\nTorf-Einar, a son of Ragnvald, took the earldom, and was long earl,\nand was a man of great power. Halfdan Haleg, a son of Harald Harfager,\nassaulted Torf-Einar, and drove him from the Orkney Islands; but Einar\ncame back and killed Halfdan in the island Ronaldsha. Thereafter King\nHarald came with an army to the Orkney Islands. Einar fled to Scotland,\nand King Harald made the people of the Orkney Islands give up their udal\nproperties, and hold them under oath from him. Thereafter the king and\nearl were reconciled, so that the earl became the king's man, and\ntook the country as a fief from him; but that it should pay no scat or\nfeu-duty, as it was at that time much plundered by vikings. The earl\npaid the king sixty marks of gold; and then King Harald went to plunder\nin Scotland, as related in the \"Glym Drapa\". After Torf-Einar, his sons\nArnkel, Erlend, and Thorfin Hausakljufer (1) ruled over these lands. In\ntheir days came Eirik Blood-axe from Norway, and subdued these earls.\nArnkel and Erlend fell in a war expedition; but Thorfin ruled the\ncountry long, and became an old man. His sons were Arnfin, Havard,\nHlodver, Liot, and Skule. Their mother was Grelad, a daughter of Earl\nDungad of Caithness. Her mother was Groa, a daughter of Thorstein Raud.\nIn the latter days of Earl Thorfin came Eirik Blood-axe's sons, who\nhad fled from Earl Hakon out of Norway, and committed great excesses in\nOrkney. Earl Thorfin died on a bed of sickness, and his sons after him\nruled over the country, and there are many stories concerning them.\nHlodver lived the longest of them, and ruled alone over this country.\nHis son was Sigurd the Thick, who took the earldom after him, and became\na powerful man and a great warrior. In his days came Olaf Trygvason from\nhis viking expedition in the western ocean, with his troops, landed in\nOrkney and took Earl Sigurd prisoner in South Ronaldsha, where he lay\nwith one ship. King Olaf allowed the earl to ransom his life by letting\nhimself be baptized, adopting the true faith, becoming his man, and\nintroducing Christianity into all the Orkney Islands. As a hostage,\nKing Olaf took his son, who was called Hunde or Whelp. Then Olaf went to\nNorway, and became king; and Hunde was several years with King Olaf in\nNorway, and died there. After his death Earl Sigurd showed no obedience\nor fealty to King Olaf. He married a daughter of the Scottish king\nMalcolm, and their son was called Thorfin. Earl Sigurd had, besides,\nolder sons; namely, Sumarlide, Bruse, and Einar Rangmund. Four or five\nyears after Olaf Tryrgvason's fall Earl Sigurd went to Ireland, leaving\nhis eldest sons to rule the country, and sending Thorfin to his mother's\nfather, the Scottish king. On this expedition Earl Sigurd fell in\nBrian's battle (l). When the news was received in Orkney, the brothers\nSumarlide, Bruse, and Einar were chosen earls, and the country was\ndivided into three parts among them. Thorfin Sigurdson was five years\nold when Earl Sigurd fell. When the Scottish king heard of the earl's\ndeath he gave his relation Thorfin Caithness and Sutherland, with the\ntitle of earl, and appointed good men to rule the land for him. Earl\nThorfin was ripe in all ways as soon as he was grown up: he was stout\nand strong, but ugly; and as soon as he was a grown man it was easy to\nsee that he was a severe and cruel but a very clever man. So says Arnor,\nthe earls' skald:--\n\n     \"Under the rim of heaven no other,\n     So young in years as Einar's brother,\n     In battle had a braver hand,\n     Or stouter, to defend the land.\"\n\n\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) Hausakljufer--the splitter of skulls.--L.\n    (2) Brian's battle is supposed to have taken place on the 23rd\n     April 1014, at Clontart, near Dublin; and is known in Irish\n     history as the battle of Clontarf, and was one of the\n     bloodiest of the age.  It was fought between a viking called\n     Sigtryg and Brian king of Munster, who gained the victory,\n     but lost his life.--L.\n\n\n\n\n100. OF THE EARLS EINAR AND BRUSE.\n\nThe brothers Einar and Bruse were very unlike in disposition. Bruse\nwas a soft-minded, peaceable man,--sociable, eloquent, and of good\nunderstanding. Einar was obstinate, taciturn, and dull; but ambitious,\ngreedy of money, and withal a great warrior. Sumarlide, the eldest of\nthe brothers, was in disposition like Bruse, and lived not long, but\ndied in his bed. After his death Thorfin claimed his share of the Orkney\nIslands. Einar replied, that Thorfin had the dominions which their\nfather Sigurd had possessed, namely, Caithness and Sutherland, which\nhe insisted were much larger than a third part of Orkney; therefore he\nwould not consent to Thorfin's having any share. Bruse, on the other\nhand, was willing, he said, to divide with him. \"I do not-desire,\" he\nsaid, \"more than the third part of the land, and which of right belongs\nto me.\" Then Einar took possession of two parts of the country, by which\nhe became a powerful man, surrounded by many followers. He was often in\nsummer out on marauding expeditions, and called out great numbers of the\npeople to join him; but it went always unpleasantly with the division of\nthe booty made on his viking cruises. Then the bondes grew weary of all\nthese burdens; but Earl Einar held fast by them with severity, calling\nin all services laid upon the people, and allowing no opposition from\nany man; for he was excessively proud and overbearing. And now there\ncame dearth and scarcity in his lands, in consequence of the services\nand money outlay exacted from the bondes; while in the part of the\ncountry belonging to Bruse there were peace and plenty, and therefore he\nwas the best beloved by the bondes.\n\n\n\n\n101. OF THORKEL AMUNDASON.\n\nThere was a rich and powerful man who was called Amunde, who dwelt in\nHrossey at Sandvik, in Hlaupandanes. His son, called Thorkel, was one\nof the ablest men in the islands. Amunde was a man of the best\nunderstanding, and most respected in Orkney. One spring Earl Einar\nproclaimed a levy for an expedition, as usual. The bondes murmured\ngreatly against it, and applied to Amunde with the entreaty that he\nwould intercede with the earl for them. He replied, that the earl was\nnot a man who would listen to other people, and insisted that it was of\nno use to make any entreaty to the earl about it. \"As things now stand,\nthere is a good understanding between me and the earl; but, in my\nopinion, there would be much danger of our quarrelling, on account of\nour different dispositions and views on both sides; therefore I will\nhave nothing to do with it.\" They then applied to Thorkel, who was also\nvery loath to interfere, but promised at last to do so, in consequence\nof the great entreaty of the people. Amunde thought he had given his\npromise too hastily. Now when the earl held a Thing, Thorkel spoke on\naccount of the people, and entreated the earl to spare the people from\nsuch heavy burdens, recounting their necessitous condition. The earl\nreplies favourably, saying that he would take Thorkel's advice. \"I had\nintended to go out from the country with six ships, but now I will only\ntake three with me; but thou must not come again, Thorkel, with any such\nrequest.\" The bondes thanked Thorkel for his assistance, and the earl\nset out on a viking cruise, and came back in autumn. The spring after,\nthe earl made the same levy as usual, and held a Thing with the bondes.\nThen Thorkel again made a speech, in which he entreated the earl to\nspare the people. The earl now was angry, and said the lot of the bondes\nshould be made worse in consequence of his intercession; and worked\nhimself up into such a rage, that he vowed they should not both come\nnext spring to the Thing in a whole skin. Then the Thing was closed.\nWhen Amunde heard what the earl and Thorkel had said at the Thing, he\ntold Thorkel to leave the country, and he went over to Caithness to Earl\nThorfin. Thorkel was afterwards a long time there, and brought up the\nearl in his youth, and was on that account called Thorkel the Fosterer;\nand he became a very celebrated man.\n\n\n\n\n102. THE AGREEMENT OF THE EARLS.\n\nThere were many powerful men who fled from their udal properties in\nOrkney on account of Earl Einar's violence, and the most fled over to\nCaithness to Earl Thorfin: but some fled from the Orkney Islands to\nNorway, and some to other countries. When Earl Thorfin was grown up\nhe sent a message to his brother Einar, and demanded the part of the\ndominion which he thought belonged to him in Orkney; namely, a third of\nthe islands. Einar was nowise inclined to diminish his possessions. When\nThorfin found this he collected a warforce in Caithness, and proceeded\nto the islands. As soon as Earl Einar heard of this he collected people,\nand resolved to defend his country. Earl Bruse also collected men, and\nwent out to meet them, and bring about some agreement between them. An\nagreement was at last concluded, that Thorfin should have a third part\nof the islands, as of right belonging to him, but that Bruse and Einar\nshould lay their two parts together, and Einar alone should rule over\nthem; but if the one died before the other, the longest liver should\ninherit the whole. This agreement seemed reasonable, as Bruse had a son\ncalled Ragnvald, but Einar had no son. Earl Thorfin set men to rule\nover his land in Orkney, but he himself was generally in Caithness.\nEarl Einar was generally on viking expeditions to Ireland, Scotland, and\nBretland.\n\n\n\n\n103. EYVIND URARHORN'S MURDER.\n\nOne summer (A.D. 1018) that Earl Einar marauded in Ireland, he fought in\nUlfreks-fjord with the Irish king Konofogor, as has been related before,\nand suffered there a great defeat. The summer after this (A.D. 1019)\nEyvind Urarhorn was coming from the west from Ireland, intending to go\nto Norway; but the weather was boisterous, and the current against him,\nso he ran into Osmundwall, and lay there wind-bound for some time. When\nEarl Einar heard of this, he hastened thither with many people, took\nEyvind prisoner, and ordered him to be put to death, but spared the\nlives of most of his people. In autumn they proceeded to Norway to King\nOlaf, and told him Eyvind was killed. The king said little about it, but\none could see that he considered it a great and vexatious loss; for he\ndid not usually say much if anything turned out contrary to his wishes.\nEarl Thorfin sent Thorkel Fosterer to the islands to gather in his scat.\nNow, as Einar gave Thorkel the greatest blame for the dispute in which\nThorfin had made claim to the islands, Thorkel came suddenly back to\nCaithness from Orkney, and told Earl Thorfin that he had learnt that\nEarl Einar would have murdered him if his friends and relations had not\ngiven him notice to escape. \"Now,\" says he, \"it is come so far between\nthe earl and me, that either some thing decisive between us must take\nplace if we meet, or I must remove to such a distance that his power\nwill not reach me.\" The earl encouraged Thorkel much to go east to\nNorway to King Olaf. \"Thou wilt be highly respected,\" says he, \"wherever\nthou comest among honourable men; and I know so well thy disposition\nand the earl's, that it will not be long before ye come to extremities.\"\nThereupon Thorkel made himself ready, and proceeded in autumn to Norway,\nand then to King Olaf, with whom he stayed the whole winter (A.D. 1020),\nand was in high favour. The king often entered into conversation with\nhim, and he thought, what was true, that Thorkel was a high-minded man,\nof good understanding. In his conversations with Thorkel, the king found\na great difference in his description of the two earls; for Thorkel was\na great friend of Earl Thorfin, but had much to say against Einar. Early\nin spring (A.D. 1020) the king sent a ship west over the sea to Earl\nThorfin, with the invitation to come east and visit him in Norway.\nThe earl did not decline the invitation, for it was accompanied by\nassurances of friendship.\n\n\n\n\n104. EARL EINAR'S MURDER.\n\nEarl Thorfin went east to Norway, and came to King Olaf, from whom he\nreceived a kind reception, and stayed till late in the summer. When he\nwas preparing to return westwards again, King Olaf made him a present of\na large and fully-rigged long-ship. Thorkel the Fosterer joined company\nwith the earl, who gave him the ship which he brought with him from the\nwest. The king and the earl took leave of each other tenderly. In autumn\nEarl Thorfin came to Orkney, and when Earl Einar heard of it he went on\nboard his ships with a numerous band of men. Earl Bruse came up to his\ntwo brothers, and endeavoured to mediate between them, and a peace was\nconcluded and confirmed by oath. Thorkel Fosterer was to be in peace and\nfriendship with Earl Einar; and it was agreed that each of them should\ngive a feast to the other, and that the earl should first be Thorkel's\nguest at Sandwick. When the earl came to the feast he was entertained in\nthe best manner; but the earl was not cheerful. There was a great room,\nin which there were doors at each end. The day the earl should depart\nThorkel was to accompany him to the other feast; and Thorkel sent men\nbefore, who should examine the road they had to travel that day. The\nspies came back, and said to Thorkel they had discovered three ambushes.\n\"And we think,\" said they, \"there is deceit on foot.\" When Thorkel heard\nthis he lengthened out his preparations for the journey, and gathered\npeople about him. The earl told him to get ready, as it was time to be\non horseback. Thorkel answered, that he had many things to put in order\nfirst, and went out and in frequently. There was a fire upon the\nfloor. At last he went in at one door, followed by an Iceland man from\nEastfjord, called Halvard, who locked the door after him. Thorkel went\nin between the fire and the place where the earl was sitting. The earl\nasked, \"Art thou ready at last, Thorkel?\"\n\nThorkel answers, \"Now I am ready;\" and struck the earl upon the head so\nthat he fell upon the floor.\n\nThen said the Icelander, \"I never saw people so foolish as not to drag\nthe earl out of the fire;\" and took a stick, which he set under the\nearl's neck, and put him upright on the bench. Thorkel and his two\ncomrades then went in all haste out of the other door opposite to that\nby which they went in, and Thorkel's men were standing without fully\narmed. The earl's men now went in, and took hold of the earl. He was\nalready dead, so nobody thought of avenging him: and also the whole was\ndone so quickly; for nobody expected such a deed from Thorkel, and all\nsupposed that there really was, as before related, a friendship fixed\nbetween the earl and Thorkel. The most who were within were unarmed, and\nthey were partly Thorkel's good friends; and to this may be added, that\nfate had decreed a longer life to Thorkel. When Thorkel came out he had\nnot fewer men with him than the earl's troop. Thorkel went to his ship,\nand the earl's men went their way. The same day Thorkel sailed out\neastwards into the sea. This happened after winter; but he came safely\nto Norway, went as fast as he could to Olaf, and was well received by\nhim. The king expressed his satisfaction at this deed, and Thorkel was\nwith him all winter (A.D. 1091).\n\n\n\n\n105. AGREEMENT BETWEEN KING OLAF AND EARL BRUSE.\n\nAfter Earl Einar's fall Bruse took the part of the country which he had\npossessed; for it was known to many men on what conditions Einar and\nBruse had entered into a partnership. Although Thorfin thought it would\nbe more just that each of them had half of the islands, Bruse retained\nthe two-thirds of the country that winter (A.D. 1021). In spring,\nhowever, Thorfin produced his claim, and demanded the half of the\ncountry; but Bruse would not consent. They held Things and meetings\nabout the business; and although their friends endeavoured to settle it,\nThorfin would not be content with less than the half of the islands, and\ninsisted that Bruse, with his disposition, would have enough even with\na third part. Bruse replies, \"When I took my heritage after my father\nI was well satisfied with a third part of the country, and there was\nnobody to dispute it with me; and now I have succeeded to another third\nin heritage after my brother, according to a lawful agreement between\nus; and although I am not powerful enough to maintain a feud against\nthee, my brother, I will seek some other way, rather than willingly\nrenounce my property.\" With this their meeting ended. But Bruse saw that\nhe had no strength to contend against Thorfin, because Thorfin had both\na greater dominion and also could have aid from his mother's brother,\nthe Scottish king. He resolved, therefore, to go out of the country; and\nhe went eastward to King Olaf, and had with him his son Ragnvald, then\nten years old. When the earl came to the king he was well received. The\nearl now declared his errand, and told the king the circumstances of the\nwhole dispute between him and his brother, and asked help to defend his\nkingdom of Orkney; promising, in return, the fullest friendship towards\nKing Olaf. In his answer, the king began with showing how Harald\nHarfager had appropriated to himself all udal rights in Orkney, and that\nthe earls, since that time, have constantly held the country as a fief,\nnot as their udal property. \"As a sufficient proof of which,\" said he,\n\"when Eirik Blood-axe and his sons were in Orkney the earls were subject\nto them; and also when my relation Olaf Trygvason came there thy father,\nEarl Sigurd, became his man. Now I have taken heritage after King Olaf,\nand I will give thee the condition to become my man and then I will give\nthee the islands as a fief; and we shall try if I cannot give thee aid\nthat will be more to the purpose than Thorfin can get from the Scottish\nking. If thou wilt not accept of these terms, then will I win back my\nudal property there in the West, as our forefathers and relations of old\npossessed it.\"\n\nThe earl carefully considered this speech, laid it before his friends,\nand demanded their advice if he should agree to it, and enter into such\nterms with King Olaf and become his vassal. \"But I do not see what my\nlot will be at my departure if I say no; for the king has clearly enough\ndeclared his claim upon Orkney; and from his great power, and our being\nin his hands, it is easy for him to make our destiny what he pleases.\"\n\nAlthough the earl saw that there was much to be considered for and\nagainst it he chose the condition to deliver himself and his dominion\ninto the king's power. Thereupon the king took the earl's power, and\nthe government over all the earl's lands, and the earl became his vassal\nunder oath of fealty.\n\n\n\n\n106. THE EARL'S AGREEMENT TO THE KING'S TERMS.\n\nThorfin the earl heard that his brother Bruse had gone east to King Olaf\nto seek support from him; but as Thorfin had been on a visit to King\nOlaf before, and had concluded a friendship with him, he thought his\ncase would stand well with the king, and that many would support it; but\nhe believed that many more would do so if he went there himself. Earl\nThorfin resolved, therefore, to go east himself without delay; and he\nthought there would be so little difference between the time of his\narrival and Bruse's, that Bruse's errand could not be accomplished\nbefore he came to King Olaf. But it went otherwise than Earl Thorfin had\nexpected; for when he came to the king the agreement between the king\nand Bruse was already concluded and settled, and Earl Thorfin did not\nknow a word about Bruse's having surrendered his udal domains until he\ncame to King Olaf. As soon as Earl Thorfin and King Olaf met, the king\nmade the same demand upon the kingdom of Orkney that he had done to Earl\nBruse, and required that Thorfin should voluntarily deliver over to the\nking that part of the country which he had possessed hitherto. The earl\nanswered in a friendly and respectful way, that the king's friendship\nlay near to his heart: \"And if you think, sire, that my help against\nother chiefs can be of use, you have already every claim to it; but I\ncannot be your vessel for service, as I am an earl of the Scottish king,\nand owe fealty to him.\"\n\nAs the king found that the earl, by his answer, declined fulfilling the\ndemand he had made, he said, \"Earl, if thou wilt not become my vassal,\nthere is another condition; namely, that I will place over the Orkney\nIslands the man I please, and require thy oath that thou wilt make no\nclaim upon these lands, but allow whoever I place over them to sit in\npeace. If thou wilt not accept of either of these conditions, he who is\nto rule over these lands may expect hostility from thee, and thou must\nnot think it strange if like meet like in this business.\"\n\nThe earl begged of the king some time to consider the matter. The king\ndid so, and gave the earl time to take the counsel of his friends on\nthe choosing one or other of these conditions. Then the earl requested a\ndelay until next summer, that he might go over the sea to the west, for\nhis proper counsellors were all at home, and he himself was but a child\nin respect of age; but the king required that he should now make his\nelection of one or other of the conditions. Thorkel Fosterer was then\nwith the king, and he privately sent a person to Earl Thorfin, and told\nhim, whatever his intentions might be, not to think of leaving Olaf\nwithout being reconciled with him, as he stood entirely in Olaf's power.\nFrom such hints the earl saw there was no other way than to let the king\nhave his own will. It was no doubt a hard condition to have no hope of\never regaining his paternal heritage, and moreover to bind himself by\noath to allow those to enjoy in peace his domain who had no hereditary\nright to it; but seeing it was uncertain how he could get away, he\nresolved to submit to the king and become his vassal, as Bruse had done.\nThe king observed that Thorfin was more high-minded, and less disposed\nto suffer subjection than Bruse, and therefore he trusted less to\nThorfin than to Bruse; and he considered also that Thorfin would trust\nto the aid of the Scottish king, if he broke the agreement. The king\nalso had discernment enough to perceive that Bruse, although slow to\nenter into an agreement, would promise nothing but what he intended\nto keep; but as to Thorfin when he had once made up his mind he went\nreadily into every proposal and made no attempt to obtain any alteration\nof the king's first conditions: therefore the king had his suspicions\nthat the earl would infringe the agreement.\n\n\n\n\n107. EARL THORFIN'S DEPARTURE, AND RECONCILIATION WITH THORKEL.\n\nWhen the king had carefully considered the whole matter by himself, he\nordered the signal to sound for a General Thing, to which he called in\nthe earls. Then said the king, \"I will now make known to the public our\nagreement with the Orkney earls. They have now acknowledged my right of\nproperty to Orkney and Shetland, and have both become my vassals, all\nwhich they have confirmed by oath; and now I will invest them with these\nlands as a fief: namely, Bruse with one third part and Thorfin with one\nthird, as they formerly enjoyed them; but the other third which Einar\nRangmund had, I adjudge as fallen to my domain, because he killed Eyvind\nUrarhorn, my court-man, partner, and dear friend; and that part of the\nland I will manage as I think proper. I have also my earls, to tell you\nit is my pleasure that ye enter into an agreement with Thorkel Amundason\nfor the murder of your brother Einar, for I will take that business, if\nye agree thereto, within my own jurisdiction.\" The earls agreed to this,\nas to everything else that the king proposed. Thorkel came forward, and\nsurrendered to the king's judgment of the case, and the Thing concluded.\nKing Olaf awarded as great a penalty for Earl Einar's murder as for\nthree lendermen; but as Einar himself was the cause of the act, one\nthird of the mulct fell to the ground. Thereafter Earl Thorfin asked the\nking's leave to depart, and as soon as he obtained it made ready for sea\nwith all speed. It happened one day, when all was ready for the\nvoyage, the earl sat in his ship drinking; and Thorkel Amundason came\nunexpectedly to him, laid his head upon the earl's knee, and bade him\ndo with him what he pleased. The earl asked why he did so. \"We are, you\nknow, reconciled men, according to the king's decision; so stand up,\nThorkel.\"\n\nThorkel replied, \"The agreement which the king made as between me and\nBruse stands good; but what regards the agreement with thee thou alone\nmust determine. Although the king made conditions for my property and\nsafe residence in Orkney, yet I know so well thy disposition that there\nis no going to the islands for me, unless I go there in peace with thee,\nEarl Thorfin; and therefore I am willing to promise never to return to\nOrkney, whatever the king may desire.\"\n\nThe earl remained silent; and first, after a long pause, he said, \"If\nthou wilt rather, Thorkel, that I shall judge between us than trust to\nthe king's judgment, then let the beginning of our reconciliation be,\nthat you go with me to the Orkney Islands, live with me, and never leave\nme but with my will, and be bound to defend my land, and execute all\nthat I want done, as long as we both are in life.\"\n\nThorkel replies, \"This shall be entirely at thy pleasure, earl, as well\nas everything else in my power.\" Then Thorkel went on, and solemnly\nratified this agreement. The earl said he would talk afterwards about\nthe mulct of money, but took Thorkel's oath upon the conditions. Thorkel\nimmediately made ready to accompany the earl on his voyage. The earl set\noff as soon as all was ready, and never again were King Olaf and Thorfin\ntogether.\n\n\n\n\n108. EARL BRUSE'S DEPARTURE.\n\nEarl Bruse remained behind, and took his time to get ready. Before his\ndeparture the king sent for him, and said, \"It appears to me, earl, that\nin thee I have a man on the west side of the sea on whose fidelity I\ncan depend; therefore I intend to give thee the two parts of the\ncountry which thou formerly hadst to rule over; for I will not that\nthou shouldst be a less powerful man after entering into my service than\nbefore: but I will secure thy fidelity by keeping thy son Ragnvald with\nme. I see well enough that with two parts of the country and my\nhelp, thou wilt be able to defend what is thy own against thy brother\nThorfin.\" Bruse was thankful for getting two thirds instead of one third\nof the country, and soon after he set out, and came about autumn to\nOrkney; but Ragnvald, Bruse's son, remained behind in the East with King\nOlaf. Ragnvald was one of the handsomest men that could be seen,--his\nhair long, and yellow as silk; and he soon grew up, stout and tall,\nand he was a very able and superb man, both of great understanding and\npolite manners. He was long with King Olaf. Otter Svarte speaks of these\naffairs in the poem he composed about King Olaf:--\n\n     \"From Shetland, far off in the cold North Sea,\n     Come chiefs who desire to be subject to thee:\n     No king so well known for his will, and his might,\n     To defend his own people from scaith or unright.\n     These isles of the West midst the ocean's wild roar,\n     Scarcely heard the voice of their sovereign before;\n     Our bravest of sovereigns before could scarce bring\n     These islesmen so proud to acknowledge their king.\"\n\n\n\n\n109. OF THE EARLS THORFIN AND BRUSE.\n\nThe brothers Thorfin and Bruse came west to Orkney; and Bruse took the\ntwo parts of the country under his rule, and Thorfin the third part.\nThorfin was usually in Caithness and elsewhere in Scotland; but placed\nmen of his own over the islands. It was left to Bruse alone to defend\nthe islands, which at that time were severely scourged by vikings; for\nthe Northmen and Danes went much on viking cruises in the west sea,\nand frequently touched at Orkney on the way to or from the west, and\nplundered, and took provisions and cattle from the coast. Bruse often\ncomplained of his brother Thorfin, that he made no equipment of war for\nthe defence of Orkney and Shetland, yet levied his share of the scat and\nduties. Then Thorfin offered to him to exchange, and that Bruse should\nhave one third and Thorfin two thirds of the land, but should undertake\nthe defence of the land, for the whole. Although this exchange did not\ntake place immediately, it is related in the saga of the earls that it\nwas agreed upon at last; and that Thorfin had two parts and Bruse\nonly one, when Canute the Great subdued Norway and King Olaf fled\nthe country. Earl Thorfin Sigurdson has been the ablest earl of these\nislands, and has had the greatest dominion of all the Orkney earls; for\nhe had under him Orkney, Shetland, and the Hebudes, besides very great\npossessions in Scotland and Ireland. Arnor, the earls' skald, tells of\nhis possessions:--\n\n     \"From Thurso-skerry to Dublin,\n     All people hold with good Thorfin--\n     All people love his sway,\n     And the generous chief obey.\"\n\nThorfin was a very great warrior. He came to the earldom at five years\nof age, ruled more than sixty years, and died in his bed about the\nlast days of Harald Sigurdson. But Bruse died in the days of Canute the\nGreat, a short time after the fall of Saint Olaf.\n\n\n\n\n110. OF HAREK OF THJOTTA.\n\nHaving now gone through this second story, we shall return to that which\nwe left,--at King Olaf Haraldson having concluded peace with King Olaf\nthe Swedish king, and having the same summer gone north to Throndhjem\n(1019). He had then been king in Norway five years (A.D. 1015-1019). In\nharvest time he prepared to take his winter residence at Nidaros, and\nhe remained all winter there (A.D. 1020). Thorkel the Fosterer, Amunde's\nson, as before related, was all that winter with him. King Olaf inquired\nvery carefully how it stood with Christianity throughout the land, and\nlearnt that it was not observed at all to the north of Halogaland,\nand was far from being observed as it should be in Naumudal, and the\ninterior of Throndhjem. There was a man by name Harek, a son of Eyvind\nSkaldaspiller, who dwelt in an island called Thjotta in Halogaland.\nEyvind had not been a rich man, but was of high family and high mind. In\nThjotta, at first, there dwelt many small bondes; but Harek began with\nbuying a farm not very large and lived on it, and in a few years he had\ngot all the bondes that were there before out of the way; so that he had\nthe whole island, and built a large head-mansion. He soon became very\nrich; for he was a very prudent man, and very successful. He had long\nbeen greatly respected by the chiefs; and being related to the kings\nof Norway, had been raised by them to high dignities. Harek's father's\nmother Gunhild was a daughter of Earl Halfdan, and Ingebjorg, Harald\nHarfager's daughter. At the time the circumstance happened which we are\ngoing to relate he was somewhat advanced in years. Harek was the most\nrespected man in Halogaland, and for a long time had the Lapland trade,\nand did the king's business in Lapland; sometimes alone, sometimes with\nothers joined to him. He had not himself been to wait on King Olaf,\nbut messages had passed between them, and all was on the most friendly\nfooting. This winter (A.D. 1020) that Olaf was in Nidaros, messengers\npassed between the king and Harek of Thjotta. Then the king made it\nknown that he intended going north to Halogaland, and as far north as\nthe land's end; but the people of Halogaland expected no good from this\nexpedition.\n\n\n\n\n111. OF THE PEOPLE OF HALOGALAND.\n\nOlaf rigged out five ships in spring (A.D. 1020), and had with him about\n300 men. When he was ready for sea he set northwards along the land; and\nwhen he came to Naumudal district he summoned the bondes to a Thing, and\nat every Thing was accepted as king. He also made the laws to be\nread there as elsewhere, by which the people are commanded to observe\nChristianity; and he threatened every man with loss of life, and\nlimbs, and property who would not subject himself to Christian law. He\ninflicted severe punishments on many men, great as well as small, and\nleft no district until the people had consented to adopt the holy faith.\nThe most of the men of power and of the great bondes made feasts for\nthe king, and so he proceeded all the way north to Halogaland. Harek\nof Thjotta also made a feast for the king, at which there was a great\nmultitude of guests, and the feast was very splendid. Harek was made\nlenderman, and got the same privileges he had enjoyed under the former\nchiefs of the country.\n\n\n\n\n112. OF ASMUND GRANKELSON.\n\nThere was a man called Grankel, or Granketil, who was a rich bonde, and\nat this time rather advanced in age. In his youth he had been on\nviking cruises, and had been a powerful fighter; for he possessed great\nreadiness in all sorts of bodily exercises. His son Asmund was equal\nto his father in all these, and in some, indeed, he excelled him. There\nwere many who said that with respect to comeliness, strength, and bodily\nexpertness, he might be considered the third remarkably distinguished\nfor these that Norway had ever produced. The first was Hakon Athelstan's\nfoster-son; the second, Olaf Trygvason. Grankel invited King Olaf to a\nfeast, which was very magnificent; and at parting Grankel presented\nthe king with many honourable gifts and tokens of friendship. The king\ninvited Asmund, with many persuasions, to follow him; and as Asmund\ncould not decline the honours offered him, he got ready to travel with\nthe king, became his man, and stood in high favour with him. The king\nremained in Halogaland the greater part of the summer, went to all the\nThings, and baptized all the people. Thorer Hund dwelt at that time in\nthe island Bjarkey. He was the most powerful man in the North, and also\nbecame one of Olaf's lendermen. Many sons of great bondes resolved also\nto follow King Olaf from Halogaland. Towards the end of summer King Olaf\nleft the North, and sailed back to Throndhjem, and landed at Nidaros,\nwhere he passed the winter (A.D. 1021). It was then that Thorkel the\nFosterer came from the West from Orkney, after killing Einar Rangmumd,\nas before related. This autumn corn was dear in Throndhjem, after a long\ncourse of good seasons, and the farther north the dearer was the corn;\nbut there was corn enough in the East country, and in the Uplands, and\nit was of great help to the people of Throndhjem that many had old corn\nremaining beside them.\n\n\n\n\n113. OF THE SACRIFICES OF THE THRONDHJEM PEOPLE.\n\nIn autumn the news was brought to King Olaf that the bondes had had a\ngreat feast on the first winter-day's eve, at which there was a numerous\nattendance and much drinking; and it was told the king that all the\nremembrance-cups to the Asas, or old gods, were blessed according to\nthe old heathen forms; and it was added, that cattle and horses had been\nslain, and the altars sprinkled with their blood, and the sacrifices\naccompanied with the prayer that was made to obtain good seasons. It was\nalso reported that all men saw clearly that the gods were offended at\nthe Halogaland people turning Christian. Now when the king heard this\nnews he sent men into the Throndhjem country, and ordered several\nbondes, whose names he gave, to appear before him. There was a man\ncalled Olver of Eggja, so called after his farm on which he lived. He\nwas powerful, of great family, and the head-man of those who on account\nof the bondes appeared before the king. Now, when they came to the king,\nhe told them these accusations; to which Olver, on behalf of the bondes,\nreplied, that they had had no other feasts that harvest than their usual\nentertainments, and social meetings, and friendly drinking parties. \"But\nas to what may have been told you of the words which may have fallen\nfrom us Throndhjem people in our drinking parties, men of understanding\nwould take good care not to use such language; but I cannot hinder\ndrunken or foolish people's talk.\" Olver was a man of clever speech, and\nbold in what he said, and defended the bondes against such accusations.\nIn the end, the king said the people of the interior of Thorndhjem must\nthemselves give the best testimony to their being in the right faith.\nThe bondes got leave to return home, and set off as soon as they were\nready.\n\n\n\n\n114. OF THE SACRIFICES BY THE PEOPLE OF THE INTERIOR OF THE THRONDHJEM DISTRICT.\n\nAfterwards, when winter was advanced, it was told the king that the\npeople of the interior of Throndhjem had assembled in great number at\nMaerin, and that there was a great sacrifice in the middle of winter,\nat which they sacrificed offerings for peace and a good season. Now\nwhen the king knew this on good authority to be true, he sent men and\nmessages into the interior, and summoned the bondes whom he thought\nof most understanding into the town. The bondes held a council among\nthemselves about this message; and all those who had been upon the same\noccasion in the beginning of winter were now very unwilling to make\nthe journey. Olver, however, at the desire of all the bondes, allowed\nhimself to be persuaded. When he came to the town he went immediately\nbefore the king, and they talked together. The king made the same\naccusation against the bondes, that they had held a mid-winter\nsacrifice. Olver replies, that this accusation against the bondes was\nfalse. \"We had,\" said he, \"Yule feasts and drinking feasts wide\naround in the districts; and the bondes do not prepare their feasts so\nsparingly, sire, that there is not much left over, which people consume\nlong afterwards. At Maerin there is a great farm, with a large house on\nit, and a great neighbourhood all around it, and it is the great delight\nof the people to drink many together in company.\" The king said little\nin reply, but looked angry, as he thought he knew the truth of the\nmatter better than it was now represented. He ordered the bondes to\nreturn home. \"I shall some time or other,\" said he, \"come to the truth\nof what you are now concealing, and in such a way that ye shall not be\nable to contradict it. But, however, that may be, do not try such things\nagain.\" The bondes returned home, and told the result of their journey,\nand that the king was altogether enraged.\n\n\n\n\n115. MURDER OF OLVER OF EGGJA.\n\nAt Easter (A.D. 1021) the king held a feast, to which he had invited\nmany of the townspeople as well as bondes. After Easter he ordered his\nships to be launched into the water, oars and tackle to be put on board,\ndecks to be laid in the ships, and tilts (1) and rigging to be set up,\nand to be laid ready for sea at the piers. Immediately after Easter\nhe sent men into Veradal. There was a man called Thoralde, who was the\nking's bailiff, and who managed the king's farm there at Haug; and\nto him the king sent a message to come to him as quickly as possible.\nThoralde did not decline the journey, but went immediately to the town\nwith the messenger. The king called him in and in a private conversation\nasked him what truth there was in what had been told him of the\nprinciples and living of the people of the interior of Throndhjem, and\nif it really was so that they practised sacrifices to heathen gods. \"I\nwill,\" says the king, \"that thou declare to me the things as they are,\nand as thou knowest to be true; for it is thy duty to tell me the truth,\nas thou art my man.\"\n\nThoralde replies, \"Sire, I will first tell you that I have brought here\nto the town my two children, my wife, and all my loose property that I\ncould take with me, and if thou desirest to know the truth it shall be\ntold according to thy command; but if I declare it, thou must take care\nof me and mine.\"\n\nThe king replies, \"Say only what is true on what I ask thee, and I will\ntake care that no evil befall thee.\"\n\nThen said Thoralde, \"If I must say the truth, king, as it is, I must\ndeclare that in the interior of the Throndhjem land almost all the\npeople are heathen in faith, although some of them are baptized. It is\ntheir custom to offer sacrifice in autumn for a good winter, a second at\nmid-winter, and a third in summer. In this the people of Eyna, Sparby,\nVeradal, and Skaun partake. There are twelve men who preside over these\nsacrifice-feasts; and in spring it is Olver who has to get the feast in\norder, and he is now busy transporting to Maerin everything needful for\nit.\" Now when the king had got to the truth with a certainty, he\nordered the signal to be sounded for his men to assemble, and for the\nmen-at-arms to go on board ship. He appointed men to steer the ships,\nand leaders for the people, and ordered how the people should be divided\namong the vessels. All was got ready in haste, and with five ships and\n300 men he steered up the fjord. The wind was favourable, the ships\nsailed briskly before it, and nobody could have thought that the king\nwould be so soon there. The king came in the night time to Maerin, and\nimmediately surrounded the house with a ring of armed men. Olver was\ntaken, and the king ordered him to be put to death, and many other men\nbesides. Then the king took all the provision for the feast, and had it\nbrought to his ships; and also all the goods, both furniture, clothes,\nand valuables, which the people had brought there, and divided the\nbooty among his men. The king also let all the bondes he thought had the\ngreatest part in the business be plundered by his men-at-arms. Some were\ntaken prisoners and laid in irons, some ran away, and many were robbed\nof their goods. Thereafter the bondes were summoned to a Thing; but\nbecause he had taken many powerful men prisoners, and held them in his\npower, their friends and relations resolved to promise obedience to\nthe king, so that there was no insurrection against the king on this\noccasion. He thus brought the whole people back to the right faith, gave\nthem teachers, and built and consecrated churches. The king let Olver\nlie without fine paid for his bloodshed, and all that he possessed was\nadjudged to the king; and of the men he judged the most guilty, some\nhe ordered to be executed, some he maimed, some he drove out of the\ncountry, and took fines from others. The king then returned to Nidaros.\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) The ships appear to have been decked fore and aft only;\n     and in the middle, where the rowers sat, to have had tilts or\n     tents set up at night to sleep under.--L.\n\n\n\n\n116. OF THE SONS OF ARNE.\n\nThere was a man called Arne Arnmodson, who was married to Thora,\nThorstein Galge's daughter. Their children were Kalf, Fin, Thorberg,\nAmunde, Kolbjorn, Arnbjorn, and Arne. Their daughter, who was called\nRagnhild, was married to Harek of Thjotta. Arne was a lenderman,\npowerful, and of ability, and a great friend of King Olaf. At that time\nhis sons Kalf and Fin were with the king, and in great favour. The wife\nwhom Olver of Eggja had left was young and handsome, of great family,\nand rich, so that he who got her might be considered to have made an\nexcellent marriage; and her land was in the gift of the king. She and\nOlver had two sons, who were still in infancy. Kalf Arneson begged of\nthe king that he would give him to wife the widow of Olver; and out of\nfriendship the king agreed to it, and with her he got all the property\nOlver had possessed. The king at the same time made him his lenderman,\nand gave him an office in the interior of the Throndhjem country. Kalf\nbecame a great chief, and was a man of very great understanding.\n\n\n\n\n117. KING OLAF'S JOURNEY TO THE UPLANDS.\n\nWhen King Olaf had been seven years (A.D. 1015-1021) in Norway the earls\nThorfin and Bruse came to him, as before related, in the summer, from\nOrkney, and he became master of their land. The same summer Olaf went\nto North and South More, and in autumn to Raumsdal. He left his ships\nthere, and came to the Uplands, and to Lesjar. Here he laid hold of\nall the best men, and forced them, both at Lesjar and Dovre, either to\nreceive Christianity or suffer death, if they were not so lucky as to\nescape. After they received Christianity, the king took their sons in\nhis hands as hostages for their fidelity. The king stayed several\nnights at a farm in Lesjar called Boar, where he placed priests. Then he\nproceeded over Orkadal and Lorodal, and came down from the Uplands at\na place called Stafabrekka. There a river runs along the valley, called\nthe Otta, and a beautiful hamlet, by name Loar, lies on both sides of\nthe river, and the king could see far down over the whole neighbourhood.\n\"A pity it is,\" said the king, \"so beautiful a hamlet should be burnt.\"\nAnd he proceeded down the valley with his people, and was all night on\na farm called Nes. The king took his lodging in a loft, where he slept\nhimself; and it stands to the present day, without anything in it\nhaving been altered since. The king was five days there, and summoned\nby message-token the people to a Thing, both for the districts of Vagar,\nLear, and Hedal; and gave out the message along with the token, that\nthey must either receive Christianity and give their sons as hostages,\nor see their habitations burnt. They came before the king, and submitted\nto his pleasure; but some fled south down the valley.\n\n\n\n\n118. THE STORY OF DALE-GUDBRAND.\n\nThere was a man called Dale-Gudbrand, who was like a king in the valley\n(Gudbrandsdal), but was only herse in title. Sigvat the skald compared\nhim for wealth and landed property to Erling Skjalgson. Sigvat sang thus\nconcerning Erling:--\n\n     \"I know but one who can compare\n     With Erling for broad lands and gear--\n     Gudbrand is he, whose wide domains\n     Are most like where some small king reigns.\n     These two great bondes, I would say,\n     Equal each other every way.\n     He lies who says that he can find\n     One by the other left behind.\"\n\nGudbrand had a son, who is here spoken of. Now when Gudbrand received\nthe tidings that King Olaf was come to Lear, and obliged people to\naccept Christianity, he sent out a message-token, and summoned all the\nmen in the valley to meet him at a farm called Hundthorp. All came,\nso that the number could not be told; for there is a lake in the\nneighbourhood called Laugen, so that people could come to the place both\nby land and by water. There Gudbrand held a Thing with them, and said,\n\"A man is come to Loar who is called Olaf, and will force upon us\nanother faith than what we had before, and will break in pieces all our\ngods. He says that he has a much greater and more powerful god; and it\nis wonderful that the earth does not burst asunder under him, or that\nour god lets him go about unpunished when he dares to talk such things.\nI know this for certain, that if we carry Thor, who has always stood by\nus, out of our temple that is standing upon this farm, Olaf's god will\nmelt away, and he and his men be made nothing so soon as Thor looks upon\nthem.\" Then the bondes all shouted as one person that Olaf should never\nget away with life if he came to them; and they thought he would never\ndare to come farther south through the valley. They chose out 700 men to\ngo northwards to Breida, to watch his movements. The leader of this band\nwas Gudbrand's son, eighteen years of age, and with him were many other\nmen of importance. When they came to a farm called Hof they heard of the\nking; and they remained three nights there. People streamed to them from\nall parts, from Lesjar, Loar, and Vagar, who did not wish to receive\nChristianity. The king and Bishop Sigurd fixed teachers in Loaf and\nin Vagar. From thence they went round Vagarost, and came down into the\nvalley at Sil, where they stayed all night, and heard the news that a\ngreat force of men were assembled against them. The bondes who were in\nBreida heard also of the king's arrival, and prepared for battle. As\nsoon as the king arose in the morning he put on his armour, and went\nsouthwards over the Sil plains, and did not halt until he came to\nBreida, where he saw a great army ready for battle. Then the king drew\nup his troops, rode himself at the head of them, and began a speech\nto the bondes, in which he invited them to adopt Christianity. They\nreplied, \"We shall give thee something else to do to-day than to be\nmocking us;\" and raised a general shout, striking also upon their\nshields with their weapons. Then the king's men ran forward and threw\ntheir spears; but the bondes turned round instantly and fled, so that\nonly few men remained behind. Gudbrand's son was taken prisoner; but the\nking gave him his life, and took him with him. The king was four days\nhere. Then the king said to Gudbrand's son, \"Go home now to thy father,\nand tell him I expect to be with him soon.\"\n\nHe went accordingly, and told his father the news, that they had fallen\nin with the king, and fought with him; but that their whole army, in the\nvery beginning, took flight. \"I was taken prisoner,\" said he, \"but the\nking gave me my life and liberty, and told me to say to thee that he\nwill soon be here. And now we have not 200 men of the force we raised\nagainst him; therefore I advise thee, father, not to give battle to that\nman.\"\n\nSays Gudbrand, \"It is easy to see that all courage has left thee, and it\nwas an unlucky hour ye went out to the field. Thy proceeding will live\nlong in the remembrance of people, and I see that thy fastening thy\nfaith on the folly that man is going about with has brought upon thee\nand thy men so great a disgrace.\"\n\nBut the night after, Gudbrand dreamt that there came to him a man\nsurrounded by light, who brought great terror with him, and said to him,\n\"Thy son made no glorious expedition against King Olaf; but still less\nhonour wilt thou gather for thyself by holding a battle with him. Thou\nwith all thy people wilt fall; wolves will drag thee, and all thine,\naway; ravens wilt tear thee in stripes.\" At this dreadful vision he was\nmuch afraid, and tells it to Thord Istermage, who was chief over the\nvalley. He replies, \"The very same vision came to me.\" In the morning\nthey ordered the signal to sound for a Thing, and said that it appeared\nto them advisable to hold a Thing with the man who had come from the\nnorth with this new teaching, to know if there was any truth in it.\nGudbrand then said to his son, \"Go thou, and twelve men with thee, to\nthe king who gave thee thy life.\" He went straightway, and found the\nking, and laid before him their errand; namely, that the bondes would\nhold a Thing with him, and make a truce between them and him. The king\nwas content; and they bound themselves by faith and law mutually to hold\nthe peace so long as the Thing lasted. After this was settled the men\nreturned to Gudbrand and Thord, and told them there was made a firm\nagreement for a truce. The king, after the battle with the son of\nGudbrand, had proceeded to Lidstad, and remained there for five days:\nafterwards he went out to meet the bondes, and hold a Thing with them.\nOn that day there fell a heavy rain. When the Thing was seated, the\nking stood up and said that the people in Lesjar, Loaf, and Vagar\nhad received Christianity, broken down their houses of sacrifice, and\nbelieved now in the true God who had made heaven and earth and knows all\nthings.\n\nThereupon the king sat down, and Gudbrand replies, \"We know nothing of\nhim whom thou speakest about. Dost thou call him God, whom neither thou\nnor any one else can see? But we have a god who call be seen every day,\nalthough he is not out to-day, because the weather is wet, and he will\nappear to thee terrible and very grand; and I expect that fear will mix\nwith your very blood when he comes into the Thing. But since thou sayest\nthy God is so great, let him make it so that to-morrow we have a cloudy\nday but without rain, and then let us meet again.\"\n\nThe king accordingly returned home to his lodging, taking Gudbrand's\nson as a hostage; but he gave them a man as hostage in exchange. In\nthe evening the king asked Gudbrand's son what like their god was. He\nreplied, that he bore the likeness of Thor; had a hammer in his hand;\nwas of great size, but hollow within; and had a high stand, upon which\nhe stood when he was out. \"Neither gold nor silver are wanting about\nhim, and every day he receives four cakes of bread, besides meat.\" They\nthen went to bed, but the king watched all night in prayer. When day\ndawned the king went to mass, then to table, and from thence to the\nThing. The weather was such as Gudbrand desired. Now the bishop stood up\nin his choir-robes, with bishop's coif upon his head, and bishop's staff\nin his hands. He spoke to the bondes of the true faith, told the many\nwonderful acts of God, and concluded his speech well.\n\nThord Istermage replies, \"Many things we are told of by this horned man\nwith the staff in his hand crooked at the top like a ram's horn; but\nsince ye say, comrades, that your god is so powerful, and can do so many\nwonders, tell him to make it clear sunshine to-morrow forenoon, and then\nwe shall meet here again, and do one of two things,--either agree with\nyou about this business, or fight you.\" And they separated for the day.\n\n\n\n\n119. DALE-GUDBRAND IS BAPTIZED.\n\nThere was a man with King Olaf called Kolbein Sterke (the strong), who\ncame from a family in the Fjord district. Usually he was so equipped\nthat he was girt with a sword, and besides carried a great stake,\notherwise called a club, in his hands. The king told Kolbein to stand\nnearest to him in the morning; and gave orders to his people to go down\nin the night to where the ships of the bondes lay and bore holes in\nthem, and to set loose their horses on the farms where they were; all\nwhich was done. Now the king was in prayer all the night, beseeching God\nof His goodness and mercy to release him from evil. When mass was ended,\nand morning was grey, the king went to the Thing. When he came there\nsome bondes had already arrived, and they saw a great crowd coming\nalong, and bearing among them a huge man's image glancing with gold and\nsilver. When the bondes who were at the Thing saw it they started up,\nand bowed themselves down before the ugly idol. Thereupon it was set\ndown upon the Thing-field; and on the one side of it sat the bondes, and\non the other the king and his people.\n\nThen Dale-Gudbrand stood up, and said, \"Where now, king, is thy god? I\nthink he will now carry his head lower; and neither thou, nor the man\nwith the horn whom ye call bishop, and sits there beside thee, are so\nbold to-day as on the former days; for now our god, who rules over all,\nis come, and looks on you with an angry eye; and now I see well enough\nthat ye are terrified, and scarcely dare to raise your eyes. Throw away\nnow all your opposition, and believe in the god who has all your fate in\nhis hands.\"\n\nThe king now whispers to Kolbein Sterke, without the bondes perceiving\nit, \"If it come so in the course of my speech that the bondes look\nanother way than towards their idol, strike him as hard as thou canst\nwith thy club.\"\n\nThe king then stood up and spoke. \"Much hast thou talked to us this\nmorning, and greatly hast thou wondered that thou canst not see our God;\nbut we expect that he will soon come to us. Thou wouldst frighten us\nwith thy god, who is both blind and deaf, and can neither save himself\nnor others, and cannot even move about without being carried; but now\nI expect it will be but a short time before he meets his fate: for turn\nyour eyes towards the east,--behold our God advancing in great light.\"\n\nThe sun was rising, and all turned to look. At that moment Kolbein gave\ntheir god a stroke, so that the idol burst asunder; and there ran out of\nit mice as big almost as cats, and reptiles, and adders. The bondes were\nso terrified that some fled to their ships; but when they sprang out\nupon them they filled with water, and could not get away. Others ran to\ntheir horses, but could not find them. The king then ordered the bondes\nto be called together, saying he wanted to speak with them; on which the\nbondes came back, and the Thing was again seated.\n\nThe king rose up and said, \"I do not understand what your noise and\nrunning mean. Ye see yourselves what your god can do,--the idol ye\nadorned with gold and silver, and brought meat and provisions to. Ye\nsee now that the protecting powers who used it were the mice and adders,\nreptiles and paddocks; and they do ill who trust to such, and will not\nabandon this folly. Take now your gold and ornaments that are lying\nstrewed about on the grass, and give them to your wives and daughters;\nbut never hang them hereafter upon stock or stone. Here are now two\nconditions between us to choose upon,--either accept Christianity,\nor fight this very day; and the victory be to them to whom the God we\nworship gives it.\"\n\nThen Dale-Gudbrand stood up and said, \"We have sustained great damage\nupon our god; but since he will not help us, we will believe in the God\nthou believest in.\"\n\nThen all received Christianity. The bishop baptized Gudbrand and his\nson. King Olaf and Bishop Sigurd left behind them teachers, and they\nwho met as enemies parted as friends; and Gudbrand built a church in the\nvalley.\n\n\n\n\n120. HEDEMARK BAPTIZED.\n\nKing Olaf proceeded from thence to Hedemark, and baptized there; but\nas he had formerly carried away their kings as prisoners, he did not\nventure himself, after such a deed, to go far into the country with few\npeople at that time, but a small part of Hedemark was baptized; but\nthe king did not desist from his expedition before he had introduced\nChristianity over all Hedemark, consecrated churches, and placed\nteachers. He then went to Hadaland and Thoten, improving the customs of\nthe people, and persisting until all the country was baptized. He then\nwent to Ringerike, where also all people went over to Christianity. The\npeople of Raumarike then heard that Olaf intended coming to them, and\nthey gathered a great force. They said among themselves that the journey\nOlaf had made among them the last time was not to be forgotten, and he\nshould never proceed so again. The king, notwithstanding, prepared for\nthe journey. Now when the king went up into Raumarike with his forces,\nthe multitude of bondes came against him at a river called Nitja; and\nthe bondes had a strong army, and began the battle as soon as they met;\nbut they soon fell short, and took to flight. They were forced by this\nbattle into a better disposition, and immediately received Christianity;\nand the king scoured the whole district, and did not leave it until\nall the people were made Christians. He then went east to Soleys, and\nbaptized that neighbourhood. The skald Ottar Black came to him there,\nand begged to be received among his men. Olaf the Swedish king had died\nthe winter before (A.D. 1021), and Onund, the son of Olaf, was now the\nsole king over all Sweden. King Olaf returned, when the winter (A.D.\n1022) was far advanced, to Raumarike. There he assembled a numerous\nThing, at a place where the Eidsvold Things have since been held. He\nmade a law, that the Upland people should resort to this Thing, and that\nEidsvold laws should be good through all the districts of the Uplands,\nand wide around in other quarters, which also has taken place. As spring\nwas advancing, he rigged his ships, and went by sea to Tunsberg.\nHe remained there during the spring, and the time the town was most\nfrequented, and goods from other countries were brought to the town for\nsale. There had been a good year in Viken, and tolerable as far north as\nStad; but it was a very dear time in all the country north of there.\n\n\n\n\n121. RECONCILIATION OF THE KING AND EINAR.\n\nIn spring (A.D. 1022) King Olaf sent a message west to Agder, and north\nall the way to Hordaland and Rogaland, prohibiting the exporting or\nselling of corn, malt, or meal; adding, that he, as usual, would come\nthere with his people in guest-quarters. The message went round all the\ndistricts; but the king remained in Viken all summer, and went east\nto the boundary of the country. Einar Tambaskelfer had been with the\nSwedish king Olaf since the death of his relation Earl Svein, and had,\nas the khag's man, received great fiefs from him. Now that the king was\ndead, Einar had a great desire to come into friendship agreement with\nOlaf; and the same spring messages passed between them about it. While\nthe king was lying in the Gaut river, Einar Tambaskelfer came there with\nsome men; and after treating about an agreement, it was settled that\nEinar should go north to Throndhjem, and there take possession of all\nthe lands and property which Bergliot had received in dower. Thereupon\nEinar took his way north; but the king remained behind in Viken, and\nremained long in Sarpsborg in autumn (A.D. 1022), and during the first\npart of winter.\n\n\n\n\n122. RECONCILIATION OF THE KING AND ERLING.\n\nErling Skjalgson held his dominion so, that all north from Sogn Lake,\nand east to the Naze, the bondes stood under him; and although he had\nmuch smaller royal fiefs than formerly, still so great a dread of him\nprevailed that nobody dared to do anything against his will, so that\nthe king thought his power too great. There was a man called Aslak\nFitiaskalle, who was powerful and of high birth. Erling's father Skjalg,\nand Aslak's father Askel, were brother's sons. Aslak was a great friend\nof King Olaf, and the king settled him in South Hordaland, where he gave\nhim a great fief, and great income, and ordered him in no respect to\ngive way to Erling. But this came to nothing when the king was not in\nthe neighbourhood; for then Erling would reign as he used to do, and was\nnot more humble because Aslak would thrust himself forward as his equal.\nAt last the strife went so far that Aslak could not keep his place, but\nhastened to King Olaf, and told him the circumstances between him and\nErling. The king told Aslak to remain with him until he should meet\nErling; and sent a message to Erling that he should come to him in\nspring at Tunsberg. When they all arrived there they held a meeting at\nwhich the king said to him, \"It is told me concerning thy government,\nErling, that no man from Sogn Lake to the Naze can enjoy his freedom for\nthee; although there are many men there who consider themselves born\nto udal rights, and have their privileges like others born as they are.\nNow, here is your relation Aslak, who appears to have suffered great\ninconvenience from your conduct; and I do not know whether he himself is\nin fault, or whether he suffers because I have placed him to defend what\nis mine; and although I name him, there are many others who have brought\nthe same complaint before us, both among those who are placed in office\nin our districts, and among the bailiffs who have our farms to manage,\nand are obliged to entertain me and my people.\"\n\nErling replies to this, \"I will answer at once. I deny altogether that I\nhave ever injured Aslak, or any one else, for being in your service; but\nthis I will not deny, that it is now, as it has long been, that each of\nus relations will willingly be greater than the other: and, moreover,\nI freely acknowledge that I am ready to bow my neck to thee, King Olaf;\nbut it is more difficult for me to stoop before one who is of slave\ndescent in all his generation, although he is now your bailiff, or\nbefore others who are but equal to him in descent, although you bestow\nhonours on them.\"\n\nNow the friends of both interfered, and entreated that they would be\nreconciled; saying, that the king never could have such powerful aid as\nfrom Erling, \"if he was your friend entirely.\" On the other hand, they\nrepresent to Erling that he should give up to the king; for if he was\nin friendship with the king, it would be easy to do with all the others\nwhat he pleased. The meeting accordingly ended so that Erling should\nretain the fiefs he formerly had, and every complaint the king had\nagainst Erling should be dropped; but Skjalg, Erling's son, should\ncome to the king, and remain in his power. Then Aslak returned to his\ndominions, and the two were in some sort reconciled. Erling returned\nhome also to his domains, and followed his own way of ruling them.\n\n\n\n\n123. HERE BEGINS THE STORY OF ASBJORN SELSBANE.\n\nThere was a man named Sigurd Thoreson, a brother of Thorer Hund of\nBjarkey Island. Sigurd was married to Sigrid Skjalg's daughter, a sister\nof Erling. Their son, called Asbjorn, became as he grew up a very\nable man. Sigurd dwelt at Omd in Thrandarnes, and was a very rich and\nrespected man. He had not gone into the king's service; and Thorer in so\nfar had attained higher dignity than his brother, that he was the king's\nlenderman. But at home, on his farm, Sigurd stood in no respect behind\nhis brother in splendour and magnificence. As long as heathenism\nprevailed, Sigurd usually had three sacrifices every year: one on\nwinter-night's eve, one on mid-winter's eve, and the third in summer.\nAlthough he had adopted Christianity, he continued the same custom with\nhis feasts: he had, namely, a great friendly entertainment at harvest\ntime; a Yule feast in winter, to which he invited many; the third feast\nhe had about Easter, to which also he invited many guests. He continued\nthis fashion as long as he lived. Sigurd died on a bed of sickness when\nAsbjorn was eighteen years old. He was the only heir of his father, and\nhe followed his father's custom of holding three festivals every year.\nSoon after Asbjorn came to his heritage the course of seasons began to\ngrow worse, and the corn harvests of the people to fail; but Asbjorn\nheld his usual feasts, and helped himself by having old corn, and an old\nprovision laid up of all that was useful. But when one year had passed\nand another came, and the crops were no better than the year before,\nSigrid wished that some if not all of the feasts should be given up.\nThat Asbjorn would not consent to, but went round in harvest among his\nfriends, buying corn where he could get it, and some he received in\npresents. He thus kept his feasts this winter also; but the spring after\npeople got but little seed into the ground, for they had to buy\nthe seed-corn. Then Sigurd spoke of diminishing the number of their\nhouse-servants. That Asbjorn would not consent to, but held by the old\nfashion of the house in all things. In summer (A.D. 1022) it appeared\nagain that there would be a bad year for corn; and to this came the\nreport from the south that King Olaf prohibited all export of corn,\nmalt, or meal from the southern to the northern parts of the country.\nThen Asbjorn perceived that it would be difficult to procure what was\nnecessary for a house-keeping, and resolved to put into the water a\nvessel for carrying goods which he had, and which was large enough to\ngo to sea with. The ship was good, all that belonged to her was of the\nbest, and in the sails were stripes of cloth of various colours. Asbjorn\nmade himself ready for a voyage, and put to sea with twenty men. They\nsailed from the north in summer; and nothing is told of their voyage\nuntil one day, about the time the days begin to shorten, they came to\nKarmtsund, and landed at Augvaldsnes. Up in the island Karmt there is\na large farm, not far from the sea, and a large house upon it called\nAugvaldsnes, which was a king's house, with an excellent farm, which\nThorer Sel, who was the king's bailiff, had under his management. Thorer\nwas a man of low birth, but had swung himself up in the world as an\nactive man; and he was polite in speech, showy in clothes, and fond\nof distinction, and not apt to give way to others, in which he was\nsupported by the favour of the king. He was besides quick in speech,\nstraightforward, and free in conversation. Asbjorn, with his company,\nbrought up there for the night; and in the morning, when it was light,\nThorer went down to the vessel with some men, and inquired who commanded\nthe splendid ship. Asbjorn named his own and his father's name. Thorer\nasks where the voyage was intended for, and what was the errand.\n\nAsbjorn replies, that he wanted to buy corn and malt; saying, as was\ntrue, that it was a very dear time north in the country. \"But we are\ntold that here the seasons are good; and wilt thou, farmer, sell us\ncorn? I see that here are great corn stacks, and it would be very\nconvenient if we had not to travel farther.\"\n\nThorer replies, \"I will give thee the information that thou needst not\ngo farther to buy corn, or travel about here in Rogaland; for I can tell\nthee that thou must turn about, and not travel farther, for the king\nforbids carrying corn out of this to the north of the country. Sail back\nagain, Halogalander, for that will be thy safest course.\"\n\nAsbjorn replies, \"If it be so, bonde, as thou sayest, that we can get\nno corn here to buy, I will, notwithstanding, go forward upon my errand,\nand visit my family in Sole, and see my relation Erling's habitation.\"\n\nThorer: \"How near is thy relationship to Erling?\"\n\nAsbjorn: \"My mother is his sister.\"\n\nThorer: \"It may be that I have spoken heedlessly, if so be that thou art\nsister's son of Erling.\"\n\nThereupon Asbjorn and his crew struck their tents, and turned the ship\nto sea. Thorer called after them. \"A good voyage, and come here again on\nyour way back.\" Asbjorn promised to do so, sailed away, and came in the\nevening to Jadar. Asbjorn went on shore with ten men; the other ten\nmen watched the ship. When Asbjorn came to the house he was very\nwell received, and Erling was very glad to see him, placed him beside\nhimself, and asked him all the news in the north of the country. Asbjorn\nconcealed nothing of his business from him; and Erling said it happened\nunfortunately that the king had just forbid the sale of corn. \"And I\nknow no man here.\" says he, \"who has courage to break the king's order,\nand I find it difficult to keep well with the king, so many are trying\nto break our friendship.\"\n\nAsbjorn replies, \"It is late before we learn the truth. In my childhood\nI was taught that my mother was freeborn throughout her whole descent,\nand that Erling of Sole was her boldest relation; and now I hear thee\nsay that thou hast not the freedom, for the king's slaves here in Jadar,\nto do with thy own corn what thou pleasest.\"\n\nErling looked at him, smiled through his teeth, and said, \"Ye\nHalogalanders know less of the king's power than we do here; but a bold\nman thou mayst be at home in thy conversation. Let us now drink, my\nfriend, and we shall see tomorrow what can be done in thy business.\"\n\nThey did so, and were very merry all the evening. The following day\nErling and Asbjorn talked over the matter again, and Erling said. \"I\nhave found out a way for you to purchase corn, Asbjorn. It is the same\nthing to you whoever is the seller.\" He answered that he did not care of\nwhom he bought the corn, if he got a good right to his purchase. Erling\nsaid. \"It appears to me probable that my slaves have quite as much\ncorn as you require to buy; and they are not subject to law, or land\nregulation, like other men.\" Asbjorn agreed to the proposal. The slaves\nwere now spoken to about the purchase, and they brought forward corn and\nmalt, which they sold to Asbjorn, so that he loaded his vessel with what\nhe wanted. When he was ready for sea Erling followed him on the road,\nmade him presents of friendship, and they took a kind farewell of each\nother. Asbjorn got a good breeze, landed in the evening at Karmtsund,\nnear to Augvaldsnes, and remained there for the night. Thorer Sel had\nheard of Asbjorn's voyage, and also that his vessel was deeply laden.\nThorer summoned people to him in the night, so that before daylight he\nhad sixty men; and with these he went against Asbjorn as soon as it was\nlight, and went out to the ship just as Asbjorn and his men were putting\non their clothes. Asbjorn saluted Thorer, and Thorer asked what kind of\ngoods Asbjorn had in the vessel.\n\nHe replied, \"Corn and malt.\"\n\nThorer said, \"Then Erling is doing as he usually does, and despising the\nking's orders, and is unwearied in opposing him in all things, insomuch\nthat it is wonderful the king suffers it.\"\n\nThorer went on scolding in this way, and when he was silent Asbjorn said\nthat Erling's slaves had owned the corn.\n\nThorer replied hastily, that he did not regard Erling's tricks. \"And\nnow, Asbjorn, there is no help for it; ye must either go on shore, or we\nwill throw you overboard; for we will not be troubled with you while we\nare discharging the cargo.\"\n\nAsbjorn saw that he had not men enough to resist Thorer; therefore\nhe and his people landed, and Thorer took the whole cargo out of the\nvessel. When the vessel was discharged Thorer went through the ship, and\nobserved. \"Ye Halogalanders have good sails: take the old sail of our\nvessel and give it them; it is good enough for those who are sailing\nin a light vessel.\" Thus the sails were exchanged. When this was done\nAsbjorn and his comrades sailed away north along the coast, and did not\nstop until they reached home early in whiter. This expedition was talked\nof far and wide, and Asbjorn had no trouble that winter in making feasts\nat home. Thorer Hund invited Asbjorn and his mother, and also all whom\nthey pleased to take along with him, to a Yule feast; but Asbjorn sat\nat home, and would not travel, and it was to be seen that Thorer thought\nAsbjorn despised his invitation, since he would not come. Thorer scoffed\nmuch at Asbjorn's voyage. \"Now,\" said he, \"it is evident that Asbjorn\nmakes a great difference in his respect towards his relations; for in\nsummer he took the greatest trouble to visit his relation Erling in\nJadar, and now will not take the trouble to come to me in the next\nhouse. I don't know if he thinks there may be a Thorer Sel in his way\nupon every holm.\" Such words, and the like sarcasms, Asbjorn heard of;\nand very ill satisfied he was with his voyage, which had thus made him\na laughing-stock to the country, and he remained at home all winter, and\nwent to no feasts.\n\n\n\n\n124. MURDER OF THORER SEL.\n\nAsbjorn had a long-ship standing in the noust (shipshed), and it was\na snekke (cutter) of twenty benches; and after Candlemas (February\n2, 1023), he had the vessel put in the water, brought out all his\nfurniture, and rigged her out. He then summoned to him his friends and\npeople, so that he had nearly ninety men all well armed. When he was\nready for sea, and got a wind, he sailed south along the coast, but as\nthe wind did not suit, they advanced but slowly. When they came farther\nsouth they steered outside the rocks, without the usual ships' channel,\nkeeping to sea as much as it was possible to do so. Nothing is related\nof his voyage before the fifth day of Easter (April 18, 1023), when,\nabout evening, they came on the outside of Karmt Island. This island is\nso shaped that it is very long, but not broad at its widest part; and\nwithout it lies the usual ships' channel. It is thickly inhabited;\nbut where the island is exposed to the ocean great tracts of it are\nuncultivated. Asbjorn and his men landed at a place in the island that\nwas uninhabited. After they had set up their ship-tents Asbjorn said,\n\"Now ye must remain here and wait for me. I will go on land in the isle,\nand spy what news there may be which we know nothing of.\" Asbjorn had\non mean clothes, a broadbrimmed hat, a fork in his hand, but had girt on\nhis sword under his clothes. He went up to the land, and in through the\nisland; and when he came upon a hillock, from which he could see the\nhouse on Augvaldsnes, and on as far as Karmtsund, he saw people in all\nquarters flocking together by land and by sea, and all going up to the\nhouse of Augvaldsnes. This seemed to him extraordinary; and therefore\nhe went up quietly to a house close by, in which servants were cooking\nmeat. From their conversation he discovered immediately that the king\nOlaf had come there to a feast, and that he had just sat down to table.\nAsbjorn turned then to the feasting-room, and when he came into the\nante-room one was going in and another coming out; but nobody took\nnotice of him. The hall-door was open, and he saw that Thorer Sel stood\nbefore the table of the high-seat. It was getting late in the evening,\nand Asbjorn heard people ask Thorer what had taken place between him\nand Asbjorn; and Thorer had a long story about it, in which he evidently\ndeparted from the truth. Among other things he heard a man say, \"How did\nAsbjorn behave when you discharged his vessel?\" Thorer replied, \"When we\nwere taking out the cargo he bore it tolerably, but not well; and when\nwe took the sail from him he wept.\" When Asbjorn heard this he suddenly\ndrew his sword, rushed into the hall, and cut at Thorer. The stroke took\nhim in the neck, so that the head fell upon the table before the king,\nand the body at his feet, and the table-cloth was soiled with blood from\ntop to bottom. The king ordered him to be seized and taken out. This\nwas done. They laid hands on Asbjorn, and took him from the hall. The\ntable-furniture and table-cloths were removed, and also Thorer's corpse,\nand all the blood wiped up. The king was enraged to the highest; but\nremained quiet in speech, as he always was when in anger.\n\n\n\n\n125. OF SKJALG, THE SON OF ERLING SKJALGSON.\n\nSkjalg Erlingson stood up, went before the king, and said, \"Now may it\ngo, as it often does, that every case will admit of alleviation. I will\npay thee the mulct for the bloodshed on account of this man, so that\nhe may retain life and limbs. All the rest determine and do, king,\naccording to thy pleasure.\"\n\nThe king replies, \"Is it not a matter of death, Skjalg, that a man\nbreak the Easter peace; and in the next place that he kills a man in\nthe king's lodging; and in the third that he makes my feet his\nexecution-block, although that may appear a small matter to thee and thy\nfather?\"\n\nSkjalg replies, \"It is ill done, king, in as far as it displeases thee;\nbut the deed is, otherwise, done excellently well. But if the deed\nappear to thee so important, and be so contrary to thy will, yet may I\nexpect something for my services from thee; and certainly there are many\nwho will say that thou didst well.\"\n\nThe king replies, \"Although thou hast made me greatly indebted to thee,\nSkjalg, for thy services, yet I will not for thy sake break the law, or\ncast away my own dignity.\"\n\nThen Skjalg turned round, and went out of the hall. Twelve men who had\ncome with Skjalg all followed him, and many others went out with him.\nSkjalg said to Thorarin Nefiulfson, \"If thou wilt have me for a friend,\ntake care that this man be not killed before Sunday.\" Thereupon Skjalg\nand his men set off, took a rowing boat which he had, and rowed south as\nfast as they could, and came to Jadar with the first glimpse of morning.\nThey went up instantly to the house, and to the loft in which Erling\nslept. Skjalg rushed so hard against the door that it burst asunder at\nthe nails. Erling and the others who were within started up. He was in\none spring upon his legs, grasped his shield and sword, and rushed to\nthe door, demanding who was there. Skjalg named himself, and begs him to\nopen the door. Erling replies, \"It was most likely to be thee who\nhast behaved so foolishly; or is there any one who is pursuing thee?\"\nThereupon the door was unlocked. Then said Skjalg, \"Although it appears\nto thee that I am so hasty, I suppose our relation Asbjorn will not\nthink my proceedings too quick; for he sits in chains there in the north\nat Augvaldsnes, and it would be but manly to hasten back and stand by\nhim.\" The father and son then had a conversation together, and Skjalg\nrelated the whole circumstances of Thorer Sel's murder.\n\n\n\n\n126. OF THORARIN NEFIULFSON.\n\nKing Olaf took his seat again when everything in the hall was put in\norder, and was enraged beyond measure. He asked how it was with the\nmurderer. He was answered, that he was sitting out upon the doorstep\nunder guard.\n\nThe king says, \"Why is he not put to death?\"\n\nThorarin Nefiulfson replies, \"Sire, would you not call it murder to kill\na man in the night-time?\"\n\nThe king answers, \"Put him in irons then, and kill him in the morning.\"\n\nThen Asbjorn was laid in chains, and locked up in a house for the night.\nThe day after the king heard the morning mass, and then went to the\nThing, where he sat till high mass. As he was going to mass he said\nto Thorarin, \"Is not the sun high enough now in the heavens that your\nfriend Asbjorn may be hanged?\"\n\nThorarin bowed before the king, and said, \"Sire, it was said by Bishop\nSigurd on Friday last, that the King who has all things in his power\nhad to endure great temptation of spirit; and blessed is he who rather\nimitates him, than those who condemned the man to death, or those\nwho caused his slaughter. It is not long till tomorrow, and that is a\nworking day.\"\n\nThe king looked at him, and said, \"Thou must take care then that he is\nnot put to death to-day; but take him under thy charge, and know for\ncertain that thy own life shall answer for it if he escape in any way.\"\n\nThen the king went away. Thorarin went also to where Asbjorn lay in\nirons, took off his chains, and brought him to a small room, where\nhe had meat and drink set before him, and told him what the king had\ndetermined in case Asbjorn ran away. Asbjorn replies, that Thorarin need\nnot be afraid of him. Thorarin sat a long while with him during the day,\nand slept there all night. On Saturday the king arose and went to the\nearly mass, and from thence he went to the Thing, where a great many\nbondes were assembled, who had many complaints to be determined. The\nking sat there long in the day, and it was late before the people went\nto high mass. Thereafter the king went to table. When he had got meat he\nsat drinking for a while, so that the tables were not removed. Thorarin\nwent out to the priest who had the church under his care, and gave him\ntwo marks of silver to ring in the Sabbath as soon as the king's table\nwas taken away. When the king had drunk as much as he wished the tables\nwere removed. Then said the king, that it was now time for the slaves\nto go to the murderer and put him to death. In the same moment the bell\nrang in the Sabbath.\n\nThen Thorarin went before the king, and said, \"The Sabbath-peace this\nman must have, although he has done evil.\"\n\nThe king said, \"Do thou take care, Thorarin, that he do not escape.\"\n\nThe king then went to the church, and attended the vesper service, and\nThorarin sat the whole day with Asbjorn. On Sunday the bishop visited\nAsbjorn, confessed him, and gave him orders to hear high mass. Thorarin\nthen went to the king, and asked him to appoint men to guard the\nmurderer. \"I will now,\" he said, \"be free of this charge.\" The king\nthanked him for his care, and ordered men to watch over Asbjorn, who was\nagain laid in chains. When the people went to high mass Asbjorn was led\nto the church, and he stood outside of the church with his guard; but\nthe king and all the people stood in the church at mass.\n\n\n\n\n127. ERLING'S RECONCILIATION WITH KING OLAF.\n\nNow we must again take up our story where we left it,--that Erling\nand his son Skjalg held a council on this affair, and according to\nthe resolution of Erling, and of Skjalg and his other sons, it was\ndetermined to assemble a force and send out message-tokens. A great\nmultitude of people accordingly came together. They got ready with all\nspeed, rigged their ships, and when they reckoned upon their force they\nfound they had nearly 1500 men. With this war-force they set off, and\ncame on Sunday to Augvaldsnes on Karmt Island. They went straight up to\nthe house with all the men, and arrived just as the Scripture lesson was\nread. They went directly to the church, took Asbjorn, and broke off\nhis chains. At the tumult and clash of arms all who were outside of the\nchurch ran into it; but they who were in the church looked all towards\nthem, except the king, who stood still, without looking around him.\nErling and his sons drew up their men on each side of the path which led\nfrom the church to the hall, and Erling with his sons stood next to the\nhall. When high mass was finished the king went immediately out of the\nchurch, and first went through the open space between the ranks drawn\nup, and then his retinue, man by man; and as he came to the door Erling\nplaced himself before the door, bowed to the king, and saluted him. The\nking saluted him in return, and prayed God to help him. Erling took up\nthe word first, and said, \"My relation, Asbjorn, it is reported to me,\nhas been guilty of misdemeanor, king; and it is a great one, if he has\ndone anything that incurs your displeasure. Now I am come to entreat for\nhim peace, and such penalties as you yourself may determine; but that\nthereby he redeem life and limb, and his remaining here in his native\nland.\"\n\nThe king replies, \"It appears to me, Erling, that thou thinkest the case\nof Asbjorn is now in thy own power, and I do not therefore know why thou\nspeakest now as if thou wouldst offer terms for him. I think thou hast\ndrawn together these forces because thou are determined to settle what\nis between us.\"\n\nErling replies, \"Thou only, king, shalt determine, and determine so that\nwe shall be reconciled.\"\n\nThe king: \"Thinkest thou, Erling, to make me afraid? And art thou come\nhere in such force with that expectation? No, that shall not be; and if\nthat be thy thought, I must in no way turn and fly.\"\n\nErling replies, \"Thou hast no occasion to remind me how often I have\ncome to meet thee with fewer men than thou hadst. But now I shall not\nconceal what lies in my mind, namely, that it is my will that we now\nenter into a reconciliation; for otherwise I expect we shall never meet\nagain.\" Erling was then as red as blood in the face.\n\nNow Bishop Sigurd came forward to the king and said, \"Sire, I entreat\nyou on God Almighty's account to be reconciled with Erling according to\nhis offer,--that the man shall retain life and limb, but that thou shalt\ndetermine according to thy pleasure all the other conditions.\"\n\nThe king replies, \"You will determine.\"\n\nThen said the bishop, \"Erling, do thou give security for Asbjorn, such\nas the king thinks sufficient, and then leave the conditions to the\nmercy of the king, and leave all in his power.\"\n\nErling gave a surety to the king on his part, which he accepted.\n\nThereupon Asbjorn received his life and safety, and delivered himself\ninto the king's power, and kissed his hand.\n\nErling then withdrew with his forces, without exchanging salutation with\nthe king; and the king went into the hall, followed by Asbjorn. The king\nthereafter made known the terms of reconciliation to be these:--\"In the\nfirst place, Asbjorn, thou must submit to the law of the land, which\ncommands that the man who kills a servant of the king must undertake\nhis service, if the king will. Now I will that thou shalt undertake the\noffice of bailiff which Thorer Sel had, and manage my estate here in\nAugvaldsnes.\" Asbjorn replies, that it should be according to the king's\nwill; \"but I must first go home to my farm, and put things in order\nthere.\" The king was satisfied with this, and proceeded to another\nguest-quarter. Asbjorn made himself ready with his comrades, who all\nkept themselves concealed in a quiet creek during the time Asbjorn was\naway from them. They had had their spies out to learn how it went with\nhim, and would not depart without having some certain news of him.\n\n\n\n\n128. OF THORER HUND AND ASBJORN SELSBANE.\n\nAsbjorn then set out on his voyage, and about spring (A.D. 1023) got\nhome to his farm. After this exploit he was always called Asbjorn\nSelsbane. Asbjorn had not been long at home before he and his relation\nThorer met and conversed together, and Thorer asked Asbjorn particularly\nall about his journey, and about all the circumstances which had\nhappened on the course of it. Asbjorn told everything as it had taken\nplace.\n\nThen said Thorer, \"Thou thinkest that thou hast well rubbed out the\ndisgrace of having been plundered in last harvest.\"\n\n\"I think so,\" replies Asbjorn; \"and what is thy opinion, cousin?\"\n\n\"That I will soon tell thee,\" said Thorer. \"Thy first expedition to the\nsouth of the country was indeed very disgraceful, and that disgrace has\nbeen redeemed; but this expedition is both a disgrace to thee and to thy\nfamily, if it end in thy becoming the king's slave, and being put on\na footing with that worst of men, Thorer Sel. Show that thou art manly\nenough to sit here on thy own property, and we thy relations shall so\nsupport thee that thou wilt never more come into such trouble.\"\n\nAsbjorn found this advice much to his mind; and before they parted it\nwas firmly, determined that Asbjorn should remain on his farm, and not\ngo back to the king or enter into his service. And he did so, and sat\nquietly at home on his farm.\n\n\n\n\n129. KING OLAF BAPTIZES IN VORS AND VALDERS.\n\nAfter King Olaf and Erling Skjalgson had this meeting at Augvaldsnes,\nnew differences arose between them, and increased so much that they\nended in perfect enmity. In spring (A.D. 1023) the king proceeded to\nguest-quarters in Hordaland, and went up also to Vors, because he heard\nthere was but little of the true faith among the people there. He held\na Thing with the bondes at a place called Vang, and a number of bondes\ncame to it fully armed. The king ordered them to adopt Christianity; but\nthey challenged him to battle, and it proceeded so far that the men\nwere drawn up on both sides. But when it came to the point such a fear\nentered into the blood of the bondes that none would advance or command,\nand they chose the part which was most to their advantage; namely, to\nobey the king and receive Christianity; and before the king left them\nthey were all baptized. One day it happened that the king was riding on\nhis way a singing of psalms, and when he came right opposite some hills\nhe halted and said, \"Man after man shall relate these my words, that\nI think it not advisable for any king of Norway to travel hereafter\nbetween these hills.\" And it is a saying among the people that the\nmost kings since that time have avoided it. The king proceeded to\nOstrarfjord, and came to his ships, with which he went north to Sogn,\nand had his living in guest-quarters there in summer (A.D. 1023); when\nautumn approached he turned in towards the Fjord district, and went\nfrom thence to Valders, where the people were still heathen. The king\nhastened up to the lake in Valders, came unexpectedly on the bondes,\nseized their vessels, and went on board of them with all his men. He\nthen sent out message-tokens, and appointed a Thing so near the lake\nthat he could use the vessels if he found he required them. The bondes\nresorted to the Thing in a great and well-armed host; and when he\ncommanded them to accept Christianity the bondes shouted against him,\ntold him to be silent, and made a great uproar and clashing of weapons.\nBut when the king saw that they would not listen to what he would teach\nthem, and also that they had too great a force to contend with, he\nturned his discourse, and asked if there were people at the Thing who\nhad disputes with each other which they wished him to settle. It was\nsoon found by the conversation of the bondes that they had many quarrels\namong themselves, although they had all joined in speaking against\nChristianity. When the bondes began to set forth their own cases, each\nendeavored to get some upon his side to support him; and this lasted\nthe whole day long until evening, when the Thing was concluded. When the\nbondes had heard that the king had travelled to Valders, and was come\ninto their neighborhood, they had sent out message-tokens summoning\nthe free and the unfree to meet in arms, and with this force they had\nadvanced against the king; so that the neighbourhood all around was left\nwithout people. When the Thing was concluded the bondes still remained\nassembled; and when the king observed this he went on board his ships,\nrowed in the night right across the water, landed in the country there,\nand began to plunder and burn. The day after the king's men rowed\nfrom one point of land to another, and over all the king ordered the\nhabitations to be set on fire. Now when the bondes who were assembled\nsaw what the king was doing, namely, plundering and burning, and saw the\nsmoke and flame of their houses, they dispersed, and each hastened to\nhis own home to see if he could find those he had left. As soon as there\ncame a dispersion among the crowd, the one slipped away after the other,\nuntil the whole multitude was dissolved. Then the king rowed across\nthe lake again, burning also on that side of the country. Now came the\nbondes to him begging for mercy, and offering to submit to him. He gave\nevery man who came to him peace if he desired it, and restored to him\nhis goods; and nobody refused to adopt Christianity. The king then had\nthe people christened, and took hostages from the bondes. He ordered\nchurches to be built and consecrated, and placed teachers in them. He\nremained a long time here in autumn, and had his ships drawn across the\nneck of land between the two lakes. The king did not go far from the\nsides of the lakes into the country, for he did not much trust the\nbondes. When the king thought that frost might be expected, he went\nfurther up the country, and came to Thoten. Arnor, the earl's skald,\ntells how King Olaf burnt in the Uplands, in the poem he composed\nconcerning the king's brother King Harald:--\n\n     \"Against the Upland people wroth,\n     Olaf, to most so mild, went forth:\n          The houses burning,\n          All people mourning;\n          Who could not fly\n          Hung on gallows high.\n     It was, I think, in Olaf's race\n     The Upland people to oppress.\"\n\nAfterwards King Olaf went north through the valleys to Dovrefield, and\ndid not halt until he reached the Throndhjem district and arrived at\nNidaros, where he had ordered winter provision to be collected, and\nremained all winter (A.D. 1024). This was the tenth year of his reign.\n\n\n\n\n130. OF EINAR TAMBASKELFER.\n\nThe summer before Einar Tambaskelfer left the country, and went westward\nto England (A.D. 1023). There he met his relative Earl Hakon, and stayed\nsome time with him. He then visited King Canute, from whom he received\ngreat presents. Einar then went south all the way to Rome, and came back\nthe following summer (A.D. 1024), and returned to his house and land.\nKing Olaf and Einar did not meet this time.\n\n\n\n\n131. THE BIRTH OF KING MAGNUS.\n\nThere was a girl whose name was Alfhild, and who was usually called\nthe king's slave-woman, although she was of good descent. She was\na remarkably handsome girl, and lived in King Olaf's court. It was\nreported this spring that Alfhild was with child, and the king's\nconfidential friends knew that he was father of the child. It happened\none night that Alfhild was taken ill, and only few people were at hand;\nnamely, some women, priests, Sigvat the skald, and a few others. Alfhild\nwas so ill that she was nearly dead; and when she was delivered of a\nman-child, it was some time before they could discover whether the child\nwas in life. But when the infant drew breath, although very weak, the\npriest told Sigvat to hasten to the king, and tell him of the event.\n\nHe replies, \"I dare not on any account waken the king; for he has forbid\nthat any man should break his sleep until he awakens of himself.\"\n\nThe priest replies, \"It is of necessity that this child be immediately\nbaptized, for it appears to me there is but little life in it.\"\n\nSigvat said, \"I would rather venture to take upon me to let thee baptize\nthe child, than to awaken the king; and I will take it upon myself if\nanything be amiss, and will give the child a name.\"\n\nThey did so; and the child was baptized, and got the name of Magnus.\nThe next morning, when the king awoke and had dressed himself, the\ncircumstance was told him. He ordered Sigvat to be called, and said.\n\"How camest thou to be so bold as to have my child baptized before I\nknew anything about it?\"\n\nSigvat replies, \"Because I would rather give two men to God than one to\nthe devil.\"\n\nThe king--\"What meanest thou?\"\n\nSigvat--\"The child was near death, and must have been the devil's if it\nhad died as a heathen, and now it is God's. And I knew besides that if\nthou shouldst be so angry on this account that it affected my life, I\nwould be God's also.\"\n\nThe king asked, \"But why didst thou call him Magnus, which is not a name\nof our race?\"\n\nSigvat--\"I called him after King Carl Magnus, who, I knew, had been the\nbest man in the world.\"\n\nThen said the king, \"Thou art a very lucky man, Sigvat; but it is not\nwonderful that luck should accompany understanding. It is only wonderful\nhow it sometimes happens that luck attends ignorant men, and that\nfoolish counsel turns out lucky.\" The king was overjoyed at the\ncircumstance. The boy grew up, and gave good promise as he advanced in\nage.\n\n\n\n\n132. THE MURDER OF ASBJORN SELSBANE.\n\nThe same spring (A.D. 1024) the king gave into the hands of Asmund\nGrankelson the half of the sheriffdom of the district of Halogaland,\nwhich Harek of Thjotta had formerly held, partly in fief, partly for\ndefraying the king's entertainment in guest-quarters. Asmund had a ship\nmanned with nearly thirty well-armed men. When Asmund came north he\nmet Harek, and told him what the king had determined with regard to\nthe district, and produced to him the tokens of the king's full powers.\nHarek said, \"The king had the right to give the sheriffdom to whom he\npleased; but the former sovereigns had not been in use to diminish our\nrights who are entitled by birth to hold powers from the king, and to\ngive them into the hands of the peasants who never before held such\noffices.\" But although it was evident that it was against Harek's\ninclination, he allowed Asmund to take the sheriffdom according to the\nking's order. Then Asmund proceeded home to his father, stayed there a\nshort time, and then went north to Halogaland to his sheriffdom; and\nhe came north to Langey Island, where there dwelt two brothers called\nGunstein and Karle, both very rich and respectable men. Gunstein, the\neldest of the brothers, was a good husbandman. Karle was a handsome\nman in appearance, and splendid in his dress; and both were, in many\nrespects, expert in all feats. Asmund was well received by them,\nremained with them a while, and collected such revenues of his\nsheriffdom as he could get. Karle spoke with Asmund of his wish to go\nsouth with him and take service in the court of King Olaf, to which\nAsmund encouraged him much, promising his influence with the king\nfor obtaining for Karle such a situation as he desired; and Karle\naccordingly accompanied Asmund. Asmund heard that Asbjorn, who had\nkilled Thorer Sel, had gone to the market-meeting of Vagar with a\nlarge ship of burden manned with nearly twenty men, and that he was now\nexpected from the south. Asmund and his retinue proceeded on their way\nsouthwards along the coast with a contrary wind, but there was little of\nit. They saw some of the fleet for Vagar sailing towards them; and they\nprivately inquired of them about Asbjorn, and were told he was upon\nthe way coming from the south. Asmund and Karle were bedfellows, and\nexcellent friends. One day, as Asmund and his people were rowing through\na sound, a ship of burden came sailing towards them. The ship was easily\nknown, having high bulwarks, was painted with white and red colours, and\ncoloured cloth was woven in the sail. Karle said to Asmund, \"Thou hast\noften said thou wast curious to see Asbjorn who killed Thorer Sel; and\nif I know one ship from another, that is his which is coming sailing\nalong.\"\n\nAsmund replies, \"Be so good, comrade, and tell me which is he when thou\nseest him.\"\n\nWhen the ships came alongside of each other, \"That is Asbjorn,\" said\nKarle; \"the man sitting at the helm in a blue cloak.\"\n\nAsmund replies, \"I shall make his blue cloak red;\" threw a spear at\nAsbjorn, and hit him in the middle of the body, so that it flew through\nand through him, and stuck fast in the upper part of the stern-post;\nand Asbjorn fell down dead from the helm. Then each vessel sailed on its\ncourse, and Asbjorn's body was carried north to Thrandarnes. Then Sigrid\nsent a message to Bjarkey Isle to Thorer Hund, who came to her while\nthey were, in the usual way, dressing the corpse of Asbjorn. When he\nreturned Sigrid gave presents to all her friends, and followed Thorer\nto his ship; but before they parted she said, \"It has so fallen out,\nThorer, that my son has suffered by thy friendly counsel, but he did not\nretain life to reward thee for it; but although I have not his ability\nyet will I show my good will. Here is a gift I give thee, which I expect\nthou wilt use. Here is the spear which went through Asbjorn my son, and\nthere is still blood upon it, to remind thee that it fits the wound\nthou hast seen on the corpse of thy brother's son Asbjorn. It would be\na manly deed, if thou shouldst throw this spear from thy hand so that\nit stood in Olaf's breast; and this I can tell thee, that thou wilt be\nnamed coward in every man's mouth, if thou dost not avenge Asbjorn.\"\nThereupon she turned about, and went her way.\n\nThorer was so enraged at her words that he could not speak. He neither\nthought of casting the spear from him, nor took notice of the gangway;\nso that he would have fallen into the sea, if his men had not laid hold\nof him as he was going on board his ship. It was a feathered spear; not\nlarge, but the handle was gold-mounted. Now Thorer rowed away with his\npeople, and went home to Bjarkey Isle. Asmund and his companions also\nproceeded on their way until they came south to Throndhjem, where\nthey waited on King Olaf; and Asmund related to the king all that had\nhappened on the voyage. Karle became one of the king's court-men, and\nthe friendship continued between him and Asmund. They did not keep\nsecret the words that had passed between Asmund and Karle before Asbjorn\nwas killed; for they even told them to the king. But then it happened,\naccording to the proverb, that every one has a friend in the midst of\nhis enemies. There were some present who took notice of the words, and\nthey reached Thorer Hund's ears.\n\n\n\n\n133. OF KING OLAF.\n\nWhen spring (A.D. 1024) was advanced King Olaf rigged out his ships,\nand sailed southwards in summer along the land. He held Things with the\nbondes on the way, settled the law business of the people, put to rights\nthe faith of the country, and collected the king's taxes wherever he\ncame. In autumn he proceeded south to the frontier of the country; and\nKing Olaf had now made the people Christians in all the great districts,\nand everywhere, by laws, had introduced order into the country. He had\nalso, as before related, brought the Orkney Islands under his power, and\nby messages had made many friends in Iceland, Greenland, and the Farey\nIslands. King Olaf had sent timber for building a church to Iceland, of\nwhich a church was built upon the Thing-field where the General Thing is\nheld, and had sent a bell for it, which is still there. This was after\nthe Iceland people had altered their laws, and introduced Christianity,\naccording to the word King Olaf had sent them. After that time, many\nconsiderable persons came from Iceland, and entered into King Olaf's\nservice; as Thorkel Eyjolfson, and Thorleif Bollason, Thord Kolbeinson,\nThord Barkarson, Thorgeir Havarson, Thormod Kalbrunar-skald. King Olaf\nhad sent many friendly presents to chief people in Iceland; and they\nin return sent him such things as they had which they thought most\nacceptable. Under this show of friendship which the king gave Iceland\nwere concealed many things which afterwards appeared.\n\n\n\n\n134. KING OLAF'S MESSAGE TO ICELAND, AND THE COUNSELS OF THE ICELANDERS.\n\nKing Olaf this summer (A.D. 1024) sent Thorarin Nefiulfson to Iceland\non his errands; and Thorarin went out of Throndhjem fjord along with the\nking, and followed him south to More. From thence Thorarin went out\nto sea, and got such a favourable breeze that after four days sail he\nlanded at the Westman Isles, in Iceland. He proceeded immediately to the\nAlthing, and came just as the people were upon the Lawhillock, to which\nhe repaired. When the cases of the people before the Thing had been\ndetermined according to law, Thorarin Nefiulfson took up the word as\nfollows:--\"We parted four days ago from King Olaf Haraldson, who sends\nGod Almighty's and his own salutation to all the chiefs and principal\nmen of the land; as also to all the people in general, men and women,\nyoung and old, rich and poor. He also lets you know that he will be your\nsovereign if ye will become his subjects, so that he and you will be\nfriends, assisting each other in all that is good.\"\n\nThe people replied in a friendly way, that they would gladly be the\nking's friends, if he would be a friend of the people of their country.\n\nThen Thorarin again took up the word:--\"This follows in addition to the\nking's message, that he will in friendship desire of the people of the\nnorth district that they give him the island, or out-rock, which lies at\nthe mouth of Eyfjord, and is called Grimsey, for which he will give you\nfrom his country whatever good the people of the district may desire.\nHe sends this message particularly to Gudmund of Modruvellir to support\nthis matter, because he understands that Gudmund has most influence in\nthat quarter.\"\n\nGudmund replies, \"My inclination is greatly for King Olaf's friendship,\nand that I consider much more useful than the out-rock he desires. But\nthe king has not heard rightly if he think I have more power in this\nmatter than any other, for the island is a common. We, however, who have\nthe most use of the isle, will hold a meeting among ourselves about it.\"\n\nThen the people went to their tent-houses; and the Northland people had\na meeting among themselves, and talked over the business, and every one\nspoke according to his judgment. Gudmund supported the matter, and many\nothers formed their opinions by his. Then some asked why his brother\nEinar did not speak on the subject. \"We think he has the clearest\ninsight into most things.\"\n\nEinar answers, \"I have said so little about the matter because nobody\nhas asked me about it; but if I may give my opinion, our countrymen\nmight just as well make themselves at once liable to land-scat to King\nOlaf, and submit to all his exactions as he has them among his people in\nNorway; and this heavy burden we will lay not only upon ourselves, but\non our sons, and their sons, and all our race, and on all the community\ndwelling and living in this land, which never after will be free from\nthis slavery. Now although this king is a good man, as I well believe\nhim to be, yet it must be hereafter, when kings succeed each other, that\nsome will be good, and some bad. Therefore if the people of this country\nwill preserve the freedom they have enjoyed since the land was first\ninhabited, it is not advisable to give the king the smallest spot to\nfasten himself upon the country by, and not to give him any kind of scat\nor service that can have the appearance of a duty. On the other hand,\nI think it very proper that the people send the king such friendly\npresents of hawks or horses, tents or sails, or such things which are\nsuitable gifts; and these are well applied if they are repaid with\nfriendship. But as to Grimsey Isle, I have to say, that although nothing\nis drawn from it that can serve for food, yet it could support a great\nwar-force cruising from thence in long-ships; and then, I doubt not,\nthere would be distress enough at every poor peasant's door.\"\n\nWhen Einar had thus explained the proper connection of the matter,\nthe whole community were of one mind that such a thing should not be\npermitted; and Thorarin saw sufficiently well what the result of his\nerrand was to be.\n\n\n\n\n135. THE ANSWER OF THE ICELANDERS.\n\nThe day following, Thorarin went again to the Lawhill, and brought\nforward his errand in the following words:--\"King Olaf sends his message\nto his friends here in the country, among whom he reckons Gudmund\nEyjolfson, Snorre Gode, Thorkel Eyjolfson, Skapte the lagman, and\nThorstein Halson, and desires them by me to come to him on a friendly\nvisit; and adds, that ye must not excuse yourselves, if you regard his\nfriendship as worth anything.\" In their answer they thanked the king for\nhis message and added, that they would afterwards give a reply to it\nby Thorarin when they had more closely considered the matter with their\nfriends. The chiefs now weighed the matter among themselves, and each\ngave his own opinion about the journey. Snorre and Skapte dissuaded from\nsuch a dangerous proceeding with the people of Norway; namely, that\nall the men who had the most to say in the country should at once leave\nIceland. They added, that from this message, and from what Einar had\nsaid, they had the suspicion that the king intended to use force and\nstrong measures against the Icelanders if he ruled in the country.\nGudmund and Thorkel Eyjolfson insisted much that they should follow King\nOlaf's invitation, and called it a journey of honour. But when they had\nconsidered the matter on all sides, it was at last resolved that they\nshould not travel themselves, but that each of them should send in\nhis place a man whom they thought best suited for it. After this\ndetermination the Thing was closed, and there was no journey that\nsummer. Thorarin made two voyages that summer, and about harvest was\nback again at King Olaf's, and reported the result of his mission,\nand that some of the chiefs, or their sons, would come from Iceland\naccording to his message.\n\n\n\n\n136. OF THE PEOPLE OF THE FAREY ISLANDS.\n\nThe same summer (A.D. 1024) there came from the Farey Islands to Norway,\non the king's invitation, Gille the lagman, Leif Ossurson, Thoralf of\nDimun, and many other bondes' sons. Thord of Gata made himself ready for\nthe voyage; but just as he was setting out he got a stroke of palsy,\nand could not come, so he remained behind. Now when the people from\nthe Farey Isles arrived at King Olaf's, he called them to him to a\nconference, and explained the purpose of the journey he had made them\ntake, namely, that he would have scat from the Farey Islands, and also\nthat the people there should be subject to the laws which the king\nshould give them. In that meeting it appeared from the king's words that\nhe would make the Farey people who had come answerable, and would bind\nthem by oath to conclude this union. He also offered to the men whom he\nthought the ablest to take them into his service, and bestow honour and\nfriendship on them. These Farey men understood the king's words so, that\nthey must dread the turn the matter might take if they did not submit to\nall that the king desired. Although they held several meetings about\nthe business before it ended, the king's desire at last prevailed.\nLeif, Gille, and Thoralf went into the king's service, and became his\ncourtmen; and they, with all their travelling companions, swore the oath\nto King Olaf, that the law and land privilege which he set them should\nbe observed in the Farey Islands, and also the scat be levied that he\nlaid upon them. Thereafter the Farey people prepared for their return\nhome, and at their departure the king gave those who had entered into\nhis service presents in testimony of his friendship, and they went their\nway. Now the king ordered a ship to be rigged, manned it, and sent men\nto the Farey Islands to receive the scat from the inhabitants which they\nshould pay him. It was late before they were ready; but they set off at\nlast: and of their journey all that is to be told is, that they did not\ncome back, and no scat either, the following summer; for nobody had come\nto the Farey Isles, and no man had demanded scat there.\n\n\n\n\n137. OF THE MARRIAGE OF KETIL AND OF THORD TO THE KING'S SISTERS.\n\nKing Olaf proceeded about harvest time to Viken, and sent a message\nbefore him to the Uplands that they should prepare guest-quarters for\nhim, as he intended to be there in winter. Afterwards he made ready for\nhis journey, and went to the Uplands, and remained the winter there;\ngoing about in guest-quarters, and putting things to rights where he saw\nit needful, advancing also the cause of Christianity wheresoever it was\nrequisite. It happened while King Olaf was in Hedemark that Ketil Kalf\nof Ringanes courted Gunhild, a daughter of Sigurd Syr and of King\nOlaf's mother Asta. Gunhild was a sister of King Olaf, and therefore it\nbelonged to the king to give consent and determination to the business.\nHe took it in a friendly way; for he know Ketil, that he was of high\nbirth, wealthy, and of good understanding, and a great chief; and also\nhe had long been a great friend of King Olaf, as before related. All\nthese circumstances induced the king to approve of the match, and so it\nwas that Ketil got Gunhild. King Olaf was present at the wedding. From\nthence the king went north to Gudbrandsdal, where he was entertained in\nguest-quarters. There dwelt a man, by name Thord Guthormson, on a farm\ncalled Steig; and he was the most powerful man in the north end of the\nvalley. When Thord and the king met, Thord made proposals for Isrid,\nthe daughter of Gudbrand, and the sister of King Olaf's mother, as it\nbelonged to the king to give consent. After the matter was considered,\nit was determined that the marriage should proceed, and Thord got\nIsrid. Afterwards Thord was the king's faithful friend, and also many of\nThord's relations and friends, who followed his footsteps. From thence\nKing Olaf returned south through Thoten and Hadaland, from thence to\nRingerike, and so to Viken. In spring (A.D. 1025) he went to Tunsberg,\nand stayed there while there was the market-meeting, and a great resort\nof people. He then had his vessels rigged out, and had many people about\nhim.\n\n\n\n\n138. OF THE ICELANDERS.\n\nThe same summer (A.D. 1025) came Stein, a son of the lagman Skapte, from\nIceland, in compliance with King Olaf's message; and with him Thorod,\na son of Snorre the gode, and Geller, a son of Thorkel Eyjolfson, and\nEgil, a son of Hal of Sida, brother of Thorstein Hal. Gudmund Eyjolfson\nhad died the winter before. These Iceland men repaired to King Olaf as\nsoon as they had opportunity; and when they met the king they were well\nreceived, and all were in his house. The same summer King Olaf heard\nthat the ship was missing which he had sent the summer before to the\nFarey Islands after the scat, and nobody knew what had become of it.\nThe king fitted out another ship, manned it, and sent it to the Farey\nIslands for the scat. They got under weigh, and proceeded to sea; but\nas little was ever heard of this vessel as of the former one, and many\nconjectures were made about what had become of them.\n\n\n\n\n139. HERE BEGINS THE STORY OF CANUTE THE GREAT.\n\nDuring this time Canute the Great, called by some Canute the Old,\nwas king of England and Denmark. Canute the Great was a son of\nSvein Haraldson Forkedbeard, whose forefathers, for a long course\nof generations, had ruled over Denmark. Harald Gormson, Canute's\ngrandfather, had conquered Norway after the fall of Harald Grafeld,\nGunhild's son, had taken scat from it, and had placed Earl Hakon the\nGreat to defend the country. The Danish King, Svein Haraldson, ruled\nalso over Norway, and placed his son-in-law Earl Eirik, the son of Earl\nHakon, to defend the country. The brothers Eirik and Svein, Earl Hakon's\nsons, ruled the land until Earl Eirik went west to England, on the\ninvitation of his brother-in-law Canute the Great, when he left behind\nhis son Earl Hakon, sister's son of Canute the Great, to govern Norway.\nBut when Olaf the Thick came first to Norway, as before related, he took\nprisoner Earl Hakon the son of Eirik, and deposed him from the kingdom.\nThen Hakon proceeded to his mother's brother, Canute the Great, and had\nbeen with him constantly until the time to which here in our saga we\nhave now come. Canute the Great had conquered England by blows and\nweapons, and had a long struggle before the people of the land were\nsubdued. But when he had set himself perfectly firm in the government of\nthe country, he remembered that he also had right to a kingdom which he\nhad not brought under his authority; and that was Norway. He thought he\nhad hereditary right to all Norway; and his sister's son Hakon, who had\nheld a part of it, appeared to him to have lost it with disgrace. The\nreason why Canute and Hakon had remained quiet with respect to their\nclaims upon Norway was, that when King Olaf Haraldson landed in Norway\nthe people and commonalty ran together in crowds, and would hear of\nnothing but that Olaf should be king over all the country, although some\nafterwards, who thought that the people upon account of his power had\nno self-government left to them, went out of the country. Many powerful\nmen, or rich bondes sons, had therefore gone to Canute the Great, and\npretended various errands; and every one who came to Canute and desired\nhis friendship was loaded with presents. With Canute, too, could be\nseen greater splendour and pomp than elsewhere, both with regard to the\nmultitude of people who were daily in attendance, and also to the other\nmagnificent things about the houses he owned and dwelt in himself.\nCanute the Great drew scat and revenue from the people who were the\nrichest of all in northern lands; and in the same proportion as he had\ngreater revenues than other kings, he also made greater presents than\nother kings. In his whole kingdom peace was so well established, that\nno man dared break it. The people of the country kept the peace towards\neach other, and had their old country law: and for this he was greatly\ncelebrated in all countries. And many of those who came from Norway\nrepresented their hardships to Earl Hakon, and some even to King Canute\nhimself; and that the Norway people were ready to turn back to the\ngovernment of King Canute, or Earl Hakon, and receive deliverance from\nthem. This conversation suited well the earl's inclination, and he\ncarried it to the king, and begged of him to try if King Olaf would not\nsurrender the kingdom, or at least come to an agreement to divide it;\nand many supported the earl's views.\n\n\n\n\n140. CANUTE'S MESSAGE TO KING OLAF.\n\nCanute the Great sent men from the West, from England, to Norway, and\nequipped them magnificently for the journey. They were bearers of the\nEnglish king Canute's letter and seal. They came about spring (A.D.\n1025) to the king of Norway, Olaf Haraldson, in Tunsberg. Now when it\nwas told the king that ambassadors had arrived from Canute the Great\nhe was ill at ease, and said that Canute had not sent messengers hither\nwith any messages that could be of advantage to him or his people; and\nit was some days before the ambassadors could come before the king. But\nwhen they got permission to speak to him they appeared before the king,\nand made known King Canute's letter, and their errand which accompanied\nit; namely, \"that King Canute considers all Norway as his property, and\ninsists that his forefathers before him have possessed that kingdom; but\nas King Canute offers peace to all countries, he will also offer peace\nto all here, if it can be so settled, and will not invade Norway with\nhis army if it can be avoided. Now if King Olaf Haraldson wishes to\nremain king of Norway, he will come to King Canute, and receive his\nkingdom as a fief from him, become his vassal, and pay the scat which\nthe earls before him formerly paid.\" Thereupon they presented their\nletters, which contained precisely the same conditions.\n\nThen King Olaf replies, \"I have heard say, by old stories, that the\nDanish king Gorm was considered but a small king of a few people, for he\nruled over Denmark alone; but the kings who succeeded him thought that\nwas too little. It has since come so far that King Canute rules over\nDenmark and England, and has conquered for himself a great part of\nScotland. Now he claims also my paternal heritage, and will then show\nsome moderation in his covetousness. Does he wish to rule over all the\ncountries of the North? Will he eat up all the kail in England? He shall\ndo so, and reduce that country to a desert, before I lay my head in his\nhands, or show him any other kind of vassalage. Now ye shall tell him\nthese my words,--I will defend Norway with battle-axe and sword as long\nas life is given me, and will pay scat to no man for my kingdom.\"\n\nAfter this answer King Canute's ambassadors made themselves ready for\ntheir journey home, and were by no means rejoiced at the success of\ntheir errand.\n\nSigvat the skald had been with King Canute, who had given him a gold\nring that weighed half a mark. The skald Berse Skaldtorfason was also\nthere, and to him King Canute gave two gold rings, each weighing two\nmarks, and besides a sword inlaid with gold. Sigvat made this song about\nit:--\n\n     \"When we came o'er the wave, you cub,\n          When we came o'er the wave,\n     To me one ring, to thee two rings,\n          The mighty Canute gave:\n     One mark to me,\n     Four marks to thee,--\n          A sword too, fine and brave.\n     Now God knows well,\n     And skalds can tell,\n          What justice here would crave.\"\n\nSigvat the skald was very intimate with King Canute's messengers, and\nasked them many questions. They answered all his inquiries about their\nconversation with King Olaf, and the result of their message. They said\nthe king listened unwillingly to their proposals. \"And we do not know,\"\nsay they, \"to what he is trusting when he refuses becoming King Canute's\nvassal, and going to him, which would be the best thing he could do; for\nKing Canute is so mild that however much a chief may have done against\nhim, he is pardoned if he only show himself obedient. It is but lately\nthat two kings came to him from the North, from Fife in Scotland, and he\ngave up his wrath against them, and allowed them to retain all the lands\nthey had possessed before, and gave them besides very valuable gifts.\"\nThen Sigvat sang:--\n\n     \"From the North land, the midst of Fife,\n     Two kings came begging peace and life;\n     Craving from Canute life and peace,--\n     May Olaf's good luck never cease!\n     May he, our gallant Norse king, never\n     Be brought, like these, his head to offer\n     As ransom to a living man\n     For the broad lands his sword has won.\"\n\nKing Canute's ambassadors proceeded on their way back, and had a\nfavourable breeze across the sea. They came to King Canute, and told\nhim the result of their errand, and King Olaf's last words. King Canute\nreplies, \"King Olaf guesses wrong, if he thinks I shall eat up all the\nkail in England; for I will let him see that there is something else\nthan kail under my ribs, and cold kail it shall be for him.\" The same\nsummer (A.D. 1025) Aslak and Skjalg, the sons of Erling of Jadar,\ncame from Norway to King Canute, and were well received; for Aslak was\nmarried to Sigrid, a daughter of Earl Svein Hakonson, and she and Earl\nHakon Eirikson were brothers' children. King Canute gave these brothers\ngreat fiefs over there, and they stood in great favour.\n\n\n\n\n141. KING OLAF'S ALLIANCE WITH ONUND THE KING OF SVITHJOD.\n\nKing Olaf summoned to him all the lendermen, and had a great many people\nabout him this summer (A.D. 1025), for a report was abroad that King\nCanute would come from England. People had heard from merchant vessels\nthat Canute was assembling a great army in England. When summer was\nadvanced, some affirmed and others denied that the army would come. King\nOlaf was all summer in Viken, and had spies out to learn if Canute was\ncome to Denmark. In autumn (A.D. 1025) he sent messengers eastward\nto Svithjod to his brother-in-law King Onund, and let him know King\nCanute's demand upon Norway; adding, that, in his opinion, if Canute\nsubdued Norway, King Onund would not long enjoy the Swedish dominions\nin peace. He thought it advisable, therefore, that they should unite\nfor their defence. \"And then,\" said he, \"we will have strength enough\nto hold out against Canute.\" King Onund received King Olaf's message\nfavourably, and replied to it, that he for his part would make common\ncause with King Olaf, so that each of them should stand by the one\nwho first required help with all the strength of his kingdom. In these\nmessages between them it was also determined that they should have a\nmeeting, and consult with each other. The following winter (A.D. 1026)\nKing Onund intended to travel across West Gautland, and King Olaf made\npreparations for taking his winter abode at Sarpsborg.\n\n\n\n\n142. KING CANUTE'S AMBASSADORS TO ONUND OF SVITHJOD.\n\nIn autumn King Canute the Great came to Denmark, and remained there\nall winter (A.D. 1026) with a numerous army. It was told him that\nambassadors with messages had been passing between the Swedish and\nNorwegian kings, and that some great plans must be concerting between\nthem. In winter King Canute sent messengers to Svithjod, to King Onund,\nwith great gifts and messages of friendship. He also told Onund that\nhe might sit altogether quiet in this strife between him and Olaf the\nThick; \"for thou, Onund,\" says he, \"and thy kingdom, shall be in peace\nas far as I am concerned.\" When the ambassadors came to King Onund\nthey presented the gifts which King Canute sent him, together with the\nfriendly message. King Onund did not hear their speech very willingly,\nand the ambassadors could observe that King Onund was most inclined to\na friendship with King Olaf. They returned accordingly, and told King\nCanute the result of their errand, and told him not to depend much upon\nthe friendship of King Onund.\n\n\n\n\n143. THE EXPEDITION TO BJARMALAND.\n\nThis winter (A.D. 1026) King Olaf sat in Sarpsborg, and was surrounded\nby a very great army of people. He sent the Halogalander Karle to the\nnorth country upon his business. Karle went first to the Uplands, then\nacross the Dovrefield, and came down to Nidaros, where he received as\nmuch money as he had the king's order for, together with a good ship,\nsuch as he thought suitable for the voyage which the king had ordered\nhim upon; and that was to proceed north to Bjarmaland. It was settled\nthat the king should be in partnership with Karle, and each of them have\nthe half of the profit. Early in spring Karle directed his course to\nHalogaland, where his brother Gunstein prepared to accompany him, having\nhis own merchant goods with him. There were about twenty-five men in the\nship; and in spring they sailed north to Finmark. When Thorer Hund heard\nthis, he sent a man to the brothers with the verbal message that he\nintended in summer to go to Bjarmaland, and that he would sail with\nthem, and that they should divide what booty they made equally between\nthem. Karle sent him back the message that Thorer must have twenty-five\nmen as they had, and they were willing to divide the booty that might\nbe taken equally, but not the merchant goods which each had for himself.\nWhen Thorer's messenger came back he had put a stout long-ship he owned\ninto the water, and rigged it, and he had put eighty men on board of\nhis house-servants. Thorer alone had the command over this crew, and he\nalone had all the goods they might acquire on the cruise. When Thorer\nwas ready for sea he set out northwards along the coast, and found Karle\na little north of Sandver. They then proceeded with good wind. Gunstein\nsaid to his brother, as soon as they met Thorer, that in his opinion\nThorer was strongly manned. \"I think,\" said he, \"we had better turn back\nthan sail so entirely in Thorer's power, for I do not trust him.\" Karle\nreplies, \"I will not turn back, although if I had known when we were at\nhome on Langey Isle that Thorer Hund would join us on this voyage with\nso large a crew as he has, I would have taken more hands with us.\" The\nbrothers spoke about it to Thorer, and asked what was the meaning of\nhis taking more people with him than was agreed upon between them. He\nreplies, \"We have a large ship which requires many hands, and methinks\nthere cannot be too many brave lads for so dangerous a cruise.\" They\nwent in summer as fast in general as the vessels could go. When the wind\nwas light the ship of the brothers sailed fastest, and they separated;\nbut when the wind freshened Thorer overtook them. They were seldom\ntogether, but always in sight of each other. When they came to\nBjarmaland they went straight to the merchant town, and the market\nbegan. All who had money to pay with got filled up with goods. Thorer\nalso got a number of furs, and of beaver and sable skins. Karle had a\nconsiderable sum of money with him, with which he purchased skins and\nfurs. When the fair was at an end they went out of the Vina river, and\nthen the truce of the country people was also at an end. When they came\nout of the river they held a seaman's council, and Thorer asked the\ncrews if they would like to go on the land and get booty.\n\nThey replied, that they would like it well enough, if they saw the booty\nbefore their eyes.\n\nThorer replies, that there was booty to be got, if the voyage proved\nfortunate; but that in all probability there would be danger in the\nattempt.\n\nAll said they would try, if there was any chance of booty. Thorer\nexplained, that it was so established in this land, that when a rich\nman died all his movable goods were divided between the dead man and his\nheirs. He got the half part, or the third part, or sometimes less, and\nthat part was carried out into the forest and buried,--sometimes under a\nmound, sometimes in the earth, and sometimes even a house was built over\nit. He tells them at the same time to get ready for this expedition at\nthe fall of day. It was resolved that one should not desert the other,\nand none should hold back when the commander ordered them to come on\nboard again. They now left people behind to take care of the ships,\nand went on land, where they found flat fields at first, and then great\nforests. Thorer went first, and the brothers Karle and Gunstein in rear.\nThorer commanded the people to observe the utmost silence. \"And let us\npeel the bark off the trees,\" says he, \"so that one tree-mark can be\nseen from the other.\" They came to a large cleared opening, where there\nwas a high fence upon which there was a gate that was locked. Six men of\nthe country people held watch every night at this fence, two at a time\nkeeping guard, each two for a third part of the night, when Thorer and\nhis men came to the fence the guard had gone home, and those who should\nrelieve them had not yet come upon guard. Thorer went to the fence,\nstuck his axe up in it above his head, hauled himself up by it, and so\ncame over the fence, and inside the gate. Karle had also come over the\nfence, and to the inside of the gate; so that both came at once to the\nport, took the bar away, and opened the port; and then the people got in\nwithin the fence. Then said Thorer, \"Within this fence there is a mound\nin which gold, and silver, and earth are all mixed together: seize that.\nBut within here stands the Bjarmaland people's god Jomala: let no one\nbe so presumptuous as to rob him.\" Thereupon they went to the mound and\ntook as much of the money as they could carry away in their clothes,\nwith which, as might be expected, much earth was mixed. Thereafter\nThorer said that the people now should retreat. \"And ye brothers, Karle\nand Gunstein,\" says he, \"do ye lead the way, and I will go last.\" They\nall went accordingly out of the gate: but Thorer went back to Jomala,\nand took a silver bowl that stood upon his knee full of silver money.\nHe put the silver in his purse, and put his arm within the handle of the\nbowl, and so went out of the gate. The whole troop had come without\nthe fence; but when they perceived that Thorer had stayed behind, Karle\nreturned to trace him, and when they met upon the path Thorer had the\nsilver bowl with him. Thereupon Karle immediately ran to Jomala; and\nobserving he had a thick gold ornament hanging around his neck, he\nlifted his axe, cut the string with which the ornament was tied behind\nhis neck, and the stroke was so strong that the head of Jomala rang\nwith such a great sound that they were all astonished. Karle seized the\nornament, and they all hastened away. But the moment the sound was made\nthe watchmen came forward upon the cleared space, and blew their horns.\nImmediately the sound of the loor (1) was heard all around from every\nquarter, calling the people together. They hastened to the forest, and\nrushed into it; and heard the shouts and cries on the other side of the\nBjarmaland people in pursuit. Thorer Hund went the last of the whole\ntroop; and before him went two men carrying a great sack between them,\nin which was something that was like ashes. Thorer took this in his\nhand, and strewed it upon the footpath, and sometimes over the people.\nThey came thus out of the woods, and upon the fields, but heard\nincessantly the Bjarmaland people pursuing with shouts and dreadful\nyells. The army of the Bjarmaland people rushed out after them upon\nthe field, and on both sides of them; but neither the people nor their\nweapons came so near as to do them any harm: from which they perceived\nthat the Bjarmaland people did not see them. Now when they reached their\nships Karle and his brother went on board; for they were the foremost,\nand Thorer was far behind on the land. As soon as Karle and his men were\non board they struck their tents, cast loose their land ropes, hoisted\ntheir sails, and their ship in all haste went to sea. Thorer and his\npeople, on the other hand, did not get on so quickly, as their vessel\nwas heavier to manage; so that when they got under sail, Karle and his\npeople were far off from land. Both vessels sailed across the White sea\n(Gandvik). The nights were clear, so that both ships sailed night and\nday; until one day, towards the time the day turns to shorten, Karle\nand his people took up the land near an island, let down the sail, cast\nanchor, and waited until the slack-tide set in, for there was a strong\nrost before them. Now Thorer came up, and lay at anchor there also.\nThorer and his people then put out a boat, went into it, and rowed to\nKarle's ship. Thorer came on board, and the brothers saluted him. Thorer\ntold Karle to give him the ornament. \"I think,\" said he, \"that I have\nbest earned the ornaments that have been taken, for methinks ye have\nto thank me for getting away without any loss of men; and also I think\nthou, Karle, set us in the greatest fright.\"\n\nKarle replies, \"King Olaf has the half part of all the goods I gather on\nthis voyage, and I intend the ornament for him. Go to him, if you like,\nand it is possible he will give thee the ornament, although I took it\nfrom Jomala.\"\n\nThen Thorer insisted that they should go upon the island, and divide the\nbooty.\n\nGunstein says, \"It is now the turn of the tide, and it is time to sail.\"\nWhereupon they began to raise their anchor.\n\nWhen Thorer saw that, he returned to his boat and rowed to his own ship.\nKarle and his men had hoisted sail, and were come a long way before\nThorer got under way. They now sailed so that the brothers were always\nin advance, and both vessels made all the haste they could. They sailed\nthus until they came to Geirsver, which is the first roadstead of the\ntraders to the North. They both came there towards evening, and lay in\nthe harbour near the landing-place. Thorer's ship lay inside, and the\nbrothers' the outside vessel in the port. When Thorer had set up his\ntents he went on shore, and many of his men with him. They went to\nKarle's ship, which was well provided. Thorer hailed the ship, and told\nthe commanders to come on shore; on which the brothers, and some men\nwith them, went on the land. Now Thorer began the same discourse, and\ntold them to bring the goods they got in booty to the land to have them\ndivided. The brothers thought that was not necessary, until they had\narrived at their own neighbourhood. Thorer said it was unusual not to\ndivide booty but at their own home, and thus to be left to the honour of\nother people. They spoke some words about it, but could not agree. Then\nThorer turned away; but had not gone far before he came back, and tells\nhis comrades to wait there. Thereupon he calls to Karle, and says he\nwants to speak with him alone. Karle went to meet him; and when he came\nnear, Thorer struck at him with a spear, so that it went through him.\n\"There,\" said Thorer, \"now thou hast learnt to know a Bjarkey Island\nman. I thought thou shouldst feel Asbjorn's spear.\" Karle died\ninstantly, and Thorer with his people went immediately on board their\nship. When Gunstein and his men saw Karle fall they ran instantly to\nhim, took his body and carried it on board their ship, struck their\ntents, and cast off from the pier, and left the land. When Thorer and\nhis men saw this, they took down their tents and made preparations to\nfollow. But as they were hoisting the sail the fastenings to the mast\nbroke in two, and the sail fell down across the ship, which caused a\ngreat delay before they could hoist the sail again. Gunstein had already\ngot a long way ahead before Thorer's ship fetched way, and now they\nused both sails and oars. Gunstein did the same. On both sides they\nmade great way day and night; but so that they did not gain much on each\nother, although when they came to the small sounds among the islands\nGunstein's vessel was lighter in turning. But Thorer's ship made way\nupon them, so that when they came up to Lengjuvik, Gunstein turned\ntowards the land, and with all his men ran up into the country, and left\nhis ship. A little after Thorer came there with his ship, sprang upon\nthe land after them, and pursued them. There was a woman who helped\nGunstein to conceal himself, and it is told that she was much acquainted\nwith witchcraft. Thorer and his men returned to the vessels, and took\nall the goods out of Gunstein's vessel, and put on board stones in place\nof the cargo, and then hauled the ship out into the fjord, cut a hole\nin its bottom, and sank it to the bottom. Thereafter Thorer, with his\npeople, returned home to Bjarkey Isle. Gunstein and his people proceeded\nin small boats at first, and lay concealed by day, until they had passed\nBjarkey, and had got beyond Thorer's district. Gunstein went home first\nto Langey Isle for a short time, and then proceeded south without any\nhalt, until he came south to Throndhjem, and there found King Olaf, to\nwhom he told all that had happened on this Bjarmaland expedition. The\nking was ill-pleased with the voyage, but told Gunstein to remain with\nhim, promising to assist him when opportunity offered. Gunstein took the\ninvitation with thanks, and stayed with King Olaf.\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) Ludr--the loor--is a long tube or roll of birch-bark\n     used as a horn by the herdboys in the mountains in Norway.\n   --L.\n\n\n\n\n144. MEETING OF KING OLAF AND KING ONUND.\n\nKing Olaf was, as before related, in Sarpsborg the winter (A.D. 1026)\nthat King Canute was in Denmark. The Swedish king Onund rode across West\nGautland the same winter, and had thirty hundred (3600) men with him.\nMen and messages passed between them; and they agreed to meet in spring\nat Konungahella. The meeting had been postponed, because they wished\nto know before they met what King Canute intended doing. As it was now\napproaching towards winter, King Canute made ready to go over to England\nwith his forces, and left his son Hardaknut to rule in Denmark, and with\nhim Earl Ulf, a son of Thorgils Sprakaleg. Ulf was married to Astrid,\nKing Svein's daughter, and sister of Canute the Great. Their son Svein\nwas afterwards king of Denmark. Earl Ulf was a very distinguished man.\nWhen the kings Olaf and Onund heard that Canute the Great had gone\nwest to England, they hastened to hold their conference, and met at\nKonungahella, on the Gaut river. They had a joyful meeting, and had many\nfriendly conversations, of which something might become known to the\npublic; but they also spake often a great deal between themselves, with\nnone but themselves two present, of which only some things afterwards\nwere carried into effect, and thus became known to every one. At parting\nthe kings presented each other with gifts, and parted the best of\nfriends. King Onund went up into Gautland, and Olaf northwards to Viken,\nand afterwards to Agder, and thence northwards along the coast, but\nlay a long time at Egersund waiting a wind. Here he heard that Erling\nSkjalgson, and the inhabitants of Jadar with him, had assembled a large\nforce. One day the king's people were talking among themselves whether\nthe wind was south or south-west, and whether with that wind they could\nsail past Jadar or not. The most said it was impossible to fetch round.\nThen answers Haldor Brynjolfson, \"I am of opinion that we would go round\nJadar with this wind fast enough if Erling Skjalgson had prepared a\nfeast for us at Sole.\" Then King Olaf ordered the tents to be struck,\nand the vessels to be hauled out, which was done. They sailed the\nsame day past Jadar with the best wind, and in the evening reached\nHirtingsey, from whence the king proceeded to Hordaland, and was\nentertained there in guest-quarters.\n\n\n\n\n145. THORALF'S MURDER.\n\nThe same summer (A.D. 1026) a ship sailed from Norway to the Farey\nIslands, with messengers carrying a verbal message from King Olaf, that\none of his court-men, Leif Ossurson, or Lagman Gille, or Thoralf of\nDimun, should come over to him from the Farey Islands. Now when this\nmessage came to the Farey Islands, and was delivered to those whom it\nconcerned, they held a meeting among themselves, to consider what might\nlie under this message, and they were all of opinion that the king\nwanted to inquire into the real state of the event which some said had\ntaken place upon the islands; namely, the failure and disappearance of\nthe former messengers of the king, and the loss of the two ships, of\nwhich not a man had been saved. It was resolved that Thoralf should\nundertake the journey. He got himself ready, and rigged out a\nmerchant-vessel belonging to himself, manned with ten or twelve men.\nWhen it was ready, waiting a wind, it happened, at Austrey, in the house\nof Thrand of Gata, that he went one fine day into the room where his\nbrother's two sons, Sigurd and Thord, sons of Thorlak, were lying upon\nthe benches in the room. Gaut the Red was also there, who was one of\ntheir relations and a man of distinction. Sigurd was the oldest, and\ntheir leader in all things. Thord had a distinguished name, and was\ncalled Thord the Low, although in reality he was uncommonly tall, and\nyet in proportion more strong than large. Then Thrand said, \"How many\nthings are changed in the course of a man's life! When we were young,\nit was rare for young people who were able to do anything to sit or lie\nstill upon a fine day, and our forefathers would scarcely have believed\nthat Thoralf of Dimun would be bolder and more active than ye are. I\nbelieve the vessel I have standing here in the boat-house will be so old\nthat it will rot under its coat of tar. Here are all the houses full of\nwool, which is neither used nor sold. It should not be so if I were a\nfew winters younger.\" Sigurd sprang up, called upon Gaut and Thord,\nand said he would not endure Thrand's scoffs. They went out to the\nhouseservants, and launched the vessel upon the water, brought down a\ncargo, and loaded the ship. They had no want of a cargo at home, and\nthe vessel's rigging was in good order, so that in a few days they were\nready for sea. There were ten or twelve men in the vessel. Thoralf's\nship and theirs had the same wind, and they were generally in sight of\neach other. They came to the land at Herna in the evening, and Sigurd\nwith his vessel lay outside on the strand, but so that there was not\nmuch distance between the two ships. It happened towards evening, when\nit was dark, that just as Thoralf and his people were preparing to go to\nbed, Thoralf and another went on shore for a certain purpose. When\nthey were ready, they prepared to return on board. The man who had\naccompanied Thoralf related afterwards this story,--that a cloth was\nthrown over his head, and that he was lifted up from the ground, and he\nheard a great bustle. He was taken away, and thrown head foremost down;\nbut there was sea under him, and he sank under the water. When he got\nto land, he went to the place where he and Thoralf had been parted, and\nthere he found Thoralf with his head cloven down to his shoulders, and\ndead. When the ship's people heard of it they carried the body out to\nthe ship, and let it remain there all night. King Olaf was at that time\nin guest-quarters at Lygra, and thither they sent a message. Now a Thing\nwas called by message-token, and the king came to the Thing. He had\nalso ordered the Farey people of both vessels to be summoned, and they\nappeared at the Thing. Now when the Thing was seated, the king stood up\nand said, \"Here an event has happened which (and it is well that it\nis so) is very seldom heard of. Here has a good man been put to death,\nwithout any cause. Is there any man upon the Thing who can say who has\ndone it?\"\n\nNobody could answer.\n\n\"Then,\" said the king, \"I cannot conceal my suspicion that this deed has\nbeen done by the Farey people themselves. It appears to me that it has\nbeen done in this way,--that Sigurd Thorlakson has killed the man, and\nThord the Low has cast his comrade into the sea. I think, too, that the\nmotives to this must have been to hinder Thoralf from telling about the\nmisdeed of which he had information; namely, the murder which I suspect\nwas committed upon my messengers.\"\n\nWhen he had ended his speech, Sigurd Thorlakson stood up, and desired to\nbe heard. \"I have never before,\" said he, \"spoken at a Thing, and I do\nnot expect to be looked upon as a man of ready words. But I think there\nis sufficient necessity before me to reply something to this. I will\nventure to make a guess that the speech the king has made comes from\nsome man's tongue who is of far less understanding and goodness than he\nis, and has evidently proceeded from those who are our enemies. It is\nspeaking improbabilities to say that I could be Thoralf's murderer; for\nhe was my foster-brother and good friend. Had the case been otherwise,\nand had there been anything outstanding between me and Thoralf, yet I am\nsurely born with sufficient understanding to have done this deed in the\nFarey Islands, rather than here between your hands, sire. But I am ready\nto clear myself, and my whole ship's crew, of this act, and to make\noath according to what stands in your laws. Or, if ye find it more\nsatisfactory, I offer to clear myself by the ordeal of hot iron; and I\nwish, sire, that you may be present yourself at the proof.\"\n\nWhen Sigurd had ceased to speak there were many who supported his case,\nand begged the king that Sigurd might be allowed to clear himself of\nthis accusation. They thought that Sigurd had spoken well, and that the\naccusation against him might be untrue.\n\nThe king replies, \"It may be with regard to this man very differently,\nand if he is belied in any respect he must be a good man; and if not, he\nis the boldest I have ever met with: and I believe this is the case, and\nthat he will bear witness to it himself.\"\n\nAt the desire of the people, the king took Sigurd's obligation to take\nthe iron ordeal; he should come the following day to Lygra, where the\nbishop should preside at the ordeal; and so the Thing closed. The king\nwent back to Lygra, and Sigurd and his comrades to their ship.\n\nAs soon as it began to be dark at night Sigurd said to his ship's\npeople. \"To say the truth, we have come into a great misfortune; for\na great lie is got up against us, and this king is a deceitful, crafty\nman. Our fate is easy to be foreseen where he rules; for first he made\nThoralf be slain, and then made us the misdoers, without benefit of\nredemption by fine. For him it is an easy matter to manage the iron\nordeal, so that I fear he will come ill off who tries it against him.\nNow there is coming a brisk mountain breeze, blowing right out of the\nsound and off the land; and it is my advice that we hoist our sail, and\nset out to sea. Let Thrand himself come with his wool to market another\nsummer; but if I get away, it is my opinion I shall never think of\ncoming to Norway again.\"\n\nHis comrades thought the advice good, hoisted their sail, and in the\nnight-time took to the open sea with all speed. They did not stop until\nthey came to Farey, and home to Gata. Thrand was ill-pleased with their\nvoyage, and they did not answer him in a very friendly way; but they\nremained at home, however, with Thrand. The morning after, King Olaf\nheard of Sigurd's departure, and heavy reports went round about this\ncase; and there were many who believed that the accusation against\nSigurd was true, although they had denied and opposed it before the\nking. King Olaf spoke but little about the matter, but seemed to know of\na certainty that the suspicion he had taken up was founded in truth. The\nking afterwards proceeded in his progress, taking up his abode where it\nwas provided for him.\n\n\n\n\n146. OF THE ICELANDERS.\n\nKing Olaf called before him the men who had come from Iceland, Thorod\nSnorrason, Geller Thorkelson, Stein Skaptason, and Egil Halson, and\nspoke to them thus:--\"Ye have spoken to me much in summer about making\nyourselves ready to return to Iceland, and I have never given you a\ndistinct answer. Now I will tell you what my intention is. Thee, Geller,\nI propose to allow to return, if thou wilt carry my message there; but\nnone of the other Icelanders who are now here may go to Iceland before\nI have heard how the message which thou, Geller, shalt bring thither has\nbeen received.\"\n\nWhen the king had made this resolution known, it appeared to those who\nhad a great desire to return, and were thus forbidden, that they were\nunreasonably and hardly dealt with, and that they were placed in the\ncondition of unfree men. In the meantime Geller got ready for his\njourney, and sailed in summer (A.D. 1026) to Iceland, taking with him\nthe message he was to bring before the Thing the following summer (A.D.\n1027). The king's message was, that he required the Icelanders to adopt\nthe laws which he had set in Norway, also to pay him thane-tax and\nnose-tax (1); namely, a penny for every nose, and the penny at the rate\nof ten pennies to the yard of wadmal (2). At the same time he promised\nthem his friendship if they accepted, and threatened them with all his\nvengeance if they refused his proposals.\n\nThe people sat long in deliberation on this business; but at last they\nwere unanimous in refusing all the taxes and burdens which were demanded\nof them. That summer Geller returned back from Iceland to Norway to King\nOlaf, and found him in autumn in the east in Viken, just as he had come\nfrom Gautland; of which I shall speak hereafter in this story of King\nOlaf. Towards the end of autumn King Olaf repaired north to Throndhjem,\nand went with his people to Nidaros, where he ordered a winter residence\nto be prepared for him. The winter (A.D. 1027) that he passed here in\nthe merchant-town of Nidaros was the thirteenth year of his reign.\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) Nefgildi (nef=nose), a nose-tax or poll-tax payable to the\n     king.  This ancient \"nose-tax\" was also imposed by the\n     Norsemen on conquered countries, the penalty for defaulters\n     being the loss of their nose.\n(2) Wadmal was the coarse woollen cloth made in Iceland, and so\n     generally used for clothing that it was a measure of value\n     in the North, like money, for other commodities.--L.\n\n\n\n\n147. OF THE JAMTALAND PEOPLE.\n\nThere was once a man called Ketil Jamte, a son of Earl Onund of Sparby,\nin the Throndhjem district. He fled over the ridge of mountains from\nEystein Illrade, cleared the forest, and settled the country now called\nthe province of Jamtaland. A great many people joined him from the\nThrondhjem land, on account of the disturbances there; for this King\nEystein had laid taxes on the Throndhjem people, and set his dog, called\nSaur, to be king over them. Thorer Helsing was Ketil's grandson, and he\ncolonised the province called Helsingjaland, which is named after him.\nWhen Harald Harfager subdued the kingdom by force, many people fled out\nof the country from him, both Throndhjem people and Naumudal people,\nand thus new settlements were added to Jamtaland; and some settlers went\neven eastwards to Helsingjaland and down to the Baltic coast, and all\nbecame subjects of the Swedish king. While Hakon Athelstan's foster-son\nwas over Norway there was peace, and merchant traffic from Throndhjem to\nJamtaland; and, as he was an excellent king, the Jamtalanders came from\nthe east to him, paid him scat, and he gave them laws and administered\njustice. They would rather submit to his government than to the Swedish\nking's, because they were of Norwegian race; and all the Helsingjaland\npeople, who had their descent from the north side of the mountain ridge,\ndid the same. This continued long after those times, until Olaf the\nThick and the Swedish king Olaf quarrelled about the boundaries. Then\nthe Jamtaland and Helsingjaland people went back to the Swedish king;\nand then the forest of Eid was the eastern boundary of the land, and the\nmountain ridge, or keel of the country, the northern: and the Swedish\nking took scat of Helsingjaland, and also of Jamtaland. Now, thought the\nking of Norway, Olaf, in consequence of the agreement between him and\nthe Swedish king, the scat of Jamtaland should be paid differently than\nbefore; although it had long been established that the Jamtaland people\npaid their scat to the Swedish king, and that he appointed officers over\nthe country. The Swedes would listen to nothing, but that all the land\nto the east of the keel of the country belonged to the Swedish king.\nNow this went so, as it often happens, that although the kings were\nbrothers-in-law and relations, each would hold fast the dominions which\nhe thought he had a right to. King Olaf had sent a message round in\nJamtaland, declaring it to be his will that the Jamtaland people should\nbe subject to him, threatening them with violence if they refused; but\nthe Jamtaland people preferred being subjects of the Swedish king.\n\n\n\n\n148. STEIN'S STORY.\n\nThe Icelanders, Thorod Snorrason and Stein Skaptason, were ill-pleased\nat not being allowed to do as they liked. Stein was a remarkably\nhandsome man, dexterous at all feats, a great poet, splendid in his\napparel, and very ambitious of distinction. His father, Skapte, had\ncomposed a poem on King Olaf, which he had taught Stein, with the\nintention that he should bring it to King Olaf. Stein could not now\nrestrain himself from making the king reproaches in word and speech,\nboth in verse and prose. Both he and Thorod were imprudent in their\nconversation, and said the king would be looked upon as a worse man than\nthose who, under faith and law, had sent their sons to him, as he now\ntreated them as men without liberty. The king was angry at this. One day\nStein stood before the king, and asked if he would listen to the poem\nwhich his father Skapte had composed about him. The king replies, \"Thou\nmust first repeat that, Stein, which thou hast composed about me.\" Stein\nreplies, that it was not the case that he had composed any. \"I am no\nskald, sire,\" said he; \"and if I even could compose anything, it, and\nall that concerns me, would appear to thee of little value.\" Stein then\nwent out, but thought he perceived what the king alluded to. Thorgeir,\none of the king's land-bailiffs, who managed one of his farms in\nOrkadal, happened to be present, and heard the conversation of the king\nand Stein, and soon afterwards Thorgeir returned home. One night Stein\nleft the city, and his footboy with him. They went up Gaularas and into\nOrkadal. One evening they came to one of the king's farms which Thorgeir\nhad the management of, and Thorgeir invited Stein to pass the night\nthere, and asked where he was travelling to. Stein begged the loan of a\nhorse and sledge, for he saw they were just driving home corn.\n\nThorgeir replies, \"I do not exactly see how it stands with thy journey,\nand if thou art travelling with the king's leave. The other day,\nmethinks, the words were not very sweet that passed between the king and\nthee.\"\n\nStein said, \"If it be so that I am not my own master for the king, yet\nI will not submit to such treatment from his slaves;\" and, drawing his\nsword, he killed the landbailiff. Then he took the horse, put the boy\nupon him, and sat himself in the sledge, and so drove the whole night.\nThey travelled until they came to Surnadal in More. There they had\nthemselves ferried across the fjord, and proceeded onwards as fast as\nthey could. They told nobody about the murder, but wherever they came\ncalled themselves king's men, and met good entertainment everywhere.\nOne day at last they came towards evening to Giske Isle, to Thorberg\nArnason's house. He was not at home himself, but his wife Ragnhild,\na daughter of Erling Skjalgson, was. There Stein was well received,\nbecause formerly there had been great friendship between them. It had\nonce happened, namely, that Stein, on his voyage from Iceland with his\nown vessel, had come to Giske from sea, and had anchored at the island.\nAt that time Ragnhild was in the pains of childbirth, and very ill, and\nthere was no priest on the island, or in the neighbourhood of it. There\ncame a message to the merchant-vessel to inquire if, by chance, there\nwas a priest on board. There happened to be a priest in the vessel, who\nwas called Bard; but he was a young man from Westfjord, who had little\nlearning. The messengers begged the priest to go with them, but he\nthought it was a difficult matter: for he knew his own ignorance, and\nwould not go. Stein added his word to persuade the priest. The priest\nreplies, \"I will go if thou wilt go with me; for then I will have\nconfidence, if I should require advice.\" Stein said he was willing; and\nthey went forthwith to the house, and to where Ragnhild was in labour.\nSoon after she brought forth a female child, which appeared to be rather\nweak. Then the priest baptized the infant, and Stein held it at the\nbaptism, at which it got the name of Thora; and Stein gave it a gold\nring. Ragnhild promised Stein her perfect friendship, and bade him come\nto her whenever he thought he required her help. Stein replied that he\nwould hold no other female child at baptism, and then they parted.\nNow it was come to the time when Stein required this kind promise of\nRagnhild to be fulfilled, and he told her what had happened, and that\nthe king's wrath had fallen upon him. She answered, that all the aid she\ncould give should stand at his service; but bade him wait for Thorberg's\narrival. She then showed him to a seat beside her son Eystein Orre,\nwho was then twelve years old. Stein presented gifts to Ragnhild and\nEystein. Thorberg had already heard how Stein had conducted himself\nbefore he got home, and was rather vexed at it. Ragnhild went to him,\nand told him how matters stood with Stein, and begged Thorberg to\nreceive him, and take care of him.\n\nThorberg replies, \"I have heard that the king, after sending out a\nmessage-token, held a Thing concerning the murder of Thorgeir, and has\ncondemned Stein as having fled the country, and likewise that the king\nis highly incensed: and I have too much sense to take the cause of a\nforeigner in hand, and draw upon myself the king's wrath. Let Stein,\ntherefore, withdraw from hence as quickly as thou canst.\"\n\nRagnhild replied, that they should either both go or both stay.\n\nThorberg told her to go where she pleased. \"For I expect,\" said he,\n\"that wherever thou goest thou wilt soon come back, for here is thy\nimportance greatest.\"\n\nHer son Eystein Orre then stood forward, and said he would not stay\nbehind if Ragnhild goes.\n\nThorberg said that they showed themselves very stiff and obstinate in\nthis matter. \"And it appears that ye must have your way in it, since\nye take it so near to heart; but thou art reckoning too much, Ragnhild,\nupon thy descent, in paying so little regard to King Olaf's word.\"\n\nRagnhild replied, \"If thou art so much afraid to keep Stein with thee\nhere, go with him to my father Erling, or give him attendants, so that\nhe may get there in safety.\" Thorberg said he would not send Stein\nthere; \"for there are enough of things besides to enrage the king\nagainst Erling.\" Stein thus remained there all winter (A.D. 1027).\n\nAfter Yule a king's messenger came to Thorberg, with the order that\nThorberg should come to him before midsummer; and the order was serious\nand severe. Thorberg laid it before his friends, and asked their advice\nif he should venture to go to the king after what had taken place. The\ngreater number dissuaded him, and thought it more advisable to let\nStein slip out of his hands than to venture within the king's power: but\nThorberg himself had rather more inclination not to decline the journey.\nSoon after Thorberg went to his brother Fin, told him the circumstances,\nand asked him to accompany him. Fin replied, that he thought it foolish\nto be so completely under woman's influence that he dared not, on\naccount of his wife, keep the fealty and law of his sovereign.\n\n\"Thou art free,\" replied Thorberg, \"to go with me or not; but I believe\nit is more fear of the king than love to him that keeps thee back.\" And\nso they parted in anger.\n\nThen Thorberg went to his brother Arne Arnason, and asked him to go\nwith him to the king. Arne says, \"It appears to me wonderful that such\na sensible, prudent man, should fall into such a misfortune, without\nnecessity, as to incur the king's indignation. It might be excused if it\nwere thy relation or foster-brother whom thou hadst thus sheltered; but\nnot at all that thou shouldst take up an Iceland man, and harbour the\nking's outlaw, to the injury of thyself and all thy relations.\"\n\nThorberg replies, \"It stands good, according to the proverb,--a rotten\nbranch will be found in every tree. My father's greatest misfortune\nevidently was that he had such ill luck in producing sons that at last\nhe produced one incapable of acting, and without any resemblance to our\nrace, and whom in truth I never would have called brother, if it were\nnot that it would have been to my mother's shame to have refused.\"\n\nThorberg turned away in a gloomy temper, and went home. Thereafter\nhe sent a message to his brother Kalf in the Throndhjem district, and\nbegged him to meet him at Agdanes; and when the messengers found Kalf he\npromised, without more ado, to make the journey. Ragnhild sent men east\nto Jadar to her father Erling, and begged him to send people. Erling's\nsons, Sigurd and Thord, came out, each with a ship of twenty benches\nof rowers and ninety men. When they came north Thorberg received them\njoyfully, entertained them well, and prepared for the voyage with them.\nThorberg had also a vessel with twenty benches, and they steered their\ncourse northwards. When they came to the mouth of the Throndhjem fjord\nThorberg's two brothers, Fin and Arne, were there already, with two\nships each of twenty benches. Thorberg met his brothers with joy, and\nobserved that his whetstone had taken effect; and Fin replied he seldom\nneeded sharpening for such work. Then they proceeded north with all\ntheir forces to Throndhjem, and Stein was along with them. When they\ncame to Agdanes, Kaff Arnason was there before them; and he also had a\nwellmanned ship of twenty benches. With this war-force they sailed up\nto Nidaros, where they lay all night. The morning after they had a\nconsultation with each other. Kalf and Erling's sons were for attacking\nthe town with all their forces, and leaving the event to fate; but\nThorberg wished that they should first proceed with moderation, and\nmake an offer; in which opinion Fin and Arne also concurred. It was\naccordingly resolved that Fin and Arne, with a few men, should first\nwait upon the king. The king had previously heard that they had come so\nstrong in men, and was therefore very sharp in his speech. Fin offered\nto pay mulct for Thorberg, and also for Stein, and bade the king to\nfix what the penalties should be, however large; stipulating only for\nThorberg safety and his fiefs, and for Stein life and limb.\n\nThe king replies, \"It appears to me that ye come from home so equipped\nthat ye can determine half as much as I can myself, or more; but this I\nexpected least of all from you brothers, that ye should come against me\nwith an army; and this counsel, I can observe, has its origin from the\npeople of Jadar; but ye have no occasion to offer me money in mulct.\"\n\nFin replies, \"We brothers have collected men, not to offer hostility to\nyou, sire, but to offer rather our services; but if you will bear down\nThorberg altogether, we must all go to King Canute the Great with such\nforces as we have.\"\n\nThen the king looked at him, and said, \"If ye brothers will give your\noaths that ye will follow me in the country and out of the country, and\nnot part from me without my leave and permission, and shall not conceal\nfrom me any treasonable design that may come to your knowledge against\nme, then will I agree to a peace with you brothers.\"\n\nThen Fin returned to his forces, and told the conditions which the king\nhad proposed to them. Now they held a council upon it, and Thorberg, for\nhis part, said he would accept the terms offered. \"I have no wish,\"\nsays he, \"to fly from my property, and seek foreign masters; but, on the\ncontrary, will always consider it an honour to follow King Olaf, and\nbe where he is.\" Then says Kalf, \"I will make no oath to King Olaf, but\nwill be with him always, so long as I retain my fiefs and dignities, and\nso long as the king will be my friend; and my opinion is that we should\nall do the same.\" Fin says, \"we will venture to let King Olaf himself\ndetermine in this matter.\" Arne Arnason says, \"I was resolved to follow\nthee, brother Thorberg, even if thou hadst given battle to King Olaf,\nand I shall certainly not leave thee for listening to better counsel;\nso I intend to follow thee and Fin, and accept the conditions ye have\ntaken.\"\n\nThereupon the brothers Thorberg, Fin, and Arne, went on board a vessel,\nrowed into the fjord, and waited upon the king. The agreement went\naccordingly into fulfillment, so that the brothers gave their oaths\nto the king. Then Thorberg endeavored to make peace for Stein with the\nking; but the king replied that Stein might for him depart in safety,\nand go where he pleased, but \"in my house he can never be again.\" Then\nThorberg and his brothers went back to their men. Kalf went to Eggja,\nand Fin to the king; and Thorberg, with the other men, went south to\ntheir homes. Stein went with Erling's sons; but early in the spring\n(A.D. 1027) he went west to England into the service of Canute the\nGreat, and was long with him, and was treated with great distinction.\n\n\n\n\n149. FIN ARNASON'S EXPEDITION TO HALOGALAND.\n\nNow when Fin Arnason had been a short time with King Olaf, the king\ncalled him to a conference, along with some other persons he usually\nheld consultation with; and in this conference the king spoke to this\neffect:--\"The decision remains fixed in my mind that in spring I should\nraise the whole country to a levy both of men and ships, and then\nproceed, with all the force I can muster, against King Canute the Great:\nfor I know for certain that he does not intend to treat as a jest the\nclaim he has awakened upon my kingdom. Now I let thee know my will, Fin\nArnason, that thou proceed on my errand to Halogaland, and raise the\npeople there to an expedition, men and ships, and summon that force\nto meet me at Agdanes.\" Then the king named other men whom he sent to\nThrondhjem, and some southwards in the country, and he commanded that\nthis order should be circulated through the whole land. Of Fin's voyage\nwe have to relate that he had with him a ship with about thirty men,\nand when he was ready for sea he prosecuted his journey until he came\nto Halogaland. There he summoned the bondes to a Thing, laid before them\nhis errand, and craved a levy. The bondes in that district had large\nvessels, suited to a levy expedition, and they obeyed the king's\nmessage, and rigged their ships. Now when Fin came farther north in\nHalogaland he held a Thing again, and sent some of his men from him to\ncrave a levy where he thought it necessary. He sent also men to Bjarkey\nIsland to Thorer Hund, and there, as elsewhere, craved the quota to the\nlevy. When the message came to Thorer he made himself ready, and manned\nwith his house-servants the same vessel he had sailed with on his cruise\nto Bjarmaland, and which he equipped at his own expense. Fin summoned\nall the people of Halogaland who were to the north to meet at Vagar.\nThere came a great fleet together in spring, and they waited there until\nFin returned from the North. Thorer Hund had also come there. When Fin\narrived he ordered the signal to sound for all the people of the levy to\nattend a House-Thing; and at it all the men produced their weapons, and\nalso the fighting men from each ship-district were mustered. When that\nwas all finished Fin said, \"I have also to bring thee a salutation,\nThorer Hund, from King Olaf, and to ask thee what thou wilt offer him\nfor the murder of his court-man Karle, or for the robbery in taking the\nking's goods north in Lengjuvik. I have the king's orders to settle that\nbusiness, and I wait thy answer to it.\"\n\nThorer looked about him, and saw standing on both sides many fully armed\nmen, among whom were Gunstein and others of Karle's kindred. Then said\nThorer, \"My proposal is soon made. I will refer altogether to the king's\npleasure the matter he thinks he has against me.\"\n\nFin replies, \"Thou must put up with a less honour; for thou must refer\nthe matter altogether to my decision, if any agreement is to take\nplace.\"\n\nThorer replies, \"And even then I think it will stand well with my case,\nand therefore I will not decline referring it to thee.\"\n\nThereupon Thorer came forward, and confirmed what he said by giving his\nhand upon it; and Fin repeated first all the words he should say.\n\nFin now pronounced his decision upon the agreement,--that Thorer should\npay to the king ten marks of gold, and to Gunstein and the other kindred\nten marks, and for the robbery and loss of goods ten marks more; and all\nwhich should be paid immediately.\n\nThorer says, \"This is a heavy money mulct.\"\n\n\"Without it,\" replies Fin, \"there will be no agreement.\"\n\nThorer says, there must time be allowed to gather so much in loan from\nhis followers; but Fin told him to pay immediately on the spot; and\nbesides, Thorer should lay down the great ornament which he took\nfrom Karle when he was dead. Thorer asserted that he had not got the\nornament. Then Gunstein pressed forward, and said that Karle had the\nornament around his neck when they parted, but it was gone when they\ntook up his corpse. Thorer said he had not observed any ornament; but if\nthere was any such thing, it must be lying at home in Bjarkey. Then Fin\nput the point of his spear to Thorer's breast, and said that he must\ninstantly produce the ornament; on which Thorer took the ornament from\nhis neck and gave it to Fin. Thereafter Thorer turned away, and went on\nboard his ship. Fin, with many other men, followed him, went through\nthe whole vessel, and took up the hatches. At the mast they saw two very\nlarge casks; and Fin asked, \"What are these puncheons?\"\n\nThorer replies, \"It is my liquor.\"\n\nFin says, \"Why don't you give us something to drink then, comrade, since\nyou have so much liquor?\"\n\nThorer ordered his men to run off a bowlfull from the puncheons, from\nwhich Fin and his people got liquor of the best quality. Now Fin ordered\nThorer to pay the mulcts. Thorer went backwards and forwards through the\nship, speaking now to the one, now to the other, and Fin calling out\nto produce the pence. Thorer begged him to go to the shore, and said he\nwould bring the money there, and Fin with his men went on shore. Then\nThorer came and paid silver; of which, from one purse, there were\nweighed ten marks. Thereafter Thorer brought many knotted nightcaps; and\nin some was one mark, in others half a mark, and in others some small\nmoney. \"This is money my friends and other good people have lent me,\"\nsaid he; \"for I think all my travelling money is gone.\" Then Thorer went\nback again to his ship, and returned, and paid the silver by little\nand little; and this lasted so long that the day was drawing towards\nevening. When the Thing had closed the people had gone to their vessels,\nand made ready to depart; and as fast as they were ready they hoisted\nsail and set out, so that most of them were under sail. When Fin saw\nthat they were most of them under sail, he ordered his men to get ready\ntoo; but as yet little more than a third part of the mulct had been\npaid. Then Fin said, \"This goes on very slowly, Thorer, with the\npayment. I see it costs thee a great deal to pay money. I shall now let\nit stand for the present, and what remains thou shalt pay to the king\nhimself.\" Fin then got up and went away.\n\nThorer replies, \"I am well enough pleased, Fin, to part now; but the\ngood will is not wanting to pay this debt, so that both thou and the\nking shall say it is not unpaid.\"\n\nThen Fin went on board his ship, and followed the rest of his fleet.\nThorer was late before he was ready to come out of the harbour. When\nthe sails were hoisted he steered out over Westfjord, and went to sea,\nkeeping south along the land so far off that the hill-tops were half\nsunk, and soon the land altogether was sunk from view by the sea.\nThorer held this course until he got into the English sea, and landed\nin England. He betook himself to King Canute forthwith, and was well\nreceived by him. It then came out that Thorer had with him a great deal\nof property; and, with other things, all the money he and Karle had\ntaken in Bjarmaland. In the great liquor-casks there were sides within\nthe outer sides, and the liquor was between them. The rest of the casks\nwere filled with furs, and beaver and sable skins. Thorer was then with\nKing Canute. Fin came with his forces to King Olaf, and related to\nhim how all had gone upon his voyage, and told at the same time his\nsuspicion that Thorer had left the country, and gone west to England to\nKing Canute. \"And there I fear he will cause as much trouble.\"\n\nThe king replies, \"I believe that Thorer must be our enemy, and it\nappears to me always better to have him at a distance than near.\"\n\n\n\n\n150. DISPUTE BETWEEN HAREK AND ASMUND.\n\nAsmund Grankelson had been this winter (A.D. 1027) in Halogaland in his\nsheriffdom, and was at home with his father Grankel. There lies a rock\nout in the sea, on which there is both seal and bird catching, and a\nfishing ground, and egg-gathering; and from old times it had been an\nappendage to the farm which Grankel owned, but now Harek of Thjotta laid\nclaim to it. It had gone so far, that some years he had taken by force\nall the gain of this rock; but Asmund and his father thought that they\nmight expect the king's help in all cases in which the right was upon\ntheir side. Both father and son went therefore in spring to Harek, and\nbrought him a message and tokens from King Olaf that he should drop his\nclaim. Harek answered Asmund crossly, because he had gone to the king\nwith such insinuations--\"for the just right is upon my side. Thou\nshouldst learn moderation, Asmund, although thou hast so much confidence\nin the king's favour. It has succeeded with thee to kill some chiefs,\nand leave their slaughter unpaid for by any mulct; and also to plunder\nus, although we thought ourselves at least equal to all of equal birth,\nand thou art far from being my equal in family.\"\n\nAsmund replies, \"Many have experienced from thee, Harek, that thou art\nof great connections, and too great power; and many in consequence have\nsuffered loss in their property through thee. But it is likely that now\nthou must turn thyself elsewhere, and not against us with thy violence,\nand not go altogether against law, as thou art now doing.\" Then they\nseparated.\n\nHarek sent ten or twelve of his house-servants with a large rowing boat,\nwith which they rowed to the rock, took all that was to be got upon it,\nand loaded their boat. But when they were ready to return home, Asmund\nGrankelson came with thirty men, and ordered them to give up all they\nhad taken. Harek's house-servants were not quick in complying, so that\nAsmund attacked them. Some of Harek's men were cudgelled, some wounded,\nsome thrown into the sea, and all they had caught was taken from on\nboard of their boat, and Asmund and his people took it along with them.\nThen Harek's servants came home, and told him the event. Harek replies,\n\"That is called news indeed that seldom happens; never before has it\nhappened that my people have been beaten.\"\n\nThe matter dropped. Harek never spoke about it, but was very cheerful.\nIn spring, however, Harek rigged out a cutter of twenty seats of rowers,\nand manned it with his house-servants, and the ship was remarkably well\nfitted out both with people and all necessary equipment; and Harek went\nto the levy; but when he came to King Olaf, Asmund was there before him.\nThe king summoned Harek and Asmund to him, and reconciled them so that\nthey left the matter entirely to him. Asmund then produced witnesses\nto prove that Grankel had owned the rock, and the king gave judgment\naccordingly. The case had a one-sided result. No mulct was paid for\nHarek's house-servants, and the rock was declared to be Grankel's. Harek\nobserved it was no disgrace to obey the king's decision, whatever way\nthe case itself was decided.\n\n\n\n\n151. THOROD'S STORY.\n\nThorod Snorrason had remained in Norway, according to King Olaf's\ncommands, when Geller Thorkelson got leave to go to Iceland, as before\nrelated. He remained there (A.D. 1027) with King Olaf, but was ill\npleased that he was not free to travel where he pleased. Early in\nwinter, King Olaf, when he was in Nidaros, made it known that he would\nsend people to Jamtaland to collect the scat; but nobody had any great\ndesire to go on this business, after the fate of those whom King Olaf\nhad sent before, namely, Thrand White and others, twelve in number, who\nlost their lives, as before related; and the Jamtalanders had ever\nsince been subject to the Swedish king. Thorod Snorrason now offered\nto undertake this journey, for he cared little what became of him if he\ncould but become his own master again. The king consented, and Thorod\nset out with eleven men in company. They came east to Jamtaland, and\nwent to a man called Thorar, who was lagman, and a person in high\nestimation. They met with a hospitable reception; and when they had been\nthere a while, they explained their business to Thorar. He replied, that\nother men and chiefs of the country had in all respects as much power\nand right to give an answer as he had, and for that purpose he would\ncall together a Thing. It was so done; the message-token was sent\nout, and a numerous Thing assembled. Thorar went to the Thing, but the\nmessengers in the meantime remained at home. At the Thing, Thorar laid\nthe business before the people, but all were unanimous that no scat\nshould be paid to the king of Norway; and some were for hanging the\nmessengers, others for sacrificing them to the gods. At last it was\nresolved to hold them fast until the king of Sweden's sheriffs arrived,\nand they could treat them as they pleased with consent of the people;\nand that, in the meantime, this decision should be concealed, and the\nmessengers treated well, and detained under pretext that they must wait\nuntil the scat is collected; and that they should be separated, and\nplaced two and two, as if for the convenience of boarding them. Thorod\nand another remained in Thorar's house. There was a great Yule feast and\nale-drinking, to which each brought his own liquor; for there were many\npeasants in the village, who all drank in company together at Yule.\nThere was another village not far distant, where Thorar's brother-in-law\ndwelt, who was a rich and powerful man, and had a grown-up son. The\nbrothers-in-law intended to pass the Yule in drinking feasts, half of it\nat the house of the one and half with the other; and the feast began at\nThorar's house. The brothers-in-law drank together, and Thorod and the\nsons of the peasants by themselves; and it was a drinking match. In the\nevening words arose, and comparisons between the men of Sweden and of\nNorway, and then between their kings both of former times and at the\npresent, and of the manslaughters and robberies that had taken place\nbetween the countries. Then said the peasants sons, \"If our king has\nlost most people, his sheriffs will make it even with the lives of\ntwelve men when they come from the south after Yule; and ye little\nknow, ye silly fools, why ye are kept here.\" Thorod took notice of these\nwords, and many made jest about it, and scoffed at them and their king.\nWhen the ale began to talk out of the hearts of the Jamtalanders, what\nThorod had before long suspected became evident. The day after Thorod\nand his comrade took all their clothes and weapons, and laid them ready;\nand at night, when the people were all asleep, they fled to the forest.\nThe next morning, when the Jamtalanders were aware of their flight, men\nset out after them with dogs to trace them, and found them in a wood in\nwhich they had concealed themselves. They brought them home to a room in\nwhich there was a deep cellar, into which they were thrown, and the door\nlocked upon them. They had little meat, and only the clothes they had on\nthem. In the middle of Yule, Thorar, with all his freeborn men, went to\nhis brother's-in-law, where he was to be a guest until the last of\nYule. Thorar's slaves were to keep guard upon the cellar, and they were\nprovided with plenty of liquor; but as they observed no moderation in\ndrinking, they became towards evening confused in the head with the ale.\nAs they were quite drunk, those who had to bring meat to the prisoners\nin the cellar said among themselves that they should want for nothing.\nThorod amused the slaves by singing to them. They said he was a clever\nman, and gave him a large candle that was lighted; and the slaves\nwho were in went to call the others to come in; but they were all so\nconfused with the ale, that in going out they neither locked the cellar\nnor the room after them. Now Thorod and his comrades tore up their skin\nclothes in strips, knotted them together, made a noose at one end, and\nthrew up the rope on the floor of the room. It fastened itself around a\nchest, by which they tried to haul themselves up. Thorod lifted up his\ncomrade until he stood on his shoulders, and from thence scrambled up\nthrough the hatchhole. There was no want of ropes in the chamber, and he\nthrew a rope down to Thorod; but when he tried to draw him up, he could\nnot move him from the spot. Then Thorod told him to cast the rope over\na cross-beam that was in the house, make a loop in it, and place as much\nwood and stones in the loop as would outweigh him; and the heavy weight\nwent down into the cellar, and Thorod was drawn up by it. Now they took\nas much clothes as they required in the room; and among other things\nthey took some reindeer hides, out of which they cut sandals, and bound\nthem under their feet, with the hoofs of the reindeer feet trailing\nbehind. But before they set off they set fire to a large corn barn\nwhich was close by, and then ran out into the pitch-dark night. The barn\nblazed, and set fire to many other houses in the village. Thorod and\nhis comrade travelled the whole night until they came to a lonely wood,\nwhere they concealed themselves when it was daylight. In the morning\nthey were missed. There was chase made with dogs to trace the footsteps\nall round the house; but the hounds always came back to the house, for\nthey had the smell of the reindeer hoofs, and followed the scent back on\nthe road that the hoofs had left, and therefore could not find the right\ndirection. Thorod and his comrade wandered long about in the desert\nforest, and came one evening to a small house, and went in. A man and a\nwoman were sitting by the fire. The man called himself Thorer, and said\nit was his wife who was sitting there, and the hut belonged to them. The\npeasant asked them to stop there, at which they were well pleased. He\ntold them that he had come to this place, because he had fled from the\ninhabited district on account of a murder. Thorod and his comrade were\nwell received, and they all got their supper at the fireside; and then\nthe benches were cleared for them, and they lay down to sleep, but the\nfire was still burning with a clear light. Thorod saw a man come in from\nanother house, and never had he seen so stout a man. He was dressed in\na scarlet cloak beset with gold clasps, and was of very handsome\nappearance. Thorod heard him scold them for taking guests, when they\nhad scarcely food for themselves. The housewife said, \"Be not angry,\nbrother; seldom such a thing happens; and rather do them some good too,\nfor thou hast better opportunity to do so than we.\" Thorod heard also\nthe stout man named by the name of Arnliot Gelline, and observed that\nthe woman of the house was his sister. Thorod had heard speak of Arnliot\nas the greatest-of robbers and malefactors. Thorod and his companion\nslept the first part of the night, for they were wearied with walking;\nbut when a third of the night was still to come, Arnliot awoke them,\ntold them to get up, and make ready to depart. They arose immediately,\nput on their clothes, and some breakfast was given them; and Arnliot\ngave each of them also a pair of skees. Arnliot made himself ready to\naccompany them, and got upon his skees, which were both broad and long;\nbut scarcely had he swung his skee-staff before he was a long way past\nthem. He waited for them, and said they would make no progress in this\nway, and told them to stand upon the edge of his skees beside him. They\ndid so. Thorod stood nearest to him, and held by Arnliot's belt, and his\ncomrade held by him. Arnliot strode on as quickly with them both, as\nif he was alone and without any weight. The following day they came,\ntowards night, to a lodge for travellers, struck fire, and prepared some\nfood; but Arnliot told them to throw away nothing of their food, neither\nbones nor crumbs. Arnliot took a silver plate out of the pocket of his\ncloak, and ate from it. When they were done eating, Arnliot gathered\nup the remains of their meal, and they prepared to go to sleep. In the\nother end of the house there was a loft upon cross-beams, and Arnliot\nand the others went up, and laid themselves down to sleep. Arnliot had\na large halberd, of which the upper part was mounted with gold, and\nthe shaft was so long that with his arm stretched out he could scarcely\ntouch the top of it; and he was girt with a sword. They had both their\nweapons and their clothes up in the loft beside them. Arnliot, who\nlay outermost in the loft, told them to be perfectly quiet. Soon after\ntwelve men came to the house, who were merchants going with their\nwares to Jamtaland; and when they came into the house they made a great\ndisturbance, were merry, and made a great fire before them; and when\nthey took their supper they cast away all the bones around them. They\nthen prepared to go to sleep, and laid themselves down upon the benches\naround the fire. When they, had been asleep a short time, a huge witch\ncame into the house; and when she came in, she carefully swept together\nall the bones and whatever was of food kind into a heap, and threw it\ninto her mouth. Then she gripped the man who was nearest to her, riving\nand tearing him asunder, and threw him upon the fire. The others awoke\nin dreadful fright, and sprang up, but she took them, and put them one\nby one to death, so that only one remained in life. He ran under the\nloft calling for help, and if there was any one on the loft to help him.\nArnliot reached down his hand, seized him by the shoulder, and drew him\nup into the loft. The witch-wife had turned towards the fire, and\nbegan to eat the men who were roasting. Now Arnliot stood up, took his\nhalberd, and struck her between the shoulders, so that the point came\nout at her breast. She writhed with it, gave a dreadful shriek, and\nsprang up. The halberd slipped from Arnliot's hands, and she ran out\nwith it. Arnliot then went in; cleared away the dead corpses out of the\nhouse; set the door and the door-posts up, for she had torn them down in\ngoing out; and they slept the rest of the night. When the day broke they\ngot up; and first they took their breakfast. When they had got food,\nArnliot said, \"Now we must part here. Ye can proceed upon the new-traced\npath the merchants have made in coming here yesterday. In the meantime\nI will seek after my halberd, and in reward for my labour I will take so\nmuch of the goods these men had with them as I find useful to me. Thou,\nThorod, must take my salutation to King Olaf; and say to him that he is\nthe man I am most desirous to see, although my salutation may appear to\nhim of little worth.\" Then he took his silver plate, wiped it dry with\na cloth, and said, \"Give King Olaf this plate; salute him, and say it is\nfrom me.\" Then they made themselves ready for their journey, and parted.\nThorod went on with his comrade and the man of the merchants company\nwho had escaped. He proceeded until he came to King Olaf in the town\n(Nidaros); told the king all that had happened, and presented to him the\nsilver plate. The king said it was wrong that Arnliot himself had not\ncome to him; \"for it is a pity so brave a hero, and so distinguished a\nman, should have given himself up to misdeeds.\"\n\nThorod remained the rest of the winter with the king, and in summer\ngot leave to return to Iceland; and he and King Olaf parted the best of\nfriends.\n\n\n\n\n152. KING OLAF'S LEVY OF MEN.\n\nKing Olaf made ready in spring (A.D. 1027) to leave Nidaros, and many\npeople were assembled about him, both from Throndhjem and the Northern\ncountry; and when he was ready he proceeded first with his men to More,\nwhere he gathered the men of the levy, and did the same at Raumsdal. He\nwent from thence to South More. He lay a long time at the Herey Isles\nwaiting for his forces; and he often held House-things, as many reports\ncame to his ears about which he thought it necessary to hold councils.\nIn one of these Things he made a speech, in which he spoke of the loss\nhe suffered from the Farey islanders. \"The scat which they promised me,\"\nhe said, \"is not forthcoming; and I now intend to send men thither after\nit.\" Then he proposed to different men to undertake this expedition; but\nthe answer was, that all declined the adventure.\n\nThen there stood up a stout and very remarkable looking man in the\nThing. He was clad in a red kirtle, had a helmet on his head, a sword\nin his belt, and a large halberd in his hands. He took up the word and\nsaid, \"In truth here is a great want of men. Ye have a good king; but ye\nare bad servants who say no to this expedition he offers you, although\nye have received many gifts of friendship and tokens of honour from him.\nI have hitherto been no friend of the king, and he has been my enemy,\nand says, besides, that he has good grounds for being so. Now, I offer,\nsire, to go upon this expedition, if no better will undertake it.\"\n\nThe king answers, \"Who is this brave man who replies to my offer? Thou\nshowest thyself different from the other men here present, in offering\nthyself for this expedition from which they excuse themselves, although\nI expected they would willingly have undertaken it; but I do not know\nthee in the least, and do not know thy name.\"\n\nHe replies, \"My name, sire, is not difficult to know, and I think thou\nhast heard my name before. I am Karl Morske.\"\n\nThe king--\"So this is Karl! I have indeed heard thy name before; and, to\nsay the truth, there was a time when our meeting must have been such, if\nI had had my will; that thou shouldst not have had to tell it now. But\nI will not show myself worse than thou, but will join my thanks and my\nfavour to the side of the help thou hast offered me. Now thou shalt come\nto me, Karl, and be my guest to-day; and then we shall consult together\nabout this business.\" Karl said it should be so.\n\n\n\n\n153. KARL MORSKE'S STORY.\n\nKarl Morske had been a viking, and a celebrated robber. Often had the\nking sent out men against him, and wished to make an end of him; but\nKarl, who was a man of high connection, was quick in all his doing's,\nand besides a man of great dexterity, and expert in all feats. Now when\nKarl had undertaken this business the king was reconciled to him, gave\nhim his friendship, and let him be fitted out in the best manner for\nthis expedition. There were about twenty men in the ship; and the king\nsent messages to his friends in the Farey Islands, and recommended him\nalso to Leif Ossurson and Lagman Gille, for aid and defence; and for\nthis purpose furnished Karl with tokens of the full powers given him.\nKarl set out as soon as he was ready; and as he got a favourable breeze\nsoon came to the Farey Islands, and landed at Thorshavn, in the island\nStraumey. A Thing was called, to which there came a great number of\npeople. Thrand of Gata came with a great retinue, and Leif and Gille\ncame there also, with many in their following. After they had set up\ntheir tents, and put themselves in order, they went to Karl Morske, and\nsaluted each other on both sides in a friendly way. Then Karl produced\nKing Olaf's words, tokens, and friendly message to Leif and Gille, who\nreceived them in a friendly manner, invited Karl to come to them, and\npromised him to support his errand, and give him all the aid in their\npower, for which he thanked them. Soon after came Thrand of Gata, who\nalso received Karl in the most friendly manner, and said he was glad to\nsee so able a man coming to their country on the king's business, which\nthey were all bound to promote. \"I will insist, Karl,\" says he, \"on\nthy taking-up thy winter abode with me, together with all those of thy\npeople who may appear to thee necessary for thy dignity.\"\n\nKarl replies, that he had already settled to lodge with Leif; \"otherwise\nI would with great pleasure have accepted thy invitation.\"\n\n\"Then fate has given great honour to Leif,\" says Thrand; \"but is there\nany other way in which I can be of service?\"\n\nKarl replies, that he would do him a great service by collecting the\nscat of the eastern island, and of all the northern islands.\n\nThrand said it was both his duty and interest to assist in the king's\nbusiness, and thereupon Thrand returned to his tent; and at that Thing\nnothing else worth speaking of occurred. Karl took up his abode with\nLeif Ossurson, and was there all winter (A.D. 1028). Leif collected the\nscat of Straumey Island, and all the islands south of it. The spring\nafter Thrand of Gata fell ill, and had sore eyes and other complaints;\nbut he prepared to attend the Thing, as was his custom. When he came to\nthe Thing he had his tent put up, and within it another black tent, that\nthe light might not penetrate. After some days of the Thing had passed,\nLeif and Karl came to Thrand's tent, with a great many people, and found\nsome persons standing outside. They asked if Thrand was in the tent, and\nwere told he was. Leif told them to bid Thrand come out, as he and Karl\nhad some business with him. They came back, and said that Thrand had\nsore eyes, and could not come out; \"but he begs thee, Leif, to come to\nhim within.\" Leif told his comrades to come carefully into the tent, and\nnot to press forward, and that he who came last in should go out first.\nLeif went in first, followed by Karl, and then his comrades; and all\nfully armed as if they were going into battle. Leif went into the black\ntent and asked if Thrand was there. Thrand answered and saluted Leif.\nLeif returned his salutation, and asked if he had brought the scat\nfrom the northern islands, and if he would pay the scat that had been\ncollected. Thrand replies, that he had not forgotten what had been\nspoken of between him and Karl, and that he would now pay over the scat.\n\"Here is a purse, Leif, full of silver, which thou canst receive.\" Leif\nlooked around, and saw but few people in the tent, of whom some were\nlying upon the benches, and a few were sitting up. Then Leif went to\nThrand, and took the purse, and carried it into the outer tent, where it\nwas light, turned out the money on his shield, groped about in it with\nhis hand, and told Karl to look at the silver. When they had looked at\nit a while, Karl asked Leif what he thought of the silver. He replied,\n\"I am thinking where the bad money that is in the north isles can have\ncome from.\" Thrand heard this, and said, \"Do you not think, Leif, the\nsilver is good?\" \"No,\" says he. Thrand replies, \"Our relations, then,\nare rascals not to be trusted. I sent them in spring to collect the scat\nin the north isles, as I could not myself go anywhere, and they have\nallowed themselves to be bribed by the bondes to take false money, which\nnobody looks upon as current and good; it is better, therefore, Leif, to\nlook at this silver which has been paid me as land-rent.\" Leif thereupon\ncarried back this silver, and received another bag, which he carried to\nKarl, and they looked over the money together. Karl asked Leif what he\nthought of this money. He answered, that it appeared to him so bad that\nit would not be taken in payment, however little hope there might be of\ngetting a debt paid in any other way: \"therefore I will not take this\nmoney upon the king's account.\" A man who had been lying on the bench\nnow cast the skin coverlet off which he had drawn over his head, and\nsaid, \"True is the old word,--he grows worse who grows older: so it is\nwith thee, Thrand, who allowest Karl Morske to handle thy money all\nthe day.\" This was Gaut the Red. Thrand sprang up at Gaut's words, and\nreprimanded his relation with many angry words. At last he said that\nLeif should leave this silver, and take a bag which his own peasants had\nbrought him in spring. \"And although I am weak-sighted, yet my own\nhand is the truest test.\" Another man who was lying on the bench raised\nhimself now upon his elbow; and this was Thord the Low. He said, \"These\nare no ordinary reproaches we suffer from Karl Morske, and therefore he\nwell deserves a reward for them.\" Leif in the meantime took the bag,\nand carried it to Karl; and when they cast their eyes on the money, Leif\nsaid, \"We need not look long at this silver, for here the one piece of\nmoney is better than the other; and this is the money we will have. Let\na man come to be present at the counting it out.\" Thrand says that he\nthought Leif was the fittest man to do it upon his account. Leif and\nKarl thereupon went a short way from the tent, sat down, and counted and\nweighed the silver. Karl took the helmet off his head, and received in\nit the weighed silver. They saw a man coming to them who had a stick\nwith an axe-head on it in his hand, a hat low upon his head, and a short\ngreen cloak. He was bare-legged, and had linen breeches on tied at the\nknee. He laid his stick down in the field, and went to Karl and said,\n\"Take care, Karl Morske, that thou does not hurt thyself against my\naxe-stick.\" Immediately a man came running and calls with great haste\nto Leif Ossurson, telling him to come as quickly as possible to Lagman\nGille's tent; \"for,\" says he, \"Sirurd Thorlakson ran in just now into\nthe mouth of the tent, and gave one of Gille's men a desperate wound.\"\nLeif rose up instantly, and went off to Gille's tent along with his\nmen. Karl remained sitting, and the Norway people stood around in all\ncorners. Gaut immediately sprang up, and struck with a hand-axe over the\nheads of the people, and the stroke came on Karl's head; but the wound\nwas slight. Thord the Low seized the stick-axe, which lay in the field\nat his side, and struck the axe-blade right into Karl's skull. Many\npeople now streamed out of Thrand's tent. Karl was carried away dead.\nThrand was much grieved at this event, and offered money-mulcts for his\nrelations; but Leif and Gille, who had to prosecute the business, would\naccept no mulct. Sigurd was banished the country for having wounded\nGille's tent comrade, and Gaut and Thord for the murder of Karl. The\nNorway people rigged out the vessel which Karl had with him, and sailed\neastward to Olaf, and gave him these tidings. He was in no pleasant\nhumour at it, and threatened a speedy vengeance; but it was not allotted\nby fate to King Olaf to revenge himself on Thrand and his relations,\nbecause of the hostilities which had begun in Norway, and which are now\nto be related. And there is nothing more to be told of what happened\nafter King Olaf sent men to the Farey Islands to take scat of them. But\ngreat strife arose after Karl's death in the Farey Islands between the\nfamily of Thrand of Gata and Leif Ossurson, and of which there are great\nsagas.\n\n\n\n\n154. KING OLAF'S EXPEDITION WITH HIS LEVY.\n\nNow we must proceed with the relation we began before,--that King Olaf\nset out with his men, and raised a levy over the whole country\n(A.D. 1027). All lendermen in the North followed him excepting Einar\nTambaskelfer, who sat quietly at home upon his farm since his return\nto the country, and did not serve the king. Einar had great estates\nand wealth, although he held no fiefs from the king, and he lived\nsplendidly. King Olaf sailed with his fleet south around Stad, and many\npeople from the districts around joined him. King Olaf himself had a\nship which he had got built the winter before (A.D. 1027), and which\nwas called the Visund (1). It was a very large ship, with a bison's head\ngilded all over upon the bow. Sigvat the skald speaks thus of it:--\n\n     \"Trygvason's Long Serpent bore,\n     Grim gaping o'er the waves before,\n     A dragon's head with open throat,\n     When last the hero was afloat:\n          His cruise was closed,\n          As God disposed.\n     Olaf has raised a bison's head,\n     Which proudly seems the waves to tread.\n     While o'er its golden forehead dashing\n     The waves its glittering horns are washing:\n          May God dispose\n          A luckier close.\"\n\nThe king went on to Hordaland; there he heard the news that Erling\nSkjalgson had left the country with a great force, and four or five\nships. He himself had a large war-ship, and his sons had three of twenty\nrowing-banks each; and they had sailed westward to England to Canute\nthe Great. Then King Olaf sailed eastward along the land with a mighty\nwar-force, and he inquired everywhere if anything was known of Canute's\nproceedings; and all agreed in saying he was in England but added that\nhe was fitting out a levy, and intended coming to Norway. As Olaf had a\nlarge fleet, and could not discover with certainty where he should go to\nmeet King Canute, and as his people were dissatisfied with lying quiet\nin one place with so large an armament, he resolved to sail with his\nfleet south to Denmark, and took with him all the men who were best\nappointed and most warlike; and he gave leave to the others to return\nhome. Now the people whom he thought of little use having gone home,\nKing Olaf had many excellent and stout men-at-arms besides those who, as\nbefore related, had fled the country, or sat quietly at home; and most\nof the chief men and lendermen of Norway were along with him.\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) Visundr is the buffalo; although the modern bison, or\n     American animal of that name, might have been known through\n     the Greenland colonists, who in this reign had visited some\n     parts of America.--L.\n\n\n\n\n155. OF KING OLAF AND KING ONUND.\n\nWhen King Olaf sailed to Denmark, he set his course for Seeland; and\nwhen he came there he made incursions on the land, and began to plunder.\nThe country people were severely treated; some were killed, some bound\nand dragged to the ships. All who could do so took to flight, and made\nno opposition. King Olaf committed there the greatest ravages. While\nOlaf was in Seeland, the news came that King Onund Olafson of Sweden had\nraised a levy, and fallen upon Scania, and was ravaging there; and then\nit became known what the resolution had been that the two kings\nhad taken at the Gaut river, where they had concluded a union and\nfriendship, and had bound themselves to oppose King Canute. King Onund\ncontinued his march until he met his brother-in-law King Olaf. When they\nmet they made proclamation both to their own people and to the people\nof the country, that they intended to conquer Denmark; and asked the\nsupport of the people of the country for this purpose. And it happened,\nas we find examples of everywhere, that if hostilities are brought upon\nthe people of a country not strong enough to withstand, the greatest\nnumber will submit to the conditions by which peace can be purchased at\nany rate. So it happened here that many men went into the service of the\nkings, and agreed to submit to them. Wheresoever they went they laid the\ncountry all round subjection to them, and otherwise laid waste all with\nfire and sword.\n\nOf this foray Sigvat the skald speaks, in a ballad he composed\nconcerning King Canute the Great:--\n\n          \"'Canute is on the sea!'\n          The news is told,\n          And the Norsemen bold\n     Repeat it with great glee.\n     And it runs from mouth to mouth--\n          'On a lucky day\n          We came away\n     From Throndhjem to the south.'\n     Across the cold East sea,\n          The Swedish king\n          His host did bring,\n     To gain great victory.\n     King Onund came to fight,\n          In Seeland's plains,\n          Against the Danes,\n     With his steel-clad men so bright.\n     Canute is on the land;\n          Side to side\n          His long-ships ride\n     Along the yellow strand.\n     Where waves wash the green banks,\n          Mast to mast,\n          All bound fast,\n     His great fleet lies in ranks.\"\n\n\n\n\n156. OF KING CANUTE THE GREAT.\n\nKing Canute had heard in England that King Olaf of Norway had called out\na levy, and had gone with his forces to Denmark, and was making great\nravages in his dominions there. Canute began to gather people, and he\nhad speedily collected a great army and a numerous fleet. Earl Hakon was\nsecond in command over the whole.\n\nSigvat the skald came this summer (A.D. 1027) from the West, from Ruda\n(Rouen) in Valland, and with him was a man called Berg. They had made a\nmerchant voyage there the summer before. Sigvat had made a little poem\nabout this journey, called \"The Western Traveller's Song,\" which begins\nthus:--\n\n     \"Berg! many a merry morn was pass'd,\n     When our vessel was made fast,\n     And we lay on the glittering tide\n     or Rouen river's western side.\"\n\nWhen Sigvat came to England he went directly to King Canute, and asked\nhis leave to proceed to Norway; for King Canute had forbidden all\nmerchant vessels to sail until he himself was ready with his fleet. When\nSigvat arrived he went to the house in which the king was lodged; but\nthe doors were locked, and he had to stand a long time outside, but when\nhe got admittance he obtained the permission he desired. He then sang:--\n\n     \"The way to Jutland's king I sought;\n     A little patience I was taught.\n     The doors were shut--all full within;\n     The udaller could not get in.\n     But Gorm's great son did condescend\n     To his own chamber me to send,\n     And grant my prayer--although I'm one\n     Whose arms the fetters' weight have known.\"\n\nWhen Sigvat became aware that King Canute was equipping an armament\nagainst King Olaf, and knew what a mighty force King Canute had, he made\nthese lines:--\n\n     \"The mighty Canute, and Earl Hakon,\n     Have leagued themselves, and counsel taken\n     Against King Olaf's life,\n     And are ready for the strife.\n     In spite of king and earl, I say,\n     'I love him well--may he get away:'\n     On the Fields, wild and dreary,\n     With him I'd live, and ne'er be weary.\"\n\nSigvat made many other songs concerning this expedition of Canute and\nHakon. He made this among others:--\n\n     \"'Twas not the earl's intention then\n     'Twixt Olaf and the udalmen\n     Peace to establish, and the land\n     Upright to hold with Northman's hand;\n     But ever with deceit and lies\n     Eirik's descendant, Hakon, tries\n     To make ill-will and discontent,\n     Till all the udalmen are bent\n     Against King Olaf's rule to rise.\"\n\n\n\n\n157. OF KING CANUTE'S SHIP THE DRAGON.\n\nCanute the Great was at last ready with his fleet, and left the land;\nand a vast number of men he had, and ships frightfully large. He himself\nhad a dragon-ship, so large that it had sixty banks of rowers, and the\nhead was gilt all over. Earl Hakon had another dragon of forty banks,\nand it also had a gilt figure-head. The sails of both were in stripes\nof blue, red, and green, and the vessels were painted all above\nthe water-stroke; and all that belonged to their equipment was most\nsplendid. They had also many other huge ships remarkably well fitted\nout, and grand. Sigvat the skald talks of this in his song on Canute:--\n\n     \"Canute is out beneath the sky--\n     Canute of the clear blue eye!\n     The king is out on the ocean's breast,\n     Leading his grand fleet from the West.\n     On to the East the ship-masts glide,\n     Glancing and bright each long-ship's side.\n     The conqueror of great Ethelred,\n     Canute, is there, his foemen's dread:\n     His dragon with her sails of blue,\n     All bright and brilliant to the view,\n     High hoisted on the yard arms wide,\n     Carries great Canute o'er the tide.\n     Brave is the royal progress--fast\n     The proud ship's keel obeys the mast,\n     Dashes through foam, and gains the land,\n     Raising a surge on Limfjord's strand.\"\n\nIt is related that King Canute sailed with this vast force from England,\nand came with all his force safely to Denmark, where he went into\nLimfjord, and there he found gathered besides a large army of the men of\nthe country.\n\n\n\n\n158. HARDAKNUT TAKEN TO BE KING IN DENMARK.\n\nEarl Ulf Sprakalegson had been set as protector over Denmark when King\nCanute went to England, and the king had intrusted his son Hardaknut in\nthe earl's hands. This took place the summer before (A.D. 1026), as we\nrelated. But the earl immediately gave it out that King Canute had, at\nparting, made known to him his will and desire that the Danes should\ntake his son Hardaknut as king over the Danish dominions. \"On that\naccount,\" says the earl, \"he gave the matter into our hands; as I,\nand many other chiefs and leading men here in the country, have often\ncomplained to King Canute of the evil consequences to the country of\nbeing without a king, and that former kings thought it honour and power\nenough to rule over the Danish kingdom alone; and in the times that are\npast many kings have ruled over this kingdom. But now there are greater\ndifficulties than have ever been before; for we have been so fortunate\nhitherto as to live without disturbance from foreign kings, but now we\nhear the king of Norway is going to attack us, to which is added the\nfear of the people that the Swedish king will join him; and now King\nCanute is in England.\" The earl then produced King Canute's letter and\nseal, confirming all that the earl asserted. Many other chiefs supported\nthis business; and in consequence of all these persuasions the people\nresolved to take Hardaknut as king, which was done at the same Thing.\nThe Queen Emma had been principal promoter of this determination; for\nshe had got the letter to be written, and provided with the seal,\nhaving cunningly got hold of the king's signet; but from him it was all\nconcealed. Now when Hardaknut and Earl Ulf heard for certain that King\nOlaf was come from Norway with a large army, they went to Jutland,\nwhere the greatest strength of the Danish kingdom lies, sent out\nmessage-tokens, and summoned to them a great force; but when they heard\nthe Swedish king was also come with his army, they thought they would\nnot have strength enough to give battle to both, and therefore kept\ntheir army together in Jutland, and resolved to defend that country\nagainst the kings. The whole of their ships they assembled in Limfjord,\nand waited thus for King Canute. Now when they heard that King Canute\nhad come from the West to Limfjord they sent men to him, and to Queen\nEmma, and begged her to find out if the king was angry at them or not,\nand to let them know. The queen talked over the matter with him, and\nsaid, \"Your son Hardaknut will pay the full mulct the king may demand,\nif he has done anything which is thought to be against the king.\" He\nreplies, that Hardaknut has not done this of his own judgement. \"And\ntherefore,\" says he, \"it has turned out as might have been expected,\nthat when he, a child, and without understanding, wanted to be called\nking, the country, when any evil came and an enemy appeared, must be\nconquered by foreign princes, if our might had not come to his aid. If\nhe will have any reconciliation with me let him come to me, and lay down\nthe mock title of king he has given himself.\" The queen sent these very\nwords to Hardaknut, and at the same time she begged him not to decline\ncoming; for, as she truly observed, he had no force to stand against his\nfather. When this message came to Hardaknut he asked the advice of the\nearl and other chief people who were with him; but it was soon found\nthat when the people heard King Canute the Old was arrived they all\nstreamed to him, and seemed to have no confidence but in him alone. Then\nEarl Ulf and his fellows saw they had but two roads to take; either to\ngo to the king and leave all to his mercy, or to fly the country. All\npressed Hardaknut to go to his father, which advice he followed.\nWhen they met he fell at his father's feet, and laid his seal, which\naccompanied the kingly title, on his knee. King Canute took Hardaknut by\nthe hand, and placed him in as high a seat as he used to sit in before.\nEarl Ulf sent his son Svein, who was a sister's son of King Canute,\nand the same age as Hardaknut, to the king. He prayed for grace and\nreconciliation for his father, and offered himself as hostage for the\nearl. King Canute ordered him to tell the earl to assemble his men and\nships, and come to him, and then they would talk of reconciliation. The\nearl did so.\n\n\n\n\n159. FORAY IN SCANIA.\n\nWhen King Olaf and King Onund heard that King Canute was come from the\nWest, and also that he had a vast force, they sailed east to Scania, and\nallowed themselves to ravage and burn in the districts there, and then\nproceeded eastward along the land to the frontier of Sweden. As soon as\nthe country people heard that King Canute was come from the West, no one\nthought of going into the service of the two kings.\n\nNow the kings sailed eastward along the coast, and brought up in a river\ncalled Helga, and remained there some time. When they heard that King\nCanute was coming eastward with his forces against them, they held a\ncouncil; and the result was, that King Olaf with his people went up\nthe country to the forest, and to the lake out of which the river Helga\nflows. There at the riverhead they made a dam of timber and turf, and\ndammed in the lake. They also dug a deep ditch, through which they led\nseveral waters, so that the lake waxed very high. In the river-bed they\nlaid large logs of timber. They were many days about this work, and King\nOlaf had the management of this piece of artifice; but King Onund\nhad only to command the fleet and army. When King Canute heard of the\nproceedings of the two kings, and of the damage they had done to his\ndominions, he sailed right against them to where they lay in Helga\nriver. He had a War-force which was one half greater than that of both\nthe kings together. Sigvat speaks of these things:--\n\n     \"The king, who shields\n     His Jutland fields\n     From scaith or harm\n     By foeman's arm,\n     Will not allow\n     Wild plundering now:\n     'The greatest he,\n     On land or sea.'\"\n\n\n\n\n160. BATTLE IN HELGA RIVER.\n\nOne day, towards evening, King Onund's spies saw King Canute coming\nsailing along, and he was not far off. Then King Onund ordered the\nwar-horns to sound; on which his people struck their tents, put on their\nweapons, rowed out of the harbour and east round the land, bound their\nships together, and prepared for battle. King Onund made his spies run\nup the country to look for King Olaf, and tell him the news. Then King\nOlaf broke up the dam, and let the river take its course. King Olaf\ntravelled down in the night to his ships. When King Canute came outside\nthe harbour, he saw the forces of the kings ready for battle. He thought\nthat it would be too late in the day to begin the fight by the time his\nforces could be ready; for his fleet required a great deal of room at\nsea, and there was a long distance between the foremost of his ships and\nthe hindmost, and between those outside and those nearest the land,\nand there was but little wind. Now, as Canute saw that the Swedes and\nNorwegians had quitted the harbour, he went into it with as many ships\nas it could hold; but the main strength of the fleet lay without the\nharbour. In the morning, when it was light, a great part of the men went\non shore; some for amusement, some to converse with the people of other\nships. They observed nothing until the water came rushing over them\nlike a waterfall, carrying huge trees, which drove in among their ships,\ndamaging all they struck; and the water covered all the fields. The men\non shore perished, and many who were in the ships. All who could do it\ncut their cables; so that the ships were loose, and drove before the\nstream, and were scattered here and there. The great dragon, which King\nCanute himself was in, drove before the stream; and as it could not so\neasily be turned with oars, drove out among Olaf's and Onund's ships. As\nthey knew the ship, they laid her on board on all quarters. But the ship\nwas so high in the hull, as if it were a castle, and had besides such a\nnumerous and chosen crew on board, well armed and exercised, that it was\nnot easy to attack her. After a short time also Earl Ulf came up with\nhis fleet; and then the battle began, and King Canute's fleet gathered\ntogether from all quarters. But the kings Olaf and Onund, seeing they\nhad for this time got all the victory that fate permitted them to gain,\nlet their ships retreat, cast themselves loose from King Canute's ship,\nand the fleets separated. But as the attack had not been made as King\nCanute had determined, he made no further attempt; and the kings on each\nside arranged their fleets and put their ships in order. When the fleets\nwere parted, and each sailing its course, Olaf and Onund looked over\ntheir forces, and found they had suffered no loss of men. In the\nmeantime they saw that if they waited until King Canute got his large\nfleet in order to attack them, the difference of force was so great that\nfor them there was little chance of victory. It was also evident that if\nthe battle was renewed, they must suffer a great loss of men. They took\nthe resolution, therefore, to row with the whole fleet eastward along\nthe coast. Observing that King Canute did not pursue them, they raised\nup their masts and set sail. Ottar Svarte tells thus of it in the poem\nhe composed upon King Canute the Great:--\n\n     \"The king, in battle fray,\n     Drove the Swedish host away:\n     The wolf did not miss prey,\n     Nor the raven on that day.\n     Great Canute might deride\n     Two kings if he had pride,\n     For at Helga river's side\n     They would not his sword abide.\"\n\nThord Sjarekson also sang these lines in his death song of King Olaf:--\n\n     \"King Olaf, Agder's lord,\n          Ne'er shunned the Jutland king,\n     But with his blue-edged sword\n          Broke many a panzer ring.\n     King Canute was not slow:\n          King Onund filled the plain\n     With dead, killed by his bow:\n          The wolf howled o'er the slain.\"\n\n\n\n\n161. KING OLAF AND KING ONUND'S PLANS.\n\nKing Olaf and King Onund sailed eastward to the Swedish king's\ndominions; and one day, towards evening, landed at a place called\nBarvik, where they lay all night. But then it was observed of the Swedes\nthat they were home-sick; for the greater part of their forces sailed\neastward along the land in the night, and did not stop their course\nuntil they came home to their houses. Now when King Onund observed\nthis he ordered, as soon as the day dawned, to sound the signal for a\nHouse-thing; and the whole people went on shore, and the Thing sat down.\nThen King Onund took up the word, and spake thus: \"So it is, King Olaf,\nthat, as you know, we have been assembled in summer, and have forayed\nwide around in Denmark, and have gained much booty, but no land. I\nhad 350 vessels, and now have not above 100 remaining with me. Now\nit appears to me we can make no greater progress than we have made,\nalthough you have still the 60 vessels which have followed you the whole\nsummer. It therefore appears to me best that we come back to my kingdom;\nfor it is always good to drive home with the wagon safe. In this\nexpedition we have won something, and lost nothing. Now I will offer\nyou, King Olaf, to come with me, and we shall remain assembled during\nthe winter. Take as much of my kingdom as you will, so that you and the\nmen who follow you may support yourselves well; and when spring comes\nlet us take such measures as we find serviceable. If you, however, will\nprefer to travel across our country, and go overland to Norway, it shall\nbe free for you to do so.\"\n\nKing Olaf thanked King Onund for his friendly offer. \"But if I may\nadvise,\" says he, \"then we should take another resolution, and keep\ntogether the forces we have still remaining. I had in the first of\nsummer, before I left Norway, 350 ships; but when I left the country I\nchose from among the whole war-levy those I thought to be the best, and\nwith them I manned 60 ships; and these I still have. Now it appears to\nme that the part of your war-force which has now run away is the most\nworthless, and of least resistance; but now I see here all your\nchiefs and leaders, and I know well that the people who belong to the\ncourt-troops (1) are by far the best suited to carry arms. We have here\nchosen men and superb ships, and we can very well lie all winter in our\nships, as viking's custom is. But Canute cannot lie long in Helga river;\nfor the harbour will not hold so many vessels as he has. If he steers\neastward after us, we can escape from him, and then people will soon\ngather to us; but if he return to the harbours where his fleet can lie,\nI know for certain that the desire to return home will not be less\nin his army than in ours. I think, also, we have ravaged so widely in\nsummer, that the villagers, both in Scania and in Halland, know well\nwhose favour they have to seek. Canute's army will thus be dispersed\nso widely, that it is uncertain to whom fate may at the last give the\nvictory; but let us first find out what resolution he takes.\"\n\nThus King Olaf ended his speech, and it found much applause, and his\nadvice was followed. Spies were sent into King Canute's army, and both\nthe kings Olaf and Onund remained lying where they were.\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) The thingmen, or hired body-guard attending the court.--L.\n\n\n\n\n162. OF KING CANUTE AND EARL ULF.\n\nWhen King Canute saw that the kings of Norway and Sweden steered\neastward with their forces along the coast, he sent men to ride night\nand day on the land to follow their movements. Some spies went forward,\nothers returned; so that King Canute had news every day of their\nprogress. He had also spies always in their army. Now when he heard that\na great part of the fleet had sailed away from the kings, he turned back\nwith his forces to Seeland, and lay with his whole fleet in the Sound;\nso that a part lay on the Scania side, and a part on the Seeland side.\nKing Canute himself, the day before Michaelmas, rode with a great\nretinue to Roeskilde. There his brother-in-law, Earl Ulf, had prepared a\ngreat feast for him. The earl was the most agreeable host, but the king\nwas silent and sullen. The earl talked to him in every way to make him\ncheerful, and brought forward everything which he thought would amuse\nhim; but the king remained stern, and speaking little. At last the earl\nproposed to him a game at chess, which he agreed to; and a chess-board\nwas produced, and they played together. Earl Ulf was hasty in temper,\nstiff, and in nothing yielding; but everything he managed went on well\nin his hands; and he was a great warrior, about whom there are many\nstories. He was the most powerful man in Denmark next to the king. Earl\nUlf's sister Gyda was married to Earl Gudin (Godwin) Ulfnadson; and\ntheir sons were Harald king of England, and Earl Toste, Earl Valthiof,\nEarl Morukare, and Earl Svein. Gyda was the name of their daughter, who\nwas married to the English king Edward the Good.\n\n\n\n\n163. OF THE EARL'S MURDER.\n\nWhen they had played a while the king made a false move, at which the\nearl took a knight from the king; but the king set the piece again upon\nthe board, and told the earl to make another move; but the earl grew\nangry, threw over the chess-board, stood up, and went away. The king\nsaid, \"Runnest thou away, Ulf the coward?\" The earl turned round at the\ndoor and said, \"Thou wouldst have run farther at Helga river, if thou\nhadst come to battle there. Thou didst not call me Ulf the coward, when\nI hastened to thy help while the Swedes were beating thee like a dog.\"\nThe earl then went out, and went to bed. A little later the king also\nwent to bed. The following morning while the king was putting on his\nclothes he said to his footboy, \"Go thou to Earl Ulf, and kill him.\"\n\nThe lad went, was away a while, and then came back.\n\nThe king said, \"Hast thou killed the earl?\"\n\n\"I did not kill him, for he was gone to Saint Lucius' church.\"\n\nThere was a man called Ivar White, a Norwegian by birth, who was the\nking's courtman and chamberlain. The king said to him, \"Go thou and kill\nthe earl.\"\n\nIvar went to the church, and in at the choir, and thrust his sword\nthrough the earl, who died on the spot. Then Ivar went to the king, with\nthe bloody sword in his hand.\n\nThe king said, \"Hast thou killed the earl?\"\n\n\"I have killed him,\" says he.\n\n\"Thou didst well.\"\n\nAfter the earl was killed the monks closed the church, and locked the\ndoors. When that was told the king he sent a message to the monks,\nordering them to open the church and sing high mass. They did as the\nking ordered; and when the king came to the church he bestowed on it\ngreat property, so that it had a large domain, by which that place was\nraised very high; and these lands have since always belonged to it. King\nCanute rode down to his ships, and lay there till late in harvest with a\nvery large army.\n\n\n\n\n164. OF KING OLAF AND THE SWEDES.\n\nWhen King Olaf and King Onund heard that King Canute had sailed to the\nSound, and lay there with a great force, the kings held a House-thing,\nand spoke much about what resolution they should adopt. King Olaf wished\nthey should remain there with all the fleet, and see what King Canute\nwould at last resolve to do. But the Swedes held it to be unadvisable to\nremain until the frost set in, and so it was determined; and King Onund\nwent home with all his army, and King Olaf remained lying after them.\n\n\n\n\n165. OF EGIL AND TOFE.\n\nWhile King Olaf lay there, he had frequently conferences and\nconsultations with his people. One night Egil Halson and Tofe Valgautson\nhad the watch upon the king's ship. Tofe came from West Gautland,\nand was a man of high birth. While they sat on watch they heard much\nlamentation and crying among the people who had been taken in the war,\nand who lay bound on the shore at night. Tofe said it made him ill to\nhear such distress, and asked Egil to go with him, and let loose these\npeople. This work they set about, cut the cords, and let the people\nescape, and they looked upon it as a piece of great friendship; but the\nking was so enraged at it, that they themselves were in the greatest\ndanger. When Egil afterwards fell sick the king for a long time would\nnot visit him, until many people entreated it of him. It vexed Egil\nmuch to have done anything the king was angry at, and he begged his\nforgiveness. The king now dismissed his wrath against Egil, laid his\nhands upon the side on which Egil's pain was, and sang a prayer; upon\nwhich the pain ceased instantly, and Egil grew better. Tofe came, after\nentreaty, into reconciliation with the king, on condition that he should\nexhort his father Valgaut to come to the king. He was a heathen; but\nafter conversation with the king he went over to Christianity, and died\ninstantly when he was baptized.\n\n\n\n\n166. TREACHERY TOWARDS KING OLAF.\n\nKing Olaf had now frequent conferences with his people, and asked advice\nfrom them, and from his chiefs, as to what he should determine upon.\nBut there was no unanimity among them--some considering that unadvisable\nwhich others considered highly serviceable; and there was much\nindecision in their councils. King Canute had always spies in King\nOlaf's army, who entered into conversation with many of his men,\noffering them presents and favour on account of King Canute. Many\nallowed themselves to be seduced, and gave promises of fidelity, and to\nbe King Canute's men, and bring the country into his hands if he came\nto Norway. This was apparent, afterwards, of many who at first kept\nit concealed. Some took at once money bribes, and others were promised\nmoney afterwards; and a great many there were who had got great presents\nof money from him before: for it may be said with truth of King Canute,\nthat every man who came to him, and who he thought had the spirit of a\nman and would like his favour, got his hands full of gifts and money.\nOn this account he was very popular, although his generosity was\nprincipally shown to foreigners, and was greatest the greater distance\nthey came from.\n\n\n\n\n167. KING OLAF'S CONSULTATIONS.\n\nKing Olaf had often conferences and meetings with his people, and asked\ntheir counsel; but as he observed they gave different opinions, he had\na suspicion that there must be some who spoke differently from what they\nreally thought advisable for him, and he was thus uncertain if all gave\nhim due fidelity in council. Some pressed that with the first fair wind\nthey should sail to the Sound, and so to Norway. They said the Danes\nwould not dare to attack them, although they lay with so great a force\nright in the way. But the king was a man of too much understanding not\nto see that this was impracticable. He knew also that Olaf Trygvason had\nfound it quite otherwise, as to the Danes not daring to fight, when he\nwith a few people went into battle against a great body of them. The\nking also knew that in King Canute's army there were a great many\nNorwegians; therefore he entertained the suspicion that those who gave\nthis advice were more favourable to King Canute than to him. King Olaf\ncame at last to the determination, from all these considerations, that\nthe people who would follow him should make themselves ready to proceed\nby land across Gautland, and so to Norway. \"But our ships,\" said he,\n\"and all things that we cannot take with us, I will send eastward to the\nSwedish king's dominions, and let them be taken care of for us there.\"\n\n\n\n\n168. HAREK OF THJOTTA'S VOYAGE.\n\nHarek of Thjotta replied thus to the king's speech: \"It is evident\nthat I cannot travel on foot to Norway. I am old and heavy, and little\naccustomed to walking. Besides, I am unwilling to part with my ship;\nfor on that ship and its apparel I have bestowed so much labour, that\nit would go much against my inclination to put her into the hands of my\nenemies.\" The king said, \"Come along with us, Harek, and we shall carry\nthee when thou art tired of walking.\" Then Harek sang these lines:--\n\n     \"I'11 mount my ocean steed,\n     And o'er the sea I'll speed;\n     Forests and hills are not for me,--\n     I love the moving sea,\n     Though Canute block the Sound,\n     Rather than walk the ground,\n     And leave my ship, I'll see\n     What my ship will do for me.\"\n\nThen King Olaf let everything be put in order for the journey. The\npeople had their walking clothing and weapons, but their other clothes\nand effects they packed upon such horses as they could get. Then he sent\noff people to take his ships east to Calmar. There he had the vessels\nlaid up, and the ships' apparel and other goods taken care of. Harek did\nas he had said, and waited for a wind, and then sailed west to Scania,\nuntil, about the decline of the day, he came with a fresh and fair wind\nto the eastward of Holar. There he let the sail and the vane, and flag\nand mast be taken down, and let the upper works of the ship be covered\nover with some grey tilt-canvas, and let a few men sit at the oars in\nthe fore part and aft, but the most were sitting low down in the vessel.\n\nWhen Canute's watchmen saw the ship, they talked with each other about\nwhat ship it might be, and made the guess that it must be one loaded\nwith herrings or salt, as they only saw a few men at the oars; and the\nship, besides, appeared to them grey, and wanting tar, as if burnt up\nby the sun, and they saw also that it was deeply loaded. Now when Harek\ncame farther through the Sound, and past the fleet, he raised the mast,\nhoisted sail, and set up his gilded vane. The sail was white as snow,\nand in it were red and blue stripes of cloth interwoven. When the king's\nmen saw the ship sailing in this state, they told the king that probably\nKing Olaf had sailed through them. But King Canute replies, that King\nOlaf was too prudent a man to sail with a single ship through King\nCanute's fleet, and thought it more likely to be Harek of Thjotta, or\nthe like of him. Many believed the truth to be that King Canute knew\nof this expedition of Harek, and that it would not have succeeded so if\nthey had not concluded a friendship beforehand with each other; which\nseemed likely, after King Canute's and Harek's friendly understanding\nbecame generally known.\n\nHarek made this song as he sailed northward round the isle of Vedrey:--\n\n     \"The widows of Lund may smile through their tears,\n     The Danish girls may have their jeers;\n          They may laugh or smile,\n          But outside their isle\n     Old Harek still on to his North land steers.\"\n\nHarek went on his way, and never stopped till he came north to\nHalogaland, to his own house in Thjotta.\n\n\n\n\n169. KING OLAF'S COURSE FROM SVITHJOD.\n\nWhen King Olaf began his journey, he came first into Smaland, and then\ninto West Gautland. He marched quietly and peaceably, and the country\npeople gave him all assistance on his journey. Thus he proceeded until\nhe came into Viken, and north through Viken to Sarpsborg, where he\nremained, and ordered a winter abode to be prepared (A.D. 1028). Then he\ngave most of the chiefs leave to return home, but kept the lendermen by\nhim whom he thought the most serviceable. There were with him also all\nthe sons of Arne Arnmodson, and they stood in great favour with the\nking. Geller Thorkelson, who the summer before had come from Iceland,\nalso came there to the king, as before related.\n\n\n\n\n170. OF SIGVAT THE SKALD.\n\nSigvat the skald had long been in King Olaf's household, as before\nrelated, and the king made him his marshal. Sigvat had no talent for\nspeaking in prose; but in skaldcraft he was so practised, that the\nverses came as readily from his tongue as if he were speaking in usual\nlanguage. He had made a mercantile journey to Normandy, and in the\ncourse of it had come to England, where he met King Canute, and obtained\npermission from him to sail to Norway, as before related. When he\ncame to Norway he proceeded straight to King Olaf, and found him at\nSarpsborg. He presented himself before the king just as he was sitting\ndown to table. Sigvat saluted him. The king looked at Sigvat and was\nsilent. Then Sigvat sang:--\n\n     \"Great king!  thy marshal is come home,\n     No more by land or sea to roam,\n          But by thy side\n          Still to abide.\n     Great king!  what seat here shall he take\n     For the king's honour--not his sake?\n          For all seats here\n          To me are dear.\"\n\nThen was verified the old saying, that \"many are the ears of a king;\"\nfor King Olaf had heard all about Sigvat's journey, and that he had\nspoken with Canute. He says to Sigvat, \"I do not know if thou art my\nmarshal, or hast become one of Canute's men.\" Sigvat said:--\n\n     \"Canute, whose golden gifts display\n     A generous heart, would have me stay,\n     Service in his great court to take,\n     And my own Norway king forsake.\n     Two masters at a time, I said,\n     Were one too many for men bred\n     Where truth and virtue, shown to all,\n     Make all men true in Olaf's hall.\"\n\nThen King Olaf told Sigvat to take his seat where he before used to sit;\nand in a short time Sigvat was in as high favour with the king as ever.\n\n\n\n\n171. OF ERLING SKJALGSON AND HIS SONS.\n\nErling Skjalgson and all his sons had been all summer in King Canute's\narmy, in the retinue of Earl Hakon. Thorer Hund was also there, and\nwas in high esteem. Now when King Canute heard that King Olaf had gone\noverland to Norway, he discharged his army, and gave all men leave to\ngo to their winter abodes. There was then in Denmark a great army of\nforeigners, both English, Norwegians, and men of other countries,\nwho had joined the expedition in summer. In autumn (A.D. 1027) Erling\nSkjalgson went to Norway with his men, and received great presents from\nKing Canute at parting; but Thorer Hund remained behind in King Canute's\ncourt. With Erling went messengers from King Canute well provided with\nmoney; and in winter they travelled through all the country, paying\nthe money which King Canute had promised to many in autumn for their\nassistance. They gave presents in money, besides, to many whose\nfriendship could be purchased for King Canute. They received much\nassistance in their travels from Erling. In this way it came to pass\nthat many turned their support to King Canute, promised him their\nservices, and agreed to oppose King Olaf. Some did this openly, but many\nmore concealed it from the public. King Olaf heard this news, for many\nhad something to tell him about it; and the conversation in the court\noften turned upon it. Sigvat the skald made a song upon it:--\n\n     \"The base traitors ply\n          With purses of gold,\n     Wanting to buy\n          What is not to be sold,--\n     The king's life and throne\n          Wanting to buy:\n     But our souls are our own,\n          And to hell we'll not hie.\n     No pleasure in heaven,\n          As we know full well,\n     To the traitor is given,--\n          His soul is his hell.\"\n\nOften also the conversation turned upon how ill it beseemed Earl Hakon\nto raise his hand in arms against King Olaf, who had given him his life\nwhen he fell into the king's power; but Sigvat was a particular friend\nof Earl Hakon, and when he heard the earl spoken against he sang:--\n\n     \"Our own court people we may blame,\n     If they take gold to their own shame,\n     Their king and country to betray.\n     With those who give it's not the same,\n     From them we have no faith to claim:\n     'Tis we are wrong, if we give way.\"\n\n\n\n\n172. OF KING OLAF'S PRESENTS AT YULE.\n\nKing Olaf gave a great feast at Yule, and many great people had come to\nhim. It was the seventh day of Yule, that the king, with a few persons,\namong whom was Sigvat, who attended him day and night, went to a house\nin which the king's most precious valuables were kept. He had, according\nto his custom, collected there with great care the valuable presents he\nwas to make on New Year's eve. There was in the house no small number of\ngold-mounted swords; and Sigvat sang:--\n\n     \"The swords stand there,\n     All bright and fair,--\n     Those oars that dip in blood:\n     If I in favour stood,\n     I too might have a share.\n     A sword the skald would gladly take,\n     And use it for his master's sake:\n     In favour once he stood,\n     And a sword has stained in blood.\"\n\nThe king took a sword of which the handle was twisted round with gold,\nand the guard was gold-mounted, and gave it to him. It was a valuable\narticle; but the gift was not seen without envy, as will appear\nhereafter.\n\nImmediately after Yule (1028) the king began his journey to the Uplands;\nfor he had a great many people about him, but had received no income\nthat autumn from the North country, for there had been an armament in\nsummer, and the king had laid out all the revenues he could command;\nand also he had no vessels with which he and his people could go to the\nNorth. At the same time he had news from the North, from which he could\nsee that there would be no safety for him in that quarter, unless he\nwent with a great force. For these reasons he determined to proceed\nthrough the Uplands, although it was not so long a time since he had\nbeen there in guest-quarters as the law prescribes, and as the kings\nusually had the custom of observing in their visits. When he came to\nthe Uplands the lendermen and the richest bondes invited him to be their\nguest, and thus lightened his expenses.\n\n\n\n\n173. OF BJORN THE BAILIFF.\n\nThere was a man called Bjorn who was of Gautland family, and a friend\nand acquaintance of Queen Astrid, and in some way related to her. She\nhad given him farm-management and other offices in the upper part of\nHedemark. He had also the management of Osterdal district. Bjorn was\nnot in esteem with the king, nor liked by the bondes. It happened in a\nhamlet which Bjorn ruled over, that many swine and cattle were missing:\ntherefore Bjorn ordered a Thing to be called to examine the matter. Such\npillage he attributed chiefly to the people settled in forest-farms far\nfrom other men; by which he referred particularly to those who dwelt in\nOsterdal, for that district was very thinly inhabited, and full of lakes\nand forest-cleanings, and but in few places was any great neighbourhood\ntogether.\n\n\n\n\n174. OF RAUD'S SONS.\n\nThere was a man called Raud who dwelt in Osterdal. His wife was called\nRagnhild; and his sons, Dag and Sigurd, were men of great talent. They\nwere present at the Thing, made a reply in defence of the Osterdal\npeople, and removed the accusation from them. Bjorn thought they were\ntoo pert in their answer, and too fine in their clothes and weapons; and\ntherefore turned his speech against these brothers, and said it was not\nunlikely they may have committed these thefts. They denied it, and\nthe Thing closed. Soon after King Olaf, with his retinue, came to\nguest-quarters in the house of bailiff Bjorn. The matter which had been\nbefore the Thing was then complained of to the king; and Bjorn said that\nRaud's sons appeared to him to have committed these thefts. A messenger\nwas sent for Raud's sons; and when they appeared before the king he\nsaid they had not at all the appearance of thieves, and acquitted them.\nThereupon they invited the king, with all his retinue, to a three days'\nentertainment at their father's; and although Bjorn dissuaded him from\nit, the king went. At Raud's there was a very excellent feast. The king\nasked Raud what people he and his wife were. Raud answered that he was\noriginally a Swedish man, rich and of high birth; \"but I ran away\nwith the wife I have ever since had, and she is a sister of King Hring\nDagson.\" The king then remembered both their families. He found that\nfather and sons were men of understanding, and asked them what they\ncould do. Sigurd said he could interpret dreams, and determine the time\nof the day although no heavenly bodies could be seen. The king made\ntrial of his art, and found it was as Sigurd had said. Dag stated, as\nhis accomplishment, that he could see the misdeeds and vices of every\nman who came under his eye, when he chose to observe him closely. The\nking told him to declare what faults of disposition he saw in the king\nhimself. Dag mentioned a fault which the king was sensible he really\nhad. Then the king asked what fault the bailiff Bjorn had. Dag said\nBjorn was a thief; and told also where Bjorn had concealed on his farm\nthe bones, horns, and hides of the cattle he had stolen in autumn; \"for\nhe committed,\" said Dag, \"all the thefts in autumn which he accuses\nother people of.\" Dag also told the king the places where the king\nshould go after leaving them. When the king departed from Raud's house\nhe was accompanied on the way, and presented with friendly gifts; and\nRaud's sons remained with the king. The king went first to Bjorn's,\nand found there that all Dag had told him was true. Upon which he\ndrove Bjorn out of the country; and he had to thank the queen that he\npreserved life and limbs.\n\n\n\n\n175. THORER'S DEATH.\n\nThorer, a son of Olver of Eggja, a stepson of Kalf Arnason, and a\nsister's son of Thorer Hund, was a remarkably handsome man, stout and\nstrong. He was at this time eighteen years old; had made a good marriage\nin Hedemark, by which he got great wealth; and was besides one of the\nmost popular of men, and formed to be a chief. He invited the king and\nhis retinue home to him to a feast. The king accepted the invitation,\nwent to Thorer's, and was well received. The entertainment was very\nsplendid; they were excellently treated, and all that was set before the\nguests was of the best that could be got. The king and his people talked\namong themselves of the excellence of everything, and knew not what they\nshould admire the most,--whether Thorer's house outside, or the inside\nfurniture, the table service, or the liquors, or the host who gave them\nsuch a feast. But Dag said little about it. The king used often to speak\nto Dag, and ask him about various things; and he had proved the truth\nof all that Dag had said, both of things that had happened or were to\nhappen, and therefore the king had much confidence in what he said.\nThe king called Dag to him to have a private conversation together,\nand spoke to him about many things. Afterwards the king turned the\nconversation on Thorer,--what an excellent man Thorer was, and what a\nsuperb feast he had made for them. Dag answered but little to this,\nbut agreed it was true what the king said. The king then asked Dag\nwhat disposition or faith he found in Thorer. Dag replied that he must\ncertainly consider Thorer of a good disposition, if he be really what\nmost people believe him to be. The king told him to answer direct what\nhe was asked, and said that it was his duty to do so. Dag replies, \"Then\nthou must allow me to determine the punishment if I disclose his faith.\"\nThe king replied that he would not submit his decision to another man,\nbut again ordered Dag to reply to what he asked.\n\nDag replies, \"The sovereign's order goes before all. I find this\ndisposition in Thorer, as in so many others, that he is too greedy of\nmoney.\"\n\nThe king: \"Is he then a thief, or a robber?\"\n\n\"He is neither.\"\n\n\"What is he then?\"\n\n\"To win money he is a traitor to his sovereign. He has taken money from\nKing Canute the Great for thy head.\"\n\nThe king asks, \"What proof hast thou of the truth of this?\"\n\nDag: \"He has upon his right arm, above the elbow, a thick gold ring,\nwhich King Canute gave him, and which he lets no man see.\"\n\nThis ended their conference, and the king was very wroth. Now as the\nking sat at table, and the guests had drunk a while with great mirth,\nand Thorer went round to see the guests well served, the king ordered\nThorer to be called to him. He went up before the table, and laid his\nhands upon it.\n\nThe king asked, \"How old a man art thou, Thorer?\"\n\nHe answered, \"I am eighteen years old.\"\n\n\"A stout man thou art for those years, and thou hast been fortunate\nalso.\"\n\nThen the king took his right hand, and felt it towards the elbow.\n\nThorer said, \"Take care, for I have a boil upon my arm.\"\n\nThe king held his hand there, and felt there was something hard under\nit. \"Hast thou not heard,\" said he, \"that I am a physician? Let me see\nthe boil.\"\n\nAs Thorer saw it was of no use to conceal it longer, he took off the\nring and laid it on the table.\n\nThe king asked if that was the gift of King Canute.\n\nThorer replied that he could not deny it was.\n\nThe king ordered him to be seized and laid in irons. Kalf came up and\nentreated for mercy, and offered money for him, which also was seconded\nby many; but the king was so wroth that nobody could get in a word.\nHe said Thorer should suffer the doom he had prepared for himself.\nThereupon he ordered Thorer to be killed. This deed was much detested\nin the Uplands, and not less in the Throndhjem country, where many\nof Thorer's connections were. Kalf took the death of this man much to\nheart, for he had been his foster-son in childhood.\n\n\n\n\n176. THE FALL OF GRJOTGARD.\n\nGrjotgard Olverson, Thorer's brother, and the eldest of the brothers,\nwas a very wealthy man, and had a great troop of people about him. He\nlived also at this time in Hedemark. When he heard that Thorer had been\nkilled, he made an attack upon the places where the king's goods and\nmen were; but, between whiles, he kept himself in the forest and other\nsecret places. When the king heard of this disturbance, he had inquiry\nmade about Grjotgard's haunts, and found out that he had taken up\nnight-quarters not far from where the king was. King Olaf set out in the\nnight-time, came there about day-dawn, and placed a circle of men round\nthe house in which Grjotgard was sleeping. Grjotgard and his men, roused\nby the stir of people and clash of arms, ran to their weapons, and\nGrjotgard himself sprang to the front room. He asked who commanded the\ntroop; and it was answered him, \"King Olaf was come there.\" Grjotgard\nasked if the king would hear his words. The king, who stood at the door,\nsaid that Grjotgard might speak what he pleased, and he would hear his\nwords. Grjotgard said, \"I do not beg for mercy;\" and at the same moment\nhe rushed out, having his shield over his head, and his drawn sword in\nhis hand. It was not so much light that he could see clearly. He struck\nhis sword at the king; but Arnbjorn ran in, and the thrust pierced him\nunder his armour into his stomach, and Arnbjorn got his deathwound.\nGrjotgard was killed immediately, and most of his people with him. After\nthis event the king turned back to the south to Viken.\n\n\n\n\n177. KING OLAF SENDS FOR HIS SHIPS AND GOODS.\n\nNow when the king came to Tunsberg he sent men out to all the districts,\nand ordered the people out upon a levy. He had but a small provision\nof shipping, and there were only bondes' vessels to be got. From the\ndistricts in the near neighbourhood many people came to him, but few\nfrom any distance; and it was soon found that the people had turned\naway from the king. King Olaf sent people to Gautland for his ships,\nand other goods and wares which had been left there in autumn; but the\nprogress of these men was very slow, for it was no better now than in\nautumn to sail through the Sound, as King Canute had in spring fitted\nout an army throughout the whole of the Danish dominions, and had no\nfewer than 1200 vessels.\n\n\n\n\n178. KING OLAF'S COUNSELS.\n\nThe news came to Norway that King Canute had assembled an immense\narmament through all Denmark, with which he intended to conquer Norway.\nWhen this became known the people were less willing to join King Olaf,\nand he got but little aid from the bondes. The king's men often spoke\nabout this among themselves. Sigvat tells of it thus:--\n\n     \"Our men are few, our ships are small,\n     While England's king is strong in all;\n     But yet our king is not afraid--\n     O!  never be such king betrayed!\n     'Tis evil counsel to deprive\n     Our king of countrymen to strive\n     To save their country, sword in hand:\n     Tis money that betrays our land.\"\n\nThe king held meetings with the men of the court, and sometimes\nHouse-things with all his people, and consulted with them what\nthey should, in their opinion, undertake. \"We must not conceal from\nourselves,\" said he, \"that Canute will come here this summer; and that\nhe has, as ye all know, a large force, and we have at present but few\nmen to oppose to him; and, as matters now stand, we cannot depend much\non the fidelity of the country people.\" The king's men replied to his\nspeech in various ways; but it is said that Sigvat the skald replied\nthus, advising flight, as treachery, not cowardice, was the cause of\nit:--\n\n     \"We may well fly, when even our foe\n     Offers us money if we go.\n     I may be blamed, accused of fear;\n     But treachery, not faith, rules here.\n     Men may retire who long have shown\n     Their faith and love, and now alone\n     Retire because they cannot save--\n     This is no treachery in the brave.\"\n\n\n\n\n179. HAREK OF THJOTTA BURNS GRANKEL AND HIS MEN.\n\nThe same spring (A.D. 1028) it happened in Halogaland that Harek of\nThjotta remembered how Asmund Grankelson had plundered and beaten his\nhouse-servants. A cutter with twenty rowing-benches, which belonged\nto Harek, was afloat in front of the house, with tent and deck, and\nhe spread the report that he intended to go south to Throndhjem. One\nevening Harek went on board with his house-servants, about eighty men,\nwho rowed the whole night; and he came towards morning to Grankel's\nhouse, and surrounded it with his men. They then made an attack on the\nhouse, and set fire to it; and Grankel with his people were burnt, and\nsome were killed outside; and in all about thirty men lost their lives.\nAfter this deed Harek returned home, and sat quietly in his farm. Asmund\nwas with King Olaf when he heard of it; therefore there was nobody in\nHalogaland to sue Harek for mulct for this deed, nor did he offer any\nsatisfaction.\n\n\n\n\n180. KING CANUTE'S EXPEDITION TO NORWAY.\n\nCanute the Great collected his forces, and went to Limfjord. When he was\nready with his equipment he sailed from thence with his whole fleet to\nNorway; made all possible speed, and did not land to the eastward of\nthe Fjords, but crossed Folden, and landed in Agder, where he summoned a\nThing. The bondes came down from the upper country to hold a Thing with\nCanute, who was everywhere in that country accepted as king. Then he\nplaced men over the districts, and took hostages from the bondes, and\nno man opposed him. King Olaf was in Tunsberg when Canute's fleet sailed\nacross the mouth of the fjord. Canute sailed northwards along the coast,\nand people came to him from all the districts, and promised him fealty.\nHe lay a while in Egersund, where Erling Skjalgson came to him with many\npeople, and King Canute and Erling renewed their league of friendship.\nAmong other things, Canute promised Erling the whole country between\nStad and Rygiarbit to rule over. Then King Canute proceeded; and, to be\nshort in our tale, did not stop until he came to Throndhjem, and landed\nat Nidaros. In Throndhjem he called together a Thing for the eight\ndistricts, at which King Canute was chosen king of all Norway. Thorer\nHund, who had come with King Canute from Denmark, was there, and also\nHarek of Thjotta; and both were made sheriffs of the king, and took the\noath of fealty to him. King Canute gave them great fiefs, and also right\nto the Lapland trade, and presented them besides with great gifts. He\nenriched all men who were inclined to enter into friendly accord with\nhim both with fiefs and money, and gave them greater power than they had\nbefore.\n\n\n\n\n181. OF KING CANUTE.\n\nWhen King Canute had laid the whole of Norway trader his authority,\nhe called together a numerous Thing, both of his own people and of the\npeople of the country; and at it he made proclamation, that he made his\nrelation Earl Hakon the governor-in-chief of all the land in Norway\nthat he had conquered in this expedition. In like manner he led his son\nHardaknut to the high-seat at his side, gave him the title of king, and\ntherewith the whole Danish dominion. King Canute took as hostages from\nall lendermen and great bondes in Norway either their sons, brothers, or\nother near connections, or the men who were dearest to them and appeared\nto him most suitable; by which he, as before observed, secured their\nfidelity to him. As soon as Earl Hakon had attained this power in Norway\nhis brother-in-law, Einar Tambaskelfer, made an agreement with him, and\nreceived back all the fiefs he formerly had possessed while the earls\nruled the country. King Canute gave Einar great gifts, and bound him by\ngreat kindness to his interests; and promised that Einar should be the\ngreatest and most important man in Norway, among those who did not hold\nthe highest dignity, as long as he had power over the country. He added\nto this, that Einar appeared to him the most suitable man to hold the\nhighest title of honour in Norway if no earls remained, and his son\nEindride also, on account of his high birth. Einar placed a great value\non these promises, and, in return, promised the greatest fidelity.\nEinar's chiefship began anew with this.\n\n\n\n\n182. OF THORARIN LOFTUNGA.\n\nThere was a man by name Thorarin Loftunga, an Icelander by birth, and a\ngreat skald, who had been much with the kings and other great chiefs. He\nwas now with King Canute the Great, and had composed a flock, or short\npoem, in his praise. When the king heard of this he was very angry, and\nordered him to bring the next day a drapa, or long poem, by the time he\nwent to table; and if he failed to do so, said the king, \"he shall\nbe hanged for his impudence in composing such a small poem about King\nCanute.\" Thorarin then composed a stave as a refrain, which he inserted\nin the poem, and also augmented it with several other strophes or\nverses. This was the refrain:--\n\n     \"Canute protects his realm, as Jove,\n     Guardian of Greece, his realm above.\"\n\nKing Canute rewarded him for the poem with fifty marks of silver. The\npoem was called the \"Headransom\" (\"Hofudlausn\"). Thorarin composed\nanother poem about King Canute, which was called the \"Campaign Poem\"\n(\"Togdrapa\"); and therein he tells King Canute's expedition when he\nsailed from Denmark to Norway; and the following are strophes from one\nof the parts of this poem:--\n\n     \"Canute with all his men is out,\n     Under the heavens in war-ships stout,--\n     'Out on the sea, from Limfjord's green,\n     My good, my brave friend's fleet is seen.\n     The men of Adger on the coast\n     Tremble to see this mighty host:\n     The guilty tremble as they spy\n     The victor's fleet beneath the sky.\n\n     \"The sight surpasses far the tale,\n     As glacing in the sun they sail;\n     The king's ship glittering all with gold,\n     And splendour there not to be told.\n     Round Lister many a coal-black mast\n     Of Canute's fleet is gliding past.\n     And now through Eger sound they ride,\n     Upon the gently heaving tide.\n\n     \"And all the sound is covered o'er\n     With ships and sails, from shore to shore,\n     A mighty king, a mighty host,\n     Hiding the sea on Eger coast.\n     And peaceful men in haste now hie\n     Up Hiornagla-hill the fleet to spy,\n     As round the ness where Stad now lies\n     Each high-stemmed ship in splendour flies.\n\n     \"Nor seemed the voyage long, I trow,\n     To warrior on the high-built bow,\n     As o'er the ocean-mountains riding\n     The land and hill seem past him gliding.\n     With whistling breeze and flashing spray\n     Past Stein the gay ships dashed away;\n     In open sea, the southern gale\n     Filled every wide out-bellying sail.\n\n     \"Still on they fly, still northward go,\n     Till he who conquers every foe,\n     The mighty Canute, came to land,\n     Far in the north on Throndhjem's strand.\n     There this great king of Jutland race,\n     Whose deeds and gifts surpass in grace\n     All other kings, bestowed the throne\n     Of Norway on his sister's son.\n\n     \"To his own son he gave the crown\n     (This I must add to his renown)\n     Of Denmark--land of shadowy vales,\n     In which the white swan trims her sails.\"\n\nHere it is told that King Canute's expedition was grander than saga can\ntell; but Thorarin sang thus because he would pride himself upon being\none of King Canute's retinue when he came to Norway.\n\n\n\n\n183. OF THE MESSENGERS SENT BY KING OLAF FOR HIS SHIPS.\n\nThe men whom King Olaf had sent eastwards to Gautland after his ships\ntook with them the vessels they thought the best, and burnt the rest.\nThe ship-apparel and other goods belonging to the king and his men they\nalso took with them; and when they heard that King Canute had gone to\nNorway they sailed west through the Sound, and then north to Viken to\nKing Olaf, to whom they delivered his ships. He was then at Tunsberg.\nWhen King Olaf learnt that King Canute was sailing north along the\ncoast, King Olaf steered with his fleet into Oslo fjord, and into a\nbranch of it called Drafn, where he lay quiet until King Canute's fleet\nhad sailed southwards again. On this expedition which King Canute made\nfrom the North along the coast, he held a Thing in each district, and in\nevery Thing the country was bound by oath in fealty to him, and hostages\nwere given him. He went eastward across the mouths of the fjords to\nSarpsborg, and held a Thing there, and, as elsewhere, the country was\nsurrendered to him under oath of fidelity. King Canute then returned\nsouth to Denmark, after having conquered Norway without stroke of sword,\nand he ruled now over three kingdoms. So says Halvard Hareksblese when\nhe sang of King Canute:--\n\n     \"The warrior-king, whose blood-stain'd shield\n     Has shone on many a hard-fought field,\n     England and Denmark now has won,\n     And o'er three kingdoms rules alone.\n     Peace now he gives us fast and sure,\n     Since Norway too is made secure\n     By him who oft, in days of yore,\n     Glutted the hawk and wolf with gore.\"\n\n\n\n\n184. OF KING OLAF IN HIS PROCEEDINGS.\n\nKing Olaf sailed with his ships out to Tunsberg, as soon as he heard\nthat King Canute had turned back, and was gone south to Denmark. He then\nmade himself ready with the men who liked to follow him, and had then\nthirteen ships. Afterwards he sailed out along Viken; but got little\nmoney, and few men, as those only followed him who dwelt in islands, or\non outlying points of land. The king landed in such places, but got only\nthe money and men that fell in his way; and he soon perceived that the\ncountry had abandoned him. He proceeded on according to the winds. This\nwas in the beginning of winter (A.D. 1029). The wind turned very late in\nthe season in their favour, so that they lay long in the Seley islands,\nwhere they heard the news from the North, through merchants, who told\nthe king that Erling Skjalgson had collected a great force in Jadar, and\nthat his ship lay fully rigged outside of the land, together with many\nother vessels belonging to the bondes; namely, skiffs, fisher-yachts,\nand great row-boats. Then the king sailed with his fleet from the East,\nand lay a while in Egersund. Both parties heard of each other now, and\nErling assembled all the men he could.\n\n\n\n\n185. OF KING OLAF'S VOYAGE.\n\nOn Thomasmas, before Yule (Dec. 21), the king left the harbour as soon\nas day appeared. With a good but rather strong gale he sailed northwards\npast Jadar. The weather was rainy, with dark flying clouds in the sky.\nThe spies went immediately in through the Jadar country when the king\nsailed past it; and as soon as Erling heard that the king was sailing\npast from the East, he let the war-horn call all the people on board,\nand the whole force hastened to the ships, and prepared for battle. The\nking's ship passed by Jadar at a great rate; but thereafter turned\nin towards the land, intending to run up the fjords to gather men and\nmoney. Erling Skjalgson perceived this, and sailed after him with a\ngreat force and many ships. Swiftly their vessels flew, for they had\nnothing on board but men and arms: but Erling's ship went much faster\nthan the others; therefore he took in a reef in the sails, and waited\nfor the other vessels. Then the king saw that Erling with his fleet\ngained upon him fast; for the king's ships were heavily laden, and were\nbesides water-soaked, having been in the sea the whole summer, autumn,\nand winter, up to this time. He saw also that there would be a great\nwant of men, if he should go against the whole of Erling's fleet when it\nwas assembled. He hailed from ship to ship the orders to let the sails\ngently sink, and to unship the booms and outriggers, which was done.\nWhen Erling saw this he calls out to his people, and orders them to get\non more sail. \"Ye see,\" says he, \"that their sails are diminishing, and\nthey are getting fast away from our sight.\" He took the reef out of the\nsails of his ship, and outsailed all the others immediately; for Erling\nwas very eager in his pursuit of King Olaf.\n\n\n\n\n186. OF ERLING SKJALGSON'S FALL.\n\nKing Olaf then steered in towards the Bokn fjord, by which the ships\ncame out of sight of each other. Thereafter the king ordered his men\nto strike the sails, and row forwards through a narrow sound that was\nthere, and all the ships lay collected within a rocky point. Then all\nthe king's men put on their weapons. Erling sailed in through the sound,\nand observed nothing until the whole fleet was before him, and he saw\nthe king's men rowing towards him with all their ships at once. Erling\nand his crew let fall the sails, and seized their weapons; but the\nking's fleet surrounded his ship on all sides. Then the fight began, and\nit was of the sharpest; but soon the greatest loss was among Erling's\nmen. Erling stood on the quarter-deck of his ship. He had a helmet on\nhis head, a shield before him, and a sword in his hand. Sigvat the skald\nhad remained behind in Viken, and heard the tidings. He was a great\nfriend of Erling, had received presents from him, and had been at his\nhouse. Sigvat composed a poem upon Erling's fall, in which there is the\nfollowing verse:--\n\n     \"Erling has set his ship on sea--\n     Against the king away is he:\n     He who oft lets the eagle stain\n     Her yellow feet in blood of slain.\n     His little war-ship side by side\n     With the king's fleet, the fray will bide.\n     Now sword to sword the fight is raging,\n\n     Which Erling with the king is waging.\"\n\nThen Erling's men began to fall, and at the same moment his ship was\ncarried by boarding, and every man of his died in his place. The king\nhimself was amongst the foremost in the fray. So says Sigvat:--\n\n     \"The king's men hewed with hasty sword,--\n     The king urged on the ship to board,--\n     All o'er the decks the wounded lay:\n     Right fierce and bloody was that fray.\n     In Tungur sound, on Jadar shore,\n     The decks were slippery with red gore;\n     Warm blood was dropping in the sound,\n     Where the king's sword was gleaming round.\"\n\nSo entirely had Erling's men fallen, that not a man remained standing in\nhis ship but himself alone; for there was none who asked for quarter,\nor none who got it if he did ask. There was no opening for flight, for\nthere lay ships all around Erling's ship on every side, and it is told\nfor certain that no man attempted to fly; and Sigvat says:--\n\n     \"All Erling's men fell in the fray,\n     Off Bokn fjord, this hard-fought day.\n     The brave king boarded, onward cheered,\n     And north of Tungur the deck was cleared.\n     Erling alone, the brave, the stout,\n     Cut off from all, yet still held out;\n     High on the stern--a sight to see--\n     In his lone ship alone stood he.\"\n\nThen Erling was attacked both from the forecastle and from the other\nships. There was a large space upon the poop which stood high above the\nother ships, and which nobody could reach but by arrow-shot, or partly\nwith the thrust of spear, but which he always struck from him by\nparrying. Erling defended himself so manfully, that no example is known\nof one man having sustained the attack of so many men so long. Yet he\nnever tried to get away, nor asked for quarter. So says Sigvat:--\n\n     \"Skjalg's brave son no mercy craves,--\n     The battle's fury still he braves;\n     The spear-storm, through the air sharp singing,\n     Against his shield was ever ringing.\n     So Erling stood; but fate had willed\n     His life off Bokn should be spilled.\n     No braver man has, since his day,\n     Past Bokn fjord ta'en his way.\"\n\nWhen Olaf went back a little upon the fore-deck he saw Erling's\nbehaviour; and the king accosted him thus:--\"Thou hast turned against me\nto-day, Erling.\"\n\nHe replies, \"The eagle turns his claws in defence when torn asunder.\"\nSigvat the skald tells thus of these words of Erling:--\n\n     \"Erling, our best defence of old,--\n     Erling the brave, the brisk, the bold,--\n     Stood to his arms, gaily crying,\n     'Eagles should show their claws, though dying:'\n     The very words which once before\n     To Olaf he had said on shore,\n     At Utstein when they both prepared\n     To meet the foe, and danger shared.\"\n\nThen said the king, \"Wilt thou enter into my service, Erling?\"\n\n\"That I will,\" said he; took the helmet off his head, laid down his\nsword and shield, and went forward to the forecastle deck.\n\nThe king struck him in the chin with the sharp point of his battle-axe,\nand said, \"I shall mark thee as a traitor to thy sovereign.\"\n\nThen Aslak Fitiaskalle rose up, and struck Erling in the head with\nan axe, so that it stood fast in his brain, and was instantly his\ndeath-wound. Thus Erling lost his life.\n\nThe king said to Aslak, \"May all ill luck attend thee for that stroke;\nfor thou hast struck Norway out of my hands.\"\n\nAslak replied, \"It is bad enough if that stroke displease thee, for I\nthought it was striking Norway into thy hands; and if I have given thee\noffence, sire, by this stroke, and have thy ill-will for it, it will go\nbadly with me, for I will get so many men's ill-will and enmity for this\ndeed that I would need all your protection and favour.\"\n\nThe king replied that he should have it.\n\nThereafter the king ordered every man to return to his ship, and to get\nready to depart as fast as he could. \"We will not plunder the slain,\"\nsays he, \"and each man may keep what he has taken.\" The men returned\nto the ships and prepared themselves for the departure as quickly as\npossible; and scarcely was this done before the vessels of the bondes\nran in from the south into the sound. It went with the bonde-army as is\noften seen, that the men, although many in numbers, know not what to\ndo when they have experienced a check, have lost their chief, and\nare without leaders. None of Erling's sons were there, and the bondes\ntherefore made no attack, and the king sailed on his way northwards. But\nthe bondes took Erling's corpse, adorned it, and carried it with them\nhome to Sole, and also the bodies of all who had fallen. There was great\nlamentation over Erling; and it has been a common observation among\npeople, that Erling Skjalgson was the greatest and worthiest man in\nNorway of those who had no high title. Sigvat made these verses upon the\noccasion:--\n\n     \"Thus Erling fell--and such a gain\n     To buy with such a loss was vain;\n     For better man than he ne'er died,\n     And the king's gain was small beside.\n     In truth no man I ever knew\n     Was, in all ways, so firm and true;\n     Free from servility and pride,\n     Honoured by all, yet thus he died.\"\n\nSigvat also says that Aslak had very unthinkingly committed this murder\nof his own kinsman:--\n\n     \"Norway's brave defender's dead!\n     Aslak has heaped on his own head\n     The guilt of murdering his own kin:\n     May few be guilty of such sin!\n     His kinsman's murder on him lies--\n     Our forefathers, in sayings wise,\n     Have said, what is unknown to few,\n     'Kinsmen to kinsmen should be true.'\"\n\n\n\n\n187. OF THE INSURRECTION OF AGDER DISTRICT.\n\nOf Erling's sons some at that time were north in Throndhjem, some in\nHordaland, and some in the Fjord district, for the purpose of collecting\nmen. When Erling's death was reported, the news came also that there was\na levy raising in Agder, Hordaland, and Rogaland. Forces were raised and\na great army assembled, under Erling's sons, to pursue King Olaf.\n\nWhen King Olaf retired from the battle with Erling he went northward\nthrough the sounds, and it was late in the day. It is related that the\nking then made the following verses:--\n\n     \"This night, with battle sounds wild ringing,\n     Small joy to the fair youth is bringing\n     Who sits in Jadar, little dreaming\n     O'er what this night the raven's screaming.\n     The far-descended Erling's life\n     Too soon has fallen; but, in the strife\n     He met the luck they well deserve\n     Who from their faith and fealty swerve.\"\n\nAfterwards the king sailed with his fleet along the land northwards, and\ngot certain tidings of the bondes assembling an army. There were many\nchiefs and lendermen at this time with King Olaf, and all the sons of\nArne. Of this Bjarne Gullbrarskald speaks in the poem he composed about\nKalf Arnason:--\n\n     \"Kalf!  thou hast fought at Bokn well;\n     Of thy brave doings all men tell:\n     When Harald's son his men urged on\n     To the hard strife, thy courage shone.\n     Thou soon hadst made a good Yule feast\n     For greedy wolf there in the East:\n     Where stone and spear were flying round,\n     There thou wast still the foremost found.\n     The people suffered in the strife\n     When noble Erling lost his life,\n     And north of Utstein many a speck\n     Of blood lay black upon the deck.\n     The king, 'tis clear, has been deceived,\n     By treason of his land bereaved;\n     And Agder now, whose force is great.\n     Will rule o'er all parts of the state.\"\n\n\nKing Olaf continued his voyage until he came north of Stad, and brought\nup at the Herey Isles. Here he heard the news that Earl Hakon had a\ngreat war-force in Throndhjem, and thereupon the king held a council\nwith his people. Kalf Arnason urged much to advance to Throndhjem, and\nfight Earl Hakon, notwithstanding the difference of numbers. Many others\nsupported this advice, but others dissuaded from it, and the matter was\nleft to the king's judgment.\n\n\n\n\n188. DEATH OF ASLAK FITIASKALLE.\n\nAfterwards the king went into Steinavag, and remained there all night;\nbut Aslak Fitiaskalle ran into Borgund, where he remained the night,\nand where Vigleik Arnason was before him. In the morning, when Aslak was\nabout returning on board, Vigleik assaulted him, and sought to avenge\nErling's murder. Aslak fell there. Some of the king's court-men, who had\nbeen home all summer, joined the king here. They came from Frekeysund,\nand brought the king tidings that Earl Hakon, and many lendermen with\nhim, had come in the morning to Frekeysund with a large force; \"and they\nwill end thy days, sire, if they have strength enough.\" Now the king\nsent his men up to a hill that was near; and when they came to the top,\nand looked northwards to Bjarney Island, they perceived that a great\narmament of many ships was coming from the north, and they hastened back\nto the king with this intelligence. The king, who was lying there with\nonly twelve ships, ordered the war-horn to sound, the tents to be taken\ndown on his ships, and they took to their oars. When they were quite\nready, and were leaving the harbour, the bonde army sailed north around\nThiotande with twenty-five ships. The king then steered inside of Nyrfe\nIsland, and inside of Hundsver. Now when King Olaf came right abreast of\nBorgund, the ship which Aslak had steered came out to meet him, and when\nthey found the king they told him the tidings,--that Vigleik Arnason had\nkilled Aslak Fitiaskalle, because he had killed Erling Skjalgson. The\nking took this news very angrily, but could not delay his voyage on\naccount of the enemy and he sailed in by Vegsund and Skor. There some\nof his people left him; among others, Kalf Arnason, with many other\nlendermen and ship commanders, who all went to meet Earl Hakon. King\nOlaf, however, proceeded on his way without stopping until he came to\nTodar fjord, where he brought up at Valdal, and landed from his ship. He\nhad then five ships with him, which he drew up upon the shore, and took\ncare of their sails and materials. Then he set up his land-tent upon a\npoint of land called Sult, where there are pretty flat fields, and set\nup a cross near to the point of land. A bonde, by name Bruse, who dwelt\nthere in More, and was chief over the valley, came down to King Olaf,\ntogether with many other bondes, and received him well, and according\nto his dignity; and he was friendly, and pleased with their reception of\nhim. Then the king asked if there was a passable road up in the country\nfrom the valley to Lesjar; and Bruse replied, that there was an urd in\nthe valley called Skerfsurd not passable for man or beast. King Olaf\nanswers, \"That we must try, bonde, and it will go as God pleases. Come\nhere in the morning with your yoke, and come yourself with it, and let\nus then see. When we come to the sloping precipice, what chance there\nmay be, and if we cannot devise some means of coming over it with horses\nand people.\"\n\n\n\n\n189. CLEARING OF THE URD.\n\nNow when day broke the bondes drove down with their yokes, as the king\nhad told them. The clothes and weapons were packed upon horses, but the\nking and all the people went on foot. He went thus until he came to a\nplace called Krosbrekka, and when he came up upon the hill he rested\nhimself, sat down there a while, looked down over the fjord, and said,\n\"A difficult expedition ye have thrown upon my hands, ye lendermen, who\nhave now changed your fealty, although but a little while ago ye were my\nfriends and faithful to me.\" There are now two crosses erected upon\nthe bank on which the king sat. Then the king mounted a horse, and rode\nwithout stopping up the valley, until he came to the precipice. Then\nthe king asked Bruse if there was no summer hut of cattle-herds in the\nneighbourhood, where they could remain. He said there was. The king\nordered his land-tent to be set up, and remained there all night. In the\nmorning the king ordered them to drive to the urd, and try if they could\nget across it with the waggons. They drove there, and the king remained\nin the meantime in his tent. Towards evening the king's court-men and\nthe bondes came back, and told how they had had a very fatiguing labour,\nwithout making any progress, and that there never could be a road made\nthat they could get across: so they continued there the second night,\nduring which, for the whole night, the king was occupied in prayer. As\nsoon as he observed day dawning he ordered his men to drive again to the\nurd, and try once more if they could get across it with the waggons; but\nthey went very unwillingly, saying nothing could be gained by it. When\nthey were gone the man who had charge of the king's kitchen came,\nand said there were only two carcasses of young cattle remaining of\nprovision: \"Although you, sire, have 400 men, and there are 100 bondes\nbesides.\" Then the king ordered that he should set all the kettles on\nthe fire, and put a little bit of meat in each kettle, which was done.\nThen the king went there, and made the sign of the cross over each\nkettle, and told them to make ready the meat. The king then went to the\nurd called Skerfsurd, where a road should be cleared. When the king came\nall his people were sitting down, quite worn out with the hard labour.\nBruse said, \"I told you, sire, but you would not believe me, that we\ncould make nothing of this urd.\" The king laid aside his cloak, and told\nthem to go to work once more at the urd. They did so, and now twenty men\ncould handle stones which before 100 men could not move from the place;\nand thus before midday the road was cleared so well that it was as\npassable for men, and for horses with packs, as a road in the plain\nfields. The king, after this, went down again to where the meat was,\nwhich place is called Olaf's Rock. Near the rock is a spring, at which\nOlaf washed himself; and therefore at the present day, when the cattle\nin the valley are sick, their illness is made better by their drinking\nat this well. Thereafter the king sat down to table with all the others;\nand when he was satisfied he asked if there was any other sheeling on\nthe other side of the urd, and near the mountains, where they could pass\nthe night. Bruse said there was such a sheeling, called Groningar; but\nthat nobody could pass the night there on account of witchcraft, and\nevil beings who were in the sheeling. Then the king said they must get\nready for their journey, as he wanted to be at the sheeling for the\nnight. Then came the kitchen-master to the king, and tells that there\nwas come an extraordinary supply of provisions, and he did not know\nwhere it had come from, or how. The king thanked God for this blessing,\nand gave the bondes who drove down again to their valley some rations of\nfood, but remained himself all night in the sheeling. In the middle\nof the night, while the people were asleep, there was heard in the\ncattle-fold a dreadful cry, and these words: \"Now Olaf's prayers\nare burning me,\" says the spirit, \"so that I can no longer be in my\nhabitation; now must I fly, and never more come to this fold.\" When the\nking's people awoke in the morning the king proceeded to the mountains,\nand said to Bruse, \"Here shall now a farm be settled, and the bonde who\ndwells here shall never want what is needful for the support of life;\nand never shall his crop be destroyed by frost, although the crops be\nfrozen on the farms both above it and below it.\" Then the king proceeded\nover the mountains, and came to a farm called Einby, where he remained\nfor the night. King Olaf had then been fifteen years king of Norway\n(A.D. 1015-1029), including the year both he and Svein were in the\ncountry, and this year we have now been telling about. It was, namely,\na little past Yule when the king left his ships and took to the land, as\nbefore related. Of this portion of his reign the priest Are Thorgilson\nthe Wise was the first who wrote; and he was both faithful in his story,\nof a good memory, and so old a man that he could remember the men, and\nhad heard their accounts, who were so old that through their age they\ncould remember these circumstances as he himself wrote them in his\nbooks, and he named the men from whom he received his information.\nOtherwise it is generally said that King Olaf had been fifteen years\nking of Norway when he fell; but they who say so reckon to Earl Svein's\ngovernment, the last year he was in the country, for King Olaf lived\nfifteen years afterwards as king.\n\n\n\n\n190. OLAF'S PROPHECIES.\n\nWhen the king had been one night at Lesjar he proceeded on his journey\nwith his men, day by day; first into Gudbrandsdal, and from thence out\nto Redemark. Now it was seen who had been his friends, for they followed\nhim; but those who had served him with less fidelity separated from him,\nand some showed him even indifference, or even full hostility, which\nafterwards was apparent; and also it could be seen clearly in many\nUpland people that they took very ill his putting Thorer to death, as\nbefore related. King Olaf gave leave to return home to many of his\nmen who had farms and children to take care of; for it seemed to them\nuncertain what safety there might be for the families and property of\nthose who left the country with him. Then the king explained to his\nfriends his intention of leaving the country, and going first east into\nSvithjod, and there taking his determination as to where he should go;\nbut he let his friends know his intention to return to the country, and\nregain his kingdoms, if God should grant him longer life; and he did not\nconceal his expectation that the people of Norway would again return\nto their fealty to him. \"I think,\" says he, \"that Earl Hakon will have\nNorway but a short time under his power, which many will not think an\nextraordinary expectation, as Earl Hakon has had but little luck against\nme; but probably few people will trust to my prophecy, that Canute the\nGreat will in the course of a few years die, and his kingdoms vanish;\nand there will he no risings in favour of his race.\" When the king had\nended his speech, his men prepared themselves for their departure. The\nking, with the troop that followed him, turned east to Eid forest. And\nthere were along with him the Queen Astrid; their daughter Ulfhild;\nMagnus, King Olaf's son; Ragnvald Brusason; the three sons of Arne,\nThorberg, Fin, and Arne, with many lendermen; and the king's attendants\nconsisted of many chosen men. Bjorn the marshal got leave to go home,\nand he went to his farm, and many others of the king's friends returned\nhome with his permission to their farms. The king begged them to let him\nknow the events which might happen in the country, and which it might be\nimportant for him to know; and now the king proceeded on his way.\n\n\n\n\n191. KING OLAF PROCEEDS TO RUSSIA.\n\nIt is to be related of King Olaf's journey, that he went first from\nNorway eastward through Eid forest to Vermaland, then to Vatnsby, and\nthrough the forests in which there are roads, until he came out in\nNerike district. There dwelt a rich and powerful man in that part called\nSigtryg, who had a son, Ivar, who afterwards became a distinguished\nperson. Olaf stayed with Sigtryg all spring (A.D. 1029); and when summer\ncame he made ready for a journey, procured a ship for himself, and\nwithout stopping went on to Russia to King Jarisleif and his queen\nIngegerd; but his own queen Astrid, and their daughter Ulfhild, remained\nbehind in Svithjod, and the king took his son Magnus eastward with him.\nKing Jarisleif received King Olaf in the kindest manner, and made him\nthe offer to remain with him, and to have so much land as was necessary\nfor defraying the expense of the entertainment of his followers. King\nOlaf accepted this offer thankfully, and remained there. It is related\nthat King Olaf was distinguished all his life for pious habits, and\nzeal in his prayers to God. But afterwards, when he saw his own power\ndiminished, and that of his adversaries augmented, he turned all his\nmind to God's service; for he was not distracted by other thoughts, or\nby the labour he formerly had upon his hands, for during all the time he\nsat upon the throne he was endeavouring to promote what was most\nuseful: and first to free and protect the country from foreign chiefs'\noppressions, then to convert the people to the right faith; and also\nto establish law and the rights of the country, which he did by letting\njustice have its way, and punishing evil-doers.\n\n\n\n\n192. CAUSES OF THE REVOLT AGAINST KING OLAF.\n\nIt had been an old custom in Norway that the sons of lendermen, or other\ngreat men, went out in war-ships to gather property, and they marauded\nboth in the country and out of the country. But after King Olaf came\nto the sovereignty he protected the country, so that he abolished all\nplundering there; and even if they were the sons of powerful men who\ncommitted any depredation, or did what the king considered against law,\nhe did not spare them at all, but they must suffer in life or limbs; and\nno man's entreaties, and no offer of money-penalties, could help them.\nSo says Sigvat:--\n\n     \"They who on viking cruises drove\n     With gifts of red gold often strove\n     To buy their safety--but our chief\n     Had no compassion for the thief.\n     He made the bravest lose his head\n     Who robbed at sea, and pirates led;\n     And his just sword gave peace to all,\n     Sparing no robber, great or small.\"\n\nAnd he also says:--\n\n     \"Great king!  whose sword on many a field\n     Food to the wandering wolf did yield,\n     And then the thief and pirate band\n     Swept wholly off by sea and land--\n     Good king!  who for the people's sake\n     Set hands and feet upon a stake,\n     When plunderers of great name and bold\n     Harried the country as of old.\n     The country's guardian showed his might\n     When oft he made his just sword bite\n     Through many a viking's neck and hair,\n     And never would the guilty spare.\n     King Magnus' father, I must say,\n     Did many a good deed in his day.\n     Olaf the Thick was stern and stout,\n     Much good his victories brought out.\"\n\nHe punished great and small with equal severity, which appeared to\nthe chief people of the country too severe; and animosity rose to the\nhighest when they lost relatives by the king's just sentence, although\nthey were in reality guilty. This was the origin of the hostility of the\ngreat men of the country to King Olaf, that they could not bear his\njust judgments. He again would rather renounce his dignity than omit\nrighteous judgment. The accusation against him, of being stingy with his\nmoney, was not just, for he was a most generous man towards his friends;\nbut that alone was the cause of the discontent raised against him, that\nhe appeared hard and severe in his retributions. Besides, King Canute\noffered great sums of money, and the great chiefs were corrupted by\nthis, and by his offering them greater dignities than they had possessed\nbefore. The inclinations of the people, also, were all in favour of\nEarl Hakon, who was much beloved by the country folks when he ruled the\ncountry before.\n\n\n\n\n193. OF JOKUL BARDSON.\n\nEarl Hakon had sailed with his fleet from Throndhjem, and gone south to\nMore against King Olaf, as before related. Now when the king bore away,\nand ran into the fjord, the earl followed him thither; and then Kalf\nArnason came to meet him, with many of the men who had deserted King\nOlaf. Kalf was well received. The earl steered in through Todar fjord to\nValdal, where the king had laid up his ships on the strand. He took\nthe ships which belonged to the king, had them put upon the water and\nrigged, and cast lots, and put commanders in charge of them according to\nthe lots. There was a man called Jokul, who was an Icelander, a son of\nBard Jokulson of Vatnsdal; the lot fell upon Jokul to command the Bison,\nwhich King Olaf himself had commanded. Jokul made these verses upon\nit:--\n\n     \"Mine is the lot to take the helm\n     Which Olaf owned, who owned the realm;\n     From Sult King Olaf's ship to steer\n     (Ill luck I dread on his reindeer).\n     My girl will never hear the tidings,\n     Till o'er the wild wave I come riding\n     In Olaf's ship, who loved his gold,\n     And lost his ships with wealth untold.\"\n\nWe may here shortly tell what happened a long time after.--that this\nJokul fell in with King Olaf's men in the island of Gotland, and\nthe king ordered him to be taken out to be beheaded. A willow twig\naccordingly was plaited in with his hair, and a man held him fast by it.\nJokul sat down upon a bank, and a man swung the axe to execute him; but\nJokul hearing the sound, raised his head, and the blow struck him in\nthe head, and made a dreadful wound. As the king saw it would be his\ndeath-wound, he ordered them to let him lie with it. Jokul raised\nhimself up, and he sang:--\n\n     \"My hard fate I mourn,--\n     Alas! my wounds burn,\n     My red wounds are gaping,\n     My life-blood escaping.\n     My wounds burn sore;\n     But I suffer still more\n     From the king's angry word,\n     Than his sharp-biting sword.\"\n\n\n\n\n194. OF KALF ARNASON.\n\nKalf Arnason went with Earl Hakon north to Throndhjem, and the earl\ninvited him to enter into his service. Kalf said he would first go home\nto his farm at Eggja, and afterwards make his determination; and Kalf\ndid so. When he came home he found his wife Sigrid much irritated; and\nshe reckoned up all the sorrow inflicted on her, as she insisted, by\nKing Olaf. First, he had ordered her first husband Olver to be killed.\n\"And now since,\" says she, \"my two sons; and thou thyself, Kalf, wert\npresent when they were cut off, and which I little expected from thee.\"\nKalf says, it was much against his will that Thorer was killed. \"I\noffered money-penalty for him,\" says he; \"and when Grjotgard was killed\nI lost my brother Arnbjorn at the same time.\" She replies, \"It is well\nthou hast suffered this from the king; for thou mayest perhaps avenge\nhim, although thou wilt not avenge my injuries. Thou sawest how thy\nfoster-son Thorer was killed, with all the regard of the king for thee.\"\nShe frequently brought out such vexatious speeches to Kalf, to which he\noften answered angrily; but yet he allowed himself to be persuaded by\nher to enter into the earl's service, on condition of renewing his fiefs\nto him. Sigrid sent word to the earl how far she had brought the matter\nwith Kalf. As soon as the earl heard of it, he sent a message to\nKalf that he should come to the town to him. Kalf did not decline the\ninvitation, but came directly to Nidaros, and waited on the earl, who\nreceived him kindly. In their conversation it was fully agreed upon that\nKalf should go into the earl's service, and should receive great fiefs.\nAfter this Kalf returned home, and had the greater part of the interior\nof the Throndhjem country under him. As soon as it was spring Kalf\nrigged out a ship that belonged to him, and when she was ready he put\nto sea, and sailed west to England; for he had heard that in spring King\nCanute was to sail from Denmark to England, and that King Canute had\ngiven Harald, a son of Thorkel the High, an earldom in Denmark. Kalf\nArnason went to King Canute as soon as he arrived in England. Bjarne\nGullbrarskald tells of this:--\n\n     \"King Olaf eastward o'er the sea\n     To Russia's monarch had to flee;\n     Our Harald's brother ploughed the main,\n     And furrowed white its dark-blue plain.\n     Whilst thou--the truth I still will say,\n     Nor fear nor favour can me sway--\n     Thou to King Canute hastened fast,\n     As soon as Olaf's luck was past.\"\n\nNow when Kalf came to King Canute the king received him particularly\nwell, and had many conversations with him. Among other things, King\nCanute, in a conference, asked Kalf to bind himself to raise a warfare\nagainst King Olaf, if ever he should return to the country. \"And for\nwhich,\" says the king, \"I will give thee the earldom, and place thee\nto rule over Norway; and my relation Hakon shall come to me, which will\nsuit him better, for he is so honourable and trustworthy that I believe\nhe would not even throw a spear against the person of King Olaf if he\ncame back to the country.\" Kalf lent his ear to what the king proposed,\nfor he had a great desire to attain this high dignity; and this\nconclusion was settled upon between King Canute and Kalf. Kalf then\nprepared to return home, and on his departure he received splendid\npresents from King Canute. Bjarne the skald tells of these\ncircumstances:--\n\n     \"Sprung from old earls!--to England's lord\n     Thou owest many a thankful word\n     For many a gift: if all be true,\n     Thy interest has been kept in view;\n     For when thy course was bent for home,\n     (Although that luck is not yet come,)\n     'That Norway should be thine,' 'tis said,\n     The London king a promise made.\"\n\nKalf thereafter returned to Norway, and came to his farm.\n\n\n\n\n195. OF THE DEATH OF EARL HAKON.\n\nEarl Hakon left the country this summer (A.D. 1029), and went to\nEngland, and when he came there was well received by the king. The earl\nhad a bride in England, and he travelled to conclude this marriage, and\nas he intended holding his wedding in Norway, he came to procure those\nthings for it in England which it was difficult to get in Norway. In\nautumn he made ready for his return, but it was somewhat late before he\nwas clear for sea; but at last he set out. Of his voyage all that can\nbe told is, that the vessel was lost, and not a man escaped. Some relate\nthat the vessel was seen north of Caithness in the evening in a heavy\nstorm, and the wind blowing out of Pentland Firth. They who believe this\nreport say the vessel drove out among the breakers of the ocean; but\nwith certainty people knew only that Earl Hakon was missing in the\nocean, and nothing belonging to the ship ever came to land. The same\nautumn some merchants came to Norway, who told the tidings that were\ngoing through the country of Earl Hakon being missing; and all men\nknew that he neither came to Norway nor to England that autumn, so that\nNorway that winter was without a head.\n\n\n\n\n196. OF BJORN THE MARSHAL.\n\nBjorn the marshal sat at home on his farm after his parting from King\nOlaf. Bjorn was a celebrated man; therefore it was soon reported far and\nwide that he had set himself down in quietness. Earl Hakon and the other\nchiefs of the country heard this also, and sent persons with a verbal\nmessage to Bjorn. When the messengers arrived Bjorn received them well;\nand afterwards Bjorn called them to him to a conference, and asked their\nbusiness. He who was their foreman presented to Bjorn the salutations of\nKing Canute, Earl Hakon, and of several chiefs. \"King Canute,\" says he,\n\"has heard much of thee, and that thou hast been long a follower of King\nOlaf the Thick, and hast been a great enemy of King Canute; and this\nhe thinks not right, for he will be thy friend, and the friend of all\nworthy men, if thou wilt turn from thy friendship to King Olaf and\nbecome his enemy. And the only thing now thou canst do is to seek\nfriendship and protection there where it is most readily to be found,\nand which all men in this northern world think it most honourable to be\nfavoured with. Ye who have followed Olaf the Thick should consider how\nhe is now separated from you; and that now ye have no aid against King\nCanute and his men, whose lands ye plundered last summer, and whose\nfriends ye murdered. Therefore ye ought to accept, with thanks, the\nfriendship which the king offers you; and it would become you better if\nyou offered money even in mulct to obtain it.\"\n\nWhen he had ended his speech Bjorn replies, \"I wish now to sit quietly\nat home, and not to enter into the service of any chief.\"\n\nThe messenger answers, \"Such men as thou art are just the right men to\nserve the king; and now I can tell thee there are just two things for\nthee to choose,--either to depart in peace from thy property, and wander\nabout as thy comrade Olaf is doing; or, which is evidently better, to\naccept King Canute's and Earl Hakon's friendship, become their man,\nand take the oaths of fealty to them. Receive now thy reward.\" And he\ndisplayed to him a large bag full of English money.\n\nBjorn was a man fond of money, and self-interested; and when he saw\nthe silver he was silent, and reflected with himself what resolution he\nshould take. It seemed to him much to abandon his property, as he did\nnot think it probable that King Olaf would ever have a rising in his\nfavour in Norway. Now when the messenger saw that Bjorn's inclinations\nwere turned towards the money, he threw down two thick gold rings,\nand said, \"Take the money at once, Bjorn, and swear the oaths to King\nCanute; for I can promise thee that this money is but a trifle, compared\nto what thou wilt receive if thou followest King Canute.\"\n\nBy the heap of money, the fine promises, and the great presents, he was\nled by covetousness, took the money, went into King Canute's service,\nand gave the oaths of fealty to King Canute and Earl Hakon, and then the\nmessengers departed.\n\n\n\n\n197. BJORN THE MARSHAL'S JOURNEY.\n\nWhen Bjorn heard the tidings that Earl Hakon was missing he soon altered\nhis mind, and was much vexed with himself for having been a traitor in\nhis fidelity to King Olaf. He thought, now, that he was freed from the\noath by which he had bound himself to Earl Hakon. It seemed to Bjorn\nthat now there was some hope that King Olaf might again come to the\nthrone of Norway if he came back, as the country was without a head.\nBjorn therefore immediately made himself ready to travel, and took some\nmen with him. He then set out on his journey, travelling night and day,\non horseback when he could, and by ship when he found occasion; and\nnever halted until he came, after Yule, east to Russia to King Olaf, who\nwas very glad to see Bjorn. Then the king inquired much about the\nnews from Norway. Bjorn tells him that Earl Hakon was missing, and the\nkingdom left without a head. At this news the men who had followed\nKing Olaf were very glad,--all who had left property, connections, and\nfriends in Norway; and the longing for home was awakened in them. Bjorn\ntold King Olaf much news from Norway, and very anxious the king was to\nknow, and asked much how his friends had kept their fidelity towards\nhim. Bjorn answered, it had gone differently with different people.\n\nThen Bjorn stood up, fell at the king's feet, held his foot, and said,\n\"All is in your power, sire, and in God's! I have taken money from King\nCanute's men, and sworn them the oaths of fealty; but now will I follow\nthee, and not part from thee so long as we both live.\"\n\nThe king replies, \"Stand up, Bjorn' thou shalt be reconciled with me;\nbut reconcile thy perjury with God. I can see that but few men in Norway\nhave held fast by their fealty, when such men as thou art could be false\nto me. But true it is also that people sit in great danger when I am\ndistant, and they are exposed to the wrath of my enemies.\"\n\nBjorn then reckoned up those who had principally bound themselves to\nrise in hostility against the king and his men; and named, among others,\nErling's son in Jadar and their connections, Einar Tambaskelfer, Kalf\nArnason, Thorer Hund, and Harek of Thjotta.\n\n\n\n\n198. OF KING OLAF.\n\nAfter King Olaf came to Russia he was very thoughtful, and weighed what\ncounsel he now should follow. King Jarisleif and Queen Ingegerd offered\nhim to remain with them, and receive a kingdom called Vulgaria, which is\na part of Russia, and in which land the people were still heathen. King\nOlaf thought over this offer; but when he proposed it to his men they\ndissuaded him from settling himself there, and urged the king to betake\nhimself to Norway to his own kingdom: but the king himself had resolved\nalmost in his own mind to lay down his royal dignity, to go out into the\nworld to Jerusalem, or other holy places, and to enter into some order\nof monks. But yet the thought lay deep in his soul to recover again, if\nthere should be any opportunity for him, his kingdom in Norway. When\nhe thought over this, it recurred to his mind how all things had gone\nprosperously with him during the first ten years of his reign, and how\nafterwards every thing he undertook became heavy, difficult, and hard;\nand that he had been unlucky, on all occasions in which he had tried\nhis luck. On this account he doubted if it would be prudent to depend so\nmuch upon his luck, as to go with so little strength into the hands of\nhis enemies, seeing that all the people of the country had taken part\nwith them to oppose King Olaf. Such cares he had often on his mind, and\nhe left his cause to God, praying that He would do what to Him seemed\nbest. These thoughts he turned over in his mind, and knew not what to\nresolve upon; for he saw how evidently dangerous that was which his\ninclination was most bent upon.\n\n\n\n\n199. OF KING OLAF'S DREAM.\n\nOne night the king lay awake in his bed, thinking with great anxiety\nabout his determination, and at last, being tired of thinking, sleep\ncame over him towards morning; but his sleep was so light that he\nthought he was awake, and could see all that was doing in the house.\nThen he saw a great and superb man, in splendid clothes, standing by his\nbed; and it came into the king's mind that this was King Olaf Trygvason\nwho had come to him. This man said to him, \"Thou are very sick of\nthinking about thy future resolutions; and it appears to me wonderful\nthat these thoughts should be so tumultuous in thy soul that thou\nshouldst even think of laying down the kingly dignity which God hath\ngiven thee, and of remaining here and accepting of a kingdom from\nforeign and unknown kings. Go back rather to that kingdom which thou\nhast received in heritage, and rule over it with the strength which God\nhath given thee, and let not thy inferiors take it from thee. It is the\nglory of a king to be victorious over his enemies, and it is a glorious\ndeath to die in battle. Or art thou doubtful if thou hast right on thy\nside in the strife with thine enemies? Thou must have no doubts, and\nmust not conceal the truth from thyself. Thou must go back to thy\ncountry, and God will give open testimony that the kingdom is thine by\nproperty.\" When the king awoke he thought he saw the man's shoulders\ngoing out. From this time the king's courage rose, and he fixed firmly\nhis resolution to return to Norway; to which his inclination also\ntended most, and which he also found was the desire of all his men. He\nbethought himself also that the country being without a chief could be\neasily attacked, from what he had heard, and that after he came himself\nmany would turn back towards him. When the king told his determination\nto his people they all gave it their approbation joyfully.\n\n\n\n\n200. OF KING OLAF'S HEALING POWERS.\n\nIt is related that once upon a time, while King Olaf was in Russia, it\nhappened that the son of an honest widow had a sore boil upon his neck,\nof which the lad lay very ill; and as he could not swallow any food,\nthere was little hope of his life. The boy's mother went to Queen\nIngegerd, with whom she was acquainted, and showed her the lad. The\nqueen said she knew no remedy for it. \"Go,\" said she, \"to King Olaf, he\nis the best physician here; and beg him to lay his hands on thy lad, and\nbring him my words if he will not otherwise do it.\" She did as the queen\ntold her; and when she found the king she says to him that her son is\ndangerously ill of a boil in his neck, and begs him to lay his hand on\nthe boil. The king tells her he is not a physician, and bids her go to\nwhere there were physicians. She replies, that the queen had told her\nto come to him; \"and told me to add the request from her, that you would\nwould use the remedy you understood, and she said that thou art the best\nphysician here in the town.\" Then the king took the lad, laid his hands\nupon his neck, and felt the boil for a long time, until the boy made\na very wry face. Then the king took a piece of bread, laid it in the\nfigure of the cross upon the palm of his hand, and put it into the boy's\nmouth. He swallowed it down, and from that time all the soreness left\nhis neck, and in a few days he was quite well, to the great joy of his\nmother and all his relations. Then first came Olaf into the repute of\nhaving as much healing power in his hands as is ascribed to men who have\nbeen gifted by nature with healing by the touch; and afterwards when his\nmiracles were universally acknowledged, this also was considered one of\nhis miracles.\n\n\n\n\n201. KING OLAF BURNS THE WOOD SHAVINGS ON HIS HAND FOR HIS SABBATH BREACH.\n\nIt happened one Sunday that the king sat in his highseat at the dinner\ntable, and had fallen into such deep thought that he did not observe\nhow time went. In one hand he had a knife, and in the other a piece\nof fir-wood from which he cut splinters from time to time. The\ntable-servant stood before him with a bowl in his hands; and seeing what\nthe king was about, and that he was involved in thought, he said, \"It is\nMonday, sire, to-morrow.\" The king looked at him when he heard this,\nand then it came into his mind what he was doing on the Sunday. Then the\nking ordered a lighted candle to be brought him, swept together all the\nshavings he had made, set them on fire, and let them burn upon his\nnaked hand; showing thereby that he would hold fast by God's law and\ncommandment, and not trespass without punishment on what he knew to be\nright.\n\n\n\n\n202. OF KING OLAF.\n\nWhen King Olaf had resolved on his return home, he made known his\nintention to King Jarisleif and Queen Ingegerd. They dissuaded him\nfrom this expedition, and said he should receive as much power in their\ndominions as he thought desirable; but begged him not to put himself\nwithin the reach of his enemies with so few men as he had. Then King\nOlaf told them of his dream; adding, that he believed it to be God's\nwill and providence that it should be so. Now when they found he was\ndetermined on travelling to Norway, they offered him all the assistance\nto his journey that he would accept from them. The king thanked them\nin many fine words for their good will; and said that he accepted\nfrom them, with no ordinary pleasure, what might be necessary for his\nundertaking.\n\n\n\n\n203. OF KING OLAF'S JOURNEY FROM RUSSIA.\n\nImmediately after Yule (A.D. 1080), King Olaf made himself ready; and\nhad about 200 of his men with him. King Jarisleif gave him all the\nhorses, and whatever else he required; and when he was ready he set off.\nKing Jarisleif and Queen Ingegerd parted from him with all honour;\nand he left his son Magnus behind with the king. The first part of his\njourney, down to the sea-coast, King Olaf and his men made on the\nice; but as spring approached, and the ice broke up, they rigged their\nvessels, and when they were ready and got a wind they set out to sea,\nand had a good voyage. When Olaf came to the island of Gotland with\nhis ships he heard the news--which was told as truth, both in Svithjod,\nDenmark, and over all Norway--that Earl Hakon was missing, and Norway\nwithout a head. This gave the king and his men good hope of the issue\nof their journey. From thence they sailed, when the wind suited, to\nSvithjod, and went into the Maelar lake, to Aros, and sent men to\nthe Swedish King Onund appointing a meeting. King Onund received\nhis brother-in-law's message in the kindest manner, and went to him\naccording to his invitation. Astrid also came to King Olaf, with the\nmen who had attended her; and great was the joy on all sides at this\nmeeting. The Swedish king also received his brother-in-law King Olaf\nwith great joy when they met.\n\n\n\n\n204. OF THE LENDERMEN IN NORWAY.\n\nNow we must relate what, in the meantime, was going on in Norway. Thorer\nHund, in these two winters (A.D. 1029-1030), had made a Lapland journey,\nand each winter had been a long time on the mountains, and had gathered\nto himself great wealth by trading in various wares with the Laplanders.\nHe had twelve large coats of reindeer-skin made for him, with so much\nLapland witchcraft that no weapon could cut or pierce them any more than\nif they were armour of ring-mail, nor so much. The spring thereafter\nThorer rigged a long-ship which belonged to him, and manned it with his\nhouse-servants. He summoned the bondes, demanded a levy from the most\nnorthern Thing district, collected in this way a great many people,\nand proceeded with this force southwards. Harek of Thjotta had also\ncollected a great number of people; and in this expedition many\npeople of consequence took a part, although these two were the most\ndistinguished. They made it known publicly that with this war-force they\nwere going against King Olaf, to defend the country against him, in case\nhe should come from the eastward.\n\n\n\n\n205. OF EINAR TAMBASKELFER.\n\nEinar Tambaskelfer had most influence in the outer part of the\nThrondhjem country after Earl Hakon's death was no longer doubtful; for\nhe and his son Eindride appeared to be the nearest heirs to the movable\nproperty the earl had possessed. Then Einar remembered the promises and\noffers of friendship which King Canute had made him at parting; and\nhe ordered a good vessel which belonged to him to be got ready, and\nembarked with a great retinue, and when he was ready sailed southwards\nalong the coast, then set out to sea westwards, and sailed without\nstopping until he came to England. He immediately waited on King Canute,\nwho received him well and joyfully. Then Einar opened his business\nto the king, and said he was come there to see the fulfillment of the\npromises the king had made him; namely, that he, Einar, should have\nthe highest title of honour in Norway if Earl Hakon were no more. King\nCanute replies, that now the circumstances were altered. \"I have now,\"\nsaid he, \"sent men and tokens to my son Svein in Denmark, and promised\nhim the kingdom of Norway; but thou shalt retain my friendship, and get\nthe dignity and title which thou art entitled by birth to hold. Thou\nshalt be lenderman with great fiefs, and be so much more raised above\nother lendermen as thou art more able than they.\" Einar saw sufficiently\nhow matters stood with regard to his business, and got ready to return\nhome; but as he now knew the king's intentions, and thought it probable\nif King Olaf came from the East the country would not be very peaceable,\nit came into his mind that it would be better to proceed slowly, and not\nto be hastening his voyage, in order to fight against King Olaf, without\nhis being advanced by it to any higher dignity than he had before. Einar\naccordingly went to sea when he was ready; but only came to Norway after\nthe events were ended which took place there during that summer.\n\n\n\n\n206. OF THE CHIEF PEOPLE IN NORWAY.\n\nThe chiefs in Norway had their spies east in Svithjod, and south in\nDenmark, to find out if King Olaf had come from Russia. As soon as these\nmen could get across the country, they heard the news that King Olaf was\narrived in Svithjod; and as soon as full certainty of this was obtained,\nthe war message-token went round the land. The whole people were called\nout to a levy, and a great army was collected. The lendermen who were\nfrom Agder, Rogaland, and Hordaland, divided themselves, so that some\nwent towards the north, and some towards the east; for they thought they\nrequired people on both sides. Erling's sons from Jadar went eastward,\nwith all the men who lived east of them, and over whom they were chiefs;\nAslak of Finey, and Erlend of Gerde, with the lendermen north of them,\nwent towards the north. All those now named had sworn an oath to King\nCanute to deprive Olaf of life, if opportunity should offer.\n\n\n\n\n207. OF HARALD SIGURDSON'S PROCEEDINGS.\n\nNow when it was reported in Norway that King Olaf was come from the East\nto Svithjod, his friends gathered together to give him aid. The most\ndistinguished man in this flock was Harald Sigurdson, a brother of King\nOlaf, who then was fifteen years of age, very stout, and manly of growth\nas if he were full-grown. Many other brave men were there also; and\nthere were in all 600 men when they proceeded from the uplands, and went\neastward with their force through Eid forest to Vermaland. From thence\nthey went eastward through the forests to Svithjod and made inquiry\nabout King Olaf's proceedings.\n\n\n\n\n208. OF KING OLAF'S PROCEEDINGS IN SVITHJOD.\n\nKing Olaf was in Svithjod in spring (A.D. 1030), and had sent spies from\nthence to Norway. All accounts from that quarter agreed that there was\nno safety for him if he went there, and the people who came from the\nnorth dissuaded him much from penetrating into the country. But he had\nfirmly resolved within himself, as before stated, to go into Norway; and\nhe asked King Onund what strength King Onund would give him to conquer\nhis kingdom. King Onund replied, that the Swedes were little inclined\nto make an expedition against Norway. \"We know,\" says he, \"that the\nNorthmen are rough and warlike, and it is dangerous to carry hostility\nto their doors, but I will not be slow in telling thee what aid I can\ngive. I will give thee 400 chosen men from my court-men, active and\nwarlike, and well equipt for battle; and moreover will give thee leave\nto go through my country, and gather to thyself as many men as thou\ncanst get to follow thee.\" King Olaf accepted this offer, and got ready\nfor his march. Queen Astrid, and Ulfhild the king's daughter, remained\nbehind in Svithjod.\n\n\n\n\n209. KING OLAF ADVANCES TO JARNBERALAND.\n\nJust as King Olaf began his journey the men came to him whom the Swedish\nking had given, in all 400 men, and the king took the road the Swedes\nshowed him. He advanced upwards in the country to the forests, and came\nto a district called Jarnberaland. Here the people joined him who had\ncome out of Norway to meet him, as before related; and he met here his\nbrother Harald, and many other of his relations, and it was a joyful\nmeeting. They made out together 1200 men.\n\n\n\n\n210. OF DAG HRINGSON.\n\nThere was a man called Dag, who is said to have been a son of King\nHring, who fled the country from King Olaf. This Hring, it is said\nfurther, had been a son of Dag, and grandson of Hring, Harald Harfager's\nson. Thus was Dag King Olaf's relative. Both Hring the father, and Dag\nthe son, had settled themselves in Svithjod, and got land to rule over.\nIn spring, when Olaf came from the East to Svithjod, he sent a message\nto his relation Dag, that he should join him in this expedition with\nall the force he could collect; and if they gained the country of Norway\nagain, Dag should have no smaller part of the kingdom under him than\nhis forefathers had enjoyed. When this message came to Dag it suited his\ninclination well, for he had a great desire to go to Norway and get\nthe dominion his family had ruled over. He was not slow, therefore, to\nreply, and promised to come. Dag was a quick-speaking, quick-resolving\nman, mixing himself up in everything; eager, but of little\nunderstanding. He collected a force of almost 1200 men, with which he\njoined King Olaf.\n\n\n\n\n211. OF KING OLAF'S JOURNEY.\n\nKing Olaf sent a message before him to all the inhabited places he\npassed through, that the men who wished to get goods and money, and\nshare of booty, and the lands besides which now were in the hands of his\nenemies, should come to him, and follow him. Thereafter King Olaf led\nhis army through forests, often over desert moors, and often over large\nlakes; and they dragged, or carried the boats, from lake to lake. On\nthe way a great many followers joined the king, partly forest settlers,\npartly vagabonds. The places at which he halted for the night are since\ncalled Olaf's Booths. He proceeded without any break upon his journey\nuntil he came to Jamtaland, from which he marched north over the keel\nor ridge of the land. The men spread themselves over the hamlets, and\nproceeded, much scattered, so long as no enemy was expected; but always,\nwhen so dispersed, the Northmen accompanied the king. Dag proceeded with\nhis men on another line of march, and the Swedes on a third with their\ntroop.\n\n\n\n\n212. OF VAGABOND-MEN.\n\nThere were two men, the one called Gauka-Thorer, the other Afrafaste,\nwho were vagabonds and great robbers, and had a company of thirty men\nsuch as themselves. These two men were larger and stronger than other\nmen, and they wanted neither courage nor impudence. These men heard\nspeak of the army that was crossing the country, and said among\nthemselves it would be a clever counsel to go to the king, follow him to\nhis country, and go with him into a regular battle, and try themselves\nin this work; for they had never been in any battle in which people\nwere regularly drawn up in line, and they were curious to see the king's\norder of battle. This counsel was approved of by their comrades, and\naccordingly they went to the road on which King Olaf was to pass.\nWhen they came there they presented themselves to the king, with their\nfollowers, fully armed. They saluted him, and he asked what people they\nwere. They told their names, and said they were natives of the place;\nand told their errand, and that they wished to go with the king. The\nking said, it appeared to him there was good help in such folks. \"And I\nhave a great inclination,\" said he, \"to take such; but are ye Christian\nmen?\"\n\nGauka-Thorer replies, that he is neither Christian nor heathen. \"I and\nmy comrades have no faith but on ourselves, our strength, and the luck\nof victory; and with this faith we slip through sufficiently well.\"\n\nThe king replies, \"A great pity it is that such brave slaughtering\nfellows did not believe in Christ their Creator.\"\n\nThorer replies, \"Is there any Christian man, king, in thy following, who\nstands so high in the air as we two brothers?\"\n\nThe king told them to let themselves be baptized, and to accept the true\nfaith. \"Follow me then, and I will advance you to great dignities; but\nif ye will not do so, return to your former vocation.\"\n\nAfrafaste said he would not take on Christianity, and he turned away.\n\nThen said Gauka-Thorer, \"It is a great shame that the king drives\nus thus away from his army, and I never before came where I was not\nreceived into the company of other people, and I shall never return\nback on this account.\" They joined accordingly the rear with other\nforest-men, and followed the troops. Thereafter the king proceeded west\nup to the keel-ridge of the country.\n\n\n\n\n213. OF KING OLAF'S VISION.\n\nNow when King Olaf, coming from the east, went over the keel-ridge and\ndescended on the west side of the mountain, where it declines towards\nthe sea, he could see from thence far over the country. Many people rode\nbefore the king and many after, and he himself rode so that there was a\nfree space around him. He was silent, and nobody spoke to him, and thus\nhe rode a great part of the day without looking much about him. Then the\nbishop rode up to him, asked him why he was so silent, and what he was\nthinking of; for, in general, he was very cheerful, and very talkative\non a journey to his men, so that all who were near him were merry. The\nking replied, full of thought, \"Wonderful things have come into my mind\na while ago. As I just now looked over Norway, out to the west from the\nmountains, it came into my mind how many happy days I have had in that\nland. It appeared to me at first as if I saw over all the Throndhjem\ncountry, and then over all Norway; and the longer this vision was before\nmy eyes the farther, methought, I saw, until I looked over the whole\nwide world, both land and sea. Well I know the places at which I have\nbeen in former days; some even which I have only heard speak of, and\nsome I saw of which I had never heard, both inhabited and uninhabited,\nin this wide world.\" The bishop replied that this was a holy vision, and\nvery remarkable.\n\n\n\n\n214. OF THE MIRACLE ON THE CORN LAND.\n\nWhen the king had come lower down on the mountain, there lay a farm\nbefore him called Sula, on the highest part of Veradal district; and as\nthey came nearer to the house the corn-land appeared on both sides of\nthe path. The king told his people to proceed carefully, and not destroy\nthe corn to the bondes. The people observed this when the king was near;\nbut the crowd behind paid no attention to it, and the people ran over\nthe corn, so that it was trodden flat to the earth. There dwelt a bonde\nthere called Thorgeir Flek, who had two sons nearly grown up. Thorgeir\nreceived the king and his people well, and offered all the assistance in\nhis power. The king was pleased with his offer, and asked Thorgeir what\nwas the news of the country, and if any forces were assembled against\nhim. Thorgeir says that a great army was drawn together in the\nThrondhjem country, and that there were some lendermen both from the\nsouth of the country, and from Halogaland in the north; \"but I do not\nknow,\" says he. \"if they are intended against you, or going elsewhere.\"\nThen he complained to the king of the damage and waste done him by the\npeople breaking and treading down all his corn fields. The king said it\nwas ill done to bring upon him any loss. Then the king rode to where the\ncorn had stood, and saw it was laid flat on the earth; and he rode round\nthe field, and said, \"I expect, bonde, that God will repair thy loss, so\nthat the field, within a week, will be better;\" and it proved the best\nof the corn, as the king had said. The king remained all night there,\nand in the morning he made himself ready, and told Thorgeir the bonde\nto accompany him and Thorgear offered his two sons also for the journey;\nand although the king said that he did not want them with him, the lads\nwould go. As they would not stay behind, the king's court-men were about\nbinding them; but the king seeing it said, \"Let them come with us; the\nlads will come safe back again.\" And it was with the lads as the king\nforetold.\n\n\n\n\n215. OF THE BAPTISM OF THE VAGABOND FOREST-MEN.\n\nThereafter the army advanced to Staf, and when the king reached Staf's\nmoor he halted. There he got the certain information that the bondes\nwere advancing with an army against him, and that he might soon expect\nto have a battle with them. He mustered his force here, and, after\nreckoning them up, found there were in the army 900 heathen men, and\nwhen he came to know it he ordered them to allow themselves to be\nbaptized, saying that he would have no heathens with him in battle. \"We\nmust not,\" says he, \"put our confidence in numbers, but in God alone\nmust we trust; for through his power and favour we must be victorious,\nand I will not mix heathen people with my own.\" When the heathens heard\nthis, they held a council among themselves, and at last 400 men agreed\nto be baptized; but 500 men refused to adopt Christianity, and that\nbody returned home to their land. Then the brothers Gauka-Thorer and\nAfrafaste presented themselves to the king, and offered again to follow\nhim. The king asked if they had now taken baptism. Gauka-Thorer replied\nthat they had not. Then the king ordered them to accept baptism and the\ntrue faith, or otherwise to go away. They stepped aside to talk with\neach other on what resolution they should take. Afrafaste said, \"To give\nmy opinion, I will not turn back, but go into the battle, and take a\npart on the one side or the other; and I don't care much in which army\nI am.\" Gauka-Thorer replies, \"If I go into battle I will give my help to\nthe king, for he has most need of help. And if I must believe in a\nGod, why not in the white Christ as well as in any other? Now it is my\nadvice, therefore, that we let ourselves be baptized, since the king\ninsists so much upon it, and then go into the battle with him.\" They\nall agreed to this, and went to the king, and said they would receive\nbaptism. Then they were baptized by a priest, and the baptism was\nconfirmed by the bishop. The king then took them into the troop of his\ncourt-men, and said they should fight under his banner in the battle.\n\n\n\n\n216. KING OLAF'S SPEECH.\n\nKing Olaf got certain intelligence now that it would be but a short time\nuntil he had a battle with the bondes; and after he had mustered his\nmen, and reckoned up the force, he had more than 3000 men, which appears\nto be a great army in one field. Then the king made the following speech\nto the people: \"We have a great army, and excellent troops; and now I\nwill tell you, my men, how I will have our force drawn up. I will let\nmy banner go forward in the middle of the army, and my-court-men, and\npursuivants shall follow it, together with the war forces that joined\nus from the Uplands, and also those who may come to us here in the\nThrondhjem land. On the right hand of my banner shall be Dag Hringson,\nwith all the men he brought to our aid; and he shall have the second\nbanner. And on the left hand of our line shall the men be whom the\nSwedish king gave us, together with all the people who came to us in\nSweden; and they shall have the third banner. I will also have the\npeople divide themselves into distinct flocks or parcels, so that\nrelations and acquaintances should be together; for thus they defend\neach other best, and know each other. We will have all our men\ndistinguished by a mark, so as to be a field-token upon their helmets\nand shields, by painting the holy cross thereupon with white colour.\nWhen we come into battle we shall all have one countersign and\nfield-cry,--'Forward, forward, Christian men! cross men! king's men!'\nWe must draw up our meal in thinner ranks, because we have fewer people,\nand I do not wish to let them surround us with their men. Now let the\nmen divide themselves into separate flocks, and then each flock into\nranks; then let each man observe well his proper place, and take notice\nwhat banner he is drawn up under. And now we shall remain drawn up in\narray; and our men shall be fully armed, night and day, until we know\nwhere the meeting shall be between us and the bondes.\" When the king had\nfinished speaking, the army arrayed, and arranged itself according to\nthe king's orders.\n\n\n\n\n217. KING OLAF'S COUNSEL.\n\nThereafter the king had a meeting with the chiefs of the different\ndivisions, and then the men had returned whom the king had sent out into\nthe neighbouring districts to demand men from the bondes. They brought\nthe tidings from the inhabited places they had gone through, that all\naround the country was stripped of all men able to carry arms, as all\nthe people had joined the bondes' army; and where they did find any\nthey got but few to follow them, for the most of them answered that they\nstayed at home because they would not follow either party: they would\nnot go out against the king, nor yet against their own relations. Thus\nthey had got but few people. Now the king asked his men their counsel,\nand what they now should do. Fin Arnason answered thus to the king's\nquestion: \"I will say what should be done, if I may advise. We should\ngo with armed hand over all the inhabited places, plunder all the goods,\nand burn all the habitations, and leave not a hut standing, and thus\npunish the bondes for their treason against their sovereign. I think\nmany a man will then cast himself loose from the bondes' army, when he\nsees smoke and flame at home on his farm, and does not know how it is\ngoing with children, wives, or old men, fathers, mothers, and other\nconnections. I expect also,\" he added, \"that if we succeed in breaking\nthe assembled host, their ranks will soon be thinned; for so it is with\nthe bondes, that the counsel which is the newest is always the dearest\nto them all, and most followed.\" When Fin had ended his speech it met\nwith general applause; for many thought well of such a good occasion to\nmake booty, and all thought the bondes well deserved to suffer damage;\nand they also thought it probable, what Fin said, that many would in\nthis way be brought to forsake the assembled army of the bondes.\n\nNow when the king heard the warm expressions of his people he told\nthem to listen to him, and said, \"The bondes have well deserved that it\nshould be done to them as ye desire. They also know that I have formerly\ndone so, burning their habitations, and punishing them severely in many\nways; but then I proceeded against them with fire and sword because they\nrejected the true faith, betook themselves to sacrifices, and would not\nobey my commands. We had then God's honour to defend. But this treason\nagainst their sovereign is a much less grievous crime, although it does\nnot become men who have any manhood in them to break the faith and vows\nthey have sworn to me. Now, however, it is more in my power to spare\nthose who have dealt ill with me, than those whom God hated. I will,\ntherefore, that my people proceed gently, and commit no ravage. First,\nI will proceed to meet the bondes; if we can then come to a\nreconciliation, it is well; but if they will fight with us, then there\nare two things before us; either we fail in the battle, and then it will\nbe well advised not to have to retire encumbered with spoil and cattle;\nor we gain the victory, and then ye will be the heirs of all who fight\nnow against us; for some will fall, and others will fly, but both will\nhave forfeited their goods and properties, and then it will be good to\nenter into full houses and well-stocked farms; but what is burnt is of\nuse to no man, and with pillage and force more is wasted than what turns\nto use. Now we will spread out far through the inhabited places, and\ntake with us all the men we can find able to carry arms. Then men will\nalso capture cattle for slaughter, or whatever else of provision\nthat can serve for food; but not do any other ravage. But I will see\nwillingly that ye kill any spies of the bonde army ye may fall in with.\nDag and his people shall go by the north side down along the valley,\nand I will go on along the country road, and so we shall meet in the\nevening, and all have one night quarter.\"\n\n\n\n\n218. OF KING OLAF'S SKALDS.\n\nIt is related that when King Olaf drew up his men in battle order, he\nmade a shield rampart with his troop that should defend him in battle,\nfor which he selected the strongest and boldest. Thereafter he called\nhis skalds, and ordered them to go in within the shield defence. \"Ye\nshall.\" says the king, \"remain here, and see the circumstances which may\ntake place, and then ye will not have to follow the reports of others\nin what ye afterwards tell or sing concerning it.\" There were Thormod\nKolbrunarskald, Gissur Gulbraskald, a foster-son of Hofgardaref, and\nThorfin Mun. Then said Thormod to Gissur, \"Let us not stand so close\ntogether, brother, that Sigvat the skald should not find room when he\ncomes. He must stand before the king, and the king will not have it\notherwise.\" The king heard this, and said, \"Ye need not sneer at Sigvat,\nbecause he is not here. Often has he followed me well, and now he is\npraying for us, and that we greatly need.\" Thormod replies, \"It may be,\nsire, that ye now require prayers most; but it would be thin around the\nbanner-staff if all thy court-men were now on the way to Rome. True it\nwas what we spoke about, that no man who would speak with you could find\nroom for Sigvat.\"\n\nThereafter the skalds talked among themselves that it would be well to\ncompose a few songs of remembrance about the events which would soon be\ntaking place.\n\nThen Gissur sang:--\n\n     \"From me shall bende girl never hear\n     A thought of sorrow, care, or fear:\n     I wish my girl knew how gay\n     We arm us for our viking fray.\n     Many and brave they are, we know,\n     Who come against us there below;\n     But, life or death, we, one and all,\n     By Norway's king will stand or fall.\"\n\nAnd Thorfin Mun made another song, viz.:--\n\n     \"Dark is the cloud of men and shields,\n     Slow moving up through Verdal's fields:\n     These Verdal folks presume to bring\n     Their armed force against their king.\n     On!  let us feed the carrion crow,--\n     Give her a feast in every blow;\n     And, above all, let Throndhjem's hordes\n     Feel the sharp edge of true men's swords.\"\n\nAnd Thorrood sang:--\n\n     \"The whistling arrows pipe to battle,\n     Sword and shield their war-call rattle.\n     Up!  brave men, up!  the faint heart here\n     Finds courage when the danger's near.\n     Up!  brave men, up!  with Olaf on!\n     With heart and hand a field is won.\n     One viking cheer!--then, stead of words,\n     We'll speak with our death-dealing swords.\"\n\nThese songs were immediately got by heart by the army.\n\n\n\n\n219. OF KING OLAF'S GIFTS FOR THE SOULS OF THOSE WHO SHOULD BE     SLAIN.\n\nThereafter the king made himself ready, and marched down through the\nvalley. His whole forces took up their night-quarter in one place, and\nlay down all night under their shields; but as soon as day broke the\nking again put his army in order, and that being done they proceeded\ndown through the valley. Many bondes then came to the king, of whom the\nmost joined his army; and all, as one man, told the same tale,--that the\nlendermen had collected an enormous army, with which they intended to\ngive battle to the king.\n\nThe king took many marks of silver, and delivered them into the hands\nof a bonde, and said, \"This money thou shalt conceal, and afterwards lay\nout, some to churches, some to priests, some to alms-men,--as gifts\nfor the life and souls of those who fight against us, and may fall in\nbattle.\"\n\nThe bonde replies, \"Should you not rather give this money for the\nsoul-mulct of your own men?\"\n\nThe king says, \"This money shall be given for the souls of those who\nstand against us in the ranks of the bondes' army, and fall by the\nweapons of our own men. The men who follow us to battle, and fall\ntherein, will all be saved together with ourself.\"\n\n\n\n\n220. OF THORMOD KOLBRUNARSKALD.\n\nThis night the king lay with his army around him on the field, as before\nrelated, and lay long awake in prayer to God, and slept but little.\nTowards morning a slumber fell on him, and when he awoke daylight was\nshooting up. The king thought it too early to awaken the army, and asked\nwhere Thormod the skald was. Thormod was at hand, and asked what was the\nking's pleasure. \"Sing us a song,\" said the king. Thormod raised himself\nup, and sang so loud that the whole army could hear him. He began to\nsing the old \"Bjarkamal\", of which these are the first verses:--\n\n     \"The day is breaking,--\n     The house cock, shaking\n     His rustling wings,\n     While priest-bell rings,\n     Crows up the morn,\n     And touting horn\n     Wakes thralls to work and weep;\n     Ye sons of Adil, cast off sleep,\n     Wake up!  wake up!\n     Nor wassail cup,\n     Nor maiden's jeer,\n     Awaits you here.\n     Hrolf of the bow!\n     Har of the blow!\n     Up in your might!  the day is breaking;\n     'Tis Hild's game (1) that bides your waking.\"\n\nThen the troops awoke, and when the song was ended the people thanked\nhim for it; and it pleased many, as it was suitable to the time and\noccasion, and they called it the house-carle's whet. The king thanked\nhim for the pleasure, and took a gold ring that weighed half a mark and\ngave it him. Thormod thanked the king for the gift, and said, \"We have a\ngood king; but it is not easy to say how long the king's life may be. It\nis my prayer, sire, that thou shouldst never part from me either in\nlife or death.\" The king replies, \"We shall all go together so long as I\nrule, and as ye will follow me.\"\n\nThormod says, \"I hope, sire, that whether in safety or danger I may\nstand near you as long as I can stand, whatever we may hear of Sigvat\ntravelling with his gold-hilted sword.\" Then Thormod made these lines:--\n\n     \"To thee, my king, I'll still be true,\n     Until another skald I view,\n     Here in the field with golden sword,\n     As in thy hall, with flattering word.\n     Thy skald shall never be a craven,\n     Though he may feast the croaking raven,\n     The warrior's fate unmoved I view,--\n     To thee, my king, I'll still be true.\"\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) Hild's game is the battle, from the name of the\nwar-goddess     Hild.--L.\n\n\n\n\n221. KING OLAF COMES TO STIKLESTAD.\n\nKing Olaf led his army farther down through the valley, and Dag and\nhis men went another way, and the king did not halt until he came to\nStiklestad. There he saw the bonde army spread out all around; and there\nwere so great numbers that people were going on every footpath, and\ngreat crowds were collected far and near. They also saw there a troop\nwhich came down from Veradal, and had been out to spy. They came so\nclose to the king's people that they knew each other. It was Hrut of\nViggia, with thirty men. The king ordered his pursuivants to go out\nagainst Hrut, and make an end of him, to which his men were instantly\nready. The king said to the Icelanders, \"It is told me that in Iceland\nit is the custom that the bondes give their house-servants a sheep to\nslaughter; now I give you a ram to slaughter.\" (1) The Icelanders were\neasily invited to this, and went out immediately with a few men against\nHrut, and killed him and the troop that followed him. When the king\ncame to Stiklestad he made a halt, and made the army stop, and told his\npeople to alight from their horses and get ready for battle; and the\npeople did as the king ordered. Then he placed his army in battle array,\nand raised his banner. Dag was not yet arrived with his men, so that his\nwing of the battle array was wanting. Then the king said the Upland\nmen should go forward in their place, and raise their banner there. \"It\nappears to me advisable,\" says the king, \"that Harald my brother should\nnot be in the battle, for he is still in the years of childhood only.\"\nHarald replies, \"Certainly I shall be in the battle, for I am not so\nweak that I cannot handle the sword; and as to that, I have a notion\nof tying the sword-handle to my hand. None is more willing than I am to\ngive the bondes a blow; so I shall go with my comrades.\" It is said that\nHarald made these lines:--\n\n     \"Our army's wing, where I shall stand,\n     I will hold good with heart and hand;\n     My mother's eye shall joy to see\n     A battered, blood-stained shield from me.\n     The brisk young skald should gaily go\n     Into the fray, give blow for blow,\n     Cheer on his men, gain inch by inch,\n     And from the spear-point never flinch.\"\n\nHarald got his will, and was allowed to be in the battle.\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) Hrut means a young ram.--L.\n\n\n\n\n222. OF THORGILS HALMASON.\n\nA bonde, by name Thorgils Halmason, father to Grim the Good, dwelt in\nStiklestad farm. Thorgils offered the king his assistance, and was ready\nto go into battle with him. The king thanked him for the offer. \"I would\nrather,\" says the king, \"thou shouldst not be in the fight. Do us rather\nthe service to take care of the people who are wounded, and to bury\nthose who may fall, when the battle is over. Should it happen, bonde,\nthat I fall in this battle, bestow the care on my body that may be\nnecessary, if that be not forbidden thee.\" Thorgils promised the king\nwhat he desired.\n\n\n\n\n223. OLAF'S SPEECH.\n\nNow when King Olaf had drawn up his army in battle array he made a\nspeech, in which he told the people to raise their spirit, and go boldly\nforward, if it came to a battle. \"We have,\" says he, \"many men, and\ngood; and although the bondes may have a somewhat larger force than\nwe, it is fate that rules over victory. This I will make known to you\nsolemnly, that I shall not fly from this battle, but shall either be\nvictorious over the bondes, or fall in the fight. I will pray to\nGod that the lot of the two may befall me which will be most to my\nadvantage. With this we may encourage ourselves, that we have a more\njust cause than the bondes; and likewise that God must either protect\nus and our cause in this battle, or give us a far higher recompense for\nwhat we may lose here in the world than what we ourselves could ask.\nShould it be my lot to have anything to say after the battle, then shall\nI reward each of you according to his service, and to the bravery he\ndisplays in the battle; and if we gain the victory, there must be land\nand movables enough to divide among you, and which are now in the hands\nof your enemies. Let us at the first make the hardest onset, for then\nthe consequences are soon seen. There being a great difference in the\nnumbers, we have to expect victory from a sharp assault only; and,\non the other hand, it will be heavy work for us to fight until we are\ntired, and unable to fight longer; for we have fewer people to relieve\nwith than they, who can come forward at one time and retreat and rest\nat another. But if we advance so hard at the first attack that those who\nare foremost in their ranks must turn round, then the one will fall over\nthe other, and their destruction will be the greater the greater numbers\nthere are together.\" When the king had ended his speech it was received\nwith loud applause, and the one encouraged the other.\n\n\n\n\n224. OF THORD FOLASON.\n\nThord Folason carried King Olaf's banner. So says Sigvat the skald,\nin the death-song which he composed about King Olaf, and put together\naccording to resurrection saga:--\n\n     \"Thord. I have heard, by Olaf's side,\n     Where raged the battle's wildest tide,\n     Moved on, and, as by one accord\n     Moved with them every heart and sword.\n     The banner of the king on high,\n     Floating all splendid in the sky\n     From golden shaft, aloft he bore,--\n     The Norsemen's rallying-point of yore.\"\n\n\n\n\n225. OF KING OLAF'S ARMOUR.\n\nKing Olaf was armed thus:--He had a gold-mounted helmet on his head; and\nhad in one hand a white shield, on which the holy cross was inlaid in\ngold. In his other hand he had a lance, which to the present day stands\nbeside the altar in Christ Church. In his belt he had a sword, which was\ncalled Hneiter, which was remarkably sharp, and of which the handle was\nworked with gold. He had also a strong coat of ring-mail. Sigvat the\nskald, speaks of this:--\n\n     \"A greater victory to gain,\n     Olaf the Stout strode o'er the plain\n     In strong chain armour, aid to bring\n     To his brave men on either wing.\n     High rose the fight and battle-heat,--\n     the clear blood ran beneath the feet\n     Of Swedes, who from the East came there,\n     In Olaf's gain or loss to share.\"\n\n\n\n\n226. KING OLAF'S DREAM.\n\nNow when King Olaf had drawn up his men the army of the bondes had not\nyet come near upon any quarter, so the king said the people should sit\ndown and rest themselves. He sat down himself, and the people sat around\nhim in a widespread crowd. He leaned down, and laid his head upon Fin\nArnason's knee. There a slumber came upon him, and he slept a little\nwhile; but at the same time the bondes' army was seen advancing with\nraised banners, and the multitude of these was very great.\n\nThen Fin awakened the king, and said that the bonde-army advanced\nagainst them.\n\nThe king awoke, and said, \"Why did you waken me, Fin, and did not allow\nme to enjoy my dream?\"\n\nFin: \"Thou must not be dreaming; but rather thou shouldst be awake, and\npreparing thyself against the host which is coming down upon us; or,\ndost thou not see that the whole bonde-crowd is coming?\"\n\nThe king replies, \"They are not yet so near to us, and it would have\nbeen better to have let me sleep.\"\n\nThen said Fin, \"What was the dream, sire, of which the loss appears\nto thee so great that thou wouldst rather have been left to waken of\nthyself?\"\n\nNow the king told his dream,--that he seemed to see a high ladder,\nupon which he went so high in the air that heaven was open: for so high\nreached the ladder. \"And when you awoke me, I was come to the highest\nstep towards heaven.\"\n\nFin replies, \"This dream does not appear to me so good as it does to\nthee. I think it means that thou art fey (1); unless it be the mere want\nof sleep that has worked upon thee.\"\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) Fey means doomed to die.\n\n\n\n\n227. OF ARNLJOT GELLINE'S BAPTISM.\n\nWhen King Olaf was arrived at Stiklestad, it happened, among other\ncircumstances, that a man came to him; and although it was nowise\nwonderful that there came many men from the districts, yet this must be\nregarded as unusual, that this man did not appear like the other men\nwho came to him. He was so tall that none stood higher than up to his\nshoulders: very handsome he was in countenance, and had beautiful fair\nhair. He was well armed; had a fine helmet, and ring armour; a red\nshield; a superb sword in his belt; and in his hand a gold-mounted\nspear, the shaft of it so thick that it was a handful to grasp. The man\nwent before the king, saluted him, and asked if the king would accept\nhis services.\n\nThe king asked his name and family, also what countryman he was.\n\nHe replies, \"My family is in Jamtaland and Helsingjaland, and my name is\nArnljot Gelline; but this I must not forget to tell you, that I came to\nthe assistance of those men you sent to Jamtaland to collect scat, and I\ngave into their hands a silver dish, which I sent you as a token that I\nwould be your friend.\"\n\nThen the king asked Arnljot if he was a Christian or not. He replied,\n\"My faith has been this, to rely upon my power and strength, and which\nfaith hath hitherto given me satisfaction; but now I intend rather to\nput my faith, sire, in thee.\"\n\nThe king replies, \"If thou wilt put faith in me thou must also put faith\nin what I will teach thee. Thou must believe that Jesus Christ has made\nheaven and earth, and all mankind, and to him shall all those who are\ngood and rightly believing go after death.\"\n\nArnljot answers, \"I have indeed heard of the white Christ, but neither\nknow what he proposes, nor what he rules over; but now I will believe\nall that thou sayest to me, and lay down my lot in your hands.\"\n\nThereupon Arnljot was baptized. The king taught him so much of the holy\nfaith as appeared to him needful, and placed him in the front rank of\nthe order of battle, in advance of his banner, where also Gauka-Thorer\nand Afrafaste, with their men, were.\n\n\n\n\n228. CONCERNING THE ARMY COLLECTED IN NORWAY.\n\nNow shall we relate what we have left behind in our tale,--that the\nlendermen and bondes had collected a vast host as soon as it was\nreported that King Olaf was come from Russia, and had arrived in\nSvithjod; but when they heard that he had come to Jamtaland, and\nintended to proceed westwards over the keel-ridge to Veradal, they\nbrought their forces into the Throndhjem country, where they gathered\ntogether the whole people, free and unfree, and proceeded towards\nVeradal with so great a body of men that there was nobody in Norway at\nthat time who had seen so large a force assembled. But the force, as\nit usually happens in so great a multitude, consisted of many different\nsorts of people. There were many lendermen, and a great many powerful\nbondes; but the great mass consisted of labourers and cottars. The chief\nstrength of this army lay in the Throndhjem land, and it was the most\nwarm in enmity and opposition to the king.\n\n\n\n\n229. OF BISHOP SIGURD.\n\nWhen King Canute had, as before related, laid all Norway under his\npower, he set Earl Hakon to manage it, and gave the earl a court-bishop,\nby name Sigurd, who was of Danish descent, and had been long with\nKing Canute. This bishop was of a very hot temper, and particularly\nobstinate, and haughty in his speech; but supported King Canute all he\ncould in conversation, and was a great enemy of King Olaf. He was now\nalso in the bondes' army, spoke often before the people, and urged them\nmuch to insurrection against King Olaf.\n\n\n\n\n230. BISHOP SIGURD'S SPEECH.\n\nAt a House-thing, at which a great many people were assembled, the\nbishop desired to be heard, and made the following speech: \"Here are\nnow assembled a great many men, so that probably there will never be\nopportunity in this poor country of seeing so great a native army;\nbut it would be desirable if this strength and multitude could be a\nprotection; for it will all be needed, if this Olaf does not give over\nbringing war and strife upon you. From his very earliest youth he has\nbeen accustomed to plunder and kill: for which purposes he drove widely\naround through all countries, until he turned at last against this,\nwhere he began to show hostilities against the men who were the best and\nmost powerful; and even against King Canute, whom all are bound to serve\naccording to their ability, and in whose scat-lands he set himself down.\nHe did the same to Olaf the Swedish king. He drove the earls Svein and\nHakon away from their heritages; and was even most tyrannical towards\nhis own connections, as he drove all the kings out of the Uplands:\nalthough, indeed, it was but just reward for having been false to their\noaths of fealty to King Canute, and having followed this King Olaf in\nall the folly he could invent; so their friendship ended according\nto their deserts, by this king mutilating some of them, taking their\nkingdoms himself, and ruining every man in the country who had an\nhonourable name. Ye know yourselves how he has treated the lendermen, of\nwhom many of the worthlest have been murdered, and many obliged to fly\nfrom their country; and how he has roamed far and wide through the land\nwith robber-bands, burning and plundering houses, and killing people.\nWho is the man among us here of any consideration who has not some great\ninjury from him to avenge? Now he has come hither with a foreign troop,\nconsisting mostly of forest-men, vagabonds, and such marauders. Do ye\nthink he will now be more merciful to you, when he is roaming about with\nsuch a bad crew, after committing devastations which all who followed\nhim dissuaded him from? Therefore it is now my advice, that ye remember\nKing Canute's words when he told you, if King Olaf attempted to return\nto the country ye should defend the liberty King Canute had promised\nyou, and should oppose and drive away such a vile pack. Now the only\nthing to be done is to advance against them, and cast forth these\nmalefactors to the wolves and eagles, leaving their corpses on the spot\nthey cover, unless ye drag them aside to out-of-the-way corners in\nthe woods or rocks. No man would be so imprudent as to remove them to\nchurches, for they are all robbers and evil-doers.\" When he had ended\nhis speech it was hailed with the loudest applause, and all unanimously\nagreed to act according to his recommendation.\n\n\n\n\n231. OF THE LENDERMEN.\n\nThe lendermen who had come together appointed meetings with each other,\nand consulted together how they should draw up their troops, and who\nshould be their leader. Kalf Arnason said that Harek of Thjotta was best\nfitted to be the chief of this army, for he was descended from Harald\nHarfager's race. \"The king also is particularly enraged against him on\naccount of the murder of Grankel, and therefore he would be exposed to\nthe severest fate if Olaf recovered the kingdom; and Harek withal is a\nman experienced in battles, and a man who does much for honour alone.\"\n\nHarek replies, that the men are best suited for this who are in the\nflower of their age. \"I am now,\" says he, \"an old and decaying man, not\nable to do much in battle: besides, there is near relationship between\nme and King Olaf; and although he seems not to put great value upon that\ntie, it would not beseem me to go as leader of the hostilities against\nhim, before any other in this meeting. On the other hand, thou, Thorer,\nart well suited to be our chief in this battle against King Olaf; and\nthou hast distinct grounds for being so, both because thou hast to\navenge the death of thy relation, and also hast been driven by him as an\noutlaw from thy property. Thou hast also promised King Canute, as well\nas thy connections, to avenge the murder of thy relative Asbjorn; and\ndost thou suppose there ever will be a better opportunity than this of\ntaking vengeance on Olaf for all these insults and injuries?\"\n\nThorer replies thus to his speech: \"I do not confide in myself so much\nas to raise the banner against King Olaf, or, as chief, to lead on\nthis army; for the people of Throndhjem have the greatest part in this\narmament, and I know well their haughty spirit, and that they would not\nobey me, or any other Halogaland man, although I need not be reminded of\nmy injuries to be roused to vengeance on King Olaf. I remember well my\nheavy loss when King Olaf slew four men, all distinguished both by birth\nand personal qualities; namely, my brother's son Asbjorn, my sister's\nsons Thorer and Grjotgard, and their father Olver; and it is my duty\nto take vengeance for each man of them. I will not conceal that I have\nselected eleven of my house-servants for that purpose, and of those who\nare the most daring; and I do not think we shall be behind others in\nexchanging blows with King Olaf, should opportunity be given.\"\n\n\n\n\n232. KALF ARNASON'S SPEECH.\n\nThen Kalf Arnason desired to speak. \"It is highly necessary,\" says\nhe, \"that this business we have on hand do not turn out a mockery and\nchild-work, now that an army is collected. Something else is needful, if\nwe are to stand battle with King Olaf, than that each should shove the\ndanger from himself; for we must recollect that although King Olaf has\nnot many people compared to this army of ours, the leader of them is\nintrepid, and the whole body of them will be true to him, and obedient\nin the battle. But if we who should be the leaders of this army show any\nfear, and will not encourage the army and go at the head of it, it must\nhappen that with the great body of our people the spirit will leave\ntheir hearts, and the next thing will be that each will seek his own\nsafety. Although we have now a great force assembled, we shall find our\ndestruction certain, when we meet King Olaf and his troops, if we, the\nchiefs of the people, are not confident in our cause, and have not the\nwhole army confidently and bravely going along with us. If it cannot\nbe so, we had better not risk a battle; and then it is easy to see that\nnothing would be left us but to shelter ourselves under King Olaf's\nmercy, however hard it might be, as then we would be less guilty than we\nnow may appear to him to be. Yet I know there are men in his ranks who\nwould secure my life and peace if I would seek it. Will ye now adopt my\nproposal--then shalt thou, friend Thorer, and thou, Harek, go under the\nbanner which we will all of us raise up, and then follow. Let us all be\nspeedy and determined in the resolution we have taken, and put ourselves\nso at the head of the bondes' army that they see no distrust in us; for\nthen will the common man advance with spirit when we go merrily to work\nin placing the army in battle-order, and in encouraging the people to\nthe strife.\"\n\nWhen Kalf had ended they all concurred in what he proposed, and all\nwould do what Kalf thought of advantage. All desired Kalf to be the\nleader of the army, and to give each what place in it he chose.\n\n\n\n\n233. HOW THE LENDERMEN SET UP THEIR BANNERS.\n\nKalf Arnason then raised his banner, and drew up his house-servants\nalong with Harek of Thjotta and his men. Thorer Hund, with his troop,\nwas at the head of the order of battle in front of the banner; and on\nboth sides of Thorer was a chosen body of bondes, all of them the most\nactive and best armed in the forces. This part of the array was long\nand thick, and in it were drawn up the Throndhjem people and the\nHalogalanders. On the right wing was another array; and on the left of\nthe main array were drawn up the men from Rogaland, Hordaland, the Fjord\ndistricts, and Scgn, and they had the third banner.\n\n\n\n\n234. OF THORSTEIN KNARRARSMID.\n\nThere was a man called Thorstein Knarrarsmid, who was a merchant and\nmaster ship-carpenter, stout and strong, very passionate, and a great\nmanslayer. He had been in enmity against King Olaf, who had taken from\nhim a new and large merchant-vessel he had built, on account of some\nmanslaughter-mulct, incurred in the course of his misdeeds, which he\nowed to the king. Thorstein, who was with the bondes' army, went forward\nin front of the line in which Thorer Hund stood, and said, \"Here I will\nbe, Thorer, in your ranks; for I think, if I and King Olaf meet, to be\nthe first to strive a weapon at him, if I can get so near, to repay him\nfor the robbery of the ship he took from me, which was the best that\never went on merchant voyage.\" Thorer and his men received Thorstein,\nand he went into their ranks.\n\n\n\n\n235. OF THE PREPARATIONS OF THE BONDES.\n\nWhen the bondes' men and array were drawn up the lendermen addressed\nthe men, and ordered them to take notice of the place to which each man\nbelonged, under which banner each should be, who there were in front\nof the banner, who were his side-men, and that they should be brisk and\nquick in taking up their places in the array; for the army had still\nto go a long way, and the array might be broken in the course of march.\nThen they encouraged the people; and Kalf invited all the men who had\nany injury to avenge on King Olaf to place themselves under the banner\nwhich was advancing against King Olaf's own banner. They should remember\nthe distress he had brought upon them; and, he said, never was there a\nbetter opportunity to avenge their grievances, and to free themselves\nfrom the yoke and slavery he had imposed on them. \"Let him,\" says he,\n\"be held a useless coward who does not fight this day boldly; and they\nare not innocents who are opposed to you, but people who will not spare\nyou if ye spare them.\"\n\nKalf's speech was received with loud applause, and shouts of\nencouragement were heard through the whole army.\n\n\n\n\n236. OF THE KING'S AND THE BONDES' ARMIES.\n\nThereafter the bondes' army advanced to Stiklestad, where King Olaf was\nalready with his people. Kalf and Harek went in front, at the head of\nthe army under their banners. But the battle did not begin immediately\non their meeting; for the bondes delayed the assault, because all their\nmen were not come upon the plain, and they waited for those who came\nafter them. Thorer Hund had come up with his troop the last, for he had\nto take care that the men did not go off behind when the battlecry was\nraised, or the armies were closing with each other; and therefore Kalf\nand Harek waited for Thorer. For the encouragement of their men in the\nbattle the bondes had the field-cry--\"Forward, forward, bondemen!\"\nKing Olaf also made no attack, for he waited for Dag and the people who\nfollowed him. At last the king saw Dag and his men approaching. It is\nsaid that the army of the bondes was not less on this day than a hundred\ntimes a hundred men. Sigvat the skald speaks thus of the numbers:--\n\n     \"I grieve to think the king had brought\n     Too small a force for what he sought:\n     He held his gold too fast to bring\n     The numbers that could make him king.\n     The foemen, more than two to one,\n     The victory by numbers won;\n     And this alone, as I've heard say,\n     Against King Olaf turned the day.\"\n\n\n\n\n237. MEETING OF THE KING AND THE BONDES.\n\nAs the armies on both sides stood so near that people knew each other,\nthe king said, \"Why art thou here, Kalf, for we parted good friends\nsouth in More? It beseems thee ill to fight against us, or to throw a\nspear into our army; for here are four of thy brothers.\"\n\nKalf replied, \"Many things come to pass differently from what may appear\nseemly. You parted from us so that it was necessary to seek peace with\nthose who were behind in the country. Now each must remain where he\nstands; but if I might advise, we should be reconciled.\"\n\nThen Fin, his brother, answered, \"This is to be observed of Kalf, that\nwhen he speaks fairly he has it in his mind to do ill.\"\n\nThe king answered, \"It may be, Kalf, that thou art inclined to\nreconciliation; but, methinks, the bondes do not appear so peaceful.\"\n\nThen Thorgeir of Kviststad said, \"You shall now have such peace as many\nformerly have received at your hands, and which you shall now pay for.\"\n\nThe king replies, \"Thou hast no occasion to hasten so much to meet us;\nfor fate has not decreed to thee to-day a victory over me, who raised\nthee to power and dignity from a mean station.\"\n\n\n\n\n238. BEGINNING OF THE BATTLE OF STIKLESTAD.\n\nNow came Thorer Hund, went forward in front of the banner with his\ntroop, and called out, \"Forward, forward, bondemen!\" Thereupon the\nbondemen raised the war-cry, and shot their arrows and spears. The\nking's men raised also a war-shout; and that done, encouraged each other\nto advance, crying out, \"Forward, forward, Christ-men! cross-men! king's\nmen!\" When the bondes who stood outermost on the wings heard it, they\nrepeated the same cry; but when the other bondes heard them they thought\nthese were king's men, turned their arms against them, and they fought\ntogether, and many were slain before they knew each other. The weather\nwas beautiful, and the sun shone clear; but when the battle began the\nheaven and the sun became red, and before the battle ended it became as\ndark as at night. King Olaf had drawn up his army upon a rising ground,\nand it rushed down from thence upon the bonde-army with such a fierce\nassault, that the bondes' array went before it; so that the breast of\nthe king's array came to stand upon the ground on which the rear of the\nbondes' array had stood, and many of the bondes' army were on the way\nto fly, but the lendermen and their house-men stood fast, and the battle\nbecame very severe. So says Sigvat:--\n\n     \"Thundered the ground beneath their tread,\n     As, iron-clad, thick-tramping, sped\n     The men-at-arms, in row and rank,\n     Past Stiklestad's sweet grassy bank.\n     The clank of steel, the bowstrings' twang,\n     The sounds of battle, loudly rang;\n     And bowman hurried on advancing,\n     Their bright helms in the sunshine glancing.\"\n\nThe lendermen urged their men, and forced them to advance. Sigvat speaks\nof this:--\n\n     \"Midst in their line their banner flies,\n     Thither the stoutest bonde hies:\n     But many a bonde thinks of home,\n     And many wish they ne'er had come.\"\n\nThen the bonde-army pushed on from all quarters. They who stood in front\nhewed down with their swords; they who stood next thrust with their\nspears; and they who stood hindmost shot arrows, cast spears, or threw\nstones, hand-axes, or sharp stakes. Soon there was a great fall of men\nin the battle. Many were down on both sides. In the first onset fell\nArnljot Gelline, Gauka-Thorer, and Afrafaste, with all their men, after\neach had killed a man or two, and some indeed more. Now the ranks in\nfront of the king's banner began to be thinned, and the king ordered\nThord to carry the banner forward, and the king himself followed it with\nthe troop he had chosen to stand nearest to him in battle; and these\nwere the best armed men in the field, and the most expert in the use of\ntheir weapons. Sigvat the skald tells of this:--\n\n     \"Loud was the battle-storm there,\n     Where the king's banner flamed in air.\n     The king beneath his banner stands,\n     And there the battle he commands.\"\n\nOlaf came forth from behind the shield-bulwark, and put himself at the\nhead of the army; and when the bondes looked him in the face they were\nfrightened, and let their hands drop. So says Sigvat:--\n\n     \"I think I saw them shrink with fear\n     Who would not shrink from foeman's spear,\n     When Olaf's lion-eye was cast\n     On them, and called up all the past.\n     Clear as the serpent's eye--his look\n     No Throndhjem man could stand, but shook\n     Beneath its glance, and skulked away,\n     Knowing his king, and cursed the day.\"\n\nThe combat became fierce, and the king went forward in the fray. So says\nSigvat:--\n\n     \"When on they came in fierce array,\n     And round the king arose the fray,\n     With shield on arm brave Olaf stood,\n     Dyeing his sword in their best blood.\n     For vengeance on his Throndhjem foes,\n     On their best men he dealt his blows;\n     He who knew well death's iron play,\n     To his deep vengeance gave full sway.\"\n\n\n\n\n239. THORGEIR OF KVISTSTAD'S FALL.\n\nKing Olaf fought most desperately. He struck the lenderman before\nmentioned (Thorgeir of Kviststad) across the face, cut off the\nnose-piece of his helmet, and clove his head down below the eyes so\nthat they almost fell out. When he fell the king said, \"Was it not true,\nThorgeir, what I told thee, that thou shouldst not be victor in our\nmeeting?\" At the same instant Thord stuck the banner-pole so fast in the\nearth that it remained standing. Thord had got his death-wound, and\nfell beneath the banner. There also fell Thorfin Mun, and also Gissur\nGullbrarskald, who was attacked by two men, of whom he killed one, but\nonly wounded the other before he fell. So says Hofgardaref:--\n\n     \"Bold in the Iron-storm was he,\n     Firm and stout as forest tree,\n     The hero who, 'gainst two at once,\n     Made Odin's fire from sword-edge glance;\n     Dealing a death-blow to the one,\n     Known as a brave and generous man,\n     Wounding the other, ere he fell,--\n     His bloody sword his deeds showed well.\"\n\nIt happened then, as before related, that the sun, although the air was\nclear, withdrew from the sight, and it became dark. Of this Sigvat the\nskald speaks:--\n\n     \"No common wonder in the sky\n     Fell out that day--the sun on high,\n     And not a cloud to see around,\n     Shone not, nor warmed Norway's ground.\n     The day on which fell out this fight\n     Was marked by dismal dusky light,\n     This from the East I heard--the end\n     Of our great king it did portend.\"\n\nAt the same time Dag Hringson came up with his people, and began to\nput his men in array, and to set up his banner; but on account of the\ndarkness the onset could not go on so briskly, for they could not see\nexactly whom they had before them. They turned, however, to that\nquarter where the men of Hordaland and Rogaland stood. Many of these\ncircumstances took place at the same time, and some happened a little\nearlier, and some a little later.\n\n\n\n\n240. KING OLAF'S FALL.\n\nOn the one side of Kalf Arnason stood his two relations, Olaf and Kalf,\nwith many other brave and stout men. Kalf was a son of Arnfin Arnmodson,\nand a brother's son of Arne Arnmodson. On the other side of Kalf Arnason\nstood Thorer Hund. King Olaf hewed at Thorer Hund, and struck him across\nthe shoulders; but the sword would not cut, and it was as if dust flew\nfrom his reindeer-skin coat. So says Sigvat:--\n\n     \"The king himself now proved the power\n     Of Fin-folk's craft in magic hour,\n     With magic song; for stroke of steel\n     Thor's reindeer coat would never feel,\n     Bewitched by them it turned the stroke\n     Of the king's sword,--a dust-like smoke\n     Rose from Thor's shoulders from the blow\n     Which the king though would end his foe.\"\n\nThorer struck at the king, and they exchanged some blows; but the king's\nsword would not cut where it met the reindeer skin, although Thorer was\nwounded in the hands. Sigvat sang thus of it:--\n\n     \"Some say that Thorer's not right bold;\n     Why never yet have I been told\n     Of one who did a bolder thing\n     Than to change blows with his true king.\n     Against his king his sword to wield,\n     Leaping across the shield on shield\n     Which fenced the king round in the fight,\n     Shows the dog's (1) courage--brave, not bright.\"\n\nThe king said to Bjorn the marshal, \"Do thou kill the dog on whom steel\nwill not bite.\" Bjorn turned round the axe in his hands, and gave Thorer\na blow with the hammer of it on the shoulder so hard that he tottered.\nThe king at the same moment turned against Kalf and his relations, and\ngave Olaf his death-wound. Thorer Hund struck his spear right through\nthe body of Marshal Bjorn, and killed him outright; and Thorer said, \"It\nis thus we hunt the bear.\" (2) Thorstein Knarrarsmid struck at King Olaf\nwith his axe, and the blow hit his left leg above the knee. Fin Arnason\ninstantly killed Thorstein. The king after the wound staggered towards\na stone, threw down his sword, and prayed God to help him. Then Thorer\nHund struck at him with his spear, and the stroke went in under his\nmail-coat and into his belly. Then Kalf struck at him on the left side\nof the neck. But all are not agreed upon Kalf having been the man who\ngave him the wound in the neck. These three wounds were King Olaf's\ndeath; and after the king's death the greater part of the forces which\nhad advanced with him fell with the king. Bjarne Gullbrarskald sang\nthese verses about Kalf Arnason:--\n\n     \"Warrior!  who Olaf dared withstand,\n     Who against Olaf held the land,\n     Thou hast withstood the bravest, best,\n     Who e'er has gone to his long rest.\n     At Stiklestad thou wast the head;\n     With flying banners onwards led\n     Thy bonde troops, and still fought on,\n     Until he fell--the much-mourned one.\"\n\nSigvat also made these verses on Bjorn:--\n\n     \"The marshal Bjorn, too, I find,\n     A great example leaves behind,\n     How steady courage should stand proof,\n     Though other servants stand aloof.\n     To Russia first his steps he bent,\n     To serve his master still intent;\n     And now besides his king he fell,--\n     A noble death for skalds to tell.\"\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) Thorer's name was Hund--the dog; and a play upon Thorer\n     Hund's name was intended by the skald.--L.\n    (2) Bjorn, the marshal's name, signifies a bear.--L.\n\n\n\n\n241. BEGINNING OF DAG HRINGSON'S ATTACK.\n\nDag Hringson still kept up the battle, and made in the beginning so\nfierce an assault that the bondes gave way, and some betook themselves\nto flight. There a great number of the bondes fell, and these lendermen,\nErlend of Gerde and Aslak of Finey; and the banner also which they\nhad stood under was cut down. This onset was particularly hot, and was\ncalled Dag's storm. But now Kalf Arnason, Harek of Thjotta, and Thorer\nHund turned against Dag, with the array which had followed them, and\nthen Dag was overwhelmed with numbers; so he betook himself to flight\nwith the men still left him. There was a valley through which the main\nbody of the fugitives fled, and men lay scattered in heaps on both\nsides; and many were severely wounded, and many so fatigued that they\nwere fit for nothing. The bondes pursued only a short way; for their\nleaders soon returned back to the field of battle, where they had their\nfriends and relations to look after.\n\n\n\n\n242. KING OLAF'S MIRACLE SHOWN TO THORER HUND.\n\nThorer Hund went to where King Olaf's body lay, took care of it, laid\nit straight out on the ground, and spread a cloak over it. He told since\nthat when he wiped the blood from the face it was very beautiful; and\nthere was red in the cheeks, as if he only slept, and even much clearer\nthan when he was in life. The king's blood came on Thorer's hand, and\nran up between his fingers to where he had been wounded, and the\nwound grew up so speedily that it did not require to be bound up. This\ncircumstance was testified by Thorer himself when King Olaf's holiness\ncame to be generally known among the people; and Thorer Hund was among\nthe first of the king's powerful opponents who endeavoured to spread\nabroad the king's sanctity.\n\n\n\n\n243. OF KALF ARNASON'S BROTHERS.\n\nKalf Arnason searched for his brothers who had fallen, and found\nThorberg and Fin. It is related that Fin threw his dagger at him, and\nwanted to kill him, giving him hard words, and calling him a faithless\nvillain, and a traitor to his king. Kalf did not regard it, but ordered\nFin and Thorberg to be carried away from the field. When their wounds\nwere examined they were found not to be deadly, and they had fallen from\nfatigue, and under the weight of their weapons. Thereafter Kalf tried to\nbring his brothers down to a ship, and went himself with them. As\nsoon as he was gone the whole bonde-army, having their homes in the\nneighbourhood, went off also, excepting those who had friends or\nrelations to look after, or the bodies of the slain to take care of. The\nwounded were taken home to the farms, so that every house was full of\nthem; and tents were erected over some. But wonderful as was the number\ncollected in the bonde-army, no less wonderful was the haste with which\nthis vast body was dispersed when it was once free; and the cause of\nthis was, that the most of the people gathered together from the country\nplaces were longing for their homes.\n\n\n\n\n244. OF THE BONDES OF VERADAL.\n\nThe bondes who had their homes in Veradal went to the chiefs Harek and\nThorer, and complained of their distress, saying, \"The fugitives who\nhave escaped from the battle have proceeded up over the valley of\nVeradal, and are destroying our habitations, and there is no safety for\nus to travel home so long as they are in the valley. Go after them with\nwar-force, and let no mother's son of them escape with life; for that is\nwhat they intended for us if they had got the upper hand in the battle,\nand the same they would do now if they met us hereafter, and had better\nluck than we. It may also be that they will linger in the valley if they\nhave nothing to be frightened for, and then they would not proceed very\ngently in the inhabited country.\" The bondes made many words about this,\nurging the chiefs to advance directly, and kill those who had escaped.\nNow when the chiefs talked over this matter among themselves, they\nthought there was much truth in what the bondes said. They resolved,\ntherefore, that Thorer Hund should undertake this expedition through\nVeradal, with 600 men of his own troops. Then, towards evening, he set\nout with his men; and Thorer continued his march without halt until he\ncame in the night to Sula, where he heard the news that Dag Hringson had\ncome there in the evening, with many other flocks of the king's men, and\nhad halted there until they took supper, but were afterwards gone up\nto the mountains. Then Thorer said he did not care to pursue them up\nthrough the mountains, and he returned down the valley again, and they\ndid not kill many of them this time. The bondes then returned to their\nhomes, and the following day Thorer, with his people, went to their\nships. The part of the king's men who were still on their legs concealed\nthemselves in the forests, and some got help from the people.\n\n\n\n\n245. OF THE KING'S BROTHER, HARALD SIGURDSON.\n\nHarald Sigurdson was severely wounded; but Ragnvald Brusason brought him\nto a bonde's the night after the battle, and the bonde took in Harald,\nand healed his wound in secret, and afterwards gave him his son to\nattend him. They went secretly over the mountains, and through the waste\nforests, and came out in Jamtaland. Harald Sigurdson was fifteen years\nold when King Olaf fell. In Jamtaland Harald found Ragnvald Brusason;\nand they went both east to King Jarisleif in Russia, as is related in\nthe Saga of Harald Sigurdson.\n\n\n\n\n246. OF THORMOD KOLBRUNARSKALD.\n\nThormod Kolbrunarskald was under King Olaf's banner in the battle; but\nwhen the king had fallen, the battle was raging so that of the king's\nmen the one fell by the side of the other, and the most of those who\nstood on their legs were wounded. Thormod was also severely wounded, and\nretired, as all the others did, back from where there was most danger of\nlife, and some even fled. Now when the onset began which is called Dag's\nstorm, all of the king's men who were able to combat went there; but\nThormod did not come into that combat, being unable to fight, both from\nhis wound and from weariness, but he stood by the side of his comrade in\nthe ranks, although he could do nothing. There he was struck by an arrow\nin the left side; but he broke off the shaft of the arrow, went out of\nthe battle, and up towards the houses, where he came to a barn which\nwas a large building. Thormod had his drawn sword in his hand; and as he\nwent in a man met him, coming out, and said, \"It is very bad there with\nhowling and screaming; and a great shame it is that brisk young fellows\ncannot bear their wounds: it may be that the king's men have done\nbravely to-day, but they certainly bear their wounds very ill.\"\n\nThormod asks. \"What is thy name?\"\n\nHe called himself Kimbe.\n\nThormod: \"Wast thou in the battle, too?\"\n\n\"I was with the bondes, which was the best side,\" says he.\n\n\"And art thou wounded any way?\" says Thormod.\n\n\"A little,\" said Kimbe. \"And hast thou been in the battle too?\"\n\nThormod replied, \"I was with them who had the best.\"\n\n\"Art thou wounded?\" says Kimbe.\n\n\"Not much to signify,\" replies Thormod.\n\nAs Kimbe saw that Thormod had a gold ring on his arm, he said, \"Thou art\ncertainly a king's man. Give me thy gold ring, and I will hide thee. The\nbondes will kill thee if thou fallest in their way.\"\n\nThormod says, \"Take the ring if thou canst get it: I have lost that\nwhich is more worth.\"\n\nKimbe stretched out his hand, and wanted to take the ring; but Thormod,\nswinging his sword, cut off his hand; and it is related that Kimbe\nbehaved himself no better under his wound than those he had been blaming\njust before. Kimbe went off, and Thormod sat down in the barn, and\nlistened to what people were saying. The conversation was mostly\nabout what each had seen in the battle, and about the valour of the\ncombatants. Some praised most King Olaf's courage, and some named\nothers who stood nowise behind him in bravery. Then Thormod sang these\nverses:--\n\n     \"Olaf was brave beyond all doubt,--\n     At Stiklestad was none so stout;\n     Spattered with blood, the king, unsparing,\n     Cheered on his men with deed and daring.\n     But I have heard that some were there\n     Who in the fight themselves would spare;\n     Though, in the arrow-storm, the most\n     Had perils quite enough to boast.\"\n\n\n\n\n247. THORMOD'S DEATH.\n\nThormod went out, and entered into a chamber apart, in which there were\nmany wounded men, and with them a woman binding their wounds. There was\nfire upon the floor, at which she warmed water to wash and clean their\nwounds. Thormod sat himself down beside the door, and one came in, and\nanother went out, of those who were busy about the wounded men. One\nof them turned to Thormod, looked at him, and said, \"Why art thou so\ndead-pale? Art thou wounded? Why dost thou not call for the help of the\nwound-healers?\" Thormod then sang these verses:--\n\n     \"I am not blooming, and the fair\n     And slender girl loves to care\n     For blooming youths--few care for me;\n     With Fenja's meal I cannot fee.\n     This is the reason why I feel\n     The slash and thrust of Danish steel;\n     And pale and faint, and bent with pain,\n     Return from yonder battle-plain.\"\n\nThen Thormod stood up and went in towards the fire, and stood there\nawhile. The young woman said to him, \"Go out, man, and bring in some of\nthe split firewood which lies close beside the door.\" He went out and\nbrought in an armful of wood, which he threw down upon the floor. Then\nthe nurse-girl looked him in the face, and said, \"Dreadfully pale is\nthis man--why art thou so?\" Then Thormod sang:--\n\n     \"Thou wonderest, sweet sprig, at me,\n     A man so hideous to see:\n     Deep wounds but rarely mend the face,\n     The crippling blow gives little grace.\n     The arrow-drift o'ertook me, girl,--\n     A fine-ground arrow in the whirl\n     Went through me, and I feel the dart\n     Sits, lovely girl, too near my heart.\"\n\nThe girl said, \"Let me see thy wound, and I will bind it.\" Thereupon\nThormod sat down, cast off his clothes, and the girl saw his wounds, and\nexamined that which was in his side, and felt that a piece of iron was\nin it, but could not find where the iron had gone in. In a stone pot she\nhad stirred together leeks and other herbs, and boiled them, and gave\nthe wounded men of it to eat, by which she discovered if the wounds had\npenetrated into the belly; for if the wound had gone so deep, it would\nsmell of leek. She brought some of this now to Thormod, and told him to\neat of it. He replied, \"Take it away, I have no appetite for my broth.\"\nThen she took a large pair of tongs, and tried to pull out the iron; but\nit sat too fast, and would in no way come, and as the wound was swelled,\nlittle of it stood out to lay hold of. Now said Thormod, \"Cut so deep\nin that thou canst get at the iron with the tongs, and give me the tongs\nand let me pull.\" She did as he said. Then Thormod took a gold ring from\nhis hand, gave it to the nurse-woman, and told her to do with it what\nshe liked. \"It is a good man's gift,\" said he: \"King Olaf gave me the\nring this morning.\" Then Thormod took the tongs, and pulled the iron\nout; but on the iron there was a hook, at which there hung some morsels\nof flesh from the heart,--some white, some red. When he saw that, he\nsaid, \"The king has fed us well. I am fat, even at the heart-roots;\" and\nso saying he leant back, and was dead. And with this ends what we have\nto say about Thormod.\n\n\n\n\n248. OF SOME CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE BATTLE.\n\nKing Olaf fell on Wednesday, the 29th of July (A.D. 1030). It was near\nmid-day when the two armies met, and the battle began before half-past\none, and before three the king fell. The darkness continued from about\nhalf-past one to three also. Sigvat the skald speaks thus of the result\nof the battle:--\n\n     \"The loss was great to England's foes,\n     When their chief fell beneath the blows\n     By his own thoughtless people given,--\n     When the king's shield in two was riven.\n     The people's sovereign took the field,\n     The people clove the sovereign's shield.\n     Of all the chiefs that bloody day,\n     Dag only came out of the fray.\"\n\nAnd he composed these:--\n\n     \"Such mighty bonde-power, I ween,\n     With chiefs or rulers ne'er was seen.\n     It was the people's mighty power\n     That struck the king that fatal hour.\n     When such a king, in such a strife,\n     By his own people lost his life,\n     Full many a gallant man must feel\n     The death-wound from the people's steel.\"\n\nThe bondes did not spoil the slain upon the field of battle, for\nimmediately after the battle there came upon many of them who had been\nagainst the king a kind of dread as it were; yet they held by their evil\ninclination, for they resolved among themselves that all who had fallen\nwith the king should not receive the interment which belongs to good\nmen, but reckoned them all robbers and outlaws. But the men who had\npower, and had relations on the field, cared little for this, but\nremoved their remains to the churches, and took care of their burial.\n\n\n\n\n249. A MIRACLE ON A BLIND MAN.\n\nThorgils Halmason and his son Grim went to the field of battle towards\nevening when it was dusk, took King Olaf's corpse up, and bore it to a\nlittle empty houseman's hut which stood on the other side of their farm.\nThey had light and water with them. Then they took the clothes off\nthe body, swathed it in a linen cloth, laid it down in the house, and\nconcealed it under some firewood so that nobody could see it, even\nif people came into the hut. Thereafter they went home again to the\nfarmhouse. A great many beggars and poor people had followed both\narmies, who begged for meat; and the evening after the battle many\nremained there, and sought lodging round about in all the houses, great\nor small. It is told of a blind man who was poor, that a boy attended\nhim and led him. They went out around the farm to seek a lodging, and\ncame to the same empty house, of which the door was so low that they had\nalmost to creep in. Now when the blind man had come in, he fumbled about\nthe floor seeking a place where he could lay himself down. He had a hat\non his head, which fell down over his face when he stooped down. He felt\nwith his hands that there was moisture on the floor, and he put up his\nwet hand to raise his hat, and in doing so put his fingers on his eyes.\nThere came immediately such an itching in his eyelids, that he wiped the\nwater with his fingers from his eyes, and went out of the hut, saying\nnobody could lie there, it was so wet. When he came out of the hut he\ncould distinguish his hands, and all that was near him, as far as things\ncan be distinguished by sight in the darkness of light; and he went\nimmediately to the farm-house into the room, and told all the people he\nhad got his sight again, and could see everything, although many knew\nhe had been blind for a long time, for he had been there, before, going\nabout among the houses of the neighbourhood. He said he first got his\nsight when he was coming out of a little ruinous hut which was all wet\ninside. \"I groped in the water,\" said he, \"and rubbed my eyes with\nmy wet hands.\" He told where the hut stood. The people who heard him\nwondered much at this event, and spoke among themselves of what it could\nbe that produced it: but Thorgils the peasant and his son Grim thought\nthey knew how this came to pass; and as they were much afraid the king's\nenemies might go there and search the hut, they went and took the body\nout of it, and removed it to a garden, where they concealed it, and then\nreturned to the farm, and slept there all night.\n\n\n\n\n250. OF THORER HUND.\n\nThe fifth day (Thursday), Thorer Hund came down the valley of Veradal\nto Stiklestad; and many people, both chiefs and bondes, accompanied him.\nThe field of battle was still being cleared, and people were carrying\naway the bodies of their friends and relations, and were giving the\nnecessary help to such of the wounded as they wished to save; but\nmany had died since the battle. Thorer Hund went to where the king had\nfallen, and searched for his body; but not finding it, he inquired if\nany one could tell him what had become of the corpse, but nobody could\ntell him where it was. Then he asked the bonde Thorgils, who said, \"I\nwas not in the battle, and knew little of what took place there; but\nmany reports are abroad, and among others that King Olaf has been seen\nin the night up at Staf, and a troop of people with him: but if he fell\nin the battle, your men must have concealed him in some hole, or under\nsome stone-heap.\" Now although Thorer Hund knew for certain that the\nking had fallen, many allowed themselves to believe, and to spread\nabroad the report, that the king had escaped from the battle, and would\nin a short time come again upon them with an army. Then Thorer went\nto his ships, and sailed down the fjord, and the bonde-army dispersed,\ncarrying with them all the wounded men who could bear to be removed.\n\n\n\n\n251. OF KING OLAF'S BODY.\n\nThorgils Halmason and his son Grim had King Olaf's body, and were\nanxious about preserving it from falling into the hands of the king's\nenemies, and being ill-treated; for they heard the bondes speaking about\nburning it, or sinking it in the sea. The father and son had seen a\nclear light burning at night over the spot on the battlefield where King\nOlaf's body lay, and since, while they concealed it, they had always\nseen at night a light burning over the corpse; therefore they were\nafraid the king's enemies might seek the body where this signal was\nvisible. They hastened, therefore, to take the body to a place where\nit would be safe. Thorgils and his son accordingly made a coffin, which\nthey adorned as well as they could, and laid the king's body in it;\nand afterwards made another coffin in which they laid stones and straw,\nabout as much as the weight of a man, and carefully closed the coffins.\nAs soon as the whole bonde-army had left Stiklestad, Thorgils and his\nson made themselves ready, got a large rowing-boat, and took with them\nseven or eight men, who were all Thorgil's relations or friends, and\nprivately took the coffin with the king's body down to the boat, and set\nit under the foot-boards. They had also with them the coffin containing\nthe stones, and placed it in the boat where all could see it; and then\nwent down the fjord with a good opportunity of wind and weather, and\narrived in the dusk of the evening at Nidaros, where they brought up at\nthe king's pier. Then Thorgils sent some of his men up to the town to\nBishop Sigurd, to say that they were come with the king's body. As soon\nas the bishop heard this news, he sent his men down to the pier, and\nthey took a small rowing-boat, came alongside of Thorgil's ship, and\ndemanded the king's body. Thorgils and his people then took the coffin\nwhich stood in view, and bore it into the boat; and the bishop's men\nrowed out into the fjord, and sank the coffin in the sea. It was now\nquite dark. Thorgils and his people now rowed up into the river past the\ntown, and landed at a place called Saurhlid, above the town. Then they\ncarried the king's body to an empty house standing at a distance from\nother houses, and watched over it for the night, while Thorgils went\ndown to the town, where he spoke with some of the best friends of King\nOlaf, and asked them if they would take charge of the king's body; but\nnone of them dared to do so. Then Thorgils and his men went with the\nbody higher up the river, buried it in a sand-hill on the banks, and\nlevelled all around it so that no one could observe that people had been\nat work there. They were ready with all this before break of day, when\nthey returned to their vessel, went immediately out of the river, and\nproceeded on their way home to Stiklestad.\n\n\n\n\n252. OF THE BEGINNING OF KING SVEIN ALFIFASON'S GOVERNMENT.\n\nSvein, a son of King Canute, and of Alfifa, a daughter of Earl Alfrin,\nhad been appointed to govern Jomsborg in Vindland. There came a message\nto him from his father King Canute, that he should come to Denmark;\nand likewise that afterwards he should proceed to Norway, and take that\nkingdom under his charge, and assume, at the same time, the title of\nking of Norway. Svein repaired to Denmark, and took many people with him\nfrom thence, and also Earl Harald and many other people of consequence\nattended him. Thorarin Loftunga speaks of this in the song he composed\nabout King Svein, called the \"Glelogn Song\":--\n\n     \"'Tis told by fame,\n     How grandly came\n     The Danes to tend\n     Their young king Svein.\n     Grandest was he,\n     That all could see;\n     Then, one by one,\n     Each following man\n     More splendour wore\n     Than him before.\"\n\nThen Svein proceeded to Norway, and his mother Alfifa was with him;\nand he was taken to be king at every Law-thing in the country. He\nhad already come as far as Viken at the time the battle was fought at\nStiklestad, and King Olaf fell. Svein continued his journey until\nhe came north, in autumn, to the Throndhjem country; and there, as\nelsewhere, he was received as king.\n\n\n\n\n253. OF KING SVEIN'S LAWS.\n\nKing Svein introduced new laws in many respects into the country, partly\nafter those which were in Denmark, and in part much more severe. No man\nmust leave the country without the king's permission; or if he did, his\nproperty fell to the king. Whoever killed a man outright, should forfeit\nall his land and movables. If any one was banished the country, and all\nheritage fell to him, the king took his inheritance. At Yule every man\nshould pay the king a meal of malt from every harvest steading, and a\nleg of a three-year old ox, which was called a friendly gift, together\nwith a spand of butter; and every house-wife a rock full of unspun lint,\nas thick as one could span with the longest fingers of the hand. The\nbondes were bound to build all the houses the king required upon his\nfarms. Of every seven males one should be taken for the service of war,\nand reckoning from the fifth year of age; and the outfit of ships should\nbe reckoned in the same proportion. Every man who rowed upon the sea\nto fish should pay the king five fish as a tax, for the land defence,\nwherever he might come from. Every ship that went out of the country\nshould have stowage reserved open for the king in the middle of the\nship. Every man, foreigner or native, who went to Iceland, should pay a\ntax to the king. And to all this was added, that Danes should enjoy so\nmuch consideration in Norway, that one witness of them should invalidate\nten of Northmen (1).\n\nWhen these laws were promulgated the minds of the people were instantly\nraised against them, and murmurs were heard among them. They who had not\ntaken part against King Olaf said, \"Now take your reward and friendship\nfrom the Canute race, ye men of the interior Throndhjem who fought\nagainst King Olaf, and deprived him of his kingdom. Ye were promised\npeace and justice, and now ye have got oppression and slavery for your\ngreat treachery and crime.\" Nor was it very easy to contradict them, as\nall men saw how miserable the change had been. But people had not the\nboldness to make an insurrection against King Svein, principally\nbecause many had given King Canute their sons or other near relations as\nhostages; and also because no one appeared as leader of an insurrection.\nThey very soon, however, complained of King Svein; and his mother Alfifa\ngot much of the blame of all that was against their desire. Then the\ntruth, with regard to Olaf, became evident to many.\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) This may probably have referred not to witnesses of an\nact,     but to the class of witnesses in the jurisprudence of the\n     Middle Ages called compurgators, who testified not the fact,\n     but their confidence in the statements of the accused; and\n     from which, possibly, our English bail for offenders arose.\n   --L.\n\n\n\n\n254. OF KING OLAF'S SANCTITY.\n\nThis winter (A.D. 1031) many in the Throndhjem land began to declare\nthat Olaf was in reality a holy man, and his sanctity was confirmed by\nmany miracles. Many began to make promises and prayers to King Olaf in\nthe matters in which they thought they required help, and many found\ngreat benefit from these invocations. Some in respect of health, others\nof a journey, or other circumstances in which such help seemed needful.\n\n\n\n\n255. OF EINAR TAMBASKELFER.\n\nEinar Tambaskelfer was come home from England to his farm, and had the\nfiefs which King Canute had given him when they met in Throndhjem, and\nwhich were almost an earldom. Einar had not been in the strife against\nKing Olaf, and congratulated himself upon it. He remembered that King\nCanute had promised him the earldom over Norway, and at the same time\nremembered that King Canute had not kept his promise. He was accordingly\nthe first great person who looked upon King Olaf as a saint.\n\n\n\n\n256. OF THE SONS OF ARNE.\n\nFin Arnason remained but a short time at Eggja with his brother Kalf;\nfor he was in the highest degree ill-pleased that Kalf had been in the\nbattle against King Olaf, and always made his brother the bitterest\nreproaches on this account. Thorberg Arnason was much more temperate in\nhis discourse than Fin; but yet he hastened away, and went home to his\nfarm. Kalf gave the two brothers a good long-ship, with full rigging and\nother necessaries, and a good retinue. Therefore they went home to their\nfarms, and sat quietly at home. Arne Arnason lay long ill of his wounds,\nbut got well at last without injury of any limb, and in winter he\nproceeded south to his farm. All the brothers made their peace with King\nSvein, and sat themselves quietly down in their homes.\n\n\n\n\n257. BISHOP SIGURD'S FLIGHT.\n\nThe summer after (A.D. 1031) there was much talk about King Olaf's\nsanctity, and there was a great alteration in the expressions of all\npeople concerning him. There were many who now believed that King\nOlaf must be a saint, even among those who had persecuted him with the\ngreatest animosity, and would never in their conversation allow truth\nor justice in his favour. People began then to turn their reproaches\nagainst the men who had principally excited opposition to the king; and\non this account Bishop Sigurd in particular was accused. He got so many\nenemies, that he found it most advisable to go over to England to King\nCanute. Then the Throndhjem people sent men with a verbal message to the\nUplands, to Bishop Grimkel, desiring him to come north to Throndhjem.\nKing Olaf had sent Bishop Grimkel back to Norway when he went east into\nRussia, and since that time Grimkel had been in the Uplands. When the\nmessage came to the bishop he made ready to go, and it contributed much\nto this journey that the bishop considered it as true what was told of\nKing Olaf's miracles and sanctity.\n\n\n\n\n258. KING OLAF THE SAINT'S REMAINS DISINTERRED.\n\nBishop Grimkel went to Einar Tambaskelfer, who received him joyfully.\nThey talked over many things, and, among others, of the important events\nwhich had taken place in the country; and concerning these they were\nperfectly agreed. Then the bishop proceeded to the town (Nidaros),\nand was well received by all the community. He inquired particularly\nconcerning the miracles of King Olaf that were reported, and received\nsatisfactory accounts of them. Thereupon the bishop sent a verbal\nmessage to Stiklestad to Thorgils and his son Grim, inviting them to\ncome to the town to him. They did not decline the invitation, but set\nout on the road immediately, and came to the town and to the bishop.\nThey related to him all the signs that had presented themselves to them,\nand also where they had deposited the king's body. The bishop sent a\nmessage to Einar Tambaskelfer, who came to the town. Then the bishop and\nEinar had an audience of the king and Alfifa, in which they asked the\nking's leave to have King Olaf's body taken up out of the earth. The\nking gave his permission, and told the bishop to do as he pleased in\nthe matter. At that time there were a great many people in the town.\nThe bishop, Einar, and some men with them, went to the place where\nthe king's body was buried, and had the place dug; but the coffin had\nalready raised itself almost to the surface of the earth. It was then\nthe opinion of many that the bishop should proceed to have the king\nburied in the earth at Clement's church; and it was so done. Twelve\nmonths and five days (Aug. 3, A.D. 1031), after King Olaf's death\nhis holy remains were dug up, and the coffin had raised itself almost\nentirely to the surface of the earth; and the coffin appeared quite\nnew, as if it had but lately been made. When Bishop Grimkel came to King\nOlaf's opened coffin, there was a delightful and fresh smell. Thereupon\nthe bishop uncovered the king's face, and his appearance was in no\nrespect altered, and his cheeks were as red as if he had but just fallen\nasleep. The men who had seen King Olaf when he fell remarked, also, that\nhis hair and nails had grown as much as if he had lived on the earth all\nthe time that had passed since his fall. Thereupon King Svein, and all\nthe chiefs who were at the place, went out to see King Olaf's body. Then\nsaid Alfifa, \"People buried in sand rot very slowly, and it would not\nhave been so if he had been buried in earth.\" Afterwards the bishop took\nscissors, clipped the king's hair, and arranged his beard; for he had\nhad a long beard, according to the fashion of that time. Then said the\nbishop to the king and Alfifa, \"Now the king's hair and beard are such\nas when he gave up the ghost, and it has grown as much as ye see has\nbeen cut off.\" Alfifa answers, \"I will believe in the sanctity of his\nhair, if it will not burn in the fire; but I have often seen men's hair\nwhole and undamaged after lying longer in the earth than this man's.\"\nThen the bishop had live coals put into a pan, blessed it, cast incense\nupon it, and then laid King Olaf's hair on the fire. When all the\nincense was burnt the bishop took the hair out of the fire, and showed\nthe king and the other chiefs that it was not consumed. Now Alfifa\nasked that the hair should be laid upon unconsecrated fire; but Einar\nTambaskelfer told her to be silent, and gave her many severe reproaches\nfor her unbelief. After the bishop's recognition, with the king's\napprobation and the decision of the Thing, it was determined that King\nOlaf should be considered a man truly holy; whereupon his body was\ntransported into Clement's church, and a place was prepared for it near\nthe high altar. The coffin was covered with costly cloth, and stood\nunder a gold embroidered tent. Many kinds of miracles were soon wrought\nby King Olaf's holy remains.\n\n\n\n\n259. OF KING OLAF'S MIRACLES.\n\nIn the sand-hill where King Olaf's body had lain on the ground\na beautiful spring of water came up and many human ailments and\ninfirmities were cured by its waters. Things were put in order around\nit, and the water ever since has been carefully preserved. There was\nfirst a chapel built, and an altar consecrated, where the king's body\nhad lain; but now Christ's church stands upon the spot. Archbishop\nEystein had a high altar raised upon the spot where the king's grave had\nbeen, when he erected the great temple which now stands there; and it is\nthe same spot on which the altar of the old Christ church had stood. It\nis said that Olaf's church stands on the spot on which the empty house\nhad stood in which King Olaf's body had been laid for the night. The\nplace over which the holy remains of King Olaf were carried up from the\nvessel is now called Olaf's Road, and is now in the middle of the town.\nThe bishop adorned King Olaf's holy remains, and cut his nails and hair;\nfor both grew as if he had still been alive. So says Sigvat the skald:--\n\n     \"I lie not, when I say the king\n     Seemed as alive in every thing:\n     His nails, his yellow hair still growing,\n     And round his ruddy cheek still flowing,\n     As when, to please the Russian queen,\n     His yellow locks adorned were seen;\n     Or to the blind he cured he gave\n     A tress, their precious sight to save.\"\n\nThorarin Loftunga also composed a song upon Svein Alfifason, called the\n\"Glelogn Song\", in which are these verses:--\n\n     \"Svein, king of all,\n     In Olaf's hall\n     Now sits on high;\n     And Olaf's eye\n     Looks down from heaven,\n     Where it is given\n     To him to dwell:\n     Or here in cell,\n     As heavenly saint,\n     To heal men's plaint,\n     May our gold-giver\n     Live here for ever!\n\n     \"King Olaf there\n     To hold a share\n     On earth prepared,\n     Nor labour spared\n     A seat to win\n     From heaven's great King;\n     Which he has won\n     Next God's own Son.\n\n     \"His holy form,\n     Untouched by worm,\n     Lies at this day\n     Where good men pray,\n     And nails and hair\n     Grow fresh and fair;\n     His cheek is red,\n     His flesh not dead.\n\n     \"Around his bier,\n     Good people hear\n     The small bells ring\n     Over the king,\n     Or great bell toll;\n     And living soul\n     Not one can tell\n     Who tolls the bell.\n\n     \"Tapers up there,\n     (Which Christ holds dear,)\n     By day and night\n     The altar light:\n     Olaf did so,\n     And all men know\n     In heaven he\n     From sin sits free.\n\n     \"And crowds do come,\n     The deaf and dumb,\n     Cripple and blind,\n     Sick of all kind,\n     Cured to be\n     On bended knee;\n     And off the ground\n     Rise whole and sound.\n\n     \"To Olaf pray\n     To eke thy day,\n     To save thy land\n     From spoiler's hand.\n     God's man is he\n     To deal to thee\n     Good crops and peace;\n     Let not prayer cease.\n\n     \"Book-prayers prevail,\n     If, nail for nail (1),\n     Thou tellest on,\n     Forgetting none.\"\n\nThorarin Loftunga was himself with King Svein, and heard these great\ntestimonials of King Olaf's holiness, that people, by the heavenly\npower, could hear a sound over his holy remains as if bells were\nringing, and that candles were lighted of themselves upon the altar as\nby a heavenly fire. But when Thorarin says that a multitude of lame, and\nblind, and other sick, who came to the holy Olaf, went back cured, he\nmeans nothing more than that there were a vast number of persons who at\nthe beginning of King Olaf's miraculous working regained their health.\nKing Olaf's greatest miracles are clearly written down, although they\noccurred somewhat later.\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) Before the entrance of the temples or churches were posts\n     called Ondveigis-sulor, with nails called Rigin-naglar--\n     the gods' nails--either for ornament, or, as Schoning\n     suggests, to assist the people in reckoning weeks, months,\n     festivals, and in reckoning or keeping tale of prayers\n     repeated, and to recall them to memory, in the same way as\n     beads are used still by the common people in Catholic\n     countries for the same purpose.--L.\n\n\n\n\n260. OF KING OLAF'S AGE AND REIGN.\n\nIt is reckoned by those who have kept an exact account, that Olaf the\nSaint was king of Norway for fifteen years from the time Earl Svein left\nthe country; but he had received the title of king from the people of\nthe Uplands the winter before. Sigvat the skald tells this:--\n\n     \"For fifteen winters o'er the land\n     King Olaf held the chief command,\n     Before he fell up in the North:\n     His fall made known to us his worth.\n     No worthier prince before his day\n     In our North land e'er held the sway,\n     Too short he held it for our good;\n     All men wish now that he had stood.\"\n\nSaint Olaf was thirty-five years old when he fell, according to what\nAre Frode the priest says, and he had been in twenty pitched battles. So\nsays Sigvat the skald:--\n\n     \"Some leaders trust in God--some not;\n     Even so their men; but well I wot\n     God-fearing Olaf fought and won\n     Twenty pitched battles, one by one,\n     And always placed upon his right\n     His Christian men in a hard fight.\n     May God be merciful, I pray,\n     To him--for he ne'er shunned his fray.\"\n\nWe have now related a part of King Olaf's story, namely, the events\nwhich took place while he ruled over Norway; also his death, and how his\nholiness was manifested. Now shall we not neglect to mention what it\nwas that most advanced his honour. This was his miracles; but these will\ncome to be treated of afterwards in this book.\n\n\n\n\n261. OF THE THRONDHJEM PEOPLE.\n\nKing Svein, the son of Canute the Great, ruled over Norway for some\nyears; but was a child both in age and understanding. His mother Alfifa\nhad most sway in the country; and the people of the country were her\ngreat enemies, both then and ever since. Danish people had a great\nsuperiority given them within the country, to the great dissatisfaction\nof the people; and when conversation turned that way, the people of\nthe rest of Norway accused the Throndhjem people of having principally\noccasioned King Olaf the Holy's fall, and also that the men of Norway\nwere subject, through them, to the ill government by which oppression\nand slavery had come upon all the people, both great and small; indeed\nupon the whole community. They insisted that it was the duty of the\nThrondhjem people to attempt opposition and insurrection, and thus\nrelieve the country from such tyranny; and, in the opinion of the common\npeople, Throndhjem was also the chief seat of the strength of Norway at\nthat time, both on account of the chiefs and of the population of\nthat quarter. When the Throndhjem people heard these remarks of their\ncountrymen, they could not deny that there was much truth in them, and\nthat in depriving King Olaf of life and land they had committed a great\ncrime, and at the same time the misdeed had been ill paid. The chiefs\nbegan to hold consultations and conferences with each other, and the\nleader of these was Einar Tambaskelfer. It was likewise the case with\nKalf Arnason, who began to find into what errors he had been drawn by\nKing Canute's persuasion. All the promises which King Canute had made\nto Kalf had been broken; for he had promised him the earldom and the\nhighest authority in Norway: and although Kalf had been the leader\nin the battle against King Olaf, and had deprived him of his life and\nkingdom, Kalf had not got any higher dignity than he had before. He felt\nthat he had been deceived, and therefore messages passed between the\nbrothers Kalf, Fin, Thorberg, and Arne, and they renewed their family\nfriendship.\n\n\n\n\n262. OF KING SVEIN'S LEVY.\n\nWhen King Svein had been three years in Norway (A.D. 1031-33), the news\nwas received that a force was assembled in the western countries, under\na chief who called himself Trygve, and gave out that he was a son of\nOlaf Trygvason and Queen Gyda of England. Now when King Svein heard that\nforeign troops had come to the country, he ordered out the people on a\nlevy in the north, and the most of the lendermen hastened to him; but\nEinar Tambaskelfer remained at home, and would not go out with King\nSvein. When King Svein's order came to Kalf Arnason at Eggja, that he\nshould go out on a levy with King Svein, he took a twenty-benched ship\nwhich he owned, went on board with his house-servants, and in all haste\nproceeded out of the fjord, without waiting for King Svein, sailed\nsouthwards to More, and continued his voyage south until he came to\nGiske to his brother Thorberg. Then all the brothers, the sons of Arne,\nheld a meeting, and consulted with each other. After this Kalf returned\nto the north again; but when he came to Frekeysund, King Svein was lying\nin the sound before him. When Kalf came rowing from the south into the\nsound they hailed each other, and the king's men ordered Kalf to bring\nup with his vessel, and follow the king for the defence of the country.\nKalf replies, \"I have done enough, if not too much, when I fought\nagainst my own countrymen to increase the power of the Canute family.\"\nThereupon Kalf rowed away to the north until he came home to Eggja.\nNone of these Arnasons appeared at this levy to accompany the king. He\nsteered with his fleet southwards along the land; but as he could not\nhear the least news of any fleet having come from the west, he steered\nsouth to Rogaland, and all the way to Agder; for many guessed that\nTrygve would first make his attempt on Viken, because his forefathers\nhad been there, and had most of their strength from that quarter, and he\nhad himself great strength by family connection there.\n\n\n\n\n263. KING TRYGVE OLAFSON'S FALL.\n\nWhen Trygve came from the west he landed first on the coast of\nHordaland, and when he heard King Svein had gone south he went the same\nway to Rogaland. As soon as Svein got the intelligence that Trygve had\ncome from the west he returned, and steered north with his fleet; and\nboth fleets met within Bokn in Soknarsund, not far from the place where\nErling Skjalgson fell. The battle, which took place on a Sunday, was\ngreat and severe. People tell that Trygve threw spears with both hands\nat once. \"So my father,\" said he, \"taught me to celebrate mass.\" His\nenemies had said that he was the son of a priest; but the praise must\nbe allowed him that he showed himself more like a son of King Olaf\nTrygvason, for this Trygve was a slaughtering man. In this battle King\nTrygve fell, and many of his men with him; but some fled, and some\nreceived quarter and their lives. It is thus related in the ballad of\nTrygve:--\n\n     \"Trygve comes from the northern coast,\n     King Svein turns round with all his host;\n     To meet and fight, they both prepare,\n     And where they met grim death was there.\n     From the sharp strife I was not far,--\n     I heard the din and the clang of war;\n     And the Hordaland men at last gave way,\n     And their leader fell, and they lost the day.\"\n\nThis battle is also told of in the ballad about King Svein, thus:--\n\n     \"My girl!  it was a Sunday morn,\n     And many a man ne'er saw its eve,\n     Though ale and leeks by old wives borne\n     The bruised and wounded did relieve.\n     'Twas Sunday morn, when Svein calls out,\n     'Stem to stem your vessels bind;'\n     The raven a mid-day feast smells out,\n     And he comes croaking up the wind.\"\n\nAfter this battle King Svein ruled the country for some time, and there\nwas peace in the land. The winter after it (A.D. 1034) he passed in the\nsouth parts of the country.\n\n\n\n\n264. OF THE COUNSELS OF EINAR TAMBASKELFER AND KALF ARNASON.\n\nEinar Tambaskelfer and Kalf Arnason had this winter meetings and\nconsultations between themselves in the merchant town (1). Then there\ncame a messenger from King Canute to Kalf Arnason, with a message to\nsend him three dozen axes, which must be chosen and good. Kalf replies,\n\"I will send no axes to King Canute. Tell him I will bring his son Svein\nso many, that he shall not think he is in want of any.\"\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) Nidaros, or Throndhjem, is usually called merely the\n     merchant town.--L.\n\n\n\n\n265. OF EINAR TAMBASKELFER AND KALF ARNASON'S JOURNEY.\n\nEarly in spring (A.D. 1034) Einar Tambaskelfer and Kalf Arnason made\nthemselves ready for a journey, with a great retinue of the best and\nmost select men that could be found in the Throndhjem country. They\nwent in spring eastward over the ridge of the country to Jamtaland,\nfrom thence to Helsingjaland, and came to Svithjod, where they procured\nships, with which in summer they proceeded east to Russia, and came in\nautumn to Ladoga. They sent men up to Novgorod to King Jarisleif, with\nthe errand that they offered Magnus, the son of King Olaf the Saint,\nto take him with them, follow him to Norway, and give him assistance\nto attain his father's heritage and be made king over the country. When\nthis message came to King Jarisleif he held a consultation with the\nqueen and some chiefs, and they all resolved unanimously to send a\nmessage to the Northmen, and ask them to come to King Jarisleif and\nMagnus; for which journey safe conduct was given them. When they came to\nNovgorod it was settled among them that the Northmen who had come there\nshould become Magnus's men, and be his subjects; and to this Kalf and\nthe other men who had been against King Olaf at Stiklestad were solemnly\nbound by oath. On the other hand, King Magnus promised them, under oath,\nsecure peace and full reconciliation; and that he would be true and\nfaithful to them all when he got the dominions and kingdom of Norway. He\nwas to become Kalf Arnason's foster-son; and Kalf should be bound to do\nall that Magnus might think necessary for extending his dominion, and\nmaking it more independent than formerly.\n\n\n\n\nSAGA OF MAGNUS THE GOOD.\n\n\nPRELIMINARY REMARKS.\n\nMagnus reigned from A.D. 1035 to 1047, when he died. During the last\nyear of his reign his half-brother Harald Sigurdson was his co-regent.\n\nThe history of Magnus is treated in \"Agrip.\", ch. 28-32; in\n\"Fagrskinna\", ch. 119-146; in \"Fornmannasogur\", part vi., and in\n\"Knytlinga Saga\".\n\nThe skalds quoted in this saga are: Arnor the earls' skald (Arnor\nJarlaskald), Sigvat, Thjodulf, Bjarne Gullbrarskald, Thorgeir Flek, Od\nKikinaskald.\n\n\n\n\n1. MAGNUS OLAFSON'S JOURNEY FROM THE WEST.\n\nAfter Yule Magnus Olafson began his journey from the East from Novgorod\nto Ladoga, where he rigged out his ships as soon as the ice was loosened\nin spring (A.D. 1035). Arnor, the earls' skald, tells of this in the\npoem on Magnus:--\n\n     \"It is no loose report that he,\n     Who will command on land and sea,\n     In blood will make his foeman feel\n     Olaf's sword Hneiter's sharp blue steel.\n     This generous youth, who scatters gold,\n     Norway's brave son, but ten years old,\n     Is rigging ships in Russia's lake,\n     His crown, with friend's support, to take.\"\n\nIn spring Magnus sailed from the East to Svithjod. So says Arnor:--\n\n     \"The young sword-stainer called a Thing,\n     Where all his men should meet their king:\n     Heroes who find the eagle food\n     Before their lord in arms stood.\n     And now the curved plank of the bow\n     Cleaves the blue sea; the ocean-plough\n     By grey winds driven across the main,\n     Reaches Sigtuna's grassy plain.\"\n\nHere it is related that when King Magnus and his fellow-travellers\nsailed from the East to Svithjod, they brought up at Sigtuna. Emund\nOlafson was then king in Svithjod. Queen Astrid, who had been married to\nKing Olaf the Saint, was also there. She received very gladly and well\nher stepson King Magnus, and summoned immediately a numerous Thing of\nSwedes at a place called Hangtar. At the Thing Queen Astrid spoke these\nwords: \"Here is come to us a son of Olaf the Saint, called Magnus, who\nintends to make an expedition to Norway to seek his father's heritage.\nIt is my great duty to give him aid towards this expedition; for he is\nmy stepson, as is well known to all, both Swedes and Norwegians. Neither\nshall he want men or money, in so far as I can procure them or have\ninfluence, in order that his strength may be as great as possible; and\nall the men who will support this cause of his shall have my fullest\nfriendship; and I would have it known that I intend myself to go with\nhim on this attempt, that all may see I will spare nothing that is in my\npower to help him.\" She spoke long and cleverly in this strain; but when\nshe had ended many replied thus: \"The Swedes made no honourable progress\nin Norway when they followed King Olaf his father, and now no better\nsuccess is to be expected, as this man is but in years of boyhood;\nand therefore we have little inclination for this expedition.\" Astrid\nreplies, \"All men who wish to be thought of true courage must not be\ndeterred by such considerations. If any have lost connections at the\nside of King Olaf, or been themselves wounded, now is the time to show\na man's heart and courage, and go to Norway to take vengeance.\" Astrid\nsucceeded so far with words and encouragement that many men determined\nto go with her, and follow King Magnus to Norway. Sigvat the skald\nspeaks of this:--\n\n     \"Now Astrtd, Olaf's widowed Queen,--\n     She who so many a change had seen,--\n     Took all the gifts of happier days,\n     Jewels and rings, all she could raise,\n     And at a Thing at Hangrar, where\n     The Swedes were numerous, did declare\n     What Olaf's son proposed to do,\n     And brought her gifts--their pay--in view.\n\n     \"And with the Swedes no wiser plan,\n     To bring out every brave bold man,\n     Could have been found, had Magnus been\n     The son himself of the good queen.\n     With help of Christ, she hoped to bring\n     Magnus to be the land's sole king,\n     As Harald was, who in his day\n     Obtained o'er all the upper sway.\n\n     \"And glad are we so well she sped,--\n     The people's friend is now their head;\n     And good King Magnus always shows\n     How much be to Queen Astrid owes.\n     Such stepmothers as this good queen\n     In truth are very rarely seen;\n     And to this noble woman's praise\n     The skald with joy his song will raise.\"\n\nThiodolf the skald also says in his song of Magnus:--\n\n     \"When thy brave ship left the land,\n     The bending yard could scarce withstand\n     The fury of the whistling gale,\n     That split thy many-coloured sail;\n     And many a stout ship, tempest-tost,\n     Was in that howling storm lost\n     That brought them safe to Sigtuna's shore,\n     Far from the sound of ocean's roar.\"\n\n\n\n\n2. MAGNUS'S EXPEDITION FROM SVITHJOD.\n\nKing Magnus set out on his journey from Sigtuna with a great force,\nwhich he had gathered in Svithjod. They proceeded through Svithjod on\nfoot to Helsingjaland. So says Arnor, the earl's skald:--\n\n     \"And many a dark-red Swedish shield\n     Marched with thee from the Swedish field.\n     The country people crowded in,\n     To help Saint Olaf's son to win;\n     And chosen men by thee were led,\n     Men who have stained the wolf's tongue red.\n     Each milk-white shield and polished spear\n     Came to a splendid gathering there.\"\n\nMagnus Olafson went from the East through Jamtaland over the keel-ridge\nof the country and came down upon the Throndhjem district, where all men\nwelcomed the king with joy. But no sooner did the men of King Svein, the\nson of Alfifa, hear that King Magnus Olafson was come to the country,\nthan they fled on all sides and concealed themselves, so that no\nopposition was made to King Magnus; for King Svein was in the south part\nof the country. So says Arnor, the earls' skald:--\n\n     \"He who the eagle's talons stains\n     Rushed from the East on Throndhjem's plains;\n     The terror of his plumed helm\n     Drove his pale foemen from the realm.\n     The lightning of thy eye so near,\n     Great king!  thy foemen could not bear,\n     Scattered they fled--their only care\n     If thou their wretched lives wilt spare.\"\n\n\n\n\n3. MAGNUS MADE KING.\n\nMagnus Olafson advanced to the town (Nidaros), where he was joyfully\nreceived. He then summoned the people to the Eyra-thing (1); and when\nthe bondes met at the Thing, Magnus was taken to be king over the whole\nland, as far as his father Olaf had possessed it. Then the king selected\na court, and named lendermen, and placed bailiffs and officers in all\ndomains and offices. Immediately after harvest King Magnus ordered a\nlevy through all Throndhjem land, and he collected men readily; and\nthereafter he proceeded southwards along the coast.\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) Eyra Thing, held on the ayr of the river Nid, that is, on\n     the spit of sand, still called an ayr in the north of\n     Scotland, dividing a lake, pond, or river-mouth from the\n     sea.  At the Thing held here the kings of Norway were chosen\n     and proclaimed.  It was held to be the proper Thing for\n     settling disputes between kings in Norway.--L.\n\n\n\n\n4. KING SVEIN'S FLIGHT.\n\nKing Svein Alfifason was staying in South Hordaland when he heard\nthis news of war. He immediately sent out war-tokens to four different\nquarters, summoned the bondes to him, and made it known to all that they\nshould join him with men and ships to defend the country. All the men\nwho were in the neighbourhood of the king presented themselves; and the\nking formed a Thing, at which in a speech he set forth his business, and\nsaid he would advance against Magnus Olafson and have a battle with him,\nif the bondes would aid his cause. The king's speech was not very long,\nand was not received with much approbation by the bondes. Afterwards the\nDanish chiefs who were about the king made long and clever speeches; but\nthe bondes then took up the word, and answered them; and although many\nsaid they would follow Svein, and fight on his side, some refused to do\nso bluntly, some were altogether silent, and some declared they would\njoin King Magnus as soon as they had an opportunity. Then King Svein\nsays, \"Methinks very few of the bondes to whom we sent a message have\nappeared here; and of those who have come, and tell us to our face that\nthey will join King Magnus as soon as they can, we shall have as little\nbenefit as of those who say they will sit at home quietly. It is the\nsame with those who say nothing at all. But as to those who promise to\nhelp us, there are not more than every other man; and that force will\navail us little against King Magnus. It is my counsel, therefore, that\nwe do not trust to these bondes; but let us rather go to the land where\nall the people are sure and true to us, and where we will obtain forces\nto conquer this country again.\" As soon as the king had made known\nthis resolution all his men followed it, turned their ship's bows, and\nhoisted sail. King Svein sailed eastward along the land, and then set\nright over to Denmark without delay, and Hardaknut received his brother\nSvein very kindly. At their first meeting Hardaknut offered King Svein\nto divide the kingdom of Denmark with him, which offer King Svein\naccepted.\n\n\n\n\n5. KING MAGNUS'S JOURNEY TO NORWAY.\n\nIn autumn (A.D. 1035) King Magnus proceeded eastward to the end of the\ncountry, and was received as king throughout the whole land, and the\ncountry people were rejoiced at his arrival.\n\n\n\n\n6. DEATH OF KING CANUTE THE GREAT AND HIS SON SVEIN.\n\nKing Svein, Canute's son, went to Denmark, as before related, and took\npart in the government with his brother Hardaknut. In the same autumn\nKing Canute the Great died in England, the 13th November, forty years\nold, and was buried at Winchester. He had been king of Denmark for\ntwenty-seven years, and over Denmark and England together twenty-four\nyears, and also over Norway for seven years. King Canute's son Harald\nwas then made king in England. The same winter (A.D. 1036) King Svein,\nAlfifa's son, died in Denmark. Thiodolf the skald made these lines\nconcerning King Magnus:--\n\n     \"Through Sweden's dirty roads the throng\n     Followed the king in spearmen strong.\n     Svein doth fly, in truth afraid,\n     And partly by his men betrayed;\n     Flying to Denmark o'er the sea,\n     He leaves the land quite clear to thee.\"\n\nBjarne Gullbrarskald composed the following lines concerning Kalf\nArnason:--\n\n     \"By thee the kings got each his own,--\n     Magnus by thee got Norway's throne;\n     And Svein in Denmark got a seat,\n     When out of Norway he was beat.\n     Kalf!  It was you who showed the way\n     To our young king, the battle-lover,--\n     From Russia to his father's sway\n     You showed the way, and brought him over.\"\n\nKing Magnus ruled over Norway this winter (A.D. 1036), and Hardaknut\nover Denmark.\n\n\n\n\n7. RECONCILIATION BETWEEN HARDAKNUT AND KING MAGNUS.\n\nThe following spring (A.D. 1036) the kings on both sides ordered out a\nlevy, and the news was that they would have a battle at the Gaut river;\nbut when the two armies approached each other, the lendermen in the one\narmy sent messengers to their connections and friends in the other;\nand it came to a proposal for a reconciliation between the two kings,\nespecially as, from both kings being but young and childish, some\npowerful men, who had been chosen in each of the countries for that\npurpose, had the rule of the country on their account. It thus was\nbrought about that there was a friendly meeting between the kings,\nand in this meeting a peace was proposed; and the peace was to be a\nbrotherly union under oath to keep the peace towards each other to the\nend of their lives; and if one of them should die without leaving a son,\nthe longest liver should succeed to the whole land and people. Twelve\nof the principal men in each kingdom swore to the kings that this treaty\nshould be observed, so long as any one of them was in life. Then the\nkings separated, and each returned home to his kingdom; and the treaty\nwas kept as long as both lived.\n\n\n\n\n8. OF QUEEN ASTRID.\n\nQueen Astrid, who had been married to King Olaf the Saint, came to\nNorway with King Magnus her stepson, as before related, and was held by\nhim deservedly in great honour and esteem. Then came also Alfhild,\nKing Magnus's mother, to the court, and the king received her with\nthe greatest affection, and showed her great respect. But it went with\nAlfhild, as it does with many who come to power and honour, that pride\nkeeps pace with promotion. She was ill pleased that Queen Astrid was\ntreated with more respect, had a higher seat, and more attention.\nAlfhild wanted to have a seat next to the king, but Astrid called\nAlfhild her slave-woman, as indeed she had formerly been when Astrid was\nqueen of Norway and King Olaf ruled the land, and therefore would on no\naccount let her have a seat beside her, and they could not lodge in the\nsame house.\n\n\n\n\n9. OF SIGVAT THE SKALD.\n\nSigvat the skald had gone to Rome, where he was at the time of the\nbattle of Stiklestad.\n\nHe was on his way back from the South when he heard tidings of King\nOlaf's fall, which gave him great grief. He then sang these lines:--\n\n     \"One morning early on a hill,\n     The misty town asleep and still,\n     Wandering I thought upon the fields.\n     Strewed o'er with broken mail and shields,\n     Where our king fell,--our kind good king,\n     Where now his happy youthful spring?\n     My father too!--for Thord was then\n     One of the good king's chosen men.\"\n\nOne day Sigvat went through a village, and heard a husband lamenting\ngrievously over the loss of his wife, striking his breast, tearing his\nclothes, weeping bitterly, and saying he wanted to die; and Sigvat sang\nthese lines:--\n\n     \"This poor man mourns a much-loved wife,\n     Gladly would he be quit of life.\n     Must love be paid for by our grief?\n     The price seems great for joy so brief.\n     But the brave man who knows no fear\n     Drops for his king a silent tear,\n     And feels, perhaps, his loss as deep\n     As those who clamour when they weep.\"\n\nSigvat came home to Norway to the Throndhjem country, where he had a\nfarm and children. He came from the South along the coast in a merchant\nvessel, and as they lay in Hillarsund they saw a great many ravens\nflying about. Then Sigvat said:--\n\n     \"I see here many a croaking raven\n     Flying about the well-known haven:\n     When Olaf's ship was floating here,\n     They knew that food for them was near;\n     When Olaf's ship lay here wind-bound,\n     Oft screamed the erne o'er Hillar sound,\n     Impatient for the expected prey,\n     And wont to follow to the fray.\"\n\nWhen Sigvat came north to the town of Throndhjem King Svein was there\nbefore him. He invited Sigvat to stay with him, as Sigvat had formerly\nbeen with his father King Canute the Great; but Sigvat said he would\nfirst go home to his farm. One day, as Sigvat was walking in the street,\nhe saw the king's men at play, and he sang:--\n\n     \"One day before I passed this way,\n     When the king's guards were at their play,\n     Something there was--I need not tell--\n     That made me pale, and feel unwell.\n     Perhaps it was I thought, just then,\n     How noble Olaf with his men,\n     In former days, I oft have seen\n     In manly games upon this green.\"\n\nSigvat then went to his farm; and as he heard that many men upbraided\nhim with having deserted King Olaf, he made these verses:--\n\n     \"May Christ condemn me still to burn\n     In quenchless fire, if I did turn,\n     And leave King Olaf in his need,--\n     My soul is free from such base deed.\n     I was at Rome, as men know well\n     Who saw me there, and who can tell\n     That there in danger I was then:\n     The truth I need not hide from men.\"\n\nSigvat was ill at ease in his home. One day he went out and sang:--\n\n     \"While Olaf lived, how smiled the land!\n     Mountain and cliff, and pebbly strand.\n     All Norway then, so fresh, so gay,\n     On land or sea, where oft I lay.\n     But now to me all seems so dready,\n     All black and dull--of life I'm weary;\n     Cheerless to-day, cheerless to-morrow--\n     Here in the North we have great sorrow.\"\n\nEarly in winter Sigvat went westward over the ridge of the country to\nJamtaland, and onwards to Helsingjaland, and came to Svithjod. He went\nimmediately to Queen Astrid, and was with her a long time, and was a\nwelcome guest. He was also with her brother King Emund, and received\nfrom him ten marks of proved silver, as is related in the song of\nCanute. Sigvat always inquired of the merchants who traded to Novgorod\nif they could tell him any news of Magnus Olafson. Sigvat composed these\nlines at that time:--\n\n     \"I ask the merchant oft who drives\n     His trade to Russia, 'How he thrives,\n     Our noble prince?  How lives he there?\n     And still good news--his praise--I hear.\n     To little birds, which wing their way\n     Between the lands, I fain would say,\n     How much we long our prince to see,\n     They seem to hear a wish from me.\"\n\n\n\n\n10. OF KING MAGNUS'S FIRST ARRIVAL IN SVITHJOD.\n\nImmediately after Magnus Olafson came to Svithjod from Russia, Sigvat\nmet him at Queen Astrid's house, and glad they all were at meeting.\nSigvat then sang:--\n\n     \"Thou art come here, prince, young and bold!\n     Thou art come home! With joy behold\n     Thy land and people.  From this hour\n     I join myself to thy young power.\n     I could not o'er to Russie hie,--\n     Thy mother's guardian here was I.\n     It was my punishment for giving\n     Magnus his name, while scarcely living.\"\n\nAfterwards Sigvat travelled with Queen Astrid, and followed Magnus to\nNorway. Sigvat sang thus:--\n\n     \"To the crowds streaming to the Thing,\n     To see and hear Magnus their king,\n     Loudly, young king, I'll speak my mind--\n     'God to His people has been kind.'\n     If He, to whom be all the praise,\n     Give us a son in all his ways\n     Like to his sire, no folk on earth\n     Will bless so much a royal birth.\"\n\nNow when Magnus became king of Norway Sigvat attended him, and was\nhis dearest friend. Once it happened that Queen Astrid and Alfhild the\nking's mother had exchanged some sharp words with each other, and Sigvat\nsaid:--\n\n     \"Alfhild!  though it was God's will\n     To raise thee--yet remember still\n     The queen-born Astrid should not be\n     Kept out of due respect by thee.\"\n\n\n\n\n11. KING OLAF'S SHRINE.\n\nKing Magnus had a shrine made and mounted with gold and silver, and\nstudded with jewels. This shrine was made so that in shape and size it\nwas like a coffin. Under it was an arched way, and above was a raised\nroof, with a head and a roof-ridge. Behind were plaited hangings; and\nbefore were gratings with padlocks, which could be locked with a key. In\nthis shrine King Magnus had the holy remains of King Olaf deposited, and\nmany were the miracles there wrought. Of this Sigvat speaks:--\n\n     \"For him a golden shrine is made,\n     For him whose heart was ne'er afraid\n     Of mortal man--the holy king,\n     Whom the Lord God to heaven did bring.\n     Here many a man shall feel his way,\n     Stone-blind, unconscious of the day,\n     And at the shrine where Olaf lies\n     Give songs of praise for opened eyes.\"\n\nIt was also appointed by law that King Olaf's holy day should be held\nsacred over all Norway, and that day has been kept ever afterwards as\nthe greatest of Church days. Sigvat speaks of it:--\n\n     \"To Olaf, Magnus' father, raise,\n     Within my house, the song of praise!\n     With joy, yet grief, we'll keep the day\n     Olaf to heaven was called away.\n     Well may I keep within my breast\n     A day for him in holy rest,--\n     My upraised hands a golden ring\n     On every branch (1) bear from that king.\"\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) The fingers, the branches of the hand, bore golden fruits\n     from the generosity of the king.--L.\n\n\n\n\n12. OF THORER HUND.\n\nThorer Hund left the country immediately after King Olaf's fall. He went\nall the way to Jerusalem, and many people say he never came back. Thorer\nHund had a son called Sigurd, father of Ranveig who was married to Joan,\na son of Arne Arnason. Their children were Vidkun of Bjarkey, Sigurd\nHund, Erling, and Jardthrud.\n\n\n\n\n13. OF THE MURDER OF HAREK OF THJOTTA.\n\nHarek of Thjotta sat at home on his farm, till King Magnus Olafson came\nto the country and was made king. Then Harek went south to Throndhjem\nto King Magnus. At that time Asmund Grankelson was in the king's house.\nWhen Harek came to Nidaros, and landed out of the ship, Asmund was\nstanding with the king in the gallery outside the loft, and both the\nking and Asmund knew Harek when they saw him. \"Now,\" says Asmund to the\nking, \"I will pay Harek for my father's murder.\" He had in his hand a\nlittle thin hatchet. The king looked at him, and said, \"Rather take\nthis axe of mine.\" It was thick, and made like a club. \"Thou must know,\nAsmund,\" added he, \"that there are hard bones in the old fellow.\" Asmund\ntook the axe, went down, and through the house, and when he came down to\nthe cross-road Harek and his men coming up met him. Asmund struck Harek\non the head, so that the axe penetrated to the brains; and that was\nHarek's death-wound. Asmund turned back directly to the king's house,\nand the whole edge of the axe was turned with the blow. Then said the\nking, \"What would thy axe have done, for even this one, I think,\nis spoilt?\" King Magnus afterwards gave him a fief and office in\nHalogaland, and many are the tales about the strife between Asmund and\nHarek's sons.\n\n\n\n\n14. OF THORGEIR FLEK.\n\nKalf Arnason had at first, for some time, the greatest share of the\ngovernment of the country under King Magnus; but afterwards there were\npeople who reminded the king of the part Kalf had taken at Stiklestad,\nand then it became difficult for Kalf to give the king satisfaction in\nanything. Once it happened there were many men with the king bringing\ntheir affairs before him; and Thorgeir Flek from Sula in Veradal, of\nwhom mention is made before in the history of King Olaf the Saint, came\nto him about some needful business. The king paid no attention to his\nwords, but was listening to people who stood near him. Then Thorgeir\nsaid to the king, so loud that all who were around him could hear:--\n\n     \"Listen, my lord, to my plain word.\n     I too was there, and had to bear\n     A bloody head from Stiklestad:\n     For I was then with Olaf's men.\n     Listen to me: well did I see\n     The men you're trusting the dead corpse thrusting\n     Out of their way, as dead it lay;\n     And striking o'er your father's gore.\"\n\nThere was instantly a great uproar, and some told Thorgeir to go out;\nbut the king called him, and not only despatched his business to his\nsatisfaction, but promised him favour and friendship.\n\n\n\n\n15. KALF ARNASON FLIES THE COUNTRY\n\nSoon after this the king was at a feast at the farm of Haug in Veradel,\nand at the dinner-table Kalf Arnason sat upon one side of him, and Einar\nTambaskelfer on the other. It was already come so far that the king took\nlittle notice of Kalf, but paid most attention to Einar. The king said\nto Einar, \"Let us ride to-day to Stiklestad. I should like to see the\nmemorials of the things which took place there.\" Einar replies, \"I can\ntell thee nothing about it; but take thy foster-father Kalf with thee;\nhe can give thee information about all that took place.\" When the tables\nwere removed, the king made himself ready, and said to Kalf, \"Thou must\ngo with me to Stiklestad.\"\n\nKalf replied, \"That is really not my duty.\"\n\nThen the king stood up in a passion, and said, \"Go thou shalt, Kalf!\"\nand thereupon he went out.\n\nKalf put on his riding clothes in all haste, and said to his foot-boy,\n\"Thou must ride directly to Eggja, and order my house-servants to ship\nall my property on board my ship before sunset.\"\n\nKing Magnus now rides to Stiklestad, and Kalf with him. They alighted\nfrom horseback, and went to the place where the battle had been. Then\nsaid the king to Kalf, \"Where is the spot at which the king fell?\"\n\nKalf stretched out his spear-shaft, and said, \"There he lay when he\nfell.\"\n\nThe king: \"And where wast thou, Kalf?\"\n\nKalf: \"Here where I am now standing.\"\n\nThe king turned red as blood in the face, and said, \"Then thy axe could\nwell have reached him.\"\n\nKalf replied, \"My axe did not come near him;\" and immediately went to\nhis horse, sprang on horseback, and rode away with all his men; and\nthe king rode back to Haug. Kalf did not stop until he got home in the\nevening to Eggja. There his ship lay ready at the shore side, and\nall his effects were on board, and the vessel manned with his\nhouse-servants. They set off immediately by night down the fjord, and\nafterwards proceeded day and night, when the wind suited. He sailed\nout into the West sea, and was there a long time plundering in Ireland,\nScotland, and the Hebudes. Bjarne Gullbrarskald tells of this in the\nsong about Kalf:--\n\n     \"Brother of Thorberg, who still stood\n     Well with the king!  in angry mood\n     He is the first to break with thee,\n     Who well deserves esteemed to be;\n     He is the first who friendship broke,\n     For envious men the falsehood spoke;\n     And he will he the first to rue\n     The breach of friendship 'twixt you two.\"\n\n\n\n\n16. OF THE THREATS OF THE BONDES.\n\nKing Magnus added to his property Veggia, which Hrut had been owner of,\nand Kviststad, which had belonged to Thorgeir, and also Eggja, with all\nthe goods which Kalf had left behind him; and thus he confiscated to\nthe king's estate many great farms, which had belonged to those of the\nbonde-army who had fallen at Stiklestad. In like manner, he laid heavy\nfined upon many of those who made the greatest opposition to King Olaf.\nHe drove some out of the country, took large sums of money from others,\nand had the cattle of others slaughtered for his use. Then the bondes\nbegan to murmur, and to say among themselves, \"Will he go on in the same\nway as his father and other chiefs, whom we made an end of when their\npride and lawless proceedings became insupportable?\" This discontent\nspread widely through the country. The people of Sogn gathered men, and,\nit was said, were determined to give battle to King Magnus, if he came\ninto the Fjord district. King Magnus was then in Hordaland, where he had\nremained a long time with a numerous retinue, and was now come to the\nresolution to proceed north to Sogn. When the king's friends observed\nthis, twelve men had a meeting, and resolved to determine by casting\nlots which of them should inform the king of the discontent of the\npeople; and it so happened that the lot fell upon Sigvat.\n\n\n\n\n17. OF THE FREE-SPEAKING SONG (\"BERSOGLISVISUR\").\n\nSigvat accordingly composed a poem, which he called the \"Free-speaking\nSong\", which begins with saying the king had delayed too long to pacify\nthe people, who were threatening to rise in tumult against him. He\nsaid:--\n\n     \"Here in the south, from Sogn is spread\n     The news that strife draws to a head:\n     The bondes will the king oppose--\n     Kings and their folk should ne'er be foes.\n     Let us take arms, and briskly go\n     To battle, if it must be so;\n     Defend our king--but still deplore\n     His land plunged in such strife once more.\"\n\nIn this song are also these verses:--\n\n     \"Hakon, who at Fitiar died,--\n     Hakon the Good, could not abide\n     The viking rule, or robber train,\n     And all men's love he thus did gain.\n     The people since have still in mind\n     The laws of Hakon, just and kind;\n     And men will never see the day\n     When Hakon's laws have passed away.\n\n     \"The bondes ask but what is fair;\n     The Olafs and the Earls, when there\n     Where Magnus sits, confirmed to all\n     Their lands and gear--to great and small,\n     Bold Trygve's son, and Harald's heir,\n     The Olafs, while on earth they were,\n     Observed the laws themselves had made,\n     And none was for his own afraid.\n\n     \"Let not thy counsellors stir thy wrath\n     Against the man who speaks the truth;\n     Thy honour lies in thy good sword,\n     But still more in thy royal word;\n     And, if the people do not lie,\n     The new laws turn out not nigh\n     So Just and mild, as the laws given\n     At Ulfasund in face of heaven.\n\n     \"Dread king!  who urges thee to break\n     Thy pledged word, and back to take\n     Thy promise given?  Thou warrior bold;\n     With thy own people word to hold,\n     Thy promise fully to maintain,\n     Is to thyself the greatest gain:\n     The battle-storm raiser he\n     Must by his own men trusted be.\n\n     \"Who urges thee, who seek'st renown,\n     The bondes' cattle to cut down?\n     No king before e'er took in hand\n     Such viking-work in his own land.\n     Such rapine men will not long bear,\n     And the king's counsellors will but share\n     In their ill-will: when once inflamed,\n     The king himself for all is blamed.\n\n     \"Do cautious, with this news of treason\n     Flying about--give them no reason.\n     We hange the thief, but then we use\n     Consideration of the excuse.\n     I think, great king (who wilt rejoice\n     Eagle and wolf with battle voice),\n     It would be wise not to oppose\n     Thy bondes, and make them thy foes.\n\n     \"A dangerous sign it is, I fear,\n     That old grey-bearded men appear\n     In corners whispering at the Thing,\n     As if they had bad news to bring.\n     The young sit still,--no laugh, or shout,--\n     More looks than words passing shout;\n     And groups of whispering heads are seen,\n     On buttoned breasts, with lowering mien.\n\n     \"Among the udalmen, they say\n     The king, if he could have his way,\n     Would seize the bondes' udal land,\n     And free-born men must this withstand.\n     In truth the man whose udal field,\n     By any doom that law can yield\n     From him adjudged the king would take,\n     Could the king's throne and power shake.\"\n\nThis verse is the last:--\n\n     \"A holy bond between us still\n     Makes me wish speedy end to ill:\n     The sluggard waits till afternoon,--\n     At once great Magnus!  grant our boon.\n     Then we will serve with heart and hand,\n     With thee we'll fight by sea or land:\n     With Olaf's sword take Olaf's mind,\n     And to thy bondes be more kind.\"\n\nIn this song the king was exhorted to observe the laws which his father\nhad established. This exhortation had a good effect on the king, for\nmany others held the same language to him. So at last the king consulted\nthe most prudent men, who ordered all affairs according to law.\nThereafter King Magnus had the law-book composed in writing which is\nstill in use in Throndhjem district, and is called \"The Grey Goose\" (1).\nKing Magnus afterwards became very popular, and was beloved by all the\ncountry people, and therefore he was called Magnus the Good.\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) \"The Grey Goose\", so called probably from the colour of\n     the parchment on which it is written, is one of the most curious\n     relics of the Middle Ages, and give us an unexpected view of\n     the social condition of the Northmen in the eleventh\n     century.  Law appears to have been so far advanced among\n     them that the forms were not merely established, but the\n     slightest breach of the legal forms of proceeding involved\n     the loss of the case.  The \"Grey Goose\" embraces subjects\n     not dealt with probably by any other code in Europe at that\n     period.  The provision for the poor, the  equality of\n     weights and measures, police of markets and of sea havens,\n     provision for illegitimate children of the poor, inns for\n     travellers, wages of servants and support of them in\n     sickness, protection of pregnant women and even of domestic\n     animals from injury, roads, bridges, vagrants, beggars, are\n     subjects treated of in this code.--\"Schlegel.\"--L.\n\n\n\n\n18. OF THE ENGLISH KINGS.\n\nThe king of the English, King Harald, died (A.D. 1040) five years after\nhis father King Canute, and was buried beside his father at Winchester.\nAfter his death his brother Hardaknut, the second son of the old King\nCanute, was king of England, and was thus king both of Denmark and\nEngland. He ruled these kingdoms two years, and then died of sickness\nin England, leaving no children. He was buried at Winchester beside\nhis father. After his death Edward the Good, a son of the English king\nEthelred (and Emma, a daughter of Richard earl of Rouen), was chosen\nking in England. King Edward the Good was, on his mother's side, a\nbrother of Harald and Hardaknut, the sons of Canute the Great; and the\ndaughter of Canute and Queen Emma was Gunhild, who was married to the\nEmperor Henry of Germany, who was called Henry the Mild. Gunhild had\nbeen three years in Germamy when she fell sick, and she died five years\nafter the death of her father King Canute the Great.\n\n\n\n\n19. OF KING MAGNUS OLAFSON.\n\nWhen King Magnus Olafson heard of Hardaknut's death, he immediately\nsent people south to Denmark, with a message to the men who had bound\nthemselves by oath to the peace and agreement which was made between\nKing Magnus and Hardaknut, and reminded them of their pledge. He added,\nas a conclusion, that in summer (A.D. 1042.) he would come with his army\nto Denmark to take possession of his Danish dominions, in terms of the\nagreement, or to fall in the field with his army. So says Arnor, the\nearls' skald:--\n\n     \"Wise were the words, exceeding wise,\n     Of him who stills the hungriest cries\n     Of beasts of prey--the earl's lord;\n     And soon fulfilled will be his word:\n     'With his good sword he'll Denmark gain,\n     Or fall upon a bloody plain;\n     And rather than give up his cause,\n     Will leave his corpse to raven's claws.'\"\n\n\n\n\n20. KING MAGNUS'S ARMAMENT.\n\nThereafter King Magnus gathered together a great army, and summoned to\nhim all lendermen and powerful bondes, and collected war-ships. When\nthe army was assembled it was very handsome, and well fitted out. He had\nseventy large vessels when he sailed from Norway. So says Thiodolf the\nskald:--\n\n     \"Brave king!  the terror of the foe,\n     With thee will many a long-ship go.\n     Full seventy sail are gathered here,\n     Eastward with their great king to steer.\n     And southward now the bright keel glides;\n     O'er the white waves the Bison rides.\n     Sails swell, yards crack, the highest mast\n     O'er the wide sea scarce seen at last.\"\n\nHere it related that King Magnus had the great Bison, which his father\nKing Olaf had built. It had more than thirty banks of rowers; and\nforward on the bow was a great buffalo head, and aft on the stern-post\nwas its tail. Both the head and the tail, and both sides of the ship,\nwere gilded over. Of this speaks Arnor, the earls' skald:--\n\n     \"The white foam lashing o'er the deck\n     Oft made the glided head to shake;\n     The helm down, the vessel's heel\n     Oft showed her stem's bright-glacing steel.\n     Around Stavanger-point careering,\n     Through the wild sea's white flames steering,\n     Tackle loud singing to the strain,\n     The storm-horse flies to Denmark's plain.\"\n\nKing Magnus set out to sea from Agder, and sailed over to Jutland. So\nsays Arnor:--\n\n     \"I can relate how through the gale\n     The gallant Bison carried sail.\n     With her lee gunwale in the wave,\n     The king on board, Magnus the brave!\n     The iron-clad Thingmen's chief to see\n     On Jutland's coast right glad were we,--\n     Right glad our men to see a king\n     Who in the fight his sword could swing.\"\n\n\n\n\n21. KING MAGNUS COMES TO DENMARK.\n\nWhen King Magnus came to Denmark he was joyfully received. He appointed\na Thing without delay, to which he summoned the people of the country,\nand desired they would take him as king, according to the agreement\nwhich had been entered into. As the highest of the chiefs of the country\nwere bound by oath to King Magnus, and were desirous of keeping their\nword and oath, they endeavoured zealously to promote the cause with\nthe people. It contributed also that King Canute the Great, and all his\ndescendants, were dead; and a third assistance was, that his father King\nOlaf's sanctity and miracles were become celebrated in all countries.\n\n\n\n\n22. KING MAGNUS CHOSEN KING OF DENMARK.\n\nKing Magnus afterwards ordered the people to be summoned to Viborg to a\nThing. Both in older and later times, the Danes elected their kings at\nthe Viborg Thing. At this Thing the Danes chose Magnus Olafson to be\nking of all the Danish dorninions. King Magnus remained long in Denmark\nduring the summer (A.D. 1042); and wherever he came the people received\nhim joyfully, and obeyed him willingly. He divided the country into\nbaronies and districts, and gave fiefs to men of power in the land. Late\nin autumn he returned with his fleet to Norway, but lay for some time at\nthe Gaut river.\n\n\n\n\n23. OF SVEIN ULFSON.\n\nThere was a man, by name Svein, a son of Earl Ulf, and grandson of\nThorgils Sprakaleg. Svein's mother was Astrid, a daughter of King Svein\nForkbeard. She was a sister of Canute the Great by the father's side,\nand of the Swedish King Olaf Eirikson by the mother's side; for her\nmother was Queen Sigrid the Haughty, a daughter of Skoglar Toste. Svein\nUlfson had been a long time living with his relation the Swedish king,\never since King Canute had ordered his father Ulf to be killed, as is\nrelated in the saga of old King Canute, that he had his brother-in-law,\nEarl Ulf, murdered in Roskilde; and on which account Svein had not since\nbeen in Denmark. Svein Ulfson was one of the handsomest men that could\nbe seen; he was very stout and strong, and very expert in all exercises,\nand a well-spoken man withal. Every one who knew him said he had every\nquality which became a good chief. Svein Ulfson waited upon King Magnus\nwhile he lay in the Gaut river, as before mentioned, and the king\nreceived him kindly, as he was by many advised to do; for Svein was a\nparticularly popular man. He could also speak for himself to the king\nwell and cleverly; so that it came at lasf to Svein's entering into\nKing Magnus's service, and becoming his man. They often talked together\nafterwards in private concerning many affairs.\n\n\n\n\n24. SVEIN ULFSON CREATED AN EARL.\n\nOne day, as King Magnus sat in his high-seat and many people were around\nhim, Svein Ulfson sat upon a footstool before the king. The king then\nmade a speech: \"Be it known to you, chiefs, and the people in general,\nthat I have taken the following resolution. Here is a distinguished man,\nboth for family and for his own merits, Svein Ulfson, who has entered\ninto my service, and given me promise of fidelity. Now, as ye know, the\nDanes have this summer become my men, so that when I am absent from the\ncountry it is without a head; and it is not unknown to you how it is\nravaged by the people of Vindland, Kurland, and others from the Baltic,\nas well as by Saxons. Therefore I promised them a chief who could defend\nand rule their land; and I know no man better fitted, in all respects,\nfor this than Svein Ulfson, who is of birth to be chief of the country.\nI will therefore make him my earl, and give him the government of my\nDanish dominions while I am in Norway; just as King Canute the Great set\nhis father, Earl Ulf, over Denmark while he was in England.\"\n\nThen Einar Tambaskelfer said, \"Too great an earl--too great an earl, my\nfoster-son!\"\n\nThe king replied in a passion, \"Ye have a poor opinion of my judgment, I\nthink. Some consider that ye are too great earls, and others that ye are\nfit for nothing.\"\n\nThen the king stood up, took a sword, and girt it on the earl's loins,\nand took a shield and fastened it on his shoulders, put a helmet upon\nhis head, and gave him the title of earl, with the same fiefs in Denmark\nwhich his father Earl Ulf had formerly held. Afterwards a shrine was\nbrought forth containing holy relics, and Svein laid his hand hereon,\nand swore the oath of fidelity to King Magnus; upon which the king led\nthe earl to the highseat by his side. So says Thiodolf:--\n\n     \"Twas at the Gaut river's shore,\n     With hand on shrine Svein Ulfson swore.\n     King Magnus first said o'er the oath,\n     With which Svein Ulfson pledged his troth.\n     The vows by Svein solemnly given,\n     On holy bones of saints in heaven,\n     To Magnus seemed both fair and fast;\n     He found they were too fair to last.\"\n\nEarl Svein went thereafter to Denmark, and the whole nation received him\nwell. He established a court about him, and soon became a great man.\nIn winter (A.D. 1043), he went much about the country, and made friends\namong the powerful chiefs; and, indeed, he was beloved by all the people\nof the land.\n\n\n\n\n25. KING MAGNUS'S FORAY.\n\nKing Magnus proceeded northward to Norway with his fleet, and wintered\nthere; but when the spring set in (A.D. 1048) he gathered a large\nforce, with which he sailed south to Demnark, having heard the news from\nVindland that the Vindland people in Jomsborg had withdrawn from their\nsubmission to him. The Danish kings had formerly had a very large\nearldom there, and they first founded Jomsborg; and now the place\nwas become a very strong fortress. When King Magnus heard of this, he\nordered a large fleet and army to be levied in Denmark, and sailed in\nsummer to Vindland with all his forces, which made a very large army\naltogether. Arnor, the earls' skald, tells of it thus:--\n\n     \"Now in this strophe, royal youth!\n     I tell no more than the plain truth.\n     Thy armed outfit from the strand\n     Left many a keel-trace on the sand,\n     And never did a king before\n     SO many ships to any shore\n     Lead on, as thou to Vindland's isle:\n     The Vindland men in fright recoil.\"\n\nNow when King Magnus came to Vindland he attacked Jomsborg, and soon\ntook the fortress, killing' many people, burning and destroying both in\nthe town and in the courttry all around, and making the greatest havoc.\nSo says Arnor, the earl's skald:--\n\n     \"The robbers, hemmed 'twixt death and fire,\n     Knew not how to escape thy ire;\n     O'er Jomsborg castle's highest towers\n     Thy wrath the whirlwind-fire pours.\n     The heathen on his false gods calls,\n     And trembles even in their halls;\n     And by the light from its own flame\n     The king this viking-hold o'ercame.\"\n\nMany people in Vindland submitted to King Magnus, but many more got out\nof the way and fled. King Magnus returned to Denmark, and prepared to\ntake his winter abode there, and sent away the Danish, and also a great\nmany of the Norwegian people he had brought with him.\n\n\n\n\n26. SVEIN RECEIVES THE TITLE OF KING.\n\nThe same winter (A.D. 1043), in which Svein Ulfson was raised to the\ngovernment of the whole Danish dominions, and had made friends of\na great number of the principal chiefs in Denmark, and obtained the\naffections of the people, he assumed by the advice of many of the chiefs\nthe title of king. But when in the spring thereafter he heard that King\nMagnus had come from the north with a great army, Svein went over\nto Scania, from thence up to Gautland, and so on to Svithjod to his\nrelation, King Emund, where he remained all summer, and sent spies out\nto Denmark, to inquire about the king's proceedings and the number of\nhis men. Now when Svein heard that King Magnus had let a great part of\nhis army go away, and also that he was south in Jutland, he rode from\nSvithjod with a great body of peopie which the Swedish king had given\nhim. When Svein came to Scania the people of that country received him\nwell, treated him as their king, and men joined him in crowds. He then\nwent on to Seeland, where he was also well received, and the whole\ncountry joined him. He then went to Fyen, and laid all the islands under\nhis power; and as the people also joined him, he collected a great army\nand many ships of war.\n\n\n\n\n27. OF KING MAGNUS'S MILITARY FORCE.\n\nKing Magnus heard this news, and at the same time that the people of\nVindland had a large force on foot. He summoned people therefore to come\nto him, and drew together a great army in Jutland. Otto, also, the Duke\nof Brunsvik, who had married Ulfhild, King Olaf the Saint's daughter,\nand the sister of King Magnus, came to him with a great troop. The\nDanish chiefs pressed King Magnus to advance against the Vindland army,\nand not allow pagans to march over and lay waste the country; so it was\nresolved that the king with his army should proceed south to Heidaby.\nWhile King Magnus lay at Skotborg river, on Hlyrskog Heath, he got\nintelligence concerning the Vindland army, and that it was so numerous\nit could not be counted; whereas King Magnus had so few, that there\nseemed no chance for him but to fly. The king, however, determined on\nfighting, if there was any possibility of gaining the victory; but the\nmost dissuaded him from venturing on an engagement, and all, as one man,\nsaid that the Vindland people had undoubtedly a prodigious force. Duke\nOtto, however, pressed much to go to battle. Then the king ordered the\nwhole army to be gathered by the war trumpets into battle array, and\nordered all the men to arm, and to lie down for the night under their\nshields; for he was told the enemy's army had come to the neighbourhood.\nThe king was very thoughtful; for he was vexed that he should be obliged\nto fly, which fate he had never experienced before. He slept but little\nall night, and chanted his prayers.\n\n\n\n\n28. OF KING OLAF'S MIRACLE.\n\nThe following day was Michaelmas eve. Towards dawn the king slumbered,\nand dreamt that his father, King Olaf the Saint, appeared to him, and\nsaid, \"Art thou so melancholy and afraid, because the Vindland people\ncome against thee with a great army? Be not afraid of heathens,\nalthough they be many; for I shall be with thee in the battle. Prepare,\ntherefore, to give battle to the Vindlanders, when thou hearest my\ntrumpet.\" When the king awoke he told his dream to his men, and the day\nwas then dawning. At that moment all the people heard a ringing of bells\nin the air; and those among King Magnus's men who had been in Nidaros\nthought that it was the ringing of the bell called Glod, which King Olaf\nhad presented to the church of Saint Clement in the town of Nidaros.\n\n\n\n\n29. BATTLE OF HLYRSKOG HEATH.\n\nThen King Magnus stood up, and ordered the war trumpets to sound, and at\nthat moment the Vindland army advanced from the south across the\nriver against him; on which the whole of the king's army stood up, and\nadvanced against the heathens. King Magnus threw off from him his coat\nof ring-mail, and had a red silk shirt outside over his clothes, and had\nin his hands the battle-axe called Hel (1), which had belonged to King\nOlaf. King Magnus ran on before all his men to the enemy's army, and\ninstantly hewed down with both hands every man who came against him. So\nsays Arnor, the earls' skald:--\n\n     \"His armour on the ground he flung\n     His broad axe round his head he swung;\n     And Norway's king strode on in might,\n     Through ringing swords, to the wild fight.\n     His broad axe Hel with both hands wielding,\n     Shields, helms, and skulls before it yielding,\n     He seemed with Fate the world to share,\n     And life or death to deal out there.\"\n\nThis battle was not very long; for the king's men were very fiery, and\nwhere they came the Vindland men fell as thick as tangles heaped up\nby the waves on the strand. They who stood behind betook themselves to\nflight, and were hewed down like cattle at a slaughter. The king himself\ndrove the fugitives eastward over the heath, and people fell all over\nthe moor. So says Thiodolf:--\n\n     \"And foremost he pursued,\n     And the flying foe down hewed;\n     An eagle's feast each stroke,\n     As the Vindland helms he broke.\n     He drove them o'er the hearth,\n     And they fly from bloody death;\n     But the moor, a mile or more,\n     With the dead was studded o'er.\"\n\nIt is a common saying, that there never was so great a slaughter of men\nin the northern lands, since the time of Christianity, as took place\namong the Vindland people on Hlyrskog's Heath. On the other side, not\nmany of King Magnus's people were killed, although many were wounded.\nAfter the battle the king ordered the wounds of his men to be bound;\nbut there were not so many doctors in the army as were necessary, so\nthe king himself went round, and felt the hands of those he thought best\nsuited for the business; and when he had thus stroked their palms, he\nnamed twelve men, who, he thought, had the softest hands, and told them\nto bind the wounds of the people; and although none of them had ever\ntried it before, they all became afterwards the best of doctors. There\nwere two Iceland men among them; the one was Thorkil, a son of Geire,\nfrom Lyngar; the other was Atle, father of Bard Svarte of Selardal, from\nwhom many good doctors are descended. After this battle, the report\nof the miracle which King Olaf the Saint had worked was spread widely\nthrough the country; and it was the common saying of the people, that no\nman could venture to fight against King Magnus Olafson, for his father\nSaint Olaf stood so near to him that his enemies, on that account, never\ncould do him harm.\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) Hel--Death: the goddess of Death.--L.\n\n\n\n\n30. BATTLE AT RE.\n\nKing Magnus immediately turned round with his army against Svein, whom\nhe called his earl, although the Danes called him their king; and he\ncollected ships, and a great force, and on both sides a great strength\nwas assembled. In Svein's army were many chiefs from Scania, Halland,\nSeeland, and Fyen; while King Magnus, on the other hand, had mostly\nNorway and Jutland men, and with that war-force he hastened to meet\nSvein. They met at Re, near Vestland; and there was a great battle,\nwhich ended in King Magnus gaining the victory, and Svein taking flight.\nAfter losing many people, Svein fled back to Scania, and from thence\nto Gautland, which was a safe refuge if he needed it, and stood open to\nhim. King Magnus returned to Jutland, where he remained all winter (A.D.\n1044) with many people, and had a guard to watch his ships. Arnor, the\nearls' skald, speaks of this:--\n\n     \"At Re our battle-loving lord\n     In bloody meeting stained his sword,--\n     At Re upon the western shore,\n     In Vestland warrior's blood once more.\"\n\n\n\n\n31. BATTLE AT AROS.\n\nSvein Ulfson went directly to his ships as soon as he heard that King\nMagnus had left his fleet. He drew to him all the men he could, and went\nround in winter among the islands, Seeland, Fyen, and others. Towards\nYule he sailed to Jutland, and went into Limfjord, where many people\nsubmitted to him. He imposed scat upon some, but some joined King\nMagnus. Now when King Magnus heard what Svein was doing, he betook\nhimself to his ships with all the Northmen then in Denmark, and a part\nof the Danish troops, and steered south along the land. Svein was then\nin Aros with a great force; and when he heard of King Magnus he laid\nhis vessels without the town, and prepared for battle. When King Magnus\nheard for certain where Svein was, and that the distance between them\nwas but short, he held a House-thing, and addressed his people thus: \"It\nis reported to me that the earl and his fleet are lying not far from us,\nand that he has many people. Now I would let you know that I intend\nto go out against the earl and fight for it, although, we have fewer\npeople. We will, as formerly, put our trust in God, and Saint Olaf, my\nfather, who has given us victory sometimes when we fought, even though\nwe had fewer men than the enemy. Now I would have you get ready to seek\nout the enemy, and give battle the moment we find him by rowing all to\nattack, and being all ready for battle.\" Thereupon the men put on their\nweapons, each man making himself and his place ready; and then they\nstretched themselves to their oars. When they saw the earl's ships they\nrowed towards them, and made ready to attack. When Svein's men saw the\nforces they armed themselves, bound their ships together, and then began\none of the sharpest of battles. So says Thiodolf, the skald:--\n\n     \"Shield against shield, the earl and king\n     Made shields and swords together ring.\n     The gold-decked heroes made a play\n     Which Hild's iron-shirt men say\n     They never saw before or since\n     On battle-deck; the brave might wince,\n     As spear and arrow whistling flew,\n     Point blank, death-bringing, quick and true.\"\n\nThey fought at the bows, so that the men only on the bows could strike;\nthe men on the forecastle thrust with spears: and all who were farther\noff shot with light spears or javelins, or war-arrows. Some fought with\nstones or short stakes; and those who were aft of the mast shot with the\nbow. So Says Thiodolf:--\n\n     \"Steel-pointed spear, and sharpened stake,\n     Made the broad shield on arm shake:\n     The eagle, hovering in the air,\n     Screamed o'er the prey preparing there.\n     And stones and arrows quickly flew,\n     And many a warrior bold they slew.\n     The bowman never twanged his bow\n     And drew his shaft so oft as now;\n     And Throndhjem's bowmen on that day\n     Were not the first tired of this play:\n     Arrows and darts so quickly fly,\n     You could not follow with the eye.\"\n\nHere it appears how hot the battle was with casting weapons. King Magnus\nstood in the beginning of the battle within a shield-rampart; but as it\nappeared to him that matters were going on too slowly, he leaped over\nthe shields, and rushed forward in the ship, encouraging his men with\na loud cheer, and springing to the bows, where the battle was going on\nhand to hand. When his men saw this they urged each other on with mutual\ncheering, and there was one great hurrah through all the ships. So says\nThiodolf:--\n\n     \"'On with our ships!  on to the foe!'\n     Cry Magnus' men--on, on they go.\n     Spears against shields in fury rattle,--\n     Was never seen so fierce a battle.\"\n\nAnd now the battle was exceedingly sharp; and in the assault Svein's\nship was cleared of all her forecastle men, upon and on both sides of\nthe forecastle. Then Magnus boarded Svein's ship, followed by his men;\nand one after the other came up, and made so stout an assault that\nSvein's men gave way, and King Magnus first cleared that ship, and then\nthe rest, one after the other. Svein fled, with a great part of his\npeople; but many fell, and many got life and peace. Thiodolf tells of\nthis:--\n\n     \"Brave Magnus, from the stern springing\n     On to the stem, where swords were ringing\n     From his sea-raven's beak of gold\n     Deals death around--the brave!  the bold!\n     The earl's housemen now begin\n     To shrink and fall: their ranks grow thin--\n     The king's luck thrives--their decks are cleared,\n     Of fighting men no more appeared.\n     The earl's ships are driven to flight,\n     Before the king would stop the fight:\n     The gold-distributor first then\n     Gave quarters to the vanquished men.\"\n\nThis battle was fought on the last Sunday before Yule. So says\nThiodolf:--\n\n     \"'Twas on a Sunday morning bright,\n     Fell out this great and bloody fight,\n     When men were arming, fighting, dying,\n     Or on the red decks wounded lying.\n     And many a man, foredoomed to die,\n     To save his life o'erboard did fly,\n     But sank; for swimming could not save,\n     And dead men rolled in every wave.\"\n\nMagnus took seven ships from Svein's people. So says Thiodolf:--\n\n     \"Thick Olaf's son seven vessels cleared,\n     And with his fleet the prizes steered.\n     The Norway girls will not be sad\n     To hear such news--each from her lad.\"\n\nHe also sings:--\n\n     \"The captured men will grieve the most\n     Svein and their comrades to have lost;\n     For it went ill with those who fled,\n     Their wounded had no easy bed.\n     A heavy storm that very night\n     O'ertook them flying from the fight;\n     And skulls and bones are tumbling round,\n     Under the sea, on sandy ground.\"\n\nSvein fled immediately by night to Seeland, with the men who had escaped\nand were inclined to follow him; but King Magnus brought his ships to\nthe shore, and sent his men up the country in the night-time, and early\nin the morning they came flown to the strand with a great booty in\ncattle. Thiodolf tells about it:--\n\n     \"But yesterday with heavy stones\n     We crushed their skulls, and broke their bones,\n     And thinned their ranks; and now to-day\n     Up through their land we've ta'en our way,\n     And driven their cattle to the shore,\n     And filled out ships with food in store.\n     To save his land from our quick swords,\n     Svein will need something more than words.\"\n\n\n\n\n32. SVEIN'S FLIGHT.\n\nKing Magnus sailed with his fleet from the south after Svein to Seeland;\nbut as soon as the king came there Svein fled up the country with his\nmen, and Magnus followed them, and pursued the fugitives, killing all\nthat were laid hold of. So says Thiodolf:--\n\n     \"The Seeland girl asks with fear,\n     'Whose blood-bespattered shield and spear--\n     The earl's or king's--up from the shore\n     Moved on with many a warrior more?'\n     We scoured through all their muddy lanes,\n     Woodlands, and fields, and miry plains.\n     Their hasty footmarks in the clay\n     Showed that to Ringsted led their way.\n\n     \"Spattered with mud from heel to head,\n     Our gallant lord his true men led.\n     Will Lund's earl halt his hasty flight,\n     And try on land another fight?\n     His banner yesterday was seen,\n     The sand-bills and green trees between,\n     Through moss and mire to the strand,\n     In arrow flight, leaving the land.\"\n\nThen Svein fled over to Fyen Island, and King Magnus carried fire and\nsword through Seeland, and burnt all round, because their men had joined\nSvein's troop in harvest. So says Thiodolf:--\n\n     \"As Svein in winter had destroyed\n     The royal house, the king employed\n     No little force to guard the land,\n     And the earl's forays to withstand.\n     An armed band one morn he found,\n     And so beset them round and round,\n     That Canute's nephew quickly fled,\n     Or he would have been captive led.\n\n     \"Our Throndhjem king in his just ire\n     Laid waste the land with sword and fire,\n     Burst every house, and over all\n     Struck terror into great and small.\n     To the earl's friends he well repaid\n     Their deadly hate--such wild work made\n     On them and theirs, that from his fury,\n     Flying for life, away they hurry.\"\n\n\n\n\n33. BURNING IN FYEN.\n\nAs soon as King Magnus heard that Svein with his troops had gone across\nto Fyen, he sailed after them; and when Svein heard this news he went\non board ship and sailed to Scania, and from thence to Gautland, and at\nlast to the Swedish King. King Magnus landed in Fyen, and plundered and\nburned over all; and all of Svein's men who came there fled far enough.\nThiodolf speaks of it thus:--\n\n     \"Fiona isle, once green and fair,\n     Lies black and reeking through the air:\n     The red fog rises, thick and hot,\n     From burning farm and smouldering cot.\n     The gaping thralls in terror gaze\n     On the broad upward-spiring blaze,\n     From thatched roofs and oak-built walls,\n     Their murdered masters' stately halls.\n\n     \"Svein's men, my girl, will not forget\n     That thrice they have the Norsemen met,\n     By sea, by land, with steel, with fire,\n     Thrice have they felt the Norse king's ire.\n     Fiona's maids are slim and fair,\n     The lovely prizes, lads, we'll share:\n     Some stand to arms in rank and row,\n     Some seize, bring off, and fend with blow.\"\n\nAfter this the people of Denmark submitted to King Magnus, and during\nthe rest of the winter, there was peace. King Magnus then appointed some\nof his men to govern Denmark; and when spring was advanced he sailed\nnorthwards with his fleet to Norway, where he remained a great part of\nthe summer.\n\n\n\n\n34. BATTLE AT HELGANES\n\nNow, when Svein heard that King Magnus had gone to Norway he rode\nstraight down, and had many people out of Svithjod with him. The people\nof Scania received him well, and he again collected an army, with which\nhe first crossed over into Seeland and seized upon it and Fyen, and all\nthe other isles. When King Magnus heard of this he gathered together men\nand ships, and sailed to Denmark; and as soon as he knew where Svein was\nlying with his ships King Magnus sailed to meet him. They met at a place\ncalled Helganes, and the battle began about the fall of day. King Magnus\nhad fewer men, but larger and better equipt vessels. So says Arnor, the\nearls' skald:--\n\n     \"At Helganes--so goes the tale--\n     The brave wolf-feeder, under sail,\n     Made many an ocean-elk (1) his prey,\n     Seized many a ship ere break of day.\n     When twilight fell he urged the fight,\n     Close combat--man to man all night;\n     Through a long harvest night's dark hours,\n     Down poured the battle's iron showers.\"\n\nThe battle was very hot, and as night advanced the fall of men was\ngreat. King Magnus, during the whole night, threw hand-spears. Thiodolf\nspeaks of this:--\n\n     \"And there at Helganes sunk down,\n     Sore wounded, men of great renown;\n     And Svein's retainers lost all heart,\n     Ducking before the flying dart.\n     The Norsemen's king let fly his spears,\n     His death-wounds adding to their fears;\n     For each spear-blade was wet all o'er,\n     Up to the shaft in their life-gore.\"\n\nTo make a short tale, King Magnus won the victory in this battle, and\nSvein fled. His ship was cleared of men from stem to stern; and it went\nso on board many others of his ships. So says Thiodolf:--\n\n     \"Earl Svein fled from the empty deck,\n     His lonely ship an unmann'd wreck;\n     Magnus the Good, the people's friend,\n     Pressed to the death on the false Svein.\n     Hneiter (2), the sword his father bore,\n     Was edge and point, stained red with gore;\n     Swords sprinkle blood o'er armour bright,\n\n     When kings for land and power fight.\"\n\nAnd Arnor says:--\n\n     \"The cutters of Bjorn's own brother\n     Soon changed their owner for another;\n     The king took them and all their gear;\n     The crews, however, got off clear.\"\n\nA great number of Svein's men fell, and King Magnus and his men had a\nvast booty to divide. So says Thiodolf:--\n\n     \"Where the Norsemen the Danish slew,\n     A Gautland shield and breast-plate true\n     Fell to my share of spoil by lot;\n     And something more i' the south I got:\n     (There all the summer swords were ringing)\n     A helm, gay arms, and gear worth bringing,\n     Home to my quiet lovely one\n     I sent--with news how we had won.\"\n\nSvein fled up to Scania with all the men who escaped with him; and King\nMagnus and his people drove the fugitives up through the country without\nmeeting any opposition either from Svein's men or the bondes. So says\nThiodolf:--\n\n     \"Olaf's brave son then gave command,\n     All his ships' crews should quickly land:\n     King Magnus, marching at their head,\n     A noble band of warriors led.\n     A foray through the land he makes;\n     Denmark in every quarter shakes.\n     Up hill and down the horses scour,\n     Carrying the Danes from Norsemen's power.\"\n\nKing Magnus drove with fire and sword through the land. So says\nThiodolf:--\n\n     \"And now the Norsemen storm along,\n     Following their banner in a throng:\n     King Magnus' banner flames on high,\n     A star to guide our roaming by.\n     To Lund, o'er Scania's peaceful field,\n     My shoulder bore my useless shield;\n     A fairer land, a better road,\n     As friend or foe, I never trod.\"\n\nThey began to burn the habitations all around, and the people fled on\nevery side. So says Thiodolf:--\n\n     \"Our ice-cold iron in great store,\n     Our arms, beside the king we bore:\n     The Scanian rogues fly at the view\n     Of men and steel all sharp and true.\n     Their timbered houses flame on high,\n     Red flashing over half the sky;\n     The blazing town flings forth its light,\n     Lighting the cowards on their flight.\"\n\nAnd he also sang:--\n\n     \"The king o'er all the Danish land\n     Roams, with his fire-bringing band:\n     The house, the hut, the farm, the town,\n     All where men dwelt is burned down.\n     O'er Denmark's plains and corn-fields,\n     Meadows and moors, are seen our shields:\n     Victorious over all, we chase\n     Svein's wounded men from place to place.\n\n     \"Across Fiona's moor again,\n     The paths late trodden by our men\n     We tread once more, until quite near,\n     Through morning mist, the foes appear.\n     Then up our numerous banners flare\n     In the cold early morning air;\n     And they from Magnus' power who fly\n     Cannot this quick war-work deny.\"\n\nThen Svein fled eastwards along Scania, and King Magnus returned to his\nships, and steered eastwards also along the Scanian coast, having got\nready with the greatest haste to sail. Thiodolf sings thus about it:--\n\n     \"No drink but the salt sea\n     On board our ships had we,\n     When, following our king,\n     On board our ships we spring.\n     Hard work on the salt sea,\n     Off Scania's coast, had we;\n     But we laboured for the king,\n     To his foemen death to bring.\"\n\nSvein fled to Gautland, and then sought refuge with the Swedish king,\nwith whom he remained all winter (A.D. 1046), and was treated with great\nrespect.\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) Ship.--L.\n     (2) This was the name of Saint Olaf's sword,\n     which Magnus had recovered.--L.\n\n\n\n\n35. OF KING MAGNUS'S CAMPAIGN.\n\nWhen King Magnus had subdued Scania he turned about, and first went\nto Falster, where he landed, plundered, and killed many people who had\nbefore submitted to Svein. Arnor speaks of this:--\n\n     \"A bloody vengeance for their guile\n     King Magnus takes on Falster Isle;\n     The treacherous Danes his fury feel,\n     And fall before his purpled steel.\n     The battle-field is covered o'er,\n     With eagle's prey from shore to shore;\n     And the king's courtmen were the first\n     To quench with blood the raven's thirst.\"\n\nThereafter Magnus with his fleet proceeded to the isle of Fyen, went on\nland, plundered, and made great devastation. So says Arnor, the earls'\nskald:--\n\n     \"To fair Fiona's grassy shore\n     His banner now again he bore:\n     He who the mail-shirt's linked chains\n     Severs, and all its lustre stains,--\n     He will be long remembered there,\n     The warrior in his twentieth year,\n     Whom their black ravens from afar\n     Saluted as he went to war.\"\n\n\n\n\n36. OF KING MAGNUS'S BATTLES.\n\nKing Magnus remained in Denmark all that winter (A.D. 1046), and sat in\npeace. He had held many battles, and had gained the victory in all. So\nsays Od Kikinaskald:--\n\n     \"'Fore Michaelmas was struck the blow,\n     That laid the Vindland vikings low;\n     And people learned with joy to hear\n     The clang of arms, and leaders' cheer.\n     Short before Yule fell out the day,\n     Southward of Aros, where the fray,\n     Though not enough the foe to quell,\n     Was of the bloodiest men can tell.\"\n\nAnd Arnor says:--\n\n     \"Olaf's avenger who can sing?\n     The skald cannot o'ertake the king,\n     Who makes the war-bird daily drain\n     The corpse-blood of his foemen slain.\n     Four battles won within a year,--\n     Breaker of shields!  with swords and spear,\n     And hand to hand, exalt thy fame\n     Above the kings of greatest name.\"\n\nKing Magnus had three battles with Svein Ulfson. So says Thiodolf:--\n\n     \"To our brave Throndhjem sovereign's praise\n     The skald may all his skaldcraft raise;\n     For fortune, and for daring deed,\n     His song will not the truth exceed.\n     After three battles to regain\n     What was his own, unjustly ta'en,\n     Unjustly kept, and dues denied,\n     He levied dues in red-blood dyed.\"\n\n\n\n\n37. OF KING MAGNUS, AND THORFIN AND RAGNVALD, EARLS OF ORKNEY.\n\nWhile King Magnus the Good, a son of King Olaf the Saint, ruled over\nNorway, as before related, the Earl Ragnvald Brusason lived with him.\nEarl Thorfin Sigurdson, the uncle of Ragnvald, ruled then over Orkney.\nKing Magnus sent Ragnvald west to Orkney, and ordered that Thorfin\nshould let him have his father's heritage. Thorfin let Ragnvald have a\nthird part of the land along with him; for so had Erase, the father\nof Ragnvald, had it at his dying day. Earl Thorfin was married to\nIngebjorg, the earl-mother, who was a daughter of Fin Arnason. Earl\nRagnvald thought he should have two-thirds of the land, as Olaf the\nSaint had promised to his father Bruse, and as Bruse had enjoyed as\nlong as Olaf lived. This was the origin of a great strife between these\nrelations, concerning which we have a long saga. They had a great battle\nin Pentland Firth, in which Kalf Arnason was with Earl Thorfin. So says\nBjarne Gullbrarskald:--\n\n     \"Thy cutters, dashing through the tide,\n     Brought aid to Earl Thorfin's side,\n     Fin's son-in-law, and people say\n     Thy aid made Bruse's son give way.\n     Kalf, thou art fond of warlike toil,\n     Gay in the strife and bloody broil;\n     But here 'twas hate made thee contend\n     Against Earl Ragnvald, the king's friend.\"\n\n\n\n\n38. OF KING MAGNUS'S LETTER TO ENGLAND.\n\nKing Magnus ruled then both over Denmark and Norway; and when he had got\npossession of the Danish dominions he sent ambassadors over to England\nto King Edward, who brought to him King Magnus's letter and seal. And in\nthis letter there stood, along with a salutation from King Magnus,\nthese words:--\"Ye must have heard of the agreement which I and Hardaknut\nmade,--that he of us two who survived the other should have all the land\nand people which the deceased had possessed. Now it has so turned out,\nas ye have no doubt heard, that I have taken the Danish dominions as\nmy heritage after Hardaknut. But before he departed this life he\nhad England as well as Denmark; therefore I consider myself now, in\nconsequence of my rights by this agreement, to own England also. Now\nI will therefore that thou deliver to me the kingdom; otherwise I will\nseek to take it by arms, both from Denmark and Norway; and let him rule\nthe land to whom fate gives the victory.\"\n\n\n\n\n39. KING EDWARD'S ANSWER TO KING MAGNUS'S LETTER.\n\nNow when King Edward had read this letter, he replied thus: \"It is known\nto all men in this country that King Ethelred, my father, was udal-born\nto this kingdom, both after the old and new law of inheritance. We were\nfour sons after him; and when he by death left the throne my brother\nEdmund took the government and kingdom; for he was the oldest of us\nbrothers, and I was well satisfied that it was so. And after him my\nstepfather, Canute the Great, took the kingdom, and as long as he lived\nthere was no access to it. After him my brother Harald was king as long\nas he lived; and after him my brother Hardaknut took the kingdoms both\nof Denmark and England; for he thought that a just brotherly division\nthat he should have both England and Denmark, and that I should have no\nkingdom at all. Now he died, and then it was the resolution of all the\npeople of the country to take me for king here in England. So long as I\nhad no kingly title I served only superiors in all respects, like those\nwho had no claims by birth to land or kingdom. Now, however, I have\nreceived the kingly title, and am consecrated king. I have established\nmy royal dignity and authority, as my father before me; and while I live\nI will not renounce my title. If King Magnus come here with an army, I\nwill gather no army against him; but he shall only get the opportunity\nof taking England when he has taken my life. Tell him these words of\nmine.\" The ambassadors went back to King Magnus, and told him the answer\nto their message. King Magnus reflected a while, and answered thus:\n\"I think it wisest, and will succeed best, to let King Edward have his\nkingdom in peace for me, and that I keep the kingdoms God has put into\nmy hands.\"\n\n\n\n\nSAGA OF HARALD HARDRADE.\n\n\nPRELIMINARY REMARKS.\n\nHarald, son of Sigurd Syr, was born in the year A.D. 1015, and\nleft Norway A.D. 1030. He was called Hardrade, that is, the severe\ncounsellor, the tyrant, though the Icelanders never applied this epithet\nto him. Harald helped the Icelanders in the famine of A.D. 1056, and\nsent them timber for a church at Thingvol. It was the Norwegians who\ngave him the name tyrant in contrast to the \"debonairete\" of Magnus. He\ncame to Norway in A.D. 1046, and became sole king in A.D. 1047. He died\nin A.D. 1066, and his son and successor Magnus died in A.D. 1069.\n\nHis saga is to be compared with \"Agrip\", \"Fagrskinna\", and\n\"Morkinskinna\".\n\nThe skalds quoted are: Thiodolf, Bolverk, Illuge Bryndalaskald, Stuf the\nskald, Thorarin Skeggjason, Valgard o' Val, Od Kikinaskald, Grane Skald,\nThorleik the Fair, Stein Herdison, Ulf the Marshal, Arnor the earls'\nskald, Thorkel Skallason, and King Harald Hardrade himself.\n\n\n\n\n1. HARALD ESCAPES FROM THE BATTLE OF STIKLESTAD.\n\nHarald, son of Sigurd Syr, brother of Olaf the Saint, by the same\nmother, was at the battle of Stiklestad, and was fifteen years old when\nKing Olaf the Saint fell, as was before related. Harald was wounded, and\nescaped with other fugitives. So says Thiodolf:--\n\n     \"At Haug the fire-sparks from his shield\n     Flew round the king's head on the field,\n     As blow for blow, for Olaf's sake,\n     His sword and shield would give and take.\n     Bulgaria's conqueror, I ween,\n     Had scarcely fifteen winters seen,\n     When from his murdered brother's side\n     His unhelmed head he had to hide.\"\n\nRagnvald Brusason led Harald from the battle, and the night after the\nfray took him to a bonde who dwelt in a forest far from other people.\nThe peasant received Harald, and kept him concealed; and Harald was\nwaited upon until he was quite cured of his wounds. Then the bonde's son\nattended him on the way east over the ridge of the land, and they\nwent by all the forest paths they could, avoiding the common road. The\nbonde's son did not know who it was he was attending; and as they were\nriding together between two uninhabited forests, Harald made these\nverses:\n\n     \"My wounds were bleeding as I rode;\n     And down below the bondes strode,\n     Killing the wounded with the sword,\n     The followers of their rightful lord.\n     From wood to wood I crept along,\n     Unnoticed by the bonde-throng;\n     'Who knows,' I thought, 'a day may come\n     My name will yet be great at home.'\"\n\nHe went eastward over the ridge through Jamtaland and Helsingjaland, and\ncame to Svithjod, where he found Ragnvald Brusason, and many others of\nKing Olaf's men who had fled from the battle at Stiklestad, and they\nremained there till winter was over.\n\n\n\n\n2. HARALD'S JOURNEY TO CONSTANTINOPLE.\n\nThe spring after (A.D. 1031) Harald and Ragnvald got ships, and went\neast in summer to Russia to King Jarisleif, and were with him all the\nfollowing winter. So says the skald Bolverk:--\n\n     \"The king's sharp sword lies clean and bright,\n     Prepared in foreign lands to fight:\n     Our ravens croak to have their fill,\n     The wolf howls from the distant hill.\n     Our brave king is to Russia gone,--\n     Braver than he on earth there's none;\n     His sharp sword will carve many feast\n     To wolf and raven in the East.\"\n\nKing Jarisleif gave Harald and Ragnvald a kind reception, and made\nHarald and Ellif, the son of Earl Ragnvald, chiefs over the land-defence\nmen of the king. So says Thiodolf:--\n\n     \"Where Ellif was, one heart and hand\n     The two chiefs had in their command;\n     In wedge or line their battle order\n     Was ranged by both without disorder.\n     The eastern Vindland men they drove\n     Into a corner; and they move\n     The Lesians, although ill at ease,\n     To take the laws their conquerors please.\"\n\nHarald remained several years in Russia, and travelled far and wide in\nthe Eastern land. Then he began his expedition out to Greece, and had a\ngreat suite of men with him; and on he went to Constantinople. So says\nBolverk:--\n\n     \"Before the cold sea-curling blast\n     The cutter from the land flew past,\n     Her black yards swinging to and fro,\n     Her shield-hung gunwale dipping low.\n     The king saw glancing o'er the bow\n     Constantinople's metal glow\n     From tower and roof, and painted sails\n     Gliding past towns and wooded vales.\"\n\n\n\n\n3. OF HARALD.\n\nAt that time the Greek empire was ruled by the Empress Zoe the Great,\nand with her Michael Catalactus. Now when Harald came to Constantinople\nhe presented himself to the empress, and went into her pay; and\nimmediately, in autumn, went on board the galleys manned with troops\nwhich went out to the Greek sea. Harald had his own men along with him.\nNow Harald had been but a short time in the army before all the Varings\nflocked to him, and they all joined together when there was a battle. It\nthus came to pass that Harald was made chief of the Varings. There was a\nchief over all the troops who was called Gyrger, and who was a relation\nof the empress. Gyrger and Harald went round among all the Greek\nislands, and fought much against the corsairs.\n\n\n\n\n4. OF HARALD AND GYRGER CASTING LOTS.\n\nIt happened once that Gyrger and the Varings were going through the\ncountry, and they resolved to take their night quarters in a wood; and\nas the Varings came first to the ground, they chose the place which was\nbest for pitching their tents upon, which was the highest ground; for\nit is the nature of the land there to be soft when rain falls, and\ntherefore it is bad to choose a low situation for your tents. Now when\nGyrger, the chief of the army, came up, and saw where the Varings\nhad set up their tents, he told them to remove, and pitch their tents\nelsewhere, saying he would himself pitch his tents on their ground.\nHarald replies, \"If ye come first to the night quarter, ye take up your\nground, and we must go pitch our tents at some other place where we best\ncan. Now do ye so, in the same way, and find a place where ye will. It\nis, I think, the privilege of us Varings here in the dominions of\nthe Greek emperor to be free, and independent of all but their own\ncommanders, and bound only to serve the emperor and empress.\" They\ndisputed long and hotly about this, and both sides armed themselves, and\nwere on the way to fight for it; but men of understanding came between\nand separated them. They said it would be better to come to an agreement\nabout such questions, so that in future no dispute could arise. It\ncame thus to an arbitration between them, at which the best and\nmost sagacious men should give their judgment in the case. At this\narbitration it was determined, with the consent of all parties, that\nlots should be thrown into a box, and the Greeks and Varings should draw\nwhich was first to ride, or to row, or to take place in a harbour, or\nto choose tent ground; and each side should be satisfied with what\nthe drawing of the lots gave them. Accordingly the lots were made and\nmarked. Harald said to Gyrger, \"Let me see what mark thou hast put upon\nthy lot, that we may not both mark our lots in the same way.\" He did\nso. Then Harald marked his lot, and put it into the box along with the\nother. The man who was to draw out the lots then took up one of the lots\nbetween his fingers, held it up in the air, and said, \"This lot shall be\nthe first to ride, and to row, and to take place in harbour and on the\ntent field.\" Harald seized his band, snatched the die, and threw it into\nthe sea, and called out, \"That was our lot!\" Gyrger said, \"Why did you\nnot let other people see it?\" Harald replies, \"Look at the one remaining\nin the box,--there you see your own mark upon it.\" Accordingly the lot\nwhich was left behind was examined, and all men saw that Gyrger's mark\nwas upon it, and accordingly the judgment was given that the Varings had\ngained the first choice in all they had been quarrelling about. There\nwere many things they quarrelled about, but the end always was that\nHarald got his own way.\n\n\n\n\n5. HARALD'S EXPEDITION IN THE LAND OF THE SARACENS (SERKLAND).\n\nThey went out all on a campaign in summer. When the whole army was thus\nassembled Harald kept his men out of the battle, or wherever he saw the\nleast danger, under pretext of saving his men; but where he was alone\nwith his own men only, he fought so desperately that they must either\ncome off victorious or die. It thus happened often that when he\ncommanded the army he gained victories, while Gyrger could do nothing.\nThe troops observed this, and insisted they would be more successful if\nHarald alone was chief of the whole army, and upbraided the general with\nnever effecting anything, neither himself, nor his people. Gyrger again\nsaid that the Varings would give him no assistance, and ordered Harald\nto go with his men somewhere else, and he, with the rest of his army,\nwould win what they could. Harald accordingly left the army with the\nVarings and the Latin men, and Gyrger on his side went off with the\nGreek troops. Then it was seen what each could do. Harald always gained\nvictories and booty; but the Greeks went home to Constantinople with\ntheir army, all except a few brave men, who, to gain booty and money,\njoined themselves to Harald, and took him for their leader. He then went\nwith his troops westward to Africa, which the Varings call Serkland,\nwhere he was strengthened with many men. In Serkland he took eighty\ncastles, some of which surrendered, and others were stormed. He then\nwent to Sicily. So says Thiodolf:--\n\n     \"The serpent's bed of glowing gold\n     He hates--the generous king, the bold!\n     He who four score towers laid low,\n     Ta'en from the Saracenic foe.\n     Before upon Sicilian plains,\n     Shield joined to shield, the fight he gains,\n     The victory at Hild's war game;\n     And now the heathens dread his name.\"\n\nSo says also Illuge Bryndala-skald:--\n\n     \"For Michael's empire Harald fought,\n     And southern lands to Michael brought;\n     So Budle's son his friendship showed\n     When he brought friends to his abode.\"\n\nHere it is said that Michael was king of the Greeks at that time. Harald\nremained many years in Africa, where he gathered great wealth in gold,\njewels, and all sorts of precious things; and all the wealth he gathered\nthere which he did not need for his expenses, he sent with trusty men\nof his own north to Novgorod to King Jarisleif's care and keeping. He\ngathered together there extraordinary treasure, as is reasonable to\nsuppose; for he had the plundering of the part of the world richest in\ngold and valuable things, and he had done such great deeds as with truth\nare related, such as taking eighty strongholds by his valour.\n\n\n\n\n6. BATTLE IN SICILY.\n\nNow when Harald came to Sicily he plundered there also, and sat down\nwith his army before a strong and populous castle. He surrounded the\ncastle; but the walls were so thick there was no possibility of breaking\ninto it, and the people of the castle had enough of provisions, and all\nthat was necessary for defence. Then Harald hit upon an expedient.\nHe made his bird-catchers catch the small birds which had their nests\nwithin the castle, but flew into the woods by day to get food for their\nyoung. He had small splinters of tarred wood bound upon the backs of the\nbirds, smeared these over with wax and sulphur, and set fire to them. As\nsoon as the birds were let loose they all flew at once to the castle to\ntheir young, and to their nests, which they had under the house roofs\nthat were covered with reeds or straw. The fire from the birds seized\nupon the house roofs; and although each bird could only carry a small\nburden of fire, yet all at once there was a mighty flame, caused by so\nmany birds carrying fire with them and spreading it widely among the\nhouse roofs. Thus one house after the other was set on fire, until the\ncastle itself was in flames. Then the people came out of the castle and\nbegged for mercy; the same men who for many days had set at defiance\nthe Greek army and its leader. Harald granted life and safety to all who\nasked quarter, and made himself master of the place.\n\n\n\n\n7. BATTLE AT ANOTHER CASTLE.\n\nThere was another castle before which Harald had come with his army.\nThis castle was both full of people and so strong, that there was no\nhope of breaking into it. The castle stood upon a flat hard plain. Then\nHarald undertook to dig a passage from a place where a stream ran in a\nbed so deep that it could not be seen from the castle. They threw out\nall the earth into the stream, to be carried away by the water. At this\nwork they laboured day and night, and relieved each other in gangs;\nwhile the rest of the army went the whole day against the castle, where\nthe castle people shot through their loop-holes. They shot at each other\nall day in this way, and at night they slept on both sides. Now when\nHarald perceived that his underground passage was so long that it must\nbe within the castle walls, he ordered his people to arm themselves. It\nwas towards daybreak that they went into the passage. When they got to\nthe end of it they dug over their heads until they came upon stones laid\nin lime which was the floor of a stone hall. They broke open the floor\nand rose into the hall. There sat many of the castle-men eating and\ndrinking, and not in the least expecting such uninvited wolves; for\nthe Varings instantly attacked them sword in hand, and killed some, and\nthose who could get away fled. The Varings pursued them; and some seized\nthe castle gate, and opened it, so that the whole body of the army\ngot in. The people of the castle fled; but many asked quarter from the\ntroops, which was granted to all who surrendered. In this way Harald got\npossession of the place, and found an immense booty in it.\n\n\n\n\n8. BATTLE AT A THIRD CASTLE.\n\nThey came to a third castle, the greatest and strongest of them all,\nand also the richest in property and the fullest of people. Around this\ncastle there were great ditches, so that it evidently could not be taken\nby the same device as the former; and they lay a long time before it\nwithout doing anything. When the castle-men saw this they became bolder,\ndrew up their array on the castle walls, threw open the castle gates,\nand shouted to the Varings, urging them, and jeering at them, and\ntelling them to come into the castle, and that they were no more fit for\nbattle than so many poultry. Harald told his men to make as if they did\nnot know what to do, or did not understand what was said. \"For,\" says\nhe, \"if we do make an assault we can effect nothing, as they can throw\ntheir weapons under their feet among us; and if we get in the castle\nwith a party of our people, they have it in their power to shut them in.\nand shut out the others; for they have all the castle gates beset with\nmen. We shall therefore show them the same scorn they show us, and\nlet them see we do not fear them. Our men shall go out upon the plain\nnearest to the castle; taking care, however, to keep out of bow-shot.\nAll our men shall go unarmed, and be playing with each other, so that\nthe castle-men may see we do not regard them or their array.\" Thus it\nwent on for some days, without anything being done.\n\n\n\n\n9. OF ULF AND HALDOR.\n\nTwo Iceland men were then with Harald; the one was Haldor (1), a son of\nthe gode Snorre, who brought this account to Iceland; the other was Ulf\nUspakson, a grandson of Usvifer Spake. Both were very strong men, bold\nunder arms, and Harald's best friends; and both were in this play. Now\nwhen some days were passed the castle people showed more courage, and\nwould go without weapons upon the castle wall, while the castle gates\nwere standing open. The Varings observing this, went one day to their\nsports with the sword under their cloaks, and the helmet under their\nhats. After playing awhile they observed that the castle people were\noff their guard; and instantly seizing their weapons, they made at the\ncastle gate. When the men of the castle saw this they went against them\narmed completely, and a battle began in the castle gate. The Varings had\nno shields, but wrapped their cloaks round their left arms. Some of\nthem were wounded, some killed, and all stood in great danger. Now came\nHarald with the men who had remained in the camp, to the assistance\nof his people; and the castle-men had now got out upon the walls, from\nwhich they shot and threw stones down upon them; so that there was a\nsevere battle, and those who were in the castle gates thought that help\nwas brought them slower than they could have wished. When Harald came to\nthe castle gate his standard-bearer fell, and Harald said to Haldor,\n\"Do thou take up the banner now.\" Haldor took up the banner, and said\nfoolishly, \"Who will carry the banner before thee, if thou followest it\nso timidly as thou hast done for a while?\" But these were words more\nof anger than of truth; for Harald was one of the boldest of men under\narms. Then they pressed in, and had a hard battle in the castle; and the\nend was that Harald gained the victory and took the castle. Haldor\nwas much wounded in the face, and it gave him great pain as long as he\nlived.\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) One of the descendants of this Haldor was Snorre\n        Sturlason, the author of \"Heimskringla\".\n\n\n\n\n10. BATTLE AT A FOURTH CASTLE.\n\nThe fourth castle which Harald came to was the greatest of all we have\nbeen speaking about. It was so strong that there was no possibility of\nbreaking into it. They surrounded the castle, so that no supplies could\nget into it. When they had remained here a short time Harald fell sick,\nand he betook himself to his bed. He had his tent put up a little from\nthe camp, for he found quietness and rest out of the clamour and clang\nof armed men. His men went usually in companies to or from him to hear\nhis orders; and the castle people observing there was something new\namong the Varings, sent out spies to discover what this might mean. When\nthe spies came back to the castle they had to tell of the illness of the\ncommander of the Varings, and that no assault on that account had been\nmade on the castle. A while after Harald's strength began to fail, at\nwhich his men were very melancholy and cast down; all which was news to\nthe castle-men. At last Harald's sickness increased so rapidly that his\ndeath was expected through all the army. Thereafter the Varings went to\nthe castle-men; told them, in a parley, of the death of their commander;\nand begged of the priests to grant him burial in the castle. When the\ncastle people heard this news, there were many among them who ruled over\ncloisters or other great establishments within the place, and who were\nvery eager to get the corpse for their church, knowing that upon that\nthere would follow very rich presents. A great many priests, therefore,\nclothed themselves in all their robes, and went out of the castle with\ncross and shrine and relics and formed a beautiful procession. The\nVarings also made a great burial. The coffin was borne high in the air,\nand over it was a tent of costly linen and before it were carried many\nbanners. Now when the corpse was brought within the castle gate the\nVarings set down the coffin right across the entry, fixed a bar to keep\nthe gates open, and sounded to battle with all their trumpets, and drew\ntheir swords. The whole army of the Varings, fully armed, rushed from\nthe camp to the assault of the castle with shout and cry; and the monks\nand other priests who had gone to meet the corpse and had striven with\neach other who should be the first to come out and take the offering at\nthe burial, were now striving much more who should first get away\nfrom the Varings; for they killed before their feet every one who was\nnearest, whether clerk or unconsecrated. The Varings rummaged so well\nthis castle that they killed all the men, pillaged everything and made\nan enormous booty.\n\n\n\n\n11. OF HARALD.\n\nHarald was many years in these campaigns, both in Serkland and in\nSicily. Then he came back to Constantinople with his troops and stayed\nthere but a little time before he began his expedition to Jerusalem.\nThere he left the pay he had received from the Greek emperor and all the\nVarings who accompanied him did the same. It is said that on all\nthese expeditions Harald had fought eighteen regular battles. So says\nThiodolf:--\n\n     \"Harald the Stern ne'er allowed\n     Peace to his foemen, false and proud;\n     In eighteen battles, fought and won,\n     The valour of the Norseman shone.\n     The king, before his home return,\n     Oft dyed the bald head of the erne\n     With bloody specks, and o'er the waste\n     The sharp-claw'd wolf his footsteps traced.\"\n\n\n\n\n12. HARALD'S EXPEDITION TO PALESTINE.\n\nHarald went with his men to the land of Jerusalem and then up to the\ncity of Jerusalem, and wheresoever he came in the land all the towns and\nstrongholds were given up to him. So says the skald Stuf, who had heard\nthe king himself relate these tidings:--\n\n     \"He went, the warrior bold and brave,\n     Jerusalem, the holy grave,\n     And the interior of the land,\n     To bring under the Greeks' command;\n     And by the terror of his name\n     Under his power the country came,\n     Nor needed wasting fire and sword\n     To yield obediance to his word.\"\n\nHere it is told that this land came without fire and sword under\nHarald's command. He then went out to Jordan and bathed therein,\naccording to the custom of other pilgrims. Harald gave great gifts to\nour Lord's grave, to the Holy Cross, and other holy relics in the land\nof Jerusalem. He also cleared the whole road all the way out to Jordan,\nby killing the robbers and other disturbers of the peace. So says the\nskald Stuf:--\n\n     \"The Agder king cleared far and wide\n     Jordan's fair banks on either side;\n     The robber-bands before him fled,\n     And his great name was widely spread.\n     The wicked people of the land\n     Were punished here by his dread hand,\n     And they hereafter will not miss\n     Much worse from Jesus Christ than this.\"\n\n\n\n\n13. HARALD PUT IN PRISON.\n\nThereafter he went back to Constantinople. When Harald returned to\nConstantinople from Jerusalem he longed to return to the North to his\nnative land; and when he heard that Magnus Olafson, his brother's son,\nhad become king both of Norway and Denmark, he gave up his command in\nthe Greek service. And when the empress Zoe heard of this she became\nangry and raised an accusation against Harald that he had misapplied the\nproperty of the Greek emperor which he had received in the campaigns in\nwhich he was commander of the army. There was a young and beautiful girl\ncalled Maria, a brother's daughter of the empress Zoe, and Harald had\npaid his addresses to her; but the empress had given him a refusal. The\nVarings, who were then in pay in Constantinople, have told here in\nthe North that there went a report among well-informed people that the\nempress Zoe herself wanted Harald for her husband, and that she chiefly\nblamed Harald for his determination to leave Constantinople, although\nanother reason was given out to the public. Constantinus Monomachus was\nat that time emperor of the Greeks and ruled along with Zoe. On this\naccount the Greek emperor had Harald made prisoner and carried to\nprison.\n\n\n\n\n14. KING OLAF'S MIRACLE AND BLINDING THE GREEK EMPEROR.\n\nWhen Harald drew near to the prison King Olaf the Saint stood before him\nand said he would assist him. On that spot of the street a chapel has\nsince been built and consecrated to Saint Olaf and which chapel has\nstood there ever since. The prison was so constructed that there was a\nhigh tower open above, but a door below to go into it from the street.\nThrough it Harald was thrust in, along with Haldor and Ulf. Next night\na lady of distinction with two servants came, by the help of ladders,\nto the top of the tower, let down a rope into the prison and hauled them\nup. Saint Olaf had formerly cured this lady of a sickness and he had\nappeared to her in a vision and told her to deliver his brother. Harald\nwent immediately to the Varings, who all rose from their seats when he\ncame in and received him with joy. The men armed themselves forthwith\nand went to where the emperor slept. They took the emperor prisoner and\nput out both the eyes of him. So says Thorarin Skeggjason in his poem:--\n\n     \"Of glowing gold that decks the hand\n     The king got plenty in this land;\n     But it's great emperor in the strife\n     Was made stone-blind for all his life.\"\n\nSo says Thiodolf, the skald, also:--\n\n     \"He who the hungry wolf's wild yell\n     Quiets with prey, the stern, the fell,\n     Midst the uproar of shriek and shout\n     Stung tho Greek emperor's eyes both out:\n     The Norse king's mark will not adorn,\n     The Norse king's mark gives cause to mourn;\n     His mark the Eastern king must bear,\n     Groping his sightless way in fear.\"\n\nIn these two songs, and many others, it is told that Harald himself\nblinded the Greek emperor; and they would surely have named some duke,\ncount, or other great man, if they had not known this to be the true\naccount; and King Harald himself and other men who were with him spread\nthe account.\n\n\n\n\n15. HARALD'S JOURNEY FROM CONSTANTINOPLE.\n\nThe same night King Harald and his men went to the house where Maria\nslept and carried her away by force. Then they went down to where the\ngalleys of the Varings lay, took two of them and rowed out into Sjavid\nsound. When they came to the place where the iron chain is drawn across\nthe sound, Harald told his men to stretch out at their oars in both\ngalleys; but the men who were not rowing to run all to the stern of the\ngalley, each with his luggage in his hand. The galleys thus ran up\nand lay on the iron chain. As soon as they stood fast on it, and would\nadvance no farther, Harald ordered all the men to run forward into the\nbow. Then the galley, in which Harald was, balanced forwards and swung\ndown over the chain; but the other, which remained fast athwart the\nchain, split in two, by which many men were lost; but some were taken up\nout of the sound. Thus Harald escaped out of Constantinople and sailed\nthence into the Black Sea; but before he left the land he put the lady\nashore and sent her back with a good escort to Constantinople and bade\nher tell her relation, the Empress Zoe, how little power she had over\nHarald, and how little the empress could have hindered him from taking\nthe lady. Harald then sailed northwards in the Ellipalta and then all\nround the Eastern empire. On this voyage Harald composed sixteen songs\nfor amusement and all ending with the same words. This is one of them:--\n\n     \"Past Sicily's wide plains we flew,\n     A dauntless, never-wearied crew;\n     Our viking steed rushed through the sea,\n     As viking-like fast, fast sailed we.\n     Never, I think, along this shore\n     Did Norsemen ever sail before;\n     Yet to the Russian queen, I fear,\n     My gold-adorned, I am not dear.\"\n\nWith this he meant Ellisif, daughter of King Jarisleif in Novgorod.\n\n\n\n\n16. OF KING HARALD.\n\nWhen Harald came to Novgorod King Jarisleif received him in the most\nfriendly way and he remained there all winter (A.D. 1045). Then he took\ninto his own keeping all the gold and the many kinds of precious things\nwhich he had sent there from Constantinople and which together made up\nso vast a treasure that no man in the Northern lands ever saw the\nlike of it in one man's possession. Harald had been three times in the\npoluta-svarf while he was in Constantinople. It is the custom, namely,\nthere, that every time one of the Greek emperors dies, the Varings are\nallowed poluta-svarf; that is, they may go through all the emperor's\npalaces where his treasures are and each may take and keep what he can\nlay hold of while he is going through them.\n\n\n\n\n17. KING HARALD'S MARRIAGE.\n\nThis winter King Jarisleif gave Harald his daughter Elisabeth in\nmarriage. She is called by the Northmen Ellisif. This is related by Stuf\nthe Blind, thus:--\n\n     \"Agder's chief now got the queen\n     Who long his secret love had been.\n     Of gold, no doubt, a mighty store\n     The princess to her husband bore.\"\n\nIn spring he began his journey from Novgorod and came to Aldeigjuborg,\nwhere he took shipping and sailed from the East in summer. He turned\nfirst to Svithjod and came to Sigtuna. So says Valgard o' Val:--\n\n     \"The fairest cargo ship e'er bore,\n     From Russia's distant eastern shore\n     The gallant Harald homeward brings--\n     Gold, and a fame that skald still sings.\n     The ship through dashing foam he steers,\n     Through the sea-rain to Svithjod veers,\n     And at Sigtuna's grassy shores\n     His gallant vessel safely moors.\"\n\n\n\n\n18. THE LEAGUE BETWEEN KING HARALD AND SVEIN ULFSON.\n\nHarald found there before him Svein Ulfson, who the autumn before (A.D.\n1045) had fled from King Magnus at Helganes; and when they met they\nwere very friendly on both sides. The Swedish king, Olaf the Swede, was\nbrother of the mother of Ellisif, Harald's wife; and Astrid, the\nmother of Svein, was King Olaf's sister. Harald and Svein entered into\nfriendship with each other and confirmed it by oath. All the Swedes were\nfriendly to Svein, because he belonged to the greatest family in the\ncountry; and thus all the Swedes were Harald's friends and helpers also,\nfor many great men were connected with him by relationship. So says\nThiodolf:\n\n     \"Cross the East sea the vessel flew,--\n     Her oak-keel a white furrow drew\n     From Russia's coast to Swedish land.\n     Where Harald can great help command.\n     The heavy vessel's leeward side\n     Was hid beneath the rushing tide;\n     While the broad sail and gold-tipped mast\n     Swung to and fro in the hard blast.\"\n\n\n\n\n19. KING HARALD'S FORAY.\n\nThen Harald and Svein fitted out ships and gathered together a great\nforce; and when the troops were ready they sailed from the East towards\nDenmark. So says Valgard:--\n\n     \"Brave Yngve!  to the land decreed\n     To thee by fate, with tempest speed\n     The winds fly with thee o'er the sea--\n     To thy own udal land with thee.\n     As past the Scanlan plains they fly,\n     The gay ships glances 'twixt sea and sky,\n     And Scanian brides look out, and fear\n     Some ill to those they hold most dear.\"\n\nThey landed first in Seeland with their men and herried and burned in\nthe land far and wide. Then they went to Fyen, where they also landed\nand wasted. So says Valgard:--\n\n     \"Harald! thou hast the isle laid waste,\n     The Seeland men away hast chased,\n     And the wild wolf by daylight roams\n     Through their deserted silent homes.\n     Fiona too could not withstand\n     The fury of thy wasting hand.\n     Helms burst, shields broke,--Fiona's bounds.\n     Were filled with death's terrific sounds.\n\n     \"Red flashing in the southern sky,\n     The clear flame sweeping broad and high,\n     From fair Roeskilde's lofty towers,\n     On lowly huts its fire-rain pours;\n     And shows the housemates' silent train\n     In terror scouring o'er the plain,\n     Seeking the forest's deepest glen,\n     To house with wolves, and 'scape from men.\n\n     \"Few were they of escape to tell,\n     For, sorrow-worn, the people fell:\n     The only captives form the fray\n     Were lovely maidens led away.\n     And in wild terror to the strand,\n     Down to the ships, the linked band\n     Of fair-haired girls is roughly driven,\n     Their soft skins by the irons riven.\"\n\n\n\n\n20. KING MAGNUS'S LEVY.\n\nKing Magnus Olafson sailed north to Norway in the autumn after the\nbattle at Helganes (A.D. 1045). There he hears the news that Harald\nSigurdson, his relation, was come to Svithjod; and moreover that Svein\nUlfson and Harald had entered into a friendly bond with each other and\ngathered together a great force, intending first to subdue Denmark and\nthen Norway. King Magnus then ordered a general levy over all Norway and\nhe soon collected a great army. He hears then that Harald and Svein were\ncome to Denmark and were burning and laying waste the land and that the\ncountry people were everywhere submitting to them. It was also told that\nKing Harald was stronger and stouter than other men, and so wise withal\nthat nothing was impossible to him, and he had always the victory when\nhe fought a battle; and he was also so rich in gold that no man could\ncompare with him in wealth. Thiodolf speaks thus of it:\n\n     \"Norsemen, who stand the sword of foe\n     Like forest-stems unmoved by blow!\n     My hopes are fled, no peace is near,--\n     People fly here and there in fear.\n     On either side of Seeland's coast\n     A fleet appears--a white winged host;\n     Magnus form Norway takes his course,\n     Harald from Sweden leads his force.\n\n\n\n\n21. TREATY BETWEEN HARALD AND MAGNUS.\n\nThose of Harald's men who were in his counsel said that it would be a\ngreat misfortune if relations like Harald and Magnus should fight and\nthrow a death-spear against each other; and therefore many offered to\nattempt bringing about some agreement between them, and the kings, by\ntheir persuasion, agreed to it. Thereupon some men were sent off in a\nlight boat, in which they sailed south in all haste to Denmark, and got\nsome Danish men, who were proven friends of King Magnus, to propose\nthis matter to Harald. This affair was conducted very secretly. Now when\nHarald heard that his relation, King Magnus, would offer him a league\nand partition, so that Harald should have half of Norway with King\nMagnus, and that they should divide all their movable property into two\nequal parts, he accepted the proposal, and the people went back to King\nMagnus with this answer.\n\n\n\n\n22. TREATY BETWEEN HARALD AND SVEIN BROKEN.\n\nA little after this it happened that Harald and Svein one evening were\nsitting at table drinking and talking together, and Svein asked Harald\nwhat valuable piece of all his property he esteemed the most.\n\nHe answered, it was his banner Land-waster.\n\nSvein asked what was there remarkable about it, that he valued it so\nhighly.\n\nHarald replied, it was a common saying that he must gain the victory\nbefore whom that banner is borne, and it had turned out so ever since he\nhad owned it.\n\nSvein replies, \"I will begin to believe there is such virtue in the\nbanner when thou hast held three battles with thy relation Magnus, and\nhast gained them all.\"\n\nThen answered Harald with an angry voice, \"I know my relationship to\nKing Magnus, without thy reminding me of it; and although we are now\ngoing in arms against him, our meeting may be of a better sort.\"\n\nSvein changed colour, and said, \"There are people, Harald, who say that\nthou hast done as much before as only to hold that part of an agreement\nwhich appears to suit thy own interest best.\"\n\nHarald answers, \"It becomes thee ill to say that I have not stood by an\nagreement, when I know what King Magnus could tell of thy proceedings\nwith him.\"\n\nThereupon each went his own way. At night, when Harald went to sleep\nwithin the bulwarks of his vessel, he said to his footboy, \"I will not\nsleep in my bed to-night, for I suspect there may be treachery abroad.\nI observed this evening that my friend Svein was very angry at my free\ndiscourse. Thou shalt keep watch, therefore, in case anything happen in\nthe night.\" Harald then went away to sleep somewhere else, and laid a\nbillet of wood in his place. At midnight a boat rowed alongside to the\nship's bulwark; a man went on board, lifted up the cloth of the tent of\nthe bulwarks, went up, and struck in Harald's bed with a great ax, so\nthat it stood fast in the lump of wood. The man instantly ran back to\nhis boat again, and rowed away in the dark night, for the moon was\nset; but the axe remained sticking in the piece of wood as an evidence.\nThereupon Harald waked his men and let them know the treachery intended.\n\"We can now see sufficiently,\" said he, \"that we could never match Svein\nif he practises such deliberate treachery against us; so it will be best\nfor us to get away from this place while we can. Let us cast loose our\nvessel and row away as quietly as possible.\" They did so, and rowed\nduring the night northwards along the land; and then proceeded night and\nday until they came to King Magnus, where he lay with his army. Harald\nwent to his relation Magnus, and there was a joyful meeting betwixt\nthem. So says Thiodolf:--\n\n     \"The far-known king the order gave,\n     In silence o'er the swelling wave,\n     With noiseless oars, his vessels gay\n     From Denmark west to row away;\n     And Olaf's son, with justice rare,\n     Offers with him the realm to share.\n     People, no doubt, rejoiced to find\n     The kings had met in peaceful mind.\"\n\nAfterwards the two relatives conversed with each other and all was\nsettled by peaceful agreement.\n\n\n\n\n23. KING MAGNUS GIVES HARALD HALF OF NORWAY.\n\nKing Magnus lay at the shore and had set up tents upon the land. There\nhe invited his relation, King Harald, to be his guest at table; and\nHarald went to the entertainment with sixty of his men and was feasted\nexcellently. Towards the end of the day King Magnus went into the tent\nwhere Harald sat and with him went men carrying parcels consisting of\nclothes and arms. Then the king went to the man who sat lowest and gave\nhim a good sword, to the next a shield, to the next a kirtle, and so\non,--clothes, or weapons, or gold; to all he gave one or the other\nvaluable gift, and the more costly to the more distinguished men among\nthem. Then he placed himself before his relation Harald, holding two\nsticks in his hand, and said, \"Which of these two sticks wilt thou have,\nmy friend?\"\n\nHarald replies, \"The one nearest me.\"\n\n\"Then,\" said King Magnus, \"with this stick I give thee half of the\nNorwegian power, with all the scat and duties, and all the domains\nthereunto belonging, with the condition that everywhere thou shalt be as\nlawful king in Norway as I am myself; but when we are both together in\none place, I shall be the first man in seat, service and salutation; and\nif there be three of us together of equal dignity, that I shall sit\nin the middle, and shall have the royal tent-ground and the royal\nlanding-place. Thou shalt strengthen and advance our kingdom, in return\nfor making thee that man in Norway whom we never expected any man should\nbe so long as our head was above ground.\" Then Harald stood up, and\nthanked him for the high title and dignity. Thereupon they both sat\ndown, and were very merry together. The same evening Harald and his men\nreturned to their ships.\n\n\n\n\n24. HARALD GIVES MAGNUS THE HALF OF HIS TREASURES.\n\nThe following morning King Magnus ordered the trumpets to sound to a\nGeneral Thing of the people; and when it was seated, he made known to\nthe whole army the gift he had given to his relation Harald. Thorer of\nSteig gave Harald the title of King there at the Thing; and the same\nday King Harald invited King Magnus to table with him, and he went with\nsixty men to King Harald's land-tent, where he had prepared a feast.\nThe two kings sat together on a high-seat, and the feast was splendid;\neverything went on with magnificence, and the kings' were merry and\nglad. Towards the close of the day King Harald ordered many caskets to\nbe brought into the tent, and in like manner people bore in weapons,\nclothes and other sorts of valuables; and all these King Harald divided\namong King Magnus's men who were at the feast. Then he had the caskets\nopened and said to King Magnus, \"Yesterday you gave us a large\nkingdom, which your hand won from your and our enemies, and took us in\npartnership with you, which was well done; and this has cost you much.\nNow we on our side have been in foreign parts, and oft in peril of life,\nto gather together the gold which you here see. Now, King Magnus, I will\ndivide this with you. We shall both own this movable property, and each\nhave his equal share of it, as each has his equal half share of Norway.\nI know that our dispositions are different, as thou art more liberal\nthan I am; therefore let us divide this property equally between us, so\nthat each may have his share free to do with as he will.\" Then Harald\nhad a large ox-hide spread out, and turned the gold out of the caskets\nupon it. Then scales and weights were taken and the gold separated and\ndivided by weight into equal parts; and all people wondered exceedingly\nthat so much gold should have come together in one place in the northern\ncountries. But it was understood that it was the Greek emperor's\nproperty and wealth; for, as all people say, there are whole houses\nthere full of red gold. The kings were now very merry. Then there\nappeared an ingot among the rest as big as a man's hand. Harald took\nit in his hands and said, \"Where is the gold, friend Magnus, that thou\ncanst show against this piece?\"\n\nKing Magnus replied, \"So many disturbances and levies have been in the\ncountry that almost all the gold and silver I could lay up is gone. I\nhave no more gold in my possession than this ring.\" And he took the ring\noff his hand and gave it to Harald.\n\nHarald looked at it, and said, \"That is but little gold, friend, for\nthe king who owns two kingdoms; and yet some may doubt whether thou art\nrightful owner of even this ring.\"\n\nThen King Magnus replied, after a little reflection, \"If I be not\nrightful owner of this ring, then I know not what I have got right\nto; for my father, King Olaf the Saint, gave me this ring at our last\nparting.\"\n\nThen said King Harald, laughing, \"It is true, King Magnus, what thou\nsayest. Thy father gave thee this ring, but he took the ring from my\nfather for some trifling cause; and in truth it was not a good time for\nsmall kings in Norway when thy father was in full power.\"\n\nKing Harald gave Thorer of Steig at that feast a bowl of mountain birch,\nthat was encircled with a silver ring and had a silver handle, both\nwhich parts were gilt; and the bowl was filled with money of pure\nsilver. With that came also two gold rings, which together stood for a\nmark. He gave him also his cloak of dark purple lined with white skins\nwithin, and promised him besides his friendship and great dignity.\nThorgils Snorrason, an intelligent man, says he has seen an altar-cloth\nthat was made of this cloak; and Gudrid, a daughter of Guthorm, the son\nof Thorer of Steig, said, according to Thorgil's account, that she had\nseen this bowl in her father Guthorm's possession. Bolverk also tells of\nthese matters:--\n\n     \"Thou, generous king, I have been told,\n     For the green land hast given gold;\n     And Magnus got a mighty treasure,\n     That thou one half might'st rule at pleasure.\n     The people gained a blessed peace,\n     Which 'twixt the kings did never cease;\n     While Svein, disturbed with war's alarms,\n     Had his folk always under arms.\"\n\n\n\n\n25. OF KING MAGNUS.\n\nThe kings Magnus and Harald both ruled in Norway the winter after their\nagreement (A.D. 1047), and each had his court. In winter they went\naround the Upland country in guest-quarters; and sometimes they were\nboth together, sometimes each was for himself. They went all the way\nnorth to Throndhjem, to the town of Nidaros. King Magnus had taken\nspecial care of the holy remains of King Olaf after he came to the\ncountry; had the hair and nails clipped every twelve month, and kept\nhimself the keys that opened the shrine. Many miracles were worked by\nKing Olaf's holy remains. It was not long before there was a breach\nin the good understanding between the two kings, as many were so\nmischievous as to promote discord between them.\n\n\n\n\n26. OF SVEIN ULFSON.\n\nSvein Ulfson remained behind in the harbour after Harald had gone away,\nand inquired about his proceedings. When he heard at last of Magnus and\nHarald having agreed and joined their forces, he steered with his forces\neastward along Scania, and remained there until towards winter, when he\nheard that King Magnus and King Harald had gone northwards to Norway.\nThen Svein, with his troops, came south to Denmark and took all the\nroyal income that winter (A.D. 1047).\n\n\n\n\n27. OF THE LEVY OF THE TWO KINGS.\n\nTowards spring (A.D. 1047) King Magnus and his relation, King Harald,\nordered a levy in Norway. It happened once that the kings lay all night\nin the same harbour and next day, King Harald, being first ready, made\nsail. Towards evening he brought up in the harbour in which Magnus and\nhis retinue had intended to pass the night. Harald laid his vessel in\nthe royal ground, and there set up his tents. King Magnus got under sail\nlater in the day and came into the harbour just as King Harald had done\npitching his tents. They saw then that King Harald had taken up the\nking's ground and intended to lie there. After King Magnus had ordered\nthe sails to be taken in, he said, \"The men will now get ready along\nboth sides of the vessel to lay out their oars, and some will open the\nhatches and bring up the arms and arm themselves; for, if they will not\nmake way for us, we will fight them.\" Now when King Harald sees\nthat King Magnus will give him battle, he says to his men, \"Cut our\nland-fastenings and back the ship out of the ground, for friend Magnus\nis in a passion.\" They did so and laid the vessel out of the ground\nand King Magnus laid his vessel in it. When they were now ready on both\nsides with their business, King Harald went with a few men on board of\nKing Magnus's ship. King Magnus received him in a friendly way, and\nbade him welcome. King Harald answered, \"I thought we were come among\nfriends; but just now I was in doubt if ye would have it so. But it is a\ntruth that childhood is hasty, and I will only consider it as a childish\nfreak.\" Then said King Magnus, \"It is no childish whim, but a trait of\nmy family, that I never forget what I have given, or what I have not\ngiven. If this trifle had been settled against my will, there would soon\nhave followed' some other discord like it. In all particulars I will\nhold the agreement between us; but in the same way we will have all that\nbelongs to us by that right.\" King Harald coolly replied, that it is an\nold custom for the wisest to give way; and returned to his ship. From\nsuch circumstances it was found difficult to preserve good understanding\nbetween the kings. King Magnus's men said he was in the right; but\nothers, less wise, thought there was some slight put upon Harald in the\nbusiness. King Harald's men, besides, insisted that the agreement was\nonly that King Magnus should have the preference of the harbour-ground\nwhen they arrived together, but that King Harald was not bound to draw\nout of his place when he came first. They observed, also, that King\nHarald had conducted himself well and wisely in the matter. Those who\nviewed the business in the worst light insisted that King Magnus wanted\nto break the agreement, and that he had done King Harald injustice,\nand put an affront on him. Such disputes were talked over so long\namong foolish people, that the spirit of disagreeing affected the kings\nthemselves. Many other things also occurred, in which the kings appeared\ndetermined to have each his own way; but of these little will be set\ndown here.\n\n\n\n\n28. KING MAGNUS THE GOOD'S DEATH.\n\nThe kings, Magnus and Harald, sailed with their fleet south to Denmark;\nand when Svein heard of their approach, he fled away east to Scania.\nMagnus and Harald remained in Denmark late in summer, and subdued the\nwhole country. In autumn they were in Jutland. One night, as King Magnus\nlay in his bed, it appeared to him in a dream that he was in the same\nplace as his father, Saint Olaf, and that he spoke to him thus: \"Wilt\nthou choose, my son, to follow me, or to become a mighty king, and\nhave long life; but to commit a crime which thou wilt never be able to\nexpiate?\" He thought he made the answer, \"Do thou, father, choose for\nme.\" Then the king thought the answer was, \"Thou shalt follow me.\" King\nMagnus told his men this dream. Soon after he fell sick and lay at a\nplace called Sudathorp. When he was near his death he sent his brother,\nThorer, with tokens to Svein Ulfson, with the request to give Thorer the\naid he might require. In this message King Magnus also gave the Danish\ndominions to Svein after his death; and said it was just that Harald\nshould rule over Norway and Svein over Denmark. Then King Magnus the\nGood died (A.D. 1047), and great was the sorrow of all the people at his\ndeath. So says Od Kikinaskald:--\n\n     \"The tears o'er good King Magnus' bier,\n     The people's tears, were all sincere:\n     Even they to whom he riches gave\n     Carried him heavily to the grave.\n     All hearts were struck at the king's end;\n     His house-thralls wept as for a friend;\n     His court-men oft alone would muse,\n     As pondering o'er unthought of news.\"\n\n\n\n\n29. KING MAGNUS'S FUNERAL.\n\nAfter this event King Harald held a Thing of his men-at-arms, and told\nthem his intention to go with the army to Viborg Thing, and make himself\nbe proclaimed king over the whole Danish dominions, to which, he said,\nhe had hereditary right after his relation Magnus, as well as to Norway.\nHe therefore asked his men for their aid, and said he thought the\nNorway man should show himself always superior to the Dane. Then Einar\nTambaskelfer replies that he considered it a greater duty to bring his\nfoster-son King Magnus's corpse to the grave, and lay it beside his\nfather, King Olaf's, north in Throndhjem town, than to be fighting\nabroad and taking another king's dominions and property. He ended his\nspeech with saying that he would rather follow King Magnus dead than any\nother king alive. Thereupon he had the body adorned in the most careful\nway, so that most magnificent preparations were made in the king's ship.\nThen all the Throndhjem people and all the Northmen made themselves\nready to return home with the king's body, and so the army was broken\nup. King Harald saw then that it was better for him to return to Norway\nto secure that kingdom first, and to assemble men anew; and so King\nHarald returned to Norway with all his army. As soon as he came to\nNorway he held a Thing with the people of the country, and had himself\nproclaimed king everywhere. He proceeded thus from the East through\nViken, and in every district in Norway he was named king. Einar\nTambaskelfer, and with him all the Throndhjem troops, went with King\nMagnus's body and transported it to the town of Nidaros, where it was\nburied in St. Clement's church, where also was the shrine of King\nOlaf the Saint. King Magnus was of middle size, of long and\nclear-complexioned countenance, and light hair, spoke well and hastily,\nwas brisk in his actions, and extremely generous. He was a great\nwarrior, and remarkably bold in arms. He was the most popular of kings,\nprized even by enemies as well as friends.\n\n\n\n\n30. OF SVEIN ULFSON.\n\nSvein Ulfson remained that autumn in Scania (A.D. 1047), and was making\nready to travel eastward to Sweden, with the intention of renouncing the\ntitle of king he had assumed in Denmark; but just as he was mounting his\nhorse some men came riding to him with the first news that King Magnus\nwas dead, and all the Northmen had left Denmark. Svein answered in\nhaste, \"I call God to witness that I shall never again fly from the\nDanish dominions as long as I live.\" Then he got on his horse and rode\nsouth into Scania, where immediately many people crowded to him. That\nwinter he brought under his power all the Danish dominions, and all the\nDanes took him for their king. Thorer, King Magnus's brother, came to\nSvein in autumn with the message of King Magnus, as before related,\nand was well received; and Thorer remained long with Svein and was well\ntaken care of.\n\n\n\n\n31. OF KING HARALD SIGURDSON.\n\nKing Harald Sigurdson took the royal power over all Norway after the\ndeath of King Magnus Olafson; and when he had reigned over Norway one\nwinter and spring was come (A.D. 1048), he ordered a levy through all\nthe land of one-half of all men and ships and went south to Jutland.\nHe herried and burned all summer wide around in the land and came into\nGodnarfjord, where King Harald made these verses:--\n\n     \"While wives of husbands fondly dream,\n     Here let us anchor in the stream,\n     In Godnarfjord; we'll safely moor\n     Our sea-homes, and sleep quite secure.\"\n\nThen he spoke to Thiodolf, the skald, and asked him to add to it what it\nwanted, and he sang:--\n\n     \"In the next summer, I foresee,\n     Our anchorage in the South will be;\n     To hold our sea-homes on the ground,\n     More cold-tongued anchors will be found.\"\n\nTo this Bolverk alludes in his song also, that Harald went to Denmark\nthe summer after King Magnus's death. Bolverk sings thus:--\n\n     \"Next summer thou the levy raised,\n     And seawards all the people gazed,\n     Where thy sea-steeds in sunshine glancing\n     Over the waves were gaily prancing;\n     While the deep ships that plunder bore\n     Seemed black specks from the distant shore.\n     The Danes, from banks or hillocks green,\n     Looked with dismay upon the scene.\"\n\n\n\n\n32. OF THORKEL GEYSA'S DAUGHTERS.\n\nThen they burned the house of Thorkel Geysa, who was a great lord, and\nhis daughters they carried off bound to their ships. They had made a\ngreat mockery the winter before of King Harald's coming with war-ships\nagainst Denmark; and they cut their cheese into the shape of anchors,\nand said such anchors might hold all the ships of the Norway king. Then\nthis was composed:--\n\n     \"The Island-girls, we were told,\n     Made anchors all our fleet to hold:\n     Their Danish jest cut out in cheese\n     Did not our stern king's fancy please.\n     Now many a maiden fair, may be,\n     Sees iron anchors splash the sea,\n     Who will not wake a maid next morn\n     To laugh at Norway's ships in scorn.\"\n\nIt is said that a spy who had seen the fleet of King Harald said to\nThorkel Geysa's daughters, \"Ye said, Geysa's daughters, that King Harald\ndared not come to Denmark.\" Dotta, Thorkel's daughter, replied, \"That\nwas yesterday.\" Thorkel had to ransom his daughters with a great sum. So\nsays Grane:--\n\n     \"The gold-adorned girl's eye\n     Through Hornskeg wood was never dry,\n     As down towards the sandy shore\n     The men their lovely prizes bore.\n     The Norway leader kept at bay\n     The foe who would contest the way,\n     And Dotta's father had to bring\n     Treasure to satisfy the king.\"\n\nKing Harald plundered in Denmark all that summer, and made immense\nbooty; but he had not any footing in the land that summer in Denmark.\nHe went to Norway again in autumn and remained there all winter (A.D.\n1049).\n\n\n\n\n33. MARRIAGES AND CHILDREN OF HARALD HARDRADE.\n\nThe winter after King Magnus the Good died, King Harald took Thora,\ndaughter of Thorberg Arnason, and they had two sons; the oldest called\nMagnus, and the other Olaf. King Harald and Queen Ellisif had two\ndaughters; the one Maria, the other Ingegerd. The spring after the foray\nwhich has just been related King Harald ordered the people out and went\nwith them to Denmark (A.D. 1049), and herried there, and did so summer\nafter summer thereafter. So says Stuf, the skald:--\n\n     \"Falster lay waste, as people tell,--\n     The raven in other isles fared well.\n     The Danes were everywhere in fear,\n     For the dread foray every year.\"\n\n\n\n\n34. OF THE ARMAMENTS OF SVEIN ULFSON AND HARALD.\n\nKing Svein ruled over all the Danish dominions after King Magnus's\ndeath. He sat quiet all the winter; but in summer he lay out in his\nships with all his people and it was said he would go north to Norway\nwith the Danish army and make not less havoc there than King Harald\nhad made in Denmark. King Svein proposed to King Harald in winter (A.D.\n1049) to meet him the following summer at the Gaut river and fight until\nin the battle-field their differences were ended, or they were settled\npeacefully. They made ready on both sides all winter with their ships,\nand called out in summer one-half of all the fighting men. The same\nsummer came Thorleik the Fair out of Iceland, and composed a poem about\nKing Svein Ulfson. He heard, when he arrived in Norway, that King Harald\nhad sailed south to the Gaut river against King Svein. Then Thorleik\nsang this:--\n\n     \"The wily Svein, I think, will meet\n     These inland Norsemen fleet to fleet;\n     The arrow-storm, and heaving sea,\n     His vantage-fight and field will be.\n     God only knows the end of strife,\n     Or which shall have his land and life;\n     This strife must come to such an end,\n     For terms will never bind King Svein.\"\n\nHe also sang these verses:--\n\n     \"Harald, whose red shield oft has shone\n     O'er herried coasts, and fields hard won,\n     Rides in hot wrath, and eager speeds\n     O'er the blue waves his ocean-steeds.\n     Svein, who in blood his arrows stains,\n     Brings o'er the ocean's heaving plains\n     His gold-beaked ships, which come in view\n     Out from the Sound with many a hue.\"\n\nKing Harald came with his forces to the appointed meeting-place; but\nthere he heard that King Svein was lying with his fleet at the south\nside of Seeland. Then King Harald divided his forces; let the greater\npart of the bonde-troops return home; and took with him his court-men,\nhis lendermen, the best men-at-arms, and all the bonde-troops who lived\nnearest to the Danish land. They sailed over to Jutland to the south of\nVendilskage, and so south to Thioda; and over all they carried fire and\nsword. So says Stuf, the skald:--\n\n     \"In haste the men of Thyland fly\n     From the great monarch's threat'ning eye;\n     At the stern Harald's angry look\n     The boldest hearts in Denmark shook.\"\n\nThey went forward all the way south to Heidaby, took the merchant town\nand burnt it. Then one of Harald's men made the following verses:--\n\n     \"All Heidaby is burned down!\n     Strangers will ask where stood the town.\n     In our wild humour up it blazed,\n     And Svein looks round him all amazed.\n     All Heidaby is burned down!\n     From a far corner of the town\n     I saw, before the peep of morning,\n     Roofs, walls, and all in flame high burning.\"\n\nTo this also Thorleik alludes in his verses, when he heard there had\nbeen no battle at the Gaut river:--\n\n     \"The stranger-warrior may inquire\n     Of Harald's men, why in his ire\n     On Heidaby his wrath he turns,\n     And the fair town to ashes burns?\n     Would that the day had never come\n     When Harald's ships returned home\n     From the East Sea, since now the town,\n     Without his gain, is burned down!\"\n\n\n\n\n35. HARALD'S ESCAPE INTO THE JUTLAND SEA.\n\nThen King Harald sailed north and had sixty ships and the most of them\nlarge and heavily laden with the booty taken in summer; and as they\nsailed north past Thioda King Svein came down from the land with a great\nforce and he challenged King Harald to land and fight. King Harald\nhad little more than half the force of King Svein and therefore he\nchallenged Svein to fight at sea. So says Thorleik the Fair:--\n\n     \"Svein, who of all men under heaven\n     Has had the luckiest birth-hour given,\n     Invites his foemen to the field,\n     There to contest with blood-stained shield.\n     The king, impatient of delay,\n     Harald, will with his sea-hawks stay;\n     On board will fight, and fate decide\n     If Svein shall by his land abide.\"\n\nAfter that King Harald sailed north along Vendilskage; and the wind then\ncame against them, and they brought up under Hlesey, where they lay all\nnight. A thick fog lay upon the sea; and when the morning came and the\nsun rose they saw upon the other side of the sea as if many lights were\nburning. This was told to King Harald; and he looked at it, and said\nimmediately, \"Strike the tilts down on the ships and take to the oars.\nThe Danish forces are coming upon us, and the fog there where they are\nmust have cleared off, and the sun shines upon the dragon-heads of their\nships, which are gilded, and that is what we see.\" It was so as he had\nsaid. Svein had come there with a prodigious armed force. They rowed now\non both sides all they could. The Danish ships flew lighter before the\noars; for the Northmen's ships were both soaked with water and heavily\nladen, so that the Danes approached nearer and nearer. Then Harald,\nwhose own dragon-ship was the last of the fleet, saw that he could not\nget away; so he ordered his men to throw overboard some wood, and lay\nupon it clothes and other good and valuable articles; and it was so\nperfectly calm that these drove about with the tide. Now when the Danes\nsaw their own goods driving about on the sea, they who were in advance\nturned about to save them; for they thought it was easier to take what\nwas floating freely about, than to go on board the Northmen to take it.\nThey dropped rowing and lost ground. Now when King Svein came up to them\nwith his ship, he urged them on, saying it would be a great shame if\nthey, with so great a force, could not overtake and master so small a\nnumber. The Danes then began again to stretch out lustily at their oars.\nWhen King Harald saw that the Danish ships went faster he ordered his\nmen to lighten their ships, and cast overboard malt, wheat, bacon, and\nto let their liquor run out, which helped a little. Then Harald ordered\nthe bulwarkscreens, the empty casks and puncheons and the prisoners to\nbe thrown overboard; and when all these were driving about on the sea,\nSvein ordered help to be given to save the men. This was done; but so\nmuch time was lost that they separated from each other. The Danes turned\nback and the Northmen proceeded on their way. So says Thorleik the\nFair:--\n\n     \"Svein drove his foes from Jutland's coast,--\n     The Norsemen's ships would have been lost,\n     But Harald all his vessels saves,\n     Throwing his booty on the waves.\n     The Jutlanders saw, as he threw,\n     Their own goods floating in their view;\n     His lighten'd ships fly o'er the main\n     While they pick up their own again.\"\n\nKing Svein returned southwards with his ships to Hlesey, where he found\nseven ships of the Northmen, with bondes and men of the levy. When\nKing Svein came to them they begged for mercy, and offered ransom for\nthemselves. So says Thorleik the Fair:--\n\n     \"The stern king's men good offers make,\n     If Svein will ransom for them take;\n     Too few to fight, they boldly say\n     Unequal force makes them give way.\n     The hasty bondes for a word\n     Would have betaken them to the sword,\n     And have prolonged a bloody strife--\n     Such men can give no price for life.\"\n\n\n\n\n36. OF HARALD.\n\nKing Harald was a great man, who ruled his kingdom well in\nhome-concerns. Very prudent was he, of good understanding; and it is the\nuniversal opinion that no chief ever was in northern lands of such deep\njudgment and ready counsel as Harald. He was a great warrior; bold in\narms; strong and expert in the use of his weapons beyond any others, as\nhas been before related, although many of the feats of his manhood are\nnot here written down. This is owing partly to our uncertainty about\nthem, partly to our wish not to put stories into this book for which\nthere is no testimony. Although we have heard, many things talked about,\nand even circumstantially related, yet we think it better that something\nmay be added to, than that it should be necessary to take something\naway from our narrative. A great part of his history is put in verse\nby Iceland men, which poems they presented to him or his sons, and for\nwhich reason he was their great friend. He was, indeed, a great friend\nto all the people of that country; and once, when a very dear time set\nin, he allowed four ships to transport meal to Iceland, and fixed that\nthe shippund should not be dearer than 100 ells of wadmal. He permitted\nalso all poor people, who could find provisions to keep them on the\nvoyage across the sea, to emigrate from Iceland to Norway; and from that\ntime there was better subsistence in the country, and the seasons also\nturned out better. King Harold also sent from Norway a bell for the\nchurch of which Olaf the Saint had sent the timbers to Iceland, and\nwhich was erected on the Thing-plain. Such remembrances of King Harald\nare found here in the country, besides many great gifts which he\npresented to those who visited him.\n\n\n\n\n37. OF HALDOR SNORRASON.\n\nHaldor Snorrason and Ulf Uspakson, as before related, came to\nNorway with King Harald. They were, in many respects, of different\ndispositions. Haldor was very stout and strong, and remarkably handsome\nin appearance. King Harald gave him this testimony, that he, among\nall his men, cared least about doubtful circumstances, whether they\nbetokened danger or pleasure; for, whatever turned up, he was never in\nhigher nor in lower spirits, never slept less nor more on account of\nthem, nor ate or drank but according to his custom. Haldor was not a man\nof many words, but short in conversation, told his opinion bluntly and\nwas obstinate and hard; and this could not please the king, who had many\nclever people about him zealous in his service. Haldor remained a short\ntime with the king; and then came to Iceland, where he took up his abode\nin Hjardarholt, and dwelt in that farm to a very advanced age.\n\n\n\n\n38. OF ULF USPAKSON.\n\nUlf Uspakson stood in great esteem with King Harald; for he was a man\nof great understanding, clever in conversation, active and brave, and\nwithal true and sincere. King Harald made Ulf his marshal, and married\nhim to Jorun, Thorberg's daughter, a sister of Harald's wife, Thora. Ulf\nand Jorun's children were Joan the Strong of Rasvol, and Brigida, mother\nof Sauda-Ulf, who was father of Peter Byrdar-Svein, father of Ulf\nFly and Sigrid. Joan the Strong's son was Erlend Himalde, father of\nArchbishop Eystein and his brothers. King Harald gave Ulf the marshal\nthe rights of a lenderman and a fief of twelve marks income, besides a\nhalf-district in the Throndhjem land. Of this Stein Herdison speaks in\nhis song about Ulf.\n\n\n\n\n39. OF THE BUILDING OF CHURCHES AND HOUSES.\n\nKing Magnus Olafson built Olaf's church in the town (Nidaros), on the\nspot where Olaf's body was set down for the night, and which, at that\ntime, was above the town. He also had the king's house built there. The\nchurch was not quite finished when the king died; but King Harald\nhad what was wanting completed. There, beside the house, he began to\nconstruct a stone hall, but it was not finished when he died. King\nHarald had the church called Mary Church built from the foundations up,\nat the sandhill close to the spot where the king's holy remains were\nconcealed in the earth the first winter after his fall. It was a large\ntemple, and so strongly built with lime that it was difficult to break\nit when the Archbishop Eystein had it pulled down. Olaf's holy remains\nwere kept in Olaf's church while Mary Church was building. King Harald\nhad the king's house erected below Mary Kirk, at the side of the river,\nwhere it now is; and he had the house in which he had made the great\nhall consecrated and called Gregorius Church.\n\n\n\n\n40. BEGINNING OF HAKON IVARSON'S STORY.\n\nThere was a man called Ivar the White, who was a brave lenderman\ndwelling in the Uplands, and was a daughter's son of Earl Hakon the\nGreat. Ivar was the handsomest man that could be seen. Ivar's son was\ncalled Hakon; and of him it was said that he was distinguished above all\nmen then in Norway for beauty, strength and perfection of figure. In his\nvery youth he had been sent out on war expeditions, where he acquired\ngreat honour and consideration, and became afterwards one of the most\ncelebrated men.\n\n\n\n\n41. OF EINAR TAMBASKELFER.\n\nEinar Tambaskelfer was the most powerful lenderman in the Throndhjem\nland. There was but little friendship between him and King Harald,\nalthough Einar retained all the fiefs he had held while Magnus the Good\nlived. Einar had many large estates, and was married to Bergliot, a\ndaughter of Earl Hakon, as related above. Their son Eindride was grown\nup, and married to Sigrid, a daughter of Ketil Kalf and Gunhild, King\nHarald's sister's daughter. Eindride had inherited the beauty of his\nmother's father, Earl Hakon, and his sons; and in size and strength\nhe took after his father, Einar, and also in all bodily perfections by\nwhich Einar had been distinguished above other men. He was, also, as\nwell as his father, the most popular of men, which the sagas, indeed,\nshow sufficiently.\n\n\n\n\n42. OF EARL ORM.\n\nOrm was at that time earl in the Uplands. His mother was Ragnhild, a\ndaughter of Earl Hakon the Great, and Orm was a remarkably clever man.\nAslak Erlingson was then in Jadar at Sole, and was married to Sigrid, a\ndaughter of Earl Svein Hakonson. Gunhild, Earl Svein's other daughter,\nwas married to the Danish king, Svein Ulfson. These were the descendants\nof Earl Hakon at that time in Norway, besides many other distinguished\npeople; and the whole race was remarkable for their very beautiful\nappearance, and the most of them were gifted with great bodily\nperfection, and were all distinguished and important men.\n\n\n\n\n43. HARALD'S PRIDE.\n\nKing Harald was very proud, and his pride increased after he was\nestablished in the country; and it came so far that at last it was not\ngood to speak against him, or to propose anything different from what he\ndesired. So says Thiodolf, the skald:--\n\n     \"In arms 'tis right the common man\n     Should follow orders, one by one,--\n     Should stoop or rise, or run or stand,\n     As his war-leader may command;\n     But now to the king who feeds the ravens\n     The people bend like heartless cravens--\n     Nothing is left them, but consent\n     To what the king calls his intent.\"\n\n\n\n\n44. OF THE QUARREL OF KING HARALD AND EINAR TAMBASKELFER.\n\nEinar Tambaskelfer was the principal man among the bondes all about\nThrondhjem, and answered for them at the Things even against the king's\nmen. Einar knew well the law, and did not want boldness to bring forward\nhis opinion at Things, even if the king was present; and all the bondes\nstood by him. The king was very angry at this, and it came so far that\nthey disputed eagerly against each other. Einar said that the bondes\nwould not put up with any unlawful proceedings from him if he broke\nthrough the law of the land; and this occurred several times between\nthem. Einar then began to keep people about him at home, and he had many\nmore when he came into the town if the king was there. It once happened\nthat Einar came to the town with a great many men and ships; he had with\nhim eight or nine great war-ships and nearly 500 men. When he came to\nthe town he went up from the strand with his attendants. King Harald was\nthen in his house, standing out in the gallery of the loft; and when\nhe saw Einar's people going on shore, it is said Harald composed these\nverses:--\n\n     \"I see great Tambaskelfer go,\n     With mighty pomp, and pride, and show,\n     Across the ebb-shore up the land,--\n     Before, behind, an armed band.\n     This bonde-leader thinks to rule,\n     And fill himself the royal stool.\n     A goodly earl I have known\n     With fewer followers of his own.\n     He who strikes fire from the shield,\n     Einar, may some day make us yield,\n     Unless our axe-edge quickly ends,\n     With sudden kiss, what he intends.\"\n\nEinar remained several days in the town.\n\n\n\n\n45. THE FALL OF EINAR AND EINDRIDE.\n\nOne day there was a meeting held in the town, at which the king himself\nwas present. A thief had been taken in the town, and he was brought\nbefore the Thing. The man had before been in the service of Einar, who\nhad been very well satisfied with him. This was told to Einar, and he\nwell knew the king would not let the man off, and more because he took\nan interest in the matter. Einar, therefore, let his men get under arms,\nwent to the Thing, and took the man by force. The friends on both sides\nthen came between and endeavoured to effect a reconciliation; and they\nsucceeded so far that a meeting-place was appointed, to which both\nshould come. There was a Thing-room in the king's house at the river\nNid, and the king went into it with a few men, while the most of his\npeople were out in the yard. The king ordered the shutters of the\nloft-opening to be turned, so that there was but a little space left\nclear. When Einar came into the yard with his people, he told his son\nEindride to remain outside with the men, \"for there is no danger here\nfor me.\" Eindride remained standing outside at the room-door. When\nEinar came into the Thing-room, he said, \"It is dark in the king's\nThing-room.\" At that moment some men ran against him and assaulted him,\nsome with spears, some with swords. When Eindride heard this he drew his\nsword and rushed into the room; but he was instantly killed along with\nhis father. The king's men then ran up and placed themselves before the\ndoor, and the bondes lost courage, having no leader. They urged each\nother on, indeed, and said it was a shame they should not avenge their\nchief; but it came to nothing with their attack. The king went out to\nhis men, arrayed them in battle order, and set up his standard: but the\nbondes did not venture to assault. Then the king went with all his men\non board of his ships, rowed down the river, and then took his way out\nof the fjord. When Einar's wife Bergliot, who was in the house which\nEinar had possessed in the town, heard of Einar's fall, she went\nimmediately to the king's house where the bondes army was and urged them\nto the attack; but at the same moment the king was rowing out of the\nriver. Then said Bergliot, \"Now we want here my relation, Hakon Ivarson:\nEinar's murderer would not be rowing out of the river if Ivar stood here\non the riverbank.\" Then Bergliot adorned Einar's and Eindride's\ncorpses and buried them in Olaf's church, beside King Magnus Olafson's\nburial-place. After Einar's murder the king was so much disliked for\nthat deed that there was nothing that prevented the lendermen and bondes\nfrom attacking the king, and giving him battle, but the want of some\nleader to raise the banner in the bonde army.\n\n\n\n\n46. OF KING HARALD AND FIN ARNASON.\n\nFin Arnason dwelt at Austrat in Yrjar, and was King Harald's lenderman\nthere. Fin was married to Bergliot, a daughter of Halfdan, who was a son\nof Sigurd Syr, and brother of Olaf the Saint and of King Harald. Thora,\nKing Harald's wife, was Fin Arnason's brother's daughter: and Fin and\nall his brothers were the king's dearest friends. Fin Arnason had been\nfor some summers on a viking cruise in the West sea; and Fin, Guthorm\nGunhildson and Hakon Ivarson had all been together on that cruise. King\nHarald now proceeded out of Throndhjem fjord to Austrat, where he was\nwell received. Afterwards the king and Fin conversed with each other\nabout this new event of Einar's and his son's death, and of the\nmurmuring and threatening which the bondes made against the king.\n\nFin took up the conversation briskly, and said, \"Thou art managing ill\nin two ways: first, in doing all manner of mischief; and next, in being\nso afraid that thou knowest not what to do.\"\n\nThe king replied, laughing, \"I will send thee, friend, into the town to\nbring about a reconciliation with the bondes; and if that will not do,\nthou must go to the Uplands and bring matters to such an understanding\nwith Hakon Ivarson that he shall not be my opponent.\"\n\nFin replies, \"And how wilt thou reward me if I undertake this dangerous\nerrand; for both the people of Throndhjem and the people of Upland\nare so great enemies to thee that it would not be safe for any of thy\nmessengers to come among them, unless he were one who would be spared\nfor his own sake?\"\n\nThe king replies, \"Go thou on this embassy, for I know thou wilt succeed\nin it if any man can, and bring about a reconciliation; and then choose\nwhatever favour from us thou wilt.\"\n\nFin says, \"Hold thou thy word, king, and I will choose my petition.\nI will desire to have peace and safe residence in the country for my\nbrother Kalf, and all his estates restored; and also that he receive all\nthe dignity and power he had when he left the country.\"\n\nThe king assented to all that Fin laid down, and it was confirmed by\nwitnesses and shake of hand.\n\nThen said Fin, \"What shall I offer Hakon, who rules most among\nhis relations in the land, to induce him to agree to a treaty and\nreconciliation with thee?\"\n\nThe king replies, \"Thou shalt first hear what Hakon on his part requires\nfor making an agreement; then promote my interest as thou art best able;\nand deny him nothing in the end short of the kingdom.\"\n\nThen King Harald proceeded southwards to More, and drew together men in\nconsiderable numbers.\n\n\n\n\n47. OF FIN ARNASON'S JOURNEY.\n\nFin Arnason proceeded to the town and had with him his house-servants,\nnearly eighty men. When he came into the town he held a Thing with the\ntown's people. Fin spoke long and ably at the Thing; and told the town's\npeople, and bondes, above all things not to have a hatred against their\nking, or to drive him away. He reminded them of how much evil they had\nsuffered by acting thus against King Olaf the Saint; and added, that\nthe king was willing to pay penalty for this murder, according to the\njudgment of understanding and good men. The effect of Fin's speech was\nthat the bondes promised to wait quietly until the messengers came back\nwhom Bergliot had sent to the Uplands to her relative, Hakon Ivarson.\nFin then went out to Orkadal with the men who had accompanied him to\nthe town. From thence he went up to Dovrefield, and eastwards over the\nmountains. He went first to his son-in-law, Earl Orm, who was married to\nSigrid, Fin's daughter, and told him his business.\n\n\n\n\n48. OF FIN AND HAKON IVARSON.\n\nThen Fin and Earl Orm appointed a meeting with Hakon Ivarson; and when\nthey met Fin explained his errand to Hakon, and the offer which\nKing Harald made him. It was soon seen, from Hakon's speech, that he\nconsidered it to be his great duty to avenge the death of his relative,\nEindride; and added, that word was come to him from Throndhjem, from\nwhich he might expect help in making head against the king. Then Fin\nrepresented to Hakon how much better it would be for him to accept of as\nhigh a dignity from the king as he himself could desire, rather than to\nattempt raising a strife against the king to whom he was owing service\nand duty. He said if he came out of the conflict without victory, he\nforfeited life and property: \"And even if thou hast the victory,\nthou wilt still be called a traitor to thy sovereign.\" Earl Orm also\nsupported Fin's speech. After Hakon had reflected upon this he disclosed\nwhat lay on his mind, and said, \"I will be reconciled with King Harald\nif he will give me in marriage his relation Ragnhild, King Magnus\nOlafson's daughter, with such dower as is suitable to her and she will\nbe content with.\" Fin said he would agree to this on the king's part;\nand thus it was settled among them. Fin then returned to Throndhjem, and\nthe disturbance and enmity was quashed, so that the king could retain\nhis kingdom in peace at home; and the league was broken which Eindride's\nrelations had made among themselves for opposing King Harald.\n\n\n\n\n49. OF THE COURTSHIP OF HAKON IVARSON.\n\nWhen the day arrived for the meeting at which this agreement with Harald\nshould be finally concluded, Hakon went to King Harald; and in their\nconference the king said that he, for his part, would adhere to all that\nwas settled in their agreement. \"Thou Hakon,\" says he, \"must thyself\nsettle that which concerns Ragnhild, as to her accepting thee in\nmarriage; for it would not be advisable for thee, or for any one, to\nmarry Ragnhild without her consent.\" Then Hakon went to Ragnhild, and\npaid his addresses to her. She answered him thus: \"I have often to feel\nthat my father, King Magnus, is dead and gone from me, since I must\nmarry a bonde; although I acknowledge thou art a handsome man, expert in\nall exercises. But if King Magnus had lived he would not have married\nme to any man less than a king; so it is not to be expected that I will\ntake a man who has no dignity or title.\" Then Hakon went to King Harald\nand told him his conversation with Ragnhild, and also repeated the\nagreement which was made between him and Fin, who was with him, together\nwith many others of the persons who had been present at the conversation\nbetween him and Fin. Hakon takes them all to witness that such was the\nagreement that the king should give Ragnhild the dower she might desire.\n\"And now since she will have no man who has not a high dignity, thou\nmust give me such a title of honour; and, according to the opinion of\nthe people, I am of birth, family and other qualifications to be called\nearl.\"\n\nThe king replies, \"When my brother, King Olaf, and his son, King Magnus,\nruled the kingdom, they allowed only one earl at a time to be in the\ncountry, and I have done the same since I came to the kingly title; and\nI will not take away from Orm the title of honour I had before given\nhim.\"\n\nHakon saw now that his business had not advanced, and was very ill\npleased; and Fin was outrageously angry. They said the king had broken\nhis word; and thus they all separated.\n\n\n\n\n50. HAKON'S JOURNEY TO DENMARK.\n\nHakon then went out of the country with a well-manned ship. When he came\nto Denmark he went immediately to his relative, King Svein, who received\nhim honourably and gave him great fiefs. Hakon became King Svein's\ncommander of the coast defence against the vikings,--the Vindland\npeople, Kurland people, and others from the East countries,--who\ninfested the Danish dominions; and he lay out with his ships of war both\nwinter and summer.\n\n\n\n\n51. MURDER OF ASMUND.\n\nThere was a man called Asmund, who is said to have been King Svein's\nsister's son, and his foster-son. This Asmund was distinguished among\nall by his boldness and was much disliked by the king. When Asmund came\nto years, and to age of discretion, he became an ungovernable person\ngiven to murder and manslaughter. The king was ill pleased at this,\nand sent him away, giving him a good fief, which might keep him and his\nfollowers well. As soon as Asmund had got this property from the king he\ndrew together a large troop of people; and as the estate he had got from\nthe king was not sufficient for his expenses he took as his own much\nmore which belonged to the king. When the king heard this he summoned\nAsmund to him, and when they met the king said that Asmund should remain\nwith the court without keeping any retinue of his own; and this took\nplace as the king desired. But when Asmund had been a little time in\nthe king's court he grew weary of being there, and escaped in the night,\nreturned to his former companions and did more mischief than ever.\nNow when the king was riding through the country he came to the\nneighbourhood where Asmund was, and he sent out men-at-arms to seize\nhim. The king then had him laid in irons, and kept him so for some time\nin hope he would reform; but no sooner did Asmund get rid of his chains\nthan he absconded again, gathered together people and men-at-arms and\nbetook himself to plunder, both abroad and at home. Thus he made great\nforays, killing and plundering all around. When the people who suffered\nunder these disturbances came to the king and complained to him of their\nlosses, he replied, \"Why do ye tell me of this? Why don't you go to\nHakon Ivarson, who is my officer for the land-defence, placed on purpose\nto keep the peace for you peasants, and to hold the vikings in check?\nI was told that Hakon was a gallant and brave man, but I think he is\nrather shy when any danger of life is in the way.\" These words of the\nking were brought to Hakon, with many additions. Then Hakon went with\nhis men in search of Asmund, and when their ships met Hakon gave battle\nimmediately--and the conflict was sharp, and many men were killed. Hakon\nboarded Asmund's ship and cut down the men before his feet. At last he\nand Asmund met and exchanged blows until Asmund fell. Hakon cut off his\nhead, went in all haste to King Svein and found him just sitting down\nto the dinner-table. Hakon presented himself before the table, laid\nAsmund's head upon the table before the king, and asked if he knew it.\nThe king made no reply, but became as red as blood in the face. Soon\nafter the king sent him a message, ordering him to leave his service\nimmediately. \"Tell him I will do him no harm; but I cannot keep watch\nover all our relations.\" (1)\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) This incident shows how strong, in those ages, was the tie\n     of relationship, and the point of honour of avenging its\n     injuries--the clanship spirit.--L.\n\n\n\n\n52. HAKON IVARSON'S MARRIAGE.\n\nHakon then left Denmark, and came north to his estates in Norway. His\nrelation Earl Orm was dead. Hakon's relations and friends were glad to\nsee Hakon, and many gallant men gave themselves much trouble to bring\nabout a reconciliation between King Harald and Hakon. It was at last\nsettled in this way, that Hakon got Ragnhild, the king's daughter, and\nthat King Harald gave Hakon the earldom, with the same power Earl Orm\nhad possessed. Hakon swore to King Harald an oath of fidelity to all the\nservices he was liable to fulfill.\n\n\n\n\n53. RECONCILIATION OF KING HARALD AND KALF.\n\nKalf Arnason had been on a viking cruise to the Western countries ever\nsince he had left Norway; but in winter he was often in the Orkney\nIslands with his relative, Earl Thorfin. Fin Arnason sent a message to\nhis brother Kalf, and told him the agreement which he had made with King\nHarald, that Kalf should enjoy safety in Norway, and his estates, and\nall the fiefs he had held from King Magnus. When this message came to\nKalf he immediately got ready for his voyage, and went east to Norway to\nhis brother Fin. Then Fin obtained the king's peace for Kalf, and when\nKalf and the king met they went into the agreement which Fin and the\nking had settled upon before. Kalf bound himself to the king in the same\nway as he had bound himself to serve King Magnus, according to which\nKalf should do all that the king desired and considered of advantage\nto his realm. Thereupon Kalf received all the estates and fiefs he had\nbefore.\n\n\n\n\n54. FALL OF KALF ARNASON.\n\nThe summer following (A.D. 1050) King Harald ordered out a levy, and\nwent to Denmark, where he plundered during the summer; but when he came\nsouth to Fyen he found a great force assembled against him. Then\nthe king prepared to land his men from the ships and to engage in a\nland-fight. He drew up his men on board in order of battle; set Kalf\nArnason at the head of one division; ordered him to make the first\nattack, and told him where they should direct their assault, promising\nthat he would soon make a landing with the others, and come to their\nassistance. When Kalf came to the land with his men a force came down\nimmediately to oppose them, and Kalf without delay engaged in battle,\nwhich, however, did not last long; for Kalf was immediately overpowered\nby numbers, and betook himself to flight with his men. The Danes pursued\nthem vigorously, and many of the Northmen fell, and among them Kalf\nArnason. Now King Harald landed with his array; and they soon came on\ntheir way to the field of battle, where they found Kalf's body, and bore\nit down to the ships. But the king penetrated into the country, killing\nmany people and destroying much. So says Arnor:--\n\n     \"His shining sword with blood he stains,\n     Upon Fyona's grassy plains;\n     And in the midst of fire and smoke,\n     The king Fyona's forces broke.\"\n\n\n\n\n55. FIN ARNASON'S EXPEDITION OUT OF THE COUNTRY.\n\nAfter this Fin Arnason thought he had cause to be an enemy of the king\nupon account of his brother Kalf's death; and said the king had betrayed\nKalf to his fall, and had also deceived him by making him entice his\nbrother Kalf to come over from the West and trust to King Harald's\nfaith. When these speeches came out among people, many said that it was\nvery foolish in Fin to have ever supposed that Kalf could obtain the\nking's sincere friendship and favour; for they thought the king was the\nman to seek revenge for smaller offences than Kalf had committed against\nthe king. The king let every one say what he chose, and he himself\nneither said yes or no about the affair; but people perceived that the\nking was very well pleased with what had happened. King Harald once made\nthese verses:--\n\n     \"I have, in all, the death-stroke given\n     To foes of mine at least eleven;\n     Two more, perhaps, if I remember,\n     May yet be added to this number,\n     I prize myself upon these deeds,\n     My people such examples needs.\n     Bright gold itself they would despise,\n     Or healing leek-herb underprize,\n     If not still brought before their eyes.\"\n\nFin Arnason took the business so much to heart that he left the country\nand went to Denmark to King Svein, where he met a friendly reception.\nThey spoke together in private for a long time; and the end of the\nbusiness was that Fin went into King Svein's service, and became his\nman. King Svein then gave Fin an earldom, and placed him in Halland,\nwhere he was long earl and defended the country against the Northmen.\n\n\n\n\n56. OF GUTHORM GUNHILDSON.\n\nKetil Kalf and Gunhild of Ringanes had a son called Guthorm, and he was\na sister's son to King Olaf and Harald Sigurdson. Guthorm was a gallant\nman, early advanced to manhood. He was often with King Harald, who loved\nhim much, and asked his advice; for he was of good understanding, and\nvery popular. Guthorm had also been engaged early in forays, and had\nmarauded much in the Western countries with a large force. Ireland was\nfor him a land of peace; and he had his winter quarters often in Dublin,\nand was in great friendship with King Margad.\n\n\n\n\n57. GUTHORM'S JUNCTION WITH THE IRISH KING MARGAD.\n\nThe summer after King Margad, and Guthorm with him, went out on an\nexpedition against Bretland, where they made immense booty. But when the\nking saw the quantity of silver which was gathered he wanted to have the\nwhole booty, and regarded little his friendship for Guthorm. Guthorm was\nill pleased that he and his men should be robbed of their share; but the\nking said, \"Thou must choose one of two things,--either to be content\nwith what we determine, or to fight; and they shall have the booty who\ngain the victory; and likewise thou must give up thy ships, for them I\nwill have.\" Guthorm thought there were great difficulties on both sides;\nfor it was disgraceful to give up ships and goods without a stroke, and\nyet it was highly dangerous to fight the king and his force, the king\nhaving sixteen ships and Guthorm only five. Then Guthorm desired three\ndays' time to consider the matter with his people, thinking in that time\nto pacify the king, and come to a better understanding with him through\nthe mediation of others; but he could not obtain from the king what\nhe desired. This was the day before St. Olaf's day. Guthorm chose the\ncondition that they would rather die or conquer like men, than suffer\ndisgrace, contempt and scorn, by submitting to so great a loss. He\ncalled upon God, and his uncle Saint Olaf, and entreated their help\nand aid; promising to give to the holy man's house the tenth of all\nthe booty that fell to their share, if they gained the victory. Then he\narranged his men, placed them in battle order against the great force,\nprepared for battle, and gave the assault. By the help of God, and the\nholy Saint Olaf, Guthorm won the battle. King Margad fell, and every\nman, old and young, who followed him; and after that great victor,\nGuthorm and all his people returned home joyfully with all the booty\nthey had gained by the battle. Every tenth penny of the booty they had\nmade was taken, according to the vow, to King Olaf the Saint's shrine;\nand there was so much silver that Guthorm had an image made of it,\nwith rays round the head, which was the size of his own, or of his\nforecastle-man's head; and the image was seven feet high. The image thus\nproduced was given by Guthorm to King Olaf of the Saint's temple, where\nit has since remained as a memorial of Guthorm's victory and King Olaf\nthe Saint's miracle.\n\n\n\n\n58. MIRACLE OF KING OLAF IN DENMARK.\n\nThere was a wicked, evil-minded count in Denmark who had a Norwegian\nservant-girl whose family belonged to Throndhjem district. She\nworshipped King Olaf the Saint, and believed firmly in his sanctity. But\nthe above mentioned count doubted all that was told of the holy man's\nmiracles, insisted that it was nothing but nonsense and idle talk, and\nmade a joke and scorn of the esteem and honour which all the country\npeople showed the good king. Now when his holyday came, on which the\nmild monarch ended his life, and which all Northmen kept sacred, this\nunreasonable count would not observe it, but ordered his servant-girl\nto bake and put fire in the oven that day. She knew well the count's\nmad passion, and that he would revenge himself severely on her if she\nrefused doing as he ordered. She went, therefore, of necessity, and\nbaked in the oven, but wept much at her work; and she threatened King\nOlaf that she never would believe in him, if he did not avenge this\nmisdeed by some mischance or other. And now shall ye come to hear a\nwell-deserved vengeance, and a true miracle. It happened, namely, in the\nsame hour that the count became blind of both eyes, and the bread which\nshe had shoved into the oven was turned into stone! Of these stones some\nare now in St. Olaf's temple, and in other places; and since that time\nOlafsmas has been always held holy in Denmark.\n\n\n\n\n59. KING OLAF'S MIRACLE ON A CRIPPLE.\n\nWest in Valland, a man had such bad health that he became a cripple,\nand went on his knees and elbows. One day he was upon the road, and had\nfallen asleep. He dreamt that a gallant man came up to him and asked him\nwhere he was going. When he named the neighbouring town, the man said\nto him, \"Go to Saint Olaf's church that stands in London, and there thou\nshalt be cured.\" There-upon he awoke, and went straightway to inquire\nthe road to Olaf's church in London. At last he came to London Bridge,\nand asked the men of the castle if they could tell him where Olaf's\nchurch was; but they replied, there were so many churches that they\ncould not tell to whom each of them was consecrated. Soon after a man\ncame up and asked him where he wanted to go, and he answered to Olaf's\nchurch. Then said the man, \"We shall both go together to Olaf's church,\nfor I know the way to it.\" Thereupon they went over the bridge to the\nshrine where Olaf's church was; and when they came to the gates of the\nchurchyard the man mounted over the half-door that was in the gate, but\nthe cripple rolled himself in, and rose up immediately sound and strong:\nwhen he looked about him his conductor had vanished.\n\n\n\n\n60. KING HARALD'S FORAY IN DENMARK.\n\nKing Harald had built a merchant town in the East at Oslo, where he\noften resided; for there was good supply from the extensive cultivated\ndistrict wide around. There also he had a convenient station to defend\nthe country against the Danes, or to make an attack upon Denmark, which\nhe was in the custom of doing often, although he kept no great force on\nfoot. One summer King Harald went from thence with a few light ships\nand a few men. He steered southwards out from Viken, and, when the wind\nserved, stood over to Jutland, and marauded; but the country people\ncollected and defended the country. Then King Harald steered to\nLimfjord, and went into the fjord. Limfjord is so formed that its\nentrance is like a narrow river; but when one gets farther into the\nfjord it spreads out into a wide sea. King Harald marauded on both\nsides of the land; and when the Danes gathered together on every side to\noppose him, he lay at a small island which was uncultivated. They wanted\ndrink on board his ships, and went up into the island to seek water; but\nfinding none, they reported it to the king. He ordered them to look for\nsome long earthworms on the island, and when they found one they brought\nit to the king. He ordered the people to bring the worm to a fire,\nand bake it before it, so that it should be thirsty. Then he ordered a\nthread to be tied round the tail of the worm, and to let it loose. The\nworm crept away immediately, while thread wound off from the clew as\nthe worm took it away; and the people followed the worm until it sought\ndownwards in the earth. There the king ordered them to dig for water,\nwhich they did, and found so much water that they had no want of it.\nKing Harald now heard from his spies that King Svein was come with a\nlarge armament to the mouth of the fjord; but that it was too late for\nhim to come into it, as only one ship at a time can come in. King\nHarald then steered with his fleet in through the fjord to where it was\nbroadest to a place called Lusbreid. In the inmost bight, there is but\na narrow neck of land dividing the fjord from the West sea. Thither King\nHarald rowed with his men towards evening; and at night when it was dark\nhe unloaded his ships, drew them over the neck of land into the West\nsea, loaded them again, and was ready with all this before day. He then\nsteered northwards along the Jutland coast. People then said that Harald\nhad escaped from the hands of the Danes. Harald said that he would come\nto Denmark next time with more people and larger vessels. King Harald\nthen proceeded north to Throndhjem.\n\n\n\n\n61. KING HARALD HAD A SHIP BUILT.\n\nKing Harald remained all winter at Nidaros (A.D. 1062) and had a vessel\nbuilt out upon the strand, and it was a buss. The ship was built of the\nsame size as the Long Serpent, and every part of her was finished with\nthe greatest care. On the stem was a dragon-head, and on the stern a\ndragon-tail, and the sides of the bows of the ship were gilt. The vessel\nwas of thirty-five rowers benches, and was large for that size, and was\nremarkably handsome; for the king had everything belonging to the ship's\nequipment of the best, both sails and rigging, anchors and cables. King\nHarald sent a message in winter south to Denmark to King Svein, that\nhe should come northwards in spring; that they should meet at the Gaut\nriver and fight, and so settle the division of the countries that the\none who gained the victory should have both kingdoms.\n\n\n\n\n62. KING HARALD'S CHALLENGE.\n\nKing Harald during this winter called out a general levy of all the\npeople of Norway, and assembled a great force towards spring. Then\nHarald had his great ship drawn down and put into the river Nid, and set\nup the dragon's head on her. Thiodolf, the skald, sang about it thus:--\n\n     \"My lovely girl!  the sight was grand\n     When the great war-ships down the strand\n     Into the river gently slid,\n     And all below her sides was hid.\n     Come, lovely girl, and see the show!--\n     Her sides that on the water glow,\n     Her serpent-head with golden mane,\n     All shining back from the Nid again.\"\n\nThen King Harald rigged out his ship, got ready for sea, and when he\nhad all in order went out of the river. His men rowed very skilfully and\nbeautifully. So says Thiodolf:--\n\n     \"It was upon a Saturday,\n     Ship-tilts were struck and stowed away,\n     And past the town our dragon glides,\n     That girls might see our glancing sides.\n     Out from the Nid brave Harald steers;\n     Westward at first the dragon veers;\n     Our lads together down with oars,\n     The splash is echoed round the shores.\n\n     \"Their oars our king's men handle well,\n     One stroke is all the eye can tell:\n     All level o'er the water rise;\n     The girls look on in sweet surprise.\n     Such things, they think, can ne'er give way;\n     The little know the battle day.\n     The Danish girls, who dread our shout,\n     Might wish our ship-gear not so stout.\n\n     \"'Tis in the fight, not on the wave,\n     That oars may break and fail the brave.\n     At sea, beneath the ice-cold sky,\n     Safely our oars o'er ocean ply;\n     And when at Throndhjem's holy stream\n     Our seventy cars in distance gleam,\n     We seem, while rowing from the sea,\n     An erne with iron wings to be.\"\n\nKing Harald sailed south along the land, and called out the levy\neverywhere of men and ships. When they came east to Viken they got\na strong wind against them and the forces lay dispersed about in the\nharbour; some in the isles outside, and some in the fjords. So says\nThiodolf:--\n\n     \"The cutters' sea-bleached bows scarce find\n     A shelter from the furious wind\n     Under the inland forests' side,\n     Where the fjord runs its farthest tide.\n     In all the isles and creeks around\n     The bondes' ships lie on the ground,\n     And ships with gunwales hung with shields\n     Seek the lee-side of the green fields.\"\n\nIn the heavy storm that raged for some time the great ship had need of\ngood ground tackle. So says Thiodolf:--\n\n     \"With lofty bow above the seas,\n     Which curl and fly before the breeze,\n     The gallant vessel rides and reels,\n     And every plunge her cable feels.\n     The storm that tries the spar and mast\n     Tries the main-anchor at the last:\n     The storm above, below the rock,\n     Chafe the thick cable with each shock.\"\n\nWhen the weather became favourable King Harald sailed eastwards to the\nGaut river with his fleet and arrived there in the evening. So says\nThiodolf:--\n\n     \"The gallant Harald now has come\n     To Gaut, full half way from his home,\n     And on the river frontier stands,\n     To fight with Svein for life and lands.\n     The night passed o'er, the gallant king\n     Next day at Thumia calls a Thing,\n     Where Svein is challenged to appear--\n     A day which ravens wish were near.\"\n\n\n\n\n63. OF KING HARALD'S FLEET.\n\nWhen the Danes heard that the Northmen's army was come to the Gaut river\nthey all fled who had opportunity to get away. The Northmen heard that\nthe Danish king had also called out his forces and lay in the south,\npartly at Fyen and partly about Seeland. When King Harald found that\nKing Svein would not hold a meeting with him, or a fight, according\nto what had been agreed upon between them, he took the same course as\nbefore--letting the bonde troops return home, but manning 150 ships,\nwith which he sailed southwards along Halland, where he herried all\nround, and then brought up with his fleet in Lofufjord, and laid waste\nthe country. A little afterwards King Svein came upon them with all the\nDanish fleet, consisting of 300 ships. When the Northmen saw them King\nHarald ordered a general meeting of the fleet to be called by sound of\ntrumpet; and many there said it was better to fly, as it was not now\nadvisable to fight. The king replied, \"Sooner shall all lie dead one\nupon another than fly.\" So says Stein Herdison:--\n\n     \"With falcon eye, and courage bright,\n     Our king saw glory in the fight;\n     To fly, he saw, would ruin bring\n     On them and him--the folk and king.\n     'Hands up the arms to one and all!'\n     Cries out the king; 'we'll win or fall!\n     Sooner than fly, heaped on each other\n     Each man shall fall across his brother!'\"\n\nThen King Harald drew up his ships to attack, and brought forward his\ngreat dragon in the middle of his fleet. So says Thiodolf:--\n\n     \"The brave king through his vessels' throng\n     His dragon war-ship moves along;\n     He runs her gaily to the front,\n     To meet the coming battle's brunt.\"\n\nThe ship was remarkably well equipt, and fully manned. So says\nThiodolf:--\n\n     \"The king had got a chosen crew--\n     He told his brave lads to stand true.\n     The ring of shields seemed to enclose\n     The ship's deck from the boarding foes.\n     The dragon, on the Nis-river flood,\n     Beset with men, who thickly stood,\n     Shield touching shield, was something rare,\n     That seemed all force of man to dare.\"\n\nUlf, the marshal, laid his ship by the side of the king's and ordered\nhis men to bring her well forward. Stein Herdison, who was himself in\nUlf's ship, sings of it thus:--\n\n     \"Our oars were stowed, our lances high,\n     As the ship moved swung in the sky.\n     The marshal Ulf went through our ranks,\n     Drawn up beside the rowers' banks:\n     The brave friend of our gallant king\n     Told us our ship well on to bring,\n     And fight like Norsemen in the cause--\n     Our Norsemen answered with huzzas.\"\n\nHakon Ivarson lay outside on the other wing, and had many ships with\nhim, all well equipt. At the extremity of the other side lay the\nThrondhjem chiefs, who had also a great and strong force.\n\n\n\n\n64. OF KING SVEIN'S ARMAMENT.\n\nSvein, the Danish king, also drew up his fleet, and laid his ship\nforward in the center against King Harald's ship, and Fin Arnason laid\nhis ship next; and then the Danes laid their ships, according as they\nwere bold or well-equipt. Then, on both sides, they bound the ships\ntogether all through the middle of the fleets; but as the fleets were\nso large, very many ships remained loose, and each laid his ship forward\naccording to his courage, and that was very unequal. Although the\ndifference among the men was great, altogether there was a very great\nforce on both sides. King Svein had six earls among the people following\nhim. So says Stein Herdison:--\n\n     \"Danger our chief would never shun,\n     With eight score ships he would not run:\n     The Danish fleet he would abide,\n     And give close battle side by side.\n     From Leire's coast the Danish king\n     Three hundred ocean steeds could bring,\n     And o'er the sea-weed plain in haste\n     Thought Harald's vessels would be chased.\"\n\n\n\n\n65. BEGINNING OF THE BATTLE OF NIS-RIVER.\n\nAs soon as King Harald was ready with his fleet, he orders the war-blast\nto sound, and the men to row forward to the attack. So says Stein\nHerdison:--\n\n     \"Harald and Svein first met as foes,\n     Where the Nis in the ocean flows;\n     For Svein would not for peace entreat,\n     But, strong in ships, would Harald meet.\n     The Norsemen prove, with sword in hand,\n     That numbers cannot skill withstand.\n     Off Halland's coast the blood of Danes\n     The blue sea's calm smooth surface stains.\"\n\nSoon the battle began, and became very sharp; both kings urging on their\nmen. So says Stein Herdison:--\n\n     \"Our king, his broad shield disregarding,\n     More keen for striking than for warding,\n     Now tells his lads their spears to throw,--\n     Now shows them where to strike a blow.\n     From fleet to fleet so short the way,\n     That stones and arrows have full play;\n     And from the keen sword dropped the blood\n     Of short-lived seamen in the flood.\"\n\nIt was late in the day when the battle began, and it continued the\nwhole night. King Harald shot for a long time with his bow. So says\nThiodolf:--\n\n     \"The Upland king was all the night\n     Speeding the arrows' deadly flight.\n     All in the dark his bow-string's twang\n     Was answered; for some white shield rang,\n     Or yelling shriek gave certain note\n     The shaft had pierced some ring-mail coat,\n     The foemen's shields and bulwarks bore\n     A Lapland arrow-scat(1) or more.\"\n\nEarl Hakon, and the people who followed him, did not make fast their\nships in the fleet, but rowed against the Danish ships that were loose,\nand slew the men of all the ships they came up with. When the Danes\nobserved this each drew his ship out of the way of the earl; but he set\nupon those who were trying to escape, and they were nearly driven to\nflight. Then a boat came rowing to the earl's ship and hailed him and\nsaid that the other wing of King Harald's fleet was giving way and many\nof their people had fallen. Then the earl rowed thither and gave so\nsevere an assault that the Danes had to retreat before him. The earl\nwent on in this way all the night, coming forward where he was most\nwanted, and wheresoever he came none could stand against him. Hakon\nrowed outside around the battle. Towards the end of the night the\ngreatest part of the Danish fleet broke into flight, for then King\nHarald with his men boarded the vessel of King Svein; and it was so\ncompletely cleared that all the crew fell in the ship, except those who\nsprang overboard. So says Arnor, the earls' skald:--\n\n     \"Brave Svein did not his vessel leave\n     Without good cause, as I believe:\n     Oft on his casque the sword-blade rang,\n     Before into the sea he sprang.\n     Upon the wave his vessel drives;\n     All his brave crew had lost their lives.\n     O'er dead courtmen into the sea\n     The Jutland king had now to flee.\"\n\nAnd when King Svein's banner was cut down, and his ship cleared of its\ncrew, all his forces took to flight, and some were killed. The ships\nwhich were bound together could not be cast loose, so the people who\nwere in them sprang overboard, and some got to the other ships that\nwere loose; and all King Svein's men who could get off rowed away, but\na great many of them were slain. Where the king himself fought the ships\nwere mostly bound together, and there were more than seventy left behind\nof King Svein's vessels. So says Thiodolf:--\n\n     \"Svein's ships rode proudly o'er the deep,\n     When, by a single sudden sweep,\n     Full seventy sail, as we are told,\n     Were seized by Norway's monarch bold.\"\n\nKing Harald rowed after the Danes and pursued them; but that was not\neasy, for the ships lay so thick together that they scarcely could move.\nEarl Fin Arnason would not flee; and being also shortsighted, was taken\nprisoner. So says Thiodolf:--\n\n     \"To the six Danish earls who came\n     To aid his force, and raise his name,\n     No mighty thanks King Svein is owing\n     For mighty actions of their doing.\n     Fin Arnason, in battle known,\n     With a stout Norse heart of his own,\n     Would not take flight his life to gain,\n     And in the foremost ranks was ta'en.\"\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) The Laplanders paid their seat, or yearly tax, in bows and\n     arrows; and the meaning of the skald appears to be, that as\n     many as were paid in a year were shot at the foe.--L.\n\n\n\n\n66. KING SVEIN'S FLIGHT.\n\nEarl Hakon lay behind with his ships, while the king and the rest of the\nforces were pursuing the fugitives; for the earls' ships could not get\nforward on account of the ships which lay in the way before him. Then\na man came rowing in a boat to the earl's ship and lay at the bulwarks.\nThe man was stout and had on a white hat. He hailed the ship, \"Where is\nthe earl?\" said he.\n\nThe earl was in the fore-hold, stopping a man's blood. The earl cast\na look at the man in the hat and asked what his name was. He answered,\n\"Here is Vandrad: speak to me, earl.\"\n\nThe earl leant over the ship's side to him. Then the man in the boat\nsaid, \"Earl, I will accept of my life from thee, if thou wilt give it.\"\n\nThen the earl raised himself up, called two men who were friends dear\nto him, and said to them, \"Go into the boat; bring Vandrad to the land;\nattend him to my friend's Karl the bonde; and tell Karl, as a token that\nthese words come from me, that he let Vandrad have the horse which I\ngave to him yesterday, and also his saddle, and his son to attend him.\"\n\nThereupon they went into the boat and took the oars in hand, while\nVandrad steered. This took place just about daybreak, while the vessels\nwere in movement, some rowing towards the land, some towards the sea,\nboth small and great. Vandrad steered where he thought there was most\nroom between the vessels; and when they came near to Norway's ships the\nearl's men gave their names and then they all allowed them to go where\nthey pleased. Vandrad steered along the shore, and only set in towards\nthe land when they had come past the crowd of ships. They then went up\nto Karl the bonde's farm, and it was then beginning to be light. They\nwent into the room where Karl had just put on his clothes. The earl's\nmen told him their message and Karl said they must first take some food;\nand he set a table before them and gave them water to wash with.\n\nThen came the housewife into the room and said, \"I wonder why we could\nget no peace or rest all night with the shouting and screaming.\"\n\nKarl replies, \"Dost thou not know that the kings were fighting all\nnight?\"\n\nShe asked which had the better of it.\n\nKarl answered, \"The Northmen gained.\"\n\n\"Then,\" said she, \"our king will have taken flight.\"\n\n\"Nobody knows,\" says Karl, \"whether he has fled or is fallen.\"\n\nShe says, \"What a useless sort of king we have! He is both slow and\nfrightened.\"\n\nThen said Vandrad, \"Frightened he is not; but he is not lucky.\"\n\nThen Vandrad washed his hands; but he took the towel and dried them\nright in the middle of the cloth. The housewife snatched the towel from\nhim, and said, \"Thou hast been taught little good; it is wasteful to wet\nthe whole cloth at one time.\"\n\nVandrad replies, \"I may yet come so far forward in the world as to be\nable to dry myself with the middle of the towel.\"\n\nThereupon Karl set a table before them and Vandrad sat down between\nthem. They ate for a while and then went out. The horse was saddled and\nKarl's son ready to follow him with another horse. They rode away to\nthe forest; and the earl's men returned to the boat, rowed to the earl's\nship and told the success of their expedition.\n\n\n\n\n67. OF KING HARALD.\n\nKing Harald and his men followed the fugitives only a short way,\nand rowed back to the place where the deserted ships lay. Then the\nbattle-place was ransacked, and in King Svein's ship was found a heap\nof dead men; but the king's body was not found, although people believed\nfor certain that he had fallen. Then King Harald had the greatest\nattention paid to the dead of his men, and had the wounds of the living\nbound up. The dead bodies of Svein's men were brought to the land, and\nhe sent a message to the peasants to come and bury them. Then he let\nthe booty be divided, and this took up some time. The news came now that\nKing Svein had come to Seeland, and that all who had escaped from the\nbattle had joined him, along with many more, and that he had a great\nforce.\n\n\n\n\n68. FIN ARNASON GETS QUARTER.\n\nEarl Fin Arnason was taken prisoner in the battle, as before related;\nand when he was led before King Harald the king was very merry, and\nsaid, \"Fin, we meet here now, and we met last in Norway. The Danish\ncourt has not stood very firmly by thee; and it will be a troublesome\nbusiness for Northmen to drag thee, a blind old man, with them, and\npreserve thy life.\"\n\nThe earl replies, \"The Northmen find it very difficult now to conquer,\nand it is all the worse that thou hast the command of them.\"\n\nThen said King Harald, \"Wilt thou accept of life and safety, although\nthou hast not deserved it?\"\n\nThe earl replies, \"Not from thee, thou dog.\"\n\nThe king: \"Wilt thou, then, if thy relation Magnus gives thee quarter?\"\n\nMagnus, King Harald's son, was then steering the ship.\n\nThe earl replies, \"Can the whelp rule over life and quarter?\"\n\nThe king laughed, as if he found amusement in vexing him.--\"Wilt thou\naccept thy life, then, from thy she-relation Thorer?\"\n\nThe earl: \"Is she here?\"\n\n\"She is here,\" said the king.\n\nThen Earl Fin broke out with the ugly expressions which since have been\npreserved, as a proof that he was so mad with rage that he could not\ngovern his tongue:--\n\n\"No wonder thou hast bit so strongly, if the mare was with thee.\"\n\nEarl Fin got life and quarter and the king kept him a while about him.\nBut Fin was rather melancholy and obstinate in conversation; and King\nHarald said, \"I see, Fin, that thou dost not live willingly in company\nwith me and thy relations; now I will give thee leave to go to thy\nfriend King Svein.\"\n\nThe earl said, \"I accept of the offer willingly, and the more gratefully\nthe sooner I get away from hence.\"\n\nThe king afterwards let Earl Fin be landed and the traders going to\nHalland received him well. King Harald sailed from thence to Norway with\nhis fleet; and went first to Oslo, where he gave all his people leave to\ngo home who wished to do so.\n\n\n\n\n69. OF KING SVEIN.\n\nKing Svein, it is told, sat in Denmark all that winter, and had his\nkingdom as formerly. In winter he sent men north to Halland for Karl the\nbonde and his wife. When Karl came the king called him to him and asked\nhim if he knew him, or thought he had ever seen him before.\n\nKarl replies, \"I know thee, sire, and knew thee before, the moment I saw\nthee; and God be praised if the small help I could give was of any use\nto thee.\"\n\nThe king replies, \"I have to reward thee for all the days I have to\nlive. And now, in the first place, I will give thee any farm in Seeland\nthou wouldst desire to have; and, in the next place, will make thee a\ngreat man, if thou knowest how to conduct thyself.\"\n\nKarl thanked the king for his promise, and said he had now but one thing\nto ask.\n\nThe king asked what that was.\n\nKarl said that he would ask to take his wife with him.\n\nThe king said, \"I will not let thee do that; but I will provide thee a\nfar better and more sensible wife. But thy wife can keep the bonde-farm\nye had before and she will have her living from it.\"\n\nThe king gave Karl a great and valuable farm, and provided him a good\nmarriage; and he became a considerable man. This was reported far and\nwide and much praised; and thus it came to be told in Norway.\n\n\n\n\n70. OF THE TALK OF THE COURT-MEN.\n\nKing Harald stayed in Oslo the winter after the battle at Nis-river\n(A.D. 1063). In autumn, when the men came from the south, there was\nmuch talk and many stories about the battle which they had fought\nat Nis-river, and every one who had been there thought he could tell\nsomething about it. Once some of them sat in a cellar and drank, and\nwere very merry and talkative. They talked about the Nis-river battle,\nand who had earne'd the greatest praise and renown. They all agreed that\nno man there had been at all equal to Earl Hakon. He was the boldest in\narms, the quickest, and the most lucky; what he did was of the greatest\nhelp, and he won the battle. King Harald, in the meantime, was out in\nthe yard, and spoke with some people. He went then to the room-door, and\nsaid, \"Every one here would willingly be called Hakon;\" and then went\nhis way.\n\n\n\n\n71. OF THE ATTEMPT TO TAKE EARL HAKON.\n\nEarl Hakon went in winter to the Uplands, and was all winter in his\ndomains. He was much beloved by all the Uplanders. It happened, towards\nspring, that some men were sitting drinking in the town, and the\nconversation turned, as usual, on the Nis-river battle; and some praised\nEarl Hakon, and some thought others as deserving of praise as he. When\nthey had thus disputed a while, one of them said, \"It is possible that\nothers fought as bravely as the earl at Nis-river; but none, I think,\nhas had such luck with him as he.\"\n\nThe others replied, that his best luck was his driving so many Danes to\nflight along with other men.\n\nThe same man replied, \"It was greater luck that he gave King Svein\nquarter.\"\n\nOne of the company said to him, \"Thou dost not know what thou art\nsaying.\"\n\nHe replied, \"I know it for certain, for the man told me himself who\nbrought the king to the land.\"\n\nIt went, according to the old proverb, that the king has many ears. This\nwas told the king, and he immediately ordered horses to be gathered,\nand rode away directly with 900 men. He rode all that night and the\nfollowing day. Then some men met them who were riding to the town with\nmead and malt. In the king's retinue was a man called Gamal, who rode\nto one of these bondes who was an acquaintance of his, and spoke to him\nprivately. \"I will pay thee,\" said he, \"to ride with the greatest speed,\nby the shortest private paths that thou knowest, to Earl Hakon, and tell\nhim the king will kill him; for the king has got to the knowledge that\nEarl Hakon set King Svein on shore at Nis-river.\" They agreed on the\npayment. The bonde rode, and came to the earl just as he was sitting\ndrinking, and had not yet gone to bed. When the bonde told his errand,\nthe earl immediately stood up with all his men, had all his loose\nproperty removed from the farm to the forest, and all the people left\nthe house in the night. When the king came he halted there all night;\nbut Hakon rode away, and came east to Svithjod to King Steinkel and\nstayed with him all summer. King Harald returned to the town, travelled\nnorthwards to Throndhjem district, and remained there all summer; but in\nautumn he returned eastwards to Viken.\n\n\n\n\n72. OF EARL HAKON.\n\nAs soon as Earl Hakon heard the king had gone north he returned\nimmediately in summer to the Uplands (A.D. 1063), and remained there\nuntil the king had returned from the north. Then the earl went east\ninto Vermaland, where he remained during the winter, and where the king,\nSteinkel, gave him fiefs. For a short time in winter he went west to\nRaumarike with a great troop of men from Gautland and Vermaland, and\nreceived the scat and duties from the Upland people which belonged to\nhim, and then returned to Glutland, and remained there till spring. King\nHarald had his seat in Oslo all winter (A.D. 1064), and sent his men to\nthe Uplands to demand the scat, together with the king's land dues, and\nthe mulcts of court; but the Uplanders said they would pay all the scat\nand dues which they had to pay, to Earl Hakon as long as he was in life,\nand had forfeited his life or his fief; and the king got no dues that\nwinter.\n\n\n\n\n73. AGREEMENT BETWEEN KING HARALD AND KING SVEIN.\n\nThis winter messengers and ambassadors went between Norway and Denmark,\nwhose errand was that both Northmen and Danes should make peace, and\na league with each other, and to ask the kings to agree to it. These\nmessages gave favourable hopes of a peace; and the matter proceeded so\nfar that a meeting for peace was appointed at the Gaut river between\nKing Harald and King Svein. When spring approached, both kings assembled\nmany ships and people for this meeting. So says a skald in a poem on\nthis expedition of the kings, which begins thus:--\n\n     \"The king, who from the northern sound\n     His land with war-ships girds around,\n     The raven-feeder, filled the coast\n     With his proud ships, a gallant host!\n     The gold-tipped stems dash through the foam\n     That shakes the seamen's planked home;\n     The high wave breaks up to the mast,\n     As west of Halland on they passed,\n\n     \"Harald whose word is fixed and sure,\n     Whose ships his land from foes secure,\n     And Svein, whose isles maintain is fleet,\n     Hasten as friends again to meet;\n     And every creek with vessels teems,--\n     All Denmark men and shipping seems;\n     And all rejoice that strife will cease,\n     And men meet now but to make peace.\"\n\nHere it is told that the two kings held the meeting that was agreed upon\nbetween them, and both came to the frontiers of their kingdoms. So says\nthe skald:--\n\n     \"To meet (since peace the Dane now craves)\n     On to the south upon the waves\n     Sailed forth our gallant northern king,\n     Peace to the Danes with him to bring.\n     Svein northward to his frontier hies\n     To get the peace his people prize,\n     And meet King Harald, whom he finds\n     On land hard used by stormy winds.\"\n\nWhen the kings found each other, people began at once to talk of their\nbeing reconciled. But as soon as peace was proposed, many began to\ncomplain of the damage they had sustained by harrying, robbing and\nkilling men; and for a long time it did not look very like peace. It is\nhere related:--\n\n     \"Before this meeting of the kings\n     Each bende his own losses brings,\n     And loudly claims some recompense\n     From his king's foes, at their expense.\n     It is not easy to make peace,\n     Where noise and talking never cease:\n     The bondes' warmth may quickly spread,\n     And kings be by the people led.\n\n     \"When kings are moved, no peace is sure;\n     For that peace only is secure\n     Which they who make it fairly make,--\n     To each side give, from each side take.\n     The kings will often rule but ill\n     Who listen to the people's will:\n     The people often have no view\n     But their own interests to pursue.\"\n\nAt last the best men, and those who were the wisest, came between the\nkings, and settled the peace thus:--that Harald should have Norway, and\nSvein Denmark, according to the boundaries of old established between\nDenmark and Norway; neither of them should pay to the other for any\ndamage sustained; the war should cease as it now stood, each retaining\nwhat he had got; and this peace should endure as long as they were\nkings. This peace was confirmed by oath. Then the kings parted, having\ngiven each other hostages, as is here related:--\n\n     \"And I have heard that to set fast\n     The peace God brought about at last,\n     Svein and stern Harald pledges sent,\n     Who witnessed to their sworn intent;\n     And much I wish that they and all\n     In no such perjury may fall\n     That this peace ever should be broken,\n     And oaths should fail before God spoken.\"\n\nKing Harald with his people sailed northwards to Norway, and King Svein\nsouthwards to Denmark.\n\n\n\n\n74. KING HARALD'S BATTLE WITH EARL HAKON.\n\nKing Harald was in Viken in the summer (A.D. 1064), and he sent his men\nto the Uplands after the scat and duty which belonged to him; but the\nbondes paid no attention to the demand, but said they would hold all for\nEarl Hakon until he came for it. Earl Hakon was then up in Gautland\nwith a large armed force. When summer was past King Harald went south\nto Konungahella. Then he took all the light-sailing vessels he could get\nhold of and steered up the river. He had the vessels drawn past all\nthe waterfalls and brought them thus into the Wener lake. Then he rowed\neastward across the lake to where he heard Earl Hakon was; but when the\nearl got news of the king's expedition he retreated down the country,\nand would not let the king plunder the land. Earl Hakon had a large\narmed force which the Gautland people had raised for him. King Harald\nlay with his ships up in a river, and made a foray on land, but left\nsome of his men behind to protect the ships. The king himself rode up\nwith a part of the men, but the greater part were on foot. They had to\ncross a forest, where they found a mire or lake, and close to it a wood;\nand when they reached the wood they saw the earl's men, but the mire\nwas between them. They drew up their people now on both sides. Then King\nHarald ordered his men to sit down on the hillside. \"We will first see\nif they will attack us. Earl Hakon does not usually wait to talk.\" It\nwas frosty weather, with some snow-drift, and Harald's men sat down\nunder their shields; but it was cold for the Gautlanders, who had but\nlittle clothing with them. The earl told them to wait until King Harald\ncame nearer, so that all would stand equally high on the ground. Earl\nHakon had the same banner which had belonged to King Magnus Olafson.\n\nThe lagman of the Gautland people, Thorvid, sat upon a horse, and the\nbridle was fastened to a stake that stood in the mire. He broke out with\nthese words: \"God knows we have many brave and handsome fellows here,\nand we shall let King Steinkel hear that we stood by the good earl\nbravely. I am sure of one thing: we shall behave gallantly against\nthese Northmen, if they attack us; but if our young people give way, and\nshould not stand to it, let us not run farther than to that stream; but\nif they should give way farther, which I am sure they will not do,\nlet it not be farther than to that hill.\" At that instant the Northmen\nsprang up, raised the war-cry, and struck on their shields; and the\nGautland army began also to shout. The lagman's horse got shy with the\nwar-cry, and backed so hard that the stake flew up and struck the lagman\non the head. He said, \"Ill luck to thee, Northman, for that arrow!\" and\naway fled the lagman. King Harald had told his people, \"If we do make\na clash with the weapons, we shall not however, go down from the hill\nuntil they come nearer to us;\" and they did so. When the war-cry was\nraised the earl let his banner advance; but when they came under the\nhill the king's army rushed down upon them, and killed some of the\nearl's people, and the rest fled. The Northmen did not pursue the\nfugitives long, for it was the fall of day; but they took Earl Hakon's\nbanner and all the arms and clothes they could get hold of. King Harald\nhad both the banners carried before him as they marched away. They spoke\namong themselves that the earl had probably fallen. As they were riding\nthrough the forest they could only ride singly, one following the\nother. Suddenly a man came full gallop across the path, struck his spear\nthrough him who was carrying the earl's banner, seized the banner-staff,\nand rode into the forest on the other side with the banner. When this\nwas told the king he said, \"Bring me my armour, for the earl is alive.\"\nThen the king rode to his ships in the night; and many said that the\nearl had now taken his revenge. But Thiodolf sang thus:--\n\n     \"Steinkel's troops, who were so bold,\n     Who the Earl Hakon would uphold,\n     Were driven by our horsemen's power\n     To Hel, death goddess, in an hour;\n     And the great earl, so men say\n     Who won't admit he ran away,\n     Because his men fled from the ground,\n     Retired, and cannot now be found.\"\n\n\n\n\n75. DEATH OF HAL, THE MURDERER OF KODRAN.\n\nThe rest of the night Harald passed in his ships; but in the morning,\nwhen it was daylight, it was found that so thick ice had gathered about\nthe vessels that one could walk around them. The king ordered his men to\ncut the ice from the ships all the way out to the clear water; on which\nthey all went to break the ice. King Harald's son, Magnus, steered the\nvessel that lay lowest down the river and nearest the water. When the\npeople had cleared the ice away almost entirely, a man ran out to the\nice, and began hewing away at it like a madman. Then said one of the\nmen, \"It is going now as usual, that none can do so much as Hal who\nkilled Kodran, when once he lays himself to the work. See how he is\nhewing away at the ice.\" There was a man in the crew of Magnus, the\nking's son, who was called Thormod Eindridason; and when he heard the\nname of Kodran's murderer he ran up to Hal, and gave him a death-wound.\nKodran was a son of Gudmund Eyjolfson; and Valgerd, who was a sister of\nGudmund, was the mother of Jorun, and the grandmother by the mother's\nside of this Thormod. Thormod was a year old when Kodran was killed, and\nhad never seen Hal Utrygson until now. When the ice was broken all the\nway out to the water, Magnus drew his ship out, set sail directly, and\nsailed westward across the lake; but the king's ship, which lay farthest\nup the river, came out the last. Hal had been in the king's retinue,\nand was very dear to him; so that the king was enraged at his death.\nThe king came the last into the harbour, and Magnus had let the murderer\nescape into the forest, and offered to pay the mulct for him; and the\nking had very nearly attacked Magnus and his crew, but their friends\ncame up and reconciled them.\n\n\n\n\n76. OF KING HARALD.\n\nThat winter (A.D. 1065) King Harald went up to Raumarike, and had many\npeople with him; and he accused the bondes there of having kept from\nhim his scat and duties, and of having aided his enemies to raise\ndisturbance against him. He seized on the bondes and maimed some, killed\nothers, and robbed many of all their property. They who could do it fled\nfrom him. He burned everything in the districts and laid them altogether\nwaste. So says Thiodolf:--\n\n     \"He who the island-people drove,\n     When they against his power strove,\n     Now bridle's Raumarike's men,\n     Marching his forces through their glen.\n     To punish them the fire he lights\n     That shines afar off in dark nights\n     From house and yard, and, as he says,\n     Will warn the man who disobeys.\"\n\nThereafter the king went up to Hedemark, burnt the dwellings, and made\nno less waste and havoc there than in Raumarike. From thence he went\nto Hadeland and Ringerike, burning and ravaging all the land. So says\nThiodolf:--\n\n     \"The bonde's household goods are seen\n     Before his door upon the green,\n     Smoking and singed: and sparks red hot\n     Glow in the thatched roof of his cot.\n     In Hedemark the bondes pray\n     The king his crushing hand to stay;\n     In Ringerike and Hadeland,\n     None 'gainst his fiery wrath can stand.\"\n\nThen the bondes left all to the king's mercy. After the death of King\nMagnus fifteen years had passed when the battle at Nis-river took place,\nand afterwards two years elapsed before Harald and Svein made peace. So\nsays Thiodolf:--\n\n     \"The Hordland king under the land\n     At anchor lay close to the strand,\n     At last, prepared with shield and spear\n     The peace was settled the third year.\"\n\nAfter this peace the disturbances with the people of the Upland\ndistricts lasted a year and a half. So says Thiodolf:--\n\n     \"No easy task it is to say\n     How the king brought beneath his sway\n     The Upland bondes, and would give\n     Nought but their ploughs from which to live.\n     The king in eighteen months brought down\n     Their bonde power, and raised his own,\n     And the great honour he has gained\n     Will still in memory be retained.\"\n\n\n\n\n77. OF THE KINGS OF ENGLAND.\n\nEdward, Ethelred's son, was king of England after his brother\nHardacanute. He was called Edward the Good; and so he was. King Edward's\nmother was Queen Emma, daughter of Richard, earl of Rouen. Her brother\nwas Earl Robert, whose son was William the Bastard, who at that time was\nearl at Rouen in Normandy. King Edward's queen was Gyda, a daughter of\nEarl Godwin, the son of Ulfnad. Gyda's brothers were, Earl Toste, the\neldest; Earl Morukare the next; Earl Walter the third; Earl Svein the\nfourth; and the fifth was Harald, who was the youngest, and he was\nbrought up at King Edward's court, and was his foster-son. The king\nloved him very much, and kept him as his own son; for he had no\nchildren.\n\n\n\n\n78. OF HARALD GODWINSON.\n\nOne summer it happened that Harald, the son of Godwin, made an\nexpedition to Bretland with his ships, but when they got to sea they met\na contrary wind, and were driven off into the ocean. They landed west\nin Normandy, after suffering from a dangerous storm. They brought up at\nRouen, where they met Earl William, who received Harald and his company\ngladly. Harald remained there late in harvest, and was hospitably\nentertained; for the stormy weather continued, and there was no getting\nto sea, and this continued until winter set in; so the earl and Harald\nagreed that he should remain there all winter. Harald sat on the\nhigh-seat on one side of the earl; and on the other side sat the earl's\nwife, one of the most beautiful women that could be seen. They often\ntalked together for amusement at the drinking-table; and the earl\nwent generally to bed, but Harald and the earl's wife sat long in the\nevenings talking together, and so it went on for a great part of the\nwinter. In one of their conversations she said to Harald, \"The earl has\nasked me what it is we have to talk about so much, for he is angry\nat it.\" Harald replies, \"We shall then at once let him know all our\nconversation.\" The following day, Harald asked the earl to a conference,\nand they went together into the conference-chamber; where also the queen\nwas, and some of the councillors. Then Harald began thus:--\"I have to\ninform you, earl, that there lies more in my visit here than I have let\nyou know. I would ask your daughter in marriage, and have often spoke\nover this matter with her mother, and she has promised to support my\nsuit with you.\" As soon as Harald had made known this proposal of his,\nit was well received by all who were present. They explained the case\nto the earl; and at last it came so far that the earl was contracted\nto Harald, but as she was very young, it was resolved that the wedding\nshould be deferred for some years.\n\n\n\n\n79. KING EDWARD'S DEATH.\n\nWhen spring came Harald rigged his ships and set off; and he and the\nearl parted with great friendship. Harald sailed over to England to King\nEdward, but did not return to Valland to fulfill the marriage agreement.\nEdward was king over England for twenty-three years and died on a bed\nof sickness in London on the 5th of January, and was buried in Paul's\nchurch. Englishmen call him a saint.\n\n\n\n\n80. HARALD GODWINSON MADE KING OF ENGLAND.\n\nThe sons of Earl Godwin were the most powerful men in England. Toste was\nmade chief of the English king's army, and was his land-defence man when\nthe king began to grow old; and he was also placed above all the other\nearls. His brother Harald was always with the court itself, and\nnearest to the king in all service, and had the charge of the king's\ntreasure-chamber. It is said that when the king was approaching his last\nhour, Harald and a few others were with him. Harald first leans down\nover the king, and then said, \"I take you all to witness that the king\nhas now given me the kingdom, and all the realm of England:\" and then\nthe king was taken dead out of the bed. The same day there was a meeting\nof the chiefs, at which there was some talk of choosing a king; and then\nHarald brought forward his witnesses that King Edward had given him the\nkingdom on his dying day. The meeting ended by choosing Harald as king,\nand he was consecrated and crowned the 13th day of Yule, in Paul's\nchurch. Then all the chiefs and all the people submitted to him. Now\nwhen his brother, Earl Toste, heard of this he took it very ill, as he\nthought himself quite as well entitled to be king. \"I want,\" said he,\n\"that the principal men of the country choose him whom they think best\nfitted for it.\" And sharp words passed between the brothers. King Harald\nsays he will not give up his kingly dignity, for he is seated on the\nthrone which kings sat upon, and is anointed and consecrated a king.\nOn his side also was the strength of the people, for he had the king's\nwhole treasure.\n\n\n\n\n81. EARL TOSTE'S EXPEDITION TO DENMARK.\n\nNow when King Harald perceived that his brother Toste wanted to have\nhim deprived of the kingdom he did not trust him; for Toste was a clever\nman, and a great warrior, and was in friendship with the principal men\nof the country. He therefore took the command of the army from Toste,\nand also all the power he had beyond that of the other earls of the\ncountry. Earl Toste, again, would not submit to be his own brother's\nserving man; therefore he went with his people over the sea to Flanders,\nand stayed there awhile, then went to Friesland, and from thence to\nDenmark to his relation King Svein. Earl Ulf, King Svein's father, and\nGyda, Earl Toste's mother, were brother's and sister's children. The\nearl now asked King Svein for support and help of men; and King Svein\ninvited him to stay with him, with the promise that he should get so\nlarge an earldom in Denmark that he would be an important chief.\n\nThe earl replies, \"My inclination is to go back to my estate in England;\nbut if I cannot get help from you for that purpose, I will agree to help\nyou with all the power I can command in England, if you will go there\nwith the Danish army, and win the country, as Canute, your mother's\nbrother, did.\"\n\nThe king replied, \"So much smaller a man am I than Canute the Great,\nthat I can with difficulty defend my own Danish dominions against the\nNorthmen. King Canute, on the other hand, got the Danish kingdom in\nheritage, took England by slash and blow, and sometimes was near losing\nhis life in the contest; and Norway he took without slash or blow. Now\nit suits me much better to be guided by my own slender ability than to\nimitate my relation, King Canute's, lucky hits.\"\n\nThen Earl Toste said, \"The result of my errand here is less fortunate\nthan I expected of thee who art so gallant a man, seeing that thy\nrelative is in so great need. It may be that I will seek friendly help\nwhere it could less be expected; and that I may find a chief who is less\nafraid, king, than thou art of a great enterprise.\"\n\nThen the king and the earl parted, not just the best friends.\n\n\n\n\n82. EARL TOSTE'S EXPEDITION TO NORWAY.\n\nEarl Toste turned away then and went to Norway, where he presented\nhimself to King Harald, who was at that time in Viken. When they met the\nearl explained his errand to the king. He told him all his proceedings\nsince he left England, and asked his aid to recover his dominions in\nEngland.\n\nThe king replied that the Northmen had no great desire for a campaign in\nEngland, and to have English chiefs over them there. \"People say,\" added\nhe, \"that the English are not to be trusted.\"\n\nThe earl replied, \"Is it true what I have heard people tell in England,\nthat thy relative, King Magnus, sent men to King Edward with the message\nthat King Magnus had right to England as well as to Denmark, and had got\nthat heritage after Hardacanute, in consequence of a regular agreement?\"\n\nThe king replied, \"How came it that he did not get it, if he had a right\nto it?\"\n\n\"Why,\" replied the earl, \"hast thou not Denmark, as King Magnus, thy\npredecessor, had it?\"\n\nThe king replies, \"The Danes have nothing to brag of over us Northmen;\nfor many a place have we laid in ashes to thy relations.\"\n\nThen said the earl, \"If thou wilt not tell me, I will tell thee. Magnus\nsubdued Denmark, because all the chiefs of the country helped him;\nand thou hast not done it, because all the people of the country were\nagainst thee. Therefore, also, King Magnus did not strive for England,\nbecause all the nation would have Edward for king. Wilt thou take\nEngland now? I will bring the matter so far that most of the principal\nmen in England shall be thy friends, and assist thee; for nothing is\nwanting to place me at the side of my brother Harald but the king's\nname. All men allow that there never was such a warrior in the northern\nlands as thou art; and it appears to me extraordinary that thou hast\nbeen fighting for fifteen years for Denmark, and wilt not take England\nthat lies open to thee.\"\n\nKing Harald weighed carefully the earl's words, and perceived at once\nthat there was truth in much of what he said; and he himself had also a\ngreat desire to acquire dominions. Then King Harald and the earl talked\nlong and frequently together; and at last he took the resolution to\nproceed in summer to England, and conquer the country. King Harald sent\na message-token through all Norway and ordered out a levy of one-half\nof all the men in Norway able to carry arms. When this became generally\nknown, there were many guesses about what might be the end of this\nexpedition. Some reckoned up King Harald's great achievements, and\nthought he was also the man who could accomplish this. Others, again,\nsaid that England was difficult to attack; that it was very full of\npeople; and the men-at-arms, who were called Thingmen, were so brave,\nthat one of them was better than two of Harald's best men. Then said Ulf\nthe marshal:--\n\n     \"I am still ready gold to gain;\n     But truly it would be in vain,\n     And the king's marshal in the hall\n     Might leave his good post once for all,\n     If two of us in any strife\n     Must for one Thingman fly for life,\n     My lovely Norse maid, in my youth\n     We thought the opposite the truth.\"\n\nUlf the marshal died that spring (A.D. 1066). King Harald stood over\nhis grave, and said, as he was leaving it, \"There lies now the truest of\nmen, and the most devoted to his king.\"\n\nEarl Toste sailed in spring west to Flanders, to meet the people who had\nleft England with him, and others besides who had gathered to him both\nout of England and Flanders.\n\n\n\n\n83. GYRD'S DREAMS.\n\nKing Harald's fleet assembled at the Solunds. When King Harald was ready\nto leave Nidaros he went to King Olaf's shrine, unlocked it, clipped his\nhair and nails, and locked the shrine again, and threw the keys into the\nNid. Some say he threw them overboard outside of Agdanes; and since then\nthe shrine of Saint Olaf, the king, has never been opened. Thirty-five\nyears had passed since he was slain; and he lived thirty-five years\nhere on earth (A.D. 1080-1066). King Harald sailed with his ships he\nhad about him to the south to meet his people, and a great fleet was\ncollected; so that, according to the people's reckoning, King Harald had\nnearly 200 ships beside provision-ships and small craft.\n\nWhile they lay at the Solunds a man called Gyrd, on board the king's\nship, had a dream. He thought he was standing in the king's ship and saw\na great witch-wife standing on the island, with a fork in one hand and a\ntrough in the other. He thought also that he saw over all the fleet, and\nthat a fowl was sitting upon every ship's stern, and that these fowls\nwere all ravens or ernes; and the witch-wife sang this song:--\n\n     \"From the east I'll 'tice the king,\n     To the west the king I'll bring;\n     Many a noble bone will be\n     Ravens o'er Giuke's ship are fitting,\n     Eyeing the prey they think most fitting.\n     Upon the stem I'll sail with them!\n     Upon the stem I'll sail with them!\"\n\n\n\n\n84. THORD'S DREAM.\n\nThere was also a man called Thord, in a ship which lay not far from the\nking's. He dreamt one night that he saw King Harald's fleet coming to\nland, and he knew the land to be England. He saw a great battle-array on\nthe land; and he thought both sides began to fight, and had many banners\nflapping in the air. And before the army of the people of the country\nwas riding a huge witch-wife upon a wolf; and the wolf had a man's\ncarcass in his mouth, and the blood was dropping from his jaws; and when\nhe had eaten up one body she threw another into his mouth, and so one\nafter another, and he swallowed them all. And she sang thus:--\n\n     \"Skade's eagle eyes\n     The king's ill luck espies:\n     Though glancing shields\n     Hide the green fields,\n     The king's ill luck she spies.\n     To bode the doom of this great king,\n     The flesh of bleeding men I fling\n     To hairy jaw and hungry maw!\n     To hairy jaw and hungry maw!\"\n\n\n\n\n85. KING HARALD'S DREAM.\n\nKing Harald also dreamt one night that he was in Nidaros, and met his\nbrother, King Olaf, who sang to him these verses:--\n\n     \"In many a fight\n     My name was bright;\n     Men weep, and tell\n     How Olaf fell.\n     Thy death is near;\n     Thy corpse, I fear,\n     The crow will feed,\n     The witch-wife's steed.\"\n\nMany other dreams and forebodings were then told of, and most of them\ngloomy. Before King Harald left Throndhjem, he let his son Magnus be\nproclaimed king and set him as king over Norway while he was absent.\nThora, the daughter of Thorberg, also remained behind; but he took with\nhim Queen Ellisif and her two daughters, Maria and Ingegerd. Olaf, King\nHarald's son, also accompanied his father abroad.\n\n\n\n\n86. BATTLE AT SCARBOROUGH.\n\nWhen King Harald was clear for sea, and the wind became favourable, he\nsailed out into the ocean; and he himself landed in Shetland, but a part\nof his fleet in the Orkney Islands. King Harald stopped but a short time\nin Shetland before sailing to Orkney, from whence he took with him\na great armed force, and the earls Paul and Erlend, the sons of\nEarl Thorfin; but he left behind him here the Queen Ellisif, and her\ndaughters Maria and Ingegerd. Then he sailed, leaving Scotland and\nEngland westward of him, and landed at a place called Klifland. There\nhe went on shore and plundered, and brought the country in subjection\nto him without opposition. Then he brought up at Skardaburg, and fought\nwith the people of the place. He went up a hill which is there, and made\na great pile upon it, which he set on fire; and when the pile was in\nclear flame, his men took large forks and pitched the burning wood down\ninto the town, so that one house caught fire after the other, and the\ntown surrendered. The Northmen killed many people there and took all the\nbooty they could lay hold of. There was nothing left for the Englishmen\nnow, if they would preserve their lives, but to submit to King Harald;\nand thus he subdued the country wherever he came. Then the king\nproceeded south along the land, and brought up at Hellornes, where there\ncame a force that had been assembled to oppose him, with which he had a\nbattle, and gained the victory.\n\n\n\n\n87. OF HARALD'S ORDER OF BATTLE.\n\nThereafter the king sailed to the Humber, and up along the river, and\nthen he landed. Up in Jorvik were two earls, Earl Morukare, and his\nbrother, Earl Valthiof, and they had an immense army. While the army\nof the earls was coming down from the upper part of the country, King\nHarald lay in the Usa. King Harald now went on the land, and drew up his\nmen. The one arm of this line stood at the outer edge of the river, the\nother turned up towards the land along a ditch; and there was also a\nmorass, deep, broad, and full of water. The earls let their army proceed\nslowly down along the river, with all their troops in line. The king's\nbanner was next the river, where the line was thickest. It was thinnest\nat the ditch, where also the weakest of the men were. When the earls\nadvanced downwards along the ditch, the arm of the Northmen's line which\nwas at the ditch gave way; and the Englishmen followed, thinking the\nNorthmen would fly. The banner of Earl Morukare advanced then bravely.\n\n\n\n\n88. THE BATTLE AT THE HUMBER.\n\nWhen King Harald saw that the English array had come to the ditch\nagainst him, he ordered the charge to be sounded, and urged on his men.\nHe ordered the banner which was called the Land-ravager to be carried\nbefore him, and made so severe an assault that all had to give way\nbefore it; and there was a great loss among the men of the earls, and\nthey soon broke into flight, some running up the river, some down, and\nthe most leaping into the ditch, which was so filled with dead that the\nNorsemen could go dry-foot over the fen. There Earl Morukare fell. So\nsays Stein Herdison:--\n\n     \"The gallant Harald drove along,\n     Flying but fighting, the whole throng.\n     At last, confused, they could not fight,\n     And the whole body took to flight.\n     Up from the river's silent stream\n     At once rose desperate splash and scream;\n     But they who stood like men this fray\n     Round Morukare's body lay.\"\n\nThis song was composed by Stein Herdison about Olaf, son of King Harald;\nand he speaks of Olaf being in this battle with King Harald, his father.\nThese things are also spoken of in the song called \"Harald's Stave\":--\n\n     \"Earl Valthiof's men\n     Lay in the fen,\n     By sword down hewed,\n     So thickly strewed,\n     That Norsemen say\n     They paved a way\n     Across the fen\n     For the brave Norsemen.\"\n\nEarl Valthiof, and the people who escaped, fled up to the castle of\nYork; and there the greatest loss of men had been. This battle took\nplace upon the Wednesday next Mathias' day (A.D. 1066).\n\n\n\n\n89. OF EARL TOSTE.\n\nEarl Toste had come from Flanders to King Harald as soon as he arrived\nin England, and the earl was present at all these battles. It happened,\nas he had foretold the king at their first meeting, that in England\nmany people would flock to them, as being friends and relations of Earl\nToste, and thus the king's forces were much strengthened. After the\nbattle now told of, all people in the nearest districts submitted to\nHarald, but some fled. Then the king advanced to take the castle, and\nlaid his army at Stanforda-bryggiur (Stamford Bridge); and as King\nHarald had gained so great a victory against so great chiefs and so\ngreat an army, the people were dismayed, and doubted if they could\nmake any opposition. The men of the castle therefore determined, in a\ncouncil, to send a message to King Harald, and deliver up the castle\ninto his power. All this was soon settled; so that on Sunday the king\nproceeded with the whole army to the castle, and appointed a Thing of\nthe people without the castle, at which the people of the castle were\nto be present. At this Thing all the people accepted the condition of\nsubmitting to Harald, and gave him, as hostages, the children of the\nmost considerable persons; for Earl Toste was well acquainted with all\nthe people of that town. In the evening the king returned down to his\nships, after this victory achieved with his own force, and was very\nmerry. A Thing was appointed within the castle early on Monday morning,\nand then King Harald was to name officers to rule over the town, to give\nout laws, and bestow fiefs. The same evening, after sunset, King Harald\nGodwinson came from the south to the castle with a numerous army, and\nrode into the city with the good-will and consent of the people of the\ncastle. All the gates and walls were beset so that the Northmen could\nreceive no intelligence, and the army remained all night in the town.\n\n\n\n\n90. OF KING HARALD'S LANDING.\n\nOn Monday, when King Harald Sigurdson had taken breakfast, he ordered\nthe trumpets to sound for going on shore. The army accordingly got\nready, and he divided the men into the parties who should go, and who\nshould stay behind. In every division he allowed two men to land, and\none to remain behind. Earl Toste and his retinue prepared to land with\nKing Harald; and, for watching the ships, remained behind the king's son\nOlaf; the earls of Orkney, Paul and Erlend; and also Eystein Orre, a son\nof Thorberg Arnason, who was the most able and best beloved by the king\nof all the lendermen, and to whom the king had promised his daughter\nMaria. The weather was uncommonly fine, and it was hot sunshine. The men\ntherefore laid aside their armour, and went on the land only with their\nshields, helmets and spears, and girt with swords; and many had also\narrows and bows, and all were very merry. Now as they came near the\ncastle a great army seemed coming against them, and they saw a cloud\nof dust as from horses' feet, and under it shining shields and bright\narmour. The king halted his people, and called to him Earl Toste, and\nasked him what army this could be. The earl replied that he thought it\nmost likely to be a hostle army, but possibly it might be some of his\nrelations who were seeking for mercy and friendship, in order to obtain\ncertain peace and safety from the king. Then the king said, \"We must all\nhalt, to discover what kind of a force this is.\" They did so; and the\nnearer this force came the greater it appeared, and their shining arms\nwere to the sight like glancing ice.\n\n\n\n\n91. OF EARL TOSTE'S COUNSEL.\n\nThen said King Harald, \"Let us now fall upon some good sensible counsel;\nfor it is not to be concealed that this is an hostile army and the king\nhimself without doubt is here.\"\n\nThen said the earl, \"The first counsel is to turn about as fast as we\ncan to our ships to get our men and our weapons, and then we will make a\ndefence according to our ability; or otherwise let our ships defend us,\nfor there these horsemen have no power over us.\"\n\nThen King Harald said, \"I have another counsel. Put three of our best\nhorses under three of our briskest lads and let them ride with all speed\nto tell our people to come quickly to our relief. The Englishmen shall\nhave a hard fray of it before we give ourselves up for lost.\"\n\nThe earl said the king must order in this, as in all things, as he\nthought best; adding, at the same time, it was by no means his wish to\nfly. Then King Harald ordered his banner Land-ravager to be set up; and\nFrirek was the name of him who bore the banner.\n\n\n\n\n92. OF KING HARALD'S ARMY.\n\nThen King Harald arranged his army, and made the line of battle long,\nbut not deep. He bent both wings of it back, so that they met together;\nand formed a wide ring equally thick all round, shield to shield, both\nin the front and rear ranks. The king himself and his retinue were\nwithin the circle; and there was the banner, and a body of chosen men.\nEarl Toste, with his retinue, was at another place, and had a different\nbanner. The army was arranged in this way, because the king knew that\nhorsemen were accustomed to ride forwards with great vigour, but to\nturn back immediately. Now the king ordered that his own and the earl's\nattendants should ride forwards where it was most required. \"And our\nbowmen,\" said he, \"shall be near to us; and they who stand in the\nfirst rank shall set the spear-shaft on the ground, and the spear-point\nagainst the horseman's breast, if he rides at them; and those who\nstand in the second rank shall set the spear-point against the horse's\nbreast.\"\n\n\n\n\n93. OF KING HARALD GODWINSON.\n\nKing Harald Godwinson had come with an immense army, both of cavalry and\ninfantry. Now King Harald Sigurdson rode around his array, to see\nhow every part was drawn up. He was upon a black horse, and the horse\nstumbled under him, so that the king fell off. He got up in haste and\nsaid, \"A fall is lucky for a traveller.\"\n\nThe English king Harald said to the Northmen who were with him, \"Do ye\nknow the stout man who fell from his horse, with the blue kirtle and the\nbeautiful helmet?\"\n\n\"That is the king himself.\" said they.\n\nThe English king said, \"A great man, and of stately appearance is he;\nbut I think his luck has left him.\"\n\n\n\n\n94. OF THE TROOP OF THE NOBILITY.\n\nTwenty horsemen rode forward from the Thing-men's troops against the\nNorthmen's array; and all of them, and likewise their horses, were\nclothed in armour.\n\nOne of the horsemen said, \"Is Earl Toste in this army?\"\n\nThe earl answered, \"It is not to be denied that ye will find him here.\"\n\nThe horseman says, \"Thy brother, King Harald, sends thee salutation,\nwith the message that thou shalt have the whole of Northumberland; and\nrather than thou shouldst not submit to him, he will give thee the third\npart of his kingdom to rule over along with himself.\"\n\nThe earl replies, \"This is something different from the enmity and scorn\nhe offered last winter; and if this had been offered then it would have\nsaved many a man's life who now is dead, and it would have been better\nfor the kingdom of England. But if I accept of this offer, what will he\ngive King Harald Sigurdson for his trouble?\"\n\nThe horseman replied, \"He has also spoken of this; and will give him\nseven feet of English ground, or as much more as he may be taller than\nother men.\"\n\n\"Then,\" said the earl, \"go now and tell King Harald to get ready for\nbattle; for never shall the Northmen say with truth that Earl Toste left\nKing Harald Sigurdson to join his enemy's troops, when he came to fight\nwest here in England. We shall rather all take the resolution to die\nwith honour, or to gain England by a victory.\"\n\nThen the horseman rode back.\n\nKing Harald Sigurdson said to the earl, \"Who was the man who spoke so\nwell?\"\n\nThe earl replied, \"That was King Harald Godwinson.\"\n\nThen, said King Harald Sigurdson, \"That was by far too long concealed\nfrom me; for they had come so near to our army, that this Harald should\nnever have carried back the tidings of our men's slaughter.\"\n\nThen said the earl, \"It was certainly imprudent for such chiefs, and it\nmay be as you say; but I saw he was going to offer me peace and a great\ndominion, and that, on the other hand, I would be his murderer if I\nbetrayed him; and I would rather he should be my murderer than I his, if\none of two be to die.\"\n\nKing Harald Sigurdson observed to his men, \"That was but a little man,\nyet he sat firmly in his stirrups.\"\n\nIt is said that Harald made these verses at this time:--\n\n     \"Advance!  advance!\n     No helmets glance,\n     But blue swords play\n     In our array.\n     Advance!  advance!\n     No mail-coats glance,\n     But hearts are here\n     That ne'er knew fear.\"\n\nHis coat of mail was called Emma; and it was so long that it reached\nalmost to the middle of his leg, and so strong that no weapon ever\npierced it. Then said King Harald Sigurdson, \"These verses are but ill\ncomposed; I must try to make better;\" and he composed the following:--\n\n     \"In battle storm we seek no lee,\n     With skulking head, and bending knee,\n     Behind the hollow shield.\n     With eye and hand we fend the head;\n     Courage and skill stand in the stead\n     Of panzer, helm, and shield,\n     In hild's bloody field.\"\n\nThereupon Thiodolf sang:--\n\n     \"And should our king in battle fall,--\n     A fate that God may give to all,--\n     His sons will vengeance take;\n     And never shone the sun upon\n     Two nobler eaglet; in his run,\n     And them we'll never forsake.\"\n\n\n\n\n95. OF THE BEGINNING OF THE BATTLE.\n\nNow the battle began. The Englishmen made a hot assault upon the\nNorthmen, who sustained it bravely. It was no easy matter for the\nEnglish to ride against the Northmen on account of their spears;\ntherefore they rode in a circle around them. And the fight at first was\nbut loose and light, as long as the Northmen kept their order of battle;\nfor although the English rode hard against the Northmen, they gave way\nagain immediately, as they could do nothing against them. Now when the\nNorthmen thought they perceived that the enemy were making but weak\nassaults, they set after them, and would drive them into flight; but\nwhen they had broken their shield-rampart the Englishmen rode up from\nall sides, and threw arrows and spears on them. Now when King Harald\nSigurdson saw this, he went into the fray where the greatest crash of\nweapons was, and there was a sharp conflict, in which many people fell\non both sides. King Harald then was in a rage, and ran out in front of\nthe array, and hewed down with both hands; so that neither helmet nor\narmour could withstand him, and all who were nearest gave way before\nhim. It was then very near with the English that they had taken to\nflight. So says Arnor, the earls' skald:--\n\n     \"Where battle-storm was ringing,\n     Where arrow-cloud was singing,\n          Harald stood there,\n          Of armour bare,\n     His deadly sword still swinging.\n     The foeman feel its bite;\n     His Norsemen rush to fight,\n          Danger to share,\n          With Harald there,\n     Where steel on steel was ringing.\"\n\n\n\n\n96. FALL OF KING HARALD.\n\nKing Harald Sigurdson was hit by an arrow in the windpipe, and that\nwas his death-wound. He fell, and all who had advanced with him, except\nthose who retired with the banner. There was afterwards the warmest\nconflict, and Earl Toste had taken charge of the king's banner. They\nbegan on both sides to form their array again, and for a long time there\nwas a pause in fighting. Then Thiodolf sang these verses:--\n\n     \"The army stands in hushed dismay;\n     Stilled is the clamour of the fray.\n     Harald is dead, and with him goes\n     The spirit to withstand our foes.\n     A bloody scat the folk must pay\n     For their king's folly on this day.\n     He fell; and now, without disguise,\n     We say this business was not wise.\"\n\nBut before the battle began again Harald Godwinson offered his brother,\nEarl Toste, peace, and also quarter to the Northmen who were still\nalive; but the Northmen called out, all of them together, that they\nwould rather fall, one across the other, than accept of quarter from\nthe Englishmen. Then each side set up a war-shout, and the battle began\nagain. So says Arnor, the earls' skald:--\n\n     \"The king, whose name would ill-doers scare,\n     The gold-tipped arrow would not spare.\n     Unhelmed, unpanzered, without shield,\n     He fell among us in the field.\n     The gallant men who saw him fall\n     Would take no quarter; one and all\n     Resolved to die with their loved king,\n     Around his corpse in a corpse-ring.\"\n\n\n\n\n97. SKIRMISH OF ORRE.\n\nEystein Orre came up at this moment from the ships with the men who\nfollowed him, and all were clad in armour. Then Eystein got King\nHarald's banner Land-ravager; and now was, for the third time, one of\nthe sharpest of conflicts, in which many Englishmen fell, and they were\nnear to taking flight. This conflict is called Orre's storm. Eystein\nand his men had hastened so fast from the ships that they were quite\nexhausted, and scarcely fit to fight before they came into the\nbattle; but afterwards they became so furious, that they did not guard\nthemselves with their shields as long as they could stand upright. At\nlast they threw off their coats of ringmail, and then the Englishmen\ncould easily lay their blows at them; and many fell from weariness,\nand died without a wound. Thus almost all the chief men fell among the\nNorway people. This happened towards evening; and then it went, as one\nmight expect, that all had not the same fate, for many fled, and were\nlucky enough to escape in various ways; and darkness fell before the\nslaughter was altogether ended.\n\n\n\n\n98. OF STYRKAR THE MARSHAL.\n\nStyrkar, King Harald Sigurdson's marshal, a gallant man, escaped upon a\nhorse, on which he rode away in the evening. It was blowing a cold wind,\nand Styrkar had not much other clothing upon him but his shirt, and\nhad a helmet on his head, and a drawn sword in his hand. As soon as his\nweariness was over, he began to feel cold. A waggoner met him in a lined\nskin-coat. Styrkar asks him, \"Wilt thou sell thy coat, friend?\"\n\n\"Not to thee,\" says the peasant: \"thou art a Northman; that I can hear\nby thy tongue.\"\n\nStyrkar replies, \"If I were a Northman, what wouldst thou do?\"\n\n\"I would kill thee,\" replied the peasant; \"but as ill luck would have\nit, I have no weapon just now by me that would do it.\"\n\nThen Styrkar says, \"As you can't kill me, friend, I shall try if I can't\nkill you.\" And with that he swung his sword, and struck him on the neck,\nso that his head came off. He then took the skin-coat, sprang on his\nhorse, and rode down to the strand.\n\nOlaf Haraldson had not gone on land with the others, and when he\nheard of his father's fall he made ready to sail away with the men who\nremained.\n\n\n\n\n99. OF WILLIAM THE BASTARD.\n\nWhen the Earl of Rouen, William the Bastard, heard of his relation, King\nEdward's, death, and also that Harald Godwinson was chosen, crowned,\nand consecrated king of England, it appeared to him that he had a\nbetter right to the kingdom of England than Harald, by reason of the\nrelationship between him and King Edward. He thought, also, that he\nhad grounds for avenging the affront that Harald had put upon him\nwith respect to his daughter. From all these grounds William gathered\ntogether a great army in Normandy, and had many men, and sufficient\ntransport-shipping. The day that he rode out of the castle to his ships,\nand had mounted his horse, his wife came to him, and wanted to speak\nwith him; but when he saw her he struck at her with his heel, and set\nhis spurs so deep into her breast that she fell down dead; and the\nearl rode on to his ships, and went with his ships over to England.\nHis brother, Archbishop Otto, was with him; and when the earl came to\nEngland he began to plunder, and take possession of the land as he came\nalong. Earl William was stouter and stronger than other men; a great\nhorseman and warrior, but somewhat stern; and a very sensible man, but\nnot considered a man to be relied on.\n\n\n\n\n100. FALL OF KING HARALD GODWINSON.\n\nKing Harald Godwinson gave King Harald Sigurdson's son Olaf leave to go\naway, with the men who had followed him and had not fallen in battle;\nbut he himself turned round with his army to go south, for he had heard\nthat William the Bastard was overwhelming the south of England with a\nvast army, and was subduing the country for himself. With King Harald\nwent his brothers Svein and Gyrd, and Earl Valthiof. King Harald\nand Earl William met each other south in England at Helsingja-port\n(Hastings). There was a great battle in which King Harald and his\nbrother Earl Gyrd and a great part of his men fell. This was the\nnineteenth day after the fall of King Harald Sigurdson. Harald's\nbrother, Earl Valthiof, escaped by flight, and towards evening fell in\nwith a division of William's people, consisting of 100 men; and when\nthey saw Earl Valthiof's troop they fled to a wood. Earl Valthiof set\nfire to the wood, and they were all burnt. So says Thorkel Skallason in\nValthiof's ballad:--\n\n     \"Earl Valthiof the brave\n     His foes a warming gave:\n     Within the blazing grove\n     A hundred men he drove.\n     The wolf will soon return,\n     And the witch's horse will burn\n     Her sharp claws in the ash,\n     To taste the Frenchman's flesh.\"\n\n\n\n\n101. EARL VALTHIOF'S DEATH.\n\nWilliam was proclaimed king of England. He sent a message to Earl\nValthiof that they should be reconciled, and gave him assurance of\nsafety to come to the place of meeting. The earl set out with a few men;\nbut when he came to a heath north of Kastala-bryggia, there met him two\nofficers of King William, with many followers, who took him prisoner,\nput him in fetters, and afterwards he was beheaded; and the English call\nhim a saint. Thorkel tells of this:--\n\n     \"William came o'er the sea,\n     With bloody sword came he:\n     Cold heart and bloody hand\n     Now rule the English land.\n     Earl Valthiof he slew,--\n     Valthiof the brave and true.\n     Cold heart and bloody hand\n     Now rule the English land.\"\n\nWilliam was after this king of England for twenty-one years, and his\ndescendants have been so ever since.\n\n\n\n\n102. OF OLAF HARALDSON'S EXPEDITION TO NORWAY.\n\nOlaf, the son of King Harald Sigurdson, sailed with his fleet from\nEngland from Hrafnseyr, and came in autumn to the Orkney Isles, where\nthe event had happened that Maria, a daughter of Harald Sigurdson, died\na sudden death the very day and hour her father, King Harald, fell. Olaf\nremained there all winter; but the summer after he proceeded east to\nNorway, where he was proclaimed king along with his brother Magnus.\nQueen Ellisif came from the West, along with her stepson Olaf and her\ndaughter Ingegerd. There came also with Olaf over the West sea Skule, a\nson of Earl Toste, and who since has been called the king's foster-son,\nand his brother Ketil Krok. Both were gallant men, of high family in\nEngland, and both were very intelligent; and the brothers were much\nbeloved by King Olaf. Ketil Krok went north to Halogaland, where King\nOlaf procured him a good marriage, and from him are descended many great\npeople. Skule, the king's foster-son, was a very clever man, and the\nhandsomest man that could be seen. He was the commander of King Olaf's\ncourt-men, spoke at the Things (1) and took part in all the country\naffairs with the king. The king offered to give Skule whatever district\nin Norway he liked, with all the income and duties that belonged to the\nking in it. Skule thanked him very much for the offer, but said he\nwould rather have something else from him. \"For if there came a shift\nof kings,\" said he, \"the gift might come to nothing. I would rather\ntake some properties lying near to the merchant towns, where you, sire,\nusually take up your abode, and then I would enjoy your Yule-feasts.\"\nThe king agreed to this, and conferred on him lands eastward at\nKonungahella, Oslo, Tunsberg, Sarpsborg, Bergen, and north at Nidaros.\nThese were nearly the best properties at each place, and have since\ndescended to the family branches which came from Skule. King Olaf\ngave Skule his female relative, Gudrun, the daughter of Nefstein, in\nmarriage. Her mother was Ingerid, a daughter of Sigurd Syr and Asta,\nKing Olaf the Saint's mother. Ingerid was a sister of King Olaf the\nSaint and of King Harald. Skule and Gudrun's son was Asolf of Reine, who\nmarried Thora, a daughter of Skopte Ogmundson; Asolf's and Thora's son\nwas Guthorm of Reine, father of Bard, and grandfather of King Inge and\nof Duke Skule.\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) Another instance of the old Norse or Icelandic tongue\n     having been generally known in a part of England.\n\n\n\n\n103. OF KING HARALD SIGURDSON.\n\nOne year after King Harald's fall his body was transported from England\nnorth to Nidaros, and was buried in Mary church, which he had built. It\nwas a common observation that King Harald distinguished himself above\nall other men by wisdom and resources of mind; whether he had to take a\nresolution suddenly for himself and others, or after long deliberation.\nHe was, also, above all other men, bold, brave, and lucky, until his\ndying day, as above related; and bravery is half victory. So says\nThiodolf:--\n\n     \"Harald, who till his dying day\n     Came off the best in many a fray,\n     Had one good rule in battle-plain,\n     In Seeland and elsewhere, to gain--\n     That, be his foes' strength more or less,\n     Courage is always half success.\"\n\nKing Herald was a handsome man, of noble appearance; his hair and beard\nyellow. He had a short beard, and long mustaches. The one eyebrow was\nsomewhat higher than the other. He had large hands (1) and feet; but\nthese were well made. His height was five ells. He was stern and severe\nto his enemies, and avenged cruelly all opposition or misdeed. So says\nThiodolf:--\n\n     \"Severe alike to friends or foes,\n     Who dared his royal will oppose;\n     Severe in discipline to hold\n     His men-at-arms wild and bold;\n     Severe the bondes to repress;\n     Severe to punish all excess;\n     Severe was Harald--but we call\n     That just which was alike to all.\"\n\nKing Harald was most greedy of power, and of all distinction and honour.\nHe was bountiful to the friends who suited him. So says Thiodolf:--\n\n     \"I got from him, in sea-fight strong,\n     A mark of gold for my ship-song.\n     Merit in any way\n     He generously would pay.\"\n\nKing Harald was fifty years old when he fell. We have no particular\naccount of his youth before he was fifteen years old, when he was\nwith his brother, King Olaf, at the battle of Stiklestad. He lived\nthirty-five years after that, and in all that time was never free\nfrom care and war. King Harald never fled from battle, but often tried\ncunning ways to escape when he had to do with great superiority of\nforces. All the men who followed King Harald in battle or skirmish said\nthat when he stood in great danger, or anything came suddenly upon him,\nhe always took that course which all afterwards saw gave the best hope\nof a fortunate issue.\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) It is a singular physical circumstance, that in almost all\n     the swords of those ages to be found in the collection of\n     weapons in the Antiquarian Museum at Copenhagen, the handles\n     indicate a size of hand very much smaller than the hands of\n     modern people of any class or rank.  No modern dandy, with\n     the most delicate hands, would find room for his hand to\n     grasp or wield with case some of the swords of these\n     Northmen.--L.\n\n\n\n\n104. KING HARALD AND KING OLAF COMPARED.\n\nWhen Haldor, a son of Brynjolf Ulfalde the Old, who was a sensible man\nand a great chief, heard people talk of how unlike the brothers Saint\nOlaf and King Harald were in disposition, he used to say, \"I was in\ngreat friendship with both the brothers, and I knew intimately the\ndispositions of both, and never did I know two men more like in\ndisposition. Both were of the highest understanding, and bold in arms,\nand greedy of power and property; of great courage, but not acquainted\nwith the way of winning the favour of the people; zealous in governing,\nand severe in their revenge. King Olaf forced the people into\nChristianity and good customs, and punished cruelly those who disobeyed.\nThis just and rightful severity the chiefs of the country could not\nbear, but raised an army against him, and killed him in his own kingdom;\nand therefore he is held to be a saint. King Harald, again, marauded to\nobtain glory and power, forced all the people he could under his power,\nand died in another king's dominions. Both brothers, in daily life,\nwere of a worthy and considerate manner of living; they were of great\nexperience, and very laborious, and were known and celebrated far and\nwide for these qualities.\"\n\n\n\n\n105. KING MAGNUS'S DEATH.\n\nKing Magnus Haraldson ruled over Norway the first winter after King\nHarald's death (A.D. 1067), and afterwards two years (A.D. 1068-1069)\nalong with his brother, King Olaf. Thus there were two kings of Norway\nat that time; and Magnus had the northern and Olaf the eastern part of\nthe country. King Magnus had a son called Hakon, who was fostered by\nThorer of Steig in Gudbrandsdal, who was a brother of King Magnus by the\nmother's side; and Hakon was a most agreeable man.\n\nAfter King Harald Sigurdson's death the Danish king Svein let it be\nknown that the peace between the Northmen and the Danes was at an end,\nand insisted that the league between Harald and Svein was not for longer\ntime than their lives. There was a levy in both kingdoms. Harald's sons\ncalled out the whole people in Norway for procuring men and ships, and\nSvein set out from the south with the Danish army. Messengers then went\nbetween with proposals for a peace; and the Northmen said they would\neither have the same league as was concluded between King Harald and\nSvein, or otherwise give battle instantly on the spot. Verses were made\non this occasion, viz.:--\n\n     \"Ready for war or peace,\n     King Olaf will not cease\n     From foeman's hand\n     To guard his land.\"\n\nSo says also Stein Herdison in his song of Olaf:--\n\n     \"From Throndhjem town, where in repose\n     The holy king defies his foes,\n     Another Olaf will defend\n     His kingdom from the greedy Svein.\n     King Olaf had both power and right,\n     And the Saint's favour in the fight.\n     The Saint will ne'er his kin forsake,\n     And let Svein Ulfson Norway take.\"\n\nIn this manner friendship was concluded between the kings and peace\nbetween the countries. King Magnus fell ill and died of the ringworm\ndisease, after being ill for some time. He died and was buried at\nNidaros. He was an amiable king and bewailed by the people.\n\n\n\n\nSAGA OF OLAF KYRRE.\n\n\nPRELIMINARY REMARKS.\n\nSnorri's account of Olaf Kyrre corresponds with the statements found in\n\"Agrip\", \"Fagrskinna\", and \"Morkinskinna\".\n\nThere are but few events in Olaf's long reign, and hence he is very\nappropriately called the Quiet (Kyrre). As Hildebrand says, this saga\nseems to be written simply to fill out the empty space between Harald\nHardrade and Magnus Barefoot.\n\nSkalds quoted in this saga are: Stein Herdison and Stuf.\n\n\n\n\n1. OLAF'S PERSONAL APPEARANCE.\n\nOlaf remained sole king of Norway after the death (A.D. 1069) of his\nbrother King Magnus. Olaf was a stout man, well grown in limbs; and\nevery one said a handsomer man could not be seen, nor of a nobler\nappearance. His hair was yellow as silk, and became him well; his skin\nwas white and fine over all his body; his eyes beautiful, and his limbs\nwell proportioned. He was rather silent in general, and did not speak\nmuch even at Things; but he was merry in drinking parties. He loved\ndrinking much, and was talkative enough then; but quite peaceful. He was\ncheerful in conversation, peacefully inclined during all his reign, and\nloving gentleness and moderation in all things. Stein Herdison speaks\nthus of him:--\n\n     \"Our Throndhjem king is brave and wise,\n     His love of peace our bondes prize;\n     By friendly word and ready hand\n     He holds good peace through every land.\n     He is for all a lucky star;\n     England he frightens from a war;\n     The stiff-necked Danes he drives to peace;\n     Troubles by his good influence cease.\"\n\n\n\n\n2. OF KING OLAF'S MANNER OF LIVING.\n\nIt was the fashion in Norway in old times for the king's high-seat to\nbe on the middle of a long bench, and the ale was handed across the fire\n(1); but King Olaf had his high-seat made on a high bench across the\nroom; he also first had chimney-places in the rooms, and the floors\nstrewed both summer and winter. In King Olaf's time many merchant towns\narose in Norway, and many new ones were founded. Thus King Olaf founded\na merchant town at Bergen, where very soon many wealthy people settled\nthemselves, and it was regularly frequented by merchants from foreign\nlands. He had the foundations laid for the large Christ church, which\nwas to be a stone church; but in his time there was little done to it.\nBesides, he completed the old Christ church, which was of wood. King\nOlaf also had a great feasting-house built in Nidaros, and in many other\nmerchant towns, where before there were only private feasts; and in his\ntime no one could drink in Norway but in these houses, adorned for\nthe purpose with branches and leaves, and which stood under the king's\nprotection. The great guild-bell in Throndhjem, which was called\nthe pride of the town, tolled to call together to these guilds. The\nguild-brethren built Margaret's church in Nidaros of stone. In King\nOlaf's time there were general entertainments and hand-in-hand feasts.\nAt this time also much unusual splendour and foreign customs and\nfashions in the cut of clothes were introduced; as, for instance, costly\nhose plaited about the legs. Some had gold rings about the legs, and\nalso used coats which had lists down the sides, and arms five ells long,\nand so narrow that they must be drawn up with ties, and lay in folds\nall the way up to the shoulders. The shoes were high, and all edged with\nsilk, or even with gold. Many other kinds of wonderful ornaments were\nused at that time.\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) We may understand the arrangement by supposing the fire in\n     the middle of the room, the smoke escaping by a hole in the\n     roof, and a long bench on each side of the fire; one bench\n     occupied by the high-seat of the king and great guests, the\n     other by the rest of the guests; and the cup handed across\n     the fire, which appears to have had a religious meaning\n     previous to the introduction of Christianity.--L.\n\n\n\n\n3. FASHION OF KING OLAF'S COURT.\n\nKing Olaf used the fashion, which was introduced from the courts of\nforeign kings, of letting his grand-butler stand at the end of the\ntable, and fill the table-cups for himself and the other distinguished\nguests who sat at the table. He had also torch-bearers, who held as many\ncandles at the table as there were guests of distinction present.\nThere was also a marshal's bench outside of the table-circle, where the\nmarshal and other persons of distinction sat with their faces towards\nthe high-seat. King Harald, and the kings before him, used to drink out\nof deer-horn; and the ale was handed from the high-seat to the otherside\nover the fire, and he drank to the memory of any one he thought of. So\nsays Stuf the skald:--\n\n     \"He who in battle is the first,\n     And now in peace is best to trust,\n     A welcome, hearty and sincere,\n     Gave to me on my coming here.\n     He whom the ravens watch with care,\n     He who the gold rings does not spare,\n     A golden horn full to the brink\n     Gave me himself at Haug to drink.\"\n\n\n\n\n4. ARRANGEMENT OF KING OLAF'S COURT.\n\nKing Olaf had 120 courtmen-at-arms, and 60 pursuivants, besides 60\nhouse-servants, who provided what was wanted for the king's house\nwherever it might be, or did other work required for the king. When\nthe bondes asked why he kept a greater retinue than the law allowed, or\nformer kings kept when they went in guest-quarters or feasts which the\nbondes had to provide for them, the king answered, \"It does not happen\nthat I rule the kingdom better, or produce greater respect for me than\nye had for my father, although I have one-half more people than he\nhad. I do not by any means do it merely to plague you, or to make your\ncondition harder than formerly.\"\n\n\n\n\n5. KING SVEIN ULFSON'S DEATH.\n\nKing Svein Ulfson died ten years after the fall of both the Haralds\n(A.D. 1076). After him his son, Harald Hein, was king for three years\n(A.D. 1077-1080); then Canute the Holy for seven years (A.D. 1081-1087);\nafterwards Olaf, King Svein's third son, for eight years (A.D.\n1088-1095). Then Eirik the Good, Svein's fourth son, for eight winters\n(A.D. 1096-1103). Olaf, the king of Norway, was married to Ingerid, a\ndaughter of Svein, the Danish king; and Olaf, the Danish King Svein's\nson, married Ingegerd, a daughter of King Harald, and sister of King\nOlaf of Norway. King Olaf Haraldson, who was called by some Olaf Kyrre,\nbut by many Olaf the Bonde, had a son by Thora, Joan's daughter, who was\ncalled Magnus, and was one of the handsomest lads that could be seen,\nand was promising in every respect. He was brought up in the king's\ncourt.\n\n\n\n\n6. MIRACLES OF KING OLAF THE SAINT.\n\nKing Olaf had a church of stone built in Nidaros, on the spot where King\nOlaf's body had first been buried, and the altar was placed directly\nover the spot where the king's grave had been. This church was\nconsecrated and called Christ Church; and King Olaf's shrine was removed\nto it, and was placed before the altar, and many miracles took place\nthere. The following summer, on the same day of the year as the church\nwas consecrated, which was the day before Olafsmas, there was a great\nassemblage of people, and then a blind man was restored to sight. And on\nthe mass-day itself, when the shrine and the holy relics were taken out\nand carried, and the shrine itself, according to custom, was taken and\nset down in the churchyard, a man who had long been dumb recovered his\nspeech again, and sang with flowing tongue praise-hymns to God, and to\nthe honour of King Olaf the Saint. The third miracle was of a woman\nwho had come from Svithjod, and had suffered much distress on this\npilgrimage from her blindness; but trusting in God's mercy, had come\ntravelling to this solemnity. She was led blind into the church to hear\nmass this day; but before the service was ended she saw with both\neyes, and got her sight fully and clearly, although she had been blind\nfourteen years. She returned with great joy, praising God and King Olaf\nthe Saint.\n\n\n\n\n7. OF THE SHRINE OF KING OLAF THE SAINT.\n\nThere happened a circumstance in Nidaros, when King Olaf's coffin was\nbeing carried about through the streets, that it became so heavy that\npeople could not lift it from the spot. Now when the coffin was set\ndown, the street was broken up to see what was under it at that spot,\nand the body of a child was found which had been murdered and concealed\nthere. The body was carried away, the street put in order again as it\nhad been before, and the shrine carried on according to custom.\n\n\n\n\n8. KING OLAF WAS BLESSED WITH PEACE.\n\nIn the days of King Olaf there were bountiful harvests in Norway and\nmany good things. In no man's life had times been so good in Norway\nsince the days of Harald Harfager. King Olaf modified for the better\nmany a matter that his father had inaugurated and maintained with\nseverity. He was generous, but a strict ruler, for he was a wise man,\nand well understood what was of advantage to the kingdom. There are many\nstories of his good works. How much he loved and how kind he was to the\npeople may be seen from the following words, which he once spoke at a\nlarge banquet. He was happy and in the best of spirits, when one of his\nmen said, \"It pleases us, sire, to see you so happy.\" He answered: \"I\nhave reason to be glad when I see my subjects sitting happy and free in\na guild consecrated to my uncle, the sainted King Olaf. In the days of\nmy father these people were subjected to much terror and fear; the most\nof them concealed their gold and their precious things, but now I see\nglittering on his person what each one owns, and your freedom is my\ngladness.\" In his reign there was no strife, and he protected himself and\nhis realm against enemies abroad; and his nearest neighbours stood in\ngreat awe of him, although he was a most gentle man, as is confirmed by\nthe skald.\n\n\n\n\n9. MEETING OF OLAF KYRRE AND CANUTE THE SAINT.\n\nKing Olaf Kyrre was a great friend of his brother-in-law, the Danish\nking, Canute the holy. They appointed a meeting and met at the Gaut\nriver at Konungahella, where the kings used to have their meetings.\nThere King Canute made the proposal that they should send an army\nwestward to England on account of the revenge they had to take there;\nfirst and foremost King Olaf himself, and also the Danish king. \"Do one\nof two things,\" said King Canute,--\"either take sixty ships, which I\nwill furnish thee with, and be thou the leader; or give me sixty ships,\nand I shall be the leader.\" Then said King Olaf, \"This speech of thine,\nKing Canute, is altogether according to my mind; but there is this\ngreat difference between us; your family has had more luck in conquering\nEngland with great glory, and, among others, King Canute the Great;\nand it is likely that this good fortune follows your race. On the other\nhand, when King Harald, my father, went westward to England, he got his\ndeath there; and at that time the best men in Norway followed him. But\nNorway was so emptied then of chosen men, that such men have not since\nbeen to find in the country; for that expedition there was the most\nexcellent outfit, and you know what was the end of it. Now I know my own\ncapacity, and how little I am suited to be the leader; so I would rather\nyou should go, with my help and assistance.\"\n\nSo King Olaf gave Canute sixty large ships, with excellent equipment and\nfaithful men, and set his lendermen as chiefs over them; and all must\nallow that this armament was admirably equipt. It is also told in the\nsaga about Canute, that the Northmen alone did not break the levy\nwhen the army was assembled, but the Danes would not obey their king's\norders. This king Canute acknowledged, and gave them leave to trade in\nmerchandise where they pleased through his country, and at the same time\nsent the king of Norway costly presents for his assistance. On the other\nhand he was enraged against the Danes, and laid heavy fines upon them.\n\n\n\n\n10. A BONDE WHO UNDERSTOOD THE LANGUAGE OF BIRDS.\n\nOne summer, when King Olaf's men had gone round the country collecting\nhis income and land dues, it happened that the king, on their\nreturn home asked them where on their expedition they had been best\nentertained. They said it was in the house of a bonde in one of the\nking's districts. \"There is an old bonde there who knows many things\nbefore they happen. We asked him about many things, which he explained\nto us; nay, we even believe that he understands perfectly the language\nof birds.\" The king replies, \"How can ye believe such nonsense?\" and\ninsisted that it was wrong to put confidence in such things. It happened\nsoon after that the king was sailing along the coast; and as they\nsailed through a Sound the king said, \"What is that township up in the\ncountry?\"\n\nThey replied, \"That is the district, sire, where we told you we were\nbest entertained.\"\n\nThen said the king, \"What house is that which stands up there, not far\nfrom the Sound?\"\n\nThey replied, \"That house belongs to the wise old bonde we told you of,\nsire.\"\n\nThey saw now a horse standing close to the house. Then said the king,\n\"Go there, and take that horse, and kill him.\"\n\nThey replied, \"We would not like to do him such harm.\"\n\nThe king: \"I will command. Cut off the horse's head; but take care of\nyourselves that ye let no blood come to the ground, and bear the horse\nout to my ship. Go then and bring to me the old man; but tell him\nnothing of what has happened, as ye shall answer for it with your\nlives.\"\n\nThey did as they were ordered, and then came to the old man, and told\nhim the king's message. When he came before the king, the king asked\nhim, \"Who owns the house thou art dwelling in?\"\n\nHe replies, \"Sire, you own it, and take rent for it.\"\n\nThe king: \"Show us the way round the ness, for here thou must be a good\npilot.\"\n\nThe old man went into his boat and rowed before the king's ship; and\nwhen he had rowed a little way a crow came flying over the ship, and\ncroaking hideously. The peasant listens to the crow. The king said, \"Do\nyou think, bonde, that betokens anything?\"\n\n\"Sire, that is certain,\" said he.\n\nThen another crow flies over the ship, and screeches dreadfully. The\nbonde was so ill hearing this that he could not row, and the oars hung\nloose in his hands.\n\nThen said the king, \"Thy mind is turned much to these crows, bonde, and\nto what they say.\"\n\nThe bonde replies, \"Now I suspect it is true what they say.\"\n\nThe third time the crow came flying screeching at its very worst, and\nalmost settling on the ship. Now the bonde threw down his oars, regarded\nthem no more, and stood up before the king.\n\nThen the king said, \"Thou art taking this much to heart, bonde; what is\nit they say?\"\n\nThe peasant--\"It is likely that either they or I have misunderstood--\"\n\n\"Say on,\" replied the king.\n\nThe bonde replied in a song:--\n\n     \"The 'one-year old'\n     Mere nonsense told;\n     The 'two-years' chatter\n     Seemed senseless matter;\n     The three-years' croak\n     Of wonders spoke.\n     The foul bird said\n     My old mare's head\n     I row along;\n     And, in her song,\n     She said the thief\n     Was the land's chief.\"\n\nThe king said, \"What is this, bonde! Wilt thou call me a thief?\"\n\nThen the king gave him good presents, and remitted all the land-rent of\nthe place he lived on. So says Stein:--\n\n     \"The pillar of our royal race\n     Stands forth adorned with every grace.\n     What king before e'er took such pride\n     To scatter bounty far and wide?\n     Hung round with shields that gleam afar;\n     The merchant ship on one bestows,\n     With painted streaks in glowing rows.\n\n     \"The man-at-arms a golden ring\n     Boasts as the present of his king;\n     At the king's table sits the guest,\n     By the king's bounty richly drest.\n     King Olaf, Norway's royal son,\n     Who from the English glory won,\n     Pours out with ready-giving hand\n     His wealth on children of the land.\n\n     \"Brave clothes to servants he awards,\n     Helms and ring-mail coats grace his guards;\n     Or axe and sword Har's warriors gain,\n     And heavy armour for the plain.\n     Gold, too, for service duly paid,\n     Red gold all pure, and duly weighed,\n     King Olaf gives--he loves to pay\n     All service in a royal way.\"\n\n\n\n\n11. OF KING OLAF KYRRE'S DEATH.\n\nKing Olaf lived principally in his domains on his large farms. Once when\nhe was east in Ranrike, on his estate of Haukby, he took the disease\nwhich ended in his death. He had then been king of Norway for twenty-six\nyears (A.D. 1068-1093); for he was made king of Norway the year after\nKing Harald's death. King Olaf's body was taken north to Nidaros, and\nburied in Christ church, which he himself had built there. He was the\nmost amiable king of his time, and Norway was much improved in riches\nand cultivation during his reign.\n\n\n\n\nMAGNUS BAREFOOT'S SAGA.\n\n\nPRELIMINARY REMARKS.\n\nThe greater part of the contents of this saga is also found in \"Agrip\",\n\"Fagrskinna\", and \"Morkinskinna\".\n\nMagnus and his cousin Hakon became kings in 1093, but Hakon ruled only\ntwo years and died in 1095. King Magnus fell in the year 1103.\n\nSkalds quoted are: Bjorn Krephende, Thorkel Hamarskald, and Eldjarn.\n\n\n\n\n1. BEGINNING OF THE REIGN OF KING MAGNUS AND HIS COUSIN HAKON.\n\nMagnus, King Olaf's son, was, immediately after King Olaf's death,\nproclaimed at Viken king of all Norway; but the Upland people, on\nhearing of King Olaf's death, chose Hakon, Thorer's foster-son, a cousin\nof King Magnus, as king. Thereupon Hakon and Thorer went north to the\nThrondhjem country, and when they came to Nidaros they summoned the\nEyrathing; and at that Thing Hakon desired the bondes to give him the\nkingly title, which was agreed to, and the Throndhjem people proclaimed\nhim king of half of Norway, as his father, King Magnus, had been before.\nHakon relieved the Throndhjem people of all harbour duties, and gave\nthem many other privileges. He did away with Yule-gifts, and gained by\nthis the good-will of all the Throndhjem people. Thereafter Hakon formed\na court, and then proceeded to the Uplands, where he gave the Upland\npeople the same privileges as the Throndhjem people; so that they also\nwere perfectly well affected to him, and were his friends. The people in\nThrondhjem sang this ballad about him:--\n\n     \"Young Hakon was the Norseman's pride,\n     And Steig-Thorer was on his side.\n     Young Hakon from the Upland came,\n     With royal birth, and blood, and name.\n     Young Hakon from the king demands\n     His royal birthright, half the lands;\n     Magnus will not the kingdom break,--\n     The whole or nothing he will take.\"\n\n\n\n\n2. HAKON'S DEATH.\n\nKing Magnus proceeded north to the merchant town (Nidaros), and on his\narrival went straight to the king's house, and there took up his abode.\nHe remained here the first part of the winter (A.D. 1094), and kept\nseven longships in the open water of the river Nid, abreast of the\nking's house. Now when King Hakon heard that King Magnus was come to\nThrondhjem, he came from the East over the Dovrefield, and thence down\nfrom Throndhjem to the merchant town, where he took up his abode in the\nhouse of Skule, opposite to Clement's church, which had formerly been\nthe king's house. King Magnus was ill pleased with the great gifts which\nHakon had given to the bondes to gain their favour, and thought it was\nso much given out of his own property. This irritated his mind; and he\nthought he had suffered injustice from his relative in this respect,\nthat he must now put up with less income than his father and his\npredecessors before him had enjoyed; and he gave Thorer the blame. When\nKing Hakon and Thorer observed this, they were alarmed for what Magnus\nmight do; and they thought it suspicious that Magnus kept long-ships\nafloat rigged out, and with tents. The following spring, after\nCandlemas, King Magnus left the town in the night with his ships; the\ntents up, and lights burning in the tents. They brought up at Hefring,\nremained there all night, and kindled a fire on the land. Then Hakon and\nthe men in the town thought some treachery was on foot, and he let the\ntrumpets call all the men together out on the Eyrar, where the whole\npeople of the town came to him, and the people were gathering together\nthe whole night. When it was light in the morning, King Magnus saw the\npeople from all districts gathered together on the Eyrar; and he sailed\nout of the fjord, and proceeded south to where the Gulathing is held.\nHakon thanked the people for their support which they had given him, and\ngot ready to travel east to Viken. But he first held a meeting in the\ntown, where, in a speech, he asked the people for their friendship,\npromising them his; and added, that he had some suspicions of his\nrelation, King Magnus's intentions. Then King Hakon mounted his horse,\nand was ready to travel. All men promised him their good-will and\nsupport whenever he required them, and the people followed him out\nto the foot of Steinbjorg. From thence King Hakon proceeded up the\nDovrefield; but as he was going over the mountains he rode all day after\na ptarmigan, which flew up beside him, and in this chase a sickness\noverfell him, which ended in his death; and he died on the mountains.\nHis body was carried north, and came to the merchant town just half a\nmonth after he left it. The whole townspeople went to meet the body,\nsorrowing, and the most of them weeping; for all people loved him with\nsincere affection. King Hakon's body was interred in Christ church, and\nHakon and Magnus had ruled the country for two years. Hakon was a man\nfull twenty-five years old, and was one of the chiefs the most beloved\nby all the people. He had made a journey to Bjarmaland, where he had\ngiven battle and gained a victory.\n\n\n\n\n3. OF A FORAY IN HALLAND.\n\nKing Magnus sailed in winter (A.D. 1095) eastward to Viken; but when\nspring approached he went southwards to Halland, and plundered far and\nwide. He laid waste Viskardal and many other districts, and returned\nwith a great booty back to his own kingdom. So says Bjorn Krephende in\nhis song on Magnus:--\n\n     \"Through Halland wide around\n     The clang and shriek resound;\n          The houses burn,\n          The people mourn,\n     Through Halland wide around.\n     The Norse king strides in flame,\n     Through Viskardal he came;\n          The fire sweeps,\n          The widow weeps,\n     The Norse king strides in flame.\"\n\nHere it is told that King Magnus made the greatest devastation through\nHalland.\n\n\n\n\n4. OF THORER OF STEIG.\n\n\"There was a man called Svein, a son of Harald Fietter. He was a Danish\nman by family, a great viking and champion, and a very clever man, and\nof high birth in his own country. He had been some time with King Hakon\nMagnuson, and was very dear to him; but after King Hakon's decease\nThorer of Steig, his foster-father, had no great confidence in any\ntreaty or friendship with King Magnus, if the whole country came into\nhis power, on account of the position in which Thorer had stood to King\nMagnus, and the opposition he had made to him. Thereupon Thorer and\nSvein took counsel with each other, which they afterwards carried\ninto effect,--to raise, with Thorer's assistance, and his men, a troop\nagainst Magnus. But as Thorer was old and heavy, Svein took the command,\nand name of leader of the troop. In this design several chiefs took\npart, among whom the principal was Egil Aslakson of Aurland. Egil was a\nlenderman, and married to Ingebjorg, a daughter of Ogmund Thorbergson, a\nsister of Skopte of Giske. The rich and powerful man, Skjalg Erlingson,\nalso joined their party. Thorkel Hamarskald speaks of this in his ballad\nof Magnus:\n\n     \"Thorer and Egil were not wise,\n     They aimed too high to win a prize:\n     There was no reason in their plan,\n     And it hurt many a udalman.\n     The stone, too great for them to throw,\n     Fell back, and hurt them with the blow,\n     And now the udalmen must rue\n     That to their friends they were so true.\"\n\nThorer and Svein collected a troop in the Uplands, and went down through\nRaumsdal into Sunmore, and there collected vessels, with which they\nafterwards sailed north to Throndhjem.\n\n\n\n\n5. OF THORER'S ADVENTURES.\n\nThe lenderman Sigurd Ulstreng, a son of Lodin Viggiarskalle, collected\nmen by sending round the war-token, as soon as he heard of Thorer and\nthe troop which followed him, and had a rendezvous with all the men\nhe could raise at Viggia. Svein and Thorer also met there with their\npeople, fought with Sigurd, and gained the victory after giving him a\ngreat defeat; and Sigurd fled, and joined King Magnus. Thorer and his\nfollowers proceeded to the town (Nidaros), and remained there some time\nin the fjord, where many people joined them. King Magnus hearing this\nnews immediately collected an army, and proceeded north to Throndhjem.\nAnd when he came into the fjord Thorer and his party heard of it while\nthey lay at Herring, and they were ready to leave the fjord; and they\nrowed their ships to the strand at Vagnvik, and left them, and came into\nTheksdal in Seliuhverfe, and Thorer was carried in a litter over the\nmountains. Then they got hold of ships and sailed north to Halogaland.\nAs soon as King Magnus was ready for sea, he sailed from Throndhjem in\npursuit of them. Thorer and his party went north all the way to Bjarkey;\nand Jon, with his son Vidkun, fled from thence. Thorer and his men\nrobbed all the movable goods, and burnt the house, and a good long-ship\nthat belonged to Vidkun. While the hull was burning the vessel keeled\nto one side, and Thorer called out, \"Hard to starboard, Vidkun!\" Some\nverses were made about this burning in Bjarkey:--\n\n     \"The sweetest farm that I have seen\n     Stood on Bjarkey's island green;\n     And now, where once this farmhouse stood,\n     Fire crackles through a pile of wood;\n     And the clear red flame, burning high,\n     Flashes across the dark-night sky.\n     Jon and Vidkun, this dark night,\n     Will not be wandering without light.\"\n\n\n\n\n6. DEATH OF THORER AND EGIL.\n\nJon and Vidkun travelled day and night till they met King Magnus. Svein\nand Thorer proceeded northwards with their men, and plundered far and\nwide in Halogaland. But while they lay in a fjord called Harm, Thorer\nand his party saw King Magnus coming under sail towards them; and\nthinking they had not men enough to fight him, they rowed away and fled.\nThorer and Egil brought up at Hesjutun; but Svein rowed out to sea, and\nsome of their people rowed into the fjords. King Magnus pursued Thorer,\nand the vessels struck together while they were landing. Thorer stood in\nthe forecastle of his ship, and Sigurd Ulstreng called out to him, and\nasked, \"Art thou well, Thorer?\" Thorer replied, \"I am well in hands, but\nill on my feet.\"\n\nThen all Thorer's men fled up the country, and Thorer was taken\nprisoner. Egil was also taken prisoner, for he would not leave his wife.\nKing Magnus then ordered both of them to be taken out to Vambarholm;\nand when they were leading Thorer from the ship he tottered on his legs.\nThen Vidkun called out, \"More to the larboard, Thorer!\" When he was\nbeing led to the gallows he sang:--\n\n     \"We were four comrades gay,--\n     Let one by the helm stay.\"\n\nWhen he came to the gallows he said, \"Bad counsel comes to a bad end.\"\nThen Thorer was hanged; but when he was hoisted up the gallows tree\nhe was so heavy that his neck gave way, and the body fell down to the\nground; for Thorer was a man exceedingly stout, both high of stature\nand thick. Egil was also led to the gallows, and when the king's thralls\nwere about hanging him he said, \"Ye should not hang me, for in truth\neach of you deserves much more to be hanged.\" People sang these verses\nabout it:--\n\n     \"I hear, my girl, that Egil said,\n     When to the gallows he was led,\n     That the king's thralls far more than he\n     Deserved to hang on gallows-tree.\n     It might be so; but, death in view,\n     A man should to himself be true,--\n     End a stout life by death as stout,\n     Showing no fear; or care, or doubt.\"\n\nKing Magnus sat near while they were being hanged, and was in such a\nrage that none of his men was so bold as to ask mercy for them. The king\nsaid, when Egil was spinning at the gallows, \"Thy great friends help\nthee but poorly in time of need.\" From this people supposed that the\nking only wanted to have been entreated to have spared Egil's life.\nBjorn Krephende speaks of these things:--\n\n     \"King Magnus in the robbers' gore\n     Dyed red his sword; and round the shore\n     The wolves howled out their wild delight,\n     At corpses swinging in their sight.\n     Have ye not heard how the king's sword\n     Punished the traitors to their lord?\n     How the king's thralls hung on the gallows\n     Old Thorer and his traitor-fellows?\"\n\n\n\n\n7. OF THE PUNISHMENT OF THE THRONDHJEM PEOPLE.\n\nAfter this King Magnus sailed south to Throndhjem, and brought up in the\nfjord, and punished severely all who had been guilty of treason towards\nhim; killing some, and burning the houses of others. So says Bjorn\nKrephende:--\n\n     \"He who despises fence of shields\n     Drove terror through the Throndhjem fields,\n     When all the land through which he came\n     Was swimming in a flood of flame.\n     The raven-feeder, will I know,\n     Cut off two chieftans at a blow;\n     The wolf could scarcely ravenous be,\n     The ernes flew round the gallows-tree.\"\n\nSvein Harald Fletter's son, fled out to sea first, and sailed then to\nDenmark, and remained there; and at last came into great favour with\nKing Eystein, the son of King Magnus, who took so great a liking to\nSvein that he made him his dish-bearer, and held him in great respect.\nKing Magnus had now alone the whole kingdom, and he kept good peace\nin the land, and rooted out all vikings and lawless men. He was a\nman quick, warlike, and able, and more like in all things to his\ngrandfather, King Harald, in disposition and talents than to his father.\n\n\n\n\n8. OF THE BONDE SVEINKE, AND SIGURD ULSTRENG.\n\nThere was a man called Sveinke Steinarson, who was very wealthy, and\ndwelt in Viken at the Gaut river. He had brought up Hakon Magnuson\nbefore Thorer of Steig took him. Sveinke had not yet submitted to King\nMagnus. King Magnus ordered Sigurd Ulstreng to be called, and told him\nhe would send him to Sveinke with the command that he should quit the\nking's land and domain. \"He has not yet submitted to us, or shown us due\nhonour.\" He added, that there were some lendermen east in Viken, namely\nSvein Bryggjufot, Dag Eilifson, and Kolbjorn Klakke, who could bring\nthis matter into right bearing. Then Sigurd said, \"I did not know there\nwas the man in Norway against whom three lendermen besides myself were\nneedful.\" The king replied, \"Thou needst not take this help, unless\nit be necessary.\" Now Sigurd made himself ready for the journey with\na ship, sailed east to Viken, and there summoned the lendermen to him.\nThen a Thing was appointed to Viken, to which the people were called\nwho dwelt on the Gaut river, besides others; so that it was a numerous\nassembly. When the Thing was formed they had to wait for Sveinke. They\nsoon after saw a troop of men coming along, so well furnished with\nweapons that they looked like pieces of shining ice; and now came\nSveinke and his people to the Thing, and set themselves down in a\ncircle. All were clad in iron, with glowing arms, and 500 in number.\nThen Sigurd stood up, and spoke. \"My master, King Magnus, sends God's\nsalutation and his own to all friends, lendermen and others, his\nsubjects in the kingdom; also to the powerful bondes, and the people in\ngeneral, with kind words and offers of friendship; and to all who will\nobey him he offers his friendship and good will. Now the king will, with\nall cheerfulness and peace, show himself a gracious master to all who\nwill submit to him, and to all in his dominions. He will be the leader\nand defender of all the men of Norway; and it will be good for you to\naccept his gracious speech, and this offer.\"\n\nThen stood up a man in the troop of the Elfgrims, who was of great\nstature and grim countenance, clad in a leather cloak, with a halberd\non his shoulder, and a great steel hat upon his head. He looked sternly,\nand said, \"Here is no need of wheels, says the fox, when he draws the\ntrap over the ice.\" He said nothing more, but sat down again.\n\nSoon after Sigurd Ulstreng stood up again, and spoke thus: \"But little\nconcern or help have we for the king's affairs from you, Elfgrims, and\nbut little friendship; yet by such means every man shows how much\nhe respects himself. But now I shall produce more clearly the king's\nerrand.\" Thereupon he demanded land-dues and levy-dues, together with\nall other rights of the king, from the great bondes. He bade each of\nthem to consider with himself how they had conducted themselves in these\nmatters; and that they should now promote their own honour, and do the\nking justice, if they had come short hitherto in doing so. And then he\nsat down.\n\nThen the same man got up in the troop of Elfgrims who had spoken before,\nlifted his hat a little up, and said, \"The lads run well, say the\nLaplanders, who have skates for nothing.\" Then he sat himself down\nagain.\n\nSoon after Sigurd arose, after speaking with the lendermen, and said\nthat so weighty a message as the king's ought not to be treated lightly\nas a jest. He was now somewhat angry; and added, that they ought not\nto receive the king's message and errand so scornfully, for it was not\ndecent. He was dressed in a red or scarlet coat, and had a blue coat\nover it. He cast off his upper coat and said, \"Now it is come so far\nthat every one must look to himself, and not loiter and jest with\nothers; for by so doing every man will show what he is. We do not\nrequire now to be taught by others; for now we can see ourselves how\nmuch we are regarded. But this may be borne with; but not that ye treat\nso scornfully the king's message. Thereby every one shows how highly he\nconsiders himself. There is one man called Sveinke Steinarson, who\nlives east at the Gaut river; and from him the king will have his just\nland-dues, together with his own land, or will banish him from the\ncountry. It is of no use here to seek excuses, or to answer with sharp\nwords; for people are to be found who are his equals in power, although\nhe now receives our speech so unworthily; and it is better now than\nafterwards to return to the right way, and do himself honour, rather\nthan await disgrace for his obstinancy.\" He then sat down.\n\nSveinke then got up, threw back his steel-hat, and gave Sigurd many\nscornful words, and said, \"Tut! tut! 'tis a shame for the dogs, says\nthe proverb, when the fox is allowed to cast their excrements in the\npeasant's well. Here will be a miracle! Thou useless fellow! with a coat\nwithout arms, and a kirtle with skirts, wilt thou drive me out of the\ncountry? Thy relation, Sigurd Woolsack, was sent before on this errand,\nand one called Gille the Backthief, and one who had still a worse name.\nThey were a night in every house, and stole wherever they came. Wilt\nthou drive me out of the country? Formerly thou wast not so mighty, and\nthy pride was less when King Hakon, my foster-son, was in life. Then\nthou wert as frightened for him when he met thee on the road as a mouse\nin a mouse-trap, and hid thyself under a heap of clothes, like a dog on\nboard a ship. Thou wast thrust into a leather-bag like corn in a sack,\nand driven from house and farm like a year-old colt from the mares; and\ndost thou dare to drive me from the land? Thou shouldst rather think\nthyself lucky to escape from hence with life. Let us stand up and attack\nhim.\"\n\nThen all his men stood up, and made a great clash with their weapons.\nThen Svein Bryggjufot and the other lendermen saw there was no other\nchance for Sigurd but to get him on horseback, which was done, and he\nrode off into the forest. The end was that Sveinke returned home to his\nfarm, and Sigurd Ulstreng came, with great difficulty, by land north to\nThrondhjem to King Magnus, and told the result of his errand. \"Did I not\nsay,\" said the king, \"that the help of my lendermen would be needed?\"\nSigurd was ill pleased with his journey; insisted that he would be\nrevenged, cost what it will; and urged the king much. The king ordered\nfive ships to be fitted out; and as soon as they were ready for sea\nhe sailed south along the land, and then east to Viken, where he was\nentertained in excellent guest-quarters by his lendermen. The king told\nthem he would seek out Sveinke. \"For I will not conceal my suspicion\nthat he thinks to make himself king of Norway.\" They said that Sveinke\nwas both a powerful and an ungovernable man. Now the king went from\nViken until he came to Sveinke's farm. Then the lendermen desired that\nthey might be put on shore to see how matters stood; and when they came\nto the land they saw that Sveinke had already come down from the farm,\nand was on the road with a number of well-armed men. The lendermen held\nup a white shield in the air, as a peace-token; and when Sveinke saw it\nhe halted his men, and they approached each other. Then said Kolbjorn\nKlakke, \"King Magnus sends thee God's salutation and his own, and bids\nthee consider what becomes thee, and do him obedience, and not prepare\nthyself to give him battle.\" Kolbjorn offered to mediate peace between\nthem, if he could, and told him to halt his troops.\n\nSveinke said he would wait for them where he was. \"We came out to meet\nyou,\" he said, \"that ye might not tread down our corn-fields.\"\n\nThe lendermen returned to the king, and told him all was now at his\npleasure.\n\nThe king said, \"My doom is soon delivered. He shall fly the country, and\nnever come back to Norway as long as the kingdom is mine; and he shall\nleave all his goods behind.\"\n\n\"But will it not be more for thy honour,\" said Kolbjorn, \"and give thee\na higher reputation among other kings, if, in banishing him from the\ncountry, thou shouldst allow him to keep his property, and show himself\namong other people? And we shall take care that he never comes back\nwhile we live. Consider of this, sire, by yourself, and have respect for\nour assurance.\"\n\nThe king replied, \"Let him then go forth immediately.\"\n\nThey went back, therefore, to Sveinke, and told him the king's words;\nand also that the king had ordered him out of the country, and he should\nshow his obedience, since he had forgotten himself towards the king.\n\"It is for the honour of both that thou shouldst show obedience to the\nking.\"\n\nThen Sveinke said, \"There must be some great change if the king speaks\nagreeably to me; but why should I fly the country and my properties?\nListen now to what I say. It appears to me better to die upon my\nproperty than to fly from my udal estates. Tell the king that I will not\nstir from them even an arrow-flight.\"\n\nKolbjorn replied, \"This is scarcely prudent, or right; for it is\nbetter for one's own honour to give way to the best chief, than to make\nopposition to one's own loss. A gallant man succeeds wheresoever he\ngoes; and thou wilt be the more respected wheresoever thou art, with men\nof power, just because thou hast made head so boldly against so powerful\na chief. Hear our promises, and pay some attention to our errand. We\noffer thee to manage thy estates, and take them faithfully under our\nprotection; and also never, against thy will, to pay scat for thy land\nuntil thou comest back. We will pledge our lives and properties upon\nthis. Do not throw away good counsel from thee, and avoid thus the ill\nfortune of other good men.\"\n\nThen Sveinke was silent for a short time, and said at last, \"Your\nendeavours are wise; but I have my suspicions that ye are changing\na little the king's message. In consideration, however, of the great\ngood-will that ye show me, I will hold your advice in such respect that\nI will go out of the country for the whole winter, if, according to your\npromises, I can then retain my estates in peace. Tell the king, also,\nthese my words, that I do this on your account, not on his.\"\n\nThereupon they returned to the king, and said, that Sveinke left all in\nthe king's hands. \"But entreats you to have respect to his honour. He\nwill be away for three years, and then come back, if it be the king's\npleasure. Do this; let all things be done according to what is suitable\nfor the royal dignity and according to our entreaty, now that the matter\nis entirely in thy power, and we shall do all we can to prevent his\nreturning against thy will.\"\n\nThe king replied, \"Ye treat this matter like men, and, for your sakes,\nshall all things be as ye desire. Tell him so.\"\n\nThey thanked the king, and then went to Sveinke, and told him the\nking's gracious intentions. \"We will be glad,\" said they, \"if ye can\nbe reconciled. The king requires, indeed that thy absence shall be for\nthree years; but, if we know the truth rightly, we expect that before\nthat time he will find he cannot do without thee in this part of the\ncountry. It will be to thy own future honour, therefore, to agree to\nthis.\"\n\nSveinke replies, \"What condition is better than this? Tell the king that\nI shall not vex him longer with my presence here, and accept of my goods\nand estates on this condition.\"\n\nThereupon he went home with his men, and set off directly; for he had\nprepared everything beforehand. Kolbjorn remains behind, and makes\nready a feast for King Magnus, which also was thought of and prepared.\nSveinke, on the other hand, rides up to Gautland with all the men he\nthought proper to take with him. The king let himself be entertained in\nguest-quarters at his house, returned to Viken, and Sveinke's estates\nwere nominally the king's, but Kolbjorn had them under his charge. The\nking received guest-quarters in Viken, proceeded from thence northwards,\nand there was peace for a while; but now that the Elfgrims were without\na chief, marauding gangs infested them, and the king saw this eastern\npart of the kingdom would be laid waste. It appeared to him, therefore,\nmost suitable and advisable to make Sveinke himself oppose the stream,\nand twice he sent messages to him. But he did not stir until King Magnus\nhimself was south in Denmark, when Sveinke and the king met, and made\na full reconciliation; on which Sveinke returned home to his house and\nestates, and was afterwards King Magnus's best and trustiest friend,\nwho strengthened his kingdom on the eastern border; and their friendship\ncontinued as long as they lived.\n\n\n\n\n9. KING MAGNUS MAKES WAR ON THE SOUTHERN HEBUDES.\n\nKing Magnus undertook an expedition out of the country, with many fine\nmen and a good assortment of shipping. With this armament he sailed out\ninto the West sea, and first came to the Orkney Islands. There he took\nthe two earls, Paul and Erlend, prisoners, and sent them east to Norway,\nand placed his son Sigurd as chief over the islands, leaving some\ncounsellors to assist him. From thence King Magnus, with his followers,\nproceeded to the Southern Hebudes, and when he came there began to burn\nand lay waste the inhabited places, killing the people and plundering\nwherever he came with his men; and the country people fled in all\ndirections, some into Scotland-fjord, others south to Cantire, or out to\nIreland; some obtained life and safety by entering into his service. So\nsays Bjorn Krephende:--\n\n     \"In Lewis Isle with fearful blaze\n     The house-destroying fire plays;\n     To hills and rocks the people fly,\n     Fearing all shelter but the sky.\n     In Uist the king deep crimson made\n     The lightning of his glancing blade;\n     The peasant lost his land and life\n     Who dared to bide the Norseman's strife.\n     The hunger battle-birds were filled\n     In Skye with blood of foemen killed,\n     And wolves on Tyree's lonely shore\n     Dyed red their hairy jaws in gore.\n     The men of Mull were tired of flight;\n     The Scottish foemen would not fight,\n     And many an island-girl's wail\n     Was heard as through the isles we strife sail.\"\n\n\n\n\n10. OF LAGMAN, KING GUDROD'S SON.\n\nKing Magnus came with his forces to the Holy Island (Iona), and gave\npeace and safety to all men there. It is told that the king opened the\ndoor of the little Columb's Kirk there, but did not go in, but instantly\nlocked the door again, and said that no man should be so bold as to go\ninto that church hereafter; which has been the case ever since. From\nthence King Magnus sailed to Islay, where he plundered and burnt;\nand when he had taken that country he proceeded south around Cantire,\nmarauding on both sides in Scotland and Ireland, and advanced with his\nforay to Man, where he plundered. So says Bjorn Krephende:--\n\n     \"On Sandey's plain our shield they spy:\n     From Isla smoke rose heaven-high,\n     Whirling up from the flashing blaze\n     The king's men o'er the island raise.\n     South of Cantire the people fled,\n     Scared by our swords in blood dyed red,\n     And our brave champion onward goes\n     To meet in Man the Norseman's foes.\"\n\nLagman (Lawman) was the name of the son of Gudrod, king of the Hebudes.\nLawman was sent to defend the most northerly islands; but when King\nMagnus and his army came to the Hebudes, Lawman fled here and there\nabout the isles, and at last King Magnus's men took him and his ship's\ncrew as he was flying over to Ireland. The king put him in irons to\nsecure him. So says Bjorn Krephende:--\n\n     \"To Gudrod's son no rock or cave,\n     Shore-side or hill, a refuge gave;\n     Hunted around from isle to isle,\n     This Lawman found no safe asyle.\n     From isle to isle, o'er firth and sound,\n     Close on his track his foe he found.\n     At Ness the Agder chief at length\n     Seized him, and iron-chained his strength.\"\n\n\n\n\n11. OF THE FALL OF EARL HUGE THE BRAVE.\n\nAfterwards King Magnus sailed to Wales; and when he came to the sound of\nAnglesey there came against him an army from Wales, which was led by\ntwo earls--Hugo the brave, and Hugo the Stout. They began immediately to\ngive battle, and there was a severe conflict. King Magnus shot with the\nbow; but Huge the Brave was all over in armour, so that nothing was bare\nabout him excepting one eye. King Magnus let fly an arrow at him, as\nalso did a Halogaland man who was beside the king. They both shot at\nonce. The one shaft hit the nose-screen of the helmet, which was bent by\nit to one side, and the other arrow hit the earl's eye, and went through\nhis head; and that was found to be the king's. Earl Huge fell, and the\nBritons fled with the loss of many people. So says Bjorn Krephende:--\n\n     \"The swinger of the sword\n     Stood by Anglesey's ford;\n     His quick shaft flew,\n     And Huge slew.\n     His sword gleamed a while\n     O'er Anglesey Isle,\n     And his Norsemen's band\n     Scoured the Anglesey land.\"\n\nThere was also sung the following verse about it:--\n\n     \"On the panzers arrows rattle,\n     Where our Norse king stands in battle;\n     From the helmets blood-streams flow,\n     Where our Norse king draws his bow:\n     His bowstring twangs,--its biting hail\n     Rattles against the ring-linked mail.\n     Up in the land in deadly strife\n     Our Norse king took Earl Huge's life.\"\n\nKing Magnus gained the victory in this battle, and then took Anglesey\nIsle, which was the farthest south the Norway kings of former days had\never extended their rule. Anglesey is a third part of Wales. After\nthis battle King Magnus turned back with his fleet, and came first to\nScotland. Then men went between the Scottish king, Melkolm and King\nMagnus, and a peace was made between them; so that all the islands lying\nwest of Scotland, between which and the mainland he could pass in a\nvessel with her rudder shipped, should be held to belong to the king of\nNorway. Now when King Magnus came north to Cantire, he had a skiff\ndrawn over the strand at Cantire, and shipped the rudder of it. The\nking himself sat in the stern-sheets, and held the tiller; and thus he\nappropriated to himself the land that lay on the farboard side. Cantire\nis a great district, better than the best of the southern isles of the\nHebudes, excepting Man; and there is a small neck of land between it and\nthe mainland of Scotland, over which longships are often drawn.\n\n\n\n\n12. DEATH OF THE EARLS OF ORKNEY.\n\nKing Magnus was all the winter in the southern isles, and his men went\nover all the fjords of Scotland, rowing within all the inhabited and\nuninhabited isles, and took possession for the king of Norway of all\nthe islands west of Scotland. King Magnus contracted in marriage his son\nSigurd to Biadmynia, King Myrkjartan's daughter. Myrkjartan was a son of\nthe Irish king Thialfe, and ruled over Connaught. The summer after, King\nMagnus, with his fleet, returned east to Norway. Earl Erland died of\nsickness at Nidaros, and is buried there; and Earl Paul died in Bergen.\n\nSkopte Ogmundson, a grandson of Thorberg, was a gallant lenderman, who\ndwelt at Giske in Sunmore, and was married to Gudrun, a daughter of\nThord Folason. Their children were Ogmund, Fin, Thord, and Thora, who\nwas married to Asolf Skulason. Skopte's and Gudrun's sons were the most\npromising and popular men in their youth.\n\n\n\n\n13. QUARRELS OF KING MAGNUS AND KING INGE.\n\nSteinkel, the Swedish king, died about the same time (A.D. 1066) as the\ntwo Haralds fell, and the king who came after him in Svithjod was called\nHakon. Afterwards Inge, a son of Steinkel, was king, and was a good\nand powerful king, strong and stout beyond most men; and he was king of\nSvithjod when King Magnus was king of Norway. King Magnus insisted that\nthe boundaries of the countries in old times had been so, that the\nGaut river divided the kingdoms of the Swedish and Norwegian kings, but\nafterwards the Vener lake up to Vermaland. Thus King Magnus insisted\nthat he was owner of all the places lying west of the Vener lake up\nto Vermaland, which are the districts of Sundal, Nordal, Vear, and\nVardyniar, with all the woods belonging thereto. But these had for a\nlong time been under the Swedish dominion, and with respect to scat were\njoined to West Gautland; and, besides, the forest-settlers preferred\nbeing under the Swedish king. King Magnus rode from Viken up to Gautland\nwith a great and fine army, and when he came to the forest-settlements\nhe plundered and burnt all round; on which the people submitted, and\ntook the oath of fidelity to him. When he came to the Vener lake,\nautumn was advanced and he went out to the island Kvaldinsey, and made\na stronghold of turf and wood, and dug a ditch around it. When the work\nwas finished, provisions and other necessaries that might be required\nwere brought to it. The king left in it 300 men, who were the chosen of\nhis forces, and Fin Skoptason and Sigurd Ulstreng as their commanders.\nThe king himself returned to Viken.\n\n\n\n\n14. OF THE NORTHMEN.\n\nWhen the Swedish king heard this he drew together people, and the report\ncame that he would ride against these Northmen; but there was delay\nabout his riding, and the Northmen made these lines:--\n\n     \"The fat-hipped king, with heavy sides,\n     Finds he must mount before he rides.\"\n\nBut when the ice set in upon the Vener lake King Inge rode down, and had\nnear 300 men with him. He sent a message to the Northmen who sat in the\nburgh that they might retire with all the booty they had taken, and go\nto Norway. When the messengers brought this message, Sigurd Ulstreng\nreplied to it; saying that King Inge must take the trouble to come, if\nhe wished to drive them away like cattle out of a grass field, and said\nhe must come nearer if he wished them to remove. The messengers returned\nwith this answer to the king, who then rode out with all his army to\nthe island, and again sent a message to the Northmen that they might\ngo away, taking with them their weapons, clothes, and horses; but\nmust leave behind all their booty. This they refused. The king made an\nassault upon them, and they shot at each other. Then the king ordered\ntimber and stones to be collected, and he filled up the ditch; and\nthen he fastened anchors to long spars which were brought up to the\ntimber-walls, and, by the strength of many hands, the walls were broken\ndown. Thereafter a large pile of wood was set on fire, and the lighted\nbrands were flung in among them. Then the Northmen asked for quarter.\nThe king ordered them to go out without weapons or cloaks. As they went\nout each of them received a stroke with a whip, and then they set off\nfor Norway, and all the forest-men submitted again to King Inge. Sigurd\nand his people went to King Magnus, and told him their misfortune.\n\n\n\n\n15. KING MAGNUS AND GIPARDE.\n\nWhen King Magnus was east in Viken, there came to him a foreigner called\nGiparde. He gave himself out for a good knight, and offered his services\nto King Magnus; for he understood that in the king's dominions there was\nsomething to be done. The king received him well. At that time the\nking was preparing to go to Gautland, on which country the king had\npretensions; and besides he would repay the Gautland people the disgrace\nthey had occasioned him in spring, when he was obliged to fly from\nthem. He had then a great force in arms, and the West Gautlanders in the\nnorthern districts submitted to him. He set up his camp on the borders,\nintending to make a foray from thence. When King Inge heard of this\nhe collected troops, and hastened to oppose King Magnus; and when King\nMagnus heard of this expedition, many of the chiefs of the people urged\nhim to turn back; but this the king would not listen to, but in the\nnight time went unsuspectedly against the Swedish king. They met at\nFoxerne; and when he was drawing up his men in battle order he asked,\n\"Where is Giparde?\" but he was not to be found. Then the king made these\nverses:--\n\n     \"Cannot the foreign knight abide\n     Our rough array?--where does he hide?\"\n\nThen a skald who followed the king replied:--\n\n     \"The king asks where the foreign knight\n     In our array rides to the fight:\n     Giparde the knight rode quite away\n     When our men joined in bloody fray.\n     When swords were wet the knight was slow\n     With his bay horse in front to go;\n     The foreign knight could not abide\n     Our rough array, and went to hide.\"\n\nThere was a great slaughter, and after the battle the field was covered\nwith the Swedes slain, and King Inge escaped by flight. King Magnus\ngained a great victory. Then came Giparde riding down from the country,\nand people did not speak well of him for not being in the fight. He went\naway, and proceeded westward to England; and the voyage was stormy, and\nGiparde lay in bed. There was an Iceland man called Eldjarn, who went to\nbale out the water in the ship's hold, and when he saw where Giparde was\nlying he made this verse:--\n\n     \"Does it beseem a courtman bold\n     Here to be dozing in the hold?\n     The bearded knight should danger face:\n     The leak gains on our ship apace.\n     Here, ply this bucket!  bale who can;\n     We need the work of every man.\n     Our sea-horse stands full to the breast,--\n     Sluggards and cowards must not rest.\"\n\nWhen they came west to England, Giparde said the Northmen had slandered\nhim. A meeting was appointed, and a count came to it, and the case was\nbrought before him for trial. He said he was not much acquainted with\nlaw cases, as he was but young, and had only been a short time in\noffice; and also, of all things, he said what he least understood to\njudge about was poetry. \"But let us hear what it was.\" Then Eldjarn\nsang:--\n\n     \"I heard that in the bloody fight\n     Giparde drove all our foes to flight:\n     Brave Giparde would the foe abide,\n     While all our men ran off to hide.\n     At Foxerne the fight was won\n     By Giparde's valour all alone;\n     Where Giparde fought, alone was he;\n     Not one survived to fight or flee.\"\n\nThen said the count, \"Although I know but little about skald-craft,\nI can hear that this is no slander, but rather the highest praise and\nhonour.\" Giparde could say nothing against it, yet he felt it was a\nmockery.\n\n\n\n\n16. BATTLE OF FOXERNE.\n\nThe spring after, as soon as the ice broke up, King Magnus, with a great\narmy, sailed eastwards to the Gaut river, and went up the eastern arm of\nit, laying waste all that belonged to the Swedish dominions. When they\ncame to Foxerne they landed from their vessels; but as they came over\na river on their way an army of Gautland people came against them,\nand there was immediately a great battle, in which the Northmen were\noverwhelmed by numbers, driven to flight, and many of them killed near\nto a waterfall. King Magnus fled, and the Gautlanders pursued, and\nkilled those they could get near. King Magnus was easily known. He was\na very stout man, and had a red short cloak over him, and bright yellow\nhair like silk that fell over his shoulders. Ogmund Skoptason, who was\na tall and handsome man, rode on one side of the king. He said, \"Sire,\ngive me that cloak.\"\n\nThe king said, \"What would you do with it?\"\n\n\"I would like to have it,\" said Ogmund; \"and you have given me greater\ngifts, sire.\"\n\nThe road was such that there were great and wide plains, so that the\nGautlanders and Northmen were always in sight of each other, unless\nwhere clumps of wood and bushes concealed them from each other now and\nthen. The king gave Ogmund the cloak and he put it on. When they came\nout again upon the plain ground, Ogmund and his people rode off right\nacross the road. The Gautlanders, supposing this must be the king, rode\nall after him, and the king proceeded to the ships. Ogmund escaped with\ngreat difficulty; however, he reached the ships at last in safety. King\nMagnus then sailed down the river, and proceeded north to Viken.\n\n\n\n\n17. MEETING OF THE KINGS AT THE GAUT RIVER.\n\nThe following summer a meeting of the kings was agreed upon at Konghelle\non the Gaut river; and King Magnus, the Swedish king, Inge, and the\nDanish king, Eirik Sveinson, all met there, after giving each other safe\nconduct to the meeting. Now when the Thing had sat down the kings went\nforward upon the plain, apart from the rest of the people, and they\ntalked with each other a little while. Then they returned to their\npeople, and a treaty was brought about, by which each should possess the\ndominions his forefathers had held before him; but each should make good\nto his own men the waste and manslaughter suffered by them, and then\nthey should agree between themselves about settling this with each\nother. King Magnus should marry King Inge's daughter Margaret, who\nafterwards was called Peace-offering. This was proclaimed to the people;\nand thus, within a little hour, the greatest enemies were made the best\nof friends.\n\nIt was observed by the people that none had ever seen men with more\nof the air of chiefs than these had. King Inge was the largest and\nstoutest, and, from his age, of the most dignified appearance. King\nMagnus appeared the most gallant and brisk, and King Eirik the most\nhandsome. But they were all handsome men; stout, gallant, and ready in\nspeech. After this was settled they parted.\n\n\n\n\n18. KING MAGNUS'S MARRIAGE.\n\nKing Magnus got Margaret, King Inge's daughter, as above related; and\nshe was sent from Svithjod to Norway with an honourable retinue. King\nMagnus had some children before, whose names shall here be given. The\none of his sons who was of a mean mother was called Eystein; the other,\nwho was a year younger, was called Sigurd, and his mother's name was\nThora. Olaf was the name of a third son, who was much younger than the\ntwo first mentioned, and whose mother was Sigrid, a daughter of Saxe of\nVik, who was a respectable man in the Throndhjem country; she was the\nking's concubine. People say that when King Magnus came home from\nhis viking cruise to the Western countries, he and many of his people\nbrought with them a great deal of the habits and fashion of clothing of\nthose western parts. They went about on the streets with bare legs,\nand had short kirtles and over-cloaks; and therefore his men called\nhim Magnus Barefoot or Bareleg. Some called him Magnus the Tall, others\nMagnus the Strife-lover. He was distinguished among other men by his\ntall stature. The mark of his height is put down in Mary church, in the\nmerchant town of Nidaros, which King Harald built. In the northern door\nthere were cut into the wall three crosses, one for Harald's stature,\none for Olaf's, and one for Magnus's; and which crosses each of them\ncould with the greatest ease kiss. The upper was Harald's cross; the\nlowest was Magnus's; and Olaf's was in the middle, about equally distant\nfrom both.\n\nIt is said that Magnus composed the following verses about the emperor's\ndaughter:--\n\n     \"The ring of arms where blue swords gleam,\n     The battle-shout, the eagle's scream,\n     The Joy of war, no more can please:\n     Matilda is far o'er the seas.\n     My sword may break, my shield be cleft,\n     Of land or life I may be reft;\n     Yet I could sleep, but for one care,--\n     One, o'er the seas, with light-brown hair.\"\n\nHe also composed the following:--\n\n     \"The time that breeds delay feels long,\n     The skald feels weary of his song;\n     What sweetens, brightens, eases life?\n     'Tis a sweet-smiling lovely wife.\n     My time feels long in Thing affairs,\n     In Things my loved one ne'er appears.\n     The folk full-dressed, while I am sad,\n     Talk and oppose--can I be glad?\"\n\nWhen King Magnus heard the friendly words the emperor's daughter had\nspoken about him--that she had said such a man as King Magnus was\nappeared to her an excellent man, he composed the following:--\n\n     \"The lover hears,--across the sea,\n     A favouring word was breathed to me.\n     The lovely one with light-brown hair\n     May trust her thoughts to senseless air;\n     Her thoughts will find like thoughts in me;\n     And though my love I cannot see,\n     Affection's thoughts fly in the wind,\n     And meet each other, true and kind.\"\n\n\n\n\n19. OF THE QUARREL OF KING MAGNUS AND SKOPTE.\n\nSkopte Ogmundson came into variance with King Magnus, and they\nquarrelled about the inheritance of a deceased person which Skopte\nretained; but the king demanded it with so much earnestness, that it had\na dangerous appearance. Many meetings were held about the affair,\nand Skopte took the resolution that he and his son should never put\nthemselves into the king's power at the same time; and besides there was\nno necessity to do so. When Skopte was with the king he represented to\nhim that there was relationship between the king and him; and also\nthat he, Skopte, had always been the king's friend, and his father's\nlikewise, and that their friendship had never been shaken. He added,\n\"People might know that I have sense enough not to hold a strife, sire,\nwith you, if I was wrong in what I asked; but it is inherited from my\nancestors to defend my rights against any man, without distinction of\npersons.\" The king was just the same on this point, and his resolution\nwas by no means softened by such a speech. Then Skopte went home.\n\n\n\n\n20. FIN SKOPTASON'S PROCEEDINGS.\n\nThen Fin Skoptason went to the king, spoke with him, and entreated\nhim to render justice to the father and son in this business. The king\nanswers angrily and sharply. Then said Fin, \"I expected something else,\nsire, from you, than that you would use the law's vexations against\nme when I took my seat in Kvaldinsey Island, which few of your other\nfriends would do; as they said, what was true, that those who were left\nthere were deserted and doomed to death, if King Inge had not shown\ngreater generosity to us than you did; although many consider that we\nbrought shame and disgrace only from thence.\" The king was not to be\nmoved by this speech, and Fin returned home.\n\n\n\n\n21. OGMUND SKOPTASON'S PROCEEDINGS.\n\nThen came Ogmund Skoptason to the king; and when he came before him he\nproduced his errand, and begged the king to do what was right and proper\ntowards him and his father. The king insisted that the right was on his\nside, and said they were \"particularly impudent.\"\n\nThen said Ogmund, \"It is a very easy thing for thee, having the power,\nto do me and my father injustice; and I must say the old proverb is\ntrue, that one whose life you save gives none, or a very bad return.\nThis I shall add, that never again shall I come into thy service; nor\nmy father, if I can help it.\" Then Ogmund went home, and they never saw\neach other again.\n\n\n\n\n22. SKOPTE OGMUNDSON'S VOYAGE ABROAD.\n\nThe spring after, Skopte Ogmundson made ready to travel out of the\ncountry. They had five long-ships all well equipped. His sons, Ogmund,\nFin, and Thord, accompanied him on this journey. It was very late before\nthey were ready, and in autumn they went over to Flanders, and wintered\nthere. Early in spring they sailed westward to Valland, and stayed there\nall summer. Then they sailed further, and through Norvasund; and came\nin autumn to Rome, where Skopte died. All, both father and sons, died\non this journey. Thord, who died in Sicily, lived the longest. It is a\ncommon saying among the people that Skopte was the first Northman who\nsailed through Norvasund; and this voyage was much celebrated.\n\n\n\n\n23. MIRACLE OF KING OLAF THE SAINT AT A FIRE.\n\nIt happened once in the merchant town (Nidaros) where King Olaf reposes,\nthat there broke out a fire in the town which spread around. Then\nOlaf's shrine was taken out of the church, and set up opposite the fire.\nThereupon came a crazy foolish man, struck the shrine, threatened the\nholy saint, and said all must be consumed by the flames, both churches\nand other houses, if he did not save them by his prayers. Now the\nburning of the church did cease, by the help of Almighty God; but the\ninsane man got sore eyes on the following night, and he lay there until\nKing Olaf entreated God Almighty to be merciful to him; after which he\nrecovered in the same church.\n\n\n\n\n24. MIRACLE OF KING OLAF ON A LAME WOMAN.\n\nIt happened once in the merchant town that a woman was brought to the\nplace where the holy King Olaf reposes. She was so miserably shaped,\nthat she was altogether crumpled up; so that both her feet lay in a\ncircle against her loins. But as she was diligent in her prayers, often\nweeping and making vows to King Olaf, he cured her great infirmities; so\nthat feet, legs, and other limbs straightened, and every limb and part\ncame to the right use for which they were made. Before she could not\ncreep there, and now she went away active and brisk to her family and\nhome.\n\n\n\n\n25. WAR IN IRELAND.\n\nWhen King Magnus had been nine years king of Norway (A.D. 1094-1102), he\nequipped himself to go out of the country with a great force. He sailed\nout into the West sea with the finest men who could be got in Norway.\nAll the powerful men of the country followed him; such as Sigurd\nHranason, Vidkun Jonson, Dag Eilifson, Serk of Sogn, Eyvind Olboge, the\nking's marshal Ulf Hranason, brother of Sigurd, and many other great\nmen. With all this armament the king sailed west to the Orkney Islands,\nfrom whence he took with him Earl Erlend's sons, Magnus and Erling,\nand then sailed to the southern Hebudes. But as he lay under the Scotch\nland, Magnus Erlendson ran away in the night from the king's ship, swam\nto the shore, escaped into the woods, and came at last to the Scotch\nking's court. King Magnus sailed to Ireland with his fleet, and\nplundered there. King Myrkjartan came to his assistance, and they\nconquered a great part of the country, both Dublin and Dyflinnarskire\n(Dublin shire). King Magnus was in winter (A.D. 1102) up in Connaught\nwith King Myrkjartan, but set men to defend the country he had taken.\nTowards spring both kings went westward with their army all the way\nto Ulster, where they had many battles, subdued the country, and had\nconquered the greatest part of Ulster when Myrkjartan returned home to\nConnaught.\n\n\n\n\n26. KING MAGNUS'S FORAY ON THE LAND.\n\nKing Magnus rigged his ships, and intended returning to Norway, but set\nhis men to defend the country of Dublin. He lay at Ulster ready for\nsea with his whole fleet. As they thought they needed cattle for\nship-provision, King Magnus sent a message to King Myrkjartan, telling\nhim to send some cattle for slaughter; and appointed the day before\nBartholomew's day as the day they should arrive, if the messengers\nreached him in safety; but the cattle had not made their appearance the\nevening before Bartholomew's mass. On the mass-day itself, when the sun\nrose in the sky, King Magnus went on shore himself with the greater part\nof his men, to look after his people, and to carry off cattle from the\ncoast. The weather was calm, the sun shone, and the road lay through\nmires and mosses, and there were paths cut through; but there was\nbrushwood on each side of the road. When they came somewhat farther,\nthey reached a height from which they had a wide view. They saw from\nit a great dust rising up the country, as of horsemen, and they said\nto each other, \"That must be the Irish army;\" but others said, \"It was\ntheir own men returning with the cattle.\" They halted there; and Eyvind\nOlboge said, \"How, sire, do you intend to direct the march? The men\nthink we are advancing imprudently. You know the Irish are treacherous;\nthink, therefore, of a good counsel for your men.\" Then the king said,\n\"Let us draw up our men, and be ready, if there be treachery.\" This was\ndone, and the king and Eyvind went before the line. King Magnus had a\nhelmet on his head; a red shield, in which was inlaid a gilded lion;\nand was girt with the sword of Legbit, of which the hilt was of tooth\n(ivory), and handgrip wound about with gold thread; and the sword was\nextremely sharp. In his hand he had a short spear, and a red silk short\ncloak, over his coat, on which, both before and behind, was embroidered\na lion in yellow silk; and all men acknowledged that they never had\nseen a brisker, statelier man. Eyvind had also a red silk cloak like the\nking's; and he also was a stout, handsome, warlike man.\n\n\n\n\n27. FALL OF KING MAGNUS.\n\nWhen the dust-cloud approached nearer they knew their own men, who were\ndriving the cattle. The Irish king had been faithful to the promises he\nhad given the king, and had sent them. Thereupon they all turned towards\nthe ships, and it was mid-day. When they came to the mires they went\nbut slowly over the boggy places; and then the Irish started up on every\nside against them from every bushy point of land, and the battle began\ninstantly. The Northmen were going divided in various heaps, so that\nmany of them fell.\n\nThen said Eyvind to the king, \"Unfortunate is this march to our people,\nand we must instantly hit upon some good plan.\"\n\nThe king answered, \"Call all the men together with the war-horns under\nthe banner, and the men who are here shall make a rampart with their\nshields, and thus we will retreat backwards out of the mires; and we\nwill clear ourselves fast enough when we get upon firm ground.\"\n\nThe Irish shot boldly; and although they fell in crowds, there came\nalways two in the place of one. Now when the king had come to the\nnearest ditch there was a very difficult crossing, and few places were\npassable; so that many Northmen fell there. Then the king called to his\nlenderman Thorgrim Skinhufa, who was an Upland man, and ordered him to\ngo over the ditch with his division. \"We shall defend you,\" said he, \"in\nthe meantime, so that no harm shall come to you. Go out then to those\nholms, and shoot at them from thence; for ye are good bowmen.\"\n\nWhen Thorgrim and his men came over the ditch they cast their shields\nbehind their backs, and set off to the ships.\n\nWhen the king saw this, he said, \"Thou art deserting thy king in an\nunmanly way. I was foolish in making thee a lenderman, and driving\nSigurd Hund out of the country; for never would he have behaved so.\"\n\nKing Magnus received a wound, being pierced by a spear through both\nthighs above the knees. The king laid hold of the shaft between his\nlegs, broke the spear in two, and said, \"Thus we break spear-shafts,\nmy lads; let us go briskly on. Nothing hurts me.\" A little after King\nMagnus was struck in the neck with an Irish axe, and this was his\ndeath-wound. Then those who were behind fled. Vidkun Jonson instantly\nkilled the man who had given the king his death-wound, and fled, after\nhaving received three wounds; but brought the king's banner and the\nsword Legbit to the ships. Vidkun was the last man who fled; the other\nnext to him was Sigurd Hranason, and the third before him, Dag Eilifson.\nThere fell with King Magnus, Eyvind Olboge, Ulf Hranason, and many other\ngreat people. Many of the Northmen fell, but many more of the Irish.\nThe Northmen who escaped sailed away immediately in autumn. Erling, Earl\nErlend's'son, fell with King Magnus in Ireland; but the men who fled\nfrom Ireland came to the Orkney Islands. Now when King Sigurd heard that\nhis father had fallen, he set off immediately, leaving the Irish king's\ndaughter behind, and proceeded in autumn with the whole fleet directly\nto Norway.\n\n\n\n\n28. OF KING MAGNUS AND VIDKUN JONSON.\n\nKing Magnus was ten years king of Norway (A.D. 1094-1105), and in his\ndays there was good peace kept within the country; but the people were\nsorely oppressed with levies. King Magnus was beloved by his men, but\nthe bondes thought him harsh. The words have been transmitted from him\nthat he said when his friends observed that he proceeded incautiously\nwhen he was on his expeditions abroad,--\"The kings are made for honour,\nnot for long life.\" King Magnus was nearly thirty years of age when he\nfell. Vidkun did not fly until he had killed the man who gave the king\nhis mortal wound, and for this cause King Magnus's sons had him in the\nmost affectionate regard.\n\n\n\n\nSAGA OF SIGURD THE CRUSADER AND HIS BROTHERS EYSTEIN AND OLAF.\n\n\nPRELIMINARY REMARKS.\n\n\"Agrip\", \"Fagrskinna\", and \"Morkinskinna\" more or less complete the\nstory of the sons of Magnus. They contain some things omitted by Snorre,\nwhile, on the other hand, some facts related by Snorre are not found in\nthe above sources.\n\nThjodrek the Monk tells of Sigurd that he made a Journey to Jerusalem,\nconquered many heathen cities, and among them Sidon; that he captured\na cave defended by robbers, received presents from Baldwin, returned to\nNorway in Eystein's lifetime, and became insane, as a result, as some\nsay, of a poisonous drink.\n\nThe three brothers became kings in the year A.D. 1103. Olaf died 1115,\nEystein 1122 or 1123, Sigurd 1130.\n\nSkalds quoted in this saga are: Thorarin Stutfeld, Einar Skulason,\nHaldor Skvaldre, and Arne Fjoruskeif.\n\n\n\n\n1. BEGINNING OF THE REIGN OF KING MAGNUS'S SONS.\n\nAfter King Magnus Barefoot's fall, his sons, Eystein, Sigurd, and Olaf,\ntook the kingdom of Norway. Eystein got the northern, and Sigurd the\nsouthern part of the country. King Olaf was then four or five years old,\nand the third part of the country which he had was under the management\nof his two brothers. King Sigurd was chosen king when he was thirteen or\nfourteen years old, and Eystein was a year older. King Sigurd left\nwest of the sea the Irish king's daughter. When King Magnus's sons were\nchosen kings, the men who had followed Skopte Ogmundson returned home.\nSome had been to Jerusalem, some to Constantinople; and there they had\nmade themselves renowned, and they had many kinds of novelties to talk\nabout. By these extraordinary tidings many men in Norway were incited to\nthe same expedition; and it was also told that the Northmen who liked to\ngo into the military service at Constantinople found many opportunities\nof getting property. Then these Northmen desired much that one of the\ntwo kings, either Eystein or Sigurd, should go as commander of the troop\nwhich was preparing for this expedition. The kings agreed to this, and\ncarried on the equipment at their common expense. Many great men, both\nof the lendermen and bondes, took part in this enterprise; and when all\nwas ready for the journey it was determined that Sigurd should go,\nand Eystein in the meantime, should rule the kingdom upon their joint\naccount.\n\n\n\n\n2. OF THE EARLS OF ORKNEY.\n\nA year or two after King Magnus Barefoot's fall, Hakon, a son of Earl\nPaul, came from Orkney. The kings gave him the earldom and government\nof the Orkney Islands, as the earls before him, his father Paul or\nhis Uncle Erland, had possessed it; and Earl Hakon then sailed back\nimmediately to Orkney.\n\n\n\n\n3. KING SIGURD'S JOURNEY OUT OF THE COUNTRY.\n\nFour years after the fall of King Magnus (A.D. 1107), King Sigurd sailed\nwith his people from Norway. He had then sixty ships. So says Thorarin\nStutfeld:--\n\n     \"A young king just and kind,\n     People of loyal mind:\n     Such brave men soon agree,--\n     To distant lands they sail with glee.\n     To the distant Holy Land\n     A brave and pious band,\n     Magnificent and gay,\n     In sixty long-ships glide away.\"\n\nKing Sigurd sailed in autumn to England, where Henry, son of William the\nBastard, was then king, and Sigurd remained with him all winter. So says\nEinar Skulason:--\n\n     \"The king is on the waves!\n     The storm he boldly braves.\n          His ocean-steed,\n          With winged speed,\n     O'er the white-flashing surges,\n     To England's coast he urges;\n     And there he stays the winter o'er:\n     More gallant king ne'er trod that shore.\"\n\n\n\n\n4. OF KING SIGURD'S JOURNEY.\n\nIn spring King Sigurd and his fleet sailed westward to Valland (A.D.\n1108), and in autumn came to Galicia, where he stayed the second winter\n(A.D. 1109). So says Einar Skulason:--\n\n     \"Our king, whose land so wide\n     No kingdom stands beside,\n     In Jacob's land next winter spent,\n     On holy things intent;\n     And I have heard the royal youth\n     Cut off an earl who swerved from truth.\n     Our brave king will endure no ill,--\n     The hawks with him will get their fill.\"\n\nIt went thus:--The earl who ruled over the land made an agreement with\nKing Sigurd, that he should provide King Sigurd and his men a market at\nwhich they could purchase victuals all the winter; but this he did not\nfulfil longer than to about Yule. It began then to be difficult to get\nfood and necessaries, for it is a poor barren land. Then King Sigurd\nwith a great body of men went against a castle which belonged to the\nearl; and the earl fled from it, having but few people. King Sigurd took\nthere a great deal of victuals and of other booty, which he put on board\nof his ships, and then made ready and proceeded westward to Spain. It so\nfell out, as the king was sailing past Spain, that some vikings who were\ncruising for plunder met him with a fleet of galleys, and King Sigurd\nattacked them. This was his first battle with heathen men; and he won\nit, and took eight galleys from them. So says Haldor Skvaldre:--\n\n     \"Bold vikings, not slow\n     To the death-fray to go,\n     Meet our Norse king by chance,\n     And their galleys advance.\n     The bold vikings lost\n     Many a man of their host,\n     And eight galleys too,\n     With cargo and crew.\"\n\nThereafter King Sigurd sailed against a castle called Sintre and fought\nanother battle. This castle is in Spain, and was occupied by many\nheathens, who from thence plundered Christian people. King Sigurd took\nthe castle, and killed every man in it, because they refused to be\nbaptized; and he got there an immense booty. So says Haldor Skvaldre:--\n\n     \"From Spain I have much news to tell\n     Of what our generous king befell.\n     And first he routs the viking crew,\n     At Cintra next the heathens slew;\n     The men he treated as God's foes,\n     Who dared the true faith to oppose.\n     No man he spared who would not take\n     The Christian faith for Jesus' sake.\"\n\n\n\n\n5. LISBON TAKEN.\n\nAfter this King Sigurd sailed with his fleet to Lisbon, which is a\ngreat city in Spain, half Christian and half heathen; for there lies\nthe division between Christian Spain and heathen Spain, and all the\ndistricts which lie west of the city are occupied by heathens. There\nKing Sigurd had his third battle with the heathens, and gained the\nvictory, and with it a great booty. So says Haldor Skvaldre:--\n\n     \"The son of kings on Lisbon's plains\n     A third and bloody battle gains.\n     He and his Norsemen boldly land,\n     Running their stout ships on the strand.\"\n\nThen King Sigurd sailed westwards along heathen Spain, and brought up\nat a town called Alkasse; and here he had his fourth battle with the\nheathens, and took the town, and killed so many people that the town\nwas left empty. They got there also immense booty. So says Haldor\nSkvaldre:--\n\n     \"A fourth great battle, I am told,\n     Our Norse king and his people hold\n     At Alkasse; and here again\n     The victory fell to our Norsemen.\"\n\nAnd also this verse:--\n\n     \"I heard that through the town he went,\n     And heathen widows' wild lament\n     Resounded in the empty halls;\n     For every townsman flies or falls.\"\n\n\n\n\n6. BATTLE IN THE ISLAND FORMINTERRA.\n\nKing Sigurd then proceeded on his voyage, and came to Norfasund; and\nin the sound he was met by a large viking force, and the king gave them\nbattle; and this was his fifth engagement with heathens since the\ntime he left Norway. He gained the victory here also. So says Haldor\nSkvaldre:--\n\n     \"Ye moistened your dry swords with blood,\n     As through Norfasund ye stood;\n     The screaming raven got a feast,\n     As ye sailed onward to the East.\"\n\nKing Sigurd then sailed eastward along the coast of Serkland, and came\nto an island there called Forminterra. There a great many heathen Moors\nhad taken up their dwelling in a cave, and had built a strong stone wall\nbefore its mouth. They harried the country all round, and carried all\ntheir booty to their cave. King Sigurd landed on this island, and went\nto the cave; but it lay in a precipice, and there was a high winding\npath to the stone wall, and the precipice above projected over it. The\nheathens defended the stone wall, and were not afraid of the Northmen's\narms; for they could throw stones, or shoot down upon the Northmen under\ntheir feet; neither did the Northmen, under such circumstances, dare\nto mount up. The heathens took their clothes and other valuable things,\ncarried them out upon the wall, spread them out before the Northmen,\nshouted, and defied them, and upbraided them as cowards. Then Sigurd\nfell upon this plan. He had two ship's boats, such as we call barks,\ndrawn up the precipice right above the mouth of the cave; and had thick\nropes fastened around the stem, stern, and hull of each. In these boats\nas many men went as could find room, and then the boats were lowered\nby the ropes down in front of the mouth of the cave; and the men in the\nboats shot with stones and missiles into the cave, and the heathens were\nthus driven from the stone wall. Then Sigurd with his troops climbed\nup the precipice to the foot of the stone wall, which they succeeded in\nbreaking down, so that they came into the cave. Now the heathens fled\nwithin the stone wall that was built across the cave; on which the king\nordered large trees to be brought to the cave, made a great pile in the\nmouth of it, and set fire to the wood. When the fire and smoke got the\nupper hand, some of the heathens lost their lives in it; some fled; some\nfell by the hands of the Northmen; and part were killed, part burned;\nand the Northmen made the greatest booty they had got on all their\nexpeditions. So says Halder Skvaldre:--\n\n     \"Forminterra lay\n     In the victor's way;\n     His ships' stems fly\n     To victory.\n     The bluemen there\n     Must fire bear,\n     And Norsemen's steel\n     At their hearts feel.\"\n\nAnd also thus:--\n\n     \"'Twas a feat of renown,--\n     The boat lowered down,\n     With a boat's crew brave,\n     In front of the cave;\n     While up the rock scaling,\n     And comrades up trailing,\n     The Norsemen gain,\n     And the bluemen are slain.\"\n\nAnd also Thorarin Stutfeld says:--\n\n     \"The king's men up the mountain's side\n     Drag two boats from the ocean's tide;\n          The two boats lay,\n          Like hill-wolves grey.\n     Now o'er the rock in ropes they're swinging\n     Well manned, and death to bluemen bringing;\n          They hang before\n          The robber's door.\"\n\n\n\n\n7. OF THE BATTLES OF IVIZA AND MINORCA.\n\nThereafter King Sigurd proceeded on his expedition, and came to an\nisland called Iviza (Ivica), and had there his seventh battle, and\ngained a victory. So says Haldor Skvaldre:--\n\n     \"His ships at Ivica now ride,\n     The king's, whose fame spreads far and wide;\n     And hear the bearers of the shield\n     Their arms again in battle wield.\"\n\nThereafter King Sigurd came to an island called Manork (Minorca), and\nheld there his eighth battle with heathen men, and gained the victory.\nSo says Haldor Skvaldre:--\n\n     \"On green Minorca's plains\n     The eighth battle now he gains:\n     Again the heathen foe\n     Falls at the Norse king's blow.\"\n\n\n\n\n8. DUKE ROGER MADE A KING.\n\nIn spring King Sigurd came to Sicily (A.D. 1109), and remained a long\ntime there. There was then a Duke Roger in Sicily, who received the king\nkindly, and invited him to a feast. King Sigurd came to it with a great\nretinue, and was splendidly entertained. Every day Duke Roger stood at\nthe company's table, doing service to the king; but the seventh day of\nthe feast, when the people had come to table, and had wiped their hands,\nKing Sigurd took the duke by the hand, led him up to the high-seat, and\nsaluted him with the title of king; and gave the right that there should\nbe always a king over the dominion of Sicily, although before there had\nonly been earls or dukes over that country.\n\n\n\n\n9. OF KING ROGER.\n\nKing Roger of Sicily was a very great king. He won and subdued all\nApulia, and many large islands besides in the Greek sea; and therefore\nhe was called Roger the Great. His son was William, king of Sicily, who\nfor a long time had great hostility with the emperor of Constantinople.\nKing William had three daughters, but no son. One of his daughters he\nmarried to the Emperor Henry, a son of the Emperor Frederik; and their\nson was Frederik, who for a short time after was emperor of Rome. His\nsecond daughter was married to the Duke of Kipr. The third daughter,\nMargaret, was married to the chief of the corsairs; but the Emperor\nHenry killed both these brothers-in-law. The daughter of Roger\nthe Great, king of Sicily, was married to the Emperor Manuel of\nConstantinople; and their son was the Emperor Kirjalax.\n\n\n\n\n10. KING SIGURD'S EXPEDITION TO PALESTINE.\n\nIn the summer (A.D. 1110) King Sigurd sailed across the Greek sea to\nPalestine, and thereupon went up to Jerusalem, where he met Baldwin,\nking of Palestine. King Baldwin received him particularly well, and rode\nwith him all the way to the river Jordan, and then back to the city of\nJerusalem. Einar Skulason speaks thus of it:--\n\n     \"Good reason has the skald to sing\n     The generous temper of the king,\n     Whose sea-cold keel from northern waves\n     Ploughs the blue sea that green isles laves.\n     At Acre scarce were we made fast,\n     In holy ground our anchors cast,\n     When the king made a joyful morn\n     To all who toil with him had borne.\"\n\nAnd again he made these lines:--\n\n     \"To Jerusalem he came,\n     He who loves war's noble game,\n     (The skald no greater monarch finds\n     Beneath the heaven's wide hall of winds)\n     All sin and evil from him flings\n     In Jordan's wave: for all his sins\n     (Which all must praise) he pardon wins.\"\n\nKing Sigurd stayed a long time in the land of Jerusalem (Jorsalaland) in\nautumn, and in the beginning of winter.\n\n\n\n\n11. SIDON TAKEN.\n\nKing Baldwin made a magnificent feast for King Sigurd and many of his\npeople, and gave him many holy relics. By the orders of King Baldwin\nand the patriarch, there was taken a splinter off the holy cross; and\non this holy relic both made oath, that this wood was of the holy cross\nupon which God Himself had been tortured. Then this holy relic was given\nto King Sigurd; with the condition that he, and twelve other men with\nhim, should swear to promote Christianity with all his power, and erect\nan archbishop's seat in Norway if he could; and also that the cross\nshould be kept where the holy King Olaf reposed, and that he should\nintroduce tithes, and also pay them himself. After this King Sigurd\nreturned to his ships at Acre; and then King Baldwin prepared to go to\nSyria, to a heathen town called Saet. On this expedition King Sigurd\naccompanied him, and after the kings had besieged the town some time it\nsurrendered, and they took possession of it, and of a great treasure of\nmoney; and their men found other booty. King Sigurd made a present of\nhis share to King Baldwin. So say Haldor Skvaldre:--\n\n     \"He who for wolves provides the feast\n     Seized on the city in the East,\n     The heathen nest; and honour drew,\n     And gold to give, from those he slew.\"\n\nEinar Skulason also tells of it:--\n\n     \"The Norsemen's king, the skalds relate,\n     Has ta'en the heathen town of Saet:\n     The slinging engine with dread noise\n     Gables and roofs with stones destroys.\n     The town wall totters too,--it falls;\n     The Norsemen mount the blackened walls.\n     He who stains red the raven's bill\n     Has won,--the town lies at his will.\"\n\nThereafter King Sigurd went to his ships and made ready to leave\nPalestine. They sailed north to the island Cyprus; and King Sigurd\nstayed there a while, and then went to the Greek country, and came\nto the land with all his fleet at Engilsnes. Here he lay still for a\nfortnight, although every day it blew a breeze for going before the wind\nto the north; but Sigurd would wait a side wind, so that the sails might\nstretch fore and aft in the ship; for in all his sails there was silk\njoined in, before and behind in the sail, and neither those before nor\nthose behind the ships could see the slightest appearance of this, if\nthe vessel was before the wind; so they would rather wait a side wind.\n\n\n\n\n12. SIGURD'S EXPEDITION TO CONSTANTINOPLE.\n\nWhen King Sigurd sailed into Constantinople, he steered near the land.\nOver all the land there are burghs, castles, country towns, the one upon\nthe other without interval. There from the land one could see into the\nbights of the sails; and the sails stood so close beside each other,\nthat they seemed to form one enclosure. All the people turned out to see\nKing Sigurd sailing past. The Emperor Kirjalax had also heard of King\nSigurd's expedition, and ordered the city port of Constantinople to be\nopened, which is called the Gold Tower, through which the emperor rides\nwhen he has been long absent from Constantinople, or has made a campaign\nin which he has been victorious. The emperor had precious cloths spread\nout from the Gold Tower to Laktjarna, which is the name of the emperor's\nmost splendid hall. King Sigurd ordered his men to ride in great state\ninto the city, and not to regard all the new things they might see;\nand this they did. King Sigurd and his followers rode with this great\nsplendour into Constantinople, and then came to the magnificent hall,\nwhere everything was in the grandest style.\n\nKing Sigurd remained here some time. The Emperor Kirjalax sent his men\nto him to ask if he would rather accept from the emperor six lispund of\ngold, or would have the emperor give the games in his honour which the\nemperor was used to have played at the Padreim. King Sigurd preferred\nthe games, and the messengers said the spectacle would not cost the\nemperor less than the money offered. Then the emperor prepared for the\ngames, which were held in the usual way; but this day everything went\non better for the king than for the queen; for the queen has always the\nhalf part in the games, and their men, therefore, always strive against\neach other in all games. The Greeks accordingly think that when the\nking's men win more games at the Padreim than the queen's, the king\nwill gain the victory when he goes into battle. People who have been in\nConstantinople tell that the Padreim is thus constructed:--A high\nwall surrounds a flat plain, which may be compared to a round bare\nThing-place, with earthen banks all around at the stone wall, on which\nbanks the spectators sit; but the games themselves are in the flat\nplain. There are many sorts of old events represented concerning the\nAsas, Volsungs, and Giukungs, in these games; and all the figures are\ncast in copper, or metal, with so great art that they appear to be\nliving things; and to the people it appears as if they were really\npresent in the games. The games themselves are so artfully and cleverly\nmanaged, that people appear to be riding in the air; and at them also\nare used shot-fire (1), and all kinds of harp-playing, singing, and\nmusic instruments.\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) Fireworks, or the Greek fire, probably were used.--L.\n\n\n\n\n13. SIGURD AND THE EMPEROR OF CONSTANTINOPLE.\n\nIt is related that King Sigurd one day was to give the emperor a feast,\nand he ordered his men to provide sumptuously all that was necessary for\nthe entertainment; and when all things were provided which are suitable\nfor an entertainment given by a great personage to persons of high\ndignity, King Sigurd ordered his men to go to the street in the city\nwhere firewood was sold, as they would require a great quantity to\nprepare the feast. They said the king need not be afraid of wanting\nfirewood, for every day many loads were brought into the town. When it\nwas necessary, however, to have firewood, it was found that it was all\nsold, which they told the king. He replied, \"Go and try if you can get\nwalnuts. They will answer as well as wood for fuel.\" They went and\ngot as many as they needed. Now came the emperor, and his grandees and\ncourt, and sat down to table. All was very splendid; and King\nSigurd received the emperor with great state, and entertained him\nmagnificently. When the queen and the emperor found that nothing\nwas wanting, she sent some persons to inquire what they had used for\nfirewood; and they came to a house filled with walnuts, and they came\nback and told the queen. \"Truly,\" said she, \"this is a magnificent king,\nwho spares no expense where his honour is concerned.\" She had contrived\nthis to try what they would do when they could get no firewood to dress\ntheir feast with.\n\n\n\n\n14. KING SIGURD THE CRUSADER'S RETURN HOME.\n\nKing Sigurd soon after prepared for his return home. He gave the emperor\nall his ships; and the valuable figureheads which were on the king's\nships were set up in Peter's church, where they have since been to be\nseen. The emperor gave the king many horses and guides to conduct him\nthrough all his dominions. Then King Sigurd left Constantinople; but a\ngreat many Northmen remained, and went into the emperor's pay. Then King\nSigurd traveled from Bulgaria, and through Hungary, Pannonia. Suabia,\nand Bavaria, where he met the Roman emperor, Lotharius, who received him\nin the most friendly way, gave him guides through his dominions, and had\nmarkets established for him at which he could purchase all he required.\nWhen King Sigurd came to Slesvik in Denmark, Earl Eilif made a sumptuous\nfeast for him; and it was then midsummer. In Heidaby he met the Danish\nking, Nikolas, who received him in the most friendly way, made a great\nentertainment for him, accompanied him north to Jutland, and gave him a\nship provided with everything needful. From thence the king returned\nto Norway, and was joyfully welcomed on his return to his kingdom (A.D.\n1110). It was the common talk among the people, that none had ever\nmade so honourable a journey from Norway as this of King Sigurd. He\nwas twenty years of age, and had been three years on these travels. His\nbrother Olaf was then twelve years old.\n\n\n\n\n15. EYSTEIN'S DOINGS IN THE MEANTIME.\n\nKing Eystein had also effected much in the country that was useful while\nKing Sigurd was on his journey. He established a monastery at Nordnes\nin Bergen, and endowed it with much property. He also built Michael's\nchurch, which is a very splendid stone temple. In the king's house there\nhe also built the Church of the Apostles, and the great hall, which is\nthe most magnificent wooden structure that was ever built in Norway.\nHe also built a church at Agdanes with a parapet; and a harbour, where\nformerly there had been a barren spot only. In Nidaros he built in\nthe king's street the church of Saint Nikolas, which was particularly\nornamented with carved work, and all in wood. He also built a church\nnorth in Vagar in Halogaland, and endowed it with property and revenues.\n\n\n\n\n16. OF KING EYSTEIN.\n\nKing Eystein sent a verbal message to the most intelligent and powerful\nof the men of Jamtaland, and invited them to him; received them all as\nthey came with great kindness; accompanied them part of the way home,\nand gave them presents, and thus enticed them into a friendship with\nhim. Now as many of them became accustomed to visit him and receive\ngifts from him, and he also sent gifts to some who did not come\nthemselves, he soon gained the favour of all the people who had most\ninfluence in the country. Then he spoke to the Jamtaland people, and\ntold them they had done ill in turning away from the kings of Norway,\nand withdrawing from them their taxes and allegiance. He began by\nsaying how the Jamtaland people had submitted to the reign of Hakon, the\nfoster-son of Athelstane, and had long afterwards been subjected to the\nkings of Norway, and he represented to them how many useful things they\ncould get from Norway, and how inconvenient it was for them to apply\nto the Swedish king for what they needed. By these speeches he brought\nmatters so far that the Jamtaland people of their own accord offered to\nbe subject to him, which they said was useful and necessary for them;\nand thus, on both sides, it was agreed that the Jamtalanders should put\ntheir whole country under King Eystein. The first beginning was with the\nmen of consequence, who persuaded the people to take an oath of fidelity\nto King Eystein; and then they went to King Eystein and confirmed the\ncountry to him by oath; and this arrangement has since continued for a\nlong time. King Eystein thus conquered Jamtaland by his wisdom, and not\nby hostile inroads, as some of his forefathers had done.\n\n\n\n\n17. OF KING EYSTEIN'S PERFECTIONS.\n\nKing Eystein was the handsomest man that could be seen. He had blue\nopen eyes; his hair yellow and curling; his stature not tall, but of the\nmiddle size. He was wise, intelligent, and acquainted with the laws and\nhistory. He had much knowledge of mankind, was quick in counsel, prudent\nin words, and very eloquent and very generous. He was very merry, yet\nmodest; and was liked and beloved, indeed, by all the people. He was\nmarried to Ingebjorg, a daughter of Guthorm, son of Thorer of Steig; and\ntheir daughter was Maria, who afterwards married Gudbrand Skafhogson.\n\n\n\n\n18. OF IVAR INGIMUNDSON.\n\nKing Eystein had in many ways improved the laws and priveleges of the\ncountry people, and kept strictly to the laws; and he made himself\nacquainted with all the laws of Norway, and showed in everything great\nprudence and understanding. What a valuable man King Eystein was, how\nfull of friendship, and how much he turned his mind to examining and\navoiding everything that could be of disadvantage to his friends, may be\nseen from his friendship to an Iceland man called Ivar Ingimundson. The\nman was witty, of great family, and also a poet. The king saw that Ivar\nwas out of spirits, and asked him why he was so melancholy. \"Before,\nwhen thou wast with us, we had much amusement with thy conversation. I\nknow thou art a man of too good an understanding to believe that I would\ndo anything against thee. Tell me then what it is.\"\n\nHe replied, \"I cannot tell thee what it is.\"\n\nThen said the king, \"I will try to guess what it is. Are there any men\nwho displease thee?\"\n\nTo this he replied, \"No.\"\n\n\"Dost thou think thou art held in less esteem by me than thou wouldst\nlike to be?\"\n\nTo this he also replied, \"No.\"\n\n\"Hast thou observed anything whatever that has made an impression on\nthee at which thou art ill pleased?\"\n\nHe replied, it was not this either.\n\nThe king: \"Would you like to go to other chiefs or to other men?\"\n\nTo this he answered, \"No.\"\n\nThe king: \"It is difficult now to guess. Is there any girl here, or in\nany other country, to whom thy affections are engaged?\"\n\nHe said it was so.\n\nThe king said, \"Do not be melancholy on that account. Go to Iceland\nwhen spring sets in, and I shall give thee money, and presents, and with\nthese my letters and seal to the men who have the principal sway there;\nand I know no man there who will not obey my persuasions or threats.\"\n\nIvar replied, \"My fate is heavier, sire; for my own brother has the\ngirl.\"\n\nThen said the king, \"Throw it out of thy mind; and I know a counsel\nagainst this. After Yule I will travel in guest-quarters. Thou shalt\ncome along with me, and thou will have an opportunity of seeing many\nbeautiful girls; and, provided they are not of the royal stock, I will\nget thee one of them in marriage.\"\n\nIvar replies, \"Sire, my fate is still the heavier; for as oft as I see\nbeautiful and excellent girls I only remember the more that girl, and\nthey increase my misery.\"\n\nThe king: \"Then I will give thee property to manage, and estates for thy\namusement.\"\n\nHe replied, \"For that I have no desire.\"\n\nThe king: \"Then I will give thee money, that thou mayest travel in other\ncountries.\"\n\nHe said he did not wish this.\n\nThen said the king, \"It is difficult for me to seek farther, for I have\nproposed everything that occurs to me. There is but one thing else;\nand that is but little compared to what I have offered thee. Come to me\nevery day after the tables are removed, and, if I am not sitting upon\nimportant business, I shall talk with thee about the girl in every way\nthat I can think of; and I shall do so at leisure. It sometimes happens\nthat sorrow is lightened by being brought out openly; and thou shalt\nnever go away without some gift.\"\n\nHe replied, \"This I will do, sire, and return thanks for this inquiry.\"\n\nAnd now they did so constantly; and when the king was not occupied with\nweightier affairs he talked with him, and his sorrow by degrees wore\naway, and he was again in good spirits.\n\n\n\n\n19. OF KING SIGURD.\n\nKing Sigurd was a stout and strong man, with brown hair; of a manly\nappearance, but not handsome; well grown; of little speech, and often\nnot friendly, but good to his friends, and faithful; not very eloquent,\nbut moral and polite. King Sigurd was self-willed, and severe in his\nrevenge; strict in observing the law; was generous; and withal an\nable, powerful king. His brother Olaf was a tall, thin man; handsome\nin countenance; lively, modest, and popular. When all these brothers,\nEystein, Sigurd and Olaf were kings of Norway, they did away with many\nburthens which the Danes had laid upon the people in the time that Svein\nAlfifason ruled Norway; and on this account they were much beloved, both\nby the people and the great men of the country.\n\n\n\n\n20. OF KING SIGURD'S DREAM.\n\nOnce King Sigurd fell into low spirits, so that few could get him to\nconverse, and he sat but a short time at the drinking table. This was\nheavy on his counsellors, friends, and court; and they begged King\nEystein to consider how they could discover the cause why the people who\ncame to the king could get no reply to what they laid before him. King\nEystein answered them, that it was difficult to speak with the king\nabout this; but at last, on the entreaty of many, he promised to do\nit. Once, when they were both together, King Eystein brought the matter\nbefore his brother, and asked the cause of his melancholy. \"It is a\ngreat grief, sire, to many to see thee so melancholy; and we would like\nto know what has occasioned it, or if perchance thou hast heard any news\nof great weight?\"\n\nKing Sigurd replies, that it was not so.\n\n\"Is it then, brother,\" says King Eystein, \"that you would like to travel\nout of the country, and augment your dominions as our father did?\"\n\nHe answered, that it was not that either.\n\n\"Is it, then, that any man here in the country has offended?\"\n\nTo this also the king said \"No.\"\n\n\"Then I would like to know if you have dreamt anything that has\noccasioned this depression of mind?\"\n\nThe king answered that it was so.\n\n\"Tell me, then, brother, thy dream.\"\n\nKing Sigurd said, \"I will not tell it, unless thou interpret it as it\nmay turn out; and I shall be quick at perceiving if thy interpretation\nbe right or not.\"\n\nKing Eystein replies, \"This is a very difficult matter, sire, on both\nsides; as I am exposed to thy anger if I cannot interpret it, and to the\nblame of the public if I can do nothing in the matter; but I will rather\nfall under your displeasure, even if my interpretation should not be\nagreeable.\"\n\nKing Sigurd replies, \"It appeared to me, in a dream, as if we brothers\nwere all sitting on a bench in front of Christ church in Throndhjem; and\nit appeared to me as if our relative, King Olaf the Saint, came out of\nthe church adorned with the royal raiment glancing and splendid, and\nwith the most delightful and joyful countenance. He went to our brother\nKing Olaf, took him by the hand, and said cheerfully, to him, 'Come with\nme, friend.' On which he appeared to stand up and go into the church.\nSoon after King Olaf the Saint came out of the church, but not so gay\nand brilliant as before. Now he went to thee, brother, and said to thee\nthat thou shouldst go with him; on which he led thee with him, and ye\nwent into the church. Then I thought, and waited for it, that he would\ncome to me, and meet me; but it was not so. Then I was seized with\ngreat sorrow, and great dread and anxiety fell upon me, so that I was\naltogether without strength; and then I awoke.\"\n\nKing Eystein replies, \"Thus I interpret your dream, sire,--That the\nbench betokens the kingdom we brothers have; and as you thought King\nOlaf came with so glad a countenance to our brother, King Olaf, he\nwill likely live the shortest time of us brothers, and have all good to\nexpect hereafter; for he is amiable, young in years, and has gone but\nlittle into excess, and King Olaf the Saint must help him. But as you\nthought he came towards me, but not with so much joy, I may possibly\nlive a few years longer, but not become old, and I trust his providence\nwill stand over me; but that he did not come to me with the same\nsplendour and glory as to our brother Olaf, that will be because, in\nmany ways, I have sinned and transgressed his command. If he delayed\ncoming to thee, I think that in no way betokens thy death, but rather a\nlong life; but it may be that some heavy accident may occur to thee, as\nthere was an unaccountable dread overpowering thee; but I foretell that\nthou will be the oldest of us, and wilt rule the kingdom longest.\"\n\nThen said Sigurd, \"This is well and intelligently interpreted, and it is\nlikely it will be so.\" And now the king began to be cheerful again.\n\n\n\n\n21. OF KING SIGURD'S MARRIAGE.\n\nKing Sigurd married Malmfrid, a daughter of King Harald Valdemarson,\neastward in Novgorod. King Harald Valdemarson's mother was Queen Gyda\nthe Old, a daughter of the Swedish king, Inge Steinkelson. Harald\nValdemarson's other daughter, sister to Malmfrid, was Ingebjorg, who was\nmarried to Canute Lavard, a son of the Danish king, Eirik the Good, and\ngrandson of King Svein Ulfson. Canute's and Ingebjorg's children were,\nthe Danish king, Valdemar, who came to the Danish kingdom after Svein\nEirikson; and daughters Margaret, Christina, and Catherine. Margaret was\nmarried to Stig Hvitaled; and their daughter was Christina, married to\nthe Swedish king, Karl Sorkvison, and their son was King Sorkver.\n\n\n\n\n22. OF THE CASES BEFORE THE THING.\n\nThe king's relative, Sigurd Hranason, came into strife with King Sigurd.\nHe had had the Lapland collectorship on the king's account, because of\ntheir relationship and long friendship, and also of the many services\nSigurd Hranason had done to the kings; for he was a very distinguished,\npopular man. But it happened to him, as it often does to others, that\npersons more wicked and jealous than upright slandered him to King\nSigurd, and whispered in the king's ear that he took more of the\nLaplander's tribute to himself than was proper. They spoke so long about\nthis, that King Sigurd conceived a dislike and anger to him, and sent a\nmessage to him. When he appeared before the king, the king carried these\nfeelings with him, and said, \"I did not expect that thou shouldst have\nrepaid me for thy great fiefs and other dignities by taking the king's\nproperty, and abstracting a greater portion of it than is allowable.\"\n\nSigurd Hranason replies, \"It is not true that has been told you; for I\nhave only taken such portion as I had your permission to take.\"\n\nKing Sigurd replies, \"Thou shalt not slip away with this; but the matter\nshall be seriously treated before it comes to an end.\" With that they\nparted.\n\nSoon after, by the advice of his friends, the king laid an action\nagainst Sigurd Hranason at the Thing-meeting in Bergen, and would have\nhim made an outlaw. Now when the business took this turn, and appeared\nso dangerous, Sigurd Hranason went to King Eystein, and told him what\nmischief King Sigurd intended to do him, and entreated his assistance.\nKing Eystein replied, \"This is a difficult matter that you propose to\nme, to speak against my brother; and there is a great difference between\ndefending a cause and pursuing it in law;\" and added, that this was a\nmatter which concerned him and Sigurd equally. \"But for thy distress,\nand our relationship, I shall bring in a word for thee.\"\n\nSoon after Eystein visited King Sigurd, and entreated him to spare the\nman, reminding him of the relationship between them and Sigurd Hranason,\nwho was married to their aunt, Skialdvor; and said he would pay the\npenalty for the crime committed against the king, although he could not\nwith truth impute any blame to him in the matter. Besides, he reminded\nthe king of the long friendship with Sigurd Hranason. King Sigurd\nreplied, that it was better government to punish such acts. Then King\nEystein replied, \"If thou, brother, wilt follow the law, and punish\nsuch acts according to the country's privileges, then it would be most\ncorrect that Sigurd Hranason produce his witnesses, and that the case be\njudged at the Thing, but not at a meeting; for the case comes under\nthe law of the land, not under Bjarkey law.\" Then said Sigurd, \"It\nmay possibly be so that the case belongs to it, as thou sayest, King\nEystein; and if it be against law what has hitherto been done in this\ncase, then we shall bring it before the Thing.\" Then the kings parted,\nand each seemed determined to take his own way. King Sigurd summoned the\nparties in the case before the Arnarnes Thing, and intended to pursue it\nthere. King Eystein came also to the Thing-place; and when the case\nwas brought forward for judgment, King Eystein went to the Thing before\njudgment was given upon Sigurd Hranason. Now King Sigurd told the lagmen\nto pronounce the judgment; but King Eystein replied thus: \"I trust there\nare here men acquainted sufficiently with the laws of Norway, to know\nthat they cannot condemn a lendermen to be outlawed at this Thing.\" And\nhe then explained how the law was, so that every man clearly understood\nit. Then said King Sigurd, \"Thou art taking up this matter very warmly,\nKing Eystein, and it is likely the case will cost more trouble before\nit comes to an end than we intended; but nevertheless we shall follow it\nout. I will have him condemned to be outlawed in his native place.\" Then\nsaid King Eystein, \"There are certainly not many things which do not\nsucceed with thee, and especially when there are but few and small folks\nto oppose one who has carried through such great things.\" And thus they\nparted, without anything being concluded in the case. Thereafter King\nSigurd called together a Gula Thing, went himself there, and summoned to\nhim many high chiefs. King Eystein came there also with his suite; and\nmany meetings and conferences were held among people of understanding\nconcerning this case, and it was tried and examined before the lagmen.\nNow King Eystein objected that all the parties summoned in any cases\ntried here belonged to the Thing-district; but in this case the deed and\nthe parties belonged to Halogaland. The Thing accordingly ended in doing\nnothing, as King Eystein had thus made it incompetent. The kings parted\nin great wrath; and King Eystein went north to Throndhjem. King\nSigurd, on the other hand, summoned to him all lendermen, and also\nthe house-servants of the lendermen, and named out of every district a\nnumber of the bondes from the south parts of the country, so that he\nhad collected a large army about him; and proceeded with all this crowd\nnorthwards along the coast to Halogaland, and intended to use all his\npower to make Sigurd Hranason an outlaw among his own relations. For\nthis purpose he summoned to him the Halogaland and Naumudal people, and\nappointed a Thing at Hrafnista. King Eystein prepared himself also, and\nproceeded with many people from the town of Nidaros to the Thing, where\nhe made Sigurd Hranason, by hand-shake before witnesses, deliver over to\nhim the following and defending this case. At this Thing both the kings\nspoke, each for his own side. Then King Eystein asks the lagmen where\nthat law was made in Norway which gave the bondes the right to judge\nbetween the kings of the country, when they had pleas with each other.\n\"I shall bring witnesses to prove that Sigurd has given the case into my\nhands; and it is with me, not with Sigurd Hranason, that King Sigurd has\nto do in this case.\" The lagmen said that disputes between kings must be\njudged only at the Eyra Thing in Nidaros.\n\nKing Eystein said, \"So I thought that it should be there, and the cases\nmust be removed there.\"\n\nThen King Sigurd said, \"The more difficulties and inconvenience thou\nbringest upon me in this matter, the more I will persevere in it.\" And\nwith that they parted.\n\nBoth kings then went south to Nidaros town, where they summoned a Thing\nfrom eight districts. King Eystein was in the town with a great many\npeople, but Sigurd was on board his ships. When the Thing was opened,\npeace and safe conduct was given to all; and when the people were all\ncollected, and the case should be gone into, Bergthor, a son of Svein\nBryggjufot, stood up, and gave his evidence that Sigurd Hranason had\nconcealed a part of the Laplanders' taxes.\n\nThen King Eystein stood up and said, \"If thy accusation were true,\nalthough we do not know what truth there may be in thy testimony, yet\nthis case has already been dismissed from three Things, and a fourth\ntime from a town meeting; and therefore I require that the lagmen acquit\nSigurd in this case according to law.\" And they did so.\n\nThen said King Sigurd, \"I see sufficiently, King Eystein, that thou hast\ncarried this case by law-quirks (1), which I do not understand. But now\nthere remains, King Eystein, a way of determining the case which I am\nmore used to, and which I shall now apply.\"\n\nHe then retired to his ships, had the tents taken down, laid his whole\nfleet out at the holm, and held a Thing of his people; and told them\nthat early in the morning they should land at Iluvellir, and give battle\nto King Eystein. But in the evening, as King Sigurd sat at his table in\nhis ship taking his repast, before he was aware of it a man cast himself\non the floor of the forehold, and at the king's feet. This was Sigurd\nHranason, who begged the king to take what course with regard to him the\nking himself thought proper. Then came Bishop Magne and Queen Malmfrid,\nand many other great personages, and entreated forgiveness for Sigurd\nHranason; and at their entreaty the king raised him up, took him by the\nhand, and placed him among his men, and took him along with himself to\nthe south part of the country. In autumn the king gave Sigurd Hranason\nleave to go north to his farm, gave him an employment, and was always\nafterward his friend. After this day, however, the brothers were never\nmuch together, and there was no cordiality or cheerfulness among them.\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) These law-quirks show a singularly advanced state of law.\n     and deference to the Law Things, amidst such social disorder\n     and misdeeds.--L.\n\n\n\n\n23. OF KING OLAF'S DEATH.\n\nKing Olaf Magnuson fell into a sickness which ended in his death. He was\nburied in Christ church in Nidaros, and many were in great grief at his\ndeath. After Olaf's death, Eystein and Sigurd ruled the country, the\nthree brothers together having been kings of Norway for twelve years\n(A.D. 1104-1115); namely, five years after King Sigurd returned home,\nand seven years before. King Olaf was seventeen years old when he died,\nand it happened on the 24th of December.\n\n\n\n\n24. MAGNUS THE BLIND; HIS BIRTH.\n\nKing Eystein had been about a year in the east part of the country at\nthat time, and King Sigurd was then in the north. King Eystein remained\na long time that winter in Sarpsborg. There was once a powerful and rich\nbonde called Olaf of Dal, who dwelt in Great Dal in Aumord, and had two\nchildren,--a son called Hakon Fauk, and a daughter called Borghild, who\nwas a very beautiful girl, and prudent, and well skilled in many things.\nOlaf and his children were a long time in winter in Sarpsborg, and\nBorghild conversed very often with King Eystein; so that many reports\nwere spread about their friendship. The following summer King Eystein\nwent north, and King Sigurd came eastward, where he remained all\nwinter, and was long in Konungahella, which town he greatly enlarged and\nimproved. He built there a great castle of turf and stone, dug a great\nditch around it, and built a church and several houses within the\ncastle. The holy cross he allowed to remain at Konungahella, and therein\ndid not fulfill the oath he had taken in Palestine; but, on the other\nhand, he established tithe, and most of the other things to which he had\nbound himself by oath. The reason of his keeping the cross east at the\nfrontier of the country was, that he thought it would be a protection to\nall the land; but it proved the greatest misfortune to place this relic\nwithin the power of the heathens, as it afterwards turned out.\n\nWhen Borghild, Olaf's daughter, heard it whispered that people talked\nill of her conversations and intimacy with King Eystein, she went to\nSarpsborg; and after suitable fasts she carried the iron as proof of her\ninnocence, and cleared herself thereby fully from all offence. When\nKing Sigurd heard this, he rode one day as far as usually was two days'\ntravelling, and came to Dal to Olaf, where he remained all night, made\nBorghild his concubine, and took her away with him. They had a son,\nwho was called Magnus, and he was sent immediately to Halogaland, to\nbe fostered at Bjarkey by Vidkun Jonson; and he was brought up there.\nMagnus grew up to be the handsomest man that could be seen, and was very\nsoon stout and strong.\n\n\n\n\n25. COMPARISON BETWEEN THE TWO KINGS.\n\nKing Eystein and King Sigurd went both in spring to guest-quarters\nin the Uplands; and each was entertained in a separate house, and the\nhouses were not very distant from each other. The bondes, however,\nthought it more convenient that both should be entertained together by\nturns in each house; and thus they were both at first in the house of\nKing Eystein. But in the evening, when the people began to drink, the\nale was not good; so that the guests were very quiet and still. Then\nsaid King Eystein, \"Why are the people so silent? It is more usual in\ndrinking parties that people are merry, so let us fall upon some jest\nover our ale that will amuse people; for surely, brother Sigurd, all\npeople are well pleased when we talk cheerfully.\"\n\nSigurd replies, bluntly, \"Do you talk as much as you please, but give me\nleave to be silent.\"\n\nEystein says, \"It is a common custom over the ale-table to compare one\nperson with another, and now let us do so.\" Then Sigurd was silent.\n\n\"I see,\" says King Eystein, \"that I must begin this amusement. Now I\nwill take thee, brother, to compare myself with, and will make it appear\nso as if we had both equal reputation and property, and that there is no\ndifference in our birth and education.\"\n\nThen King Sigurd replies, \"Do you remember that I was always able to\nthrow you when we wrestled, although you are a year older?\"\n\nThen King Eystein replied, \"But I remember that you was not so good at\nthe games which require agility.\"\n\nSigurd: \"Do you remember that I could drag you under water, when we swam\ntogether, as often as I pleased?\"\n\nEystein: \"But I could swim as far as you, and could dive as well as you;\nand I could run upon snow-skates so well that nobody could beat me, and\nyou could no more do it than an ox.\"\n\nSigurd: \"Methinks it is a more useful and suitable accomplishment for\na chief to be expert at his bow; and I think you could scarcely draw my\nbow, even if you took your foot to help.\"\n\nEystein: \"I am not strong at the bow as you are, but there is less\ndifference between our shooting near; and I can use the skees\nmuch better than you, and in former times that was held a great\naccomplishment.\"\n\nSigurd: \"It appears to me much better for a chief who is to be the\nsuperior of other men, that he is conspicuous in a crowd, and strong\nand powerful in weapons above other men; easily seen, and easily known,\nwhere there are many together.\"\n\nEystein: \"It is not less a distinction and an ornament that a man is\nof a handsome appearance, so as to be easily known from others on that\naccount; and this appears to me to suit a chief best, because the best\nornament is allied to beauty. I am moreover more knowing in the law than\nyou, and on every subject my words flow more easily than yours.\"\n\nSigurd: \"It may be that you know more law-quirks, for I have had\nsomething else to do; neither will any deny you a smooth tongue. But\nthere are many who say that your words are not to be trusted; that what\nyou promise is little to be regarded; and that you talk just according\nto what those who are about you say, which is not kingly.\"\n\nEystein: \"This is because, when people bring their cases before me, I\nwish first to give every man that satisfaction in his affairs which\nhe desires; but afterwards comes the opposite party, and then there\nis something to be given or taken away very often, in order to mediate\nbetween them, so that both may be satisfied. It often happens, too, that\nI promise whatever is desired of me, that all may be joyful about me. It\nwould be an easy matter for me to do as you do,--to promise evil to all;\nand I never hear any complain of your not keeping this promise to them.\"\n\nSigurd: \"It is the conversation of all that the expedition that I made\nout of the country was a princely expedition, while you in the meantime\nsat at home like your father's daughter.\"\n\nEystein: \"Now you touched the tender spot. I would not have brought up\nthis conversation if I had not known what to reply on this point. I can\ntruly say that I equipt you from home like a sister, before you went\nupon this expedition.\"\n\nSigurd: \"You must have heard that on this expedition I was in many a\nbattle in the Saracen's land, and gained the victory in all; and you\nmust have heard of the many valuable articles I acquired, the like\nof which were never seen before in this country, and I was the most\nrespected wherever the most gallant men were; and, on the other hand,\nyou cannot conceal that you have only a home-bred reputation.\"\n\nEystein: \"I have heard that you had several battles abroad, but it was\nmore useful for the country what I was doing in the meantime here at\nhome. I built five churches from the foundations, and a harbour out at\nAgdanes, where it before was impossible to land, and where vessels ply\nnorth and south along the coast. I set a warping post and iron ring in\nthe sound of Sinholm, and in Bergen I built a royal hall, while you were\nkilling bluemen for the devil in Serkland. This, I think, was of but\nlittle advantage to our kingdom.\"\n\nKing Sigurd said: \"On this expedition I went all the way to Jordan\nand swam across the river. On the edge of the river there is a bush of\nwillows, and there I twisted a knot of willows, and said this knot thou\nshouldst untie, brother, or take the curse thereto attached.\"\n\nKing Eystein said: \"I shall not go and untie the knot which you tied for\nme; but if I had been inclined to tie a knot for thee, thou wouldst\nnot have been king of Norway at thy return to this country, when with a\nsingle ship you came sailing into my fleet.\"\n\nThereupon both were silent, and there was anger on both sides. More\nthings passed between the brothers, from which it appeared that each\nof them would be greater than the other; however, peace was preserved\nbetween them as long as they lived.\n\n\n\n\n26. OF KING SIGURD'S SICKNESS.\n\nKing Sigurd was at a feast in the Upland, and a bath was made ready for\nhim. When the king came to the bath and the tent was raised over the\nbathing-tub, the king thought there was a fish in the tub beside him;\nand a great laughter came upon him, so that he was beside himself, and\nwas out of his mind, and often afterwards these fits returned.\n\nMagnus Barefoot's daughter, Ragnhild, was married by her brothers to\nHarald Kesia, a son of the Danish king, Eirik the Good; and their sons\nwere Magnus, Olaf, Knut and Harald.\n\n\n\n\n27. OF KING EYSTEIN'S DEATH.\n\nKing Eystein built a large ship at Nidaros, which, in size and shape,\nwas like the Long Serpent which King Olaf Trygvason had built. At the\nstem there was a dragon's head, and at the stern a crooked tail, and\nboth were gilded over. The ship was high-sided; but the fore and aft\nparts appeared less than they should be. He also made in Nidaros many\nand large dry-docks of the best material, and well timbered.\n\nSix years after King Olaf's death, it happened that King Eystein, at a\nfeast at Hustadir in Stim, was seized with an illness which soon carried\nhim off. He died the 29th of August, 1123, and his body was carried\nnorth to Nidaros, and buried in Christ church; and it is generally said\nthat so many mourners never stood over any man's grave in Norway as over\nKing Eystein's, at least since the time Magnus the Good, Saint Olaf's\nson, died. Eystein had been twenty years (A.D. 1104-1123) king of\nNorway; and after his decease his brother, King Sigurd, was the sole\nking of Norway as long as he lived.\n\n\n\n\n28. BAPTIZING THE PEOPLE OF SMALAND.\n\nThe Danish king, Nikolas, a son of Svein Ulfson, married afterwards the\nQueen Margaret, a daughter of King Inge, who had before been married to\nKing Magnus Barefoot; and their sons were Nikolas and Magnus the Strong.\nKing Nikolas sent a message to King Sigurd the Crusader, and asked him\nif he would go with him with all his might and help him to the east\nof the Swedish dominion, Smaland, to baptize the inhabitants; for the\npeople who dwelt there had no regard for Christianity, although some of\nthem had allowed themselves to be baptized. At that time there were many\npeople all around in the Swedish dominions who were heathens, and many\nwere bad Christians; for there were some of the kings who renounced\nChristianity, and continued heathen sacrifices, as Blotsvein, and\nafterwards Eirik Arsale, had done. King Sigurd promised to undertake\nthis journey, and the kings appointed their meeting at Eyrarsund. King\nSigurd then summoned all people in Norway to a levy, both of men and\nships; and when the fleet was assembled he had about 300 ships. King\nNikolas came very early to the meeting-place, and stayed there a long\ntime; and the bondes murmured much, and said the Northmen did not intend\nto come. Thereupon the Danish army dispersed, and the king went away\nwith all his fleet. King Sigurd came there soon afterwards, and was ill\npleased; but sailed east to Svimraros, and held a House-thing, at which\nSigurd spoke about King Nikolas's breach of faith, and the Northmen,\non this account, determined to go marauding in his country. They first\nplundered a village called Tumathorp, which is not far from Lund; and\nthen sailed east to the merchant-town of Calmar, where they plundered,\nas well as in Smaland, and imposed on the country a tribute of\n1500 cattle for ship provision; and the people of Smaland received\nChristianity. After this King Sigurd turned about with his fleet, and\ncame back to his kingdom with many valuable articles and great booty,\nwhich he had gathered on this expedition; and this levy was called the\nCalmar levy. This was the summer before the eclipse. This was the only\nlevy King Sigurd carried out as long as he was king.\n\n\n\n\n29. OF THORARIN STUTFELD.\n\nIt happened once when King Sigurd was going from the drinking-table to\nvespers, that his men were very drunk and merry; and many of them sat\noutside the church singing the evening song, but their singing was very\nirregular. Then the king said, \"Who is that fellow I see standing at the\nchurch with a skin jacket on?\" They answered, that they did not know.\nThen the king said:--\n\n     \"This skin-clad man, in sorry plight,\n     Puts all our wisdom here to flight.\"\n\nThen the fellow came forward and said:--\n\n     \"I thought that here I might be known,\n     Although my dress is scanty grown.\n     'Tis poor, but I must be content:\n     Unless, great king, it's thy intent\n     To give me better; for I have seen\n     When I and rags had strangers been.\"\n\nThe king answered, \"Come to me to-morrow when I am at the drink-table.\"\nThe night passed away; and the morning after the Icelander, who was\nafterwards called Thorarin Stutfetd, went into the drinking-room. A man\nstood outside of the door of the room with a horn in his hand, and said,\n\"Icelander! the king says that if thou wilt deserve any gift from him\nthou shalt compose a song before going in, and make it about a man whose\nname is Hakon Serkson, and who is called Morstrut (1); and speak about\nthat surname in thy song.\" The man who spoke to him was called Arne\nFioruskeif. Then they went into the room; and when Thorarin came before\nthe king's seat he recited these verses:--\n\n     \"Throndhjem's warrior-king has said\n     The skald should be by gifts repaid,\n     If he before this meeting gave\n     The king's friend Serk a passing stave.\n     The generous king has let me know\n     My stave, to please, must be framed so\n     That my poor verse extol the fame\n     Of one called Hakon Lump by name.\"\n\nThen said the king, \"I never said so, and somebody has been making a\nmock of thee. Hakon himself shall determine what punishment thou shalt\nhave. Go into his suite.\" Hakon said, \"He shall be welcome among us, for\nI can see where the joke came from;\" and he placed the Icelander at his\nside next to himself, and they were very merry. The day was drawing to\na close, and the liquor began to get into their heads, when Hakon said,\n\"Dost thou not think, Icelander, that thou owest me some penalty? and\ndost thou not see that some trick has been played upon thee?\"\n\nThorarin replies, \"It is true, indeed, that I owe thee some\ncompensation.\"\n\nHakon says, \"Then we shall be quits, if thou wilt make me another stave\nabout Arne.\"\n\nHe said he was ready to do so; and they crossed over to the side of the\nroom where Arne was sitting, and Thorarin gave these verses:--\n\n     \"Fioruskeif has often spread,\n     With evil heart and idle head,\n     The eagle's voidings round the land,\n     Lampoons and lies, with ready hand.\n     Yet this landlouper we all know,\n     In Africa scarce fed a crow,\n     Of all his arms used in the field,\n     Those in most use were helm and shield.\"\n\nArne sprang up instantly, drew his sword, and was going to fall upon\nhim; but Hakon told him to let it alone and be quiet, and bade him\nremember that if it came to a quarrel he would come off the worst\nhimself. Thorarin afterwards went up to the king, and said he had\ncomposed a poem which he wished the king to hear. The king consented,\nand the song is known by the name of the Stutfeld poem. The king asked\nThorarin what he intended to do. He replied, it was his intention to go\nto Rome. Then the king gave him much money for his pilgrimage, and told\nhim to visit him on his return, and promised to provide for him.\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) Morstrut is a short, fat, punchy fellow.--L.\n\n\n\n\n30. OF SIGURD AND OTTAR BIRTING.\n\nIt is told that King Sigurd, one Whitsunday, sat at table with many\npeople, among whom were many of his friends; and when he came to his\nhigh-seat, people saw that his countenance was very wild, and as if he\nhad been weeping, so that people were afraid of what might follow.\nThe king rolled his eyes, and looked at those who were seated on the\nbenches. Then he seized the holy book which he had brought with him\nfrom abroad, and which was written all over with gilded letters; so that\nnever had such a costly book come to Norway. His queen sat by his side.\nThen said King Sigurd, \"Many are the changes which may take place during\na man's lifetime. I had two things which were dear to me above all when\nI came from abroad, and these were this book and the queen; and now\nI think the one is only worse and more loathsome than the other, and\nnothing I have belonging to me that I more detest. The queen does not\nknow herself how hideous she is; for a goat's horn is standing out on\nher head, and the better I liked her before the worse I like her\nnow.\" Thereupon he cast the book on the fire which was burning on the\nhall-floor, and gave the queen a blow with his fist between the eyes.\nThe queen wept; but more at the king's' illness than at the blow, or the\naffront she had suffered.\n\nThen a man stood up before the king; his name was Ottar Birting; and he\nwas one of the torch-bearers, although a bonde's son, and was on service\nthat day. He was of small stature, but of agreeable appearance; lively,\nbold, and full of fun; black haired, and of a dark skin. He ran and\nsnatched the book which the king had cast into the fire, held it out,\nand said, \"Different were the days, sire, when you came with great state\nand splendour to Norway, and with great fame and honour; for then all\nyour friends came to meet you with joy, and were glad at your coming.\nAll as one man would have you for king, and have you in the highest\nregard and honour. But now days of sorrow are come over us; for on\nthis holy festival many of your friends have come to you, and cannot be\ncheerful on account of your melancholy and ill health. It is much to be\ndesired that you would be merry with them; and do, good king, take this\nsaving advice, make peace first with the queen, and make her joyful whom\nyou have so highly affronted, with a friendly word; and then all your\nchiefs, friends, and servants; that is my advice.\"\n\nThen said King Sigurd, \"Dost thou dare to give me advice, thou great\nlump of a houseman's lad!\" And he sprang up, drew his sword, and swung\nit with both hands as if going to cut him down.\n\nBut Ottar stood quiet and upright; did not stir from the spot, nor show\nthe slightest sign of fear; and the king turned round the sword-blade\nwhich he had waved over Ottar's head, and gently touched him on the\nshoulder with it. Then he sat down in silence on his high-seat.\n\nAll were silent who were in the hall, for nobody dared to say a word.\nNow the king looked around him, milder than before, and said, \"It is\ndifficult to know what there is in people. Here sat my friends, and\nlendermen, marshals and shield-bearers, and all the best men in the\nland; but none did so well against me as this man, who appears to you\nof little worth compared to any of you, although now he loves me most. I\ncame here like a madman, and would have destroyed my precious property;\nbut he turned aside my deed, and was not afraid of death for it. Then he\nmade an able speech, ordering his words so that they were honourable to\nme, and not saying a single word about things which could increase my\nvexation; but even avoiding what might, with truth, have been said.\nSo excellent was his speech, that no man here, however great his\nunderstanding, could have spoken better. Then I sprang up in a pretended\nrage, and made as if I would have cut him down; but he was courageous as\nif he had nothing to fear; and seeing that, I let go my purpose; for he\nwas altogether innocent. Now ye shall know, my friends, how I intend to\nreward him; he was before my torchbearer, and shall now be my lenderman;\nand there shall follow what is still more, that he shall be the most\ndistinguished of my lendermen. Go thou and sit among the lendermen, and\nbe a servant no longer.\"\n\nOttar became one of the most celebrated men in Norway for various good\nand praiseworthy deeds.\n\n\n\n\n31. OF KING SIGURD'S DREAM.\n\nIn King Sigurd's latter days he was once at an entertainment at one\nof his farms; and in the morning when he was dressed he was silent\nand still, so that his friends were afraid he was not able to govern\nhimself. Now the farm bailiff, who was a man of good sense and courage,\nbrought him into conversation, and asked if he had heard any news of\nsuch importance that it disturbed his mirth; or if the entertainment\nhad not satisfied him; or if there was anything else that people could\nremedy.\n\nKing Sigurd said, that none of the things he had mentioned was the\ncause. \"But it is that I think upon the dream I had in the night.\"\n\n\"Sire,\" replied he, \"may it prove a lucky dream! I would gladly hear\nit.\"\n\nThe king: \"I thought that I was in Jadar, and looked out towards the\nsea; and that I saw something very black moving itself; and when it came\nnear it appeared to be a large tree, of which the branches stretched far\nabove the water, and the roots were down in the sea. Now when the tree\ncame to the shore it broke into pieces, and drove all about the land,\nboth the mainland and the out-islands, rocks and strands; and it\nappeared to me as if I saw over all Norway along the sea-coast, and\nsaw pieces of that tree, some small and some large, driven into every\nbight.\"\n\nThen said the bailiff, \"It is likely that you an best interpret this\ndream yourself; and I would willingly hear your interpretation of it.\"\n\nThen said the king, \"This dream appears to me to denote the arrival in\nthis country of some man who will fix his seat here, and whose posterity\nwill spread itself over the land; but with unequal power, as the dream\nshows.\"\n\n\n\n\n32. OF ASLAK HANE.\n\nIt so happened once, that King Sigurd sat in a gloomy mood among many\nworthy men. It was Friday evening, and the kitchen-master asked what\nmeat should be made ready.\n\nThe king replies, \"What else but flesh-meat?\" And so harsh were his\nwords that nobody dared to contradict him, and all were ill at ease.\nNow when people prepared to go to table, dishes of warm flesh-meat were\ncarried in; but all were silent, and grieved at the king's illness.\nBefore the blessing was pronounced over the meat, a man called Aslak\nHane spoke. He had been a long time with King Sigurd on his journey\nabroad, and was not a man of any great family; and was small of stature,\nbut fiery. When he perceived how it was, and that none dared to accost\nthe king, he asked, \"What is it, sire, that is smoking on the dish\nbefore you?\"\n\nThe king replies, \"What do you mean, Aslak? what do you think it is?\"\n\nAslak: \"I think it is flesh-meat; and I would it were not so.\"\n\nThe king: \"But if it be so, Aslak?\"\n\nHe replied, \"It would be vexatious to know that a gallant king, who has\ngained so much honour in the world, should so forget himself. When you\nrose up out of Jordan, after bathing in the same waters as God himself,\nwith palm-leaves in your hands, and the cross upon your breast, it was\nsomething else you promised, sire, than to eat flesh-meat on a Friday.\nIf a meaner man were to do so, he would merit a heavy punishment. This\nroyal hall is not so beset as it should be, when it falls upon me, a\nmean man, to challenge such an act.\"\n\nThe king sat silent, and did not partake of the meat; and when the time\nfor eating was drawing to an end, the king ordered the flesh dishes to\nbe removed and other food was brought in, such as it is permitted to\nuse. When the meal-time was almost past, the king began to be cheerful,\nand to drink. People advised Aslak to fly, but he said he would not do\nso. \"I do not see how it could help me; and to tell the truth, it is\nas good to die now that I have got my will, and have prevented the king\nfrom committing a sin. It is for him to kill me if he likes.\"\n\nTowards evening the king called him, and said, \"Who set thee on, Aslak\nHane, to speak such free words to me in the hearing of so many people?\"\n\n\"No one, sire, but myself.\"\n\nThe king: \"Thou wouldst like, no doubt, to know what thou art to have\nfor such boldness; what thinkest thou it deserves.\"\n\nHe replies, \"If it be well rewarded, sire, I shall be glad; but should\nit be otherwise, then it is your concern.\"\n\nThen the king said, \"Smaller is thy reward than thou hast deserved.\nI give thee three farms. It has turned out, what could not have been\nexpected, that thou hast prevented me from a great crime,--thou, and\nnot the lendermen, who are indebted to me for so much good.\" And so it\nended.\n\n\n\n\n33. OF A WOMAN BROUGHT TO THE KING.\n\nOne Yule eve the king sat in the hall, and the tables were laid out, and\nthe king said, \"Get me flesh-meat.\"\n\nThey answered, \"Sire, it is not the custom to eat flesh-meat on Yule\neve.\"\n\nThe king said, \"If it be not the custom I will make it the custom.\"\n\nThey went out, and brought him a dolphin. The king stuck his knife into\nit, but did not eat of it. Then the king said, \"Bring me a girl here\ninto the hall.\" They brought him a woman whose head-dress went far down\nher brows. The king took her hand in his hands, looked at her, and said,\n\"An ill looking girl!\"\n\n((LACUNA--The rest of this story is missing))\n\n\n\n\n34. HARALD GILLE COMES TO NORWAY.\n\nHalkel Huk, a son of Jon Smiorbalte, who was lenderman in More, made a\nvoyage in the West sea, all the way to the South Hebudes. A man came to\nhim out of Ireland called Gillikrist, and gave himself out for a son of\nKing Magnus Barefoot. His mother came with him, and said his other name\nwas Harald. Halkel received the man, brought him to Norway with him, and\nwent immediately to King Sigurd with Harald and his mother. When they\nhad told their story to the king, he talked over the matter with his\nprincipal men, and bade them give their opinions upon it. They were of\ndifferent opinions, and all left it to the king himself, although there\nwere several who opposed this; and the king followed his own counsel.\nKing Sigurd ordered Harald to be called before him, and told him that he\nwould not deny him the proof, by ordeal, of who his father was; but on\ncondition that if he should prove his descent according to his claim, he\nshould not desire the kingdom in the lifetime of King Sigurd, or of King\nMagnus: and to this he bound himself by oath. King Sigurd said he must\ntread over hot iron to prove his birth; but this ordeal was thought by\nmany too severe, as he was to undergo it merely to prove his father, and\nwithout getting the kingdom; but Harald agreed to it, and fixed on the\ntrial by iron: and this ordeal was the greatest ever made in Norway; for\nnine glowing plowshares were laid down, and Harald went over them with\nbare feet, attended by two bishops.\n\nThree days after the iron trial the ordeal was taken to proof, and the\nfeet were found unburnt. Thereafter King Sigurd acknowledged Harald's\nrelationship; but his son Magnus conceived a great hatred of him, and\nin this many chiefs followed Magnus. King Sigurd trusted so much to his\nfavour with the whole people of the country, that he desired all men,\nunder oath, to promise to accept Magnus after him as their king; and all\nthe people took this oath.\n\n\n\n\n35. RACE BETWEEN MAGNUS AND HARALD GILLE.\n\nHarald Gille was a tall, slender-grown man, of a long neck and face,\nblack eyes, and dark hair, brisk and quick, and wore generally the\nIrish dress of short light clothes. The Norse language was difficult for\nHarald, and he brought out words which many laughed at. Harald sat late\ndrinking one evening. He spoke with another man about different things\nin the west in Ireland; and among other things, said that there were\nmen in Ireland so swift of foot that no horse could overtake them in\nrunning. Magnus, the king's son, heard this, and said, \"Now he is lying,\nas he usually does.\"\n\nHarald replies, \"It is true that there are men in Ireland whom no horse\nin Norway could overtake.\" They exchanged some words about this, and\nboth were drunk. Then said Magnus, \"Thou shalt make a wager with me, and\nstake thy head if thou canst not run so fast as I ride upon my horse,\nand I shall stake my gold ring.\"\n\nHarald replies, \"I did not say that I could run so swiftly; but I said\nthat men are to be found in Ireland who will run as fast; and on that I\nwould wager.\"\n\nThe king's son Magnus replies, \"I will not go to Ireland about it; we\nare wagering here, and not there.\"\n\nHarald on this went to bed, and would not speak to him more about it.\nThis was in Oslo. The following morning, when the early mass was over,\nMagnus rode up the street, and sent a message to Harald to come to him.\nWhen Harald came he was dressed thus. He had on a shirt and trousers\nwhich were bound with ribands under his foot-soles, a short cloak, an\nIrish hat on his head, and a spear-shaft in his hand. Magnus set up a\nmark for the race. Harald said, \"Thou hast made the course too long;\"\nbut Magnus made it at once even much longer, and said it was still\ntoo short. There were many spectators. They began the race, and Harald\nfollowed always the horse's pace; and when they came to the end of the\nrace course, Magnus said, \"Thou hadst hold of the saddle-girth, and the\nhorse dragged thee along.\" Magnus had his swift runner, the Gautland\nhorse. They began the race again, and Harald ran the whole race-course\nbefore the horse. When came to the end Harald asked, \"Had I hold of the\nsaddle-girths now?\"\n\nMagnus replied, \"Thou hadst the start at first.\"\n\nThen Magnus let his horse breathe a while, and when he was ready he put\nthe spurs to him, and set off in full gallop. Harald stood still, and\nMagnus looked back, and called, \"Set off now.\"\n\nThen Harald ran quickly past the horse, and came to the end of the\ncourse so long before him that he lay down, and got up and saluted\nMagnus as he came in.\n\nThen they went home to the town. In the meantime King Sigurd had been at\nhigh mass, and knew nothing of this until after he had dined that day.\nThen he said to Magnus angrily, \"Thou callest Harald useless; but I\nthink thou art a great fool, and knowest nothing of the customs of\nforeign people. Dost thou not know that men in other countries exercise\nthemselves in other feats than in filling themselves with ale, and\nmaking themselves mad, and so unfit for everything that they scarcely\nknow each other? Give Harald his ring, and do not try to make a fool of\nhim again, as long as I am above ground.\"\n\n\n\n\n36. OF SIGURD'S SWIMMING.\n\nIt happened once that Sigurd was out in his ship, which lay in the\nharbour; and there lay a merchant ship, which was an Iceland trader, at\nthe side of it. Harald Gille was in the forecastle of the king's ship,\nand Svein Rimhildson, a son of Knut Sveinson of Jadar, had his berth the\nnext before him. There was also Sigurd Sigurdson, a gallant lenderman,\nwho himself commanded a ship. It was a day of beautiful weather and warm\nsunshine, and many went out to swim, both from the long-ship and the\nmerchant vessel. An Iceland man, who was among the swimmers, amused\nhimself by drawing those under water who could not swim so well as\nhimself; and at that the spectators laughed. When King Sigurd saw and\nheard this, he cast off his clothes, sprang into the water, and swam to\nthe Icelander, seized him, and pressed him under the water, and held him\nthere; and as soon as the Icelander came up the king pressed him down\nagain, and thus the one time after the other.\n\nThen said Sigurd Sigurdson, \"Shall we let the king kill this man?\"\n\nSomebody said, \"No one has any wish to interfere.\"\n\nSigurd replies, that \"If Dag Eilifson were here, we should not be\nwithout one who dared.\"\n\nThen Sigurd sprang overboard, swam to the king, took hold of him, and\nsaid, \"Sire, do not kill the man. Everybody sees that you are a much\nbetter swimmer.\"\n\nThe king replies, \"Let me loose, Sigurd: I shall be his death, for he\nwill destroy our people under water.\"\n\nSigurd says, \"Let us first amuse ourselves; and, Icelander, do thou set\noff to the land,\" which he did. The king now got loose from Sigurd, and\nswam to his ship, and Sigurd went his way: but the king ordered that\nSigurd should not presume to come into his presence; this was reported\nto Sigurd, and so he went up into the country.\n\n\n\n\n37. OF HARALD AND SVEIN RIMHILDSON.\n\nIn the evening, when people were going to bed, some of the ship's men\nwere still at their games up in the country. Harald was with those who\nplayed on the land, and told his footboy to go out to the ship, make his\nbed, and wait for him there. The lad did as he was ordered. The king had\ngone to sleep; and as the boy thought Harald late, he laid himself in\nHarald's berth. Svein Rimhildson said, \"It is a shame for brave men to\nbe brought from their farms at home, and to have here serving boys to\nsleep beside them.\" The lad said that Harald had ordered him to come\nthere. Svein Rimhildson said, \"We do not so much care for Harald himself\nlying here, if he do not bring here his slaves and beggars;\" and seized\na riding-whip, and struck the boy on the head until the blood flowed\nfrom him. The boy ran immediately up the country, and told Harald what\nhad happened, who went immediately out to the ship, to the aft part of\nthe forecastle, and with a pole-axe struck Svein so that he received a\nsevere wound on his hands; and then Harald went on shore. Svein ran to\nthe land after him, and, gathering his friends, took Harald prisoner,\nand they were about hanging him. But while they were busy about this,\nSigurd Sigurdson went out to the king's ship and awoke him. When the\nking opened his eyes and recognised Sigurd, he said. \"For this reason\nthou shalt die, that thou hast intruded into my presence; for thou\nknowest that I forbade thee:\" and with these words the king sprang up.\n\nSigurd replied, \"That is in your power as soon as you please; but other\nbusiness is more urgent. Go to the land as quickly as possible to help\nthy brother; for the Rogaland people are going to hang him.\"\n\nThen said the king, \"God give us luck, Sigurd! Call my trumpeter, and\nlet him call the people all to land, and to meet me.\"\n\nThe king sprang on the land, and all who knew him followed him to where\nthe gallows was being erected. The king instantly took Harald to him;\nand all the people gathered to the king in full armour, as they heard\nthe trumpet. Then the king ordered that Svein and all his comrades\nshould depart from the country as outlaws; but by the intercession of\ngood men the king was prevailed on to let them remain and hold their\nproperties, but no mulct should be paid for Svein's wound.\n\nThen Sigurd Sigurdson asked if the king wished that he should go forth\nout of the country.\n\n\"That will I not,\" said the king; \"for I can never be without thee.\"\n\n\n\n\n38. OF KING OLAF'S MIRACLE.\n\nThere was a young and poor man called Kolbein; and Thora, King Sigurd\nthe Crusader's mother, had ordered his tongue to be cut out of his\nmouth, and for no other cause than that this young man had taken a piece\nof meat out of the king-mother's tub which he said the cook had given\nhim, and which the cook had not ventured to serve up to her. The man had\nlong gone about speechless. So says Einar Skulason in Olaf's ballad:--\n\n     \"The proud rich dame, for little cause,\n     Had the lad's tongue cut from his jaws:\n     The helpless man, of speech deprived,\n     His dreadful sore wound scarce survived.\n     A few weeks since at Hild was seen,\n     As well as ever he had been,\n     The same poor lad--to speech restored\n     By Olaf's power, whom he adored.\"\n\nAfterwards the young man came to Nidaros, and watched in the Christ\nchurch; but at the second mass for Olaf before matins he fell asleep,\nand thought he saw King Olaf the Saint coming to him; and that Olaf\ntalked to him, and took hold with his hands of the stump of his tongue\nand pulled it. Now when he awoke he found himself restored, and joyfully\ndid he thank our Lord and the holy Saint Olaf, who had pitied and helped\nhim; for he had come there speechless, and had gone to the holy shrine,\nand went away cured, and with his speech clear and distinct.\n\n\n\n\n39. KING OLAF'S MIRACLE WITH A PRISONER.\n\nThe heathens took prisoner a young man of Danish family and carried him\nto Vindland, where he was in fetters along with other prisoners. In\nthe day-time he was alone in irons, without a guard; but at night a\npeasant's son was beside him in the chain, that he might not escape from\nthem. This poor man never got sleep or rest from vexation and sorrow,\nand considered in many ways what could help him; for he had a great\ndread of slavery, and was pining with hunger and torture. He could not\nagain expect to be ransomed by his friends, as they had already restored\nhim twice from heathen lands with their own money; and he well knew that\nit would be difficult and expensive for them to submit a third time to\nthis burden. It is well with the man who does not undergo so much in the\nworld as this man knew he had suffered. He saw but one way; and that\nwas to get off and escape if he could. He resolved upon this in the\nnight-time, killed the peasant, and cut his foot off after killing him,\nand set off to the forest with the chain upon his leg. Now when the\npeople knew this, soon after daylight in the morning, they pursued him\nwith two dogs accustomed to trace any one who escaped, and to find him\nin the forest however carefully he might be concealed. They got him\ninto their hands and beat him, and did him all kinds of mischief; and\ndragging him home, left barely alive, and showed him no mercy. They\ntortured him severely; put him in a dark room, in which there lay\nalready sixteen Christian men; and bound him both with iron and other\ntyings, as fast as they could. Then he began to think that the\nmisery and pain he had endured before were but shadows to his present\nsufferings. He saw no man before his eyes in this prison who would beg\nfor mercy for him; no one had compassion on his wretchedness, except\nthe Christian men who lay bound with him, who sorrowed with him, and\nbemoaned his fate together with their own misfortunes and helplessness.\nOne day they advised him to make a vow to the holy King Olaf, to devote\nhimself to some office in his sacred house, if he, by God's compassion\nand Saint Olaf's prayers could get away from this prison. He gladly\nagreed to this, and made a vow and prepared himself for the situation\nthey mentioned to him. The night after he thought in his sleep that he\nsaw a man, not tall, standing at his side, who spoke to him thus, \"Here,\nthou wretched man, why dost thou not get up?\"\n\nHe replied, \"Sir, who are you?\"\n\n\"I am King Olaf, on whom thou hast called.\"\n\n\"Oh, my good lord! gladly would I raise myself; but I lie bound with\niron and with chains on my legs, and also the other men who lie here.\"\n\nThereupon the king accosts him with the words, \"Stand up at once and be\nnot afraid; for thou art loose.\"\n\nHe awoke immediately, and told his comrades what, had appeared to him in\nhis dream. They told him to stand up, and try if it was true. He stood\nup, and observed that he was loose. Now said his fellow-prisoners, this\nwould help him but little, for the door was locked both on the inside\nand on the outside. Then an old man who sat there in a deplorable\ncondition put in his word, and told him not to doubt the mercy of the\nman who had loosened his chains; \"For he has wrought this miracle on\nthee that thou shouldst enjoy his mercy, and hereafter be free, without\nsuffering more misery and torture. Make haste, then, and seek the door;\nand if thou are able to slip out, thou art saved.\"\n\nHe did so, found the door open, slipped out, and away to the forest. As\nsoon as the Vindland people were aware of this they set loose the dogs,\nand pursued him in great haste; and the poor man lay hid, and saw well\nwhere they were following him. But now the hounds lost the trace when\nthey came nearer, and all the eyes that sought him were struck with a\nblindness, so that nobody could find him, although he lay before their\nfeet; and they all returned home, vexed that they could not find him.\nKing Olaf did not permit this man's destruction after he had reached the\nforest, and restored him also to his health and hearing; for they had so\nlong tortured and beaten him that he had become deaf. At last he came\non board of a ship, with two other Christian men who had been long\nafflicted in that country. All of them worked zealously in this vessel,\nand so had a successful flight. Then he repaired to the holy man's\nhouse, strong and fit to bear arms. Now he was vexed at his vow, went\nfrom his promise to the holy king, ran away one day, and came in the\nevening to a bonde who gave him lodging for God's sake. Then in the\nnight he saw three girls coming to him; and handsome and nobly dressed\nwere they. They spoke to him directly, and sharply reprimanded him for\nhaving been so bold as to run from the good king who had shown so much\ncompassion to him, first in freeing him from his irons, and then from\nthe prison; and yet he had deserted the mild master into whose service\nhe had entered. Then he awoke full of terror, got up early, and told the\nhouse-father his dream. The good man had nothing so earnest in life as\nto send him-back to the holy place. This miracle was first written down\nby a man who himself saw the man, and the marks of the chains upon his\nbody.\n\n\n\n\n40. KING SIGURD MARRIES CECILIA.\n\nIn the last period of King Sigurd's life, his new and extraordinary\nresolution was whispered about, that he would be divorced from his\nqueen, and would take Cecilia, who was a great man's daughter, to wife.\nHe ordered accordingly a great feast to be prepared, and intended to\nhold his wedding with her in Bergen. Now when Bishop Magne heard this,\nhe was very sorry; and one day the bishop goes to the king's hall, and\nwith him a priest called Sigurd, who was afterwards bishop of Bergen.\nWhen they came to the king's hall, the bishop sent the king a message\nthat he would like to meet him; and asked the king to come out to him.\nHe did so, and came out with a drawn sword in his hand. He received the\nbishop kindly and asked him to go in and sit down to table with him.\n\nThe bishop replies, \"I have other business now. Is it true, sire, what\nis told me, that thou hast the intention of marrying, and of driving\naway thy queen, and taking another wife?\"\n\nThe king said it was true.\n\nThen the bishop changed countenance, and angrily replied, \"How can it\ncome into your mind, sire, to do such an act in our bishopric as to\nbetray God's word and law, and the holy church? It surprises me that\nyou treat with such contempt our episcopal office, and your own royal\noffice. I will now do what is my duty; and in the name of God, of the\nholy King Olaf, of Peter the apostle, and of the other saints, forbid\nthee this wickedness.\"\n\nWhile he thus spoke he stood straight up, as if stretching out his neck\nto the blow, as if ready if the king chose to let the sword fall; and\nthe priest Sigurd, who afterwards was bishop, has declared that the\nsky appeared to him no bigger than a calf's skin, so frightful did the\nappearance of the king present itself to him. The king returned to the\nhall, however, without saying a word; and the bishop went to his house\nand home so cheerful and gay that he laughed, and saluted every child on\nhis way, and was playing with his fingers. Then the priest Sigurd\nasked him the reason, saying, \"Why are you so cheerful, sir? Do you not\nconsider that the king may be exasperated against you? and would it not\nbe better to get out of the way?\"\n\nThen said the bishop, \"It appears to me more likely that he will not act\nso; and besides, what death could be better, or more desirable, than\nto leave life for the honour of God? or to die for the holy cause of\nChristianity and our own office, by preventing that which is not right?\nI am so cheerful because I have done what I ought to do.\"\n\nThere was much noise in the town about this. The king got ready for\na journey, and took with him corn, malt and honey. He went south to\nStavanger, and prepared a feast there for his marriage with Cecilia.\nWhen a bishop who ruled there heard of this he went to the king, and\nasked if it were true that he intended to marry in the lifetime of the\nqueen.\n\nThe king said it was so.\n\nThe bishop answers, \"If it be so, sire, you must know how much such a\nthing is forbidden to inferior persons. Now it appears as if you thought\nit was allowable for you, because you have great power, and that it is\nproper for you, although it is against right and propriety; but I do\nnot know how you will do it in our bishopric, dishonouring thereby God's\ncommand, the holy Church, and our episcopal authority. But you must\nbestow a great amount of gifts and estates on this foundation, and\nthereby pay the mulct due to God and to us for such transgression.\"\n\nThen said the king, \"Take what thou wilt of our possessions. Thou art\nfar more reasonable than Bishop Magne.\"\n\nThen the king went away, as well pleased with this bishop as ill pleased\nwith him who had laid a prohibition on him. Thereafter the king married\nthe girl, and loved her tenderly.\n\n\n\n\n41. IMPROVEMENT OF KONUNGAHELLA.\n\nKing Sigurd improved the town of Konungahella so much, that there was\nnot a greater town in Norway at the time, and he remained there long for\nthe defence of the frontiers. He built a king's house in the castle, and\nimposed a duty on all the districts in the neighbourhood of the town, as\nwell as on the townspeople, that every person of nine years of age and\nupwards should bring to the castle five missile stones for weapons, or\nas many large stakes sharp at one end and five ells long. In the castle\nthe king built a cross-church of timber, and carefully put together,\nas far as regards the wood and other materials. The cross-church was\nconsecrated in the 24th year of King Sigurd's reign (A.D. 1127). Here\nthe king deposited the piece of the holy cross, and many other holy\nrelics. It was called the castle church; and before the high altar he\nplaced the tables he had got made in the Greek country, which were of\ncopper and silver, all gilt, and beautifully adorned with jewels. Here\nwas also the shrine which the Danish king Eirik Eimune had sent to\nKing Sigurd; and the altar book, written with gold letters, which the\npatriarch had presented to King Sigurd.\n\n\n\n\n42. KING SIGURD'S DEATH.\n\nThree years after the consecration of the cross-church, when King Sigurd\nwas stopping at Viken, he fell sick (A.D. 1130). He died the night\nbefore Mary's-mass (August 15), and was buried in Halvard's church,\nwhere he was laid in the stone wall without the choir on the south side.\nHis son Magnus was in the town at the time and took possession of the\nwhole of the king's treasury when King Sigurd died. Sigurd had been king\nof Norway twenty-seven years (A.D. 1104-1130), and was forty years of\nage when he died. The time of his reign was good for the country; for\nthere was peace, and crops were good.\n\n\n\n\nSAGA OF MAGNUS THE BLIND AND OF HARALD GILLE.\n\n\nPRELIMINARY REMARKS\n\nAn age of conflict now begins in Norway. On his death, in 1130, Sigurd\nleft his son Magnus and his brother Harald. They soon divided the\ngovernment, and then entered upon a five-years' conflict, until Magnus,\nin 1135, with eyes picked out, went into a convent.\n\nThe next year, 1136, a new pretender appeared in the person of Sigurd\nSlembe, who took King Harald's life in 1137. Magnus died in 1139.\n\nOther literature in regard to this epoch is \"Fagrskinna\" and\n\"Morkinskinna\". The corresponding part of \"Agrip\" is lost.\n\nSkalds quoted are: Haldor Skvaldre, Einar Skulason, and Ivar\nIngemundson.\n\n\n\n\n1. MAGNUS AND HARALD PROCLAIMED KINGS.\n\nKing Sigurd's son Magnus was proclaimed in Oslo king of all the country\nimmediately after his father's death, according to the oath which the\nwhole nation had sworn to King Sigurd; and many went into his service,\nand many became his lendermen. Magnus was the handsomest man then in\nNorway; of a passionate temper, and cruel, but distinguished in bodily\nexercises. The favour of the people he owed most to the respect for his\nfather. He was a great drinker, greedy of money, hard, and obstinate.\n\nHarald Gille, on the other hand, was very pleasing in intercourse, gay,\nand full of mirth; and so generous that he spared in nothing for the\nsake of his friends. He willingly listened to good advice, so that he\nallowed others to consult with him and give counsel. With all this he\nobtained favour and a good repute, and many men attached themselves as\nmuch to him as to King Magnus. Harald was in Tunsberg when he heard of\nhis brother King Sigurd's death. He called together his friends to a\nmeeting, and it was resolved to hold the Hauga Thing (1) there in the\ntown. At this Thing, Harald was chosen king of half the country, and it\nwas called a forced oath which had been taken from him to renounce his\npaternal heritage. Then Harald formed a court, and appointed lendermen;\nand very soon he had as many people about him as King Magnus. Then men\nwent between them, and matters stood in this way for seven days; but\nKing Magnus, finding he had fewer people, was obliged to give way,\nand to divide the kingdom with Harald into two parts. The kingdom\naccordingly was so divided (October 3, 1130) that each of them should\nhave the half part of the kingdom which King Sigurd had possessed; but\nthat King Magnus alone should inherit the fleet of ships, the table\nservice, the valuable articles and the movable effects which had\nbelonged to his father, King Sigurd. He was notwithstanding the\nleast satisfied with his share. Although they were of such different\ndispositions, they ruled the country for some time in peace. King Harald\nhad a son called Sigurd, by Thora, a daughter of Guthorm Grabarde. King\nHarald afterwards married Ingerid, a daughter of Ragnvald, who was a\nson of the Swedish King Inge Steinkelson. King Magnus was married to\na daughter of Knut Lavard, and she was a sister of the Danish King\nValdernar; but King Magnus having no affection for her, sent her back to\nDenmark; and from that day everything went ill with him, and he brought\nupon himself the enmity of her family.\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) Hauga-thing means a Thing held at the tumuli or burial\n     mounds.--L.\n\n\n\n\n2. OF THE FORCES OF HARALD AND MAGNUS.\n\nWhen the two relations, Harald and Magnus, had been about three years\nkings of Norway (A.D. 1131-1133), they both passed the fourth winter\n(A.D. 1134) in the town of Nidaros, and invited each other as guests;\nbut their people were always ready for a fight. In spring King Magnus\nsailed southwards along the land with his fleet, and drew all the men he\ncould obtain out of each district, and sounded his friends if they would\nstrengthen him with their power to take the kingly dignity from Harald,\nand give him such a portion of the kingdom, as might be suitable;\nrepresenting to them that King Harald had already renounced the kingdom\nby oath. King Magnus obtained the consent of many powerful men. The same\nspring Harald went to the Uplands, and by the upper roads eastwards\nto Viken; and when he heard what King Magnus was doing, he also drew\ntogether men on his side. Wheresoever the two parties went they killed\nthe cattle, or even the people, upon the farms of the adverse party.\nKing Magnus had by far the most people, for the main strength of the\ncountry lay open to him for collecting men from it. King Harald was in\nViken on the east side of the fjord, and collected men, while they were\ndoing each other damage in property and life. King Harald had with him\nKristrod, his brother by his mother's side, and many other lendermen;\nbut King Magnus had many more. King Harald was with his forces at a\nplace called Fors in Ranrike, and went from thence towards the sea. The\nevening before Saint Lawrence day (August 10), they had their supper at\na place called Fyrileif, while the guard kept a watch on horseback all\naround the house. The watchmen observed King Magnus's army hastening\ntowards the house, and consisting of full 6000 men, while King Harald\nhad but 1500. Now come the watchmen who had to bring the news to King\nHarald of what was going on and say that King Magnus's army was now very\nnear the town.\n\nThe king says, \"What will my relation King Magnus Sigurdson have? He\nwants not surely to fight us.\"\n\nThjostolf Alason replies, \"You must certainly, sire, make preparation\nfor that, both for yourself and your men. King Magnus has been drawing\ntogether an army all the summer for the purpose of giving you battle\nwhen he meets you.\"\n\nThen King Harald stood up, and ordered his men to take their arms. \"We\nshall fight, if our relative King Magnus wants to fight us.\"\n\nThen the war-horns sounded, and all Harald's men went out from the house\nto an enclosed field, and set up their banners. King Harald had on two\nshirts of ring-mail, but his brother Kristrod had no armour on; and a\ngallant man he was. When King Magnus and his men saw King Harald's troop\nthey drew up and made their array, and made their line so long that\nthey could surround the whole of King Harald's troop. So says Haldor\nSkvaldre:--\n\n     \"King Magnus on the battle-plain\n     From his long troop-line had great gain;\n     The plain was drenched with warm blood,\n     Which lay a red and reeking flood.\"\n\n\n\n\n3. BATTLE AT FYRILEIF.\n\nKing Magnus had the holy cross carried before him in this battle, and\nthe battle was great and severe. The king's brother, Kristrod, had\npenetrated with his troop into the middle of King Magnus's array,\nand cut down on each side of him, so that people gave way before him\neverywhere. But a powerful bonde who was in King Harald's array raised\nhis spear with both hands, and drove it through between Kristrod's\nshoulders, so that it came out at his breast; and thus fell Kristrod.\nMany who were near asked the bonde why he had done so foul a deed.\n\nThe bonde replies, \"He knows the consequences now of slaughtering my\ncattle in summer, and taking all that was in my house, and forcing me\nto follow him here. I determined to give him some return when the\nopportunity came.\"\n\nAfter this King Harald's army took to flight, and he fled himself, with\nall his men. Many fell; and Ingemar Sveinson of Ask, a great chief and\nlenderman, got there his death-wound, and nearly sixty of King Harald's\ncourt-men also fell. Harald himself fled eastward to Viken to his ships,\nand went out of the country to King Eirik Eimune in Denmark, and found\nhim in Seeland and sought aid from him. King Eirik received him well,\nand principally because they had sworn to each other to be as brothers\n(1); and gave him Halland as a fief to rule over, and gave him\nseven long-ships, but without equipment. Thereafter King Harald went\nnorthwards through Halland, and many Northmen came to meet him. After\nthis battle King Magnus subdued the whole country, giving life and\nsafety to all who were wounded, and had them taken care of equally with\nhis own men. He then called the whole country his own, and had a choice\nof the best men who were in the country. When they held a council among\nthemselves afterwards, Sigurd Sigurdson, Thorer Ingeridson, and all the\nmen of most understanding, advised that they should keep their forces\ntogether in Viken, and remain there, in case Harald should return from\nthe south; but King Magnus would take his own way, and went north to\nBergen. There he sat all winter (A.D. 1135), and allowed his men to\nleave him; on which the lendermen returned home to their own houses.\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) These brotherhoods, by which one man was bound by oath to\n     aid or avenge another, were common in the Middle Ages among\n     all ranks.  \"Sworn brothers\" is still a common expression\n     with us.--L.\n\n\n\n\n4. DEATH OF ASBJORN AND OF NEREID.\n\nKing Harald came to Konungahella with the men who had followed him from\nDenmark. The lendermen and town's burgesses collected a force against\nhim, which they drew up in a thick array above the town. King Harald\nlanded from his ships, and sent a message to the bondes, desiring that\nthey would not deny him his land, as he wanted no more than what of\nright belonged to him. Then mediators went between them; and it came\nto this, that the bondes dismissed their troops, and submitted to him.\nThereupon he bestowed fiefs and property on the lendermen, that they\nmight stand by him, and paid the bondes who joined him the lawful\nmulcts for what they had lost. A great body of men attached themselves,\ntherefore, to King Harald; and he proceeded westwards to Viken, where he\ngave peace to all men, except to King Magnus's people, whom he plundered\nand killed wherever he found them. And when he came west to Sarpsborg he\ntook prisoners two of King Magnus s lendermen, Asbjorn and his brother\nNereid; and gave them the choice that one should be hanged, and the\nother thrown into the Sarpsborg waterfall, and they might choose as they\npleased. Asbjorn chose to be thrown into the cataract, for he was the\nelder of the two, and this death appeared the most dreadful; and so it\nwas done. Halder Skvaldre tells of this:--\n\n     \"Asbjorn, who opposed the king,\n     O'er the wild cataract they fling:\n     Nereid, who opposed the king,\n     Must on Hagbard's high tree swing.\n     The king given food in many a way\n     To foul-mouthed beasts and birds of prey:\n     The generous men who dare oppose\n     Are treated as the worst of foes.\"\n\nThereafter King Harald proceeded north to Tunsberg, where he was well\nreceived, and a large force gathered to him.\n\n\n\n\n5. OF THE COUNSELS PROPOSED.\n\nWhen King Magnus, who was in Bergen, heard these tidings, he called\ntogether all the chiefs who were in the town, and asked them their\ncounsel, and what they should now do. Then Sigurd Sigurdson said, \"Here\nI can give a good advice. Let a ship be manned with good men, and put\nme, or any other lenderman, to command it; send it to thy relation, King\nHarald, and offer him peace according to the conditions upright men may\ndetermine upon, and offer him the half of the kingdom. It appears to\nme probable that King Harald, by the words and counsel of good men, may\naccept this offer, and thus there may be a peace established between\nyou.\"\n\nThen King Magnus replied, \"This proposal I will not accept of; for of\nwhat advantage would it be, after we have gained the whole kingdom in\nsummer to give away the half of it now? Give us some other counsel.\"\n\nThen Sigurd Sigurdson answered, \"It appears to me, sire, that your\nlendermen who in autumn asked your leave to return home will now sit\nat home and will not come to you. At that time it was much against my\nadvice that you dispersed so entirely the people we had collected; for\nI could well suppose that Harald would come back to Viken as soon as he\nheard that it was without a chief. Now there is still another counsel,\nand it is but a poor one; but it may turn out useful to us. Send out\nyour pursuivants, and send other people with them, and let them go\nagainst the lendermen who will not join you in your necessity, and\nkill them; and bestow their property on others who will give you help\nalthough they may have been of small importance before. Let them drive\ntogether the people, the bad as well as the good; and go with the men\nyou can thus assemble against King Harald, and give him battle.\"\n\nThe king replies, \"It would be unpopular to put to death people of\ndistinction, and raise up inferior people who often break faith and\nlaw, and the country would be still worse off. I would like to hear some\nother counsel still.\"\n\nSigurd replies, \"It is difficult for me now to give advice, as you will\nneither make peace nor give battle. Let us go north to Throndhjem, where\nthe main strength of the country is most inclined to our side; and on\nthe way let us gather all the men we can. It may be that these Elfgrims\nwill be tired of such a long stride after us.\"\n\nThe king replies, \"We must not fly from those whom we beat in summer.\nGive some better counsel still.\"\n\nThen Sigurd stood up and said, while he was preparing to go out, \"I will\nnow give you the counsel which I see you will take, and which must have\nits course. Sit here in Bergen until Harald comes with his troops, and\nthen you will either suffer death or disgrace.\"\n\nAnd Sigurd remained no longer at that meeting.\n\n\n\n\n6. OF HARALD'S FORCE.\n\nKing Harald came from the East along the coast with a great army, and\nthis winter (A.D. 1135) is called on that account the Crowd-winter. King\nHarald came to Bergen on Christmas eve, and landed with his fleet at\nFloruvagar; but would not fight on account of the sacred time. But King\nMagnus prepared for defence in the town. He erected a stone-slinging\nmachine out on the holm, and had iron chains and wooden booms laid\nacross over the passage from the king's house to Nordnes, and to the\nMonks bridge. He had foot-traps made, and thrown into Saint John's\nfield, and did not suspend these works except during the three sacred\ndays of Christmas. The last holyday of Yule, King Harald ordered his\nwar-horns to sound the gathering of his men for going to the town; and,\nduring the Yule holydays, his army had been increased by about 900 men.\n\n\n\n\n7. KING MAGNUS TAKEN PRISONER.\n\nKing Harald made a promise to King Olaf the Saint for victory, that he\nwould build an Olaf's church in the town at his own expense. King Magnus\ndrew up his men in the Christ church yard; but King Harald laid his\nvessels first at Nordnes. Now when King Magnus and his people saw that,\nthey turned round towards the town, and to the end of the shore; but\nas they passed through the streets many of the burgesses ran into their\nhouses and homes, and those who went across the fields fell into the\nfoot-traps. Then King Magnus and his men perceived that King Harald had\nrowed with all his men across to Hegravik, and landed there, and had\ngone from thence the upper road up the hill opposite the town. Now\nMagnus returned back again through the streets, and then his men fled\nfrom him in all directions; some up to the mountains, some up to\nthe neighbourhood of the convent of nuns, some to churches, or hid\nthemselves as they best could. King Magnus fled to his ship; but\nthere was no possibility of getting away, for the iron chains outside\nprevented the passage of vessels. He had also but few men with him, and\ntherefore could do nothing. Einar Skulason tells of this in the song of\nHarald:--\n\n     \"For a whole week an iron chain\n     Cut off all sailing to the main:\n     Bergen's blue stable was locked fast,--\n     Her floating wains could not get past.\"\n\nSoon after Harald's people came out to the ships, and then King Magnus\nwas made prisoner. He was sitting behind in the forecastle upon the\nchests of the high-seat, and at his side Hakon Fauk, his mother's\nbrother, who was very popular but was not considered very wise, and Ivar\nAssurson. They, and many others of King Magnus's friends, were taken,\nand some of them killed on the spot.\n\n\n\n\n8. KING MAGNUS MUTILATED.\n\nThereafter King Harald had a meeting of his counsellors, and desired\ntheir counsel; and in this meeting the judgment was given that Magnus\nshould be deposed from his dominions, and should no longer be called\nking. Then he was delivered to the king's slaves, who mutilated him,\npicked out both his eyes, cut off one foot, and at last castrated him.\nIvar Assurson was blinded, and Hakon Fauk killed. The whole country then\nwas reduced to obedience under King Harald. Afterwards it was diligently\nexamined who were King Magnus's best friends, or who knew most of his\nconcealments of treasure or valuables. The holy cross King Magnus had\nkept beside him since the battle of Fyrileif, but would not tell where\nit was deposited for preservation. Bishop Reinald of Stavanger, who\nwas an Englishman, was considered very greedy of money. He was a great\nfriend of King Magnus, and it was thought likely that great treasure\nand valuables had been given into his keeping. Men were sent for him\naccordingly, and he came to Bergen, where it was insisted against\nhim that he had some knowledge of such treasure; but he denied it\naltogether, would not admit it, and offered to clear himself by ordeal.\nKing Harald would not have this, but laid on the bishop a money fine\nof fifteen marks of gold, which he should pay to the king. The bishop\ndeclared he would not thus impoverish his bishop's see, but would rather\noffer his life. On this they hanged the bishop out on the holm, beside\nthe sling machine. As he was going to the gallows he threw the sock from\nhis foot, and said with an oath, \"I know no more about King Magnus's\ntreasure than what is in this sock;\" and in it there was a gold ring.\nBishop Reinald was buried at Nordnes in Michael's church, and this deed\nwas much blamed. After this Harald Gille was sole king of Norway as long\nas he lived.\n\n\n\n\n9. WONDERFUL OMENS IN KONUNGAHELLA.\n\nFive years after King Sigurd's death remarkable occurrences took place\nin Konungahella (A.D. 1135). Guthorm, a son of Harald Fletter, and\nSaemund Husfreyja, were at that time the king's officers there. Saemund\nwas married to Ingebjorg, a daughter of the priest Andres Brunson. Their\nsons were Paul Flip and Gunne Fis. Saemund's natural son was called\nAsmund. Andres Brunson was a very remarkable man, who carried on divine\nservice in the Cross church. His wife (1) was called Solveig. Jon\nLoptson, who was then eleven years old, was in their house to be\nfostered and educated. The priest Lopt Saemundson, Jon's father, was\nalso in the town at that time. The priest Andres and Solveig had\na daughter by name Helga, who was Einar's wife. It happened now in\nKonungahella, the next Sunday night after Easter week, that there was\na great noise in the streets through the whole town as if the king was\ngoing through with all his court-men. The dogs were so affected that\nnobody could hold them, but they slipped loose; and when they came out\nthey ran mad, biting all that came in their way, people and cattle.\nAll who were bitten by them till the blood came turned raging mad; and\npregnant women were taken in labour prematurely, and became mad. From\nEaster to Ascension-day, these portentous circumstances took place\nalmost every night. People were dreadfully alarmed at these wonders; and\nmany made themselves ready to remove, sold their houses, and went out\nto the country districts, or to other towns. The most intelligent men\nlooked upon it as something extremely remarkable; were in dread of it;\nand said, as it proved to be, that it was an omen of important events\nwhich had not yet taken place. And the priest Andres, on Whit Sunday,\nmade a long and excellent speech, and turned the conclusion of it to\nthe distressing situation of the townspeople; telling them to muster\ncourage, and not lay waste their excellent town by deserting it, but\nrather to take the utmost care in all things, and use the greatest\nforesight against all dangers, as of fire or the enemy, and to pray to\nGod to have mercy on them.\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) The Catholic priests appear to have had wives at that time\n     in Norway, and celibacy to have been confined to the monks.\n   --L.\n\n\n\n\n10. THE RISE OF WAR IN KONUNGAHELLA.\n\nThirteen loaded merchant ships made ready to leave the town, intending\nto proceed to Bergen; but eleven of them were lost, men and goods, and\nall that was in them; the twelfth was lost also, but the people were\nsaved, although the cargo went to the bottom. At that time the priest\nLopt went north to Bergen, with all that belonged to him, and arrived\nsafely. The merchant vessels were lost on Saint Lawrence eve (August\n10). The Danish king Eirik and the Archbishop Assur, both sent notice to\nKonungahella to keep watch on their town; and said the Vindland people\nhad a great force on foot with which they made war far around on\nChristian people, and usually gained the victory. But the townspeople\nattended very little to this warning, were indifferent, and forgot more\nand more the dreadful omens the longer it was since they happened. On\nthe holy Saint Lawrence day, while the words of high mass were spoken,\ncame to the Vindland king Rettibur to Konungahella with 550 Vindland\ncutters, and in each cutter were forty-four men and two horses. The\nking's sister's son Dunimiz, and Unibur, a chief who ruled over many\npeople, were with him. These two chiefs rowed at once, with a part of\ntheir troops, up the east arm of the Gaut river past Hising Isle, and\nthus came down to the town; but a part of the fleet lay in the western\narm, and came so to the town. They made fast their ships at the piles,\nand landed their horses, and rode over the height of Bratsas, and from\nthence up around the town. Einar, a relation of priest Andres, brought\nthese tidings up to the Castle church; for there the whole inhabitants\nof the town were gathered to hear high mass. Einar came just as the\npriest Andres was holding his discourse; and he told the people that\nan army was sailing up against the town with a great number of ships of\nwar, and that some people were riding over Bratsas. Many said it must be\nthe Danish king Eirik, and from him they might expect peace. The people\nran down into the town to their properties, armed themselves, and went\ndown upon the piers, whence they immediately saw there was an enemy\nand an immense army. Nine East-country trading vessels belonging to the\nmerchants were afloat in the river at the piers. The Vindland people\nfirst directed their course toward these and fought with the merchants,\nwho armed themselves, and defended themselves long, well, and manfully.\nThere was a hard battle, and resistance, before the merchant vessels\nwere cleared of their men; and in this conflict the Vindland people\nlost 150 of their ships, with all the men on board. When the battle was\nsharpest the townsmen stood upon the piers, and shot at the heathens.\nBut when the fight slackened the burgesses fled up to the town, and from\nthence into the castle; and the men took with them all their valuable\narticles, and such goods as they could carry. Solveig and her daughters,\nwith two other women, went on shore when the Vindlanders took possession\nof the merchant vessels. Now the Vindlanders landed, and mustered their\nmen, and discovered their loss. Some of them went up into the town, some\non board the merchant ships, and took all the goods they pleased;\nand then they set fire to the town, and burnt it and the ships. They\nhastened then with all their army to assault the castle.\n\n\n\n\n11. THE SECOND BATTLE.\n\nKing Rettibur made an offer to those who were in the castle that they\nshould go out, and he would give them their lives, weapons, clothes,\nsilver, and gold; but all exclaimed against it, and went out on the\nfortification; some shot, some threw stones, some sharp stakes. It was\na great battle, in which many fell on both sides, but by far the most\nof the Vindlanders. Solveig came up to a large farm called Solbjorg, and\nbrought the news. A message war-token was there split, and sent out to\nSkurbagar, where there happened to be a joint ale-drinking feast, and\nmany men were assembled. A bonde called Olver Miklimun (Mickle Mouth)\nwas there, who immediately sprang up, took helmet and shield, and a\ngreat axe in his hand, and said, \"Stand up, brave lads, and take your\nweapons. Let us go help the townspeople; for it would appear shameful\nto every man who heard of it, if we sit here sipping our ale, while good\nmen in the town are losing their lives by our neglect.\"\n\nMany made an objection, and said they would only be losing their own\nlives, without being of any assistance to the townspeople.\n\nThen said Olver, \"Although all of you should hold back, I will go alone;\nand one or two heathens, at any rate, shall fall before I fall.\"\n\nHe ran down to the town, and a few men after him to see what he would\ndo, and also whether they could assist him in any way. When he came\nnear the castle, and the heathens saw him, they sent out eight men fully\narmed against him; and when they met, the heathen men ran and surrounded\nhim on all sides. Olver lifted his axe, and struck behind him with\nthe extreme point of it, hitting the neck of the man who was coming up\nbehind him, so that his throat and jawbone were cut through, and he fell\ndead backwards. Then he heaved his axe forwards, and struck the next man\nin the head, and clove him down to the shoulders. He then fought with\nthe others, and killed two of them; but was much wounded himself. The\nfour who remained took to flight, but Olver ran after them. There was\na ditch before them, and two of the heathens jumped into it, and Olver\nkilled them both; but he stuck fast himself in the ditch, so that two of\nthe eight heathens escaped. The men who had followed Olver took him\nup, and brought him back to Skurbagar, where his wounds were bound and\nhealed; and it was the talk of the people, that no single man had ever\nmade such a bloody onset. Two lendermen, Sigurd Gyrdson, a brother of\nPhilip, and Sigard, came with 600 men to Skurbagar; on which Sigurd\nturned back with 400 men. He was but little respected afterwards, and\nsoon died. Sigard, on the other hand, proceeded with 200 men towards the\ntown; and they gave battle to the heathens, and were all slain. While\nthe Vindlanders were storming the castle, their king and his chiefs were\nout of the battle. At one place there was a man among the Vindlanders\nshooting with a bow, and killing a man for every arrow; and two men\nstood before him, and covered him with their shields. Then Saemund\nHusfreyja said to his son Asmund, that they should both shoot together\nat this bowman. \"But I will shoot at the man who holds the shield before\nhim.\" He did so, and he knocked the shield down a little before the man;\nand in the same instant Asmund shot between the shields, and the arrow\nhit the bowman in the forehead, so that it came out at his neck, and he\nfell down dead. When the Vindlanders saw it they howled like dogs, or\nlike wolves. Then King Rettibur called to them that he would give them\nsafety and life, but they refused terms. The heathens again made a\nhard assault. One of the heathens in particular fought so bravely, and\nventured so near, that he came quite up to the castle-gate, and pierced\nthe man who stood outside the gate with his sword; and although they\nused both arrows and stones against him, and he had neither shield nor\nhelmet, nothing could touch him, for he was so skilled in witchcraft\nthat weapon could not wound him. Then priest Andres took consecrated\nfire; blew upon it; cut tinder in pieces, and laid it on the fire; and\nthen laid the tinder on the arrow-point, and gave it to Asmund. He shot\nthis arrow at the warlock; and the shaft hit so well that it did its\nbusiness, and the man of witchcraft fell dead. Then the heathens crowded\ntogether as before, howling and whining dreadfully; and all gathered\nabout their king, on which the Christians believed that they were\nholding a council about retreating. The interpreters, who understood\nthe Vindland tongue, heard the chief Unibur make the following speech:\n\"These people are brave, and it is difficult to make anything of them;\nand even if we took all the goods in their town, we might willingly give\nas much more that we had never come here, so great has been our loss of\nmen and chiefs. Early in the day, when we began to assault the castle,\nthey defended themselves first with arrows and spears; then they fought\nagainst us with stones; and now with sticks and staves, as against dogs.\nI see from this that they are in want of weapons and means of defense;\nso we shall make one more hard assault, and try their strength.\" It\nwas as he said, that they now fought with stakes; because, in the first\nassault, they had imprudently used up all their missile weapons and\nstones; and now when the Christians saw the number of their stakes\ndiminishing, they clave each stake in two. The heathens now made a very\nhot attack, and rested themselves between whiles, and on both sides they\nwere exhausted. During a rest the Vindland king Rettibur again offered\nterms, and that they should retain the weapons, clothes, and silver they\ncould carry out of the castle. Saemund Husfreyja had fallen, and the men\nwho remained gave the counsel to deliver up the castle and themselves\ninto the power of the heathens; but it was a foolish counsel; for the\nheathens did not keep their promises, but took all people, men, women,\nand children, and killed all of them who were wounded or young, or could\nnot easily be carried with them. They took all the goods that were in\nthe castle; went into the Cross church, and plundered it of all its\nornaments. The priest Andres gave King Rettibur a silver-mounted gilt\nsceptre, and to his sister's son Dunimiz he gave a gold ring. They\nsupposed from this that he was a man of great importance in the town,\nand held him in higher respect than the others. They took away with them\nthe holy cross, and also the tables which stood before the altar, which\nSigurd had got made in the Greek country, and had brought home himself.\nThese they took, and laid flat down on the steps before the altar. Then\nthe heathens went out of the church. Rettibur said, \"This house has\nbeen adorned with great zeal for the God to whom it is dedicated; but,\nmethinks, He has shown little regard for the town or house: so I see\ntheir God has been angry at those who defended them.\" King Rettibur gave\nthe priest Andres the church, the shrine, the holy cross, the Bible,\nthe altar-book, and four clerks (prisoners); but the heathens burnt the\nCastle church, and all the houses that were in the castle. As the fire\nthey had set to the church went out twice, they hewed the church down,\nand then it burnt like other houses. Then the heathens went to their\nships with the booty; but when they mustered their people and saw their\nloss, they made prisoners of all the people, and divided them among the\nvessels. Now priest Andres went on board the king's ship with the holy\ncross, and there came a great terror over the heathens on account of the\nportentous circumstance which took place in the king's ship; namely,\nit became so hot that all thought they were to be burnt up. The king\nordered the interpreter to ask the priest why this happened. He replied,\nthat the Almighty God on whom the Christians believed, sent them a proof\nof His anger, that they who would not believe in their Creator presumed\nto lay hands on the emblem of His suffering; and that there lay so much\npower in the cross, that such, and even clearer miracles, happened to\nheathen men who had taken the cross in their hands. The king had the\npriest put into the ship's boat, and the priest Andres carried the holy\ncross in his grasp. They led the boat along past the ship's bow,\nand then along the side of the next ship, and then shoved it with a\nboat-hook in beside the pier. Then Andres went with the cross by night\nto Solbjorg, in rain and dreadful weather; but brought it in good\npreservation. King Rettibur, and the men he had remaining, went home\nto Vindland, and many of the people who were taken at Konungahella were\nlong afterwards in slavery in Vindland; and those who were ransomed and\ncame back to Norway to their udal lands and properties, throve worse\nthan before their capture. The merchant town of Konungahella has never\nsince risen to the importance it was of before this event.\n\n\n\n\n12. OF MAGNUS THE BLIND.\n\nKing Magnus, after he was deprived of sight, went north to Nidaros,\nwhere he went into the cloister on the holm, and assumed the monk's\ndress. The cloister received the farm of Great Hernes in Frosta for his\nsupport. King Harald alone ruled the country the following winter, gave\nall men peace and pardon who desired it, and took many of the men into\nhis court-service who had been with King Magnus. Einar Skulason says\nthat King Harald had two battles in Denmark; the one at Hvedn Isle, and\nthe other at Hlesey Isle:--\n\n     \"Unwearied champion! who wast bred\n     To stain thy blue-edged weapons red!\n     Beneath high Hvedn's rocky shore,\n     The faithless felt thy steel once more.\"\n\nAnd again, thus:--\n\n     \"On Hlesey's plain the foe must quail\n     'Fore him who dyes their shirts of mail.\n     His storm-stretched banner o'er his head\n     Flies straight, and fills the foe with dread.\"\n\n\n\n\n13. OF KING HARALD GILLE AND BISHOP MAGNUS.\n\nKing Harald Gille was a very generous man. It is told that in his time\nMagnus Einarson came from Iceland to be consecrated a bishop, and the\nking received him well, and showed him much respect. When the bishop was\nready to sail for Iceland again, and the ship was rigged out for sea, he\nwent to the hall where the king was drinking, saluted him politely and\nwarmly, and the king received him joyfully. The queen was sitting beside\nthe king.\n\nThen said the king, \"Are you ready, bishop, for your voyage?\"\n\nHe replied that he was.\n\nThe king said, \"You come to us just now at a bad time; for the tables\nare just removed, and there is nothing at hand suitable to present to\nyou. What is there to give the bishop?\"\n\nThe treasurer replies, \"Sire, as far as I know, all articles of any\nvalue are given away.\"\n\nThe king: \"Here is a drinking goblet remaining; take this, bishop; it is\nnot without value.\"\n\nThe bishop expressed his thanks for the honour shown him.\n\nThen said the queen, \"Farewell, bishop! and a happy voyage.\"\n\nThe king said to her, \"When did you ever hear a noble lady say so to a\nbishop without giving him something?\"\n\nShe replies, \"Sire, what have I to give him?\"\n\nThe king: \"Thou hast the cushion under thee.\"\n\nThereupon this, which was covered with costly cloth, and was a valuable\narticle, was given to the bishop. When the bishop was going away the\nking took the cushion from under himself and gave it him, saying, \"They\nhave long been together.\" When the bishop arrived in Iceland to his\nbishop's see, it was talked over what should be done with the goblet\nthat would be serviceable for the king; and when the bishop asked\nthe opinion of other people, many thought it should be sold, and the\nvalue-bestowed on the poor. Then said the bishop, \"I will take another\nplan. I will have a chalice made of it for this church, and consecrate\nit, so that all the saints of whom there are relics in this church shall\nlet the king have some good for his gift every time a mass is sung over\nit.\" This chalice has since belonged to the bishopric of Skalholt; and\nof the costly cloth with which the cushions given him by the king were\ncovered, were made the choristers' cloaks which are now in Skalholt.\nFrom this the generous spirit of King Harald may be seen, as well as\nfrom many other things, of which but a few are set down here.\n\n\n\n\n14. BEGINNING OF SIGURD SLEMBIDJAKN.\n\nThere was a man, by name Sigurd, who was brought up in Norway, and was\ncalled priest Adalbrikt's son. Sigurd's mother was Thora, a daughter of\nSaxe of Vik, a sister of Sigrid, who was mother of King Olaf Magnuson,\nand of Kare, the king's brother who married Borghild, a daughter of Dag\nEilifson. Their sons were Sigurd of Austrat and Dag. Sigurd of Austrat's\nsons were Jon of Austrat, Thorstein, and Andres the Deaf. Jon was\nmarried to Sigrid, a sister of King Inge and of Duke Skule. This\nSigurd, in his childhood, was kept at his book, became a clerk, and was\nconsecrated a deacon; but as he ripened in years and strength he became\na very clever man, stout, strong, distinguished for all perfections and\nexercises beyond any of his years,--indeed, beyond any man in Norway.\nSigurd showed early traces of a haughty ungovernable spirit, and was\ntherefore called Slembidjakn. He was as handsome a man as could be seen,\nwith rather thin but beautiful hair. When it came to Sigurd's ears that\nhis mother said King Magnus was his father, he laid aside all clerkship;\nand as soon as he was old enough to be his own master, he left the\ncountry. He was a long time on his travels, went to Palestine; was at\nthe Jordan river; and visited many holy places, as pilgrims usually do.\nWhen he came back, he applied himself to trading expeditions. One winter\nhe was in Orkney with Earl Harald, and was with him when Thorkel Fostre\nSummarlidason was killed. Sigurd was also in Scotland with the Scottish\nking David, and was held in great esteem by him. Thereafter Sigurd went\nto Denmark; and according to the account of himself and his men, he\nthere submitted to the iron ordeal to confirm his paternal descent, and\nproved by it, in the presence of five bishops, that he was a son of King\nMagnus Barefoot. So says Ivar Ingemundson, in Sigurd's song:--\n\n     \"The holiest five\n     Of men alive,--\n     Bishops were they,--\n     Solemnly say,\n     The iron glowing\n     Red hot, yet showing\n     No scaith on skin,\n     Proves cause and kin.\"\n\nKing Harald Gille's friends, however, said this was only a lie, and\ndeceit of the Danes.\n\n\n\n\n15. SIGURD IN ICELAND.\n\nIt is told before of Sigurd that he passed some years in merchant\nvoyages, and he came thus to Iceland one winter, and took up his lodging\nwith Thorgils Odson in Saurby; but very few knew where he was. In\nautumn, when the sheep were being driven into a fold to be slaughtered,\na sheep that was to be caught ran to Sigurd; and as Sigurd thought the\nsheep ran to him for protection, he stretched out his hands to it and\nlifted it over the fold dyke, and let it run to the hills, saying,\n\"There are not many who seek help from me, so I may well help this one.\"\nIt happened the same winter that a woman had committed a theft, and\nThorgils, who was angry at her for it, was going to punish her; but\nshe ran to Sigurd to ask his help, and he set her upon the bench by\nhis side. Thorgils told him to give her up, and told him what she had\ncommitted; but Sigurd begged forgiveness for her since she had come\nto him for protection, and that Thorgils would dismiss the complaint\nagainst her, but Thorgils insisted that she should receive her\npunishment. When Sigurd saw that Thorgils would not listen to his\nentreaty, he started up, drew his sword, and bade him take her if he\ndared; and Thorgils seeing that Sigurd would defend the woman by force\nof arms, and observing his commanding mien, guessed who he must be,\ndesisted from pursuing the woman, and pardoned her. There were many\nforeign men there, and Sigurd made the least appearance among them. One\nday Sigurd came into the sitting-room, and a Northman who was splendidly\nclothed was playing chess with one of Thorads house-servants. The\nNorthman called Sigurd, and asked him his advice how to play; but when\nSigurd looked at the board, he saw the game was lost. The man who\nwas playing against the Northman had a sore foot, so that one toe was\nbruised, and matter was coming out of it. Sigurd, who was sitting on the\nbench, takes a straw, and draws it along the floor, so that some young\nkittens ran after it. He drew the straw always before them, until they\ncame near the house-servant's foot, who jumping up with a scream, threw\nthe chessmen in disorder on the board; and thus it was a dispute how the\ngame had stood. This is given as a proof of Sigurd's cunning. People did\nnot know that he was a learned clerk until the Saturday before Easter,\nwhen he consecrated the holy water with chant; and the longer he stayed\nthere the more he was esteemed. The summer after, Sigurd told Thorgils\nbefore they parted, that he might with all confidence address his\nfriends to Sigurd Slembidjakn. Thorgils asked how nearly he was related\nto him, on which he replies, \"I am Sigurd Slembidjakn, a son of King\nMagnus Barefoot.\" He then left Iceland.\n\n\n\n\n16. OF SIGURD SLEMBE.\n\nWhen Harald Gille had been six years (A.D. 1136), king of Norway, Sigurd\ncame to the country and went to his brother King Harald, and found him\nin Bergen. He placed himself entirely in the king's hands, disclosed\nwho his father was, and asked him to acknowledge their relationship. The\nking gave him no hasty or distinct reply; but laid the matter before\nhis friends in a conference at a specially appointed meeting. After\nthis conference it became known that the king laid an accusation against\nSigurd, because he had been at the killing of Thorkel Fostre in the\nWest. Thorkel had accompanied Harald to Norway when he first came to\nthe country, and had been one of Harald's best friends. This case was\nfollowed up so severely, that a capital accusation against Sigurd was\nmade, and, by the advice of the lendermen, was carried so far, that some\nof the king's pursuivants went one evening late to Sigurd, and called\nhim to them. They then took a boat and rowed away with Sigurd from the\ntown south to Nordnes. Sigurd sat on a chest in the stern of the boat,\nand had his suspicions that foul play was intended. He was clothed in\nblue trousers, and over his shirt he had a hood tied with ribands,\nwhich served him for a cloak. He sat looking down, and holding his\nhood-strings; and sometimes moved them over his head, sometimes let\nthem fall again before him. Now when they had passed the ness, they\nwere drunk, and merry, were rowing so eagerly that they were not taking\nnotice of anything. Sigurd stood up, and went on the boat's deck; but\nthe two men who were placed to guard him stood up also, and followed\nhim to the side of the vessel, holding by his cloak, as is the custom in\nguarding people of distinction. As he was afraid that they would catch\nhold of more of his clothes, he seized them both, and leaped overboard\nwith them. The boat, in the meantime, had gone on a long way, and it was\na long time before those on board could turn the vessel, and long before\nthey could get their own men taken on board again; and Sigurd dived\nunder water, and swam so far away that he reached the land before they\ncould get the boat turned to pursue him. Sigurd, who was very swift of\nfoot, hied up to the mountains, and the king's men travelled about the\nwhole night seeking him without finding him. He lay down in a cleft of\nthe rocks; and as he was very cold he took off his trousers, cut a hole\nin the seat of them, and stuck his head through it, and put his arms\nin the legs of them. He escaped with life this time; and the king's men\nreturned, and could not conceal their unsuccessful adventure.\n\n\n\n\n17. TREACHERY TOWARDS KING HARALD.\n\nSigurd thought now that it would be of no use to seek any help from\nKing Harald again; and he kept himself concealed all the autumn and the\nbeginning of the winter. He lay hid in Bergen, in the house of a priest.\nKing Harald was also in the town, and many great people with him. Now\nSigurd considered how, with his friends' help, he might take the king by\nsurprise, and make an end of him. Many men took part in this design; and\namong them some who were King Harald's court-men and chamberlains,\nbut who had formerly been King Magnus's court-men. They stood in great\nfavour with the king, and some of them sat constantly at the king's\ntable. On Saint Lucia's day (December 13), in the evening when they\nproposed to execute this treason, two men sat at the king's table\ntalking together; and one of them said to the king, \"Sire, we two\ntable-companions submit our dispute to your judgment, having made a\nwager of a basket of honey to him who guesses right. I say that you\nwill sleep this night with your Queen Ingerid; and he says that you will\nsleep with Thora, Guthorm's daughter.\"\n\nThe king answered laughing, and without suspecting in the least that\nthere lay treachery under the question, that he who had asked had lost\nhis bet.\n\nThey knew thus where he was to be found that night; but the main guard\nwas without the house in which most people thought the king would sleep,\nviz., that which the queen was in.\n\n\n\n\n18. MURDER OF KING HARALD.\n\nSigurd Slembe, and some men who were in his design, came in the night\nto the lodging in which King Harald was sleeping; killed the watchman\nfirst; then broke open the door, and went in with drawn swords. Ivar\nKolbeinson made the first attack on King Harald; and as the king had\nbeen drunk when he went to bed he slept sound, and awoke only when the\nmen were striking at him. Then he said in his sleep, \"Thou art treating\nme hardly, Thora.\" She sprang up, saying, \"They are treating thee hardly\nwho love thee less than I do.\" Harald was deprived of life. Then Sigurd\nwent out with his helpers, and ordered the men to be called to him who\nhad promised him their support if he should get King Harald taken out\nof the way. Sigurd and his men then went on, and took a boat, set\nthemselves to the oars, and rowed out in front of the king's house; and\nthen it was just beginning to be daylight. Then Sigurd stood up, spoke\nto those who were standing on the king's pier, made known to them the\nmurder of King Harald by his hand, and desired that they would take him,\nand choose him as chief according to his birth. Now came many swarming\ndown to the pier from the king's house; and all with one voice replied,\nthat they would never give obedience or service to a man who had\nmurdered his own brother. \"And if thou are not his brother, thou hast no\nclaim from descent to be king.\" They clashed their weapons together, and\nadjudged all murderers to be banished and outlawed men. Now the king's\nhorn sounded, and all lendermen and courtmen were called together.\nSigurd and his companions saw it was best for them to get way; and\nhe went northward to North Hordaland, where he held a Thing with the\nbondes, who submitted to him, and gave him the title of king. From\nthence he went to Sogn, and held a Thing there with the bondes and was\nproclaimed king. Then he went north across the fjords, and most people\nsupported his cause. So says Ivar Ingemundson:--\n\n     \"On Harald's fall\n     The bondes all,\n     In Hord and Sogn,\n     Took Magnus' son.\n     The Things swore too\n     They would be true\n     To this new head\n     In Harald's stead.\"\n\nKing Harald was buried in the old Christ church.\n\n\n\n\nSAGA OF SIGURD, INGE, AND EYSTEIN, THE SONS OF HARALD\n\n\nPRELIMINARY REMARKS.\n\nSigurd died A.D. 1155, Eystein 1157, and Inge 1161.\n\nOther literature is \"Morkinskinna\" and \"Fagrskinna.\"\n\nSigurd Slembe is the subject of a drama by Bjornstjerne Bjornson,\ntranslated into English by William Morton Payne, and published by\nHoughton, Mifflin & Co., Boston, 1888.\n\nSkalds quoted are: Kolle, Einar Skulason, and Thorbjorn Skakkaskald.\n\n\n\n\n1. HISTORY OF KINGS SIGURD AND INGE.\n\nQueen Ingerid, and with her the lendermen and the court which had been\nwith King Harald, resolved to send a fast-sailing vessel to Throndhjem\nto make known King Harald's death, and also to desire the Throndhjem\npeople to take King Harald's son Sigurd for king. He was then in the\nnorth, and was fostered by Sadagyrd Bardson. Queen Ingerid herself\nproceeded eastward immediately to Viken. Inge was the name of her son by\nKing Harald, and he was then fostered by Amunde Gyrdson, a grandson of\nLogberse. When they came to Viken a Borgar-thing was immediately called\ntogether, at which Inge, who was in the second year of his age, was\nchosen king. This resolution was supported by Amunde and Thjostolf\nAlason, together with many other great chiefs. Now when the tidings came\nnorth to Throndhjem that King Harald was murdered, the Throndhjem people\ntook Sigurd, King Harald's son, to be the king; and this resolution was\nsupported by Ottar Birting, Peter Saudaulfson, the brothers Guthorm\nof Reine, and Ottar Balle, sons of Asolf and many other great chiefs.\nAfterwards the whole nation almost submitted to the brothers, and\nprincipally because their father was considered holy; and the country\ntook the oath to them, that the kingly power should not go to any other\nman as long as any of King Harald's sons were alive.\n\n\n\n\n2. OF SIGURD SLEMBIDJAKN.\n\nSigurd Slembe sailed north around Stad; and when he came to North More,\nhe found that letters and full powers had arrived before him from the\nleaders who had given in their allegiance to Harald's sons; so that\nthere he got no welcome or help. As Sigurd himself had but few people\nwith him, he resolved to go with them to Throndhjem, and seek out Magnus\nthe Blind; for he had already sent a message before him to Magnus's\nfriends. Now when they came to the town, they rowed up the river Nid\nto meet King Magnus, and fastened their land-ropes on the shore at\nthe king's house; but were obliged to set off immediately, for all the\npeople rose against them. They then landed at Monkholm, and took Magnus\nthe Blind out of the cloister against the will of the monks; for he had\nbeen consecrated a monk. It is said by some that Magnus willingly went\nwith them; although it was differently reported, in order to make his\ncause appear better. Sigurd, immediately after Yule (January, A.D.\n1137), went forth with his suite, expecting aid from his relations and\nMagnus's friends, and which they also got. Sigurd sailed with his men\nout of the fjord, and was joined afterwards by Bjorn Egilson, Gunnar\nof Gimsar, Haldor Sigurdson, Aslak Hakonson, the brothers Bendikt and\nEirik, and also the court which had before been with King Magnus, and\nmany others. With this troop they went south to More, and down to the\nmouth of Raumsdal fjord. Here Sigurd and Magnus divided their forces,\nand Sigurd went immediately westwards across the sea. King Magnus again\nproceeded to the Uplands, where he expected much help and strength, and\nwhich he obtained. He remained there the winter and all the summer (A.D.\n1137), and had many people with him; but King Inge proceeded against him\nwith all his forces, and they met at a place called Mynne. There was a\ngreat battle, at which King Magnus had the most people. It is related\nthat Thjostolf Alason carried King Inge in his belt as long as the\nbattle lasted, and stood under the banner; but Thjostolf was hard\npressed by fatigue and fighting; and it is commonly said that King Inge\ngot his ill health there, and which he retained as long as he lived, so\nthat his back was knotted into a hump, and the one foot was shorter than\nthe other; and he was besides so infirm that he could scarcely walk as\nlong as he lived. The defeat began to turn upon Magnus and his men; and\nin the front rank of his array fell Haldor Sigurdson, Bjorn Egilson,\nGunnar of Gimsar, and a great number of his men, before he himself would\ntake to his horse and fly. So says Kolle:--\n\n     \"Thy arrow-storm on Mynne's banks\n     Fast thinn'd the foemen's strongest ranks;\n     Thy good sword hewed the raven's feast\n     On Mynne's banks up in the East.\n     Shield clashed on shield, and bucklers broke\n     Under thy battle-axe's stroke;\n     While thou, uncovered, urged the fray,\n     Thy shield and mail-coat thrown away.\"\n\nAnd also this:--\n\n     \"The king to heaven belonging fled,\n     When thou, in war's quick death-game bred,\n     Unpanzered, shieldless on the plain\n     His heavy steel-clad guards hadst slain.\n     The painted shield, and steel-plate mail,\n     Before thy fierce attack soon fail,\n     To Magnus who belongs to heaven,\n\n     Was no such fame in battle given.\"\n\nMagnus fled eastward to Gautland, and then to Denmark. At that time\nthere was in Gautland an earl, Karl Sonason, who was a great and\nambitious man. Magnus the Blind and his men said, wherever they happened\nto meet with chiefs, that Norway lay quite open to any great chieftain\nwho would attack it; for it might well be said there was no king in the\ncountry, and the kingdom was only ruled by lendermen, and, among those\nwho had most sway, there was, from mutual jealousy, most discord. Now\nKarl, being ambitious of power, listens willingly to such speeches;\ncollects men, and rides west to Viken, where many people, out of fear,\nsubmit to him. When Thjostolf Alason and Amunde heard of this, they went\nwith the men they could get together, and took King Inge with them. They\nmet Earl Karl and the Gautland army eastward in Krokaskog, where there\nwas a great battle and a great defeat, King Inge gaining the victory.\nMunan Ogmundson, Earl Karl's mother's brother, fell there. Ogmund, the\nfather of Munan, was a son of Earl Orm Eilifson, and Sigrid, a daughter\nof Earl Fin Arnason. Astrid, Ogrnund's daughter, was the mother of Earl\nKarl. Many others of the Gautland people fell at Krokaskog; and the earl\nfled eastward through the forest. King Inge pursued them all the way out\nof the kingdom; and this expedition turned out a great disgrace to them.\nSo says Kolle:--\n\n     \"I must proclaim how our great lord\n     Coloured deep red his ice-cold sword;\n     And ravens played with Gautland bones,\n     And wolves heard Gautlanders' last groans.\n     Their silly jests were well repaid,--\n     In Krokaskog their laugh was laid:\n     Thy battle power was then well tried,\n     And they who won may now deride.\"\n\n\n\n\n3. KING EIRIK'S EXPEDITION TO NORWAY.\n\nMagnus the Blind then went to Denmark to King Eirik Eimune, where he\nwas well received. He offered the king to follow him if he would invade\nNorway with a Danish army, and subdue the country; saying, that if he\ncame to Norway with his army, no man in Norway would venture to throw\na spear against him. The king allowed himself to be moved by Magnus's\npersuasions, ordered a levy, and went north to Norway with 200 ships;\nand Magnus and his men were with him on this expedition. When they came\nto Viken, they proceeded peacefully and gently on the east side of the\nfjord; but when the fleet came westward to Tunsberg, a great number\nof King Inge's lendermen came against them. Their leader was Vatnorm\nDagson, a brother of Gregorius. The Danes could not land to get water\nwithout many of them being killed; and therefore they went in through\nthe fjord to Oslo, where Thjostolf Alason opposed them. It is told that\nsome people wanted to carry the holy Halvard's coffin out of the town in\nthe evening when the fleet was first observed, and as many as could took\nhold of it; but the coffin became so heavy that they could not carry\nit over the church floor. The morning after, however, when they saw the\nfleet sailing in past the Hofud Isle, four men carried the coffin out of\nthe town, and Thjostolf and all the townspeople followed it.\n\n\n\n\n4. THE TOWN OF OSLO BURNT.\n\nKing Eirik and his army advanced against the town; and some of his men\nhastened after Thjostolf and his troop. Thjostolf threw a spear at a\nman named Askel, which hit him under the throat, so that the spear point\nwent through his neck; and Thjostolf thought he had never made a better\nspear-cast, for, except the place he hit, there was nothing bare to be\nseen. The shrine of St. Halvard, was taken up to Raumarike, where it\nremained for three months. Thjostolf went up to Raumarike, and collected\nmen during the night, with whom he returned towards the town in the\nmorning. In the meantime King Eirik set fire to Halvard's church, and\nto the town, which was entirely burnt. Thjostolf came soon after to the\ntown with the men he had assembled, and Eirik sailed off with his fleet;\nbut could not land anywhere on that side of the fjord, on account of the\ntroops of the lendermen who came down against them; and wherever they\nattempted a landing, they left five or six men or more upon the strand.\nKing Inge lay with a great number of people into Hornborusund, but when\nhe learned this, he turned about southwards to Denmark again. King Inge\npursued him, and took from him all the ships he could get hold of; and\nit was a common observation among people, that never was so poor an\nexpedition made with so great an armament in another king's dominions.\nKing Eirik was ill pleased at it, and thought King Magnus and his men\nhad been making a fool of him by encouraging him to undertake this\nexpedition, and he declared he would never again besuch friends with\nthem as before.\n\n\n\n\n5. OF SIGURD SLEMBIDJAKN.\n\nSigurd Slembidjakn came that summer from the West sea to Norway,\nwhere he heard of his relation King Magnus's unlucky expedition; so he\nexpected no welcome in Norway, but sailed south, outside the rocks, past\nthe land, and set over to Denmark, and went into the Sound. He fell in\nwith some Vindland cutters south of the islands, gave them battle, and\ngained the victory. He cleared eight ships, killing many of the men, and\nhe hanged the others.\n\nHe also had a battle off the Island Mon with the Vindland men, and\ngained a victory. He then sailed from the south and came to the eastern\narm of the Gaut river, and took three ships of the fleet of Thorer\nHvinantorde, and Olaf, the son of Harald Kesia, who was Sigurd's own\nsister's son; for Ragnhild, the mother of Olaf, was a daughter of King\nMagnus Barefoot. He drove Olaf up the country.\n\nThjostolf was at this time in Konungahella, and had collected people to\ndefend the country, and Sigurd steered thither with his fleet. They shot\nat each other, but he could not effect a landing; and, on both sides,\nmany were killed and many wounded. Ulfhedin Saxolfson, Sigurd's\nforecastle man, fell there. He was an Icelander, from the north quarter.\nSigurd continued his course northwards to Viken and plundered far\nand wide around. Now when Sigurd lay in a harbour called Portyrja on\nLimgard's coast, and watched the ships going to or coming from Viken to\nplunder them, the Tunsberg men collected an armed force against him,\nand came unexpectedly upon them while Sigurd and his men were on shore\ndividing their booty. Some of the men came down from the land, but some\nof the other party laid themselves with their ships right across the\nharbour outside of them. Sigurd ran up into his ship, and rowed out\nagainst them. Vatnorm's ship was the nearest, and he let his ship fall\nbehind the line, and Sigurd rowed clear past, and thus escaped with one\nship and the loss of many men. This verse was made upon Vatnorm (1):--\n\n     \"The water serpent, people say,\n     From Portyrja slipped away.\"\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) Vatnorm, the name of this man, means the water-serpent,\n     and appears to have been a favourite name for war-ships also;\n     hence the pun in the lines upon Vatnorm.--L.\n\n\n\n\n6. THE MURDER OF BEINTEIN.\n\nSigurd Slembidjakn sailed from thence to Denmark; and at that time a man\nwas lost in his ship, whose name was Kolbein Thorliotson of Batald.\nHe was sitting in a boat which was made fast to the vessel, and upset\nbecause she was sailing quickly. When they came south to Denmark,\nSigurd's ship itself was cast away; but he got to Alaborg, and was\nthere in winter. The summer after (A.D. 1138) Magnus and Sigurd sailed\ntogether from the south with seven ships, and came unexpectedly in\nthe night to Lister, where they laid their ships on the land. Beintein\nKolbeinson, a court-man of King Inge, and a very brave man, was there.\nSigurd and his men jumped on shore at daylight, came unexpectedly on the\npeople, surrounded the house, and were setting fire to the buildings;\nbut Beintein came out of a store-house with his weapons, well armed, and\nstood within the door with drawn sword, his shield before him, helmet\non, and ready to defend himself. The door was somewhat low. Sigurd asked\nwhich of his lads had most desire to go in against Beintein, which he\ncalled brave man's work; but none was very hurried to make ready for\nit. While they were discussing this matter Sigurd rushed into the house,\npast Beintein. Beintein struck at him, but missed him. Sigurd turned\ninstantly on Beintein; and after exchanging blows, Sigurd gave him his\ndeath-stroke, and came out presently bearing his head in his hands.\n\nThey took all the goods that were in the farm-house, carried the booty\nto their ships, and sailed away. When King Inge and his friends, and\nalso Kolbein's sons, Sigurd and Gyrd, the brothers of Beintein, heard of\nBeintein's murder, the king sent a great force against Sigurd Slembe and\nhis followers; and also travelled himself, and took a ship from Hakon\nPaulson Pungelta, who was a daughter's son of Aslak, a son of Erling\nSkjalgson of Sole, and cousin of Hakon Mage. King Inge drove Hakon and\nhis followers up the country, and took all their gear. Sigurd Stork,\na son of Eindride of Gautdal, and his brother, Eirik Hael, and Andres\nKelduskit, son of Grim of Vist, all fled away into the fjords. But\nSigurd Slembe, Magnus the Blind and Thorieif Skiappa sailed outside the\nisles with three ships north to Halogaland; and Magnus was in winter\n(A.D. 1139) north in Bjarkey Isle with Vidkun Jonson. But Sigurd had the\nstem and stern-post of his ship cut out, made a hole in her, and sank\nher in the inner part of Egisfjord, and thereafter he passed the winter\nat Tialdasund by Gljufrafjord in Hin. Far up the fjord there is a cave\nin the rock; in that place Sigurd sat with his followers, who were above\ntwenty men, secretly, and hung a grey cloth before the mouth of the\nhole, so that no person could see them from the strand. Thorleif\nSkiappa, and Einar, son of Ogmund of Sand, and of Gudrun, daughter of\nEinar Arason of Reikiaholar, procured food for Sigurd during the winter.\nIt is said that Sigurd made the Laplanders construct two boats for him\nduring the winter up in the fjord; and they were fastened together with\ndeer sinews, without nails, and with twigs of willow instead of knees,\nand each boat could carry twelve men. Sigurd was with the Laplanders\nwhile they were making the boats; and the Laplanders had good ale, with\nwhich they entertained Sigurd. Sigurd made these lines on it:--\n\n          \"In the Lapland tent\n          Brave days we spent.\n     Under the grey birch tree;\n          In bed or on bank\n          We knew no rank,\n     And a merry crew were we.\n\n          \"Good ale went round\n          As we sat on the ground,\n     Under the grey birch tree;\n          And up with the smoke\n          Flew laugh and joke,\n     And a merry crew were we.\"\n\nThese boats were so light that no ship could overtake them in the water,\naccording to what was sung at the time:--\n\n     \"Our skin-sewed Fin-boats lightly swim,\n     Over the sea like wind they skim.\n     Our ships are built without a nail;\n     Few ships like ours can row or sail.\"\n\nIn spring Sigurd and Magnus went south along the coast with the two\nboats which the Laplanders had made; and when they came to Vagar they\nkilled Svein the priest and his two sons.\n\n\n\n\n7. OF SIGURD'S SLEMBE'S CAMPAIGN.\n\nThereafter Sigurd came south to Vikar, and seized King Sigurd's\nlendermen, William Skinnare and Thorald Kept, and killed them both. Then\nSigurd turned south-wards along the coast, and met Styrkar Glaesirofa\nsouth of Byrda, as he was coming from the south from the town of\nNidaros, and killed him. Now when Sigurd came south to Valsnes, he met\nSvinagrim outside of the ness, and cut off his right hand. From thence\nhe went south to More, past the mouth of the Throndhjem fjord, where\nthey took Hedin Hirdmage and Kalf Kringluauge. They let Hedin escape,\nbut killed Kalf. When King Sigurd, and his foster-father, Sadagyrd,\nheard of Sigurd Slembidjakn's proceedings, and what he was doing, they\nsent people to search for him; and their leader was Jon Kauda, a son of\nKalf Range. Bishop Ivar's brother, and besides the priest Jon Smyril.\nThey went on board the ship the Reindeer, which had twenty-two rowing\nbenches, and was one of the swiftest sailing vessels, to seek Sigurd;\nbut as they could not find him, they returned north-wards with little\nglory; for people said that they had got sight of Sigurd and his people,\nand durst not attack them. Afterwards Sigurd proceeded southwards to\nHordaland, and came to Herdla, where Einar, a son of Laxapaul, had a\nfarm; and went into Hamar's fjord, to the Gangdaga-thing. They took all\nthe goods that were at the farm, and a long-ship of twenty-two benches\nwhich belonged to Einar; and also his son, four years old, who was\nliving with one of his labouring people. Some wanted to kill the boy,\nbut others took him and carried him with them. The labouring man said,\n\"It will not be lucky for you to kill the child; and it will be of no\nuse to you to carry him away, for it is my son, and not Einar's.\" And on\nhis word they let the boy remain, and went away. When Einar came home he\ngave the labourer money to the value of two ore of gold, and thanked him\nfor his clever invention, and promised him his constant friendship.\nSo says Eirik Odson, who first wrote down this relation; and he heard\nhimself Einar Paulson telling these circumstances in Bergen. Sigurd then\nwent southward along the coast all the way east to Viken, and met Fin\nSaudaulfson east at Kvildar, as he was engaged in drawing in King Inge's\nrents and duties, and hanged him. Then they sailed south to Denmark.\n\n\n\n\n8. OF KING INGE'S LETTER TO KING SIGURD.\n\nThe people of Viken and of Bergen complained that it was wrong for\nKing Sigurd and his friends to be sitting quietly north in the town of\nNidaros, while his father's murderer was cruising about in the ordinary\npassage at the mouth of the Throndhjem fjord; and King Inge and his\npeople, on the other hand, were in Viken in the midst of the danger,\ndefending the country and holding many battles. Then King Inge sent a\nletter north to the merchant-town Nidaros, in which were these words:\n\"King Inge Haraldson sends his brother King Sigurd, as also\nSadagyrd, Ogmund Svipte, Ottar Birting, and all lendermen, court-men,\nhouse-people, and all the public, rich and poor, young and old, his own\nand God's salutation. The misfortune is known to all men that on account\nof our childhoods--thou being five, and I but three years of age--we can\nundertake nothing without the counsel of our friends and other good men.\nNow I and my men think that we stand nearer to the danger and necessity\ncommon to us both, than thou and thy friends; therefore make it so\nthat thou, as soon as possible, come to me, and as strong in troops as\npossible, that we may be assembled to meet whatever may come. He will be\nour best friend who does all he can that we may be united, and may take\nan equal part in all things. But if thou refuse, and wilt not come after\nthis message which I send thee in need, as thou hast done before, then\nthou must expect that I will come against thee with an armament; and let\nGod decide between us; for we are not in a condition to sit here at so\ngreat an expense, and with so numerous a body of troops as are necessary\nhere on account of the enemy, and besides many other pressing charges,\nwhilst thou hast half of all the land-tax and other revenues of Norway.\nLive in the peace of God!\"\n\n\n\n\n9. OTTAR BIRTING'S SPEECH.\n\nThen Ottar Birting stood up in the Thing, and first of all answered\nthus: \"This is King Sigurd's reply to his brother King Inge--that God\nwill reward him for his good salutation, and likewise for the trouble\nand burden which he and his friends have in this kingdom, and in matters\nof necessity which effect them both. Although now some think there is\nsomething sharp in King Inge's message to his brother Sigurd, yet he has\nin many respects sufficient cause for it. Now I will make known to you\nmy opinion, and we will hear if King Sigurd and the other people of\npower will agree to it; and it is, that thou, King Sigurd, make thyself\nready, with all the people who will follow thee, to defend thy country;\nand go as strong in men as possible to thy brother King Inge as soon as\nthou art prepared, in order to assist each other in all things that\nare for the common good; and may God Almighty strengthen and assist you\nboth! Now, king, we will have thy words.\"\n\nPeter, a son of Saudaulf, who was afterwards called Peter Byrdarsvein,\nbore King Sigurd to the Thing. Then the king said, \"Ye must know that,\nif I am to advise, I will go as soon as possible to my brother King\nInge.\" Then others spoke, one after the other; but although each began\nhis speech in his own way, he ended with agreeing to what Ottar Birting\nhad proposed; and it was determined to call together the war-forces, and\ngo to the east part of the country. King Sigurd accordingly went with\ngreat armament east to Viken, and there he met his brother King Inge.\n\n\n\n\n10. FALL OF MAGNUS THE BLIND.\n\nThe same autumn (A.D. 1139) Sigurd Slembe and Magnus the Blind came from\nDenmark with thirty ships, manned both with Danes and Northmen. It was\nnear to winter. When the kings heard of this, they set out with their\npeople eastwards to meet them. They met at Hvalar, near Holm the Grey,\nthe day after Martinmas, which was a Sunday. King Inge and King Sigurd\nhad twenty ships, which were all large. There was a great battle; but,\nafter the first assault, the Danes fled home to Denmark with eighteen\nships. On this Sigurd's and Magnus's ships were cleared; and as the\nlast was almost entirely bare of men, and Magnus was lying in his bed,\nHreidar Griotgardson, who had long followed him, and been his courtman,\ntook King Magnus in his arms, and tried to run with him on board some\nother ship. But Hreidar was struck by a spear, which went between his\nshoulders; and people say King Magnus was killed by the same spear.\nHreidar fell backwards upon the deck, and Magnus upon him; and every\nman spoke of how honourably he had followed his master and rightful\nsovereign. Happy are they who have such praise! There fell, on King\nMagnus's ship, Lodin Saupprud of Linustadar, Bruse Thormodson; and\nthe forecastle-men to Sigurd Slembidjakn, Ivar Kolbeinson and Halyard\nFaeger, who had been in Sigurd Slembe's fore-hold. This Ivar had been\nthe first who had gone in, in the night, to King Harald, and had laid\nhands on him. There fell a great number of the men of King Magnus and\nSigurd Slembe, for Inge's men let not a single one escape if they got\nhold of him; but only a few are named here. They killed upon a holm\nmore than forty men, among whom were two Icelanders--the priest Sigurd\nBergthorson, a grandson of Mas; the other Clemet, a son of Are Einarson.\nBut three Icelanders obtained their lives: namely, Ivar Skrauthanke, a\nson of Kalf Range, and who afterwards was bishop of Throndhjem, and was\nfather of the archbishop Eirik. Ivar had always followed King Magnus,\nand he escaped into his brother Jon Kauda's ship. Jon was married to\nCecilia, a daughter of Gyrd Bardson, and was then in King Inge's and\nSigurd's armament. There were three in all who escaped on board of Jon's\nship. The second was Arnbjorn Ambe, who afterwards married Thorstein's\ndaughter in Audsholt; the third was Ivar Dynta, a son of Stare, but on\nthe mother's side of a Throndhjem family,--a very agreeable man. When\nthe troops came to know that these three were on board his ship,\nthey took their weapons and assaulted the vessel, and some blows\nwere exchanged, and the whole fleet had nearly come to a fight among\nthemselves; but it came to an agreement, so that Jon ransomed his\nbrothers Ivar and Arnbjorn for a fixed sum in ransom, which, however,\nwas afterwards remitted. But Ivar Dynta was taken to the shore, and\nbeheaded; for Sigurd and Gyrd, the sons of Kolbein, would not take any\nmulct for him, as they knew he had been at their brother Beintein's\nmurder. Ivar the bishop said, that never was there anything that touched\nhim so nearly, as Ivar's going to the shore under the axe, and turning\nto the others with the wish that they might meet in joy here-after.\nGudrid Birger's daughter, a sister of Archbishop Jon, told Eirik Odson\nthat she heard Bishop Ivar say this.\n\n\n\n\n11. SIGURD SLEMBE TAKEN PRISONER.\n\nA man called Thrand Gialdkere was the steersman of King Inge's ship. It\nwas come so far, that Inge's men were rowing in small boats between the\nships after those who were swimming in the water, and killed those they\ncould get hold of. Sigurd Slembe threw himself overboard after his ship\nhad lost her crew, stripped off his armour under the water, and then\nswam with his shield over him. Some men from Thrand's vessel took\nprisoner a man who was swimming, and were about to kill him; but he\nbegged his life, and offered to tell them where Sigurd Slembe was, and\nthey agreed to it. Shields and spears, dead men, weapons, and clothes,\nwere floating all around on the sea about the ships, \"Ye can see,\" said\nhe, \"a red shield floating on the water; he is under it.\" They rowed\nto it immediately, took him, and brought him on board of Thrand's ship.\nThrand then sent a message to Thjostolf, Ottar, and Amunde. Sigurd\nSlembe had a tinder box on him; and the tinder was in a walnut-shell,\naround which there was wax. This is related, because it seems an\ningenious way of preserving it from ever getting wet. He swam with a\nshield over him, because nobody could know one shield from another where\nso many were floating about; and they would never have hit upon him, if\nthey had not been told where he was. When Thrand came to the land with\nSigurd, and it was told to the troops that he was taken, the army set\nup a shout of joy. When Sigurd heard it he said, \"Many a bad man will\nrejoice over my head this day.\" Then Thjostolf Alason went to where\nSigurd was sitting, struck from his head a silk hat with silver fringes,\nand said. \"Why wert thou so impudent, thou son of a slave! to dare to\ncall thyself King Magnus Barefoot's son?\"\n\nSigurd replied, \"Presume not to compare my father to a slave; for thy\nfather was of little worth compared to mine.\"\n\nHal, a son of the doctor Thorgeir Steinson, King Inge's court-man, was\npresent at this circumstance, and told it to Eirik Odson, who afterwards\nwrote these relations in a book, which he called \"Hryggjarstykke\". In\nthis book is told all concerning Harald Gille and his sons, and Magnus\nthe Blind, and Sigurd Slembidjakn, until their deaths. Eirik was a\nsensible man, who was long in Norway about that time. Some of his\nnarratives he wrote down from Hakon Mage's account; some were from\nlendermen of Harald's sons, who along with his sons were in all this\nfeud, and in all the councils. Eirik names, moreover, several men of\nunderstanding and veracity, who told him these accounts, and were so\nnear that they saw or heard all that happened. Something he wrote from\nwhat he himself had heard or seen.\n\n\n\n\n12. TORTURE OF SIGURD SLEMBE.\n\nHal says that the chiefs wished to have Sigurd killed instantly; but the\nmen who were the most cruel, and thought they had injuries to avenge,\nadvised torturing him; and for this they named Beintein's brothers,\nSigurd and Gyrd, the sons of Kolbein. Peter Byrdarsvein would also\navenge his brother Fin. But the chiefs and the greater part of the\npeople went away. They broke his shin-bones and arms with an axe-hammer.\nThen they stripped him, and would flay him alive; but when they tried to\ntake off the skin, they could not do it for the gush of blood. They took\nleather whips and flogged him so long, that the skin was as much taken\noff as if he had been flayed. Then they stuck a piece of wood in his\nback until it broke, dragged him to a tree and hanged him; and then\ncut off his head, and brought the body and head to a heap of stones and\nburied them there. All acknowledge, both enemies and friends, that no\nman in Norway, within memory of the living, was more gifted with all\nperfections, or more experienced, than Sigurd, but in some respects he\nwas an unlucky man. Hal says that he spoke little, and answered only\na few, and in single words, under his tortures, although they spoke to\nhim. Hal says further, that he never moved when they tortured him, more\nthan if they were striking a stock or a stone. This Hal alleged as proof\nthat he was a brave hero, who had courage to endure tortures; for he\nstill held his tongue, and never moved from the spot. And farther he\nsays, that he never altered his voice in the least, but spoke with as\nmuch ease as if he was sitting at the ale-table; neither speaking higher\nnor lower, nor in a more tremulous voice than he was used to do. He\nspoke until he gave up the ghost, and sang between whiles parts of the\nPsalm-book, and which Hal considered beyond the powers and strength of\nordinary men. And the priest who had the church in the neighbourhood let\nSigurd's body be transported thither to the church. This priest was a\nfriend of Harald's sons: but when they heard it they were angry at him,\nhad the body carried back to where it had been, and made the priest pay\na fine. Sigurd's friends afterwards came from Denmark with a ship for\nhis body, carried it to Alaborg, and interred it in Mary church in that\ntown. So said Dean Ketil, who officiated as priest at Mary church, to\nEirik; and that Sigurd was buried there. Thjostolf Alason transported\nMagnus the Blind's body to Oslo, and buried it in Halvard's church,\nbeside King Sigurd his father. Lodin Saupprud was transported to\nTunsberg; but the others of the slain were buried on the spot.\n\n\n\n\n13. EYSTEIN HARALDSON COMES TO NORWAY.\n\nWhen the kings Sigurd and Inge had ruled over Norway about six years,\nEystein, who was a son of Harald Gille, came in spring from Scotland\n(A.D. 1142). Arne Sturla, Thorleif Brynjolfson, and Kolbein Hruga had\nsailed westward over the sea after Eystein, accompanied him to Norway,\nand sailed immediately with him to Throndhjem. The Throndhjem people\nreceived him well; and at the Eyra-thing of Ascension-day he was chosen\nking, so that he should have the third part of Norway with his brothers\nSigurd and Inge. They were at this time in the east part of the country;\nand men went between the kings who brought about a peace, and that\nEystein should have a third part of the kingdom. People believed what he\nsaid of his paternal descent, because King Harald himself had testified\nto it, and he did not resort to the ordeal of iron. King Eystein's\nmother was called Bjadok, and she followed him to Norway. Magnus was the\nname of King Harald Gille's fourth son, who was fostered by Kyrpingaorm.\nHe also was chosen king, and got a fourth part of the country; but\nMagnus was deformed in his feet, lived but a short time, and died in his\nbed. Einar Skulason speaks of them:--\n\n     \"The generous Eystein money gave;\n     Sigurd in fight was quick and brave;\n     Inge loved well the war-alarm;\n     Magnus to save his land from harm.\n     No country boasts a nobler race\n     The battle-field, or Thing, to grace.\n     Four brothers of such high pretence\n     The sun ne'er shone upon at once.\"\n\n\n\n\n14. MURDER OF OTTAR BIRTING.\n\nAfter King Harald Gille's death Queen Ingerid married Ottar Birting,\nwho was a lendermen and a great chief, and of a Throndhjem family, who\nstrengthened King Inge's government much while he was in his childhood.\nKing Sigurd was not very friendly to Ottar; because, as he thought,\nOttar always took King Inge's side. Ottar Birting was killed north in\nthe merchant town (Nidaros), in an assault upon him in the twilight as\nhe was going to the evening song. When he heard the whistling of the\nblow he held up his cloak with his hands against it; thinking, no doubt,\nit was a snowball thrown at him, as young boys do in the streets. Ottar\nfell by the stroke; but his son, Alf Hrode, who just at the same moment\nwas coming into the churchyard, saw his father's fall, and saw that the\nman who had killed him ran east about the church. Alf ran after him, and\nkilled him at the corner of the choir; and people said that he had good\nluck in avenging his father, and afterwards was much more respected than\nhe had been before.\n\n\n\n\n15. BEGINNING OF KING EYSTEIN.\n\nKing Eystein Haraldson was in the interior of the Throndhjem district\nwhen he heard of Ottar's murder, and summoned to him the bonde-army,\nwith which he proceeded to the town; and he had many men. Ottar's\nrelations and other friends accused King Sigurd, who was in the town,\nof having instigated this deed; and the bondes were much enraged against\nhim. But the king offered to clear himself by the ordeal of iron, and\nthereby to establish the truth of his denial; and accordingly a peace\nwas made. King Sigurd went to the south end of the country, and the\nordeal was never afterwards heard of.\n\n\n\n\n16. BEGINNING OF ORM THE KING-BROTHER.\n\nQueen Ingerid had a son to Ivar Sneis, and he was called Orm, and got\nthe surname of King-brother. He was a handsome man in appearance, and\nbecame a great chief, as shall be told hereafter. Ingerid afterwards\nmarried Arne of Stodreim, who was from this called King's-mate; and\ntheir children were Inge, Nikolas, Philip of Herdla, and Margaret, who\nwas first married to Bjorn Buk, and afterwards to Simon Karason.\n\n\n\n\n17. JOURNEY OF ERLING SKAKKE AND EARL RAGNVALD.\n\nKyrpingaorm and Ragnhild, a daughter of Sveinke Steinarson, had a son\ncalled Erling. Kyrpingaorm was a son of Svein Sveinson, who was a son of\nErling of Gerd. Otto's mother was Ragna, a daughter of Earl Orm Eilifson\nand Sigrid, a daughter of Earl Fin Arnason. The mother of Earl Orm\nwas Ragnhild, a daughter of Earl Hakon the Great. Erling was a man of\nunderstanding, and a great friend of King Inge, by whose assistance and\ncounsel Erling obtained in marriage Christina, a daughter of King Sigurd\nthe Crusader and Queen Malmfrid. Erling possessed a farm at Studla in\nSouth Hordaland. Erling left the country; and with him went Eindride\nUnge and several lendermen, who had chosen men with them. They intended\nto make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and went across the West sea to\nOrkney. There Earl Ragnvald and Bishop William joined them; and they had\nin all fifteen ships from Orkney, with which they first sailed to the\nSouth Hebrides, from thence west to Valland, and then the same way King\nSigurd the Crusader had sailed to Norvasund; and they plundered all\naround in the heathen part of Spain. Soon after they had sailed\nthrough the Norvasund, Eindride Unge and his followers, with six ships,\nseparated from them; and then each was for himself. Earl Ragnvald\nand Erling Skakke fell in with a large ship of burden at sea called a\ndromund, and gave battle to it with nine ships. At last they laid their\ncutters close under the dromund; but the heathens threw both weapons and\nstones, and pots full of pitch and boiling oil. Erling laid his ship so\nclose under the dromund, that the missiles of the heathens fell without\nhis ship. Then Erling and his men cut a hole in the dromund, some\nworking below and some above the water-mark; and so they boarded\nthe vessel through it. So says Thorbjorn Skakkaskald, in his poem on\nErling:--\n\n     \"The axes of the Northmen bold\n     A door into the huge ships' hold\n     Hewed through her high and curved side,\n     As snug beneath her bulge they ride.\n     Their spears bring down the astonished foe,\n     Who cannot see from whence the blow.\n     The eagle's prey, they, man by man,\n     Fall by the Northmen's daring plan.\"\n\nAudunraude, Erling's forecastle-man, was the first man who got into the\ndromund. Then they carried her, killing an immense number of people;\nmaking an extraordinarily valuable booty, and gaining a famous victory.\nEarl Ragnvald and Erling Skakke came to Palestine in the course of their\nexpedition, and all the way to the river Jordan. From thence they\nwent first to Constantinople, where they left their ships, travelled\nnorthwards by land, and arrived in safety in Norway, where their journey\nwas highly praised. Erling Skakke appeared now a much greater man than\nbefore, both on account of his journey and of his marriage; besides he\nwas a prudent sensible man, rich, of great family, eloquent, and devoted\nto King Inge by the strictest friendship more than to the other royal\nbrothers.\n\n\n\n\n18. BIRTH OF HAKON HERDEBREID.\n\nKing Sigurd went to a feast east in Viken along with his court, and rode\npast a house belonging to a great bonde called Simon. While the king was\nriding past the house, he heard within such beautiful singing that he\nwas quite enchanted with it, and rode up to the house, and saw a lovely\ngirl standing at the handmill and grinding. The king got off his horse,\nand went to the girl and courted her. When the king went away, the bonde\nSimon came to know what the object of the king's visit had been. The\ngirl was called Thora, and she was Simon the bonde's servant-girl. Simon\ntook good care of her afterwards, and the girl brought forth a male\nchild (A.D. 1047), who was called Hakon, and was considered King\nSigurd's son. Hakon was brought up by Simon Thorbergson and his wife\nGunhild. Their own sons also, Onund and Andreas, were brought up with\nHakon, and were so dear to him that death only could have parted them.\n\n\n\n\n19. EYSTEIN AND THE PEASANTS OF HISING ISLE.\n\nWhile King Eystein Haraldson was in Viken, he fell into disputes with\nthe bondes of Reine and the inhabitants of Hising Isle, who assembled\nto oppose him; but he gave them battle at a place called Leikberg, and\nafterwards burnt and destroyed all around in Hising; so that the\nbondes submitted to his will, paid great fines to the king, and he took\nhostages from them. So says Einar Skulason:--\n\n     \"The Viken men\n     Won't strive again,\n     With words or blows,\n     The king to oppose.\n     None safety found\n     On Viken's ground,\n     Till all, afraid,\n     Pledge and scat paid.\"\n\nAnd further:--\n\n     \"The king came near;\n     He who is dear\n     To all good men\n     Came down the glen,\n     By Leikberg hill.\n     They who do ill,\n     The Reine folk, fly\n     Or quarter cry.\"\n\n\n\n\n20. WAR EXPEDITION OF KING HARALDSON.\n\nSoon after King Eystein began his journey out of the country over sea to\nthe West (A.D. 1153), and sailed first to Caithness. Here he heard that\nEarl Harald Maddad's son was in Thursa, to which he sailed directly\nin three small boats. The earl had a ship of thirty banks of oars, and\nnearly eighty men in her. But they were not prepared to make resistance,\nso that King Eystein was able to board the ship with his men; and he\ntook the earl prisoner, and carried him to his own ship, but the earl\nransomed himself with three marks of gold: and thus they parted. Einar\nSkulason tells of it thus:--\n\n     \"Earl Harald in his stout ship lay\n     On the bright sand in Thursa bay;\n     With fourscore men he had no fear,\n     Nor thought the Norse king was so near,\n     He who provides the eagle's meals\n     In three small boats along-shore steals;\n     And Maddad's son must ransom pay\n     For his bad outlook that fair day.\"\n\nFrom thence King Eystein sailed south along the east side of Scotland,\nand brought up at a merchant-town in Scotland called Aberdeen, where he\nkilled many people, and plundered the town. So says Einar Skulason:--\n\n     \"At Aberdeen, too, I am told,\n     Fell many by our Norsemen bold;\n     Peace was disturbed, and blue swords broke\n     With many a hard and bloody stroke.\"\n\nThe next battle was at Hartlepool in the south, with a party of\nhorsemen. The king put them to flight, and seized some ships there. So\nsays Einar:--\n\n     \"At Hartlepool, in rank and row,\n     The king's court-men attack the foe.\n     The king's sharp sword in blood was red,\n     Blood dropped from every Norse spear-head.\n     Ravens rejoice o'er the warm food\n     Of English slain, each where he stood;\n     And in the ships their thirst was quenched:\n     The decks were in the foe's blood drenched.\"\n\nThen he went southwards to England, and had his third battle at Whitby,\nand gained the victory, and burnt the town. So says Einar:--\n\n     \"The ring of swords, the clash of shields,\n     Were loud in Whitby's peaceful fields;\n     For here the king stirred up the strife.--\n     Man against man, for death or life.\n     O'er roof and tower, rose on high\n     The red wrath-fire in the sky;\n     House after house the red fiend burns;\n     By blackened walls the poor man mourns.\"\n\nThereafter he plundered wide around in England, where Stephen was\nthen the king. After this King Eystein fought with some cavalry at\nSkarpasker. So says Einar:--\n\n     \"At Skarpasker the English horse\n     Retire before the Norse king's force:\n     The arrow-shower like snow-drift flew,\n     And the shield-covered foemen slew.\"\n\nHe fought next at Pilavik, and gained the victory. So says Einar:--\n\n     \"At Pilavik the wild wolf feeds,\n     Well furnished by the king's brave deeds\n     He poured upon the grass-green plain\n     A red shower from the Perthmen slain.\n     On westwards in the sea he urges,\n     With fire and sword the country purges:\n     Langtown he burns; the country rang,\n     For sword on shield incessant clang.\"\n\n\nHere they burnt Langatun, a large village; and people say that the town\nhas never since risen to its former condition. After this King Eystein\nleft England in autumn, and returned to Norway. People spoke in various\nways about this expedition.\n\n\n\n\n21. OF HARALD'S SONS.\n\nThere was good peace maintained in Norway in the first years of the\ngovernment of Harald's sons; and as long as their old counsellors were\nalive, there was some kind of unanimity among them. While Inge and\nSigurd were in their childhood, they had a court together; but Eystein,\nwho was come to age of discretion, had a court for himself. But when\nInge's and Sigurd's counsellors were dead,--namely, Sadagyrd Bardson,\nOttar Birting, Amunde Gyrdson, Thjostolf Alason, Ogmund Svipter, and\nOgmund Denger, a brother of Erling Skakke (Erling was not much looked\nup to while Ogmund lived),--the two kings, Inge and Sigurd divided their\ncourts. King Inge then got great assistance from Gregorius Dagson, a son\nof Dag Eilifson by Ragnhild a daughter of Skapte Ogmundson. Gregorius\nhad much property, and was himself a thriving, sagacious man. He\npresided in the governing the country under King Inge, and the king\nallowed him to manage his property for him according to his own\njudgment.\n\n\n\n\n22. HABITS AND MANNERS OF HARALD'S SONS.\n\nWhen King Sigurd grew up he was a very ungovernable, restless man in\nevery way; and so was King Eystein, but Eystein was the more reasonable\nof the two. King Sigurd was a stout and strong man, of a brisk\nappearance; he had light brown hair, an ugly mouth; but otherwise a\nwell-shaped countenance. He was polite in his conversation beyond any\nman, and was expert in all exercises. Einar Skulason speaks of this:--\n\n     \"Sigurd, expert in every way\n     To wield the sword in bloody fray,\n     Showed well that to the bold and brave\n     God always luck and victory gave.\n     In speech, as well as bloody deeds,\n     The king all other men exceeds;\n     And when he speaks we think that none\n     Has said a word but he alone.\"\n\nKing Eystein was dark and dingy in complexion, of middle height, and a\nprudent able man; but what deprived him of consideration and popularity\nwith those under him were his avarice and narrowness. He was married to\nRagna, a daughter of Nicolas Mase. King Inge was the handsomest among\nthem in countenance. He had yellow but rather thin hair, which was much\ncurled. His stature was small; and he had difficulty in walking alone,\nbecause he had one foot withered, and he had a hump both on his back and\nhis breast. He was of cheerful conversation, and friendly towards his\nfriends; was generous, and allowed other chiefs to give him counsel in\ngoverning the country. He was popular, therefore, with the public; and\nall this brought the kingdom and the mass of the people on his side.\nKing Harald Gille's daughter Brigida was first married to the Swedish\nking Inge Halsteinson, and afterwards to Earl Karl Sonason, and then to\nthe Swedish king Magnus. She and King Inge Haraldson were cousins by the\nmother's side. At last Brigida married Earl Birger Brose, and they had\nfour sons, namely, Earl Philip, Earl Knut, Folke, and Magnus. Their\ndaughters were Ingegerd, who was married to the Swedish king Sorkver,\nand their son was King Jon; a second daughter was called Kristin, and a\nthird Margaret. Harald Gille's second daughter was called Maria, who was\nmarried to Simon Skalp, a son of Halkel Huk; and their son was called\nNikolas. King Harald Gille's third daughter was called Margaret, who was\nmarried to Jon Halkelson, a brother of Simon. Now many things occurred\nbetween the brothers which occasioned differences and disputes; but I\nwill only relate what appears to me to have produced the more important\nevents.\n\n\n\n\n23. CARDINAL NIKOLAS COMES TO THE COUNTRY.\n\nIn the days of Harald's sons Cardinal Nikolas came from Rome to Norway,\nbeing sent there by the pope. The cardinal had taken offence at\nthe brothers Sigurd and Eystein, and they were obliged to come to a\nreconciliation with him; but, on the other hand, he stood on the most\naffectionate terms with King Inge, whom he called his son. Now when\nthey were all reconciled with him, he moved them to let Jon Birgerson\nbe consecrated archbishop of Throndhjem and gave him a vestment which is\ncalled a pallium; and settled moreover that the archbishop's seat should\nbe in Nidaros, in Christ church, where King Olaf the Saint reposes.\nBefore that time there had only been common bishops in Norway. The\ncardinal introduced also the law, that no man should go unpunished who\nappeared with arms in the merchant-town, excepting the twelve men who\nwere in attendancce on the king. He improved many of the customs of the\nNorthmen while he was in the country. There never came a foreigner to\nNorway whom all men respected so highly, or who could govern the people\nso well as he did. After some time he returned to the South with many\nfriendly presents, and declared ever afterwards that he was the greatest\nfriend of the people of Norway. When he came south to Rome the former\npope died suddenly, and all the people of Rome would have Cardinal\nNikolas for pope, and he was consecrated under the name of Adrian; and\naccording to the report of men who went to Rome in his days, he had\nnever any business, however important, to settle with other people, but\nhe would break it off to speak with the Northmen who desired to see him.\nHe was not long pope, and is now considered a saint.\n\n\n\n\n24. MIRACLE OF KING OLAF.\n\nIn the time of Harald Gille's sons, it happened that a man called Haldor\nfell into the hands of the Vindland people, who took him and mutilated\nhim, cut open his neck, took out the tongue through the opening, and cut\nout his tongue root. He afterwards sought out the holy King Olaf, fixed\nhis mind entirely on the holy man, and weeping besought King Olaf to\nrestore his speech and health. Thereupon he immediately recovered his\nspeech by the good king's compassion, went immediately into his service\nfor all his life, and became an excellent trustworthy man. This miracle\ntook place a fortnight before the last Olafsmas, upon the day that\nCardinal Nikolas set foot on the land of Norway.\n\n\n\n\n25. MIRACLES OF KING OLAF ON RICHARD.\n\nIn the Uplands were two brothers, men of great family, and men of\nfortune, Einar and Andres, sons of Guthorm Grabard, and brothers of\nKing Sigurd Haraldson's mother; and they had great properties and udal\nestates in that quarter. They had a sister who was very handsome, but\ndid not pay sufficient regard to the scandal of evil persons, as it\nafterwards appeared. She was on a friendly footing with an English\npriest called Richard, who had a welcome to the house of her brothers,\nand on account of their friendship for him she did many things to please\nhim, and often to his advantage; but the end of all this was, that an\nugly report flew about concerning this girl. When this came into the\nmouth of the public all men threw the blame on the priest. Her brothers\ndid the same, and expressed publicly, as soon as they observed it, that\nthey laid the blame most on him. The great friendship that was between\nthe earl and the priest proved a great misfortune to both, which might\nhave been expected, as the brothers were silent about their secret\ndetermination, and let nothing be observed. But one day they called the\npriest to them, who went, expecting nothing but good from them; enticed\nhim from home with them, saying that they intended to go to another\ndistrict, where they had some needful business, and inviting him to go\nwith them. They had with them a farm-servant who knew their purpose.\nThey went in a boat along the shore of a lake which is called Rands\nlake, and landed at a ness called Skiptisand, where they went on shore\nand amused themselves awhile. Then they went to a retired place, and\ncommanded their servant-man to strike the priest with an axe-hammer.\nHe struck the priest so hard that he swooned; but when he recovered he\nsaid, \"Why are ye playing so roughly with me?\" They replied, \"Although\nnobody has told thee of it before, thou shalt now find the consequence\nof what thou hast done.\" They then upbraided him; but he denied their\naccusations, and besought God and the holy King Olaf to judge between\nthem. Then they broke his leg-bones, and dragged him bound to the forest\nwith them; and then they put a string around his head, and put a board\nunder his head and shoulders, and made a knot on the string, and bound\nhis head fast to the board. Then the elder brother, Einar, took a wedge,\nand put it on the priest's eye, and the servant who stood beside him\nstruck upon it with an axe, so that the eye flew out, and fell upon the\nboard. Then he set the pin upon the other eye, and said to the servant,\n\"Strike now more softly.\" He did so, and the wedge sprang from the\neye-stone, and tore the eyelid loose. Then Einar took up the eyelid in\nhis hand, and saw that the eye-stone was still in its place; and he set\nthe wedge on the cheek, and when the servant struck it the eye-stone\nsprang out upon the cheek-bone. Thereafter they opened his mouth, took\nhis tongue and cut it off, and then untied his hands and his head. As\nsoon as he came to himself, he thought of laying the eye-stones in their\nplace under the eyelids, and pressing then with both hands as much as\nhe could. Then they carried him on board, and went to a farm called\nSaeheimrud, where they landed. They sent up to the farm to say that a\npriest was lying in the boat at the shore. While the message was going\nto the farm, they asked the priest if he could talk; and he made a noise\nand attempted to speak. Then said Einar to his brother, \"If he recover\nand the stump of his tongue grow, I am afraid he will get his speech\nagain.\" Thereupon they seized the stump with a pair of tongs, drew it\nout, cut it twice, and the third time to the very roots, and left him\nlying half dead. The housewife in the farm was poor; but she hastened to\nthe place with her daughter, and they carried the priest home to their\nfarm in their cloaks. They then brought a priest, and when he arrived he\nbound all his wounds; and they attended to his comfort as much as they\nwere able. And thus lay the wounded priest grievously handled, but\ntrusting always to God's grace, and never doubting; and although he was\nspeechless, he prayed to God in thought with a sorrowful mind, but with\nthe more confidence the worse he was. He turned his thoughts also to the\nmild King Olaf the Saint, God's dear favourite, of whose excellent deeds\nhe had heard so much told, and trusted so much more zealously on him\nwith all his heart for help in his necessity. As he lay there lame, and\ndeprived of all strength, he wept bitterly, moaned, and prayed with a\nsore heart that the dear King Olaf would help him. Now when this wounded\npriest was sleeping after midnight, he thought he saw a gallant man\ncoming to him, who spoke these words, \"Thou art ill off, friend Richard,\nand thy strength is little.\" He thought he replied to this assentingly.\nThen the man accosted him again, \"Thou requirest compassion?\" The priest\nreplies, \"I need the compassion of Almighty God and the holy King Olaf.\"\nHe answered, \"Thou shalt get it.\" Thereupon he pulled the tongue-stump\nso hard that it gave the priest pain; then he stroked with his hands his\neyes, and legs, and other wounded members. Then the priest asked who he\nwas. He looked at him, and said, \"Olaf, come here from Throndhjem;\" and\nthen disappeared. But the priest awoke altogether sound, and thus he\nspoke: \"Happy am I, and thanks be to the Almighty God and the holy King\nOlaf, who have restored me!\" Dreadfully mishandled as he had been, yet\nso quickly was he restored from his misfortune that he scarcely thought\nhe had been wounded or sick. His tongue was entire; both his eyes were\nin their places, and were clear-sighted; his broken legs and every other\nwound were healed, or were free from pain; and, in short, he had got\nperfect health. But as a proof that his eyes had been punched out, there\nremained a white scar on each eyelid, in order that this dear king's\nexcellence might be manifest on the man who had been so dreadfully\nmisused.\n\n\n\n\n26. KING INGE AND SIGURD HOLD A THING.\n\nKing Eystein and King Sigurd had quarrelled, because King Sigurd had\nkilled King Eystein's court-man Harald, the Viken man, who owned a house\nin Bergen, and also the priest Jon Tapard, a son of Bjarne Sigurdson.\nOn account of this affair, a conference to settle it was appointed in\nwinter in the Uplands. The two sat together in the conference for a long\ntime, and so much was known of their conference that all three brothers\nwere to meet the following summer in Bergen. It was added, that their\nconference was to the effect that King Inge should have two or three\nfarms, and as much income as would keep thirty men beside him, as he had\nnot health to be a king. When King Inge and Gregorius heard this report,\nthey came to Bergen with many followers. King Sigurd arrived there a\nlittle later, and was not nearly so strong in men. Sigurd and Inge had\nthen been nineteen years kings of Norway (A.D. 1155). King Eystein came\nlater still from the south than the other two from the north. Then King\nInge ordered the Thing to be called together on the holm by the sound\nof trumpet; and Sigurd and Inge came to it with a great many people.\nGregorius had two long-ships, and at the least ninety men, whom he kept\nin provisions. He kept his house-men better than other lendermen; for he\nnever took part in any entertainment where each guest brings his liquor,\nwithout having all his house-men to drink with him. He went now to the\nThing in a gold-mounted helmet, and all his men had helmets on. Then\nKing Inge stood up, and told the assembly what he had heard; how his\nbrothers were going to use him, and depose him from his kingdom; and\nasked for their assistance. The assembled people made a good return to\nhis speech, and declared they would follow him.\n\n\n\n\n27. OF GREGORIUS DAGSON.\n\nThen King Sigurd stood up and said it was a false accusation that King\nInge had made against him and his brother, and insisted that Gregorius\nhad invented it; and insinuated that it would not be long, if he had\nhis will, before they should meet so that the golden helmet should be\ndoffed; and ended his speech by hinting that they could not both live.\nGregorius replied, that Sigurd need not long so much for this, as he\nwas ready now, if it must be so. A few days after, one of Gregorius's\nhouse-men was killed out upon the street, and it was Sigurd's house-men\nwho killed him. Gregorius would then have fallen upon King Sigurd and\nhis people; but King Inge, and many others, kept him back. But one\nevening, just as Queen Ingerid, King Inge's mother, was coming from\nvespers, she came past where Sigurd Skrudhyrna, a courtman of King Inge,\nlay murdered. He was then an old man, and had served many kings. King\nSigurd's courtmen, Halyard Gunnarson, and Sigurd, a son of Eystein\nTrafale, had killed him; and people suspected it was done by order of\nKing Sigurd. She went immediately to King Inge, and told him he would\nbe a little king if he took no concern, but allowed his court-men to be\nkilled, the one after the other, like swine. The king was angry at her\nspeech; and while they were scolding about it, came Gregorius in helmet\nand armour, and told the king not to be angry, for she was only saying\nthe truth. \"And I am now,\" says he, \"come to thy assistance, if thou\nwilt attack King Sigurd; and here we are, above 100 men in helmets and\narmour, and with them we will attack where others think the attack may\nbe worst.\" But the most dissuaded from this course, thinking that Sigurd\nwould pay the mulct for the slaughter done. Now when Gregorius saw\nthat there would be no assault, he accosted King Inge thus: \"Thou wilt\nfrighten thy men from thee in this way; for first they lately killed my\nhouse-man, and now thy court-man, and afterwards they will chase me,\nor some other of thy lendermen whom thou wouldst feel the loss of, when\nthey see that thou art indifferent about such things; and at last, after\nthy friends are killed, they will take the royal dignity from thee.\nWhatever thy other lendermen may do, I will not stay here longer to be\nslaughtered like an ox; but Sigurd the king and I have a business to\nsettle with each other to-night, in whatever way it may turn out. It is\ntrue that there is but little help in thee on account of thy ill health,\nbut I should think thy will should not be less to hold thy hand over thy\nfriends, and I am now quite ready to go from hence to meet Sigurd, and\nmy banner is flying in the yard.\"\n\nThen King Inge stood up, and called for his arms, and ordered every man\nwho wished to follow him to get ready, declaring it was of no use to try\nto dissuade him; for he had long enough avoided this, but now steel must\ndetermine between them.\n\n\n\n\n28. OF KING SIGURD'S FALL.\n\nKing Sigurd sat and drank in Sigrid Saeta's house ready for battle,\nalthough people thought it would not come to an assault at all. Then\ncame King Inge with his men down the road from the smithy shops,\nagainst the house. Arne, the king's brother-in-law, came out from the\nSand-bridge, Aslak Erlendson from his own house, and Gregorius from the\nstreet where all thought the assault would be worst. King Sigurd and\nhis men made many shots from the holes in the loft, broke down the\nfireplaces, and threw stones on them. Gregorius and his men cut down the\ngates of the yard; and there in the port fell Einar, a son of Laxapaul,\nwho was of Sigurd's people, together with Halvard Gunnarson, who was\nshot in a loft, and nobody lamented his death. They hewed down the\nhouses, and many of King Sigurd's men left him, and surrendered for\nquarter. Then King Sigurd went up into a loft, and desired to be heard.\nHe had a gilt shield, by which they knew him, but they would not listen\nto him, and shot arrows at him as thick as snow in a snow-shower, so\nthat he could not stay there. As his men had now left him, and the\nhouses were being hewn down, he went out from thence, and with him his\ncourt-man Thord Husfreyja from Viken. They wanted to come where King\nInge was to be found, and Sigurd called to his brother King Inge, and\nbegged him to grant him life and safety; but both Thord and Sigurd\nwere instantly killed, and Thord fell with great glory. King Sigurd\nwas interred in the old Christ church out on the holm. King Inge gave\nGregorius the ship King Sigurd had owned. There fell many of King\nSigurd's and King Inge's men, although I only name a few; but of\nGregorius's men there fell four; and also some who belonged to no party,\nbut were shot on the piers, or out in the ships. It was fought on a\nFriday, and fourteen days before Saint John the Baptist's day (June 10,\n1155). Two or three days after King Eystein came from the eastward with\nthirty ships, and had along with him his brother's son Hakon, a son of\nKing Sigurd. Eystein did not come up to the town, but lay in Floruvagar,\nand good men went between to get a reconciliation made. But Gregorius\nwanted that they should go out against him, thinking there never would\nbe a better opportunity; and offered to be himself the leader. \"For\nthou, king, shalt not go, for we have no want of men.\" But many\ndissuaded from this course, and it came to nothing. King Eystein\nreturned back to Viken, and King Inge to Throndhjem, and they were in a\nsort reconciled; but they did not meet each other.\n\n\n\n\n29. OF GREGORIUS DAGSON.\n\nSomewhat later than King Eystein, Gregorius Dagson also set out to the\neastward and came to his farm Bratsberg in Hofund; but King Eystein was\nup in the fjord at Oslo, and had his ships drawn above two miles over\nthe frozen sea, for there was much ice at that time in Viken. King\nEystein went up to Hofund to take Gregorius; but he got news of what was\non foot, and escaped to Thelemark with ninety men, from thence over the\nmountains, and came down in Hardanger; and at last to Studla in Etne, to\nErling Skakke's farm. Erling himself had gone north to Bergen; but\nhis wife Kristin, a daughter of King Sigurd, was at home, and offered\nGregorius all the assistance he wanted; and he was hospitably received.\nHe got a long-ship there which belonged to Erling, and everything else\nhe required. Gregorius thanked her kindly, and allowed that she had\nbehaved nobly, and as might have been expected of her. Gregorius then\nproceeded to Bergen, where he met Erling, who thought also that his wife\nhad done well.\n\n\n\n\n30. RECONCILIATION OF EYSTEIN AND INGE.\n\nThen Gregorius went north to Throndhjem, and came there before Yule.\nKing Inge was rejoiced at his safety, and told him to use his property\nas freely as his own, King Eystein having burnt Gregorius's house, and\nslaughtered his stock of cattle. The ship-docks which King Eystein the\nElder had constructed in the merchant town of Nidaros, and which had\nbeen exceedingly expensive, were also burnt this winter, together with\nsome good vessels belonging to King Inge. This deed was ascribed to King\nEystein and Philip Gyrdson, King Sigurd's foster-brother, and occasioned\nmuch displeasure and hatred. The following summer King Inge went south\nwith a very numerous body of men; and King Eystein came northwards,\ngathering men also. They met in the east (A.D. 1156) at the Seleys,\nnear to the Naze; but King Inge was by far the strongest in men. It was\nnearly coming to a battle; but at last they were reconciled on these\nconditions, that King Eystein should be bound to pay forty-five marks of\ngold, of which King Inge should have thirty marks, because King Eystein\nhad occasioned the burning of the docks and ships; and, besides,\nthat Philip, and all who had been accomplices in the deed, should be\noutlawed. Also that the men should be banished the country, against whom\nit could be proved that they gave blow or wound to King Sigurd; for King\nEystein accused King Inge of protecting these men; and that Gregorius\nshould have fifteen marks of gold for the value of his property burnt by\nKing Eystein. King Eystein was ill pleased with these terms, and looked\nupon the treaty as one forced upon him. From that meeting King Inge went\neastward to Viken, and King Eystein north to Throndhjem; and they had no\nintercourse with each other, nor were the messages which passed between\nthem very friendly, and on both sides they killed each other's friends.\nKing Eystein, besides, did not pay the money; and the one accused the\nother of not fulfilling what was promised. King Inge and Gregorius\nenticed many people from King Eystein; among others, Bard Standale\nBrynjolfson, Simon Skalp, a son of Halkel Huk, Halder Brynjolfson, Jon\nHalkelson, and many other lendermen.\n\n\n\n\n31. OF EYSTEIN AND INGE.\n\nTwo years after King Sigurd's fall (A.D. 1157) both kings assembled\narmaments; namely, King Inge in the east of the country, where he\ncollected eighty ships; and King Eystein in the north, where he had\nforty-five, and among these the Great Dragon, which King Eystein\nMagnuson had built after the Long Serpent; and they had on both sides\nmany and excellent troops. King Inge lay with his ships south at Moster\nIsle, and King Eystein a little to the north in Graeningasund.\nKing Eystein sent the young Aslak Jonson, and Arne Sturla, a son of\nSnaebjorn, with one ship to meet King Inge; but when the king's men knew\nthem, they assaulted them, killed many of their people, and took all\nthat was in the ship belonging to them. Aslak and Arne and a few more\nescaped to the land, went to King Eystein, and told him how King Inge\nhad received them. Thereupon King Eystein held a House-thing, and told\nhis followers how ill King Inge had treated his men, and desired the\ntroops to follow him. \"I have,\" said he, \"so many, and such excellent\nmen, that I have no intention to fly, if ye will follow me.\" But this\nspeech was not received with much favour. Halkel Huk was there; but both\nhis sons, Simon and Jon, were with King Inge. Halkel replied, so loud\nthat many heard him, \"Let thy chests of gold follow thee, and let them\ndefend thy land.\"\n\n\n\n\n32. KING EYSTEIN'S DEATH.\n\nIn the night many of King Eystein's ships rowed secretly away, some of\nthem joining King Inge, some going to Bergen, or up into the fjords; so\nthat when it was daylight in the morning the king was lying behind with\nonly ten ships. Then he left the Great Dragon, which was heavy to row,\nand several other vessels behind; and cut and destroyed the Dragon,\nstarted out the ale, and destroyed all that they could not take with\nthem. King Eystein went on board of the ship of Eindride, a son of Jon\nMorner, sailed north into Sogn, and then took the land-road eastwards to\nViken. King Inge took the vessels, and sailed with them outside of the\nisles to Viken. King Eystein had then got east as far as Fold, and had\nwith him 1200 men; but when they saw King Inge's force, they did not\nthink themselves sufficiently strong to oppose him, and they retired to\nthe forest. Every one fled his own way, so that the king was left with\nbut one man. King Inge and his men observed King Eystein's flight, and\nalso that he had but few people with him, and they went immediately to\nsearch for him. Simon Skalp met the king just as he was coming out of a\nwillow bush. Simon saluted him. \"God save you, sire,\" said he.\n\nThe king replied, \"I do not know if thou are not sire here.\"\n\nSimon replied, \"That is as it may happen.\"\n\nThe king begged him to conceal him, and said it was proper to do so.\n\"For there was long friendship between us, although it has now gone\ndifferently.\"\n\nSimon replied, it could not be.\n\nThen the king begged that he might hear mass before he died, which\naccordingly took place. Then Eystein laid himself down on his face on\nthe grass, stretched out his hands on each side, and told them to cut\nthe sign of the cross between his shoulders, and see whether he could\nnot bear steel as King Inge's followers had asserted of him. Simon told\nthe man who had to put the king to death to do so immediately, for\nthe king had been creeping about upon the grass long enough. He was\naccordingly slain, and he appears to have suffered manfully. His body\nwas carried to Fors, and lay all night under the hill at the south side\nof the church. King Eystein was buried in Fors church, and his grave is\nin the middle of the church-floor, where a fringed canopy is spread over\nit, and he is considered a saint. Where he was executed, and his blood\nran upon the ground, sprang up a fountain, and another under the hill\nwhere his body lay all night. From both these waters many think they\nhave received a cure of sickness and pain. It is reported by the Viken\npeople that many miracles were wrought at King Eystein's grave, until\nhis enemies poured upon it soup made of boiled dog's flesh. Simon Skalp\nwas much hated for this deed, which was generally ascribed to him; but\nsome said that when King Eystein was taken Simon sent a message to King\nInge, and the king commanded that King Eystein should not come before\nhis face. So King Sverre has caused it to be written; but Einar Skulason\ntells of it thus:--\n\n     \"Simon Skalp, the traitor bold,\n     For deeds of murder known of old,\n     His king betrayed; and ne'er will he\n     God's blessed face hereafter see.\"\n\n\n\n\nSAGA OF HAKON HERDEBREID (HAKON THE BROAD-SHOULDERED) (1)\n\n\nPRELIMINARY REMARKS.\n\nThis saga describes the feud between Hakon Sigurdson and his uncle Inge.\n\nThe only skald quoted is Einar Skulason.\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) The period is from A.D. 1157 to 1161.--L.\n\n\n\n\n1. BEGINNING OF HAKON HERDEBREID.\n\nHakon, King Sigurd's son, was chosen chief of the troop which had\nfollowed King Eystein, and his adherents gave him the title of king. He\nwas ten years old. At that time he had with him Sigurd, a son of\nHalvard Hauld of Reyr, and Andreas and Onund, the sons of Simon, his\nfoster-brothers, and many chiefs, friends of King Sigurd and King\nEystein; and they went first up to Gautland. King Inge took possession\nof all the estates they had left behind, and declared them banished.\nThereafter King Inge went to Viken, and was sometimes also in the north\nof the country. Gregorius Dagson was in Konungahella, where the danger\nwas greatest, and had beside him a strong and handsome body of men, with\nwhich he defended the country.\n\n\n\n\n2. OF GREGORIUS DAGSON.\n\nThe summer after (A.D. 1158) Hakon came with his men, and proceeded to\nKonungahella with a numerous and handsome troop. Gregorius was then in\nthe town, and summoned the bondes and townspeople to a great Thing, at\nwhich he desired their aid; but he thought the people did not hear him\nwith much favour, so he did not much trust them. Gregorius set off with\ntwo ships to Viken, and was very much cast down. He expected to meet\nKing Inge there, having heard he was coming with a great army to Viken.\nNow when Gregorius had come but a short way north he met Simon Skalp,\nHaldor Brynjolfson, and Gyrd Amundason, King Inge's foster-brothers.\nGregorius was much delighted at this meeting, and turned back with them,\nbeing all in one body, with eleven ships. As they were rowing up to\nKonungahella, Hakon, with his followers, was holding a Thing without the\ntown, and saw their approach; and Sigurd of Reyr said, \"Gregorius must\nbe fey to be throwing himself with so few men into our hands.\" Gregorius\nlanded opposite the town to wait for King Inge, for he was expected,\nbut he did not come. King Hakon put himself in order in the town, and\nappointed Thorliot Skaufaskalle, who was a viking and a robber, to be\ncaptain of the men in the merchant ships that were afloat in the river;\nand King Hakon and Sigurd were within the town, and drew up the men on\nthe piers, for all the townspeople had submitted to King Hakon.\n\n\n\n\n3. KING HAKON'S FLIGHT.\n\nGregorius rowed up the river, and let the ship drive down with the\nstream against Thorliot. They shot at each other a while, until Thorliot\nand his comrades jumped overboard; and some of them were killed, some\nescaped to the land. Then Gregorius rowed to the piers, and let a\ngangway be cast on shore at the very feet of Hakon's men. There the man\nwho carried his banner was slain, just as he was going to step on shore.\nGregorius ordered Hal, a son of Audun Halson, to take up the banner,\nwhich he did, and bore the banner up to the pier. Gregorius followed\nclose after him, held his shield over his head, and protected him as\nwell as himself. As soon as Gregorius came upon the pier, and Hakon's\nmen knew him, they gave way, and made room for him on every side.\nAfterwards more people landed from the ships, and then Gregorius made a\nsevere assault with his men; and Hakon's men first moved back, and then\nran up into the town. Gregorius pursued them eagerly, drove them twice\nfrom the town, and killed many of them. By the report of all men, never\nwas there so glorious an affair as this of Gregorius; for Hakon had more\nthan 4000 men, and Gregorius not full 400. After the battle, Gregorius\nsaid to Hal Audunson, \"Many men, in my opinion, are more agile in battle\nthan ye Icelanders are, for ye are not so exercised as we Norwegians;\nbut none, I think, are so bold under arms as ye are.\" King Inge came up\nsoon after, and killed many of the men who had taken part with Hakon;\nmade some pay heavy fines, burnt the houses of some, and some he drove\nout of the country, or treated otherwise very ill. Hakon fled at first\nup to Gautland with all his men; but the winter after (A.D. 1159), he\nproceeded by the upper road to Throndhjem, and came there before Easter.\nThe Throndhjem people received him well, for they had always served\nunder that shield. It is said that the Throndhjem people took Hakon\nas king, on the terms that he should have from Inge the third part of\nNorway as his paternal heritage. King Inge and Gregorius were in Viken,\nand Gregorius wanted to make an expedition against the party in the\nnorth; but it came to nothing that winter, as many dissuaded from it.\n\n\n\n\n4. FALL OF GYRD AND HAVARD.\n\nKing Hakon left Throndhjem in spring with thirty ships nearly; and some\nof his men sailed before the rest with seven ships, and plundered in\nNorth and South More. No man could remember that there ever before had\nbeen plundering between the two towns (Bergen and Nidaros). Jon the son\nof Halkel Huk collected the bondes in arms, and proceeded against them;\ntook Kolbein Ode prisoner, killed every woman's son of them in his ship.\nThen they searched for the others, found them all assembled in seven\nships, and fought with them; but his father Halkel not coming to his\nassistance as he had promised, many good bondes were killed, and Jon\nhimself was wounded. Hakon proceeded south to Bergen with his forces;\nbut when he came to Stiornvelta, he heard that King Inge and Gregorius\nhad arrived a few nights before from the east at Bergen, and therefore\nhe did not venture to steer thither. They sailed the outer course\nsouthwards past Bergen, and met three ships of King Inge's fleet, which\nhad been outsailed on the voyage from the east. On board of them were\nGyrd Amundason, King Inge's foster-brother, who was married to Gyrid\na sister of Gregorius, and also lagman Gyrd Gunhildson, and Havard\nKlining. King Hakon had Gyrd Amundason and Havard Klining put to death;\nbut took lagman Gyrd southwards, and then proceeded east to Viken.\n\n\n\n\n5. OF THE CONSULTATIONS OF KING INGE.\n\nWhen King Inge heard of this he sailed east after them, and they met\neast in the Gaut river. King Inge went up the north arm of the river,\nand sent out spies to get news of Hakon and his fleet; but he himself\nlanded at Hising, and waited for his spies. Now when the spies came back\nthey went to the king, and said that they had seen King Hakon's forces,\nand all his ships which lay at the stakes in the river, and Hakon's\nmen had bound the stems of their vessels to them. They had two great\nEast-country trading vessels, which they had laid outside of the fleet,\nand on both these were built high wooded stages (castles). When King\nInge heard the preparations they had made, he ordered a trumpet to call\na House-thing of all the men; and when the Thing was seated he asked\nhis men for counsel, and applied particularly to Gregorius Dagson, his\nbrother-in-law Erling Skakke, and other lendermen and ship-commanders,\nto whom he related the preparations of Hakon and his men.\n\nThen Gregorius Dagson replied first, and made known his mind in the\nfollowing words:--\"Sometimes we and Hakon have met, and generally they\nhad the most people; but, notwithstanding, they fell short in battle\nagainst us. Now, on the other hand, we have by far the greatest force;\nand it will appear probable to the men who a short time ago lost gallant\nrelations by them, that this will be a good occasion to get vengeance,\nfor they have fled before us the greater part of the summer; and we have\noften said that if they waited for us, as appears now to be the case, we\nwould have a brush with them. Now I will tell my opinion, which is, that\nI will engage them, if it be agreeable to the king's pleasure; for I\nthink it will go now as formerly, that they must give way before us if\nwe attack them bravely; and I shall always attack where others may think\nit most difficult.\"\n\nThe speech was received with much applause, and all declared they were\nready to engage in battle against Hakon. Then they rowed with all the\nships up the river, until they came in sight of each other, and then\nKing Inge turned off from the river current under the island. Now the\nking addressed the lendermen again, and told them to get ready for\nbattle. He turned himself especially to Erling Skakke, and said, what\nwas true, that no man in the army had more understanding and knowledge\nin fighting battles, although some were more hot. The king then\naddressed himself to several of the lendermen, speaking to them by name;\nand ended by desiring that each man should make his attack where he\nthought it would be of advantage, and thereafter all would act together.\n\n\n\n\n6. ERLING'S SPEECH.\n\nErling Skakke replied thus to the king's speech: \"It is my duty, sire,\nnot to be silent; and I shall give my advice, since it is desired.\nThe resolution now adopted is contrary to my judgment; for I call it\nfoolhardy to fight under these circumstances, although we have so many\nand such fine men. Supposing we make an attack on them, and row up\nagainst this river-current; then one of the three men who are in each\nhalf room must be employed in rowing only, and another must be covering\nwith the shield the man who rows; and what have we then to fight with\nbut one third of our men? It appears to me that they can be of little\nuse in the battle who are sitting at their oars with their backs turned\nto the enemy. Give me now some time for consideration, and I promise you\nthat before three days are over I shall fall upon some plan by which we\ncan come into battle with advantage.\"\n\nIt was evident from Erling's speech that he dissuaded from an attack;\nbut, notwithstanding, it was urged by many who thought that Hakon would\nnow, as before, take to the land. \"And then,\" said they, \"we cannot get\nhold of him; but now they have but few men, and we have their fate in\nour own hands.\"\n\nGregorius said but little; but thought that Erling rather dissuaded from\nan attack that Gregorius's advice should have no effect, than that he\nhad any better advice to give.\n\n\n\n\n7. OF HAKON'S FLEET.\n\nThen said King Inge to Erling, \"Now we will follow thy advice, brother,\nwith regard to the manner of attacking; but seeing how eager our\ncounsellors are for it, we shall make the attack this day.\"\n\nErling replied, \"All the boats and light vessels we have should row\noutside the island, and up the east arm of the river, and then down with\nthe stream upon them, and try if they cannot cut them loose from the\npiles. Then we, with the large ships, shall row from below here against\nthem; and I cannot tell until it be tried, if those who are now so\nfuriously warm will be much brisker at the attack than I am.\"\n\nThis counsel was approved by all. There was a ness stretched out between\ntheir fleet and Hakon's, so that they could not see each other. Now when\nHakon and his men, who had taken counsel with each other in a meeting,\nsaw the boat-squadron rowing down the river, some thought King Inge\nintended to give them battle; but many believed they did not dare, for\nit looked as if the attack was given up; and they, besides, were very\nconfident, both in their preparations and men. There were many great\npeople with Hakon: there were Sigurd of Reyr, and Simon's sons; Nikolas\nSkialdvarson; Eindride, a son of Jon Mornef, who was the most gallant\nand popular man in the Throndhjem country; and many other lendermen and\nwarriors. Now when they saw that King Inge's men with many ships were\nrowing out of the river, Hakon and his men believed they were going to\nfly; and therefore they cut their land-ropes with which they lay fast at\nthe piles, seized their oars, and rowed after them in pursuit. The\nships ran fast down with the stream; but when they came further down\nthe river, abreast of the ness, they saw King Inge's main strength lying\nquiet at the island Hising. King Inge's people saw Hakon's ships under\nway, and believed they were coming to attack them; and now there was\ngreat bustle and clash of arms, and they encouraged each other by a\ngreat war-shout. Hakon with his fleet turned northwards a little to the\nland, where there was a turn in the bight of the river, and where there\nwas no current. They made ready for battle, carried land-ropes to the\nshore, turned the stems of their ships outwards, and bound them all\ntogether. They laid the large East-country traders without the\nother vessels, the one above, the other below, and bound them to the\nlong-ships. In the middle of the fleet lay the king's ship, and next to\nit Sigurd's; and on the other side of the king's ship lay Nikolas, and\nnext to him Endride Jonson. All the smaller ships lay farther off, and\nthey were all nearly loaded with weapons and stones.\n\n\n\n\n8. SIGURD OF REYR'S SPEECH.\n\nThen Sigurd of Reyr made the following speech: \"Now there is hope that\nthe time is come which has been promised us all the summer, that we\nshall meet King Inge in battle. We have long prepared ourselves for\nthis; and many of our comrades have boasted that they would never fly\nfrom or submit to King Inge and Gregorius, and now let them remember\ntheir words. But we who have sometimes got the toothache in our\nconflicts with them, speak less confidently; for it has happened, as\nall have heard, that we very often have come off without glory. But,\nnevertheless, it is now necessary to fight manfully, and stand to it\nwith steadiness; for the only escape for us is in victory. Although we\nhave somewhat fewer men than they, yet luck determines which side shall\nhave the advantage, and God knows that the right is on our side. Inge\nhas killed two of his brothers; and it is obvious to all men that the\nmulct he intends to pay King Hakon for his father's murder is to murder\nhim also, as well as his other relations, which will be seen this day to\nbe his intent. King Hakon desired from the beginning no more of Norway\nthan the third part, which his father had possessed, and which was\ndenied him; and yet, in my opinion, King Hakon has a better right to\ninherit after his father's brother, King Eystein, than Inge or Simon\nSkalp, or the other men who killed King Eystein. Many of them who would\nsave their souls, and yet have defiled their hands with such bloody\ndeeds as Inge has done, must think it a presumption before God that\nhe takes the name of king; and I wonder God suffers such monstrous\nwickedness as his; but it may be God's will that we shall now put him\ndown. Let us fight then manfully, and God will give us victory; and, if\nwe fall, will repay us with joys unspeakable for now allowing the might\nof the wicked to prevail over us. Go forth then in confidence, and be\nnot afraid when the battle begins. Let each watch over his own and his\ncomrade's safety, and God protect us all.\" There went a good report\nabroad of this speech of Sigurd, and all promised fairly, and to do\ntheir duty. King Hakon went on board of the great East-country ship, and\na shield-bulwark was made around him; but his standard remained on the\nlong-ship in which it had been before.\n\n\n\n\n9. OF KING INGE'S MEN.\n\nNow must we tell about King Inge and his men. When they saw that King\nHakon and his people were ready for battle, and the river only was\nbetween them, they sent a light vessel to recall the rest of the fleet\nwhich had rowed away; and in the meantime the king waited for them,\nand arranged the troops for the attack. Then the chiefs consulted in\npresence of the army, and told their opinions; first, which ships should\nlie nearest to the enemy; and then where each should attack.\n\nGregorius spoke thus: \"We have many and fine men; and it is my advice,\nKing Inge, that you do not go to the assault with us, for everything is\npreserved if you are safe. And no man knows where an arrow may hit, even\nfrom the hands of a bad bowman; and they have prepared themselves so,\nthat missiles and stones can be thrown from the high stages upon the\nmerchant ships, so that there is less danger for those who are farthest\nfrom them. They have not more men than we lendermen can very well engage\nwith. I shall lay my ship alongside their largest ship, and I expect the\nconflict between us will be but short; for it has often been so in our\nformer meetings, although there has been a much greater want of men\nwith us than now.\" All thought well of the advice that the king himself\nshould not take part in the battle.\n\nThen Erling Skakke said, \"I agree also to the counsel that you, sire,\nshould not go into the battle. It appears to me that their preparations\nare such, that we require all our precaution not to suffer a great\ndefeat from them; and whole limbs are the easiest cured. In the council\nwe held before to-day many opposed what I said, and ye said then that\nI did not want to fight; but now I think the business has altered its\nappearance, and greatly to our advantage, since they have hauled off\nfrom the piles, and now it stands so that I do not dissuade from giving\nbattle; for I see, what all are sensible of, how necessary it is to put\nan end to this robber band who have gone over the whole country with\npillage and destruction, in order that people may cultivate the land in\npeace, and serve a king so good and just as King Inge who has long had\ntrouble and anxiety from the haughty unquiet spirit of his relations,\nalthough he has been a shield of defence for the whole people, and has\nbeen exposed to manifold perils for the peace of the country.\" Erling\nspoke well and long, and many other chiefs also; and all to the same\npurpose--all urging to battle. In the meantime they waited until all the\nfleet should be assembled. King Inge had the ship Baekisudin; and, at\nthe entreaty of his friends, he did not join the battle, but lay still\nat the island.\n\n\n\n\n10. BEGINNING OF THE BATTLE.\n\nWhen the army was ready they rowed briskly against the enemy, and both\nsides raised a war-shout. Inge's men did not bind their ships together,\nbut let them be loose; for they rowed right across the current, by which\nthe large ships were much swayed. Erling Skakke laid his ship beside\nKing Hakon's ship, and ran the stem between his and Sigurd's ship, by\nwhich the battle began. But Gregorius's ship swung upon the ground,\nand heeled very much over, so that at first she could not come into the\nbattle; and when Hakon's men saw this they laid themselves against her,\nand attacked Gregorius's ship on all sides. Ivar, Hakon Mage's son,\nlaid his ship so that the stems struck together; and he got a boat-hook\nfastened on Gregorius, on that part of his body where the waist is\nsmallest, and dragged him to him, by which Gregorius stumbled against\nthe ship's rails; but the hook slipped to one side, or Gregorius\nwould have been dragged over-board. Gregorius, however, was but little\nwounded, for he had on a plate coat of armour. Ivar called out to him,\nthat he had a \"thick bark.\" Gregorius replied, that if Ivar went on so\nhe would \"require it all, and not have too much.\" It was very near then\nthat Gregorius and his men had sprung overboard; but Aslak Unge threw an\nanchor into their ship, and dragged them off the ground. Then Gregorius\nlaid himself against Ivar's ship, and they fought a long while; but\nGregorius's ship being both higher sided and more strongly manned,\nmany people fell in Ivar's ship, and some jumped overboard. Ivar was so\nseverely wounded that he could not take part in the fight. When his ship\nwas cleared of the men, Gregorius let Ivar be carried to the shore, so\nthat he might escape; and from that time they were constant friends.\n\n\n\n\n11. KING HAKON'S FLIGHT.\n\nWhen King Inge and his men saw that Gregorius was aground, he encouraged\nhis crew to row to his assistance. \"It was,\" he said, \"the most\nimprudent advice that we should remain lying here, while our friends are\nin battle; for we have the largest and best ship in all the fleet. But\nnow I see that Gregorius, the man to whom I owe the most, is in need of\nhelp; so we must hasten to the fight where it is sharpest. It is also\nmost proper that I should be in the battle; for the victory, if we win\nit, will belong to me. And if I even knew beforehand that our men were\nnot to gain the battle, yet our place is where our friends are; for I\ncan do nothing if I lose the men who are justly called the defence of\nthe country, who are the bravest, and have long ruled for me and my\nkingdom.\" Thereupon he ordered his banner to be set up, which was done;\nand they rowed across the river. Then the battle raged, and the king\ncould not get room to attack, so close lay the ships before him. First\nhe lay under the East-country trading ship, and from it they threw down\nupon his vessel spears, iron-shod stakes, and such large stones that\nit was impossible to hold out longer there, and he had to haul off. Now\nwhen the king's people saw that he was come they made place for him, and\nthen he laid alongside of Eindride Jonson's ship. Now King Hakon's men\nabandoned the small ships, and went on board the large merchant vessels;\nbut some of them sprang on shore. Erling Skakke and his men had a\nsevere conflict. Erling himself was on the forecastle, and called his\nforecastlemen, and ordered them to board the king's ship; but they\nanswered, this was no easy matter, for there were beams above with an\niron comb on them. Then Erling himself went to the bow, and stayed there\na while, until they succeeded in getting on board the king's ship: and\nthen the ship was cleared of men on the bows, and the whole army gave\nway. Many sprang into the water, many fell, but the greater number got\nto the land. So says Einar Skulason:--\n\n     \"Men fall upon the slippery deck--\n     Men roll off from the blood-drenched wreck;\n     Dead bodies float down with the stream,\n     And from the shores witch-ravens scream.\n     The cold blue river now runs red\n     With the warm blood of warriors dead,\n     And stains the waves in Karmt Sound\n     With the last drops of the death-wound.\n\n     \"All down the stream, with unmann'd prow,\n     Floats many an empty long-ship now,\n     Ship after ship, shout after shout,\n     Tell that Kign Hakon can't hold out.\n     The bowmen ply their bows of elm,\n     The red swords flash o'er broken helm:\n     King Hakon's men rush to the strand,\n     Out of their ships, up through the land.\"\n\nEinar composed a song about Gregorius Dagson, which is called the\nRiver-song. King Inge granted life and peace to Nikolas Skialdvarson\nwhen his ship was deserted, and thereupon he went into King Inge's\nservice, and remained in it as long as the king lived. Eindride Jonson\nleaped on board of King Inge's ship when his own was cleared of men, and\nbegged for his life. King Inge wished to grant it; but Havard Klining's\nson ran up, and gave him a mortal wound, which was much blamed; but he\nsaid Eindride had been the cause of his father's death. There was much\nlamentation at Eindride's death, but principally in the Throndhjem\ndistrict. Many of Hakon's people fell here, but not many chiefs. Few of\nKing Inge's people fell, but many were wounded. King Hakon fled up the\ncountry, and King Inge went north to Viken with his troops; and he, as\nwell as Gregorius, remained in Viken all winter (A.D. 1160). When King\nInge's men, Bergliot and his brothers, sons of Ivar of Elda, came from\nthe battle to Bergen, they slew Nickolas Skeg, who had been Hakon's\ntreasurer, and then went north to Throndhjem.\n\nKing Hakon came north before Yule, and Sigurd was sometimes home at\nReyr; for Gregorius, who was nearly related to Sigurd, had obtained for\nhim life and safety from King Inge, so that he retained all his estates.\nKing Hakon was in the merchant-town of Nidaros in Yule; and one evening\nin the beginning of Yule his men fought in the room of the court, and in\nthis affray eight men were killed, and many were wounded. The eighth\nday of Yule, King Hakon's man Alf Rode, son of Ottar Birting, with about\neighty men, went to Elda, and came in the night unexpectedly on the\npeople, who were very drunk, and set fire to the room; but they went\nout, and defended themselves bravely. There fell Bergliot, Ivar's son,\nand Ogmund, his brother, and many more. They had been nearly thirty\naltogether in number. In winter died, north in the merchant-town, Andres\nSimonson, King Hakon's foster-brother; and his death was much deplored.\nErling Skakke and Inge's men, who were in Bergen, threatened that in\nwinter they would proceed against Hakon and his men; but it came to\nnothing. Gregorius sent word from the east, from Konungahella, that\nif he were so near as Erling and his men, he would not sit quietly in\nBergen while Hakon was killing King Inge's friends and their comrades in\nwar north in the Throndhjem country.\n\n\n\n\n12. THE CONFLICT UPON THE PIERS.\n\nKing Inge and Gregorius left the east in spring, and came to Bergen; but\nas soon as Hakon and Sigurd heard that Inge had left Viken, they went\nthere by land. When King Inge and his people came to Bergen, a quarrel\narose between Haldor Brynjolfson and Bjorn Nikolason. Bjorn's house-man\nasked Haldor's when they met at the pier, why he looked so pale.\n\nHe replied, because he had been bled.\n\n\"I could not look so pale if I tried, at merely being bled.\"\n\n\"I again think,\" retorted the other, \"that thou wouldst have borne it\nworse, and less manfully.\" And no other beginning was there for their\nquarrel than this. Afterwards one word followed another, till from\nbrawling they came to fighting. It was told to Haldor Brynjolfson, who\nwas in the house drinking, that his house-man was wounded down on the\npier and he went there immediately. But Bjorn's house-men had come there\nbefore, and as Haldor thought his house-man had been badly treated, he\nwent up to them and beat them; and it was told to Bjorn Buk that the\npeople of Viken were beating his house-men on the pier. Then Bjorn and\nhis house-men took their weapons, hurried down to the pier, and would\navenge their men; and a bloody strife began. It was told Gregorius that\nhis relation Haldor required assistance, and that his house-men were\nbeing cut down in the street; on which Gregorius and his men ran to the\nplace in their armour. Now it was told Erling Skakke that his sister's\nson Bjorn was fighting with Gregorius and Haldor down on the piers, and\nthat he needed help. Then he proceeded thither with a great force, and\nexhorted the people to stand by him; saying it would be a great disgrace\nnever to be wiped out, if the Viken people should trample upon them\nin their own native place. There fell thirteen men, of whom nine\nwere killed on the spot, and four died of their wounds, and many were\nwounded. When the word came to King Inge that Gregorius and Erling were\nfighting down on the piers, he hastened there, and tried to separate\nthem; but could do nothing, so mad were they on both sides. Then\nGregorius called to Inge, and told him to go away; for it was in vain to\nattempt coming between them, as matters now stood. He said it would be\nthe greatest misfortune if the king mixed himself up with it; for he\ncould not be certain that there were not people in the fray who would\ncommit some great misdeed if they had opportunity. Then King Inge\nretired; and when the greatest tumult was over, Gregorius and his men\nwent to Nikolas church, and Erling behind them, calling to each other.\nThen King Inge came a second time, and pacified them; and both agreed\nthat he should mediate between them.\n\nWhen King Inge and Gregorius heard that King Hakon was in Viken, they\nwent east with many ships; but when they came King Hakon fled from them,\nand there was no battle. Then King Inge went to Oslo, and Gregorius was\nin Konungahella.\n\n\n\n\n13. MUNAN'S DEATH.\n\nSoon after Gregorius heard that Hakon and his men were at a farm called\nSaurby, which lies up beside the forest. Gregorius hastened there; came\nin the night; and supposing that King Hakon and Sigurd would be in the\nlargest of the houses, set fire to the buildings there. But Hakon and\nhis men were in the smaller house, and came forth, seeing the fire, to\nhelp their people. There Munan fell, a son of Ale Uskeynd, a brother of\nKing Sigurd Hakon's father. Gregorius and his men killed him, because he\nwas helping those whom they were burning within the house. Some escaped,\nbut many were killed. Asbjorn Jalda, who had been a very great viking,\nescaped from the house, but was grievously wounded. A bonde met him, and\nhe offered the man money to let him get away; but the bonde replied, he\nwould do what he liked best; and, adding that he had often been in fear\nof his life for him, he slew him. King Hakon and Sigurd escaped, but\nmany of their people were killed. Thereafter Gregorius returned home\nto Konungahella. Soon after King Hakon and Sigurd went to Haldor\nBrynjolfson's farm of Vettaland, set fire to the house, and burnt it.\nHaldor went out, and was cut down instantly with his house-men; and in\nall there were about twenty men killed. Sigrid, Haldor's wife, was a\nsister of Gregorius, and they allowed her to escape into the forest in\nher night-shift only; but they took with them Amunde, who was a son\nof Gyrd Amundason and of Gyrid Dag's daughter, and a sister's son of\nGregorius, and who was then a boy about five years old.\n\n\n\n\n14. OF THE FALL OF GREGORIUS DAGSON.\n\nWhen Gregorius heard the news he took it much to heart, and inquired\ncarefully where they were. Gregorius set out from Konungahella late in\nYule, and came to Fors the thirteenth day of Yule, where he remained a\nnight, and heard vespers the last day of Yule, which was a Saturday, and\nthe holy Evangel was read before him. When Gregorius and his followers\nsaw the men of King Hakon and Sigurd, the king's force appeared to them\nsmaller than their own. There was a river called Befia between them,\nwhere they met; and there was unsound ice on the river, for there went\na stream under the ice from it. King Hakon and his men had cut a rent\nin the ice, and laid snow over it, so that nobody could see it. When\nGregorius came to the ice on the river the ice appeared to him unsound,\nhe said; and he advised the people to go to the bridge, which was close\nby, to cross the river. The bonde-troops replied, that they did not know\nwhy he should be afraid to go across the ice to attack so few people\nas Hakon had, and the ice was good enough. Gregorius said it was seldom\nnecessary to encourage him to show bravery, and it should not be so now.\nThen he ordered them to follow him, and not to be standing on the land\nwhile he was on the ice, and he said it was their council to go out upon\nthe dangerous ice, but he had no wish to do so, or to be led by them.\nThen he ordered the banner to be advanced, and immediately went out\non the ice with the men. As soon as the bondes found that the ice was\nunsound they turned back. Gregorius fell through the ice, but not very\ndeep, and he told his men to take care. There were not more than twenty\nmen with him, the others having turned back. A man of King Hakon's troop\nshot an arrow at Gregorius, which hit him under the throat, and thus\nended his life. Gregorius fell, and ten men with him. It is the talk of\nall men that he had been the most gallant lenderman in Norway that any\nman then living could remember; and also he behaved the best towards\nus Icelanders of any chief since King Eystein the Elder's death.\nGregorius's body was carried to Hofund, and interred at Gimsey Isle, in\na nunnery which is there, of which Gregorius's sister, Baugeid, was then\nthe abbess.\n\n\n\n\n15. KING INGE HEARS OF GREGORIUS'S FALL.\n\nTwo bailiffs went to Oslo to bring the tidings to King Inge. When they\narrived they desired to speak to the king: and he asked, what news they\nbrought.\n\n\"Gregorius Dagson's death,\" said they.\n\n\"How came that misfortune?\" asked the king.\n\nWhen they had told him how it happened, he said, \"They gave advice who\nunderstood the least.\"\n\nIt is said he took it so much to heart that he cried like a child. When\nhe recovered himself he said, \"I wanted to go to Gregorius as soon as\nI heard of Haldor's murder; for I thought that Gregorius would not\nsit long before thinking of revenge. But the people here would think\nnothing so important as their Yule feasts, and nothing could move them\naway; and I am confident that if I had been there, he would either have\nproceeded more cautiously, or I and Gregorius would now have shared one\nlodging. Now he is gone, the man who has been my best friend, and more\nthan any other has kept the kingdom in my hands; and I think it will\nbe but a short space between us. Now I make an oath to go forth against\nHakon, and one of two things shall happen: I shall either come to\nmy death, or shall walk over Hakon and his people; and such a man as\nGregorius is not avenged, even if all were to pay the penalty of their\nlives for him.\"\n\nThere was a man present who replied, \"Ye need not seek after them, for\nthey intend to seek you.\"\n\nKristin, King Sigurd's daughter and King Inge's cousin, was then in\nOslo. The king heard that she intended going away. He sent a message to\nher to inquire why she wished to leave the town.\n\nShe thought it was dangerous and unsafe for a female to be there. The\nking would not let her go. \"For if it go well with me, as I hope, you\nwill be well here; and if I fall, my friends may not get leave to dress\nmy body; but you can ask permission, and it will not be denied you, and\nyou will thereby best requite what I have done for you.\"\n\n\n\n\n16. OF KING INGE.\n\nOn Saint Blasius' day (February 3, 1161), in the evening, King Inge's\nspies brought him the news that King Hakon was coming towards the town.\nThen King Inge ordered the war-horns to call together all the troops\nup from the town; and when he drew them up he could reckon them to be\nnearly 4000 men. The king let the array be long, but not more than five\nmen deep. Then some said that the king should not be himself in the\nbattle, as they thought the risk too great; but that his brother\nOrm should be the leader of the army. The king replied, \"I think if\nGregorius were alive and here now, and I had fallen and was to be\navenged, he would not lie concealed, but would be in the battle. Now,\nalthough I, on account of my ill health, am not fit for the combat as he\nwas, yet will I show as good will as he would have had; and it is not to\nbe thought of that I should not be in the battle.\"\n\nPeople say that Gunhild, who was married to Simon, King Hakon's\nfoster-brother, had a witch employed to sit out all night and procure\nthe victory for Hakon; and that the answer was obtained, that they\nshould fight King Inge by night, and never by day, and then the result\nwould be favourable. The witch who, as people say, sat out was called\nThordis Skeggia; but what truth there may be in the report I know not.\n\nSimon Skalp had gone to the town, and was gone to sleep, when the\nwar-shouts awoke him. When the night was well advanced, King Inge's\nspies came to him, and told him that King Hakon and his army were coming\nover the ice; for the ice lay the whole way from the town to Hofud Isle.\n\n\n\n\n17. KING INGE'S SPEECH.\n\nThereupon King Inge went with his army out on the ice, and he drew it up\nin order of battle in front of the town. Simon Skalp was in that wing\nof the array which was towards Thraelaberg; and on the other wing, which\nwas towards the Nunnery, was Gudrod, the king of the South Hebudes, a\nson of Olaf Klining, and Jon, a son of Svein Bergthor Buk. When King\nHakon and his army came near to King Inge's array, both sides raised a\nwar-shout. Gudrod and Jon gave King Hakon and his men a sign, and let\nthem know where they were in the line; and as soon as Hakon's men in\nconsequence turned thither, Gudrod immediately fled with 1500 men; and\nJon, and a great body of men with him, ran over to King Hakon's army,\nand assisted them in the fight. When this news was told to King Inge, he\nsaid, \"Such is the difference between my friends. Never would Gregorius\nhave done so in his life!\" There were some who advised King Inge to get\non horseback, and ride from the battle up to Raumarike; \"where,\" said\nthey, \"you would get help enough, even this very day.\" The king replied,\nhe had no inclination to do so. \"I have heard you often say, and I think\ntruly, that it was of little use to my brother, King Eystein, that he\ntook to flight; and yet he was a man distinguished for many qualities\nwhich adorn a king. Now I, who labour under so great decrepitude, can\nsee how bad my fate would be, if I betook myself to what proved so\nunfortunate for him; with so great a difference as there is between our\nactivity, health, and strength. I was in the second year of my age when\nI was chosen king of Norway, and I am now twenty-five; and I think I\nhave had misfortune and sorrow under my kingly dignity, rather than\npleasure and peaceful days. I have had many battles, sometimes with\nmore, sometimes with fewer people; and it is my greatest luck that I\nhave never fled. God will dispose of my life, and of how long it shall\nbe; but I shall never betake myself to flight.\"\n\n\n\n\n18. KING INGE'S FALL.\n\nNow as Jon and his troop had broken the one wing of King Inge's array,\nmany of those who were nearest to him fled, by which the whole array was\ndispersed, and fell into disorder. But Hakon and his men went briskly\nforwards; and now it was near daybreak. An assault was made against King\nInge's banner, and in this conflict King Inge fell; but his brother\nOrm continued the battle, while many of the army fled up into the\ntown. Twice Orm went to the town after the king's fall to encourage\nthe people, and both times returned, and went out again upon the ice to\ncontinue the battle. Hakon's men attacked the wing of the array which\nSimon Skalp led; and in that assault fell of King Inge's men his\nbrother-in-law, Gudbrand Skafhogson. Simon Skalp and Halvard Hikre went\nagainst each other with their troops, and fought while they drew aside\npast Thraelaberg; and in this conflict both Simon and Halvard fell. Orm,\nthe king's brother, gained great reputation in this battle; but he\nat last fled. Orm the winter before had been contracted with Ragna, a\ndaughter of Nikolas Mase, who had been married before to King Eystein\nHaraldson; and the wedding was fixed for the Sunday after Saint\nBlasius's mass, which was on a Friday. Orm fled east to Svithjod, where\nhis brother Magnus was then king; and their brother Ragnvald was an\nearl there at that time. They were the sons of Queen Ingerid and Henrik\nHalte, who was a son of the Danish king Svein Sveinson. The princess\nKristin took care of King Inge's body, which was laid on the stone wall\nof Halvard's church, on the south side without the choir. He had then\nbeen king for twenty-three years (A.D. 1137-1161). In this battle many\nfell on both sides, but principally of King Inge's men. Of King Hakon's\npeople fell Arne Frirekson. Hakon's men took all the feast and victuals\nprepared for the wedding, and a great booty besides.\n\n\n\n\n19. OF KING HAKON AND QUEEN KRISTIN.\n\nThen King Hakon took possession of the whole country, and distributed\nall the offices among his own friends, both in the towns and in the\ncountry. King Hakon and his men had a meeting in Halvard's church, where\nthey had a private conference concerning the management of the country.\nKristin the princess gave the priest who kept the church keys a large\nsum of money to conceal one of her men in the church, so that she might\nknow what Hakon and his counsellors intended. When she learnt what they\nhad said, she sent a man to Bergen to her husband Erling Skakke, with\nthe message that he should never trust Hakon or his men.\n\n\n\n\n20. OF OLAF'S MIRACLE.\n\nIt happened at the battle of Stiklestad, as before related, that King\nOlaf threw from him the sword called Hneiter when he received his wound.\nA Swedish man, who had broken his own sword, took it up, and fought with\nit. When this man escaped with the other fugitives he came to Svithjod,\nand went home to his house. From that time he kept the sword all his\ndays, and afterwards his son, and so relation after relation; and when\nthe sword shifted its owner, the one told to the other the name of the\nsword and where it came from. A long time after, in the days of Kirjalax\nthe emperor of Constantinople, when there was a great body of Varings in\nthe town, it happened in the summer that the emperor was on a campaign,\nand lay in the camp with his army. The Varings who had the guard, and\nwatched over the emperor, lay on the open plain without the camp. They\nchanged the watch with each other in the night, and those who had been\nbefore on watch lay down and slept; but all completely armed. It was\ntheir custom, when they went to sleep, that each should have his helmet\non his head, his shield over him, sword under the head, and the right\nhand on the sword-handle. One of these comrades, whose lot it was to\nwatch the latter part of the night, found, on awakening towards morning,\nthat his sword was gone. He looked after it, and saw it lying on\nthe flat plain at a distance from him. He got up and took the sword,\nthinking that his comrades who had been on watch had taken the sword\nfrom him in a joke; but they all denied it. The same thing happened\nthree nights. Then he wondered at it, as well as they who saw or heard\nof it; and people began to ask him how it could have happened. He said\nthat his sword was called Hneiter, and had belonged to King Olaf the\nSaint, who had himself carried it in the battle of Stiklestad; and he\nalso related how the sword since that time had gone from one to another.\nThis was told to the emperor, who called the man before him to whom the\nsword belonged, and gave him three times as much gold as the sword was\nworth; and the sword itself he had laid in Saint Olaf's church, which\nthe Varings supported, where it has been ever since over the altar.\nThere was a lenderman of Norway while Harald Gille's sons, Eystein,\nInge, and Sigurd lived, who was called Eindride Unge; and he was in\nConstantinople when these events took place. He told these circumstances\nin Norway, according to what Einar Skulason says in his song about King\nOlaf the Saint, in which these events are sung.\n\n\n\n\n21. OLAF'S MIRACLE IN FAVOUR OF THE VARINGS.\n\nIt happened once in the Greek country, when Kirjalax was emperor there,\nthat he made an expedition against Blokumannaland. When he came to the\nPezina plains, a heathen king came against him with an innumerable host.\nHe brought with him many horsemen, and many large waggons, in which\nwere large loop-holes for shooting through. When they prepared for their\nnight quarters they drew up their waggons, one by the side of the other,\nwithout their tents, and dug a great ditch without; and all which made a\ndefence as strong as a castle. The heathen king was blind. Now when the\nGreek king came, the heathens drew up their array on the plains before\ntheir waggon-fortification. The Greeks drew up their array opposite, and\nthey rode on both sides to fight with each other; but it went on so\nill and so unfortunately, that the Greeks were compelled to fly after\nsuffering a great defeat, and the heathens gained a victory. Then the\nking drew up an array of Franks and Flemings, who rode against the\nheathens, and fought with them; but it went with them as with the\nothers, that many were killed, and all who escaped took to flight.\nThen the Greek king was greatly incensed at his men-at-arms; and they\nreplied, that he should now take his wine-bags, the Varings. The king\nsays that he would not throw away his jewels, and allow so few men,\nhowever bold they might be, to attack so vast an army. Then Thorer\nHelsifig, who at that time was leader of the Varings replied to the\nking's words, \"If there was burning fire in the way, I and my people\nwould run into it, if I knew the king's advantage required it.\" Then the\nking replied, \"Call upon your holy King Olaf for help and strength.\"\nThe Varings, who were 450 men, made a vow with hand and word to build a\nchurch in Constantinople, at their own expense and with the aid of other\ngood men, and have the church consecrated to the honour and glory of the\nholy King Olaf; and thereupon the Varings rushed into the plain. When\nthe heathens saw them, they told their king that there was another troop\nof the Greek king's army come out upon the plain; but they were only a\nhandful of people. The king says, \"Who is that venerable man riding on\na white horse at the head of the troop?\" They replied, \"We do not see\nhim.\" There was so great a difference of numbers, that there were sixty\nheathens for every Christian man; but notwithstanding the Varings went\nboldly to the attack. As soon as they met terror and alarm seized the\narmy of the heathens, and they instantly began to fly; but the Varings\npursued, and soon killed a great number of them. When the Greeks and\nFranks who before had fled from the heathens saw this, they hastened to\ntake part, and pursue the enemy with the others. Then the Varings had\nreached the waggon-fortification, where the greatest defeat was given to\nthe enemy. The heathen king was taken in the flight of his people, and\nthe Varings brought him along with them; after which the Christians took\nthe camp of the heathens, and their waggon-fortification.\n\n\n\n\nMAGNUS ERLINGSON'S SAGA.\n\n\nPRELIMINARY REMARKS.\n\nWith this saga, which describes a series of conflicts, Snorre's\n\"Heimskringla\" ends. King Eystein died in 1177, but Magnus Erlingson\ncontinued to reign until his death in 1184. The conflicts continued\nuntil the opposition party was led to victory by King Sverre.\n\nThe only skald quoted is Thorbjorn Skakkaskald.\n\n\n\n\n1. OF MAGNUS ERLINGSON'S BEGINNING.\n\nWhen Erling got certain intelligence of the determinations of Hakon and\nhis counsellors, he sent a message to all the chiefs who he knew had\nbeen steady friends of King Inge, and also to his court-men and his\nretinue, who had saved themselves by flight, and also to all Gregorius's\nhouse-men, and called them together to a meeting. When they met, and\nconversed with each other, they resolved to keep their men together; and\nwhich resolution they confirmed by oath and hand-shake to each other.\nThen they considered whom they should take to be king. Erling Skakke\nfirst spoke, and inquired if it was the opinion of the chiefs and other\nmen of power that Simon Skalp's son, the son of the daughter of King\nHarald Gille, should be chosen king, and Jon Halkelson be taken to\nlead the army; but Jon refused it. Then it was inquired if Nikolas\nSkialdvarson, a sister's son of King Magnus Barefoot, would place\nhimself at the head of the army; but he answered thus:--It was his\nopinion that some one should be chosen king who was of the royal race;\nand, for leader of the troops, some one from whom help and understanding\nwere to be looked for; and then it would be easier to gather an army.\nIt was now tried whether Arne would let any of his sons, King Inge's\nbrothers, be proclaimed king. Arne replies, that Kristin's son, she was\nthe daughter of King Sigurd the Crusader, was nearest by propinquity\nof descent to the crown of Norway. \"And here is also a man to be his\nadviser, and whose duty it is to take care of him and of the kingdom;\nand that man is his father Erling, who is both prudent, brave,\nexperienced in war, and an able man in governing the kingdom; he wants\nno capability of bringing this counsel into effect, if luck be with\nhim.\" Many thought well of this advice.\n\nErling replied to it, \"As far as I can see or hear in this meeting, the\nmost will rather be excused from taking upon themselves such a difficult\nbusiness. Now it appears to me altogether uncertain, provided we begin\nthis work, whether he who puts himself at the head of it will gain any\nhonour; or whether matters will go as they have done before when any\none undertakes such great things, that he loses all his property and\npossibly his life. But if this counsel be adopted, there may be men\nwho will undertake to carry it through; but he who comes under such an\nobligation must seek, in every way, to prevent any opposition or enmity\nfrom those who are now in this council.\"\n\nAll gave assurance that they would enter into this confederacy with\nperfect fidelity. Then said Erling, \"I can say for myself that it would\nalmost be my death to serve King Hakon; and however dangerous it may\nbe, I will rather venture to adopt your advice, and take upon me to lead\nthis force, if that be the will, counsel, and desire of you all, and if\nyou will all bind yourselves to this agreement by oath.\"\n\nTo this they all agreed; and in this meeting it was determined to take\nErling's son Magnus to be king. They afterwards held a Thing in the\ntown; and at this Thing Magnus Erlingson, then five years old, was\nelected king of the whole country. All who had been servants of King\nInge went into his service, and each of them retained the office and\ndignity he had held under King Inge (A.D. 1161).\n\n\n\n\n2. KING MAGNUS GOES TO DENMARK.\n\nErling Skakke made himself ready to travel, fitted out ships, and had\nwith him King Magnus, together with the household-men who were on the\nspot. In this expedition were the king's relatives,--Arne; Ingerid, King\nInge's mother, with her two sons; besides Jon Kutiza, a son of Sigurd\nStork, and Erling's house-men, as well as those who had been Gregorius's\nhouse-men; and they had in all ten ships. They went south to Denmark to\nKing Valdemar and Buriz Heinrekson, King Inge's brother. King Valdemar\nwas King Magnus's blood-relation; for Ingebjorg, mother of King\nValdemar, and Malmfrid, mother of Kristin, King Magnus's mother, were\ncousins. The Danish king received them hospitably, and he and Erling\nhad private meetings and consultations: and so much was known of their\ncounsels, that King Valdemar was to aid King Magnus with such help as\nmight be required from his kingdom to win and retain Norway. On the\nother hand, King Valdemar should get that domain in Norway which his\nancestors Harald Gormson and Svein Forked-beard had possessed; namely,\nthe whole of Viken as far north as Rygiarbit. This agreement was\nconfirmed by oath and a fixed treaty. Then Erling and King Magnus made\nthemselves ready to leave Denmark, and they sailed out of Vendilskage.\n\n\n\n\n3. BATTLE OF TUNSBERG.\n\nKing Hakon went in spring, after the Easter week, north to Throndhjem,\nand had with him the whole fleet that had belonged to King Inge. He held\na Thing there in the merchant-town, and was chosen king of the whole\ncountry. Then he made Sigurd of Reyr an earl, and gave him an earldom,\nand afterwards proceeded southwards with his followers all the way\nto Viken. The king went to Tunsberg; but sent Earl Sigurd east to\nKonungahella, to defend the country with a part of the forces in case\nErling should come from the south. Erling and his fleet came to Agder,\nand went straight north to Bergen, where they killed Arne Brigdarskalle,\nKing Hakon's officer, and came back immediately against King Hakon. Earl\nSigurd, who had not observed the journey of Erling and his followers\nfrom the south, was at that time east in the Gaut river, and King Hakon\nwas in Tunsberg. Erling brought up at Hrossanes, and lay there some\nnights. In the meantime King Hakon made preparations in the town. When\nErling and his fleet were coming up to the town, they took a merchant\nvessel, filled it with wood and straw, and set fire to it; and the wind\nblowing right towards the town, drove the vessel against the piers.\nErling had two cables brought on board the vessel, and made fast to two\nboats, and made them row along as the vessel drove. Now when the fire\nwas come almost abreast of the town, those who were in the boats held\nback the vessel by the ropes, so that the town could not be set on fire;\nbut so thick a smoke spread from it over the town, that one could not\nsee from the piers where the king's array was. Then Erling drew the\nwhole fleet in where the wind carried the fire, and shot at the enemy.\nWhen the townspeople saw that the fire was approaching their houses,\nand many were wounded by the bowmen, they resolved to send the priest\nHroald, the long-winded speaker, to Erling, to beg him to spare them and\nthe town; and they dissolved the array in favour of Hakon, as soon\nas Hroald told them their prayer was granted. Now when the array of\ntowns-people had dispersed, the men on the piers were much thinned:\nhowever, some urged Hakon's men to make resistance: but Onund Simonson,\nwho had most influence over the army, said, \"I will not fight for Earl\nSigurd's earldom, since he is not here himself.\" Then Onund fled,\nand was followed by all the people, and by the king himself; and they\nhastened up the country. King Hakon lost many men here; and these verses\nwere made about it:--\n\n     \"Onund declares he will not go\n     In battle 'gainst Earl Sigurd's foe,\n     If Earl Sigurd does not come,\n     But with his house-men sits at home.\n     King Magnus' men rush up the street,\n     Eager with Hakon's troop to meet;\n     But Hakon's war-hawks, somewhat shy,\n     Turn quick about, and off they fly.\"\n\nThorbjorn Skakkaskald also said:--\n\n     \"The Tunsberg men would not be slow\n     In thy good cause to risk a blow;\n     And well they knew the chief could stain\n     The wolves' mouths on a battle-plain.\n     But the town champion rather fears\n     The sharp bright glance of levelled spears;\n     Their steel-clad warrior loves no fight\n     Where bowstring twangs, or fire flies bright.\"\n\nKing Hakon then took the land-road northwards to Throndhjem. When Earl\nSigurd heard of this, he proceeded with all the ships he could get the\nseaway north-wards, to meet King Hakon there.\n\n\n\n\n4. OF ERLING AND HAKON.\n\nErling Skakke took all the ships in Tunsberg belonging to King Hakon,\nand there he also took the Baekisudin which had belonged to King Inge.\nThen Erling proceeded, and reduced the whole of Viken in obedience to\nKing Magnus, and also the whole country north wheresoever he appeared up\nto Bergen, where he remained all winter. There Erling killed Ingebjorn\nSipil, King Hakon's lenderman of the north part of the Fjord district.\nIn winter (A.D. 1162) King Hakon was in Throndhjem; but in the following\nspring he ordered a levy, and prepared to go against Erling. He had with\nhim Earl Sigurd, Jon Sveinson, Eindride Unge, Onund Simonson, Philip\nPeterson, Philip Gyrdson, Ragnvald Kunta, Sigurd Kapa, Sigurd Hiupa,\nFrirek Keina, Asbjorn of Forland, Thorbjorn, a son of Gunnar the\ntreasurer, and Stradbjarne.\n\n\n\n\n5. OF ERLING'S PEOPLE.\n\nErling was in Bergen with a great armament, and resolved to lay a\nsailing prohibition on all the merchant vessels which were going north\nto Nidaros; for he knew that King Hakon would soon get tidings of him,\nif ships were sailing between the towns. Besides, he gave out that it\nwas better for Bergen to get the goods, even if the owners were obliged\nto sell them cheaper than they wished than that they should fall into\nthe hands of enemies and thereby strengthen them. And now a great many\nvessels were assembled at Bergen, for many arrived every day, and none\nwere allowed to go away. Then Erling let some of the lightest of his\nvessels be laid ashore, and spread the report that he would wait for\nHakon, and, with the help of his friends and relations, oppose the enemy\nthere. He then one day called a meeting of the ship-masters, and gave\nthem and all the merchant ships and their steersmen leave to go where\nthey pleased. When the men who had charge of the cargoes, and were all\nready to sail away with their goods, some for trade, others on various\nbusiness, had got leave from Erling Skakke to depart, there was a\nsoft and favourable wind for sailing north along the coast. Before the\nevening all who were ready had set sail, and hastened on as fast as they\ncould, according to the speed of their vessels, the one vying with the\nother. When this fleet came north to More, Hakon's fleet had arrived\nthere before them: and he himself was there fully engaged in collecting\npeople, and summoning to him the lendermen, and all liable to serve in\nthe levy, without having for a long time heard any news from Bergen.\nNow, however, they heard, as the latest news, that Erling Skakke had\nlaid his ships up in Bergen, and there they would find him; and also\nthat he had a large force with him. King Hakon sailed from thence to\nVeey, and sent away Earl Sigurd and Onund Simonson to gather people, and\nsent men also to both the More districts. After King Hakon had remained\na few days at the town he sailed farther, and proceeded to the South,\nthinking that it would both promote his journey and enable new levies to\njoin him sooner.\n\nErling Skakke had given leave on Sunday to all the merchant vessels to\nleave Bergen; and on Tuesday, as soon as the early mass was over, he\nordered the warhorns to sound, summoned to him the men-at-arms and the\ntownsmen, and let the ships which were laid up on shore be drawn down\ninto the water. Then Erling held a House-Thing with his men and the\npeople of the levy; told them his intentions; named ship commanders;\nand had the names called over of the men who were to be on board of the\nking's ship. This Thing ended with Erling's order to every man to make\nhimself ready in his berth wherever a place was appointed him; and\ndeclared that he who remained in the town after the Baekisudin was\nhauled out, should be punished by loss of life or limb. Orm, the king's\nbrother, laid his ships out in the harbour immediately that evening, and\nmany others, and the greater number were afloat before.\n\n\n\n\n6. OF ERLING SKAKKE.\n\nOn Wednesday, before mass was sung in the town, Erling sailed from\nBergen with all his fleet, consisting of twenty-one ships; and there was\na fresh breeze for sailing northwards along the coast. Erling had his\nson King Magnus with him, and there were many lendermen accompanied by\nthe finest men. When Erling came north, abreast of the Fjord district,\nhe sent a boat on shore to Jon Halkelson's farm, and took Nikolas, a son\nof Simon Skalp and of Maria, Harald Gille's daughter, and brought him\nout to the fleet, and put him on board the king's ship. On Friday,\nimmediately after matins, they sailed to Steinavag, and King Hakon,\nwith thirteen ships, was lying in the harbour in the neighbourhood. He\nhimself and his men were up at play upon the island, and the lendermen\nwere sitting on the hill, when they saw a boat rowing from the south\nwith two men in it, who were bending back deep towards the keel, and\ntaking hasty strokes with their oars. When they came to the shore they\ndid not belay the boat, but both ran from it. The great men seeing this,\nsaid to each other, \"These men must have some news to tell;\" and got up\nto meet them. When they met, Onund Simonson asked, \"Have ye any news of\nErling Skakke, that ye are running so fast?\"\n\nThey answered, as soon as they could get out the words, for they had\nlost their breath, \"Here comes Erling against you, sailing from the\nsouth, with twenty-one ships, or thereabouts, of which many are great\nenough; and now ye will soon see their sails.\"\n\nThen said Eindride Unge, \"Too near to the nose, said the peasant, when\nhis eye was knocked out.\"\n\nThey went in haste now to where the games were playing, and immediately\nthe war-horns resounded, and with the battle-call all the people were\ngathered down to the ships in the greatest haste. It was just the time\nof day when their meat was nearly cooked. All the men rushed to the\nships, and each ran on board the vessel that was nearest to him, so that\nthe ships were unequally manned. Some took to the oars; some raised the\nmasts, turned the heads of the vessels to the north, and steered for\nVeey, where they expected much assistance from the towns.\n\n\n\n\n7. FALL OF KING HAKON.\n\nSoon after they saw the sails of Erling's fleet, and both fleets came in\nsight of each other. Eindride Unge had a ship called Draglaun, which was\na large buss-like long-ship, but which had but a small crew; for\nthose who belonged to her had run on board of other ships, and she was\ntherefore the hindmost of Hakon's fleet. When Eindride came abreast of\nthe island Sek, the Baekisudin, which Erling Skakke himself commanded,\ncame up with her; and these two ships were bound fast together. King\nHakon and his followers had arrived close to Veey; but when they heard\nthe war-horn they turned again to assist Eindride. Now they began the\nbattle on both sides, as the vessels came up. Many of the sails lay\nmidships across the vessels; and the ships were not made fast to each\nother, but they lay side by side. The conflict was not long before\nthere came disorder in Hakon's ship; and some fell, and others sprang\noverboard. Hakon threw over him a grey cloak, and jumped on board\nanother ship; but when he had been there a short time he thought he had\ngot among his enemies; and when he looked about him he saw none of his\nmen nor of his ships near him. Then he went into the Baekisudin to the\nforecastle-men, and begged his life. They took him in their keeping, and\ngave him quarter. In this conflict there was a great loss of people,\nbut principally of Hakon's men. In the Baekisudin fell Nikolas,\nSimon Skalp's son; and Erling's men are accused of having killed him\nthemselves. Then there was a pause in the battle, and the vessels\nseparated. It was now told to Erling that Hakon was on board of his\nship; that the forecastle-men had taken him, and threatened that they\nwould defend him with arms. Erling sent men forwards in the ship to\nbring the forecastle-men his orders to guard Hakon well, so that he\nshould not get away. He at the same time let it be understood that he\nhad no objection to giving the king life and safety, if the other chiefs\nwere willing, and a peace could be established. All the forecastle-men\ngave their chief great credit and honour for these words. Then Erling\nordered anew a blast of the war-horns, and that the ships should be\nattacked which had not lost their men; saying that they would never\nhave such another opportunity of avenging King Inge. Thereupon they all\nraised a war-shout, encouraged each other, and rushed to the assault.\nIn this tumult King Hakon received his death-wound. When his men knew he\nhad fallen they rowed with all their might against the enemy, threw away\ntheir shields, slashed with both hands, and cared not for life. This\nheat and recklessness, however, proved soon a great loss to them; for\nErling's men saw the unprotected parts of their bodies, and where their\nblows would have effect. The greater part of Hakon's men who remained\nfell here; and it was principally owing to the want of numbers, as they\nwere not enough to defend themselves. They could not get quarter, also\nexcepting those whom the chiefs took under their protection and bound\nthemselves to pay ransom for. The following of Hakon's people fell:\nSigurd Kapa, Sigurd Hiupa, and Ragnvald Kunta; but some ships crews got\naway, rowed into the fjords, and thus saved their lives. Hakon's body\nwas carried to Raumsdal, and buried there; but afterwards his brother,\nKing Sverre, had the body transported north to the merchant town\nNidaros, and laid in the stone wall of Christ church south of the choir.\n\n\n\n\n8. FLIGHT OF THE CHIEFS OF HAKON'S MEN.\n\nEarl Sigurd, Eindride Unge, Onund Simonson, Frirek Keina, and other\nchiefs kept the troop together, left the ships in Raumsdal, and went\nup to the Uplands. King Magnus and his father Erling sailed with their\ntroops north to Nidaros in Throndhjem, and subdued the country as they\nwent along. Erling called together an Eyra-thing, at which King Magnus\nwas proclaimed king of all Norway. Erling, however, remained there but a\nshort time; for he thought the Throndhjem people were not well affected\ntowards him and his son. King Magnus was then called king of the whole\ncountry.\n\nKing Hakon had been a handsome man in appearance, well grown, tall and\nthin; but rather broad-shouldered, on which account his men called him\nHerdebreid. As he was young in years, his lendermen ruled for him. He\nwas cheerful and friendly in conversation, playful and youthful in his\nways, and was much liked by the people.\n\n\n\n\n9. OF KING SIGURD'S BEGINNING.\n\nThere was an Upland man called Markus of Skog, who was a relation of\nEarl Sigurd. Markus brought up a son of King Sigurd Mun, who was also\ncalled Sigurd. This Sigurd was chosen king (A.D. 1162) by the Upland\npeople, by the advice of Earl Sigurd and the other chiefs who had\nfollowed King Hakon. They had now a great army, and the troops were\ndivided in two bodies; so that Markus and the king were less exposed\nwhere there was anything to do, and Earl Sigurd and his troop, along\nwith the lendermen, were most in the way of danger. They went with their\ntroops mostly through the Uplands, and sometimes eastwards to Viken.\nErling Skakke had his son King Magnus always with him, and he had also\nthe whole fleet and the land defence under him. He was a while in Bergen\nin autumn; but went from thence eastward to Viken, where he settled in\nTunsberg for his winter quarters (A.D. 1163), and collected in Viken all\nthe taxes and revenues that belonged to Magnus as king; and he had\nmany and very fine troops. As Earl Sigurd had but a small part of the\ncountry, and kept many men on foot, he soon was in want of money; and\nwhere there was no chief in the neighbourhood he had to seek money by\nunlawful ways,--sometimes by unfounded accusations and fines, sometimes\nby open robbery.\n\n\n\n\n10. EARL SIGURD'S CONDEMNATION.\n\nAt that time the realm of Norway was in great prosperity. The bondes\nwere rich and powerful, unaccustomed to hostilities or violence, and the\noppression of roving troops; so that there was soon a great noise and\nscandal when they were despoiled and robbed. The people of Viken were\nvery friendly to Erling and King Magnus, principally from the popularity\nof the late King Inge Haraldson; for the Viken people had always served\nunder his banner. Erling kept a guard in the town, and twelve men were\non watch every night. Erling had Things regularly with the bondes, at\nwhich the misdeeds of Sigurd's people were often talked over; and by\nthe representations of Erling and his adherents, the bondes were brought\nunanimously to consider that it would be a great good fortune if these\nbands should be rooted out. Arne, the king's relation, spoke well and\nlong on this subject, and at last severely; and required that all\nwho were at the Thing,--men-at-arms, bondes, towns-men, and\nmerchants,--should come to the resolution to sentence according to law\nEarl Sigurd and all his troop, and deliver them to Satan, both living\nand dead. From the animosity and hatred of the people, this was agreed\nto by all; and thus the unheard-of deed was adopted and confirmed by\noath, as if a judgment in the case was delivered there by the Thing\naccording to law. The priest Hroald the Long-winded, who was a very\neloquent man, spoke in the case; but his speech was to the same purpose\nas that of others who had spoken before. Erling gave a feast at Yule in\nTunsberg, and paid the wages of the men-at-arms at Candlemas.\n\n\n\n\n11. OF ERLING.\n\nEarl Sigurd went with his best troops down to Viken, where many people\nwere obliged to submit to his superior force, and many had to pay money.\nHe drove about thus widely higher up the country, penetrating into\ndifferent districts. But there were some in his troop who desired\nprivately to make peace with Erling; but they got back the answer,\nthat all who asked for their lives should obtain quarter, but they only\nshould get leave to remain in the country who had not been guilty of any\ngreat offenses against Erling. And when Sigurd's adherents heard that\nthey would not get leave to remain in the country, they held together\nin one body; for there were many among them who knew for certain that\nErling would look upon them as guilty of offences against him. Philip\nGyrdson made terms with Erling, got his property back, and went home to\nhis farm; but soon after Sigurd's men came there, and killed him. They\ncommitted many crimes against each other, and many men were slain in\ntheir mutual persecution; but here what was committed by the chiefs only\nis written down.\n\n\n\n\n12. ERLING GETS NEWS OF EARL SIGURD.\n\nIt was in the beginning of Lent that news came to Erling that Earl\nSigurd intended to come upon him; and news of him came here and there,\nsometimes nearer, sometimes farther off. Erling sent out spies in all\nquarters around to discover where they were. Every evening he assembled\nall the men-at-arms by the war-horn out of the town; and for a long time\nin the winter they lay under arms all night, ready to be drawn up in\narray. At last Erling got intelligence that Sigurd and his followers\nwere not far distant, up at the farm Re. Erling then began his\nexpedition out of the town, and took with him all the towns-people who\nwere able to carry arms and had arms, and likewise all the merchants;\nand left only twelve men behind to keep watch in the town. Erling\nwent out of the town on Thursday afternoon, in the second week of Lent\n(February 19); and every man had two days' provisions with him. They\nmarched by night, and it was late before they got out of the town with\nthe men. Two men were with each shield and each horse; and the people,\nwhen mustered, were about 1200 men. When they met their spies, they were\ninformed that Sigurd was at Re, in a house called Rafnnes, and had 500\nmen. Then Erling called together his people; told them the news he had\nreceived, and all were eager to hasten their march, fall on them in the\nhouses, or engage them by night.\n\nErling replied to them thus:--\"It is probable that we and Earl Sigurd\nshall soon meet. There are also many men in this band whose handy-work\nremains in our memories; such as cutting down King Inge, and so many\nmore of our friends, that it would take long to reckon them up. These\ndeeds they did by the power of Satan, by witchcraft, and by villainy;\nfor it stands in our laws and country rights, that however highly a man\nmay have been guilty, it shall be called villainy and cowardly murder to\nkill him in the night. This band has had its luck hitherto by following\nthe counsel of men acquainted with witchcraft and fighting by night,\nand not in the light of day; and by this proceeding have they been\nvictorious hitherto over the chiefs whose heads they have laid low\non the earth. Now we have often seen, and proved, how unsuitable and\nimproper it is to go into battle in the nighttime; therefore let us\nrather have before our eyes the example of chiefs better known to us,\nand who deserve better to be imitated, and fight by open day in regular\nbattle array, and not steal upon sleeping men in the night. We have\npeople enough against them, so few as they are. Let us, therefore, wait\nfor day and daylight, and keep together in our array in case they attack\nus.\"\n\nThereafter the whole army sat down. Some opened up bundles of hay, and\nmade a bed of it for themselves; some sat upon their shields, and thus\nwaited the daydawn. The weather was raw, and there was a wet snowdrift.\n\n\n\n\n13. OF EARL SIGURD'S BATTLE ARRAY.\n\nEarl Sigurd got the first intelligence of Erling's army, when it was\nalready near to the house. His men got up, and armed themselves; but not\nknowing how many men Erling had with him, some were inclined to fly, but\nthe most determined to stand. Earl Sigurd was a man of understanding,\nand could talk well, but certainly was not considered brave enough to\ntake a strong resolution; and indeed the earl showed a great inclination\nto fly, for which he got many stinging words from his men-at-arms. As\nday dawned, they began on both sides to draw up their battle array. Earl\nSigurd placed his men on the edge of a ridge between the river and the\nhouse, at a place at which a little stream runs into the river. Erling\nand his people placed their array on the other side of the river; but at\nthe back of his array were men on horseback well armed, who had the king\nwith them. When Earl Sigurd's men saw that there was so great a want\nof men on their side, they held a council, and were for taking to the\nforest. But Earl Sigurd said, \"Ye alleged that I had no courage, but it\nwill now be proved; and let each of you take care not to fail, or fly,\nbefore I do so. We have a good battle-field. Let them cross the bridge;\nbut as soon as the banner comes over it let us then rush down the hill\nupon them, and none desert his neighbour.\"\n\nEarl Sigurd had on a red-brown kirtle, and a red cloak, of which the\ncorners were tied and turned back; shoes on his feet; and a shield and\nsword called Bastard. The earl said, \"God knows that I would rather get\nat Erling Skakke with a stroke of Bastard, than receive much gold.\"\n\n\n\n\n14. EARL SIGURD'S FALL.\n\nErling Skakke's army wished to go on to the bridge; but Erling told them\nto go up along the river, which was small, and not difficult to cross,\nas its banks were flat; and they did so. Earl Sigurd's array proceeded\nup along the ridge right opposite to them; but as the ridge ended, and\nthe ground was good and level over the river, Erling told his men\nto sing a Paternoster, and beg God to give them the victory who best\ndeserved it. Then they all sang aloud \"Kyrie Eleison\", and struck\nwith their weapons on their shields. But with this singing 300 men of\nErling's people slipped away and fled. Then Erling and his people went\nacross the river, and the earl's men raised the war-shout; but there was\nno assault from the ridge down upon Erling's array, but the battle began\nupon the hill itself. They first used spears then edge weapons; and the\nearl's banner soon retired so far back, that Erling and his men scaled\nthe ridge. The battle lasted but a short time before the earl's men\nfled to the forest, which they had close behind them. This was told Earl\nSigurd, and his men bade him fly; but he replied, \"Let us on while we\ncan.\" And his men went bravely on, and cut down on all sides. In this\ntumult fell Earl Sigurd and Jon Sveinson, and nearly sixty men. Erling\nlost few men, and pursued the fugitives to the forest. There Erling\nhalted his troops, and turned back. He came just as the king's slaves\nwere about stripping the clothes off Earl Sigurd, who was not quite\nlifeless. He had put his sword in the sheath, and it lay by his side.\nErling took it, struck the slaves with it, and drove them away. Then\nErling, with his troops, returned, and sat down in Tunsberg. Seven days\nafter Earl Sigurd's fall Erling's men took Eindride Unge prisoner, and\nkilled him, with all his ship's crew.\n\n\n\n\n15. MARKUS OF SKOG, AND SIGURD SIGURDSON.\n\nMarkus of Skog, and King Sigurd, his foster-son, rode down to Viken\ntowards spring, and there got a ship; but when Erling heard it he went\neastwards against them, and they met at Konungahella. Markus fled with\nhis followers to the island Hising; and there the country people of\nHising came down in swarms, and placed themselves in Markus's and\nSigurd's array. Erling and his men rowed to the shore; but Markus's men\nshot at them. Then Erling said to his people, \"Let us take their ships,\nbut not go up to fight with a land force. The Hisingers are a bad set\nto quarrel with,--hard, and without understanding. They will keep this\ntroop but a little while among them, for Hising is but a small\nspot.\" This was done: they took the ships, and brought them over to\nKonungahella. Markus and his men went up to the forest district, from\nwhich they intended to make assaults, and they had spies out on both\nsides. Erling had many men-at-arms with him, whom he brought from other\ndistricts, and they made attacks on each other in turn.\n\n\n\n\n16. BEGINNING OF ARCHBISHOP EYSTEIN.\n\nEystein, a son of Erlend Himaide, was selected to be archbishop, after\nArchbishop Jon's death; and he was consecrated the same year King Inge\nwas killed. Now when Archbishop Eystein came to his see, he made himself\nbeloved by all the country, as an excellent active man of high birth.\nThe Throndhjem people, in particular, received him with pleasure; for\nmost of the great people in the Throndhjem district were connected with\nthe archbishop by relationship or other connection, and all were his\nfriends. The archbishop brought forward a request to the bondes in a\nspeech, in which he set forth the great want of money for the see, and\nalso how much greater improvement of the revenues would be necessary\nto maintain it suitably, as it was now of much more importance than\nformerly when the bishop's see was first established. He requested of\nthe bondes that they should give him, for determining law-suits, an ore\nof silver value, instead of what they had before paid, which was an ore\nof judgment money, of that kind which was paid to the king in judging\ncases; and the difference between the two kinds of ore was, that the\nore he desired was a half greater than the other. By help of the\narchbishop's relations and friends, and his own activity, this was\ncarried; and it was fixed by law in all the Throndhjem district, and in\nall the districts belonging to his archbishopric.\n\n\n\n\n17. OF MARKUS AND KING SIGURD.\n\nWhen Sigurd and Markus lost their ships in the Gaut river, and saw they\ncould get no hold on Erling, they went to the Uplands, and proceeded by\nland north to Throndhjem. Sigurd was received there joyfully, and chosen\nking at an Eyra-thing; and many gallant men, with their sons, attached\nthemselves to his party. They fitted out ships, rigged them for a\nvoyage, and proceeded when summer came southwards to More, and took up\nall the royal revenues wheresoever they came. At this time the\nfollowing lendermen were appointed in Bergen for the defence of the\ncountry:--Nikolas Sigurdson, Nokve Palson, and several military leaders;\nas Thorolf Dryl, Thorbjorn Gjaldkere, and many others. As Markus and\nSigurd sailed south, they heard that Erling's men were numerous\nin Bergen; and therefore they sailed outside the coast-rocks, and\nsouthwards past Bergen. It was generally remarked, that Markus's men\nalways got a fair wind, wherever they wished to sail to.\n\n\n\n\n18. MARKUS AND KING SIGURD KILLED.\n\nAs soon as Erling Skakke heard that Sigurd and Markus had sailed\nsouthwards, he hastened to Viken, and drew together an armed force; and\nhe soon had a great many men, and many stout ships. But when he came\nfarther in Viken, he met with a strong contrary wind, which kept him\nthere in port the whole summer. Now when Sigurd and Markus came east\nto Lister, they heard that Erling had a great force in Viken; so they\nturned to the north again. But when they reached Hordaland, with the\nintention of sailing to Bergen, and came opposite the town, Nikolas and\nhis men rowed out against them, with more men and larger ships than\nthey had. Sigurd and Markus saw no other way of escaping but to row away\nsouthwards. Some of them went out to sea, others got south to the sound,\nand some got into the Fjords. Markus, and some people with him, sprang\nupon an isle called Skarpa. Nikolas and his men took their ships, gave\nJon Halkelson and a few others quarter, but killed the most of them they\ncould get hold of. Some days after Eindride Heidafylja found Sigurd and\nMarkus, and they were brought to Bergen. Sigurd was beheaded outside of\nGrafdal, and Markus and another man were hanged at Hvarfsnes. This took\nplace on Michaelmas day (September 29, 1163), and the band which had\nfollowed them was dispersed.\n\n\n\n\n19. ERLING AND THE PEOPLE OF HISING ISLE.\n\nFrirek Keina and Bjarne the Bad, Onund Simonson and Ornolf Skorpa had\nrowed out to sea with some ships, and sailed outside along the land to\nthe east. Wheresoever they came to the land they plundered, and killed\nErling's friends. Now when Erling heard that Sigurd and Markus were\nkilled, he gave leave to the lendermen and people of the levy to return\nhome; but he himself, with his men, set his course eastward across\nthe Folden fjord, for he heard of Markus's men there. Erling sailed to\nKonungahella, where he remained the autumn; and in the first week of\nwinter Erling went out to the island Hising with his men, and called the\nbondes to a Thing. When the Hising people came to the Thing, Erling\nlaid his law-suit against them for having joined the bands of Sigurd and\nMarkus, and having raised men against him. Assur was the name of one\nof the greatest of the bondes on the island, and he answered Erling on\naccount of the others. The Thing was long assembled; but at the close\nthe bondes gave the case into Erling's own power, and he appointed a\nmeeting in the town within one week, and named fifteen bondes who should\nappear there. When they came, he condemned them to pay a penalty of\n300 head of cattle; and the bondes returned home ill pleased at this\nsentence. Soon after the Gaut river was frozen, and Erling's ships were\nfast in the ice; and the bondes kept back the mulct, and lay assembled\nfor some time. Erling made a Yule feast in the town; but the Hising\npeople had joint-feasts with each other, and kept under arms during\nYule. The night after the fifth day of Yule Erling went up to Hising,\nsurrounded Assur's house, and burnt him in it. He killed one hundred\nmen in all, burnt three houses, and then returned to Konungahella. The\nbondes came then, according to agreement, to pay the mulct.\n\n\n\n\n20. DEATH OF FRIREK KEINA AND BJARNE.\n\nErling Skakke made ready to sail in spring as soon as he could get his\nships afloat for ice, and sailed from Konungahella; for he heard that\nthose who had formerly been Markus's friends were marauding in the north\nof Viken. Erling sent out spies to learn their doings, searched for\nthem, and found them lying in a harbour. Onund Simonson and Ornolf\nSkorpa escaped, but Frirek Keina and Bjarne the Bad were taken, and many\nof their followers were killed. Erling had Frirek bound to an anchor\nand thrown overboard; and for that deed Erling was much detested in the\nThrondhjem country, for the most powerful men there were relatives of\nFrirek. Erling ordered Bjarne the Bad to be hanged; and he uttered,\naccording to his custom, many dreadful imprecations during his\nexecution. Thorbjorn Skakkaskald tells of this business:--\n\n     \"East of the Fjord beyond the land,\n     Unnoticed by the pirate band,\n     Erling stole on them ere they knew,\n     And seized and killed all Keina's crew.\n     Keina, fast to an anchor bound,\n     Was thrown into the deep-blue Sound;\n     And Bjarne swung high on gallows-tree,\n     A sight all good men loved to see.\"\n\nOnund and Ornolf, with the band that had escaped, fled to Denmark; but\nwere sometimes in Gautland, or in Viken.\n\n\n\n\n21. CONFERENCE BETWEEN ERLING AND EYSTEIN.\n\nErling Skakke sailed after this to Tunsberg, and remained there very\nlong in spring (A.D. 1164); but when summer came he proceeded north to\nBergen, where at that time a great many people were assembled. There\nwas the legate from Rome, Stephanus; the Archbishop Eystein, and other\nbishops of the country. There was also Bishop Brand, who was consecrated\nbishop of Iceland, and Jon Loptson, a daughter's son of King Magnus\nBarefoot; and on this occasion King Magnus and Jon's other relations\nacknowledged the relationship with him.\n\nArchbishop Eystein and Erling Skakke often conversed together in\nprivate; and, among other things, Erling asked one day, \"Is it true,\nsir, what people tell me, that you have raised the value of the ore upon\nthe people north in Throndhjem, in the law cases in which money-fees are\npaid you?\"\n\n\"It is so,\" said the archbishop, \"that the bondes have allowed me an\nadvance on the ore of law casualties; but they did it willingly, and\nwithout any kind of compulsion, and have thereby added to their honour\nfor God and the income of the bishopric.\"\n\nErling replies, \"Is this according to the law of the holy Olaf? or have\nyou gone to work more arbitrarily in this than is written down in the\nlawbook?\"\n\nThe archbishop replies, \"King Olaf the Holy fixed the laws, to which he\nreceived the consent and affirmative of the people; but it will not be\nfound in his laws that it is forbidden to increase God's right.\"\n\nErling: \"If you augment your right, you must assist us to augment as\nmuch the king's right.\"\n\nThe archbishop: \"Thou hast already augmented enough thy son's power and\ndominion; and if I have exceeded the law in taking an increase of the\nore from the Throndhjem people, it is, I think, a much greater breach of\nthe law that one is king over the country who is not a king's son, and\nwhich has neither any support in the law, nor in any precedent here in\nthe country.\"\n\nErling: \"When Magnus was chosen king, it was done with your knowledge\nand consent, and also of all the other bishops here in the country.\"\n\nArchbishop: \"You promised then, Erling, that provided we gave our\nconsent to electing Magnus king, you would, on all occasions, and with\nall your power, strengthen God's rights.\"\n\nErling: \"I may well admit that I have promised to preserve and\nstrengthen God's commands and the laws of the land with all my power,\nand with the king's strength; and now I consider it to be much more\nadvisable, instead of accusing each other of a breach of our promises,\nto hold firmly by the agreement entered into between us. Do you\nstrengthen Magnus in his dominion, according to what you have promised;\nand I will, on my part, strengthen your power in all that can be of\nadvantage or honour.\"\n\nThe conversation now took a more friendly turn; and Erling said,\n\"Although Magnus was not chosen king according to what has been the\nold custom of this country, yet can you with your power give him\nconsecration as king, as God's law prescribes, by anointing the king to\nsovereignty; and although I be neither a king, nor of kingly race, yet\nmost of the kings, within my recollection, have not known the laws or\nthe constitution of the country so well as I do. Besides, the mother of\nKing Magnus is the daughter of a king and queen born in lawful wedlock,\nand Magnus is son of a queen and a lawfully married wife. Now if you\nwill give him royal consecration, no man can take royalty from him.\nWilliam Bastard was not a king's son; but he was consecrated and crowned\nking of England, and the royalty in England has ever since remained with\nhis race, and all have been crowned. Svein Ulfson was not a king's son\nin Denmark, and still he was a crowned king, and his sons likewise, and\nall his descendants have been crowned kings. Now we have here in Norway\nan archiepiscopal seat, to the glory and honour of the country; let us\nalso have a crowned king, as well as the Danes and Englishmen.\"\n\nErling and the archbishop afterwards talked often of this matter, and\nthey were quite agreed. Then the archbishop brought the business before\nthe legate, and got him easily persuaded to give his consent. Thereafter\nthe archbishop called together the bishops, and other learned men, and\nexplained the subject to them. They all replied in the same terms, that\nthey would follow the counsels of the archbishop, and all were eager to\npromote the consecration as soon as the archbishop pleased.\n\n\n\n\n22. KING MAGNUS'S CONSECRATION.\n\nErling Skakke then had a great feast prepared in the king's house. The\nlarge hall was covered with costly cloth and tapestry, and adorned\nwith great expense. The court-men and all the attendants were there\nentertained, and there were numerous guests, and many chiefs. Then King\nMagnus received the royal consecration from the Archbishop Eystein;\nand at the consecration there were five other bishops and the legate,\nbesides a number of other clergy. Erling Skakke, and with him twelve\nother lendermen, administered to the king the oath of the law; and\nthe day of the consecration the king and Erling had the legate, the\narchbishop, and all the other bishops as guests; and the feast was\nexceedingly magnificent, and the father and son distributed many great\npresents. King Magnus was then eight years of age, and had been king for\nthree years.\n\n\n\n\n23. KING VALDEMAR'S EMBASSY.\n\nWhen the Danish king Valdemar heard the news from Norway that Magnus\nwas become king of the whole country, and all the other parties in the\ncountry were rooted out, he sent his men with a letter to King Magnus\nand Erling, and reminded them of the agreement which Erling had entered\ninto, under oath, with King Valdemar, of which we have spoken before;\nnamely, that Viken from the east to Rygiarbit should be ceded to King\nValdemar, if Magnus became the sole king of Norway. When the ambassadors\ncame forward and showed Erling the letter of the Danish king, and he\nheard the Danish king's demand upon Norway, he laid it before the other\nchiefs by whose counsels he usually covered his acts. All, as one\nman, replied that the Danes should never hold the slightest portion of\nNorway; for never had things been worse in the land than when the Danes\nhad power in it. The ambassadors of the Danish king were urgent with\nErling for an answer, and desired to have it decided; but Erling begged\nthem to proceed with him east to Viken, and said he would give his final\nanswer when he had met with the men of most understanding and influence\nin Viken.\n\n\n\n\n24. ERLING AND THE PEOPLE OF VIKEN.\n\nErling Skakke proceeded in autumn to Viken, and stayed in Tunsberg,\nfrom whence he sent people to Sarpsborg to summon a Thing (1) of four\ndistricts; and then Erling went there with his people.\n\nWhen the Thing was seated Erling made a speech in which he explained the\nresolutions which had been settled upon between him and the Danish king,\nthe first time he collected troops against his enemies. \"I will,\" said\nErling, \"keep faithfully the agreement which we then entered into with\nthe king, if it be your will and consent, bondes, rather to serve the\nDanish king than the king who is now consecrated and crowned king of\nthis country.\"\n\nThe bondes replied thus to Erling's speech: \"Never will we become the\nDanish king's men, as long as one of us Viken men is in life.\" And the\nwhole assembly, with shouts and cries, called on Erling to keep the oath\nhe had taken to defend his son's dominions, \"should we even all follow\nthee to battle.\" And so the Thing was dissolved.\n\nThe ambassadors of the Danish king then returned home, and told the\nissue of their errand. The Danes abused Erling, and all Northmen, and\ndeclared that evil only proceeded from them; and the report was spread,\nthat in Spring the Danish king would send out an army and lay waste\nNorway. Erling returned in autumn north to Bergen, stayed there all\nwinter, and gave their pay to his people.\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) This reference to a Thing of the people in the affairs of\n     the country is a striking example of the right of the Things\n     being recognised, in theory at least, as fully as the right\n     of our parliaments in later times.--L.\n\n\n\n\n25. LETTERS OF THE THRONDHJEM PEOPLE.\n\nThe same winter (A.D. 1165) some Danish people came by land through the\nUplands, saying they were to go, as was then the general practice, to\nthe holy King Olaf's festival. But when they came to the Throndhjem\ncountry, they went to many men of influence, and told their business;\nwhich was, that the Danish king had sent them to desire their\nfriendship, and consent, if he came to the country, promising them both\npower and money. With this verbal message came also the Danish king's\nletter and seal, and a message to the Throndhjem people that they should\nsend back their letters and seals to him. They did so, and the most of\nthem received well the Danish king's message; whereupon the messengers\nreturned back towards Lent. Erling was in Bergen; and towards spring\nErling's friends told him the loose reports they had heard by some\nmerchant vessels that had arrived from Throndhjem, that the Throndhjem\npeople were in hostility openly against him; and had declared that if\nErling came to Throndhjem, he should never pass Agdanes in life. Erling\nsaid this was mere folly and idle talk. Erling now made it known that\nhe would go to Unarheim to the Gangdag-thing; and ordered a cutter of\ntwenty rowing benches to be fitted out, a boat of fifteen benches, and\na provision-ship. When the vessels were ready, there came a strong\nsoutherly gale. On the Thursday of the Ascension week, Erling called his\npeople by sound of trumpet to their departure; but the men were loath\nto leave the town, and were ill inclined to row against the wind. Erling\nbrought his vessels to Biskupshafn. \"Well,\" said Erling, \"since ye are\nso unwilling to row against the wind, raise the mast, hoist the sails,\nand let the ship go north.\" They did so, and sailed northwards both day\nand night. On Wednesday, in the evening, they sailed in past Agdanes,\nwhere they found a fleet assembled of many merchant vessels, rowing\ncraft, and boats, all going towards the town to the celebration of the\nfestival,--some before them, some behind them--so that the townspeople\npaid no attention to the long-ships coming.\n\n\n\n\n26. ERLING AND THE PEOPLE OF THRONDHJEM.\n\nErling came to the town just as vespers was being sung in Christ church.\nHe and his men ran into the town, to where it was told them that the\nlenderman, Alf Rode, a son of Ottar Birting, was still sitting at table,\nand drinking with his men. Erling fell upon them; and Alf was killed,\nwith almost all his men. Few other men were killed; for they had almost\nall gone to church, as this was the night before Christ's Ascension-day.\nIn the morning early, Erling called all the people by sound of trumpet\nto a Thing out upon Evrar. At the Thing Erling laid a charge against the\nThrondhjem people, accusing them of intending to betray the country,\nand take it from the king; and named Bard Standale, Pal Andreason, and\nRazabard, who then presided over the town's affairs, and many others.\nThey, in their defence, denied the accusation; but Erling's writer stood\nup, produced many letters with seals, and asked if they acknowledged\ntheir seals which they had sent to the Danish king; and thereupon the\nletters were read. There was also a Danish man with Erling who had gone\nwith the letters in winter, and whom Erling for that purpose had taken\ninto his service. He told to these men the very words which each of them\nhad used. \"And you, Razabard, spoke, striking your breast; and the\nvery words you used were, 'Out of this breast are all these counsels\nproduced.'\" Bard replied, \"I was wrong in the head, sirs, when I spoke\nso.\" There was now nothing to be done but to submit the case entirely to\nthe sentence Erling might give upon it. He took great sums of money from\nmany as fines, and condemned all those who had been killed as lawless,\nand their deeds as lawless; making their deaths thereby not subject to\nmulct. Then Erling returned south to Bergen.\n\n\n\n\n27. KING VALDEMAR'S EXPEDITION TO NORWAY.\n\nThe Danish king Valdemar assembled in spring (A.D. 1165) a great\narmy, and proceeded with it north to Viken. As soon as he reached\nthe dominions of the king of Norway, the bondes assembled in a great\nmultitude. The king advanced peacefully; but when they came to the\nmainland, the people shot at them even when there were only two or three\ntogether, from which the ill-will of the country people towards them\nwas evident. When they came to Tunsberg, King Valdemar summoned a\nHauga-thing; but nobody attended it from the country parts. Then\nValdemar spoke thus to his troops: \"It is evident that all the\ncountry-people are against us; and now we have two things to choose: the\none to go through the country, sword in hand, sparing neither man nor\nbeast; the other is to go back without effecting our object. And it\nis more my inclination to go with the army to the East against the\nheathens, of whom we have enough before us in the East country, than to\nkill Christian people here, although they have well deserved it.\" All\nthe others had a greater desire for a foray; but the king ruled, and\nthey all returned back to Denmark without effecting their purpose. They\npillaged, however, all around in the distant islands, or where the\nking was not in the neighbourhood. They then returned south to Denmark\nwithout doing anything.\n\n\n\n\n28. ERLING'S EXPEDITION TO JUTLAND.\n\nAs soon as Erling heard that a Danish force had come to Viken, he\nordered a levy through all the land, both of men and ships, so that\nthere was a great assemblage of men in arms; and with this force he\nproceeded eastward along the coast. But when he came to Lidandisnes,\nhe heard that the Danish army had returned south to Denmark, after\nplundering all around them in Viken. Then Erling gave all the people of\nthe levy permission to return home; but he himself and some lendermen,\nwith many vessels, sailed to Jutland after the Danes. When they came to\na place called Dyrsa, the Danes who had returned from the expedition lay\nthere with many ships. Erling gave them battle, and there was a fight,\nin which the Danes soon fled with the loss of many people; and Erling\nand his men plundered the ships and the town, and made a great booty,\nwith which they returned to Norway. Thereafter, for a time, there was\nhostility between Norway and Denmark.\n\n\n\n\n29. ERLING'S EXPEDITION TO DENMARK.\n\nThe princess Krisfin went south in autumn (A.D. 1165) to Denmark, to\nvisit her relation King Valdemar, who was her cousin. The king received\nher kindly, and gave her fiefs in his kingdom, so that she could\nsupport her household well. She often conversed with the king, who was\nremarkably kind towards her. In the spring following (A.D. 1166) Kristin\nsent to Erling, and begged him to pay a visit to the Danish king, and\nenter into a peace with him. In summer Erling was in Viken, where he\nfitted out a long-ship, manned it with his finest lads, and sailed\n(a single ship) over to Jutland. When he heard that the Danish king\nValdemar was in Randaros, Erling sailed thither, and came to the town\njust as the king sat at the dinner-table, and most of the people were\ntaking their meal. When his people had made themselves ready according\nto Erling's orders, set up the ship-tents, and made fast the ship,\nErling landed with twelve men, all in armour, with hats over their\nhelmets, and swords under their cloaks. They went to the king's lodging,\nwhere the doors stood open, and the dishes were being carried in.\nErling and his people went in immediately, and drew up in front of the\nhigh-seat. Erling said, \"Peace and safe conduct we desire, king, both\nhere and to return home.\"\n\nThe king looked at him, and said, \"Art thou here, Erling?\"\n\nHe replies, \"Here is Erling; and tell us, at once, if we shall have\npeace and safe conduct.\"\n\nThere were eighty of the king's men in the room, but all unarmed. The\nking replies, \"Peace ye shall have, Erling, according to thy desire; for\nI will not use force or villainy against a man who comes to visit me.\"\n\nErling then kissed the king's hand, went out, and down to his ship.\nErling stayed at Randaros some time with the king, and they talked about\nterms of peace between them and between the countries. They agreed that\nErling should remain as hostage with the Danish king; and that Asbjorn\nSnara, Bishop Absalon's brother, should go to Norway as hostage on the\nother part.\n\n\n\n\n30. KING VALDEMAR AND ERLING.\n\nIn a conference which King Valdemar and Erling once had together. Erling\nsaid, \"Sire, it appears to me likely that it might lead to a peace\nbetween the countries if you got that part of Norway which was promised\nyou in our agreement; but if it should be so, what chief would you place\nover it? Would he be a Dane?\"\n\n\"No,\" replied the king; \"no Danish chief would go to Norway, where he\nwould have to manage an obstinate hard people, when he has it so easy\nhere with me.\"\n\nErling: \"It was on that very consideration that I came here; for I would\nnot on any account in the world deprive myself of the advantage of your\nfriendship. In days of old other men, Hakon Ivarson and Fin Arnason,\ncame also from Norway to Denmark, and your predecessor, King Svein, made\nthem both earls. Now I am not a man of less power in Norway than they\nwere then, and my influence is not less than theirs; and the king gave\nthem the province of Halland to rule over, which he himself had and\nowned before. Now it appears to me, sire, that you, if I become your\nman and vassal, can allow me to hold of you the fief which my son\nMagnus will not deny me, by which I will be bound in duty, and ready, to\nundertake all the service belonging to that title.\"\n\nErling spoke such things, and much more in the same strain, until it\ncame at last to this, that Erling became Valdemar's man and vassal; and\nthe king led Erling to the earl's seat one day, and gave him the title\nof earl, and Viken as a fief under his rule. Earl Erling went thereafter\nto Norway, and was earl afterwards as long as he lived; and also the\npeace with the Danish king was afterwards always preserved. Earl Erling\nhad four sons by his concubines. The one was called Hreidar, the next\nOgmund; and these by two different mothers: the third was called Fin;\nthe fourth Sigurd: these were younger, and their mother was Asa the\nFair. The princess Kristin and Earl Erling had a daughter called\nRagnhild, who was married to Jon Thorbergson of Randaberg. Kristin went\naway from the country with a man called Grim Rusle; and they went to\nConstantinople, where they were for a time, and had some children.\n\n\n\n\n31. BEGINNING OF OLAF.\n\nOlaf, a son of Gudbrand Skafhaug, and Maria, a daughter of King Eystein\nMagnuson, were brought up in the house of Sigurd Agnhot in the Uplands.\nWhile Earl Erling was in Denmark (A.D. 1166), Olaf and his foster-father\ngathered a troop together, and many Upland people joined them; and Olaf\nwas chosen king by them. They went with their bands through the\nUplands, and sometimes down to Viken, and sometimes east to the forest\nsettlements; but never came on board of ships. Now when, Earl Erling got\nnews of this troop, he hastened to Viken with his forces; and was there\nin summer in his ships, and in Oslo in autumn (A.D. 1167) and kept Yule\nthere. He had spies up the country after this troop, and went himself,\nalong with Orm, the King-brother, up the country to follow them. Now\nwhen they came to a lake called.... .... (1) they took all the vessels\nthat were upon the lake.\n\n\n   ENDNOTES: (1) The name of the lake not given.\n\n\n\n\n32. OF ERLING.\n\nThe priest who performed divine service at a place called Rydiokul,\nclose by the lake, invited the earl to a feast at Candlemas. The earl\npromised to come; and thinking it would be good to hear mass there, he\nrowed with his attendants over the lake the night before Candlemas day.\nBut the priest had another plan on hand. He sent men to bring Olaf news\nof Earl Erling's arrival. The priest gave Erling strong drink in the\nevening, and let him have an excessive quantity of it. When the\nearl wished to lie down and sleep, the beds were made ready in the\ndrinking-room; but when they had slept a short time the earl awoke, and\nasked if it was not the hour for matins. The priest replied, that only\na small part of the night was gone, and told him to sleep in peace. The\nearl replied, \"I dream of many things to-night, and I sleep ill.\" He\nslumbered again, but awoke soon, and told the priest to get up and sing\nmass. The priest told the earl to sleep, and said it was but midnight.\nThen the earl again lay down, slept a little while, and, springing out\nof bed, ordered his men to put on their clothes. They did so; took\ntheir weapons, went to the church, and laid their arms outside while the\npriest was singing matins.\n\n\n\n\n33. BATTLE AT RYDIOKUL.\n\nAs Olaf got the message in the evening, they travelled in the night\nsix miles, which people considered an extraordinarily long march. They\narrived at Rydiokul while the priest was still singing mass, and it was\npitch-dark. Olaf and his men went into the room, raised a war-shout, and\nkilled some of the earl's men who had not gone to the early mass. Now\nwhen Erling and his men heard the war-shout, they ran to their weapons,\nand hastened down to their ships. Olaf and his men met them at a fence,\nat which there was a sharp conflict. Erling and his men retreated along\nthe fence, which protected them. Erling had far fewer men, and many of\nthem had fallen, and still more were wounded. What helped Earl Erling\nand his men the most was, that Olaf's men could not distinguish them, it\nwas so dark; and the earl's men were always drawing down to their ships.\nAre Thorgeirson, father of Bishop Gudmund fell there, and many other\nof Erling's court-men. Erling himself was wounded in the left side; but\nsome say he did it himself in drawing his sword. Orm the King-brother\nwas also severely wounded; and with great difficulty they escaped\nto their ships, and instantly pushed off from land. It was generally\nconsidered as a most unlucky meeting for Olaf's people, as Earl Erling\nwas in a manner sold into their hands, if they had proceeded with common\nprudence. He was afterwards called Olaf the Unlucky; but others called\nhis people Hat-lads. They went with their bands through the Uplands as\nbefore. Erling again went down to Viken to his ships, and remained there\nall summer. Olaf was in the Uplands, and sometimes east in the forest\ndistricts, where he and his troop remained all the next winter (A.D.\n1168).\n\n\n\n\n34. BATTLE AT STANGAR.\n\nThe following spring the Hat-lads went down to Viken, and raised the\nking's taxes all around, and remained there long in summer. When Earl\nErling heard this, he hastened with his troops to meet them in Viken,\nand fell in with them east of the Fjord, at a place called Stangar;\nwhere they had a great battle, in which Erling was victorious. Sigurd\nAgnhot, and many others of Olaf's men, fell there; but Olaf escaped by\nflight, went south to Denmark, and was all winter (A.D. 1169) in Alaborg\nin Jutland. The following spring Olaf fell into an illness which ended\nin death, and he was buried in the Maria church; and the Danes call him\na saint.\n\n\n\n\n35. HARALD'S DEATH.\n\nKing Magnus had a lenderman called Nikolas Kufung, who was a son of Pal\nSkaptason. He took Harald prisoner, who called himself a son of King\nSigurd Haraldson and the princess Kristin, and a brother of King Magnus\nby the mother's side. Nikolas brought Harald to Bergen, and delivered\nhim into Earl Erling's hands. It was Erling's custom when his enemies\ncame before him, that he either said nothing to them, or very little,\nand that in all gentleness, when he had determined to put them to death;\nor rose with furious words against them, when he intended to spare their\nlives. Erling spoke but little to Harald, and many, therefore, suspected\nhis intentions; and some begged King Magnus to put in a good word\nfor Harald with the earl; and the king did so. The earl replies, \"Thy\nfriends advise thee badly. Thou wouldst govern this kingdom but a short\ntime in peace and safety, if thou wert to follow the counsels of the\nheart only.\" Earl Erling ordered Harald to be taken to Nordnes, where he\nwas beheaded.\n\n\n\n\n36. EYSTEIN EYSTEINSON AND THE BIRKEBEINS.\n\nThere was a man called Eystein, who gave himself out for a son of King\nEystein Haraldson. He was at this time young, and not full grown. It is\ntold of him that he one summer appeared in Svithjod, and went to\nEarl Birger Brosa, who was then married to Brigida, Eystein's aunt, a\ndaughter of King Harald Gille. Eystein explained his business to him,\nand asked their assistance. Both Earl Birger and his wife listened to\nhim in a friendly way, and promised him their confidence, and he stayed\nwith them a while. Earl Birger gave him some assistance of men, and a\ngood sum for travelling expenses; and both promised him their friendship\non his taking leave. Thereafter Eystein proceeded north into Norway\n(A.D. 1174), and when he came down to Viken people flocked to him in\ncrowds; and Eystein was there proclaimed king, and he remained in Viken\nin winter. As they were very poor in money, they robbed all around,\nwherefore the lendermen and bondes raised men against them; and being\nthus overpowered by numbers, they fled away to the forests and deserted\nhill grounds, where they lived for a long time. Their clothes being worn\nout, they wound the bark of the birch-tree about their legs, and thus\nwere called by the bondes Birkebeins. They often rushed down upon the\nsettled districts, pushed on here or there, and made an assault where\nthey did not find many people to oppose them. They had several battles\nwith the bondes with various success; and the Birkebeins held three\nbattles in regular array, and gained the victory in them all. At\nKrokaskog they had nearly made an unlucky expedition, for a great number\nof bondes and men-at-arms were assembled there against them; but the\nBirkebeins felled brushwood across the roads, and retired into the\nforest. They were two years (A.D. 1175-1176) in Viken before they showed\nthemselves in the northern parts of the country.\n\n\n\n\n37. BIRKEBEINS, KING EYSTEIN, AND SKAKKE.\n\nMagnus had been king for thirteen years when the Birkebeins first made\ntheir appearance. They got themselves ships in the third summer (A.D.\n1176), with which they sailed along the coast gathering goods and\nmen. They were first in Viken; but when summer advanced they proceeded\nnorthwards, and so rapidly that no news preceded them until they came to\nThrondhjem. The Birkebeins' troop consisted principally of hill-men and\nElfgrims, and many were from Thelemark; and all were well armed.\nTheir king, Eystein, was a handsome man, and with a little but good\ncountenance; and he was not of great stature, for his men called him\nEystein Meyla. King Magnus and Earl Erling were in Bergen when the\nBirkebeins sailed past it to the north; but they did not hear of them.\n\nEarl Erling was a man of great understanding and power, an excellent\nleader in war, and an able and prudent ruler of the country; but he\nhad the character of being cruel and severe. The cause of this was\nprincipally that he never allowed his enemies to remain in the country,\neven when they prayed to him for mercy; and therefore many joined the\nbands which were collected against him. Erling was a tall strong-made\nman, somewhat short-necked and high-shouldered; had a long and sharp\ncountenance of a light complexion, and his hair became very grey.\nHe bore his head a little on one side; was free and agreeable in his\nmanners. He wore the old fashion of clothes,--long body-pieces and long\narms to his coats, foreign cloak, and high shoes. He made the king wear\nthe same kind of dress in his youth; but when he grew up, and acted for\nhimself, he dressed very sumptuously.\n\nKing Magnus was of a light turn of mind, full of jokes; a great lover of\nmirth, and not less of women.\n\n\n\n\n38. OF NIKOLAS.\n\nNikolas was a son of Sigurd Hranason and of Skialdvor, a daughter of\nBrynjolf Ulfalde, and a sister of Haldor Brynjolfson by the father's\nside, and of King Magnus Barefoot by the mother's side. Nikolas was a\ndistinguished chief, who had a farm at Ongul in Halogaland, which was\ncalled Steig. Nikolas had also a house in Nidaros, below Saint Jon's\nchurch, where Thorgeir the scribe lately dwelt. Nikolas was often in\nthe town, and was president of the townspeople. Skialdvor, Nikolas's\ndaughter, was married to Eirik Arnason, who was also a lenderman.\n\n\n\n\n39. OF EIRIK AND NIKOLAS.\n\nAs the people of the town were coming from matins the last day of\nMarymas (September 8th), Eirik came up to Nikolas, and said, \"Here are\nsome fishermen come from the sea, who report that some long-ships are\nsailing into the fjord; and people conjecture that these may be the\nBirkebeins. It would be advisable to call the townspeople together with\nthe war-horns, to meet under arms out on Eyrar.\"\n\nNikolas replies, \"I don't go after fishermen's reports; but I shall send\nout spies to the fjord, and in the meantime hold a Thing to-day.\"\n\nEirik went home; but when they were ringing to high mass, and Nikolas\nwas going to church, Eirik came to hint again, and said, \"I believe the\nnews to be true; for here are men who say they saw them under sail; and\nI think it would be most advisable to ride out of town, and gather men\nwith arms; for it appears to me the townspeople will be too few.\"\n\nNikolas replies, \"Thou art mixing everything together; let us first hear\nmass, and then take our resolution.\"\n\nNikolas then went into the church. When the mass was over Eirik went to\nNikolas, and said, \"My horses are saddled; I will ride away.\"\n\nNikolas replies, \"Farewell, then: we will hold a Thing to-day on the\nEyrar, and examine what force of men there may be in the town.\"\n\nEirik rode away, and Nikolas went to his house, and then to dinner.\n\n\n\n\n40. THE FALL OF NIKOLAS.\n\nThe meat was scarcely put on the table, when a man came into the house\nto tell Nikolas that the Birkebeins were roving up the river. Then\nNikolas called to his men to take their weapons. When they were armed\nNikolas ordered them to go up into the loft. But that was a most\nimprudent step; for if they had remained in the yard, the townspeople\nmight have come to their assistance; but now the Birkebeins filled the\nwhole yard, and from thence scrambled from all sides up to the loft.\nThey called to Nikolas, and offered him quarter, but he refused it. Then\nthey attacked the loft. Nikolas and his men defended themselves with\nbow-shot, hand-shot, and stones of the chimney; but the Birkebeins hewed\ndown the houses, broke up the loft, and returned shot for shot from bow\nor hand. Nikolas had a red shield in which were gilt nails, and about it\nwas a border of stars. The Birkebeins shot so that the arrows went in\nup to the arrow feather. Then said Nikolas, \"My shield deceives me.\"\nNikolas and a number of his people fell, and his death was greatly\nlamented. The Birkebeins gave all the towns-people their lives.\n\n\n\n\n41. EYSTEIN PROCLAIMED KING.\n\nEystein was then proclaimed king, and all the people submitted to him.\nHe stayed a while in the town, and then went into the interior of the\nThrondhjem land, where many joined him, and among them Thorfin Svarte\nof Snos with a troop of people. When the Birkebeins, in the beginning\nof winter (A.D. 1177), came again into the town, the sons of Gudrun from\nSaltnes, Jon Ketling, Sigurd, and William, joined them; and when they\nproceeded afterwards from Nidaros up Orkadal, they could number nearly\n2000 men. They afterwards went to the Uplands, and on to Thoten\nand Hadaland, and from thence to Ringerike, and subdued the country\nwheresover they came.\n\n\n\n\n42. THE FALL OF KING EYSTEIN.\n\nKing Magnus went eastward to Viken in autumn with a part of his men and\nwith him Orm, the king's brother; but Earl Erling remained behind in\nBergen to meet the Berkebeins in case they took the sea route. King\nMagnus went to Tunsberg, where he and Orm held their Yule (A.D. 1177).\nWhen King Magnus heard that the Birkebeins were up in Re, the king and\nOrm proceeded thither with their men. There was much snow, and it was\ndreadfully cold. When they came to the farm they left the beaten track\non the road, and drew up their array outside of the fence, and trod a\npath through the snow with their men, who were not quite 1500 in number.\nThe Birkebeins were dispersed here and there in other farms, a few men\nin each house. When they perceived King Magnus's army they assembled,\nand drew up in regular order; and as they thought their force was larger\nthan his, which it actually was, they resolved to fight; but when they\nhurried forward to the road only a few could advance at a time, which\nbroke their array, and the men fell who first advanced upon the beaten\nway. Then the Birkebeins' banner was cut down; those who were nearest\ngave way and some took to flight. King Magnus's men pursued them,\nand killed one after the other as they came up with them. Thus the\nBirkebeins could never form themselves in array; and being exposed to\nthe weapons of the enemy singly, many of them fell, and many fled. It\nhappened here, as it often does, that although men be brave and gallant,\nif they have once been defeated and driven to flight, they will not\neasily be brought to turn round. Now the main body of the Birkebeins\nbegan to fly, and many fell; because Magnus's men killed all they could\nlay hold of, and not one of them got quarter. The whole body became\nscattered far and wide. Eystein in his flight ran into a house, and\nbegged for his life, and that the bonde would conceal him; but the bonde\nkilled him, and then went to King Magnus, whom he found at Rafnnes,\nwhere the king was in a room warming himself by the fire along with many\npeople. Some went for the corpse, and bore it into the room, where the\nking told the people to come and inspect the body. A man was sitting on\na bench in the corner, and he was a Birkebein, but nobody had observed\nhim; and when he saw and recognised his chief's body he sprang up\nsuddenly and actively, rushed out upon the floor, and with an axe he had\nin his hands made a blow at King Magnus's neck between the shoulders.\nA man saw the axe swinging, and pulled the king to a side, by which the\naxe struck lower in the shoulder, and made a large wound. He then raised\nthe axe again, and made a blow at Orm, the King-brother, who was lying\non a bench, and the blow was directed at both legs; but Orm seeing the\nman about to kill him, drew in his feet instantly, threw them over his\nhead, and the blow fell on the bench, in which the axe stuck fast; and\nthen the blows at the Birkebein came so thick that he could scarcely\nfall to the ground. It was discovered that he had dragged his entrails\nafter him over the floor; and this man's bravery was highly praised.\nKing Magnus's men followed the fugitives, and killed so many that they\nwere tired of it. Thorfin of Snos, and a very great number of Throndhjem\npeople, fell there.\n\n\n\n\n43. OF THE BIRKEBEINS.\n\nThe faction which called itself the Birkebeins had gathered together in\ngreat numbers. They were a hardy people, and the boldest of men under\narms; but wild, and going forward madly when they had a strong force.\nThey had few men in their faction who were good counsellors, or\naccustomed to rule a country by law, or to head an army; and if there\nwere such men among them who had more knowledge, yet the many would\nonly allow of those measures which they liked, trusting always to their\nnumbers and courage. Of the men who escaped many were wounded, and had\nlost both their clothes and their arms, and were altogether destitute\nof money. Some went east to the borders, some went all the way east to\nSvithjod; but the most of them went to Thelemark, where they had their\nfamilies. All took flight, as they had no hope of getting their lives\nfrom King Magnus or Earl Erling.\n\n\n\n\n44. OF KING MAGNUS ERLINGSON.\n\nKing Magnus then returned to Tunsberg, and got great renown by this\nvictory; for it had been an expression in the mouths of all, that Earl\nErling was the shield and support of his son and himself. But after\ngaining a victory over so strong and numerous a force with fewer troops,\nKing Magnus was considered by all as surpassing other leaders, and that\nhe would become a warrior as much greater than his father, Earl Erling,\nas he was younger.","title":"Heimskringla; Or, The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway","tradition":"myth-cosmogony","translated_text":null,"word_count":305115}