The Sagas of Olaf Tryggvason and of Harald The Tyrant (Harald Haardraade) Part 12

-- So were sounded the horns for the a.s.sembling of the s.h.i.+ps; and the King's s.h.i.+p was in the midst of the fleet, with the 'Short Serpent' on one side and the 'Crane' on the other. Now when they were about to lash together the prow of the 'Long Serpent' and stern of the 'Short Serpent,' the King observed what was being done, and he cried out bidding them lay the big s.h.i.+p more forward, & not let her be astern of all the s.h.i.+ps in the fleet. Thereon answered Ulf the Red: 'If we are to lay the "Serpent" as much longer ahead as she is longer than other s.h.i.+ps hard will the day's work be behind the gunwales.' Said the King: 'I knew not that I had a forecastle man who was both red and afraid,' Ulf made answer back, 'Turn not thou thy back there on the p.o.o.p more than I turn mine when I guard the prow.'

Now the King had a bow in his hand, and placing an arrow on the string thereof he turned him towards Ulf; then cried Ulf, 'Shoot another way, King, thither where it is needed more greatly; what I do, I do for thee.'

-- King Olaf towered high on the p.o.o.p of the 'Serpent,' and easy was it to know him from other men.

A golden s.h.i.+eld had he, and a gold-wrought helmet, & a short red kirtle over his s.h.i.+rt of mail.

Now when King Olaf saw that the fleets were dividing and banners were being set up before the chiefs, asked he: 'Who is the captain of that host which is right over against us?' It was told him that it was King Svein Two-beard with the host of the Danes. Then answered he: 'Afraid are we not of those blenchers, no heart is there in the Danes. But what chief is behind those banners yonder on our right?' It was told him that there was King Olaf, with the Swedish host. 'Better were it for the Swedes to stay at home and lick the blood from their bowls than to board the "Serpent" under thy weapons.' 'But whose are the s.h.i.+ps lying out yonder on the larboard of the Danes?' 'They pertain,' came the answer, 'to Eirik Hakonson.' Then answered King Olaf, 'Good reason, methinketh, hath he to meet us, and from that fleet may we await the fiercest of fights, seeing that they too are of Norway even as we ourselves.'

-- Thereafter separated the Kings one from another for the onset. King Svein laid his s.h.i.+p against the 'Long Serpent'; and King Olaf the Swede lay-to farther out & grappled from the prow the outermost s.h.i.+p of King Olaf Tryggvason; and over against the other side lay Earl Eirik. And even so there ensued a dire and strenuous conflict. Albeit did Sigvaldi, the Earl, let his s.h.i.+ps fall astern and took he no part in the battle.

Thus saith Skuli Thorsteinnson, he that himself was with Earl Eirik that day:

'The Frisian wolf I followed (And in my youth gat honour) With Sigvaldi, there where the spears whistled (Now wax I old); When b.l.o.o.d.y swords we bore There off the mouth of the Svold In the south, in the battle-storm, And met the hero of wars.'

And Hallfrod too saith of these tidings:

'Methinks full much was missed (Many to flight did turn them), That chief who spurred the fight Was among the men of Throndhjem.

The valiant King alone 'Gainst the two Kings did fight, (Glorious to tell it now) And for a third too the Earl.'

-- The battle to them all waxed very fierce & b.l.o.o.d.y; the forecastle men of the 'Long Serpent' & the 'Short Serpent' and the 'Crane' threw anchors and grapplers on to the s.h.i.+ps of King Svein, and thus could they attack them from above so that they cleared every s.h.i.+p unto which they could cling and thereto hold fast. King Svein and those of his company who could escape made what way they could to other of his s.h.i.+ps and thereon drew thence out of bow-shot, and so it came to pa.s.s that it fared with this fleet even as King Olaf Tryggvason had foretold.

Then Olaf, he that was King of the Swedes, brought his s.h.i.+ps up into the self-same places left by those of Svein, but natheless hardly was he come nigh to the big s.h.i.+ps than it went with him the same as with the others; even so that lost he many men and some of his s.h.i.+ps, and thereafter he too drew back. But Earl Eirik laid his bearded s.h.i.+p alongside the outermost s.h.i.+p of King Olaf & with fierceness cleared it, and straightway cut it adrift from its las.h.i.+ngs; then went he alongside the one that was next, and with it fought until that too was cleared.

Then fell the crews to escaping from the lesser s.h.i.+ps on to those that were larger; but cut the Earl every s.h.i.+p from its las.h.i.+ngs even as soon as it was cleared, & thereon came up once more from all sides Danes and Swedes into the battle over against the s.h.i.+ps of King Olaf. Eirik the Earl lay ever alongside one or other s.h.i.+p fighting thus in hand to hand fight, and as the men fell on his s.h.i.+p, Danes and Swedes, other true men took their place. Thus saith Halldor:

'Of sharp swords the brunt O'er the "Long Serpent" went; There golden spears did clash And the men fought long, In battle of foemen Went forth to the south Men of Sweden against him, And Danish swordsmen doughty.'

-- Then waxed the battle very fierce, and men fell thick and fast, and so at the end befell it that all the s.h.i.+ps that pertained unto King Olaf were cleared save and except the 'Long Serpent,' & by that time all those of his folk who were still able to bear arms were come aboard of her.

Then did Earl Eirik bring his bearded s.h.i.+p alongside the 'Serpent' and thereon ensued a fight with man at sword's length from man.

Thus saith Halldor:

'Into so hard a trap fell now the "Long Serpent"

(The s.h.i.+elds were cut asunder, together clashed the swords), And when the axe-bearer laid his bearded s.h.i.+p high bulwarked beside the "Serpent,"

The Earl did victory win at Holm.'

-- Earl Eirik took his stand in the forehold of his s.h.i.+p encompa.s.sed by a wall of s.h.i.+elds, & his men fought both with trenchant arms, and by the thrusting of spears, and by the throwing of everything that could be used as a weapon, though some shot with the bow or threw javelins with the hand. From all sides had the war-s.h.i.+ps been brought up around the 'Serpent,' and so great was the shower of weapons which fell on her, and so thickly flew the arrows and javelins from all sides, that men could but hardly ward off the missiles with their s.h.i.+elds. The men that were with King Olaf had ere now waxed so furious that they had climbed up on to the bulwarks to the end that they might reach their foemen with their swords and slay them; but many of their foes would not come so nigh alongside the 'Serpent' that they could be beguiled into close combat, whereas a many of the folk of Olaf being unmindful that they were not fighting on a level field themselves fell overboard and so sank down together with their weapons. Thus saith Hallfrod:

'From the "Serpent" sank they down, wounded in the fight; Give way or flee they would not, resisting to the last.

Though glorious the King may be who steers the "Serpent"

Such men as these will long be lacking where'er she strideth.'

-- It happened that in the narrow-hold of the "Serpent," shooting with his bow and arrow more fiercely than any other man that was on the s.h.i.+p, stood Einar Tambarskelfir. Now it was against Earl Eirik that Einar had his direct venture, and struck he the top of the tiller-head, over above the head of the Earl, sending in his arrow with such force that it penetrated to the very binding of the shaft.

The Earl looked at it, and asked if it was known who was shooting thus; then on the instant Einar shot another arrow which went so nigh unto the Earl that it pa.s.sed betwixt his side and his arm, and so far through the staying-board that the barb stood out on the other side thereof.

Then spake the Earl to that man whose name some say was Fin, but as others have it was of Finnish-- kith and kin.

Exceeding apt was he as an archer, so spake Eirik unto him saying: 'Shoot thou yonder big man in the narrow-hold,' & even as he said the words did the arrow of Fin strike the bow of Einar just as he was drawing it for the third time. Then was the bow broken in twain, & Olaf said, 'What brake there so loudly?' & Einar made answer: 'Norway from thy hand, O King.' 'So great a breaking asunder hath not happened yet, I trow,' quoth the King; 'take my bow and shoot therewith,' and saying so threw he him his own bow, and Einar taking it strained it even beyond the arrow-head. 'Too weak,' said he, 'too weak is the prince's bow,' and throwing it back again to the King took he his s.h.i.+eld and sword, and fell to hand-fighting.

-- King Olaf being himself on the p.o.o.p of the 'Serpent,' full oft that day shot with his bow, but upon occasion made he use of javelins, and ever threw two at once. Then as time wore on saw he, as his glance sped along the s.h.i.+p, that albeit his men swung ever their swords and smote full fast, yet nevertheless their swords were cutting but ill, and he cried out loudly to them: 'Are ye wielding your swords carelessly since, as I see, they do not cut?' One of the men made answer: 'Our swords are blunt and very much notched.' Then went the King down into the fore-hold, and setting up the lid of the high-seat took from out of the chest beneath many sharp swords and gave them out to his men, and when he thrust down his right arm into the chest it was seen that blood was running from under his mail-s.h.i.+rt, and no man at that hour wot in what part he had been wounded.

-- Even the stoutest defence on the 'Long Serpent,' and that the most deadly, was put up by those stout men that were in the fore-hold and in the prow and stern, for truly were they picked men, and the bulwarks in those places were higher than in other parts of the s.h.i.+p. Even so soon as ever the men amids.h.i.+ps began to fall, and only a few of those about the mast were left standing on their feet, made Eirik an attempt to board the 'Serpent,' and up came he on to her, himself the fifteenth man.

Then was it that Hyrning, he that was own brother-in-law of Olaf, set over against Eirik with a band of followers and the mightiest fight of all waged they then, and the end thereof was of such a fas.h.i.+on that had the Earl himself to draw back even unto his own s.h.i.+p; and of the men that adventured with him on to the 'Serpent' were some wounded and most others slain.

-- And thereafter was there yet again a hard struggle, & many men fell on board the 'Serpent'; & as the crew who held the defence of her began to thin tried Earl Eirik to board her for the second time, but again met he with valiant opposition. When the fore-castle men on the 'Serpent' saw this went they aft and safeguarded the s.h.i.+p over against the Earl, & made a stubborn defence. But so many were the men who were fallen on the 'Serpent' that were the bulwarks perforce in many places empty, and the men of the Earl now came aboard her on every side; then were those men who were still standing to arms and having the guardians.h.i.+p of the s.h.i.+p forced to fall back aft, even unto the place where the King was standing. Thus saith Halldor the Unchristened, telling how Earl Eirik cheered on his men:

'Astern across the thwarts shrank the men of Olaf Valiant the lord cheers on his hot-headed followers, When the warriors had closed all issue to the doughty King The clash of weapons turned towards the Wend-slayer.'

-- Now it came to pa.s.s that Kolbiorn the Marshal went up on to the p.o.o.p even to the King, and greatly did they resemble one another in apparel and weapons; and Kolbiorn was also a right big and comely man.

Yet once again ensued there a fight full fierce in the fore-hold, but because that there were now come up on to the 'Serpent' even as many men of the Earl as the s.h.i.+p would hold, and seeing that his s.h.i.+ps were lying on all sides around the 'Serpent,' & moreover few folk left on her for defence against so strong a host, fell the main of the men of Olaf very shortly thereafter, albeit were they men both strong and stout of heart.

Then did King Olaf himself, and Kolbiorn, leap over-board each on his own side. Now the men of the Earl had put out small boats & were busy slaying those that took to the sea, and when the King leapt overboard would they have taken him captive and brought him before Earl Eirik, had not King Olaf held up his s.h.i.+eld above him and dived headlong into the deep. Kolbiorn, on the other part, thrust his s.h.i.+eld under him and thus protected himself against the javelins which were being thrown up from the boats beneath, but he fell into the sea in such wise that his s.h.i.+eld was beneath him & therefore could he in no wise dive so swiftly, & so was he taken & haled up into a boat. Then the foe deeming him to be the King brought him before the Earl, but when the Earl discovered that it was not King Olaf but Kolbiorn, gave he the latter quarter. At this moment did all they of the King's folk who were still alive leap overboard from the 'Serpent'; and Hallfrod saith that Thorkel Nefia, he that was brother to the King, leapt last of all overboard:

'Stroke-doughty Thorkel saw the "Crane,"

Yea, and the "Serpents" twain floating deserted; Boldly had he fought e'er the wearer of the arm-rings, Stout-hearted in combat, into the sea plunged, And by swimming saved his life.'

-- Now hath it been afore fair written that Earl Sigvaldi joined forces with King Olaf in Wendland; ten s.h.i.+ps had the Earl and withal an eleventh whereon Astrid, she that was daughter to the King and wife to Sigvaldi, had her men.

When King Olaf leapt overboard all the hosts shouted cries of victory, and then did the Earl and his men uns.h.i.+p their oars & row to the fight.

Of this speaketh Halldor the Unchristened:

'From far and near the Wendmen's craft To battle hastened; The lean sword-clashers Clanged with iron mouths; Din of swords at sea was there (Wolves' fare the eagle tore), The lads' dear leader strove Ere many from him fled.'

-- Now rowed away the Wendland cutter, whereon were Astrid's men, back to Wendland, and straightway did many men say that King Olaf must have drawn off his s.h.i.+rt of mail in the water, dived down away from the long-s.h.i.+p, and thereafter swum even to the Wendland cutter and so been brought to sh.o.r.e by the folk of Astrid.

And many are the tales which have been told by certain men of the journeyings of King Olaf; nevertheless in this wise speaketh Hallfrod:

'I wot not whether he who stilled the raven's hunger Should of me be praised as of the living or the dead, Since of a truth his men tell either tale (Bootless of himself to question) though wounded was he surely.'

But howsoever this may have been, never more returned King Olaf Tryggvason to his realm of Norway; yet in this wise speaketh Hallfrod the Troublous-skald:

'He who the tidings told that the lord was living Had long for Tryggvi's trusted son a fighter been.

'Tis said the King from out the steel-storm came; Alas, 'tis worse than this, methinks, for of truth all facts are lacking.'