Heimskringla, or the Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Part 18

41. EXPEDITION OF THE JOMSBORG VIKINGS.

The Jomsborg vikings a.s.sembled their fleet in Limafjord, from whence they went to sea with sixty sail of vessels. When they came under the coast of Agder, they steered northwards to Rogaland with their fleet, and began to plunder when they came into the earl's territory; and so they sailed north along the coast, plundering and burning. A man, by name Geirmund, sailed in a light boat with a few men northwards to More, and there he fell in with Earl Hakon, stood before his dinner table, and told the earl the tidings of an army from Denmark having come to the south end of the land. The earl asked if he had any certainty of it.

Then Geirmund stretched forth one arm, from which the hand was cut off, and said, "Here is the token that the enemy is in the land." Then the earl questioned him particularly about this army. Geirmund says it consists of Jomsborg vikings, who have killed many people, and plundered all around. "And hastily and hotly they pushed on," says he "and I expect it will not be long before they are upon you." On this the earl rode into every fjord, going in along the one side of the land and out at the other, collecting men; and thus he drove along night and day.

He sent spies out upon the upper ridges, and also southwards into the Fjords; and he proceeded north to meet Eirik with his men. This appears from Eirik's lay:--

"The earl, well skilled in war to speed O'er the wild wave the viking-steed, Now launched the high stems from the sh.o.r.e, Which death to Sigvalde's vikings bore.

Rollers beneath the s.h.i.+ps' keels crash, Oar-blades loud in the grey sea splash, And they who give the ravens food Row fearless through the curling flood."

Eirik hastened southwards with his forces the shortest way he could.

42. OF THE JOMSBORG VIKINGS.

Earl Sigvalde steered with his fleet northwards around Stad, and came to the land at the Herey Isles. Although the vikings fell in with the country people, the people never told the truth about what the earl was doing; and the vikings went on pillaging and laying waste. They laid to their vessels at the outer end of Hod Island, landed, plundered, and drove both men and cattle down to the s.h.i.+ps, killing all the men able to bear arms.

As they were going back to their s.h.i.+ps, came a bonde, walking near to Bue's troop, who said to them, "Ye are not doing like true warriors, to be driving cows and calves down to the strand, while ye should be giving chase to the bear, since ye are coming near to the bear's den."

"What says the old man?" asked some. "Can he tell us anything about Earl Hakon?"

The peasant replies, "The earl went yesterday into the Hjorundarfjord with one or two s.h.i.+ps, certainly not more than three, and then he had no news about you."

Bue ran now with his people in all haste down to the s.h.i.+ps, leaving all the booty behind. Bue said, "Let us avail ourselves now of this news we have got of the earl, and be the first to the victory." When they came to their s.h.i.+ps they rode off from the land. Earl Sigvalde called to them, and asked what they were about. They replied, "The earl is in the fjord;" on which Earl Sigvalde with the whole fleet set off, and rowed north about the island Hod.

43. BATTLE WITH THE JOMSBORG VIKINGS.

The earls Hakon and Eirik lay in Halkelsvik, where all their forces were a.s.sembled. They had 150 s.h.i.+ps, and they had heard that the Jomsborg vikings had come in from sea, and lay at the island Hod; and they, in consequence, rowed out to seek them. When they reached a place called Hjorungavag they met each other, and both sides drew up their s.h.i.+ps in line for an attack. Earl Sigvalde's banner was displayed in the midst of his army, and right against it Earl Hakon arranged his force for attack.

Earl Sigvalde himself had 20 s.h.i.+ps, but Earl Hakon had 60. In Earl's army were these chiefs,--Th.o.r.er Hjort from Halogaland, and Styrkar from Gimsar. In the wing of the opposite array of the Jomsborg vikings was Bue the Thick, and his brother Sigurd, with 20 s.h.i.+ps. Against him Earl Eirik laid himself with 60 s.h.i.+ps; and with him were these chiefs,--Gudbrand Hvite from the Uplands, and Thorkel Leira from Viken.

In the other wing of the Jomsborg vikings' array was Vagn Akason with 20 s.h.i.+ps; and against him stood Svein the son of Hakon, in whose division was Skegge of Yrjar at Uphaug, and Rognvald of Aervik at Stad, with 60 s.h.i.+ps. It is told in the Eirik's lay thus:--

"The bonde's s.h.i.+ps along the coast Sailed on to meet the foemen's host; The stout earl's s.h.i.+ps, with eagle flight, Rushed on the Danes in b.l.o.o.d.y fight.

The Danish s.h.i.+ps, of court-men full, Were cleared of men,--and many a hull Was driving empty on the main, With the warm corpses of the slain."

Eyvind Skaldaspiller says also in the "Haleygja-tal":--

"Twas at the peep of day,-- Our brave earl led the way; His ocean horses bounding-- His war-horns loudly sounding!

No joyful morn arose For Yngve Frey's base foes These Christian island-men Wished themselves home again."

Then the fleets came together, and one of the sharpest of conflicts began. Many fell on both sides, but the most by far on Hakon's side; for the Jomsborg vikings fought desperately, sharply, and murderously, and shot right through the s.h.i.+elds. So many spears were thrown against Earl Hakon that his armour was altogether split asunder, and he threw it off.

So says Tind Halkelson:--

"The ring-linked coat of strongest mail Could not withstand the iron hail, Though sewed with care and elbow bent, By Norn (1), on its strength intent.

The fire of battle raged around,-- Odin's steel s.h.i.+rt flew all unbound!

The earl his ring-mail from him flung, Its steel rings on the wet deck rung; Part of it fell into the sea,-- A part was kept, a proof to be How sharp and thick the arrow-flight Among the sea-steeds in this fight."

ENDNOTES: (1) Norn, one of the Fates, stands here for women, whose business it was to sew the rings of iron upon the cloth which made these ring-mail coats or s.h.i.+rts. The needles, although some of them were of gold, appear to have been without eyes, and used like shoemaker's awls.--L.

44. EARL SIGVALDE'S FLIGHT.

The Jomsborg vikings had larger and higher-sided s.h.i.+ps; and both parties fought desperately. Vagn Akason laid his s.h.i.+p on board of Svein Earl Hakon's son's s.h.i.+p, and Svein allowed his s.h.i.+p to give way, and was on the point of flying. Then Earl Eirik came up, and laid his s.h.i.+p alongside of Vagn, and then Vagn gave way, and the s.h.i.+ps came to lie in the same position as before. Thereupon Eirik goes to the other wing, which had gone back a little, and Bue had cut the ropes, intending to pursue them. Then Eirik laid himself, board to board, alongside of Bue's s.h.i.+p, and there was a severe combat hand to hand. Two or three of Eirik's s.h.i.+ps then laid themselves upon Bue's single vessel. A thunder-storm came on at this moment, and such a heavy hail-storm that every hailstone weighed a pennyweight. The Earl Sigvalde cut his cable, turned his s.h.i.+p round, and took flight. Vagn Akason called to him not to fly; but as Earl Sigvalde paid no attention to what he said, Vagn threw his spear at him, and hit the man at the helm. Earl Sigvalde rowed away with 35 s.h.i.+ps, leaving 25 of his fleet behind.

45. BUE THROWS HIMSELF OVERBOARD.

Then Earl Hakon laid his s.h.i.+p on the other side of Bue's s.h.i.+p, and now came heavy blows on Bue's men. Vigfus, a son of Vigaglum, took up an anvil with a sharp end, which lay upon the deck, and on which a man had welded the hilt to his sword just before, and being a very strong man cast the anvil with both hands at the head of Aslak Holmskalle, and the end of it went into his brains. Before this no weapon could wound this Aslak, who was Bue's foster-brother, and forecastle commander, although he could wound right and left. Another man among the strongest and bravest was Havard Hoggande. In this attack Eirik's men boarded Bue's s.h.i.+p, and went aft to the quarter-deck where Bue stood. There Thorstein Midlang cut at Bue across his nose, so that the nosepiece of his helmet was cut in two, and he got a great wound; but Bue, in turn, cut at Thorstein's side, so that the sword cut the man through. Then Bue lifted up two chests full of gold, and called aloud, "Overboard all Bue s men,"

and threw himself overboard with his two chests. Many of his people sprang overboard with him. Some fell in the s.h.i.+p, for it was of no use to call for quarter. Bue's s.h.i.+p was cleared of people from stem to stern, and afterwards all the others, the one after the other.

46. VIKINGS BOUND TOGETHER IN ONE CHAIN.

Earl Eirik then laid himself alongside of Vagn's s.h.i.+p, and there was a brave defence; but at last this s.h.i.+p too was cleared, and Vagn and thirty men were taken prisoners, and bound, and brought to land. Then came up Thorkel Leira, and said, "Thou madest a solemn vow, Vagn, to kill me, but now it seems more likely that I will kill thee." Vagn and his men sat all upon a log of wood together. Thorkel had an axe in his hands, with which he cut at him who sat outmost on the log. Vagn and the other prisoners were bound so that a rope was fastened on their feet, but they had their hands free. One of them said, "I will stick this cloak-pin that I have in my hand into the earth, if it be so that I know anything, after my head is cut off." His head was cut off, but the cloak-pin fell from his hand. There sat also a very handsome man with long hair, who twisted his hair over his head, put out his neck, and said, "Don't make my hair b.l.o.o.d.y." A man took the hair in his hands and held it fast. Thorkel hewed with his axe; but the viking twitched his head so strongly that he who was holding his hair fell forwards, and the axe cut off both his hands, and stuck fast in the earth. Then Earl Eirik came up, and asked, "Who is that handsome man?"

He replies, "I am called Sigurd, and am Bue's son. But are all the Jomsborg vikings dead?"

Eirik says, "Thou art certainly Boe's son. Wilt thou now take life and peace?"

"That depends," says he, "upon who it is that offers it."

"He offers who has the power to do it--Earl Eirik."

"That will I," says he, "from his hands." And now the rope was loosened from him.

Then said Thorkel Leira, "Although thou should give all these men life and peace, earl, Vagn Akason shall never come from this with life." And he ran at him with uplifted axe; but the viking Skarde swung himself in the rope, and let himself fall just before Thorkel's feet, so that Thorkel ell over him, and Vagn caught the axe and gave Thorkel a death-wound. Then said the earl, "Vagn, wilt thou accept life?"

"That I will," says he, "if you give it to all of us."

"Loose them from the rope," said the earl, and it was done. Eighteen were killed, and twelve got their lives.

47. DEATH OF GISSUR OF VALDERS.

Earl Hakon, and many with him, were sitting upon a piece of wood, and a bow-string tw.a.n.ged from Bue's s.h.i.+p, and the arrow struck Gissur from Valders, who was sitting next the earl, and was clothed splendidly.

Thereupon the people went on board, and found Havard Hoggande standing on his knees at the s.h.i.+p's railing, for his feet had been cut off (1), and he had a bow in his hand. When they came on board the s.h.i.+p Havard asked, "Who fell by that shaft?"