Heimskringla, or the Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Part 2

11. FALL OF KINGS ARNVID AND AUDBJORN.

The following spring (A.D. 868) King Harald raised a great force in Throndhjem, and gave out that he would proceed to South More. Solve Klofe had pa.s.sed the winter in his s.h.i.+ps of war, plundering in North More, and had killed many of King Harald's men; pillaging some places, burning others, and making great ravage; but sometimes he had been, during the winter, with his friend King Arnvid in South More. Now when he heard that King Harald was come with s.h.i.+ps and a great army, he gathered people, and was strong in men-at-arms; for many thought they had to take vengeance of King Harald. Solve Klofe went southwards to Firdafylke (the Fjord district), which King Audbjorn ruled over, to ask him to help, and join his force to King Arnvid's and his own. "For,"

said he, "it is now clear that we all have but one course to take; and that is to rise, all as one man, against King Harald, for we have strength enough, and fate must decide the victory; for as to the other condition of becoming his servants, that is no condition for us, who are not less n.o.ble than Harald. My father thought it better to fall in battle for his kingdom, than to go willingly into King Harald's service, or not to abide the chance of weapons like the Naumudal kings." King Solve's speech was such that King Audbjorn promised his help, and gathered a great force together and went with it to King Arnvid, and they had a great army. Now, they got news that King Harald was come from the north, and they met within Solskel. And it was the custom to lash the s.h.i.+ps together, stem to stem; so it was done now. King Harald laid his s.h.i.+p against King Arnvid's, and there was the sharpest fight, and many men fell on both sides. At last King Harald was raging with anger, and went forward to the fore-deck, and slew so dreadfully that all the forecastle men of Arnvid's s.h.i.+p were driven aft of the mast, and some fell. Thereupon Harald boarded the s.h.i.+p, and King Arnvid's men tried to save themselves by flight, and he himself was slain in his s.h.i.+p. King Audbjorn also fell; but Solve fled. So says Hornklofe:--

"Against the hero's s.h.i.+eld in vain The arrow-storm fierce pours its rain.

The king stands on the blood-stained deck, Trampling on many a stout foe's neck; And high above the dinning stound Of helm and axe, and ringing sound Of blade and s.h.i.+eld, and raven's cry, Is heard his shout of 'Victory!'"

Of King Harald's men, fell his earls Asgaut and Asbjorn, together with his brothers-in-law, Grjotgard and Herlaug, the sons of Earl Hakon of Lade. Solve became afterwards a great sea-king, and often did great damage in King Harald's dominions.

12. KING VEMUND BURNT TO DEATH.

After this battle (A.D. 868) King Harald subdued South More; but Vemund, King Audbjorn's brother, still had Firdafylke. It was now late in harvest, and King Harald's men gave him the counsel not to proceed south-wards round Stad. Then King Harald set Earl Ragnvald over South and North More and also Raumsdal, and he had many people about him. King Harald returned to Throndhjem. The same winter (A.D. 869) Ragnvald went over Eid, and southwards to the Fjord district. There he heard news of King Vemund, and came by night to a place called Naustdal, where King Vemund was living in guest-quarters. Earl Ragnvald surrounded the house in which they were quartered, and burnt the king in it, together with ninety men. The came Berdlukare to Earl Ragnvald with a complete armed long-s.h.i.+p, and they both returned to More. The earl took all the s.h.i.+ps Vemund had, and all the goods he could get hold of. Berdlukare proceeded north to Throndhjem to King Harald, and became his man; and dreadful berserk he was.

13. DEATH OF EARLS HAKON, AND ATLE MJOVE.

The following spring (A.D. 869) King Harald went southwards with his fleet along the coast, and subdued Firdafylke. Then he sailed eastward along the land until he came to Vik; but he left Earl Hakon Grjotgardson behind, and set him over the Fjord district. Earl Hakon sent word to Earl Atle Mjove that he should leave Sogn district, and be earl over Gaular district, as he had been before, alleging that King Harald had given Sogn district to him. Earl Atle sent word that he would keep both Sogn district and Gaular district, until he met King Harald. The two earls quarreled about this so long, that both gathered troops. They met at Fialar, in Stavanger fiord, and had a great battle, in which Earl Hakon fell, and Earl Atle got a mortal wound, and his men carried him to the island of Atley, where he died. So says Eyvind Skaldaspiller:--

"He who stood a rooted oak, Unshaken by the swordsman's stroke, Amidst the whiz of arrows slain, Has fallen upon Fjalar's plain.

There, by the ocean's rocky sh.o.r.e, The waves are stained with the red gore Of stout Earl Hakon Grjotgard's son, And of brave warriors many a one."

14. HARALD AND THE SWEDISH KING EIRIK.

King Harald came with his fleet eastward to Viken and landed at Tunsberg, which was then a trading town. He had then been four years in Throndhjem, and in all that time had not been in Viken. Here he heard the news that Eirik Eymundson, king of Sweden, had laid under him Vermaland, and was taking scat or land-tax from all the forest settlers; and also that he called the whole country north to Svinasund, and west along the sea, West Gautland; and which altogether he reckoned to his kingdom, and took land-tax from it. Over this country he had set an earl, by name Hrane Gauzke, who had the earldom between Svinasund and the Gaut river, and was a mighty earl. And it was told to King Harald that the Swedish king said he would not rest until he had as great a kingdom in Viken as Sigurd Hring, or his son Ragnar Lodbrok, had possessed; and that was Raumarike and Vestfold, all the way to the isle Grenmar, and also Vingulmark, and all that lay south of it. In all these districts many chiefs, and many other people, had given obedience to the Swedish king. King Harald was very angry at this, and summoned the bondes to a Thing at Fold, where he laid an accusation against them for treason towards him. Some bondes defended themselves from the accusation, some paid fines, some were punished. He went thus through the whole district during the summer, and in harvest he did the same in Raumarike, and laid the two districts under his power. Towards winter he heard that Eirik king of Sweden was, with his court, going about in Vermaland in guest-quarters.

15. HARALD AT A FEAST OF THE PEASANT AKE.

King Harald takes his way across the Eid forest eastward, and comes out in Vermaland, where he also orders feasts to be prepared for himself.

There was a man by name Ake, who was the greatest of the bondes of Vermaland, very rich, and at that time very aged. He sent men to King Harald, and invited him to a feast, and the king promised to come on the day appointed. Ake invited also King Eirik to a feast, and appointed the same day. Ake had a great feasting hall, but it was old; and he made a new hall, not less than the old one, and had it ornamented in the most splendid way. The new hall he had hung with new hangings, but the old had only its old ornaments. Now when the kings came to the feast, King Eirik with his court was taken into the old hall; but Harald with his followers into the new. The same difference was in all the table furniture, and King Eirik and his men had the old-fas.h.i.+oned vessels and horns, but all gilded and splendid; while King Harald and his men had entirely new vessels and horns adorned with gold, all with carved figures, and s.h.i.+ning like gla.s.s; and both companies had the best of liquor. Ake the bonde had formerly been King Halfdan the Black s man.

Now when daylight came, and the feast was quite ended, and the kings made themselves ready for their journey, and the horses were saddled, came Ake before King Harald, leading in his hand his son Ubbe, a boy of twelve years of age, and said, "If the goodwill I have shown to thee, sire, in my feast, be worth thy friends.h.i.+p, show it hereafter to my son.

I give him to thee now for thy service." The king thanked him with many agreeable words for his friendly entertainment, and promised him his full friends.h.i.+p in return. Then Ake brought out great presents, which he gave to the king, and they gave each other thereafter the parting kiss.

Ake went next to the Swedish king, who was dressed and ready for the road, but not in the best humour. Ake gave to him also good and valuable gifts; but the king answered only with few words, and mounted his horse.

Ake followed the king on the road and talked with him. The road led through a wood which was near to the house; and when Ake came to the wood, the king said to him, "How was it that thou madest such a difference between me and King Harald as to give him the best of everything, although thou knowest thou art my man?" "I think" answered Ake, "that there failed in it nothing, king, either to you or to your attendants, in friendly entertainment at this feast. But that all the utensils for your drinking were old, was because you are now old; but King Harald is in the bloom of youth, and therefore I gave him the new things. And as to my being thy man, thou art just as much my man." On this the king out with his sword, and gave Ake his deathwound. King Harald was ready now also to mount his horse, and desired that Ake should be called. The people went to seek him; and some ran up the road that King Eirik had taken, and found Ake there dead. They came back, and told the news to King Harald, and he bids his men to be up, and avenge Ake the bonde. And away rode he and his men the way King Eirik had taken, until they came in sight of each other. Each for himself rode as hard as he could, until Eirik came into the wood which divides Gautland and Vermaland. There King Harald wheels about, and returns to Vermaland, and lays the country under him, and kills King Eirik's men wheresoever he can find them. In winter King Harald returned to Raumarike, and dwelt there a while.

16. HARALD'S JOURNEY TO TUNSBERG.

King Harald went out in winter to his s.h.i.+ps at Tunsberg, rigged them, and sailed away eastward over the fiord, and subjected all Vingulmark to his dominion. All winter he was out with his s.h.i.+ps, and marauded in Ranrike; so says Thorbjorn Hornklofe:--

"The Norseman's king is on the sea, Tho' bitter wintry cold it be.-- On the wild waves his Yule keeps he.

When our brisk king can get his way, He'll no more by the fireside stay Than the young sun; he makes us play The game of the bright sun-G.o.d Frey.

But the soft Swede loves well the fire The well-stuffed couch, the doway glove, And from the hearth-seat will not move."

The Gautlanders gathered people together all over the country.

17. THE BATTLE IN GAUTLAND.

In spring, when the ice was breaking up, the Gautlanders drove stakes into the Gaut river to hinder King Harald with his s.h.i.+ps from coming to the land. But King Harald laid his s.h.i.+ps alongside the stakes, and plundered the country, and burnt all around; so says Horn klofe:--

"The king who finds a dainty feast, For battle-bird and prowling beast, Has won in war the southern land That lies along the ocean's strand.

The leader of the helmets, he Who leads his s.h.i.+ps o'er the dark sea, Harald, whose high-rigged masts appear Like antlered fronts of the wild deer, Has laid his s.h.i.+ps close alongside Of the foe's piles with daring pride."

Afterwards the Gautlanders came down to the strand with a great army, and gave battle to King Harald, and great was the fall of men. But it was King Harald who gained the day. Thus says Hornklofe:--

"Whistles the battle-axe in its swing O'er head the whizzing javelins sing, Helmet and s.h.i.+eld and hauberk ring; The air-song of the lance is loud, The arrows pipe in darkening cloud; Through helm and mail the foemen feel The blue edge of our king's good steel Who can withstand our gallant king?

The Gautland men their flight must wing."

18. HRANE GAUZKE'S DEATH.

King Harald went far and wide through Gautland, and many were the battles he fought there on both sides of the river, and in general he was victorious. In one of these battles fell Hrane Gauzke; and then the king took his whole land north of the river and west of the Veneren, and also Vermaland. And after he turned back there-from, he set Duke Guthorm as chief to defend the country, and left a great force with him. King Harald himself went first to the Uplands, where he remained a while, and then proceeded northwards over the Dovrefjeld to Throndhjem, where he dwelt for a long time. Harald began to have children. By Asa he had four sons. The eldest was Guthorm. Halfdan the Black and Halfdan the White were twins. Sigfrod was the fourth. They were all brought up in Throndhjem with all honour.

19. BATTLE IN HAFERSFJORD.

News came in from the south land that the people of Hordaland and Rogaland, Agder and Thelemark, were gathering, and bringing together s.h.i.+ps and weapons, and a great body of men. The leaders of this were Eirik king of Hordaland; Sulke king of Rogaland, and his brother Earl Sote: Kjotve the Rich, king of Agder, and his son Thor Haklang; and from Thelemark two brothers, Hroald Hryg and Had the Hard. Now when Harald got certain news of this, he a.s.sembled his forces, set his s.h.i.+ps on the water, made himself ready with his men, and set out southwards along the coast, gathering many people from every district. King Eirik heard of this when he same south of Stad; and having a.s.sembled all the men he could expect, he proceeded southwards to meet the force which he knew was coming to his help from the east. The whole met together north of Jadar, and went into Hafersfjord, where King Harald was waiting with his forces. A great battle began, which was both hard and long; but at last King Harald gained the day. There King Eirik fell, and King Sulke, with his brother Earl Sote. Thor Haklang, who was a great berserk, had laid his s.h.i.+p against King Harald's, and there was above all measure a desperate attack, until Thor Haklang fell, and his whole s.h.i.+p was cleared of men. Then King Kjotve fled to a little isle outside, on which there was a good place of strength. Thereafter all his men fled, some to their s.h.i.+ps, some up to the land; and the latter ran southwards over the country of Jadar. So says Hornklofe, viz.:--

"Has the news reached you?--have you heard Of the great fight at Hafersfjord, Between our n.o.ble king brave Harald And King Kjotve rich in gold?

The foeman came from out the East, Keen for the fray as for a feast.

A gallant sight it was to see Their fleet sweep o'er the dark-blue sea: Each war-s.h.i.+p, with its threatening throat Of dragon fierce or ravenous brute (1) Grim gaping from the prow; its wales Glittering with burnished s.h.i.+elds, (2) like scales Its crew of udal men of war, Whose snow-white targets shone from far And many a mailed spearman stout From the West countries round about, English and Scotch, a foreign host, And swordamen from the far French coast.

And as the foemen's s.h.i.+ps drew near, The dreadful din you well might hear Savage berserks roaring mad, And champions fierce in wolf-skins clad, (3) Howling like wolves; and clanking jar Of many a mail-clad man of war.

Thus the foe came; but our brave king Taught them to fly as fast again.

For when he saw their force come o'er, He launched his war-s.h.i.+ps from the sh.o.r.e.

On the deep sea he launched his fleet And boldly rowed the foe to meet.

Fierce was the shock, and loud the clang Of s.h.i.+elds, until the fierce Haklang, The foeman's famous berserk, fell.