The Sagas of Olaf Tryggvason and of Harald The Tyrant (Harald Haardraade) Part 3

[Ill.u.s.tration]

-- After that he had parted in all goodly friends.h.i.+p from the Danish King, fared Emperor Otta back to his realm of Saxland; men say that he held Svein the son of Harald at the font, & that the child bore the name of Otta Svein. Harald, the Danish King, held by the Christian faith even to the day of his death. King Burizlaf, after these things, betook himself back to Wendland, & together with him in his company went his son-in-law King Olaf Tryggvason. Of the battle aforesaid telleth Hallfrod the Troublous-skald in Olaf's lay:

'The ruler of war s.h.i.+ps hewed and smote asunder warriors Even in Denmark to the south of Hedeby.'

-- It was the s.p.a.ce of three winters that Olaf Tryggvason abode in Wendland, even until Geira his wife fell ill of a sickness, whereof she died, and so great a sorrow was this to Olaf that he no longer had pleasure in living in Wendland.

Therefore getting him s.h.i.+ps of war once more went he forth plundering and harrying, first in Saxland, then in Frisland, and he even fared as far as Flanders. Thus saith Hallfrod the Troublous-skald:

'Oft did the son of Tryggvi smite to the death the Saxon And left maimed corses food for the wolves, And for their drink did that lord, beloved of his host, Give the brown blood of many a Frisian.

Mighty sea-kings hewed In Flanders corses asunder, The prince to the ravens gave The flesh of Walloons as supper.'

-- Thereafter did Olaf Tryggvason sail for England, and ravaged apace & afar in that country; right north did he sail to Nordimbraland (Northumberland) and there harried; thence fared he farther to the northward even to Scotland where he plundered and pillaged far and wide.

From thence sailed he again to the Hebrides, the where he fought more than once, and afterwards sailed a course south to Man & fought there.

Far and wide did he plunder in Ireland and then sailed he to Bretland (Wales) and pillaged there, & in k.u.mraland (c.u.mberland) did he likewise.

Then he sailed to Frankland (France) where he harried the people, & from thence came back again, being minded to return to England, but came to those Islands which are called Scilly in the western part of the English main. Thus saith Hallfrod the Troublous-skald:

'The unsparing young King plundered the Englishmen, The feeder of spear-showers made murder in Northumbria, The war-loving feeder of wolves laid waste to Scotia, The giver of gold fared with up-lifted sword in Man.

The bearer of the elm-bow brought death to the hosts Of the Isle of Erin, for fame yearned the lord; Four winters did the King smite the dwellers in Wales, And Northumbrians hewed he ere the greed of the chough was appeased.'

-- Four winters did Olaf Tryggvason fare on viking cruises from the time of his leaving Wendland even until his coming to the Isles of Scilly.

-- Now when Olaf Tryggvason was lying off the Isles of Scilly he heard tell that there was a soothsayer thereon, and that he foretold the future and spake of things not yet come to pa.s.s, and many folk believed that things ofttimes happened according as this man had spoken. Now Olaf being minded to make a.s.say of his cunning sent to him the finest and fairest of his men, in apparel as brave as might be, bidding him say that he was the King, for Olaf had become famous in all lands in that he was comelier and bolder and stronger than all other men. Since he had left Garda, howsoever, he had used no more of his name than to call himself Oli, and had told people that he was of the realm of Garda. Now when the messenger came to the soothsayer and said he was the King, gat he for answer: 'King art thou not, but my counsel to thee is that thou be loyal to thy King,' & never a word more deigned the seer to utter.

Then went the messenger back and told Olaf this thing, and the King had no longer any doubt that this man was verily a soothsayer, and his wish to meet with him, now that he had heard such an answer, waxed greater than heretofore. So Olaf went to him & communed with him, & asked him to prophesy about his future, whether or not he would win himself a kingdom or other good fortune. Then answered the prophet with saintly prophecy: 'Thou wilt be a glorious King, & do glorious deeds, to faith & christening wilt thou bring many men, and thou wilt help thereby both thyself & many others. But to the end that thou shalt not doubt about this mine answer take this for a token: Hard by thy s.h.i.+ps shalt thou meet with guile & with foemen, & thou shalt do battle; and of thy men some shall fall and thou thyself shalt be wounded. From that wound wilt thou be nigh unto death and be borne on a s.h.i.+eld to thy s.h.i.+p; yet of thy hurt shalt thou be whole within a sennight and shall shortly thereafter accept Christianity.' Then Olaf went down to the s.h.i.+ps, & verily did meet with the warlike men who would slay him & his followers, & their combat ended even as the hermit had foretold, to wit, in such manner that Olaf was indeed borne out to his s.h.i.+p on a s.h.i.+eld & likewise was whole again after a sennight. Then Olaf felt a.s.sured in his mind that it was the truth that this seer had told him, and that of a truth was he a wise soothsayer, whencesoever might he have his gift of prophecy.

So Olaf a second time went unto him and held much talk with him, and questioned him closely as to whence he gat the wisdom to foretell what was to come. And the hermit saith that the G.o.d of the men that were baptized Himself causeth him to know all that He wisheth. Then recounted he to Olaf the mighty works of G.o.d, & after these persuasions Olaf a.s.sented unto Christianity, & it befell that he was there baptized, & all the men that were with him. In that place abode he a long time and learned the true Faith, and in his train bore away with him priests & other learned men.

-- From the Isles of Scilly Olaf hied in the autumn to England, and there lay he in a certain haven & lived in peace, for England was a Christian land & now was he likewise a Christian man.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

-- Now there went throughout the land a summons to a certain Thing, that all men should come to the Thing, & when there was a.s.semblage thither came to it a queen whose name was Gyda.[--]

She was the sister of Olav Kvaran who was King of Dublin, which is in Ireland, and she had been married to a powerful earl in England who was now dead, but after him she yet ruled his dominion.

Now there was a man in her dominions whose name was Alwin, a mighty champion & 'holmgangsman.'--

Alwin had wooed Gyda, but she had made answer that she herself would make choice whom she would have among the men of her dominion, and forasmuch as she would choose herself a husband was this Thing convened.

Thereto likewise came Alwin decked out in his best raiment, and many others were there apparelled also in their best. Now Olaf too was come thither, & he was clad in his bad-weather raiment, wearing a cloak exceeding rough; and he stood with his followers somewhat aloof from the others. Gyda walked hither & thither among the men, gazing at each one favoured in her eyes; but when she was come to where Olaf held his ground looked she searchingly up into his face and asked of what manner of man was he. Then did he make answer that he was Oli, and said: 'I am not of the country born nor bred.' Saith Gyda: 'Wilt thou have me? Even upon that then will I choose thee.' 'I will not say nay to it,' quoth he, and asked her name and lineage. 'I am,' said she, 'a King's daughter of Ireland, but I was wedded into this country, to an earl who held dominion here. Since the time that he died have I ruled the land; divers men have wooed me, but none that I would wed, & my name is Gyda.'

Youthful was she and fair, and Olaf and she communed over this matter even until they became of one accord, and thereafter was Olaf betrothed to Gyda. This was but sour in the mouth of Alwin, but there was a custom in England that when two contended about a matter they should meet in single combat, and Alwin therefore bade Olaf Tryggvason fight with him on this matter.

The time and place were appointed, & on either side were there chosen twelve men. Then when they were met said Olaf unto his men that they were to do even as he did, and a great axe had he in his hand. Now as Alwin was minded to drive his sword into him Olaf struck it out of his hand, & at the second stroke Alwin himself so that he fell to the ground. Then did Olaf bind him fast, & in this manner also was treatment meted out to the men that were with Alwin, to wit, to be beaten and bound, and thereafter were taken home to Olaf's lodging. Then did he bid Alwin depart from out the land & nevermore therein set foot again, and thereafter Olaf took possession of all his lands.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

-- So it came to pa.s.s that Olaf wedded Gyda & abode for the most part in England, but sometimes in Ireland. Once when Olaf was out on a foray, it fell that it was needful that they should foray ash.o.r.e for provisions, and accordingly went his men to land and drove down a number of cattle to the sh.o.r.e. Then came a peasant after them & prayed Olaf give him back his cows, & Olaf bade him take his cows could he find them; 'but let him not delay our journey.' The peasant had with him a big cattle-dog. This dog sent he into the herd of neat whereof were being driven many hundreds, and the animal hither and thither ran among the drove, singling out as many cows as the peasant said he owned, and all of them were marked in the same manner.

Now knowing that the dog had chosen rightly it seemed to them that this was pa.s.sing clever, and so Olaf asked of the peasant whether he would give him the dog. 'Willingly,' answered he, and Olaf in exchange therefor gave him a gold ring, and the promise of his friends.h.i.+p.

That dog was named Vigi, and it was the best of all dogs; Olaf had pleasure in him for a long time thereafter.

-- Now it came to the ears of the King of Denmark, even to him hight Harald Gormson, that Earl Hakon had cast aside Christianity & had pillaged in the country pertaining to the King of Denmark who thereon gathered together an host, & thereafter fared to Norway.

And when he was come to the realm over which Earl Hakon had rule harried he there, laying bare all the land. Then led he his host to the islets which are called Solunder. Five homesteads alone stood unburned in Lardal, in Sogn, and all the folk of the valley were fled to the mountains and forests, taking with them such of their chattels as they might carry. Thereafter the Danish King was minded to take his hosts to Iceland to avenge the mockery of the Icelanders, for it happened that they had made malicious verses about him.

Now a law had been made in Iceland to the end that for every soul in the country one lampoon should be made on the Danish King, and the reason therefor was to this wise, to wit, that a s.h.i.+p pertaining to men of Iceland had stranded on the coast of Denmark & the Danes had taken all the cargo thereon, calling it flotsam.

The man who had had the chief concern in this matter was one Birger, the King's steward. Jests were made both on him and on the King, and this is one of them:

'When the fight-wonted Harald rode the sea-steed from the south In the shape of Faxe, The slayer of Vandals as wax became altogether as impotent.

Birger by guardian sprites outcast in mare's shape met him As all men did behold.'

-- Now King Harald bade a warlock betake him to Iceland in one or other guise, that he might bring him back tidings of the country.

And the warlock set forth in the shape of a whale, and when he was come thither to Iceland he went along the north side of the coast, and he saw that all the mountains and hills were full of guardian spirits, some large & others small. When he was arrived at Vapnafjord there went he up and was like to have gone ash.o.r.e when, lo! a great dragon came down from the valley, & in its company many serpents, toads, and vipers, and these beasts belched venom at him. So swam he away westward all alongside the land even the whole way until he was come to the mouth of the Eyjafjord, & after he had turned up this fjord towards him there came a bird so large that its wings reached the hills on either side, and with it were a number of other birds, both large and tiny.

So away fared he thence, & westward along by the land to Breidafjord, and there went he up the fjord, but a great bull came towards him bellowing after a fas.h.i.+on that was most horrible, & in its company were a swarm of kindred spirits.

Then went he away from there and swam past Reykjanes and was about to go up on Vika.r.s.eid, but a hill giant came towards him with a staff in his hand, and this giant carried his head higher than the hills, and with him were many other giants.

Then swam he eastward all the way along the coast: 'There is nothing,'

quoth he, 'save sand and wilderness and great breakers outside; and so broad is the sea betwixt the lands,' said he, 'that it is all unmeet for long-s.h.i.+ps.'

-- Now in those days Brod-Helgi dwelt in Vapnafjord, Eyolf Valgerdson in Eyjafjord, Thord Gelli in Breidafjord and Thorod the Priest in Olfus.

-- Then put the King of Denmark his fleet about, standing south along the coast, and thereafter sailed back to Denmark. Hakon the Earl caused all the habitations that had been devastated to be builded up again, & nevermore thereafter paid he any tribute to the King of Denmark.

-- Now it came to pa.s.s that Svein-- he who was afterwards called Two-beard-- demanded a kingdom of his father King Harald, & as before so again it befell that King Harald would not part Denmark in twain, nor let any other man, no matter of what blood he was, have dominion therein.

So Svein a.s.sembled a fleet of war & gave out that he was about to go on a viking cruise, and when the whole of his fleet was come together, & Palnatoki of the Jomsborg vikings was also come to his aid, Svein made for Zealand, and went into Isafjord. There King Harald his father was lying, likewise, with his s.h.i.+ps, for he was preparing to sail to war, & Svein fell upon him, & a great battle ensued; but many men flocked to King Harald and Svein had to give way before great odds and flee. There nevertheless did Harald receive such hurt that he died, and thereafter Svein was hailed as King of Denmark. In those days Jomsborg in Wendland was ruled by Earl Sigvaldi; he was the son of Strut-Harald who had ruled Skani, and Sigvaldi's brothers were Heming and Thorkel the Tall. At that time Bui the Burly of Borgundarholm & his brother Sigurd were likewise chiefs among the Jomsborg vikings, and with them, too, was Vagn, who was the son of Aki and Thorgunna and the sister's son of Bui and Sigurd.

Now Sigvaldi the Earl had made King Svein prisoner and had taken him to Jomsborg in Wendland, and had constrained him to make peace with the Wendish King Burizlaf.

It was to Earl Sigvaldi to settle the conditions of agreement between them-- Sigvaldi had then to wife Astrid the daughter of King Burizlaf-- and if peace were not made, said the Earl, he would deliver King Svein into the hands of the Wends.

Then the King knowing full well that they would torture him even to the death was content that the Earl should be peacemaker, & the Earl adjudged matters in such fas.h.i.+on that King Svein was to have the daughter of King Burizlaf to wife, and King Burizlaf the sister of King Svein, Tyra, that was daughter to Harald.