The Sagas of Olaf Tryggvason and of Harald The Tyrant (Harald Haardraade) Part 4

Moreover it was covenanted that the two Kings were to have each his own dominion, and there was to be lasting peace between the countries.

Then did King Svein journey home to Denmark with his wife Gunnhild; their sons were Harald and Knut the Great (Canute).

And in those days made the Danes great boast that they would sail with a host to Norway even against Earl Hakon.

-- Now because King Svein was going to take his succession after his father Harald, made he a great funeral feast, to which were bidden all the chiefs of his kingdom.

Not long before this Strut-Harald of Skani had died, and also Veseti of Borgundarholm, who was the father of Bui & Sigurd. The King therefore sent word to the Jomsborg vikings bidding Earl Sigvaldi and Bui, and their brothers, to come thither and seal their inheritance by drinking grave-ale in memory of their fathers at the feast which the King himself was about to give. And to this feast accordingly went the Jomsborg vikings with all the stoutest of their folk; forty s.h.i.+ps had they from Wendland & twenty from Skani, & a great number of people were a.s.sembled together. On the first day of the feast, before King Svein stepped into his father's high seat, he drank the cup of memory to him, vowing therewith that before three months were over he would go to England with his hosts & slay King Ethelred, or drive him from the country. Now all those who were at the feast were obliged to drink that cup of memory, and for the chiefs of the Jomsborg vikings the largest horns were filled, and withal with the strongest ale. When this cup of memory had been drunk to the dregs then were all men to drink to the memory of Christ; and ever to the Jomsborg vikings were brought the fullest horns & the strongest drink. The third cup was to St. Michael, and this was drunk by all; and thereafter Sigvaldi drank to his father's memory, & made a vow that before three winters were pa.s.sed he would go to Norway and slay Eirik, or drive him from the land. Then did his brother Thorkel the Tall swear that he would fare with Sigvaldi, and never shun battle as long as Sigvaldi was fighting there; and Bui the Burly said that he too would go with them to Norway, and not flee before Earl Hakon in battle. Then did Vagn Eirikson swear that he also would accompany him, & not return before he had slain Thorkel Leira and lain abed with his daughter Ingibiorg.

Many other lords made vows anent sundry matters, & all men drank the heirs.h.i.+p ale. When the morrow was come and the Jomsborg vikings had slept as long as they were minded, they deemed that they had spoken big words enough & met together to take counsel as to how and when they should proceed with their cruise, and then they covenanted to array their s.h.i.+ps and men as speedily as might be. Now this matter was rumoured of far and wide in the lands.

-- Earl Eirik, the son of Earl Hakon, was at that season in Raumariki, & hearing of these tidings straightway mustered the folk and set forth to the Uplands, and then made his way northwards across the mountains to Throndhjem, to his father Earl Hakon. Of this speaketh Thord Kolbeinson in Eirik's lay:

'In good sooth from the south came fearsome tales of war, Peasants even fear to fight; And the captain of the s.h.i.+p learned that the long-s.h.i.+ps of the Danes Along their rollers were run out seawards.'

-- Earl Hakon and Earl Eirik caused war-arrows to be sent throughout the whole of the district around Throndhjem, and sent messengers to South-More, North-More, and Raumsdal; likewise sent they northward to Naumdal and Halogaland, and when this was accomplished had they called out their full muster of men and s.h.i.+ps. Thus saith Eirik's lay:

'Many a long-s.h.i.+p and bark and great keel (How the skald's praise grows apace) The s.h.i.+eld-bearer caused to be run into the sea (Off-sh.o.r.e was the muster goodly) So that the warrior could defend the lands of his fathers.'

-- Earl Hakon went forthwith south to More, to reconnoitre and collect men, while Earl Eirik a.s.sembled his host & took it southwards.

-- The Jomsborg vikings brought their hosts to Limfjord and thence sailed out to sea; sixty s.h.i.+ps had they, and they took them across to Agdir whence without tarrying shaped they a course northward to the dominion of Earl Hakon. They sailed off the coast, plundering & burning wheresoever they went. Now there was a certain man named Geirmund who was sailing in a light boat & had but few men with him, & he came to More where he found Earl Hakon, & going in before the Earl as he sate at meat told him that there was an host to the southward which was come from Denmark. The Earl asked if he knew this in good sooth, and Geirmund, holding up one of his arms from which the hand had been severed, said that that was the token that a host was in the land.

Then did the Earl question him closely concerning this host, & Geirmund said that it was the Jomsborg vikings, & that they had slain many men and plundered far & wide: 'Nevertheless they are travelling speedily and hard.

Methinks it will not be long before they are here.'

So then the Earl rowed up all the fjords, inwards along one sh.o.r.e and outwards along the other faring night and day, and he sent scouts on to the upper way across the isthmus,-- & south in the Fjords, & likewise north where Eirik was now with his host.

It is of this that Eirik's lay telleth:

'War-wise was the Earl who had long-s.h.i.+ps on the main Heading with lofty prows against Sigvaldi, Mayhap many an oar shook, But the seamen who rent the sea with strong oar-blades Feared not death.'

-- Earl Hakon took his host southwards as speedily as ever he was able.

-- Sailing northwards with his fleet Earl Sigvaldi rounded Stad, and first put in over against Hereya. Here, although the vikings fell in with the folk of the country, never could they get from them the truth as to the whereabouts of the Earl. Whithersoever they went the vikings pillaged, & in the island of Hod they ran up ash.o.r.e & plundered the people, taking back with them to their s.h.i.+ps both folk and cattle, though all men capable of bearing arms they slew.

Now as they were going down again to their s.h.i.+ps an old man approached them-- for he was walking nigh to the men of Bui-- and unto them said he, 'Not as warriors go ye here, driving neat and calves down to the sh.o.r.e; better prey would it be for ye to take the bear since ye have come so nigh his lair.'

'What saith the carle?' they cry, 'Can ye tell us aught of Earl Hakon?'

The peasant made answer: 'Yesterday he sailed to Hiorundarfjord having with him one or two s.h.i.+ps, or three at most, & at that time he had not heard aught of ye.' Forthwith ran Bui & his men to their s.h.i.+ps, leaving all their booty behind, & Bui called out saying: 'Let us make the most of having got this news, so that we may be the ones nighest to the victory.'

And when they had mounted up into their s.h.i.+ps straightway rowed they out north of the isle of Hod, and then rounding that island into the fjord.

-- Earl Hakon and his son Earl Eirik were lying in Hallsvik, with their hosts and one hundred and fifty s.h.i.+ps.

Now they had heard by this time that the Jomsborg vikings were lying-to off Hod, and the Earls accordingly rowed northward to seek them, and when they were come to the place which is called Hiorungavag met they one with another.

Both sides then set themselves in array for battle. In the midst of his host was the banner of Earl Sigvaldi and over against this Earl Hakon took up his position; Earl Sigvaldi had twenty s.h.i.+ps, and Earl Hakon sixty.

In Earl Hakon's following were the chiefs Thorir Hart of Halogaland, and Styrkar of Gimsar. As for the battle array, one wing consisted of the twenty s.h.i.+ps belonging to Bui the Burly and his brother Sigurd. Against these Earl Eirik Hakonson placed sixty s.h.i.+ps, with him being the chiefs Gudbrand the White from the Uplands & Thorkel Leira from Vik.

In the other wing of the array was Vagn Akason with twenty s.h.i.+ps, and against him with sixty s.h.i.+ps was Svein Hakonson with Skeggi of Uphaug in Yriar, and Rognvald from Ervik in Stad. In Eirik's lay it is told of thus:

'And the sea-s.h.i.+ps to battle sped towards the Danish s.h.i.+ps, The sea-host sailed the coast along: From before the vikings cleared the Earl away many at More The s.h.i.+ps drifted amid war-slain heaps.'

And thus saith Eyvind in the Halogaland tale:

'Hardly was it a tryst of joy in that day's dawning For the foemen of Yngvi Frey, When the land-rulers guided the long-s.h.i.+ps across the waste, And the sword-elf from the south-land Thrust the sea-steeds against their hosts.'

-- Then the fleets were brought together and there ensued the grimmest of battles, and many were slain on both sides, albeit the host of Hakon was it which fared the worst, for the Jomsborg vikings fought stoutly both with boldness & dexterity, shooting clean through the s.h.i.+elds. So great in number were the missiles which struck Earl Hakon that his s.h.i.+rt of mail became all rent and useless so that he threw it from him.

Of this speaketh Tind Halkelson:

'The kirtle which gold bedecked women wrought for the Earl (The sparks from the sword wax brighter) Could no longer be borne; Then the mailed hero from off him cast the King's s.h.i.+rt (Ready were the steeds of the sea).

Asunder, on the sand, blown from the Earl by the wind Was the ring-weaved s.h.i.+rt of Sorli (Thereof bore he the marks).'

-- Now the s.h.i.+ps of the Jomsborg vikings were both larger, and higher in the gunwale, than were those of Earl Hakon, but nevertheless were they boldly beset from both sides. Vagn Akason pressed the s.h.i.+ps of Svein Hakonson so hard that Svein let his men backwater & came nigh to fleeing, whereupon Earl Eirik came up into his place & thrust himself into the battle against Vagn, and Vagn backed his s.h.i.+p, and the craft lay again as they had lain at first.

Then Eirik returned to his own battle, where his men were now going astern, and Bui having cut himself free from his las.h.i.+ngs was about to follow the fugitives.

Eirik then laid his s.h.i.+p alongside the s.h.i.+p of Bui, & a sharp hand to hand struggle took place, and two or three of the s.h.i.+ps of Eirik set on the one s.h.i.+p whereon was Bui.

Then a storm came on, and there fell hailstones so heavy that one stone alone weighed an ounce. Then did Sigvaldi cut his s.h.i.+p adrift & went about, with the intention of fleeing; Vagn Akason cried out to him bidding him stay, but never a moment would Sigvaldi heed give to what he said, so Vagn sent a javelin after him, and smote the man who held the tiller. Earl Sigvaldi rowed out of the battle with thirty-five s.h.i.+ps and left twenty-five behind him.

Then did Earl Hakon bring his s.h.i.+p round to the other side of that of Bui, and short respite then had the men of Bui between the blows. Now there was an anvil with a sharp end standing on the forecastle of the s.h.i.+p that pertained to Bui, and the reason thereof was that some man had made use thereof when welding the hilt of his sword, and Vigfus the son of Vigaglums, who was a man of great strength, took up the anvil & throwing it with both hands, drave it into the head of Aslak Holmskalli, so that the snout thereof entered his brain. No weapon hitherto had scathed Aslak, though he had been laying about him on either side.

He was the foster-son of Bui, and his forecastle man. Yet another of the men to Bui was Havard the Hewer; even stronger was he, and a man of great valour. During this struggle the men of Eirik went up aboard Bui's s.h.i.+p, & made aft to the p.o.o.p, towards Bui, and Thorstein Midlang struck him full across the nose, cleaving asunder the nose-piece of his helmet, and leaving a great wound.

Bui then smote Thorstein in the side in such a manner that he cut the man right athwart his middle, and then seizing two chests of gold he shouted: 'Overboard all the men of Bui,' and plunged into the sea with the chests, and many of his men likewise sprang overboard, though others fell on the s.h.i.+p, for little avail was it to ask for quarter. The s.h.i.+p was now cleared from stem to stern, and the other craft were likewise cleared one after the other.

-- After this Earl Eirik brought his s.h.i.+ps alongside that of Vagn, and from the latter met with right stout resistance; in the end however the s.h.i.+p was cleared, and Vagn and thirty men taken prisoners. Bound were they & taken on land, and Thorkel Leira went up to them and spoke thus: 'Vagn, thou didst vow to slay me, but me seemeth it is I who am more like to slay thee.'

Now it happened that Vagn and his men were all sitting on the felled trunks of a mighty tree, and Thorkel had a big axe, & with it he struck at the man who was sitting farthest off on the trunk.

Vagn and his men were so bound that a rope was pa.s.sed round their feet, but their hands were free. Then said one of them, 'I have in my hand a cloak-clasp, and into the earth will I thrust it if I wot anything after my head is off'-- and his head was struck off, and down fell the clasp from his hand.