Heimskringla, or the Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Part 33

43. OF KING OLAF.

King Olaf went southwards through Gudbrandsdal, and thence out to Hedemark. In the depth of winter (A.D. 1015) he went about in guest-quarters; but when spring returned he collected men, and went to Viken. He had with him many people from Hedemark, whom the kings had given him; and also many powerful people from among the bondes joined him, among whom Ketil Kalf from Ringanes. He had also people from Raumarike. His stepfather, Sigurd Syr, gave him the help also of a great body of men. They went down from thence to the coast, and made ready to put to sea from Viken. The fleet, which was manned with many fine fellows, went out then to Tunsberg.

44. OF EARL SVEIN'S FORCES.

After Yule (A.D. 1015) Earl Svein gathers all the men of the Throndhjem country, proclaims a levy for an expedition, and fits out s.h.i.+ps. At that time there were in the Throndhjem country a great number of lendermen; and many of them were so powerful and well-born, that they descended from earls, or even from the royal race, which in a short course of generations reckoned to Harald Harf.a.ger, and they were also very rich.

These lendermen were of great help to the kings or earls who ruled the land; for it was as if the lenderman had the bonde-people of each district in his power. Earl Svein being a good friend of the lendermen, it was easy for him to collect people. His brother-in-law, Einar Tambaskelfer, was on his side, and with him many other lendermen; and among them many, both lendermen and bondes, who the winter before had taken the oath of fidelity to King Olaf. When they were ready for sea they went directly out of the fjord, steering south along the land, and drawing men from every district. When they came farther south, abreast of Rogaland, Erling Skialgson came to meet them, with many people and many lendermen with him. Now they steered eastward with their whole fleet to Viken, and Earl Svein ran in there towards the end of Easter.

The earl steered his fleet to Grenmar, and ran into Nesjar (A.D. 1015).

45. KING OLAF S FORCES.

King Olaf steered his fleet out from Viken, until the two fleets were not far from each other, and they got news of each other the Sat.u.r.day before Palm Sunday. King Olaf himself had a s.h.i.+p called the Carl's Head, on the bow of which a king's head was carved out, and he himself had carved it. This head was used long after in Norway on s.h.i.+ps which kings steered themselves.

46. KING OLAF'S SPEECH.

As soon as day dawned on Sunday morning, King Olaf got up, put on his clothes, went to the land, and ordered to sound the signal for the whole army to come on sh.o.r.e. Then he made a speech to the troops, and told the whole a.s.sembly that he had heard there was but a short distance between them and Earl Svein. "Now," said he, "we shall make ready; for it can be but a short time until we meet. Let the people arm, and every man be at the post that has been appointed him, so that all may be ready when I order the signal to sound for casting off from the land. Then let us row off at once; and so that none go on before the rest of the s.h.i.+ps, and none lag behind when I row out of the harbour: for we cannot tell if we shall find the earl where he was lying, or if he has come out to meet us. When we do meet, and the battle begins, let people be alert to bring all our s.h.i.+ps in close order, and ready to bind them together. Let us spare ourselves in the beginning, and take care of our weapons, that we do not cast them into the sea, or shoot them away in the air to no purpose. But when the fight becomes hot and the s.h.i.+ps are bound together, then let each man show what is in him of manly spirit."

47. OF THE BATTLE AT NESJAR.

King Olaf had in his s.h.i.+p 100 men armed in coats of ring-mail, and in foreign helmets. The most of his men had white s.h.i.+elds, on which the holy cross was gilt; but some had painted it in blue or red. He had also had the cross painted in front on all the helmets, in a pale colour. He had a white banner on which was a serpent figured. He ordered a ma.s.s to be read before him, went on board s.h.i.+p, and ordered his people to refresh themselves with meat and drink. He then ordered the war-horns to sound to battle, to leave the harbour, and row off to seek the earl. Now when they came to the harbour where the earl had lain, the earl's men were armed, and beginning to row out of the harbour; but when they saw the king's fleet coming they began to bind the s.h.i.+ps together, to set up their banners, and to make ready for the fight. When King Olaf saw this he hastened the rowing, laid his s.h.i.+p alongside the earl's, and the battle began. So says Sigvat the skald:--

"Boldly the king did then pursue Earl Svein, nor let him out of view.

The blood ran down the reindeer's flank Of each sea-king--his vessel's plank.

Nor did the earl's stout warriors spare In battle-brunt the sword and spear.

Earl Svein his s.h.i.+ps of war pushed on, And lashed their stout stems one to one."

It is said that King Olaf brought his s.h.i.+ps into battle while Svein was still lying in the harbour. Sigvat the skald was himself in the fight; and in summer, just after the battle, he composed a lay, which is called the "Nesjar Song", in which he tells particularly the circ.u.mstances:--

"In the fierce fight 'tis known how near The scorner of the ice-cold spear Laid the Charles' head the earl on board, All eastward of the Agder fjord."

Then was the conflict exceedingly sharp, and it was long before it could be seen how it was to go in the end. Many fell on both sides, and many were the wounded. So says Sigvat:--

"No urging did the earl require, Midst spear and sword--the battle's fire; No urging did the brave king need The ravens in this s.h.i.+eld-storm to feed.

Of limb-lopping enough was there, And ghastly wounds of sword and spear.

Never, I think, was rougher play Than both the armies had that day."

The earl had most men, but the king had a chosen crew in his s.h.i.+p, who had followed him in all his wars; and, besides, they were so excellently equipped, as before related, that each man had a coat of ring-mail, so that he could not be wounded. So says Sigvat:--

"Our lads, broad-shouldered, tall, and hale, Drew on their cold s.h.i.+rts of ring-mail.

Soon sword on sword was shrilly ringing, And in the air the spears were singing.

Under our helms we hid our hair, For thick flew arrows through the air.

Right glad was I our gallant crew, Steel-clad from head to foot, to view."

48. EARL SVEIN'S FLIGHT.

When the men began to fall on board the earl's s.h.i.+ps, and many appeared wounded, so that the sides of the vessels were but thinly beset with men, the crew of King Olaf prepared to board. Their banner was brought up to the s.h.i.+p that was nearest the earl's, and the king himself followed the banner. So says Sigvat:--

"'On with the king!' his banners waving: 'On with the king!' the spears he's braving!

'On, steel-clad men! and storm the deck, Slippery with blood and strewed with wreck.

A different work ye have to share, His banner in war-storm to bear, From your fair girl's, who round the hall Brings the full mead-bowl to us all.'"

Now was the severest fighting. Many of Svein's men fell, and some sprang overboard. So says Sigvat:--

"Into the s.h.i.+p our brave lads spring,-- On s.h.i.+eld and helm their red blades ring; The air resounds with stroke on stroke,-- The s.h.i.+elds are cleft, the helms are broke.

The wounded bonde o'er the side Falls shrieking in the blood-stained tide-- The deck is cleared with wild uproar-- The dead crew float about the sh.o.r.e."

And also these lines:--

"The s.h.i.+elds we brought from home were white, Now they are red-stained in the fight: This work was fit for those who wore Ringed coats-of-mail their b.r.e.a.s.t.s before.

Where for the foe blunted the best sword I saw our young king climb on board.

He stormed the first; we followed him-- The war-birds now in blood may swim."

Now defeat began to come down upon the earl's men. The king's men pressed upon the earl's s.h.i.+p and entered it; but when the earl saw how it was going, he called out to his forecastle-men to cut the cables and cast the s.h.i.+p loose, which they did. Then the king's men threw grapplings over the timber heads of the s.h.i.+p, and so held her fast to their own; but the earl ordered the timber heads to be cut away, which was done. So says Sigvat:--

"The earl, his n.o.ble s.h.i.+p to save, To cut the posts loud order gave.

The s.h.i.+p escaped: our greedy eyes Had looked on her as a clear prize.

The earl escaped; but ere he fled We feasted Odin's fowls with dead:-- With many a goodly corpse that floated Round our s.h.i.+p's stern his birds were bloated."

Einar Tambaskelfer had laid his s.h.i.+p right alongside the earl's. They threw an anchor over the bows of the earl's s.h.i.+p, and thus towed her away, and they slipped out of the fjord together. Thereafter the whole of the earl's fleet took to flight, and rowed out of the fjord. The skald Berse Torfason was on the forecastle of the earl's s.h.i.+p; and as it was gliding past the king's fleet, King Olaf called out to him--for he knew Berse, who was distinguished as a remarkably handsome man, always well equipped in clothes and arms--"Farewell, Berse!" He replied, "Farewell, king!" So says Berse himself, in a poem he composed when he fell into King Olaf's power, and was laid in prison and in fetters on board a s.h.i.+p:--

"Olaf the Brave A 'farewell' gave, (No time was there to parley long,) To me who knows the art of song.

The skald was fain 'Farewell' again In the same terms back to send-- The rule in arms to foe or friend.

Earl Svein's distress I well can guess, When flight he was compelled to take: His fortunes I will ne'er forsake, Though I lie here In chains a year, In thy great vessel all forlorn, To crouch to thee I still will scorn: I still will say, No milder sway Than from thy foe this land e'er knew: To him, my early friend, I'm true."

49. EARL SVEIN LEAVES THE COUNTRY.

Now some of the earl's men fled up the country, some surrendered at discretion; but Svein and his followers rowed out of the fjord, and the chiefs laid their vessels together to talk with each other, for the earl wanted counsel from his lendermen. Erling Skialgson advised that they should sail north, collect people, and fight King Olaf again; but as they had lost many people, the most were of opinion that the earl should leave the country, and repair to his brother-in-law the Swedish King, and strengthen himself there with men. Einar Tambaskelfer approved also of that advice, as they had no power to hold battle against Olaf. So they discharged their fleet. The earl sailed across Folden, and with him Einar Tambaskelfer. Erling Skialgson again, and likewise many other lendermen who would not abandon their udal possessions, went north to their homes; and Erling had many people that summer about him.