Heimskringla, or the Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Part 61

Then they encouraged the people; and Kalf invited all the men who had any injury to avenge on King Olaf to place themselves under the banner which was advancing against King Olaf's own banner. They should remember the distress he had brought upon them; and, he said, never was there a better opportunity to avenge their grievances, and to free themselves from the yoke and slavery he had imposed on them. "Let him," says he, "be held a useless coward who does not fight this day boldly; and they are not innocents who are opposed to you, but people who will not spare you if ye spare them."

Kalf's speech was received with loud applause, and shouts of encouragement were heard through the whole army.

236. OF THE KING'S AND THE BONDES' ARMIES.

Thereafter the bondes' army advanced to Stiklestad, where King Olaf was already with his people. Kalf and Harek went in front, at the head of the army under their banners. But the battle did not begin immediately on their meeting; for the bondes delayed the a.s.sault, because all their men were not come upon the plain, and they waited for those who came after them. Th.o.r.er Hund had come up with his troop the last, for he had to take care that the men did not go off behind when the battlecry was raised, or the armies were closing with each other; and therefore Kalf and Harek waited for Th.o.r.er. For the encouragement of their men in the battle the bondes had the field-cry--"Forward, forward, bondemen!"

King Olaf also made no attack, for he waited for Dag and the people who followed him. At last the king saw Dag and his men approaching. It is said that the army of the bondes was not less on this day than a hundred times a hundred men. Sigvat the skald speaks thus of the numbers:--

"I grieve to think the king had brought Too small a force for what he sought: He held his gold too fast to bring The numbers that could make him king.

The foemen, more than two to one, The victory by numbers won; And this alone, as I've heard say, Against King Olaf turned the day."

237. MEETING OF THE KING AND THE BONDES.

As the armies on both sides stood so near that people knew each other, the king said, "Why art thou here, Kalf, for we parted good friends south in More? It beseems thee ill to fight against us, or to throw a spear into our army; for here are four of thy brothers."

Kalf replied, "Many things come to pa.s.s differently from what may appear seemly. You parted from us so that it was necessary to seek peace with those who were behind in the country. Now each must remain where he stands; but if I might advise, we should be reconciled."

Then Fin, his brother, answered, "This is to be observed of Kalf, that when he speaks fairly he has it in his mind to do ill."

The king answered, "It may be, Kalf, that thou art inclined to reconciliation; but, methinks, the bondes do not appear so peaceful."

Then Thorgeir of Kviststad said, "You shall now have such peace as many formerly have received at your hands, and which you shall now pay for."

The king replies, "Thou hast no occasion to hasten so much to meet us; for fate has not decreed to thee to-day a victory over me, who raised thee to power and dignity from a mean station."

238. BEGINNING OF THE BATTLE OF STIKLESTAD.

Now came Th.o.r.er Hund, went forward in front of the banner with his troop, and called out, "Forward, forward, bondemen!" Thereupon the bondemen raised the war-cry, and shot their arrows and spears. The king's men raised also a war-shout; and that done, encouraged each other to advance, crying out, "Forward, forward, Christ-men! cross-men! king's men!" When the bondes who stood outermost on the wings heard it, they repeated the same cry; but when the other bondes heard them they thought these were king's men, turned their arms against them, and they fought together, and many were slain before they knew each other. The weather was beautiful, and the sun shone clear; but when the battle began the heaven and the sun became red, and before the battle ended it became as dark as at night. King Olaf had drawn up his army upon a rising ground, and it rushed down from thence upon the bonde-army with such a fierce a.s.sault, that the bondes' array went before it; so that the breast of the king's array came to stand upon the ground on which the rear of the bondes' array had stood, and many of the bondes' army were on the way to fly, but the lendermen and their house-men stood fast, and the battle became very severe. So says Sigvat:--

"Thundered the ground beneath their tread, As, iron-clad, thick-tramping, sped The men-at-arms, in row and rank, Past Stiklestad's sweet gra.s.sy bank.

The clank of steel, the bowstrings' tw.a.n.g, The sounds of battle, loudly rang; And bowman hurried on advancing, Their bright helms in the suns.h.i.+ne glancing."

The lendermen urged their men, and forced them to advance. Sigvat speaks of this:--

"Midst in their line their banner flies, Thither the stoutest bonde hies: But many a bonde thinks of home, And many wish they ne'er had come."

Then the bonde-army pushed on from all quarters. They who stood in front hewed down with their swords; they who stood next thrust with their spears; and they who stood hindmost shot arrows, cast spears, or threw stones, hand-axes, or sharp stakes. Soon there was a great fall of men in the battle. Many were down on both sides. In the first onset fell Arnljot Gelline, Gauka-Th.o.r.er, and Afrafaste, with all their men, after each had killed a man or two, and some indeed more. Now the ranks in front of the king's banner began to be thinned, and the king ordered Thord to carry the banner forward, and the king himself followed it with the troop he had chosen to stand nearest to him in battle; and these were the best armed men in the field, and the most expert in the use of their weapons. Sigvat the skald tells of this:--

"Loud was the battle-storm there, Where the king's banner flamed in air.

The king beneath his banner stands, And there the battle he commands."

Olaf came forth from behind the s.h.i.+eld-bulwark, and put himself at the head of the army; and when the bondes looked him in the face they were frightened, and let their hands drop. So says Sigvat:--

"I think I saw them shrink with fear Who would not shrink from foeman's spear, When Olaf's lion-eye was cast On them, and called up all the past.

Clear as the serpent's eye--his look No Throndhjem man could stand, but shook Beneath its glance, and skulked away, Knowing his king, and cursed the day."

The combat became fierce, and the king went forward in the fray. So says Sigvat:--

"When on they came in fierce array, And round the king arose the fray, With s.h.i.+eld on arm brave Olaf stood, Dyeing his sword in their best blood.

For vengeance on his Throndhjem foes, On their best men he dealt his blows; He who knew well death's iron play, To his deep vengeance gave full sway."

239. THORGEIR OF KVISTSTAD'S FALL.

King Olaf fought most desperately. He struck the lenderman before mentioned (Thorgeir of Kviststad) across the face, cut off the nose-piece of his helmet, and clove his head down below the eyes so that they almost fell out. When he fell the king said, "Was it not true, Thorgeir, what I told thee, that thou shouldst not be victor in our meeting?" At the same instant Thord stuck the banner-pole so fast in the earth that it remained standing. Thord had got his death-wound, and fell beneath the banner. There also fell Thorfin Mun, and also Gissur Gullbrarskald, who was attacked by two men, of whom he killed one, but only wounded the other before he fell. So says Hofgardaref:--

"Bold in the Iron-storm was he, Firm and stout as forest tree, The hero who, 'gainst two at once, Made Odin's fire from sword-edge glance; Dealing a death-blow to the one, Known as a brave and generous man, Wounding the other, ere he fell,-- His b.l.o.o.d.y sword his deeds showed well."

It happened then, as before related, that the sun, although the air was clear, withdrew from the sight, and it became dark. Of this Sigvat the skald speaks:--

"No common wonder in the sky Fell out that day--the sun on high, And not a cloud to see around, Shone not, nor warmed Norway's ground.

The day on which fell out this fight Was marked by dismal dusky light, This from the East I heard--the end Of our great king it did portend."

At the same time Dag Hringson came up with his people, and began to put his men in array, and to set up his banner; but on account of the darkness the onset could not go on so briskly, for they could not see exactly whom they had before them. They turned, however, to that quarter where the men of Hordaland and Rogaland stood. Many of these circ.u.mstances took place at the same time, and some happened a little earlier, and some a little later.

240. KING OLAF'S FALL.

On the one side of Kalf Arnason stood his two relations, Olaf and Kalf, with many other brave and stout men. Kalf was a son of Arnfin Arnmodson, and a brother's son of Arne Arnmodson. On the other side of Kalf Arnason stood Th.o.r.er Hund. King Olaf hewed at Th.o.r.er Hund, and struck him across the shoulders; but the sword would not cut, and it was as if dust flew from his reindeer-skin coat. So says Sigvat:--

"The king himself now proved the power Of Fin-folk's craft in magic hour, With magic song; for stroke of steel Thor's reindeer coat would never feel, Bewitched by them it turned the stroke Of the king's sword,--a dust-like smoke Rose from Thor's shoulders from the blow Which the king though would end his foe."

Th.o.r.er struck at the king, and they exchanged some blows; but the king's sword would not cut where it met the reindeer skin, although Th.o.r.er was wounded in the hands. Sigvat sang thus of it:--

"Some say that Th.o.r.er's not right bold; Why never yet have I been told Of one who did a bolder thing Than to change blows with his true king.

Against his king his sword to wield, Leaping across the s.h.i.+eld on s.h.i.+eld Which fenced the king round in the fight, Shows the dog's (1) courage--brave, not bright."

The king said to Bjorn the marshal, "Do thou kill the dog on whom steel will not bite." Bjorn turned round the axe in his hands, and gave Th.o.r.er a blow with the hammer of it on the shoulder so hard that he tottered.

The king at the same moment turned against Kalf and his relations, and gave Olaf his death-wound. Th.o.r.er Hund struck his spear right through the body of Marshal Bjorn, and killed him outright; and Th.o.r.er said, "It is thus we hunt the bear." (2) Thorstein Knarrarsmid struck at King Olaf with his axe, and the blow hit his left leg above the knee. Fin Arnason instantly killed Thorstein. The king after the wound staggered towards a stone, threw down his sword, and prayed G.o.d to help him. Then Th.o.r.er Hund struck at him with his spear, and the stroke went in under his mail-coat and into his belly. Then Kalf struck at him on the left side of the neck. But all are not agreed upon Kalf having been the man who gave him the wound in the neck. These three wounds were King Olaf's death; and after the king's death the greater part of the forces which had advanced with him fell with the king. Bjarne Gullbrarskald sang these verses about Kalf Arnason:--

"Warrior! who Olaf dared withstand, Who against Olaf held the land, Thou hast withstood the bravest, best, Who e'er has gone to his long rest.

At Stiklestad thou wast the head; With flying banners onwards led Thy bonde troops, and still fought on, Until he fell--the much-mourned one."

Sigvat also made these verses on Bjorn:--

"The marshal Bjorn, too, I find, A great example leaves behind, How steady courage should stand proof, Though other servants stand aloof.