Heimskringla, or the Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Part 79

61. KING HARALD HAD A s.h.i.+P BUILT.

King Harald remained all winter at Nidaros (A.D. 1062) and had a vessel built out upon the strand, and it was a buss. The s.h.i.+p was built of the same size as the Long Serpent, and every part of her was finished with the greatest care. On the stem was a dragon-head, and on the stern a dragon-tail, and the sides of the bows of the s.h.i.+p were gilt. The vessel was of thirty-five rowers benches, and was large for that size, and was remarkably handsome; for the king had everything belonging to the s.h.i.+p's equipment of the best, both sails and rigging, anchors and cables. King Harald sent a message in winter south to Denmark to King Svein, that he should come northwards in spring; that they should meet at the Gaut river and fight, and so settle the division of the countries that the one who gained the victory should have both kingdoms.

62. KING HARALD'S CHALLENGE.

King Harald during this winter called out a general levy of all the people of Norway, and a.s.sembled a great force towards spring. Then Harald had his great s.h.i.+p drawn down and put into the river Nid, and set up the dragon's head on her. Thiodolf, the skald, sang about it thus:--

"My lovely girl! the sight was grand When the great war-s.h.i.+ps down the strand Into the river gently slid, And all below her sides was hid.

Come, lovely girl, and see the show!-- Her sides that on the water glow, Her serpent-head with golden mane, All s.h.i.+ning back from the Nid again."

Then King Harald rigged out his s.h.i.+p, got ready for sea, and when he had all in order went out of the river. His men rowed very skilfully and beautifully. So says Thiodolf:--

"It was upon a Sat.u.r.day, s.h.i.+p-tilts were struck and stowed away, And past the town our dragon glides, That girls might see our glancing sides.

Out from the Nid brave Harald steers; Westward at first the dragon veers; Our lads together down with oars, The splash is echoed round the sh.o.r.es.

"Their oars our king's men handle well, One stroke is all the eye can tell: All level o'er the water rise; The girls look on in sweet surprise.

Such things, they think, can ne'er give way; The little know the battle day.

The Danish girls, who dread our shout, Might wish our s.h.i.+p-gear not so stout.

"'Tis in the fight, not on the wave, That oars may break and fail the brave.

At sea, beneath the ice-cold sky, Safely our oars o'er ocean ply; And when at Throndhjem's holy stream Our seventy cars in distance gleam, We seem, while rowing from the sea, An erne with iron wings to be."

King Harald sailed south along the land, and called out the levy everywhere of men and s.h.i.+ps. When they came east to Viken they got a strong wind against them and the forces lay dispersed about in the harbour; some in the isles outside, and some in the fjords. So says Thiodolf:--

"The cutters' sea-bleached bows scarce find A shelter from the furious wind Under the inland forests' side, Where the fjord runs its farthest tide.

In all the isles and creeks around The bondes' s.h.i.+ps lie on the ground, And s.h.i.+ps with gunwales hung with s.h.i.+elds Seek the lee-side of the green fields."

In the heavy storm that raged for some time the great s.h.i.+p had need of good ground tackle. So says Thiodolf:--

"With lofty bow above the seas, Which curl and fly before the breeze, The gallant vessel rides and reels, And every plunge her cable feels.

The storm that tries the spar and mast Tries the main-anchor at the last: The storm above, below the rock, Chafe the thick cable with each shock."

When the weather became favourable King Harald sailed eastwards to the Gaut river with his fleet and arrived there in the evening. So says Thiodolf:--

"The gallant Harald now has come To Gaut, full half way from his home, And on the river frontier stands, To fight with Svein for life and lands.

The night pa.s.sed o'er, the gallant king Next day at Thumia calls a Thing, Where Svein is challenged to appear-- A day which ravens wish were near."

63. OF KING HARALD'S FLEET.

When the Danes heard that the Northmen's army was come to the Gaut river they all fled who had opportunity to get away. The Northmen heard that the Danish king had also called out his forces and lay in the south, partly at Fyen and partly about Seeland. When King Harald found that King Svein would not hold a meeting with him, or a fight, according to what had been agreed upon between them, he took the same course as before--letting the bonde troops return home, but manning 150 s.h.i.+ps, with which he sailed southwards along Halland, where he herried all round, and then brought up with his fleet in Lofufjord, and laid waste the country. A little afterwards King Svein came upon them with all the Danish fleet, consisting of 300 s.h.i.+ps. When the Northmen saw them King Harald ordered a general meeting of the fleet to be called by sound of trumpet; and many there said it was better to fly, as it was not now advisable to fight. The king replied, "Sooner shall all lie dead one upon another than fly." So says Stein Herdison:--

"With falcon eye, and courage bright, Our king saw glory in the fight; To fly, he saw, would ruin bring On them and him--the folk and king.

'Hands up the arms to one and all!'

Cries out the king; 'we'll win or fall!

Sooner than fly, heaped on each other Each man shall fall across his brother!'"

Then King Harald drew up his s.h.i.+ps to attack, and brought forward his great dragon in the middle of his fleet. So says Thiodolf:--

"The brave king through his vessels' throng His dragon war-s.h.i.+p moves along; He runs her gaily to the front, To meet the coming battle's brunt."

The s.h.i.+p was remarkably well equipt, and fully manned. So says Thiodolf:--

"The king had got a chosen crew-- He told his brave lads to stand true.

The ring of s.h.i.+elds seemed to enclose The s.h.i.+p's deck from the boarding foes.

The dragon, on the Nis-river flood, Beset with men, who thickly stood, s.h.i.+eld touching s.h.i.+eld, was something rare, That seemed all force of man to dare."

Ulf, the marshal, laid his s.h.i.+p by the side of the king's and ordered his men to bring her well forward. Stein Herdison, who was himself in Ulf's s.h.i.+p, sings of it thus:--

"Our oars were stowed, our lances high, As the s.h.i.+p moved swung in the sky.

The marshal Ulf went through our ranks, Drawn up beside the rowers' banks: The brave friend of our gallant king Told us our s.h.i.+p well on to bring, And fight like Nors.e.m.e.n in the cause-- Our Nors.e.m.e.n answered with huzzas."

Hakon Ivarson lay outside on the other wing, and had many s.h.i.+ps with him, all well equipt. At the extremity of the other side lay the Throndhjem chiefs, who had also a great and strong force.

64. OF KING SVEIN'S ARMAMENT.

Svein, the Danish king, also drew up his fleet, and laid his s.h.i.+p forward in the center against King Harald's s.h.i.+p, and Fin Arnason laid his s.h.i.+p next; and then the Danes laid their s.h.i.+ps, according as they were bold or well-equipt. Then, on both sides, they bound the s.h.i.+ps together all through the middle of the fleets; but as the fleets were so large, very many s.h.i.+ps remained loose, and each laid his s.h.i.+p forward according to his courage, and that was very unequal. Although the difference among the men was great, altogether there was a very great force on both sides. King Svein had six earls among the people following him. So says Stein Herdison:--

"Danger our chief would never shun, With eight score s.h.i.+ps he would not run: The Danish fleet he would abide, And give close battle side by side.

From Leire's coast the Danish king Three hundred ocean steeds could bring, And o'er the sea-weed plain in haste Thought Harald's vessels would be chased."

65. BEGINNING OF THE BATTLE OF NIS-RIVER.

As soon as King Harald was ready with his fleet, he orders the war-blast to sound, and the men to row forward to the attack. So says Stein Herdison:--

"Harald and Svein first met as foes, Where the Nis in the ocean flows; For Svein would not for peace entreat, But, strong in s.h.i.+ps, would Harald meet.

The Nors.e.m.e.n prove, with sword in hand, That numbers cannot skill withstand.

Off Halland's coast the blood of Danes The blue sea's calm smooth surface stains."

Soon the battle began, and became very sharp; both kings urging on their men. So says Stein Herdison:--

"Our king, his broad s.h.i.+eld disregarding, More keen for striking than for warding, Now tells his lads their spears to throw,-- Now shows them where to strike a blow.

From fleet to fleet so short the way, That stones and arrows have full play; And from the keen sword dropped the blood Of short-lived seamen in the flood."

It was late in the day when the battle began, and it continued the whole night. King Harald shot for a long time with his bow. So says Thiodolf:--