31. KING SIGURD'S DRESS.
King Sigurd Syr was standing
in his corn-field when the
messengers came to him and
brought him the news, and also told
him all that Asta was doing
at home in the house. He had many
people on his farm. Some were
then shearing corn, some bound it
together, some drove it to
the building, some unloaded it and put
it in stack or barn; but the
king, and two men with him, went
sometimes into the field, sometimes
to the place where the corn
was put into the barn. His
dress, it is told, was this: -- he
had a blue kirtle and blue
breeches; shoes which were laced about
the legs; a grey cloak, and
a grey wide-brimmed hat; a veil
before his face; a staff in
his hand with a gilt-silver head on
it and a silver ring around
it. Of Sigurd's living and
disposition it is related that
he was a very gain-making man who
attended carefully to his cattle
and husbandry, and managed his
housekeeping himself. He was
nowise given to pomp, and was
rather taciturn. But he was
a man of the best understanding in
Norway, and also excessively
wealthy in movable property.
Peaceful he was, and nowise
haughty. His wife Asta was generous
and high-minded. Their children
were, Guthorm, the eldest; then
Gunhild; the next Halfdan,
Ingerid, and Harald. The messengers
said to Sigurd, "Asta
told us to bring thee word how much it lay
at her heart that thou shouldst
on this occasion comport thyself
in the fashion of great men,
and show a disposition more akin to
Harald Harfager's race than
to thy mother's father's, Hrane Thin-
nose, or Earl Nereid the Old,
although they too were very wise
men." The king replies,
"The news ye bring me is weighty, and ye
bring it forward in great heat.
Already before now Asta has been
taken up much with people who
were not so near to her; and I see
she is still of the same disposition.
She takes this up with
great warmth; but can she lead
her son out of the business with
the same splendour she is leading
him into it? If it is to
proceed so methinks they who
mix themselves up in it regard
little property or life. For
this man, King Olaf, goes against a
great superiority of power;
and the wrath of the Danish and
Swedish kings lies at the foot
of his determination, if he
ventures to go against them."
32. OF THE FEAST.
When the king had said this
he sat down, and made them take off
his shoes, and put corduvan
boots on, to which he bound his gold
spurs. Then he put off his
cloak and coat, and dressed himself
in his finest clothes, with
a scarlet cloak over all; girded on
his sword, set a gilded helmet
upon his head, and mounted his
horse. He sent his labouring
people out to the neighbourhood,
and gathered to him thirty
well-clothed men, and rode home with
them. As they rode up to the
house, and were near the room, they
saw on the other side of the
house the banners of Olaf coming
waving; and there was he himself,
with about 100 men all well
equipped. People were gathered
over all upon the house-tops.
King Sigurd immediately saluted
his stepson from horseback in a
friendly way, and invited him
and his men to come in and drink a
cup with him. Asta, on the
contrary, went up and kissed her son,
and invited him to stay with
her; and land, and people, and all
the good she could do for him
stood at his service. King Olaf
thanked her kindly for her
invitation. Then she took him by the
hand, and led him into the
room to the high-seat. King Sigurd
got men to take charge of their
clothes, and give their horses
corn; and then he himself went
to his high-seat, and the feast
was made with the greatest
splendour.
33. CONVERSATION OF OLAF AND
SIGURD.
King Olaf had not been long
here before he one day called his
stepfather King Sigurd, his
mother Asta, and his foster-father
Hrane to a conference and consultation.
Olaf began thus: "It has
so happened," said he,
"as is well known to you, that I have
returned to this country after
a very long sojourn in foreign
parts, during all which time
I and my men have had nothing for
our support but what we captured
in war, for which we have often
hazarded both life and soul:
for many an innocent man have we
deprived of his property, and
some of their lives; and foreigners
are now sitting in the possessions
which my father, his father,
and their forefathers for a
long series of generations owned, and
to which I have udal right.
They have not been content with
this, but have taken to themselves
also the properties of all our
relations who are descended
from Harald Harfager. To some they
have left little, to others
nothing at all. Now I will disclose
to you what I have long concealed
in my own mind, that I intend
to take the heritage of my
forefathers; but I will not wait upon
the Danish or Swedish king
to supplicate the least thing from
them, although they for the
time call that their property which
was Harald Harfager's heritage.
To say the truth, I intend
rather to seek my patrimony
with battle-axe and sword, and that
with the help of all my friends
and relations, and of those who
in this business will take
my side. And in this matter I will so
lay hand to the work that one
of two things shall happen, --
either I shall lay all this
kingdom under my rule which they got
into their hands by the slaughter
of my kinsman Olaf Trygvason,
or I shall fall here upon my
inheritance in the land of my
fathers. Now I expect of thee,
Sigurd, my stepfather, as well as
other men here in the country
who have udal right of succession
to the kingdom, according to
the law made by King Harald
Harfager, that nothing shall
be of such importance to you as to
prevent you from throwing off
the disgrace from our family of
being slow at supporting the
man who comes forward to raise up
again our race. But whether
ye show any manhood in this affair
or not, I know the inclination
of the people well, -- that all
want to be free from the slavery
of foreign masters, and will
give aid and strength to the
attempt. I have not proposed this
matter to any before thee,
because I know thou art a man of
understanding, and can best
judge how this my purpose shall be
brought forward in the beginning,
and whether we shall, in all
quietness, talk about it to
a few persons, or instantly declare
it to the people at large.
I have already shown my teeth by
taking prisoner the Earl Hakon,
who has now left the country, and
given me, under oath, the part
of the kingdom which he had
before; and I think it will
be easier to have Earl Svein alone to
deal with, than if both were
defending the country against us."
King Sigurd answers, "It
is no small affair, King Olaf, thou hast
in thy mind; and thy purpose
comes more, methinks, from hasty
pride than from prudence.
But it may be there is a wide
difference between my humble
ways and the high thoughts thou
hast; for whilst yet in thy
childhood thou wast full always of
ambition and desire of command,
and now thou art experienced in
battles, and hast formed thyself
upon the manner of foreign
chiefs. I know therefore well,
that as thou hast taken this into
thy head, it is useless to
dissuade thee from it; and also it is
not to be denied that it goes
to the heart of all who have
courage in them, that the whole
Harfager race and kingdom should
go to the ground. But I will
not bind myself by any promise,
before I know the views and
intentions of other Upland kings; but
thou hast done well in letting
me know thy purpose, before
declaring it publicly to the
people. I will promise thee,
however, my interest with the
kings, and other chiefs, and
country people; and also, King
Olaf, all my property stands to
thy aid, and to strengthen
thee. But we will only produce the
matter to the community so
soon as we see some progress, and
expect some strength to this
undertaking; for thou canst easily
perceive that it is a daring
measure to enter into strife with
Olaf the Swedish king, and
Canute, who is king both of Denmark
and England; and thou requirest
great support under thee, if it
is to succeed. It is not unlikely,
in my opinion, that thou wilt
get good support from the people,
as the commonalty always loves
what is new; and it went so
before, when Olaf Trygvason came here
to the country, that all rejoiced
at it, although he did not long
enjoy the kingdom."
When the consultation had proceeded
so far, Asta took up the
word. "For my part, my
son, I am rejoiced at thy arrival, but
much more at thy advancing
thy honour. I will spare nothing for
that purpose that stands in
my power, although it be but little
help that can be expected from
me. But if a choice could be
made, I would rather that thou
shouldst be the supreme king of
Norway, even if thou shouldst
not sit longer in thy kingdom than
Olaf Trygvason did, than that
thou shouldst not be a greater king
than Sigurd Syr is, and die
the death of old age." With this the
conference closed. King Olaf
remained here a while with all his
men. King Sigurd entertained
them, day about, the one day with
fish and milk, the other day
with flesh-meat and ale.
34. KINGS IN THE UPLAND DISTRICTS.
At that time there were many
kings in the Uplands who had
districts to rule over, and
the most of them were descended from
Harald Harfager. In Hedemark
two brothers ruled -- Hrorek and
Ring; in Gudbrandsdal, Gudrod;
and there was also a king in
Raumarike; and one had Hadaland
and Thoten; and in Valders also
there was a king. With these
district-kings Sigurd had a meeting
up in Hadaland, and Olaf Haraldson
also met with them. To these
district-kings whom Sigurd
had assembled he set forth his stepson
Olaf's purpose, and asked their
aid, both of men and in counsel
and consent; and represented
to them how necessary it was to cast
off the yoke which the Danes
and Swedes had laid upon them. He
said that there was now a man
before them who could head such an
enterprise; and he recounted
the many brave actions which Olaf
had achieved upon his war-expeditions.
Then King Hrorek says, "True
it is that Harald Harfager's kingdom
has gone to decay, none of
his race being supreme king over
Norway. But the people here
in the country have experienced many
things. When King Hakon, Athelstan's
foster-son, was king, all
were content; but when Gunhild's
sons ruled over the country, all
were so weary of their tyranny
and injustice that they would
rather have foreign men as
kings, and be themselves more their
own rulers; for the foreign
kings were usually abroad and cared
little about the customs of
the people if the scat they laid on
the country was paid. When
enmity arose between the Danish king
Harald and Earl Hakon, the
Jomsborg vikings made an expedition
against Norway; then the whole
people arose, and threw the
hostilities from themselves;
and thereafter the people encouraged
Earl Hakon to keep the country,
and defend it with sword and
spear against the Danish king.
But when he had set himself fast
in the kingdom with the help
of the people, he became so hard and
overbearing towards the country-folks,
that they would no longer
suffer him. The Throndhjem
people killed him, and raised to the
kingly power Olaf Trygvason,
who was of the udal succession to
the kingdom, and in all respects
well fitted to be a chief. The
whole country's desire was
to make him supreme king, and raise
again the kingdom which Harald
Harfager had made for himself.
But when King Olaf thought
himself quite firmly seated in his
kingdom, no man could rule
his own concerns for him. With us
small kings he was so unreasonable,
as to take to himself not
only all the scat and duties
which Harald Harfager had levied
from us, but a great deal more.
The people at last had so little
freedom under him, that it
was not allowed to every man to
believe in what god he pleased.
Now since he has been taken away
we have kept friendly with
the Danish king; have received great
help from him when we have
had any occasion for it; and have been
allowed to rule ourselves,
and live in peace and quiet in the
inland country, and without
any overburden. I am therefore
content that things be as they
are, for I do not see what better
rights I am to enjoy by one
of my relations ruling over the
country; and if I am to be
no better off, I will take no part in
the affair."
Then said King Ring, his brother,
"I will also declare my opinion
that it is better for me, if
I hold the same power and property
as now, that my relative is
king over Norway, rather than a
foreign chief, so that our
family may again raise its head in the
land. It is, besides, my opinion
about this man Olaf, that his
fate and luck must determine
whether he is to obtain the kingdom
or not; and if he succeed in
making himself supreme king, then he
will be the best off who has
best deserved his friendship. At
present he has in no respect
greater power than any of us; nay,
indeed, he has less; as we
have lands and kingdoms to rule over,
and he has nothing, and we
are equally entitled by the udal right
to the kingdom as he is himself.
Now, if we will be his men,
give him our aid, allow him
to take the highest dignity in the
country, and stand by him with
our strength, how should he not
reward us well, and hold it
in remembrance to our great
advantage, if he be the honourable
man I believe him to be, and
all say he is? Therefore let
us join the adventure, say I, and
bind ourselves in friendship
with him."
Then the others, one after
the other, stood up and spoke; and the
conclusion was, that the most
of them determined to enter into a
league with King Olaf. He
promised them his perfect friendship,
and that he would hold by and
improve the country's laws and
rights, if he became supreme
king of Norway. This league was
confirmed by oath.
35. OLAF GETS THE TITLE OF
KING FROM THE THING.
Thereafter the kings summoned
a Thing, and there King Olaf set
forth this determination to
all the people, and his demand on the
kingly power. He desires that
the bondes should receive him as
king; and promises, on the
other hand, to allow them to retain
their ancient laws, and to
defend the land from foreign masters
and chiefs. On this point
he spoke well, and long; and he got
great praise for his speech.
Then the kings rose and spoke, the
one after the other, and supported
his cause, and this message to
the people. At last it came
to this, that King Olaf was
proclaimed king over the whole
country, and the kingdom adjudged
to him according to law in
the Uplands (A.D. 1014).
36. KING OLAF TRAVELS IN THE
UPLANDS.
King Olaf began immediately
his progress through the country,
appointing feasts before him
wherever there were royal farms.
First he travelled round in
Hadaland, and then he proceeded north
to Gudbrandsdal. And now it
went as King Sigurd Syr had
foretold, that people streamed
to him from all quarters; and he
did not appear to have need
for half of them, for he had nearly
300 men. But the entertainments
bespoken did not half serve; for
it had been the custom that
kings went about in guest-quarters in
the Uplands with 60 or 70 men
only, and never with more than 100
men. The king therefore hastened
over the country, only stopping
one night at the same place.
When he came north to Dovrefield,
he arranged his journey so
that he came over the mountain and
down upon the north side of
it, and then came to Opdal, where he
remained all night. Afterwards
he proceeded through Opdal
forest, and came out at Medaldal,
where he proclaimed a Thing,
and summoned the bondes to
meet him at it. The king made a
speech to the Thing, and asked
the bondes to accept him as king;
and promised, on his part,
the laws and rights which King Olaf
Trygvason had offered them.
The bondes had no strength to make
opposition to the king; so
the result was that they received him
as king, and confirmed it by
oath: but they sent word to Orkadal
and Skaun of all that they
knew concerning Olaf's proceedings.
37. LEVY AGAINST OLAF IN THRONDHJEM.
Einar Tambaskelfer had a farm
and house at Husaby in Skaun; and
now when he got news of Olaf's
proceedings, he immediately split
up a war-arrow, and sent it
out as a token to the four quarters
-- north, south, east, west,
-- to call together all free and
unfree men in full equipment
of war: therewith the message, that
they were to defend the land
against King Olaf. The message-
stick went to Orkadal, and
thence to Gaulardal, where the whole
war-force was to assemble.
38. OLAF'S PROGRESS IN THRONDHJEM.
King Olaf proceeded with his
men down into Orkadal, and advanced
in peace and with all gentleness;
but when he came to Griotar he
met the assembled bondes, amounting
to more than 700 men. Then
the king arrayed his army,
for he thought the bondes were to give
battle. When the bondes saw
this, they also began to put their
men in order; but it went on
very slowly, for they had not agreed
beforehand who among them should
be commander. Now when King
Olaf saw there was confusion
among the bondes, he sent to them
Thorer Gudbrandson; and when
he came he told them King Olaf did
not want to fight them, but
named twelve of the ablest men in
their flock of people, who
were desired to come to King Olaf.
The bondes agreed to this;
and the twelve men went over a rising
ground which is there, and
came to the place where the king's
army stood in array. The king
said to them, "Ye bondes have done
well to give me an opportunity
to speak with you, for now I will
explain to you my errand here
to the Throndhjem country. First I
must tell you, what ye already
must have heard, that Earl Hakon
and I met in summer; and the
issue of our meeting was, that he
gave me the whole kingdom he
possessed in the Throndhjem country,
which, as ye know, consists
of Orkadal, Gaulardal, Strind, and
Eyna district. As a proof
of this, I have here with me the very
men who were present, and saw
the earl's and my own hands given
upon it, and heard the word
and oath, and witnessed the agreement
the earl made with me. Now
I offer you peace and law, the same
as King Olaf Trygvason offered
before me."
The king spoke well, and long;
and ended by proposing to the
bondes two conditions -- either
to go into his service and be
subject to him, or to fight
him. Thereupon the twelve bondes
went back to their people,
and told the issue of their errand,
and considered with the people
what they should resolve upon.
Although they discussed the
matter backwards and forwards for a
while, they preferred at last
to submit to the king; and it was
confirmed by the oath of the
bondes. The king now proceeded on
his journey, and the bondes
made feasts for him. The king then
proceeded to the sea-coast,
and got ships; and among others he
got a long-ship of twenty benches
of rowers from Gunnar of
Gelmin; another ship of twenty
benches he got from Loden of
Viggia; and three ships of
twenty benches from the farm of Angrar
on the ness which farm Earl
Hakon had possessed, but a steward
managed it for him, by name
Bard White. The king had, besides,
four or five boats; and with
these vessels he went in all haste
into the fjord of Throndhjem.
39. OF EARL SVEIN'S PROCEEDINGS.
Earl Svein was at that time
far up in the Throndhjem fjord at
Steinker, which at that time
was a merchant town, and was there
preparing for the yule festival
(A.D. 1015). When Einar
Tambaskelfer heard that the
Orkadal people had submitted to King
Olaf, he sent men to Earl Svein
to bring him the tidings. They
went first to Nidaros, and
took a rowing-boat which belonged to
Einar, with which they went
out into the fjord, and came one day
late in the evening to Steinker,
where they brought to the earl
the news about all King Olaf's
proceedings. The earl owned a
long-ship, which was lying
afloat and rigged just outside the
town: and immediately, in the
evening, he ordered all his movable
goods, his people's clothes,
and also meat and drink, as much as
the vessel could carry, to
be put on board, rowed immediately out
in the night-time, and came
with daybreak to Skarnsund. There he
saw King Olaf rowing in with
his fleet into the fjord. The earl
turned towards the land within
Masarvik, where there was a thick
wood, and lay so near the rocks
that the leaves and branches hung
over the vessel. They cut
down some large trees, which they laid
over the quarter on the sea-side,
so that the ship could not be
seen for leaves, especially
as it was scarcely clear daylight
when the king came rowing past
them. The weather was calm, and
the king rowed in among the
islands; and when the king's fleet
was out of sight the earl rowed
out of the fjord, and on to
Frosta, where his kingdom lay,
and there he landed.
40. EARL SVEIN'S AND EINAR'S
CONSULTATIONS.
Earl Svein sent men out to
Gaulardal to his brother-in-law, Einar
Tambaskelfer; and when Einar
came the earl told him how it had
been with him and King Olaf,
and that now he would assemble men
to go out against King Olaf,
and fight him.
Einar answers, "We should
go to work cautiously, and find out
what King Olaf intends doing;
and not let him hear anything
concerning us but that we are
quiet. It may happen that if he
hears nothing about our assembling
people, he may sit quietly
where he is in Steinker all
the Yule; for there is plenty
prepared for him for the Yule
feast: but if he hears we are
assembling men, he will set
right out of the fjord with his
vessels, and we shall not get
hold of him." Einar's advice was
taken; and the earl went to
Stjoradal, into guest-quarters among
the bondes.
When King Olaf came to Steinker
he collected all the meat
prepared for the Yule feast,
and made it be put on board,
procured some transport vessels,
took meat and drink with him,
and got ready to sail as fast
as possible, and went out all the
way to Nidaros. Here King
Olaf Trygvason had laid the foundation
of a merchant town, and had
built a king's house: but before that
Nidaros was only a single house,
as before related. When Earl
Eirik came to the country,
he applied all his attention to his
house of Lade, where his father
had had his main residence, and
he neglected the houses which
Olaf had erected at the Nid; so
that some were fallen down,
and those which stood were scarcely
habitable. King Olaf went
now with his ships up the Nid, made
all the houses to be put in
order directly that were still
standing, and built anew those
that had fallen down, and employed
in this work a great many people.
Then he had all the meat and
drink brought on shore to the
houses, and prepared to hold Yule
there; so Earl Svein and Einar
had to fall upon some other plan.
41. OF SIGVAT THE SKALD.
There was an Iceland man called
Thord Sigvaldaskald, who had been
long with Earl Sigvalde, and
afterwards with the earl's brother,
Thorkel the Tall; but after
the earl's death Thord had become a
merchant. He met King Olaf
on his viking cruise in the west, and
entered into his service, and
followed him afterwards. He was
with the king when the incidents
above related took place. Thord
had a son called Sigvat fostered
in the house of Thorkel at
Apavatn, in Iceland. When
he was nearly a grown man he went out
of the country with some merchants;
and the ship came in autumn
to the Throndhjem country,
and the crew lodged in the hered
(district). The same winter
King Olaf came to Throndhjem, as
just now related by us. Now
when Sigvat heard that his father
Thord was with the king, he
went to him, and stayed a while with
him. Sigvat was a good skald
at an early age. He made a lay in
honour of King Olaf, and asked
the king to listen to it. The
king said he did not want poems
composed about him, and said he
did not understand the skald's
craft. Then Sigvat sang: --
"Rider of dark-blue
ocean's steeds!
Allow one skald to sing
thy deeds;
And listen to the song
of one
Who can sing well, if
any can.
For should the king despise
all others,
And show no favour to
my brothers,
Yet I may all men's favour
claim,
Who sing, still of our
great king's fame."
King Olaf gave Sigvat as a
reward for his verse a gold ring that
weighed half a mark, and Sigvat
was made one of King Olaf's
court-men. Then Sigvat sang:
--
"I willingly receive
this sword --
By land or sea, on shore,
on board,
I trust that I shall ever
be
Worthy the sword received
from thee.
A faithful follower thou
hast bound --
A generous master I have
found;
Master and servant both
have made
Just what best suits them
by this trade."
Earl Svein had, according to
custom, taken one half of the
harbour-dues from the Iceland
ship-traders about autumn (A.D.
1014); for the Earls Eirik
and Hakon had always taken one half of
these and all other revenues
in the Throndhjem country. Now when
King Olaf came there, he sent
his men to demand that half of the
tax from the Iceland traders;
and they went up to the king's
house and asked Sigvat to help
them. He went to the king, and
sang: --
"My prayer, I trust,
will not be vain --
No gold by it have I to
gain:
All that the king himself
here wins
Is not red gold, but a
few skins.
it is not right that these
poor men
Their harbour-dues should
pay again.
That they paid once I
know is true;
Remit, great king, what
scarce is due."
42. OF EARL SVEIN.
Earl Svein and Einar Tambaskelfer
gathered a large armed force,
with which they came by the
upper road into Gaulardal, and so
down to Nidaros, with nearly
2000 men. King Olaf's men were out
upon the Gaular ridge, and
had a guard on horseback. They became
aware that a force was coming
down the Gaulardal, and they
brought word of it to the king
about midnight. The king got up
immediately, ordered the people
to be wakened, and they went on
board of the ships, bearing
all their clothes and arms on board,
and all that they could take
with them, and then rowed out of the
river. Then came the earl's
men to the town at the same moment,
took all the Christmas provision,
and set fire to the houses.
King Olaf went out of the fjord
down to Orkadal, and there landed
the men from their ships.
From Orkadal they went up to the
mountains, and over the mountains
eastwards into Gudbrandsdal.
In the lines composed about
Kleng Brusason, it is said that Earl
Eirik burned the town of Nidaros:
--
"The king's half-finished
hall,
Rafters, root, and all,
Is burned down by the
river's side;
The flame spreads o'er
the city wide."
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 ships. 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
Harfager, 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
Saturday before Palm Sunday.
King Olaf himself had a ship 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 ships 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 shore. Then he made a speech to
the troops, and told the whole
assembly 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 ships, 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 ships 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 ships 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 ship 100
men armed in coats of ring-mail,
and in foreign helmets. The
most of his men had white shields,
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 mass to be read before him, went
on board ship, 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 ships
together, to set up their banners,
and to make ready for the
fight. When King Olaf saw
this he hastened the rowing, laid his
ship 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 ships of
war pushed on,
And lashed their stout
stems one to one."
It is said that King Olaf brought
his ships 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 circumstances:
--
"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 shield-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
ship, 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 shirts
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 ships, 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 ship 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 ship our
brave lads spring, --
On shield and helm their
red blades ring;
The air resounds with
stroke on stroke, --
The shields 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 shore."
And also these lines: --
"The shields 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
breasts 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
ship 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
ship loose, which they did. Then the
king's men threw grapplings
over the timber heads of the ship,
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 noble
ship to save,
To cut the posts loud
order gave.
The ship 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 ship's stern
his birds were bloated."
Einar Tambaskelfer had laid
his ship right alongside the earl's.
They threw an anchor over the
bows of the earl's ship, 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 ship;
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 ship:
--
"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.
50. OLAF'S AND SIGURD'S CONSULTATION.
When King Olaf and his men
saw that the earl had gathered his
ships together, Sigurd Syr
was in haste for pursuing the earl,
and letting steel decide their
cause. But King Olaf replies,
that he would first see what
the earl intended doing -- whether
he would keep his force together
or discharge his fleet. Sigurd
Syr said, "It is for thee,
king, to command; but," he adds, "I
fear, from thy disposition
and wilfulness, that thou wilt some
day be betrayed by trusting
to those great people, for they are
accustomed of old to bid defiance
to their sovereigns." There
was no attack made, for it
was soon seen that the earl's fleet
was dispersing. Then King
Olaf ransacked the slain, and remained
there some days to divide the
booty. At that time Sigvat made
these verses: --
"The tale I tell
is true
To their homes returned
but few
Of Svein's men who came
to meet
King Olaf's gallant fleet.
From the North these warmen
came
To try the bloody game,
--
On the waves their corpses
borne
Show the game that Sunday
morn.
The Throndhjem girls so
fair
Their jeers, I think,
will spare,
For the king's force was
but small
That emptied Throndhjem's
hall.
But if they will have
their jeer,
They may ask their sweethearts
dear,
Why they have returned
shorn
Who went to shear that
Sunday morn."
And also these: --
"Now will the king's
power rise,
For the Upland men still
prize
The king who o'er the
sea
Steers to bloody victory.
Earl Svein! thou now
wilt know
That our lads can make
blood flow --
That the Hedemarkers hale
Can do more than tap good
ale."
King Olaf gave his stepfather
King Sigurd Syr, and the other
chiefs who had assisted him,
handsome presents at parting. He
gave Ketil of Ringanes a yacht
of fifteen benches of rowers,
which Ketil brought up the
Raum river and into the Mjosen lake.