Part 14

But when Asmund grew to man's estate soon showed he himself of an unruly complexion & a manslayer; and the King being ill-pleased thereat sent him away, but gave him a company of men and a goodly feof whereof could he full well find support.

Now no sooner had Asmund accepted the money of the King than gathered he many men to him, and thereafter, since the money the King had granted him sufficed in no sort for his charges, seized he many possessions of the King.

For this ill conduct, when the King heard thereof, summoned he Asmund to him, and when they met told him that obeyed would he be, that he must enter his body-guard & no longer have his own company of men. When Asmund had been a time with the King, became he ill-content, & one night ran he away and rejoined his company, and thereafter wrought even more evil than aforetime.

Then it befell once upon a time when the King was riding in his dominions, that he came nigh unto the place where then abode Asmund and he despatched men to take him by force, and that done the King had him put in irons and kept him thus for a while to see if he would not grow meeker. But when Asmund was let loose from his irons forthwith ran he the more away, & raised men and war-ships, and fell to harrying both at home and abroad, & much war-work did he, slaying many folk, and pillaging far and wide. Those men that were the sufferers from his raids went to the King and made plaint before him, and he rejoined: 'Why say ye this to me, why do ye not fare to Hakon Ivarson? He is now the warden of my coasts, and is put there to punish vikings and keep the peace for ye peasants. It was told me that Hakon was a bold man and brave, but methinks that now is he never to be found where he deemeth danger to be toward.'

These words from the King, and many added to them, came to the ears of Hakon, & thereon went Hakon & his men in search of Asmund, & they were met on their ships, wherefore Hakon forthwith gave battle. A hard & great struggle was it; Hakon boarded Asmund's ship and cleared it, and at the last he and Asmund themselves dealt blows one at another with their weapons & thus fell Asmund. Thereafter Hakon smote off his head, & then betook him with all speed to King Svein whom he found sitting at table.

Hakon advanced before the table and laid the head thereon, in front of the King, and asked of him whether he recognized it.

Never a word did the King answer, but he was blood-red to behold.

Thereafter went Hakon away. A little later sent the King men to him, to bid him leave his service, & he said: 'No hurt will I do him, but it is not for us to be the keeper of all our kinsmen.'

|| Then when all these things were accomplished did Hakon quit Denmark & thence fared forth to the north of Norway, to his demesne.

By that time was his kinsman, Earl Orm, dead.

The friends and kindred to Hakon were rejoiced over his coming, and many a bold man set to work to make peace betwixt him & the King, & in the end were they reconciled, to wit, both King Harald and Hakon; and Hakon was given Ragnhild, the King's daughter, in marriage, & King Harald gave him Orm's earldom and such rule as had been Orm's aforetime. Hakon swore fealty to the King, and likewise to afford him such service as he was bounden to give him.

|| Since he had fared from Norway had Calf Arnison been living after the fashion of a viking westward, but the winters through oft-times abode he in Orkneyja (the Orkneys) with his kinsman-in-law, Earl Thorfin. Fin Arnison sent to his brother Calf to tell him concerning the covenant which he and King Harald had encompassed, the purport whereof being ye outlawry of Calf himself, to wit, that it should be once more lawful to him to dwell in his own land, and possess his estates, and such land dues as he had held aforetime from King Magnus. When Calf received this message, forthwith made he him ready to quit, and sailed he east to Norway, and firstly sought he his brother Fin.

Thereafter Fin craved a truce for Calf, and then were they confronted, the King and Calf, & entered into a covenant like unto the agreement to which the King & Fin had arrived on this matter. Thereon gave Calf his hand, and bound himself on the same terms as he had bound himself to King Magnus aforetime, that he would do all such works as King Harald desired or deemed would be for the strengthening of his kingdom.

Then was Calf re-endowed with all his possessions, and the land-dues which had been his in former days.

|| Next summer called out King Harald an host and fared to Denmark where he harried during the summer.

But when he was come south to Fion (Funen) found he a large host assembled against him, so bade the King his men leave their ships and arm themselves in order to make a landing; and parted he his host and gave to Calf Arnison command over one company thereof, and bade them go the first ashore and told them where to take up their station; himself, said he, would go up after them, and come to their assistance.

Calf and his men went ashore, and anon a band of men set upon them, and Calf forthwith gave battle. Not long was the combat, for Calf was overborne by odds and fled with his folk. The Danes pursued them, slaying many of the Norwegians, and likewise Calf Arnison.

When King Harald with his company were come ashore soon found they the slain, more especially the corse of Calf, and this was borne down to the ships, but the King pursued his march inland where he harried and slew many men. Thus saith Arnor:

'The edge so sharp in Fion He reddened, and the fire Rushed o'er the dwelling; Fewer folk were there thereafter in Fion.'

|| After this conceived Fin Arnison enmity against Harald for the slaying of his brother Calf, for said he that the King had purposely compassed the death of Calf; and furthermore that it was befooling of him himself, to wit, this luring of Calf west across the seas into the power of King Harald, and into putting faith in him. When these words were spread abroad spake many men their mind that Fin had been simple when he had deemed that Calf could trust in the good faith of King Harald, for it was known that the King bore malice for deeds of smaller consequence than those Calf had committed against his person.

Now let the King every man talk on this matter as he listed: he made neither confirmation nor yet contradiction of whatsoever they said, and it was in his own words alone that men did discover satisfaction at what had happened. King Harald chanted this song:

'Now of men eleven and two have I the bane been, We incite to battle and full many a slaying I remember. That mind which is with treason fraught Seeks to tame men by falseness; Men say 'tis little that it takes such a balance to disturb.'

|| So much to heart did Fin Arnison take the death of his brother that he quitted the land and came south to Denmark, and going unto King Svein was well received by him. The King & he spake long together privily, & at the end thereof was it known how Fin was minded then and there to take service with King Svein and become his man. To him gave Svein the title or Earl and therewith Halland to govern, and there Fin tarried to safeguard the coast against the Norwegians.

|| Now Ketil Calf & Gunhild had a son whose name was Guthorm of Ringanes. On his mother's side was he the nephew of King Olaf and King Harald, able was he withal & early come to manhood. Guthorm was oft with King Harald who to him was of very friendly countenance, and over Harald had Guthorm much influence for he was a wise man & well-beloved of all. Guthorm sailed often on viking cruises to the lands in the west, and had disposition over many men.

His peace-land & place of abode in winter was Dublin in Ireland, where he was a sworn friend of King Margad.Sec.

|| The summer thereafter King Margad and Guthorm with him fared to Bretland (Wales) in order to harry there, and thence took they much wealth which they had pillaged. After having done thus, lay they to in Anglesey Sound so that they might part their plunder, but when all the silver, and great was the quantity, was carried before the King and he beheld it, then desired he to keep all for himself, and seemed now to set scant store by his friendship with Guthorm.

Guthorm liked ill enough that he and his men should be scotched of their share of the booty; & still less pleased was he when the King said he might choose betwixt two things; 'Either to submit to our will, or do battle with us, and he who gets the victory to have the money; and thou moreover shalt depart from thy ships and I will take them.' Now on either hand the task seemed severe; Guthorm deemed it unseemly that he should without rime or reason give up his ships & money, but natheless was it ill fighting over against a King to whom was an host so large as that which followed Margad. Grave also was the disparity betwixt the crews thereof, inasmuch as to the King were sixteen long-ships & to Guthorm only five. So Guthorm prayed the King grant him three nights' truce in the which to confer with his men on this matter, for thought he that he could soften the King within this time, and aided by the pleading of his men could set the matter on a better footing with the King, but never a bit did he get what he asked for. This was on the eve of St. Olafmas.Sec. So Guthorm chose to die, the stout fellow he was, or win the day, rather than suffer the shame and disgrace and mockery of having lost so vast a deal.

And called he upon God and the sainted King Olaf, his kinsman, praying for their help and support, and vowing to bestow on that holy man's house a tithe of all the plunder which would fall to them an they gained the victory. Thereafter did he array his host, and rank it against the greater host, and he advanced on them and fought with them, and by God's help and that of the holy King Olaf did he gain the victory. There fell King Margad, and every man who was with him, young & old. After this glorious victory Guthorm returned home joyfully with all the wealth he had gotten from the strife; & from the silver which had changed hands every tenth penny was set aside for the sainted King Olaf even as Guthorm had vowed. A vast deal of money was there so that from the silver caused Guthorm to be made a rood of his own stature, or of that of the captain of his ship, and that holy symbol is seven ells in height.

This cross did Guthorm give to the church of the holy St. Olaf, & thereSec. has it remained ever since in testimony of ye victory of Guthorm and the miracle of ye sainted King Olaf.

|| Now there was in Denmark a Count who was evil & envious, and he had a Norwegian serving-woman and the stock of her was from Throndhjem. She worshipped the holy King Olaf, and put staunch faith in his sanctity; but the Count misdoubted all that had been told him of the miracles of that holy man, & affirmed that naught were they but rumour and talk, and laughed to scorn all the praise and worship which the folk of the land accorded the good King.

But now was drawing nigh the day whereon the gentle King laid down his life, a day which all Norwegians kept, but which this unwise count refused to hallow; & he bade his serving-woman fire the oven and bake on that day.

And deeming from the mood of the Count that he would soon avenge himself on her an she did not obey him in all that he had bidden her do, went she all unwillingly and laid fire under the oven, and made much plaint while she worked, & called on King Olaf, saying that she would never believe more on him if he did not by some token or other avenge this unseemliness. And now shall ye hear of a meet chastisement & true miracle: it befell forthwith, in the self-same moment, that the Count became blind in both eyes and that the bread which she had baked was turned into stone.

Some of the stones have been brought to the church of the holy King Olaf, and also to many other places. St. Olafmas has ever been kept holy in Denmark since that happening.

[Illustration]

|| Westward in Valland (France) was there a man who was so malformed that he was a cripple, and crawled he ever on his knees and knuckles. One day when he was abroad, on a road, he fell asleep & dreamt that a man all glorious without came to him and asked whither was he bound, and the cripple answered with the name of a certain town.

Then the man all glorious said: 'Fare thee rather to St. Olaf's Church in London, and there wilt thou be healed.' Thereafter awakened the cripple and straightway fared in search of St. Olaf's Church, and after a while was come to London Bridge & there asked of the townsmen whether they could direct him to St. Olaf's Church; but for answer gat he that there were too many churches for them to know to what man each of them was dedicated. A while later came up a man & asked him whither was he bound, and he told him whither he was bound, and that man said afterwards: 'We will both go to St. Olaf's Church, for I know the way thither.'

So then crossed they the bridge, and went to the street which led to St. Olaf's Church. When they were come to the gates of the churchyard the man stepped over the threshold which is between the gates, but the cripple rolled over it, and lo, straightway rose he up a whole man. When he looked round his comrade was gone.

|| King Harald founded a merchant town eastward in Oslo,Sec. and often tarried there for it had broad countrysides round about, and was a place suited for the ingathering of victuals; likewise was it well situated for the defence of the land against the Danes, & also for onsets on Denmark which Harald was wont to make even at such times when he had a large host at his beck.

One summer fared King Harald with some light ships and but few men and set he sail south for Viken; but on a fair wind springing up, crossed he the sea to Jutland where he began to harry.

The men of the land, however, collected themselves together & defended their country, so then sailed King Harald on to Limfjord and went up that fjord.

Now Limfjord is so fashioned in shape that going up it is like entering into a narrow river-groove, but as thou goest on up the fjord it becometh like a great sea.

Harald harried there on both shores, but beheld the Danes everywhere assembled in numbers. King Harald brought-to his ships alongside an island which was small & thereon were no buildings; and when they went in search of water they found none, and told it unto the King.

Then he did send men to see if no adder could be found on the isle, & when one had been found they brought it to the King and he had the adder taken to the fire so that it might be warmed and teased thereby, and become right thirsty. Thereafter a twine was bound to its tail and the adder was let loose, and it crawled away and the twine was unwound from the ball, and they followed after the adder until it struck into the earth.

Then the King bade them dig for water, and they dug for it, and there found water in abundance.

|| From his spies learned King Harald the intelligence that King Svein was come with a large fleet of ships to the mouth of the fjord, and that he was making way but slowly, for his ships could only pass in one at a time. King Harald took his ships up Limfjord, and over against where it is broadest it is called Lusbreid. Now from the creek within is there a narrow neck of land westward (north) leading to the sea, and thither did the men to Harald row in the evening; after nightfall, when it was dark, they cleared the ships & haled them right over this isthmus, and before daylight all was accomplished and the ships once more ready for sea. Then shaped he the course northward past Jutland, and they sang:

'From Danish grip Did Harald slip.'

|| At that time said the King that he would come to Denmark once again, & would bring with him more men & larger ships. After these things fared they northward to Throndhjem.

|| That winter abode King Harald in Nidaros, & at this time caused he a ship to be builded out on the islands, and it was a bussa-shipSec. made after the model of the Long Serpent and wrought every way as carefully as might be.

At her bows was a dragon-head and at her stern a crook, and the ......Sec. were all overlaid with gold. On her were thirty-five benches, and broad was she of beam in comparison therewith.

Very fair to behold was she. The King caused all the appurtenances of the ship to be chosen with exceeding great care, both the sail, the running tackle, the anchor and the cables.

That winter King Harald sent word southward to Denmark to King Svein, bidding him come in spring from the south to the River, to a meeting with him, & saying that they would then fight to the end that one or other of their countries should change hands, & the victor become master of both kingdoms.

|| That winter called out King Harald a host, a general host, from all Norway, and by spring-tide had been assembled together a mighty array of men.

Then launched the King his great ship on the river Nid, and after that was accomplished caused he the dragon-head be placed thereon.

Then sang Thiodolf the Skald:

'Fair maid, forward is the ship guided, from river to main. Mark where off the land there lieth the long hull of the dragon. The mane of the serpent yellow-green glints on the deck, The prows were burnt-gold as from off the slip she glided.'

|| Thereafter fitted King Harald out the ship and his men for a cruise, and all being made ready, stood he down the river, and right well answered she to the oars. Thus saith Thiodolf:

'Saturday the prince casts off the long land tilts, There where the widows proud the serpent watch, As she glideth from the town. West from the Nid thereafter the King doth steer, Into the sea drop the oars of his men. Move can they, the King's lads, the straight oars in the water. The widows stand and wonder at the oar-strokes so swift, The thole knows hurt when seventy oars do move her I' the water ere the war-folk on the sea their oars do strain. Northmen the serpent row (nailed is she) out on the billow-stream icy; 'Tis eagles' wings that we behold.'

|| Southward sailed King Harald with his host alongside the land, so that he might call out a general muster of men and ships. But when they were come eastward, and were off Vik, arose a strong contrary wind wherefore was the fleet obliged to stand in for harbour, making such havens as were to be found in the skerries as well as those in the fjords.

Quoth Thiodolf:

'Lee have the shaven hulls of the ships under the woods, The King's war-host towards land doth lean with its prow beams. The land-folk in the skerries, within the creeks, do lie; The ships white-mailed hide under the land-necks.'

|| Now in the tempest which fell upon them the great ship had need of good anchor tackle, and thus saith Thiodolf:

'Prow foremost the prince cleft High fences of the sea; The ropes of the King's ship Are strained to the utmost; The wind is unfriendly Against the anchor-iron out-hollowed, Grit and wind-squalls ugly Chafe at the anchor flukes.'

|| As soon as there was come to him a fair wind, took King Harald the host east to the River, and thither came towards nightfall. Thus saith Thiodolf:

'Now drave King Harald hotly the war-ships towards the River, At nightfall Norway's King anigh the marches is. A Thing the King now holds at Thumla, there where Svein Will meet to war if so be the Danes shirk not the tryst.'

|| When the Danes learned that the hosts of the Norwegians were come, all those that were able to do so fled away.

The Norwegians likewise learnt that the Danish King had his host out, and was lying south off Funen and the small-isles; but when King Harald saw that King Svein would not come to meet him as had been agreed, nor do battle with him, then did he after the same fashion as before & let the peasant host return to Norway; but manned he one hundred and fiftySec. ships, & with these steered a course alongside Halland. There he plundered widely; and he put in also to Lofufjord with his host, and going up onto the land harried there likewise. Somewhile later came King Svein to the encounter with the Danish host, and to him was a tale of three hundredSec. ships. When the Norwegians saw this fleet bade King Harald a blast be blown to summon his host together, & many spake saying that they ought to flee, & that it was unavailing for them to fight, but the King answered thus: 'We will fall one atop of the other rather than flee!' Thus saith Stein Herdason:

'Said the chief high-minded, what now he awaited. Here (said the King) he had all hope of peace lost. Rather than yield, cried the King, should each man fall one on the top of the other. Their arms then took the men.'

|| Then let King Harald his ships be cleared for action, and brought his great dragon forward into the very midst of the host. Thus saith Thiodolf:

'The giver of kindly gifts Who oft to the wolf gave food, His dragon-ship put forward Midmost in the war-host.'

|| This ship was well fitted out, and had a large crew.

And again saith Thiodolf: