Part 18

|| Thereon caused William himself to be proclaimed King of England, and thereafter sent he to Earl Walthiof proffering him peace & appointing a truce so that a meeting might take place betwixt them. The Earl fared to it with but few men, and when he was come on the heath north of the castle bridge two of the King's bailiffs advanced upon him with a band of men, and when they had taken him they put him in chains; thereafter he was beheaded.Sec. The English call him sainted. Thus saith Thorkel:

''Tis doubtless that manly Walthiof By William (he who from the south Across the chill main came) Is bewrayed in his trusting. Sooth is that long 'twill be Ere ends the slaying of men In England (swift was my master. No prince like him doth live).'

|| Afterwards lived William as King of England for one and twenty winters, and ever since have his descendants ruled as Kings of England.

|| Now Olaf the son to King Harald Sigurdson took his men and fared away from England, sailing forth from Ravenseer whence they came in autumn to the Orkneys, & there learned they the tidings that Maria the daughter of King Harald Sigurdson had died of a sudden death on the self-same day and in that same hour as her father King Harald had perished. Olaf tarried in the Orkneys the winter through but the summer thereafter fared he east to Norway, and was made King there together with his brother Magnus.

Queen Ellisif journeyed eastward with her step-son Olaf and her daughter Ingigerd.

Skuli also, he who was afterwards called King's-fosterer, & his brother Ketil Crook, likewise fared overseas with Olaf. The twain of them were doughty men, and noble in England, and both were very sage and well-beloved by the King. Ketil Crook fared northward to Halogaland and King Olaf gat him a good marriage, and from him are descended many great men. Skuli, King's-fosterer, was a wise and strong man, very fair to behold; he became captain of King Olaf's body-guard, lent his counsel at the Things, and ruled with the King in all governances of the land. King Olaf desired to give Skuli a province in Norway, whichever he was minded to have, with all the incomes and dues that the King held disposition over, but Skuli thanked him for this offer and said that he would liefer ask for other things because should there be a change of kings perchance the gift would be taken back: 'I will,' said he, 'accept certain domains which lie nigh to the towns, where ye, Sire, are wont to be, and where the Yule feasts are held.' So King Olaf gave him his word thereon, and made over to him lands in the east at Konungahella, and at Oslo, at Tunsberg, at Borg, at Bergen, and in the north at Nidaros. They were nigh upon the best estates at each place, and they have ever since been the possessions of men of the lineage of Skuli.

King Olaf married Skuli to his kinswoman Gudrun Nefsteinsdotir, whose mother was Ingirid the daughter of King Sigurd Sow and his wife Asta. Asta was own sister of King Olaf the Saint & of King Harald. The son of Skuli and Gudrun was Asolf of Reini who was wedded to Thora the daughter of Skopti Ogmundson. The son of Asolf and Thora was Guthorm of Reini, the father of Bard, the father of King Ingi and Duke Skuli.

|| On a winter after the fall of King Harald was his body transported from England to Nidaros and interred there in the Church of St. Mary, that selfsame church the which he himself had caused to be builded.

It was allowed by all that King Harald had exceeded other men in wisdom & resourcefulness, both when he had been fain to act swiftly or had debated long, either for himself or others. The most valiant of all men was he, and victorious withal, even as hath been set forth this while:

'The waster of Zealand's dwellers In boldness ne'er was lacking; Mind ruleth half of victory, And soothly Harald proveth it.'

|| King Harald was stately and goodly to behold, fair hair and a fair beard had he, and a long moustache; of his eyebrows the one was somewhat higher than the other, & he had large hands and feet, but either shapely. Five ells was he in stature. Towards his foes was he cruel, and when withstood revengeful. Thus saith Thiodolf:

'Sage Harald doth arrogance In his thanes chastise; Methinks the King's men bear But that which they mete out. Such burdens bear they As for themselves they care to have (The law is used for each against the other); Thus doth Harald change revenge.'

|| King Harald vastly loved power & all worldly advantages, but towards his friends, even to those whom he liked well, was he very bountiful. Thiodolf telleth us as followeth:

'Of ships'-battle the awakener For my work a mark bestowed; To praise vouchsafeth he Each one who proveth him thereof worthy.'

|| King Harald was fifty years of age when he fell. We have no tales of count regarding his up-growing, or ever he was fifteen winters old and was at Stiklastad, in the battle, with his brother King Olaf. Thereafter lived he for five and thirty years, and during all that time had ever turmoil and strife. King Harald never fled from any battle, but oft-times sought he expedients when the odds of war were against him.

All men who followed him in battle or warfare avowed that when he found himself hard pressed or was obliged to make a swift resolution, he chose that course which afterwards all men saw to be the likeliest to avail.

|| Halldor, the son of Bryniolf the Camel, hight likewise the Old, was a wise man and a great lord, and thus spake he when he heard the conversation of men in respect to the very different natures of King Olaf the Saint and his brother King Harald.

'I was with both brothers,' said he, 'and high in favour, and I wotted the natures of both: never did I find two men so alike at heart. Both were very wise and valiant men, loving possessions and power, masterful, not lowly-hearted, overbearing, haughty, and quick to chastise. King Olaf constrained the people of the land to Christianity and the true Faith, but punished harshly those who turned a deaf ear to his commands.

The chiefs of the land who would not suffer his even-handed dispensation of justice rose up against him and slew him in his own land, and it is for that reason he is called saintly.

But King Harald harried for renown and dominion, bringing under his yoke all people that he could bring under it, and he fell in the land of other kings.

Both these brothers in normal life were men of religion and had regard for their honour; they were likewise travelled & vigorous in mind, & it is from such-like qualities that they waxed so far-famed.'

|| King Magnus Haraldson ruled Norway the first winter after the fall of King Harald, but thereafter ruled he the land for two winters together with his brother King Olaf, and there were then two kings together, Magnus having dominion in the northern half of the land & Olaf in the eastern half. King Magnus had a son who was hight Hakon & his foster-father was Steig-Thorir; a youth of promise was he.

|| After the death of King Harald Sigurdson, Svein, the Danish King, gave out that peace was at an end betwixt Norwegians and Danes, for the pact was made to endure only as long as both kings lived. So then were men mustered in both realms; King Harald's sons called out a general-host and ships from Norway, and King Svein fared northward with the host of the Danes.

And so it was that messengers were thereafter despatched betwixt the kings with offers of peace, and the Norwegians said that they would either keep to the covenant which had been made aforetime or fight. For that reason the following verse was sung:

'With threats and words of peace Olaf his land defended, So that no one from the King Durst claim a right thereto.'

And thus saith Stein Herdason in the lay of Olaf:

'His heritage 'gainst Svein The warlike King defended In that merchant town where resteth (Great is he) the saintly King.'

|| But a compact was come to betwixt the kings at the time of this mustering, & peace ensued in the lands. King Magnus was afterwards stricken with a sickness, the rift-worm sickness, and when he had lain abed for some time died he at Nidaros, and there was buried. He was a King right well-beloved of all the people.

NOTES

These notes, with few exceptions, are taken from Professor Gustav Storm's Norwegian version of the Heimskringla, from which this translation of the Saga of Olaf Tryggvason and of Harald Hardrad (Harald the Tyrant) is made.

ETHEL H. HEARN.

[Transcriber's Note:

For this e-text, the word or phrase referenced in the note is shown in {braces} before the page-and-line citation. Moved markers are individually noted.

"Translator" refers to the English translation (the present text).]

{King Valdamar} Page 12, line 11. Vladimir the Great of Russia (980-1015) became Grand Duke of Novgorod in 970. [Marker printed after "high favour" on following page.]

{'hersir'} Page 19, line 25. The head of a 'her,' _i.e._, a hundred families. The territory inhabited by them was called a 'herath.' The 'hersir' seems to have combined the offices of commander in time of war, and religious head of his tribe. --Translator.

{the Fjords} _Ibid._ Nordfiord and Soendfiord.

{war-fine} Page 20, line 1. Those who absented themselves when the ships were called out for war, or who came to a wrong place of meeting, or at a wrong time, were compelled to pay a war-fine.

{Vingulmark} Page 28, line 31. This is not in accord with page 22, line 2, in which Vingulmark is mentioned as being given to Harald the Grenlander. Perhaps the error is on the page aforesaid, as on page 53, line 30, Harald is described as King of Vestfold only.

{Vindland (Wendland)} Page 30, line 14. The present North Germany, from eastern Holstein to eastern Prussia. [Marker printed after "good havens" on next line.]

{Burizlaf} Page 30, line 17. _I.e._, Boleslaw. By 'Burislav,' as mentioned here, must not be understood Boleslaw I of Poland (992-1025), but his father Miesco or Mieczyslaw (964-992).

{Emperor Otta} Page 31, line 12. The Emperor Otta is the Emperor Otho II (973-983). His march on Denmark did not take place in 988 as Snorri calculates, but late in the autumn of 974. Nor was the Emperor's object the conversion of King Harald, for the latter had accepted Christianity about 960-- but to bring Denmark under his own vassalage.

{Danavirki} Page 31, line 18. The Danavirki, or Danish wall, began in the east at the head of the Slefjord, and extended to the west only as far as the Traeaa, the tributary river of the isthmus, and not to the sea. [Marker printed after "his call" earlier in sentence.]

{likewise King Burizlaf} Page 32, line 24. It is not historical that Burislaw (or Miesco) accompanied the Emperor to the Danish wall; nor was Olaf Tryggvason, who was not full grown in 974, with him.

{saintly bishop} Page 33, line 33. As early as 968 Vidkund of Corvey, in his chronicle of that year, mentions Poppo's miracle and its effect in causing Harald to embrace Christianity. The incident must be ascribed to about the year 906.

{other learned men} Page 34, line 12. 'Learned men' means men trained in the learning of the Church, that is to say, belonging to the priesthood.

{Gat answer Fret} Page 35, line 3. 'Go to Fret' (?) means to consult the gods by means of the so-called 'blotspaan,' or sacrificial shavings. These, and pieces of wood (perhaps inscribed with runes) were disposed in a particular manner, for the purpose of gaining information from the gods as to the future.

{Gyda} Page 39, line 6. Gyda was the daughter of Olaf Kvaran, and not his sister. Olaf Kvaran died an old man in 980. [Correct line reference is 7.]

{holmgangsman} Page 40, line 3. 'Holmgang' so called in Norway because the two combatants retired alone to a holm or uninhabited islet to fight. --Translator.

{across the isthmus} Page 48, line 1. Mandseidet in Stadland.

{Vissavald} Page 55, line 15. The Russian name Wsevolod.

{King Olaf Kvaran} Page 57, line 22. According to English sources Olaf was lying with his fleet off Southampton during the winter of 994-995. He received instruction there in Christianity from English bishops, and was confirmed in the spring of 995, on which occasion King Ethelred was his sponsor. He returned home to his country early in the summer.

{Rimul} Page 59, line 28. Rimul now the farm of Romol (Guldalen) on the west side of the Gula river, opposite Melhus.

{Urgutherjot and Brimiskiar, Page 66 bottom.} _Note missing._

{eastward as far as Lidandisnes} Page 72, line 6. The 'Sogn-sea' formed the boundary between Sogn and Hordaland so that the territory given to Erling was Hordaland, Rogaland, and the western part of Agder, as far as the Naze.

{Sigurd Sow} Page 74, line 4. So-called because he 'rooted in the soil,' _i.e._, practised agriculture.

{Olaf her son} Page 74, line 11. This is not historical. Olaf the Saint was not christened until he was full grown. According to the oldest sources he was baptized in Rouen by Archbishop Robert, the brother of Duke Richard.

{Easter Eve} Page 76, line 21. April 16, 998.

{never should Odin beguile them} Page 78, line 20. Olaf, like all Christians at that time, thought Odin to be an evil spirit.

{war-arrow} Page 78, line 27. A war-arrow was furnished with a cord or twist of withy at one end, and was intended to summon all men armed to a Thing.

{Scipa-Krok} Page 82, line 8. 'Ship-corner,' a little creek of the river Nid, at the end of the present Strand Gade in Trondhjem.

{the Skeggi barrow at Austratt} Page 82, line 13. This barrow, Skjeggehaugen, existed at the beginning of the nineteenth century; it was situated to the south of the farm of 'Oestraat' (Austrat).

{aft with a crook} Page 91, line 33. _Svirar_: what these were is not known; they must have been at the stern of the ship.

{Michaelmas} Page 93, line 16. September 29, 999.

{white weeds} Page 94, line 3. _I.e._, in christening raiment, which was worn for a week after baptism.

{Aldeigiaborg} Page 100, line 31. The town of Ladoga; it was situated at that time on the river Volkhov which debouches into the lake of Ladoga.

{Adalsysla & Eysysla} Page 101, line 8. The island of Oesel was named in Old-Norse Ey-Sysla (island district) and the mainland opposite Adal-Sysla (chief district), and the whole of Estland (or Esthonia) together Sysla.

{Queen Gunnhild fell sick and died} Page 101, line 32. This is incorrect. Gunnhild was put away by King Svein and sent home to Wendland; after the death of Svein in 1014 her sons had her brought back to Denmark.

{Vineland the Good} Page 107, line 29. North America, probably Nova Scotia.

{skeid} Page 108, line 7. A particular kind of long-ship without a 'head' at the prow.

{Svold} Page 110, line 7. Svold is not an island as Snorri thought, but a haven or creek in the mouth of a river somewhat west of Ruegen.

{Finnish} Page 118, line 1. _I.e._, Lappish. --Translator.

{the burner of the Bulgars} Page 126, line 10. Harald Hardrad, or Harald the Tyrant was in the service of the Greek Emperor in the year 1041, and took part in the pillaging of the rebellious Bulgarians. The account of this was not known to Snorri who lived so much later, but Thiodolf had heard of it.

{Laesirs} Page 127, line 23. An unknown people, perhaps 'Lechers,' _i.e._, Poles.

{Gyrgir} Page 128, line 10. Georgios Maniakes, the brave commander of the Greeks in the valley of the Euphrates 1033-1035, and in Sicily in 1038-1040.

{Vaerings} Page 128, line 13. Mercenaries, chiefly the northern inhabitants of Russia and of Greece.

{Serkland} Page 130, line 26. Snorri here confuses 'Serkland' in Asia with Africa. Harald was taking part in the wars in Syria and Armenia in the years 1035-1037, before going in 1038 with the Greek army to Sicily.

{The son of Budli, as 'twas said / Showed friendship by his fellowship} Page 131, lines 8 and 9. These two lines refer to Atli the King of the Huns, who according to the legend invited his brothers-in-law (Gunnar and Hogn) to a feast in order to betray them.

{all the days of his life} Page 135, line 7. Snorri Sturlason was descended from Halldor in the fifth degree.

{Jorsalaheim (Palestine)} Page 136, line 24. The Greek Emperor concluded a peace with the Calif of Egypt in 1036 which enabled the Emperor to build churches near the Holy Sepulchre. Craftsmen were despatched thither for this purpose by the Emperor, and among the troops sent to protect them was Harald Hardrad, or Harald the Tyrant.

{the daughter of the brother to Queen Zoe} Page 138, line 1. Zoe never had a brother, so the relationship, at all events, is inaccurate.

{that chapel has stood there unto this very day} Page 138, line 18. No such chapel has ever been known to exist in Constantinople.

{this deed} Page 139, line 15. It is a fact that Harald was one of those who blinded the 'Greek King' Michael Kalafates. The latter was accepted as the son of Zoe and became Emperor together with her in 1041. After deposing her (April 21, 1042) he was himself deposed, and was blinded in the street by his body-guard, in which Harald was serving as 'spatharokandidat' (colonel). Michael is in this case confused with his successor Constantine.

{Siavidarsund} Page 139, line 19. Siavidarsund (_i.e._, 'the sound with the sea-wood') is the present Golden Horn; the heavy iron chain, which was stretched across its extremity, in times of dispute rested on wooden floats.

{Ellipalta} Page 140, line 3. The mouth of the Dnieper in the Black Sea.

{East-realm} Page 140, line 4. East-realm, _i.e._, Russia, or its eastern provinces.

{three occasions} Page 140, line 21. If this is correct Harald must have gone to Constantinople before 1034, as there was a change of monarch in 1034, 1041, and 1042.

{Sudatorp} Page 143, line 13. In south Jutland, west of Aabenraa. Magnus died in Zealand. His successor Svein (who was also named Magnus) died at Sudatorp.

{brother} Page 143, line 14. _I.e._, half-brother (Alfhild's son, not Olaf's).

{Budli's ways} Page 148, line 10. Budli's, or the sea-king's way-- the sea.

{Harald's soul in Heaven} Page 148, line 28. This line with line 23 on page 137 and one omitted from the foregoing verse form together a kind of refrain which runs as follows: "May it dwell where it listeth-- In Christ's eternal House-- Harald's soul in Heaven."

{Peter Burden-Swain} Page 152, line 33. So named because upon a certain occasion he carried King Sigurd Slembe at a Thing.

{the church of Saint Olaf} Page 153, line 7. Ruins of the church of Saint Olaf are to be found under the present Town Hall on the northern side of Kongens Gade, in Trondhjem.

{relics of King Olaf} Page 153, line 20. They were moved thither from St. Clement's church. [Marker printed at end of sentence.]

{church of Saint Gregory} Page 153, line 23. This church was west of the church of Saint Olaf, on the north side of the present Kongens Gade, where the Savings Bank now stands.

{eight or nine long-ships, and nigh upon five hundred men} Page 155, line 13. That is to say, 600.

{the King's-House down by the river} Page 156, line 10. 'The King's-House down by the river' was the new King's-House which Harald had built east of the church of Saint Mary.

{Guthorm Gunhildson} Page 158, line 11. The son of Ketil Calf and Gunnhild (mentioned on page 154).

{said to be nephew} Page 162, line 32. Asmund's father was Biorn Ulfson, the brother of Harald (died 1049).

{King Margad} Page 166, line 35. Margad (in Irish Eachmargach) Rognvaldson was the King of Dublin in 1035-1038 and 1046-1052.

{St. Olafmas} Page 167, line 26. July 28, 1052.

{there} Page 168, line 11. _I.e._ in the Cathedral.

{Oslo} Page 170, line 20. On the site of part of the present city of Christiania.

{bussa-ship} Page 171, line 34. A '_Bussa_' was a particular kind of large ship, broad in the beam, especially a war-ship.

{......} Page 172, line 2. _Svirar_, see note on page 91, line 33.

{one hundred and fifty} Page 174, line 8. That is to say, 180.

{three hundred} Page 174, line 13. 360 ships.

{Leidra} Page 176, line 1. Later Leire, near Roskilde in Zealand.

{Vandrad} Page 178, line 21. _I.e._, one who is in distress.

{two hundred men} Page 182, line 34. That is to say, 240.

{Queen Gyda} Page 190, line 29. Her name was Eadgitha; Gyda was her mother's name. The sons of Earl Godwin were Harald, Tosti, Svein (died 1052), and Gyrd. Harald was the _eldest_ son. Morcar, or Morkere, and Walthiof were not Earl Godwin's sons; Morcar was the son of AElfrik of Mercia, and from 1065 was Earl of Northumberland; Walthiof was the son of the Danish Earl Siward of Northumberland (died 1055).

{driven out to sea} Page 191, line 6. At Ponthieu, where the Count took him prisoner. William released him and had him brought to Rouen. It is not historical that Harald held undue intercourse with William's wife. William made use of Harald's compulsory sojourn to make him swear allegiance to him, and affiance him to his daughter.

{St. Paul's Church} Page 192, line 11. Unhistorical. The church referred to is St. Paul's in London, but Edward died and was buried at Winchester, where Harald was likewise crowned.

{to guard the treasure of the King} Page 192, line 18. This is unhistorical. Tosti had been Earl of Northumberland since 1055, but was driven away by the Northumbrians in October 1065 and fled to Flanders, so that he was not in England at the time of Edward's death. Harald was Earl of Wessex and the most powerful man in the land.

{the 13th day} Page 192, line 28. _I.e._, the thirteenth day of Christmas, January 6.

{more than other earls} Page 193, line 11. Not historical, see page 192, line 18.

{Thingmanna-host} Page 195, line 20. The name of King Canute's Danish guard, instituted 1018.

{Solundir} Page 196, line 3. The Sulen Islands outside Sognefjord.

{two hundred} Page 196, line 16. That is to say, 240.

{Earl Morcar} Page 199, line 20. Unhistorical. Morkere, or Morcar, escaped later and joined Harald the son of (Earl) Godwin.

{Olaf the Mighty is} Page 199, line 27. Part of the refrain which runs as follows: 'Olaf the Mighty is-- the very greatest chief-- born under the sun.'

{the Wednesday} Page 200, line 9. September 20 (1066).

{Stanford Bridge} Page 200, line 21. Now Stamford Bridge across the Derwent. Snorri thought that Stamford was situated nearer York than it really is.

{the Sunday} Page 200, line 27. September 24.

{a Thing in the city} Page 201, line 2. This is incorrect. The Thing was to be held at Stamford Bridge and Harald was to be given there hostages from the whole of Yorkshire. It was for this reason that the battle occurred there.

{the Monday} Page 201, line 11. September 25 (1066).