SOME EXPEDITIONS AND DEEDS OF GREAT VIKINGS.
(_Continued._)
Ragnar Lodbrok—His voyages and wars—His death in England—The sons of
Ragnar Lodbrok—Ivar revenges his father’s death—Wide extent of the
expeditions of Ragnar’s sons—Ivar king in England.
After King Hring’s death his son Ragnar assumed the sovereignty of
Sweden and Denmark, whereupon several kings threw off their subjection
and claimed independence, because he was a young man and appeared to
them little fitted for counsels or ruling the land.
There was then a jarl in Western Gautaland called Herraud; he was the
jarl of King Ragnar. He was a wise man and a great warrior. He had a
daughter, who was called Thora Borgarhjort (the hart of the burgh).
Ragnar Lodbrok[388] was married to Thora. Their children were Agnar and
Eirik, and Alof,[389] who was married to Hunda-Steinar Jarl in England.
Their son was Bjorn,[390] father of Audun Skokul, father of Thora
Moshals, mother of Ulfhild, who was married to Gudbrand Kula; their
daughter was Asta, mother of St. Olaf.
“Now it is told that Ragnar sat at home in his realm, and knew not where
his sons were; nor did his wife Randalin know, and he heard every one of
his men say that no one could equal his sons, and he thought that no men
could equal them in renown. He pondered on what fame he might seek which
would be as lasting. At length he resolved to engage craftsmen, and had
wood felled in the forest for two large ships, and men saw that they
were two knörrs[391] so large that none equal to them had been built in
Northern lands; he also made great war preparations all over his realm.
By this men saw that he was going on an expedition out of the country,
and the rumour of it spread widely in the neighbouring lands, so that
their rulers, fearing that they would not be left at peace in their
realms, proceeded to guard their lands against the invader, in case he
might come. Randalin asked Ragnar whither he was going. He told her he
intended to go to England with only two knörrs, and as many men as they
could hold. Randalin answered: ‘This expedition seems to me rash. I
think it better for thee to have more and smaller ships.’ He said: ‘It
would be but a poor exploit to win lands with many ships, but there is
no example of a land like England having been conquered by two ships; if
I am defeated, the fewer ships I take out of the country the better.’
Randalin said: ‘It seems to me as costly to make ready these ships as to
have many longships for this expedition; thou knowest that it is
difficult to land with ships in England, and if thy ships are lost thy
men cannot defend themselves, though they get ashore, if an army attacks
them, and longships are more convenient for effecting a landing than
knerrir.’ Then he had his ships prepared and got men so that they were
fully manned; people talked much about his intention. When his ships and
men were ready and a fair wind came, he said he would go down to his
ships. When he was ready she led him down to the ships, and before they
parted she said she would reward him for the shirt he had given to her.
He asked her how, and she sang:
‘I give thee the long shirt,
Nowhere sewn,
Woven with a loving mind
Of hair—[392]
Wounds will not bleed
Nor will edges bite thee
In the holy garment;
It was consecrated to the gods.’
“In making his voyage to England he met with adverse gales, so that both
his ships were wrecked on the coast of England, but all his men got
ashore with their clothes and weapons. Thereupon he succeeded in taking
villages and burghs and castles, one after the other. King Ella, who
ruled England, had heard that Ragnar had left his country; he sent men
to tell him when he had landed; they came and brought news of Ragnar.
Ella sent messengers all over his realm, summoning every man to come
that could wield a shield and ride on a horse and dared fight; he thus
gathered such a large host that it was a wonder, and made ready for
battle. Ella said to his men: ‘If we gain the victory in this battle,
and you see Ragnar, you must not attack him with weapons, for he has
sons who sooner or later will avenge his death.’ Ragnar made ready for
battle, and used the cloth which Randalin had given him to be used as a
coat-of-mail, and had the spear in his hand with which he slew the
serpent that lay round the hall of Thóra, which no other man dared to
face; he had no armour except a helmet. When they met the fight began.
Ragnar had far fewer men. Many of Ragnar’s men fell after a short time,
but where he went himself his foes drew back, and that day he walked
through their ranks; whenever he cut or thrust at shields, coats-of-mail
or helmets, his blows were so heavy that nothing stood against them, but
never did any blow or shot harm him; he got no wounds, and slew many of
King Ella’s men. In the end, when all Ragnar’s men had fallen, he was
surrounded by shields and taken. He was asked who he was, but was silent
and gave no answer. Ella said: ‘That man must be punished if he will not
tell who he is; now throw him into a snake-pit and let him sit there a
long time, and if he says anything by which we can see that he is
Ragnar, he shall be taken away as soon as possible.’ So Ragnar was taken
there and sat there a long time, and the snakes did not attack him.
People said, ‘This is a great man; the weapons did not wound him to-day,
and now the snakes do no harm to him.’ Ella told them to take off his
outer garment, and when they had done so the snakes attacked him all
over his body. He said: ‘The pigs would grunt now if they knew what the
old one[393] is suffering;’ and though he said this they yet knew not
that he was Ragnar or any other king. He sang:
‘I have fought battles
Fifty and one
Which were famous;
I have wounded many men.
I little thought that snakes
Would cause my death;
Often that happens
Which one least expects.
The pigs would grunt
If they knew the hog’s suffering;
The gnawing hurts me;
The snakes thrust in their snouts
And stick to me cruelly;
They have sucked me;
Soon shall I be a corpse;
I will die among them.’
“He died, and was taken away. Ella saw that it was Ragnar. But Ella
pondered how he should succeed in retaining his realm, and wondered how
the sons of Ragnar would receive the news of their father’s death. He
had a ship made ready, and appointed a wise and hardy man to command it;
he manned the ship well, and told the men that he sent them to Ivar and
his brothers to tell them of the fall of their father; most of them had
little mind to go. Ella said: ‘Notice carefully how each of the brothers
receives this news; then go your way when you get a fair wind.’ He had
them so well equipped that they needed nothing; their journey was
prosperous.
“The messengers (of Ella) came with their men to the burg, where the
sons of Ragnar were enjoying a feast, and went into the hall where they
drank, and to the high-seat, in which Ivar (the eldest of Ragnar’s sons)
sat. Sigurd (snake-eye) and Hvitserk the bold sat playing chess, while
Björn jarnsida (ironside) was sharpening a spear-shaft on the floor.
When the messengers came up to Ivar they greeted him respectfully; he
answered their greeting, and asked whence they were and what tidings
they had to tell. Their leader said they were Enskir menn (English men),
and that Ella had sent them with the tidings of the fall of their father
Ragnar. Hvitserk and Sigurd immediately dropped the chessboard, and
listened attentively to this news. Björn stood on the floor of the hall,
leaning on his spear-shaft. Ivar inquired of them minutely how his death
had occurred. They told all that had taken place after he came to
England till he lost his life. When it was told that Ragnar had said
‘the pigs would grunt,’ Björn moved his hands on the spear-shaft, and
grasped it so firmly that the print of his fingers could be seen on it
afterwards; when the messengers had finished, Björn shook his spear so
that it brake in two. Hvitserk had in his hand a chess-piece which he
had taken, and squeezed it so hard that blood started out from under
each of his nails; and Sigurd had a knife in his hand and was trimming
his nails at the time, and listened so attentively that he felt nothing
until the knife had cut him to the bone, and did not move. Ivar inquired
about everything as minutely as he could, while his face became red,
blue and pale by turns, and his features were so distorted that all his
skin became swollen on account of the anger in his breast. Hvitserk
began to speak, and said they could most speedily commence their revenge
by killing the messengers of King Ella. Ivar said: ‘That shall not be;
they shall go in peace wherever they like, and if they lack anything
they may tell me, and I will give it to them.’ When they had performed
their errand they went out of the hall to their ship, and with a fair
wind sailed out to sea, and returned in safety to Ella.
“When the messengers of Ella had gone, the brothers met to talk over how
they should avenge their father. Ivar said: ‘I will not take part in or
gather men for that, because Ragnar met with the fate I anticipated. His
cause was bad; he had no reason to fight against King Ella, and it has
often happened that when a man wanted to be overbearing and wrong others
it has been the worse for him; I will take wergild from King Ella if he
will give it.’ When his brothers heard this they became very angry, and
said they would never so disgrace themselves, even on his
recommendation. ‘People will say that our prowess is departed if we do
not avenge our father. We have been all over the world on warfare, and
slain many innocent men. That shall not be; we will fit out every
seaworthy ship in Denmark; every man who is able to carry a shield
against Ella shall go with us.’ Ivar said he and the ships he commanded,
except his own ship, should remain behind. When people heard that Ivar
was not going, the brothers obtained fewer men, but nevertheless went.
As soon as they landed in England Ella heard of it, and had his horn
blown, and bade all who were willing to follow him; he got so many men
that no man could number them, and went against them. They met, and Ivar
was not in that battle, the end of which was that Ragnar’s sons fled,
and Ella got the victory. During the flight Ivar said: ‘I will not go
back; I will try whether King Ella will give me some honour or not; I
will rather take wergild from him than be again defeated like this.’
Hvitserk said they could not prevent him from doing what he liked, but
they would never take wergild. Ivar said he would leave them, and asked
them to rule over their realm and send him as much movable property as
he wanted. When he had said this he took leave of them and went to Ella,
and when he came before him he saluted him, and said: ‘I have come to
you and want to be reconciled to you, and get as much honour as you will
give me; I see that I cannot defeat you, and will rather get from you
such honour as you will give me than lose more men or my own life.’ Ella
answered: ‘Some say thou art not to be trusted, and that thou often
speakest fair when thou thinkest foul, and it is not easy to be a match
for thee and thy brothers.’ Ivar said: ‘I ask for little; if thou
grantest it I swear never to go against thee.’ The king asked what he
wanted. Ivar answered: ‘I want thee to give me as much of thy land as an
oxhide stretches over, and this ground shall be marked out; I want no
more, and thou wilt do me no honour if thou wilt not do this.’ Ella
said: ‘I cannot see that it will do us harm if thou ownest so much of my
land, and I will give it thee if thou wilt swear not to fight against
me; I fear not thy brothers if thou art faithful to me.’ It was
accordingly agreed that Ivar should swear not to fight against him, nor
give any advice to harm him, and in return he obtained as much English
land as the largest oxhide he could procure stretched over. Ivar got the
hide of a bull, and had it soaked and stretched three times; then he had
it cut into very thin strips, and the fleshy side separated from the
hairy side; and when the strips were joined the length of the thong was
astonishing. He stretched this out on a broad field, and the ground
surrounded by it was so large that a great burgh could stand on it, and
on the outskirts he had ground marked out for large burgh-walls; he
engaged many workmen, and had many houses built on that field, and
raised a great burgh called[394] Lundúnaborg,[395] which is the greatest
and most famous of all burghs in all the Northern lands. He used all the
loose property for making this burgh; he was so liberal that he gave
gifts with both hands, and his wisdom was so renowned that all came to
him for advice in difficulties; he settled all disputes to the
satisfaction of the parties, and was so beloved that he had a friend in
every man; he helped Ella much in ruling the land, and settled many
matters for him without the king requiring to look at it afterwards. And
when he was thought to be the owner of all wisdom he sent men to his
brothers to ask them for gold and silver, as much as he wanted to have.
Messengers came to the brothers, told their errand, and how it had fared
with Ivar, for no one knew what devices he had in his mind; the brothers
saw that his mind was not as it used to be. They sent as much as he
wanted; and when the messengers returned to Ivar, he gave all that he
had received to the leading men in the country, and thus drew them away
from King Ella, so that they all promised to be quiet in case of war.
When he had done this he sent men to tell his brothers that he wanted
them to levy a host in all the lands which belonged to their realm, and
bring every man they could get. When the brothers got this message they
knew that he now thought it likely they would be victorious. They
gathered men from Denmark, Gautland, and all the realms they ruled over,
and having drawn together an enormous host, they sailed to England, and
stopped neither night nor day, as they did not want their journey to be
heard of. The news, however, reached Ella, who summoned his men, but got
few, for Ivar had drawn many from him. Ivar went to him and said he
would do what he had sworn, but could not rule over his brothers’
doings, though he might see them and find out if they would withdraw the
host and do no more harm. He went to them and urged them to go forward
and engage in a battle, for the king had much fewer men. They answered
that he need not urge them on, as their mind was the same. Ivar told
King Ella that they were so eager and incensed that they would not
listen to his words. ‘When I wanted to reconcile you they remonstrated;
I will do as I swore, and not fight against thee; I and my men will be
quiet while the battle goes as it may.’ Ella saw the host of the
brothers, which ran forward in great haste. Ivar said: ‘Now, King Ella,
array thy men, as I foresee they will make a severe attack for some
time.’ When they met there was a great fight, and the sons of Ragnar
rushed fiercely forward through the ranks of Ella’s host, and they were
so eager that they only thought of doing as much as they could, and the
battle was both long and hard. At last Ella and his men fled, and he was
taken. Ivar was present, and told them how to slay him. He said: ‘Now it
is time to remember what kind of death he chose for our father; the man
who is best skilled in wood-carving shall mark an eagle as deep as he
can on his back, and that eagle shall be reddened with his blood.’ The
man who was told to do this did as Ivar said. Ella got so deep a wound
by this that he died, and now it seemed to them they had avenged their
father. Ivar said he would give them his part in their realm, but rule
England himself.
“Thereupon Hvitserk, Björn and Sigurd went home to their realm, and Ivar
remained and ruled over England. After this their host was less
concentrated, and they made warfare in various countries. Once Hvitserk,
when his mother Randalin was old, made warfare in eastern lands, and
such an overwhelming force met him that he could not raise his shield,
and was captured. He chose as the means of his death that a pyre should
be made of human heads, and he be burnt on it; and thus he died. When
Randalin heard this, she sang:
‘A son whom I owned
Met death in the eastern lands;
Hvitserk was he called,
Nowhere willing to flee;
He was warmed by the heads
Of men slain in battle;
The strong-minded chief
Chose that death before he died.’
“From Sigurd Snake-eye there descended a great family; his daughter was
Aslaug, mother of Sigurd Hart, who was father of Ragnhild, mother of
Harald Fairhair, who first ruled all Norway alone. Ivar ruled England
till his death from disease. When on his death-bed he told them to carry
him to a certain spot exposed to attacks, and said he was confident that
those who landed there would not obtain a victory. When he died they did
as he said, and he was buried in a mound. It is told by many that when
Harald Sigurdsson came to England he landed where Ivar was, and he was
slain in that expedition. When Vilhjálm bastard (William the Conqueror)
came ashore, he went there and broke Ivar’s mound, and saw that his body
had not decayed. Then he had a large pyre made and Ivar burned on it.
Thereupon he landed and got the victory. Björn Ironside had many
descendants, among them Thórd, a great chief who lived at Höfdi in
Höfdaströnd (Iceland)” (Ragnar Lodbrók’s Saga, cc. 10–19).
After the battle just mentioned on the preceding pages we have an
account of the doings of Ragnar Lodbrók’s sons; and here again we are
reminded that their kinsmen owned part of England before them.
“After this battle Ivar[396] became king over the part of England which
his kinsmen had owned before. He had two brothers born of a concubine,
Yngvar and Hustó; they tortured King Játmund the holy at Ivar’s bidding,
and then conquered his realm. The sons of Ragnar made war in many
lands—in England, Valland, Frakkland, and Lumbardi. It is told that they
came furthest when they took the burg called Luna, and secretly intended
to go to Rome and take it; their expeditions were the most famous
throughout all the Northern lands of the Danish tongue. When they came
back to Denmark they divided the lands. Björn Ironside got Uppsalir, the
whole of Sweden, and what belonged to it. Sigurd Snake-eye[397] got
Selund (Zeeland), Skani, Halland, the whole of Vik (Christianiafjord),
Agdir to Lidandisness, and a great part of Upplönd; but Hvitserk got
Reidgotaland and Vindland” (Ragnar’s Sons’ Saga, c. 3).
From the Sagas we find that even in the times of their father their
renown was very great, and their expeditions extended far and wide.
“The sons of Ragnar Lodbrok went thence till they came to a town called
Luna, having destroyed nearly every burgh in all Southern realm
(Sudrriki); they had become so famous all over the world that there was
hardly a little child that knew not their name. They intended not to
cease until they came to Romaborg, for they were told that this town was
both large, populous, and famous and wealthy; they did not exactly know
how far distant it was, but they had so many men that food was not to be
procured. In Luna they consulted about the expedition. There came
thither an old and grey man, who said he was a beggar, and had been
travelling all his life. ‘Thou must be able to tell us many tidings we
wish to know.’ He answered: ‘I know of no lands you can ask about, about
which I cannot tell you.’ ‘We want thee to tell us how far it is from
here to Romaborg.’ He said: ‘I can tell you one thing as a mark; you see
these iron shoes which I wear? They are now old, and those which I carry
on my back are also worn out. When I left Rome I tied on my feet these
worn-out ones on my back. They were new then, and I have been on the
journey since.’ When they heard this, they thought they could not carry
out their intention of going to Rome, and so they returned with their
host, taking many burghs on their way which had never been taken before,
the traces of which are seen to this day” (Saga of Ragnar Lodbrok, c.
13).
“Sigurd was married to Heluna, daughter of King Ella. The sons of
Ragnar, after having ravaged in England, Valland, Saxland, and all the
way to Lombardy (Lungbardi), Sweden, Denmark, and Vindland, returned
home; they divided between themselves the lands which they had won.
Björn Jarnsida (ironside) got in his share both Sweden and Gautland;
Sigurd Snake-eye, Eygotaland, Halland, and Skaney; Hvitserk,
Reidgotaland (probably some part of Northern Germany), and Vindland.
“When Sigurd Snake-eye was in Denmark, his wife bore a son named Knut;
he was born at Hord in Jutland, and on that account was called Horda
Knut. King Gorm brought him up. Gorm died on a bed of sickness, while
Horda Knut became king of Eygotaland, Skaney, and Halland, for these had
been the share of his father Sigurd Snake-eye” (Flateyjarbok;
Jomsvikinga Thatt).
“Ivar the Boneless was long King in England, but had no children, as his
nature was such that he had no love lust; but he did not lack wisdom or
cruelty, and died from old age in England, and was mourned there. Then
were all the sons of Lodbrok dead.
“After Ivar, Adalmund Jatgeirsson got the kingship of England; he was a
brother’s son of Jatmund (Edgarson) the holy, and he christianized
England widely; he took taxes for Northumberland, because it was
heathen. After him got the kingship his son Adalbrigt (Ethelbert); he
was a good king, and became old. In his old age a Danish host came to
England, and their leaders were Knut and Harald, sons of King Gorm. They
underlaid (subdued) a large realm in Northumberland which Ivar had
owned. King Adalbrigt went against them, and they fought north of
Kliflönd (Cleveland), and many Danes fell. The Danes went ashore at
Skardaborg (Scarborough) and fought there and got the victory; then they
went south to Jorvik (York) and all the people became their men and they
were not afraid of themselves (were secure).
“One day in hot weather the men went to swim, and as the king’s sons
(Gorm’s sons) were swimming between the ships men came running down on
the shore and shot at them; Knut was struck to death with an arrow; they
took the body out to the ships. When the men of the country heard this
they gathered so that the Danes could not get ashore any more because of
the great number of people (against them), and went back to Denmark.
Gorm was then in Jutland. When he heard the news he sank backwards and
died of grief the next day after at the same time as he had got the news
the day before. Then Harald got the kingship after him over the Dana
realm; he was the first of his kinsmen who was baptized” (Ragnar’s Sons,
c. iv.).
“Sigurd Hjort (hart) was king in Hringariki; he was larger and stronger
than any other man, and one of the handsomest men. His father was Helgi
Hvassi, and his mother Aslaug, daughter of Sigurd Snake-eye, son of
Ragnar Lodbrok. It is told that when Sigurd was twelve winters old he
slew Hildebrand, berserk, in single fight, and twelve berserks in all.
He performed many great deeds, and there is a long Saga of him. Sigurd
had two children; his daughter Ragnhild surpassed other women and was
twenty years old while her brother Guttorm was young. It is told of King
Sigurd that he rode alone into unsettled places (deserts) and hunted big
and dangerous animals; he always was very eager in that. One day, as was
his wont, when he had ridden a long distance, he came to a clearing near
Hadaland; here he met the berserk Hake with thirty men, and a fight took
place, in which fell Sigurd Hjort and twelve of Hake’s men. Hake himself
lost one hand, and received three severe wounds. Hake then rode with his
men to Sigurd’s farm, and captured his daughter. Thus Harald Harfagr, on
his mother’s side, was descended from Ragnar Lodbrok.
“Halfdan married Ragnhild, and she became a powerful queen. The mother
of Ragnhild was Thyri, daughter of Klakk-Harald, King of Jutland, sister
of Thyri Danmarkarbot, the wife of Gorm the old Dana king, who then
ruled Denmark” (Halfdan the Black’s Saga, c. 5).
Here we have an account of a terrible battle, which nevertheless has not
been considered as great as that of Bravoll and Dunheath by the people
of the North.
“Sigurd Snake-eye, Björn Ironside, and Hvitserk had made warfare widely
in Frakkland (France); thereupon Bjorn went home to his realm.
Thereafter Ornulf Emperor fought against the brothers and one hundred
thousand men fell of the Danes and Northmen. There fell Sigurd Snake-eye
and another king, Gudrod, who was the son of Olaf, son of Ring, son of
Ingjald, son of Ingi, son of Ring, after whom Ringariki is named; he was
the son of Dag and Thora, mother of warriors; they had nine sons, and
the family of the Doglings has sprung from them. Helgi the bold,
Gudrod’s brother, took out of the battle the standard and the shield and
the sword of Sigurd Snake-eye. He went home to Denmark with his men and
found Aslaug, Sigurd’s mother, and told her the tidings.[398] But as
Hordaknut was young, Helgi stayed there long with Aslaug to defend the
land. Sigurd (Snake-eye) and Blœja had a daughter, who was a twin-sister
of Hordaknut. Aslaug gave her her own name and then raised her.
Afterwards Helgi the Bold married her; their son was Sigurd Hart; he was
the finest, largest, and strongest man seen at that time. But when
Sigurd was twelve winters old, then he killed in a single fight
(Einvigi) the berserk Hildibrand. After that Klakk Harald gave him in
marriage to his daughter Ingiborg. They had two children, Gudthorm and
Ragnhild. Then Sigurd heard that King Frodi, his father’s brother, was
dead, and went northward to Norway, and became king over Ringariki, his
kin-inheritance. About him there is a long Saga; for he performed many
great deeds. But of his death it is told that he rode out into
uninhabited places to hunt game, as was his custom, and there came to
him Haki Hadaberserk (berserk from Hadaland) with thirty fully armed
men, and fought with him. There Sigurd fell, but had before that slain
twelve men, and King Haki had lost his right hand and had besides three
other wounds. Thereupon Haki rode with his men to Stein in Ringariki,
which was Sigurd’s farm, and took away his daughter Ragnhild and his son
Gudthorm and a great deal of property home with himself to Hadaland; and
a little later he had a great feast prepared, and intended to keep his
wedding, but that was delayed, because his wounds would not get cured.
Ragnhild was then fifteen winters old, but Gudthorm fourteen winters.
Thus passed the autumn and winter to Yule, while Haki lay sick from his
wounds. Then was King Halfdan the Black in Heidmork at his farms. He
sent Harek Gand (the wolf, the wizard) with a hundred men, and they
crossed on the ice of the Mjors (Mjosen) to Hadaland one night and
arrived at dawn to King Haki’s farm and took possession of all the doors
in the skali, in which the hirdmen slept, and then they went to King
Haki’s sleeping-chamber (skemma) and took Ragnhild and Gudthorm her
brother, and all the property that was there and carried away with them,
and burned the skali with all the hirdmen and then went away. But King
Haki arose and dressed himself and walked after them for awhile, and
when he came down to the ice, then he turned the guards of his sword
downward and threw himself upon its point and died therefrom, and is
mound-laid on the brink. King Halfdan saw that they were driving across
the ice with a tented waggon, and therefore thought that they had
performed his errand as he wanted it. He then sent word all around the
neighbourhood, and invited all the prominent men of Heidmork, and that
day had a great feast and held his wedding with Ragnhild, and they then
lived together for many days. Their son was King Harald Fairhair, who
was the first sole king of Norway” (Ragnar Lodbrok’s Sons, c. 5).
“There ruled in Denmark two kings, Sigrfrodi and Halfdan, and after them
Helgi; the latter had a fight with Olaf King of Sweden in which he fell,
and Olaf afterwards ruled long over Denmark (Danmork) and Sweden, dying
on a sick bed. After him Gyrd and Knut took the kingship in Denmark, and
after them Siggeir, followed by Olaf Kinriksson, who was a nephew of
Moallda the Stout (digra), mother of Ivar Vidfadmi; he ruled long as
king over Jutland, and was called Olaf Enski (the English). His son Grim
Gani, who took the kingship after his father, was father of Audulf the
Rich, tax-king in Jutland of Ragnar Lodbrok’s sons. Audulf’s son Gorm,
who also was tax-king in Jutland, was called Gorm the Childless. He was
powerful and well loved by his men. He had long ruled over the country
at this time” (Flateyjarbok, vol. i.).
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Footnote 388:
Lod-Brók = Hairy breeches. He made a dress of hairy breeches and a
hairy cloak, which he boiled in pitch and then hardened: this was done
in order that he should be able to attack the serpent which watched
over Thora, who was said to surpass all other women in beauty as the
hart does other animals, and was most accomplished in all handiwork.
Afterwards he appears to have married Aslaug, the daughter of Sigurd
Fafnisbani by Brynhild. They begat several children. The oldest, Ivar,
had no bones in his body, but was very wise; the others were Bjorn,
Hvitserk, Rognvald, and Sigurd (Snake-eye).
Footnote 389:
From Landnama we find that Ragnar had been previously married, and had
other children in addition to those already enumerated.
Footnote 390:
Another son of Hundasteinar and Alof was named Eirik, father of Sigurd
Bjódaskalli, father of Vikinga Kári, father of Bödvar, Vigfús and
Eirik, who was the father of Ástrid, mother of King Olaf Tryggvason.
(Landnama, p. 234.)
Footnote 391:
In Ragnar’s Sons’ Saga, ch. ii., the two are said to be built in
Norway. Ragnar says to Aslaug: “I have had two knörrs built in
Vestfold, because his realm extended to the Dofrafjalls and
Lidandisness.”
Footnote 392:
Following word obscure.
Footnote 393:
The old one = Ragnar; the pigs = his sons.
Footnote 394:
In another the name is given as Jorvik or York.
Footnote 395:
It may have been a suburb of the present London.
Footnote 396:
Ivar, who, according to the Sagas, did great things in England, is no
doubt the same man who is called in the chronicles Ingvr, Lodbrók’s
son, who in 870 killed King Eadmund the Holy.
The English writers mention Ingvar and Ubbi, the sons of Lodbrók, as
having taken a leading part in killing the king; and as the Sagas
don’t speak of any son of Lodbrók who fought in England other than
“Ivar,” Ingvar and Ivar must be one and the same person.
Footnote 397:
Sigurd Snake-eye was married to Blœja, daughter of King Ella; their
son was Knut, or Horda-Knut, who acquired the realm after his father,
and Selund, Skani, and Halland.
Footnote 398:
Stanza omitted; corrupted, cannot be made out.