IVAR’S DEFEAT OF THE ROMANS
IF one could have been on the most northern extremity of the peninsula
of Jutland after the departure of the fleets, he would have seen for
several days ship after ship ploughing the sea, rounding Cape Skagen,
and then disappearing below the horizon. Some of these were going
southward, others westward.
Some were to make warfare in Friesland, others in Gaul and Britain and
the Mediterranean. Some were going to Scotland, whence they were to pour
their host upon Britain.
Less than two months afterwards, a wail of sorrow and anguish burst in
every Roman province bathed by the sea. Couriers went to Rome from every
one of these to ask for help, but Rome was powerless to help them, for
the Norsemen were masters of the sea, and could land armies wherever
they pleased. “The country that owns the sea owns might,” they used to
say. The whole Roman Empire was in dread and fear of these Vikings, who
were continually coming in countless hordes; their number seemed
inexhaustible as they poured from the basin of the Baltic and the shores
of Norway, year after year, and had done so for two centuries. This last
invasion of the provinces of Rome was one of the most, if not the most,
formidable that had ever taken place. Fire and sword were carried
everywhere by the Norsemen.
Hjorvard had gone to make war in Britain, while his son Ivar, with his
three foster-brothers and a large force, had landed on the northern
shores of Gaul, where the present Boulogne now stands. There the Romans
had built strong fortifications, but many a time their centurions had
seen with dismay the Viking fleets pass before them, ascend the Seine,
and take possession of many islands.
Before landing, every warrior washed, and combed his hair, and took a
good meal, in order to be strong for the day’s fight, and was dressed in
his best war clothes, so that if he was fated to die he might enter
Valhalla as befitted his rank. The red shields had been hoisted as a
token of war.
After Ivar had landed his forces and sent men on horseback to
reconnoitre, Decius and Curtius, the centurions who commanded the
stronghold at Bononia (the modern Boulogne), seeing that the Viking
force was much smaller than their own, resolved to attack them, and an
overpowering Roman force left their stronghold with the hope of
annihilating the Norsemen who had dared to land before their eyes.
When Ivar saw this, he said to his men, “Often the more numerous host
does not gain the victory if there are fearless men against it. Many a
blunt sword has won the victory in battle. As we are the weakest in
number, let us arrange our host in the wedge shape that was taught to
our forefathers by Odin himself; and we will have, besides, another body
of men to attack the Romans or protect us, as may be necessary.”
When Decius saw this strategy carried out, he marvelled greatly; for the
Romans thought this peculiar war formation, which they called _cuneus_,
was only known to them. He had heard from different Roman commanders
that the Vikings had this knowledge, but he had not believed them; and
though a moment before, he had boastingly told his soldiers that Rome
would soon hear of their victory, he became uneasy as he saw the
glittering shields and helmets of the Vikings in their battle array, and
the body of archers and horsemen with shining swords, who were ready to
go wherever sent.
He then ordered his men to be placed in wedge-shaped formation. When
Ivar and his men saw this, they in their turn wondered how it was that
the Romans knew this formation, and Hjalmar exclaimed: “They must have
learned this from our people; how could it be otherwise?”
Before the battle, Ivar issued his orders, saying, “Our horsemen will
remain on the lookout, and be ready to support us or to attack the
enemy; our archers will pour a continuous hail of arrows upon the
Romans, and our slingmen will do likewise with stones. The shield-burg
should be at the apex of the triangle, and must be guarded by the most
skilful warriors; for if it is broken or opened, especially in the
beginning of the battle, it will be most fatal to victory. The two other
points of the triangle must also be very strongly guarded. It is
imperative that great care be taken that our locked formation be not
broken or even opened; for disorder in our midst would follow, and might
lead to great disaster.”
The foster-brothers agreed that as Ivar was the foremost champion among
them, he should be at the apex of the triangle with their most valiant
men, for this part of the triangle was always the weakest spot of the
formation.
Then Ivar said: “Let my standard ‘Victory’ be moved forward, and let
Alrek, my standard-bearer, be surrounded by berserks. My scalds must
stand in the midst of the shield-burg, and so placed as to be able to
see the conflict, and praise the deed of the combatants, or of those who
fall in the battle.”
When Alrek heard this he said: “I have feared for some time past, during
the years that this long peace has lasted, that I should die of old age
on my bench, and I wished rather to fall in battle, if it had thus been
fated me by the Nornir.”
Sigmund and Sigurd, with their two standards and their valiant men, were
at the two other points of the array. Hjalmar and a large body of men
were in front of the standards of Ivar to protect the apex of the
triangle, or to attack the Roman host if need be, if these did not come
forward.
The war-horns were sounded on the Norsemen’s side, and the archers and
slingmen advanced towards the Romans, and poured a storm of missiles
into them which made many of their host bite the dust; then a general
attack took place, and after a fierce conflict of spears and swords, and
desperate efforts of the Romans to protect themselves with their
shields, their formation was broken after much slaughter, and they fled
in every direction before the victors. Curtius, one of the centurions,
was killed; but Decius and a number of his men escaped under the cover
of their fortifications. From their walls the Roman centurion looked
upon his fallen soldiers and the victorious Norsemen, and exclaimed in a
voice full of despair: “Rome, what has become of thy might, that thou
canst not conquer those men of the sea? They defy thy power, and laugh
at thy legions sent against them! To-day they are here, to-morrow
elsewhere. No province is free from their attacks. Even if a country is
powerful with its legions on land, it cannot hold sway over the world
unless mighty at sea also.”
* * * * *
Sigmund and Hjalmar had been wounded, but not a word of pain escaped
their lips when they received their wounds, neither did they shrink when
these were dressed, for the foster-brothers had made a vow that they,
like the champions of Hjorvard, would not wince or utter cries of pain
when wounded or when their wounds were dressed.
After the battle, the slain Norsemen were buried with their weapons, and
their mounds were reddened with the blood of the Roman prisoners who
were sacrificed to Odin for the victory. After the booty had been
carried, according to ancient custom, round a pole that had been raised,
and divided into four parts, it was distributed among the men, and many
Roman and Gallic captives were taken to their ships to be sent home.
While the events just recorded were taking place, the numerous fleets
and squadrons of the Norsemen had not been idle; their colonies had been
reënforced by great accessions, and those who had been engaged in
warfare had collected a large booty, including a large number of Roman
coins, for they knew their full value for barter; besides, many of these
were to be melted to be used afterwards in different ways, such as
plates, cups, dishes, etc.
It had been agreed by some Viking chiefs, while the fleets were at the
Lime fjord, that their ships should meet those of Ivar and his three
foster-brothers at the mouth of the River Somme, in Valland—for that
part of Northern Gaul was thus called by the Norsemen—and in the autumn
they met at the appointed time.
After a council of war among the commanders, it was decided that they
should spend the winter in the Mediterranean. Before undertaking this
expedition they made a great sacrifice to Odin, and then sailed away.
They had hardly passed the Straits of Gibraltar when they attacked the
countries bordering the shores of the Mediterranean. They spread terror
as far as the coasts of Greece, took Syracuse by assault, and caused
great slaughter there.
On their return, after they had reached the northern part of the coast
of Portugal, the fleets divided into several powerful squadrons again,
under different leaders, and renewed their attacks upon the seaboard
parts of Britain, Gaul, and Friesland. Others sailed for home, loaded
with Roman and Greek spoils, and with a large number of Roman coins of
gold and silver. They had, besides, many slaves, among whom were many
from Britain, Gaul, Friesland, and the Mediterranean. Among them were
many handsome young women.
Hjorvard, while his son was in the Mediterranean, had attacked the
country lying west of Valland, which is to-day called Brittany, had
defeated the Romans in several encounters, and made many prisoners. All
had fulfilled the vows of the preceding last Yule. Hromund the Bold had
fought by his side; Ingald the Black-eyed had done likewise; but he
concluded to make a settlement in Britain, on the banks of the Thames,
and one of the sons of Hamund the Valiant remained with Ingald.
After his victories, Hjorvard sent a very fast sailing vessel to Ivar,
who had won great glory in his expeditions, to tell him that he intended
to return to Dampstadir.
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