HAROLD SIGURDSSON HARD-RULER (1047-1066).
As Magnus the Good left no sons behind him, Harold Sigurdsson was the
only remaining descendant in the male line of Harold the Fairhaired, and
therefore undisputed heir to the throne. For, although the monarchy in
Norway had not from the earliest times been strictly hereditary, the
idea had gradually gained acceptance that the land belonged by allodial
right to the male descendants of its first conqueror. In apparent,
though not in real, conflict with this idea, was the custom of
proclaiming the king separately at the _thing_ in each shire and
personally swearing him allegiance, on condition of his promising to
rule in accordance with law and ancient usage. As we have seen, on many
occasions, the tribal aristocracy never gave so blind an adherence to
the hereditary principle as to renounce the practice of dictating
conditions and, in many instances, deciding the choice between the
various aspirants for the crown. If it had not been for the unhappy
precedent, established by Harold the Fairhaired, that not one but all
the sons of a king, legitimate and illegitimate, should succeed him on
the throne, this balance of power would have prevented an arbitrary use
of his authority, on the part of the king, and thus in the end have
proved beneficial. In fact, the great principle of constitutional
liberty is involved in this conflict of interests, and the natural
opposition of an aristocracy to the encroachments of the crown. The
situation in Norway, as well as the temperament of the people, was
favorable to the gradual and uninterrupted development of a
constitutional monarchy, such as the English, and if the long civil wars
growing out of the claims of rival heirs to the throne had not exhausted
the land, four hundred years of political extinction would not have
preceded the resurrection of the nation in the present century.
Harold Sigurdsson soon showed that he appreciated the advantages of his
position as the sole heir both of Harold the Fairhaired and St. Olaf.
For St. Olaf's sanctity had shed new lustre upon the royal house, and
greatly strengthened its hold upon the people. In fact, the later kings
refer the source of their authority more frequently to their heirship of
St. Olaf than to that of Harold the Fairhaired. When the tidings of King
Magnus' death had gone abroad, his successor called a _thing_ together
and declared that it was not his intention to abide by his late nephew's
decision to leave Denmark to Sweyn Estridsson. Denmark was his by right
of inheritance, and he meant to go at once to Viborg-_thing_ and
proclaim himself king of the Danes. This declaration was not well
received by the friends of King Magnus, and Einar Thambarskelver voiced
their feelings, when he reminded Harold that it was his first duty to
take the corpse to Nidaros and bury it with the proper honors. The fleet
then broke up, and Harold having but a small force left, had no choice
but to accept Einar's advice. At Borgar-_thing_, and later at
Oere-_thing_, he was, according to ancient custom, proclaimed king, no
opposition being offered to his succession. But cheerfully the peasants
did not offer him their allegiance, for they knew him well and expected
nothing good of him. His ideas of government he had imbibed among the
Southern races, which patiently bore tyranny, because they lacked the
sense of dignity and the sturdy manhood of the North. He had, indeed, a
more definite political programme than any of his predecessors, but it
was not a programme which was in accord with the genius of a free
Germanic people.
Harold's first object, and the one which he pursued with indefatigable
zeal throughout his reign, was to break the power of the tribal
aristocracy. The influence, authority, and calm defiance of those
miniature kings were perpetually a thorn in his flesh. His tall growth
and great physical strength, no less than the ease with which he had so
far achieved all that he had striven for, had inspired him with a
supreme self-reliance and a corresponding contempt for all forces and
interests opposed to his own. The ruthlessness with which he carried out
his purposes made him many enemies and procured for him the surname
_Haardraade_,[A] _i. e._, the hard ruler, the tyrant. What enabled him
to maintain so stern a sway over a people, so jealous of their rights,
was his superior intellect. "He was," says Snorre, "extremely
intelligent, so that all men are agreed that there has never been a more
intelligent king in the North. Moreover, he was an excellent swordsman,
strong, and skilled in the art of war, and altogether a man who knew how
to accomplish his purposes."
[Footnote A: Harold is referred to in English history as Harold the
Haughty. German histories call him H. der _Unbeugsame_ (H. the
Inflexible).]
Interesting in this connection is also his fondness for poetry and his
skill as a scald. It is told that he sat up half the night with the
blind Icelandic scald, Stuf Katson, and would not sleep as long as Stuf
could recite to him. This little trait adds a vivid touch to his
character and brings it closer to our sympathy and comprehension.
As the leader of the opposition to Harold, Einar Thambarskelver had long
been prominent. As the son-in-law of Earl Haakon, the friend of Earl
Erik and the foster-father of King Magnus, he occupied an exceptional
position and was highly respected. His personal qualities were also such
as to increase the esteem with which he was regarded. In natural
endowments he was fully King Harold's match, and in imperiousness and
proud self-assertion he did not yield much to him. Moreover, he was well
skilled in the law, and when the king, as often happened, demanded more
of the peasants than was his right, Einar rose as the people's spokesman
and checked the arbitrary exaction. It was not to be wondered at that
Harold hated him, but it is a striking tribute to the esteem in which he
was held, that the king refrained so long from molesting him. But
rashness was not among Harold's faults. He was fully capable of
forecasting the results of his actions. As yet he felt that too great a
risk would be involved in an attempt to rid himself of his enemy, who
lived on a war-footing and was prepared to meet emergencies. With a view
to weakening his power, Harold, therefore, made the Icelander Ulf
Uspaksson his liegeman, and gave him far greater fiefs in Troendelag than
Einar had. Again, in order to break the solid front of the tribal
magnates in that part of the country and divide their interests, he
married the beautiful Thora, the sister of Eystein Orre, of the great
race of the Arnmodlings.[A] The king was not then divorced from his
first wife, Queen Ellisif, and it has therefore been supposed, that
Thora was only his mistress. But it is not likely that her proud kinsmen
would have allowed her to occupy such a position,[B] and it appears that
the title of queen was everywhere accorded her. It is therefore
impossible to escape the conclusion that Harold had, at the same time,
two lawful wives.
[Footnote A: To this family belonged Finn Arnesson, who fought at St.
Olaf's side at Stiklestad, and Kalf Arnesson, whom Magnus the Good
exiled.]
[Footnote B: See Munch: "Det Norske Folks Historie," ii., p. 180.]
The tendency to subordinate all other considerations to policy, which
Harold showed in his marriage, was also visible in his efforts to
establish a rival saint to St. Olaf in the south of the country. The
presence of the sanctuary of the national saint in Troendelag had tended
to increase the natural predominance of that province over the southern
districts and to foster jealousies, which, in an imperfectly
amalgamated nationality, are always rife. Viken, which had formerly
belonged to Denmark, had never become intimately attached to the kingdom
and race of Harold the Fairhaired; and Harold Sigurdsson judged rightly
that a local saint of his own family would accomplish the double
purpose. Such a saint was soon found in the person of Hallvard, the son
of Vebjoern, and a cousin of the king. His history was not very
remarkable, nor was his martyrdom, even with all its legendary
embellishments, sufficient to warrant canonization. But it served the
king's purpose well, and the regulation miracles began to manifest
themselves in the usual fashion at St. Hallvard's shrine. Without
submitting the question to the Pope, "the people" then proclaimed him a
saint, and the king founded the town of Oslo, probably to shelter the
new sanctuary (1051 or 1052). The site of the town was chosen with
excellent judgment at the end of the Folden Fjord, where Christiania,
the capital of Norway, is now situated.
When we consider the restless energy and power with which King Harold
carried out his plans, both in internal and in foreign affairs, we
cannot but derive a high idea of his ability. Whether, on the other
hand, his activity was for the welfare of his subjects, is another
question. Certainly, his long-continued war with Denmark was disastrous,
both to himself and his people. His annual summer amusement consisted,
for some time, in surprising the exposed ports on the Danish coast and
harrying them with savage cruelty. At last, when both sides grew tired
of this aimless destruction, it was agreed that Sweyn Estridsson should
meet Harold at the mouth of the Goetha Elv, and that the issue of the
battle should decide in regard to the latter's claim to the throne of
Denmark. At the time appointed, however, Sweyn failed to make his
appearance, and Harold, after having waited for him in vain, sailed
southward with his fleet, ravaging the coast of Jutland, burning the
great city of Heidaby (Sleswick), and carrying away a number of
high-born women, besides an enormous booty (1049). He was far from
expecting to be pursued by the Danes, and, accordingly, allowed his
ships to scatter on their homeward way. Head-winds and foggy weather
delayed the Norsemen, and one morning when they were laying to under the
island of Lesoe, they saw a sudden flash through the fog which caused
alarm. The king was called and asked what he supposed it to be.
"The Danish fleet is upon us," he said; "that which shines is the golden
dragon-heads which flash in the morning sun."
Resistance was not to be thought of, and flight seemed also hopeless.
But the king's presence of mind did not desert him. He ordered the men
to the oars, but the ships, which were heavy and swollen from having
been long in the water, made little headway, and, as the fog lifted, the
Danish fleet, counting several hundred galleys, was seen bearing down
upon them. Harold then commanded his men to nail bright garments and
other precious things to logs and throw them overboard. The Danes, who
could not resist the temptation to stop and pick them up, thereby lost
time, and were rebuked by Sweyn for their folly. Again the pursuit
began, and Harold was obliged to throw overboard malt, beer, and pork,
in order to lighten his ships. Nevertheless, Sweyn was still gaining
upon him, and Harold's own dragon-ship, which was the hindmost, was in
danger of being captured. Then, in sheer desperation, he made rafts out
of barrels and boards, put the Danish matrons and maidens upon them, and
lowered them into the sea. One after another of these rafts was sent out
at intervals, and the pursuers seeing their wives and daughters
stretching out their arms to them, crying to be rescued, and some even
struggling in the water, could not forbear to pause and save them. Thus
Harold escaped, and Sweyn cursed his ill-luck. Nevertheless, when he
captured some laggards among the Norse galleys, he refused to take
vengeance upon them.
During a later expedition to Denmark (1060) Harold displayed again the
same presence of mind, and daring invention. He had just beaten Sweyn in
the battle of Djursaa, and felt perfectly safe in entering the long and
narrow Lim-Fjord for purposes of plunder. But Sweyn, hearing that his
antagonist had gone into such a trap, hastily gathered what forces he
could command and laid to at Hals, where the fjord is so narrow that a
few ships could easily engage a much superior number. Harold, perceiving
that he was caught, gave orders to sail in through the fjord to the very
end. Here a narrow isthmus separates the fjord from the North Sea. With
enormous difficulty he now dragged his ships across the isthmus, and
sailed gaily northward while Sweyn lay guarding the empty cage from
which he had escaped. To make, however, an end of this wasteful and
unprofitable warfare, Harold proposed to Sweyn that they should stake
their kingdoms in a decisive battle in the Goetha Elv.
It is not perfectly clear whether Sweyn accepted this challenge, though
there is a probability that he did, as Harold would scarcely otherwise
have gone to the place appointed for the battle. As on the former
occasion, however, he waited in vain for the foe, and, dismissing the
greater part of his force, sailed with one hundred and eighty ships down
along the coast of Skaane until he came to Nis-aa, where he was
surprised by Sweyn with a fleet of three hundred and sixty ships. A
bloody battle was fought, lasting through an entire night (1062), and
ending with the complete rout of the Danes. The victory was in a large
measure due to the Norse chieftain Haakon Ivarsson, a man whom Harold
had treated with harshness, but who, in the king's need, nevertheless,
came to his rescue. Sweyn, too, owed his safety to Haakon, on board
whose ship he sought refuge, and by whose aid he made his escape.
Great as the victory at Nis-aa was, its results, as far as Harold was
concerned, proved insignificant. It was vain to suppose that Sweyn, as
long as he had any power of resistance, would renounce his throne; and
even if he had been willing to abide by such an agreement, the
Norsemen's many plundering expeditions had made them so hated in Denmark
that an army of occupation would have been needed to keep the land
under their sway. They were, however, no less weary than the Danes of
the incessant hostilities, and much against his will, Harold was forced
to make peace at Goetha Elv in 1064. He recognized Sweyn as king of
Denmark, and promised no more to molest him.
The excessive burdens which Harold had imposed upon his people, in order
to obtain the means to carry on this war, had produced great discontent
among the peasants, and the important domestic events which preceded the
peace will now claim our attention. During the prosecution of the war
nothing irritated the king more than the captious criticism and
opposition of the chieftains, and particularly of their leader, Einar
Thambarskelver. Einar, with his six hundred men-at-arms, following him
wherever he went, was the personified defiance of the king's authority;
and Harold, when he once saw him land at the pier in Nidaros, flaunting
his power in his face, is said to have exclaimed in verse: "Here I must
see the haughty Einar land with a band of _hus-carles_ so large that
many an earl would have been satisfied with less. He thinks, perhaps,
himself to mount the throne; and he will not stop until he has deprived
me of my kingdom, unless he has first to kiss the thin lips of the axe."
Though this supposition may have been unfounded, it is very sure that
Einar shunned no opportunity for manifesting his hostility to the king.
Once he broke up a meeting when Harold was present, and with his armed
retinue freed a convicted thief who had once been in his service.
Another time he forced the king, by threatening an attack, to surrender
a great treasure which once had been found in the ground, although the
law adjudged all property thus acquired to the king. Einar, however,
claimed that some runes on the lid of the chest, containing the
treasure, showed it to have belonged to his father-in-law, Earl Haakon,
whose only surviving heir was his wife Bergljot.
The king could scarcely be blamed for resenting such insolence, but the
means he chose to get even with his enemy was unworthy of him. He had,
by chance, captured some Danish men who had in their possession King
Sweyn's seal. It is not improbable that they were secret emissaries from
the Danish king, who was perhaps trying the tactics of his uncle Knut,
whose bribes had once alienated the Norse chieftains from Olaf the
Saint. It now occurred to Harold that he might use these men to test the
disposition of the chieftains toward him and, what was especially
important, gain a just reason for destroying those who should prove to
be traitors. It was particularly against Einar Thambarskelver that this
plot was directed. The men, purporting to come from King Sweyn, brought
forged letters full of flattering assurances, and a large sum of money
which they offered Einar as a pledge of the king's friendship. But he
was equal to the test. "Every one knows," he said, "that King Harold is
not my friend, while King Sweyn often speaks kindly of me, and I would
fain be his friend. But if he comes to Norway with an army to fight King
Harold and harry his kingdom, I will make him all resistance in my
power, and I will help King Harold, with all the force at my command, to
defend his kingdom."
When the Danes returned with this message to King Harold, he said:
"It was to be expected that he would answer like a man of honor, though
not out of love for me."
There were other surprises in store for the king on this occasion. His
friend and kinsman, Thore of Steig, who had first recognized his claim
to the kingdom, accepted the bribe, and when informed that Harold was
coming to punish him, he went cheerfully to meet him, and handed him the
money, saying: "A short while ago, there were some Danish men at my
house who brought me friendly letters and money from King Sweyn. I
accepted the money, because I found it proper that you should receive
what foreign kings were using to steal your country from you."
This was so shrewd an act that it extorted from Harold, even if he did
see through it, a reluctant admiration.
A third man,--a peasant, named Hoegne Langbjoernsson--to whom the
emissaries came, made them this answer:
"I did not think King Sweyn had heard of me, who am only a common
peasant, but my answer to him is this: that if he comes to Norway with
war-shield, no peasant's son shall do him more harm than I."
When this reply was reported to Harold he was greatly pleased, and
presently offered Hoegne, as a reward for his fidelity, the title of
liegeman, which was the highest dignity next to that of earl. But Hoegne
was also proof against this temptation.
"All the friendship which you show me, my lord," he said, "I accept with
thanks. But the title of liegeman I will not have, for I well know how
things will go. When the liegemen came together they would say: 'Hoegne
shall have the lowest seat, for he is only of peasant race, and thus the
lowest of the liegemen.' My dignity would then not bring me honor, but
shame. Far greater honor it is to be called a peasant and have the
peasants say when they come together, that Hoegne is the foremost among
them."
It is this sturdy sense of independence among peasants which makes
Norwegian history unlike the history of any other country, and Norway
the fountain-head of constitutional liberty in Europe. It was upon this
rock that feudalism was wrecked in Norway, while it sailed triumphant
down the current of history in Sweden, in Denmark, and all other
European lands.
King Harold could not help recognizing this proud integrity, even when
found in his enemies. He was more kindly disposed even toward Einar
Thambarskelver after having become assured of his loyalty. In order to
put an end to all differences between them, he invited the old man to a
feast at the royal mansion in Nidaros, gave him the seat of honor next
to himself, and entertained him in princely fashion. The horns were
industriously drained, and Einar, who was nearly eighty years old, grew
sleepy. As ill-luck would have it, the king was just then telling of
his adventures in Constantinople, and he regarded the sleepiness of his
guest as a mark of disrespect. He directed one of his men to play a
rough trick on the sleeper, in return for which Einar, the next day, had
the man slain. The old enmity then broke out afresh; and Harold, weary
of the humiliations he had had to suffer, determined to rid himself of
his foe. Under pretence of wishing to make peace with him, he invited
him to a meeting. Einar came with his son Eindride and a large crowd of
followers. The king, having concealed assassins in the hall, had covered
up the smoke-hole so as to exclude the light. As Einar entered, leaving
his son at the door outside, he expressed his astonishment at the
darkness.
"Dark it is in the king's hall," he said.
The murderers immediately fell upon him and cut him down.
"Sharp are the fangs of the king's hounds," he cried.
Eindride, hearing his father's voice, rushed in to defend him, but was
instantly surrounded and slain. In a few minutes the king strode out of
the hall, and ordered his men to prepare themselves for an attack; but
Einar's followers stood irresolute, and made no sign to pursue him, as
he walked down to the river with his guard and rowed out to the fjord.
The old Bergljot, when she heard of the king's treachery, rushed through
the streets of the town, vainly calling upon the people to avenge her
husband and son. She arrived at the king's mansion just in time to see
Harold's boat gliding down the river. "Now we miss my kinsman Haakon
Ivarsson," she cried; "for if he stood here on the slope, Einar's
slayer would not be rowing down the river."
Harold acted wisely in betaking himself away after having aroused the
wrath of the Troenders by this dastardly deed. He went to his kinsman by
marriage, Finn Arnesson, and persuaded him to use his influence to quiet
the people; in return for which he promised to recall his brother Kalf,
and restore to him his property and dignities, of which King Magnus had
deprived him. Moreover, Finn had to undertake a mission to Haakon
Ivarsson, and induce him to forego his vengeance for the slaying of his
kinsmen, and accept, as blood-wite, any favor which it was in the king's
power to bestow. Finn accomplished both these missions with success;
quieted the Troenders, and reconciled Haakon, who, as the price of peace,
demanded the hand of Ragnhild, the daughter of Magnus the Good, in
marriage. Nevertheless, the king had lost much in the estimation of the
people by murdering Einar. The slaying itself they would readily have
condoned; but the breach of faith they regarded as a crime, unworthy of
an honorable warrior. Harold's disregard of faith and honor brought
about a general disregard of moral obligations. Toward a treacherous
king treason seemed pardonable. One after another of his liegemen,
discovering his duplicity, turned away from him, left their country, and
went to King Sweyn in Denmark, who received them well. The first who
took this course was Finn Arnesson; Kalf, his brother, was a brave and
able man, and King Harold seemed after his return to be kindly disposed
toward him. For all that, during an expedition to Denmark, he sent him
ashore with a small band of men and commanded him to attack a much
superior Danish force, promising to come to his aid, if necessary. Kalf
obeyed, and was killed with nearly all his men. Then, at last, when
there was no need of it, the king landed and made an incursion for
plunder into the country. Later, he boasted of having caused the death
of thirteen men, and Finn was not wrong in supposing that his brother
was one of them. He was so incensed at the king's treachery that he
could no more endure to meet him face to face. He sailed with all his
movable possessions to Denmark, where King Sweyn made him Earl of
Halland, a province which now belongs to Sweden, and borders on the
Norwegian province Viken.
A similar experience with King Harold had Haakon Ivarsson. He wooed
Ragnhild, the daughter of King Magnus, but received the reply that she
would not wed any man less than an earl. Haakon then begged the king to
make him an earl; but Harold answered that he did not wish to have more
than one earl at the time in his kingdom. Full of wrath, Haakon then
betook himself to King Sweyn; but in the battle of Nis-aa again joined
Harold, and saved him from defeat. His obligations toward Sweyn he also
discharged by rescuing him after the battle, and sending him in safety
to his friends. The fame which Haakon acquired by these exploits, so far
from bringing him the favor of the king, rather excited his hostility.
Harold did, indeed, persuade Ragnhild to marry him, and positively
promised to make him an earl; but, after the wedding had taken place,
he put him off on one pretext or another, and when Haakon pressed him
for an answer, gave him a blank refusal. His wife, who had expected a
different result, cried out to him joyously, as he returned: "Welcome,
my Earl." He was forced to tell her what had occurred; and as he would
not have the appearance of having won her under false pretences, he
offered her divorce, and the right to keep all his property. This was a
generous offer, but Ragnhild refused to accept it. Haakon, then, began
secretly to dispose of his property, in the hope of escaping from the
country without attracting the king's attention. Harold, however, got
wind of his purpose, and started out with two hundred and forty men, in
the night, to kill him. Being warned by a friend, he made his escape
into Sweden, and thence to Denmark. Sweyn made him Earl of Halland after
Finn Arnesson's death; and the Swedish king, Steinkil, gave him the two
large provinces, Vestgoetland and Vermeland. Haakon was now in possession
of almost royal power, and he availed himself of his position to do as
much damage to King Harold as possible. In the Oplands he had always
been popular, while the king was much disliked for having deprived the
peasants of certain privileges, bestowed upon them by Olaf the Saint.
Haakon, therefore, had the audacity to levy taxes in this province, and
when the king's tax-gatherers came, they were informed that there was no
money due to him, as the taxes had been paid to Earl Haakon. But King
Harold was not the man to pocket such insults. He gathered an army,
invaded Sweden, and defeated Haakon and the Vestgoths; and the Oplanders
he punished with exemplary severity.
In the year 1066, Earl Tostig, the brother of the English King Harold
Godwineson, came to Norway to enlist Harold Sigurdsson's aid in an
attempt to conquer England. He had been on a similar errand in Denmark,
but had there met with small success. Sweyn Estridsson declared that he
had no ambition to imitate the deeds of his uncle, Knut the Mighty; but
would be quite content if he could keep and defend his own kingdom.
Harold Sigurdsson, who never was averse to adventurous undertakings,
lent a more favorable ear to the earl's representations, and in
September, 1066, sailed for England with the largest fleet which up to
that time had ever left the shores of Norway. About twenty thousand
warriors embarked, and with the contingent which he exacted from the
earls of the Orkneys, and Earl Tostig's own contribution, the entire
force must have amounted to three hundred or three hundred and fifty
ships and thirty thousand men. His queen, Ellisif, and his two
daughters, Maria and Ingegerd, whom he had brought with him, he left on
the Orkneys, and himself sailed down along the coast of Scotland to
Northumberland. At Fulford he was met by an army under the Earls Markere
and Eadwine, and won a great victory, whereupon the city of York
surrendered. He encamped at Stamford Bridge, about seven miles from
York; but left about one third of his army, under command of his son
Olaf, to guard the ships. The weather was warm, and the men, having no
thought of danger, did not wear their armors. At Stamford Bridge,
however, they were surprised by a large army, led by Harold Godwineson.
Tostig advised a speedy return to the ships; but Harold Sigurdsson,
being too proud to turn his back to any foe, gave orders to await the
attack of the English. While the army was being arranged in battle
array, twenty English horsemen came riding toward them, and one of them
asked if Earl Tostig was present.
"It is not to be denied that you will find him here," answered Tostig.
"We bring thee this greeting from thy brother Harold," said the
Englishman, "that he offers thee peace and Northumberland; nay, he is
not indisposed to grant thee one third of his kingdom, if he can gain
thy friendship on no other terms."
"This, in sooth, is another offer than the scorn and strife which were
offered me last autumn. * * * Suppose, now, that I accept this proposal;
what does then my brother offer the King of Norway?"
"He has intimated how large a piece of England he will grant to King
Harold Sigurdsson; it is the space of seven feet, or so much more as he
is taller than other men."
"If such is the case," Tostig rejoined, "then ride back and bid King
Harold commence the battle."
Harold Sigurdsson, who had listened to this colloquy, asked Tostig who
the spokesman of the Englishmen was.
"That was my brother, Harold Godwineson himself," answered the earl.
"Too late did I learn that," said King Harold.
The English cavalry made the first onslaught, but were repulsed.
Thinking that their retreat indicated a general flight, the Norsemen
started in pursuit, thus breaking up their battle array, which it was
the king's intention to preserve until the expected reinforcements
arrived from the ships. King Harold fought with _berserkir_ fury,
rushing into the thick of the fray and hewing savagely about him. The
English ranks broke, and every thing indicated a victory for the
Norsemen, when the king's throat was pierced by an arrow, and he fell
from his horse dying. Tostig now assumed command, after having refused
an armistice, offered by his brother. He fought bravely for a while, and
the Norsemen, weary and wounded though they were, shouted their
battle-cry and rushed forward once more, eager to avenge their king.
Then Tostig, too, was cut down, and the wide battle-field was covered
with the bodies of the slain. Just then, Eystein Orre, King Harold's
brother-in-law, arrived with reinforcements, and a short and desperate
combat ensued, until he, too, fell. Under cover of the twilight a small
remnant of the great army succeeded in reaching the ships. One man,
named Styrkaar Stallare, had got hold of a horse and dashed furiously
away over the fields, arrayed in his shirt and a helmet. His clothes had
been torn off him in the heat of the combat. A cold wind was blowing,
and chilled him to the bone. On his way, he met an English yeoman,
dressed in a warm jerkin of sheepskin. Styrkaar asked him how much he
would take for the garment.
"I won't sell it to thee," answered the yeoman, "for I know thee by thy
speech that thou art a Norseman."
"If that's so," said Styrkaar, "what wilt thou then do?"
[Illustration: THE OLD MAN OF HOY, ON THE ORKNEYS.]
"I'll kill thee; but unhappily I have no weapon that will avail me."
"Well, since thou seest that thou canst not kill me," rejoined the
Norseman, "let me try if I can't kill thee."
And raising his sword, he struck off the yeoman's head and made off with
his jerkin.
For many years after this battle, heaps of human bones lay scattered
over the fields, for no one stayed to bury the dead. The landing of
William the Conqueror (September 29th) called Harold Godwineson to
Hastings, where the fruits of the victory at Stamford Bridge were lost.
Olaf Haroldsson, Harold Sigurdsson's son, steered his course first to
the Orkneys, where his half-sister Maria, in the meanwhile, had died.
There he remained during the winter and spring, and sailed the following
summer, with Queen Ellisif and his sister Ingegerd, to Norway. Of all
the splendid fleet with which his father had sailed away only
twenty-four ships returned.
King Harold was fifty-one years old when he fell. In spite of the
discontent of the chiefs, Norway took great strides, during his reign,
toward a settled internal condition. The tribes were being welded into a
people. In every branch of the administration the king's strong hand was
felt. His wars, though in one sense disastrous, tended, on the whole, to
give Norway a secure place among the nations. A long controversy which
he had concerning ecclesiastical affairs with Archbishop Adalbert of
Bremen ended in his triumph, and though no formal decision was made, the
Norwegian Church ceased, for a while, to recognize the supremacy of the
see of Bremen. If King Harold had been as noble as he was able, he would
have left a greater name behind him.
[Illustration]