Methinks it will not be long before they are here.'

So then the Earl rowed up all the fjords, inwards along one shore and

outwards along the other faring night and day, and he sent scouts on to

the upper way across the isthmus,Sec. & south in the Fjords, & likewise

north where Eirik was now with his host.

It is of this that Eirik's lay telleth:

'War-wise was the Earl who had long-ships on the main

Heading with lofty prows against Sigvaldi,

Mayhap many an oar shook,

But the seamen who rent the sea with strong oar-blades

Feared not death.'

|| Earl Hakon took his host southwards as speedily as ever he was able.

|| Sailing northwards with his fleet Earl Sigvaldi rounded Stad, and

first put in over against Hereya. Here, although the vikings fell in

with the folk of the country, never could they get from them the truth

as to the whereabouts of the Earl. Whithersoever they went the vikings

pillaged, & in the island of Hod they ran up ashore & plundered the

people, taking back with them to their ships both folk and cattle,

though all men capable of bearing arms they slew.

Now as they were going down again to their ships an old man approached

them-- for he was walking nigh to the men of Bui-- and unto them said

he, 'Not as warriors go ye here, driving neat and calves down to the

shore; better prey would it be for ye to take the bear since ye have

come so nigh his lair.'

'What saith the carle?' they cry, 'Can ye tell us aught of Earl Hakon?'

The peasant made answer: 'Yesterday he sailed to Hiorundarfjord having

with him one or two ships, or three at most, & at that time he had not

heard aught of ye.' Forthwith ran Bui & his men to their ships, leaving

all their booty behind, & Bui called out saying: 'Let us make the most

of having got this news, so that we may be the ones nighest to the

victory.'

And when they had mounted up into their ships straightway rowed they out

north of the isle of Hod, and then rounding that island into the fjord.

|| Earl Hakon and his son Earl Eirik were lying in Hallsvik, with their

hosts and one hundred and fifty ships.

Now they had heard by this time that the Jomsborg vikings were lying-to

off Hod, and the Earls accordingly rowed northward to seek them, and

when they were come to the place which is called Hiorungavag met they

one with another.

Both sides then set themselves in array for battle. In the midst of his

host was the banner of Earl Sigvaldi and over against this Earl Hakon

took up his position; Earl Sigvaldi had twenty ships, and Earl Hakon

sixty.

In Earl Hakon's following were the chiefs Thorir Hart of Halogaland, and

Styrkar of Gimsar. As for the battle array, one wing consisted of the

twenty ships belonging to Bui the Burly and his brother Sigurd. Against

these Earl Eirik Hakonson placed sixty ships, with him being the chiefs

Gudbrand the White from the Uplands & Thorkel Leira from Vik.

In the other wing of the array was Vagn Akason with twenty ships, and

against him with sixty ships was Svein Hakonson with Skeggi of Uphaug in

Yriar, and Rognvald from Ervik in Stad. In Eirik's lay it is told of

thus:

'And the sea-ships to battle sped towards the Danish ships,

The sea-host sailed the coast along:

From before the vikings cleared the Earl away many at More

The ships drifted amid war-slain heaps.'

And thus saith Eyvind in the Halogaland tale:

'Hardly was it a tryst of joy in that day's dawning

For the foemen of Yngvi Frey,

When the land-rulers guided the long-ships across the waste,

And the sword-elf from the south-land

Thrust the sea-steeds against their hosts.'

|| Then the fleets were brought together and there ensued the grimmest of

battles, and many were slain on both sides, albeit the host of Hakon was

it which fared the worst, for the Jomsborg vikings fought stoutly both

with boldness & dexterity, shooting clean through the shields. So great

in number were the missiles which struck Earl Hakon that his shirt of

mail became all rent and useless so that he threw it from him.

Of this speaketh Tind Halkelson:

'The kirtle which gold bedecked women wrought for the Earl

(The sparks from the sword wax brighter)

Could no longer be borne;

Then the mailed hero from off him cast the King's shirt

(Ready were the steeds of the sea).

Asunder, on the sand, blown from the Earl by the wind

Was the ring-weaved shirt of Sorli

(Thereof bore he the marks).'

|| Now the ships of the Jomsborg vikings were both larger, and higher in

the gunwale, than were those of Earl Hakon, but nevertheless were they

boldly beset from both sides. Vagn Akason pressed the ships of Svein

Hakonson so hard that Svein let his men backwater & came nigh to

fleeing, whereupon Earl Eirik came up into his place & thrust himself

into the battle against Vagn, and Vagn backed his ship, and the craft

lay again as they had lain at first.

Then Eirik returned to his own battle, where his men were now going

astern, and Bui having cut himself free from his lashings was about to

follow the fugitives.

Eirik then laid his ship alongside the ship of Bui, & a sharp hand to

hand struggle took place, and two or three of the ships of Eirik set on

the one ship whereon was Bui.

Then a storm came on, and there fell hailstones so heavy that one stone

alone weighed an ounce. Then did Sigvaldi cut his ship adrift & went

about, with the intention of fleeing; Vagn Akason cried out to him

bidding him stay, but never a moment would Sigvaldi heed give to what he

said, so Vagn sent a javelin after him, and smote the man who held the

tiller. Earl Sigvaldi rowed out of the battle with thirty-five ships and

left twenty-five behind him.

Then did Earl Hakon bring his ship round to the other side of that of

Bui, and short respite then had the men of Bui between the blows. Now

there was an anvil with a sharp end standing on the forecastle of the

ship that pertained to Bui, and the reason thereof was that some man had

made use thereof when welding the hilt of his sword, and Vigfus the son

of Vigaglums, who was a man of great strength, took up the anvil &

throwing it with both hands, drave it into the head of Aslak Holmskalli,

so that the snout thereof entered his brain. No weapon hitherto had

scathed Aslak, though he had been laying about him on either side.

He was the foster-son of Bui, and his forecastle man. Yet another of the

men to Bui was Havard the Hewer; even stronger was he, and a man of

great valour. During this struggle the men of Eirik went up aboard Bui's

ship, & made aft to the poop, towards Bui, and Thorstein Midlang struck

him full across the nose, cleaving asunder the nose-piece of his helmet,

and leaving a great wound.

Bui then smote Thorstein in the side in such a manner that he cut the

man right athwart his middle, and then seizing two chests of gold he

shouted: 'Overboard all the men of Bui,' and plunged into the sea with

the chests, and many of his men likewise sprang overboard, though others

fell on the ship, for little avail was it to ask for quarter. The ship

was now cleared from stem to stern, and the other craft were likewise

cleared one after the other.

|| After this Earl Eirik brought his ships alongside that of Vagn, and

from the latter met with right stout resistance; in the end however the

ship was cleared, and Vagn and thirty men taken prisoners. Bound were

they & taken on land, and Thorkel Leira went up to them and spoke thus:

'Vagn, thou didst vow to slay me, but me seemeth it is I who am more

like to slay thee.'

Now it happened that Vagn and his men were all sitting on the felled

trunks of a mighty tree, and Thorkel had a big axe, & with it he struck

at the man who was sitting farthest off on the trunk.

Vagn and his men were so bound that a rope was passed round their feet,

but their hands were free. Then said one of them, 'I have in my hand a

cloak-clasp, and into the earth will I thrust it if I wot anything after

my head is off'-- and his head was struck off, and down fell the clasp

from his hand.

Hard by sat a fair man with goodly hair and he swept his hair forward

over his face, saying as he stretched forth his neck: 'Make not my hair

bloody.' A certain man took the hair in his hand and held it fast, and

Thorkel swang the axe so as to strike, but the viking drew back his head

suddenly & he who was holding his hair moved forward with him, and lo,

the axe came down on both his hands and took them off, thereafter

cleaving the earth. Then Earl Eirik came up and asked: 'Who is that fine

man?' 'Sigurd the lads call me,' said he, 'and I am thought to be a son

to Bui: not yet are all the vikings of Jomsborg dead.' 'Thou must of a

surety be a true son to Bui; wilt thou have quarter?' 'That dependeth

upon who is the bidder thereof,' said Sigurd. 'He offereth it who hath

power to give it, to wit Earl Eirik.' 'Then will I take it,' and loosed

was he from the rope. Then said Thorkel Leira: 'Though thou grantest

quarter, Earl, to all these men, yet never shall Vagn Akason depart

hence alive,' & so saying he ran forward with uplifted axe. Just then

the viking Skadi tripped in the rope, and dropped before Thorkel's feet,

and Thorkel fell flat over him, and Vagn seizing the axe dealt Thorkel

his death-blow. Then said the Earl: 'Wilt thou have quarter?' 'Yea

will I,' said he, 'if we all are given quarter.' 'Loose them from the

rope,' said the Earl, and so it was done accordingly.

Eighteen of these men were slain, but to twelve was quarter granted.

|| Now Earl Hakon & many of his men with him were sitting on a log.

Suddenly there twanged a bowstring from Bui's ship, but the arrow struck

Gizur of Valders, a feudatory who was sitting by the Earl & was clad in

brave apparel, & forthwith went sundry of Hakon's men out to the ship

and found on it Havard the Hewer kneeling by the bulwarks, for his feet

had been smitten off him. A bow had he in his hand and when they were

come out to the ship, as aforesaid, Havard asked: 'Who fell off the

tree-trunk?' 'One named Gizur,' they say. 'Then was my luck lesser than

I wished.' 'Ill-luck enough,' say they, 'and more hurt shalt thou not

do,' & therewith they slew him. After these things the dead were

searched, and the booty brought together for division; five and twenty

ships belonging to the Jomsborg vikings were thus cleared of booty. Tind

saith as follows:

'He, feeder of ravens,

(Their swords did smite their thighs)

Against the friends of the Wends long did struggle,

Until he who shields destroyed had

Five and twenty ships laid waste.'

|| Thereafter were the hosts dispersed.

Earl Hakon betook him to Throndhjem, taking it full ill that Eirik had

given Vagn Akason quarter.

Men say that during this battle Earl Hakon made sacrifice of his son

Erling in order to gain the victory, and afterwards the hailstorm came,

and that then the slaughtering changed over out of the hands of the

Jomsborgers. After the battle Earl Eirik went to the Uplands, and from

there east to his dominions, and with him went Vagn Akason. Thereafter

Eirik gave the daughter of Thorkel Leira-- Ingibiorg was her name-- in

marriage to Vagn, & a goodly long-ship to boot, well furnished in all

things appertaining thereto, & a crew did he get him for the ship, and

they parted in all friendship. Vagn thence fared southward home to

Denmark, and became thereafter a famous man.

Many men of might are descended from him.

|| Now it hath been heretofore related how Harald the Grenlander was King

of Vestfold, and how Asta, the daughter of Gudbrand Kula had he taken to

wife. One summer when he was out laying waste the countries to the

eastward, came he to Sweden where Olaf the Swede was King in those days.

Olaf was the son of Eirik the Victorious and of Sigrid the daughter of

Skogla-Tosti.

Sigrid was now a widow and to her pertained many great manors in Sweden.

When she heard that her foster-brother Harald the Grenlander had come

ashore not far from where at that time she was abiding, sent she

messengers to him, bidding him to a feast which she was making ready to

give. Thereat was Harald glad, and fared to Astrid with a great

following of men. And a goodly feast was it withal: the King and the

Queen sat in the high-seat and in the evening drank both together, and

among the men flowed the ale freely.

At night when the King went to his rest his bed had on it a costly

coverlet, and was hung with precious cloths; in that house there were

but few men. And the King having unclad him, & gotten into bed, the

Queen came hither to him and poured out a cup, and pressed him hard to

drink; right kind was she to him withal. Now the King was exceeding

drunken, and the Queen likewise.

Then fell the King asleep, and Sigrid went away to her bed. Now the

Queen was a very wise woman, and far seeing in many things. The next

morning flowed the drink ever apace, but as ofttimes cometh to pass when

men have drunk heavily, even so the more wary of drink are most of them

on the morrow. Yet was the Queen merry, and she and Harald spake much

together, and as their talk ran on, the Queen said that she deemed her

lands & kingdom in Sweden to be of no less worth than his in Norway. Now

at this manner of talking the King waxed moody, and found but little

pleasure in anything thereafter, and heavy at heart he made him ready

to go; yet was the Queen exceeding merry, gave him great gifts, &

accompanied him on his way.

|| So back to Norway fared he that autumn, & abode at home during that

winter, but little enough pleasure gat he the while. The summer

thereafter went he eastward with his host, and shaped his course for

Sweden. Word sent he to Sigrid that he desired to meet her, & she rode

down to him, & they talked together; then without more ado he asked her

whether she would have him for mate, to which Sigrid made answer that to

do such a thing would indeed be foolish, seeing that he is well married

already, and better for him might not be. Harald confessed Asta to be a

good wife and brave, 'but of such noble blood as mine is she not

withal.' Then answered Sigrid. 'Maybe thou art of higher lineage than

she, yet nevertheless it beseemeth to me that with her is the happiness

of ye both.' And after that few were the words spoken between them

before the Queen rode away.

|| Then was King Harald sick at heart, & he made him ready to ride inland

to see Queen Sigrid yet once more. Many of his men counselled him

therefrom, but none the less went he with a great following to the house

of which Sigrid was lady. That same evening there came thither from the

east, from Gardariki (western Russia), another king-- VissavaldSec. was his

name, & he likewise came to woo Sigrid the Queen. The kings & all their

retinue were given seats in a large & ancient chamber; & ancient also

were the furnishings of this room, but drink more than enough went round

that evening, so strong indeed that all became drunken, and both the

head-guard, and the outer-guard fell asleep. Then, during the night--

and all this was caused by Queen Sigrid-- were they fallen upon with

fire and sword; both the chamber & the men who were therein were burned,

& of those who came out from it not one was allowed to go alive.

Quoth Sigrid on this matter, that she would teach small kings from other

lands to woo her; & thereafter she was called Sigrid the Scheming.

|| It was the winter before these things befell that the battle with the

Jomsborg vikings was fought in Hiorungavag. Now while Harald was gone

inland, one Hrani was left in charge of the ships and men; but when the

news came that Harald had been done to death, fared they thence

forthwith, & going back to Norway recounted the tidings.

And to Asta went Hrani & told her all things concerning their voyage, &

likewise the errand that had urged King Harald to Queen Sigrid. When she

heard these tidings Asta went straightway to the Uplands to her father,

and right welcome was she made, but exceeding wrathful were they both at

the base design which had been toward in Sweden, & with Harald that he

had been minded to leave her in loneliness. Asta, the daughter of

Gudbrand, brought forth a son even there in the summer; this boy was

called Olaf at his baptism, & Hrani poured the water over him. At the

outset was the child reared by Gudbrand & Asta his mother.

|| Earl Hakon ruled the whole coast of Norway; sixteen counties had he

under his sway, and forasmuch as Harald Fairhair had prescribed that an

earl should be over every county, and that prescription had endured for

long, there were under him sixteen earls. Thus it is said in the

Vellekla:

'Where else know we the government

(On this the hosts may ponder)

Of one land-ruler over the lands of sixteen earls?

Unto the four corners of heaven rises the rumour

Of the doughty deeds of the belauded chieftain.'

|| During the rule of Earl Hakon the increase was good in the land, &

peace was there within it among the peasantry. Well-beloved, too, was

the Earl among them for the greater part of his life, but as his years

waxed old it happened that his intercourse with women became unseemly,

and to such a pass came this that the Earl would cause the daughters of

powerful men to be brought unto him, when he would lie with them for a

week or twain, and then send them back to their homes. This manner of

acting brought him to great enmity with the kinsmen of these women, and

the peasantry fell to murmuring, as is the wont of the folk of

Throndhjem when things are not to their liking.

|| Now there came to the ears of Earl Hakon the fame of a man overseas

westward who called himself Oli, & whom men held for a King; and he

misdoubted from the talk of certain folk that this man must be of the

lineage of the Norwegian Kings. He was told, indeed, that Oli called

himself Gerdish (i.e., of Garda) by race, but the Earl had heard that

Tryggvi Olafson had had a son who had been taken eastward to Garda

(western Russia), and had been brought up there at the Court of King

Valdamar, and that his name was Olaf.

Often had the Earl sought information about this man, and he misdoubted

that he it was who had now come to the western countries. Now to Hakon

the Earl was a great friend, one Thorir Klakka, who was known far and

wide, for he had sailed long whiles as a viking, and at others as a

merchant.

So west across the sea Earl Hakon now despatched this man, bidding him

fare to Dublin as a merchant, as many were wont to fare in those days.

It was laid on Thorir that he should ascertain of what manner of man was

this Oli, and should he hear of a truth he was Olaf Tryggvason, or of

the lineage of the Kings of Norway, then was Thorir, if it might be,

to ensnare him into the power of the Earl.

|| So Thorir gat him west to Dublin, and enquiring there for tidings of

Oli learned that he was with his brother-in-law King Olaf Kvaran.Sec.

Thereafter Thorir brought it to pass that he gat speech of Oli, and when

they had talked often and long (for Thorir was a very smooth-tongued

man) fell Oli to asking about the Upland kings: which of them were still

alive and what dominions pertained to them.

Likewise asked he concerning the Earl, and if he were much beloved in

the country. Thorir answered: 'The Earl is so mighty a man that no one

durst speak but as he wills, nevertheless the reason of this is that we

have none other to look to. Verily know I the minds of many mighty men,

& of the people likewise, & that they would be eager & ready were a king

of the lineage of Harald Fair-hair to come to the realm.

Of this, however, is there no likelihood inasmuch as it has been well

proven how little it availeth to contend against Earl Hakon.'

And when they had talked much together on this matter, revealed Olaf

unto Thorir his name & lineage, & craved counsel of him whether the

peasantry would have him for their King should he fare over to Norway.

With eagerness sought Thorir to urge him on to make this journey,

praising him and his prowess most exceedingly. Then did Olaf conceive a

great desire to be gone to the realm of his kin; and sailed he

thereafter from the west with five ships, going first to the Hebrides; &

together with him went Thorir. Later sailed he to the Orkneys where Earl

Sigurd, the son of Hlodvir, was lying in Asmundarvag (Osmundwall) in

Rognvaldzey (South Ronaldsey) in a long-ship for he was about to sail

over to Katanes (Caithness). Then did King Olaf sail his folk from the

west & put into haven in the island because Pettlanzfjord (Pentland

Firth) was not navigable.

When the King heard that the Earl was lying there summoned he him to

talk with him, and Earl Sigurd having come to the King not long did they

talk ere the King Olaf said that the Earl and all the folk of the land

must let themselves be baptized or they would straightway be put to

death; and the King said he would carry fire & sword through the isles,

and lay waste the land if the folk thereof did not allow themselves to

be christened.

So the Earl being thus beset chose to accept baptism, and was baptized

there and then with all his men. Thereafter swore the Earl an oath that

he would become the King's man, & give him his son for a hostage-- his

name was Whelp or Hound-- and Olaf took him home with him to Norway.

|| Olaf then sailed eastward out to sea, and when he left the main, went

in to the Isle of Most, where he went on land in Norway for the first

time.

He caused a Mass to be said in his tent, & on the self-same spot was a

church afterward builded. Now Thorir Klakka told the King that their

wisest course was to keep secret his identity, and to let not the

slightest rumour about him get abroad, and to travel as speedily as

might be so as to fall upon the Earl while he was still unawares.

Even so did King Olaf, faring northward day and night according to the

set of the wind, & he let not the people know of his journey, nor who

it was that was sailing. When he was come north to Agdanes gat he

tidings that Earl Hakon was within the fjord, & moreover that he was at

variance with the peasantry. Now when Thorir heard tell of this quite

otherwise was it from what he had expected, for after the battle of the

Jomsborg vikings all men in Norway were full friendly with Earl Hakon by

reason of the victory he had won, & which had saved the land from war;

but now so ill had things befallen that here was the Earl at strife with

the peasantry, & that with a great chief come into the land.

|| At this time Hakon the Earl was a guest at Medalhus in Gaulardal, his

ships lying off Vigg the while.

Now there was a certain Orm Lyrgia, a wealthy yeoman who lived at Bynes,

and he had to wife Gudrun the daughter of Bergthor of Lundar, & so fair

a woman was this Gudrun that she was called the 'sun of Lundar.'

And on such an errand as this, namely to bring unto him Orm's wife, did

Earl Hakon send his thralls.

The men coming thither to Bynes made known their errand, but Orm bade

them first go out & sup, & before they had well eaten there had come to

him many men whom he had sent for from the neighbouring homesteads. Then

said Orm that he would in nowise suffer Gudrun to go with the thralls;

and Gudrun herself bade the thralls go tell the Earl that never would

she go to him save he sent Thora of Rimul,Sec. a wealthy lady and one of

the Earl's sweethearts, to fetch her. Then the thralls said that they

would come once again in such a manner that both master and mistress

would repent them of this business, & uttering grievous threats they gat

them gone. Now in all four directions of the countryside did Orm send

out war-arrows, and with them word that all men should rise against

Hakon the Earl to slay him. Moreover he let Haldor of Skerdingsted be

told, and forthwith Haldor also made despatch of the war-arrow.

Not long before this had the Earl taken the wife of a man named

Bryniolf, and from that piece of work had arisen a great pother, and

something nigh the assembling together of an host.

So after receiving the message aforesaid all the people hastened

together and made their way to Medalhus, but to the Earl coming news of

their motions thereon left he the house together with his men and went

to a deep valley which is now called Jarlsdal (the Earl's valley), and

therein they hid themselves. The day thereafter kept the Earl watch on

the peasant host. The peasants had encompassed all the footways, though

they were mostly of a mind that the Earl had made off to his ships.

These were now commanded by his son Erling, a young man of singular

promise.

When night fell sent the Earl his men away from him, bidding them take

to the forest tracks out to Orkadal, 'No one will harm ye if I am

nowhere nigh,' he said. 'Send also word to Erling to go out of the fjord

so that we may meet in More. I shall find a means to hide me from the

peasants.' Then the Earl departed and a thrall of his named Kark bore

him company.

Ice was there on the Gaul river, but the Earl set his horse at it & they

came through, with the loss of his cloak, to a cave which has since been

called Jarlshellir (the Earl's cave), and therein slept they soundly.

When Kark awakened recounted he unto the Earl a dream he had dreamt: how

a man black & ill to behold had come nigh the cave, and he was afeared

would enter it, and this man had told him that 'Ulli' was dead.

Then said the Earl, 'Erling must have been slain.' For the second time

Thormod Kark slept and he cried out in his sleep, and when he awoke told

his dream, namely that he had seen the self-same man coming down again,

& he had bidden Kark tell the Earl that now all the sounds were closed.

And Kark telling Earl Hakon his dream said he thought it might betoken a

short life for him. Thereafter they arose and went to the homestead of

Rimul, whence sent the Earl Kark to Thora bidding her come privily to

him. This did she in haste, and made the Earl right welcome, and he

craved of her hiding were it but for a few nights even until dispersed

should be the peasants. 'Here is it that thou wilt be sought by them,'

said she, 'and search will they make both within and without, throughout

the whole of this my homestead, for many there are that wot over well

how that I would fain help thee all that I might.

Howbeit one place is there wherein would I never seek for such a man as

thou, and that is in the swine-sty.' So thither hied they and said the

Earl: 'Here then will we hide us, for it behoves us that first of all

must we give heed to our own lives.' Thereupon dug the thrall a large

ditch in the sty & carried away the earth, and afterwards placed wood

across it.

And Thora brought unto the Earl tidings that Olaf Tryggvason was come up

the fjord, and that he had slain the Earl's son Erling.

Right so went the Earl into the trench, & Kark with him, and Thora

dragged wood athwart it, and swept earth and muck over it, and drave the

swine thereon. Now the swine-sty was under a certain big rock.

[Illustration]

|| With five long-ships shaped Olaf Tryggvason his course into the fjord,

& Erling, the son of Earl Hakon with his three ships rowed him out to

meet him. Or ever the ships drew nigh one to another Erling and his men

knew that this was war, and then in lieu of coming to a meeting with

Olaf did they make head for the land. Now Olaf when he had seen the

long-ships rowing down the fjord towards him thought to himself that

this would be Earl Hakon, and thereon gave the word of command to row

ahead as hard as might be.

The men of Erling even so soon as they were come nigh unto the shore

leapt they in haste overboard & made for land. Thither after them were

come the ships of Olaf and he himself saw swimming a man exceeding fair

to look upon, and thereon seized he the tiller and threw it even unto

this man, and the tiller smote the head of Erling, he that was son of

the Earl, so that his skull was cloven, yea even to the brain.

Thus came it to pass that Erling lost his life.

There slew the men of Olaf many, but even so did a few make good their

escape; others again made they prisoners, & giving them quarter gat

tidings from them.

Thus learnt Olaf that the peasants had driven away Earl Hakon, that he

was fleeing before them, and that all the folk that were his were

scattered.

Thereafter did the peasants come unto Olaf, and as all liked one another

passing well forthwith entered they into fellowship.

The peasants hailed him for their King, and they covenanted together to

seek Earl Hakon, & to make search up into Gaulardal where if

peradventure he was to be found in any of the houses there, deemed they

it likeliest would he be at Rimul since all men knew for why.

Thora was the dearest friend to him in that valley. So thither went

they, and sought the Earl both without and within but of him could they

find no trace; and Olaf summoned the people together out in the yard,

and standing on the rock which was beside the swine-sty spake unto them,

and the words that he uttered were that he would reward with riches and

honour the man who would work mischief to Earl Hakon.

This speech was heard both by the Earl and Kark. Now by them in the sty

had they a light there with them, and the Earl said: 'Why art thou so

pale, yet withal as black as earth? Is it in thy heart, Kark, that thou

shouldst betray me?' 'Nay,' said Kark, 'we two were born on the

self-same night, and long space will there not be twixt the hour of our

deaths.' Towards evening went King Olaf away, & when it was night Kark

slept, and the Earl kept watch, but Kark was troubled in his sleep. Then

the Earl awakened him & asked him whereof he dreamt, and he said: 'I was

now even at Ladir, and Olaf Tryggvason placed a gold ornament about my

neck.'

The Earl answered: 'A blood-red ring will it be that Olaf Tryggvason

will lay about thy neck, shouldst thou meet with him. Beware now, and

betray me not, & thou shalt be treated well by me as heretofore.' Then

stay they both sleepless each watching the other, as it might be, but

nigh daybreak fell the Earl asleep and was troubled at once, so troubled

that he drew his heels up under him & his head likewise under him, and

made as though he would rise up, calling aloud and in a fearsome way.

Then grew Kark afeard & filled with horror, so it came to pass that he

drew a large knife from his belt and plunged it into the throat of the

Earl cutting him from ear to ear. Thus was encompassed the death of Earl

Hakon.

Then cut Kark off the head of the Earl and hasted him away with it, and

the day following came he with it to Ladir unto King Olaf, and there

told he him all that had befallen them on their flight, as hath already

been set forth. Afterwards King Olaf let Kark be taken away thence, &

his head be sundered from his trunk.

|| Thereafter to Nidarholm went King Olaf and likewise went many of the

peasantry, and with them bare they the heads of Earl Hakon and Kark. In

those days it was the custom to use this island as a place whereon might

be slain thieves & criminals, and on it stood a gallows. And the King

caused that on this gallows should be exposed the heads of Earl Hakon

and Kark. Then went thither the whole of the host, and shouted up at

them and cast stones, and said that they went to hell each in goodly

company, ever one rascal with another. Thereafter did they send men up

to Gaulardal, & after they had dragged thence the body of Earl Hakon did

they burn it.

So great strength was there now in the enmity that was borne against

Earl Hakon by the folk that were of Throndhjem that no one durst breathe

his name save as the 'bad Earl,' and for long afterwards was he called

after this fashion.

Nevertheless it is but justice to bear testimony of Earl Hakon that he

was well worthy to be a chief, firstly by the lineage whereof he was

descended, then for his wisdom and the insight with which he used the

power that pertained to him, his boldness in battle, and withal his

goodhap in gaining victories and slaying his foemen. Thus saith Thorleif

Raudfelldarson:

'Hakon! no Earl more glorious 'neath the moon's highway:

In strife and battle hath the warrior honour won,

Chieftains mine to Odin hast thou sent,

(Food for ravens were their corses)

Therefore wide be thy rule!'

|| The most generous of men was Earl Hakon, yet even to such a chief

befell so great mishap on his dying-day. And this was brought about by

the coming of the time when blood-offerings & the men of blood-offerings

were doomed, & in their stead were found the true Faith and righteous

worship.

|| In general Thing at Throndhjem was Olaf Tryggvason chosen to be King

of the land, even as Harald Fair-hair had been King. Indeed the folk

rose up, & the crowds would hear of nought else but that Olaf Tryggvason

should be King; and Olaf went throughout the country conquering it,

& all men in Norway vowed allegiance to him.

Even the lords of the Uplands and Vik who had before held their lands

from the Danish King now became men unto Olaf and held their lands from

him. Then in the first winter & the summer thereafter fared he through

the country.

Earl Eirik Hakonson, and Svein his brother, & others of their kith and

friendship fled from the land, & going eastward to Sweden, even unto

King Olaf the Swede, were by him well received. Thus saith Thord

Kolbeinson:

'Foemen of robbers! swiftly can fate cause change,

Brief space 'fore the treason of men did Hakon to death,

And to the land erewhile taken by the fighter in battle

Came now the son of Tryggvi, faring from the west.

More in his mind had Eirik against his lord and King

Than can now be spoken of, as might be thought of him.

In wrath sought the Earl counsel of the King of the Swedes

(Stubborn are the folk of Throndhjem, ne'er one will flee).'

|| Now the name of a certain man from Vik was Lodin, and he possessed

much wealth and was come of a goodly lineage. Often fared he as a

merchant, but upon occasion as a viking. Now it befell one summer that

Lodin, to whom appertained the ship, wherein was a fair cargo, did set

sail eastward with merchandise that was his, and after making Estland

spent he the summer there in the places where the fairs were held. Now

the while a fair happeneth are many kinds of goods thither brought to it

for sale, & likewise come many thralls, and among them as it befell in

this wise one day saw Lodin a woman, who when he looked on her perceived

he her to be Astrid, the daughter of Eirik whom King Tryggvi had had to

wife. Now indeed was she unlike what she had been when he had aforetime

seen her, for pale was she, and wasted, and poorly clad; but went he up

to her & asked her about herself, and she answered: 'Sad is it to relate

that have I been sold for a slave, & yet again am I brought hither for

sale.' Thereafter did they recognize one another, & Astrid knew well all

about him and she besought him to buy her & take her back to her kin.

'I will make a bargain with thee on this matter,' said he, 'I will bear

thee home with me to Norway if thou wilt wed me.'

So Astrid being in such dire straits and knowing him full well to be a

man that was brave & had many possessions, yea and moreover goodly

lineage, plighted she him her troth so that she might be set free. Thus

it came to pass that Lodin bought Astrid, and bare her away home even

unto Norway, and wedded her there with the goodwill of her kinsfolk. The

children she bare to him were Thorkel Nefia, Ingirid, and Ingigerd;

while the daughters of Astrid by King Tryggvi were Ingibiorg and Astrid.

The sons of Eirik Biodaskalli were Sigurd Carles-head, Jostein, and

Thorkel Dydril; all these were noble & wealthy, and to them pertained

manors in the east of the country.

Two brothers that dwelt in Vik, Thorgeir & Hyrning as they were named,

took to wife the daughters of Astrid and Lodin.

[Illustration]

|| After the Danish King, Harald Gormson, had embraced the faith of

Christ made he proclamation throughout his dominions that all men must

allow themselves to be baptized, and must turn to the true Faith.

He himself followed hard on the bidding, making use of force and

chastisement when naught else could prevail.

He sent to Norway with a great host two Earls that were called

Urgutherjot and Brimiskiar;Sec. the mission to them was that they should

proclaim Christianity throughout the land & the same also in Vik which

had done direct homage unto Harald himself.

Folk made they submissive readily enough, and many country folk were

thereon baptized. Howsoever it came to pass that after the death of

Harald speedily went his son Svein Two-beard to war in Saxland,

Frisland, and at last also in England, and then those of Norway who had

received Christianity returned to sacrifices, as in the old times

aforesaid in the north country.

But Olaf Tryggvason after that he was King in Norway dwelt he for long

in the summer at Vik, where he was made welcome with great show of

affection; and to that place came also many of his kindred, & others who

were allied to him, and many that had been good friends with his father.

Then did Olaf summon to him his uncle, & his step-father Lodin, & his

step-brothers Thorgeirr and Hyrning, and laying the matter before them

besought them most earnestly to undertake with him, and thereafter with

all their might support the spreading of the message of Christianity,

for this message it was his wish to carry throughout the whole of his

dominions.

And, said he, that he would have it his way or die, 'I will make all of

ye great and powerful men, for it is upon ye that chiefly do I rely

inasmuch as ye are to me kith & brethren.' So all were agreed to do what

he bade them and support him in that which he desired, and to have

fellowship with all those that were of a mind to follow their counsel.

Then did King Olaf proclaim that he would invite all men in his realm to

become Christians, and those who had agreed this aforetime straightway

did his bidding, & as they were the most powerful of those present, all

the others did according to their example. Thereafter were all folk

baptized in the eastern part of Vik, & then went the King to the

northern parts thereof and invited all men to receive Christianity; and

those who said nay chastised he severely, slaying some, and maiming

some, and driving away others from the land. So it came to pass that the

people of the whole of that kingdom whereover his father King Tryggvi

had ruled aforetime, and likewise that which his kinsman Harald the

Grenlander had possessed, received Christianity according to the bidding

of King Olaf. Wherefore in that summer and in the winter thereafter were

the people of the whole of Vik made Christian.

|| Early in the spring-time was King Olaf astir, and leaving Vik went he

north-west to Agdir and whithersoever he went summoned he the peasants

to a Thing, and bade all men let themselves be baptized. And forasmuch

as none of the peasantry durst rise up against the King, the people were

baptized withersoever he went, and the men embraced Christianity.

|| Bold men and many were there in Hordaland who were come of the kin of

Horda Kari. To him had been born four sons: firstly, Thorleif the Wise,

secondly, Ogmund who was the father of Thorolf Skialg, the father of

Erling of Soli; thirdly, Thord the father of Klyp the 'hersir' (he that

slew Sigurd Sleva Gunnhildson) and fourthly, Olmod the father of Aksel

who was the father of Aslak Fitiar-skalli. This stock was greatest and

bravest in Hordaland.

|| Now when these kinsmen heard the disquieting tidings that the King was

coming from the east along the coast, and with him a large host who

forced all men that they should break the old laws of the old gods, and

imposed penalties with sore chastisements on all those who spake not to

his liking, agreed they to meet together to take counsel upon their

plans for well knew they the King would soon be upon them; it was

therefore agreed among them that they would one & all be present at the

Gula-Thing, and there should they meet Olaf Tryggvason.

|| Even so soon as he was come to Rogaland did Olaf summon a Thing,

& thereto came the peasantry in great numbers and fully armed.

And being come together made they speeches and held consultations among

themselves, & chose three men who were the most eloquent among them to

answer back the King at the Thing. Moreover were they to speak against

him and make it known that they would not suffer their laws to be broken

even were it the King who ordained the same. Now when the peasants were

assembled at the Thing & the Thing was opened, rose up King Olaf and

spake, talking at the outset smooth and fair albeit it was manifest in

his talking that it was his will that they should accept Christianity.

And after he had done with fair words he fell to vowing that those who

spoke against him and would not do his bidding would bring upon

themselves his wrath & chastisement and hard entreatment howsoever he

might bring it about.

Now when the King had made an end to speaking there stood up one of the

yeomen who was the most eloquent & who had been chosen as the first to

make answer to King Olaf.

But when he was about to speak was he taken with such a coughing &

choking that he could not get forth a word, and down sat he again.

Sorely as it had gone with the first yet nevertheless rose another man

to his feet to take up the answer, but when he began to talk so greatly

did he stammer that never a word could he get forth. Then all who were

present fell to laughing, so that the yeoman sat himself down again.

Then stood the third man up with intent to speak against King Olaf, but

so hoarse was he and husky that no man could hear what he said, so down

he sat likewise. There being now none of the chosen yeomen left to speak

against the King, and no one else would answer him, the resistance that

had been projected came to naught.

In the end therefore were all agreed to do the King's bidding, and all

the Thing folk were christened there and then or ever the King departed

from them.

|| King Olaf proceeded to the Gula-Thing accompanied by his men, for the

peasants had sent unto the King saying that there they would answer him

on this matter. But when both parties were come to the Thing the King

made known that it was his wish first to have speech with the chiefs of

the land, so when all were assembled there he set forth his purpose in

being present, which was to impose baptism upon them.

Then spake Olmod the Old and said: 'We kinsmen have taken counsel

together on this matter, and of one consent are we thereon. If thou,

King, thinkest to force us kinsmen to such a thing as the breaking of

our laws, and wilt bend us to thy will, then will we defy thee by all

means in our power, & fate must decide whoso shall get the mastery.

But if thou, O King, wilt advance us kinsfolk somewhat then thou mayst

bring it so well about that we shall turn to thee in hearty obedience.'

Quoth the King, 'What is that which ye demand that shall bring about

good peace betwixt us?' Then said Olmod, 'Firstly is it thou shalt give

thy sister, Astrid, in marriage to our kinsman Erling Skialgson, whom we

now account the likeliest young man of Norway.'

The King said that to his mind this was a fair request and that it would

be a good marriage seeing that Erling was of a great family, and withal

goodly to look upon, but nevertheless said he, must Astrid herself have

a word in the matter. Thereafter did the King speak with his sister on

the subject, and she answered and said, 'little it availeth me that I am

a King's daughter and a King's sister if I am to wed a man without a

princely name, rather will I tarry a few winters for another suitor,'

and therewith ended their talking for the time being.

|| Now after these things King Olaf caused the feathers to be plucked

from off a hawk appertaining to Astrid his sister, and thereafter he

sent the bird to her. Then said Astrid, 'Wrathful is my brother now,'

& going to her brother, who bade her welcome, she spake unto him that

he the King should give her in marriage as it seemeth best to him.

'Methought,' said Olaf, 'that I had power enough in this land to make

whatsoever man I would a man of title and dignity.'

So then the King summoned Olmod and Erling and all their kinsmen to him

to talk with them anent this matter, and in such wise did their talking

end that Astrid was betrothed to Erling. Thereafter the King called

together a Thing, & offered the peasants Christianity, and though all

their kinsfolk were with them in this matter yet were Olmod & Erling the

most zealous of all men in forwarding the King's cause.

No one had any longer the courage to raise his voice against the wish of

the King, and thereupon were the people all baptized and became

Christian. Now the marriage of Erling Skialgson took place in the summer

and many folks came together to be witness of it; thither likewise came

King Olaf. On this occasion did the King offer to give Erling an

earldom, but Erling spake & said: '"Hersirs" have my kinsmen been and no

higher title will I have than they; but this will I take from thy hands,

King, namely that thou makest me to be the greatest in the land of that

name.' So in accord with this did the King give him his promise, and

when they parted bestowed on his brother-in-law Erling that land which

is north of the Sogn-sea and lies eastward as far as Lidandisnes,Sec. on

the same pact as Harald Fair-hair had given land to his sons, of which

an account has been afore writ in fair scrip.

|| Then in the autumn after these things had come to pass, the King

called together a Thing of four counties, & the meeting took place in

the north, at Stad on Dragseid.

Thither came folk from Sogn, the Firths, South-More and Raumsdal. King

Olaf himself fared to it with a mighty following of men that he took

with him from the east of the country, and likewise men who had come to

him from Rogaland and Hordaland. Then when he was come to the Thing

offered he to those that were gathered together Christianity even as he

had done at other places, and forasmuch as he had with him a very great

host men were afeared of him.

Then did he give them for choice one of two things, either to accept

Christianity and let themselves be baptized, or to be prepared to do

battle with him. So the peasants foreseeing no chance of fighting

against the King save with ill-hap, accepted the first choice he had

offered them & embraced Christianity. Then fared Olaf with his men to

North-More, and that country likewise made he Christian; thereafter

sailed he in to Ladir & caused the temple there to be pulled down & took

all the adornments & property from the temple and from the god.

A great gold ring which Earl Hakon had caused to be wrought took he

moreover from the door thereof, & then after he had done these things

caused he the temple to be burned.

|| Now when the peasants came to hear of what the King had done sent they

war-arrows throughout the countryside, calling out an host & were about

to rise against the King, but meantime sailed he out of the fjord with

his men, and thereafter headed northward off-shore. Now it was the

intent of Olaf to fare north to Halogaland in order thither to bring

Christianity; but when he was come as far north as to Biarney gat he

news from Halogaland that they had an host under arms, and were minded

to defend their land against the King. The chiefs of this host were

Harek of Tiotta, Thorir Hart of Vogar, and Eyvind Rent-cheek. So Olaf

learning this, even as aforesaid, turned his ships about & sailed

southward off the coast. When he was come as far south as to Stad fared

he more slowly, but nevertheless at the beginning of winter had he

covered all the distance eastward to Vik.

|| Now the Queen of Sweden, whom men called the Haughty, was at that time

living at one or other of her manors, and betwixt King Olaf and her

fared there that winter emissaries who sought her hand in the name of

the King.

Queen Sigrid received the offer in a friendly spirit, and in due time

was their troth plighted.

King Olaf sent Queen Sigrid the great ring of gold which he had taken

from off the door of the temple at Ladir, and it was deemed a most noble

gift.

Now touching the matter of this marriage a meeting was to take place the

following spring by the Gota river, on the marches of the country.

While this ring which King Olaf had sent to Queen Sigrid was being

praised so exceedingly were the Queen's smiths, brothers, with her; & it

befell that they took the ring, and weighed it in their hands, & then

spake a word together privily. At this the Queen summoned them to her,

and asked of them why made they such mock of the ring, but they denied

that they were doing such a thing.

Then said she that she insisted upon knowing what it was they had

discovered; & thereupon they told her that there was falsehood in the

ring. Then did the Queen let the ring be broken asunder, and copper was

found to be inside it.

Thereon was the Queen wroth, and said that Olaf might play her false in

more things than this one.

|| That same winter went King Olaf up into Ringariki and introduced

Christianity there. Now it had befallen that Asta, the daughter of

Gudbrand, was speedily wedded after the death of Harald the Grenlander

to a man named Sigurd Sow,Sec. who was King of Ringariki. Sigurd was the

son of Sigurd o' the Copse who again was son to Harald Fair-hair.

Dwelling with Asta at that time was Olaf her son by Harald the

Grenlander, for he was being reared at the house of his step-father

Sigurd Sow. When King Olaf Tryggvason went to Ringariki to introduce

Christianity, Sigurd let himself be christened together with Asta his

wife, & Olaf her son,Sec. & for the latter stood Olaf Tryggvason sponsor;

the babe was at that time three winters old.

King Olaf then fared southward again to Vik, and abode there the winter,

& this was the third winter that he was King of Norway.

|| Early in the spring fared King Olaf eastward to Konungahella (the

King's rock) to the tryst with Queen Sigrid, and when they were met,

talked they one with the other over the matter which had been set afoot

in the winter, to wit, that they should wed one another.

Right hopeful did the matter seem to them, until King Olaf spake & said

that Sigrid must accept christening and the true Faith.

Then did the Queen make answer: 'Depart from the faith that I have held

aforetime, and which my kindred held before me will I never: yet will I

not account it against thee shouldst thou believe on whatsoever god may

seem best to thy mind.' Then Olaf waxed exceedingly wroth and made

answer hastily: 'Heathen as a dog art thou-- why should I wed thee?' and

smote her in the face with the glove he was holding in his hand.

Then stood he up on his feet & she arose likewise, and Sigrid said,

'This might be thy undoing.' Thereafter were they parted, the King going

northward to Vik, and the Queen east to Sweden.

[Illustration]

|| Thence King Olaf fared to Tunsberg & having come thither held he a

Thing and gave out thereat that all men who were known and proven to be

dealers in witchcraft and spellwork, or were wizards, should depart out

of the land. Thereafter did the King cause the countryside thereabouts

be searched for such men, & commanded them to be brought unto him. And

when they were come to him a man there was among them called Eyvind

Well-spring, who was the grandson of Rognovald Straight-legs, the son of

King Harald Fair-hair.

Now Eyvind was a wizard & well versed in witchcraft. King Olaf caused

all these men to be assembled in a certain hall, which had been made

ready for them in goodly wise, and therein feasted he them & gave them

much strong drink, and when they were all drunken caused he the chamber

to be set on fire. Thus it came about that all the folk who were therein

were burned except Eyvind Well-spring who saved himself by climbing

through the smoke-hole.

Eyvind having made off and sped far on his way, fell in with men who

were going to the King, and he bade these men tell Olaf that he, Eyvind,

had gotten away from out of the fire, and never again would he come into

the King's hands; and that moreover would he pursue his arts even as he

had done before.

When these men were come to King Olaf they told of Eyvind according as

he had bidden them, and ill-pleased enough was the King that Eyvind was

not dead.

|| When spring was come King Olaf left Vik and went the round of his

manors, and sent he word throughout Vik that come the summer would he

call out an host and with it fare northward in the land.

Thereafter went he north (west) to Agdir, and when Lent was drawing to

an end sailed northward to Rogoland, and arrived on Easter EveSec. at

Ogvaldsnes in the isle of Kormt, where an Easter festival had been made

ready for him.

Nigh upon three hundred men had he with him. That same night Eyvind

Well-spring came unto the isle in a long-ship fully manned, and the crew

aboard her were all wizards and other folk versed in magic. Eyvind and

his band went up ashore from their ship and set to work on their

wizardry. Such thick fog & darkness did Eyvind bring about that deemed

he it would be impossible for the King and his folk to see them; but no

sooner were they come nigh to the house at Ogvaldsnes than lo! it there

became broad daylight. Mightily different was this from the desire that

Eyvind had conceived, for the darkness which he had wrought by magic

enveloped him and his folk so that never a bit more could they see with

their eyes than with the napes of their necks, and even round and round

went they in a ring.

Now the King's watchmen saw the wizards as they were moving about, and

not knowing what kind of men they might be had the King aroused, and the

King & his men got up and clad themselves. When King Olaf saw Eyvind &

his folk, bade he his men take their arms and go out to discover what

manner of men might these be. Now the King's folk recognizing Eyvind

laid hands on him and the whole band, and brought them into the presence

of the King.

Then did Eyvind relate all that had befallen him on his journey.

The King thereafter had them all taken out to a rock which was covered

by the sea at high-tide and there let them be bound. Thus Eyvind & the

others came by their end. Afterwards was that rock called Skrattasker.

|| Now it is told that while the King was on this visit at Ogvaldsnes

that there came thither one evening an old man; he was one-eyed and wore

a slouch hat, but very wise was he in his speech and of all lands could

he tell.

This man managed to have speech of the King, & the King found much

entertainment in his conversation and questioned him closely on many

subjects, & the guest made ready answer to all that he asked him,

wherefore sat the King till late in the night conversing with him.

The King asked if he wotted who Ogvald was, whom the ness & homesteads

were named after, & the guest answered that Ogvald was a king and a

great warrior who made sacrifice above all to a cow, and took the cow

with him whithersoever he went, for wholesome did he deem it to drink

ever of her milk. King Ogvald fought with that King who is hight Varin,

& fell in the combat. He was buried in a barrow not far from the house,

and a stone was set up which is still standing. In a place not far from

thence was the cow buried, likewise in a barrow. Such things as this

told he of kings; and other ancient tidings withal. Now after they had

sat thus till late in the night, the bishop reminded the King that it

was time for them to rest, & the King did according as the bishop had

said. But when the King was unclad and had laid him in his bed, the

guest sat himself on the step thereof, and again talked for long with

the King; and ever when he had told of one matter did the King long for

more. Then spake the bishop to the King saying that it was time for

sleep, and the King settled himself for sleep according as the bishop

had said & the guest gat him gone, but soon thereafter the King

awakened, and asked after his guest, & bade him be called unto him, but

nowhere was the guest to be found. On the morrow early the King summoned

his cook to him and he who had charge of the drink withal, and asked

them if any unknown man had come in to them; & they answered that as

they were making ready the food a man had come to them & said that they

were boiling but scurvy meat for the King's table, & therewith he gave

them two mighty fat sides of neat & these they boiled with the other

flesh. Then commanded the King that all that food should be destroyed,

saying that this had not been any man but rather Odin himself, whom

heathen men had long believed on, but, said he, never should Odin

beguile them.[Sec.]

|| Now when summer was come called King Olaf together a large host from

the east of the country and with it sailed he northward to Throndhjem,

going in first to Nidaros. Thereafter sent he round the whole of the

fjord bidding men assemble at a Thing, and there gathered at Frosta a

Thing of eight counties.

Now the peasants, be it said, had turned this Thing summons into a

war-arrow,[Sec.] and to the assembly came men from the whole of the

district of Throndhjem, so that when the King arrived at the Thing,

thither likewise was come the peasant host fully armed.

The Thing being established, the King addressed the people and bade them

accept Christianity, but when he had been speaking but a little while

the peasants called out to him, & bade him be silent or otherwise, said

they, would they rise against him and drive him away. 'Thus did we,'

said they, 'with Hakon Adalstein's foster-son when he commanded a thing

of the kind, and hold we thee in no more respect than held we him.'

Then did King Olaf seeing the ire of the peasants, and moreover knowing

full well that they had so large an host, change his manner of address

and made as if he were agreed with them and spake to them thus: 'It is

my wish that we should be friends again, in such good accord as we were

aforetime.

Thither will I go wheresoever ye hold your greatest blood-offering, &

witness your worship; then will we all take counsel together as to what

manner of worship we will have, and be then all of one mind thereon.'

Now when the King spake thus mildly to the peasants, grew they softened

in temper, and all the converse went peaceably and in seemly fashion,

and at the end was it determined that there should be a midsummer

sacrifice at Maerin, and that thither all the chiefs and wealthy

peasants should go as the custom was, and that thither likewise King

Olaf was to go.

|| Now there was a certain wealthy yeoman whose name was Skeggi (Iron

Beard, called they him) who dwelt at Uphaug in Yriar, and he it was who

first spake up against the King at the Thing, and the cause thereof was

because he was the spokesman of the peasantry against Christianity. But

in the manner aforesaid was the Thing brought to an end, and the

peasants went to their homes, and the King across to Ladir.

|| At this time was King Olaf lying with his ships in the Nid (thirty

ships had he, and his folk were of great prowess) but the King himself

was ofttimes at Ladir, being kept company by his body-guard.

Now when the time appointed for the blood-offering at Maerin was drawing

nigh held King Olaf a mighty feast at Ladir; thither there came to it

chieftains and other wealthy peasants from Strind & from places up in

Gauldal, in accordance with the bidding of King Olaf. When all things

were ready and the guests come, there was held on the first evening a

large banquet, and the cups thereat were often charged & men became

drunk; that night slept all men there in peace. On the morrow early,

after the King was clad, ordered he Mass to be said, and when the Mass

was ended his men sounded their horns for a house-Thing, and the Thing

being established rose the King to his feet and spake, saying: 'A Thing

held we at Frosta, and thereat I bade the peasantry let themselves be

christened; but they in their turn bade me attend a blood-offering with

them, even as the foster-son to King Hakon Adalstein had attended one.

And there was accord betwixt us inasmuch as it was determined that we

should meet at Maerin & make a great blood-offering.

But if I am to turn to sacrificing with you, then will I cause to be

made the greatest sacrifice that can be, namely, the sacrifice of men.

Nor will I choose as gifts for the gods thralls and evil-doers, but the

noblest men, and by this token name I Orm Lygra of Medalhus, Styrkar of

Gimsar, Kar of Gryting, Asbiorn Thorbergson of Varnes, Orm of Lyxa, and

Haldor of Skerdingsted.' Added to these named he five other men who were

of the noblest there; all these, said he, should be sacrificed for peace

and a good year, & he commanded that they should be seized forthwith.

Then the peasants seeing that they were not numerous enough to withstand

the King begged for grace and gave the whole matter into his hands,

whereupon it was agreed that all those who were come thither should let

themselves be baptized, & swear an oath unto the King to hold fast the

true Faith, and have naught further to do with sacrificing.

All these men kept the King at his feast until they gave their sons or

brothers or other near kin to be hostages.

|| Then fared King Olaf with all his men in to Throndhjem; and when he

was come to Maerin found he there assembled all the chiefs that were of

Throndhjem; those who were most zealous to withstand the Christian

faith. With them were all the wealthy yeomen who had hitherto upheld

blood-offerings in this place, a right goodly gathering of men, even as

it had been aforetime at the Frosta-Thing.

The King having required that the Thing should meet, both sides betook

themselves to it, and they were fully armed. Then when the Thing was

established the King spake and offered the men Christianity, &

Iron-Beard answered on behalf of the peasants and said that now even as

before would they not suffer the King to break their laws: 'We desire,

King, that thou makest sacrifice, even as other kings in the land have

done before thee.' Greatly was this speaking applauded by the peasants,

& they shouted that everything must be according unto the words of

Skeggi. Then made the King answer that he would go to the temple and

witness their worship when they were sacrificing, and at this were the

peasants well pleased, and both sides betook themselves thither

accordingly.

|| Now with King Olaf when he entered into the temple were a certain few

of his men & a certain few of the peasants. When the King was come unto

the place of the gods where sat Thor, all adorned with gold and silver,

then did King Olaf lift up a gold-wrought pike which he had in his hand

and smote Thor so that he fell from off his altar, & thereupon the

King's men ran up & cast down all the other gods from their altars.

While they were within the temple was Iron-Beard slain before the

entrance-door thereof, and this deed was done by the men of the King.

Then when the King came forth again to his folk, bade he the peasants

choose one of two conditions: and these twain conditions were either

that they should accept the Faith of Christ, or in default thereof do

battle with him. Now Iron-Beard having been slain was there no man to

raise the banner against the King, so then was that condition accepted

which meant going over unto the King & doing that which he had

commanded.

Then caused King Olaf all the folk who were present to be baptized, and

from them took hostages that they would cleave to the new faith that was

given them.

Thereafter sent the King his men round to all the different parts of

Throndhjem, and durst no man utter a word against the faith of Christ.

|| Then went King Olaf with his men to Nidaros, and on the banks of the

river Nid caused houses to be built, and appointed that on the spot

should arise a merchant-town. He gave men sites on which to build them

houses, & his own King's-House built he above Scipa-Krok.Sec.

In the autumn caused he to be brought thither such goods as were

necessary for a sojourn there during the wintertide; and with him were a

great company of men.

|| After the death of Iron-Beard was his body borne out to Yriar; and he

lies in the Skeggi barrow at Austratt.Sec.

King Olaf summoned a meeting of the kith of Iron-Beard and forasmuch as

his folk had slain this man offered he to pay atonement for the deed,

but there were many brave men to make answer on behalf of Iron-Beard.

Now Iron-Beard had a daughter whose name was Gudrun, and in the end was

it agreed betwixt those concerned that the King should wed this Gudrun.

When the marriage time was come went they both of them into one bed,

King Olaf and Gudrun, and the first night as they were lying together no

sooner had the King fallen asleep than Gudrun drew forth a knife, and

was about to thrust it into the King, when he awoke and wresting the

knife from her cried out to his men to tell them what had befallen.

Gudrun & all the men who had accompanied her then took their apparel and

gat them gone in haste; & never afterwards did Gudrun lie in the same

bed with King Olaf.

|| That same autumn King Olaf caused a great long-ship to be built on the

sands at the mouth of the Nid; a cutter was she, and at work on the

building thereof were many smiths.

At the beginning of winter she was completed, and there were in her

thirty holds, & the prow and stern were lofty withal, yet was she not

broad of beam. That ship called he the 'Crane.'

[Illustration]

|| Now when King Olaf had been two winters in Norway there came to dwell

with him a Saxon priest whose name was Thangbrand; violent was he &

murderous, but a goodly clerk withal and an active man. So headstrong

was he, howsoever, that the King would not keep him with him, but sent

him to Iceland to make that country Christian.

Thangbrand was given a merchant ship, & of his voyage it may be related

that he fared to Iceland, and reached the eastern fjords in southern

Alptafjord, & the winter thereafter abode with Hall at Sida. Thangbrand

preached Christianity in the islands and Hall and his folk and many

other chiefs let themselves be baptized according to his word; but there

were many others who spake against the new faith. Thorvald and Vetrlidi

the skald made lampoons about Thangbrand, but he slew them both.

Thangbrand abode three winters in Iceland, and was the slayer of three

men or ever he departed thence.

|| A certain man was there named Sigurd & another who was called Hawk;

they were Halogalanders, and oft-times made voyages for the conveyance

of merchandise.

One summer fared they to England. When they were returned to Norway

sailed they northward along the coast, & in North More fell in with the

fleet of King Olaf.

Now when the King was told that some heathen men, skippers, from

Halogaland were there, summoned he them to him & asked them if they

would allow themselves to be baptized, and thereto answered they nay.

Thereafter did the King talk to them after diverse fashions, but it

availed nothing; then he vowed that death or maiming should be their

lot, but they obeyed him none the more for that. Then did he cause them

to be put in irons, and kept them in durance for a while, and in fetters

were they, and the King talked often with them, but naught prevailed.

Then one night made they off, and no one knew anything about them, or in

what manner they had gotten away; but in the autumn were they arrived

north, at Harek of Tiotta's, and right welcome were they made.

There dwelt they throughout the winter & were well entertained in all

fairness & hospitality.

|| One fair day in spring it befell that Harek was at home on his farm

and with him were but few men. Now the time hung heavy on his hands, and

Sigurd spake to him & asked if they should not row out a little way, and

so pass the time, and this liked Harek well. So betook they themselves

to the shore, and did hale down a six-oared boat, & Sigurd from the

boat-house fetched him a sail and the gear appertaining to the boat, and

moreover shipped he the rudder. Sigurd and his brother were fully armed,

as was their wont to be when they were at home with the goodman, and the

twain were strong men.

Now or ever they gat them into the boat did they throw into it some

boxes of butter and a basket of bread, and between them bare they a

large cask of ale down to the craft. This done did they all row from

land, & having come away from the island hoist the sail, & Harek did

steer, & away bore they speedily from the island.

Then did the brothers go astern to where Harek was sitting. Saith Sigurd

to Harek the yeoman: 'Choose thou now betwixt several things: one of

them is to let us brothers have the upper hand on this cruise, & another

is to let us bind thee, & the third is that we can slay thee.' Then

Harek seeing in what a plight he was, inasmuch as he could not measure

strength with more than one of the brothers even were he and they

matched as to arms, chose what seemed to him the best of a poor business

which was to let them do as pleased the twain.

So swore he to them an oath and on that gave them a promise, and after

that Sigurd was possessed of the tiller and did steer south along the

coast on a fair breeze, and withal of a mighty care were the brothers

not to fall in with other craft. They paused not on their cruise ere

they came to Throndhjem and to Nidaros, and at that last place found

they King Olaf. Then did the King summon Harek to talk with him, and

thereupon offered him that he should embrace the good faith of Christ,

but Harek would have naught of it. On this matter spake for many days

the King and Harek, sometimes in the presence of many men, sometimes

alone; but never were they come of one mind.

So at the last said the King to Harek: 'Home shalt thou go, and on these

counts no harm will I do thee at present: firstly seeing that there is

kinship betwixt us, and again lest thou mightest say that I had gotten

thee by guile, but know ye of a truth that I be minded to come north in

the summertime, & visit distress on ye Halogalanders, and then shall ye

wot if I can chastise those which accept not the faith which is of

Christ.'

Right pleased was Harek that he could get away from thence so speedily;

to him gave King Olaf a good ship rowing ten or twelve oars a side, and

caused it to be well found with all things needful & of the best; thirty

men did he send forth with Harek, stout fellows & all equipped of the

best.

|| Thus Harek of Tiotta sped from the town with all the haste that might

be, whereas Hawk and Sigurd remained with the King, and the twain were

both baptized.

Harek continued on his way until he was come home to Tiotta, & from

thence sent he word to his friend Eyvind Rent-cheek that Harek of Tiotta

had spoken with King Olaf, but had not let himself be cowed into

accepting the new God; & moreover Harek caused Eyvind to be told that

King Olaf was minded to bring an host against them come summer-tide &

that they must act warily, and Harek bade Eyvind come to him as soon as

ever might be. When this message was brought to Eyvind, quoth he that it

behoved them greatly to take such steps as would prevent the King from

getting the upper hand of them, and he hied him away with all speed in a

light skiff with but few men aboard it.

When he was arrived at Tiotta Harek bade him welcome, and straightway

went they, Harek and Eyvind, to talk together on the other side of the

house-yard, but hardly had they speech of one another than they were

fallen on by men of King Olaf, for so it was that these men had followed

Harek northward. Eyvind was taken captive and led to their ship, and

thereafter fared they away with him, and no pause did they make in their

voyage or ever they were come to Throndhjem to find King Olaf in

Nidaros. Eyvind was then haled before the King who offered him baptism

in like manner as he had offered other men baptism, but to this Eyvind

answered, 'Nay.'

Then with fair words the King bade him be baptized and gave him many

good reasons therefor, & the Bishop spake after the same fashion as the

King, none the less would Eyvind in no wise suffer himself to be

persuaded. Then did the King offer him gifts, and the dues and rights of

broad lands, but Eyvind put all these away from him. Then did the King

threaten him with torture even unto death, but never did Eyvind weaken

his resistance. Thereafter caused the King to be brought in a bowl

filled with glowing coals, and had it set on the belly of Eyvind, and

not long was it ere his belly burst asunder.

Then spake Eyvind: 'Take away the bowl from off me for I would fain

speak some words before I die,' and accordingly it was done.

Then the King asked: 'Wilt thou now, Eyvind, believe on Christ?' 'No,'

answered he. 'I am not such as can be baptized, I am a spirit quickened

in the human body by the magic of the Lapps for before that had my

father and mother never a child.' Then died Eyvind who was the most

skilled of wizards.

[Illustration]

|| In the spring which followed on these happenings did King Olaf cause

his ships and men to be made ready for war, taking for his own ship the

'Crane,' and there was mustered a large and goodly host.

All things being now ready shaped he a course from out the fjord, and

bringing his fleet north past Byrda fared northward to Halogaland.

Wheresoever he landed, summoned he a Thing, & at it offered the people

baptism in the true Faith. Now against this had no man the boldness to

speak, therefore came it to pass that whithersoever he fared were all

that were of those lands baptized. King Olaf visited Tiotta and was the

guest of Harek, who was baptized at that hour together with all the folk

that were about him.

When the King departed thence Harek bestowed on him great gifts and

became his man, and from the King received the dignity of bailiff with

the dues and rights appertaining unto a lord of the land.

|| Raud the Strong was the name of a peasant who abode at Godey in that

fjord which is named Salpti (Salten).

Raud was a man of much wealth and at his beck were many house-carles;

a powerful man was he withal, for a large company of Lapps were ready to

follow him to war whensoever he needed them.

Raud was zealous as a maker of blood-offerings, and skilled also in

witchcraft; even so was he furthermore a warm friend to that man about

whom it has been writ before, to wit, Thorir Hart, & even like unto him

was he also a mighty chief.

Now when it came to the ears of these men that Olaf was abroad with an

host northward even in Halogaland, they too their men mustered,

launching out ships, and assembling an host. To Raud appertained a great

dragon-ship with golden heads thereto, a ship of thirty benches, and

broad was she of beam for her length, and had likewise Thorir Hart also

a ship of good size.

Southward sailed they their fleet purposing to meet King Olaf, and when

they were fallen in with him gave they battle, and fierce was the fight

thereof. Soon men began to fall plenteously, but so much the more was

this the case among the host of the Halogalanders; their ships were

cleared and thereupon came fear & terror over them, & Raud rowed his

dragon out to sea and hoisted the sail thereof. A breeze had he wherever

he was minded to go, and this came of his powers of magic; but to cut

short the tale of the cruise of Raud is briefly to relate that home

sailed he even unto Godey. For land made Thorir Hart in all haste and

his folk fled their ships, but King Olaf pursued after them & put them

to the sword. Moreover then as ever when such doings were afoot was the

King himself foremost among his men.

He saw whither Thorir ran (and Thorir was exceeding fleet of foot) and

thither went the King after him, followed by his dog Vigi. And the King

called out: 'Vigi, catch the hart,' and Vigi sprang ahead after Thorir

and straightway leapt up at him.

Then Thorir had perforce to stop and the King threw a javelin after him,

but Thorir struck the dog with his sword & wounded it sore, and at the

same moment the King's javelin flew under Thorir's hand and went through

him & out at the other side, and thus ended Thorir his life; but Vigi

was borne wounded to the ships.

To all those who asked it and were willing to accept baptism gave King

Olaf quarter.

|| Thence sailed King Olaf with his host northward along the coast,

baptizing all folk withersoever he went, & being come north to Salpti

was he minded to go up the fjord & seek Raud. Foul weather howsoever set

in with a gale blowing fiercely down the fjord, and though the King lay

there nigh upon a week the same wind blew ever the while from the land,

though without the fjord was there a fresh and favourable breeze for to

sail north along the coast.

Therefore it came to pass that the King set sail and fared all the way

northward to Amd, and there the folk became Christians.

After that went he about, and when he was come south again to Salpti he

found a gale blowing down the fjord and driving spray into his

countenance.

There lay the King even a few more nights, but the weather waxing no

better inquired he then of Bishop Sigurd whether or not he wotted of

some remedy against the fiendcraft.

|| So thereupon took Bishop Sigurd all the appurtenances that belonged

unto the Holy Mass, and walked he forward therewith even to the prow of

the King's ship. There was a candle lit & was incense carried forward &

thereafter was ye Holy Rood set at the prow.

The gospel was read and also many prayers, and the Bishop sprinkled holy

water over the whole of the ship. Thereafter bade he the crew unship the

tilts and row up the fjord, and the King commanded that the other ships

should row after them.

No sooner had the crew of the 'Crane' fallen to their oars, & she the

ship was set well up to the fjord, than felt they that there was no more

wind against them, & in her wake was free sea and calm; but on both

sides of her flew the spray & it drave so that no man could perceive the

mountains on either side of the fjord. So it fared that one ship rowed

after the other in the calm, and thus pursued they one another the whole

livelong day, & throughout the night thereafter; and a little before

dawn came they to Godey, and brought-to off the house of Raud, and there

found his great dragon lying off-shore.

Forthwith went King Olaf to the house with his men and made for the

upper chamber wherein Raud was sleeping, and his folk burst open the

door and ran in.

Then was Raud taken and bound, but of the other men who were therein

some were killed & others taken prisoners. Thereafter the King's men

went to the room wherein slept the house-carles of Raud, and some of

them were then slain and some bound & some beaten. Then caused the King

Raud to be led before him & offered him baptism. 'Take from thee thy

possessions I then will not,' quoth the King, 'but will the rather be

thy friend, an thou wilt show thyself worthy of my friendship.' Against

this did Raud loudly raise his voice, saying that never would he believe

on Christ, and blaspheming God.

Then did the King wax wroth, and swore that Raud should suffer the worst

of deaths, and the King commanded that he be taken and bound with his

back to a pole and that a bit of wood be placed betwixt his teeth so

that his mouth might be open, and caused an adder to be taken and set in

his mouth, but the adder would in no wise enter therein but writhed away

when Raud blew upon it. Then did the King cause the adder to be taken &

put in a hollow stick of angelica and set in the mouth of Raud (albeit

some say that the King let his horn be taken & put into the mouth of

Raud, and that the adder was placed in this and pushed down with a

red-hot rod of iron), and then the adder slid into the mouth of Raud,

and thereafter down his throat, and cut its way out through his side.

After this manner ended the life of Raud. Then did the King take thence

very great wealth in gold & silver and other chattels, weapons, & divers

kinds of valuable things. The King caused all the fellows that had been

with Raud to be baptized save those who, not suffering this, were slain

or tortured. Then King Olaf took the dragon that had pertained unto Raud

and himself was her steersman, and a much larger and finer ship was she

than the 'Crane': forward she was fashioned with a dragon's head and aft

with a crookSec. ending in like manner as the tail of a dragon, & both the

prow & the whole of the stern were overlaid with gold. Now the King

called this ship the 'Serpent,' for when the sail was hoisted aloft was

it like unto the wings of a dragon, and this was the fairest ship in all

Norway.

The islands whereon Raud had lived were called Gilling and Haering, but

together were they styled Godey, & the Godey current (Godoestroem) lies

over to the north, betwixt them and the mainland. All that lived around

this fjord did King Olaf convert unto Christianity, and then went he

southward along the coast, and there happened much on that cruise which

is set forth in many legends about a giant and evil spirits which

attacked his men & sometimes himself, but rather will we write of facts

even such as the conversion of Norway & of those other lands whither he

bore Christianity. That same autumn did the King lead his host to

Throndhjem, bringing-to at Nidaros, and there making ready for a winter

sojourn.

|| And now will I next write what there is to tell of the men of Iceland.

|| That same autumn there came to Nidaros from Iceland Kiartan, the son

of Olaf Hoskuldson and the grandson, on his mother's side, of Eigil

Skallagrimson, who hath been called the likeliest man of those born in

Iceland.

There was also Halldor the son of Gudmund of Modruvellir, and Kolbein

the son of Thord Frey's-priest, the brother of Burning-Flosi, and

fourthly Sverting the son of Runolf the Priest.

These were all heathen, as were many others: some powerful, and others

not so powerful.

There came also from Iceland noble men who had accepted the true Faith

from Thangbrand, and one that was of these was Gizur the White, the son

of Teit Ketilbiarnson, whose mother was Alof, the daughter of Bodvar

Viking-Karason the 'hersir.' Bodvar's brother was Sigurd the father of

Eirik Biodaskalli, the father of Astrid, who was the mother of King

Olaf. Another Icelander was named Hialti Skeggiason, and he had to wife

Vilborg the daughter of Gizur the White; Hialti was a Christian, and

King Olaf received with pleasure Gizur and his son-in-law Hialti, and

with the King did they abide. Those of the Icelanders, however, who were

captains of the ships and were heathens to boot, sought to sail away

even so soon as the King was come to town, for it was told them that the

King constrained all men to embrace the faith of Christ. It so befell

natheless that the wind was set against them, & drave them back off

Nidarholm. The captains of the ships were hight Thorarin Nefiolfson,

Hallfrod the Skald, the son of Ottar, Brand the Bountiful and Thorleik

Brandson. Now it being told to King Olaf that some of the Icelanders,

and they heathens, were hard by with their ships and were about to flee

the town, he sent to them and forbade them to sail, but commanded them

instead to come and lie off the town, and this they did but unloaded not

their ships.

|| Then came the holy season of Michaelmas,Sec. and the King caused the

feast to be well kept and a solemn Mass was said. Thereat were the

Icelanders witnesses and hearkened to the fair singing and the ringing

of bells.

When they were come back to their ships each of them said what he had

thought of the Christian men's ways & Kiartan praised them, but most of

the others mocked at them, & it befell that the King heard of this, for

as the saying goes, 'many are the King's ears.' Then forthwith that

self-same day sent he an emissary to Kiartan, and bade him come unto

him, & Kiartan went unto him with but few men, and the King bade him

welcome. Now Kiartan was one of the biggest and fairest of men, with a

great gift of speech. When they had parleyed a while did the King make

proffer to Kiartan that he should embrace the true Faith, and Kiartan

made answer unto him that he would not say nay to this if he might thus

gain the friendship of the King, whereupon swore the King to him &

pledged him his hearty friendship, & after this fashion was a compact

struck between them. On the morrow was Kiartan baptized, and with him

Bolli Thorleikson his kinsman, and all their fellows.

Kiartan and Bolli were the guests of the King as long as they went in

white weeds,Sec. and the King was of kindly countenance toward them.

|| It befell one day that King Olaf was walking in the street when some

men came toward him, and he who was walking foremost greeted the King.

The King asked of the man his name, and the latter said he was hight

Hallfrod.

Then said the King, 'Art thou a skald?' 'I can make verses,' said he.

Then the King answered: 'Thou wilt accept baptism as I trow and

thereafter be my man?'

Quoth Hallfrod: 'There must be a bargain on that matter if I am to

suffer myself to be baptized, to wit, that thou, King, holdest me

thyself at the font, for from no man else will I take it.' 'So be it,'

said the King, & so Hallfrod was baptized and the King held him himself

at the font. Thereafter the King asked Hallfrod: 'Wilt thou be my man?'

& Hallfrod made answer: 'I was of Earl Hakon's body-guard; and now will

I not be the liege-man of thee or of any other chief unless thou givest

me thy word that such a thing shall never befall as that thou shouldst

drive me away from thee.'

'From all that is told me of thee, Hallfrod,' said the King, 'thou art

neither so wise nor so meek but that thou mightest not do a thing which

I could in no wise suffer.'

'Slay me then,' said Hallfrod. The King said, 'Thou art a troublesome

skald, but my man shalt thou be all the same.' Hallfrod answered: 'What

wilt thou give me, King, as a name-gift if I am to be called

"Troublous-Skald"?' Then did the King give him a sword, but it had no

scabbard; and the King said, 'Make now a stave about the sword, & let

"sword" be in every line.' Hallfrod sang:

'One sword alone of all swords

Hath made me now sword-wealthy;

For the swinger of swords

Will there now be swords in plenty.

No lack of swords will there be,

--Worthy of three swords am I--

Lord of the land were but

The sheath of that sword to be mine.'

'There is not sword in every line,' quoth the King. Then answered

Hallfrod: 'But there are three in one line.' 'So be it,' said the King.

Then did the King give him the scabbard. Now from that which is told in

the lays of Hallfrod have we much knowledge & testimony concerning King

Olaf Tryggvason.

|| That same autumn came back Thangbrand the priest from Iceland to King

Olaf and related to him how that his journey had borne no fruit, 'for,'

said he, 'the Icelanders made lampoons about me and some wished to slay

me, and to my mind it cannot be expected that that country will ever be

made Christian.'

At these words King Olaf waxed so hasty and wrathful that he summoned to

him forthwith all the Icelanders in the town, and commanded that

self-same hour that they should all be slain; but Kiartan and Gissur and

Hialti and those that were of them who had made profession of the faith

of Christ entered into his presence & said: 'We trow, O King, that thou

wilt not go from thy word, for thou hast said that no man may make thee

so wrathful but shall he have thy forgiveness an he will be baptized and

abjure heathendom. Now will all the Icelanders who are here suffer

themselves to be baptized, & we can well devise a means whereby

Christianity may gain an entrance into Iceland. The sons of many mighty

men of Iceland are here present, & their fathers will, we trow, lend

their aid in this matter. But Thangbrand there, as here, ever went about

masterful and manslaying, and the people there would not endure it of

him.' Now the King lent an ear to these speeches, and all the men of

Iceland who were there were baptized.

|| Of all men of Norway of whom record hath come down to us was King Olaf

in every wise the one most skilful in manly exercises; stronger was he &

more active than any other man, and many are the tales that have been

written on this matter. One of these recounts how that he climbed the

Smalshorn, and made fast his shield on the topmost peak; and another is

of how he brought succour to one of his own body-guard who had climbed

aforehand up the mountain and was come into such a plight that he could

neither get up nor down, so that the King helped him by going unto him &

bearing him down under his arm to the level land. King Olaf would walk

from oar to oar, on the outer side of the ship while his men were rowing

the 'Serpent', and with such ease could he play with three daggers that

one was ever in the air and always caught he it by the hilt; with either

hand could he strike equally well, and two javelins could he throw at

one time. Of all men was King Olaf the lightest-hearted & of a very

merry disposition; kindly was he withal & lowly-hearted; very eager in

all enterprises, great in his bounty, & the foremost among those who

surrounded him. Above all others was he brave in battle, but very grim

when he was angered, and on his foes laid he heavy penalties; some he

with fire burned, some maimed he & caused to be cast down from high

rocks. For these things was he beloved by his friends, but dreaded by

his foes; his furtherance was manifold for the reason that some did his

will from love and friendship, and others again from fear.

|| Leif, the son of Eirik the Red, he that was the first to settle in

Greenland, came even that summer over from that land unto Norway; and

King Olaf sought he and from him accepted Christianity, & abode even

with King Olaf the winter thereafter.

|| Now it came to pass that Gudrod, he that was the son of Eirik

Blood-axe and Gunnhild, had over in the lands to the west done

whatsoever he listed and broken the laws of God and of man ever since

that time when fled he from his own country before the face of Earl

Hakon. But in this summer, of the which somewhat has already been writ,

even at the time when Olaf Tryggvason had held sway for four winters

over Norway, came Gudrod to Norway with many ships of war, thither

having sailed from England. When he deemed himself to be nigh to Norway,

turned he his course southward along the coast where he bethought him

that he might least chance to fall in with King Olaf and thus sailed he

to Vik.

Hardly was he come ashore than began he to plunder the people and bring

them into subjection under himself, and of them demanded that they

should take him as their King. And when the country-folk saw that a

warlike host was come upon them craved they ever for grace and peace, &

said to the King that they would send the summons for a Thing throughout

the district, and were willing to submit to him rather than suffer at

the hands of this his host, & it was agreed that there should be a truce

even for so long a space as sat the Thing. Then did the King demand of

them that they should provide provender for his men so long as they were

waiting for the meeting of the Thing; but the yeomen chose rather that

the King and his followers should be their guests for all the time he

might need to be so, & the King agreed even to this, that should he

travel that country through with some of the men that were with him and

they the guests of the yeomen, ever the while others kept guard over his

ships. But when the brothers-in-law of King Olaf, even the brothers

Hyrning & Thorgeir learned of these happenings furnished they folk &

gathered to themselves ships and sailed northward (west) in Vik, and by

night were come to the place where lodged King Gudrod, & there fell they

upon him and upon his men with fire and sword. So fell King Gudrod and

the greater number of his men; while of those that abode on the ships

were some slain but others escaped and fled far and wide. And this

Gudrod was the last of all the sons of Eirik and Gunnhild; all were now

dead.

|| The winter after that King Olaf was come from Halogaland, caused he to

be built under the cliffs at Ladir a great ship: a ship far mightier

than any other ship of that land, and the stocks whereon she was built

are still to be seen.

Of this ship was Thorberg the master-smith, but with him were many

others at work, some felling trees, some shaping them, some hammering

nails, & some carrying timber. All the material was of the choicest, and

the ship was both long and broad, built with great beams, and the

bulwarks thereof were high. Now when the outer sheathing was being put

on, some errand of necessity carried Thorberg thence unto his homestead,

and there he tarried a great while.

When he came back the ship was fully sheathed, and the King went in the

evening, and Thorberg with him, even to see how all things had been

done; and men said never before had been seen a long-ship so big or so

fine.

Then went the King back even unto his town, but early on the morrow came

he once more to his ship and Thorberg accompanied him, and they found

that the smiths were gone forward, standing there, all of them, without

working. The King asked wherefore were they doing nothing, & they made

answer that the ship had been spoiled; that a man must have gone from

stem to stern hacking her with an axe even the whole length of the

gunwale.

Then went the King and witnessed with his own eyes the truth thereof,

and straightway said he, & sware thereon, that die should that man once

the King wot whosoever he was who from envy had spoiled the ship, 'but

he who can tell me this thing shall have great reward.' Then said

Thorberg, 'I can tell thee, King, who it is that hath wrought this.'

'I cannot indeed expect of another that he should so well as thee get to

wot of this matter & tell me thereof.' 'I will tell thee, King,' quoth

he, 'who hath done it: I did it.'

Then answered the King, 'thou shalt make it good, so that all shall be

as well as it was before; and thy life shall be on it.'

Thereafter went Thorberg to the ship and chopped the gunwale in such

wise that all the notches were pared away, and the King said then, and

all the others likewise, that now the ship was even so goodlier by far

on that side on which Thorberg had cut the notches. So then the King

bade him fashion both sides alike, & gave him land even for so doing,

and thus was Thorberg master-smith on the ship, even until she was

finished. A dragon-ship was she & wrought after the same fashion as the

'Serpent' which the King had brought with him from Halogaland; but was

the new ship much larger in all respects, built with the greater care,

& called he her the 'Long Serpent,' and the other the 'Short Serpent.'

On the 'Long Serpent' were there four-and-thirty benches of oars. Dight

were her head and the crook all over with gold, and the bulwarks thereof

were as high as on sea-faring ships. This was the ship which was ye best

equipped, and the cost thereof was the most money of any ship that ever

hath been built in Norway.

|| Now after the death of Earl Hakon, did Earl Eirik Hakonson and his

brothers, & many others of their kinsmen depart out of the country.

Earl Eirik went east to Sweden, and he and his men were well received by

King Olaf, the King of the Swedes, who bestowed sanctuary on the Earl

and great grants withal, so that in the land could he well maintain

himself and his men. Of this speaketh Thord Kolbeinson:

'Foeman of robbers! Swiftly can fate effect change

Brief space ere the treason of men did Hakon to death,

And to the land that erewhile in fight had that warrior conquered

Came now the son of Tryggvi when fared he from the west.'

|| From Norway passed many men over unto Earl Eirik, to wit, all those

that King Olaf had caused to flee the land; and as the outcome thereof

did Eirik think good to procure himself ships & to go plundering so that

he might get wealth for himself and for his men. First sailed Eirik to

Gotland, and lay off that island a long time in summer-tide & waylaid he

viking craft or merchant-ships even as they were sailing to land, and

when he listed went he ashore and harried far and wide in the parts

bordering on the sea. Thus in the Banda lay it is said:

'In spear-storms many was the Earl thereafter victor:

And did we not learn aforetime

That Eirik won the land?

In those days when the chiefs on Gotland's shores went warring,

Doughty, and peace-making by their might.

More in his mind had Eirik against lord and King

Than spoken word revealed,

As from him might be looked for.

Wrathfully sought the Earl counsel of the Swedish King,

Stubborn were the men of Throndhjem,

Ne'er a one would flee.'

|| Later sailed Earl Eirik southward to Wendland, and there chanced he to

fall in with some viking ships off Staur, and so joined he battle with

them; to him was the victory and there were the vikings slain. Thus

saith the Banda lay:

'The steerer of the prow-steed

Let lie at Staur the heads of fallen warriors,

Thereafter joy of battle inflamed the Earl.

At the corses of the viking the ravens tore

After that dire meeting of swords

Nigh the sands of the shore.'

|| Sailed thence Earl Eirik back to Sweden in the autumn and abode there

a second winter; but in the spring made he ready his host and thereafter

sailed eastward; & when he was come to the realm of King Valdamar fell

he to plundering & slaying folk, burning whithersoever he went, and

laying bare the land. Then coming to AldeigiaborgSec. laid he siege unto it

even until he had taken it, and then put he there many folk to the sword

and utterly destroyed the town, and thereafter spread he war far and

wide in Garda. Thus saith the Banda lay:

'The chieftain fared forth to devastate with fire,

Yea and with sword (so waxed the sword-storm),

The lands of Valdamar.

Aldeigia brok'st thou, lord, when east thou cam'st to Garda

Well wot we how grim was the fight twixt the hosts.'

|| For five summers together waged Earl Eirik this warfare, and when he

left the realm of Garda he went fighting over the whole of Adalsysla &

Eysysla;Sec. there took he four viking boats from Danish men and slew all

that were on the ships. It is thus spoken of in the Banda lay:

'I heard where the swinger of the sword did battle

Once more in the isle-sound.

Eirik wins the land;

The bounteous lord four viking boats from Dane-folk took

Doughty and peacemaking.

There where warriors hied to town,

hadst thou, war-hero! strife with Goths.

Joy of battle filled the Earl thereafter.

The battle-shield he bore aloft to all the lands,

And gently fared he not, over the country he rules.'

|| Then Eirik the Earl fared to Denmark when he had abode one winter in

Sweden, and coming unto the Danish King Svein Two-beard, wooed he his

daughter Gyda and this marriage was agreed upon. Accordingly Eirik took

Gyda to wife and one winter later a son was born to them whom they

called Hakon.

Mainly abode Eirik the winters through in Denmark, but whiles also in

Sweden, but in the summers sailed he the seas over even as became a

viking.

|| Svein Two-beard, the Danish King, had Gunnhild, the daughter of the

Wendish King Burizlaf, to wife; and in the days whereof now is the

record writ happed it that Queen Gunnhild fell sick and died;Sec. and a

while thereafter wedded King Svein, Sigrid the Haughty, she that was

daughter to Skogul-Tosti and mother to Oscar the Swede.

And from the marriage arose a friendship betwixt the brothers-in-law,

and betwixt them and Earl Eirik Hakonson.

[Illustration]

|| Now the Wendish King Burizlaf did make complaint to his son-in-law,

Earl Sigvaldi, because the pact had been broken which Sigvaldi had made

between King Burizlaf and King Svein: to wit, that King Burizlaf should

have Tyri Haraldsdottir, King Svein's sister, to wife; for this marriage

had never come about, inasmuch as Tyri had said shortly 'Nay' to wedding

a heathen and an old man to boot. King Burizlaf now sent word unto the

Earl that he would demand the fulfilment of the pact, & bade the Earl go

to Denmark & bring Queen Tyri to him.

Then did Earl Sigvaldi hie him on his journey, and laid he the matter

before the Danish King; and by his fair words came he even so far that

into his hands gave King Svein his sister Tyri. With her went certain

women to bear her company & do her service, & her foster-father, whose

name was Ozur Agason, a wealthy man; & sundry other men withal. It was

agreed between the King & the Earl that Tyri should have the estates in

Wendland which had belonged to Queen Gunnhild, and that she should be

given other great lands in dowry.

Tyri wept sorely and departed very much against her will; but natheless

when she and the Earl were come to Wendland was she wedded, & so King

Burizlaf had Queen Tyri to wife.

But ever so long as she was among heathens would she take neither meat

nor drink from them, and in this wise was it for a sennight. Then right

so one night fled away Queen Tyri and Ozur in the darkness unto the

forests; and of this their journey it is briefest to recount that they

attained Denmark, but there durst Tyri by no means remain inasmuch as

her brother King Svein would, an he knew where she lay, have sent her

back again to Wendland.

So faring ever by stealth went they to Norway, and Tyri made no stay

until she was come to King Olaf, who made her welcome, and gave them

high entertainment. To the King Tyri told of her troubles, and begged

counsel of him and sanctuary in his kingdom. Now Tyri had a smooth

tongue in her head, and the King liked her converse well; moreover he

saw that she was passing fair, & it entered into his mind that this

would be a good marriage, and he turned the talking thereunto and asked

her whether she would not have him to husband. But with her fortunes at

the pass at which they now lay seemed it a hard thing to her to judge;

yet on the other hand plainly perceived she how good a marriage it would

be to wed with so famous a King, and therefore entreated she him that he

should make decision on the matter for her. Thereafter, when this thing

had been duly discussed, took King Olaf Queen Tyri in wedlock; and they

were abed in the autumn when King Olaf was come north from Halogaland.

That winter abode King Olaf and Queen Tyri in Nidaros.

Now in the spring-time thereafter oft-times did Tyri make plaint to King

Olaf, and cried bitterly thereover, because albeit had she such great

possessions in Wendland yet had she none in this country, and that she

should have such deemed she but seemly for a Queen; & thinking that by

fair words would she get her own prayed she him on this matter, and said

that so great was the friendship between King Burizlaf & Olaf that even

so soon as they should meet would the King give Olaf all he asked for.

But when the friends to King Olaf came to know after what fashion was

the manner of talking of Tyri with one consent gave they all counsel to

him to refrain from such a course. One day early in the spring, so it is

said, as the King was walking in the street came a man towards him from

the market-place bearing many sticks of angelica, which same were

wondrous big, seeing that it was early in the spring-tide. And the King

took a large stick of angelica in his hand & went home therewith to the

lodging of Queen Tyri. Now Tyri sat a-weeping in her hall even as the

King came in, but he said to her: 'Here is a great stalk of angelica for

thee.' Aside thrust Tyri it with her hand, and said: 'Greater gifts gave

Harald Gormson to me, but lesser feared he than thou dost to leave his

land and seek his own, and the token thereof is that fared he hither to

Norway and laid waste the greater part of this land and took to himself

all taxes and dues; but durst thou not fare through the Danish realm for

fear of my brother King Svein.' Then up sprang King Olaf at these words,

& called out loudly, and swore withal: 'Never will I go in fear of thy

brother King Svein, and whensoever we meet shall he be the one to give

way.'

[Illustration]

|| Not long after these things summoned King Olaf a Thing in the town,

and made known to all the people that in the summer would he send an

host out of the country, and that it was his will to levy ships & men

from each county, & therewith did he make it known how many ships he

should require from the fjord there.

Then sent he messengers inland both northwards and southwards, and along

the coast on the outside of the islands and inside them along the land,

and called men to arms.

Thereafter did King Olaf launch the 'Long Serpent' & all his other ships

great & small; and the 'Long Serpent' he himself steered, and when men

were taken for a crew, with so much care was choice made that on the

'Long Serpent' was there no man older than sixty nor younger than

twenty. All were chosen with the utmost care for their strength and

courage, & the first taken were King Olaf's body-guard, for composed it

was of the stoutest & boldest men both from home and abroad.

|| Wolf the Red was the name of the man who bore the banner of King Olaf,

and his place was in the prow of the 'Serpent'; there likewise were

Kolbiorn the Marshal, Thorstein Ox-foot and Vikar of Tiundaland, the

brother of Arnliot Gellini. Of the forecastle in the prow were Vak

Raumason of the River, Bersi the Strong, On the Archer of Jamtaland,

Thrond the Stout from Thelemark and Othyrmi his brother; and the

Halogalanders Thrond Squint-eye, Ogmund Sande, Lodvir the Long, from

Saltvik, and Harek the Keen.

From Inner Throndhjem were there Ketil the Tall, Thorfin Eisli, and

Havard and his brothers from Orkadal. Those manning the forehold were

Biorn of Studla, Thorgrim Tiodolfson of Hvin, Asbiorn & Orm, Thord of

Niardalang, Thorstein the White of Oprostad, Anor of More, Hallstein and

Hawk from the Fjords, Eyvind Snak, Bergthor Bestil, Hallkel of Fialir,

Olaf the Boy, Arnfin of Sogn, Sigurd Bild, Einar the Hordalander and

Fin, Ketil the Rogalander, and Griotgard the Quick. In the main-hold

were Einar Tamberskelfir, deemed by the others less able than they for

then was he but eighteen winters old, Hallstein Hlifarson, Thorolf, Ivar

Smetta, and Orm Skoganef.

Many other men of valour were there on the 'Serpent' though we cannot

name them; eight were there to a half-berth, and chosen man by man. It

was a common saying that the crew of the 'Serpent' was for goodliness,

strength, and boldness, as much above other men as the 'Serpent' herself

was above other ships.

Thorkel Nefia, own brother to the King, steered the 'Short Serpent,' and

Thorkel Dydril and Jostein, they that were uncles to him on the side of

his mother, commanded the 'Crane'; right well manned were these twain

ships. Moreover had King Olaf eleven great ships from Throndhjem, ships

of twenty benches, two smaller ships and victuallers.

|| When King Olaf had completed the equipping of his fleet at Nidaros,

appointed he men throughout the whole of the district of Throndhjem to

be stewards collecting revenue, and annalists. He then sent to Iceland

Gizur the White & Hialti Skeggison to convert that country to

Christianity, and sent he with them that priest whose name is Thormod

and other consecrated men, but kept back with him as hostages the four

men of Iceland they that he deemed to be of greatest mark, to wit,

Kiartan Olafson, Halldor Gudmundson, Kolbein Thordson and Sverting

Runolfson; and it is said of the journey of Gizur & Hialti that they

were come unto Iceland or ever the meeting of the Althing & were present

at the Thing, and thereat was baptism legalized in Iceland and that

summer all folk were brought into the true fold.

|| The same spring likewise sent King Olaf Leif Eirikson to Greenland to

convert the people, and fared he thither that summer. On the main found

he the crew of a ship who were lying helpless on a wreck, and thereafter

he discovered Vineland the Good,Sec. yet came he the same summer to

Greenland; and with him had he a priest and teachers, and he took up his

abode at Brattalid with his father Eirik. Thereafter did men call him

Leif the Lucky; but Eirik, his father, said that the one thing was a

set-off to the other: on the one hand was the saving of the ship's crew

by Leif & on the other the bringing to Greenland of that 'juggler,' to

wit, the priest.

|| Then took King Olaf his host southward following the coast, and many

of his friends flocked to him, mighty men, who were bravely furnished

for an expedition with the King. The first man of these was own

brother-in-law to himself, Erling Skialgson with his large 'skeid'Sec.

wherein were thirty benches, and right well manned was she withal. There

came also to him his brothers-in-law Hyrning and Thorgeir, each steering

a large ship. Many other mighty men accompanied him, so that when he

left the country had he thirty long-ships. King Olaf sailed south

through Eyrasund, off the coasts of Denmark, and in due course came he

to Wendland.

There appointed he a tryst with King Burizlaf, and the Kings met and

spake together of the possessions claimed of King Olaf, and all the talk

between them went in kindly wise and the claims whereof King Olaf deemed

himself to have rights there were fully ordered.

Abode he there a long while during the summer, and saw many of his

friends.

|| As hath been related ere this, King Svein Two-beard had wedded Sigrid

the Haughty, & Sigrid was King Olaf's greatest foe, the reason therefor

being how King Olaf had broken his troth with her, as has been afore set

in fair script, and how he had smote her on the face.

Sigrid incited King Svein to do battle with King Olaf Tryggvason, saying

pretext enough was it that he had wedded the own sister to Svein, she

Tyri, without his leave: 'And never would thy forefathers have suffered

such a thing.' Such words as these had Queen Sigrid ever on her lips,

and so far went she with her persuasions that King Svein was full

willing to do battle with Olaf. So early in spring-tide sent King Svein

men east to Sweden, to Olaf the Swedish King, he that was his step-son,

& to Earl Eirik, to tell them that Olaf King of Norway had his fleet

abroad, and thought of faring to Wendland come summer; another message

took they likewise, namely that the Swedish King and the Earl should

call out their hosts and go to meet King Svein, and that then altogether

they should get their battle over against King Olaf. Now the King of

Sweden and Eirik the Earl were ready and eager for this venture, so

mustered they a large fleet in Sweden, and with the ships thereof went

south to Denmark and came thither at the time when King Olaf had already

sailed east. Of this speaketh Halldor in the song he made about Earl

Eirik:

'Crusher of Kings who battles loved,

From out of Sweden called,

To southern battle fared he forth,

Even with great hosts of men,

The wound-bird on the sea gat food while waiting,

Each and every warrior was fain to follow Eirik.'

|| So the King of the Swedes and Earl Eirik shaped a course to meet the

Danish King, and when all the fleets were come together was there a host

greater than one man could number.

|| When King Svein sent for that fleet, sent he moreover Earl Sigvaldi to

Wendland to spy on the expedition of King Olaf, and to lay such a lure

that King Svein and the others might assuredly fall in with King Olaf.

So Earl Sigvaldi set forth and went to Wendland and Jomsborg, and met

King Olaf Tryggvason. Now had they much friendly conversation one with

the other, and the Earl came greatly to love the King, mainly on account

of their former kinship, for Astrid, she that was wife unto the Earl,

even the daughter of King Burizlaf, was very friendly with King Olaf,

for the reason that the latter had had her sister Geira to wife.

Now Sigvaldi was a wise man, & one ready at expedients, & when he and

King Olaf took counsel together, found he many and divers pretexts for

delaying the journey of the King to the westward; but the men of King

Olaf murmured thereat and were loudly displeased, and longed much to get

them hence home, for, said they, 'clear are we to sail & fair is the

wind.' Learned Sigvaldi now privily from Denmark that the King of the

Danes and the King of the Swedes & Eirik the Earl were met together, and

were even about to set sail to the eastward off the coast of Wendland;

likewise that it had been convened betwixt them that they in wait for

King Olaf should lie off that isle which is called Svold;Sec. & that

moreover he, the Earl, was after some fashion to contrive that King Olaf

be found of them.

|| And now went about a rumour in Wendland that Svein, the King of the

Danes, also had an host abroad, & soon tongues wagged to the tune that

well would it like Svein, the King of the Danes, to meet with King Olaf;

but said Earl Sigvaldi unto the King: 'No plan is it of King Svein to

attack thee with the Danish host alone, seeing how great an host of

thine own thou hast; but if ye suspect that war may be at hand then will

I and my men go with thee, and aforetime was it deemed good help when

the Jomsborg vikings bore a chief company: I will go with thee even with

eleven ships well-found.'

To this did the King answer yea, and because at that time was there

blowing a gentle breeze but favourable, commanded he that the fleet

should get under way, & that the horns be blown for their departing.

Then the men hoisted sail; and the small ships were those that made the

better way, & out to sea sailed they. Now kept the Earl close by the

King's ship, shouting to those on board, and bidding the King follow

him: 'Well wot I,' he said, 'which sounds are deepest betwixt the isles,

& this be fraught with care seeing how big are thy ships.' So sailed the

Earl first with his ships, eleven ships had he, & sailed the King after

him with his large ships, eleven likewise had he, but sailed all the

rest of the fleet ahead and out to sea. Now it came to pass as Earl

Sigvaldi was making Vold came rowing off a skiff, and those therein told

unto the Earl how that the fleet of the King of the Danes lay in the

haven even right over ahead of their way.

So the Earl ordered sails to be lowered, and rowed they in under that

island. Thus saith Halldor the Unchristened:

'With ships one more than seventy

Came the lord of Eynafylki from the south;

His sword he dyed in warfare

When the Earl the ships of Skani called out to battle.

Quickly then the peace was broken 'twixt the men.'

|| Now it will be marked that, according unto the bard, were the ships of

King Olaf & Earl Sigvaldi seventy-one in number what time sailed they

from the south.

|| Now lying there were Svein, the King of the Danes, Olaf the King of

the Swedes, and Earl Eirik, with all the might of their fleet, and fair

weather was with them with bright sunshine. Went up to the islet all the

chieftains with a large company of men, and spied they thence that a

many ships were sailing together out at sea.

And they beheld a large ship and brave sailing, and said both the Kings:

'There goes a great ship, passing fair, none other can this be save only

the "Long Serpent."'