So, when Eastertide with all its religious ceremonies had passed by,
King Olaf summoned a great gathering of his people, whereat he set
forth that he intended to make an expedition into the Baltic, and that
he required a levy from every district, both of men and of ships. He
then sent messengers north and south along the land, bidding them
muster his forces. The ships were to assemble in Thrandheim Fiord in
the first week in summer.
Olaf paid great attention to the manning of the Long Serpent, and his
seamen and warriors were so well chosen that it was said that the crew
surpassed other men as far in strength and bravery as the Long Serpent
surpassed other ships. Every man was picked by King Olaf himself, who
determined that none should be older than sixty years, and none younger
than twenty. He made only one exception to this rule. It was in the
case of Einar Eindridson, surnamed Thambarskelver. Einar was but
eighteen years old; but, young though he was, he was considered the
most skilful archer in all Norway. With his bow, called Thamb, he could
fire a blunt arrow through a raw ox hide, and not even King Olaf could
aim more true or hit the mark at a greater distance. In after years
Einar became a very famous warrior and lawman, and his name is often
mentioned in the history of Norway. Wolf the Red was King Olaf's banner
bearer, and his station was in the prow of the Serpent, together with
Kolbiorn Stallare, Thorstein Oxfoot, Vikar of Tiundaland, and others.
Among the forecastle men were Bersi the Strong, Thrand Squinteye,
Thorfinn the Dashing, Ketil the Tall, and Ogmund Sandy. Thirty of the
best men were in the fore-room, in front of the poop. Young Einar
Eindridson was stationed in the main hold among the rowers. The
complete ship's company numbered seven hundred men.
The Short Serpent was commanded by Thorkel Nefja, a kinsman of Olaf's;
and Thorkel the Wheedler (brother of Queen Astrid) commanded the Crane.
Both these ships were very well manned. Eleven other large ships left
Thrandheim with Olaf, also some smaller vessels of war, and six that
were loaded with stores. He set sail with this fleet in the early days
of the summer, and Queen Thyra went with him. Southward he sailed, and
as he came in turn to fiord after fiord many vikings and wealthy
warriors joined him with their ships. When at length he stood out
across the Skager Rack, he had a fleet of sixty longships and sixty
smaller transports, and with these in his wake he sailed south along
Denmark through the Eyr sound, and so to Wendland.
This expedition was not made with any warlike intent. Olaf did not
expect that war would follow. But he knew that King Sweyn Forkbeard was
his bitterest enemy, and that there was danger in passing so near to
Denmark, and he thought it well to have a large number of battleships
in his train in case of need.
He arrived off the Wendish coast without being in any way molested, and
he anchored his fleet in the great bay of Stetten haven. Thence he sent
messengers to King Burislaf appointing a day of meeting. Burislaf
invited him to go inland and be his guest at his castle, and Olaf went,
leaving Queen Thyra behind on board the Serpent, for she would by no
means consent to come into the presence of the man whom she had jilted.
King Burislaf received him well, and gave him splendid hospitality.
Olaf spoke of his queen's estates and of the revenues that were due to
her. Burislaf was a just man in his own heathen way, and he answered
that, since he had not got the wife that had been promised him, he did
not think it right that he should enjoy her dowry. So he yielded to
Olaf's claims, and at once delivered to him the full value of Queen
Thyra's estates. Olaf abode in Wendland for many days, and at length
returned to the coast, carrying with him a great store of gold and
jewels, which, when he went on board his ship, he gave to his queen.
Thyra was now well satisfied, and never again did she attempt to taunt
King Olaf concerning her estates. On the contrary, she gave him all
praise for having done so much for her sake, and all her contempt of
his seeming cowardice was turned to admiration of his courage.
Now, at this same time King Sweyn Forkbeard was in Denmark, living with
his new wife, Queen Sigrid the Haughty. Even as Thyra had taunted Olaf
Triggvison concerning her possessions in Wendland, so had Sigrid
taunted Sweyn Forkbeard concerning her hatred of King Olaf of Norway.
She could never forget how Olaf had smitten her in the face with his
glove, and from the earliest days of her marriage with King Sweyn she
had constantly and earnestly urged him to wage war against Olaf
Triggvison. Sweyn, knowing the risks of such a war, turned a deaf ear
to his proud wife's entreaties. But when at last Sigrid heard that Olaf
had given protection to Sweyn's sister, and made Thyra his queen, she
renewed her urging with increased earnestness, and so well did she
succeed that Sweyn was roused to great anger against King Olaf, and he
resolved to get ready his forces and abide by Queen Sigrid's counsel.
He was in this belligerent mood when the rumour reached him that Olaf
Triggvison was at sea with his fleet, and was minded to make the voyage
to Wendland. With this rumour also came news of the splendid dragonship
that the Norse king had built.
Now, Sweyn Forkbeard was a very cautious man in the affairs of war, and
he well knew that he was himself no match for so powerful a warrior as
Olaf the Glorious. But he remembered that he was not alone in his
desire to humble the monarch of the Norselands. His own son in law,
Olaf the Swede King, had sworn by Thor's hammer to avenge the insult to
his mother Queen Sigrid the Haughty, and the help of the Swede King in
this war would be of great account. In addition to the King of Sweden
there was Earl Erik of Lade, who was eager to take vengeance upon Olaf
Triggvison for the slaying of his father Earl Hakon. Since the coming
of King Olaf into Norway, Earl Erik had become famous as a viking; he
had engaged in many battles both on land and on the sea. It has already
been told how he fought in the sea fight against the vikings of
Jomsburg. He was now one of the strongest war men in all Scandinavia,
and his fleet of battleships was equal to that of either Sweyn of
Denmark or Olaf of Sweden.
So when Forkbeard heard that Olaf Triggvison had entered the Baltic he
sent men east into Sweden, bidding them give word to the Swede King and
to Earl Erik that now was their time if they would join in battle
against their common foe.
Sweyn Forkbeard was at this time very friendly with Earl Sigvaldi, the
chief of the Jomsvikings, and he enlisted his help. It happened that
Sigvaldi's wife, the Princess Astrid, was then staying at the court of
her father King Burislaf, in Wendland. It was, therefore, a very
natural thing that the earl should go thither also. Sweyn urged him to
make the journey, to spy upon King Olaf's fleet, and to lay such a trap
that Sweyn and his allies should not fail in their object. Earl
Sigvaldi undertook this mission, and fared eastward to Wendland with
eleven longships. Meeting King Olaf he made pretence to renew his old
friendship with the man whom he had formerly known as Ole the
Esthonian. He flattered him, praised his great wisdom, and, more than
all, spoke highly of his fleet and the surpassing splendour of the Long
Serpent. Their discourse was most friendly at all times, nor did Olaf
for a moment suspect the treachery that underlay the earl's soft
speeches and his seeming goodwill. Deep into the king's open heart
Sigvaldi wormed his way, until they were as brothers one with the
other. When Olaf hinted that he would be going back to Norway, that the
weather was fair for sailing, and that his men were homesick and weary
of lying at anchor, Sigvaldi made some plausible excuse and still held
him back; and the time went on, the summer days grew shorter, and yet
Olaf made no move.
But on a certain day there came a small fishing boat into the bay, and
dropped anchor near to the earl's longship. In the darkness of the next
night one of her men had speech with Sigvaldi, and gave him the tidings
for which he had so long waited. These tidings were that the host of
the Swede King had now come from the east, that Earl Erik also had
arrayed his forces, and that these lords had joined with Sweyn
Forkbeard, and all were sailing downward to the coast of Wendland. They
had appointed to waylay King Olaf Triggvison in a certain channel
running between the mainland and the island of Svold, and Sweyn had now
sent this messenger bidding the earl to so bring it about that they
might fall upon King Olaf in that place. On the next morning Sigvaldi
put out one of his boats, rowed alongside of the Long Serpent, and
stepped upon her deck. He found King Olaf sitting at his ease against
the rail, carving runes upon the lid of a wooden box that he had made
for the holding of the queen's jewels. Sigvaldi did not disturb him,
but took a few turns across the deck and looked up into the sunlit sky.
The king blew away the chips of wood that he had been cutting from the
box lid and looked up.
"A fairer and finer day for sailing I have never yet seen," said he.
"Why should we not heave anchor this very morning? The wind bodes well
for a free run westward, and in truth, Sigvaldi, I am getting wearied
of this idleness and the sight of these sandy shores."
"Let it be so by all means if you so wish it," answered the earl in a
light tone of unconcern. "I, too, should be not ill pleased to be once
more upon the open sea, although I shall be sorry to make an end to our
close intercourse, for the sooner we sail the sooner must we part."
"The parting need not be for long," said the king. "I am hoping that
you will soon see your way to coming north to Thrandheim, there to
spend many happy summer months with us. And we may take a cruise in the
Long Serpent across to the Orkneys, or north even to Iceland."
A mocking smile played about the earl's lips.
"You are ever ready with your bright plans for the future, King Olaf,"
he said, as he raised his great hand to stroke his bushy black beard.
"But the next summer is a long while off, and it may be--who can
say?--it may be that we shall not then be both alive."
King Olaf gave a playful laugh.
"Your thoughts are passing gloomy this morning," said he. "Why should
you speak of death? You are still but in the prime of manhood, and are
blessed with the best of health. As to a death in battle, you, who are
still a believer in Odin and Valhalla, can have no fear of warlike
enemies."
"It was not of myself that I was thinking," returned Sigvaldi.
"Then why should it be for me that you fear?" asked Olaf. "I am of a
long lived race, and, since I am now a man of peace and no lover of
bloodshed, I am not likely to be mixed up in any wars--at least, not
wars of my own making. And there is but one man I know of who has any
wish to wage battle with me."
"Who is that?" questioned Sigvaldi.
"King Sweyn of Denmark," answered Olaf. "And it seems that he is at
this very time abroad with his hosts in search of me."
A look of alarm came upon the earl's dark face. He marvelled how Olaf
had come to hear this news, and he feared also that his own schemes
might end in failure.
"These are strange tidings you tell, King Olaf," he said. "One would
think that, like Odin, you employed the birds of the air to bear you
news."
"The bird that told me these matters was but a poor fisherman," said
Olaf. "Yesternight I met him on the shore, and, seeing that he was a
Dane, I had speech with him, and he said that King Sweyn, with two or
three longships, had been seen bearing southward to Wendland."
Earl Sigvaldi breathed a deep breath of relief. There was still great
hope of his scheme succeeding. He glanced round the bay at Olaf's great
fleet, and thought of the reward that Sweyn had offered as the price of
his treachery.
"Little would it avail King Sweyn to enter unaided into a battle with
so well equipped and so brave a warrior as you, King Olaf," he said.
"But, for my own part, I do not believe this tale. I have known the
Dane King in past times, and he is far too wary to attempt so bold an
attack. Howbeit, if you misdoubt that war will beset your path, then
will I be of your company with my ships. The time has been when the
following of the vikings of Jomsburg has been deemed of good avail to
mighty kings."
Then when the earl had gone off to his own ships, Olaf turned to go
below to his cabin.
At the head of the cabin stairs he was met by young Einar Eindridson.
"So please you, O king," said the lad in a halting voice, "it chanced
yesternight that I had a dream--"
"Well," smiled the king, "and what of that? The people of heathen lands
deem it a grave misfortune if a man cannot dream; therefore you may be
accounted fortunate."
"Dreams may sometimes avert misfortune," said the lad, "and this that I
dreamt yesternight may be of service to you, my master. While I slept,
it seemed to me that I saw you standing at the brink of a deep well of
water. At your side stood the Earl Sigvaldi. Suddenly he put his hand
upon your back and pushed you forward, so that you fell into the water
and sank deep, deep down, and then all was dark. I am no great reader
of dreams, O king; but this one has sorely troubled me, for I fear that
Earl Sigvaldi is a treacherous friend, and that he is now minded to do
you an injury."
"Leave the reading of such sleeping fancies to wizards and witches,
Einar," said King Olaf. "It is not for Christian folk to inquire into
the future. We are in God's hands, and He alone can determine what path
we shall tread. As to my good friend Sigvaldi, I will hear no word
against him."
Now when Olaf went into the cabin, he found there Sigvaldi's wife, the
princess Astrid, who had been for some days in companionship with Queen
Thyra. Astrid warned him, as openly as she dared, that her husband was
working against him. But Olaf turned aside her warnings with a jest. A
strange infatuation bound him to his false friend, and nothing would
shake his confidence. He resolved to abide by the earl's advice in all
things.
It was yet early morning when King Olaf again went on deck. The wind
blew light from the southeast, and all was favourable for departure.
Loud over the bay sounded the bugle horns. Mariners cried aloud in
their joy as they hoisted the yards. The sails fluttered out in the
breeze, and the anchors were weighed. Gaily the ships sped out of the
wide bay, and forth through the western channel past the vikings'
stronghold of Jomsburg. Seventy-one keels in all there were, and the
smaller vessels led the way, right out into the open sea, nor waited to
know which course the king should take, for all knew that they were
homeward bound for Norway, and that although there were many ways, yet
they all led north beyond Denmark, and so onward into the breezy Skager
Rack.
Little did Olaf see the need of keeping his fleet together. He feared
no foe, and was well aware that every craft had a trusty crew who were
fully able to look after their own safety. His own knowledge of these
seas told him also that, however much his ships might be scattered in
crossing the Baltic, they must all gather together again, as he had
commanded, before entering the Eyr Sound.
Now the treacherous earl, whose craft and cunning had been busily at
work throughout that morning, saw, in this scattering of the ships, the
fulfilment of his dearest hopes. King Sweyn had enjoined him beyond all
things to so manage that Olaf Triggvison should be separated from the
main body of his fleet, so that he might thus fall into the trap that
was laid for him, and be speedily overcome by the superior force that
now awaited him behind the island of Svold. Sweyn Fork Beard's plans
were well laid; and if Earl Sigvaldi could but contrive to lead Olaf
between the island and the mainland, instead of taking the northward
course across the open sea, success for the allies was certain.
The earl was careful to keep his own vessel within the close
neighbourhood of the Long Serpent. In the wake of these two sailed the
earl's ten other viking ships and a similar number of King Olaf's
largest dragons, including the Short Serpent and the Crane.
The remaining portion of the king's fleet had already passed in
advance, bending their course due north. Sigvaldi had tried, by
delaying Olaf's departure out of the haven, to still further reduce the
number of the king's immediate followers. But he knew the extent of
Sweyn Fork Beard's forces, and he was content that Olaf should retain
such chances as were afforded by the support of eleven of his best
battleships.
Now Olaf was about to steer outward into the sea when Sigvaldi hailed
him.
"Follow me!" cried the earl. "Let me be your pilot, for I know all the
deepest channels between the isles, and I will lead you through them by
such ways that you will come out far in advance of your other ships!"
So King Olaf, over confident and never dreaming of treachery, followed
westward into the Sound, and went sailing onward to his doom.