When King Hakon was killed, the sons of Eirik took the sovereignty of
Norway. Harald, who was the oldest of the living brothers, was over them
in dignity. Their mother Gunhild, who was called the King-mother, mixed
herself much in the affairs of the country. There were many chiefs in
the land at that time. There was Trygve Olafson in the Eastland, Gudrod
Bjornson in Vestfold, Sigurd earl of Hlader in the Throndhjem land; but
Gunhild's sons held the middle of the country the first winter. There
went messages and ambassadors between Gunhild's sons and Trygve and
Gudrod, and all was settled upon the footing that they should hold from
Gunhild's sons the same part of the country which they formerly had
held under King Hakon. A man called Glum Geirason, who was King Harald's
skald, and was a very brave man, made this song upon King Hakon's
death:--
"Gamle is avenged by Harald!
Great is thy deed, thou champion bold!
The rumour of it came to me
In distant lands beyond the sea,
How Harald gave King Hakon's blood
To Odin's ravens for their food."
This song was much favoured. When Eyvind Finson heard of it he composed
the song which was given before, viz.:--
"Our dauntless king with Gamle's gore
Sprinkled his bright sword o'er and o'er," &c.
This song also was much favoured, and was spread widely abroad; and
when King Harald came to hear of it, he laid a charge against Evyind
affecting his life; but friends made up the quarrel, on the condition
that Eyvind should in future be Harald's skald, as he had formerly been
King Hakon's. There was also some relationship between them, as Gunhild,
Eyvind's mother, was a daughter of Earl Halfdan, and her mother was
Ingibjorg, a daughter of Harald Harfager. Thereafter Eyvind made a song
about King Harald:--
"Guardian of Norway, well we know
Thy heart failed not when from the bow
The piercing arrow-hail sharp rang
On shield and breast-plate, and the clang
Of sword resounded in the press
Of battle, like the splitting ice;
For Harald, wild wolf of the wood,
Must drink his fill of foeman's blood."
Gunhild's sons resided mostly in the middle of the country, for they did
not think it safe for them to dwell among the people of Throndhjem or
of Viken, where King Hakon's best friends lived; and also in both places
there were many powerful men. Proposals of agreement then passed between
Gunhild's sons and Earl Sigurd,
or they got no scat from the Throndhjem
country; and at last an agreement was concluded between the kings and
the earl, and confirmed by oath. Earl Sigurd was to get the same power
in the Throndhjem land which he had possessed under King Hakon, and on
that they considered themselves at peace. All Gunhild's sons had the
character of being penurious; and it was said they hid their money in
the ground. Eyvind Skaldaspiller made a song about this:--
"Main-mast of battle! Harald bold!
In Hakon's days the skald wore gold
Upon his falcon's seat; he wore
Rolf Krake's seed, the yellow ore
Sown by him as he fled away,
The avenger Adils' speed to stay.
The gold crop grows upon the plain;
But Frode's girls so gay (1) in vain
Grind out the golden meal, while those
Who rule o'er Norway's realm like foes,
In mother earth's old bosom hide
The wealth which Hakon far and wide
Scattered with generous hand: the sun
Shone in the days of that great one,
On the gold band of Fulla's brow,(2)
On gold-ringed hands that bend the bow,
On the skald's hand; but of the ray
Of bright gold, glancing like the spray
Of sun-lit waves, no skald now sings--
Buried are golden chains and rings."
Now when King Harald heard this song, he sent a message to Eyvind to
come to him, and when Eyvind came made a charge against him of being
unfaithful. "And it ill becomes thee," said the king, "to be my enemy,
as thou hast entered into my service." Eyvind then made these verses:--
"One lord I had before thee, Harald!
One dear-loved lord! Now am I old,
And do not wish to change again,--
To that loved lord, through strife and pain,
Faithful I stood; still true to Hakon,--
To my good king, and him alone.
But now I'm old and useless grown,
My hands are empty, wealth is flown;
I am but fir for a short space
In thy court-hall to fill a place."
But King Harald forced Eyvind to submit himself to his clemency. Eyvind
had a great gold ring, which was called Molde, that had been dug up out
of the earth long since. This ring the King said he must have as the
mulet for the offence; and there was no help for it. Then Eyvind sang:--
"I go across the ocean-foam,
Swift skating to my Iceland home
Upon the ocean-skates, fast driven
By gales by Thurse's witch fire given.
For from the falcon-bearing hand
Harald has plucked the gold snake band
My father wore--by lawless might
Has taken what is mine by right."
Eyvind went home; but it is not told that he ever came near the king
again.
ENDNOTES: (1) Menja and Fenja were strong girls of the giant race, whom
Frode bought in Sweden to grind gold and good luck to him;
and their meal means gold.--L.
(2) Fulla was one of Frig's attendants, who wore a gold band on
the forehead, and the figure means gold,--that the sun
shone on gold rings on the hands of the skalds in Hakon's
days.--L.