THE FIGHT BETWEEN EARL PAUL AND OLVIR ROSTA.
EARL PAUL was then at a feast with Sigurd at Westness, in Hrólfsey
(Rousay), and when he heard that Earl Rögnvald had arrived in Hjaltland,
and at the same time that an army which was going to attack him was
gathering in the Sudreyar, he sent word to Kugi, in Westrey, and Thorkel
Flettir, who were wise men, and many others of his chief men he called
together. At this meeting Earl Paul sought advice from his friends, but
they differed in their opinions. Some wished him to share his
possessions with one of the two parties, so as not to have both as
enemies. Others advised him to go over to his friends in Ness
(Caithness), and see what assistance he could get there.
Earl Paul replied, “I will not offer them my possessions now, since I
refused peremptorily when they asked civilly. Besides, I think it would
be unworthy of a chief to flee from my lands without a trial of
strength. My counsel is to send men to-night to collect troops
throughout all the Islands. Let us then go to meet Earl Rögnvald, and
have matters decided between us before the Sudreymen come.” Earl Paul’s
plan was adopted.
With Earl Paul there was a man by name Swein, called Brióstreip
(breast-rope), who was his henchman, and highly esteemed by him. In the
summer he was always on viking-raids, but in the winter [he stayed] with
the Earl. Swein was a man of large stature and great strength, swarthy
and ill-favoured. He was greatly skilled in ancient lore, and had
frequently been engaged in outsittings.[325] His place was in the
forecastle of the Earl’s ship.
During the night the following chiefs came to Earl Paul:—Eyvind,
Melbrigdi’s son, in a ship fully manned; Olaf, Rólf’s son, from Gáreksey
(Gairsay), had another; Thorkel Flettir the third; Sigurd the fourth;
and the Earl himself the fifth. With these five vessels they went to
Hrólfsey (Rousay), and arrived there in the evening about sunset. Troops
gathered to him during the night, but more ships were not to be had. The
next day they were going to sail to Hjaltland to meet Earl Rögnvald; but
in the morning, shortly after sunrise, some men came to Earl Paul, who
said they had seen longships coming from the Pentland Firth; whether ten
or twelve they did not know. The Earl and his men were convinced that
this was Frákork’s party, and the Earl ordered his men to row against
them as fast as possible. Olaf and Sigurd advised them to go leisurely,
saying that their troops might arrive at any moment.
When they were east of Tannskáruness (Tankerness), the longships, twelve
together, sailed to the west from Múli.[326] The Earl and his men
fastened their ships together; then the Bondi, Erling from
Tannskáruness, and his sons, came to the Earl and offered him their
assistance; and then their ships were so crowded that they thought they
could not use more men. The Earl asked Erling and his men to bring
stones to them, until they were prevented by the fighting. When they had
prepared themselves, Olvir came up and made the attack with a superior
force, but his ships were smaller. Olvir (himself) had a large ship,
which he placed beside the Earl’s ship, and there was the severest
fighting. Olaf, Rólf’s son, attacked the smallest ships of Olvir, and
cleared three of them in a short time. Olvir attacked the Earl’s ships
so fiercely that all the forecastle men were driven abaft the mast. Then
Olvir urged his men strongly to board, and jumped himself from the
quarterdeck to the forepart of the ship, and was the first to board.
Swein Brióstreip was the foremost of all the Earl’s men, and fought
bravely. When the Earl saw that Olvir had boarded his ship, he urged his
men forward, and jumped himself from the quarterdeck to the forepart of
the ship. When Olvir perceived this, he grasped a spear, and hurled it
at the Earl, who received it with his shield, but fell down on the deck.
Then there was a great shout; but in the same moment Swein Brióstreip
seized a huge stone,[327] and threw it at Olvir. It hit him in the chest
with such force that he was thrown overboard, and sank; but his men were
able to drag him up into one of their ships, and it was not known
whether he was dead or alive. Then some cut the cables, and wanted to
flee. All Olvir’s men were also driven down off the Earl’s ship, and
began to withdraw. At that moment Olvir recovered, and asked them not to
flee; but all pretended not to hear what he said. The Earl pursued the
fugitives along the east of Hrossey and Rögnvaldsey, and into the
Pentland Firth, where they parted. Then he returned, and five of Olvir’s
ships remained where they had fought. The Earl took them, and manned
them with his troops. The battle took place on Friday, but in the night
the Earl had the ships made ready, and many troops and two longships
came to him, so that in the morning he had twelve ships all well manned.
On Saturday he sailed to Hjaltland, and took by surprise those that had
charge of Earl Rögnvald’s ships. He killed the men, and seized the ships
with all their contents. In the morning Earl Rögnvald had news of this,
and his men gathered together, and a great many of the Bœndr. Then they
went down to the beach, and challenged Earl Paul and his men to come on
shore and fight. Earl Paul did not put much faith in the Hjaltlanders,
and would not go on shore; but he told them to take ships, and then they
might fight. Earl Rögnvald saw, however, that they could get no ships in
Hjaltland, such as would give them any chance, and they parted thus as
matters stood. Earl Paul and his men went back to the Orkneys, but Earl
Rögnvald and his men remained in Hjaltland during the summer. In the
autumn they went back to Norway with some merchants, and it was thought
their expedition had come to a most ridiculous end.
When Earl Rögnvald came to the east, he saw his father Kol, who asked
him whether he was dissatisfied with his expedition. He replied that the
result had brought little honour to himself.
Kol replied: “I do not think so; I think a great deal has been done,
since the Hjaltlanders are your friends, and the journey was better than
staying at home.”
Rögnvald replied: “If you praise this journey, then you are either more
indifferent about my case than I thought, or you see something in it
which I do not perceive. I should wish very much to have your counsels,
and that you would go with us yourself.”
Kol replied: “I shall not do both—call everything easy for you, and come
nowhere near myself; but I think I shall hold fast to my own plans, so
that there is no prejudice to your honour.”
Rögnvald replied: “I will gladly follow your counsels.”
Kol replied: “First, I advise you to send word to King Harald and other
friends of yours, and ask them to give you men and ships to go to the
west in the spring; but during the winter we ourselves will collect all
the forces we can, and then try a second time whether we can gain
possession of the Islands, or find our graves there.”
“I have made up my mind,” said Earl Rögnvald, “not to make another
journey like that we made just now, and I think that most of us who went
are of the same mind.”