OF EARL ROGNVALD AND SWEIN, ASLEIF’S SON.
SWEIN, Asleif’s son, is said to have heard that Höldbodi had arrived in
the Sudreyar. Then he asked Earl Rögnvald to give him troops to avenge
himself. The Earl gave him five ships, and Thorbiörn Klerk was the
commander of one of them; Haflidi, the son of Thorkel Flettir, of
another; Dúfniál, the son of Hávard, Gunni’s son, the third; Rikgard
(Richard), Thorleif’s son, the fourth; and Swein, Asleif’s son, the
fifth. When Höldbodi heard of Swein, he fled from the Sudreyar. Swein
and his men killed many people in the Sudreyar, and ravaged and burnt
far and wide. They obtained great booty, but could not catch Höldbodi,
and he never came to the Sudreyar after that. Swein wished to remain in
the Sudreyar during the winter, but Thorbiörn and the others wished to
go home, and went in the autumn to Caithness, and arrived at Dungalsbæ.
When they were going to divide their booty, Swein said they should all
share equally, but that he himself should have a chief’s share besides,
saying that he had been the chief, and that the Earl had sent the others
to his assistance. Besides, he added further that he alone had the
quarrel with the Sudreyarmen, while the others had none. Thorbiörn,
however, said he did not deserve less than Swein, and had not been less
a leader than he. They also wished that all the ships’ commanders should
have equal shares; but they had to submit to Swein, because his men were
by far the most numerous there on the Ness (in Caithness).
Thorbiörn went out to the Orkneys and told Earl Rögnvald how matters had
gone between him and Swein, and that they were very much displeased to
have been deprived by him of their just proportion of the spoil.
The Earl said it would not be only once that Swein had turned out not to
be an equitable man, yet he would in the end receive retribution for his
injustice; but, he added: “You shall not quarrel about this. I shall
give you as much money of my own as you have lost through him, and it is
my will that you do not claim it of him. It will be a good thing if this
does not lead to greater difficulties with him.”
Thorbiörn replied: “May God reward you, my lord, for the honour you do
us, and we shall not quarrel with Swein about this; but I shall never be
his friend any more, and I shall do him some despite in return.” And
after that Thorbiörn divorced himself from Ingirid, Swein’s sister, and
sent her to him over to Ness (Caithness). Swein received her well, but
considered Thorbiörn’s conduct a great insult to himself. There was then
fierce enmity between them. Then the saying proved true that monsters
are best matched together.
When Swein was in the Sudreyar, he had placed Margad, Grím’s son, over
his affairs at Dungalsbæ, and transferred to him the office (of deputy
or factor) which he held from Earl Rögnvald, but Margad was resentful
and overbearing, and became unpopular on account of his violence. Those
who were the first objects of his oppression ran to Hróald (at Wick),
and remained there. From this enmity arose between the two. Shortly
after Margad went south to Vík (Wick) on business with nineteen men, and
before he left he attacked Hróald, and killed him and several others.
Then he went to Dungalsbæ to see Swein. The latter gathered men
together, and went to Lambaborg,[363] where he fortified himself. It was
a strong place, and there he remained, with sixty men, and brought
thither provisions and other necessaries. The borg (castle) was situated
on a sea-girt rock, and on the landward side there was a well-built
stone wall. The crags ran a long way along the sea on either side. Swein
and his men committed many violent robberies in Caithness, and brought
everything into the stronghold, and became greatly hated.