THE RECONCILIATION OF EARL ERLEND AND SWEIN.
WHEN Swein and Anakol were lying off Hofsness, Earl Erlend arrived there
from Norway. Anakol and Thorfinn endeavoured to reconcile him to Swein,
but he gave an unfavourable answer, saying that Swein had always been
opposed to his kinsmen, and had not kept the agreement between him and
Earl Ottar, that he should help him to the dominion. Then Swein offered
the Earl his support, and they were negotiating the whole day; yet the
Earl would not be reconciled until Anakol and Thorfinn declared that
they would follow Swein from Orkney if the Earl would not make peace
with him. Earl Erlend then told the message from King Eystein, that he
should have that part of the Orkneys which had formerly been held by
Earl Harald.
When they had made peace, Swein gave the advice that they should go to
Earl Harald before he heard this from others, and ask him to surrender
the dominion. Swein’s advice was acted upon. They found Earl Harald on
board his ship, off Kjárekstadir.[403]
It was in the evening of Michaelsmas that Harald and his men saw
long-ships approaching, and suspecting them to be enemies, they ran from
the ships into the castle. There was a man named Arni, Rafn’s son, who
ran from Earl Harald’s ship to Kirkiuvag. He was so frightened that he
forgot that he had his shield at his shoulder until it stuck fast in the
door. Earl Erlend and Swein ran from their ships, and pursued Earl
Harald to the castle, and attacked them both with arms and fire. The
assailed defended themselves bravely, until night parted them. Many were
wounded on both sides, and Harald and his men would soon have been
exhausted if the attack had lasted longer. The next morning the Bœndr
and their mutual friends arrived, and tried to make peace between them.
Earl Erlend and Swein were very reluctant to make peace. In the end,
however, they agreed, on condition that Harald should swear to let Earl
Erlend have his part of the Islands, and never demand it from him. These
oaths were made in the presence of the best men in the Islands.
After that Earl Harald went over to Ness (Caithness), and to his friends
in Scotland, accompanied by only a few men from the Orkneys.
Earl Erlend and Swein called together a Thing-meeting with the Bœndr in
Kirkiuvag, and they arrived from all the Islands. Earl Erlend pleaded
his cause, saying that King Eystein had given him that part of the
Orkneys of which Earl Harald had charge, and he requested the Bœndr to
receive him, showing them King Eystein’s letters, which proved his
words. Swein, and many others of his friends and kinsmen, spoke in
favour of the Earl; and at last the Bœndr promised obedience to Earl
Erlend. Then he took possession of all the islands, and became ruler
over them. It was an agreement between Earl Erlend and the Bœndr that he
should not hinder Earl Rögnvald from taking possession of that part of
the islands which belonged to him, if it should be granted him to come
back; but if Earl Rögnvald should demand more than one-half of the
islands, they should help Earl Erlend to resist his claims. Swein,
Asleif’s son, was frequently with Earl Erlend, and asked him to be on
his guard, and not to trust Earl Harald or the Scots. The most part of
the winter they were on board their ships, and had scouts on the
look-out. Towards Yule-tide the weather began to grow boisterous, and
Swein went home to his estate in Gáreksey, and asked the Earl not to
relax his vigilance though they parted, and the Earl did so. He remained
on board his ships, and had nowhere a Yule feast prepared for him in the
Islands.