OF EARL HARALD AND SWEIN.
THEN Earl Rögnvald and Swein went on shore, and had a long conversation
by themselves, and agreed very well. While they were talking, they saw
Earl Harald sailing from Caithness to Vagaland (Walls), and when the
ship approached the island, Swein asked what was to be done. The Earl
said Swein should go over to Ness immediately. This was during Lent.
They left Rögnvaldsey at the same time. The Earl went to Hrossey,[434]
but Swein went west to Straumsey (Stroma). Earl Harald saw the boat, and
thought he recognised it as Swein’s, and went immediately into the Firth
in pursuit. When Swein saw the pursuit, they left the boat, and hid
themselves. When Earl Harald came to Straumsey (Stroma) he saw the boat,
and suspected that the men were somewhere near, and would not therefore
go on shore. A man named Amundi, the son of Hnefi, who was Earl Harald’s
friend, and father’s brother to Swein, Asleif’s son’s stepchildren, went
between them, and succeeded so far that they agreed to keep the
agreement of peace which they had made the previous winter. A gale
arose, and they were both obliged to remain there during the night, and
Amundi put Earl Harald and Swein in the same bed, and many of their men
slept in the same house.
After this Swein went over to Ness (Caithness), and Earl Harald to the
Orkneys. Swein heard that the Earl had said that their agreement to be
at peace had been rather loose. He paid little heed to this, however,
and went south to Dalir, and spent the Easter there with his friend
Sumarlidi; but Earl Harald went north to Hjaltland, and was there a long
time during the spring.
After Easter Swein went from the south, and met on his way two of Jón
Vœng’s brothers—one was called Bunu-Pétr, the other Blán. Swein and his
men seized them, and took from them all their goods, and brought them to
land. A gallows was erected for them, and when everything was ready
Swein said they should be allowed to run up the country, adding that
they were greater shame to their brother Jón alive than dead. They were
a long time out on the hills, and when they came to some habitations
they were very much frost-bitten.
From thence Swein went to Liódhús, in the Sudreyar, and stayed there
some time. When Jón Vœng heard that Swein had taken his brothers
prisoners, and not knowing what he had done with them, he went to Eyin
Helga (Enhallow), and took Olaf, the son of Swein, Asleif’s son, and
Kolbein Hruga’s foster-son, and brought him to Westrey. They met Earl
Rögnvald at Hreppisnes,[435] and when he saw Olaf, he said: “Why are you
here, Olaf?”
He said: “It is the work of Jón Vœng.”
The Earl looked to Jón, and said: “Why did you bring Olaf here?”
He replied: “Swein took my brothers, and I don’t know but he may have
killed them.”
The Earl said: “Take him back again as quickly as you can, and do not
dare to do him any harm, whatever may have become of your brothers, for
if you do, you will not be safe in the Islands from either Swein or
Kolbein.”