The Sagas of Olaf Tryggvason and of Harald The Tyrant (Harald Haardraade) Part 16

-- After the death of King Magnus Olafson, had King Harald Sigurdson possession of the whole realm of Norway.

And when he had ruled over Norway for one winter, & the spring was again incomen mustered he men from out of all the land, one half of the general host in men & s.h.i.+ps, & thence sailed south to Jutland where he harried & burned even very widely; that same summer hove he to in G.o.dnarfjord. At that time made King Harald this verse:

'While the linen-white woman Her song chants to her goodman, The anchor of the oaken s.h.i.+p We drop in G.o.dnarfjord.'

Then spake he to Thiodolf, and bade him add thereunto; and he sang:

'Next summer (foretell I) The anchor more southward Shall hold the s.h.i.+p with its fluke; Deeper shall we cast it.'

And Bolverk in his lay mentions that Harald fared to Denmark the summer following on King Magnus's death:

'From that fair land the year thereafter A muster called'st thou out; When thou ploughed'st the seas With sea-steeds full splendid.

On darksome billow lay The dragons precious, and uneasy The host thereof saw off land laden were the war-s.h.i.+ps of the Danes.'

-- It was at that time that they burned the homestead of Thorkel Geyser.

He was a great chief, natheless were his daughters led bounden to the s.h.i.+ps: the winter before had they shown themselves very scornful of Harald & had made mock of his war cruise to Denmark, & from cheese had they cut out anchors and said that most like these would well suffice to hold the s.h.i.+ps of the King of Norway. Then was this chanted:

'Now from their whey cheeses cut The maids of Denmark rings for anchors, And this gibe annoyance gave the King.

Now see I maidens many in the morn Reach the King's s.h.i.+ps in fetters heavy: Fewer laugh now.'

-- It is related that the look-out man who had observed the fleet of King Harald's cried out to the daughters of Thorkel Geyser, 'Ye Geyser daughters said that Harald would never come to Denmark.' Quoth one of them, 'That was yesterday.'

-- At a very high price did Thorkel ransom his daughters. Thus saith Grani:

'Of tears her eyes Were never dry; This wrong-headed woman In the thick Horn-woods.

The lord of Norway the fleeing Foe to the sh.o.r.e drave; For his daughters wealth amain Had to pay their father.'

-- The whole of the summer did King Harald harry in the realm of the Danes & gat to himself much plunder, natheless did he not there abide but fared he back to Norway in the autumn, and there tarried the winter through.

-- That same winter, which was even that one after the death of King Magnus, did King Harald take to wife Thora, the daughter of Thorberg Arnason. To them were born two sons, the elder of whom was Magnus, the younger Olaf.

King Harald and Queen Ellisif had two daughters; one of these was named Maria, and the other Ingigerd. When that following spring was come, and of that spring have we writ afore, did King Harald muster his host and again fared forth to Denmark in the summer & harried there, & the same did he now one summer after the other. Thus saith Stuf the Skald:

'Falster was wasted, and to its folk Mischance befell (so I heard).

The raven his fill ate, But rapine feared the Danes each year.'

-- Ever since the death of King Magnus had King Svein ruled the whole of the Danish realm; remained he at peace during the winters, but by summer went he out with his host & did threaten to journey north with the Danish host, and there do no less harm than Harald had done in Denmark.

In the winter King Svein offered to meet King Harald in the River, and there fight together to the last, or else come to agreement; and thereafter, during that winter, were both one and other of them busied arming their s.h.i.+ps, so that in the summer to come might one half of the general host be abroad.

It was in that summer that there came from Iceland Thorleik Svein Ulfson; he had heard to wit, when he was north in Norway, that King Harald had fared south to the River against King Svein. Then did Thorleik chant this:

''Tis awaited that in spear-storm On the sea-king's path The doughty men of inner Throndhjem Will meet the hardy King.

G.o.d only can bring it to pa.s.s That one of them there taketh Life or land of the other; Little wots Svein of concord.'

And furthermore he chanted this:

'Harald the harsh who beareth Oft a red s.h.i.+eld off the land, Is guiding on Budli's ways-- The broad long-s.h.i.+ps from the north.

But southward o'er the seas, Doth come the warlike Svein In animals gold-mouthed, masted, And painted in colours fair.'

-- To the appointed trysting-place came King Harald with his host, and there heard that King Svein was to the south and lying off Zealand with his fleet. Then did King Harald part his host, sending the greater number of the peasant-host back, but retaining to himself his body-guard & friends and feudatories, also that part of the peasant-host which had been mustered nighest to the Danes.

They fared south (west) to Jutland, southward of Vendilskagi, & thereafter still south past Thioda, & went everywhere with the war-s.h.i.+eld aloft. Thus saith Stuf the Skald:

'Fled Thioda folk from meeting with the King, Bold was he the stately dealer of blows.

Harald's soul in Heaven.'--

-- They fared southward all the way to Heidaby, and when they were come thither seized they that town and burned it. Then a man that was thrall to King Harald wrought this:

'Burnt from one end to another Was the whole of Heidaby; Ruthless treatment this, methinks; Our work, I trow, arouses grief in Svein.

In the town spent I last night: Ere the eighth hour the flames shot up from the houses.'

-- Likewise Thorleik telleth in his poem that he heard that no battle befell at the River:

'Among the King's followers Each asks who doth not wot it How 'twas that the prince avenger To Heidaby did hie him, When Harald from the east with s.h.i.+ps Sped early, without reason, To the royal town. In sooth Destruction ne'er should have been done.'

-- After this fared Harald northward and with him had he sixty s.h.i.+ps, the greater number were large & well laden with what plunder had been taken in the summer. But as they were faring northward and past Thioda came down King Svein from the land with a large host; & he proffered King Harald to come ash.o.r.e & do battle. Now King Harald had less than half as many men as Svein and so he bade Svein fight with him at sea. Thus saith Thorleik the Fair:

'Svein, even he who was born to success in Midgard, Called on the mighty King in fight on land to meet him; But Harald shy of failing would liefer fight, quoth he, Aboards.h.i.+p, since the bold King held the land.'

-- Thereafter sailed Harald northward past Vendilskagi; but the wind was against them & they brought-to under Lesey where they remained the night. Then were the s.h.i.+ps encompa.s.sed with a thick sea-fog, but when it was morning, & the sun rose, beheld they on the other side of the sea what seemed to them like burning fires. And King Harald being informed thereof gazed thereat, & said straightway: 'Strike the s.h.i.+ps' tilts, and let the men fall to their oars. The Danish host hath come after us. The darkness hath lifted, I ween, there where they are, and the sun is s.h.i.+ning on their dragon-heads the which are overlaid with gold.' And it was even as Harald said for behold there was come Svein, the Danish King, with a mighty host.

Both the fleets now rowed with all speed, but the Danish s.h.i.+ps were lighter under oars, the Norwegian s.h.i.+ps being both water-logged and heavy laden. So the Danes drew on apace.

Then did Harald perceive that this would never serve his purpose. Now his dragon was faring astern of all his other s.h.i.+ps, and he commanded that some timber should be thrown overboard and apparel with other wares be placed thereon, and as the water was calm these things drifted with the current.

When the Danes saw these goods drifting along on the sea those who were rowing ahead swerved aside after them, for they deemed it easier to take the goods as they were floating loose on the water than to seek them on board the Norwegian s.h.i.+ps, and in this manner did their s.h.i.+ps linger.

When King Svein overtook them in his s.h.i.+p bade he them proceed, and said shame was it that with an host as large as his they could not take the Norwegians, to whom was but few men, and get the fellows into their power.

Then began the Danes to row the harder again, and when King Harald saw that they were making way bade he his men lighten their s.h.i.+ps by throwing overboard malt and wheat and swine-flesh, even to chopping open their kegs of drink, and for a while these aids availed them well. Then did King Harald command that the war-hurdles should be taken, also casks, and empty barrels, and be cast overboard and on them and in them were placed prisoners of war.

Now when King Svein saw all of these floating together on the sea he ordered that the men should be rescued, and accordingly was this done.

While his men were occupied in this their task, grew greater the distance between the fleets, and when the Danes were again about the chase had the Norwegians already made good their escape. Thus saith Thorleik the Fair:

'I heard tell in what manner Svein The eastmen put to flight at sea, How the other King quick-minded gat him gone; All the plunder of the Thrond-folk's King On the Jutland sea was floating; And sundry s.h.i.+ps lost he withal.'

-- Under Lesey, did King Svein withdraw his fleet, and there found he seven Norwegian s.h.i.+ps, but aboard them were only peasants and men who had been mustered for war.