The Sagas of Olaf Tryggvason and of Harald The Tyrant (Harald Haardraade) Part 19

Guthorm liked ill enough that he and his men should be scotched of their share of the booty; & still less pleased was he when the King said he might choose betwixt two things; 'Either to submit to our will, or do battle with us, and he who gets the victory to have the money; and thou moreover shalt depart from thy s.h.i.+ps and I will take them.' Now on either hand the task seemed severe; Guthorm deemed it unseemly that he should without rime or reason give up his s.h.i.+ps & money, but natheless was it ill fighting over against a King to whom was an host so large as that which followed Margad. Grave also was the disparity betwixt the crews thereof, inasmuch as to the King were sixteen long-s.h.i.+ps & to Guthorm only five. So Guthorm prayed the King grant him three nights'

truce in the which to confer with his men on this matter, for thought he that he could soften the King within this time, and aided by the pleading of his men could set the matter on a better footing with the King, but never a bit did he get what he asked for. This was on the eve of St. Olafmas.-- So Guthorm chose to die, the stout fellow he was, or win the day, rather than suffer the shame and disgrace and mockery of having lost so vast a deal.

And called he upon G.o.d and the sainted King Olaf, his kinsman, praying for their help and support, and vowing to bestow on that holy man's house a t.i.the of all the plunder which would fall to them an they gained the victory. Thereafter did he array his host, and rank it against the greater host, and he advanced on them and fought with them, and by G.o.d's help and that of the holy King Olaf did he gain the victory. There fell King Margad, and every man who was with him, young & old. After this glorious victory Guthorm returned home joyfully with all the wealth he had gotten from the strife; & from the silver which had changed hands every tenth penny was set aside for the sainted King Olaf even as Guthorm had vowed. A vast deal of money was there so that from the silver caused Guthorm to be made a rood of his own stature, or of that of the captain of his s.h.i.+p, and that holy symbol is seven ells in height.

This cross did Guthorm give to the church of the holy St. Olaf, & there-- has it remained ever since in testimony of ye victory of Guthorm and the miracle of ye sainted King Olaf.

-- Now there was in Denmark a Count who was evil & envious, and he had a Norwegian serving-woman and the stock of her was from Throndhjem. She wors.h.i.+pped the holy King Olaf, and put staunch faith in his sanct.i.ty; but the Count mis...o...b..ed all that had been told him of the miracles of that holy man, & affirmed that naught were they but rumour and talk, and laughed to scorn all the praise and wors.h.i.+p which the folk of the land accorded the good King.

But now was drawing nigh the day whereon the gentle King laid down his life, a day which all Norwegians kept, but which this unwise count refused to hallow; & he bade his serving-woman fire the oven and bake on that day.

And deeming from the mood of the Count that he would soon avenge himself on her an she did not obey him in all that he had bidden her do, went she all unwillingly and laid fire under the oven, and made much plaint while she worked, & called on King Olaf, saying that she would never believe more on him if he did not by some token or other avenge this unseemliness. And now shall ye hear of a meet chastis.e.m.e.nt & true miracle: it befell forthwith, in the self-same moment, that the Count became blind in both eyes and that the bread which she had baked was turned into stone.

Some of the stones have been brought to the church of the holy King Olaf, and also to many other places. St. Olafmas has ever been kept holy in Denmark since that happening.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

-- Westward in Valland (France) was there a man who was so malformed that he was a cripple, and crawled he ever on his knees and knuckles. One day when he was abroad, on a road, he fell asleep & dreamt that a man all glorious without came to him and asked whither was he bound, and the cripple answered with the name of a certain town.

Then the man all glorious said: 'Fare thee rather to St. Olaf's Church in London, and there wilt thou be healed.' Thereafter awakened the cripple and straightway fared in search of St. Olaf's Church, and after a while was come to London Bridge & there asked of the townsmen whether they could direct him to St. Olaf's Church; but for answer gat he that there were too many churches for them to know to what man each of them was dedicated. A while later came up a man & asked him whither was he bound, and he told him whither he was bound, and that man said afterwards: 'We will both go to St. Olaf's Church, for I know the way thither.'

So then crossed they the bridge, and went to the street which led to St. Olaf's Church. When they were come to the gates of the churchyard the man stepped over the threshold which is between the gates, but the cripple rolled over it, and lo, straightway rose he up a whole man. When he looked round his comrade was gone.

-- King Harald founded a merchant town eastward in Oslo,-- and often tarried there for it had broad countrysides round about, and was a place suited for the ingathering of victuals; likewise was it well situated for the defence of the land against the Danes, & also for onsets on Denmark which Harald was wont to make even at such times when he had a large host at his beck.

One summer fared King Harald with some light s.h.i.+ps and but few men and set he sail south for Viken; but on a fair wind springing up, crossed he the sea to Jutland where he began to harry.

The men of the land, however, collected themselves together & defended their country, so then sailed King Harald on to Limfjord and went up that fjord.

Now Limfjord is so fas.h.i.+oned in shape that going up it is like entering into a narrow river-groove, but as thou goest on up the fjord it becometh like a great sea.

Harald harried there on both sh.o.r.es, but beheld the Danes everywhere a.s.sembled in numbers. King Harald brought-to his s.h.i.+ps alongside an island which was small & thereon were no buildings; and when they went in search of water they found none, and told it unto the King.

Then he did send men to see if no adder could be found on the isle, & when one had been found they brought it to the King and he had the adder taken to the fire so that it might be warmed and teased thereby, and become right thirsty. Thereafter a twine was bound to its tail and the adder was let loose, and it crawled away and the twine was unwound from the ball, and they followed after the adder until it struck into the earth.

Then the King bade them dig for water, and they dug for it, and there found water in abundance.

-- From his spies learned King Harald the intelligence that King Svein was come with a large fleet of s.h.i.+ps to the mouth of the fjord, and that he was making way but slowly, for his s.h.i.+ps could only pa.s.s in one at a time. King Harald took his s.h.i.+ps up Limfjord, and over against where it is broadest it is called Lusbreid. Now from the creek within is there a narrow neck of land westward (north) leading to the sea, and thither did the men to Harald row in the evening; after nightfall, when it was dark, they cleared the s.h.i.+ps & haled them right over this isthmus, and before daylight all was accomplished and the s.h.i.+ps once more ready for sea.

Then shaped he the course northward past Jutland, and they sang:

'From Danish grip Did Harald slip.'

-- At that time said the King that he would come to Denmark once again, & would bring with him more men & larger s.h.i.+ps. After these things fared they northward to Throndhjem.

-- That winter abode King Harald in Nidaros, & at this time caused he a s.h.i.+p to be builded out on the islands, and it was a bussa-s.h.i.+p-- made after the model of the Long Serpent and wrought every way as carefully as might be.

At her bows was a dragon-head and at her stern a crook, and the ......-- were all overlaid with gold. On her were thirty-five benches, and broad was she of beam in comparison therewith.

Very fair to behold was she. The King caused all the appurtenances of the s.h.i.+p to be chosen with exceeding great care, both the sail, the running tackle, the anchor and the cables.

That winter King Harald sent word southward to Denmark to King Svein, bidding him come in spring from the south to the River, to a meeting with him, & saying that they would then fight to the end that one or other of their countries should change hands, & the victor become master of both kingdoms.

-- That winter called out King Harald a host, a general host, from all Norway, and by spring-tide had been a.s.sembled together a mighty array of men.

Then launched the King his great s.h.i.+p on the river Nid, and after that was accomplished caused he the dragon-head be placed thereon.

Then sang Thiodolf the Skald:

'Fair maid, forward is the s.h.i.+p guided, from river to main.

Mark where off the land there lieth the long hull of the dragon.

The mane of the serpent yellow-green glints on the deck, The prows were burnt-gold as from off the slip she glided.'

-- Thereafter fitted King Harald out the s.h.i.+p and his men for a cruise, and all being made ready, stood he down the river, and right well answered she to the oars. Thus saith Thiodolf:

'Sat.u.r.day the prince casts off the long land tilts, There where the widows proud the serpent watch, As she glideth from the town.

West from the Nid thereafter the King doth steer, Into the sea drop the oars of his men.

Move can they, the King's lads, the straight oars in the water.

The widows stand and wonder at the oar-strokes so swift, The thole knows hurt when seventy oars do move her I' the water ere the war-folk on the sea their oars do strain.

Northmen the serpent row (nailed is she) out on the billow-stream icy; 'Tis eagles' wings that we behold.'

-- Southward sailed King Harald with his host alongside the land, so that he might call out a general muster of men and s.h.i.+ps. But when they were come eastward, and were off Vik, arose a strong contrary wind wherefore was the fleet obliged to stand in for harbour, making such havens as were to be found in the skerries as well as those in the fjords.

Quoth Thiodolf:

'Lee have the shaven hulls of the s.h.i.+ps under the woods, The King's war-host towards land doth lean with its prow beams.

The land-folk in the skerries, within the creeks, do lie; The s.h.i.+ps white-mailed hide under the land-necks.'

-- Now in the tempest which fell upon them the great s.h.i.+p had need of good anchor tackle, and thus saith Thiodolf:

'Prow foremost the prince cleft High fences of the sea; The ropes of the King's s.h.i.+p Are strained to the utmost; The wind is unfriendly Against the anchor-iron out-hollowed, Grit and wind-squalls ugly Chafe at the anchor flukes.'

-- As soon as there was come to him a fair wind, took King Harald the host east to the River, and thither came towards nightfall. Thus saith Thiodolf:

'Now drave King Harald hotly the war-s.h.i.+ps towards the River, At nightfall Norway's King anigh the marches is.

A Thing the King now holds at Thumla, there where Svein Will meet to war if so be the Danes s.h.i.+rk not the tryst.'

-- When the Danes learned that the hosts of the Norwegians were come, all those that were able to do so fled away.