The Sagas of Olaf Tryggvason and of Harald The Tyrant (Harald Haardraade) Part 20

The Norwegians likewise learnt that the Danish King had his host out, and was lying south off Funen and the small-isles; but when King Harald saw that King Svein would not come to meet him as had been agreed, nor do battle with him, then did he after the same fas.h.i.+on as before & let the peasant host return to Norway; but manned he one hundred and fifty-- s.h.i.+ps, & with these steered a course alongside Halland. There he plundered widely; and he put in also to Lofufjord with his host, and going up onto the land harried there likewise. Somewhile later came King Svein to the encounter with the Danish host, and to him was a tale of three hundred-- s.h.i.+ps. When the Norwegians saw this fleet bade King Harald a blast be blown to summon his host together, & many spake saying that they ought to flee, & that it was unavailing for them to fight, but the King answered thus: 'We will fall one atop of the other rather than flee!' Thus saith Stein Herdason:

'Said the chief high-minded, what now he awaited.

Here (said the King) he had all hope of peace lost.

Rather than yield, cried the King, should each man fall one on the top of the other.

Their arms then took the men.'

-- Then let King Harald his s.h.i.+ps be cleared for action, and brought his great dragon forward into the very midst of the host. Thus saith Thiodolf:

'The giver of kindly gifts Who oft to the wolf gave food, His dragon-s.h.i.+p put forward Midmost in the war-host.'

-- This s.h.i.+p was well fitted out, and had a large crew.

And again saith Thiodolf:

'The peace wis.h.i.+ng King his ranks bade Bind fast the war-s.h.i.+elds on the s.h.i.+ps' sides; The prince's friends well ordered stand methinks.

The leader of manly deeds, The doughty dragon closed, Outside the Niz, with s.h.i.+elds, and one o'erlapped the other.'

-- Ulf the Marshal brought his s.h.i.+p up alongside the royal s.h.i.+p, & bade her men place her well forward. Stein Herdason was on Ulf's s.h.i.+p, and he chanted thus:

'Ulf, the Marshal of the King, Cheered us all on to battle; The spears trembled when The s.h.i.+ps were rowed to the fight.

And, no doubt, the wise King's Valiant friend did bid his men His s.h.i.+p advance beside The prince's; the lads obeyed.'

-- Stationed farthest out on one of the arms was Ivar Hakonson; under him had he many and the men to him were well equipped. Farthest out on the other arm were the chiefs of Throndhjem, and to them likewise was a large and goodly host.

-- And King Svein likewise ranged his host, and his s.h.i.+p laid he over against ye s.h.i.+p of Harald, in the midst of the host, and nighest to him was Earl Fin, and next to him again the Danes ranked all of their host that was bravest and best equipped. Thereafter either side lashed their s.h.i.+ps together in the midmost part of the fleet, but the hosts being so large it befell that there was a great number of s.h.i.+ps faring loose, and so each captain placed his s.h.i.+p as far forward as he had courage for; but that was exceeding varied. Now though the odds were so great yet nevertheless had either side a vast host, and in his to King Svein pertained as many as seven earls. Thus saith Stein Herdason:

'The "hersirs'" valiant lord a risk did take him, With s.h.i.+ps fifty and a hundred he waited for the Danes.

Next was it that the ruler dear who dwells in Leidra-- The sea cleft thither with three hundred sea-steeds.'

-- Even so soon as he had made ready his s.h.i.+ps, commanded King Harald the war-blast to be sounded, and after this was done, rowed his men ahead.

Stein Herdason saith:

'Before the river's mouth, damage did Harald Svein.

Hard withstanding made he; Harald asked not for peace.

The King's sword-swinging lads forward off Halland rowed, And yonder on the sea caused wounds with blood to stream.'

-- Then did either side join combat, and the struggle waxed very fierce.

Either King l.u.s.tily cheered on his men, as saith Stein Herdason:

'Eager for war the good s.h.i.+eld-bearers bade their lads To shoot and hew (but short the s.p.a.ce was 'twixt the hosts).

Both stones & arrows streamed when the sword shook from it, The light blood, depriving of life the men of either host.'

-- It was late in the day when battle was joined and the combatants fought the whole night; King Harald himself shot for long with his bow.

Thiodolf saith thus:

'Elm-bow did the Upland King draw all the night; Shrewd ruler of the land sent Arrows 'gainst the white s.h.i.+elds; Barbs b.l.o.o.d.y harmed the peasants, And the King's arrows Fast in the s.h.i.+elds did lodge (The spear-shots grew apace).'

-- Earl Hakon & the men of his company did not lash their s.h.i.+ps together, but rowed against the Danish keels that were faring loose, and every s.h.i.+p that they grappled did they clear. When the Danes noted this same did every man move his s.h.i.+p away from the spot whither the Earl was faring, but went he after them even as they withdrew, and wellnigh to fleeing were they.

But then came a boat rowing towards the Earl's s.h.i.+p, and those in it shouted & said that the other arm of ye battle array of King Harald had given way, and that many of their men had fallen there, so then rowed the Earl away thither and fierce was his onset, so that the Danes again caused their s.h.i.+ps to fall astern. Thus did the Earl fare the whole of that night, rowing round outside the combatants, and laying about him wheresoever it was required; & whithersoever he went he was in no fas.h.i.+on to be withstood.

During the waning part of the night was there a general fight among the Danes; this was after King Harald & his band had boarded the own s.h.i.+p to King Svein, and so utterly cleared it that all his men were slain save and except those that leapt into the sea. Thus saith Arnor Earl's-skald:

'Svein courageous went not from off his s.h.i.+p Without good cause (that is my mind); Hard was the fight for the helmets wasted, And empty did his craft float ere the eloquent friend of the Jutes Fled from his dead chosen fighters.'

-- After the banner of King Svein had fallen & the s.h.i.+ps to him had been cleared, fled away all his men save those who were slain, & they that fled sprang into the deep from those s.h.i.+ps that were lashed together or climbed on to other s.h.i.+ps that were faring loose, but all of the men of King Svein who were able to do so rowed off. Full many men fell there.

And there, where the Kings themselves had fought & the greater number of the s.h.i.+ps had been lashed one to another, lay over seventy of the s.h.i.+ps of that King; thus saith Thiodolf:

'Bold King of the Sogn-folk, (So 'tis sung) s.h.i.+ps seven Times ten of men and arms From Svein's fleet cleared away.'

-- King Harald after the Danes rowed hard and put them to rout, but no easy task was it, for so little sea-room was there betwixt the keels that motion was well-nigh not possible. Earl Fin would in no wise consent to flee and was taken captive; he could not see well. This is what Thiodolf saith:

'To six Danish earls a guerdon hast thou to give For one single victory, (They whet the heat of battle).

In the midst of the ranks Fin Arnason was taken Battle-strong, stout-hearted; Ne'er would he think to flee.'

-- Earl Hakon tarried behind with his s.h.i.+p, while the King and the rest were pursuing after the fugitives, for the Earl could not get his s.h.i.+p away from the spot where she was lying. Just at that time rowed up a man in a boat to the s.h.i.+p and brought-to at the p.o.o.p; a big man was he with a broad-brimmed hat; 'Where is the Earl?' quoth he up to the s.h.i.+p. 'In the forehold,' answered they him back, 'binding the wound of a man who is bleeding.' The Earl viewed the man with the hat and asked what might his name be, to which he made answer: 'Vandrad-- is here, speak to me, Earl.' Then looked the Earl over the gunwale at him.

Then said the boatman: 'I will receive my life of thee if thou wilt give it me.' Then the Earl rose up and called to two of his men, either of whom was dear to him, and said: 'Get into the boat and set Vandrad ash.o.r.e; go with him to my friend Karl the Peasant, and tell him for a token to give Vandrad the horse which I gave to him yesterday, and to give him his own saddle, and his son for a guide.' Then stepped they into the boat & took the oars, & Vandrad steered.

This was hard nigh to the dawn of day, and there was much movement among the s.h.i.+ps, craft both large and small, some rowing to land, others to sea.

Vandrad steered there where thought he there was most sea-room betwixt the craft, & whensoever any of the Norwegian s.h.i.+ps rowed nigh them said the Earl's men who they were, & then all let them go as they listed.

Vandrad steered along the sh.o.r.e & did not put to land ere they had come past the place where there was a great throng of s.h.i.+ps.

-- Thereafter walked they to the homestead of Karl at about the hour when the light began to wax, and so went they into the living-room, and beheld Karl but now clad. To him told the men from the Earl on what mission had they come, and Karl said that first must they eat, & caused food to be set before them, & himself fetched them water for hand-was.h.i.+ng. Then came the housewife into the chamber and straightway said she: 'Wondrous is it that we gat no sleep nor rest all night through, for the tumult and noise.' Karl answered: 'Knowest thou not that the Kings fought together yesternight?' She asked: 'Who won?' Karl answered: 'The Norwegians won.' 'Belike our King hath fled again,' said she. Karl replied: 'In a bad way are we with our King for he is both halt & craven.' Then spake Vandrad: 'The King is not craven, but neither he is victorious.' Now Vandrad was the last to wash his hands, and when he took the towel he dried himself in the midst thereof; but the housewife seized it and pulled it from him, saying: 'Little good canst thou do; 'tis the way of common folk to wet all the towel at once.'

Vandrad answered: 'I shall yet come thither where I may dry myself midmost in the towel.' Then sat they at meat for a while but afterwards went out, and there was the horse standing ready, and that son of Karl who was to bear Vandrad company sat another horse, and together rode they forth to the forest. But the men from the Earl went back to their boat, & rowed out again to their s.h.i.+p.

-- Harald and his men pursued the fugitives a short way, and thereafter returned to those s.h.i.+ps which had been deserted. And then searched they the slain, finding in the King's s.h.i.+p a number of dead men; yet not among them was the body of King Svein; natheless was it deemed certain that he must have fallen. King Harald let the corses of his men be laid out, or the wounds bound up of them that required it. Then caused he the bodies of the men of Svein to be borne ash.o.r.e, & sent word to the peasants that they should bury them; thereafter caused he the plunder to be divided, and abode for a while there at that spot. And there learnt he the tidings that King Svein was come to Zealand, and that all of his host which had not been routed in battle had rejoined him, and to him likewise were come many other men, and that to him therefore was a.s.sembled a mighty large host.

-- Now as ye have heard tell afore, was Earl Fin Arnason captured in the battle, and before the King was he led. King Harald was then exceeding joyful, and said he, 'Here meet we twain, Fin, though lastwhiles in Norway; scarce hath the Danish court stood by thee! An ill piece of work will the Norwegians have to drag thee, blind man, after them, and keep thee alive.'

Then answered back the Earl: 'Many ill things have the Norwegians now to do, & the worst of these is thy bidding.'