Heimskringla; Or, The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway
Drove terror through the Throndhjem fields,
When all the land through which he came
Was swimming in a flood of flame.
The raven-feeder, will I know,
Cut off two chieftans at a blow;
The wolf could scarcely ravenous be,
The ernes flew round the gallows-tree."
Svein Harald Fletter's son, fled out to sea first, and sailed then to
Denmark, and remained there; and at last came into great favour with
King Eystein, the son of King Magnus, who took so great a liking to
Svein that he made him his dish-bearer, and held him in great respect.
King Magnus had now alone the whole kingdom, and he kept good peace
in the land, and rooted out all vikings and lawless men. He was a
man quick, warlike, and able, and more like in all things to his
grandfather, King Harald, in disposition and talents than to his father.
8. OF THE BONDE SVEINKE, AND SIGURD ULSTRENG.
There was a man called Sveinke Steinarson, who was very wealthy, and
dwelt in Viken at the Gaut river. He had brought up Hakon Magnuson
before Thorer of Steig took him. Sveinke had not yet submitted to King
Magnus. King Magnus ordered Sigurd Ulstreng to be called, and told him
he would send him to Sveinke with the command that he should quit the
king's land and domain. "He has not yet submitted to us, or shown us due
honour." He added, that there were some lendermen east in Viken, namely
Svein Bryggjufot, Dag Eilifson, and Kolbjorn Klakke, who could bring
this matter into right bearing. Then Sigurd said, "I did not know there
was the man in Norway against whom three lendermen besides myself were
needful." The king replied, "Thou needst not take this help, unless
it be necessary." Now Sigurd made himself ready for the journey with
a ship, sailed east to Viken, and there summoned the lendermen to him.
Then a Thing was appointed to Viken, to which the people were called
who dwelt on the Gaut river, besides others; so that it was a numerous
assembly. When the Thing was formed they had to wait for Sveinke. They
soon after saw a troop of men coming along, so well furnished with
weapons that they looked like pieces of shining ice; and now came
Sveinke and his people to the Thing, and set themselves down in a
circle. All were clad in iron, with glowing arms, and 500 in number.
Then Sigurd stood up, and spoke. "My master, King Magnus, sends God's
salutation and his own to all friends, lendermen and others, his
subjects in the kingdom; also to the powerful bondes, and the people in
general, with kind words and offers of friendship; and to all who will
obey him he offers his friendship and good will. Now the king will, with
all cheerfulness and peace, show himself a gracious master to all who
will submit to him, and to all in his dominions. He will be the leader
and defender of all the men of Norway; and it will be good for you to
accept his gracious speech, and this offer."
Then stood up a man in the troop of the Elfgrims, who was of great
stature and grim countenance, clad in a leather cloak, with a halberd
on his shoulder, and a great steel hat upon his head. He looked sternly,
and said, "Here is no need of wheels, says the fox, when he draws the
trap over the ice." He said nothing more, but sat down again.
Soon after Sigurd Ulstreng stood up again, and spoke thus: "But little
concern or help have we for the king's affairs from you, Elfgrims, and
but little friendship; yet by such means every man shows how much
he respects himself. But now I shall produce more clearly the king's
errand." Thereupon he demanded land-dues and levy-dues, together with
all other rights of the king, from the great bondes. He bade each of
them to consider with himself how they had conducted themselves in these
matters; and that they should now promote their own honour, and do the
king justice, if they had come short hitherto in doing so. And then he
sat down.
Then the same man got up in the troop of Elfgrims who had spoken before,
lifted his hat a little up, and said, "The lads run well, say the
Laplanders, who have skates for nothing." Then he sat himself down
again.
Soon after Sigurd arose, after speaking with the lendermen, and said
that so weighty a message as the king's ought not to be treated lightly
as a jest. He was now somewhat angry; and added, that they ought not
to receive the king's message and errand so scornfully, for it was not
decent. He was dressed in a red or scarlet coat, and had a blue coat
over it. He cast off his upper coat and said, "Now it is come so far
that every one must look to himself, and not loiter and jest with
others; for by so doing every man will show what he is. We do not
require now to be taught by others; for now we can see ourselves how
much we are regarded. But this may be borne with; but not that ye treat
so scornfully the king's message. Thereby every one shows how highly he
considers himself. There is one man called Sveinke Steinarson, who
lives east at the Gaut river; and from him the king will have his just
land-dues, together with his own land, or will banish him from the
country. It is of no use here to seek excuses, or to answer with sharp
words; for people are to be found who are his equals in power, although
he now receives our speech so unworthily; and it is better now than
afterwards to return to the right way, and do himself honour, rather
than await disgrace for his obstinancy." He then sat down.
Sveinke then got up, threw back his steel-hat, and gave Sigurd many
scornful words, and said, "Tut! tut! 'tis a shame for the dogs, says
the proverb, when the fox is allowed to cast their excrements in the
peasant's well. Here will be a miracle! Thou useless fellow! with a coat
without arms, and a kirtle with skirts, wilt thou drive me out of the
country? Thy relation, Sigurd Woolsack, was sent before on this errand,
and one called Gille the Backthief, and one who had still a worse name.
They were a night in every house, and stole wherever they came. Wilt
thou drive me out of the country? Formerly thou wast not so mighty, and
thy pride was less when King Hakon, my foster-son, was in life. Then
thou wert as frightened for him when he met thee on the road as a mouse
in a mouse-trap, and hid thyself under a heap of clothes, like a dog on
board a ship. Thou wast thrust into a leather-bag like corn in a sack,
and driven from house and farm like a year-old colt from the mares; and
dost thou dare to drive me from the land? Thou shouldst rather think
thyself lucky to escape from hence with life. Let us stand up and attack
him."
Then all his men stood up, and made a great clash with their weapons.
Then Svein Bryggjufot and the other lendermen saw there was no other
chance for Sigurd but to get him on horseback, which was done, and he
rode off into the forest. The end was that Sveinke returned home to his
farm, and Sigurd Ulstreng came, with great difficulty, by land north to
Throndhjem to King Magnus, and told the result of his errand. "Did I not
say," said the king, "that the help of my lendermen would be needed?"
Sigurd was ill pleased with his journey; insisted that he would be
revenged, cost what it will; and urged the king much. The king ordered
five ships to be fitted out; and as soon as they were ready for sea
he sailed south along the land, and then east to Viken, where he was
entertained in excellent guest-quarters by his lendermen. The king told
them he would seek out Sveinke. "For I will not conceal my suspicion
that he thinks to make himself king of Norway." They said that Sveinke
was both a powerful and an ungovernable man. Now the king went from
Viken until he came to Sveinke's farm. Then the lendermen desired that
they might be put on shore to see how matters stood; and when they came
to the land they saw that Sveinke had already come down from the farm,
and was on the road with a number of well-armed men. The lendermen held
up a white shield in the air, as a peace-token; and when Sveinke saw it
he halted his men, and they approached each other. Then said Kolbjorn
Klakke, "King Magnus sends thee God's salutation and his own, and bids
thee consider what becomes thee, and do him obedience, and not prepare
thyself to give him battle." Kolbjorn offered to mediate peace between
them, if he could, and told him to halt his troops.
Sveinke said he would wait for them where he was. "We came out to meet
you," he said, "that ye might not tread down our corn-fields."
The lendermen returned to the king, and told him all was now at his
pleasure.
The king said, "My doom is soon delivered. He shall fly the country, and
never come back to Norway as long as the kingdom is mine; and he shall
leave all his goods behind."
"But will it not be more for thy honour," said Kolbjorn, "and give thee
a higher reputation among other kings, if, in banishing him from the
country, thou shouldst allow him to keep his property, and show himself
among other people? And we shall take care that he never comes back
while we live. Consider of this, sire, by yourself, and have respect for
our assurance."
The king replied, "Let him then go forth immediately."
They went back, therefore, to Sveinke, and told him the king's words;
and also that the king had ordered him out of the country, and he should
show his obedience, since he had forgotten himself towards the king.
"It is for the honour of both that thou shouldst show obedience to the
king."
Then Sveinke said, "There must be some great change if the king speaks
agreeably to me; but why should I fly the country and my properties?
Listen now to what I say. It appears to me better to die upon my
property than to fly from my udal estates. Tell the king that I will not
stir from them even an arrow-flight."
Kolbjorn replied, "This is scarcely prudent, or right; for it is
better for one's own honour to give way to the best chief, than to make
opposition to one's own loss. A gallant man succeeds wheresoever he
goes; and thou wilt be the more respected wheresoever thou art, with men
of power, just because thou hast made head so boldly against so powerful
a chief. Hear our promises, and pay some attention to our errand. We
offer thee to manage thy estates, and take them faithfully under our
protection; and also never, against thy will, to pay scat for thy land
until thou comest back. We will pledge our lives and properties upon
this. Do not throw away good counsel from thee, and avoid thus the ill
fortune of other good men."
Then Sveinke was silent for a short time, and said at last, "Your
endeavours are wise; but I have my suspicions that ye are changing
a little the king's message. In consideration, however, of the great
good-will that ye show me, I will hold your advice in such respect that
I will go out of the country for the whole winter, if, according to your
promises, I can then retain my estates in peace. Tell the king, also,
these my words, that I do this on your account, not on his."
Thereupon they returned to the king, and said, that Sveinke left all in
the king's hands. "But entreats you to have respect to his honour. He
will be away for three years, and then come back, if it be the king's
pleasure. Do this; let all things be done according to what is suitable
for the royal dignity and according to our entreaty, now that the matter
is entirely in thy power, and we shall do all we can to prevent his
returning against thy will."
The king replied, "Ye treat this matter like men, and, for your sakes,
shall all things be as ye desire. Tell him so."
They thanked the king, and then went to Sveinke, and told him the
king's gracious intentions. "We will be glad," said they, "if ye can
be reconciled. The king requires, indeed that thy absence shall be for
three years; but, if we know the truth rightly, we expect that before