Heimskringla; Or, The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway
ready to engage in battle against Hakon. Then they rowed with all the
ships up the river, until they came in sight of each other, and then
King Inge turned off from the river current under the island. Now the
king addressed the lendermen again, and told them to get ready for
battle. He turned himself especially to Erling Skakke, and said, what
was true, that no man in the army had more understanding and knowledge
in fighting battles, although some were more hot. The king then
addressed himself to several of the lendermen, speaking to them by name;
and ended by desiring that each man should make his attack where he
thought it would be of advantage, and thereafter all would act together.
6. ERLING'S SPEECH.
Erling Skakke replied thus to the king's speech: "It is my duty, sire,
not to be silent; and I shall give my advice, since it is desired.
The resolution now adopted is contrary to my judgment; for I call it
foolhardy to fight under these circumstances, although we have so many
and such fine men. Supposing we make an attack on them, and row up
against this river-current; then one of the three men who are in each
half room must be employed in rowing only, and another must be covering
with the shield the man who rows; and what have we then to fight with
but one third of our men? It appears to me that they can be of little
use in the battle who are sitting at their oars with their backs turned
to the enemy. Give me now some time for consideration, and I promise you
that before three days are over I shall fall upon some plan by which we
can come into battle with advantage."
It was evident from Erling's speech that he dissuaded from an attack;
but, notwithstanding, it was urged by many who thought that Hakon would
now, as before, take to the land. "And then," said they, "we cannot get
hold of him; but now they have but few men, and we have their fate in
our own hands."
Gregorius said but little; but thought that Erling rather dissuaded from
an attack that Gregorius's advice should have no effect, than that he
had any better advice to give.
7. OF HAKON'S FLEET.
Then said King Inge to Erling, "Now we will follow thy advice, brother,
with regard to the manner of attacking; but seeing how eager our
counsellors are for it, we shall make the attack this day."
Erling replied, "All the boats and light vessels we have should row
outside the island, and up the east arm of the river, and then down with
the stream upon them, and try if they cannot cut them loose from the
piles. Then we, with the large ships, shall row from below here against
them; and I cannot tell until it be tried, if those who are now so
furiously warm will be much brisker at the attack than I am."
This counsel was approved by all. There was a ness stretched out between
their fleet and Hakon's, so that they could not see each other. Now when
Hakon and his men, who had taken counsel with each other in a meeting,
saw the boat-squadron rowing down the river, some thought King Inge
intended to give them battle; but many believed they did not dare, for
it looked as if the attack was given up; and they, besides, were very
confident, both in their preparations and men. There were many great
people with Hakon: there were Sigurd of Reyr, and Simon's sons; Nikolas
Skialdvarson; Eindride, a son of Jon Mornef, who was the most gallant
and popular man in the Throndhjem country; and many other lendermen and
warriors. Now when they saw that King Inge's men with many ships were
rowing out of the river, Hakon and his men believed they were going to
fly; and therefore they cut their land-ropes with which they lay fast at
the piles, seized their oars, and rowed after them in pursuit. The
ships ran fast down with the stream; but when they came further down
the river, abreast of the ness, they saw King Inge's main strength lying
quiet at the island Hising. King Inge's people saw Hakon's ships under
way, and believed they were coming to attack them; and now there was
great bustle and clash of arms, and they encouraged each other by a
great war-shout. Hakon with his fleet turned northwards a little to the
land, where there was a turn in the bight of the river, and where there
was no current. They made ready for battle, carried land-ropes to the
shore, turned the stems of their ships outwards, and bound them all
together. They laid the large East-country traders without the
other vessels, the one above, the other below, and bound them to the
long-ships. In the middle of the fleet lay the king's ship, and next to
it Sigurd's; and on the other side of the king's ship lay Nikolas, and
next to him Endride Jonson. All the smaller ships lay farther off, and
they were all nearly loaded with weapons and stones.
8. SIGURD OF REYR'S SPEECH.
Then Sigurd of Reyr made the following speech: "Now there is hope that
the time is come which has been promised us all the summer, that we
shall meet King Inge in battle. We have long prepared ourselves for
this; and many of our comrades have boasted that they would never fly
from or submit to King Inge and Gregorius, and now let them remember
their words. But we who have sometimes got the toothache in our
conflicts with them, speak less confidently; for it has happened, as
all have heard, that we very often have come off without glory. But,
nevertheless, it is now necessary to fight manfully, and stand to it
with steadiness; for the only escape for us is in victory. Although we
have somewhat fewer men than they, yet luck determines which side shall
have the advantage, and God knows that the right is on our side. Inge
has killed two of his brothers; and it is obvious to all men that the
mulct he intends to pay King Hakon for his father's murder is to murder
him also, as well as his other relations, which will be seen this day to
be his intent. King Hakon desired from the beginning no more of Norway
than the third part, which his father had possessed, and which was
denied him; and yet, in my opinion, King Hakon has a better right to
inherit after his father's brother, King Eystein, than Inge or Simon
Skalp, or the other men who killed King Eystein. Many of them who would
save their souls, and yet have defiled their hands with such bloody
deeds as Inge has done, must think it a presumption before God that
he takes the name of king; and I wonder God suffers such monstrous
wickedness as his; but it may be God's will that we shall now put him
down. Let us fight then manfully, and God will give us victory; and, if
we fall, will repay us with joys unspeakable for now allowing the might
of the wicked to prevail over us. Go forth then in confidence, and be
not afraid when the battle begins. Let each watch over his own and his
comrade's safety, and God protect us all." There went a good report
abroad of this speech of Sigurd, and all promised fairly, and to do
their duty. King Hakon went on board of the great East-country ship, and
a shield-bulwark was made around him; but his standard remained on the
long-ship in which it had been before.
9. OF KING INGE'S MEN.
Now must we tell about King Inge and his men. When they saw that King
Hakon and his people were ready for battle, and the river only was
between them, they sent a light vessel to recall the rest of the fleet
which had rowed away; and in the meantime the king waited for them,
and arranged the troops for the attack. Then the chiefs consulted in
presence of the army, and told their opinions; first, which ships should
lie nearest to the enemy; and then where each should attack.
Gregorius spoke thus: "We have many and fine men; and it is my advice,
King Inge, that you do not go to the assault with us, for everything is
preserved if you are safe. And no man knows where an arrow may hit, even
from the hands of a bad bowman; and they have prepared themselves so,
that missiles and stones can be thrown from the high stages upon the
merchant ships, so that there is less danger for those who are farthest
from them. They have not more men than we lendermen can very well engage
with. I shall lay my ship alongside their largest ship, and I expect the
conflict between us will be but short; for it has often been so in our
former meetings, although there has been a much greater want of men
with us than now." All thought well of the advice that the king himself
should not take part in the battle.
Then Erling Skakke said, "I agree also to the counsel that you, sire,
should not go into the battle. It appears to me that their preparations
are such, that we require all our precaution not to suffer a great
defeat from them; and whole limbs are the easiest cured. In the council
we held before to-day many opposed what I said, and ye said then that
I did not want to fight; but now I think the business has altered its
appearance, and greatly to our advantage, since they have hauled off
from the piles, and now it stands so that I do not dissuade from giving
battle; for I see, what all are sensible of, how necessary it is to put
an end to this robber band who have gone over the whole country with
pillage and destruction, in order that people may cultivate the land in
peace, and serve a king so good and just as King Inge who has long had
trouble and anxiety from the haughty unquiet spirit of his relations,
although he has been a shield of defence for the whole people, and has
been exposed to manifold perils for the peace of the country." Erling
spoke well and long, and many other chiefs also; and all to the same
purpose--all urging to battle. In the meantime they waited until all the
fleet should be assembled. King Inge had the ship Baekisudin; and, at
the entreaty of his friends, he did not join the battle, but lay still
at the island.
10. BEGINNING OF THE BATTLE.
When the army was ready they rowed briskly against the enemy, and both
sides raised a war-shout. Inge's men did not bind their ships together,
but let them be loose; for they rowed right across the current, by which
the large ships were much swayed. Erling Skakke laid his ship beside
King Hakon's ship, and ran the stem between his and Sigurd's ship, by
which the battle began. But Gregorius's ship swung upon the ground,
and heeled very much over, so that at first she could not come into the
battle; and when Hakon's men saw this they laid themselves against her,
and attacked Gregorius's ship on all sides. Ivar, Hakon Mage's son,
laid his ship so that the stems struck together; and he got a boat-hook
fastened on Gregorius, on that part of his body where the waist is
smallest, and dragged him to him, by which Gregorius stumbled against
the ship's rails; but the hook slipped to one side, or Gregorius
would have been dragged over-board. Gregorius, however, was but little
wounded, for he had on a plate coat of armour. Ivar called out to him,
that he had a "thick bark." Gregorius replied, that if Ivar went on so
he would "require it all, and not have too much." It was very near then
that Gregorius and his men had sprung overboard; but Aslak Unge threw an
anchor into their ship, and dragged them off the ground. Then Gregorius
laid himself against Ivar's ship, and they fought a long while; but
Gregorius's ship being both higher sided and more strongly manned,
many people fell in Ivar's ship, and some jumped overboard. Ivar was so
severely wounded that he could not take part in the fight. When his ship
was cleared of the men, Gregorius let Ivar be carried to the shore, so
that he might escape; and from that time they were constant friends.
11. KING HAKON'S FLIGHT.
When King Inge and his men saw that Gregorius was aground, he encouraged
his crew to row to his assistance. "It was," he said, "the most
imprudent advice that we should remain lying here, while our friends are