Heimskringla; Or, The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway
"The raiser of the storm of shields,
The conqueror in battle fields,--
Hakon the brave, the warrior's friend,
Who scatters gold with liberal hand,
Heard Skreyja's taunt, and saw him rush,
Amidst the sharp spears' thickest push,
And loudly shouted in reply--
'If thou wilt for the victory try,
The Norseman's king thou soon shall find!
Hold onwards, friend! Hast thou a mind!"
It was also but a short space of time before Eyvind did come up swinging
his sword, and made a cut at the king; but Thoralf thrust his shield so
hard against Eyvind that he tottered with the shock. Now the king takes
his sword Kvernbit with both hands, and hewed Eyvind through helm and
head, and clove him down to the shoulders. Thoralf also slew Alf Askman.
So says Eyvind Skaldaspiller:--
"With both his hands the gallant king
Swung round his sword, and to the chin
Clove Eyvind down: his faithless mail
Against it could no more avail,
Than the thin plank against the shock
When the ship's side beats on the rock.
By his bright sword with golden haft
Thro' helm, and head, and hair, was cleft
The Danish champion; and amain,
With terror smitten, fled his men."
After this fall of the two brothers, King Hakon pressed on so hard that
all men gave way before his assault. Now fear came over the army of
Eirik's sons, and the men began to fly; and King Hakon, who was at the
head of his men, pressed on the flying, and hewed down oft and hard.
Then flew an arrow, one of the kind called "flein", into Hakon's arm,
into the muscles below the shoulder; and it is said by many people that
Gunhild's shoe-boy, whose name was Kisping, ran out and forwards amidst
the confusion of arms, called out "Make room for the king-killer," and
shot King Hakon with the flein. Others again say that nobody could tell
who shot the king, which is indeed the most likely; for spears, arrows,
and all kinds of missiles flew as thick as a snow-drift. Many of the
people of Eirik's sons were killed, both on the field of battle and on
the way to the ships, and also on the strand, and many threw themselves
into the water. Many also, among whom were Eirik's sons, got on board
their ships, and rowed away as fast as they could, and Hakon's men after
them. So says Thord Sjarekson:--
"The wolf, the murderer, and the thief,
Fled from before the people's chief:
Few breakers of the peace grew old
Under the Northmen's king so bold.
When gallant Hakon lost his life
Black was the day, and dire the strife.
It was bad work for Gunhild's sons,
Leading their pack of Hungry Danes
From out the south, to have to fly,
And many a bonde leave to die,
Leaning his heavy wounded head
On the oar-bench for feather-bed.
Thoralf was nearest to the side
Of gallant Hakon in the tide
Of battle; his the sword that best
Carved out the raven's bloody feast:
Amidst the heaps of foemen slain
He was named bravest on the plain."
32. HAKON'S DEATH.
When King Hakon came out to his ship he had his wound bound up; but
the blood ran from it so much and so constantly, that it could not be
stopped; and when the day was drawing to an end his strength began to
leave him. Then he told his men that he wanted to go northwards to his
house at Alreksstader; but when he came north, as far as Hakonarhella
Hill, they put in towards the land, for by this time the king was almost
lifeless. Then he called his friends around him, and told them what he
wished to be done with regard to his kingdom. He had only one child,
a daughter, called Thora, and had no son. Now he told them to send a
message to Eirik's sons, that they should be kings over the country;
but asked them to hold his friends in respect and honour. "And if
fate," added he, "should prolong my life, I will, at any rate, leave the
country, and go to a Christian land, and do penance for what I have done
against God; but should I die in heathen land, give me any burial you
think fit." Shortly afterwards Hakon expired, at the little hill on the
shore-side at which he was born. So great was the sorrow over Hakon's
death, that he was lamented both by friends and enemies; and they said
that never again would Norway see such a king. His friends removed his
body to Saeheim, in North Hordaland, and made a great mound, in which
they laid the king in full armour and in his best clothes, but with no
other goods. They spoke over his grave, as heathen people are used to
do, and wished him in Valhal. Eyvind Skaldaspiller composed a poem on
the death of King Hakon, and on how well he was received in Valhal. The
poem is called "Hakonarmal":--
"In Odin's hall an empty place
Stands for a king of Yngve's race;
'Go, my valkyries,' Odin said,
'Go forth, my angels of the dead,
Gondul and Skogul, to the plain
Drenched with the battle's bloody rain,
And to the dying Hakon tell,
Here in Valhal shall he dwell.'
"At Stord, so late a lonely shore,
Was heard the battle's wild uproar;
The lightning of the flashing sword
Burned fiercely at the shore of Stord.
From levelled halberd and spearhead
Life-blood was dropping fast and red;
And the keen arrows' biting sleet
Upon the shore at Stord fast beat.
"Upon the thundering cloud of shield
Flashed bright the sword-storm o'er the field;
And on the plate-mail rattled loud
The arrow-shower's rushing cloud,
In Odin's tempest-weather, there
Swift whistling through the angry air;
And the spear-torrents swept away
Ranks of brave men from light of day.
"With batter'd shield, and blood-smear'd sword
Slits one beside the shore of Stord,
With armour crushed and gashed sits he,
A grim and ghastly sight to see;
And round about in sorrow stand
The warriors of his gallant band:
Because the king of Dags' old race
In Odin's hall must fill a place.
"Then up spake Gondul, standing near
Resting upon her long ash spear,--
'Hakon! the gods' cause prospers well,
And thou in Odin's halls shalt dwell!'
The king beside the shore of Stord
The speech of the valkyrie heard,
Who sat there on his coal-black steed,
With shield on arm and helm on head.
"Thoughtful, said Hakon, 'Tell me why
Ruler of battles, victory
Is so dealt out on Stord's red plain?
Have we not well deserved to gain?'
'And is it not as well dealt out?'
Said Gondul. 'Hearest thou not the shout?
The field is cleared--the foemen run--
The day is ours--the battle won!'
"Then Skogul said, 'My coal-black steed,
Home to the gods I now must speed,
To their green home, to tell the tiding
That Hakon's self is thither riding.'
To Hermod and to Brage then
Said Odin, 'Here, the first of men,
Brave Hakon comes, the Norsemen's king,--
Go forth, my welcome to him bring.'
"Fresh from the battle-field came in,
Dripping with blood, the Norsemen'a king.
'Methinks,' said he, great Odin's will
Is harsh, and bodes me further ill;
Thy son from off the field to-day
From victory to snatch away!'
But Odin said, 'Be thine the joy
Valhal gives, my own brave boy!'
"And Brage said, 'Eight brothers here
Welcome thee to Valhal's cheer,
To drain the cup, or fights repeat
Where Hakon Eirik's earls beat.'
Quoth the stout king, 'And shall my gear,
Helm, sword, and mail-coat, axe and spear,
Be still at hand! 'Tis good to hold
Fast by our trusty friends of old.'
"Well was it seen that Hakon still
Had saved the temples from all ill (1);
For the whole council of the gods
Welcomed the king to their abodes.
Happy the day when men are born
Like Hakon, who all base things scorn.--
Win from the brave and honoured name,
And die amidst an endless fame.
"Sooner shall Fenriswolf devour
The race of man from shore to shore,
Than such a grace to kingly crown
As gallant Hakon want renown.
Life, land, friends, riches, all will fly,
And we in slavery shall sigh.
But Hakon in the blessed abodes
For ever lives with the bright gods."
ENDNOTES: (1) Hakon, although a Christian, appears to have favoured the
old religion, and spared the temples of Odin, and therefore
a place in Valhal is assigned him.--L.
SAGA OF KING HARALD GRAFELD AND OF EARL HAKON SON OF SIGURD.
PRELIMINARY REMARKS
This saga might be called Gunhild's Saga, as she is the chief person in
it. The reign of King Harald and Earl Hakon is more fully described
in the next saga, that is, Olaf Trygvason's. Other literature on this
epoch:
"Agrip" (chap. 8), "Historia Norvegia", (p. 12), "Thjodrek" (chap. 5),
"Saxo" (pp. 479-482), "Egla" (chaps. 81, 82), "Floamanna" (chap.
12), "Fareyinga" (chaps. 2, 4, 10), "Halfred's Saga" (chap. 2), "Hord
Grimkelsons Saga" (chaps. 13, 18), "Kormak" (chaps. 19-27), "Laxdaela"
(chaps. 19-21), "Njala" (chaps, 3-6).
The skalds of this saga are:--Glum Geirason, Kormak Agmundson, Eyvind
Skaldaspiller, and Einar Helgason Skalaglam.
1. GOVERNMENT OF THE SONS OF EIRIK.
When King Hakon was killed, the sons of Eirik took the sovereignty of
Norway. Harald, who was the oldest of the living brothers, was over them
in dignity. Their mother Gunhild, who was called the King-mother, mixed
herself much in the affairs of the country. There were many chiefs in
the land at that time. There was Trygve Olafson in the Eastland, Gudrod
Bjornson in Vestfold, Sigurd earl of Hlader in the Throndhjem land; but
Gunhild's sons held the middle of the country the first winter. There
went messages and ambassadors between Gunhild's sons and Trygve and
Gudrod, and all was settled upon the footing that they should hold from
Gunhild's sons the same part of the country which they formerly had
held under King Hakon. A man called Glum Geirason, who was King Harald's
skald, and was a very brave man, made this song upon King Hakon's
death:--
"Gamle is avenged by Harald!
Great is thy deed, thou champion bold!
The rumour of it came to me
In distant lands beyond the sea,
How Harald gave King Hakon's blood
To Odin's ravens for their food."
This song was much favoured. When Eyvind Finson heard of it he composed
the song which was given before, viz.:--
"Our dauntless king with Gamle's gore
Sprinkled his bright sword o'er and o'er," &c.
This song also was much favoured, and was spread widely abroad; and
when King Harald came to hear of it, he laid a charge against Evyind
affecting his life; but friends made up the quarrel, on the condition
that Eyvind should in future be Harald's skald, as he had formerly been
King Hakon's. There was also some relationship between them, as Gunhild,
Eyvind's mother, was a daughter of Earl Halfdan, and her mother was
Ingibjorg, a daughter of Harald Harfager. Thereafter Eyvind made a song
about King Harald:--
"Guardian of Norway, well we know
Thy heart failed not when from the bow
The piercing arrow-hail sharp rang
On shield and breast-plate, and the clang
Of sword resounded in the press
Of battle, like the splitting ice;
For Harald, wild wolf of the wood,
Must drink his fill of foeman's blood."
Gunhild's sons resided mostly in the middle of the country, for they did
not think it safe for them to dwell among the people of Throndhjem or
of Viken, where King Hakon's best friends lived; and also in both places