About this book

Heimskringla; Or, The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway

Snorri Sturluson

many heaps of stones and other weapons upon it, and the piles under it being loosened and broken, the bridge gave way; and a great part of the men upon it fell into the river, and all the ethers fled, some into the castle, some into Southwark. Thereafter Southwark was stormed and taken. Now when the people in the castle saw that the river Thames was mastered, and that they could not hinder the passage of ships up into the country, they became afraid, surrendered the tower, and took Ethelred to be their king. So says Ottar Svarte:-- "London Bridge is broken down.-- Gold is won, and bright renown. Shields resounding, War-horns sounding, Hild is shouting in the din! Arrows singing, Mail-coats ringing-- Odin makes our Olaf win!" And he also composed these:-- "King Ethelred has found a friend: Brave Olaf will his throne defend-- In bloody fight Maintain his right, Win back his land With blood-red hand, And Edmund's son upon his throne replace-- Edmund, the star of every royal race!" Sigvat also relates as follows:-- "At London Bridge stout Olaf gave Odin's law to his war-men brave-- 'To win or die!' And their foemen fly. Some by the dyke-side refuge gain-- Some in their tents on Southwark plain! The sixth attack Brought victory back." 13. THE SEVENTH BATTLE. King Olaf passed all the winter with King Ethelred, and had a great battle at Hringmara Heath in Ulfkel's land, the domain which Ulfkel Snilling at that time held; and here again the king was victorious. So says Sigvat the skald:-- "To Ulfkel's land came Olaf bold, A seventh sword-thing he would hold. The race of Ella filled the plain-- Few of them slept at home again! Hringmara heath Was a bed of death: Harfager's heir Dealt slaughter there." And Ottar sings of this battle thus:-- "From Hringmara field The chime of war, Sword striking shield, Rings from afar. The living fly; The dead piled high The moor enrich; Red runs the ditch." The country far around was then brought in subjection to King Ethelred: but the Thingmen (1) and the Danes held many castles, besides a great part of the country. ENDNOTES: (1) Thing-men were hired men-at-arms; called Thing-men probably from being men above the class of thralls or unfree men, and entitled to appear at Things, as being udal-born to land at home. 14. EIGHTH AND NINTH BATTLES OF OLAF. King Olaf was commander of all the forces when they went against Canterbury; and they fought there until they took the town, killing many people and burning the castle. So says Ottar Svarte:-- "All in the grey of morn Broad Canterbury's forced. Black smoke from house-roofs borne Hides fire that does its worst; And many a man laid low By the battle-axe's blow, Waked by the Norsemen's cries, Scarce had time to rub his eyes." Sigvat reckons this King Olaf's eighth battle:-- "Of this eighth battle I can tell How it was fought, and what befell, The castle tower With all his power He could not take, Nor would forsake. The Perthmen fought, Nor quarter sought; By death or flight They left the fight. Olaf could not this earl stout From Canterbury quite drive out." At this time King Olaf was entrusted with the whole land defence of England, and he sailed round the land with his ships of War. He laid his ships at land at Nyjamoda, where the troops of the Thingmen were, and gave them battle and gained the victory. So says Sigvat the skald:-- "The youthful king stained red the hair Of Angeln men, and dyed his spear At Newport in their hearts' dark blood: And where the Danes the thickest stood-- Where the shrill storm round Olaf's head Of spear and arrow thickest fled. There thickest lay the Thingmen dead! Nine battles now of Olaf bold, Battle by battle, I have told." King Olaf then scoured all over the country, taking scat of the people and plundering where it was refused. So says Ottar:-- "The English race could not resist thee, With money thou madest them assist thee; Unsparingly thou madest them pay A scat to thee in every way; Money, if money could be got-- Goods, cattle, household gear, if not. Thy gathered spoil, borne to the strand, Was the best wealth of English land." Olaf remained here for three years (A.D. 1010-1012). 15. THE TENTH BATTLE. The third year King Ethelred died, and his sons Edmund and Edward took the government (A.D. 1012). Then Olaf sailed southwards out to sea, and had a battle at Hringsfjord, and took a castle situated at Holar, where vikings resorted, and burnt the castle. So says Sigvat the skald:-- "Of the tenth battle now I tell, Where it was fought, and what befell. Up on the hill in Hringsfjord fair A robber nest hung in the air: The people followed our brave chief, And razed the tower of the viking thief. Such rock and tower, such roosting-place, Was ne'er since held by the roving race." 16. ELEVENTH, TWELFTH AND THIRTEENTH BATTLES. Then King Olaf proceeded westwards to Grislupollar, and fought there with vikings at Williamsby; and there also King Olaf gained the victory. So says Sigvat:-- "The eleventh battle now I tell, Where it was fought, and what befell. At Grislupol our young fir's name O'ertopped the forest trees in fame: Brave Olaf's name--nought else was heard But Olaf's name, and arm, and sword. Of three great earls, I have heard say, His sword crushed helm and head that day." Next he fought westward on Fetlafjord, as Sigvat tells:-- "The twelfth fight was at Fetlafjord, Where Olaf's honour-seeking sword Gave the wild wolf's devouring teeth A feast of warriors doomed to death." From thence King Olaf sailed southwards to Seljupollar, where he had a battle. He took there a castle called Gunvaldsborg, which was very large and old. He also made prisoner the earl who ruled over the castle and who was called Geirfin. After a conference with the men of the castle, he laid a scat upon the town and earl, as ransom, of twelve thousand gold shillings: which was also paid by those on whom it was imposed. So says Sigvat:-- "The thirteenth battle now I tell, Where it was fought, and what befell. In Seljupol was fought the fray, And many did not survive the day. The king went early to the shore, To Gunvaldsborg's old castle-tower; And a rich earl was taken there, Whose name was Geridin, I am sure." 17. FOURTEENTH BATTLE AND OLAF'S DREAM. Thereafter King Olaf steered with his fleet westward to Karlsar, and tarried there and had a fight. And while King Olaf was lying in Karlsa river waiting a wind, and intending to sail up to Norvasund, and then on to the land of Jerusalem, he dreamt a remarkable dream--that there came to him a great and important man, but of a terrible appearance withal, who spoke to him, and told him to give up his purpose of proceeding to that land. "Return back to thy udal, for thou shalt be king over Norway for ever." He interpreted this dream to mean that he should be king over the country, and his posterity after him for a long time. 18. FIFTEENTH BATTLE. After this appearance to him he turned about, and came to Poitou, where he plundered and burnt a merchant town called Varrande. Of this Ottar speaks:-- "Our young king, blythe and gay, Is foremost in the fray: Poitou he plunders, Tuskland burns,-- He fights and wins where'er he turns." And also Sigvat says:-- "The Norsemen's king is on his cruise, His blue steel staining, Rich booty gaining, And all men trembling at the news. The Norsemen's kings up on the Loire: Rich Partheney In ashes lay; Far inland reached the Norsemen's spear." 19. OF THE EARLS OF ROUEN. King Olaf had been two summers and one winter in the west in Valland on this cruise; and thirteen years had now passed since the fall of King Olaf Trygvason. During this time earls had ruled over Norway; first Hakon's sons Eirik and Svein, and afterwards Eirik's sons Hakon and Svein. Hakon was a sister's son of King Canute, the son of Svein. During this time there were two earls in Valland, William and Robert; their father was Richard earl of Rouen. They ruled over Normandy. Their sister was Queen Emma, whom the English king Ethelred had married; and their sons were Edmund, Edward the Good, Edwy, and Edgar. Richard the earl of Rouen was a son of Richard the son of William Long Spear, who was the son of Rolf Ganger, the earl who first conquered Normandy; and he again was a son of Ragnvald the Mighty, earl of More, as before related. From Rolf Ganger are descended the earls of Rouen, who have long reckoned themselves of kin to the chiefs in Norway, and hold them in such respect that they always were the greatest friends of the Northmen; and every Northman found a friendly country in Normandy, if he required it. To Normandy King Olaf came in autumn (A.D. 1013), and remained all winter (A.D. 1014) in the river Seine in good peace and quiet. 20. OF EINAR TAMBASKELFER. After Olaf Trygvason's fall, Earl Eirik gave peace to Einar Tambaskelfer, the son of Eindride Styrkarson; and Einar went north with the earl to Norway. It is said that Einar was the strongest man and the best archer that ever was in Norway. His shooting was sharp beyond all others; for with a blunt arrow he shot through a raw, soft ox-hide, hanging over a beam. He was better than any man at running on snow-shoes, was a great man at all exercises, was of high family, and rich. The earls Eirik and Svein married their sister Bergliot to Einar. Their son was named Eindride. The earls gave Einar great fiefs in Orkadal, so that he was one of the most powerful and able men in the Throndhjem country, and was also a great friend of the earls, and a great support and aid to them. 21. OF ERLING SKIALGSON. When Olaf Trygvason ruled over Norway, he gave his brother-in-law Erling half of the land scat, and royal revenues between the Naze and Sogn. His other sister he married to the Earl Ragnvald Ulfson, who long ruled over West Gautland. Ragnvald's father, Ulf, was a brother of Sigrid the Haughty, the mother of Olaf the Swedish king. Earl Eirik was ill pleased that Erling Skialgson had so large a dominion, and he took to himself all the king's estates, which King Olaf had given to Erling. But Erling levied, as before, all the land scat in Rogaland; and thus the inhabitants had often to pay him the land scat, otherwise he laid waste their land. The earl made little of the business, for no bailiff of his could live there, and the earl could only come there in guest-quarters, when he had a great many people with him. So says Sigvat:-- "Olaf the king Thought the bonde Erling A man who would grace His own royal race. One sister the king Gave the bonde Erling; And one to an earl, And she saved him in peril." Earl Eirik did not venture to fight with Erling, because he had very powerful and very many friends, and was himself rich and popular, and kept always as many retainers about him as if he held a king's court.