Heimskringla; Or, The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway
"Thus did the hero known to fame,
The leader of the shields, whose name
Strikes every heart with dire dismay,
Launch forth his war-ships to the fray.
Two kings he fought; but little strife
Was needed to cut short their life.
A clang of arms by the sea-shore,--
And the shields' sound was heard no more."
The two kings were slain, but Solve escaped by flight; and King Harald
laid both districts under his power. He stayed here long in summer to
establish law and order for the country people, and set men to rule
them, and keep them faithful to him; and in autumn he prepared to
return northwards to Throndhjem. Ragnvald Earl of More, a son of Eystein
Glumra, had the summer before become one of Harald's men; and the king
set him as chief over these two districts, North More and Raumsdal;
strengthened him both with men of might and bondes, and gave him
the help of ships to defend the coast against enemies. He was called
Ragnvald the Mighty, or the Wise; and people say both names suited him
well. King Harald came back to Throndhjem about winter.
11. FALL OF KINGS ARNVID AND AUDBJORN.
The following spring (A.D. 868) King Harald raised a great force in
Throndhjem, and gave out that he would proceed to South More. Solve
Klofe had passed the winter in his ships of war, plundering in North
More, and had killed many of King Harald's men; pillaging some places,
burning others, and making great ravage; but sometimes he had been,
during the winter, with his friend King Arnvid in South More. Now when
he heard that King Harald was come with ships and a great army, he
gathered people, and was strong in men-at-arms; for many thought they
had to take vengeance of King Harald. Solve Klofe went southwards to
Firdafylke (the Fjord district), which King Audbjorn ruled over, to ask
him to help, and join his force to King Arnvid's and his own. "For,"
said he, "it is now clear that we all have but one course to take;
and that is to rise, all as one man, against King Harald, for we have
strength enough, and fate must decide the victory; for as to the other
condition of becoming his servants, that is no condition for us, who
are not less noble than Harald. My father thought it better to fall in
battle for his kingdom, than to go willingly into King Harald's service,
or not to abide the chance of weapons like the Naumudal kings." King
Solve's speech was such that King Audbjorn promised his help, and
gathered a great force together and went with it to King Arnvid, and
they had a great army. Now, they got news that King Harald was come from
the north, and they met within Solskel. And it was the custom to lash
the ships together, stem to stem; so it was done now. King Harald laid
his ship against King Arnvid's, and there was the sharpest fight, and
many men fell on both sides. At last King Harald was raging with anger,
and went forward to the fore-deck, and slew so dreadfully that all the
forecastle men of Arnvid's ship were driven aft of the mast, and some
fell. Thereupon Harald boarded the ship, and King Arnvid's men tried to
save themselves by flight, and he himself was slain in his ship. King
Audbjorn also fell; but Solve fled. So says Hornklofe:--
"Against the hero's shield in vain
The arrow-storm fierce pours its rain.
The king stands on the blood-stained deck,
Trampling on many a stout foe's neck;
And high above the dinning stound
Of helm and axe, and ringing sound
Of blade and shield, and raven's cry,
Is heard his shout of 'Victory!'"
Of King Harald's men, fell his earls Asgaut and Asbjorn, together with
his brothers-in-law, Grjotgard and Herlaug, the sons of Earl Hakon of
Lade. Solve became afterwards a great sea-king, and often did great
damage in King Harald's dominions.
12. KING VEMUND BURNT TO DEATH.
After this battle (A.D. 868) King Harald subdued South More; but Vemund,
King Audbjorn's brother, still had Firdafylke. It was now late in
harvest, and King Harald's men gave him the counsel not to proceed
south-wards round Stad. Then King Harald set Earl Ragnvald over South
and North More and also Raumsdal, and he had many people about him. King
Harald returned to Throndhjem. The same winter (A.D. 869) Ragnvald went
over Eid, and southwards to the Fjord district. There he heard news of
King Vemund, and came by night to a place called Naustdal, where King
Vemund was living in guest-quarters. Earl Ragnvald surrounded the house
in which they were quartered, and burnt the king in it, together with
ninety men. The came Berdlukare to Earl Ragnvald with a complete armed
long-ship, and they both returned to More. The earl took all the ships
Vemund had, and all the goods he could get hold of. Berdlukare proceeded
north to Throndhjem to King Harald, and became his man; and dreadful
berserk he was.
13. DEATH OF EARLS HAKON, AND ATLE MJOVE.
The following spring (A.D. 869) King Harald went southwards with his
fleet along the coast, and subdued Firdafylke. Then he sailed eastward
along the land until he came to Vik; but he left Earl Hakon Grjotgardson
behind, and set him over the Fjord district. Earl Hakon sent word to
Earl Atle Mjove that he should leave Sogn district, and be earl over
Gaular district, as he had been before, alleging that King Harald had
given Sogn district to him. Earl Atle sent word that he would keep both
Sogn district and Gaular district, until he met King Harald. The two
earls quarreled about this so long, that both gathered troops. They met
at Fialar, in Stavanger fiord, and had a great battle, in which Earl
Hakon fell, and Earl Atle got a mortal wound, and his men carried him to
the island of Atley, where he died. So says Eyvind Skaldaspiller:--
"He who stood a rooted oak,
Unshaken by the swordsman's stroke,
Amidst the whiz of arrows slain,
Has fallen upon Fjalar's plain.
There, by the ocean's rocky shore,
The waves are stained with the red gore
Of stout Earl Hakon Grjotgard's son,
And of brave warriors many a one."
14. HARALD AND THE SWEDISH KING EIRIK.
King Harald came with his fleet eastward to Viken and landed at
Tunsberg, which was then a trading town. He had then been four years in
Throndhjem, and in all that time had not been in Viken. Here he heard
the news that Eirik Eymundson, king of Sweden, had laid under him
Vermaland, and was taking scat or land-tax from all the forest settlers;
and also that he called the whole country north to Svinasund, and west
along the sea, West Gautland; and which altogether he reckoned to his
kingdom, and took land-tax from it. Over this country he had set an
earl, by name Hrane Gauzke, who had the earldom between Svinasund and
the Gaut river, and was a mighty earl. And it was told to King Harald
that the Swedish king said he would not rest until he had as great
a kingdom in Viken as Sigurd Hring, or his son Ragnar Lodbrok, had
possessed; and that was Raumarike and Vestfold, all the way to the isle
Grenmar, and also Vingulmark, and all that lay south of it. In all these
districts many chiefs, and many other people, had given obedience to
the Swedish king. King Harald was very angry at this, and summoned the
bondes to a Thing at Fold, where he laid an accusation against them
for treason towards him. Some bondes defended themselves from the
accusation, some paid fines, some were punished. He went thus through
the whole district during the summer, and in harvest he did the same in
Raumarike, and laid the two districts under his power. Towards winter
he heard that Eirik king of Sweden was, with his court, going about in
Vermaland in guest-quarters.
15. HARALD AT A FEAST OF THE PEASANT AKE.
King Harald takes his way across the Eid forest eastward, and comes out
in Vermaland, where he also orders feasts to be prepared for himself.
There was a man by name Ake, who was the greatest of the bondes of
Vermaland, very rich, and at that time very aged. He sent men to King
Harald, and invited him to a feast, and the king promised to come on the
day appointed. Ake invited also King Eirik to a feast, and appointed the
same day. Ake had a great feasting hall, but it was old; and he made a
new hall, not less than the old one, and had it ornamented in the most
splendid way. The new hall he had hung with new hangings, but the old
had only its old ornaments. Now when the kings came to the feast, King
Eirik with his court was taken into the old hall; but Harald with
his followers into the new. The same difference was in all the table
furniture, and King Eirik and his men had the old-fashioned vessels and
horns, but all gilded and splendid; while King Harald and his men
had entirely new vessels and horns adorned with gold, all with carved
figures, and shining like glass; and both companies had the best of
liquor. Ake the bonde had formerly been King Halfdan the Black s man.
Now when daylight came, and the feast was quite ended, and the kings
made themselves ready for their journey, and the horses were saddled,
came Ake before King Harald, leading in his hand his son Ubbe, a boy of
twelve years of age, and said, "If the goodwill I have shown to thee,
sire, in my feast, be worth thy friendship, show it hereafter to my son.
I give him to thee now for thy service." The king thanked him with many
agreeable words for his friendly entertainment, and promised him his
full friendship in return. Then Ake brought out great presents, which he
gave to the king, and they gave each other thereafter the parting kiss.
Ake went next to the Swedish king, who was dressed and ready for the
road, but not in the best humour. Ake gave to him also good and valuable
gifts; but the king answered only with few words, and mounted his horse.
Ake followed the king on the road and talked with him. The road led
through a wood which was near to the house; and when Ake came to
the wood, the king said to him, "How was it that thou madest such
a difference between me and King Harald as to give him the best of
everything, although thou knowest thou art my man?" "I think" answered
Ake, "that there failed in it nothing, king, either to you or to your
attendants, in friendly entertainment at this feast. But that all the
utensils for your drinking were old, was because you are now old; but
King Harald is in the bloom of youth, and therefore I gave him the new
things. And as to my being thy man, thou art just as much my man." On
this the king out with his sword, and gave Ake his deathwound. King
Harald was ready now also to mount his horse, and desired that Ake
should be called. The people went to seek him; and some ran up the road
that King Eirik had taken, and found Ake there dead. They came back, and
told the news to King Harald, and he bids his men to be up, and avenge
Ake the bonde. And away rode he and his men the way King Eirik had
taken, until they came in sight of each other. Each for himself rode as
hard as he could, until Eirik came into the wood which divides Gautland
and Vermaland. There King Harald wheels about, and returns to Vermaland,
and lays the country under him, and kills King Eirik's men wheresoever
he can find them. In winter King Harald returned to Raumarike, and dwelt
there a while.
16. HARALD'S JOURNEY TO TUNSBERG.
King Harald went out in winter to his ships at Tunsberg, rigged them,
and sailed away eastward over the fiord, and subjected all Vingulmark
to his dominion. All winter he was out with his ships, and marauded in
Ranrike; so says Thorbjorn Hornklofe:--
"The Norseman's king is on the sea,
Tho' bitter wintry cold it be.--
On the wild waves his Yule keeps he.
When our brisk king can get his way,
He'll no more by the fireside stay
Than the young sun; he makes us play