Heimskringla; Or, The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway
board again. They now left people behind to take care of the ships,
and went on land, where they found flat fields at first, and then great
forests. Thorer went first, and the brothers Karle and Gunstein in rear.
Thorer commanded the people to observe the utmost silence. "And let us
peel the bark off the trees," says he, "so that one tree-mark can be
seen from the other." They came to a large cleared opening, where there
was a high fence upon which there was a gate that was locked. Six men of
the country people held watch every night at this fence, two at a time
keeping guard, each two for a third part of the night, when Thorer and
his men came to the fence the guard had gone home, and those who should
relieve them had not yet come upon guard. Thorer went to the fence,
stuck his axe up in it above his head, hauled himself up by it, and so
came over the fence, and inside the gate. Karle had also come over the
fence, and to the inside of the gate; so that both came at once to the
port, took the bar away, and opened the port; and then the people got in
within the fence. Then said Thorer, "Within this fence there is a mound
in which gold, and silver, and earth are all mixed together: seize that.
But within here stands the Bjarmaland people's god Jomala: let no one
be so presumptuous as to rob him." Thereupon they went to the mound and
took as much of the money as they could carry away in their clothes,
with which, as might be expected, much earth was mixed. Thereafter
Thorer said that the people now should retreat. "And ye brothers, Karle
and Gunstein," says he, "do ye lead the way, and I will go last." They
all went accordingly out of the gate: but Thorer went back to Jomala,
and took a silver bowl that stood upon his knee full of silver money.
He put the silver in his purse, and put his arm within the handle of the
bowl, and so went out of the gate. The whole troop had come without
the fence; but when they perceived that Thorer had stayed behind, Karle
returned to trace him, and when they met upon the path Thorer had the
silver bowl with him. Thereupon Karle immediately ran to Jomala; and
observing he had a thick gold ornament hanging around his neck, he
lifted his axe, cut the string with which the ornament was tied behind
his neck, and the stroke was so strong that the head of Jomala rang
with such a great sound that they were all astonished. Karle seized the
ornament, and they all hastened away. But the moment the sound was made
the watchmen came forward upon the cleared space, and blew their horns.
Immediately the sound of the loor (1) was heard all around from every
quarter, calling the people together. They hastened to the forest, and
rushed into it; and heard the shouts and cries on the other side of the
Bjarmaland people in pursuit. Thorer Hund went the last of the whole
troop; and before him went two men carrying a great sack between them,
in which was something that was like ashes. Thorer took this in his
hand, and strewed it upon the footpath, and sometimes over the people.
They came thus out of the woods, and upon the fields, but heard
incessantly the Bjarmaland people pursuing with shouts and dreadful
yells. The army of the Bjarmaland people rushed out after them upon
the field, and on both sides of them; but neither the people nor their
weapons came so near as to do them any harm: from which they perceived
that the Bjarmaland people did not see them. Now when they reached their
ships Karle and his brother went on board; for they were the foremost,
and Thorer was far behind on the land. As soon as Karle and his men were
on board they struck their tents, cast loose their land ropes, hoisted
their sails, and their ship in all haste went to sea. Thorer and his
people, on the other hand, did not get on so quickly, as their vessel
was heavier to manage; so that when they got under sail, Karle and his
people were far off from land. Both vessels sailed across the White sea
(Gandvik). The nights were clear, so that both ships sailed night and
day; until one day, towards the time the day turns to shorten, Karle
and his people took up the land near an island, let down the sail, cast
anchor, and waited until the slack-tide set in, for there was a strong
rost before them. Now Thorer came up, and lay at anchor there also.
Thorer and his people then put out a boat, went into it, and rowed to
Karle's ship. Thorer came on board, and the brothers saluted him. Thorer
told Karle to give him the ornament. "I think," said he, "that I have
best earned the ornaments that have been taken, for methinks ye have
to thank me for getting away without any loss of men; and also I think
thou, Karle, set us in the greatest fright."
Karle replies, "King Olaf has the half part of all the goods I gather on
this voyage, and I intend the ornament for him. Go to him, if you like,
and it is possible he will give thee the ornament, although I took it
from Jomala."
Then Thorer insisted that they should go upon the island, and divide the
booty.
Gunstein says, "It is now the turn of the tide, and it is time to sail."
Whereupon they began to raise their anchor.
When Thorer saw that, he returned to his boat and rowed to his own ship.
Karle and his men had hoisted sail, and were come a long way before
Thorer got under way. They now sailed so that the brothers were always
in advance, and both vessels made all the haste they could. They sailed
thus until they came to Geirsver, which is the first roadstead of the
traders to the North. They both came there towards evening, and lay in
the harbour near the landing-place. Thorer's ship lay inside, and the
brothers' the outside vessel in the port. When Thorer had set up his
tents he went on shore, and many of his men with him. They went to
Karle's ship, which was well provided. Thorer hailed the ship, and told
the commanders to come on shore; on which the brothers, and some men
with them, went on the land. Now Thorer began the same discourse, and
told them to bring the goods they got in booty to the land to have them
divided. The brothers thought that was not necessary, until they had
arrived at their own neighbourhood. Thorer said it was unusual not to
divide booty but at their own home, and thus to be left to the honour of
other people. They spoke some words about it, but could not agree. Then
Thorer turned away; but had not gone far before he came back, and tells
his comrades to wait there. Thereupon he calls to Karle, and says he
wants to speak with him alone. Karle went to meet him; and when he came
near, Thorer struck at him with a spear, so that it went through him.
"There," said Thorer, "now thou hast learnt to know a Bjarkey Island
man. I thought thou shouldst feel Asbjorn's spear." Karle died
instantly, and Thorer with his people went immediately on board their
ship. When Gunstein and his men saw Karle fall they ran instantly to
him, took his body and carried it on board their ship, struck their
tents, and cast off from the pier, and left the land. When Thorer and
his men saw this, they took down their tents and made preparations to
follow. But as they were hoisting the sail the fastenings to the mast
broke in two, and the sail fell down across the ship, which caused a
great delay before they could hoist the sail again. Gunstein had already
got a long way ahead before Thorer's ship fetched way, and now they
used both sails and oars. Gunstein did the same. On both sides they
made great way day and night; but so that they did not gain much on each
other, although when they came to the small sounds among the islands
Gunstein's vessel was lighter in turning. But Thorer's ship made way
upon them, so that when they came up to Lengjuvik, Gunstein turned
towards the land, and with all his men ran up into the country, and left
his ship. A little after Thorer came there with his ship, sprang upon
the land after them, and pursued them. There was a woman who helped
Gunstein to conceal himself, and it is told that she was much acquainted
with witchcraft. Thorer and his men returned to the vessels, and took
all the goods out of Gunstein's vessel, and put on board stones in place
of the cargo, and then hauled the ship out into the fjord, cut a hole
in its bottom, and sank it to the bottom. Thereafter Thorer, with his
people, returned home to Bjarkey Isle. Gunstein and his people proceeded
in small boats at first, and lay concealed by day, until they had passed
Bjarkey, and had got beyond Thorer's district. Gunstein went home first
to Langey Isle for a short time, and then proceeded south without any
halt, until he came south to Throndhjem, and there found King Olaf, to
whom he told all that had happened on this Bjarmaland expedition. The
king was ill-pleased with the voyage, but told Gunstein to remain with
him, promising to assist him when opportunity offered. Gunstein took the
invitation with thanks, and stayed with King Olaf.
ENDNOTES: (1) Ludr--the loor--is a long tube or roll of birch-bark
used as a horn by the herdboys in the mountains in Norway.
--L.
144. MEETING OF KING OLAF AND KING ONUND.
King Olaf was, as before related, in Sarpsborg the winter (A.D. 1026)
that King Canute was in Denmark. The Swedish king Onund rode across West
Gautland the same winter, and had thirty hundred (3600) men with him.
Men and messages passed between them; and they agreed to meet in spring
at Konungahella. The meeting had been postponed, because they wished
to know before they met what King Canute intended doing. As it was now
approaching towards winter, King Canute made ready to go over to England
with his forces, and left his son Hardaknut to rule in Denmark, and with
him Earl Ulf, a son of Thorgils Sprakaleg. Ulf was married to Astrid,
King Svein's daughter, and sister of Canute the Great. Their son Svein
was afterwards king of Denmark. Earl Ulf was a very distinguished man.
When the kings Olaf and Onund heard that Canute the Great had gone
west to England, they hastened to hold their conference, and met at
Konungahella, on the Gaut river. They had a joyful meeting, and had many
friendly conversations, of which something might become known to the
public; but they also spake often a great deal between themselves, with
none but themselves two present, of which only some things afterwards
were carried into effect, and thus became known to every one. At parting
the kings presented each other with gifts, and parted the best of
friends. King Onund went up into Gautland, and Olaf northwards to Viken,
and afterwards to Agder, and thence northwards along the coast, but
lay a long time at Egersund waiting a wind. Here he heard that Erling
Skjalgson, and the inhabitants of Jadar with him, had assembled a large
force. One day the king's people were talking among themselves whether
the wind was south or south-west, and whether with that wind they could
sail past Jadar or not. The most said it was impossible to fetch round.
Then answers Haldor Brynjolfson, "I am of opinion that we would go round
Jadar with this wind fast enough if Erling Skjalgson had prepared a
feast for us at Sole." Then King Olaf ordered the tents to be struck,
and the vessels to be hauled out, which was done. They sailed the
same day past Jadar with the best wind, and in the evening reached
Hirtingsey, from whence the king proceeded to Hordaland, and was
entertained there in guest-quarters.
145. THORALF'S MURDER.
The same summer (A.D. 1026) a ship sailed from Norway to the Farey
Islands, with messengers carrying a verbal message from King Olaf, that
one of his court-men, Leif Ossurson, or Lagman Gille, or Thoralf of
Dimun, should come over to him from the Farey Islands. Now when this
message came to the Farey Islands, and was delivered to those whom it