Heimskringla; Or, The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway
king sat at table, and the guests had drunk a while with great mirth,
and Thorer went round to see the guests well served, the king ordered
Thorer to be called to him. He went up before the table, and laid his
hands upon it.
The king asked, "How old a man art thou, Thorer?"
He answered, "I am eighteen years old."
"A stout man thou art for those years, and thou hast been fortunate
also."
Then the king took his right hand, and felt it towards the elbow.
Thorer said, "Take care, for I have a boil upon my arm."
The king held his hand there, and felt there was something hard under
it. "Hast thou not heard," said he, "that I am a physician? Let me see
the boil."
As Thorer saw it was of no use to conceal it longer, he took off the
ring and laid it on the table.
The king asked if that was the gift of King Canute.
Thorer replied that he could not deny it was.
The king ordered him to be seized and laid in irons. Kalf came up and
entreated for mercy, and offered money for him, which also was seconded
by many; but the king was so wroth that nobody could get in a word.
He said Thorer should suffer the doom he had prepared for himself.
Thereupon he ordered Thorer to be killed. This deed was much detested
in the Uplands, and not less in the Throndhjem country, where many
of Thorer's connections were. Kalf took the death of this man much to
heart, for he had been his foster-son in childhood.
176. THE FALL OF GRJOTGARD.
Grjotgard Olverson, Thorer's brother, and the eldest of the brothers,
was a very wealthy man, and had a great troop of people about him. He
lived also at this time in Hedemark. When he heard that Thorer had been
killed, he made an attack upon the places where the king's goods and
men were; but, between whiles, he kept himself in the forest and other
secret places. When the king heard of this disturbance, he had inquiry
made about Grjotgard's haunts, and found out that he had taken up
night-quarters not far from where the king was. King Olaf set out in the
night-time, came there about day-dawn, and placed a circle of men round
the house in which Grjotgard was sleeping. Grjotgard and his men, roused
by the stir of people and clash of arms, ran to their weapons, and
Grjotgard himself sprang to the front room. He asked who commanded the
troop; and it was answered him, "King Olaf was come there." Grjotgard
asked if the king would hear his words. The king, who stood at the door,
said that Grjotgard might speak what he pleased, and he would hear his
words. Grjotgard said, "I do not beg for mercy;" and at the same moment
he rushed out, having his shield over his head, and his drawn sword in
his hand. It was not so much light that he could see clearly. He struck
his sword at the king; but Arnbjorn ran in, and the thrust pierced him
under his armour into his stomach, and Arnbjorn got his deathwound.
Grjotgard was killed immediately, and most of his people with him. After
this event the king turned back to the south to Viken.
177. KING OLAF SENDS FOR HIS SHIPS AND GOODS.
Now when the king came to Tunsberg he sent men out to all the districts,
and ordered the people out upon a levy. He had but a small provision
of shipping, and there were only bondes' vessels to be got. From the
districts in the near neighbourhood many people came to him, but few
from any distance; and it was soon found that the people had turned
away from the king. King Olaf sent people to Gautland for his ships,
and other goods and wares which had been left there in autumn; but the
progress of these men was very slow, for it was no better now than in
autumn to sail through the Sound, as King Canute had in spring fitted
out an army throughout the whole of the Danish dominions, and had no
fewer than 1200 vessels.
178. KING OLAF'S COUNSELS.
The news came to Norway that King Canute had assembled an immense
armament through all Denmark, with which he intended to conquer Norway.
When this became known the people were less willing to join King Olaf,
and he got but little aid from the bondes. The king's men often spoke
about this among themselves. Sigvat tells of it thus:--
"Our men are few, our ships are small,
While England's king is strong in all;
But yet our king is not afraid--
O! never be such king betrayed!
'Tis evil counsel to deprive
Our king of countrymen to strive
To save their country, sword in hand:
Tis money that betrays our land."
The king held meetings with the men of the court, and sometimes
House-things with all his people, and consulted with them what
they should, in their opinion, undertake. "We must not conceal from
ourselves," said he, "that Canute will come here this summer; and that
he has, as ye all know, a large force, and we have at present but few
men to oppose to him; and, as matters now stand, we cannot depend much
on the fidelity of the country people." The king's men replied to his
speech in various ways; but it is said that Sigvat the skald replied
thus, advising flight, as treachery, not cowardice, was the cause of
it:--
"We may well fly, when even our foe
Offers us money if we go.
I may be blamed, accused of fear;
But treachery, not faith, rules here.
Men may retire who long have shown
Their faith and love, and now alone
Retire because they cannot save--
This is no treachery in the brave."
179. HAREK OF THJOTTA BURNS GRANKEL AND HIS MEN.
The same spring (A.D. 1028) it happened in Halogaland that Harek of
Thjotta remembered how Asmund Grankelson had plundered and beaten his
house-servants. A cutter with twenty rowing-benches, which belonged
to Harek, was afloat in front of the house, with tent and deck, and
he spread the report that he intended to go south to Throndhjem. One
evening Harek went on board with his house-servants, about eighty men,
who rowed the whole night; and he came towards morning to Grankel's
house, and surrounded it with his men. They then made an attack on the
house, and set fire to it; and Grankel with his people were burnt, and
some were killed outside; and in all about thirty men lost their lives.
After this deed Harek returned home, and sat quietly in his farm. Asmund
was with King Olaf when he heard of it; therefore there was nobody in
Halogaland to sue Harek for mulct for this deed, nor did he offer any
satisfaction.
180. KING CANUTE'S EXPEDITION TO NORWAY.
Canute the Great collected his forces, and went to Limfjord. When he was
ready with his equipment he sailed from thence with his whole fleet to
Norway; made all possible speed, and did not land to the eastward of
the Fjords, but crossed Folden, and landed in Agder, where he summoned a
Thing. The bondes came down from the upper country to hold a Thing with
Canute, who was everywhere in that country accepted as king. Then he
placed men over the districts, and took hostages from the bondes, and
no man opposed him. King Olaf was in Tunsberg when Canute's fleet sailed
across the mouth of the fjord. Canute sailed northwards along the coast,
and people came to him from all the districts, and promised him fealty.
He lay a while in Egersund, where Erling Skjalgson came to him with many
people, and King Canute and Erling renewed their league of friendship.
Among other things, Canute promised Erling the whole country between
Stad and Rygiarbit to rule over. Then King Canute proceeded; and, to be
short in our tale, did not stop until he came to Throndhjem, and landed
at Nidaros. In Throndhjem he called together a Thing for the eight
districts, at which King Canute was chosen king of all Norway. Thorer
Hund, who had come with King Canute from Denmark, was there, and also
Harek of Thjotta; and both were made sheriffs of the king, and took the
oath of fealty to him. King Canute gave them great fiefs, and also right
to the Lapland trade, and presented them besides with great gifts. He
enriched all men who were inclined to enter into friendly accord with
him both with fiefs and money, and gave them greater power than they had
before.
181. OF KING CANUTE.
When King Canute had laid the whole of Norway trader his authority,
he called together a numerous Thing, both of his own people and of the
people of the country; and at it he made proclamation, that he made his
relation Earl Hakon the governor-in-chief of all the land in Norway
that he had conquered in this expedition. In like manner he led his son
Hardaknut to the high-seat at his side, gave him the title of king, and
therewith the whole Danish dominion. King Canute took as hostages from
all lendermen and great bondes in Norway either their sons, brothers, or
other near connections, or the men who were dearest to them and appeared
to him most suitable; by which he, as before observed, secured their
fidelity to him. As soon as Earl Hakon had attained this power in Norway
his brother-in-law, Einar Tambaskelfer, made an agreement with him, and
received back all the fiefs he formerly had possessed while the earls
ruled the country. King Canute gave Einar great gifts, and bound him by
great kindness to his interests; and promised that Einar should be the
greatest and most important man in Norway, among those who did not hold
the highest dignity, as long as he had power over the country. He added
to this, that Einar appeared to him the most suitable man to hold the
highest title of honour in Norway if no earls remained, and his son
Eindride also, on account of his high birth. Einar placed a great value
on these promises, and, in return, promised the greatest fidelity.
Einar's chiefship began anew with this.
182. OF THORARIN LOFTUNGA.
There was a man by name Thorarin Loftunga, an Icelander by birth, and a
great skald, who had been much with the kings and other great chiefs. He
was now with King Canute the Great, and had composed a flock, or short
poem, in his praise. When the king heard of this he was very angry, and
ordered him to bring the next day a drapa, or long poem, by the time he
went to table; and if he failed to do so, said the king, "he shall
be hanged for his impudence in composing such a small poem about King
Canute." Thorarin then composed a stave as a refrain, which he inserted
in the poem, and also augmented it with several other strophes or
verses. This was the refrain:--
"Canute protects his realm, as Jove,
Guardian of Greece, his realm above."
King Canute rewarded him for the poem with fifty marks of silver. The
poem was called the "Headransom" ("Hofudlausn"). Thorarin composed
another poem about King Canute, which was called the "Campaign Poem"
("Togdrapa"); and therein he tells King Canute's expedition when he
sailed from Denmark to Norway; and the following are strophes from one
of the parts of this poem:--
"Canute with all his men is out,
Under the heavens in war-ships stout,--
'Out on the sea, from Limfjord's green,
My good, my brave friend's fleet is seen.
The men of Adger on the coast
Tremble to see this mighty host:
The guilty tremble as they spy
The victor's fleet beneath the sky.
"The sight surpasses far the tale,
As glacing in the sun they sail;
The king's ship glittering all with gold,
And splendour there not to be told.
Round Lister many a coal-black mast
Of Canute's fleet is gliding past.
And now through Eger sound they ride,
Upon the gently heaving tide.
"And all the sound is covered o'er
With ships and sails, from shore to shore,
A mighty king, a mighty host,
Hiding the sea on Eger coast.
And peaceful men in haste now hie
Up Hiornagla-hill the fleet to spy,
As round the ness where Stad now lies
Each high-stemmed ship in splendour flies.