Heimskringla; Or, The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway
Erling Skjalgson fell. The battle, which took place on a Sunday, was
great and severe. People tell that Trygve threw spears with both hands
at once. "So my father," said he, "taught me to celebrate mass." His
enemies had said that he was the son of a priest; but the praise must
be allowed him that he showed himself more like a son of King Olaf
Trygvason, for this Trygve was a slaughtering man. In this battle King
Trygve fell, and many of his men with him; but some fled, and some
received quarter and their lives. It is thus related in the ballad of
Trygve:--
"Trygve comes from the northern coast,
King Svein turns round with all his host;
To meet and fight, they both prepare,
And where they met grim death was there.
From the sharp strife I was not far,--
I heard the din and the clang of war;
And the Hordaland men at last gave way,
And their leader fell, and they lost the day."
This battle is also told of in the ballad about King Svein, thus:--
"My girl! it was a Sunday morn,
And many a man ne'er saw its eve,
Though ale and leeks by old wives borne
The bruised and wounded did relieve.
'Twas Sunday morn, when Svein calls out,
'Stem to stem your vessels bind;'
The raven a mid-day feast smells out,
And he comes croaking up the wind."
After this battle King Svein ruled the country for some time, and there
was peace in the land. The winter after it (A.D. 1034) he passed in the
south parts of the country.
264. OF THE COUNSELS OF EINAR TAMBASKELFER AND KALF ARNASON.
Einar Tambaskelfer and Kalf Arnason had this winter meetings and
consultations between themselves in the merchant town (1). Then there
came a messenger from King Canute to Kalf Arnason, with a message to
send him three dozen axes, which must be chosen and good. Kalf replies,
"I will send no axes to King Canute. Tell him I will bring his son Svein
so many, that he shall not think he is in want of any."
ENDNOTES: (1) Nidaros, or Throndhjem, is usually called merely the
merchant town.--L.
265. OF EINAR TAMBASKELFER AND KALF ARNASON'S JOURNEY.
Early in spring (A.D. 1034) Einar Tambaskelfer and Kalf Arnason made
themselves ready for a journey, with a great retinue of the best and
most select men that could be found in the Throndhjem country. They
went in spring eastward over the ridge of the country to Jamtaland,
from thence to Helsingjaland, and came to Svithjod, where they procured
ships, with which in summer they proceeded east to Russia, and came in
autumn to Ladoga. They sent men up to Novgorod to King Jarisleif, with
the errand that they offered Magnus, the son of King Olaf the Saint,
to take him with them, follow him to Norway, and give him assistance
to attain his father's heritage and be made king over the country. When
this message came to King Jarisleif he held a consultation with the
queen and some chiefs, and they all resolved unanimously to send a
message to the Northmen, and ask them to come to King Jarisleif and
Magnus; for which journey safe conduct was given them. When they came to
Novgorod it was settled among them that the Northmen who had come there
should become Magnus's men, and be his subjects; and to this Kalf and
the other men who had been against King Olaf at Stiklestad were solemnly
bound by oath. On the other hand, King Magnus promised them, under oath,
secure peace and full reconciliation; and that he would be true and
faithful to them all when he got the dominions and kingdom of Norway. He
was to become Kalf Arnason's foster-son; and Kalf should be bound to do
all that Magnus might think necessary for extending his dominion, and
making it more independent than formerly.
SAGA OF MAGNUS THE GOOD.
PRELIMINARY REMARKS.
Magnus reigned from A.D. 1035 to 1047, when he died. During the last
year of his reign his half-brother Harald Sigurdson was his co-regent.
The history of Magnus is treated in "Agrip.", ch. 28-32; in
"Fagrskinna", ch. 119-146; in "Fornmannasogur", part vi., and in
"Knytlinga Saga".
The skalds quoted in this saga are: Arnor the earls' skald (Arnor
Jarlaskald), Sigvat, Thjodulf, Bjarne Gullbrarskald, Thorgeir Flek, Od
Kikinaskald.
1. MAGNUS OLAFSON'S JOURNEY FROM THE WEST.
After Yule Magnus Olafson began his journey from the East from Novgorod
to Ladoga, where he rigged out his ships as soon as the ice was loosened
in spring (A.D. 1035). Arnor, the earls' skald, tells of this in the
poem on Magnus:--
"It is no loose report that he,
Who will command on land and sea,
In blood will make his foeman feel
Olaf's sword Hneiter's sharp blue steel.
This generous youth, who scatters gold,
Norway's brave son, but ten years old,
Is rigging ships in Russia's lake,
His crown, with friend's support, to take."
In spring Magnus sailed from the East to Svithjod. So says Arnor:--
"The young sword-stainer called a Thing,
Where all his men should meet their king:
Heroes who find the eagle food
Before their lord in arms stood.
And now the curved plank of the bow
Cleaves the blue sea; the ocean-plough
By grey winds driven across the main,
Reaches Sigtuna's grassy plain."
Here it is related that when King Magnus and his fellow-travellers
sailed from the East to Svithjod, they brought up at Sigtuna. Emund
Olafson was then king in Svithjod. Queen Astrid, who had been married to
King Olaf the Saint, was also there. She received very gladly and well
her stepson King Magnus, and summoned immediately a numerous Thing of
Swedes at a place called Hangtar. At the Thing Queen Astrid spoke these
words: "Here is come to us a son of Olaf the Saint, called Magnus, who
intends to make an expedition to Norway to seek his father's heritage.
It is my great duty to give him aid towards this expedition; for he is
my stepson, as is well known to all, both Swedes and Norwegians. Neither
shall he want men or money, in so far as I can procure them or have
influence, in order that his strength may be as great as possible; and
all the men who will support this cause of his shall have my fullest
friendship; and I would have it known that I intend myself to go with
him on this attempt, that all may see I will spare nothing that is in my
power to help him." She spoke long and cleverly in this strain; but when
she had ended many replied thus: "The Swedes made no honourable progress
in Norway when they followed King Olaf his father, and now no better
success is to be expected, as this man is but in years of boyhood;
and therefore we have little inclination for this expedition." Astrid
replies, "All men who wish to be thought of true courage must not be
deterred by such considerations. If any have lost connections at the
side of King Olaf, or been themselves wounded, now is the time to show
a man's heart and courage, and go to Norway to take vengeance." Astrid
succeeded so far with words and encouragement that many men determined
to go with her, and follow King Magnus to Norway. Sigvat the skald
speaks of this:--
"Now Astrtd, Olaf's widowed Queen,--
She who so many a change had seen,--
Took all the gifts of happier days,
Jewels and rings, all she could raise,
And at a Thing at Hangrar, where
The Swedes were numerous, did declare
What Olaf's son proposed to do,
And brought her gifts--their pay--in view.
"And with the Swedes no wiser plan,
To bring out every brave bold man,
Could have been found, had Magnus been
The son himself of the good queen.
With help of Christ, she hoped to bring
Magnus to be the land's sole king,
As Harald was, who in his day
Obtained o'er all the upper sway.
"And glad are we so well she sped,--
The people's friend is now their head;
And good King Magnus always shows
How much be to Queen Astrid owes.
Such stepmothers as this good queen
In truth are very rarely seen;
And to this noble woman's praise
The skald with joy his song will raise."
Thiodolf the skald also says in his song of Magnus:--
"When thy brave ship left the land,
The bending yard could scarce withstand
The fury of the whistling gale,
That split thy many-coloured sail;
And many a stout ship, tempest-tost,
Was in that howling storm lost
That brought them safe to Sigtuna's shore,
Far from the sound of ocean's roar."
2. MAGNUS'S EXPEDITION FROM SVITHJOD.
King Magnus set out on his journey from Sigtuna with a great force,
which he had gathered in Svithjod. They proceeded through Svithjod on
foot to Helsingjaland. So says Arnor, the earl's skald:--
"And many a dark-red Swedish shield
Marched with thee from the Swedish field.
The country people crowded in,
To help Saint Olaf's son to win;
And chosen men by thee were led,
Men who have stained the wolf's tongue red.
Each milk-white shield and polished spear
Came to a splendid gathering there."
Magnus Olafson went from the East through Jamtaland over the keel-ridge
of the country and came down upon the Throndhjem district, where all men
welcomed the king with joy. But no sooner did the men of King Svein, the
son of Alfifa, hear that King Magnus Olafson was come to the country,
than they fled on all sides and concealed themselves, so that no
opposition was made to King Magnus; for King Svein was in the south part
of the country. So says Arnor, the earls' skald:--
"He who the eagle's talons stains
Rushed from the East on Throndhjem's plains;
The terror of his plumed helm
Drove his pale foemen from the realm.
The lightning of thy eye so near,
Great king! thy foemen could not bear,
Scattered they fled--their only care
If thou their wretched lives wilt spare."
3. MAGNUS MADE KING.
Magnus Olafson advanced to the town (Nidaros), where he was joyfully
received. He then summoned the people to the Eyra-thing (1); and when
the bondes met at the Thing, Magnus was taken to be king over the whole
land, as far as his father Olaf had possessed it. Then the king selected
a court, and named lendermen, and placed bailiffs and officers in all
domains and offices. Immediately after harvest King Magnus ordered a
levy through all Throndhjem land, and he collected men readily; and
thereafter he proceeded southwards along the coast.
ENDNOTES: (1) Eyra Thing, held on the ayr of the river Nid, that is, on
the spit of sand, still called an ayr in the north of
Scotland, dividing a lake, pond, or river-mouth from the
sea. At the Thing held here the kings of Norway were chosen
and proclaimed. It was held to be the proper Thing for
settling disputes between kings in Norway.--L.
4. KING SVEIN'S FLIGHT.
King Svein Alfifason was staying in South Hordaland when he heard
this news of war. He immediately sent out war-tokens to four different
quarters, summoned the bondes to him, and made it known to all that they
should join him with men and ships to defend the country. All the men
who were in the neighbourhood of the king presented themselves; and the
king formed a Thing, at which in a speech he set forth his business, and
said he would advance against Magnus Olafson and have a battle with him,
if the bondes would aid his cause. The king's speech was not very long,
and was not received with much approbation by the bondes. Afterwards the
Danish chiefs who were about the king made long and clever speeches; but
the bondes then took up the word, and answered them; and although many
said they would follow Svein, and fight on his side, some refused to do