Heimskringla; Or, The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway
most sagacious men should give their judgment in the case. At this
arbitration it was determined, with the consent of all parties, that
lots should be thrown into a box, and the Greeks and Varings should draw
which was first to ride, or to row, or to take place in a harbour, or
to choose tent ground; and each side should be satisfied with what
the drawing of the lots gave them. Accordingly the lots were made and
marked. Harald said to Gyrger, "Let me see what mark thou hast put upon
thy lot, that we may not both mark our lots in the same way." He did
so. Then Harald marked his lot, and put it into the box along with the
other. The man who was to draw out the lots then took up one of the lots
between his fingers, held it up in the air, and said, "This lot shall be
the first to ride, and to row, and to take place in harbour and on the
tent field." Harald seized his band, snatched the die, and threw it into
the sea, and called out, "That was our lot!" Gyrger said, "Why did you
not let other people see it?" Harald replies, "Look at the one remaining
in the box,--there you see your own mark upon it." Accordingly the lot
which was left behind was examined, and all men saw that Gyrger's mark
was upon it, and accordingly the judgment was given that the Varings had
gained the first choice in all they had been quarrelling about. There
were many things they quarrelled about, but the end always was that
Harald got his own way.
5. HARALD'S EXPEDITION IN THE LAND OF THE SARACENS (SERKLAND).
They went out all on a campaign in summer. When the whole army was thus
assembled Harald kept his men out of the battle, or wherever he saw the
least danger, under pretext of saving his men; but where he was alone
with his own men only, he fought so desperately that they must either
come off victorious or die. It thus happened often that when he
commanded the army he gained victories, while Gyrger could do nothing.
The troops observed this, and insisted they would be more successful if
Harald alone was chief of the whole army, and upbraided the general with
never effecting anything, neither himself, nor his people. Gyrger again
said that the Varings would give him no assistance, and ordered Harald
to go with his men somewhere else, and he, with the rest of his army,
would win what they could. Harald accordingly left the army with the
Varings and the Latin men, and Gyrger on his side went off with the
Greek troops. Then it was seen what each could do. Harald always gained
victories and booty; but the Greeks went home to Constantinople with
their army, all except a few brave men, who, to gain booty and money,
joined themselves to Harald, and took him for their leader. He then went
with his troops westward to Africa, which the Varings call Serkland,
where he was strengthened with many men. In Serkland he took eighty
castles, some of which surrendered, and others were stormed. He then
went to Sicily. So says Thiodolf:--
"The serpent's bed of glowing gold
He hates--the generous king, the bold!
He who four score towers laid low,
Ta'en from the Saracenic foe.
Before upon Sicilian plains,
Shield joined to shield, the fight he gains,
The victory at Hild's war game;
And now the heathens dread his name."
So says also Illuge Bryndala-skald:--
"For Michael's empire Harald fought,
And southern lands to Michael brought;
So Budle's son his friendship showed
When he brought friends to his abode."
Here it is said that Michael was king of the Greeks at that time. Harald
remained many years in Africa, where he gathered great wealth in gold,
jewels, and all sorts of precious things; and all the wealth he gathered
there which he did not need for his expenses, he sent with trusty men
of his own north to Novgorod to King Jarisleif's care and keeping. He
gathered together there extraordinary treasure, as is reasonable to
suppose; for he had the plundering of the part of the world richest in
gold and valuable things, and he had done such great deeds as with truth
are related, such as taking eighty strongholds by his valour.
6. BATTLE IN SICILY.
Now when Harald came to Sicily he plundered there also, and sat down
with his army before a strong and populous castle. He surrounded the
castle; but the walls were so thick there was no possibility of breaking
into it, and the people of the castle had enough of provisions, and all
that was necessary for defence. Then Harald hit upon an expedient.
He made his bird-catchers catch the small birds which had their nests
within the castle, but flew into the woods by day to get food for their
young. He had small splinters of tarred wood bound upon the backs of the
birds, smeared these over with wax and sulphur, and set fire to them. As
soon as the birds were let loose they all flew at once to the castle to
their young, and to their nests, which they had under the house roofs
that were covered with reeds or straw. The fire from the birds seized
upon the house roofs; and although each bird could only carry a small
burden of fire, yet all at once there was a mighty flame, caused by so
many birds carrying fire with them and spreading it widely among the
house roofs. Thus one house after the other was set on fire, until the
castle itself was in flames. Then the people came out of the castle and
begged for mercy; the same men who for many days had set at defiance
the Greek army and its leader. Harald granted life and safety to all who
asked quarter, and made himself master of the place.
7. BATTLE AT ANOTHER CASTLE.
There was another castle before which Harald had come with his army.
This castle was both full of people and so strong, that there was no
hope of breaking into it. The castle stood upon a flat hard plain. Then
Harald undertook to dig a passage from a place where a stream ran in a
bed so deep that it could not be seen from the castle. They threw out
all the earth into the stream, to be carried away by the water. At this
work they laboured day and night, and relieved each other in gangs;
while the rest of the army went the whole day against the castle, where
the castle people shot through their loop-holes. They shot at each other
all day in this way, and at night they slept on both sides. Now when
Harald perceived that his underground passage was so long that it must
be within the castle walls, he ordered his people to arm themselves. It
was towards daybreak that they went into the passage. When they got to
the end of it they dug over their heads until they came upon stones laid
in lime which was the floor of a stone hall. They broke open the floor
and rose into the hall. There sat many of the castle-men eating and
drinking, and not in the least expecting such uninvited wolves; for
the Varings instantly attacked them sword in hand, and killed some, and
those who could get away fled. The Varings pursued them; and some seized
the castle gate, and opened it, so that the whole body of the army
got in. The people of the castle fled; but many asked quarter from the
troops, which was granted to all who surrendered. In this way Harald got
possession of the place, and found an immense booty in it.
8. BATTLE AT A THIRD CASTLE.
They came to a third castle, the greatest and strongest of them all,
and also the richest in property and the fullest of people. Around this
castle there were great ditches, so that it evidently could not be taken
by the same device as the former; and they lay a long time before it
without doing anything. When the castle-men saw this they became bolder,
drew up their array on the castle walls, threw open the castle gates,
and shouted to the Varings, urging them, and jeering at them, and
telling them to come into the castle, and that they were no more fit for
battle than so many poultry. Harald told his men to make as if they did
not know what to do, or did not understand what was said. "For," says
he, "if we do make an assault we can effect nothing, as they can throw
their weapons under their feet among us; and if we get in the castle
with a party of our people, they have it in their power to shut them in.
and shut out the others; for they have all the castle gates beset with
men. We shall therefore show them the same scorn they show us, and
let them see we do not fear them. Our men shall go out upon the plain
nearest to the castle; taking care, however, to keep out of bow-shot.
All our men shall go unarmed, and be playing with each other, so that
the castle-men may see we do not regard them or their array." Thus it
went on for some days, without anything being done.
9. OF ULF AND HALDOR.
Two Iceland men were then with Harald; the one was Haldor (1), a son of
the gode Snorre, who brought this account to Iceland; the other was Ulf
Uspakson, a grandson of Usvifer Spake. Both were very strong men, bold
under arms, and Harald's best friends; and both were in this play. Now
when some days were passed the castle people showed more courage, and
would go without weapons upon the castle wall, while the castle gates
were standing open. The Varings observing this, went one day to their
sports with the sword under their cloaks, and the helmet under their
hats. After playing awhile they observed that the castle people were
off their guard; and instantly seizing their weapons, they made at the
castle gate. When the men of the castle saw this they went against them
armed completely, and a battle began in the castle gate. The Varings had
no shields, but wrapped their cloaks round their left arms. Some of
them were wounded, some killed, and all stood in great danger. Now came
Harald with the men who had remained in the camp, to the assistance
of his people; and the castle-men had now got out upon the walls, from
which they shot and threw stones down upon them; so that there was a
severe battle, and those who were in the castle gates thought that help
was brought them slower than they could have wished. When Harald came to
the castle gate his standard-bearer fell, and Harald said to Haldor,
"Do thou take up the banner now." Haldor took up the banner, and said
foolishly, "Who will carry the banner before thee, if thou followest it
so timidly as thou hast done for a while?" But these were words more
of anger than of truth; for Harald was one of the boldest of men under
arms. Then they pressed in, and had a hard battle in the castle; and the
end was that Harald gained the victory and took the castle. Haldor
was much wounded in the face, and it gave him great pain as long as he
lived.
ENDNOTES: (1) One of the descendants of this Haldor was Snorre
Sturlason, the author of "Heimskringla".
10. BATTLE AT A FOURTH CASTLE.
The fourth castle which Harald came to was the greatest of all we have
been speaking about. It was so strong that there was no possibility of
breaking into it. They surrounded the castle, so that no supplies could
get into it. When they had remained here a short time Harald fell sick,
and he betook himself to his bed. He had his tent put up a little from
the camp, for he found quietness and rest out of the clamour and clang
of armed men. His men went usually in companies to or from him to hear
his orders; and the castle people observing there was something new
among the Varings, sent out spies to discover what this might mean. When
the spies came back to the castle they had to tell of the illness of the
commander of the Varings, and that no assault on that account had been
made on the castle. A while after Harald's strength began to fail, at
which his men were very melancholy and cast down; all which was news to
the castle-men. At last Harald's sickness increased so rapidly that his
death was expected through all the army. Thereafter the Varings went to