Heimskringla; Or, The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway
The gay ships glances 'twixt sea and sky,
And Scanian brides look out, and fear
Some ill to those they hold most dear."
They landed first in Seeland with their men and herried and burned in
the land far and wide. Then they went to Fyen, where they also landed
and wasted. So says Valgard:--
"Harald! thou hast the isle laid waste,
The Seeland men away hast chased,
And the wild wolf by daylight roams
Through their deserted silent homes.
Fiona too could not withstand
The fury of thy wasting hand.
Helms burst, shields broke,--Fiona's bounds.
Were filled with death's terrific sounds.
"Red flashing in the southern sky,
The clear flame sweeping broad and high,
From fair Roeskilde's lofty towers,
On lowly huts its fire-rain pours;
And shows the housemates' silent train
In terror scouring o'er the plain,
Seeking the forest's deepest glen,
To house with wolves, and 'scape from men.
"Few were they of escape to tell,
For, sorrow-worn, the people fell:
The only captives form the fray
Were lovely maidens led away.
And in wild terror to the strand,
Down to the ships, the linked band
Of fair-haired girls is roughly driven,
Their soft skins by the irons riven."
20. KING MAGNUS'S LEVY.
King Magnus Olafson sailed north to Norway in the autumn after the
battle at Helganes (A.D. 1045). There he hears the news that Harald
Sigurdson, his relation, was come to Svithjod; and moreover that Svein
Ulfson and Harald had entered into a friendly bond with each other and
gathered together a great force, intending first to subdue Denmark and
then Norway. King Magnus then ordered a general levy over all Norway and
he soon collected a great army. He hears then that Harald and Svein were
come to Denmark and were burning and laying waste the land and that the
country people were everywhere submitting to them. It was also told that
King Harald was stronger and stouter than other men, and so wise withal
that nothing was impossible to him, and he had always the victory when
he fought a battle; and he was also so rich in gold that no man could
compare with him in wealth. Thiodolf speaks thus of it:
"Norsemen, who stand the sword of foe
Like forest-stems unmoved by blow!
My hopes are fled, no peace is near,--
People fly here and there in fear.
On either side of Seeland's coast
A fleet appears--a white winged host;
Magnus form Norway takes his course,
Harald from Sweden leads his force.
21. TREATY BETWEEN HARALD AND MAGNUS.
Those of Harald's men who were in his counsel said that it would be a
great misfortune if relations like Harald and Magnus should fight and
throw a death-spear against each other; and therefore many offered to
attempt bringing about some agreement between them, and the kings, by
their persuasion, agreed to it. Thereupon some men were sent off in a
light boat, in which they sailed south in all haste to Denmark, and got
some Danish men, who were proven friends of King Magnus, to propose
this matter to Harald. This affair was conducted very secretly. Now when
Harald heard that his relation, King Magnus, would offer him a league
and partition, so that Harald should have half of Norway with King
Magnus, and that they should divide all their movable property into two
equal parts, he accepted the proposal, and the people went back to King
Magnus with this answer.
22. TREATY BETWEEN HARALD AND SVEIN BROKEN.
A little after this it happened that Harald and Svein one evening were
sitting at table drinking and talking together, and Svein asked Harald
what valuable piece of all his property he esteemed the most.
He answered, it was his banner Land-waster.
Svein asked what was there remarkable about it, that he valued it so
highly.
Harald replied, it was a common saying that he must gain the victory
before whom that banner is borne, and it had turned out so ever since he
had owned it.
Svein replies, "I will begin to believe there is such virtue in the
banner when thou hast held three battles with thy relation Magnus, and
hast gained them all."
Then answered Harald with an angry voice, "I know my relationship to
King Magnus, without thy reminding me of it; and although we are now
going in arms against him, our meeting may be of a better sort."
Svein changed colour, and said, "There are people, Harald, who say that
thou hast done as much before as only to hold that part of an agreement
which appears to suit thy own interest best."
Harald answers, "It becomes thee ill to say that I have not stood by an
agreement, when I know what King Magnus could tell of thy proceedings
with him."
Thereupon each went his own way. At night, when Harald went to sleep
within the bulwarks of his vessel, he said to his footboy, "I will not
sleep in my bed to-night, for I suspect there may be treachery abroad.
I observed this evening that my friend Svein was very angry at my free
discourse. Thou shalt keep watch, therefore, in case anything happen in
the night." Harald then went away to sleep somewhere else, and laid a
billet of wood in his place. At midnight a boat rowed alongside to the
ship's bulwark; a man went on board, lifted up the cloth of the tent of
the bulwarks, went up, and struck in Harald's bed with a great ax, so
that it stood fast in the lump of wood. The man instantly ran back to
his boat again, and rowed away in the dark night, for the moon was
set; but the axe remained sticking in the piece of wood as an evidence.
Thereupon Harald waked his men and let them know the treachery intended.
"We can now see sufficiently," said he, "that we could never match Svein
if he practises such deliberate treachery against us; so it will be best
for us to get away from this place while we can. Let us cast loose our
vessel and row away as quietly as possible." They did so, and rowed
during the night northwards along the land; and then proceeded night and
day until they came to King Magnus, where he lay with his army. Harald
went to his relation Magnus, and there was a joyful meeting betwixt
them. So says Thiodolf:--
"The far-known king the order gave,
In silence o'er the swelling wave,
With noiseless oars, his vessels gay
From Denmark west to row away;
And Olaf's son, with justice rare,
Offers with him the realm to share.
People, no doubt, rejoiced to find
The kings had met in peaceful mind."
Afterwards the two relatives conversed with each other and all was
settled by peaceful agreement.
23. KING MAGNUS GIVES HARALD HALF OF NORWAY.
King Magnus lay at the shore and had set up tents upon the land. There
he invited his relation, King Harald, to be his guest at table; and
Harald went to the entertainment with sixty of his men and was feasted
excellently. Towards the end of the day King Magnus went into the tent
where Harald sat and with him went men carrying parcels consisting of
clothes and arms. Then the king went to the man who sat lowest and gave
him a good sword, to the next a shield, to the next a kirtle, and so
on,--clothes, or weapons, or gold; to all he gave one or the other
valuable gift, and the more costly to the more distinguished men among
them. Then he placed himself before his relation Harald, holding two
sticks in his hand, and said, "Which of these two sticks wilt thou have,
my friend?"
Harald replies, "The one nearest me."
"Then," said King Magnus, "with this stick I give thee half of the
Norwegian power, with all the scat and duties, and all the domains
thereunto belonging, with the condition that everywhere thou shalt be as
lawful king in Norway as I am myself; but when we are both together in
one place, I shall be the first man in seat, service and salutation; and
if there be three of us together of equal dignity, that I shall sit
in the middle, and shall have the royal tent-ground and the royal
landing-place. Thou shalt strengthen and advance our kingdom, in return
for making thee that man in Norway whom we never expected any man should
be so long as our head was above ground." Then Harald stood up, and
thanked him for the high title and dignity. Thereupon they both sat
down, and were very merry together. The same evening Harald and his men
returned to their ships.
24. HARALD GIVES MAGNUS THE HALF OF HIS TREASURES.
The following morning King Magnus ordered the trumpets to sound to a
General Thing of the people; and when it was seated, he made known to
the whole army the gift he had given to his relation Harald. Thorer of
Steig gave Harald the title of King there at the Thing; and the same
day King Harald invited King Magnus to table with him, and he went with
sixty men to King Harald's land-tent, where he had prepared a feast.
The two kings sat together on a high-seat, and the feast was splendid;
everything went on with magnificence, and the kings' were merry and
glad. Towards the close of the day King Harald ordered many caskets to
be brought into the tent, and in like manner people bore in weapons,
clothes and other sorts of valuables; and all these King Harald divided
among King Magnus's men who were at the feast. Then he had the caskets
opened and said to King Magnus, "Yesterday you gave us a large
kingdom, which your hand won from your and our enemies, and took us in
partnership with you, which was well done; and this has cost you much.
Now we on our side have been in foreign parts, and oft in peril of life,
to gather together the gold which you here see. Now, King Magnus, I will
divide this with you. We shall both own this movable property, and each
have his equal share of it, as each has his equal half share of Norway.
I know that our dispositions are different, as thou art more liberal
than I am; therefore let us divide this property equally between us, so
that each may have his share free to do with as he will." Then Harald
had a large ox-hide spread out, and turned the gold out of the caskets
upon it. Then scales and weights were taken and the gold separated and
divided by weight into equal parts; and all people wondered exceedingly
that so much gold should have come together in one place in the northern
countries. But it was understood that it was the Greek emperor's
property and wealth; for, as all people say, there are whole houses
there full of red gold. The kings were now very merry. Then there
appeared an ingot among the rest as big as a man's hand. Harald took
it in his hands and said, "Where is the gold, friend Magnus, that thou
canst show against this piece?"
King Magnus replied, "So many disturbances and levies have been in the
country that almost all the gold and silver I could lay up is gone. I
have no more gold in my possession than this ring." And he took the ring
off his hand and gave it to Harald.
Harald looked at it, and said, "That is but little gold, friend, for
the king who owns two kingdoms; and yet some may doubt whether thou art
rightful owner of even this ring."
Then King Magnus replied, after a little reflection, "If I be not
rightful owner of this ring, then I know not what I have got right
to; for my father, King Olaf the Saint, gave me this ring at our last
parting."
Then said King Harald, laughing, "It is true, King Magnus, what thou
sayest. Thy father gave thee this ring, but he took the ring from my
father for some trifling cause; and in truth it was not a good time for
small kings in Norway when thy father was in full power."
King Harald gave Thorer of Steig at that feast a bowl of mountain birch,
that was encircled with a silver ring and had a silver handle, both
which parts were gilt; and the bowl was filled with money of pure