Part 17

Sigrid incited King Svein to do battle with King Olaf Tryggvason, saying pretext enough was it that he had wedded the own sister to Svein, she Tyri, without his leave: 'And never would thy forefathers have suffered such a thing.' Such words as these had Queen Sigrid ever on her lips, and so far went she with her persuasions that King Svein was full willing to do battle with Olaf. So early in spring-tide sent King Svein men east to Sweden, to Olaf the Swedish King, he that was his step-son, & to Earl Eirik, to tell them that Olaf King of Norway had his fleet abroad, and thought of faring to Wendland come summer; another message took they likewise, namely that the Swedish King and the Earl should call out their hosts and go to meet King Svein, and that then altogether they should get their battle over against King Olaf. Now the King of Sweden and Eirik the Earl were ready and eager for this venture, so mustered they a large fleet in Sweden, and with the ships thereof went south to Denmark and came thither at the time when King Olaf had already sailed east. Of this speaketh Halldor in the song he made about Earl Eirik:

'Crusher of Kings who battles loved, From out of Sweden called, To southern battle fared he forth, Even with great hosts of men, The wound-bird on the sea gat food while waiting, Each and every warrior was fain to follow Eirik.'

|| So the King of the Swedes and Earl Eirik shaped a course to meet the Danish King, and when all the fleets were come together was there a host greater than one man could number.

|| When King Svein sent for that fleet, sent he moreover Earl Sigvaldi to Wendland to spy on the expedition of King Olaf, and to lay such a lure that King Svein and the others might assuredly fall in with King Olaf.

So Earl Sigvaldi set forth and went to Wendland and Jomsborg, and met King Olaf Tryggvason. Now had they much friendly conversation one with the other, and the Earl came greatly to love the King, mainly on account of their former kinship, for Astrid, she that was wife unto the Earl, even the daughter of King Burizlaf, was very friendly with King Olaf, for the reason that the latter had had her sister Geira to wife.

Now Sigvaldi was a wise man, & one ready at expedients, & when he and King Olaf took counsel together, found he many and divers pretexts for delaying the journey of the King to the westward; but the men of King Olaf murmured thereat and were loudly displeased, and longed much to get them hence home, for, said they, 'clear are we to sail & fair is the wind.' Learned Sigvaldi now privily from Denmark that the King of the Danes and the King of the Swedes & Eirik the Earl were met together, and were even about to set sail to the eastward off the coast of Wendland; likewise that it had been convened betwixt them that they in wait for King Olaf should lie off that isle which is called Svold;Sec. & that moreover he, the Earl, was after some fashion to contrive that King Olaf be found of them.

|| And now went about a rumour in Wendland that Svein, the King of the Danes, also had an host abroad, & soon tongues wagged to the tune that well would it like Svein, the King of the Danes, to meet with King Olaf; but said Earl Sigvaldi unto the King: 'No plan is it of King Svein to attack thee with the Danish host alone, seeing how great an host of thine own thou hast; but if ye suspect that war may be at hand then will I and my men go with thee, and aforetime was it deemed good help when the Jomsborg vikings bore a chief company: I will go with thee even with eleven ships well-found.'

To this did the King answer yea, and because at that time was there blowing a gentle breeze but favourable, commanded he that the fleet should get under way, & that the horns be blown for their departing. Then the men hoisted sail; and the small ships were those that made the better way, & out to sea sailed they. Now kept the Earl close by the King's ship, shouting to those on board, and bidding the King follow him: 'Well wot I,' he said, 'which sounds are deepest betwixt the isles, & this be fraught with care seeing how big are thy ships.' So sailed the Earl first with his ships, eleven ships had he, & sailed the King after him with his large ships, eleven likewise had he, but sailed all the rest of the fleet ahead and out to sea. Now it came to pass as Earl Sigvaldi was making Vold came rowing off a skiff, and those therein told unto the Earl how that the fleet of the King of the Danes lay in the haven even right over ahead of their way.

So the Earl ordered sails to be lowered, and rowed they in under that island. Thus saith Halldor the Unchristened:

'With ships one more than seventy Came the lord of Eynafylki from the south; His sword he dyed in warfare When the Earl the ships of Skani called out to battle. Quickly then the peace was broken 'twixt the men.'

|| Now it will be marked that, according unto the bard, were the ships of King Olaf & Earl Sigvaldi seventy-one in number what time sailed they from the south.

|| Now lying there were Svein, the King of the Danes, Olaf the King of the Swedes, and Earl Eirik, with all the might of their fleet, and fair weather was with them with bright sunshine. Went up to the islet all the chieftains with a large company of men, and spied they thence that a many ships were sailing together out at sea.

And they beheld a large ship and brave sailing, and said both the Kings: 'There goes a great ship, passing fair, none other can this be save only the "Long Serpent."'

Then made Earl Eirik answer, saying: 'That is not the "Long Serpent."'

And it was as he opined, for this ship belonged to Eindrid of Gimsar. A while later saw they yet another ship sailing, much greater than the first, and then spake King Svein: 'Afeard is Olaf Tryggvason, for he dareth not sail with the head upon his ship.' Then said Earl Eirik: 'That is not the King's ship; that ship and the sail thereof know I, for the sail is a striped one; Erling Skialgson it is who hath command thereof.

Let them sail on! Better is it for us that this ship should be lacking from Olaf's fleet, so well appointed is it.' A while later saw they and recognized the ships of Sigvaldi the Earl, and one of them also was great.

Then spake King Svein and bade them go to their ships; for, said he, there sails the 'Long Serpent'; but Earl Eirik called out, 'Many more ships and fine ones have they besides the 'Long Serpent,' let us bide a while.'

Then many of the men fell to talking, & they said: 'Eirik the Earl will not fight to avenge his father. Shame, shame is it, & throughout all the land will it be heard, if we lie here with so great a fleet & let King Olaf sail out to sea on our very flank.' But after they had been talking thus a while saw they that four more ships came sailing by, and one of these was a dragon, large indeed, and bedecked with gold. Then rose up King Svein and said: 'High shall the "Serpent" carry me this eve; and I will steer her.' Many of the men called out that the 'Serpent' was a mighty great ship and beautiful to look upon, and a glorious work had it been to build such a craft.

Then Earl Eirik said so loud that sundry heard him: 'E'en had King Olaf no larger ship than this, King Svein would with the Danish host alone never wrest it from him.' Then went the men to their ships and took the tilts from off them; whilst the chiefs were talking among themselves of that which is writ above saw they sailing along three very large ships, and a fourth ship last of all, and that was the 'Long Serpent.' Now of those large ships which had sailed past before, and had been deemed by the men to be the 'Long Serpent,' the first was the 'Crane' and the last the 'Short Serpent.' But when they beheld the 'Long Serpent,' and none gainsaid this, then wotted all that now indeed was Olaf Tryggvason sailing by. Then went they to their ships, and made ready to row to the onset. Now a compact had been struck between the chiefs, King Svein, King Olaf, and Earl Eirik, that to each one of them should be given a third part of Norway if it befell that King Olaf was slain; moreover he who first boarded the 'Long Serpent' was for his own to have all the booty taken therefrom, and each of them was to have what ships he himself cleared.

Earl Eirik had a very large long-ship which he was wont to use on his viking cruises; a beard was there on the higher part of both prow and stern, and thick plates of iron going from thence all the breadth of the beard right down to the water-line.

|| Now when Earl Sigvaldi & his men headed in towards the islet, observed closely Thorkel Dydril of the 'Crane' and the captains of the other ships sailing with him, what he was doing, and they too lowered sail, and rowing after him, called out to him to know why thus he was faring.

The Earl answered that he was going to bide the coming of King Olaf, for most like did it seem that war was at hand.

So then they likewise let their ships lie-to until such time as Thorkel Leira with the 'Short Serpent' was come up and with him too the three other ships which were following him, and the same tidings were told unto them; then they also lowered sail, laid-to and bided the coming of King Olaf.

But when the King sailed out towards the isle, then rowed out into the sound the whole of the hostile fleet even for to meet him; and his men witnessing this same prayed the King sail his way, and not engage in battle with so large an host.

But King Olaf stood up on the poop, and shouted with a loud voice: 'Let no men of mine lower sail or think of fleeing; never have I fled in battle. May God look to my life, for never will I turn to flight.' And it was done even as the King said. Thus saith Hallfrod:

'Fain would I name those words, Which Olaf's warriors tell us The lord deed-mighty spake there, To his men before the battle. The warlike King forbade His champions to think of flight, And how they live, the words the loved one of the people spoke.'

|| So were sounded the horns for the assembling of the ships; and the King's ship was in the midst of the fleet, with the 'Short Serpent' on one side and the 'Crane' on the other. Now when they were about to lash together the prow of the 'Long Serpent' and stern of the 'Short Serpent,' the King observed what was being done, and he cried out bidding them lay the big ship more forward, & not let her be astern of all the ships in the fleet. Thereon answered Ulf the Red: 'If we are to lay the "Serpent" as much longer ahead as she is longer than other ships hard will the day's work be behind the gunwales.' Said the King: 'I knew not that I had a forecastle man who was both red and afraid,' Ulf made answer back, 'Turn not thou thy back there on the poop more than I turn mine when I guard the prow.'

Now the King had a bow in his hand, and placing an arrow on the string thereof he turned him towards Ulf; then cried Ulf, 'Shoot another way, King, thither where it is needed more greatly; what I do, I do for thee.'