Part 19

|| Now hath it been afore fair written that Earl Sigvaldi joined forces with King Olaf in Wendland; ten ships had the Earl and withal an eleventh whereon Astrid, she that was daughter to the King and wife to Sigvaldi, had her men.

When King Olaf leapt overboard all the hosts shouted cries of victory, and then did the Earl and his men unship their oars & row to the fight. Of this speaketh Halldor the Unchristened:

'From far and near the Wendmen's craft To battle hastened; The lean sword-clashers Clanged with iron mouths; Din of swords at sea was there (Wolves' fare the eagle tore), The lads' dear leader strove Ere many from him fled.'

|| Now rowed away the Wendland cutter, whereon were Astrid's men, back to Wendland, and straightway did many men say that King Olaf must have drawn off his shirt of mail in the water, dived down away from the long-ship, and thereafter swum even to the Wendland cutter and so been brought to shore by the folk of Astrid.

And many are the tales which have been told by certain men of the journeyings of King Olaf; nevertheless in this wise speaketh Hallfrod:

'I wot not whether he who stilled the raven's hunger Should of me be praised as of the living or the dead, Since of a truth his men tell either tale (Bootless of himself to question) though wounded was he surely.'

But howsoever this may have been, never more returned King Olaf Tryggvason to his realm of Norway; yet in this wise speaketh Hallfrod the Troublous-skald:

'He who the tidings told that the lord was living Had long for Tryggvi's trusted son a fighter been. 'Tis said the King from out the steel-storm came; Alas, 'tis worse than this, methinks, for of truth all facts are lacking.'

And this again:

'When the land-host with men in numbers towards the Holder's War-wont King did fare, it scarce could be (so heard I) That the King beloved could with life escape (Folk seemed not truth to tell) from out the battle. Some men e'en tell this skald that wounded is the King, Though from the spear-storm saved and eastwards gone. But tidings from the south now tell the slaying of the King In the great fight (endure no more can I the wavering talk of men).'

|| With the victory that he encompassed did Earl Eirik Hakonson gain even the 'Long Serpent' and much booty, and steered he the 'Serpent' far out of the battle. Thus said Halldor:

'Thither the "Serpent" had borne him, The helmeted chieftain, to the great sword-play, (Then were the ships dight). But south, in the din of the battle, gladly the Earl took the "Serpent" (Heming's high-born brother in blood did dye the swords).'

|| Now Svein the son of Earl Hakon even at this time was betrothed to Holmfrid the daughter of Olaf King of Sweden. When Olaf the Swedish King, Svein the Danish King and Earl Eirik divided the realm of Norway between them, then had Olaf the Swedish King four counties, to wit, Throndhjem, the two Mores & Raumsdal; and eastward to him pertained Raumariki from the Gaut (Goeta) river to Svinasund.

This dominion did King Olaf make over to Earl Svein on the self-same conditions as the tribute paying kings or earls had held their lands aforetime from superior kings. Earl Eirik gat five counties in Throndhjem, also Halogaland and Naumdalen, the Fjords & Fialir, Sogn and Hardaland & Rogaland, and Agdir from the north right to Lidandesnes (the Naze).

Thus saith Thord Kolbeinson:

'I wist that save for Erling (bounteous chief whom I praise) Erewhile the "hersirs" mostly were friends unto the earls; The battle ended the land all southward from Agdir To Veiga, or farther north, was subject made to Eirik. Under the lord the land prospered; & this 'twas good should be. His duty he thought it to hold o'er the northmen his hand. Now hath died Svein the king south of us, so the tale goes (The strength of most doth fail, and waste are his manors for grief).'

|| Svein the King of the Danes was now once more the possessor of Vik, which had been his aforetime; to Earl Eirik he gave Raumariki and Hedemark, to be held as a fief. Svein Hakonson, he that was the finest man that men have ever looked on, received earldom from Olaf the Swede. Eirik and Earl Svein were alike baptized into and made profession of the true Faith, but even so long as they ruled over Norway gave they licence to every man that he should please himself about what creed he would cleave to, & moreover maintained they the old laws honourably and likewise all the customs of the land; therefore were they justly men who were well-beloved and good rulers. Now in all matters having concern in the ruling of the realm of the twain brothers was Earl Eirik ever the more prominent.

THE SAGA OF HARALD THE TYRANT, MXXX-MLXVI

It befell in the days of the fall of King Olaf that Harald, the son of Sigurd Sow, the stepbrother of King Olaf the Saint, bore his share in the great battle of Stiklastad.

Even there it befell Harald that he was smote down, but he gained the life of his body by flight with others that bore him company. Thus saith Thiodolf:

'Nigh the hill, a battle-storm I heard drive toward the King, But the burner of the BulgarsSec. His brother well supported. Unwillingly from fallen Olaf Was the prince sundered, And his head he hid; Then was he twelve winters With added three thereto in age.'

|| It was Rognvald Brusason who bare Harald out of the battle, and brought him to a certain peasant who lived in the forest, and that in a glade far from the haunts of man; and here was Harald leeched until he was whole of his wound.

Thereafter fared forth the son of that peasant eastward with him across the Kjol (Kiolen), & as far as they were able to do so followed they forest tracks in lieu of the common way.

Now in no wise wist the son of the peasant with what manner of man he was faring, & as they were riding through the wastes of the forest sang Harald thus wise:

'From forest now to forest Wend I my way with honour scant; Who wists but in the future Wide fame may not be mine?'

|| And thus fared he eastward through Jamtaland & Helsingland, and in due course was he come even to Sweden; there did he link his fortune with that of Rognvald Brusason and many others of the men of King Olaf that were yet alive after the mighty battle.

|| Now in the spring thereafter gat they ships for themselves and in the summer fared eastward to Garda, where abode they the winter through with King Jarizleif.

Thus saith Bolverk: