Part 28

|| Westward in Valland (France) was there a man who was so malformed that he was a cripple, and crawled he ever on his knees and knuckles. One day when he was abroad, on a road, he fell asleep & dreamt that a man all glorious without came to him and asked whither was he bound, and the cripple answered with the name of a certain town.

Then the man all glorious said: 'Fare thee rather to St. Olaf's Church in London, and there wilt thou be healed.' Thereafter awakened the cripple and straightway fared in search of St. Olaf's Church, and after a while was come to London Bridge & there asked of the townsmen whether they could direct him to St. Olaf's Church; but for answer gat he that there were too many churches for them to know to what man each of them was dedicated. A while later came up a man & asked him whither was he bound, and he told him whither he was bound, and that man said afterwards: 'We will both go to St. Olaf's Church, for I know the way thither.'

So then crossed they the bridge, and went to the street which led to St. Olaf's Church. When they were come to the gates of the churchyard the man stepped over the threshold which is between the gates, but the cripple rolled over it, and lo, straightway rose he up a whole man. When he looked round his comrade was gone.

|| King Harald founded a merchant town eastward in Oslo,Sec. and often tarried there for it had broad countrysides round about, and was a place suited for the ingathering of victuals; likewise was it well situated for the defence of the land against the Danes, & also for onsets on Denmark which Harald was wont to make even at such times when he had a large host at his beck.

One summer fared King Harald with some light ships and but few men and set he sail south for Viken; but on a fair wind springing up, crossed he the sea to Jutland where he began to harry.

The men of the land, however, collected themselves together & defended their country, so then sailed King Harald on to Limfjord and went up that fjord.

Now Limfjord is so fashioned in shape that going up it is like entering into a narrow river-groove, but as thou goest on up the fjord it becometh like a great sea.

Harald harried there on both shores, but beheld the Danes everywhere assembled in numbers. King Harald brought-to his ships alongside an island which was small & thereon were no buildings; and when they went in search of water they found none, and told it unto the King.

Then he did send men to see if no adder could be found on the isle, & when one had been found they brought it to the King and he had the adder taken to the fire so that it might be warmed and teased thereby, and become right thirsty. Thereafter a twine was bound to its tail and the adder was let loose, and it crawled away and the twine was unwound from the ball, and they followed after the adder until it struck into the earth.

Then the King bade them dig for water, and they dug for it, and there found water in abundance.

|| From his spies learned King Harald the intelligence that King Svein was come with a large fleet of ships to the mouth of the fjord, and that he was making way but slowly, for his ships could only pass in one at a time. King Harald took his ships up Limfjord, and over against where it is broadest it is called Lusbreid. Now from the creek within is there a narrow neck of land westward (north) leading to the sea, and thither did the men to Harald row in the evening; after nightfall, when it was dark, they cleared the ships & haled them right over this isthmus, and before daylight all was accomplished and the ships once more ready for sea. Then shaped he the course northward past Jutland, and they sang:

'From Danish grip Did Harald slip.'

|| At that time said the King that he would come to Denmark once again, & would bring with him more men & larger ships. After these things fared they northward to Throndhjem.

|| That winter abode King Harald in Nidaros, & at this time caused he a ship to be builded out on the islands, and it was a bussa-shipSec. made after the model of the Long Serpent and wrought every way as carefully as might be.

At her bows was a dragon-head and at her stern a crook, and the ......Sec. were all overlaid with gold. On her were thirty-five benches, and broad was she of beam in comparison therewith.

Very fair to behold was she. The King caused all the appurtenances of the ship to be chosen with exceeding great care, both the sail, the running tackle, the anchor and the cables.

That winter King Harald sent word southward to Denmark to King Svein, bidding him come in spring from the south to the River, to a meeting with him, & saying that they would then fight to the end that one or other of their countries should change hands, & the victor become master of both kingdoms.

|| That winter called out King Harald a host, a general host, from all Norway, and by spring-tide had been assembled together a mighty array of men.

Then launched the King his great ship on the river Nid, and after that was accomplished caused he the dragon-head be placed thereon.

Then sang Thiodolf the Skald:

'Fair maid, forward is the ship guided, from river to main. Mark where off the land there lieth the long hull of the dragon. The mane of the serpent yellow-green glints on the deck, The prows were burnt-gold as from off the slip she glided.'

|| Thereafter fitted King Harald out the ship and his men for a cruise, and all being made ready, stood he down the river, and right well answered she to the oars. Thus saith Thiodolf:

'Saturday the prince casts off the long land tilts, There where the widows proud the serpent watch, As she glideth from the town. West from the Nid thereafter the King doth steer, Into the sea drop the oars of his men. Move can they, the King's lads, the straight oars in the water. The widows stand and wonder at the oar-strokes so swift, The thole knows hurt when seventy oars do move her I' the water ere the war-folk on the sea their oars do strain. Northmen the serpent row (nailed is she) out on the billow-stream icy; 'Tis eagles' wings that we behold.'

|| Southward sailed King Harald with his host alongside the land, so that he might call out a general muster of men and ships. But when they were come eastward, and were off Vik, arose a strong contrary wind wherefore was the fleet obliged to stand in for harbour, making such havens as were to be found in the skerries as well as those in the fjords.

Quoth Thiodolf:

'Lee have the shaven hulls of the ships under the woods, The King's war-host towards land doth lean with its prow beams. The land-folk in the skerries, within the creeks, do lie; The ships white-mailed hide under the land-necks.'

|| Now in the tempest which fell upon them the great ship had need of good anchor tackle, and thus saith Thiodolf:

'Prow foremost the prince cleft High fences of the sea; The ropes of the King's ship Are strained to the utmost; The wind is unfriendly Against the anchor-iron out-hollowed, Grit and wind-squalls ugly Chafe at the anchor flukes.'