Heimskringla

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Then King Hrorek says, "True it is that Harald Harfager's kingdom
has gone to decay, none of his race being supreme king over
Norway. But the people here in the country have experienced many
things. When King Hakon, Athelstan's foster-son, was king, all
were content; but when Gunhild's sons ruled over the country, all
were so weary of their tyranny and injustice that they would
rather have foreign men as kings, and be themselves more their
own rulers; for the foreign kings were usually abroad and cared
little about the customs of the people if the scat they laid on
the country was paid. When enmity arose between the Danish king
Harald and Earl Hakon, the Jomsborg vikings made an expedition
against Norway; then the whole people arose, and threw the
hostilities from themselves; and thereafter the people encouraged
Earl Hakon to keep the country, and defend it with sword and
spear against the Danish king. But when he had set himself fast
in the kingdom with the help of the people, he became so hard and
overbearing towards the country-folks, that they would no longer
suffer him. The Throndhjem people killed him, and raised to the
kingly power Olaf Trygvason, who was of the udal succession to
the kingdom, and in all respects well fitted to be a chief. The
whole country's desire was to make him supreme king, and raise
again the kingdom which Harald Harfager had made for himself.
But when King Olaf thought himself quite firmly seated in his
kingdom, no man could rule his own concerns for him. With us
small kings he was so unreasonable, as to take to himself not
only all the scat and duties which Harald Harfager had levied
from us, but a great deal more. The people at last had so little
freedom under him, that it was not allowed to every man to
believe in what god he pleased. Now since he has been taken away
we have kept friendly with the Danish king; have received great
help from him when we have had any occasion for it; and have been
allowed to rule ourselves, and live in peace and quiet in the
inland country, and without any overburden. I am therefore
content that things be as they are, for I do not see what better
rights I am to enjoy by one of my relations ruling over the
country; and if I am to be no better off, I will take no part in
the affair."

Then said King Ring, his brother, "I will also declare my opinion
that it is better for me, if I hold the same power and property
as now, that my relative is king over Norway, rather than a
foreign chief, so that our family may again raise its head in the
land. It is, besides, my opinion about this man Olaf, that his
fate and luck must determine whether he is to obtain the kingdom
or not; and if he succeed in making himself supreme king, then he
will be the best off who has best deserved his friendship. At
present he has in no respect greater power than any of us; nay,
indeed, he has less; as we have lands and kingdoms to rule over,
and he has nothing, and we are equally entitled by the udal right
to the kingdom as he is himself. Now, if we will be his men,
give him our aid, allow him to take the highest dignity in the
country, and stand by him with our strength, how should he not
reward us well, and hold it in remembrance to our great
advantage, if he be the honourable man I believe him to be, and
all say he is? Therefore let us join the adventure, say I, and
bind ourselves in friendship with him."

Then the others, one after the other, stood up and spoke; and the
conclusion was, that the most of them determined to enter into a
league with King Olaf. He promised them his perfect friendship,
and that he would hold by and improve the country's laws and
rights, if he became supreme king of Norway. This league was
confirmed by oath.

35. OLAF GETS THE TITLE OF KING FROM THE THING.

Thereafter the kings summoned a Thing, and there King Olaf set
forth this determination to all the people, and his demand on the
kingly power. He desires that the bondes should receive him as
king; and promises, on the other hand, to allow them to retain
their ancient laws, and to defend the land from foreign masters
and chiefs. On this point he spoke well, and long; and he got
great praise for his speech. Then the kings rose and spoke, the
one after the other, and supported his cause, and this message to
the people. At last it came to this, that King Olaf was
proclaimed king over the whole country, and the kingdom adjudged
to him according to law in the Uplands (A.D. 1014).

36. KING OLAF TRAVELS IN THE UPLANDS.

King Olaf began immediately his progress through the country,
appointing feasts before him wherever there were royal farms.
First he travelled round in Hadaland, and then he proceeded north
to Gudbrandsdal. And now it went as King Sigurd Syr had
foretold, that people streamed to him from all quarters; and he
did not appear to have need for half of them, for he had nearly
300 men. But the entertainments bespoken did not half serve; for
it had been the custom that kings went about in guest-quarters in
the Uplands with 60 or 70 men only, and never with more than 100
men. The king therefore hastened over the country, only stopping
one night at the same place. When he came north to Dovrefield,
he arranged his journey so that he came over the mountain and
down upon the north side of it, and then came to Opdal, where he
remained all night. Afterwards he proceeded through Opdal
forest, and came out at Medaldal, where he proclaimed a Thing,
and summoned the bondes to meet him at it. The king made a
speech to the Thing, and asked the bondes to accept him as king;
and promised, on his part, the laws and rights which King Olaf
Trygvason had offered them. The bondes had no strength to make
opposition to the king; so the result was that they received him
as king, and confirmed it by oath: but they sent word to Orkadal
and Skaun of all that they knew concerning Olaf's proceedings.

37. LEVY AGAINST OLAF IN THRONDHJEM.

Einar Tambaskelfer had a farm and house at Husaby in Skaun; and
now when he got news of Olaf's proceedings, he immediately split
up a war-arrow, and sent it out as a token to the four quarters
-- north, south, east, west, -- to call together all free and
unfree men in full equipment of war: therewith the message, that
they were to defend the land against King Olaf. The message-
stick went to Orkadal, and thence to Gaulardal, where the whole
war-force was to assemble.

38. OLAF'S PROGRESS IN THRONDHJEM.

King Olaf proceeded with his men down into Orkadal, and advanced
in peace and with all gentleness; but when he came to Griotar he
met the assembled bondes, amounting to more than 700 men. Then
the king arrayed his army, for he thought the bondes were to give
battle. When the bondes saw this, they also began to put their
men in order; but it went on very slowly, for they had not agreed
beforehand who among them should be commander. Now when King
Olaf saw there was confusion among the bondes, he sent to them
Thorer Gudbrandson; and when he came he told them King Olaf did
not want to fight them, but named twelve of the ablest men in
their flock of people, who were desired to come to King Olaf.
The bondes agreed to this; and the twelve men went over a rising
ground which is there, and came to the place where the king's
army stood in array. The king said to them, "Ye bondes have done
well to give me an opportunity to speak with you, for now I will
explain to you my errand here to the Throndhjem country. First I
must tell you, what ye already must have heard, that Earl Hakon
and I met in summer; and the issue of our meeting was, that he
gave me the whole kingdom he possessed in the Throndhjem country,
which, as ye know, consists of Orkadal, Gaulardal, Strind, and
Eyna district. As a proof of this, I have here with me the very
men who were present, and saw the earl's and my own hands given
upon it, and heard the word and oath, and witnessed the agreement
the earl made with me. Now I offer you peace and law, the same
as King Olaf Trygvason offered before me."

The king spoke well, and long; and ended by proposing to the
bondes two conditions -- either to go into his service and be
subject to him, or to fight him. Thereupon the twelve bondes
went back to their people, and told the issue of their errand,
and considered with the people what they should resolve upon.
Although they discussed the matter backwards and forwards for a
while, they preferred at last to submit to the king; and it was
confirmed by the oath of the bondes. The king now proceeded on
his journey, and the bondes made feasts for him. The king then
proceeded to the sea-coast, and got ships; and among others he
got a long-ship of twenty benches of rowers from Gunnar of
Gelmin; another ship of twenty benches he got from Loden of
Viggia; and three ships of twenty benches from the farm of Angrar
on the ness which farm Earl Hakon had possessed, but a steward
managed it for him, by name Bard White. The king had, besides,
four or five boats; and with these vessels he went in all haste
into the fjord of Throndhjem.

39. OF EARL SVEIN'S PROCEEDINGS.

Earl Svein was at that time far up in the Throndhjem fjord at
Steinker, which at that time was a merchant town, and was there
preparing for the yule festival (A.D. 1015). When Einar
Tambaskelfer heard that the Orkadal people had submitted to King
Olaf, he sent men to Earl Svein to bring him the tidings. They
went first to Nidaros, and took a rowing-boat which belonged to
Einar, with which they went out into the fjord, and came one day
late in the evening to Steinker, where they brought to the earl
the news about all King Olaf's proceedings. The earl owned a
long-ship, which was lying afloat and rigged just outside the
town: and immediately, in the evening, he ordered all his movable
goods, his people's clothes, and also meat and drink, as much as
the vessel could carry, to be put on board, rowed immediately out
in the night-time, and came with daybreak to Skarnsund. There he
saw King Olaf rowing in with his fleet into the fjord. The earl
turned towards the land within Masarvik, where there was a thick
wood, and lay so near the rocks that the leaves and branches hung
over the vessel. They cut down some large trees, which they laid
over the quarter on the sea-side, so that the ship could not be
seen for leaves, especially as it was scarcely clear daylight
when the king came rowing past them. The weather was calm, and
the king rowed in among the islands; and when the king's fleet
was out of sight the earl rowed out of the fjord, and on to
Frosta, where his kingdom lay, and there he landed.

40. EARL SVEIN'S AND EINAR'S CONSULTATIONS.

Earl Svein sent men out to Gaulardal to his brother-in-law, Einar
Tambaskelfer; and when Einar came the earl told him how it had
been with him and King Olaf, and that now he would assemble men
to go out against King Olaf, and fight him.

Einar answers, "We should go to work cautiously, and find out
what King Olaf intends doing; and not let him hear anything
concerning us but that we are quiet. It may happen that if he
hears nothing about our assembling people, he may sit quietly
where he is in Steinker all the Yule; for there is plenty
prepared for him for the Yule feast: but if he hears we are
assembling men, he will set right out of the fjord with his
vessels, and we shall not get hold of him." Einar's advice was
taken; and the earl went to Stjoradal, into guest-quarters among
the bondes.

When King Olaf came to Steinker he collected all the meat
prepared for the Yule feast, and made it be put on board,
procured some transport vessels, took meat and drink with him,
and got ready to sail as fast as possible, and went out all the
way to Nidaros. Here King Olaf Trygvason had laid the foundation
of a merchant town, and had built a king's house: but before that
Nidaros was only a single house, as before related. When Earl
Eirik came to the country, he applied all his attention to his
house of Lade, where his father had had his main residence, and
he neglected the houses which Olaf had erected at the Nid; so
that some were fallen down, and those which stood were scarcely
habitable. King Olaf went now with his ships up the Nid, made
all the houses to be put in order directly that were still
standing, and built anew those that had fallen down, and employed
in this work a great many people. Then he had all the meat and
drink brought on shore to the houses, and prepared to hold Yule
there; so Earl Svein and Einar had to fall upon some other plan.

41. OF SIGVAT THE SKALD.

There was an Iceland man called Thord Sigvaldaskald, who had been
long with Earl Sigvalde, and afterwards with the earl's brother,
Thorkel the Tall; but after the earl's death Thord had become a
merchant. He met King Olaf on his viking cruise in the west, and
entered into his service, and followed him afterwards. He was
with the king when the incidents above related took place. Thord
had a son called Sigvat fostered in the house of Thorkel at
Apavatn, in Iceland. When he was nearly a grown man he went out
of the country with some merchants; and the ship came in autumn
to the Throndhjem country, and the crew lodged in the hered
(district). The same winter King Olaf came to Throndhjem, as
just now related by us. Now when Sigvat heard that his father
Thord was with the king, he went to him, and stayed a while with
him. Sigvat was a good skald at an early age. He made a lay in
honour of King Olaf, and asked the king to listen to it. The
king said he did not want poems composed about him, and said he
did not understand the skald's craft. Then Sigvat sang: --

"Rider of dark-blue ocean's steeds!
Allow one skald to sing thy deeds;
And listen to the song of one
Who can sing well, if any can.
For should the king despise all others,
And show no favour to my brothers,
Yet I may all men's favour claim,
Who sing, still of our great king's fame."

King Olaf gave Sigvat as a reward for his verse a gold ring that
weighed half a mark, and Sigvat was made one of King Olaf's
court-men. Then Sigvat sang: --

"I willingly receive this sword --
By land or sea, on shore, on board,
I trust that I shall ever be
Worthy the sword received from thee.
A faithful follower thou hast bound --
A generous master I have found;
Master and servant both have made
Just what best suits them by this trade."

Earl Svein had, according to custom, taken one half of the
harbour-dues from the Iceland ship-traders about autumn (A.D.
1014); for the Earls Eirik and Hakon had always taken one half of
these and all other revenues in the Throndhjem country. Now when
King Olaf came there, he sent his men to demand that half of the
tax from the Iceland traders; and they went up to the king's
house and asked Sigvat to help them. He went to the king, and
sang: --

"My prayer, I trust, will not be vain --
No gold by it have I to gain:
All that the king himself here wins
Is not red gold, but a few skins.
it is not right that these poor men
Their harbour-dues should pay again.
That they paid once I know is true;
Remit, great king, what scarce is due."

42. OF EARL SVEIN.

Earl Svein and Einar Tambaskelfer gathered a large armed force,
with which they came by the upper road into Gaulardal, and so
down to Nidaros, with nearly 2000 men. King Olaf's men were out
upon the Gaular ridge, and had a guard on horseback. They became
aware that a force was coming down the Gaulardal, and they
brought word of it to the king about midnight. The king got up
immediately, ordered the people to be wakened, and they went on
board of the ships, bearing all their clothes and arms on board,
and all that they could take with them, and then rowed out of the
river. Then came the earl's men to the town at the same moment,
took all the Christmas provision, and set fire to the houses.
King Olaf went out of the fjord down to Orkadal, and there landed
the men from their ships. From Orkadal they went up to the
mountains, and over the mountains eastwards into Gudbrandsdal.
In the lines composed about Kleng Brusason, it is said that Earl
Eirik burned the town of Nidaros: --

"The king's half-finished hall,
Rafters, root, and all,
Is burned down by the river's side;
The flame spreads o'er the city wide."

43. OF KING OLAF.

King Olaf went southwards through Gudbrandsdal, and thence out to
Hedemark. In the depth of winter (A.D. 1015) he went about in
guest-quarters; but when spring returned he collected men, and
went to Viken. He had with him many people from Hedemark, whom
the kings had given him; and also many powerful people from among
the bondes joined him, among whom Ketil Kalf from Ringanes. He
had also people from Raumarike. His stepfather, Sigurd Syr, gave
him the help also of a great body of men. They went down from
thence to the coast, and made ready to put to sea from Viken.
The fleet, which was manned with many fine fellows, went out then
to Tunsberg.

44. OF EARL SVEIN'S FORCES.

After Yule (A.D. 1015) Earl Svein gathers all the men of the
Throndhjem country, proclaims a levy for an expedition, and fits
out ships. At that time there were in the Throndhjem country a
great number of lendermen; and many of them were so powerful and
well-born, that they descended from earls, or even from the royal
race, which in a short course of generations reckoned to Harald
Harfager, and they were also very rich. These lendermen were of
great help to the kings or earls who ruled the land; for it was
as if the lenderman had the bonde-people of each district in his
power. Earl Svein being a good friend of the lendermen, it was
easy for him to collect people. His brother-in-law, Einar
Tambaskelfer, was on his side, and with him many other lendermen;
and among them many, both lendermen and bondes, who the winter
before had taken the oath of fidelity to King Olaf. When they
were ready for sea they went directly out of the fjord, steering
south along the land, and drawing men from every district. When
they came farther south, abreast of Rogaland, Erling Skialgson
came to meet them, with many people and many lendermen with him.
Now they steered eastward with their whole fleet to Viken, and
Earl Svein ran in there towards the end of Easter. The earl
steered his fleet to Grenmar, and ran into Nesjar (A.D. 1015).

45. KING OLAF S FORCES.

King Olaf steered his fleet out from Viken, until the two fleets
were not far from each other, and they got news of each other the
Saturday before Palm Sunday. King Olaf himself had a ship called
the Carl's Head, on the bow of which a king's head was carved
out, and he himself had carved it. This head was used long after
in Norway on ships which kings steered themselves.

46. KING OLAF'S SPEECH.

As soon as day dawned on Sunday morning, King Olaf got up, put on
his clothes, went to the land, and ordered to sound the signal
for the whole army to come on shore. Then he made a speech to
the troops, and told the whole assembly that he had heard there
was but a short distance between them and Earl Svein. "Now,"
said he, "we shall make ready; for it can be but a short time
until we meet. Let the people arm, and every man be at the post
that has been appointed him, so that all may be ready when I
order the signal to sound for casting off from the land. Then
let us row off at once; and so that none go on before the rest of
the ships, and none lag behind when I row out of the harbour: for
we cannot tell if we shall find the earl where he was lying, or
if he has come out to meet us. When we do meet, and the battle
begins, let people be alert to bring all our ships in close
order, and ready to bind them together. Let us spare ourselves
in the beginning, and take care of our weapons, that we do not
cast them into the sea, or shoot them away in the air to no
purpose. But when the fight becomes hot and the ships are bound
together, then let each man show what is in him of manly spirit."

47. OF THE BATTLE AT NESJAR.

King Olaf had in his ship 100 men armed in coats of ring-mail,
and in foreign helmets. The most of his men had white shields,
on which the holy cross was gilt; but some had painted it in blue
or red. He had also had the cross painted in front on all the
helmets, in a pale colour. He had a white banner on which was a
serpent figured. He ordered a mass to be read before him, went
on board ship, and ordered his people to refresh themselves with
meat and drink. He then ordered the war-horns to sound to
battle, to leave the harbour, and row off to seek the earl. Now
when they came to the harbour where the earl had lain, the earl's
men were armed, and beginning to row out of the harbour; but when
they saw the king's fleet coming they began to bind the ships
together, to set up their banners, and to make ready for the
fight. When King Olaf saw this he hastened the rowing, laid his
ship alongside the earl's, and the battle began. So says Sigvat
the skald: --

"Boldly the king did then pursue
Earl Svein, nor let him out of view.
The blood ran down the reindeer's flank
Of each sea-king -- his vessel's plank.
Nor did the earl's stout warriors spare
In battle-brunt the sword and spear.
Earl Svein his ships of war pushed on,
And lashed their stout stems one to one."

It is said that King Olaf brought his ships into battle while
Svein was still lying in the harbour. Sigvat the skald was
himself in the fight; and in summer, just after the battle, he
composed a lay, which is called the "Nesjar Song", in which he
tells particularly the circumstances: --

"In the fierce fight 'tis known how near
The scorner of the ice-cold spear
Laid the Charles' head the earl on board,
All eastward of the Agder fjord."

Then was the conflict exceedingly sharp, and it was long before
it could be seen how it was to go in the end. Many fell on both
sides, and many were the wounded. So says Sigvat: --

"No urging did the earl require,
Midst spear and sword -- the battle's fire;
No urging did the brave king need
The ravens in this shield-storm to feed.
Of limb-lopping enough was there,
And ghastly wounds of sword and spear.
Never, I think, was rougher play
Than both the armies had that day."

The earl had most men, but the king had a chosen crew in his
ship, who had followed him in all his wars; and, besides, they
were so excellently equipped, as before related, that each man
had a coat of ring-mail, so that he could not be wounded. So
says Sigvat: --

"Our lads, broad-shouldered, tall, and hale,
Drew on their cold shirts of ring-mail.
Soon sword on sword was shrilly ringing,
And in the air the spears were singing.
Under our helms we hid our hair,
For thick flew arrows through the air.
Right glad was I our gallant crew,
Steel-clad from head to foot, to view."

48. EARL SVEIN'S FLIGHT.

When the men began to fall on board the earl's ships, and many
appeared wounded, so that the sides of the vessels were but
thinly beset with men, the crew of King Olaf prepared to board.
Their banner was brought up to the ship that was nearest the
earl's, and the king himself followed the banner. So says
Sigvat: --

"`On with the king!' his banners waving:
`On with the king!' the spears he's braving!
`On, steel-clad men! and storm the deck,
Slippery with blood and strewed with wreck.
A different work ye have to share,
His banner in war-storm to bear,
From your fair girl's, who round the hall
Brings the full mead-bowl to us all.'"

Now was the severest fighting. Many of Svein's men fell, and
some sprang overboard. So says Sigvat: --

"Into the ship our brave lads spring, --
On shield and helm their red blades ring;
The air resounds with stroke on stroke, --
The shields are cleft, the helms are broke.
The wounded bonde o'er the side
Falls shrieking in the blood-stained tide --
The deck is cleared with wild uproar --
The dead crew float about the shore."

And also these lines: --

"The shields we brought from home were white,
Now they are red-stained in the fight:
This work was fit for those who wore
Ringed coats-of-mail their breasts before.
Where for the foe blunted the best sword
I saw our young king climb on board.
He stormed the first; we followed him --
The war-birds now in blood may swim."

Now defeat began to come down upon the earl's men. The king's
men pressed upon the earl's ship and entered it; but when the
earl saw how it was going, he called out to his forecastle-men to
cut the cables and cast the ship loose, which they did. Then the
king's men threw grapplings over the timber heads of the ship,
and so held her fast to their own; but the earl ordered the
timber heads to be cut away, which was done. So says Sigvat: --