Egil’s Saga Page 6

  The King fared north in Halogaland as he had had the mind to do, and turned again south as summer wore. He fared then still to feasts, where they were made ready before him.

  CHAPTER XII. OF THE EVIL SPEECH OF THOSE SONS OF HILDIRID.

  HILDIRID’S sons went to see the King and bade him home to a three nights’ feast. The King said yea to their bidding, and told them whenabouts he should come there. But when the appointed time was come, then came the King there with his folk, and there was there no throng of men to meet him, yet the feast went forward at the best. The King was all merry.

  Harek fell a-talking with the King, and it came to this in his talk that he asketh of the King’s farings which had been that summer. The King answered so much as he asked him: said all men had made him good cheer, and each much according to his means.

  “Great odds,” said Harek,1 “will there have been in this, that in Torgar will your feast have been most thronged with men?”

  The King said that so it was.

  Harek saith, “That was to be looked for, sure, for as much as for that feast was the most provision made. And you did bear, King, the mightiest good luck therein, that so it turned out that you came into no danger of your life. It fared, as indeed was likely, that thou wast both wisest and best gifted with luck, in that thou didst misdoubt thee straightway that all should not be wholesome, when thou sawest that great throng of men which was there drawn to a head. Ay, and it was said to me that thou didst let all thy folk be ever all-weaponed, or didst have watch and ward kept alway both night and day”.

  The King looked on him and spake: “Why speakest thou such-like things, Harek, or what canst thou thereof to say?”

  He saith, “Whether shall I speak with your leave, King, even as likes me?”

  “Speak,” saith the King.

  “That is my thought,” saith Harek: “if thou, King, mightest hear the word of each man, when men speak at home after their own heart and mind, what slavery that seemeth to them that you do put upon all men-folk, methinks thou shouldst think it not well. And that is truest to say unto you, King, that there wanteth no other thing to the common sort that they should rise up against you, save only hardihood and a captain. And that is nought wondrous,” saith he, “in such-like men as Thorolf is, that he think himself far above every man else. He wanteth not might, nor goodly seeming neither. He hath, too, his bodyguard about him, like a king. He hath a mort of money, were it he had that only which himself had a right to. But, more than this, he maketh free to do as he list with other men’s fee as of his own. You have granted him withal great revenues; and ’twas now all gotten ready so as he should pay you back nowise well for that. Because that is truest to tell you, that, soon as ’twas heard that you were a-faring north to Halogaland with no more folk than you had, three hundred men, then was that the rede of men hereabout that here should a host come together and take thy life, King, of thee and all thy folk; and ’twas Thorolf was leader in these counsels, because that offer was made him that he should be king over the folk of Halogaland and over the Naumdale folk. Fared he then both out and in by every firth and about all the isles and gathered every man that he found and every weapon, and that went nowise hidden, that that host-gathering was for the going against Harald the King in battle. Yea, but that is true, King, that, albeit you had a host something lesser than theirs when you met them, there shot terror into the breasts of these bonder-lads,2 soon as they saw your sailing. Then was the other rede taken, to go and meet you with blitheness and bid you to feasting. But then were they minded, if you should be drunken and be laid a-sleeping, to make an onslaught on you with fire and weapons: whereof this for a token, if I have heard tell aright, that you were bidden in to some corn-barn, because Thorolf would nowise burn up his own hall, new and well bedight. And that withal was for a token, that every house was full of weapons and war-harness. But when they found no good way to work their wiles on you, they took that rede that seemed best to hand: cut all adrift of these former plottings. Methinks all know well how to dissemble these redes, for few I ween may know themselves sackless if the truth come up. Now this is my rede, King, that thou take Thorolf to thee and let him be in thy bodyguard, bear thy banner, and be in the forecastle aboard thy ship: unto this is he by nature apt beyond all men else. But if thou wilt that he be a landed man, then find him revenues south in the Firths. There is all of his blood and kin. You may there have oversight of him, that he wax not over big. But give thy stewardship here in Halogaland into the hand of those men that be men of temperate mind and will with trueness serve you, and have their kin here, and their kinsmen have here before had suchlike business. We brethren shall be found both bidden and boun3 for such things as you may have the will to use us for. Our father had here long time the King’s stewardship. Well went that in his hands. ’Tis hard for you, King, to find right men to set over your affairs here, sith here may you but seldom come yourself. Here is little main of land, that you should fare here with your host; and scarce will you do thus again, to fare hither with few folk, seeing that here is much untrustworthy people.”

  The King waxed exceeding wroth with this talk, and spake yet quietly, as was ever the wont of him whenso he heard such tidings as were of great matter. He asked then, whether was Thorolf at home in Torgar.

  Harek said that there was no hope of this. “Thorolf is so well knowing, that he would have the wit to be out of the way of your host, King; for he would look for this, that they should not all hold their tongues so well as that thou, King, shouldst not be made ware of these tidings. Fared he north to Alost straightway when he heard tell that you were on your way from the north.” The King spake little of these tidings before men; yet was that found, that he would put fast trust in those words that had been spoke to him.

  And now fared the King on his journey. Hildirid’s sons led him forth in worthy wise with gifts, but he promised them his friendship. Those brethren gave out that they had an errand into Naumdale, and fared so in a round with the King that they fell in with him at every other while. Alway he took well with their talk.

  CHAPTER XIII. OF THOROLF’S SENDING OF THE SCAT TO KING HARALD AND GIFTS THEREWITH.

  THERE was a man named Thorgils the Yeller. He was a homeman of Thorolf’s and was had of him in the most esteem of all his housecarles. He had followed Thorolf then when he was a-viking. Then was he his forecastle-man and his banner-bearer. Thorgils had been at Hafrsfirth in the host of King Harald, and was skipper there of that ship which Thorolf had, the same he had had a-viking. Thorgils was a mighty man of his hands and the greatest man of valour. The King had bestowed on him gifts of friendship after the battle and promised him his friendship. Thorgils was overseer of the household at Torgar when Thorolf was not at home. Thorgils had then the ruling there. But when Thorolf had fared from home, then had he gotten together the Finn-scat, even all that which he had had from the fell and which was the King’s, and made it over into the hands of Thorgils, and bade him bring it to the King, if himself came not home afore that the King should fare from the north and southaway.

  Thorgils arrayed a ship of burden,1 a great and a good, that Thorolf had, and bare aboard of her the scat, and had near twenty men: sailed south after the King and found him in Naumdale. But when Thorgils came to see the King, then bare he to the King Thorolf’s greetings, and said that he fared there with the Finn-scat, that Thorolf sent unto the King. The King looked upon him and answereth nought, and men saw that he was wroth.

  Then Thorgils gat him gone, and thought to find a better season to have speech with the King. He came to see Oliver Hnufa and said unto him all as it had befallen, and asked if he knew aught of what was toward.

  “I know not that,” said he. “But this have I found, that the King falleth silent every while that Thorolf is spoke of, ever since we were in Leka; and I misdoubt me therefore lest he be slandered. That know I of Hildirid’s sons, that they be in long privy talkings with the King, and that is easy-found in the words of them, that they
be unfriends of Thorolf s. But I will shortly find out all this from the King.”

  Thereafter fared Oliver to see the King, and spake: “Thorgils the Yeller is hither come, your friend, with that scat that is come out of Finnmark and is yours; and the scat is far greater than hath aforetime been, and of far better wares. There is haste upon him of his journey. Do so well, King, as go and see, for sure none shall ever have seen such good grey-wares”.2

  The King answereth him not, and yet went thither where the ship was laid. Thorgils brake bulk straightway of the wares and showed them to the King. But when the King saw that it was true that the scat was far greater and better than had aforetime been, then smoothed was his brow somewhat, and then might Thorgils hold speech with him. He brought the King some beaver-skins3 that Thorolf sent him, and more costly treasures besides that he had gotten on the fell. The King was then glad of himself and asked what had befallen to tell of in the farings of Thorolf and his men. Thorgils told him clearly of all that. Then spake the King: “Great scathe is that, whereas Thorolf will not be true to me, but will fain be my banesman”.

  Then many that were by, and all with one accord, answered and said that here must be some slander of ill men, if such-like things were said to the King, but Thorolf must be held guiltless of such things. It came to this, that the King said he would liever trow it to be as they now said. Then was the King light in all his talk with Thorgils, and they parted well agreed.

  But when Thorgils saw Thorolf he said unto him all this, even as it had fared.

  CHAPTER XIV. OF THOROLF’s SECOND FARING INTO FINNMARK.

  THOROLF fared that winter yet again to the Mark, and had with him near a hundred men. And now fared he like as in that former winter: had a cheaping-fair with the Finns and fared wide about the Mark. But when he sought farther east, and news spread there of his farings, then came Kvens1 to him and said that they were sent unto him, and that that was done of Faravid, the king of Kvenland: said that Kirials2 harried in his land, and he sent word to this intent, that Thorolf should fare thither and give him help. There was this too in his word-sending, that Thorolf should have even shares with the king, and every man of his should have as much as three Kvens. Now that was their law of the Kvens, that the king should have of the booty shared with the men of his host one-third part, and, over and above that, to his own sole use, all beaver-skins and sables and miniveres. Thorolf laid this before the men of his host and bade them choose which it should be, go or no: but that was the choice of most, to take that hazard wherein lay so great fee to be gained, and the end of their redetaking was that they fared east with the messengers.

  Finnmark is wide exceedingly. The main sea goeth by the west thereof, and from it big firths; so likewise by the north and all east-about; but south thereof is Norway, and the Mark taketh well nigh all the inland region southaway, even as Halogaland the coast-lands. Now east from Naumdale is Jamtaland, and then Helsingland, then Kvenland, then Finnland, then Kirialaland: but Finnmark lieth back beyond all these lands, and there be wide fell-settlements up in the Mark, some in the dales, and some by the waters’ side. In Finnmark be waters wondrous big, and there by the waters’ side big mark-lands, but high fells lie aback from end to end of the Mark, and that is called the Keel.3

  Now when Thorolf came east to Kvenland and was met with King Faravid, then make they ready for their journey and had three hundred men, and the Northmen the fourth hundred, and fared the upper way about Finnmark and came forth there where the Kirials were on the fell, the same which had aforetime harried the Kvens. But when these were ware of unpeace toward, they gathered together and fared forth to meet it: they looked for victory, like as before. But when they fell to battle, the Northmen went hard forward. They had shields withal trustier than had the Kvens. And now turned it to man-fall in the host of the Kirials: much people fell of them but some fled. King Faravid and Thorolf took fee there past all telling: turned back to Kvenland, and after that fared Thorolf and his folk to the Mark. He and King Faravid parted with friendship.

  Thorolf came down from the fell into Vefsnir: fared then first to his own place, to Sandness: there tarried awhile: fared from the north about spring-time with his folk to Torgar. But when he came there it was said to him how Hildirid’s sons had been that winter in Thrandheim with King Harald, and this withal, that they had not spared to slander Thorolf to the King. There was much said to Thorolf hereof, what manner of stuff they had to their slander. Thorolf answered thus: “The King will not believe it, though such lies be borne up before him (seeing that there is no matter in it), that I should bewray him: for he hath in many a thing done great good to me, and in no thing done me ill. And so far is it from me, that I should will to do him a hurt, though I had the choice, that I had much rather be landed man of his than be called king, when there might be another, mine own countryman, one that might make me his thrall if he would”.

  CHAPTER XV. OF MORE LIES AND SLANDERS OF THOSE SONS OF HILDIRID.

  HILDIRID’S sons had been that winter with Harald the King and had with them homemen of theirs and neighbours. Those brethren were oft a-talking with the King, and drave still o’ the same road with Thorolf’s case.

  Harek asked: “Liked you well of the Finn-scat, King, that Thorolf sent you?”

  “Well,” said the King.

  “Then should you have found matter indeed,” saith Harek, “if you had had all that which was yours of right: but now it fares far otherwise. Much the greatest part it was that Thorolf kept for himself. He sent you for a gift three beaver-skins; yet I know for a truth that he kept back thirty of them, that were yours of right, and well I think it must have fared on such wise with other things. Sooth it is, King, if thou give the stewardship into the hand of us brethren, we shall fetch you more fee.”

  Now unto all this they said against Thorolf did the men of their company bear witness with them. And so it came about that the King was of the wrathfullest.

  CHAPTER XVI. OF THOROLF KVELDULFSON AND THE KING.

  THOROLF fared that summer south to Thrandheim to see Harald the King, and had there along with him all the scat and much fee beside and ninety men and all well arrayed. But when he came to the King then was place made for them in the guest-hall and entertainment done them of the noblest. Afterward the same day goeth Oliver Hnufa to Thorolf his kinsman. They talked together. Oliver said that Thorolf was then much evil spoke of, and that the King gave ear to such stories. Thorolf bade Oliver take up his case for him with the King; “Because I”, said he, “am like to be short-spoken before the King, if he will rather believe slander of wicked men than true things and singleness such as he may approve in me”.

  Another day came Oliver to find Thorolf and said that he had talked of his case with the King. “I know not now,” said he, “no whit better than afore, what he hath in his mind.”

  “Then shall I myself go to him,” saith Thorolf.

  He did so: went to the King when he sat at meat; and when he came in he hailed the King. The King took his greeting and bade give Thorolf to drink. Thorolf said that he had there the scat which was the King’s, which was come from Finnmark; “And yet more things have I for gifts of remembrance1 unto you, King, that I have to bring to you. I know that all will best betide me in these things that I have done to do you pleasure”.

  The King saith that nought might he look for from Thorolf save good only, “Seeing that nought else”, saith he, “am I deserving of. And yet men’s speech goeth somewhat two ways about this, how far thou art apt to give heed to what shall like me”.

  “I am not truly spoke of”, saith Thorolf, “if any say that, that I have shown me untrue to you, King. Well I think that they must be thy friends less than I, they that have borne up such tales before thee. But this much is clear, that they must mean to be unfriends unto me-ward, full and perfect: and that is likeliest, too, that they shall get that they came to market for,2 if we shall have the settling of it, I and they.”

  Therewith Thorolf gat him gone.


  Another day after this Thorolf paid the scat out of hand, and the King was stood by; and when all was paid over, Thorolf bare forth certain beaver-skins and sables: said that he will give these to the King. Many that were standing by spake and said that that was well done, and was a thing worthy of friendship: the King said Thorolf had himself portioned out his own reward. Thorolf said that he had with truth and honesty done all that he knew to pleasure the King, “And if yet it like him not, then must I find all my doing brought to naught. It was known to the King, when I was with him and in his following, what way I carried me; and that meseemeth wonderful if the King will think me now another man than the man he did then approve me for”.

  The King saith, “Well didst thou fare, Thorolf, of thine haviour, when thou wast with us. And now I am minded that the best way to do of it is that thou go into my bodyguard. Take ward of my banner, and be over the other men of my bodyguard. Then may no man slander thee if I may overlook thee night and day, what way thou carriest thee”.

  Thorolf looked to either hand of him. There stood his housecarles. He spake: “Loth must I be to let go from mine hand this following of mine. Thou must do as thou wilt, King, with the titles of dignity you gave me and these thy revenues, but these followers of mine may I not let go from mine hand for so long as there remaineth to me the means to keep them, though ’twere at mine own private cost. This is my boon and my wish, that you, King, should come and see me at home and hear the words of those men that thou trustest, what witness they bear me in this matter. And after that, do according as you shall find to be true”.

  The King answereth and saith that he will not be feasted a second time by Thorolf.