Egil’s Saga Page 8

  CHAPTER XXII. THE FALL OF THOROLF KVELDULFSON.

  HARALD the King sate then at Hladir when Hallvard and his folk set forth. And straightway, with a like speed the King made him ready at his swiftest and went ashipboard, and they rowed in along the firth by Skarnsound, and so by Beitsea inland to Elda-eid.1 He left the ship behind there, and fared north across the neck to Naumdale; there took he long-ships that the bonders had and gat him ashipboard with his folk: he had his bodyguard and nigh three hundred men. He had five ships or six, and all big.

  They had a sharp head-wind and rowed night and day as fast as they might go. Night was then light for travelling. They came at eventide to Sandness after sundown, and saw there before the house a great long-ship a-floating, with her tilt rigged. They knew her for that ship which Thorolf owned; he had let array her, and was minded to fare abroad out of the land; and even then had he let brew his parting-ale.

  The King bade his men go ashore from the ships, every man of them. He let set up his banner. It was but a short way to go to the house; moreover Thorolf’s watchmen sat within-door a-drinking and were not gone to set the watch, and there was not any man without: all the folk sat within-door a-drinking. The King let throw a ring of men about the hall. Then set they up the war-whoop, and in the King’s trumpet was blown the war-blast. But when Thorolf and his hear that, they leapt to their weapons, for every man’s weapons hung all at hand over his seat.

  The King let call to them in the hall and bade go out2 women and young men and old men and thralls and bondmen. And now went out Sigrid the housewife, and with her those women that were within-door and those other men that were given leave to go out.

  Sigrid asked if they were there, those sons of Berdla-Kari. They stood forth both, and asked what she would have of them. “Bring me to the King,” said she.

  They did so. But when she was come to the King, then asked she, “Shall it aught avail to seek for atonement, Lord, betwixt you and Thorolf?”

  The King answereth: “So Thorolf will give himself up into my power to be forgiven, he shall hold by life and limb. But his men must abide punishment for whatso things they shall be found guilty of”.

  After that, went Oliver Hnufa to the hall and let call Thorolf to speech with him. He said unto him that choice which the King gave him. Thorolf answereth: “Nought of forced atonement will I take of the King. Bid thou the King to give us way out: then let things shake out as fate hath shapen”.

  Oliver gat him to the King and said what Thorolf bade for himself.

  The King said, “Bear fire to the hall. I will not fight with them and have hurt of my folk. I wot that Thorolf will do us great man-scathe if we shall go seek him there, where it must be slow work to win in at him, albeit he hath fewer folk than we”.

  Therewith was fire borne to the hall, and that took swiftly, for the timber was dry and the woodwork tarred, and it was thatched with birch-bark about the roof. Thorolf bade his men break up the wainscot that was betwixt hall and fore-hall, and that was swiftly gotten done; but when they gat the beam, then took hold on the one beam as many men as might fasten a hold on it, and drave with the other end against the corner so hard that the nave-rings burst off of the outer side and the walls sprang asunder, so as there was a great way out.

  There gat Thorolf out the first, and then Thorgils the Yeller, and so each after other. Then it came to battle; and so it was for a while, that the hall guarded the backs of Thorolf and his folk; but when that took to burning, then came the fire against them. There fell then much of their folk.

  Then leapt Thorolf forth and hewed on either hand: set on thitherward where the King’s banner was. Then fell Thorgils the Yeller. But when Thorolf came forth so far as the shieldburg,3 he laid his sword through that man that bare the banner. Then spake Thorolf: “Now come I three feet short”. There stood in him then both sword and spear, but the King himself dealt him his bane-wound, and Thorolf fell forward at the feet of the King.

  Then called out the King and bade give over slaying of more men; and it was so done. And now the King bade his men go down to the ships. He spake with Oliver and his brother: “Take now Thorolf your kinsman and do him lyke-help, and so with the other men that here be fallen, and give them burial; and let bind the wounds of men, of them that have hope of life. And there shall be no robbing here, sith all this fee is mine”.

  Therewith the King gat him down to the ships and the most of his people along with him, but when they were come ashipboard then took men to binding of their wounds. The King walked about the ship and looked to the wounds of men. He saw where a man was a-binding of a wound that was gotten of a glancing blow. The King said that ’twas not Thorolf dealt that wound: “All another way did weapons bite for him. Few, I think, might bind up those wounds that he gave. And great scathe it is, the loss of such men as he”.

  Now forthwith at morning of day the King let draw up his sail and sailed south with all speed. But as day drew on, the King and his folk found many rowing-ships in every island-sound; and those folk had been minded to join with Thorolf, for he had had espial holden all southaway in Naumdale and wide about the isles. It had been made known to them that Hallvard and his brother were come from the south with a great force, and meant to set upon Thorolf. Hallvard and his had ever a head-wind, and they had tarried in every haven, until news of them had fared up about the land; and of this had Thorolf’s espiers been made ware, and for this cause had that war-rush come about.

  The King sailed before a strong fair wind until he was come to Naumdale: left there his ships behind him, but he fared the overland way to Thrandheim. He took there his ships that he had left behind there, and so held his course with his folk out to Hladir.

  These tidings were soon noised abroad, and came to the ears of Hallvard and his where they lay. They turned back then to join the King, and their journey was thought somewhat to be laughed at.

  Those brethren, Oliver Hnufa and Eyvind Lambi, tarried awhile at Sandness. They let deal with the slain that there were fallen. They did with Thorolf’s body after the accustomed way, like as it was fit to do with the bodies of men of worship; set up standing stones for him. They let heal the sick men. They set in order the household, too, with Sigrid. There was left all the stock, but the household furniture and table-array and the clothes of men had for the most part been burnt up.

  Now when those brethren were ready, they fared from the north and came to find Harald the King, in Thrandheim where he was, and were with him awhile. They were silent and spake little with men. So it was, upon a day, that those brethren went before the King. Then spake Oliver: “This leave will we two brethren ask of you, King, that you give us leave to fare home to our own place, sith here hath such things betided as we have not the heart to drink and sit at board with those men which bore weapon against Thorolf our kinsman”.

  The King looked at him and answereth somewhat short: “I shall not give you leave for this. Here shall you bide, with me”.

  Those brethren gat them gone and back to their seats.

  The next day after, the King sate in his council-hall: let call thither Oliver and his brother. “Now shall ye two know,” saith the King, “touching that errand ye had with me, and prayed to go home. You have been here awhile with me and been well behaved. Ye have done well always. In all things I have been well pleased with you. Now it is my will, Eyvind, that thou fare north to Halogaland. I will give thee Sigrid in Sandness, that woman whom Thorolf had to wife. I will give thee all that fee that Thorolf owned. Thou shalt have therewith my friendship, if thou knowest how to keep it. But Oliver shall follow me. I will not let him go, for the sake of the skill that is his.”

  Those brethren thanked the King for that honour that he did them: said they would take that right gladly. Then Eyvind made ready for his journey: gat him a good ship that served his turn. The King gave him his tokens for this business. Well sped Eyvind of his journey, and came up north to Sandness in Alost. Sigrid took well with them. And now Eyvind bare forw
ard the tokens of the King and his errand unto Sigrid, and began his wooing of her: said that this was the King’s word-sending, that Eyvind should gain that suit. But Sigrid saw she had but this only choice, as it was now come about, to let the King rule herein. So went that rede forward, that Eyvind gat Sigrid to wife. He took to him then the household at Sandness and all that fee that Thorolf had had.

  Eyvind was a worshipful man. The children of him and Sigrid were Finn Skialg, the father of Eyvind Skaldspiller,4 and Geirlaug that Sighvat the Red had to wife. Finn Skialg had to wife Gunnhild, the daughter of Earl Halfdan: her mother was named Ingibiorg, daughter of King Harald Hairfair.

  Eyvind Lambi held himself in friendship with King Harald whiles they both were alive.

  CHAPTER XXIII. THE SLAYING OF HILDIRID’S SONS.

  THERE was a man named Ketil Haeng, son of Thorkel the Naumdale Earl and of Hrafnhild, daughter of Ketil Haeng of Hrafnista. Haeng was a worshipful man and a man of mark. He had been the greatest friend of Thorolf Kveldulfson and his near kinsman. He was then in that rush to arms when the host-gathering was in Halogaland and men were minded to give aid to Thorolf, as was afore-writ. But when King Harald fared from the north and men were made aware of Thorolf’s taking off, then broke they up their gathering.

  Haeng had with him sixty men, and he turned toward Torgar. And there were Hildirid’s sons, and had few in their following. And when Haeng came to the house, he made an onslaught upon them. There fell Hildirid’s sons1 and most of their men that were there, but Haeng and his took all the fee they might lay hand on.

  After that, Haeng took two round-ships, the biggest he might find: let bear aboard of them all the fee he owned and might come away with. He had with him his wife and children, besides all those men who had been at this work with him. There was a man named Baug, Haeng’s fosterbrother, a high-born man and a wealthy. He steered one of the round-ships. So when they were ready and a fair breeze blew, then sailed they out into the main.

  A few winters before had Ingolf and Hiorleif2 gone to settle Iceland, and that journey was then much in the talk of men: men said there was right good choice of land there. Haeng sailed west into the main and sought toward Iceland. Now when they were ware of land they were come upon it from the south; and because the gale was fierce, and surf along the land, and nought harbour-like, they sailed west along the land off the sands. But when the gale began to fall and the surf to abate, then was a great river-mouth before them, and they held on there with their ships up into the river and laid them aland on the eastern bank. That river is named now Thursowater: ran then much narrower and was deeper than now it is.3

  They unladed the ships: took then and kenned the land from the east along the river and flitted after them their livestock. Haeng was, for the first winter, in the country out beyond the outer Rangriver; but in the spring he kenned the land eastward, and took then land between Thursowater and Markfleet, between fell and foreshore, and dwelt at Hof beside the eastern Rangriver. Ingunn his wife bare a child in the spring, after they had been there their first winter, and the boy was named Hrafn. And when the houses there were pulled down, then was the place called thereafter Hrafntofts.

  Haeng gave Baug land in Fleetlithe down from Markriver to the river out beyond Broadlairstead, and he dwelt at Lithend;4 and from Baug is come a great line of kindred in that countryside.

  Haeng gave land to his shipmates, but sold to some for a little price, and they are called land-take men.5

  Storolf was named a son of Haeng: he had the Knoll and Storolfsfield. His son was Worm the Strong.

  Heriolf was named the second son of Haeng: he had land in Fleetlithe marching with Baug, and out as far as Knollslech. He lived under the Brents. His son was Summerlid, father of Weatherlid the skald.6

  Helgi was the third son of Haeng. He dwelt at the Field, and had land as far as the upper Rangriver and down to march with his brethren’s.

  Vestar was named the fourth son of Haeng. He had land to the east of Rangriver, betwixt that and Thwartwater, and the lower part of Storolfsfield. He had to wife Moeid, daughter of Hildir of Hildisey. Their daughter was Asny, whom Ofeig Grettir had to wife. Vestar dwelt at Moeidsknoll.

  Hrafn was the fifth of Haeng’s sons. He was the first Speaker of the Law7 in Iceland. He dwelt at Hof after his father. Thorlaug was Hrafn’s daughter, whom Jorund the Priest had to wife. Their son was Valgard of Hof. Hrafn was the worship-fullest of the sons of Haeng.

  CHAPTER XXIV. THE SORROW OF KVELDULF.

  KVELDULF heard tell of the fall of Thorolf his son. He became sorrowful with these tidings, so that he laid him in his bed, for grief and old age. Skallagrim came often to him and talked to him: bade him arouse himself: said that all things else were fitter than this, to come to utter worthlessness and lie bed-ridden: “That rather should be our rede, to look for vengeance after Thorolf. May be, that we may come at some of those men that have been at Thorolf’s fall. And if not that, then will there be men, whom we may catch, that the King shall think it much against his liking”.

  Kveldulf quoth a stave:1

  News from a northern island:

  (The Norns are grim!) too early

  The Thunder-Lord hath chose him:

  Thorolf lieth low now.

  Nought swift, for all I strive for’t,

  Nought swift will be the ’venging:

  By thowless eld enthralled I’m bann’d

  From Thing of Odin’s shield-mays.

  Harald the King fared that summer to the Uplands, and fared in the autumn west to Valdres and all up to Vors. Oliver Hnufa was with the King, and came oft to speech with the King, if he would be willing to pay boot2 for Thorolf: bestow on Kveldulf and Skallagrim money-boot or some such manly gift as they might be content with. The King did not wholly warn him off from this, if that father and son would come and see him.

  And now Oliver started on his journey north into the Firths: stayed not till he came at fall of day to that father and son. They took to him in thankful wise: tarried he there some while.

  Kveldulf asked Oliver carefully about those doings that had come about at Sandness when Thorolf fell, of this too, what Thorolf had framed to do before he fell; and this, who bare weapons upon him, and where he had the greatest wounds, and what way his fall was. Oliver said to him all that he asked; this too, that King Harald dealt him that wound that should alone have been enough and more to be the bane of him, and that Thorolf fell nigh upon the feet of the King face downward. Then answereth Kveldulf: “Well hast thou said. For that have men spoken of old, that of that man will be vengeance who fell face downward, and nigh to him will the vengeance come who was in the way of him when he fell. But unlikely it is that unto us should that good luck be fated”.

  Oliver said to that father and son that he had hope if they would go and see the King, and seek atonement, that that might turn out an honourable journey, and bade them make hazard of this, and laid many words thereto.

  Kveldulf said that he was nought fit for that, for eld’s sake. “I will bide at home,” said he.

  “Wilt thou go, Grim?” said Oliver.

  “I think this is no errand of mine,” said Grim. “I shall seem to the King nought ready of word. I think I should not stand long bidding atonement of him.”

  Oliver said that he should have no need of that: “We shall speak all on thy behalf, so well as we know how”.

  And what with Oliver’s much pressing of his suit, Grim promised that he would go on this journey soon as he should deem him ready. He and Oliver fixed a time between them when Grim should come to meet with the King. Fared then Oliver first away, and to the King.

  CHAPTER XXV. OF SKALLAGRIM’S GOING TO THE KING.

  SKALLAGRIM made him ready for that journey that was aforesaid. He picked him men of his homemen and neighbours, them that were strongest of might bodily and doughtiest of those that were to hand. One man was named Ani, a wealthy bonder: another named Grani: the third Grimolf, and Grim, his brother, homemen of Skallagrim
’s, and those brethren Thorbiorn Krumm and Thord Beigaldi. They were called Thorarna’s sons. She dwelt a short way from Skallagrim’s and was learned in wizardry:1 Beigaldi was a sit-by-the-fire.2 One man was named Thorir the Giant and his brother Thorgeir Jardlang: a man named Odd Live-alone; Griss the Freedman. Twelve were they for that journey, and all the strongest men, and many shape-strong.

  They had a rowing-ferry that belonged to Skallagrim: fared south along the land: laid their course in into Osterfirth: fared then the land-way up to Vors, to that water which is there, and their road so lay that they must fare over it. They got them a rowing-ship, such as served their turn; and so rowed over the water. And then was it no long way to that farmstead where the King was a-feasting.

  Grim and his came there at that hour when the King was gone to table. Grim and his found men to speak to out in the garth,3 and asked what tidings were there; and when that was told them, then Grim bade call to speak with him Oliver Hnufa. That man went into the hall and thither where Oliver sat, and said to him: “Men be here come, outside, twelve together, if men you shall call them. But liker be they to giants in growth and seeming, than to mortal men”.

  Oliver stood up straightway and went out. He thought he knew who would be come. Welcomed he well Grim his kinsman, and bade him go in into the hall with him. Grim said to his fellows: “That will here be the way of it, that men go weaponless before the King. We shall go in, six, but other six shall be without and mind our weapons”.

  And now go they in. Oliver went before the King. Skallagrim stood at the back of him. Oliver took up the word: “Now is Grim hither come, the son of Kveldulf. We shall now take great joy of it, King, if you make his journey hither a good one, even as we hope it will be. Many be they that have of you great honour that are less fit for it than he, and that are nought near so well gifted in all feats of mastery as he will be. And thou mayest so do this, King, which is a thing I myself set most store by, if that is aught to thee”.