Six Sagas of Adventure

by Ben Waggoner (trans)

  In the morning, when the men came to the table to drink, King Eirek was quite jovial and spoke very cheerfully with King Hrolf’s men. When King Hrolf heard that, he paid attention, but spoke very little. When King Eirek noticed that, he said, “So the matter stands: Hrolf, you’ve come into our hall, as we invited you, and since it seems to me that you have no inclination to be cheerful, as is the custom of noble chieftains at feasts, we are eager for you to share with us the cause of your unhappiness, so that we may make your happiness complete. Thus may your kingly rank maintain its dignity, through the enjoyment of such things with which we may increase your honor. In exchange, we would like to hear from you some entertaining tales of your mighty deeds, such as are told daily about your heroic achievements and battles. We have been told a great deal about them already.”

  King Hrolf said, “It’ll be like everything else that’s said about me; it won’t seem very worthy to you Swedes.”

  King Eirek said, “Much has been said to us about your handsomeness and your accomplishments, and we think that one could not tell too many stories about all your handsome looks, courtliness, and courtesy. How old are you, Hrolf?”

  “I am now eighteen years old.”

  The king answered, “You are an outstanding man. But where do you intend to ride? What reason do you have for seeking us out?”

  Hrolf was amazed that the king would ask that, and he thought that the king must want to taunt him a second time. He said, “We’ve made known our reason for coming here, and I don’t think that the answer we got from you when we met has been forgotten by us Gauts.”

  The king said, “I don’t recall that you had brought up any reason to us. It does not befit our kingly rank to speak with an equally worthy ruler, such as yourself, except in goodly fashion. If we have said anything that might displease you, then the saying must be true that ‘ale makes a different man.’ We wish to take all that back judiciously, leaving it as if it were unsaid. Now that I can guard my tongue, I want to answer your proposal favorably, and that’s the way that matters will stand.”

  King Hrolf saw that King Eirek was calm. He brought up his proposal of marriage for the second time. He delivered it both well and swiftly. And when he ended his proposal, King Eirek said, “We want to answer this request favorably, because in all probability, no king more famous than you could ask to become our son-in-law. But you must have heard that our daughter does not live with us. We have given her a third of our kingdom, and she rules it just like a king. She is powerful and haughty and has a retinue, just like kings. Many kings and princes have asked for her hand. She has sent them all away with scornful words, and some she has had maimed. Now, since this conduct of hers is not to my taste, because she commits such great injustices, since no man may dare to address her in any way other than with the royal title, on pain of suffering hardship at her hands—now, if you wish to seek this woman’s hand in marriage, whether by wits or by force, then we will give you leave on our behalf. In return, we would like to have guarantees of peace and protection from you, for our men and all our kingdom, even should you need to engage in battle. Also, we are unwilling to force against her, and so we and all our retainers wish to remain at peace.”

  King Hrolf said that he could not have asked for more from the king, and they bound the agreement between them with oaths. Now they drank, happy and cheerful. King Eirek held the most lavish feast.

  When three days had passed, King Hrolf prepared to leave, and the kings parted in warm friendship. He didn’t stop traveling until he came with his retinue to Ullarakr, where Thornbjorg ruled. They arrived early in the day, and were told that the king was sitting at the table with all her household. The king chose twelve of his men to go with him—“and the rest of our men are to stand outside, with our horses ready.”

  King Hrolf spoke again with his men who were to go inside. “Here’s how we shall line up: I will go in first, then Ingjald, then the rest in single file. If it happens that we’re tested by an attack, defend yourselves as best you can, and let the man who came in last get out first. Let’s go in as boldly as we can.”

  After that they went into the hall. As they came in, all the king’s men were sitting on benches along both sides of the tables, and the hall was fully decked out. No one greeted them, but everyone listened carefully. King Hrolf went in before the high seat. He saw a most mighty person sitting there in splendid royal finery. This person was fair and handsome. Everyone sitting inside was amazed at the height and handsomeness of King Hrolf, but no one addressed any words to them.

  King Hrolf took the helmet from his head and bowed to the king, but stuck the point of his sword in the table. He said, “Be well, my lord, and peace to all your kingdom.” When the king heard his speech, she didn’t say a word or even glance at him.

  When King Hrolf saw the king’s great hostility, he began to speak: “My lord, I have come here to meet with you, with the advice and consent of King Eirek your father, to seek honor for you and advancement for myself, by joining with you in delightful enjoyment which each of us may offer the other according to the bidding of our natures, without any grief or unrest.”

  The king stared at him and said, “You must be a complete fool to have come to visit us, whatever you’re called back home. I can clearly see that this ‘delightful enjoyment’ that you’re craving from us is food and drink. We won’t withhold that from any man who is in need and will take it from us. For the trouble we’re taking, you should follow this request of ours closely: Don’t make us listen to such taunting, because I don’t intend to be any man’s steward or servant, not yours and no one else’s. You and your comrades get to your places quickly, so that you can ease your hunger and thirst. But leave us and all our trusted men in peace from your teasing.”

  King Hrolf said, “It’s not true that we’re craving food or drink from you now, because we’ve had plenty of that. But since we know that you’re the daughter of the King of Sweden, rather than his son, we want to make our proposal in no uncertain terms, with your father’s staunch agreement, and ask for your hand in marriage, to strengthen and rule our kingdoms in order to support and maintain all our offspring.”

  When King Thorberg heard these words from King Hrolf, she was so furious that she hardly knew what to do. She ordered all her men to arm themselves right there in the hall, and capture and tie up that fool—“he’s offered us such a huge disgrace, which I assume is meant to slander and shame us, because never before have such disgraceful words been spoken to any king or champion who can wield a weapon. I’ll pay him back, and discourage petty kings from making fun of us, or mocking our father the king so much.”

  This king and all her men were fully armored. She was the first to seize a weapon, and then one man after the other did the same. Loud clashings and battle-cries broke out in the hall, as each man encouraged the others. When King Hrolf saw the commotion, he set his helmet on his head and ordered his men to leave. The last man to enter was the first to leave. The entire household attacked King Hrolf with all the vigor they could muster. King Hrolf leaped backwards through the hall, holding his shield before him and swinging his sword as best he could. It’s said that he killed twelve men in the hall, but when they got out, he saw that there was no chance of resisting the great host of men. All they could do was to ride away at once. Their opponents kept screaming battle-cries and catcalls after them, each one louder than the next.

  King Hrolf ordered his men to ride away, and he soon got away, because the locals had no horses nearby for the pursuit. King Hrolf’s men were quite glad to escape. Nothing is said about their journey until they came home to Gautland. Their journey had gone badly.

  CHAPTER X

  It’s said that after the chase was over, the Swedes turned back to their own hall. The king had her hall cleaned and the fallen bodies carried out. The news was heard far and wide, and everyone felt that this journey had been comp
letely ludicrous.

  On another occasion, when the King of the Swedes had sat down with her household, she asked whether they knew anything about the man they had mocked. They answered that his name was Hrolf, king of Gautland. “He is easy to recognize,” they said, “on account of his height and handsomeness.”

  The king said, “We quickly recognized him from men’s reports. He is such a distinguished man, and he must also be a wise and patient man, and he seemed steadfast. I would think that he’ll be cool-headed and persistent in pursuing the proposal that he made, so we should prepare for this man coming after us Swedes again. We’ll seek out builders and have a rampart built all around our estate, immensely strong and well-built, and build it with such skill that it can’t be attacked with either fire or iron, because I think that this king is plotting against us.”

  When all this was done as the king willed and planned, King Thorberg had engines of war built there, both catapults and flame-shooters. The stronghold was made so secure that most people thought it unlikely that it could be taken, as long as there were bold men on the ramparts. The king now thought that she had a secure place to stay. She waited, cheerful and happy with those of her men who were at hand. No one could get in to see her without her leave.

  CHAPTER XI

  Now the story turns to how King Hrolf came home to Gautland, not content with his journey. His brother Ketil went to meet him and asked how it had gone. Hrolf told him about all their dealings.

  Ketil said, “It’s such a terrible disgrace to suffer being chased by a woman, like a mare in the stud-herd or a dog in the milking-shed. I’m sure that if I had been there, this journey would not have turned out so laughably. We should have all fallen there, one across the other, before letting ourselves be chased like cowardly goats before wolves. You must not mean to let this lie unavenged for long. You must summon all your fighting men at once, those who’ll support you.”

  King Hrolf answered, “We don’t care for your recklessness and thoughtlessness. Our journey would have gone much worse if we’d had your impatience and rashness to deal with. You can be sure that I intend to summon my men, but I don’t intend to go to Sweden this summer.”

  Ketil said, “This is terrible. The Swedes have beaten all the courage out of you, so you don’t dare avenge yourself.”

  The king said that he didn’t care about his anger or rebuke. He said that he would go ahead with his own plans. The king was tight-lipped about those and many other things, whether they pleased or displeased him.

  Winter passed, and in the spring the king prepared to set out from his land. When he was prepared, he set out raiding for the summer. He had five ships, all large and fully crewed. Both Ketil and Ingjald were with him. They raided far and wide throughout the western lands, in Shetland, the Hebrides, Orkney, and Scotland. They won plenty of wealth, and when summer had passed, they meant to go home.

  One evening they anchored in the lee of an island and put up awnings over their ships. When they had set them up, King Hrolf crossed the island with some men. They saw nine ships lying together off the other side of the island. They saw that these were Viking ships.

  The king went back to his own ships. He ordered Ketil his brother to launch the boat and find out who the captain of these ships was. Ketil did so; he rowed to the ships and asked who the captain was. A tall and handsome man stood up on the afterdeck of one of the ships and spoke up: “If you’re asking for the captain of this ship, he’s called Asmund, and he’s the son of King Olaf of Scotland. But who sent you?”

  Ketil answered, “King Hrolf Gautreksson sent me to find you and tell you that he’ll come here in the morning. He wants to have your wealth and ships, and butcher you for the wolves, unless you surrender everything you own into his hands.”

  Asmund answered, “We know that King Hrolf Gautreksson is famous for the many deeds that he has accomplished on raids. But now, since I am a king’s son and I have plenty of men, I say to King Hrolf that we will not surrender without a fight. We’ll pit five ships against your five ships,[9] and we’ll win this fight without sorcery.”

  After that, Ketil went back and told King Hrolf what had happened, saying that the man was the handsomest man and the finest warrior.

  In the morning, both sides prepared for battle. Asmund had four of his ships anchor nearby, and they began to fight at once. It was a hard and long and fierce battle. Asmund advanced with great bravery, and Hrolf thought that he’d never had to deal with braver men. Many fell on both sides. King Hrolf saw that this was no time for half measures, and he and his men rushed on board Asmund’s ship. Then there was a great slaughter. Asmund urged his men on and charged forward most bravely. King Hrolf came against him, and many men fell on both sides, but more on Asmund’s side. Both men traded blows, going at it with all their might. Hrolf ordered that no man should interfere in their combat. Asmund was badly wounded in their encounter, and when King Hrolf saw that he could no longer fight wholeheartedly, he said, “I want us to rest and talk a while.”

  Asmund asked him to explain. Hrolf said, “I have been raiding for several summers, and I have never found your equal in bravery. Now, since many of your men are wounded and dead, there are two options at hand. One is for you to crew your ship a second time with unwounded men, if you want to fight longer. Then we will fight to the end. The other option is for us to call a truce. Then I will offer to swear brotherhood with you, and thus we will make our friendship firm.”

  Asmund replied that he wanted a truce—“if you will spread no slander about me or my men.”

  Hrolf said that he had never met braver men.

  After that, King Hrolf ordered them to cease fighting. The peace-shields were held up.[10] Both of them anchored alongside the island and bound their men’s wounds. Two of Asmund’s ships, and one of Hrolf’s, had been cleared of fighters. Afterwards, each man swore faithfulness to the other, and vowed never to be parted except by the consent of both men. Then Asmund arranged his surviving forces: he equipped one ship very well with men and weapons, and the rest of his men he sent to Scotland. Two of his ship’s crews had fallen, and one of Hrolf’s. But the men whom Asmund thought were his best and bravest followers, he kept with him on one ship, and he sailed with King Hrolf to Gautland.

  Asmund was considered the boldest and bravest man, and came nearest to King Hrolf in all his achievements—yet he still came up short. They all stayed together that winter in Gautland, in perfect peace and with much good cheer. Asmund kept reminding King Hrolf to go back and see to his proposed marriage in Sweden, strongly urging him to make the journey. The king was always tight-lipped about this journey, but he had grief from his brother Ketil, who urged him on eagerly.

  When spring came, King Hrolf prepared to leave his lands. He had seven ships, all well equipped, and the boldest men. King Hrolf made it plain to his men that he meant to go to Sweden. Then the king asked his brother Ketil not to stay behind, and all the sworn brothers went on this journey. They set a course for Sweden with all their forces.

  CHAPTER XII

  On the night they arrived in Sweden, Queen Ingigerd had a dream. She told the dream to King Eirek: “I seemed to be standing outside, and once again I could see for a long distance. I looked to the sea and saw that no small number of ships had landed, and from the ships there ran many wolves, but a lion ran ahead of the wolves. Two white bears ran with him, very large and handsome. All these beasts came side by side, but beside the lion on the other side, there was a boar charging ahead. He was not as large as he was savage. I had never seen anything like him. He rooted up every hill and howled as if he would turn inside out. Every bristle on him was sticking out. He acted as if he would attack everything and bite whatever came in reach. Now I realize that the lion is King Hrolf’s fetch, since I saw him before. But now he was scowling much more fiercely than before. All the beasts were much more ferocious, and they charged onto lan
d, heading for Uppsala.”

  King Eirek said, “Who do you suppose has the wicked boar you saw as a fetch? That fetch wasn’t here on their first journey, and there was no more than one bear then.”

  The queen said, “I’ve heard it said that King Hrolf has a brother named Ketil, the smallest and most impetuous of men, full of rashness and violence, and the most eager for warlike exploits. I suppose this boar must be his fetch, because he wasn’t here before with his brother King Hrolf. Since there were two white bears, I guess that King Hrolf has taken some great man into his following, a king or a prince. Act rightly, my lord, and keep all your agreements with King Hrolf. He must now intend to come and see about his proposal of marriage. Many men would already have taken vengeance for outrages like those that were done to him when he went to Ullarakr, as we heard. As much as you promised to do as he wished the last time, you must now promise even more firmly, because he is now completely bent on harming us if he doesn’t make the marriage that he agreed on.” The king said that it would be done.

  Now the king was informed that King Hrolf had arrived in the land. King Eirek invited him to a splendid feast, along with a hundred of his men, and King Hrolf accepted. Eirek the king of Sweden and all his household went to meet him with great good cheer. They stayed there for several nights, honored most highly. King Eirek offered them anything they might be lacking, with the greatest good will.

  One day, when they had sat down to drink, King Eirek asked whether King Hrolf intended to pursue his marriage proposal. He said that he would risk it, however it might turn out.

  The king said, “Now it will go as I told you before; to accomplish anything here, you’ll need both cunning and bravery. We’ve been informed that the king has built great defenses. She’s had the strongest fortifications built, with great skill and all sorts of traps, and we don’t think that they will be easy to conquer. I will fulfill every promise which I have made to you, King Hrolf, and grant you rulership over the kingdom that we gave her to rule, until we leave off governing. Then you shall claim all this kingdom after we are gone—if you manage to win her.”