Chapter 32. Óláf Defeats Alvini and Marries Gytha
In the fall Óláf sailed from the Scilly Islands to England and anchored in some harbor. He proceeded peaceably, for England was Christian, and he too was a Christian. A summons had gone about the land that all men should come to the assembly. And when the assembly met, there came to it a certain queen called Gytha. She was the sister of Óláf Kváran who was a king in Ireland [with his seat] in Dublin.1 She had been married in England to a powerful earl. He had passed away, and she maintained herself in the earldom after him.
There was a certain man in her dominions called Alvini, a great champion, who challenged others to single combat. He had asked her in marriage, but she answered that she meant herself to choose the man living in her dominions whom she would marry; and the assembly had been called for the purpose of letting Gytha make her choice of a mate. Alvini had met there, arrayed in most splendid garments, and there were many others there in fine apparel.
Óláf had come there, dressed in his workaday clothes, with a fur cloak over them. He and his company stood apart from the others. Gytha walked about, looking at everyone who seemed to her of manly deportment. And when she came to where Óláf stood and looked up into his face, she asked him who he was. He gave his name as Óla. “I am a foreigner here,” he said.
Gytha said, “If you care to marry me I will choose you.”
“I shall not refuse that,” he said. He asked what her name was, and what her kin and origin.
“I am,” she said, “the daughter of a king in Ireland. I was married in this country to the earl who had sway here. And since he passed away I have ruled here. There have been men who have asked for my hand, but no one to whom I would be married. My name is Gytha.” She was young and handsome.
They discussed this matter and came to an agreement between them. Óláf betrothed himself to Gytha. This displeased Alvini greatly. But it was the custom in England that if two men contended about a matter, it should be decided by single combat. Alvini challenged Óláf Tryggvason to single combat to settle this matter, and they agreed on a time for the fight. They were to have twelve men on either side. When they met, Óláf told his men to do as he did. He had a big battle-axe, and when Alvini was about to hew at him with his sword he knocked the sword out of his hands, and with another blow he felled Alvini. Then Óláf bound him fast. And all of Alvini’s men fared thus—they were knocked down, tied, and led to Óláf’s quarters. Thereupon he ordered Alvini to leave the land and not to return, and took possession of all his property. Then Óláf married Gytha and resided in England, but at times in Ireland.
Once Óláf was in Ireland on some warlike expedition with his fleet. And when they required to make a raid on the shore for food, some men went on land and drove a great number of cattle down to the shore. Then a farmer ran after them and prayed Óláf to let him have the cows he owned, and Óláf told him he could have his cows if he recognized them, “but don’t delay us.” The farmer had with him a large cattle dog. He pointed him into the flock, where many hundred cattle were being driven. The dog circled the whole herd and drove away as many cows as the farmer said he owned, and they all bore the same mark, so they believed that the dog had recognized them properly, and they thought the dog marvellously clever. Then Óláf asked the farmer if he would give him the dog.
“Gladly,” said the farmer. Óláf right away gave him a gold ring in return and promised him his friendship. That dog was called Vígi and was a most outstanding dog. Óláf kept him for a long time afterwards.
Chapter 33. King Harald Gormsson Is Discouraged from Invading Iceland
Harald Gormsson, king of Denmark, learned that Earl Hákon had renounced Christianity and had harried far and wide in the Danish realm. Then he levied troops and sailed to Norway. And when he came to the domain ruled by Earl Hákon he harried there and laid all the land waste. At last he came to the islands called Solundir.1 Only five farms remained un-burned in Lær Dale in the Sogn District, and the people all fled into the mountains and forests with all the possessions they could take along. Then the king of Denmark had the intention to sail with his fleet to Iceland to avenge the insult which all Icelanders had heaped on him. It had been put into the laws in Iceland that a lampooning verse about the Danish king be composed for every head in the land. The reason for this was that when a vessel owned by Icelanders was shipwrecked in Denmark, the Danes appropriated all the cargo, calling it goods drifted ashore. And it was a bailiff of the king, called Birgir who was responsible for that. Lampooning verses were composed about him and the king. Among them is this one:
(133.)
150. South of the sea when Harald
set upon the mare-horse,
wax-soft was his limb and
weak, though he a stallion.
Was base, mare-like2 Birgir
banned from the isle by land-wights
angrily eying him—
all the world did see that.
King Harald bade a warlock to journey to Iceland and find out what he could tell him. He went in a whale’s-shape. And when he came to Iceland he proceeded west and north around it. He saw that all mountains and hills were full of land-wights, some big and some small. And when he came to the Vápnafjord he swam into the fjord, intending to go ashore there. Then a big dragon came down the valley, followed by many serpents, toads, and adders that blew poison against him. Then he swam away, heading west along the land, all the way to the Eyjafjord, and he entered into that fjord. Then there flew against him a bird so large that its wings touched the mountains on either side of the fjord, and a multitude of other birds besides, both large and small. Away he backed from there, swimming west around the land and then south to the Breithafjord and entered that fjord. Then came against him a big bull, wading out into the water and bellowing fearfully. A multitude of land-wights followed him. Away he backed from there, swimming around Reykjaness, and intended to come ashore at Víkarsskeith. Then came against him a mountain giant with an iron bar in his hand, and his head was higher than the mountains, and many other giants were with him. From there he swam east along the whole land—“and there was nothing but sands and a harborless coast,” he said, “with a tremendous surf to seaward; and the sea between the lands is so wide that it is not feasible to sail there with warships.”
At that time there dwelled Brodd-Helgi in the Vápnafjord District, Eyólf Valgertharson in the Eyjafjord District, Thórth Gellir in the Breitha-fjord District, and Thórodd the Priest in the Olfus District.
Thereupon the king of Denmark sailed his fleet south along the land, and then to Denmark. But Earl Hákon had all the land cultivated again and paid no more tribute to the king of Denmark afterwards.
Chapter 34. Of King Svein Forkbeard and the Jómsvíkings
Svein, the son of King Harald, who later was called Forkbeard, demanded a share of the kingdom from his father; but then it was as before, that King Harald would not divide the Danish realm into two parts and did not give him any part of his dominion. Then Svein procured himself warships and indicated that he would go on a viking expedition. And when his troops were gathered and he had been joined by Pálna-Tóki1 of the Jómsvíkings, Svein sailed to Seeland and into the Isafjord. There, King Harald lay moored with his fleet, making ready to go on a sea expedition. Svein gave him battle, and it was a severe engagement. Then support arrived for King Harald, so that Svein was overpowered and fled. In the battle King Harald received mortal wounds. Thereupon Svein became king of Denmark.
At that time Sigvaldi ruled as earl in Jómsborg in Wendland. He was the son of King Strút-Harald, who had ruled the province of Scania. Heming and Thorkel the Tall were the brothers of Sigvaldi. Another chieftain over the Jómsvíkings was Búi the Stout of Borgundarholm and his brother Sigurth. There was also Vagn, the son of Áki and Thorgunna, and sister’s son of Búi. Sigvaldi had taken King Svein captive and brought him to Jómsborg in Wendland and compelled him to make peace with Búrizláf, the king of the Wends, with
him, Earl Sigvaldi, as the umpire. Sigvaldi was married to Ástríth, a daughter of King Búrizláf. If he would not, Sigvaldi said, he would deliver him up to the Wends. But the king knew that they would torture him to death, and therefore he agreed to the peace the earl would arrange. The earl decreed that King Svein should marry Gunnhild, another daughter of King Búrizláf, and King Búrizláf should marry Thyra, the daughter of Harald and sister of King Svein; that both of them should retain their own kingdom, and that there should be peace between their countries. After that, King Svein returned to Denmark with Gunnhild, his spouse. Their sons were Harald and Knút [Canúte] the Powerful. At that time the Danes constantly threatened to proceed with a fleet to Norway against Earl Hákon.
Chapter 35. The Vows of Svein and the Jómsvíkings
King Svein arranged a great feast, requesting the presence of all 994 the chieftains in his realm. He intended to honor his father Harald with a funeral feast, and enter into his inheritance. Shortly before that also Strút-Harald of Scania and Véseti of Borgundarholm, the father of Búi the Stout, had passed away. Then the king sent word to the Jómsvíkings that Earl Sigvaldi and Búi and their brothers should come and inherit from their fathers at this funeral feast which the king made. The Jómsvíkings came to the feast with all their most valorous men. They had forty ships from Wendland, and twenty from Scania. A very great multitude was assembled there.
On the first day of the banquet, before King Svein ascended the high-seat of his father, he drank to his memory and made the vow that before three years had passed he would have invaded England with his army and killed King Æthelred or driven him from his country. All who were at the funeral feast were to drink that memorial toast. The chieftains of the Jómsvíkings were served the biggest horns with the strongest drink there was. When that memorial horn had been emptied, then all were to drink a memorial toast to Christ, and the Jómsvíkings were always served with the fullest horns and the strongest drink. The third memorial toast was brought to [Archangel] Michael, and all drank that. Then Earl Sigvaldi drank a horn in memory of his father, making the vow that before three years had passed he would have invaded Norway and killed Earl Hákon or else driven him from his country. Thereupon Thorkel the Tall, his brother, vowed that he would follow Sigvaldi to Norway and not flee from battle while Sigvaldi was still fighting. Then Búi the Stout vowed that he would sail to Norway with them, and not flee from a battle with Earl Hákon. Then his brother Sigurth vowed that he would go to Norway and not flee while the greater part of the Jómsvíkings were still fighting. Then Vagn Ákason vowed that he would follow them to Norway and not return before he had killed Thorkel Leira and gone to bed with Ingibjorg, his daughter. Many other chieftains made vows of various kinds. That day the men drank at the funeral feast, but on the morning following when the Jómsvíkings were sober again, they thought they had said too much and they consulted together and took counsel how they should go about their expedition, and they decided to get ready the soonest possible, and equipped both their ships and crews. All this became widely known throughout the lands.
Earl Sigvaldi makes a vow at the arvel.
Chapter 36. Earl Eirík Joins Earl Hákon
Earl Eirík, the son of Hákon, learned of this. At that time he was in Rau-mariki. He assembled troops at once and proceeded to the Uppland districts and thence north over the mountains till he arrived in Trondheim where he met his father, Earl Hákon. Thórth Kolbeinsson1 makes mention of this in his Eiríksdrápa:
(134.)
151. And from the south proceeding,
sea-steeds many with warriors—
feared the wealthy farmers
for their lives—sailed northward.
Learned then the liege-lord that
launched were to the southward,
o’er worn rollers, warships
withy-bound2 from Denmark.
Chapter 37. The Earls Gather Their Forces
Earl Hákon and Earl Eirík had the war-arrows sent about all the Trondheim districts, and despatched messengers to South and North Mœr, to Raums Dale, and also north ot Naumu Dale and Hálogaland, summoning a total conscription of both men and ships. As is said in the Eiríksdrápa:
(135.)
152. Masted merchantmen and
many warships and galleys
let the prince—my poem
prospers—float on the waters,
the time the shield-shatterer
sheltered—numberless were
long-ships on the lee-shore
launched—his father’s country.
Earl Hákon immediately sailed south to Mœr to reconnoiter and collect more troops while Earl Eirík gathered the army together and moved it south.
Chapter 38. Geirmund Forewarns Earl Hákon of the Approach of the Jómsvíkings
The Jómsvíkings steered their fleet to the Limfjord, whence they sailed out to sea with sixty ships, sighting land at Agthir and at once continuing north to Rogaland. They took to harrying as soon as they came to Earl Hákon’s dominions, and thus proceeded north along the land, plundering all the while.
There was a man called Geirmund who with some few men was sailing with a swift skiff. He made land in Mœr where he found Earl Hákon. He went in and stepped before the earl as he sat at table and informed the earl that a fleet had come to the land south of there from Denmark. The earl asked if he could show proof of that. Geirmund lifted up his one arm on which the hand was cut off at the wrist, and said that this was his proof that a hostile force had invaded the land. Thereupon the earl inquired more closely about this army. Geirmund said that they were the Jómsvíkings, and that they had slain many and plundered far and wide. “And they sail fast and push on hurriedly. I expect that it will not be long before they appear here.” Then the earl rowed into and out of all fjords, travelling day and night, and reconnoitering inland from the Eith Peninsula, and from there south in the Fjord District, and also north where Eirík lay with his fleet; as is mentioned in the Eiríksdrápa:
Geirmund brings the news of the approach of the Jómsvíkings.
(136.)
153. Overawing the foe, the
earl against Sigvaldi’s
higher prows opposed his
planked fleet of small vessels.
Shook the shafts of oars, but
shield-shatterers quaked not,
saters of ravens, slitting
sea-waves with their oar-blades.
Earl Eirík proceeded south with his fleet as fast as he could.
Chapter 39. The Old Farmer Deceives the Jómsvíkings
Earl Sigvaldi sailed his fleet north around Cape Stath, mooring first by the Herey Islands. The country folk whom the Jómsvíkings encountered never told them the truth about the whereabouts of the earls. The Jómsvíkings harried wherever they went. They anchored outside of Hoth Island, went on land, harried and brought to their ships both people and cattle, killing the men able to bear arms. But on their way down to the ships they met an old farmer right close to Búi’s men. The farmer said, “You don’t act like warriors, driving cows and calves down to the beach, when you could make a bigger catch, and kill the bear, since you are near the bear’s lair.”
“What is the fellow saying?” they said. “Can you perhaps tell us about Earl Hákon?”
The farmer said, “Yesterday he rowed into the Horundarfjord with one ship or two, there weren’t more than four in any case, and he didn’t know anything about you.”
Búi and his men at once ran to the ships, letting go of all their booty. Búi said, “Let us make good use of what we have just heard, and let us be first in the victory.” And once aboard the ships they straightway rowed out to sea. Then Earl Sigvaldi called out to them and asked what they had learned. They said that Earl Hákon was inside the fjord. Then the earl cast the cables off his ships and they rowed north around the island of Hoth and then into the fjord past the island.
Chapter 40. The Battle Array of the Hostile Forces
Earl Hákon and
his son, Earl Eirík, were moored in Hallkels Inlet. Their total forces were assembled there. They had one hundred and fifty [180] vessels and had learned by that time that the Jómsvíkings had anchored outside of the Island of Hoth. Then the earls rowed north to look for them, and when they came to the place called Hjorunga Bay they encountered them. Then both sides arrayed their forces for battle. The banner of Earl Sigvaldi was in the center of the fleet. Against it, Earl Hákon pitted himself for the battle. Earl Sigvaldi had twenty ships, and Hákon, sixty. In the force of Earl Hákon there were the chieftains Thórir Hart of Hálogaland and Styrkár of Gimsar. One wing [of the Jómsvíkings’] fleet was headed by Búi the Stout and his brother Sigurth, with twenty ships. Against him was arrayed Earl Eirík, the son of Hákon, with sixty ships. Under him were these chieftains: Guthbrand the White from the Upplands and Thorkel Leira, a man from Vík. In the other wing [of the Jómsvíkings’ fleet] lay Vagn Ákason with twenty ships; and he was faced by Svein, the son of Hákon, with Skeggi of Upphaug in Yrjar and Rognvald from Ærvík on Stath with sixty ships. As is said in the Eiríksdrápa:
(137.)
154. Forth to the fray the Danish
fleet over the ocean—
along the land sailing
long ways—swiftly glided,
with vessels the victorious
vassal of Danes1 in battle
cleared of many men in
Mœr—were their corpses warm still.
And as Eyvind Skáldaspillir also says in his Háleygjatal:
(138.)
155. Little joy
had lords of Danes
as toward morn
met together
their fleet with
the folk-warder’s,
from the south
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