King Óláf breaks London Bridge.
(10.)
199. Boldly brokest London
Bridge’s towers, thou Óthin’s
-storm-of-steel’s keen urger,
striving to win England.
Were shields by shafts in battle
shattered, as the olden—
fiercely raged the fighting—
far-famed swords were shivered.
And still further he composed this verse:
(11.)
200. Landedst, and land gavest,
liege-lord, to Æthelred.
Much did need thee, mighty
man of war, the sovran.
Hard the fight you fought, ere,
feeder-of-wolves, came with you
Edmund’s sire, who ere had
England in peace governed.
Sigvat also mentions these events:
(12.)
201. Certes, the sixth fray, thou
sword-play-urger, was when
Óláf broke the oaken
English Bridge of London.
Smote the Frankish swords, but
sallies made the vikings.
Some of them in Southwark’s
sodden fields had quarters.
Chapter 14. Óláf Aids Æthelred to Regain England
King Óláf was with King Æthelred during the following winter. 1010 They fought a great battle on Hringmara Heath1 in Úlfkelsland—that was the land ruled by Úlfkel Snilling [the Hero]. Óláf and Æthelred were victorious. As Skald Sigvat says:
(13.)
202. Even a seventh time Óláf
urged a bloody sword-thing2
in the land of Úlfkel,
as I heard it told me.
Hringmara Heath full was—
high were piled the dead—of
Ella’s offspring,3 whom the
heir of Harald4 battled.
Óttar also has this to say about this battle:
(24.)
203. Liege-lord, then learned I that
laden was with corpses
Hringmara Heath all bloody,
when that inland you battled.
Bowed and overborne, king,
by you, country-folk of
England, awed, submitted
or else fled off headlong.
At that time large parts of England were brought under the sway of King Æthelred; still the Company of the Thingmen5 and the Danes occupied many strongholds, and wide stretches of land were still held by them.
Chapter 15. Óláf Conquers Canterbury
King Óláf was leader of the army when it marched to Canterbury and fought till the place was overcome. They killed a host of foemen there and burned the castle. As says Óttar the Black:
(15.)
204. Onset made you, Yngvi’s-
heir,1 on princely chieftains:
generous king, you captured
Canterbury in the morning.
Fiercely burning, firebrands
fell into houses, nor didst,
liege-lord, learned I, spare the
lives of luckless burghers.
Sigvat counts this as the eighth battle of King Óláf:
(16.)
205. Wot I that the warrior, to
Wends a terror, strongly
an eighth time ’gainst earthworks
onset made and won them.
Nor could Canterbury’s
keepers hold back Óláf
who the prideful Partar2
plunged into greatest sorrow.
King Óláf had under him the defence of England and with his warships sailed along the land, and anchoring in Nýjamótha3—the Company of the Thingmen occupied that place—fought a battle, from which King Óláf emerged as victor. As says Skald Sigvat:
(17.)
206. Scatheless, in that skirmish
scalps red he gave the English.
Dark-red billowed blood on
blades in Nýjamótha.
Now have I nine battles
named for thee, king of Norway.
Danes fell where the deadly
dart-storm raged ’gainst Óláf.
Then King Óláf marched about far and wide in the land, exacting tribute or else harrying. As says Óttar:
(18.)
207. English hosts could hardly
hamper, king, thy progress
when thou tookst the traitors’
toll without forbearance.
Gold they often gave to
gracious lord grudgingly.
Treasures great at times were
taken aboard thy vessels.
King Óláf remained there three years at a stretch.
Chapter 16. Óláf Captures the Stronghold of Hól
In the spring of the third year King Æthelred died. His two sons, 1016 Eadmund and Eadward, took over the kingdom. Then King Óláf traversed the sea to the south and had a battle in the Hringsfjord and conquered the stronghold of Hól1 which vikings had occupied. He levelled it. As says Skald Sigvat:
(19.)
208. Tidings tell I of the
tenth stern storm-of-targes,2
fought by the folk-warder
fair Hrings’ fjord withinside.
At Hól he broke the high-on
headland-towering stronghold
vikings owned: they asked not
oftener for such issue.
Chapter 17. Óláf Wins Battles in Western Europe
King Óláf continued west [south] with his fleet to Grislupollar1 and fought victoriously with vikings before Williamsby. As says Sigvat:
(20.)
209. Liege, the eleventh battle—
lost great chiefs their lives there—
wont to weapon-thing, you
won in Grislupollar.
Worthy William’s castle—
wild the fray—before, were
helmets hewed in combat
hard, to tell you shortly.
Next he had a battle in the Fetlafjord to the west, as says Sigvat:
(21.)
210. Tawny she-wolves’ teeth a
twelfth time the king reddened,
fey when in Fetlafirth men
fell, slain by the chieftains.
From there King Óláf sailed all the way south to Seljupollar2 and fought a battle there. He conquered the castle called Gunnvaldsborg3—it was large and old—and there he captured the earl who was in command there, called Geirfith. Then he had a meeting with the townspeople and imposed a ransom on them for freeing the earl—twelve thousand gold shillings; and that sum was paid by the townspeople as he had demanded. As says Sigvat:
(22.)
211. A thirteenth time the Thronders’
thane did win a battle
south in Seljupollar,
sithen, with great carnage,
when to ancient stronghold
early at morn he marched, and
gallant Earl Geirfith of
Gunnvaldsborg made captive.
Chapter 18. Óláf Dreams That He Will Be King of Norway Forever
Thereupon King Óláf proceeded with his fleet west into Karlsá [Harbor], harried there and had a battle. Now when King Óláf lay in Karlsá [Harbor] waiting for a favorable breeze to sail to Norva Sound [the Strait of Gibraltar] and thence to Jerusalem, he dreamed a remarkable dream—that a man of commanding appearance, handsome but also terror-inspiring, approached him and spoke to him, bidding him give up his intention of proceeding further out into the world. “Return to your own possessions, because you shall be king of Norway forever.” He understood this dream to mean that he would be king in the land, and his descendants kings after him for a long time.
Chapter 19. Óláf Harries in Western France
Obeying this vision he turned back and anchored in Peituland [Poitou] where he harried and burned the market town called Varrandi.1 Of this, Óttar makes mention:
(23.)
212. War-loving prince, you plundered
Pe
ita while still youthful.
In Túskaland2 you tested
targes stained and sturdy.
Still further Sigvat says this:
(24.)
213. From the south the sovran
sailed up Leira3 River
to where spears were splintered,
speeding eager for battle.
Varrandi was by vengeful
vikings, far from the seashore,
burned wholly—thus is hight a
hamlet there in Peita.
Chapter 20. The Earls of Normandy
King Óláf had been on this warlike expedition west in France for 1013 two summers and one winter. By that time thirteen years had passed since the fall of King Óláf Tryggvason. There ruled then in France two earls, William and Robert. Their father was Richard, earl of Rouen. They ruled over Normandy. Their sister was Queen Emma who had been married to King Æthelred of England. Their sons were Eadmund and Eadward the Good, Eadvig and Eadgar. Richard, earl of Rouen, was the son of Richard, the son of William Longspear; and he was the son of Earl Ganger-Hrólf who conquered Normandy. He was the son of Rognvald the Powerful, earl of Mœr, as is written above. From Ganger-Hrólf are descended the earls of Rouen. They called themselves for a long time kinsmen of the Norwegian chieftains and considered themselves such for a long time. They always were the greatest friends of the Norwegians, and all Norwegians who wanted to come there had a friendly welcome with them. In the fall, King Óláf arrived in Normandy, remaining there in peace during the winter in Signa [Seine].
Chapter 21. Einar Thambarskelfir Regains His Power
After the fall of Óláf Tryggvason, Earl Eirík gave quarter to Einar Thambarskelfir, the son of Eindrithi Styrkársson. Einar journeyed north to Norway with the earl. It is said that Einar was a man of enormous strength and the best archer that ever lived in Norway; and his hard shooting excelled that of all other men. With a blunt-headed arrow he could shoot through a raw oxhide suspended from a beam. He was a most skilled runner on skis, a great athlete, and most courageous. He was of noble kin and wealthy. Earl Eirík and Earl Svein gave Einar their sister, Bergljót, the daughter of Hákon, in marriage. She was a woman of strong personality. Their son was called Eindrithi. The earls gave Einar great revenues in Orka Dale, and he became the most powerful and influential man in the Trondheim District and was a close friend and strong supporter of the earls.
Chapter 22. Erling Skjálgsson’s Character and Power
Earl Eirík was ill-pleased that Erling Skjálgsson had so large a dominion, and [so he] took possession of all the royal revenues which King Óláf [Tryggvason] had granted to Erling. But Erling collected, as always before, all the revenues in Rogaland; thus the tenants often had to pay their taxes twice, or else he would ruin their fields. The earl got but little revenue from fines, because his stewards could not maintain themselves there; and the earl did not go to be entertained on farms unless he had a strong force with him. This is mentioned by Sigvat:
(25.)
214. Erling, Óláf’s kinsman,1
ably kept at a distance
the earls, awing them, over
Óláf who had triumphed.
Then the farmers’-friend gave,
fair-dight, his other sister,
Ingibjorg, to Úlf’s sire,2
evermore to cherish.
Earl Eirík did not care to fight Erling, for the latter had many and influential kinsmen and was powerful and popular. He always proceeded with a large host of retainers, much as though it were a royal bodyguard. During the summers Erling often went on raiding expeditions and amassed property, because he maintained the magnificent establishment he was accustomed to, although he at that time had fewer revenues, and less advantageous ones than in the times of King Óláf [Tryggvason], his brother-in-law.
Erling was a very handsome man, exceedingly tall and strong, most skilled in arms, and in all bodily accomplishments much resembling King Óláf Tryggvason. He was a shrewd man, most ambitious in all respects, and a great man of war. This is mentioned by Sigvat:
(26.)
215. Not anyone but Erling,
other stewards among, had
fought as many frays, ne’er
faltering, ever victorious.
Briskness showed he in battle,
being the first to plunge in,
our liberal lord, but
last from it retiring.
This has always been said, that Erling was the noblest of all landed-men in Norway. The following were the children of Erling and Ástríth: Áslák, Skjálg, Sigurth, Lothin, Thórir, and Ragnhild, who married Thorberg Árnason. Erling always had about him ninety or more freedmen, and both in winter and summer there was served a measure of drink at the morning meal; but at the evening meal there was no limit. And when the earls [Eirík and Svein] were near he had two hundred [240] or more men about him. He never travelled except with a boat of twenty rowers’ benches and a full crew. Erling had a large warship with thirty-two rowers’ benches and correspondingly large. He used it for viking expeditions or else for going to appointed meetings, and on it were two hundred [240] or more men.
Chapter 23. Erling’s Management of His Estates
Erling always kept at home thirty thralls beside other servants. He assigned his thralls their daily work, but let them have their leisure afterwards, and gave permission to everyone who wanted to do so to work for himself in the twilight or at night. He gave them fields to sow grain on and let them have the produce to use for themselves. He set on each his value and the price for his emancipation. Many bought their freedom the first or second year, and all who had it in them freed themselves within three years. And with that money Erling bought himself other servants; and those whom he had freed, he assigned to the herring fishery or else to some other occupation. Some would clear forests and set up their homes there, but all he helped to prosper.
Chapter 24. Earl Eirík Joins King Knút in England
When Earl Eirík had ruled Norway for twelve years, there came 1012 to him a message from Knút [Canute], king of Denmark, his brother-in-law, bidding him to proceed with him west to England with his fleet, for the reason that Eirík had acquired much fame by his warlike deeds, having won the victory in two battles which were reputed to have been the hardest in the northlands, the one in which Earl Hákon and Eirík had fought against the Jómsvíkings; the other, when he had battled King Óláf Tryggvason. This is mentioned by Thórth Kolbeinsson:
(27.)
216. Fain would I praise more feats of
fame, done by the atheling,
helmeted, gladsome, when that
high lords of England called him,
as in duty bound to bring them
badly needed aid—I
grasp the princes’ purpose—
promptly there to join them.
The earl did not care to think long about this request of the king but set out immediately, leaving behind his son, Earl Hákon, to guard Norway under the guidance of Einar Thambarskelfir, his brother-in-law, who was to govern for Hákon who at that time was only seventeen.
Chapter 25. Earl Eirík Battles and Dies in England
Eirík joined King Knút and was with him when he conquered London. Earl Eirík had a battle west of London in which he felled Úlfkel Snilling. As says Thórth:
(28.)
217. Gave the gladsome arm-ring-
giver battle west of
London; for the land fought
lordly steerer of sea-steeds.
Awful blows got Úlfkel;
over heads of thingmen
bluish blades flashed out there.
Bothn’s-dear-flood11 master.
Earl Eirík remained one year in England, and fought several 1013 battles. In the fall following he intended to make a pilgrimage to Rome, but died there in England of a loss of blood.
Chapter 26. King Knút Wins the Power Over All England
King Knút fought many battles in England with the sons of King
Æthelred of England, with varying success. He had arrived in England the summer Æthelred died. Thereupon King Knút married Queen Emma. Their children were Harald, Hortha-Knút, and Gunnhild. King Knút came to an agreement with King Eadmund. They were to divide England between them. In the same month Heinrek Strjóna murdered King Eadmund. Thereupon King Knút drove all the sons of King Æthelred out of England. As says Sigvat:
(29.)
218. 1 Soon all of
Æthelred’s sons
Knút vanquished
or cast out else.
Chapter 27. The Sons of Æthelred Enlist Óláf’s Aid
The same summer that the sons of King Æthelred of England sought refuge with their maternal uncles in Rouen in France, Óláf Haraldsson arrived from his viking expedition in the west; and all of them remained in Normandy that year and concluded an alliance, stipulating that King Óláf was to have Northumberland if they succeeded in winning England from the Danes. Thereupon in the fall King Óláf sent his foster father Hrani to England in order to enlist troops, and the sons of Æthelred furnished him with tokens to their friends and kinsmen, whilst King Óláf gave him a great amount of money to attract men to their colors. And Hrani spent the winter in England and secured the allegiance of many men of influence, because people were more willing to have a king of their own country to rule over them. Yet the power of the Danes in England had grown so great at that time that all the people there had become subject to them.
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