Heimskringla

by Snorri Sturluson

  Thorberg said, “It is as the adage has it: there is a degenerate in every family. This misfortune of my father I see very clearly: he was unlucky with his sons and had one finally who bears no resemblance to our kin and is devoid of any spirit. And if I did not think it a shame for our mother, I would never call you my brother.” With that Thorberg turned to go and journeyed home to his estate in a very despondent frame of mind. Then he sent word north to Trondheim to his brother Kálf, requesting him to come to meet him at Agthaness. And when the messengers found Kálf, without saying a word he promised to be there.

  Ragnhild sent messengers east [south] to Jathar, praying her father, Erling, to send her troops. Erling’s two sons, Sigurth and Thórir, proceeded from there, each with a ship of twenty rowers’ benches and a crew of ninety men. And when they arrived at Thorberg’s place to the north he received them well and most joyfully. He readied a vessel with twenty rowers’ benches for the journey. And when they came to———6 they found moored there Finn and Árni, Thorberg’s brothers, with two vessels of twenty rowers’ benches. Thorberg gave his brothers a glad welcome and remarked that his incitation had taken effect on them. Finn replied that there had rarely been a necessity for it, so far as he was concerned. Then they proceeded north to Trondheim with all this fleet, and Stein with them. And when they arrived at Agthaness,7 they found there Kálf Árnason, and he had a ship with twenty rowers’ benches and a good crew. With his force they entered [the Trondheimfjord] and anchored at Nitharhólm during the night.

  On the following morning they conferred together. Kálf and the sons of Erling were for entering the town with all their force and trust to luck how things would go; but Thorberg preferred to proceed gently, to start with, and offer [the king] conditions; and with that Finn and Árni agreed. They came to the conclusion that Finn and Árni, accompanied by a few men, should first have a meeting with King Óláf.

  The king had by then been apprised of the considerable force they had, and spoke harshly to them. Finn offered compensation for Thorberg and also for Stein. He offered the king the decision as to the amount of money he would exact for letting Thorberg stay in the country and retain his revenues, and for giving Stein assurance of life and limb. The king said, “It would seem to me that this attack of yours is made with the idea essentially that now you have power over me, half-ways or altogether. But I would have thought it most unlikely that you brothers would move on me with an army. I suspect that it is the people of Jathar [Erling and his kin] who have hatched this plan. It is no use to offer me money.”

  Then Finn replied, “We brothers have not raised troops to carry on hostilities against you, sire; but on the contrary we would first offer our services to you, sir king. But if you refuse, and intend to inflict harsh punishment on Thorberg, then we all shall, with the forces we have, proceed to join Knút the Powerful.” Then the king looked at him and said, “If you brothers would swear oaths to me that you will support me, within the country and outside of it, nor part with me except by my permission, and reveal to me any treachery brewing against me, then I will accept compensation from you brothers.”

  Thereupon Finn returned to his forces and repeated to them the conditions the king had laid down. And then they discussed this among them. Thorberg said that so far as he was concerned he would accept the king’s offer. “I am loath to flee from my possessions,” he said, “and seek refuge with foreign princes. I consider it will always be an honor for me to follow King Óláf and remain in his presence.”

  Then Kálf said, “I do not care to swear oaths to the king, and would stay with the king only so long as I retain my revenues and my rank otherwise, and if the king promises me his friendship; and I would that we all agree on that.”

  Finn replied, “I would advise that we let the king alone decide on terms between us.” Árni Árnason spoke thus, “If I am ready to assist you, brother Thorberg, even if you are ready to do battle with the king, I shall [certainly] not part with you if you take better counsel; and I would follow you and Finn in accepting such conditions as you consider wisest.”

  Thereupon the three brothers Thorberg, Finn, and Árni, boarded a ship, rowed up to the city, and went before the king. Then this stipulation for their reconciliation was fulfilled in that the brothers swore the king oaths [of allegiance]. Following this, Thorberg sought to achieve a reconciliation of Stein and the king. The king said that Stein might proceed in peace, so far as he was concerned, and go wherever he pleased, “but I do not want him to be around me any more,” he said. Thereupon Thorberg and his brothers rejoined their force. Kálf then proceeded to [his estate at] Egg, but Finn joined the king. Thorberg and the rest of their troops returned to their homes in the south. Stein journeyed south with the sons of Erling; but in early spring he sailed west to England, where he joined the court of Knút the Powerful and remained with him for a long time in high favor.

  Chapter 139. Thórir the Hound and Finn Árnason

  When Finn Árnason had been with King Óláf for a short time, one day the king summoned for a conference him and a number of other men with whom he was accustomed to discuss his intentions. The king spoke as follows: “The plan has taken shape in my mind that I intend this spring to levy from all the land forces of both men and ships, and with all the troops I can collect proceed against Knút the Powerful; because I know that the claims to my kingdom which he has made were not empty words. Now I shall want you, Finn Árnason, to carry my message north to Hálogaland and levy troops there. You are to summon a complete levy, both of men and ships, and this force you are to steer to Agthaness, where I shall meet you.” Thereupon the king detailed others [to do the same], sending some to the various districts of Trondheim, some to the south, so as to let this summons go over all the land.

  Concerning Finn’s journey there is this to be said that he had a swiftsailing ship with a crew of nearly thirty men. And when all ready he sailed to Hálogaland. There he called meetings with the farmers, delivered his message, and demanded a levy. They had large ships in that district all ready for such an expedition. They responded to the king’s summons and got their vessels shipshape.

  Now when Finn proceeded to the northern part of Hálogaland he called [the farmers] to assemblies and despatched some of his men to request the levy where he thought it was required, and also to Bjarkey, to Thórir the Hound. There as elsewhere he had his men demand a levy. And when the messengers of the king came to Thórir he made himself ready for the journey and manned with his housecarls the ship he had had the summer before on his expedition to Bjarmaland, which he had equipped entirely out of his own means.

  Finn had all the men from northern Hálogaland assemble at Vágar. A great fleet came together there in spring, and all waited till Finn arrived from the north, among them also Thórir the Hound. Now when Finn arrived, he had the trumpets blown immediately for all the ships’ crews to meet together. At this meeting the men produced their weapons, and the levy from every district furnishing a ship-levy was examined. And when this had been done, Finn spoke as follows: “Thee, Thórir the Hound, I want to ask: what offer will you make to King Óláf for the slaying of Karli, his follower, and for the robbery you committed when you took possession of the king’s property north in Lengjuvik? I am charged by the king to see about this business, and I now demand to know your answer.” Thórir looked about him and saw standing on both sides of him many fully-armed men, and recognized among them Gunnstein and a multitude of other kinsmen of Karli. Then Thórir said, “Quickly I shall tell you my offer, Finn. I shall leave all to the king’s decision, whatever he has against me.” Finn answered, “Most likely now less honor is going to be shown you; because now it will be I who shall impose judgment if there is to be any reconciliation.” Thórir replied, “Even so I consider my case in excellent hands, and shall not refuse to submit to your judgment.”

  Thereupon Thórir came forward to make pledge, and Finn gave his decision for all [Thórir had done]. He set forth these terms for compensat
ion: that Thórir was to pay the king ten marks1 in gold, and to Gunnstein and his kinsmen another ten marks, and for the robbery and destruction of property still another ten marks. “And it is to be paid at once,” he said.

  Thórir said, “This is a huge fine.”

  Finn replied, “Either you pay it or there will be no reconciliation.” Thórir said that Finn might allow him time to seek to borrow the amount from his followers. Finn ordered him to pay right away, and also to hand over the large necklace which he took off Karli’s dead body. Thórir said he did not take the necklace.

  Then Gunnstein came forward and said that when Karli left him he wore the necklace, “but it was gone when we took up his body.”

  Thórir said he had not thought about that necklace, “but even if I had any necklace it would be lying at home in Bjarkey.” Then Finn leveled the point of his spear against Thórir’s breast and told him to yield up the necklace. At which Thórir took the necklace off his neck and gave it to Finn.

  Then Thórir went aboard his ship. Finn followed after him accompanied by many others, going to and fro [on the ship] and lifting up the floor-boards. Underneath them by the mast they discovered two barrels of such great size that they marvelled. Finn asked what was in them. Thórir said they held his drink.

  Finn said, “Why don’t you give us some of it, partner, since you have such a lot of it?”

  Thórir called to a man to pour some of it into a bowl. Then Finn and his companions were given the drink, and they found it excellent. Thereupon Finn ordered Thórir to pay out the money. Thórir went to and fro on his ship and spoke to one and the other of the men. Finn called out to him to come forward with the money. Thórir requested him to go on land, saying he would pay it there. Finn and his men did so; and Thórir followed him and paid out silver. Out of one purse he fetched ten marks of weighed silver. Then he produced many kerchiefs all knotted up. In some there was a mark of weighed silver, in others half a mark or else a few ounces.

  Then Thórir said: “This is borrowed money that various men have loaned me, because all the ready money I had on hand is gone.” Thereupon Thórir went back to his ship, and when he returned he paid out the silver little by little, and thus the day wore on.

  Now as soon as the assembly came to an end, people went aboard their ships and prepared to depart. And those who were ready began to sail, so that most of them were on their way. Finn then perceived that the force about him was thinning, so his men asked him to get ready, too. By that time not even a third of the money had been paid. Then Finn said to Thórir, “It takes you a long time, Thórir, to make the payment. I can see you pay it out most grudgingly. So for the first we shall have to let it stand. You will have to pay the king the remainder.”2 Then Finn stood up.

  Thórir said, “I am glad, Finn, that our ways part; but I shall be willing to pay this debt in such fashion that neither you nor the king shall consider yourselves repaid insufficiently.”3 Then Finn boarded his ship and sailed after his fleet.

  Thórir was slow in getting ready to leave the harbor. And when he had hoisted his sail he pursued a course through the West Fjord and then out into the open sea and south along the land in such fashion that the land was almost or altogether out of sight, and so he sailed south till he reached the North Sea and England. He proceeded to the court of King Knút who received him well. It was then seen that Thórir had with him an abundance of valuables and all the money he and Karli had taken in Bjarmaland. In the large barrels there was a false bottom, and the drink in between, and both the barrels were mainly filled with squirrel skins and beaver and sable furs. Thórir stayed with King Knút.

  Finn Árnason with his fleet joined King Óláf. He told him about his expedition and also, that he believed Thórir had left the country and had sailed west to England to King Knút—“and I consider us well rid of him.”

  The king said, “I believe Thórir is our enemy, and the farther [he is] from us, the better.”

  Chapter 140. King Óláf Awards Judgment against Hárek of Thjótta

  Ásmund Grankelsson had passed that winter in his stewardship in Hálogaland, staying with his father Grankel. Seaward from their place is an outlying fishing station which was both a good seal hunting and fowling ground, and an excellent place for gathering eggs, and for fishing, and from of old it belonged to the farm Grankel owned. But Hárek of Thjótta laid claim to it, and things had gone so far that for several years he had had all the produce from that island. But then Ásmund and his father thought they might have the support of the king for their just claims. So in spring they both 1027 went to Hárek, reporting to him the decision, and showing him the tokens, of King Óláf, to the effect that Hárek should desist from his claims on the island. Hárek answered ill-naturedly, alleging that Ásmund had been to the king with such and similar wrong representations. “I have all the right on my side, and you, Ásmund, should learn to control your demands, even though you now are puffed up, believing you have the king’s support. And you will need it if you think you can contrive to kill some chieftains, after branding them as criminals, and rob us who hitherto had thought we could more than assert ourselves, even if it were against men of equal birth; whereas in fact you are very far from being of equal station.”

  Ásmund made this answer: “There are many who have found out, Hárek, that you belong to a great family and are a man of great power yourself. You have taken unfair advantage of many. But now it looks as if you have to exercise your unjust dealings on others and not on us and not set the law at defiance in such fashion.” With that they parted.

  Hárek sent out ten or twelve of his men servants in a large rowboat. They went out to the fishing station, made all kinds of haul, and loaded the boat with it. When they were about to leave, Ásmund Grankelsson came up with thirty men and ordered them give up all they had caught. Hárek’s men were rather slow to do so. Thereupon Ásmund attacked them, and it soon appeared who had the odds against him. Some of Hárek’s men were beaten, some wounded, and some were ducked in the sea, and all their catch was taken out of their boat and carried away by Ásmund’s men. Hárek’s men servants returned home after that had happened and told Hárek about it. He answered, “That is something altogether new. That has never occurred before that my men were beaten.” Nothing was done about it, and Hárek said no more about it and displayed a most cheerful mood.

  In spring Hárek had a swift-sailing ship with twenty rowers’ benches got ready, manning it with his housecarls, and it was excellently equipped both as to crew and fittings. With it Hárek in spring had joined the general levy. When he came to King Óláf, he encountered Ásmund Grankelsson there. Then the king arranged a meeting between Ásmund and Hárek and got them reconciled. The case was submitted to the king’s judgment. Then Ásmund produced witnesses to prove that the fishing station belonged to Grankel, and the king judged accordingly, so that the case was all one-sided. There was no compensation decreed for Hárek’s housecarls, and the fishing station was awarded to Grankel. Hárek said it is in nowise humiliating to obey the judgment of the king, however the case might turn out later.

  Chapter 141. Thórodd Escapes from Jamtaland

  On the orders of King Óláf, Thórodd Snorrason had remained in Norway when, as was put down before, Gellir Thorkelsson had received permission to return to Iceland; and he stayed at the court of King 1026 Óláf, ill-pleased with not being allowed to travel wherever he wanted to. At the beginning of the winter during which King Óláf resided in Nitharós, he made it known that he meant to send emissaries to Jamtaland to collect the taxes. But men were unwilling to undertake that journey because the messengers King Óláf had sent before [for that purpose], Thránd the White and eleven others, had been killed, as was written above. And the people of Jamtaland had since that time remained loyal to the king of Sweden.

  Thórodd Snorrason offered to undertake that mission, because he cared very little what might happen to him if only he could be his own master. The king accepted his offer, and
Thórodd started with eleven others. They arrived east in Jamtaland and sought out a man called Thórar. He was lawspeaker there, and a man of the greatest distinction. They were well received there; and after having stayed there a short time they revealed their mission to Thórar. He replied that for an answer to it, other men and chieftains of the district were as responsible as he, and promised he would summon an assembly. So he did. The call for an assembly was sent out and many gathered for it. Thórar attended it while the emissaries remained at his place. Thórar laid the matter before the people, and they all agreed on not wanting to pay the king of Norway any tax. As to his emissaries, some wanted them hanged, others wanted to use them as sacrifices. It was decided to retain them there till the bailiffs of the king of Sweden arrived: they were then to decide about them as they saw fit, with the consent of the people of the district; but the messengers were to be given the impression that they were being well treated, and retained only because they were to wait for the tax to be brought in; and they were to be lodged, two in one place.

  Thórodd and one other man stayed at Thórar’s place. There was a great Yuletide entertainment there, with joint drinking. There were many farmers in that settlement, and they all drank together at Yuletide. There was another settlement not far away where lived a relation of Thórar, a powerful and wealthy man, who had a grown son. These relatives were to celebrate Yule at each other’s place in turn, first at Thórar’s. The two kinsmen drank to one another, and Thórodd, to the farmer’s son. They held a drinking match, and in the evening a contest arose between the Norwegians and the Swedes, and following that, a matching of their kings, both those of former times and those still living; and then there was a discussion of the hostilities between the two countries and the killings and depredations attending them.