Ynglinga Saga

42. WAR BETWEEN INGJALD AND GRANMAR AND HJORVARD.

The same autumn King Ingjald collected a war-force, with which he
intended to fall upon Granmar and Hjorvard; but when they heard
it they also collected a force, and Hogne, who ruled over East
Gotland, together with his son Hildur, came to their assistance.
Hogne was father of Hilda, who was married to King Granmar. King
Ingjald landed with his army, which was by far the most numerous.
A battle began, which was very sharp; but after it had lasted a
short time, the chiefs who ruled over Fjadryndaland, West
Gotland, Nerike, and Aattundaland, took to flight with all the
men from those countries, and hastened to their ships. This
placed King Ingjald in great danger, and he received many wounds,
but escaped by flight to his ships. Svipdag the Blind, Ingjald's
foster-father, together with his sons, Gautvid and Hylvid, fell.
Ingjald returned to Upsal, very ill-satisfied with his
expedition; and he thought the army levied from those countries
he had acquired by conquest had been unfaithful to him. There
was great hostility afterwards between King Ingjald and King
Granmar, and his son-in-law King Hjorvard; and after this had
continued a long time the friends of both parties brought about a
reconciliation. The king appointed a meeting, and concluded a
peace. This peace was to endure as long as the three kings
lived, and this was confirmed by oath and promises of fidelity.
The spring after, King Granmar went to Upsal to make offering, as
usual, for a steady peace. Then the foreboding turned out for
him so that it did not promise him long life, and he returned to
his dominions.

43. DEATH OF THE KINGS GRANMAR AND HJORVARD.

The autumn after, King Granmar and his son-in-law Hjorvard went
to a feast at one of their farms in the island Sile. When they
were at the entertainment, King Ingjald came there in the night
with his troops, surrounded the house, and burnt them in it, with
all their men. Then he took to himself all the country these
kings had possessed, and placed chiefs over it. King Hogne and
his son Hildur often made inroads on horseback into the Swedish
dominions, and killed King Ingjald's men, whom he had placed over
the kingdom which had belonged to their relation Granmar. This
strife between King Ingjald and King Hogne continued for a long
time; but King Hogne defended his kingdom against King Ingjald to
his dying day. King Ingjald had two children by his wife -- the
eldest called Aasa, the other Olaf. Gauthild, the wife of
Ingjald, sent the boy to his foster-father Bove, in West Gotland,
where he was brought up along with Saxe, Bove's son, who had the
surname of Flette. It was a common saying that King Ingjald had
killed twelve kings, and deceived them all under pretence of
peace; therefore he was called Ingjald the Evil-adviser. He was
king over the greater part of Sweden. He married his daughter
Aasa to Gudrod king of Scania; and she was like her father in
disposition. Aasa brought it about that Gudrod killed his
brother Halfdan, father of Ivar Vidfavne; and also she brought
about the death of her husband Gudrod, and then fled to her
father; and she thus got the name also of Aasa the Evil-adviser.

44. OF INGJALD'S DEATH.

Ivar Vidfavne came to Scania after the fall of his uncle Gudrod,
and collected an army in all haste, and moved with it into
Sweden. Aasa had gone to her father before. King Ingjald was at
a feast in Raening, when he heard that King Ivar's army was in
the neighbourhood. Ingjald thought he had not strength to go
into battle against Ivar, and he saw well that if he betook
himself to flight his enemies would swarm around him from all
corners. He and Aasa took a resolution which has become
celebrated. They drank until all their people were dead drunk,
and then put fire to the hall; and it was consumed, with all who
were in it, including themselves, King Ingjald, and Aasa. Thus
says Thjodolf: --

"With fiery feet devouring flame
Has hunted down a royal game
At Raening, where King Ingjald gave
To all his men one glowing grave.
On his own hearth the fire he raised,
A deed his foemen even praised;
By his own hand he perished so,
And life for freedom did forego."

45. OF IVAR.

Ivar Vidfavne subdued the whole of Sweden. He brought in
subjection to himself all the Danish dominions, a great deal of
Saxland, all the East Country, and a fifth part of England. From
his race the kings of Sweden and Denmark who have had the supreme
authority in those countries, are descended. After Ingjald the
Evil-adviser the Upsal dominion fell from the Yngling race
notwithstanding the length of time they could reckon up the
series of their forefathers.

46. OF OLAF THE TREE-FELLER.

When Olaf, King Ingjald's son, heard of his father's end, he went
with the men who chose to follow him to Nerike; for all the
Swedish community rose with one accord to drive out Ingjald's
family and all his friends. Now, when the Swedes got
intelligence of him he could not remain there, but went on
westwards, through the forest, to a river which comes from the
north and falls into the Venner lake, and is called Klar river.
There they sat themselves down, turned to and cleared the woods,
burnt, and then settled there. Soon there were great districts;
which altogether were called Vermeland; and a good living was to
be made there. Now when it was told of Olaf, in Sweden, that he
was clearing the forests, they laughed at his proceedings, and
called him the Tree-feller. Olaf got a wife called Solva, or
Solveig, a daughter of Halfdan Guldtand, westward in Soleyar.
Halfdan was a son of Solve Solvarson, who was a son of Solve the
Old, who first settled on these islands. Olaf Tree-feller's
mother was called Gauthild, and her mother was Alov, daughter of
Olaf the Sharp-sighted, king in Nerike. Olaf and Solva had two
sons: Ingjald and Halfdan. Halfdan was brought up in Soleyar, in
the house of his mother's brother Solve, and was called Halfdan
Hvitbein.

47. OLAF THE TREE-FELLER'S DEATH.

There were a great many people who fled the country from Sweden,
on account of King Ivar; and when they heard that King Olaf had
got good lands in Vermeland, so great a number came there to him
that the land could not support them. Then there came dear times
and famine, which they ascribed to their king; as the Swedes used
always to reckon good or bad crops for or against their kings.
The Swedes took it amiss that Olaf was sparing in his sacrifices,
and believed the dear times must proceed from this cause. The
Swedes therefore gathered together troops, made an expedition
against King Olaf, surrounded his house and burnt him in it,
giving him to Odin as a sacrifice for good crops. This happened
at the Venner lake. Thus tells Thjodolf of it: --

"The temple wolf, by the lake shores,
The corpse of Olaf now devours.
The clearer of the forests died
At Odin's shrine by the lake side.
The glowing flames stripped to the skin
The royal robes from the Swedes' king.
Thus Olaf, famed in days of yore,
Vanished from earth at Venner's shore."