Saga of Olaf Haroldson

241. BEGINNING OF DAG HRINGSON'S ATTACK.

Dag Hringson still kept up the battle, and made in the beginning
so fierce an assault that the bondes gave way, and some betook
themselves to flight. There a great number of the bondes fell,
and these lendermen, Erlend of Gerde and Aslak of Finey; and the
banner also which they had stood under was cut down. This onset
was particularly hot, and was called Dag's storm. But now Kalf
Arnason, Harek of Thjotta, and Thorer Hund turned against Dag,
with the array which had followed them, and then Dag was
overwhelmed with numbers; so he betook himself to flight with the
men still left him. There was a valley through which the main
body of the fugitives fled, and men lay scattered in heaps on
both sides; and many were severely wounded, and many so fatigued
that they were fit for nothing. The bondes pursued only a short
way; for their leaders soon returned back to the field of battle,
where they had their friends and relations to look after.

242. KING OLAF'S MIRACLE SHOWN TO THORER HUND.

Thorer Hund went to where King Olaf's body lay, took care of it,
laid it straight out on the ground, and spread a cloak over it.
He told since that when he wiped the blood from the face it was
very beautiful; and there was red in the cheeks, as if he only
slept, and even much clearer than when he was in life. The
king's blood came on Thorer's hand, and ran up between his
fingers to where he had been wounded, and the wound grew up so
speedily that it did not require to be bound up. This
circumstance was testified by Thorer himself when King Olaf's
holiness came to be generally known among the people; and Thorer
Hund was among the first of the king's powerful opponents who
endeavoured to spread abroad the king's sanctity.

243. OF KALF ARNASON'S BROTHERS.

Kalf Arnason searched for his brothers who had fallen, and found
Thorberg and Fin. It is related that Fin threw his dagger at
him, and wanted to kill him, giving him hard words, and calling
him a faithless villain, and a traitor to his king. Kalf did not
regard it, but ordered Fin and Thorberg to be carried away from
the field. When their wounds were examined they were found not
to be deadly, and they had fallen from fatigue, and under the
weight of their weapons. Thereafter Kalf tried to bring his
brothers down to a ship, and went himself with them. As soon as
he was gone the whole bonde-army, having their homes in the
neighbourhood, went off also, excepting those who had friends or
relations to look after, or the bodies of the slain to take care
of. The wounded were taken home to the farms, so that every
house was full of them; and tents were erected over some. But
wonderful as was the number collected in the bonde-army, no less
wonderful was the haste with which this vast body was dispersed
when it was once free; and the cause of this was, that the most
of the people gathered together from the country places were
longing for their homes.

244. OF THE BONDES OF VERADAL.

The bondes who had their homes in Veradal went to the chiefs
Harek and Thorer, and complained of their distress, saying, "The
fugitives who have escaped from the battle have proceeded up over
the valley of Veradal, and are destroying our habitations, and
there is no safety for us to travel home so long as they are in
the valley. Go after them with war-force, and let no mother's
son of them escape with life; for that is what they intended for
us if they had got the upper hand in the battle, and the same
they would do now if they met us hereafter, and had better luck
than we. It may also be that they will linger in the valley if
they have nothing to be frightened for, and then they would not
proceed very gently in the inhabited country." The bondes made
many words about this, urging the chiefs to advance directly, and
kill those who had escaped. Now when the chiefs talked over this
matter among themselves, they thought there was much truth in
what the bondes said. They resolved, therefore, that Thorer Hund
should undertake this expedition through Veradal, with 600 men of
his own troops. Then, towards evening, he set out with his men;
and Thorer continued his march without halt until he came in the
night to Sula, where he heard the news that Dag Hringson had come
there in the evening, with many other flocks of the king's men,
and had halted there until they took supper, but were afterwards
gone up to the mountains. Then Thorer said he did not care to
pursue them up through the mountains, and he returned down the
valley again, and they did not kill many of them this time. The
bondes then returned to their homes, and the following day
Thorer, with his people, went to their ships. The part of the
king's men who were still on their legs concealed themselves in
the forests, and some got help from the people.

245. OF THE KING'S BROTHER, HARALD SIGURDSON.

Harald Sigurdson was severely wounded; but Ragnvald Brusason
brought him to a bonde's the night after the battle, and the
bonde took in Harald, and healed his wound in secret, and
afterwards gave him his son to attend him. They went secretly
over the mountains, and through the waste forests, and came out
in Jamtaland. Harald Sigurdson was fifteen years old when King
Olaf fell. In Jamtaland Harald found Ragnvald Brusason; and they
went both east to King Jarisleif in Russia, as is related in the
Saga of Harald Sigurdson.

246. OF THORMOD KOLBRUNARSKALD.

Thormod Kolbrunarskald was under King Olaf's banner in the
battle; but when the king had fallen, the battle was raging so
that of the king's men the one fell by the side of the other, and
the most of those who stood on their legs were wounded. Thormod
was also severely wounded, and retired, as all the others did,
back from where there was most danger of life, and some even
fled. Now when the onset began which is called Dag's storm, all
of the king's men who were able to combat went there; but Thormod
did not come into that combat, being unable to fight, both from
his wound and from weariness, but he stood by the side of his
comrade in the ranks, although he could do nothing. There he was
struck by an arrow in the left side; but he broke off the shaft
of the arrow, went out of the battle, and up towards the houses,
where he came to a barn which was a large building. Thormod had
his drawn sword in his hand; and as he went in a man met him,
coming out, and said, "It is very bad there with howling and
screaming; and a great shame it is that brisk young fellows
cannot bear their wounds: it may be that the king's men have done
bravely to-day, but they certainly bear their wounds very ill."

Thormod asks. "What is thy name?"

He called himself Kimbe.

Thormod: "Wast thou in the battle, too?"

"I was with the bondes, which was the best side," says he.

"And art thou wounded any way?" says Thormod.

"A little," said Kimbe. "And hast thou been in the battle too?"

Thormod replied, "I was with them who had the best."

"Art thou wounded?" says Kimbe.

"Not much to signify," replies Thormod.

As Kimbe saw that Thormod had a gold ring on his arm, he said,
"Thou art certainly a king's man. Give me thy gold ring, and I
will hide thee. The bondes will kill thee if thou fallest in
their way."

Thormod says, "Take the ring if thou canst get it: I have lost
that which is more worth."

Kimbe stretched out his hand, and wanted to take the ring; but
Thormod, swinging his sword, cut off his hand; and it is related
that Kimbe behaved himself no better under his wound than those
he had been blaming just before. Kimbe went off, and Thormod sat
down in the barn, and listened to what people were saying. The
conversation was mostly about what each had seen in the battle,
and about the valour of the combatants. Some praised most King
Olaf's courage, and some named others who stood nowise behind him
in bravery. Then Thormod sang these verses: --

"Olaf was brave beyond all doubt, --
At Stiklestad was none so stout;
Spattered with blood, the king, unsparing,
Cheered on his men with deed and daring.
But I have heard that some were there
Who in the fight themselves would spare;
Though, in the arrow-storm, the most
Had perils quite enough to boast."

247. THORMOD'S DEATH.

Thormod went out, and entered into a chamber apart, in which
there were many wounded men, and with them a woman binding their
wounds. There was fire upon the floor, at which she warmed water
to wash and clean their wounds. Thormod sat himself down beside
the door, and one came in, and another went out, of those who
were busy about the wounded men. One of them turned to Thormod,
looked at him, and said, "Why art thou so dead-pale? Art thou
wounded? Why dost thou not call for the help of the wound-
healers?" Thormod then sang these verses: --

"I am not blooming, and the fair
And slender girl loves to care
For blooming youths -- few care for me;
With Fenja's meal I cannot fee.
This is the reason why I feel
The slash and thrust of Danish steel;
And pale and faint, and bent with pain,
Return from yonder battle-plain."

Then Thormod stood up and went in towards the fire, and stood
there awhile. The young woman said to him, "Go out, man, and
bring in some of the split firewood which lies close beside the
door." He went out and brought in an armful of wood, which he
threw down upon the floor. Then the nurse-girl looked him in the
face, and said, "Dreadfully pale is this man -- why art thou so?"
Then Thormod sang: --

"Thou wonderest, sweet sprig, at me,
A man so hideous to see:
Deep wounds but rarely mend the face,
The crippling blow gives little grace.
The arrow-drift o'ertook me, girl, --
A fine-ground arrow in the whirl
Went through me, and I feel the dart
Sits, lovely girl, too near my heart."

The girl said, "Let me see thy wound, and I will bind it."
Thereupon Thormod sat down, cast off his clothes, and the girl
saw his wounds, and examined that which was in his side, and felt
that a piece of iron was in it, but could not find where the iron
had gone in. In a stone pot she had stirred together leeks and
other herbs, and boiled them, and gave the wounded men of it to
eat, by which she discovered if the wounds had penetrated into
the belly; for if the wound had gone so deep, it would smell of
leek. She brought some of this now to Thormod, and told him to
eat of it. He replied, "Take it away, I have no appetite for my
broth." Then she took a large pair of tongs, and tried to pull
out the iron; but it sat too fast, and would in no way come, and
as the wound was swelled, little of it stood out to lay hold of.
Now said Thormod, "Cut so deep in that thou canst get at the iron
with the tongs, and give me the tongs and let me pull." She did
as he said. Then Thormod took a gold ring from his hand, gave it
to the nurse-woman, and told her to do with it what she liked.
"It is a good man's gift," said he: "King Olaf gave me the ring
this morning." Then Thormod took the tongs, and pulled the iron
out; but on the iron there was a hook, at which there hung some
morsels of flesh from the heart, -- some white, some red. When
he saw that, he said, "The king has fed us well. I am fat, even
at the heart-roots;" and so saying he leant back, and was dead.
And with this ends what we have to say about Thormod.