Ynglinga Saga

48. HALFDAN HVITBEIN MADE KING.

Those of the Swedes who had more understanding found that the
dear times proceeded from there being a greater number of people
on the land than it could support, and that the king could not be
blamed for this. They took the resolution, therefore, to cross
the Eida forest with all their men, and came quite unexpectedly
into Soleyar, where they put to death King Solve, and took
Halfdan Hvitbein prisoner, and made him their chief, and gave him
the title of king. Thereupon he subdued Soleyar, and proceeding
with his army into Raumarike, plundered there, and laid that
district also in subjection by force of arms.

49. OF HALFDAN HVITBEIN.

Halfdan Hvitbein became a great king. He was married to Aasa, a
daughter of Eystein the Severe, who was king of the Upland
people, and ruled over Hedemark. Halfdan and Aasa had two sons,
Eystein and Gudrod. Halfdan subdued a great part of Hedemark,
Toten, Hadeland, and much of Westfold. He lived to be an old
man, and died in his bed at Toten, from whence his body was
transported to Westfold, and was buried under a mound at a place
called Skaereid, at Skiringsale. So says Thjodolf: --

"Halfdan, esteemed by friends and foes,
Receives at last life's deep repose:
The aged man at last, though late,
Yielded in Toten to stern fate.
At Skiringsale hangs o'er his grave
A rock, that seems to mourn the brave Halfdan,
to chiefs and people dear,
Received from all a silent tear."

50. OF INGJALD, BROTHER OF HALFDAN.

Ingjald, Halfdan's brother, was king of Vermeland; but after his
death King Halfdan took possession of Vermeland, raised scatt
from it, and placed earls over it as long as he lived.

51. OF KING EYSTEIN'S DEATH.

Eystein, Halfdan Hvitbein's son, became king after in Raumarike
and Westfold. He was married to Hild, a daughter of Eric
Agnarsson, who was king in Westfold. Agnar, Eric's father, was a
son of Sigtryg, king in the Vend district. King Eric had no son,
and died while King Halfdan Hvitbein was still in life. The
father and son, Halfdan and Eystein, then took possession of the
whole of Westfold, which Eystein ruled over as long as he lived.
At that time there lived at Varna a king called Skjold, who was a
great warlock. King Eystein went with some ships of war to
Varna, plundered there, and carried away all he could find of
clothes or other valuables, and of peasants' stock, and killed
cattle on the strand for provision, and then went off. King
Skjold came to the strand with his army, just as Eystein was at
such a distance over the fjord that King Skjold could only see
his sails. Then he took his cloak, waved it, and blew into it.
King Eystein was sitting at the helm as they sailed in past
Jarls, and another ship was sailing at the side of his, when
there came a stroke of a wave, by which the boom of the other
ship struck the king and threw him overboard, which proved his
death. His men fished up his body, and it was carried into
Borre, where a mound was thrown up over it, out towards the sea
at Raden, near Vodle. So says Thjodolf: --

"King Eystein sat upon the poop
Of his good ship: with sudden swoop
The swinging boom dashed him to hell,
And fathoms deep the hero fell
Beneath the brine. The fury whirl
Of Loke, Tempest's brother's girl,
Grim Hel, clutched his soul away;
And now where Vodle's ocean bay
Receives the ice-cold stream, the grave
Of Eystein stands -- the good, the brave!"

52. OF HALFDAN THE MILD.

Halfdan was the name of King Eystein's son who succeeded him. He
was called Halfdan the Mild, but the Bad Entertainer; that is to
say, he was reported to be generous, and to give his men as much
gold as other kings gave of silver, but he starved them in their
diet. He was a great warrior, who had been long on viking
cruises, and had collected great property. He was married to
Liv, a daughter of King Dag of Westmare. Holtar, in Westfold,
was his chief house; and he died there on the bed of sickness,
and was buried at Borre under a mound. So says Thjodolf: --

"By Hel's summons, a great king
Was called away to Odin's Thing:
King Halfdan, he who dwelt of late
At Holtar, must obey grim Fate.
At Borre, in the royal mound,
They laid the hero in the ground."

53. OF GUDROD THE HUNTER.

Gudrod, Halfdan's son, succeeded. He was called Gudrod the
Magnificent, and also Gudrod the Hunter. He was married to
Alfhild, a daughter of King Alfarin of Alfheim, and got with her
half the district of Vingulmark. Their son Olaf was afterwards
called Geirstad-Alf. Alfheim, at that time, was the name of the
land between the Glommen and Gotha rivers. Now when Alfhild
died, King Gudrod sent his men west to Agder to the king who
ruled there, and who was called Harald Redbeard. They were to
make proposals to his daughter Aasa upon the king's account; but
Harald declined the match, and the ambassadors returned to the
king, and told him the result of their errand. Soon after King
Gudrod hove down his ships into the water, and proceeded with a
great force in them to Agder. He immediately landed, and came
altogether unexpectedly at night to King Harald's house. When
Harald was aware that an army was at hand, he went out with the
men he had about him, and there was a great battle, although he
wanted men so much. King Harald and his son Gyrd fell, and King
Gudrod took a great booty. He carried away with him Aasa, King
Harald's daughter, and had a wedding with her. They had a son by
their marriage called Halfdan; and the autumn that Halfdan was a
year old Gudrod went upon a round of feasts. He lay with his
ship in Stiflesund, where they had been drinking hard, so that
the king was very tipsy. In the evening, about dark, the king
left the ship; and when he had got to the end of the gangway from
the ship to the shore, a man ran against him, thrust a spear
through him, and killed him. The man was instantly put to death,
and in the morning when it was light the man was discovered to be
Aasa's page-boy: nor did she conceal that it was done by her
orders. Thus tells Thjodolf of it: --

"Gudrod is gone to his long rest,
Despite of all his haughty pride --
A traitor's spear has pierced his side:
For Aasa cherished in her breast
Revenge; and as, by wine opprest,
The hero staggered from his ship,
The cruel queen her thrall let slip
To do the deed of which I sing:
And now the far-descended king,
At Stiflesund, in the old bed
Of the old Gudrod race, lies dead."

54. OF KING OLAF'S DEATH.

Olaf came to the kingdom after his father. He was a great
warrior, and an able man; and was besides remarkably handsome,
very strong and large of growth. He had Westfold; for King
Alfgeir took all Vingulmark to himself, and placed his son
Gandalf over it. Both father and son made war on Raumarike, and
subdued the greater part of that land and district. Hogne was
the name of a son of the Upland king, Eystein the Great, who
subdued for himself the whole of Hedemark, Toten, and Hadeland.
Then Vermeland fell off from Gudrod's sons, and turned itself,
with its payment of scatt, to the Swedish king. Olaf was about
twenty years old when Gudrod died; and as his brother Halfdan now
had the kingdom with him, they divided it between them; so that
Olaf got the eastern and Halfdan the southern part. King Olaf
had his main residence at Geirstad. There he died of a disease
in his foot, and was laid under a mound at Geirstad. So sings
Thjodolf: --

"Long while this branch of Odin's stem
Was the stout prop of Norway's realm;
Long while King Olaf with just pride
Ruled over Westfold far and wide.
At length by cruel gout oppressed,
The good King Olaf sank to rest:
His body now lies under ground,
Buried at Geirstad, in the mound."

55. OF ROGNVALD THE MOUNTAIN-HIGH.

Rognvald was the name of Olaf's son who was king of Westfold
after his father. He was called "Mountain-high," and Thjodolf of
Hvina composed for him the "Ynglinga-tal", in which he says: --

"Under the heaven's blue dome, a name
I never knew more true to fame
Than Rognvald bore; whose skilful hand
Could tame the scorners of the land, --
Rognvald, who knew so well to guide
The wild sea-horses through the tide:
The "Mountain-high" was the proud name
By which the king was known to fame."