Harald Harfager's Saga

1. HARALD'S STRIFE WITH HAKE AND HIS FATHER GANDALF.

Harald (1) was but ten years old when he succeeded his father
(Halfdan the Black). He became a stout, strong, and comely man,
and withal prudent and manly. His mother's brother, Guthorm, was
leader of the hird, at the head of the government, and commander
(`hertogi') of the army. After Halfdan the Black's death, many
chiefs coveted the dominions he had left. Among these King
Gandalf was the first; then Hogne and Frode, sons of Eystein,
king of Hedemark; and also Hogne Karuson came from Ringerike.
Hake, the son of Gandalf, began with an expedition of 300 men
against Vestfold, marched by the main road through some valleys,
and expected to come suddenly upon King Harald; while his father
Gandalf sat at home with his army, and prepared to cross over the
fiord into Vestfold. When Duke Guthorm heard of this he gathered
an army, and marched up the country with King Harald against
Hake. They met in a valley, in which they fought a great battle,
and King Harald was victorious; and there fell King Hake and most
of his people. The place has since been called Hakadale. Then
King Harald and Duke Guthorm turned back, but they found King
Gandalf had come to Vestfold. The two armies marched against
each other, and met, and had a great battle; and it ended in King
Gandalf flying, after leaving most of his men dead on the spot,
and in that state he came back to his kingdom. Now when the sons
of King Eystein in Hedemark heard the news, they expected the war
would come upon them, and they sent a message to Hogne Karuson
and to Herse Gudbrand, and appointed a meeting with them at
Ringsaker in Hedemark.

2. KING HARALD OVERCOMES FIVE KINGS.

After the battle King Harald and Guthorm turned back, and went
with all the men they could gather through the forests towards
the Uplands. They found out where the Upland kings had appointed
their meeting-place, and came there about the time of midnight,
without the watchmen observing them until their army was before
the door of the house in which Hogne Karuson was, as well as that
in which Gudbrand slept. They set fire to both houses; but King
Eystein's two sons slipped out with their men, and fought for a
while, until both Hogne and Frode fell. After the fall of these
four chiefs, King Harald, by his relation Guthorm's success and
powers, subdued Hedemark, Ringerike, Gudbrandsdal, Hadeland,
Thoten, Raumarike, and the whole northern part of Vingulmark.
King Harald and Guthorm had thereafter war with King Gandalf, and
fought several battles with him; and in the last of them King
Gandalf was slain, and King Harald took the whole of his kingdom
as far south as the river Raum.

3. OF GYDA, DAUGHTER OF EIRIE.

King Harald sent his men to a girl called Gyda, daughter of King
Eirik of Hordaland, who was brought up as foster-child in the
house of a great bonde in Valdres. The king wanted her for his
concubine; for she was a remarkably handsome girl, but of high
spirit withal. Now when the messengers came there, and delivered
their errand to the girl, she answered, that she would not throw
herself away even to take a king for her husband, who had no
greater kingdom to rule over than a few districts. "And
methinks," said she, "it is wonderful that no king here in Norway
will make the whole country subject to him, in the same way as
Gorm the Old did in Denmark, or Eirik at Upsala." The messengers
thought her answer was dreadfully haughty, and asked what she
thought would come of such an answer; for Harald was so mighty a
man, that his invitation was good enough for her. But although
she had replied to their errand differently from what they
wished, they saw no chance, on this occasion, of taking her with
them against her will; so they prepared to return. When they
were ready, and the people followed them out, Gyda said to the
messengers, "Now tell to King Harald these my words. I will only
agree to be his lawful wife upon the condition that he shall
first, for my sake, subject to himself the whole of Norway, so
that he may rule over that kingdom as freely and fully as King
Eirik over the Swedish dominions, or King Gorm over Denmark; for
only then, methinks, can he be called the king of a people."

4. KING HARALD'S VOW.

Now came the messengers back to King Harald, bringing him the
words of the girl, and saying she was so bold and foolish that
she well deserved that the king should send a greater troop of
people for her, and inflict on her some disgrace. Then answered
the king, "This girl has not spoken or done so much amiss that
she should be punished, but rather she should be thanked for her
words. She has reminded me," said he, "of something which it
appears to me wonderful I did not think of before. And now,"
added he, "I make the solemn vow, and take God to witness, who
made me and rules over all things, that never shall I clip or
comb my hair until I have subdued the whole of Norway, with scat
(2), and duties, and domains; or if not, have died in the
attempt." Guthorm thanked the king warmly for his vow; adding,
that it was royal work to fulfil royal words.

5. THE BATTLE IN ORKADAL.

After this the two relations gather together a great force, and
prepare for an expedition to the Uplands, and northwards up the
valley (Gudbrandsdal), and north over Dovrefjeld; and when the
king came down to the inhabited land he ordered all the men to be
killed, and everything wide around to be delivered to the flames.
And when the people came to know this, they fled every one where
he could; some down the country to Orkadal, some to Gaulardal,
some to the forests. But some begged for peace, and obtained it,
on condition of joining the king and becoming his men. He met no
opposition until he came to Orkadal. There a crowd of people had
assembled, and he had his first battle with a king called
Gryting. Harald won the victory, and King Gryting was made
prisoner, and most of his people killed. He took service himself
under the king, and swore fidelity to him. Thereafer all the
people in Orkadal district went under King Harald, and became his
men.

6. KING HARALD S LAWS FOR LAND PROPERTY.

King Harald made this law over all the lands he conquered, that
all the udal property should belong to him; and that the bondes,
both great and small, should pay him land dues for their
possessions. Over every district he set an earl to judge
according to the law of the land and to justice, and also to
collect the land dues and the fines; and for this each earl
received a third part of the dues, and services, and fines, for
the support of his table and other expenses. Each earl had under
him four or more herses, each of whom had an estate of twenty
marks yearly income bestowed on him and was bound to support
twenty men-at-arms, and the earl sixty men, at their own
expenses. The king had increased the land dues and burdens so
much, that each of his earls had greater power and income than
the kings had before; and when that became known at Throndhjem,
many great men joined the king and took his service.

7. BATTLE IN GAULARDAL.

It is told that Earl Hakon Grjotgardson came to King Harald from
Yrjar, and brought a great crowd of men to his service. Then
King Harald went into Gaulardal, and had a great battle, in which
he slew two kings, and conquered their dominions; and these were
Gaulardal district and Strind district. He gave Earl Hakon
Strind district to rule over as earl. King Harald then proceeded
to Stjoradal, and had a third battle, in which he gained the
victory, and took that district also. There upon the Throndhjem
people assembled, and four kings met together with their troops.
The one ruled over Veradal, the second over Skaun, third over the
Sparbyggja district, and the fourth over Eyin Idre (Inderoen);
and this latter had also Eyna district. These four kings marched
with their men against King Harald, but he won the battle; and
some of these kings fell, and some fled. In all, King Harald
fought at the least eight battles, and slew eight kings, in the
Throndhjem district, and laid the whole of it under him.

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