Harald Harfager's Saga

35. HARALD DIVIDES HIS KINGDOM.

When King Harald was fifty years of age many of his sons were
grown up, and some were dead. Many of them committed acts of
great violence in the country, and were in discord among
themselves. They drove some of the king's earls out of their
properties, and even killed some of them. Then the king called
together a numerous Thing in the south part of the country, and
summoned to it all the people of the Uplands. At this Thing he
gave to all his sons the title of king, and made a law that his
descendants in the male line should each succeed to the kingly
title and dignity; but his descendants by the female side only to
that of earl. And he divided the country among them thus: --
Vingulmark, Raumarike, Vestfold and Thelamark, he bestowed on
Olaf, Bjorn, Sigtryg, Frode, and Thorgils. Hedemark and
Gudbrandsdal he gave to Dag, Hring, and Ragnar. To Snaefrid's
sons he gave Ringerike, Hadeland, Thoten, and the lands thereto
belonging. His son Guthorm, as before mentioned, he had set over
the country from Glommen to Svinasund and Ranrike. He had set
him to defend the country to the East, as before has been
written. King Harald himself generally dwelt in the middle of
the country, and Hrorek and Gudrod were generally with his court,
and had great estates in Hordaland and in Sogn. King Eirik was
also with his father King Harald; and the king loved and regarded
him the most of all his sons, and gave him Halogaland and North
More, and Raumsdal. North in Throndhjem he gave Halfdan the
Black, Halfdan the White, and Sigrod land to rule over. In each
of these districts he gave his sons the one half of his revenues,
together with the right to sit on a high-seat, -- a step higher
than earls, but a step lower than his own high-seat. His king's
seat each of his sons wanted for himself after his death, but he
himself destined it for Eirik. The Throndhjem people wanted
Halfdan the Black to succeed to it. The people of Viken, and the
Uplands, wanted those under whom they lived. And thereupon new
quarrels arose among the brothers; and because they thought their
dominions too little, they drove about in piratical expeditions.
In this way, as before related, Guthorm fell at the mouth of the
Gaut river, slain by Solve Klofe; upon which Olaf took the
kingdom he had possessed. Halfdan the White fell in Eistland,
Halfdan Haleg in Orkney. King Harald gave ships of war to
Thorgils and Frode, with which they went westward on a viking
cruise, and plundered in Scotland, Ireland, and Bretland. They
were the first of the Northmen who took Dublin. It is said that
Frode got poisoned drink there; but Thorgils was a long time king
over Dublin, until he fell into a snare of the Irish, and was
killed.

36. DEATH OF RAGNVALD RETTILBEINE.

Eirik Blood-axe expected to be head king over all his brothers
and King Harald intended he should be so; and the father and son
lived long together. Ragnvald Rettilbeine governed Hadaland, and
allowed himself to be instructed in the arts of witchcraft, and
became an area warlock. Now King Harald was a hater of all
witchcraft. There was a warlock in Hordaland called Vitgeir; and
when the king sent a message to him that he should give up his
art of witchcraft, he replied in this verse: --

"The danger surely is not great
From wizards born of mean estate,
When Harald's son in Hadeland,
King Ragnvald, to the art lays hand."

But when King Harald heard this, King Eirik Blood-axe went by his
orders to the Uplands, and came to Hadeland and burned his
brother Ragnvald in a house, along with eighty other warlocks;
which work was much praised.

37. DEATH OF GUDROD LJOME.

Gudrod Ljome was in winter on a friendly visit to his foster-
father Thjodolf in Hvin, and had a well-manned ship, with which
he wanted to go north to Rogaland. It was blowing a heavy storm
at the time; but Gudrod was bent on sailing, and would not
consent to wait. Thjodolf sang thus: --

"Wait, Gudrod, till the storm is past, --
Loose not thy long-ship while the blast
Howls over-head so furiously, --
Trust not thy long-ship to the sea, --
Loose not thy long-ship from the shore;
Hark to the ocean's angry roar!
See how the very stones are tost
By raging waves high on the coast!
Stay, Gudrod, till the tempest's o'er --
Deep runs the sea off the Jadar's shore."

Gudrod set off in spite of what Thjodolf could say: and when they
came off the Jadar the vessel sunk with them, and all on board
were lost.

38. KING BJORN KAUPMAN'S DEATH.

King Harald's son, Bjorn, ruled over Vestfold at that time, and
generally lived at Tunsberg, and went but little on war
expeditions. Tunsberg at that time was much frequented by
merchant vessels, both from Viken and the north country, and also
from the south, from Denmark, and Saxland. King Bjorn had also
merchant ships on voyages to other lands, by which he procured
for himself costly articles, and such things as he thought
needful; and therefore his brothers called him Farman (the
Seaman), and Kaupman (the Chapman). Bjorn was a man of sense and
understanding, and promised to become a good ruler. He made a
good and suitable marriage, and had a son by his wife, who was
named Gudrod. Eirik Blood-axe came from his Baltic cruise with
ships of war, and a great force, and required his brother Bjorn
to deliver to him King Harald's share of the scat and incomes of
Vestfold. But it had always been the custom before, that Bjorn
himself either delivered the money into the king's hands, or sent
men of his own with it; and therefore he would continue with the
old custom, and would not deliver the money. Eirik again wanted
provisions, tents, and liquor. The brothers quarrelled about
this; but Eirik got nothing and left the town. Bjorn went also
out of the town towards evening up to Saeheim. In the night
Eirik came back after Bjorn, and came to Saeheim just as Bjorn
and his men were seated at table drinking. Eirik surrounded the
house in which they were; but Bjorn with his men went out and
fought. Bjorn, and many men with him, fell. Eirik, on the other
hand, got a great booty, and proceeded northwards. But this work
was taken very ill by the people of Viken, and Eirik was much
disliked for it; and the report went that King Olaf would avenge
his brother Bjorn, whenever opportunity offered. King Bjorn lies
in the mound of Farmanshaug at Saeheim.

39. RECONCILIATION OF THE KINGS.

King Eirik went in winter northwards to More, and was at a feast
in Solve, within the point Agdanes; and when Halfdan the Black
heard of it he set out with his men, and surrounded the house in
which they were. Eirik slept in a room which stood detached by
itself, and he escaped into the forest with four others; but
Halfdan and his men burnt the main house, with all the people who
were in it. With this news Eirik came to King Harald, who was
very wroth at it, and assembled a great force against the
Throndhjem people. When Halfdan the Black heard this he levied
ships and men, so that he had a great force, and proceeded with
it to Stad, within Thorsbjerg. King Harald lay with his men at
Reinsletta. Now people went between them, and among others a
clever man called Guthorm Sindre, who was then in Halfdan the
Black's army, but had been formerly in the service of King
Harald, and was a great friend of both. Guthorm was a great
skald, and had once composed a song both about the father and the
son, for which they had offered him a reward. But he would take
nothing; but only asked that, some day or other, they should
grant him any request he should make, which they promised to do.
Now he presented himself to King Harald, brought words of peace
between them, and made the request to them both that they should
be reconciled. So highly did the king esteem him, that in
consequence of his request they were reconciled. Many other able
men promoted this business as well as he; and it was so settled
that Halfdan should retain the whole of his kingdom as he had it
before, and should let his brother Eirik sit in peace. After
this event Jorun, the skald-maid, composed some verses in
"Sendibit" ("The Biting Message"): --

"I know that Harald Fairhair
Knew the dark deed of Halfdan.
To Harald Halfdan seemed
Angry and cruel."