Saga of Olaf Haroldson

49. EARL SVEIN LEAVES THE COUNTRY.

Now some of the earl's men fled up the country, some surrendered
at discretion; but Svein and his followers rowed out of the
fjord, and the chiefs laid their vessels together to talk with
each other, for the earl wanted counsel from his lendermen.
Erling Skialgson advised that they should sail north, collect
people, and fight King Olaf again; but as they had lost many
people, the most were of opinion that the earl should leave the
country, and repair to his brother-in-law the Swedish King, and
strengthen himself there with men. Einar Tambaskelfer approved
also of that advice, as they had no power to hold battle against
Olaf. So they discharged their fleet. The earl sailed across
Folden, and with him Einar Tambaskelfer. Erling Skialgson again,
and likewise many other lendermen who would not abandon their
udal possessions, went north to their homes; and Erling had many
people that summer about him.

50. OLAF'S AND SIGURD'S CONSULTATION.

When King Olaf and his men saw that the earl had gathered his
ships together, Sigurd Syr was in haste for pursuing the earl,
and letting steel decide their cause. But King Olaf replies,
that he would first see what the earl intended doing -- whether
he would keep his force together or discharge his fleet. Sigurd
Syr said, "It is for thee, king, to command; but," he adds, "I
fear, from thy disposition and wilfulness, that thou wilt some
day be betrayed by trusting to those great people, for they are
accustomed of old to bid defiance to their sovereigns." There
was no attack made, for it was soon seen that the earl's fleet
was dispersing. Then King Olaf ransacked the slain, and remained
there some days to divide the booty. At that time Sigvat made
these verses: --

"The tale I tell is true
To their homes returned but few
Of Svein's men who came to meet
King Olaf's gallant fleet.
From the North these warmen came
To try the bloody game, --
On the waves their corpses borne
Show the game that Sunday morn.
The Throndhjem girls so fair
Their jeers, I think, will spare,
For the king's force was but small
That emptied Throndhjem's hall.
But if they will have their jeer,
They may ask their sweethearts dear,
Why they have returned shorn
Who went to shear that Sunday morn."

And also these: --

"Now will the king's power rise,
For the Upland men still prize
The king who o'er the sea
Steers to bloody victory.
Earl Svein! thou now wilt know
That our lads can make blood flow --
That the Hedemarkers hale
Can do more than tap good ale."

King Olaf gave his stepfather King Sigurd Syr, and the other
chiefs who had assisted him, handsome presents at parting. He
gave Ketil of Ringanes a yacht of fifteen benches of rowers,
which Ketil brought up the Raum river and into the Mjosen lake.

51. OF KING OLAF.

King Olaf sent spies out to trace the earl's doings (A.D. 1015);
and when he found that the earl had left the country he sailed
out west, and to Viken, where many people came to him. At the
Thing there he was taken as king, and so he proceeded all the way
to the Naze; and when he heard that Erling Skialgson had gathered
a large force, he did not tarry in North Agder, but sailed with a
steady fair wind to the Throndhjem country; for there it appeared
to him was the greatest strength of the land, if he could subdue
it for himself while the earl was abroad. When Olaf came to
Throndhjem there was no opposition, and he was elected there to
be king. In harvest (A.D. 1015) he took his seat in the town of
Nidaros, and collected the needful winter provision (A.D. 1016).
He built a king's house, and raised Clement's church on the spot
on which it now stands. He parcelled out building ground, which
he gave to bondes, merchants, or others who he thought would
build. There he sat down with many men-at-arms around him; for
he put no great confidence in the Throndhjem people, if the earl
should return to the country. The people of the interior of the
Throndhjem country showed this clearly, for he got no land-scat
from them.

52. PLAN OF SVEIN AND THE SWEDISH KING.

Earl Svein went first to Svithjod to his brother-in-law Olaf the
Swedish king, told him all that had happened between him and Olaf
the Thick, and asked his advice about what he should now
undertake. The king said that the earl should stay with him if
he liked, and get such a portion of his kingdom to rule over as
should seem to him sufficient; "or otherwise," says he, "I will
give thee help of forces to conquer the country again from Olaf."
The earl chose the latter; for all those among his men who had
great possessions in Norway, which was the case with many who
were with him, were anxious to get back; and in the council they
held about this, it was resolved that in winter they should take
the land-way over Helsingjaland and Jamtaland, and so down into
the Throndhjem land; for the earl reckoned most upon the faithful
help and strength of the Throndhjem people of the interior as
soon as he should appear there. In the meantime, however, it was
determined to take a cruise in summer in the Baltic to gather
property.

53. EARL SVEIN'S DEATH.

Earl Svein went eastward with his forces to Russia, and passed
the summer (A.D. 1015) in marauding there; but on the approach of
autumn returned with his ships to Svithjod. There he fell into a
sickness, which proved fatal. After the earl's death some of the
people who had followed him remained in Svithjod; others went to
Helsingjaland, thence to Jamtaland, and so from the east over the
dividing ridge of the country to the Throndhjem district, where
they told all that had happened upon their journey: and thus the
truth of Earl Svein's death was known (A.D. 1016).

54. OF THE THRONDHJEM PEOPLE.

Einar Tambaskelfer, and the people who had followed him went in
winter to the Swedish king, and were received in a friendly
manner. There were also among them many who had followed the
earl. The Swedish king took it much amiss that Olaf the Thick
had set himself down in his scat-lands, and driven the earl out
of them, and therefore he threatened the king with his heaviest
vengeance when opportunity offered. He said that Olaf ought not
to have had the presumption to take the dominions which the earl
had held of him; and all the Swedish king's men agreed with him.
But the Throndhjem people, when they heard for certain that the
earl was dead, and could not be expected back to Norway, turned
all to obedience to King Olaf. Many came from the interior of
the Throndhjem country, and became King Olaf's men; others sent
word and tokens that they would service him. Then, in autumn, he
went into the interior of Throndhjem, and held Things with the
bondes, and was received as king in each district. He returned
to Nidaros, and brought there all the king's scat and revenue,
and had his winter-seat provided there (A.D. 1016).

55. OF KING OLAF'S HOUSEHOLD.

King Olaf built a king's house in Nidaros, and in it was a large
room for his court, with doors at both ends. The king's high-
seat was in the middle of the room; and within sat his court-
bishop, Grimkel, and next him his other priests; without them sat
his counsellors; and in the other high-seat opposite to the king
sat his marshal, Bjorn, and next to him his pursuivants. When
people of importance came to him, they also had a seat of honour.
The ale was drunk by the fire-light. He divided the service
among his men after the fashion of other kings. He had in his
house sixty court-men and thirty pursuivants; and to them he gave
pay and certain regulations. He had also thirty house-servants
to do the needful work about the house, and procure what was
required. He had, besides, many slaves. At the house were many
outbuildings, in which the court-men slept. There was also a
large room, in which the king held his court-meetings.

56. OF KING OLAF'S HABITS.

It was King Olaf's custom to rise betimes in the morning, put on
his clothes, wash his hands, and then go to the church and hear
the matins and morning mass. Thereafter he went to the Thing-
meeting, to bring people to agreement with each other, or to talk
of one or the other matter that appeared to him necessary. He
invited to him great and small who were known to be men of
understanding. He often made them recite to him the laws which
Hakon Athelstan's foster-son had made for Throndhjem; and after
considering them with those men of understanding, he ordered laws
adding to or taking from those established before. But Christian
privileges he settled according to the advice of Bishop Grimbel
and other learned priests; and bent his whole mind to uprooting
heathenism, and old customs which he thought contrary to
Christianity. And he succeeded so far that the bondes accepted
of the laws which the king proposed. So says Sigvat: --

"The king, who at the helm guides
His warlike ship through clashing tides,
Now gives one law for all the land --
A heavenly law, which long will stand."

King Olaf was a good and very gentle man, of little speech, and
open-handed although greedy of money. Sigvat the skald, as
before related, was in King Olaf's house, and several Iceland
men. The king asked particularly how Christianity was observed
in Iceland, and it appeared to him to be very far from where it
ought to be; for, as to observing Christian practices, it was
told the king that it was permitted there to eat horse-flesh, to
expose infants as heathens do, besides many other things contrary
to Christianity. They also told the king about many principal
men who were then in Iceland. Skapte Thorodson was then the
lagman of the country. He inquired also of those who were best
acquainted with it about the state of people in other distant
countries; and his inquiries turned principally on how
Christianity was observed in the Orkney, Shetland, and Farey
Islands: and, as far as he could learn, it was far from being as
he could have wished. Such conversation was usually carried on
by him; or else he spoke about the laws and rights of the
country.