Saga of Magnus the Good

30. BATTLE AT RE.

King Magnus immediately turned round with his army against Svein,
whom he called his earl, although the Danes called him their
king; and he collected ships, and a great force, and on both
sides a great strength was assembled. In Svein's army were many
chiefs from Scania, Halland, Seeland, and Fyen; while King
Magnus, on the other hand, had mostly Norway and Jutland men, and
with that war-force he hastened to meet Svein. They met at Re,
near Vestland; and there was a great battle, which ended in King
Magnus gaining the victory, and Svein taking flight. After
losing many people, Svein fled back to Scania, and from thence to
Gautland, which was a safe refuge if he needed it, and stood open
to him. King Magnus returned to Jutland, where he remained all
winter (A.D. 1044) with many people, and had a guard to watch his
ships. Arnor, the earls' skald, speaks of this: --

"At Re our battle-loving lord
In bloody meeting stained his sword, --
At Re upon the western shore,
In Vestland warrior's blood once more."

31. BATTLE AT AROS.

Svein Ulfson went directly to his ships as soon as he heard that
King Magnus had left his fleet. He drew to him all the men he
could, and went round in winter among the islands, Seeland, Fyen,
and others. Towards Yule he sailed to Jutland, and went into
Limfjord, where many people submitted to him. He imposed scat
upon some, but some joined King Magnus. Now when King Magnus
heard what Svein was doing, he betook himself to his ships with
all the Northmen then in Denmark, and a part of the Danish
troops, and steered south along the land. Svein was then in Aros
with a great force; and when he heard of King Magnus he laid his
vessels without the town, and prepared for battle. When King
Magnus heard for certain where Svein was, and that the distance
between them was but short, he held a House-thing, and addressed
his people thus: "It is reported to me that the earl and his
fleet are lying not far from us, and that he has many people.
Now I would let you know that I intend to go out against the earl
and fight for it, although, we have fewer people. We will, as
formerly, put our trust in God, and Saint Olaf, my father, who
has given us victory sometimes when we fought, even though we had
fewer men than the enemy. Now I would have you get ready to seek
out the enemy, and give battle the moment we find him by rowing
all to attack, and being all ready for battle." Thereupon the
men put on their weapons, each man making himself and his place
ready; and then they stretched themselves to their oars. When
they saw the earl's ships they rowed towards them, and made ready
to attack. When Svein's men saw the forces they armed
themselves, bound their ships together, and then began one of the
sharpest of battles. So says Thiodolf, the skald: --

"Shield against shield, the earl and king
Made shields and swords together ring.
The gold-decked heroes made a play
Which Hild's iron-shirt men say
They never saw before or since
On battle-deck; the brave might wince,
As spear and arrow whistling flew,
Point blank, death-bringing, quick and true."

They fought at the bows, so that the men only on the bows could
strike; the men on the forecastle thrust with spears: and all who
were farther off shot with light spears or javelins, or war-
arrows. Some fought with stones or short stakes; and those who
were aft of the mast shot with the bow. So Says Thiodolf: --

"Steel-pointed spear, and sharpened stake,
Made the broad shield on arm shake:
The eagle, hovering in the air,
Screamed o'er the prey preparing there.
And stones and arrows quickly flew,
And many a warrior bold they slew.
The bowman never twanged his bow
And drew his shaft so oft as now;
And Throndhjem's bowmen on that day
Were not the first tired of this play:
Arrows and darts so quickly fly,
You could not follow with the eye."

Here it appears how hot the battle was with casting weapons.
King Magnus stood in the beginning of the battle within a shield-
rampart; but as it appeared to him that matters were going on too
slowly, he leaped over the shields, and rushed forward in the
ship, encouraging his men with a loud cheer, and springing to the
bows, where the battle was going on hand to hand. When his men
saw this they urged each other on with mutual cheering, and there
was one great hurrah through all the ships. So says Thiodolf: --

"`On with our ships! on to the foe!'
Cry Magnus' men -- on, on they go.
Spears against shields in fury rattle, --
Was never seen so fierce a battle."

And now the battle was exceedingly sharp; and in the assault
Svein's ship was cleared of all her forecastle men, upon and on
both sides of the forecastle. Then Magnus boarded Svein's ship,
followed by his men; and one after the other came up, and made so
stout an assault that Svein's men gave way, and King Magnus first
cleared that ship, and then the rest, one after the other. Svein
fled, with a great part of his people; but many fell, and many
got life and peace. Thiodolf tells of this: --

"Brave Magnus, from the stern springing
On to the stem, where swords were ringing
From his sea-raven's beak of gold
Deals death around -- the brave! the bold!
The earl's housemen now begin
To shrink and fall: their ranks grow thin --
The king's luck thrives -- their decks are cleared,
Of fighting men no more appeared.
The earl's ships are driven to flight,
Before the king would stop the fight:
The gold-distributor first then
Gave quarters to the vanquished men."

This battle was fought on the last Sunday before Yule. So says
Thiodolf: --

"'Twas on a Sunday morning bright,
Fell out this great and bloody fight,
When men were arming, fighting, dying,
Or on the red decks wounded lying.
And many a mabn, foredoomed to die,
To save his life o'erboard did fly,
But sank; for swimming could not save,
And dead men rolled in every wave."

Magnus took seven ships from Svein's people. So says Thiodolf:
--

"Thick Olaf's son seven vessels cleared,
And with his fleet the prizes steered.
The Norway girls will not be sad
To hear such news -- each from her lad."

He also sings: --

"The captured men will grieve the most
Svein and their comrades to have lost;
For it went ill with those who fled,
Their wounded had no easy bed.
A heavy storm that very night
O'ertook them flying from the fight;
And skulls and bones are tumbling round,
Under the sea, on sandy ground."

Svein fled immediately by night to Seeland, with the men who had
escaped and were inclined to follow him; but King Magnus brought
his ships to the shore, and sent his men up the country in the
night-time, and early in the morning they came flown to the
strand with a great booty in cattle. Thiodolf tells about it: --

"But yesterday with heavy stones
We crushed their skulls, and broke their bones,
And thinned their ranks; and now to-day
Up through their land we've ta'en our way,
And driven their cattle to the shore,
And filled out ships with food in store.
To save his land from our quick swords,
Svein will need something more than words."