Saga of Hakon Herdebreid

7. OF HAKON'S FLEET.

Then said King Inge to Erling, "Now we will follow thy advice,
brother, with regard to the manner of attacking; but seeing how
eager our counsellors are for it, we shall make the attack this
day."

Erling replied, "All the boats and light vessels we have should
row outside the island, and up the east arm of the river, and
then down with the stream upon them, and try if they cannot cut
them loose from the piles. Then we, with the large ships, shall
row from below here against them; and I cannot tell until it be
tried, if those who are now so furiously warm will be much
brisker at the attack than I am."

This counsel was approved by all. There was a ness stretched out
between their fleet and Hakon's, so that they could not see each
other. Now when Hakon and his men, who had taken counsel with
each other in a meeting, saw the boat-squadron rowing down the
river, some thought King Inge intended to give them battle; but
many believed they did not dare, for it looked as if the attack
was given up; and they, besides, were very confident, both in
their preparations and men. There were many great people with
Hakon: there were Sigurd of Reyr, and Simon's sons; Nikolas
Skialdvarson; Eindride, a son of Jon Mornef, who was the most
gallant and popular man in the Throndhjem country; and many other
lendermen and warriors. Now when they saw that King Inge's men
with many ships were rowing out of the river, Hakon and his men
believed they were going to fly; and therefore they cut their
land-ropes with which they lay fast at the piles, seized their
oars, and rowed after them in pursuit. The ships ran fast down
with the stream; but when they came further down the river,
abreast of the ness, they saw King Inge's main strength lying
quiet at the island Hising. King Inge's people saw Hakon's ships
under way, and believed they were coming to attack them; and now
there was great bustle and clash of arms, and they encouraged
each other by a great war-shout. Hakon with his fleet turned
northwards a little to the land, where there was a turn in the
bight of the river, and where there was no current. They made
ready for battle, carried land-ropes to the shore, turned the
stems of their ships outwards, and bound them all together. They
laid the large East-country traders without the other vessels,
the one above, the other below, and bound them to the long-ships.
In the middle of the fleet lay the king's ship, and next to it
Sigurd's; and on the other side of the king's ship lay Nikolas,
and next to him Endride Jonson. All the smaller ships lay
farther off, and they were all nearly loaded with weapons and
stones.

8. SIGURD OF REYR'S SPEECH.

Then Sigurd of Reyr made the following speech: "Now there is hope
that the time is come which has been promised us all the summer,
that we shall meet King Inge in battle. We have long prepared
ourselves for this; and many of our comrades have boasted that
they would never fly from or submit to King Inge and Gregorius,
and now let them remember their words. But we who have sometimes
got the toothache in our conflicts with them, speak less
confidently; for it has happened, as all have heard, that we very
often have come off without glory. But, nevertheless, it is now
necessary to fight manfully, and stand to it with steadiness; for
the only escape for us is in victory. Although we have somewhat
fewer men than they, yet luck determines which side shall have
the advantage, and God knows that the right is on our side. Inge
has killed two of his brothers; and it is obvious to all men that
the mulct he intends to pay King Hakon for his father's murder is
to murder him also, as well as his other relations, which will be
seen this day to be his intent. King Hakon desired from the
beginning no more of Norway than the third part, which his father
had possessed, and which was denied him; and yet, in my opinion,
King Hakon has a better right to inherit after his father's
brother, King Eystein, than Inge or Simon Skalp, or the other men
who killed King Eystein. Many of them who would save their
souls, and yet have defiled their hands with such bloody deeds as
Inge has done, must think it a presumption before God that he
takes the name of king; and I wonder God suffers such monstrous
wickedness as his; but it may be God's will that we shall now put
him down. Let us fight then manfully, and God will give us
victory; and, if we fall, will repay us with joys unspeakable for
now allowing the might of the wicked to prevail over us. Go
forth then in confidence, and be not afraid when the battle
begins. Let each watch over his own and his comrade's safety,
and God protect us all." There went a good report abroad of this
speech of Sigurd, and all promised fairly, and to do their duty.
King Hakon went on board of the great East-country ship, and a
shield-bulwark was made around him; but his standard remained on
the long-ship in which it had been before.

9. OF KING INGE'S MEN.

Now must we tell about King Inge and his men. When they saw that
King Hakon and his people were ready for battle, and the river
only was between them, they sent a light vessel to recall the
rest of the fleet which had rowed away; and in the meantime the
king waited for them, and arranged the troops for the attack.
Then the chiefs consulted in presence of the army, and told their
opinions; first, which ships should lie nearest to the enemy; and
then where each should attack.

Gregorius spoke thus: "We have many and fine men; and it is my
advice, King Inge, that you do not go to the assault with us, for
everything is preserved if you are safe. And no man knows where
an arrow may hit, even from the hands of a bad bowman; and they
have prepared themselves so, that missiles and stones can be
thrown from the high stages upon the merchant ships, so that
there is less danger for those who are farthest from them. They
have not more men than we lendermen can very well engage with. I
shall lay my ship alongside their largest ship, and I expect the
conflict between us will be but short; for it has often been so
in our former meetings, although there has been a much greater
want of men with us than now." All thought well of the advice
that the king himself should not take part in the battle.

Then Erling Skakke said, "I agree also to the counsel that you,
sire, should not go into the battle. It appears to me that their
preparations are such, that we require all our precaution not to
suffer a great defeat from them; and whole limbs are the easiest
cured. In the council we held before to-day many opposed what I
said, and ye said then that I did not want to fight; but now I
think the business has altered its appearance, and greatly to our
advantage, since they have hauled off from the piles, and now it
stands so that I do not dissuade from giving battle; for I see,
what all are sensible of, how necessary it is to put an end to
this robber band who have gone over the whole country with
pillage and destruction, in order that people may cultivate the
land in peace, and serve a king so good and just as King Inge who
has long had trouble and anxiety from the haughty unquiet spirit
of his relations, although he has been a shield of defence for
the whole people, and has been exposed to manifold perils for the
peace of the country." Erling spoke well and long, and many
other chiefs also; and all to the same purpose -- all urging to
battle. In the meantime they waited until all the fleet should
be assembled. King Inge had the ship Baekisudin; and, at the
entreaty of his friends, he did not join the battle, but lay
still at the island.

10. BEGINNING OF THE BATTLE.

When the army was ready they rowed briskly against the enemy, and
both sides raised a war-shout. Inge's men did not bind their
ships together, but let them be loose; for they rowed right
across the current, by which the large ships were much swayed.
Erling Skakke laid his ship beside King Hakon's ship, and ran the
stem between his and Sigurd's ship, by which the battle began.
But Gregorius's ship swung upon the ground, and heeled very much
over, so that at first she could not come into the battle; and
when Hakon's men saw this they laid themselves against her, and
attacked Gregorius's ship on all sides. Ivar, Hakon Mage's son,
laid his ship so that the stems struck together; and he got a
boat-hook fastened on Gregorius, on that part of his body where
the waist is smallest, and dragged him to him, by which Gregorius
stumbled against the ship's rails; but the hook slipped to one
side, or Gregorius would have been dragged over-board.
Gregorius, however, was but little wounded, for he had on a plate
coat of armour. Ivar called out to him, that he had a "thick
bark." Gregorius replied, that if Ivar went on so he would
"require it all, and not have too much." It was very near then
that Gregorius and his men had sprung overboard; but Aslak Unge
threw an anchor into their ship, and dragged them off the ground.
Then Gregorius laid himself against Ivar's ship, and they fought
a long while; but Gregorius's ship being both higher sided and
more strongly manned, many people fell in Ivar's ship, and some
jumped overboard. Ivar was so severely wounded that he could not
take part in the fight. When his ship was cleared of the men,
Gregorius let Ivar be carried to the shore, so that he might
escape; and from that time they were constant friends.

11. KING HAKON'S FLIGHT.

When King Inge and his men saw that Gregorius was aground, he
encouraged his crew to row to his assistance. "It was," he said,
"the most imprudent advice that we should remain lying here,
while our friends are in battle; for we have the largest and best
ship in all the fleet. But now I see that Gregorius, the man to
whom I owe the most, is in need of help; so we must hasten to the
fight where it is sharpest. It is also most proper that I should
be in the battle; for the victory, if we win it, will belong to
me. And if I even knew beforehand that our men were not to gain
the battle, yet our place is where our friends are; for I can do
nothing if I lose the men who are justly called the defence of
the country, who are the bravest, and have long ruled for me and
my kingdom." Thereupon he ordered his banner to be set up, which
was done; and they rowed across the river. Then the battle
raged, and the king could not get room to attack, so close lay
the ships before him. First he lay under the East-country
trading ship, and from it they threw down upon his vessel spears,
iron-shod stakes, and such large stones that it was impossible to
hold out longer there, and he had to haul off. Now when the
king's people saw that he was come they made place for him, and
then he laid alongside of Eindride Jonson's ship. Now King
Hakon's men abandoned the small ships, and went on board the
large merchant vessels; but some of them sprang on shore. Erling
Skakke and his men had a severe conflict. Erling himself was on
the forecastle, and called his forecastlemen, and ordered them to
board the king's ship; but they answered, this was no easy
matter, for there were beams above with an iron comb on them.
Then Erling himself went to the bow, and stayed there a while,
until they succeeded in getting on board the king's ship: and
then the ship was cleared of men on the bows, and the whole army
gave way. Many sprang into the water, many fell, but the greater
number got to the land. So says Einar Skulason: --

"Men fall upon the slippery deck --
Men roll off from the blood-drenched wreck;
Dead bodies float down with the stream,
And from the shores witch-ravens scream.
The cold blue river now runs red
With the warm blood of warriors dead,
And stains the waves in Karmt Sound
With the last drops of the death-wound.

"All down the stream, with unmann'd prow,
Floats many an empty long-ship now,
Ship after ship, shout after shout,
Tell that Kign Hakon can't hold out.
The bowmen ply their bows of elm,
The red swords flash o'er broken helm:
King Hakon's men rush to the strand,
Out of their ships, up through the land."

Einar composed a song about Gregorius Dagson, which is called the
River-song. King Inge granted life and peace to Nikolas
Skialdvarson when his ship was deserted, and thereupon he went
into King Inge's service, and remained in it as long as the king
lived. Eindride Jonson leaped on board of King Inge's ship when
his own was cleared of men, and begged for his life. King Inge
wished to grant it; but Havard Klining's son ran up, and gave him
a mortal wound, which was much blamed; but he said Eindride had
been the cause of his father's death. There was much lamentation
at Eindride's death, but principally in the Throndhjem district.
Many of Hakon's people fell here, but not many chiefs. Few of
King Inge's people fell, but many were wounded. King Hakon fled
up the country, and King Inge went north to Viken with his
troops; and he, as well as Gregorius, remained in Viken all
winter (A.D. 1160). When King Inge's men, Bergliot and his
brothers, sons of Ivar of Elda, came from the battle to Bergen,
they slew Nickolas Skeg, who had been Hakon's treasurer, and then
went north to Throndhjem.

King Hakon came north before Yule, and Sigurd was sometimes home
at Reyr; for Gregorius, who was nearly related to Sigurd, had
obtained for him life and safety from King Inge, so that he
retained all his estates. King Hakon was in the merchant-town of
Nidaros in Yule; and one evening in the beginning of Yule his men
fought in the room of the court, and in this affray eight men
were killed, and many were wounded. The eighth day of Yule, King
Hakon's man Alf Rode, son of Ottar Birting, with about eighty
men, went to Elda, and came in the night unexpectedly on the
people, who were very drunk, and set fire to the room; but they
went out, and defended themselves bravely. There fell Bergliot,
Ivar's son, and Ogmund, his brother, and many more. They had
been nearly thirty altogether in number. In winter died, north
in the merchant-town, Andres Simonson, King Hakon's foster-
brother; and his death was much deplored. Erling Skakke and
Inge's men, who were in Bergen, threatened that in winter they
would proceed against Hakon and his men; but it came to nothing.
Gregorius sent word from the east, from Konungahella, that if he
were so near as Erling and his men, he would not sit quietly in
Bergen while Hakon was killing King Inge's friends and their
comrades in war north in the Throndhjem country.