16. Of Rook the Black

Rook the black stayed with King Haki. The king's daughter was called Brynhild. A king called Svein the Victorious asked for Brynhild's hand in marriage, but Haki refused. Svein swore he'd kill the man who got her, and her father too. King Haki had a jarl called Hedin, and Weevil was his son. He asked for Brynhild's hand, and this was promised him, if he would defend the land from Svein.

Rook the Black was unknown there, and no one thought anything of him. He sat in the guest's seat. One day, the men of the court went deer hunting, and the women went gathering nuts. Brynhild saw a big man standing alone by an oak tree. She heard him say:

“Now Hamund's son
will say something
of the brothers Rook,
their birth and line.
More doughty I deem
my dad to have been,
a keen falcon
compared to your father.

No one would want
to be like Weevil,
not even the herdsmen
of Hamund's flock.
I didn't find
any swine-herd with feebler
heart than Hedin's
gutless son has.

My station was higher
when we stood by Half,
warred with the wise king
the world over,
with single mind
we marched as one,
always fighting
far and wide.

Hawkish the heart
we had, each man of us,
wherever the chief chose
to chance his luck.
Great lands were they:
with grey helmets
through nine countries
we cut a swathe.

Half I saw hew
two-handed there,
no shield sheltered
our chief that day.
A worthier warrior
you wouldn't find,
though hard you hunt,
or stouter-hearted.

Some men who know
no better than this,
they think our king
had a fool's courage.
But they never knew
that noble ruler,
Half, Haloga-king,¹²
if that's all they've heard.

His boys were forbidden
to blanch at death
or to utter but one
word out of worry.
None were allowed
to enlist with that lord
unless his destiny
they dared to share.

None were allowed
to let out a groan
at cuts incurred
in the clash of war,
or bind a sore,
bandage up wounds,
until an entire
day's time was done.

He commanded that no man
in manacles be harmed,
nor any woman
by his warriors attacked.
Honourably he ordered
should all girls be bought,
with fairest gold
and fathers' leave.¹³

We never met
so many enemies
in all our time
that we turned and fled,
even when eleven
eager hostile
warriors awaited
each one of us.

The upper hand
we had always
where shields crashed
in combat together.
One prince alone
was the peer of my lord,
hard-knit Sigurd
in the halls of Gjuki.

Many I could mention
who marched with us,
who battled for the boss,
brave men and good:
Bork and Brynjolf,
Bolverk and Haki,
Egil and Erling,
Aslak's sons.

The finest of friends
I found these to be:
Rook, my brother,
and bold King Half,
Styr and Steinar,
strong men both,
Lady Gunnlod's
gallant boys.

Hring and Halfdan
hawks the both of them,
Dag the Dashing,
no doubting their judgement.
Stari and Steingrim,
Styr and Gauti--
you'll hear nowhere
of more handsome lads.

Hawk and Falcon,
on harrying raids,
fine fellows marched,
at their master's side.
Those king's fighters would find
few fit for much
here in Haki's
humble land.

Nor was I deemed
a nobody there,
a wretch in the ranks
of the royal troop.
Keenest of comrades
they called me indeed,
for each one sought
to gain honour
and glory for all the others.

In the vanguard Vemund
advanced with the standard
(Bjorn and Bersi
bore all before them),
dared fight in front
of a fine leader,
who formed up his legions
while life lasted.

Notes