Harald Harfager's Saga

13. DEATH OF EARLS HAKON, AND ATLE MJOVE.

The following spring (A.D. 869) King Harald went southwards with
his fleet along the coast, and subdued Firdafylke. Then he
sailed eastward along the land until he came to Vik; but he left
Earl Hakon Grjotgardson behind, and set him over the Fjord
district. Earl Hakon sent word to Earl Atle Mjove that he should
leave Sogn district, and be earl over Gaular district, as he had
been before, alleging that King Harald had given Sogn district to
him. Earl Atle sent word that he would keep both Sogn district
and Gaular district, until he met King Harald. The two earls
quarreled about this so long, that both gathered troops. They
met at Fialar, in Stavanger fiord, and had a great battle, in
which Earl Hakon fell, and Earl Atle got a mortal wound, and his
men carried him to the island of Atley, where he died. So says
Eyvind Skaldaspiller: --

"He who stood a rooted oak,
Unshaken by the swordsman's stroke,
Amidst the whiz of arrows slain,
Has fallen upon Fjalar's plain.
There, by the ocean's rocky shore,
The waves are stained with the red gore
Of stout Earl Hakon Grjotgard's son,
And of brave warriors many a one."

14. HARALD AND THE SWEDISH KING EIRIK.

King Harald came with his fleet eastward to Viken and landed at
Tunsberg, which was then a trading town. He had then been four
years in Throndhjem, and in all that time had not been in Viken.
Here he heard the news that Eirik Eymundson, king of Sweden, had
laid under him Vermaland, and was taking scat or land-tax from
all the forest settlers; and also that he called the whole
country north to Svinasund, and west along the sea, West
Gautland; and which altogether he reckoned to his kingdom, and
took land-tax from it. Over this country he had set an earl, by
name Hrane Gauzke, who had the earldom between Svinasund and the
Gaut river, and was a mighty earl. And it was told to King
Harald that the Swedish king said he would not rest until he had
as great a kingdom in Viken as Sigurd Hring, or his son Ragnar
Lodbrok, had possessed; and that was Raumarike and Vestfold, all
the way to the isle Grenmar, and also Vingulmark, and all that
lay south of it. In all these districts many chiefs, and many
other people, had given obedience to the Swedish king. King
Harald was very angry at this, and summoned the bondes to a Thing
at Fold, where he laid an accusation against them for treason
towards him. Some bondes defended themselves from the
accusation, some paid fines, some were punished. He went thus
through the whole district during the summer, and in harvest he
did the same in Raumarike, and laid the two districts under his
power. Towards winter he heard that Eirik king of Sweden was,
with his court, going about in Vermaland in guest-quarters.

15. HARALD AT A FEAST OF THE PEASANT AKE.

King Harald takes his way across the Eid forest eastward, and
comes out in Vermaland, where he also orders feasts to be
prepared for himself. There was a man by name Ake, who was the
greatest of the bondes of Vermaland, very rich, and at that time
very aged. He sent men to King Harald, and invited him to a
feast, and the king promised to come on the day appointed. Ake
invited also King Eirik to a feast, and appointed the same day.
Ake had a great feasting hall, but it was old; and he made a new
hall, not less than the old one, and had it ornamented in the
most splendid way. The new hall he had hung with new hangings,
but the old had only its old ornaments. Now when the kings came
to the feast, King Eirik with his court was taken into the old
hall; but Harald with his followers into the new. The same
difference was in all the table furniture, and King Eirik and his
men had the old-fashioned vessels and horns, but all gilded and
splendid; while King Harald and his men had entirely new vessels
and horns adorned with gold, all with carved figures, and shining
like glass; and both companies had the best of liquor. Ake the
bonde had formerly been King Halfdan the Black's man. Now when
daylight came, and the feast was quite ended, and the kings made
themselves ready for their journey, and the horses were saddled,
came Ake before King Harald, leading in his hand his son Ubbe, a
boy of twelve years of age, and said, "If the goodwill I have
shown to thee, sire, in my feast, be worth thy friendship, show
it hereafter to my son. I give him to thee now for thy service."
The king thanked him with many agreeable words for his friendly
entertainment, and promised him his full friendship in return.
Then Ake brought out great presents, which he gave to the king,
and they gave each other thereafter the parting kiss. Ake went
next to the Swedish king, who was dressed and ready for the road,
but not in the best humour. Ake gave to him also good and
valuable gifts; but the king answered only with few words, and
mounted his horse. Ake followed the king on the road and talked
with him. The road led through a wood which was near to the
house; and when Ake came to the wood, the king said to him, "How
was it that thou madest such a difference between me and King
Harald as to give him the best of everything, although thou
knowest thou art my man?" "I think" answered Ake, "that there
failed in it nothing, king, either to you or to your attendants,
in friendly entertainment at this feast. But that all the
utensils for your drinking were old, was because you are now old;
but King Harald is in the bloom of youth, and therefore I gave
him the new things. And as to my being thy man, thou art just as
much my man." On this the king out with his sword, and gave Ake
his deathwound. King Harald was ready now also to mount his
horse, and desired that Ake should be called. The people went to
seek him; and some ran up the road that King Eirik had taken, and
found Ake there dead. They came back, and told the news to King
Harald, and he bids his men to be up, and avenge Ake the bonde.
And away rode he and his men the way King Eirik had taken, until
they came in sight of each other. Each for himself rode as hard
as he could, until Eirik came into the wood which divides
Gautland and Vermaland. There King Harald wheels about, and
returns to Vermaland, and lays the country under him, and kills
King Eirik's men wheresoever he can find them. In winter King
Harald returned to Raumarike, and dwelt there a while.

16. HARALD'S JOURNEY TO TUNSBERG.

King Harald went out in winter to his ships at Tunsberg, rigged
them, and sailed away eastward over the fiord, and subjected all
Vingulmark to his dominion. All winter he was out with his
ships, and marauded in Ranrike; so says Thorbjorn Hornklofe: --

"The Norseman's king is on the sea,
Tho' bitter wintry cold it be. --
On the wild waves his Yule keeps he.
When our brisk king can get his way,
He'll no more by the fireside stay
Than the young sun; he makes us play
The game of the bright sun-god Frey.
But the soft Swede loves well the fire
The well-stuffed couch, the doway glove,
And from the hearth-seat will not move."

The Gautlanders gathered people together all over the country.

17. THE BATTLE IN GAUTLAND.

In spring, when the ice was breaking up, the Gautlanders drove
stakes into the Gaut river to hinder King Harald with his ships
from coming to the land. But King Harald laid his ships
alongside the stakes, and plundered the country, and burnt all
around; so says Horn klofe: --

"The king who finds a dainty feast,
For battle-bird and prowling beast,
Has won in war the southern land
That lies along the ocean's strand.
The leader of the helmets, he
Who leads his ships o'er the dark sea,
Harald, whose high-rigged masts appear
Like antlered fronts of the wild deer,
Has laid his ships close alongside
Of the foe's piles with daring pride."

Afterwards the Gautlanders came down to the strand with a great
army, and gave battle to King Harald, and great was the fall of
men. But it was King Harald who gained the day. Thus says
Hornklofe: --

"Whistles the battle-axe in its swing
O'er head the whizzing javelins sing,
Helmet and shield and hauberk ring;
The air-song of the lance is loud,
The arrows pipe in darkening cloud;
Through helm and mail the foemen feel
The blue edge of our king's good steel
Who can withstand our gallant king?
The Gautland men their flight must wing."