Icelandic Sagas Vol. 3
THE STORY OF EARL ROGNVALD
61. Cecilia (1) was the name of a
sister of earl Magnus, born in wedlock. She was given away east in Norway, and
that man whose name was Isaac had her to wife. Their son's name was Kol. Kol
(Kali's son) sate on his farms in Agdir, as was written before, and was the
wisest of all men. He did not fare into the Orkneys. Kol was a very shrewd man.
Kali his son grew up there, and was the most hopeful (2)
man, a middleman in growth, well set up, one of the best limbed of men, with
light brown hair. He had more friends than most men, and was a more proper man,
both in body and mind, than most of the other men of his time. He made this
song:
“Draughts I play with open hand,Kali was almost always with Solmund his kinsman, the son of Sigurd supple. He was (the king's) steward at Tunsberg, and had a house of his own at East Agdir. He was a chief, and had a great following. They were much of an age, those kinsmen.
Games and feats so skilful nine;
Writing runes to me comes ready;
Books I read and smith's work furnish;
I can glide on snow-shoon swift;
Doughtily I shoot and row;
Either stands at my behest,
Sweep of harp or burst of song.”
62. Kali was fifteen winters old when he fared with chapmen west to England, and had good wares for traffic. They held on their course to that town which is called Grimsby. Thither came a very great crowd of men both from Norway, the Orkneys, and from Scotland, and so also from the Southern isles. There Kali met that man who went by the name of Gillikrist. (3) He asked then much about Norway, and talked most with Kali; there was a great fellowship sprung up (between them). He told Kali as a secret that his name was Harold, and that king Magnus barelegs was his father, but that his mother's stock was in the Southern isles, and some of them in Ireland. He asked Kali how he thought he would be welcomed if he came to Norway. Kali says he thought king Sigurd likely to give him a good welcome if other men did not spoil matters between them. They, Gillikrist and Kali, exchanged gifts at their parting; each promised the other his thorough friendship wherever their next meeting might be. But Gillikrist does not tell his secret to more men in that place.
63. After that Kali fared from the west on board the same ship, and they came from abroad at Agdir, and held on thence north to Bergen. Then Kali sang this song:
Weeks of grimmest walking fiveBut when they came to the town, they found there a great crowd of men out the land, both from the north and from the south, and many, too, from other lands, who had flitted thither much goods. Then those shipmates went into the taverns to make merry. Kali was then a great man for dress, and had many braveries with him as he was newly come from England. Then he thought much of himself, and many others thought so too, for he came of a good stock, and was a well-bred man in himself. But in that tavern where he drank he found a young man of rank whose name was John; he was the son of Peter Sark's son of Sogn. He was then one of the king's liegemen. His mother's name was Helga, a daughter of Harek of Sæter. John was a very showy man in his dress. Unna was the name of a worthy housewife who owned the house in which they drank. Then there arose a great fellowship between those two, John and Kali, and they parted with love; John fared then south (6) to Sogn, to his abode, but Kali east to Agdir, to his father. Kali was also often with Solmund his kinsman. So it went on for some half years, that Kali was in the summers on trading voyages, but at home in the winters or with his kinsman Solmund.
We have waded through the mud;
In mid Grimsby where we were,
Was no want of mud and mire.
Now it is with merry minds,
O'er the sea-moors (4) that we let,
Beaked elk (5) across the billow,
Blithely bound to Bergen home.”
64. So it fell out one summer, when Kali had fared north to Drontheim, that he lay weather-bound under that island which is called Doll. (7) In the isle was a great cave, which is called Doll's cave. In the cave was great hope of treasure. The chapmen made ready, and went into the cave, and had the hardest work to make their way there. They came where water stood across the cave, and none dared to fare across the water save Kali and another man, whose name was Havard, Solmund's house-carle. They swam across the water, and had a rope between them. Kali swam first, and had in his hand a blazing torch and a tinder-box between his shoulders. (8) So they swam over the water and came to land. That place was rough and rugged, and there was a great stench, and they could scarce get the light struck. Then Kali gave out that they would go no farther, and said they should make a beacon there as a memorial. Then Kali sang a song:
“Here have I built in darksome caveAfter that they turned back and came safe and sound to their men, then they fared out of the cave; it is not told about their journey that any tidings happened that summer. They came back to Bergen, and Kali turned into the same tavern to Unna the housewife. There too he found again John Peter's son and his serving-man, whose name was Brynjulf. There were there besides many others of his men, though they are not named. It happened one evening that they John Peter's son and Kali, were gone to sleep, but many sat behind and drank. Then there was much talk, when men were well drunk; and it came about that they spoke of matching one man with another, and of who were thought to be noblest of the king's liegemen in Norway. Brynjulf stood up that John Peter's son was the best bred and best born of the younger men south of Stad; (10) but Havard Kali's companion spoke up for Solmund, and said he was no worse bred than John, and declared that the dwellers in the Bay would set much greater store by him than by John Peter's son. Out of this a great strife arose, and when the ale spoke in them, then no better heed was taken than this, that up jumped Havard and got him a cudgel and gave Brynjulf there and then such a blow on the head that he fell down at once senseless, and men ran to help him up; but Havard was packed off to see Kali, and Kali sent him south into Alvidra to a priest whose name was Richard, “and bring him,” he says, “my message that I beg him to take thee in till I go home east.” Kali got him a man to bear him company, and a boat, and they row away south till they come to Græning Sound. Then Havard said to his fellow-traveller: “Now we two are come beyond the bark of hounds, and we will rest ourselves here,” and with that they lie down to sleep. Now we must take up our story and say that Brynjulf came to his wits, and he was carried to see John, and he tells him all that had happened, and how the man had been packed off there and then. John guessed the truth as to his doings, and made them take a rowing-cutter, and ten men got into her; Brynjulf was there to lead the men. After that they row south, and come south into Græning Sound, (11) when it was getting daylight. Then they saw that a boat lay before them on the beach, “and may be,” says Brynjulf, “that these men will be able to tell us something of Havard.” So they went up on land and found them; Havard and his mate were then just awake. Brynjulf fell on Havard at once with the sword, and both those companions were slain at that meeting. And now Brynjulf and his men fared back to Bergen after these tidings, and tell them to John; and after that all the townsfolk knew them. Kali took the tidings of these slayings very ill; and when men came between him and John, John says that his wish is that Kali shall alone make his award as to the wrong which he thinks he has suffered, but that should be saving the king's right and that of the next of kin to take the feud up. And Kali agreed to those terms, but still there was no love between him and John. Then Kali fared home east very soon after that; and when he and his father met, and Kali had told about those tidings and the close of his quarrel, then Kol says: “Methought thou wert showing thyself in a strange light when thou tookest any atonement before thy kinsman Solmund were by; now methinks thou has come into a strait, and canst take little part in the matter, except to ask for atonement; and so would not Solmund do if thy house-carle were slain and his shipmate.” Kali says: “Thou speakest the truth, no doubt, father, when thou sayest that I have been too hasty in looking at the matter; but thou wert too far off to teach me what to do. It will often be shown too that I am not so deep-witted as thou, but still I thought this, that Solmund would be never the nearer his due though I forsook that which was offered to me; and I do not call it a disgrace either to Solmund or to thee to accept the right to fix your own terms from John for your share in the suit, if he offers it you, though I very much doubt whether there is any need for you to take up the matter. But as for myself, I call myself quite free as to Brynjulf, so long as I have come to no final utterance in the matter, and taken no money in atonement.” So that father and son talked much together, and each of them drew his own way about it; (12) then they sent men to tell Solmund those tidings. After that Kol and Kali and Solmund met; Kol wished that men should be sent to John to seek for an atonement; but Solmund and Hallvard, Havard's brother, would hear of nothing but revenge, man for man; and said it was unseemly to ask a Sogn man for atonement. But for all that the plan was taken which Kol wished, with this understanding, that Kol gave his word not to withdraw from this suit before Solmund got what was due to his honour. Kol too was to have the whole management of the matter in his hands. But when the messengers came back, they say that their business was taken up slowly and unwillingly; and John refused right out to atone for that man with money who had before made himself an outlaw by his deeds. Solmund said that had gone just after his guess, that it would bring them little honour to ask John for an atonement; and now he begged Kol to give them some advice that was worth having. Kol says: “Will Hallvard run any risk to get revenge for “his brother, and may be that after all there may be little brought about.” Hallvard said he would not spare himself to get revenge for his brother, even though there were risk of life in it. Kol says: “Then shalt thou fare north stealthily to Sogn to that man whose name is Uni; he dwells hard by John: he is a wise man and rather short of money, for John has long elbowed him out of his means. He is a great friend (of mine), and now rather stricken in years. To him thou shalt bring six marks weighed, which I send him that he may lay some plan how thou mayest wreak thy revenge on Brynjulf, or some other man of John's household, whom he will think not less loss (than Brynjulf.) But if this deed be fulfilled, then Uni shall send thee on to Studla (13) to Kyrping-Worm my kinsman, and his sons Ogmund and Erling, and then methinks thou art as good as come home. Bid Uni after that to sell his land, and change his abode hither to me.” Now Hallvard busked him to this journey, and nothing is told of how he fared, or where his night-quarters were, before he came one day at evening to Uni's house, and did not call himself by his own name. Uni and his household asked him about the news of the day, and at night when men sat by the fires, then the guest asked much about high-born men there in Sogn and Hördaland. Uni said that none of the king's liegemen there was thought more powerful than John, both for his birth's sake, but still more for his unfairness, and asked whether they had not some keepsakes of that down south in the land. The guest he said little when he (Uni) spoke thus; and after that men dropped off from the fires one by one, so that at last they two were left behind. Then Uni began to speak, and said thus: “Is thy name Hallvard, pray?” says he. “Nay,” says the guest, and again gave the name he had given in the evening. Then Uni said: “Off then is my difficulty,” says he, “and yet I would have thought that if my name were Brynjulf, thine would be Hallvard; but still we two will now go to sleep.” Then the guest took hold of him, and said: “No, we two will not go yet,” and with that he handed him over the bag of money, and says that Kol sent him that silver, with his greeting, “and why he sends it is that thou mayest lay a plan with me that I may fulfil my revenge for my brother,” and then he tells him all Kol's counsel. Uni said: “Kol were worthy of good from me, but I cannot tell how it is fated as to revenge on Brynjulf; but he is looked for hither tomorrow to fetch clothes from his sweetheart.” And now Uni led him out to the horse-stable which stood before the door outside, and stowed him away there in the manger. That was before men rose, but he had lain indoors during the night. Now, when Hallvard had been a little while in the horse stable, he saw how a huge man had come up to the homestead, and calls out that the woman must be quick; she took her clothes, and carries them out. Then Hallvard thinks he knows who it must be. So he goes out. Brynjulf had laid aside his arms while he tied up the clothes which the woman brought, and as soon as ever they meet, Hallvard smites Brynjulf his death-blow, and then went back again into the horse stable, and hid himself there. While the slaying was going on the woman had gone into the house to kiss and take leave of her friends in the household; and when she came out she saw the tokens of the deed, and ran in with a great shriek, and was in such a fright that she was just about to faint away, but still she told them what had happened. Goodman Uni ran out, and said that the guest must have been a hired murderer, and sent a man at once to John to tell these tidings, and egged on men as much as he could to search for the man, and for that no man suspected him of having anything to do with the deed. Hallvard was in the horse stable till the hottest of the chase had passed off, but after that he fared by Uni's help and counsel till he came to Studla to Worm and his sons, and they got him company home east. Kol and Solmund made him welcome, and were well pleased with their share in the matter; and now these tidings are noised abroad, and men became aware of the truth. Now John is heavily displeased at this, and so that winter and the summer after pass away; and thenext winter when Yule was drawing on, John busked him from home with thirty men, and gave it out that he meant to go on a journey to see his kinsfolk up at Sæter to the house of Harek, his mother's father, and so he did, and gets there a hearty welcome. And when those kinsmen were talking together, John says that he means to go thence to East Agdir to look up Solmund. Harek tried to turn him from this, and said he had not got the worst of it, though they (John and Solmund) parted as they were. John said he would not be content that Brynjulf should be unavenged. Harek said he thought his lot would not be bettered, though they (John and Solmund) had any further dealings in the matter; but still he had with him away thence thirty men, and so they fared east with half a hundred men (14) by the upper road, and thought to come unawares upon Solmund and Kol. But when John was newly gone from home, Uni bestirred himself and fared south to Studla to see Worm, and that father and son got him company south to Kol, and he came there at Yule, and told them he thought that John was on his way to attack them. Kol sends out spies at once on all the ways about him, by which he looked that John might come, and he fared to find Solmund; and those kinsmen sat with a great company. News came to them about John's journey, and they fared against him; their meeting was in a wood; they fell at once to battle; Kol and his men were far more in number, and had the victory. But John lost many men and fled himself into the woods. He got a wound in his leg, and that healed so ill that he was halt ever after, and was called limp-leg John. He came home north in Lent, and his journey was thought most shameful. So now this winter wore away. But the summer after John made them slay two of Kol's kinsmen, Gunnar and Aslak. A little after king Sigurd came to the town, (15) and this difficulty was brought before him. After that the king sent word to both sides, and summoned them to him. Then they came to the king, with their kinsfolk and friends; then an atonement was sought, and the end of it was that the king's doom should pass upon all their quarrels, and either side plighted their troth to the other. King Sigurd made a settlement between them with the advice of the best men. It was so fixed in that settlement that John Peter's son should take Ingirid Kol's daughter to wife, and then friendship would spring up with those ties, while the manslaughters (of Havard and Brynjulf) were to be set off one against the other. The attack on Kol and John's wound were set off against the loss of men away there east, but the wounds on either side were matched together and set off, and those that were odd were atoned for in money. Each side too was to yield help to the other both at home and abroad. It followed also on this settlement that king Sigurd gave Kali Kol's son half the Orkneys with earl Paul Hacon's son, and the title of earl too. He also gave him the name of earl Rognvald Brusi's son, because his mother Gunnhilda said that he had been the most proper man of all the Orkney earls, and thought the name would bring good luck. This share of the Orkneys Saint Magnus had owned, Rognvald-Kali's mother's brother. After this atonement they parted with great love-tokens; they who had erewhile been foes.
Of Doll a beacon high
To goblin grim of sternest mood,
So golden store I sought,
None knows what man of those who work
The water-skates (9) will wend his way,
His long and weary path, once more
Across this water wide.”
Notes:
1. This passage from “Cecilia” to “Kol” is an addition of the Danish Translation, M.O. reads, “Kali was the name of a man, Kol's son, Kali's son, Seabear's son. Kali was a son of Gunnhilda, daughter of earl Erlend, the son of Thorfinn, the Orkney earl, who (Kali) after a time was called Rognvald.” [Back]
2. hopeful; that is, “of the greatest promise,” as in the English expression “young hopeful.” [Back]
3. Gillikristi; i.e., “the servant of Christ,” one of a series of Celtic names which came in with the conversion of the heathen, and which still remains in the surname Gilchrist, Gillespie, “the bishop's servant,” is another; Gillicallum, “St. Columba's servant,” another; Gilpatrick, “St. Patrick's servant,” another. Of the same character are Melbride (Melbrigði), Malise, Malcolm, and Melmari, which mean respectively St. Bride's, Jesus', St. Columba's and the Virgin Mary's servant; Mail or Maoile, like Gilli or Giolla, being Celtic for servant. Comp. an excellent essay by Munch, on the Runic Inscriptions in the Isle of Man, in the Mémoires de la Soc. Roy. des Antiquaires du Nord. Copenh. 1845-49. [Back]
4. sea-moors; the waste surface of the sea. [Back]
5. beaked elk; the ship. [Back]
6. So the MS., it should be “north.” [Back]
7. This island was also called Sandey, Fornm. S. xii. 344. It belongs to the province of South Mæren, near Drontheim. The cave is still to be seen on its western shore. Comp. Munch. N.H. iii. 688. [Back]
8. shoulders; That is, the materials for striking a light were fastened at the nape of his neck and remained dry. [Back]
9. water-skates; ships, i.e., what sailor will ever again, &c. [Back]
10. Stad; Stað or Staðir, the westernmost headland in Norway, away from which the coast trends north and south. The expression answers to our “south of the Tweed,” or “in the south country.” [Back]
11. The sound near the island of Græning, now Gröningen, north of Mostr, in South Hördaland. [Back]
12. Fl. “each thought his own way about it.” [Back]
13. Now Stöle in South Hördaland. [Back]
14. That is with sixty, half the long hundred of 120. Thirty of his own people and thirty of Harek's. [Back]
15. That is to the town of Bergen. [Back]
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