Egil’s Saga (10 page)

Now stepped Thorolf aboard of his ship and departed on his ways. Nought is said of his journey to tell of until he came home to Sandness, and let flit to his house all that spoil of war that he had had home with him, and let lay up the ships. He had then no scant of provision to feed his folk through the winter. Thorolf sat at home all this while, and had a throng of men no smaller than the winters before.

CHAPTER XX. OF SKALLAGRIM’S WEDDING.

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HERE was a man named Yngvar, powerful and wealthy. He had been landed man unto the former kings, but since Harald was come into kingdom, Yngvar sat at home and served not the King. Yngvar was a married man and had a daughter that was named Bera. Yngvar dwelt in the Firths. Bera was his only child,
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and stood to take the heritage after him.

Grim Kveldulfson sought the hand of Bera, and that matter was settled betwixt them. Grim gat Bera to wife that same winter after their parting with Thorolf the summer before. Grim was then twenty-five years of age, and was bald-headed:
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from thenceforth was he called Skallagrim. He had then the overseeing over all the household of him and his father and all the supply thereof; howbeit Kveldulf was a hale man and a well able. A mort of freedmen had they about them, and many men withal that had grown up at home there and were nigh of an age with Skallagrim. They were mostly men of great prowess and strength, because Kveldulf and his sons carefully picked out men of strength to follow them, and broke them in to their own bent of mind.

Skallagrim was like his father in growth and strength, and so too in outward seeming and in bent of mind.

CHAPTER XXI. OF REDE TAKEN FOR AN ONSET AGAINST THOROLF.

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ARALD the King was in the Wick when Thorolf was a-harrying. He fared in the autumn to the Uplands and thence north to Thrandheim, and sat there for the winter and had great throng of men.

Then were Sigtrygg and Hallvard with the King, and had heard tell what way Thorolf had put in order their abode in Hising, and what man-scathe and fee-scathe he had there wrought them. They minded the King oft of that, and moreover of this too, that Thorolf had robbed the King and his thanes, and had fared with harrying there within the land. They prayed leave of the King that they two brethren should fare with that band which was wont to follow them and set upon Thorolf in his home.

The King answereth thus: “Well may ye think ye have cause thereto, though ye should rid Thorolf of his life; and yet methinks ye come greatly short of the luck to carry this work. Thorolf is no make of yours, albeit ye think you to be men of valour and of doughty deeds”.

Those brethren said that this would soon be proven, if the King will give them leave therefor: they say, withal, that they have oft put themselves in great hazard with men in whose affairs they had less to avenge them of, and oftenest had they gotten the victory.

Now when it began to be spring, then men made them ready for their farings. Then was it even as aforesaid, that Hallvard and his brother held yet by their prayer, that they may go to Thorolf and take his life. He said he would give them leave for this, to take Thorolf’s life, “And I wot, ye may bring me his head when ye come back again, and many costly treasures besides. And yet ’tis the guess of some men,” saith the King, “if ye sail north, that from the north ye are like both to sail and to row”.

Now they make them ready at their swiftest, and had two ships and a hundred and eighty men, and when they were ready they stood out down the firth with a north-east wind. But that is a head-wind going north along the land.

CHAPTER XXII. THE FALL OF THOROLF KVELDULFSON.

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ARALD the King sate then at Hladir when Hallvard and his folk set forth. And straightway, with a like speed the King made him ready at his swiftest and went ashipboard, and they rowed in along the firth by Skarnsound, and so by Beitsea inland to Elda-eid.
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He left the ship behind there, and fared north across the neck to Naumdale; there took he long-ships that the bonders had and gat him ashipboard with his folk: he had his bodyguard and nigh three hundred men. He had five ships or six, and all big.

They had a sharp head-wind and rowed night and day as fast as they might go. Night was then light for travelling. They came at eventide to Sandness after sundown, and saw there before the house a great long-ship a-floating, with her tilt rigged. They knew her for that ship which Thorolf owned; he had let array her, and was minded to fare abroad out of the land; and even then had he let brew his parting-ale.

The King bade his men go ashore from the ships, every man of them. He let set up his banner. It was but a short way to go to the house; moreover Thorolf’s watchmen sat within-door a-drinking and were not gone to set the watch, and there was not any man without: all the folk sat within-door a-drinking. The King let throw a ring of men about the hall. Then set they up the war-whoop, and in the King’s trumpet was blown the war-blast. But when Thorolf and his hear that, they leapt to their weapons, for every man’s weapons hung all at hand over his seat.

The King let call to them in the hall and bade go out
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women and young men and old men and thralls and bondmen. And now went out Sigrid the housewife, and with her those women that were within-door and those other men that were given leave to go out.

Sigrid asked if they were there, those sons of Berdla-Kari. They stood forth both, and asked what she would have of them. “Bring me to the King,” said she.

They did so. But when she was come to the King, then asked she, “Shall it aught avail to seek for atonement, Lord, betwixt you and Thorolf?”

The King answereth: “So Thorolf will give himself up into my power to be forgiven, he shall hold by life and limb. But his men must abide punishment for whatso things they shall be found guilty of”.

After that, went Oliver Hnufa to the hall and let call Thorolf to speech with him. He said unto him that choice which the King gave him. Thorolf answereth: “Nought of forced atonement will I take of the King. Bid thou the King to give us way out: then let things shake out as fate hath shapen”.

Oliver gat him to the King and said what Thorolf bade for himself.

The King said, “Bear fire to the hall. I will not fight with them and have hurt of my folk. I wot that Thorolf will do us great man-scathe if we shall go seek him there, where it must be slow work to win in at him, albeit he hath fewer folk than we”.

Therewith was fire borne to the hall, and that took swiftly, for the timber was dry and the woodwork tarred, and it was thatched with birch-bark about the roof. Thorolf bade his men
break up the wainscot that was betwixt hall and fore-hall, and that was swiftly gotten done; but when they gat the beam, then took hold on the one beam as many men as might fasten a hold on it, and drave with the other end against the corner so hard that the nave-rings burst off of the outer side and the walls sprang asunder, so as there was a great way out.

There gat Thorolf out the first, and then Thorgils the Yeller, and so each after other. Then it came to battle; and so it was for a while, that the hall guarded the backs of Thorolf and his folk; but when that took to burning, then came the fire against them. There fell then much of their folk.

Then leapt Thorolf forth and hewed on either hand: set on thitherward where the King’s banner was. Then fell Thorgils the Yeller. But when Thorolf came forth so far as the shieldburg,
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he laid his sword through that man that bare the banner. Then spake Thorolf: “Now come I three feet short”. There stood in him then both sword and spear, but the King himself dealt him his bane-wound, and Thorolf fell forward at the feet of the King.

Then called out the King and bade give over slaying of more men; and it was so done. And now the King bade his men go down to the ships. He spake with Oliver and his brother: “Take now Thorolf your kinsman and do him lyke-help, and so with the other men that here be fallen, and give them burial; and let bind the wounds of men, of them that have hope of life. And there shall be no robbing here, sith all this fee is mine”.

Therewith the King gat him down to the ships and the most of his people along with him, but when they were come ashipboard then took men to binding of their wounds. The King walked about the ship and looked to the wounds of men. He saw where a man was a-binding of a wound that was gotten of a glancing blow. The King said that ’twas not Thorolf dealt that wound: “All another way did weapons bite for him. Few, I think, might bind up those wounds that he gave. And great scathe it is, the loss of such men as he”.

Now forthwith at morning of day the King let draw up his sail and sailed south with all speed. But as day drew on, the King and his folk found many rowing-ships in every island-sound;
and those folk had been minded to join with Thorolf, for he had had espial holden all southaway in Naumdale and wide about the isles. It had been made known to them that Hallvard and his brother were come from the south with a great force, and meant to set upon Thorolf. Hallvard and his had ever a head-wind, and they had tarried in every haven, until news of them had fared up about the land; and of this had Thorolf’s espiers been made ware, and for this cause had that war-rush come about.

The King sailed before a strong fair wind until he was come to Naumdale: left there his ships behind him, but he fared the overland way to Thrandheim. He took there his ships that he had left behind there, and so held his course with his folk out to Hladir.

These tidings were soon noised abroad, and came to the ears of Hallvard and his where they lay. They turned back then to join the King, and their journey was thought somewhat to be laughed at.

Those brethren, Oliver Hnufa and Eyvind Lambi, tarried awhile at Sandness. They let deal with the slain that there were fallen. They did with Thorolf’s body after the accustomed way, like as it was fit to do with the bodies of men of worship; set up standing stones for him. They let heal the sick men. They set in order the household, too, with Sigrid. There was left all the stock, but the household furniture and table-array and the clothes of men had for the most part been burnt up.

Now when those brethren were ready, they fared from the north and came to find Harald the King, in Thrandheim where he was, and were with him awhile. They were silent and spake little with men. So it was, upon a day, that those brethren went before the King. Then spake Oliver: “This leave will we two brethren ask of you, King, that you give us leave to fare home to our own place, sith here hath such things betided as we have not the heart to drink and sit at board with those men which bore weapon against Thorolf our kinsman”.

The King looked at him and answereth somewhat short: “I shall not give you leave for this. Here shall you bide, with me”.

Those brethren gat them gone and back to their seats.

The next day after, the King sate in his council-hall: let call thither Oliver and his brother. “Now shall ye two know,” saith the King, “touching that errand ye had with me, and prayed to go home. You have been here awhile with me and been well behaved. Ye have done well always. In all things I have been well pleased with you. Now it is my will, Eyvind, that thou fare north to Halogaland. I will give thee Sigrid in Sandness, that woman whom Thorolf had to wife. I will give thee all that fee that Thorolf owned. Thou shalt have therewith my friendship, if thou knowest how to keep it. But Oliver shall follow me. I will not let him go, for the sake of the skill that is his.”

Those brethren thanked the King for that honour that he did them: said they would take that right gladly. Then Eyvind made ready for his journey: gat him a good ship that served his turn. The King gave him his tokens for this business. Well sped Eyvind of his journey, and came up north to Sandness in Alost. Sigrid took well with them. And now Eyvind bare forward the tokens of the King and his errand unto Sigrid, and began his wooing of her: said that this was the King’s word-sending, that Eyvind should gain that suit. But Sigrid saw she had but this only choice, as it was now come about, to let the King rule herein. So went that rede forward, that Eyvind gat Sigrid to wife. He took to him then the household at Sandness and all that fee that Thorolf had had.

Eyvind was a worshipful man. The children of him and Sigrid were Finn Skialg, the father of Eyvind Skaldspiller,
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and Geirlaug that Sighvat the Red had to wife. Finn Skialg had to wife Gunnhild, the daughter of Earl Halfdan: her mother was named Ingibiorg, daughter of King Harald Hairfair.

Eyvind Lambi held himself in friendship with King Harald whiles they both were alive.

CHAPTER XXIII. THE SLAYING OF HILDIRID’S SONS.

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HERE was a man named Ketil Haeng, son of Thorkel the Naumdale Earl and of Hrafnhild, daughter of Ketil Haeng of Hrafnista. Haeng was a worshipful man and a man of mark. He had been the greatest friend of Thorolf Kveldulfson and his near kinsman. He was then in that rush to arms when the host-gathering was in Halogaland and men were minded to give aid to Thorolf, as was afore-writ. But when King Harald fared from the north and men were made aware of Thorolf’s taking off, then broke they up their gathering.

Haeng had with him sixty men, and he turned toward Torgar. And there were Hildirid’s sons, and had few in their following. And when Haeng came to the house, he made an onslaught upon them. There fell Hildirid’s sons
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and most of their men that were there, but Haeng and his took all the fee they might lay hand on.

After that, Haeng took two round-ships, the biggest he might find: let bear aboard of them all the fee he owned and might come away with. He had with him his wife and children, besides all those men who had been at this work with him. There was a man named Baug, Haeng’s fosterbrother, a high-born man and a wealthy. He steered one of the round-ships. So when they were ready and a fair breeze blew, then sailed they out into the main.

A few winters before had Ingolf and Hiorleif
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gone to settle Iceland, and that journey was then much in the talk of men: men said there was right good choice of land there. Haeng sailed west into the main and sought toward Iceland. Now when they were ware of land they were come upon it from the south; and because the gale was fierce, and surf along the land, and nought harbour-like, they sailed west along the land off the sands. But when the gale began to fall and the surf to abate, then was a great river-mouth before them, and they held on there with their ships up into the river and laid them aland on the eastern bank. That river is named now Thursowater: ran then much narrower and was deeper than now it is.
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