Egil’s Saga (18 page)

But when Gunnhild heard what they talked on, then spake she:
⁴
“That think I, Eric, that now fareth it even as too oft it doth, that thou art much easily talked over and mindest thee not long of that where ill is done to thee. And thou wilt suffer those sons of Skallagrim to drag on
⁵
till they shall yet smite down for thee some near kinsman of thine. Yet though thou make as if ’tis no matter to thee of Bard’s slaying, for all that, it seemeth not so to me”.

The King saith, “More houndest thou me on, Gunnhild, unto grim plays than all men else. Yet hath Thorolf had more kindness once at thine hands than now is; but I will not take back my word touching those brethren”.

“Well was Thorolf here”, said she, “before Egil spoilt him. But now I think there’s nought to choose betwixt them.”

Thorir fared home then when he was ready, and said to those brethren the words of the King and the Queen.

CHAPTER XLIX. OF THE DEALINGS BETWIXT EGIL AND EYVIND BRAGGART.

E
YVIND BRAGGART and Alf
¹
were named the brothers of Gunnhild, sons of Ozur Toti. They were big men and exceeding strong, and very masterful men. They had then the greatest esteem with King Eric and Gunnhild. They were not men well loved of the folk. They were then in their youthful age, and yet come to their full might and prime.

That was in the spring, that there should be great blood-offerings against summer at Gaular. That was the most famous high temple-stead: there sought thither great throng of men out of the Firths and from Fialir and out of Sogn, and almost all the great men of account. Eric the King fared thither. Then spake Gunnhild with her brethren: “That will I, that you two so devise it, amid this throng of men, that you get slain one or other of those sons of Skallagrim; and best, if ’twere both”.

They said that so it should be.

Thorir the Hersir made him ready for that journey. He called Arinbiorn to speak with him. “Now will I”, said he, “fare to the blood-offering. But I will not that Egil fare thither. I know this, of Gunnhild’s tongue, and Egil’s masterfulness, and the King’s might,
²
that ’twill be nought easy to keep an eye on them all together. But Egil will not let himself be left, unless thou stay behind; but Thorolf shall fare with me,” he said, “and the rest of their company. Thorolf shall do worship and seek the Gods’ goodness for himself and his brother.”

After that, Arinbiorn said to Egil that he will bide at home, “And both of us two together,” said he. Egil said that so it should be.

But Thorir and his fared to the blood-offering, and there was there exceeding great throng of men and great drinkings. Thorolf fared with Thorir wheresoever he fared, and they parted never, day nor night. Eyvind said to Gunnhild that he found no way to come at Thorolf. She bade him then slay some man or other of his, “Rather than let everything go miss”.

That was of an evening, then when the King was gone to
sleep, and so too Thorir and Thorolf, but those two still sat there, Thorfid and Thorvald, that thither came then those brethren, Eyvind and Alf, and sat them down beside them and were all merry. First drank they all in company. Then it came that they should drink half the hornful apiece: there drank together Eyvind and Thorvald, but Alf with Thorfid. But as the evening wore, then fell they to drinking unfairly, and next to that, with bandyings of words, and then with great boastings.

Then leapt Eyvind up and drew a sax-knife and stabbed Thorvald so that that was enough and more for his bane-wound. Therewith leapt they up of both sides, the King’s men and housecarles of Thorir’s; but men were all weaponless within there, because it was there the holy temple-stead, and men went betwixt them and parted those that were maddest wroth. Then was nought else befallen to tell of that evening.

Eyvind had slain in the sanctuary,
³
and was become a wolf so, and needs must he forthwith fare away. The King bade boot for the man, but Thorolf and Thorfid said that they had never taken man-boot and they would nowise take this. They parted with things in such case. Thorir and his fared home.

King Eric and Gunnhild sent Eyvind south to Denmark to King Harald Gormson, because he might not bide there within the law of Norway. The King took well with him and his companions. Eyvind had along with him to Denmark a long-ship exceeding great. And now the King set Eyvind there for warding of the land against vikings. Eyvind was the greatest man of war.

But when spring was come after that winter, then made they ready, Thorolf and Egil, yet again to fare a-viking. But when they were ready, then stand they yet again eastaway. Now when they come into the Wick, then sail they south along Jutland and harry there, and then fare they to Frisland and tarry a long while there in the summer, but then stand they yet again back toward Denmark. But when they come to the lands-meet, there where Denmark meets with Frisland, and lay to then by the land, then was that of an evening, when men made them ready for sleep aboard their ships, that two men came to Egil’s ship and said that they had with him an errand. They were brought
to him. They say that Aki the Wealthy had sent them thither with this errand that “Eyvind Braggart lieth out off Jutland-Side and meaneth to sit for you then when you fare from the south; and he hath a great host drawn together, so that there shall be for you no holding out against him, if you fall in with all that host of his. But himself fareth with two light ships, and is now but a short way from you”.

But when those tidings were come to Egil, then let they straightway strike tilts. He bade them fare all silently. They did so. They came at dawn upon Eyvind and his, there where they lay at anchor. Forthwith they set upon them: let go both with stones and weapons: there fell there much folk of Eyvind’s, but he himself leapt overboard and came aland by swimming, and so withal all that folk of his that escaped away. But Egil and his took the ships and their clothes and weapons.

Fared they back then by daylight to his folk: met then with Thorolf. He asketh, what way Egil had fared, or where had he gotten those ships that they fare with. Egil saith that Eyvind Braggart had had the ships, and they had taken them from him. Then quoth Egil:
⁴

Somewhat hard our work was
Awhile by Jutland-Side there:
Warréd well that viking,
Warden of the Dane-realm;
Till, swift-faring to strandward,
Swimming with all his war host,
East from back of wave-steed
Off loup’d Eyvind Braggart.

Thorolf said, “In these things I think you have so wrought, that ’twill not be rede for us this autumn-long to fare to Norway”.

Egil said that that was well, though they should seek now for another abiding-place.

CHAPTER L. THOROLF AND EGIL IN ENGLAND.

A
LFRED THE GREAT ruled over England. He was the first of his kinsfolk to be sole King of all England. That was in the days of Harald Hairfair, Norway’s King. After him was King in England Edward his son: he was father of Athelstane the Victorious, the fosterer of Hakon the Good.

In that time Athelstane took kingdom in England after his father. There were more brothers besides, sons of Edward. But when Athelstane had taken kingdom, then bestirred them to unpeace those lords that before had lost their dominions to the Kings of that house and line. It seemed to them as if now should be the happy time to claim their own, when a young King ruled the realm. That was both Welsh and Scots and Irish. But King Athelstane gathered unto him a host of war, and gave war-service to all those men that would have that for to get them fee, both outland men and inland.

Those brethren, Thorolf and Egil, stood south coasting by Saxland and Flanders. Then learned they that England’s King thought he needed men, and that there there was great fee-gain to be looked for. Make they then that their rede, to betake them thither with their folk. Fared they then about autumn till they came and met with King Athelstane. He took to them well, and shewed that he thought there should be great strengthening of his forces with their following. Soon cometh it to this in the talk of England’s King, that he biddeth them to him to take war-service there and become his land-warders. They settle that betwixt them, that they become Athelstane’s men.

England was christened, and had long been so, when these things befell. King Athelstane was well christened. He was called Athelstane the Faithful. The King bade Thorolf and his brother that they should let themselves be prime-signed,
¹
because that was then greatly the fashion both with chapmen and with those men that took war-service with Christian men, because those men that were prime-signed had use of all matters in common alike with Christian men and with heathen, but had that to trow in which was most to their liking. Thorolf and Egil
did that according to the King’s asking, and let prime-sign them both. They had there three hundred of their own men that took war-service with the King.

CHAPTER LI. OF OLAF THE SCOTS-KING, AND OTHERS.

O
LAF THE RED
¹
was named the King of Scotland. He was Scot by the father’s side but Dane by the mother’s side, and come of the line of Ragnar Hairybreeks.
²
He was a powerful man. Scotland was called a third part of the realm as against England.

Northumberland is called the fifth part of England, and that is northernmost next to Scotland on the eastern side. That had the Dane-Kings had in ancient days. York is there their chief stead. That realm Athelstane owned, and had set over it two earls: one was named Alfgeir and the other Godrek. They sate there for warding of the land, both against onset of the Scots and the Danes and the Northmen, who harried much in the land, and thought they had great claims to the land there, seeing that in Northumberland were those men only (of men of any account) that were of Danish blood by their fathers’ or their mothers’ side, and many by both the one and the other.

Over Wales ruled two brethren, Hring and Adils, and were scat-payers under Athelstane the King; and from that it followed that, when they were in the host with the King, they and their folk must be in the front of the battle-array before the King’s banners. Those brethren were the greatest men of war, and not very young men.

Alfred the Great had taken from all the scat-kings both name and power. They were then named earls, that before were kings or kings’ sons. That held all his days, and the days of Edward his son; but Athelstane came young into kingdom, and it seemed as if men should stand in less dread of him. Then began many to be untrustworthy, those that were before full of service.

CHAPTER LII. OF OLAF THE SCOTS-KING’S WARRING AGAINST ENGLAND.

O
LAF the Scots-King drew together a great host of war, and therewith fared south to England. And when he came to Northumberland, he fared all ways war-shield aloft; but when the earls, that there held sway, heard tell of that, summon they forces together and fare against the King. But when they are met, there befalleth a great battle, and ended so, that King Olaf had the victory, and Earl Godrek fell; but Alfgeir fled away and the most part of that host that had followed them and that escaped away out of the fight.

Then found Alfgeir no means to make a stand. King Olaf laid then all Northumberland under him. Alfgeir fared to see King Athelstane and said unto him of their ill speeding. But straightway when King Athelstane learned that so great a host of war was come into his land, then sent he straightway men from him and summoned him forces: sent word to his earls and other great men. Then straightway turned the King on his way with that force that he had gotten, and fared against the Scots.

But when that was told abroad, that Olaf the Scots-King had gotten the victory and had laid under him a great part of England, then had he a much greater war-host than Athelstane’s, and then sought unto him a mort of powerful men. And when Hring and Adils hear tell of this, they had drawn together a great host. Then turn they, and join force with King Olaf. Then had he and his a host beyond all telling.

Now when Athelstane learned of all this, then held he a meeting with his captains and counsellors: sought to find then what rede was likeliest to take to: said then clearly to the whole folk that which he had heard of the Scots-King’s doings and of his great throng of men. All spake there on one wise: that Earl Alfgeir had herein held the worst part, and they thought that lay next to do, to take his titles from him. But this rede-taking was determined of: that King Athelstane should fare back again and fare into southern England, and then have a host-gathering before him northward through all the land; because they saw
that else it should be but slow work of gathering so great throng of men as was need of, if the King himself drew not the folk unto him.

But that host of war that then was come together there, thereover the King set then as captains Thorolf and Egil. They should command that host which the vikings had had thither unto the King, but Alfgeir himself had then still the command over his own host. Then found the King withal captains of companies, as seemed him good.

Now when Egil came back from the meeting to his fellows, then asked they what he knew to tell them of tidings of the Scots-King. He quoth:
¹

Olaf hath hurl’d one war-lord

In mad flight before him—

(’S a hard man to hold Thing with,

That Prince)—and fell’d another.

Paths far a-gley must Godrek Tread in those deadly moorlands.

Englanders’ scourge hath ’neath him

Of Alfgeir’s land the half laid.

And now send they messengers to King Olaf, and find this for their errand: that King Athelstane will hazel him a field,
²
and will offer him for battle-place Winaheath
³
beside Winawood; and he will that they harry not in his land, but let that one of them rule the realm of England who shall get the victory in that battle. He laid down a week’s delay for their meeting, and let that one bide a week for the other, whichsoever shall come there first.