Egil’s Saga (19 page)

Now that was then the wont, as soon as a field was hazelled for a king, that he could not harry (without shame unto himself) until the battle was over. King Olaf did on such wise, that he halted his war-host and harried not and bided till the day ap pointed. Then flitted he his war-host to Winaheath. A burg stood to the north of the heath. King Olaf sat him down there in the burg, and had there the most part of his folk, because there were wide settled parts round about, and he thought it better there for the getting in of that provision that the war-host had need of. But he sent men of his up upon the heath, there
where the battle-place was appointed: they should take there places for tents and make things ready there before the host of war came.

But when those men came to the place where the field was hazelled, then were set up there hazel-poles all round to mark out where that place was where the battle should be. Needful it was to choose that place carefully, that it should be level, where a great host of war should be arrayed. And so it was there, where the battle-place should be, that there was a level heath, and one way from it fell a certain river, and another way from it was a great wood. But there where it was shortest betwixt the wood and the river, and that was yet a long way, there had King Athelstane’s men pitched their tents. Their tents stood on all the ground betwixt the wood and the river. They had so pitched their tents that there were no men in every third tent, and few withal in any one; but when King Olaf’s men came to them then had they thronged their men forth before all the tents, and King Olafs men found no means of coming into them. Athelstane’s men said that their tents were all full of men, so that there was nowhere near room for the host that was theirs. Withal, the tents stood so high that there was no seeing over them, whether they stood many deep or few only.

They thought, that there must be a war-host indeed.

King Olaf’s men pitched their tents north of the hazels, and the ground was all somewhat falling away on that side. Athelstane’s men said, too, from one day to another, that their King would then come (or would be come already) into that burg that was southaway under the heath. Folk drew to them both day and night. But when that appointed time was passed that had been fixed, then send Athelstane’s men errand-runners to see King Olaf with these words, that Athelstane the King is ready for battle, and “Hath a host of war exceeding great. But he sendeth to King Olaf these words, that he will not that they make so great man-spill, as there it tended toward: bade him the rather fare home to Scotland; but Athelstane will find him, as gift of friendship, a shilling of silver for every plough in all his realm, and will that they league themselves together in friendship”.

But when the messengers come to King Olaf, then was he in hand to make ready his war-host and was minded to ride out to battle; but when the messengers bare up their errand, then the King stayed his journey as for that day: sat then to take rede, and the captains of his host of war along with him. All unlike were men’s counsels in this matter. Some urged much that they should take that choice: said that here was then befallen the greatest glory of their journey, if they should fare home and have taken gild so great of Athelstane. Some letted it, and said that Athelstane would bid much more the next time, if that were not taken; and this rede they determined on.

Then besought the messengers that King Olaf should give them time to see King Athelstane and try if he would pay yet more gild out of hand so that there might be peace. They bade a truce of one day for riding home, and another for taking counsel, and yet a third for coming back again. The King yea-said them this.

Fare the messengers home, and come back the third day, as was appointed: say to King Olaf that Athelstane will give all, even as he bade before, and besides, for a booty-sharing for King Olaf’s host, a shilling for every man freeborn, and a mark for every captain of a company, to them that hold command over twelve men or more, and a mark of gold to every leader of a bodyguard, and five marks of gold to every earl. And now the King let bear this up before his folk. It was even as before, that some letted but some urged it. But in the end, the King gave his ruling: saith that this choice he will take, if that follow withal, that King Athelstane let him have all Northumberland with those scats and dues which there belong.

The messengers ask for yet three days’ delay, and this withal, that King Olaf send now men of his own to hear the word of King Athelstane, whether he will or not have this choice: say that they think that King Athelstane would let few things stand in the way, so peace might be gotten.

King Olaf saith yea to that, and sendeth men of his own to King Athelstane. Ride then the messengers all together and find King Athelstane in that burg that was nighest to the heath on the south side. The messengers of King Olaf bear up their
errand before King Athelstane, and their peace-offer. King Athelstane’s men said too with what offers they had fared to King Olaf, and this withal, that that was by the rede of wise men, to delay so the battle while the King was not come.

But King Athelstane gave swift ruling in this matter, and said unto the messengers as thus: “Bear these words of mine unto King Olaf, that I will give him leave for this, to fare home to Scotland with his folk: and let him pay back all that fee that he took up with wrongfulness here in the land. Set we here thenceforth peace between our lands, and let neither harry other. That shall follow too, that King Olaf shall become my man, and hold Scotland from me, and be under-king of mine. Fare ye now”, saith he, “back again, and say to him that so it standeth”.

The messengers turned back on their way forthwith that evening, and came to King Olaf near middle night. Waked they up the King then, and said to him straightway the words of King Athelstane.

The King let straightway call to him the earls and other captains: let then the messengers come to him and say out loud their errand’s ending and the words of King Athelstane. But when these things were made known to the men of his host, then was there but one thing in the speech of all of them, that that would lie next to do, to make ready for battle. The messengers said this withal, that Athelstane had a throng of folk, and that he had on that same day come to the burg when the messengers came there.

Then spake Earl Adils: “Now cometh it to light, King, even as I said, that you would find what tricksters these English be.
⁴
Here have we sat long whiles, and waited till they have drawn to them all their force; and their King will have been nowhere near then, when we came hither. They will now have gathered great forces since we were sat down. Now this is my rede, King, that we two brethren ride forth straightway in the night with our host. That may be, that they have now no fear for themselves, sith they have learnt that their King is nigh with a great host of war. We two shall then give them an onfall; and when they are put to a rout, then will they lose their folk, and be unbolder after that for setting on against us”.

This rede seemed to the King well thought on: “We will make ready our war-host soon as it is light, and fare to meet you”.

They determined of this rede, and so brake up their meeting.

CHAPTER LIII. THE BATTLE ON WINAHEATH.

E
ARL HRING and Adils his brother made ready their war-host and fared straightway in the night south to the heath; and when it was light, then Thorolf’s watchmen saw where that war-host fared. Then was blown the war-blast, and men clad them for war: took then to drawing up their folk for battle, and had two battles. Earl Alfgeir commanded one battle, and there was a banner borne before him. There was in that battle those people which had followed him, so too those people which had gathered there out of the countryside. That was a much greater host than that which followed Thorolf and his brother.

Thorolf was so arrayed that he had a shield wide and thick, a helm on his head exceeding strong; girt with that sword that he called Long,
¹
a great weapon and a good. A halberd had he in his hand; the feather
²
was two ells long, and forged in the frontward with a four-edged spike; but upwards was the feather broad, the socket both long and stout; the shaft was not so tall but that the hand might reach to the socket, and wondrous stout; an iron bolt was in the socket, and the shaft was all lapped with iron. Those spears were called byrny-twisters.
³
Egil had the same array as Thorolf. He was girt with that sword that he called Nadder. That sword had he gotten in Kurland: that was the best of weapons. Neither of them had a byrny.
⁴
They set up their banner and Thorfid the Strong bare it. All their folk had Norse shields and all Norse war-gear. In their battle were all the Norsemen, those that were there.

Thorolf and his drew up their battle near the wood, but the battle of Alfgeir fared beside the river.

Earl Adils and his brother saw this, that they would not come upon Thorolf and his folk at unawares. Then took they to drawing up of their host for battle. They, likewise, made two
battles, and had two banners. Adils drew up his battle against Earl Alfgeir, but Hring against the vikings.

And now began the battle there. They went forth well of either side. Earl Adils set on hard before him, till Alfgeir began to fall back and give way, but Adils’s men set on then twice as boldly. And no long time it was then, before Alfgeir fled. And there is that to be said of him, that he rode away south over the heath and a band of men with him. He rode so far till he was come near to that burg where the King sat. Then spake the Earl: “I mean not that we should fare to the burg. We found great clatter of words about us, when last we came to the King, then when we had fared without victory from before King Olaf; and nowise will he think we have bettered our estate by this journey. No need now to think on redress where he is”. Therewith rode he south through the land, and it is to be said of his journey that he rode day and night till they came west to Earlsness. There the Earl found him passage south over the sea and came away to Valland. There had he his kinsfolk of one side. Never from that time forth came he to England.

Adils first drave the flight, but not long ere he turned back thither where the battle was and there made onset. But when Thorolf saw that, turned he to meet the Earl and bade thither bear the banner: bade his men follow up well and stand close: “Move we toward the wood,” he said, “and let that cover our back, so that they may not go at us on all sides”. They did so: drew up along the wood side. Then was the battle hard. Set on Egil against Adils, and hard dealings they had betwixt them. The odds of strength was exceeding great, and yet fell more folk on the side of Adils.

Thorolf began then to be so wood-wroth
⁵
that he cast his shield over his back and took his spear in two hands: leapt he then forth and hewed or thrust on either hand. Sprang men back from him then either way, but he slew many. Cleared he so a path forward to the banner of Earl Hring, and then was no holding against him. He slew that man that bare Earl Hring’s banner, and hewed down the banner-pole. And now laid he his spear through the Earl’s chest, through byrny and body, so as out it went betwixt the shoulders, and heaved him up on the
halberd over his head and shot down the tail of the spear into the earth. But the Earl perished on the spear; and that in the sight of all, both his own men and his unfriends likewise.

And now Thorolf drew his sword, and hewed he then on either hand. Then withal set on his men there. Fell then much folk, Welsh and Scots, but some turned to flight. But when Earl Adils saw his brother’s fall, and great man-fall in his host, and some fled, and he thought a hard thing was come upon him, then turned he to flight and ran to the wood. He fled into the wood, and his company with him. Took then to fleeing all that host that had followed them. There befell then great man-fall among the men that fled, and the flight drifted then wide about the heath. Earl Adils had flung down his banner, and none knew then whether ’twas he that fared there or other men.

It began soon now to darken toward night, and Thorolf and Egil and their men turned back to their war-booths, and in that same hour came there King Athelstane with all his war-host and set up then their land-tents
⁶
and put them in order. A little later came King Olaf with his host of war. They pitched their tents and put them in order, there where their men had pitched. It was then said unto King Olaf that fallen were both those Earls of his, Hring and Adils,
⁷
and a great multitude besides of his men.

CHAPTER LIV. THE SECOND DAY’S BATTLE ON WINA-HEATH: WITH THE FALL OF THOROLF SKALLAGRIMSON.

K
ING ATHELSTANE had been the night before in that burg which was aforesaid, and there heard he that there had been fighting on the heath: made ready then straightway, and all his war-host, and set forth north to the heath: learned then plainly of all that had betided, what way that battle had gone.

Came then to see the King those brethren, Thorolf and Egil. He thanked them well for their forwardness and for that victory which they had won: promised them his friendship full and perfect. Tarried they there all together for that night.

King Athelstane waked up his war-host straightway in the morning at point of day. He held talk with his captains and said what ordering there should be of his host. He ordered first his own battle, and then set he in the front of that battle those companies that were the keenest in fight. Then spake he, that over that host should be Egil; “But Thorolf”, said he, “shall be with his own host and that other host that I set there. That shall be the second battle of our host, that he shall be captain over, because the Scots be ever loose in battle-array: leap they to and fro, and come forth in this place and in that. Oft can they give good scratches, if men be not wary of them, but they scatter on the field if face be made against them”.

Egil answered the King: “I will not that we two, I and Thorolf, be parted in the fight. But well do I think it, if we be posted there where most need seemeth and hardest work toward”.