Egil’s Saga (20 page)

Thorolf spake: “Let the King have his way,
¹
where he will post us two. Let us do for him as he shall like. I will be, if thou hadst rather, there where thou art posted”.

Egil saith: “You will have your way now. But of this ordering belike I’ll oft repent me”.

Went men then into their battle-array, even as the King had ordered, and the banners were set up. The King’s battle stood on the open country reaching to the river, but Thorolf’s battle fared the upper way along the wood.

King Olaf took then to drawing up of his host, when he saw that King Athelstane had drawn up his. He, too, made two battles, and he let fare his banner, and that battle that he himself had command of, against King Athelstane and his battle. They had then of either party a war-host so great that there was no odds betwixt them, which had the greater throng of men; but the other battle of King Olaf fared near the wood, against that host that Thorolf had command over. The captains there were Scottish earls. That was Scots for the most part, and that was a great host of men.

And now go their battle-arrays together, and there soon befell there a great battle. Thorolf set on hard and let bear his banner forward beside the wood, and was minded there to go so far forward as he might come at the King’s battle at open shields.
²
They had their shields before them, but the wood was on their
right: they let it cover them on that side. Thorolf went forth so far that few men of his were before him; and when he was least on his guard, then leap there out of the wood Earl Adils and that company that followed him. Turned there straightway many halberds at once against Thorolf, and he fell there by the wood-side; but Thorfid, who bare the banner, sprang back there where the host stood thicker, but Adils set on then against them, and there was then a great battle. The Scots whooped then the whoop of victory, since they had felled the captain.

But when Egil heard that whoop, and saw that Thorolf’s banner turned heel, then he thought he knew that Thorolf himself would not be following it. And now leapt he thither, forth betwixt the battle-lines. He was quickly ware of those tidings that were there befallen, soon as he found his men. Then egged he on the host much to the onset. He was first in the battle-front. He had the sword Nadder in his hand. He set on there and hewed on either hand and felled many men. Thorfid bare the banner close after him, but the rest of the host followed the banner: the battle was there of the sharpest. Egil went forth till he was met with Earl Adils. They had few blows betwixt them before Earl Adils fell, and a mort of men about him; but after his fall, then fled that host that had followed him, but Egil and his host followed them and slew all they caught, for no need there was then to bid for quarter.

But those Scottish earls stood then no long time, soon as they saw that the others, their fellows, fled; took straight to running away. But Egil and his held on then to where was the King’s battle, and came upon them at open shields, and wrought there swiftly great man-fall. Then was their battle-line riddled and all loosed asunder. Fled then many of Olaf’s men, but the vikings whooped then the whoop of victory. Now when King Athelstane thought he found that the battle of King Olaf began to break, then egged he on his host and let bear forward the banners: made then a hard onset so that the host of Olaf rocked before it, and there befell there exceeding great man-fall. There fell King Olaf
³
and the most part of that host that Olaf had had, because they who turned to flight were all slain that were caught.

King Athelstane gat there an exceeding great victory.

CHAPTER LV. EGIL IN KING ATHELSTANE’S HALL.

K
ING ATHELSTANE turned from the battle, but his men drave the flight. He rode back to the burg and stayed not for night-quarters until he was in the burg; but Egil drave the flight, and followed them long, and slew every man that he could catch.

And now he turned back with the men of his company and fared thither where the battle had been, and there came upon Thorolf his brother, dead. He took up his corpse and washed it; and then did with it like as it was fit to do. Dug they there a grave, and set Thorolf therein with all his weapons and his clothes. After that, Egil clasped a gold ring
¹
on either arm of him before he parted with him. And now piled they stones over him, and sprinkled earth. Then quoth Egil a stave:
²

He that ne’er quail’d for terrors,

The earl-man’s bane, went forth there:

High-hearted, in the Thunder-God’s

Huge clash fell Thorolf.

Earth greens beside the Wina,

For me, but this remaineth:

To hide—(Hell’s sorrow is that!)—

Grief for my noble brother.

And again he quoth:
³

West, with pil’d slain I loaded

Field before the banners.

’Twas biting sleet I storm’d there

’Gainst Adils with my blue Nadder.

With th’ Englanders young Olaf

Thunder-crash of steel rais’d.

Hring (so ravens starv’d not)

Out-stay’d the Thing of Weapons.

And now fared Egil with his company to find King Athelstane, and went straightway before the King where he sate a-drinking. There was great noise and cheer there. And when the King saw that Egil was come in, then spake he that room should be made for them on the lower bench, and spake, that Egil should sit there in the high-seat over against the King.

Evil
⁴
sat him down there, and shot down his shield before his feet. He had helm on head, and laid his sword across his knees, and whiles he drew it halfway, and whiles he slammed it back into the scabbard. He sat upright, but his head was much bent. Egil was great of face, broad of forehead, with great eye-brows: the nose not long, but marvellous thick: that place wide and long where the moustachios grow: the chin wonderfully broad, and so all about the jaw: thick-necked and great-shouldered beyond the measure of other men: hard-looking and grim-like whensoever he was wroth. He was of goodly growth and taller than any man else: his hair wolf-grey and close of growth, and become early bald.

Now while he sat as is afore-writ, he kept a-twitching now one now another of his eye-brows down toward the cheek, and the other up toward the hair-roots. Egil was black-eyed and his eyebrows joined in the middle.
⁵
Nought would he drink, though drink were borne to him, but twitched his eye-brows, now one now the other, down and up.

King Athelstane sat in the high seat. He laid his sword too across his knees: and when they had sat so for a while, then drew the King his sword from its scabbard and took a gold ring from his arm, great and good, and drew it over the sword’s point: stood up and went upon the floor and reached it over the fire to Egil. Egil stood up and drew his sword and went upon the floor. He stuck the sword in the bend of the ring and drew it to him: went back to his place. The King sat him down in his high-seat. But when Egil sat him down, he drew the ring on to his arm, and then went his eye-brows into their right line. Laid he down then sword and helm, and took the beast’s horn that was borne to him, and drank it off. Then quoth he:
⁶

The byrny’s god hath granted

Gleaming thong of paw-tongs

To hang for me on hawk-trod

Hanging-tree of Vingi.

On spear-storm fish’s gallows

The snare of red gold mount I:

The feeder of the battle-fowl

To fresh lauds aredes me.

Thenceforth Egil drank his share, and spake with other men.

After that, the King let bear in two chests. Two men bare each. They were both full of silver. The King spake: “These chests, Egil, shalt thou have; and if thou come to Iceland, thou shalt bring this fee to thy father: as atonement for a son I send it him. But some of the fee shalt thou share with the kinsmen of thee and Thorolf, them that thou thinkest noblest. But thou shalt take here atonement for thy brother at mine hand, land or loose goods, whatsoever thou wilt rather. And if thou wilt tarry with me any long time then shall I here find thee worship and honours, even such as thou thyself canst think on to tell me of”.

Egil took the fee, and thanked the King for his gifts and speech of friendship. Egil began from that time forth to be glad of himself,
⁷
and then quoth he:
⁸

The craggéd eaves, for grief sake,

Of mine eye-brows droopéd.

Now find I him who forehead’s

Unsmooth places righteth.

My girdling rocks from face-ground

The great Prince hath lifted—

(Those scowls have left mine eyes now)—

With pulling of an arm-string.

And now were those men healed who were wounded and there was yet hope of life for. Egil tarried with King Athelstane that next winter after the fall of Thorolf, and he had exceeding great honours from the King. There was then with him all that people that before had followed both those brethren and had come safe out of the battle. Then wrought Egil a drapa
⁹
on King Athelstane, and this is in it:
¹⁰

Now hath he that rouseth

Our Ladies of the Battle-din,—

(’Neath Ella’s scion land fell)—

Kings’ head-stem, fell’d three war-lords.

Otherwhat too wrought Athelstane:

All’s lower—(here we swear that,

O flinger of the billow-fire!)—

Than famous-father’d King-man.

And this is the burden in the drapa:
¹¹

Now lieth loftiest reindeer-way

Under lusty Athelstane.

Athelstane gave then to Egil, for skaldship’s guerdon, two gold rings, and each stood at a mark; and there went with them a costly mantle, that the King himself had worn before.

But when it began to be spring, Egil made it known unto the King that he was minded to go away that summer, and to Norway, “And see what hath betided in the matter of Asgerd, that woman whom Thorolf hath had to wife, my brother. There standeth there much fee, and withal I know not whether there be children of theirs alive. I have them to look after, if they be alive, but I have all the inheritance if Thorolf hath died childless”.

The King said, “That will be, Egil, for thine own ruling, to fare away from hence, if thou thinkest thou hast an errand of moment. But that way seemeth to me best, that thou take up here thy fixed abode with me, and such terms thereto as thou likest to ask for”.

Egil thanked the King for his words: “I will now fare first, even as my duty beareth. But that is likely enough, that I shall come hither to call to mind these promises when I find I may”.

The King bade him do so.

And now made Egil ready for going away with his folk, but much of them tarried behind with the King. Egil had a great long-ship, and aboard of her a hundred men, or well that. And when he was ready for his journey and had wind at will, then stood he out into the deep. He and King Athelstane parted with great friendship. He bade Egil come back at his speediest. Egil said, so it should be.

And now steered Egil for Norway, and when he came in sight of land he fared at his swiftest into the Firths. He heard this for tidings, that Thorir the Hersir was dead, but Arinbiorn had taken the inheritance and was made a landed man. Egil went to see Arinbiorn and found there good welcome. Arinbiorn bade him be there. Egil took that willingly. He let lay up the ship and find quarters for the folk. But Arinbiorn took to Egil and eleven of his men, and they were with him for the winter.

CHAPTER LVI. OF EGlL’S WEDDING AND OF HIS HOME-COMING; AND OF HIS FARING ABROAD THE SECOND TIME AND HIS SUIT AGAINST BERGONUND AT THE GULATHING.

B
ERGONUND,
¹
son of Thorgeir Thornfoot, had then gotten to wife Gunnhild, the daughter of Biorn the Franklin. She was come to keep house with him at Ask. But Asgerd, whom Thorolf Skallagrimson had had to wife, was then with Arinbiorn her kinsman. Thorolf and she had one young daughter that was named Thordis, and the maid was there with her mother.

Egil said unto Asgerd of Thorolf’s death, and bade her his guardianship. Asgerd became very unmerry with that tale, but answered well to what Egil said to her and showed little of what was in her mind.

And as autumn wore, Egil took to great ungladness: sat oft and drooped his head beneath the folds of his cloak. On a time went Arinbiorn to him and asked what made his ungladness: “Now, though thou’st gotten great scathe of thy brother, yet is that like a man to bear that well. ‘Man must outlive man’, or what quothee now? Let me now hear”.

Egil said that but a short while since quoth he:
²

The young hawk-cliff’s goddess

Herself from me estrangeth.

Well durst I lift aforetime

The thwart crags of my forehead.

Needs must skald, whenas ‘girdle

Of Bergonir’ to mind comes,

Haste to hide in cloak-folds

High altar of his brow-fold.

Arinbiorn asked what woman that might be that he wrought love-songs upon: “Thou hast hidden her name in the stave”.

Then quoth Egil:
³

Seldom in Narfi’s scion’s,

Suttung’s, feast-fare hide I

Name of sea-fire goddess,

—(Sorrow swells the heart-burg),

’Cause dighters of the din-thing

Dear unto the Valkyries

Might feel with their poet-fingers

Fount of the Lord of Strife.

“Here will it be”, saith Egil, “as oft is spoke, that ‘All can be said to a friend’, I will say to thee that which thou askest, upon what woman I work my songs. ’Tis Asgerd, thy kinswoman; and there would I have thy backing, that I may get her in marriage”.

Arinbiorn saith that seemeth to him well thought on: “I shall surely lay word thereto, that this rede be taken”.

And now Egil bare that suit before Asgerd, but she left it to the ruling of her father and of Arinbiorn her kinsman.

And now talketh Arinbiorn with Asgerd, and she for her part had the same answer. Arinbiorn urged this marriage. And now fare they, Arinbiorn and Egil, to find Biorn, and then beginneth Egil his wooing and bade to wife Asgerd, Biorn’s daughter. Biorn took that suit well, and said that Arinbiorn would have much of the ruling in this. Arinbiorn urged it much, and so ended the matter that Egil plighted troth with Asgerd, and the bridal should be at Arinbiorn’s. So when the appointed day was come, then was the feast there exceeding noble when Egil made his wedding. He was then all merry the rest of that winter.