Egil’s Saga (7 page)

Now when the host was kenned of Harald the King there was much people fallen and many were sore wounded. Thorolf was wounded sore, but Bard worse, and not one was unwounded in the King’s ship forward of the sail, save those that iron bit not
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(and that was his berserks). Then let the King bind the wounds of his men, and thanked men for their forwardness, and bestowed gifts, and laid most praise on them that seemed to him worthiest of it, and promised them to swell their honour: named for this his skippers, and next to them his stem-men and other forecastle-men.

This was the latest battle that Harald the King had within the land, and after that found he no withstanding, and gat to himself thenceforth all the land.

The King let leech his men, them that there was yet hope of
life for, and let give lyke-help
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unto the dead men, in such sort as was then the wont to do. Thorolf and Bard lay in their wounds. Thorolf’s wounds took to healing, but Bard’s wounds grew like to be banesome. Then let he call the King to him and said to him thus: “If so betide, that I die of these wounds, then will I crave this of you, that you let me rule mine inheritance after me”.

But when the King had yea-said that, then said he: “All mine inheritance after me will I that Thorolf, my fellow and kinsman, take: both lands and loose goods; to him will I give my wife,
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too, and my son for uprearing, because I do trust him for this, best of all men”. He settleth these matters, as was the law thereto, with the King’s leave. And now dieth Bard, and there was given him lyke-help, and it was thought much harm of his death.

Thorolf gat well of his wounds, and followed the King that summer, and had gotten exceeding great renown. The King fared in the autumn north to Thrandheim. Then prayeth Thorolf leave to fare north to Halogaland to look to those gifts which he had received that summer of Bard his kinsman. The King giveth leave for that, and sendeth word therewith and tokens that Thorolf shall have all that which Bard gave him: let that follow, that that gift was made with rede of the King, and that his will it is so to let it be. The King maketh now Thorolf a landed man, and bestoweth on him now all those revenues the same which before Bard had had: granteth him the Finn-fare with like conditions, even as Bard had had it before. The King gave Thorolf a good long-ship with all her gear and let make ready his journey thence as best might be. And now fared Thorolf thence on his journey, and he and the King parted with the greatest loving-kindness.

But when Thorolf came north to Torgar, then was there joyful welcoming of him. He said to them then of Bard’s death, and that withal, that Bard had given him to take after him lands and loose goods, and his wife too that had before been his: and now set forth the word of the King and the tokens. But when Sigrid heard these tidings, then thought she that great scathe she had to lose her man. But Thorolf was before well known to
her, and well she wist that he was the greatest man of mark and that that match was exceeding good; and, seeing it was the King’s bidding, she counted it good rede (and her friends were with her in this) to plight troth with Thorolf, if that were not against her father’s liking. Therewith took Thorolf unto him the management of all things there, and withal the King’s stewardship.

Thorolf made him a journey from home, and had a long-ship and nigh sixty men and fared now when he was ready, north along the land. And on a day at evening came he into Alost, to Sandness: laid their ship in harbour; and when they had tilted
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her and made all snug, Thorolf went up to the farmstead with twenty men. Sigurd welcomed him joyfully, and bade him be there, for well known was each to other before, since first Sigurd and Bard had become father and son-in-law.
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And now went Thorolf and his folk into the hall and took there guesting. Sigurd sat him down to talk with Thorolf, and asked for tidings. Thorolf told of that battle that had been last summer south in the land, and the fall of many men that were well known to Sigurd; Thorolf said that Bard, his son-in-law, had died of those wounds that he gat in the battle. That seemed to them both the greatest man-scathe. Then saith Thorolf unto Sigurd what had been in the privy talk betwixt him and Bard, before he died, and so he bare forward the word-sending of the King, that the King would let all that hold: and therewith he showed the tokens. And now Thorolf took up his wooing with Sigurd, and bade to wife Sigrid his daughter. Sigurd took that suit well: said that many things held for this: first, that the King’s will it is so to let it be; that too, that Bard had asked for this, and that withal, that Thorolf was known to him and he thought his daughter well given so. That suit was easy-sped with Sigurd. Then went forward the betrothals and appointing of the bridal feast, to be in Torgar that autumn. Thorolf fared home then to his own place, he and his company, and made ready there a great feast and bade thither great throng of men. There was there a mort of Thorolf’s noble kinsmen. Sigurd too set out from the north, and had a great long-ship and good choice of men. There was at that feast the greatest throng of men.

Soon was that found, that Thorolf was an openhanded man, and a great man of account. He had about him a great following, and soon became that exceeding costly and needed great provision. Then was the year good and an easy stroke to get that whereof need was.

The same winter, died Sigurd at Sandness, and Thorolf took all his heritage after him. That was exceeding great fee. Those sons of Hildirid came to see Thorolf and brought up that claim which they would be thought to have there, to that fee which had belonged to Biorgolf their father. Thorolf answereth as thus: “That was known to me of Bryniolf, and yet better known as to Bard, that they were men of so great manliness that they would sure have dealt out unto you two so much of Biorgolf’s heritage as they wist you had a right to. I was by, when ye raised these same claims with Bard; and so it sounded to me as though he should think there was no true claim there, sith he called you bastard-born”.
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Harek said that they would bring witness to this, that their mother was dower-boughten, “And yet true it was that we followed not at first this suit with Bryniolf our brother. For there ’twas dealing ’twixt kin and kin; but of Bard we looked to get our due every whit, but it came about that no long dealings might we have with him. But now is this heritage come to men nought of kin with us twain, and we may not now altogether hold our peace over this loss of ours. And yet, it may hap that there shall yet be, as afore, that stress of power, that we get not our right in this suit ’cause of thee: if thou wilt hear no witness, such as we have to put forward, that we be men odal-born”.

Thorolf answereth then moodily: “So far from me is it to deem you heirship-born, that ’tis said to me that the mother of you two was with violence taken and was had home as spoil of war”.

After that, they brake off this talk.

CHAPTER X. OF THOROLF’s FINN-FARING.

T
HOROLF made him that winter his journey up into the fell,
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and had with him a great force, not less than ninety men. But before had the wont of it been that the King’s bailiffs had had thirty men, and whiles fewer. He had with him great store of cheaping. He set him speedily a tryst with the Finns and took of them scat
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and had with them a cheaping-fair. All went in kindness betwixt them and in friendly wise, albeit some deal ’twas awe made them willing.

Thorolf fared wide about the Mark: but when he set his face east toward the fell, he had word that the Kylfings
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were come from the east and fared there a-Finn-cheaping, but some part they fared a-robbing. Thorolf set on the Finns to hold espial of the faring of the Kylfings; but he came after a-seeking for them, and hit upon thirty men of them in one lair and slew all, so as not one came off, and after that he hit upon fifteen together or twenty. In all, they slew nigh a hundred men and took there fee past all telling, and came back about spring-time, their affair thus sped.

Thorolf fared then to his own place at Sandness and sat there long through the spring. He let make a long-ship, great, and a drake’s head thereto: let dight her like the best: had her along with him from the north. Thorolf swept much into his own net of those takings that then were in Halogaland: had men of his in the herring-fisheries and so too in the cod-fisheries.
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There were seal-takings too enow, and egg-takings. He let flit all that home to him. He had never fewer freedmen at home than a hundred.
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He was an openhanded man and a bountiful and made friends much with the great men, all those men that were in his neighbourhood. He became a mighty man, and laid much thought to his ships’ arraying and his weapons.

CHAPTER XI. OF THE FARING OF KING HARALD INTO HALOGALAND AND HIS GUESTING WITH THOROLF KVEL-DULFSON.

H
ARALD the King fared that summer into Halogaland and there were made feasts against his coming, both there where were houses of his, and so too did the landed men make feasts and the powerful bonders. Thorolf made ready a feast against the King’s coming and laid out great charges thereon: that was appointed for when the King should come there. Thorolf bade thither a throng of men, and had there the best pick of men that was to choose from. The King had near three hundred men when he came to the feast, but Thorolf had to meet him five hundred men.

Thorolf had let make ready a great corn-barn that was there, and let lay benches in it, and let drink there: because there was there no hall so great as that that throng of men might all be within it. There were shields withal fastened to the walls all round about inside the house.

The King sate him in the high seat. But when all was arrayed both withinward and to doorward, then the King gazed about him and turned red, and spake not; and men thought they knew that he was wroth.

The feast was of the stateliest and all the fare of the best. The King was something unmerry, and was there three nights, as he had meant to be.

That day when the King should fare away, came Thorolf to him and prayed that they should go down to the strand together. The King did so. There lay afloat by the land there that drake which Thorolf had let build, with her tilts and all her gear. Thorolf gave the King the ship, and prayed that the King should so esteem it (even as it had gone in his own mind), as that he had only for this sake had so great throng of men, that he might do the King honour, and not at all for a matching of strength with him. The King took well with Thorolf’s words, and made himself now blithe and merry. And now many laid good words thereto, saying (as true it was) that the feast was of the honourablest
and the parting-gift of the splendidest, and that there was great strength to the King of such-like men. Then parted they with great loving-kindness.

The King fared north in Halogaland as he had had the mind to do, and turned again south as summer wore. He fared then still to feasts, where they were made ready before him.

CHAPTER XII. OF THE EVIL SPEECH OF THOSE SONS OF HILDIRID.

H
ILDIRID’S sons went to see the King and bade him home to a three nights’ feast. The King said yea to their bidding, and told them whenabouts he should come there. But when the appointed time was come, then came the King there with his folk, and there was there no throng of men to meet him, yet the feast went forward at the best. The King was all merry.

Harek fell a-talking with the King, and it came to this in his talk that he asketh of the King’s farings which had been that summer. The King answered so much as he asked him: said all men had made him good cheer, and each much according to his means.

“Great odds,” said Harek,
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“will there have been in this, that in Torgar will your feast have been most thronged with men?”

The King said that so it was.

Harek saith, “That was to be looked for, sure, for as much as for that feast was the most provision made. And you did bear, King, the mightiest good luck therein, that so it turned out that you came into no danger of your life. It fared, as indeed was likely, that thou wast both wisest and best gifted with luck, in that thou didst misdoubt thee straightway that all should not be wholesome, when thou sawest that great throng of men which was there drawn to a head. Ay, and it was said to me that thou didst let all thy folk be ever all-weaponed, or didst have watch and ward kept alway both night and day”.

The King looked on him and spake: “Why speakest thou such-like things, Harek, or what canst thou thereof to say?”

He saith, “Whether shall I speak with your leave, King, even as likes me?”

“Speak,” saith the King.

“That is my thought,” saith Harek: “if thou, King, mightest hear the word of each man, when men speak at home after their own heart and mind, what slavery that seemeth to them that you do put upon all men-folk, methinks thou shouldst think it not well. And that is truest to say unto you, King, that there wanteth no other thing to the common sort that they should rise up against you, save only hardihood and a captain. And that is nought wondrous,” saith he, “in such-like men as Thorolf is, that he think himself far above every man else. He wanteth not might, nor goodly seeming neither. He hath, too, his bodyguard about him, like a king. He hath a mort of money, were it he had that only which himself had a right to. But, more than this, he maketh free to do as he list with other men’s fee as of his own. You have granted him withal great revenues; and ’twas now all gotten ready so as he should pay you back nowise well for that. Because that is truest to tell you, that, soon as ’twas heard that you were a-faring north to Halogaland with no more folk than you had, three hundred men, then was that the rede of men hereabout that here should a host come together and take thy life, King, of thee and all thy folk; and ’twas Thorolf was leader in these counsels, because that offer was made him that he should be king over the folk of Halogaland and over the Naumdale folk. Fared he then both out and in by every firth and about all the isles and gathered every man that he found and every weapon, and that went nowise hidden, that that host-gathering was for the going against Harald the King in battle. Yea, but that is true, King, that, albeit you had a host something lesser than theirs when you met them, there shot terror into the breasts of these bonder-lads,
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soon as they saw your sailing. Then was the other rede taken, to go and meet you with blitheness and bid you to feasting. But then were they minded, if you should be drunken and be laid a-sleeping, to make an onslaught on you with fire and weapons: whereof this for a token, if I have heard
tell aright, that you were bidden in to some corn-barn, because Thorolf would nowise burn up his own hall, new and well bedight. And that withal was for a token, that every house was full of weapons and war-harness. But when they found no good way to work their wiles on you, they took that rede that seemed best to hand: cut all adrift of these former plottings. Methinks all know well how to dissemble these redes, for few I ween may know themselves sackless if the truth come up. Now this is my rede, King, that thou take Thorolf to thee and let him be in thy bodyguard, bear thy banner, and be in the forecastle aboard thy ship: unto this is he by nature apt beyond all men else. But if thou wilt that he be a landed man, then find him revenues south in the Firths. There is all of his blood and kin. You may there have oversight of him, that he wax not over big. But give thy stewardship here in Halogaland into the hand of those men that be men of temperate mind and will with trueness serve you, and have their kin here, and their kinsmen have here before had suchlike business. We brethren shall be found both bidden and boun
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for such things as you may have the will to use us for. Our father had here long time the King’s stewardship. Well went that in his hands. ’Tis hard for you, King, to find right men to set over your affairs here, sith here may you but seldom come yourself. Here is little main of land, that you should fare here with your host; and scarce will you do thus again, to fare hither with few folk, seeing that here is much untrustworthy people.”