Part 54 (2/2)

The men of Adger on the coast Tremble to see this mighty host: The guilty tremble as they spy The victor's fleet beneath the sky.

”The sight surpa.s.ses far the tale, As glacing in the sun they sail; The king's s.h.i.+p glittering all with gold, And splendour there not to be told.

Round Lister many a coal-black mast Of Canute's fleet is gliding past.

And now through Eger sound they ride, Upon the gently heaving tide.

”And all the sound is covered o'er With s.h.i.+ps and sails, from sh.o.r.e to sh.o.r.e, A mighty king, a mighty host, Hiding the sea on Eger coast.

And peaceful men in haste now hie Up Hiornagla-hill the fleet to spy, As round the ness where Stad now lies Each high-stemmed s.h.i.+p in splendour flies.

”Nor seemed the voyage long, I trow, To warrior on the high-built bow, As o'er the ocean-mountains riding The land and hill seem past him gliding.

With whistling breeze and flas.h.i.+ng spray Past Stein the gay s.h.i.+ps dashed away; In open sea, the southern gale Filled every wide out-bellying sail.

”Still on they fly, still northward go, Till he who conquers every foe, The mighty Canute, came to land, Far in the north on Throndhjem's strand.

There this great king of Jutland race, Whose deeds and gifts surpa.s.s in grace All other kings, bestowed the throne Of Norway on his sister's son.

”To his own son he gave the crown (This I must add to his renown) Of Denmark--land of shadowy vales, In which the white swan trims her sails.”

Here it is told that King Canute's expedition was grander than saga can tell; but Thorarin sang thus because he would pride himself upon being one of King Canute's retinue when he came to Norway.

183. OF THE MESSENGERS SENT BY KING OLAF FOR HIS s.h.i.+PS.

The men whom King Olaf had sent eastwards to Gautland after his s.h.i.+ps took with them the vessels they thought the best, and burnt the rest.

The s.h.i.+p-apparel and other goods belonging to the king and his men they also took with them; and when they heard that King Canute had gone to Norway they sailed west through the Sound, and then north to Viken to King Olaf, to whom they delivered his s.h.i.+ps. He was then at Tunsberg.

When King Olaf learnt that King Canute was sailing north along the coast, King Olaf steered with his fleet into Oslo fjord, and into a branch of it called Drafn, where he lay quiet until King Canute's fleet had sailed southwards again. On this expedition which King Canute made from the North along the coast, he held a Thing in each district, and in every Thing the country was bound by oath in fealty to him, and hostages were given him. He went eastward across the mouths of the fjords to Sarpsborg, and held a Thing there, and, as elsewhere, the country was surrendered to him under oath of fidelity. King Canute then returned south to Denmark, after having conquered Norway without stroke of sword, and he ruled now over three kingdoms. So says Halvard Hareksblese when he sang of King Canute:--

”The warrior-king, whose blood-stain'd s.h.i.+eld Has shone on many a hard-fought field, England and Denmark now has won, And o'er three kingdoms rules alone.

Peace now he gives us fast and sure, Since Norway too is made secure By him who oft, in days of yore, Glutted the hawk and wolf with gore.”

184. OF KING OLAF IN HIS PROCEEDINGS.

King Olaf sailed with his s.h.i.+ps out to Tunsberg, as soon as he heard that King Canute had turned back, and was gone south to Denmark. He then made himself ready with the men who liked to follow him, and had then thirteen s.h.i.+ps. Afterwards he sailed out along Viken; but got little money, and few men, as those only followed him who dwelt in islands, or on outlying points of land. The king landed in such places, but got only the money and men that fell in his way; and he soon perceived that the country had abandoned him. He proceeded on according to the winds. This was in the beginning of winter (A.D. 1029). The wind turned very late in the season in their favour, so that they lay long in the Seley islands, where they heard the news from the North, through merchants, who told the king that Erling Skjalgson had collected a great force in Jadar, and that his s.h.i.+p lay fully rigged outside of the land, together with many other vessels belonging to the bondes; namely, skiffs, fisher-yachts, and great row-boats. Then the king sailed with his fleet from the East, and lay a while in Egersund. Both parties heard of each other now, and Erling a.s.sembled all the men he could.

185. OF KING OLAF'S VOYAGE.

On Thomasmas, before Yule (Dec. 21), the king left the harbour as soon as day appeared. With a good but rather strong gale he sailed northwards past Jadar. The weather was rainy, with dark flying clouds in the sky.

The spies went immediately in through the Jadar country when the king sailed past it; and as soon as Erling heard that the king was sailing past from the East, he let the war-horn call all the people on board, and the whole force hastened to the s.h.i.+ps, and prepared for battle. The king's s.h.i.+p pa.s.sed by Jadar at a great rate; but thereafter turned in towards the land, intending to run up the fjords to gather men and money. Erling Skjalgson perceived this, and sailed after him with a great force and many s.h.i.+ps. Swiftly their vessels flew, for they had nothing on board but men and arms: but Erling's s.h.i.+p went much faster than the others; therefore he took in a reef in the sails, and waited for the other vessels. Then the king saw that Erling with his fleet gained upon him fast; for the king's s.h.i.+ps were heavily laden, and were besides water-soaked, having been in the sea the whole summer, autumn, and winter, up to this time. He saw also that there would be a great want of men, if he should go against the whole of Erling's fleet when it was a.s.sembled. He hailed from s.h.i.+p to s.h.i.+p the orders to let the sails gently sink, and to uns.h.i.+p the booms and outriggers, which was done.

When Erling saw this he calls out to his people, and orders them to get on more sail. ”Ye see,” says he, ”that their sails are diminis.h.i.+ng, and they are getting fast away from our sight.” He took the reef out of the sails of his s.h.i.+p, and outsailed all the others immediately; for Erling was very eager in his pursuit of King Olaf.

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