Heimskringla; Or, The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway. Snorri Sturluson

      King Harald went out in winter to his ships at Tunsberg, rigged them, and sailed away eastward over the fiord, and subjected all Vingulmark to his dominion. All winter he was out with his ships, and marauded in Ranrike; so says Thorbjorn Hornklofe:—

      "The Norseman's king is on the sea,

       Tho' bitter wintry cold it be.—

       On the wild waves his Yule keeps he.

       When our brisk king can get his way,

       He'll no more by the fireside stay

       Than the young sun; he makes us play

       The game of the bright sun-god Frey.

       But the soft Swede loves well the fire

       The well-stuffed couch, the doway glove,

       And from the hearth-seat will not move."

      The Gautlanders gathered people together all over the country.

17. THE BATTLE IN GAUTLAND.

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      In spring, when the ice was breaking up, the Gautlanders drove stakes into the Gaut river to hinder King Harald with his ships from coming to the land. But King Harald laid his ships alongside the stakes, and plundered the country, and burnt all around; so says Horn klofe:—

      "The king who finds a dainty feast,

       For battle-bird and prowling beast,

       Has won in war the southern land

       That lies along the ocean's strand.

       The leader of the helmets, he

       Who leads his ships o'er the dark sea,

       Harald, whose high-rigged masts appear

       Like antlered fronts of the wild deer,

       Has laid his ships close alongside

       Of the foe's piles with daring pride."

      Afterwards the Gautlanders came down to the strand with a great army, and gave battle to King Harald, and great was the fall of men. But it was King Harald who gained the day. Thus says Hornklofe:—

      "Whistles the battle-axe in its swing

       O'er head the whizzing javelins sing,

       Helmet and shield and hauberk ring;

       The air-song of the lance is loud,

       The arrows pipe in darkening cloud;

       Through helm and mail the foemen feel

       The blue edge of our king's good steel

       Who can withstand our gallant king?

       The Gautland men their flight must wing."

18. HRANE GAUZKE'S DEATH.

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      King Harald went far and wide through Gautland, and many were the battles he fought there on both sides of the river, and in general he was victorious. In one of these battles fell Hrane Gauzke; and then the king took his whole land north of the river and west of the Veneren, and also Vermaland. And after he turned back there-from, he set Duke Guthorm as chief to defend the country, and left a great force with him. King Harald himself went first to the Uplands, where he remained a while, and then proceeded northwards over the Dovrefjeld to Throndhjem, where he dwelt for a long time. Harald began to have children. By Asa he had four sons. The eldest was Guthorm. Halfdan the Black and Halfdan the White were twins. Sigfrod was the fourth. They were all brought up in Throndhjem with all honour.

19. BATTLE IN HAFERSFJORD.

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      News came in from the south land that the people of Hordaland and Rogaland, Agder and Thelemark, were gathering, and bringing together ships and weapons, and a great body of men. The leaders of this were Eirik king of Hordaland; Sulke king of Rogaland, and his brother Earl Sote: Kjotve the Rich, king of Agder, and his son Thor Haklang; and from Thelemark two brothers, Hroald Hryg and Had the Hard. Now when Harald got certain news of this, he assembled his forces, set his ships on the water, made himself ready with his men, and set out southwards along the coast, gathering many people from every district. King Eirik heard of this when he same south of Stad; and having assembled all the men he could expect, he proceeded southwards to meet the force which he knew was coming to his help from the east. The whole met together north of Jadar, and went into Hafersfjord, where King Harald was waiting with his forces. A great battle began, which was both hard and long; but at last King Harald gained the day. There King Eirik fell, and King Sulke, with his brother Earl Sote. Thor Haklang, who was a great berserk, had laid his ship against King Harald's, and there was above all measure a desperate attack, until Thor Haklang fell, and his whole ship was cleared of men. Then King Kjotve fled to a little isle outside, on which there was a good place of strength. Thereafter all his men fled, some to their ships, some up to the land; and the latter ran southwards over the country of Jadar. So says Hornklofe, viz.:—

      "Has the news reached you?—have you heard

       Of the great fight at Hafersfjord,

       Between our noble king brave Harald

       And King Kjotve rich in gold?

       The foeman came from out the East,

       Keen for the fray as for a feast.

       A gallant sight it was to see

       Their fleet sweep o'er the dark-blue sea:

       Each war-ship, with its threatening throat

       Of dragon fierce or ravenous brute (1)

       Grim gaping from the prow; its wales

       Glittering with burnished shields, (2) like scales

       Its crew of udal men of war,

       Whose snow-white targets shone from far

       And many a mailed spearman stout

       From the West countries round about,

       English and Scotch, a foreign host,

       And swordamen from the far French coast.

       And as the foemen's ships drew near,

       The dreadful din you well might hear

       Savage berserks roaring mad,

       And champions fierce in wolf-skins clad, (3)

       Howling like wolves; and clanking jar

       Of many a mail-clad man of war.

       Thus the foe came; but our brave king

       Taught them to fly as fast again.

       For when he saw their force come o'er,

       He launched his war-ships from the shore.

       On the deep sea he launched his fleet

       And boldly rowed the foe to meet.

       Fierce was the shock, and loud the clang

       Of shields, until the fierce Haklang,

       The foeman's famous berserk, fell.

       Then from our men burst forth the yell

       Of victory, and the King of Gold

       Could not withstand our Harald bold,

       But fled before his flaky locks

       For shelter to the island rocks.

       All