第46章

Svein, King Harald's son, who afterwards was called Tjuguskeg (forked beard), asked his father King Harald for a part of his kingdom; but now, as before, Harald would not listen to dividing the Danish dominions, and giving him a kingdom.Svein collected ships of war, and gave out that he was going on a viking cruise;but when all his men were assembled, and the Jomsborg viking Palnatoke had come to his assistance he ran into Sealand to Isafjord, where his father had been for some time with his ships ready to proceed on an expedition.Svein instantly gave battle, and the combat was severe.So many people flew to assist King Harald, that Svein was overpowered by numbers, and fled.But King Harald received a wound which ended in his death: and Svein was chosen King of Denmark.At this time Sigvalde was earl over Jomsborg in Vindland.He was a son of King Strutharald, who had ruled over Skane.Heming, and Thorkel the Tall, were Sigvalde's brothers.Bue the Thick from Bornholm, and Sigurd his brother, were also chiefs among the Jomsborg vikings: and also Vagn, a son of Ake and Thorgunna, and a sister's son of Bue and Sigurd.Earl Sigvalde had taken King Svein prisoner, and carried him to Vindland, to Jomsborg, where he had forced him to make peace with Burizleif, the king of the Vinds, and to take him as the peace-maker between them.Earl Sigvalde was married to Astrid, a daughter of King Burizleif; and told King Svein that if he did not accept of his terms, he would deliver him into the hands of the Vinds.The king knew that they would torture him to death, and therefore agreed to accept the earl's mediation.The earl delivered this judgment between them -- that King Svein should marry Gunhild, King Burizleif's daughter; and King Burizleif again Thyre, a daughter of Harald, and King Svein's sister; but that each party should retain their own dominions, and there should be peace between the countries.Then King Svein returned home to Denmark with his wife Gunhild.Their sons were Harald and Knut (Canute) the Great.At that time the Danes threatened much to bring an army into Norway against Earl Hakon.

39.VOW OF THE JOMSBORG VIKINGS.

King Svein made a magnificent feast, to which he invited all the chiefs in his dominions; for he would give the succession-feast, or the heirship-ale, after his father Harald.A short time before, Strutharald in Skane, and Vesete in Bornholm, father to Bue the Thick and to Sigurd, had died; and King Svein sent word to the Jomsborg vikings that Earl Sigvalde and Bue, and their brothers, should come to him, and drink the funeral-ale for their fathers in the same feast the king was giving.The Jomsborg vikings came to the festival with their bravest men, forty ships of them from Vindland, and twenty ships from Skane.Great was the multitude of people assembled.The first day of the feast, before King Svein went up into his father's high-seat, he drank the bowl to his father's memory, and made the solemn vow, that before three winters were past he would go over with his army to England, and either kill King Adalrad (Ethelred), or chase him out of the country.This heirship bowl all who were at the feast drank.Thereafter for the chiefs of the Jomsborg vikings was filled and drunk the largest horn to be found, and of the strongest drink.When that bowl was emptied, all men drank Christ's health; and again the fullest measure and the strongest drink were handed to the Jomsborg vikings.The third bowl was to the memory of Saint Michael, which was drunk by all.Thereafter Earl Sigvalde emptied a remembrance bowl to his father's honour, and made the solemn vow, that before three winters came to an end he would go to Norway, and either kill Earl Hakon, or chase him out of the country.Thereupon Thorkel the Tall, his brother, made a solemn vow to follow his brother Sigvalde to Norway, and not flinch from the battle so long as Sigvalde would fight there.

Then Bue the Thick vowed to follow them to Norway, and not flinch so long as the other Jomsborg vikings fought.At last Vagn Akason vowed that he would go with them to Norway, and not return until he had slain Thorkel Leira, and gone to bed to his daughter Ingebjorg without her friends' consent.Many other chiefs made solemn vows about different things.Thus was the heirship-ale drunk that day, but the next morning, when the Jomsborg vikings had slept off their drink, they thought they had spoken more than enough.They held a meeting to consult how they should proceed with their undertaking, and they determined to fit out as speedily as possible for the expedition; and without delay ships and men-at-arms were prepared, and the news spread quickly.

40.EIRIK AND HAKON MAKE A WAR LEVY.

When Earl Eirik, the son of Hakon, who at that time was in Raumarike, heard the tidings, he immediately gathered troops, and went to the Uplands, and thence over the mountains to Throndhjem, and joined his father Earl Hakon.Thord Kolbeinson speaks of this in the lay of Eirik: --"News from the south are flying round;The bonde comes with look profound, Bad news of bloody battles bringing, Of steel-clad men, of weapons ringing.

I hear that in the Danish land Long-sided ships slide down the strand, And, floating with the rising tide, The ocean-coursers soon will ride."The earls Hakon and Eirik had war-arrows split up and sent round the Throndhjem country; and despatched messages to both the Mores, North More and South More, and to Raumsdal, and also north to Naumudal and Halogaland.They summoned all the country to provide both men and ships.So it is said in Eirik's lay:

"The skald must now a war-song raise, The gallant active youth must praise, Who o'er the ocean's field spreads forth Ships, cutters, boats, from the far north.

His mighty fleet comes sailing by, --

The people run to see them glide, Mast after mast, by the coast-side."Earl Hakon set out immediately to the south, to More, to reconnoitre and gather people; and Earl Eirik gathered an army from the north to follow.