The Dominions of King Harald and Earl RÖgnvald.

179. Earl RÖgnvald assisted Harald Harfagri (fair-haired) to conquer the country (Norway), and he gave him the revenues of both Moeri and Raumsdal. RÖgnvald had married Ragnhild, the daughter of HrÓlf Nefia (nose). They had a son named HrÓlf, who conquered Normandy. HrÓlf was so big that no horse could carry him, and he was therefore called GÖnguhrÓlf (HrÓlf the walker). From him the Earls of RÚda (Rouen) and the Kings of England are descended. They had two other sons, Ivar and Earl ThÓrir Thegiandi (the silent). RÖgnvald had also sons by his concubines. They were Hallad, Hrollaug, and Einar, who was the youngest. One summer Harald Harfagri went to the west across the sea to punish the Vikings, as he was weary of their devastations. They plundered in Norway during the summer, and spent the winters in Hjaltland or the Orkneys. Harald subdued Hjaltland, the Orkneys, and the Sudreyar (Hebrides). He went west as far as the Isle of Man, and destroyed all the dwellings in Man. He fought many battles there, and extended his dominion so far to the west that none of the Kings of Norway since his time has had wider dominions. In one of these battles, Ivar, the son of Earl RÖgnvald, fell. So when King Harald sailed from the west he gave Hjaltland and the Orkneys to Earl RÖgnvald as a compensation for [the loss of] his son; but Earl RÖgnvald gave the Islands to his brother Sigurd, who was King Harald’s forecastleman; and the King gave him the title of Earl before he left the west. Sigurd remained out in the west.

Earl Melbrigd slain by Sigurd.

180. Earl Sigurd became a great chief. He formed an alliance with Thorstein the Red, son of Olaf the White, and Aud DjÚpaudga (the very wealthy), and together they conquered all Caithness and much more of Scotland—MÆrhÆfui (Moray) and Ross. He built a borg on the southern border of MÆrhÆfui. Melbrigd TÖnn (tooth), an Earl of the Scots, and Earl Sigurd, made an arrangement to meet in a certain place, with forty men each, in order to come to an agreement concerning their differences. When the appointed day arrived Earl Sigurd was suspicious of treachery on the part of the Scots. He therefore caused eighty men to be mounted on forty horses. When Earl Melbrigd saw this, he said to his men:—“Now we have been treacherously dealt with by Earl Sigurd, for I see two men’s legs on one side of each horse, and the men, I believe, are thus twice as many as the beasts. But let us be brave, and kill each his man before we die.” Then they made themselves ready. When Sigurd saw it, he also decided on his plan, and said to his men:—“Now, let one-half of our number dismount and attack them from behind, when the troops meet, while we shall ride at them with all our speed to break their battle array.” There was hard fighting immediately, and it was not long till Earl Melbrigd fell, and all his men with him. Earl Sigurd and his men fastened the heads [of the slain] to their saddle-straps, in bravado, and so they rode home triumphing in their victory. As they were proceeding, Earl Sigurd, intending to kick at his horse with his foot, struck the calf of his leg against a tooth protruding from Earl Melbrigd’s head, which scratched him slightly; but it soon became swollen and painful, and he died of it. Sigurd the powerful was buried in a mound at Ekkialsbakki.^[466]

Sigurd’s son was named Guthorm. He reigned one winter, and died childless.

When Earl RÖgnvald heard of the death of Earl Sigurd and his son, he sent his son Hallad out to the west, and King Harald gave him the title of Earl. Hallad came out to the west, and took up his residence in Hrossey,^[467] but Vikings went prowling about the islands and outlying headlands, slaying men and seizing booty. The Boendr complained of their losses to Earl Hallad, but they thought he did not get them much redress for their wrongs. Then Hallad grew tired of the dignity, and resigned the earldom, took up his odal rights, and returned to Norway, and his journey was regarded as a very ignominious one.

Einar comes to the Islands.

181. Two Danish Vikings took up their quarters in the Islands; one of them was called ThÓrir TrÉskegg (wooden beard), the other KÁlf Skurfa (scurf). When Earl RÖgnvald heard this he became very angry, and called his sons ThÓrir and Hrollaug. HrÓlf was at that time on a war expedition. RÖgnvald asked which of them would go to the Islands. ThÓrir said he would follow his advice.

The Earl replied: “I foresee that your power will be greatest here; and your ways do not lead from home.”

Hrollaug said: “Father, would you like me to go?”

The Earl replied: “It will never be your fortune to become an Earl. Your way lies towards Iceland. There you will increase your family, and it will be a noble one.”

Then Einar, his youngest son, came forward and said: “Would you like me to go to the Islands? One thing I will promise, which will be very acceptable to you—viz. that I shall never more come into your presence; little honour do I enjoy at home, and it is hardly likely that my success will be less elsewhere than it is here.”

The Earl said: “You are not likely to become a chief, on account of your birth, for all your kin on the mother’s side are thrall-born; but it is true that the sooner you go and the longer you stay the more agreeable it will be to me.” Earl RÖgnvald gave him a fully-equipped vessel, with twenty benches, and King Harald gave him the title of Earl.

The Vikings slain.

182. Einar sailed to Hjaltland, and there many men gathered round him. Then he went to the Orkneys to meet KÁlf Skurfa and ThÓrir TrÉskegg. There was a great battle, and both the Vikings were killed. This was said about it:

Then Einar took possession of the lands, and soon became a great chief. He was the man who first cut turf (peat) from the ground for fuel at Torfnes in Scotland, for fuel was scarce in the Islands. Einar was a tall man, ugly, and with one eye, yet he was very keen-sighted.

Battle between Earl Einar and Prince Halfdan.

183. When the sons of Harald Harfagri grew up they became men of great violence and turbulence, as has been told before. The sons of SnÆfrÍd, HÁlfdÁn HÁlegg (high legs) and GudrÖd Liomi (splendour) killed RÖgnvald, Earl of Moeri. King Harald became very angry at this, and HÁlfdÁn had to flee over seas to the west, but GudrÖd became reconciled to his father. When HÁlfdÁn HÁlegg came to the Orkneys, Earl Einar fled from the Islands to Scotland, and HÁlfdÁn became King over the Islands. Earl Einar came back during the same year, and when they met there was a great battle, in which Einar had the victory, and HÁlfdÁn fled away. Einar sang this song:

Next morning they found HÁlfdÁn HÁlegg on Rinar’s Hill. The Earl made a blood eagle be cut on his back with the sword, and had his ribs severed from the back-bone, and his lungs pulled out. Thus he gave him to Odinn as an offering for victory, and sang this song:

Then he had a cairn raised over him, and sang this song:

When this was heard in Norway his brothers became greatly enraged, and threatened an expedition to the Islands to avenge him, but Harald delayed their journey. When Earl Einar heard of their threats, he sang:

Some time afterwards King Harald set out for the western seas, and came to the Islands. Einar fled from the Islands to Caithness. Then men went between them, and they made peace. King Harald imposed a fine upon the Islands, adjudging them to pay sixty marks of gold. Earl Einar offered [to the Boendr] to pay the money himself, on condition that he should become proprietor of all their freeholds. The Boendr accepted this, because the wealthy men thought they might redeem their freeholds, and the poorer men had no money. Einar paid the whole sum, and for a long time afterwards the Earls held all the odal lands, until Earl Sigurd gave back their odal possessions to the Orkneymen. King Harald went back to Norway, but Earl Einar ruled over the Orkneys a long time, and died on a sick-bed. He had three sons: one was named Arnkell, the second Erlend, and the third Thorfinn Hausakliuf (skull-splitter).

When Harald Harfagri died, EirÍk BlÓdÖx (bloody-axe) was King for two winters. Then Hakon, Athelstan’s foster son, came to the land, and EirÍk fled. Arnkell and Erlend, the sons of Torf Einar, fell with EirÍk BlÓdÖx in England. Gunnhild and her sons then went to the Orkneys, and took possession of them, and stayed there for a time. From thence they went to Denmark, but before they went away they married Ragnhild, the daughter of Gunnhild and EirÍk, to Arnfinn, the son of Earl Thorfinn [Hausakliuf], and Earl Thorfinn took up his residence in the Islands: he was a great and warlike chief. He died on a sick-bed, and was buried in a mound on Hauga Heath,^[468] in RÖgnvaldsey, and was considered to have been a great man.

The Murder of Havard.

184. Thorfinn had five sons. One was named HÁvard ArsÆli (blessed with good seasons), the second HlÖdver, the third LiÓt, the fourth SkÚli, and the fifth Arnfinn. Ragnhild, the daughter of EirÍk, killed her husband Arnfinn at Myrkhol (Murkle), in Caithness, and then she married HÁvard ArsÆli, his brother. He became Earl, and was a good chief, and blessed with good seasons. There was a man named Einar KlÍning (buttered bread), the son of HÁvard’s sister. He was a great chief, and had many men, and went usually on war expeditions during the summer. He accepted an invitation from HÁvard, and at that feast he and Ragnhild talked much together. She said that it was more suitable that such a man as he should be chief and Earl than HÁvard his kinsman, adding that the woman was well married who had him for a husband. Einar told her not to speak of such things, saying that HÁvard was the noblest man in the Islands, and that she was well matched. Ragnhild replied: “HÁvard and I shall not be long together after this. But it is true that men will be found in the Islands who will not stick at trifles if you grudge me the dignity.” By her persuasion Einar was moved to covetousness and treachery against his kinsman. They agreed that he should kill the Earl, and that she should marry him. Some time after Einar prepared to take out his men, but a certain spaeman who was with him said: “Do not engage in this business to-day; wait till to-morrow, or else family murders will be frequent in your family.” Einar pretended not to hear this. At this time HÁvard was at Steinsness,^[469] in Hrossey. There they met, and there was hard fighting, and it was not long till the Earl fell. The place is now called HÁvard’s teigar.^[470] When this became known, Einar was considered a great nithing^[471] for the deed. Ragnhild would have nothing to do with him, saying it was a mere lie that she had given him any promises. Then she sent for Einar HardkiÖpt (hard mouth), who was the son of another sister of HÁvard. And when they met, she said it was a great shame to HÁvard’s kinsmen that they did not avenge him, adding that she would do anything that the Earl might be avenged. “It is evident,” she said, “that he who avenges the Earl will be most esteemed by good people, and will most deserve his dominions.” Einar replied: “It is said that you sometimes speak differently from what you think. But he who does this deed will expect in return that you will help him to the dominions, as well as to other things which he will consider not less important.” This was the end of their talk. After this Einar HardkiÖpt went to Einar KlÍning and killed him. But Ragnhild sent for their brother LiÓt, and married him. LiÓt became Earl, and was a great chief. Now Einar HardkiÖpt had killed his kinsman, and was not any nearer the earldom than before. He was highly dissatisfied, and wished to collect men together and subdue the Islands by force. He had great difficulty in getting men, for the Orkneymen wished to serve the sons of Thorfinn Hausakliuf. Some time afterwards the Earl had Einar HardkiÖpt slain.

185. SkÚli, the brother of LiÓt, went to Scotland, and had an Earl’s title given him by the King of Scots. Then he went down to Caithness, and collected forces together; from thence he went to the Islands, and fought with his brother for the dominion of them. LiÓt collected a numerous army, and went against SkÚli. When they met, SkÚli would nothing but fight. There was a severely contested battle. LiÓt gained the victory, and SkÚli fled over to Ness (Caithness). LiÓt pursued him, stayed there for a while, and got many men together. Then SkÚli came down from Scotland with a large army, and met LiÓt at Dalir (Dale), in Caithness, and a great battle ensued. SkÚli had a large army given him by the King of Scots and Earl MagbiÓd.^[472] In the beginning of the battle the Scots fought hotly. Earl LiÓt told his men to act on the defensive, and to stand firm; and when the Scots could not make any impression on them, LiÓt incited his men, and fought very fiercely himself. When this had been going on for some time, the array of the Scots was broken, and then they fled; but SkÚli continued the battle, and was ultimately killed. LiÓt took possession of Caithness, and he and the Scots were at war, because they were vexed at their defeat. When Earl LiÓt was in Caithness, Earl MagbiÓd came down from Scotland with a large army, and they met at Skida-mire (Skitten), in Caithness. Although Earl LiÓt’s forces were not equal to those of the Scots, he fought so bravely that the Scots gave way, and the battle had not continued long when those of the Scots who were left alive fled, and many of them were wounded. LiÓt returned from the pursuit victorious, but with many men wounded, and he himself had received wounds, of which he died.

Battle.

186. HlÖdver was Earl after LiÓt, and became a great chief. He married Audna, the daughter of Kiarval, the King of the Ivar.^[473] Their son was Sigurd the stout. HlÖdver died on a sick-bed, and was buried at Hofn (Huna), in Caithness. His son Sigurd succeeded him, and became a great chief, with extensive possessions. He kept Caithness by main force from the Scots, and went every summer on war expeditions to the Sudreyar (Hebrides), Scotland, and Ireland. One summer Finnleik, an Earl of the Scots, challenged Sigurd to meet him at Skida-mire on a certain day; but Sigurd went to consult his mother, who was a wise woman. The Earl told her that the difference in numbers would not be less than seven to one. She replied: “I should have reared thee up long in my wool-bag if I had known that thou wouldst wish to live for ever. It is fate that rules life, and not the place where a man may go. It is better to die with honour than live with shame. Take thou here this banner which I have made with all my skill, and I ween that it will bring victory to him before whom it is borne, but death to its bearer.” The banner was wrought with cunningly executed handiwork and elaborate art. It was made in the shape of a raven, and when floating in the wind it resembled the raven flying. Earl Sigurd was very wroth at his mother’s words. He restored their odal rights to the Orkneymen to induce them to assist him, and went to meet Earl Finnleik at Skida-mire, where they both placed their men in battle array. When the forces met, Earl Sigurd’s standard-bearer was killed by an arrow. The Earl ordered another to bear the banner, and when they had fought for a while he also fell. Three standard-bearers were killed, but the Earl gained the victory, and the Orkneymen regained their freeholds.

Meeting between Olaf (Tryggvi’s Son) and the Earl.

187. Olaf, Tryggvi’s son, sailed west to the Orkneys, as has been mentioned before. But as the Pentland Firth was not to be passed at the time, he moored his ships in Asmundarvag (Osmondwall) opposite RÖgnvaldsey. Earl Sigurd, HlÖdver’s son, was there before him with three ships, for he was going on a war expedition. When King Olaf became aware that the Earl was there, he called him into his presence. But when the Earl came to the King’s ship, the King spoke as follows:—

“You know, Earl Sigurd, that Harald Harfagri came here to the west with an army when he had obtained possession of all Norway. King Harald conquered the Orkneys and Hjaltland, and many other lands here in the west. The King gave the Islands to RÖgnvald the Powerful as a compensation for his son, but RÖgnvald gave them to his brother Sigurd, and he became the Earl of King Harald. King Harald went a second time against Earl Einar with a large army; but well-disposed men mediated between them, and they agreed to the following terms:—The King claimed all the Orkneys and Hjaltland as his own; and the result of their negotiations was that the Earl paid the King sixty marks of gold for the murder of his son, Halfdan HÁlegg, and Earl Einar then held the lands from King Harald. Shortly afterwards, King EirÍk, Harald’s son, came from Norway. Then also the Earls, the sons of Torfeinar, were his vassals. This appears from the fact that they gave him many men for his war expeditions. When King EirÍk came to the Islands a second time, he took away with him the two Earls, Arnkell and Erlend, and appointed their brother Thorfinn to rule over the land. They were both killed in England with King EirÍk. Then the sons of EirÍk came from England and ruled over the Islands, and when they departed they appointed Arnfinn, their brother-in-law, ruler of the Islands. Havard first succeeded his brother (Arnfinn), then LiÓt, and lastly your father, HlÖdver. Now you, Sigurd, are Earl over these lands which I claim as my possessions, with all other lands possessed by Harald Harfagri and his kinsmen, and descending from them to me by inheritance from generation to generation. You know that most of the sons of EirÍk and Gunnhild have now been killed. And although their sister Ragnhild is still alive, it seems to me that she has been guilty of such wickedness in the Orkneys that she ought not to have dignity or power anywhere; indeed, my view is that she has completely forfeited both property and life if it be true that she has done all the shameful deeds that are reported of her, and generally believed. Now, since it has so happened, Earl Sigurd, that you have come into my power, you have to choose between two very unequal alternatives. One is, that you embrace the true faith, become my man, and be baptized with all your subjects. In that case you may have certain hope of honour from me. You shall hold in full liberty as my subject, and with the dignity of an Earl, all the dominions which you have had before. And besides, you will gain what is much more important—namely, to reign in eternal joy in the kingdom of Heaven with the Almighty God. Of this you may be sure if you keep his commandments. The other alternative is a very hard one, and quite unlike the former—viz. that you shall be slain on the spot, and after your death I will send fire and sword throughout the Orkneys, burning homesteads and men, unless this people is willing to accept immunity by believing in the true God. And if you and your subjects choose the latter alternative, you and they, who put your trust in idols, shall speedily die, and shall thereafter be tormented in hell-fire, with wicked devils, without end.”

When Earl Sigurd had listened to King Olaf’s long and eloquent harangue, he hardened his mind against him, and said: “I will tell you, King Olaf, that I have absolutely resolved that I will not, and I dare not, renounce the faith which my kinsmen and forefathers had before me, because I do not know better counsels than they, and I do not know that the faith which you preach is better than that which we have had and have held all our lives.”

When the King saw that the Earl persisted obstinately in his error, he caught hold of his young son, who was with him, and who had been brought up in the Islands. The King carried this son of the Earl to the forepart of the ship. There he drew his sword, and made ready to hew the boy down, saying at the same time: “Now I will show you, Earl Sigurd, that I shall spare no man who will not serve Almighty God, or listen to my preaching of the blessed message. Therefore I shall kill your son before your eyes this instant, with the sword now in my hand, unless you and your men will serve my God. For I shall not leave these Islands until I have completely fulfilled his blessed commission, and you have been baptized along with this son of yours whom I now hold.”

And because the Earl was situated as he was, he chose the better alternative of doing as the King desired, and so he embraced the true faith. Then the Earl was baptized, and so were all the people of the Orkneys. Then Earl Sigurd became the Earl of King Olaf according to this world’s dignity, and held from him lands and dominions, and gave him as a hostage his son who has already been mentioned. His name was Hvelp or Hundi (whelp or hound). King Olaf had him baptized by the name of HlÖdver, and took him with him to Norway. Earl Sigurd confirmed all their agreement with oaths. After this King Olaf sailed from the Orkneys, leaving priests to instruct the people in the holy faith. King Olaf and Earl Sigurd parted friends. HlÖdver lived but a short time, and after his death Earl Sigurd paid no homage to King Olaf. Then he married the daughter of Melkolf, the King of Scots, and their son was Thorfinn.