Egil’s Saga. E. Eddison R.
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men.
That same autumn the sons of Atli made an onset upon Oliver Hnufa in his house, and would slay him. They had a company so great that Oliver had no means to withstand them, but ran away and so came off. He fared then north into Mere, and there found Harald the King, and Oliver went under the hand of him and fared north to Thrandheim with the King that autumn; and he grew into the greatest loving-kindness with the King, and was with him long time afterward, and became a skald3 of his.
That winter fared Earl Rognvald by the inland road across the Eid south to the Firths, and had espial of the goings of King Vemund, and came by night to that place that is named Naustdale, and there was Vemund a-feasting. There Earl Rognvald took the house over their heads, and burnt the king within door with ninety men. After that, came Berdla-Kari to Earl Rognvald with a long-ship all manned, and they fared both north into Mere. Rognvald took those ships that King Vemund had had, and all those loose goods that he found. Berdla-Kari fared then north to Thrandheim to find Harald the King, and became his man.
That next spring fared King Harald south along the land with a host of ships, and laid under him the Firths and Fialir and placed in power there men of his own. He set Earl Hroald over the Firthfolk. King Harald was much heedful, when he had gotten to him those folk-lands that were new-come under his dominion, of the landed men and powerful bonders and of all those that he had doubt of, that some uprising was to be looked for from them. Then let he every one of them do one of two things: become his servants, or get them gone out of the land; and, for a third choice, suffer hard conditions, or lose their lives else; and some were maimed either of hand or foot. King Harald gat to him in every folk-land all odal rights4 and all land, dwelt and undwelt, as well as the sea and the waters; and all dwellers therein should be his tenants, be it they that worked in the forests, or salt-carles, or all manner of hunters or fishers, both by sea and by land, these were all now made tributary unto him. But from this enslavement fled many men away out of the land, and then began to be settled many waste parts far and wide, both east in Jamtaland and Helsingland and in the west countries: the South-isles, Dublin’s shire in Ireland, Normandy in Val-land, Caithness in Scotland, the Orkneys and Shetland, the Faereys. And in that time was found Iceland.5
CHAPTER V. OF KING HARALD’S SENDING TO KVELDULF.
HARALD the King lay with his war-host in the Firths. He sent men up and down the land there to seek out those men that had not come to him, that it seemed to him he had an errand with. The King’s messengers came to Kveldulf, and found there good welcome. They bare up their errand: said that the King would that Kveldulf should come and see him. “He hath”, said they, “heard tell that thou art a worshipful man and of great family: thou wilt have choice at his hand of great honours: great store setteth the King by this, to have with him those men that he heareth are men of prowess in strength and in hardihood.”
Kveldulf answered and said that he was now an old man, so that he was now nought fit to be out in war-ships. “I will now sit at home, and give over serving of kings.”
Then spake the messenger: “Let then thy son fare to the King. He is a big man and a soldierly.1 The King will make thee a landed man, if thou wilt serve him”.
“I will not”, said Grim, “be made a landed man, while my father liveth, because he only shall be my over-man while he liveth.”
The messengers went away; and when they were come to the King, they said to him all that which Kveldulf had spoken before them. The King became sulky with that, and spake but a word or two: said that these must be men of a haughty make, or what then were they minded for?
Oliver Hnufa was then stood near, and prayed the King be not wroth. “I will go and see Kveldulf and he will be willing to come and see you,2 the instant he knoweth that you think aught lieth on it.”
And now fared Oliver to see Kveldulf, and said to him that the King was wroth, and nought would do but one or other of them, father or son, must go to the King; and said that they should get great honour of the King, if they would but serve him. He spake much too of this (as true it was), that the King was good to his own men both as for fee and meeds of honour.
Kveldulf said that that was his mind’s foreboding, “That we, father and sons, will get no luck with this King,3 and I will not go to see him. But if Thorolf come home this summer, then will he be easily ’ticed to this faring, and so to become the King’s man. So say unto the King, that I will be friend of his, and all men that obey my words I will hold to friendship with him. I will, too, hold that same meed of rule and stewardship under his hand as before I had of our former king, if the King will that so it be. And later on ’twill be seen what way things shape ’twixt us and the King”.
And now fared Oliver back to the King and said to him that Kveldulf would send him a son of his, and said that one was of nature apter thereto who was then not at home. The King let it rest then. He fared now for the summer into Sogn, but when it began to be autumn he made ready to fare north to Thrandheim.
CHAPTER VI. HOW THOROLF KVELDULFSON WENT TO KING HARALD.
THOROLF KVELDULFSON and Eyvind Lambi came in the autumn home from their viking. Thorolf went to his father. Then fall they, father and son, to talk one to another. Thorolf asketh what hath been the errand of those men that Harald sent thither. Kveldulf said that the King had sent word to this intent, that Kveldulf should become his man, he or one or other of his sons.
“What way answeredst thou?” quoth Thorolf.
“So said I, as was in my mind, that never would I go under the hand of Harald the King, nor yet should either of you two, if I should have the say. Methinks in the end ’twill so come about that there shall betide us nought but ruin from that King.”
“Then shapeth it all another way,” said Thorolf, “than my mind saith of it; because methinks there shall betide me from him the greatest furtherance. And on this am I fast resolved, to go see the King and become his man. And that have I heard for true, that his bodyguard1 is manned but with men of derring-do only. That seemeth to me a thing much to be longed for to come into their fellowship if they will take to me. Those men are holden far better than all others in this land. So is it said to me of the King, that he is most free-handed of money-gifts to his men, and no less swift to give them advancement and award them lordship, them that seem to him apt thereto. But that way am I told, of all those who will turn their backs on him and not serve him friendly, that all those are become men of nought: some fly out of the land abroad, but some are made his hirelings. That seems to me wonderful, father, in so wise a man as thou beest and such a seeker after high things, that thou wouldst not with thanks take this honourable using that the King bade thee. But if thou think thyself foresighted as to this, that there will betide us but unhap from this King, and that he will wish to be our unfriend: why wentest thou not then into battle against him with that king under whose hand thou wast aforetime? Now, methinks, is that of all things unseemliest: to be neither friend of his nor unfriend.”
“So came it about,” said Kveldulf, “even as my mind foreboded me, that they would fare on no victorious journey who did battle against Harald Shockhead north in Mere. And in such same wise will that be true, that Harald will be for a great scathe unto my kindred. But thou, Thorolf, wilt have thine own way belike, to do as thou wilt. Of this have I no dread: lest, and thou be come into the company of the men of Harald’s bodyguard, thou shouldst be thought not of a measure with thy lot, yea, and a match for the foremost in all that trieth a man. Beware thou of this, lest thou hold not thyself well in hand nor bring to strife with thee greater men; and yet wilt thou not give back before them neither.”
But when Thorolf made ready to be gone, then Kveldulf led him down to the ship, kissed him, and bade him farewell and a safe return.
CHAPTER VII. OF BIORGOLF AND BRYNIOLF, AND OF THE BEGINNINGS OF THE SONS OF HILDIRID.
BIORGOLF was named a