Episode 15

In this way, as before related, Guthorm fell at the mouth of the Gaut river, slain by Solve Klofe; upon which Olaf took the kingdom he had possessed.Halfdan the White fell in Eistland, Halfdan Haleg in Orkney.King Harald gave ships of war to Thorgils and Frode, with which they went westward on a viking cruise, and plundered in Scotland, Ireland, and Bretland.They were the first of the Northmen who took Dublin.It is said that Frode got poisoned drink there; but Thorgils was a long time king over Dublin, until he fell into a snare of the Irish, and was killed.

36.DEATH OF RAGNVALD RETTILBEINE.

Eirik Blood-axe expected to be head king over all his brothers and King Harald intended he should be so; and the father and son lived long together.Ragnvald Rettilbeine governed Hadaland, and allowed himself to be instructed in the arts of witchcraft, and became an area warlock.Now King Harald was a hater of all witchcraft.There was a warlock in Hordaland called Vitgeir; and when the king sent a message to him that he should give up his art of witchcraft, he replied in this verse: --"The danger surely is not great From wizards born of mean estate, When Harald's son in Hadeland, King Ragnvald, to the art lays hand."But when King Harald heard this, King Eirik Blood-axe went by his orders to the Uplands, and came to Hadeland and burned his brother Ragnvald in a house, along with eighty other warlocks;which work was much praised.

37.DEATH OF GUDROD LJOME.

Gudrod Ljome was in winter on a friendly visit to his foster-father Thjodolf in Hvin, and had a well-manned ship, with which he wanted to go north to Rogaland.It was blowing a heavy storm at the time; but Gudrod was bent on sailing, and would not consent to wait.Thjodolf sang thus: --"Wait, Gudrod, till the storm is past, --Loose not thy long-ship while the blast Howls over-head so furiously, --Trust not thy long-ship to the sea, --Loose not thy long-ship from the shore;

Hark to the ocean's angry roar!

See how the very stones are tost By raging waves high on the coast!

Stay, Gudrod, till the tempest's o'er --

Deep runs the sea off the Jadar's shore."Gudrod set off in spite of what Thjodolf could say: and when they came off the Jadar the vessel sunk with them, and all on board were lost.

38.KING BJORN KAUPMAN'S DEATH.

King Harald's son, Bjorn, ruled over Vestfold at that time, and generally lived at Tunsberg, and went but little on war expeditions.Tunsberg at that time was much frequented by merchant vessels, both from Viken and the north country, and also from the south, from Denmark, and Saxland.King Bjorn had also merchant ships on voyages to other lands, by which he procured for himself costly articles, and such things as he thought needful; and therefore his brothers called him Farman (the Seaman), and Kaupman (the Chapman).Bjorn was a man of sense and understanding, and promised to become a good ruler.He made a good and suitable marriage, and had a son by his wife, who was named Gudrod.Eirik Blood-axe came from his Baltic cruise with ships of war, and a great force, and required his brother Bjorn to deliver to him King Harald's share of the scat and incomes of Vestfold.But it had always been the custom before, that Bjorn himself either delivered the money into the king's hands, or sent men of his own with it; and therefore he would continue with the old custom, and would not deliver the money.Eirik again wanted provisions, tents, and liquor.The brothers quarrelled about this; but Eirik got nothing and left the town.Bjorn went also out of the town towards evening up to Saeheim.In the night Eirik came back after Bjorn, and came to Saeheim just as Bjorn and his men were seated at table drinking.Eirik surrounded the house in which they were; but Bjorn with his men went out and fought.Bjorn, and many men with him, fell.Eirik, on the other hand, got a great booty, and proceeded northwards.But this work was taken very ill by the people of Viken, and Eirik was much disliked for it; and the report went that King Olaf would avenge his brother Bjorn, whenever opportunity offered.King Bjorn lies in the mound of Farmanshaug at Saeheim.

39.RECONCILIATION OF THE KINGS.

King Eirik went in winter northwards to More, and was at a feast in Solve, within the point Agdanes; and when Halfdan the Black heard of it he set out with his men, and surrounded the house in which they were.Eirik slept in a room which stood detached by itself, and he escaped into the forest with four others; but Halfdan and his men burnt the main house, with all the people who were in it.With this news Eirik came to King Harald, who was very wroth at it, and assembled a great force against the Throndhjem people.When Halfdan the Black heard this he levied ships and men, so that he had a great force, and proceeded with it to Stad, within Thorsbjerg.King Harald lay with his men at Reinsletta.Now people went between them, and among others a clever man called Guthorm Sindre, who was then in Halfdan the Black's army, but had been formerly in the service of King Harald, and was a great friend of both.Guthorm was a great skald, and had once composed a song both about the father and the son, for which they had offered him a reward.But he would take nothing; but only asked that, some day or other, they should grant him any request he should make, which they promised to do.

Now he presented himself to King Harald, brought words of peace between them, and made the request to them both that they shou1d be reconciled.So highly did the king esteem him, that in consequence of his request they were reconciled.Many other able men promoted this business as well as he; and it was so settled that Halfdan should retain the whole of his kingdom as he had it before, and should let his brother Eirik sit in peace.After this event Jorun, the skald-maid, composed some verses in "Sendibit" ("The Biting Message"): --"I know that Harald Fairhair Knew the dark deed of Halfdan.