Heimskringla [17]
met and after a short battle Halfdan fled the same night. Einar and his men lay all night without tents, and when it was light in the morning they searched the whole island and killed every man they could lay hold of. Then Einar said "What is that I see upon the isle of Rinansey? Is it a man or a bird? Sometimes it raises itself up, and sometimes lies down again." They went to it, and found it was Halfdan Haleg, and took him prisoner.
Earl Einar sang the following song the evening before he went into this battle: --
"Where is the spear of Hrollaug? where Is stout Rolf Ganger's bloody spear! I see them not; yet never fear, For Einar will not vengeance spare Against his father's murderers, though Hrollaug and Rolf are somewhat slow, And silent Thorer sits add dreams At home, beside the mead-bowl's streams."
Thereafter Earl Einar went up to Halfdan, and cut a spread eagle upon his back, by striking his sword through his back into his belly, dividing his ribs from the backbone down to his loins, and tearing out his lungs; and so Halfdan was killed. Einar then sang: --
"For Ragnvald's death my sword is red: Of vengeance it cannot be said That Einar's share is left unsped. So now, brave boys, let's raise a mound, -- Heap stones and gravel on the ground O'er Halfdan's corpse: this is the way We Norsemen our scat duties pay."
Then Earl Einar took possession of the Orkney Isles as before. Now when these tidings came to Norway, Halfdan's brothers took it much to heart, and thought that his death demanded vengeance; and many were of the same opinion. When Einar heard this, he sang: --
"Many a stout udal-man, I know, Has cause to wish my head laid low; And many an angry udal knife Would gladly drink of Eina's life. But ere they lay Earl Einar low, -- Ere this stout heart betrays its cause, Full many a heart will writhe, we know, In the wolf's fangs, or eagle's claws."
32. HARALD AND EINAR RECONCILED.
King Harald now ordered a levy, and gathered a great force, with which he proceeded westward to Orkney; and when Earl Einar heard that King Harald was come, he fled over to Caithness. He made the following verses on this occasion: --
"Many a bearded man must roam, An exile from his house and home, For cow or horse; but Halfdan's gore Is red on Rinansey's wild shore. A nobler deed -- on Harald's shield The arm of one who ne'er will yield Has left a scar. Let peasants dread The vengeance of the Norsemen's head: I reck not of his wrath, but sing, `Do thy worst! -- I defy thee, king! --'"
Men and messages, however, passed between the king and the earl, and at last it came to a conference; and when they met the earl submitted the case altogether to the king's decision, and the king condemned the earl Einar and the Orkney people to pay a fine of sixty marks of gold. As the bondes thought this was too heavy for them to pay, the earl offered to pay the whole if they would surrender their udal lands to him. This they all agreed to do: the poor because they had but little pieces of land; the rich because they could redeem their udal rights again when they liked. Thus the earl paid the whole fine to the king, who returned in harvest to Norway. The earls for a long time afterwards possessed all the udal lands in Orkney, until Sigurd son of Hlodver gave back the udal rights.
33. DEATH OF GUTHORM AND HALFDAN THE WHITE.
While King Harald's son Guthorm had the defence of Viken, he sailed outside of the islands on the coast, and came in by one of the mouths of the tributaries of the Gaut river. When he lay there Solve Klofe came upon him, and immediately gave him battle, and Guthorm fell. Halfdan the White and Halfdan the Black went out on an expedition, and plundered in the East sea, and had a battle in Eistland, where Halfdan the White fell.
34. MARRIAGE OF EIRIK.
Eirik, Harald's son, was fostered in the house of the herse
Earl Einar sang the following song the evening before he went into this battle: --
"Where is the spear of Hrollaug? where Is stout Rolf Ganger's bloody spear! I see them not; yet never fear, For Einar will not vengeance spare Against his father's murderers, though Hrollaug and Rolf are somewhat slow, And silent Thorer sits add dreams At home, beside the mead-bowl's streams."
Thereafter Earl Einar went up to Halfdan, and cut a spread eagle upon his back, by striking his sword through his back into his belly, dividing his ribs from the backbone down to his loins, and tearing out his lungs; and so Halfdan was killed. Einar then sang: --
"For Ragnvald's death my sword is red: Of vengeance it cannot be said That Einar's share is left unsped. So now, brave boys, let's raise a mound, -- Heap stones and gravel on the ground O'er Halfdan's corpse: this is the way We Norsemen our scat duties pay."
Then Earl Einar took possession of the Orkney Isles as before. Now when these tidings came to Norway, Halfdan's brothers took it much to heart, and thought that his death demanded vengeance; and many were of the same opinion. When Einar heard this, he sang: --
"Many a stout udal-man, I know, Has cause to wish my head laid low; And many an angry udal knife Would gladly drink of Eina's life. But ere they lay Earl Einar low, -- Ere this stout heart betrays its cause, Full many a heart will writhe, we know, In the wolf's fangs, or eagle's claws."
32. HARALD AND EINAR RECONCILED.
King Harald now ordered a levy, and gathered a great force, with which he proceeded westward to Orkney; and when Earl Einar heard that King Harald was come, he fled over to Caithness. He made the following verses on this occasion: --
"Many a bearded man must roam, An exile from his house and home, For cow or horse; but Halfdan's gore Is red on Rinansey's wild shore. A nobler deed -- on Harald's shield The arm of one who ne'er will yield Has left a scar. Let peasants dread The vengeance of the Norsemen's head: I reck not of his wrath, but sing, `Do thy worst! -- I defy thee, king! --'"
Men and messages, however, passed between the king and the earl, and at last it came to a conference; and when they met the earl submitted the case altogether to the king's decision, and the king condemned the earl Einar and the Orkney people to pay a fine of sixty marks of gold. As the bondes thought this was too heavy for them to pay, the earl offered to pay the whole if they would surrender their udal lands to him. This they all agreed to do: the poor because they had but little pieces of land; the rich because they could redeem their udal rights again when they liked. Thus the earl paid the whole fine to the king, who returned in harvest to Norway. The earls for a long time afterwards possessed all the udal lands in Orkney, until Sigurd son of Hlodver gave back the udal rights.
33. DEATH OF GUTHORM AND HALFDAN THE WHITE.
While King Harald's son Guthorm had the defence of Viken, he sailed outside of the islands on the coast, and came in by one of the mouths of the tributaries of the Gaut river. When he lay there Solve Klofe came upon him, and immediately gave him battle, and Guthorm fell. Halfdan the White and Halfdan the Black went out on an expedition, and plundered in the East sea, and had a battle in Eistland, where Halfdan the White fell.
34. MARRIAGE OF EIRIK.
Eirik, Harald's son, was fostered in the house of the herse