第24章

The winter thereafter the king prepared a Yule feast in More, and eight chiefs resolved with each other to meet at it.Four of them were from without the Throndhjem district -- namely, Kar of Gryting, Asbjorn of Medalhus, Thorberg of Varnes, and Orm from Ljoxa; and from the Throndhjem district, Botolf of Olvishaug, Narfe of Staf in Veradal, Thrand Hak from Egg, and Thorer Skeg from Husaby in Eyin Idre.These eight men bound themselves, the four first to root out Christianity in Norway, and the four others to oblige the king to offer sacrifice to the gods.The four first went in four ships southwards to More, and killed three priests, and burnt three churches, and then they returned.

Now, when King Hakon and Earl Sigurd came to More with their court, the bondes assembled in great numbers; and immediately, on the first day of the feast, the bondes insisted hard with the king that he should offer sacrifice, and threatened him with violence if he refused.Earl Sigurd tried to make peace between them, and brought it so far that the king took some bits of horse-liver, and emptied all the goblets the bondes filled for him without the sign of the cross; but as soon as the feast was over, the king and the earl returned to Hlader.The king was very ill pleased, and made himself ready to leave Throndhjem forthwith with all his people; saying that the next time he came to Throndhjem, he would come with such strength of men-at-arms that he would repay the bondes for their enmity towards him.

Earl Sigurd entreated the king not to take it amiss of the bondes; adding, that it was not wise to threaten them, or to make war upon the people within the country, and especially in the Throndhjem district, where the strength of the land lay; but the king was so enraged that he would not listen to a word from anybody.He went out from Throndhjem, and proceeded south to More, where he remained the rest of the winter, and on to the spring season (A.D.950); and when summer came he assembled men, and the report was that he intended with this army to attack the Throndhjem people.

20.BATTLE AT OGVALDSNES.

But just as the king had embarked with a great force of troops, the news was brought him from the south of the country, that King Eirik's sons had come from Denmark to Viken and had driven King Trygve Olafson from his ships at Sotanes, and then had plundered far and wide around in Viken, and that many had submitted to them.Now when King Hakon heard this news, he thought that help was needed; and he sent word to Earl Sigurd, and to the other chiefs from whom he could expect help, to hasten to his assistance.Sigurd the earl came accordingly with a great body of men, among whom were all the Throndhjem people who had set upon him the hardest to offer sacrifice; and all made their peace with the king, by the earl's persuasion.Now King Hakon sailed south along the coast; and when he came south as far as Stad, he heard that Eirik's sons were come to North Agder.Then they advanced against each other, and met at Kormt.Both parties left their ships there, and gave battle at Ogvaldsnes.Both parties had a great force, and it was a great battle.King Hakon went forward bravely, and King Guthorm Eirikson met him with his troop, and they exchanged blows with each other.Guthorm fell, and his standard was cut down.Many people fell around him.The army of Eirik's sons then took flight to their ships and rowed away with the loss of many a man.So says Guthorm Sindre: --"The king's voice waked the silent host Who slept beside the wild sea-coast, And bade the song of spear and sword Over the battle plain be heard.

Where heroes' shields the loudest rang, Where loudest was the sword-blade's clang, By the sea-shore at Kormt Sound, Hakon felled Guthorm to the ground."Now King Hakon returned to his ships, and pursued Gunhild's sons.

And both parties sailed all they could sail, until they came to East Adger, from whence Eirik's sons set out to sea, and southwards for Jutland (A.D.950).Guthorm Sindre speaks of it in his song: --"And Guthorm's brothers too, who know So skilfully to bend the bow, The conquering hand must also feel Of Hakon, god of the bright steel, --The sun-god, whose bright rays, that dart Flame-like, are swords that pierce the heart.

Well I remember how the King Hakon, the battle's life and spring, O'er the wide ocean cleared away Eirik's brave sons.They durst not stay, But round their ships' sides hung their shields And fled across the blue sea-fields."King Hakon returned then northwards to Norway, but Eirik's sons remained a long time in Denmark.

21.KING HAKON'S LAWS.

King Hakon after this battle made a law, that all inhabited land over the whole country along the sea-coast, and as far back from it as the salmon swims up in the rivers, should be divided into ship-raths according to the districts; and it was fixed by law how many ships there should be from each district, and how great each should be, when the whole people were called out on service.

For this outfit the whole inhabitants should be bound whenever a foreign army came to the country.With this came also the order that beacons should be erected upon the hills, so that every man could see from the one to the other; and it is told that a war-signal could thus be given in seven days, from the most southerly beacon to the most northerly Thing-seat in Halogaland22.CONCERNING EIRIK'S SONS.