第63章

They offered King Gudrod to send a Thing-message over all the country, and to accept of him at the Thing as king, rather than suffer from his army; but they desired delay until a fixed day, while the token of the Thing's assembling was going round through the land.The king demanded maintenance during the time this delay lasted.The bondes preferred entertaining the king as a guest, by turns, as long as he required it; and the king accepted of the proposal to go about with some of his men as a guest from place to place in the land, while others of his men remained to guard the ships.When King Olaf's relations, Hyrning and Thorgeir, heard of this, they gathered men, fitted out ships, and went northwards to Viken.They came in the night with their men to a place at which King Gudrod was living as a guest, and attacked him with fire and weapons; and there King Gudrod fell, and most of his followers.Of those who were with his ships some were killed, some slipped away and fled to great distances; and now were all the sons of Eirik and Gunhild dead.

95.BUILDING OF THE SHIP LONG SERPENT.

The winter after, King Olaf came from Halogaland (A.D.1000), he had a great vessel built at Hladhamrar, which was larger than any ship in the country, and of which the beam-knees are still to be seen.The length of keel that rested upon the grass was seventy-four ells.Thorberg Skafhog was the man's name who was the master-builder of the ship; but there were many others besides, -- some to fell wood, some to shape it, some to make nails, some to carry timber; and all that was used was of the best.The ship was both long and broad and high-sided, and strongly timbered.

While they were planking the ship, it happened that Thorberg had to go home to his farm upon some urgent business; and as he remained there a long time, the ship was planked up on both sides when he came back.In the evening the king went out, and Thorberg with him, to see how the vessel looked, and everybody said that never was seen so large and so beautiful a ship of war.Then the king returned to the town.Early next morning the king returns again to the ship, and Thorberg with him.The carpenters were there before them, but all were standing idle with their arms across.The king asked, "what was the matter?"They said the ship was destroyed; for somebody had gone from, stem to stern, and cut one deep notch after the other down the one side of the planking.When the king came nearer he saw it was so, and said, with an oath, "The man shall die who has thus destroyed the vessel out of envy, if he can be discovered, and Ishall bestow a great reward on whoever finds him out.""I can tell you, king," said Thorberg, "who has done this piece of work." --"I don't think," replies the king, "that any one is so likely to find it out as thou art."Thorberg says, "I will tell you, king, who did it.I did it myself."The king says, "Thou must restore it all to the same condition as before, or thy life shall pay for it."Then Thorberg went and chipped the planks until the deep notches were all smoothed and made even with the rest; and the king and all present declared that the ship was much handsomer on the side of the hull which Thorberg, had chipped, and bade him shape the other side in the same way; and gave him great thanks for the improvement.Afterwards Thorberg was the master builder of the ship until she was entirely finished.The ship was a dragon, built after the one the king had captured in Halogaland; but this ship was far larger, and more carefully put together in all her parts.The king called this ship Serpent the Long, and the other Serpent the Short.The long Serpent had thirty-four benches for rowers.The head and the arched tail were both gilt, and the bulwarks were as high as in sea-going ships.This ship was the best and most costly ship ever made in Norway.

96.EARL EIRIK, THE SON OF HAKON.

Earl Eirik, the son of Earl Hakon, and his brothers, with many other valiant men their relations, had left the country after Earl Hakon's fall.Earl Eirik went eastwards to Svithjod, to Olaf, the Swedish king, and he and his people were well received.

King Olaf gave the earl peace and freedom in the land, and great fiefs; so that he could support himself and his men well.Thord Kolbeinson speaks of this in the verses before given.Many people who fled from the country on account of King Olaf Trygvason came out of Norway to Earl Eirik; and the earl resolved to fit out ships and go a-cruising, in order to get property for himself and his people.First he steered to Gotland, and lay there long in summer watching for merchant vessels sailing towards the land, or for vikings.Sometimes he landed and ravaged all round upon the sea-coasts.So it is told in the "Banda-drapa": --"Eirik, as we have lately heard, Has waked the song of shield and sword --Has waked the slumbering storm of shields Upon the vikings' water-fields:

From Gotland's lonely shore has gone Far up the land, and battles won:

And o'er the sea his name is spread, To friends a shield, to foes a dread."Afterwards Earl Eirik sailed south to Vindland, and at Stauren found some viking ships, and gave them battle.Eirik gained the victory, and slew the vikings.So it is told in the "Banda-drapa": --"Earl Eirik, he who stoutly wields The battle-axe in storm of shields, With his long ships surprised the foe At Stauren, and their strength laid low Many a corpse floats round the shore;The strand with dead is studded o'er:

The raven tears their sea-bleached skins --The land thrives well when Eirik wins."

97.EIRIK'S FORAY ON THE BALTIC COASTS.