LITMIR.BIZ

Скачать книгу

A noble band of warriors led.

       A foray through the land he makes;

       Denmark in every quarter shakes.

       Up hill and down the horses scour,

       Carrying the Danes from Norsemen's power."

      King Magnus drove with fire and sword through the land. So says Thiodolf:—

      "And now the Norsemen storm along,

       Following their banner in a throng:

       King Magnus' banner flames on high,

       A star to guide our roaming by.

       To Lund, o'er Scania's peaceful field,

       My shoulder bore my useless shield;

       A fairer land, a better road,

       As friend or foe, I never trod."

      They began to burn the habitations all around, and the people fled on every side. So says Thiodolf:—

      "Our ice-cold iron in great store,

       Our arms, beside the king we bore:

       The Scanian rogues fly at the view

       Of men and steel all sharp and true.

       Their timbered houses flame on high,

       Red flashing over half the sky;

       The blazing town flings forth its light,

       Lighting the cowards on their flight."

      And he also sang:—

      "The king o'er all the Danish land

       Roams, with his fire-bringing band:

       The house, the hut, the farm, the town,

       All where men dwelt is burned down.

       O'er Denmark's plains and corn-fields,

       Meadows and moors, are seen our shields:

       Victorious over all, we chase

       Svein's wounded men from place to place.

       "Across Fiona's moor again,

       The paths late trodden by our men

       We tread once more, until quite near,

       Through morning mist, the foes appear.

       Then up our numerous banners flare

       In the cold early morning air;

       And they from Magnus' power who fly

       Cannot this quick war-work deny."

      Then Svein fled eastwards along Scania, and King Magnus returned to his ships, and steered eastwards also along the Scanian coast, having got ready with the greatest haste to sail. Thiodolf sings thus about it:—

      "No drink but the salt sea

       On board our ships had we,

       When, following our king,

       On board our ships we spring.

       Hard work on the salt sea,

       Off Scania's coast, had we;

       But we laboured for the king,

       To his foemen death to bring."

      Svein fled to Gautland, and then sought refuge with the Swedish king, with whom he remained all winter (A.D. 1046), and was treated with great respect.

      35. OF KING MAGNUS'S CAMPAIGN.

       Table of Contents

      When King Magnus had subdued Scania he turned about, and first went to Falster, where he landed, plundered, and killed many people who had before submitted to Svein. Arnor speaks of this:—

      "A bloody vengeance for their guile

       King Magnus takes on Falster Isle;

       The treacherous Danes his fury feel,

       And fall before his purpled steel.

       The battle-field is covered o'er,

       With eagle's prey from shore to shore;

       And the king's courtmen were the first

       To quench with blood the raven's thirst."

      Thereafter Magnus with his fleet proceeded to the isle of Fyen, went on land, plundered, and made great devastation. So says Arnor, the earls' skald:—

      "To fair Fiona's grassy shore

       His banner now again he bore:

       He who the mail-shirt's linked chains

       Severs, and all its lustre stains,—

       He will be long remembered there,

       The warrior in his twentieth year,

       Whom their black ravens from afar

       Saluted as he went to war."

      36. OF KING MAGNUS'S BATTLES.

       Table of Contents

      King Magnus remained in Denmark all that winter (A.D. 1046), and sat in peace. He had held many battles, and had gained the victory in all. So says Od Kikinaskald:—

      "'Fore Michaelmas was struck the blow,

       That laid the Vindland vikings low;

       And people learned with joy to hear

       The clang of arms, and leaders' cheer.

       Short before Yule fell out the day,

       Southward of Aros, where the fray,

       Though not enough the foe to quell,

       Was of the bloodiest men can tell."

      And Arnor says:—

      "Olaf's avenger who can sing?

       The skald cannot o'ertake the king,

       Who makes the war-bird daily drain

       The corpse-blood of his foemen slain.

       Four battles won within a year,—

       Breaker of shields! with swords and spear,

       And hand to hand, exalt thy fame

       Above the kings of greatest name."

      King Magnus had three battles with Svein Ulfson. So says Thiodolf:—

      "To our brave Throndhjem sovereign's praise

       The skald may all his skaldcraft raise;

       For fortune, and for daring deed,

       His song will not the truth exceed.

       After three battles to regain

       What was his own, unjustly ta'en,

       Unjustly kept, and dues denied,

       He levied dues in red-blood dyed."

      37. OF KING MAGNUS, AND THORFIN AND RAGNVALD, EARLS OF ORKNEY.

       Table of Contents

      While King Magnus the Good, a son of King Olaf the Saint, ruled over Norway, as before related, the Earl Ragnvald Brusason lived with him. Earl Thorfin Sigurdson, the uncle of Ragnvald, ruled then over Orkney. King Magnus sent Ragnvald west to Orkney, and ordered that Thorfin should let him have his father's heritage. Thorfin let Ragnvald have a third part of the land along with him; for so had Erase, the father of Ragnvald, had it at his dying day. Earl Thorfin was married to Ingebjorg, the earl-mother, who was a daughter of Fin Arnason. Earl Ragnvald thought he should have two-thirds of

Скачать книгу