Chapter XV: Battle of Raudabiorg

EARL RÖGNVALD sailed from Norway for the Orkneys, and landed in Hjaltland (Shetland), where he collected men, and went thence to the Orkneys. There he summoned his friends to meet him, and obtained reinforcements. Earl Thorfinn was in Caithness, and news soon reached him of Earl Rögnvald’s proceedings. He collected forces from Scotland and the Sudreyar (Hebrides). Rögnvald immediately sent King Magnus’s message to Kálf Arnason, who apparently received very well all that the King had said. Earl Rögnvald collected his army together in the Orkneys, intending to cross over to Caithness, and when he sailed into the Pentland Firth he had thirty large ships. There he was met by Earl Thorfinn, who had sixty ships, but most of them small. They met off Raudabiorg[268] (red cliff), and at once prepared for battle.

Kálf Arnason was there also; he had six ships, all of them large, but did not take part in the fight.

Now the battle began with the utmost fury, both Earls encouraging their men. When the fighting had thus continued for a while, the loss of men began to be heaviest on Earl Thorfinn’s side, the chief cause being the great difference in the height of the ships. Thorfinn himself had a large ship, well equipped, in which he pressed forward with great daring; but when the smaller vessels were cleared, the Earl’s ship was attacked from both sides, and they were placed in great danger. Many of the Earl’s men were killed, and others dangerously wounded. Then Earl Rögnvald commanded his men to leap on board; but when Thorfinn perceived the imminent danger, he caused the ropes to be cut with which his ship was fastened to the other, and rowed towards the shore. He had seventy dead bodies removed from his ship, and all those who were disabled by wounds went also on shore. Then Thorfinn ordered Arnór Jarlaskáld, who was among the Earl’s men and high in his favour, to go on shore; and on landing he sang these verses:—

This will I not hide from comrades,
Though ’tis right one’s chief to follow,
Yet am I myself unwilling
Thus to meet the son of Brúsi.
When these Earls so fierce in battle
Close in fight, then will our case be
Hard beyond the case of most men
In this trial of our friendship.

Earl Thorfinn selected the ablest of his men to man his ship, and then he went to see Kálf Arnason, and asked his assistance. He said that Kálf would not be able to buy king Magnus’s friendship, since he had already been banished, and was therefore unable to keep the king’s favour, even when they were once reconciled. “You may be sure,” he added, “that if Rögnvald overcomes me, and he and King Magnus become masters here in the west, you will not be welcome in this quarter, but if I come off victorious you shall lack nothing that it is in my power to give you. If we two keep together we shall be a match for any one here in the west, and I hardly think you will allow yourself to lie crouching aside like a cat among stones while I am fighting for behoof of us both. Moreover our ties are so close that it is more seemly for us to aid each other, since you have no ties of blood or affinity with our enemies.”

When Kálf heard Thorfinn’s persuasions he called his men and gave orders to fall to and fight on the side of Earl Thorfinn. Now Thorfinn and Kálf both rowed back to the fight, and when they arrived Thorfinn’s men were ready to fly, and many of them had been slain. The Earl pushed his ship forward against that of Earl Rögnvald, and a fierce fight ensued. As is said by Arnór Jarlaskáld—

Then I saw the two wealth-givers
Hewing down each other’s warriors.
Fierce the fight was in the Pentland,
As the sea swelled and the red rain
Crimsoned all the yielding timbers,
While from shield-rims sweat of hot blood
Dripping, stained the warriors’ garments.

Kálf attacked Rögnvald’s smaller ships, and speedily cleared them, as there was a great difference in the height of the ships. When the hired troops from Norway saw the vessels beside them cleared they cut away their ship and fled. Then only a few ships remained with Earl Rögnvald, and the victory began to lean the other way. So says Arnór Jarlaskáld:—

Then the prince so fierce in battle,
Valiant kinsman of the Vikings,
All the old land might have conquered
With assistance of the Islesmen.
Fewer were his slaughtered heroes;
But the chief’s strong men in helmets,
All the way to northern Hjaltland,
Chased the weak and flying remnant.

And when the main portion of the troops had fled, Kálf and Earl Thorfinn attacked Earl Rögnvald’s ship together, and then a great number of his men were slain. When he saw the imminent danger, and that he would not be able to overcome Thorfinn and Kálf, he had the cables cut, and fled.

It was now late in the day, and darkness was coming on. Earl Rögnvald stood out to sea the same night, and sailed for Norway, and did not stop till he found King Magnus, who received him well, as he had done before, and invited him to remain with him, and there he stayed some time.