Chapter LXXX: Of Earl Rognvald and the Orkneymen

IT was resolved that they should spend the winter there. Some lived at their own expense, others were quartered with the Bœndr, and many were with the Earl. There was a great turmoil in the Islands; the Orkneymen and the Eastmen quarrelled frequently about bargains, and women, and other things. The Earl had a very difficult task to keep peace among them, for both parties considered that he deserved well of them and they of him.

Of Eindridi it is to be told that when they came to Hjaltland (Shetland) his fine ship was totally wrecked, and he lost a great quantity of goods, but the smaller ship was saved. He spent the winter in Hjaltland, and sent men to Norway to have another ship built for the voyage to the East.

One of Eindridi’s crew was called Arni Spítulegg (stick-leg). He went to the Orkneys during the winter with nine men. Arni was a very violent man, daring and turbulent. He and his comrades lived at their own expense during the winter. He bought malt and meat of a tenant of Swein, Asleif’s son, and when he demanded payment Arni delayed to pay. When he demanded it a second time, he was overwhelmed with abuse; and before they parted Arni struck him with the back of his axe, saying, “Go and tell your champion, Swein, whom you are always praising, to obtain redress for you; you will need no more.” The man went and told Swein, requesting him to obtain redress. He gave him a cold answer, and said he would promise nothing. One day in the spring Swein went to collect his rents. They were four together in a ten-oared boat. They had to pass the island in which Arni was staying, and Swein said he would land there. It was ebbing tide. Swein went on shore alone, carrying an axe with a short handle, and no other weapon. He told his men to keep the boat from getting aground. Arni Spítulegg and his comrades were lying in an outhouse not far from the sea. Swein walked up, and found them indoors. They greeted him. He acknowledged their greeting, and spoke to Arni, saying that he should settle the farmer’s account. Arni replied that there was plenty of time for that. Swein asked him to do it for his intercession, but still Arni refused. Then Swein said he would not ask any further, and at the same time he drove the axe into Arni’s skull, so that the iron was buried in it, and he lost hold of the handle. Swein ran out, and Arni’s companions after him, to the beach. As they ran fast along the muddy shore, one of them, who was the swiftest, came to close quarters with him. There were large roots of seaweed lying in the mud. Swein seized one of them, and thrust it into the face of the man who had come up with him, and he grasped at his eyes to clear the mud away, but Swein escaped to his boat, and went home to Gáreksey. Shortly after he went on his own business over to Caithness, and sent word to Earl Rögnvald to settle the matter about Arni Spítulegg’s slaying. And when the Earl received the message, he summoned together those who were entitled to compensation for Arni, and settled the matter to their satisfaction, he himself paying the compensation money. Many other acts of violence perpetrated by the Eastmen and the Orkneymen during the winter the Earl made good out of his own [funds].

Early in the spring he called a Thing meeting in Hrossey (Mainland), to which came all the chiefs residing in his dominions. He then made it known to them that he intended to leave the Orkneys and to go to Jórsalaheim (Jerusalem), saying that he would leave the government in the hands of his kinsman Harald, and praying all his friends to obey him, and help him faithfully in whatever he required while he was obliged to be away himself. Earl Harald was then nearly twenty, tall and strong, but ugly; yet he was a wise man, and the people thought he would be a good chief.

In the summer Earl Rögnvald prepared to leave the Orkneys; but the summer was far advanced before he was ready, because he had to wait a long time for Eindridi until his ship came from Norway. When they were ready, they left the Orkneys in fifteen large ships. The following were commanders of ships:—Earl Rögnvald; Erling Skakki; Bishop William; Aslák, Erlend’s son; Guttorm; Magnus, Hávard’s son; Swein, Hróald’s son; Eindridi Ungi; and the others who were with him are not named. From the Orkneys they sailed to Scotland, and then to England, and when they sailed to Nordymbraland (Northumberland), off the mouth of Hvera (the Wear), Armód sang:

High the crests were of the billows
As we passed the mouth of Hvera;
Masts were bending, and the low land
Met the waves in long sand reaches;
Blind our eyes were with the salt spray
While the youths at home remaining,
From the Thing-field fare on horseback.

Then they sailed till they were south off England, and so on to Valland.[375] There is no account of their voyage until they came to a seaport called Verbon (Nerbon).[376] There they learned that the Earl who had governed the city, and whose name was Geirbiörn, had lately died; but left a young and beautiful daughter, by name Ermingerd. She had charge of her patrimony, under the guardianship of her noblest kinsmen. They advised the Queen to invite Earl Rögnvald to a splendid banquet, saying that her fame would spread far if she gave a fitting reception to noblemen arrived from such a distance. The Queen left it to them; and when this had been resolved upon, men were sent to the Earl to tell him that the Queen invited him to a banquet, with as many men as he himself wished to accompany him. The Earl received her invitation gratefully, selecting the best of his men to go with him. And when they came to the banquet there was good cheer, and nothing was spared by which the Earl might consider himself specially honoured. One day, while the Earl sat at the feast, the Queen entered the hall, attended by many ladies. She had in her hand a golden cup, and was arrayed in the finest robes. She wore her hair loose, according to the custom of maidens, and a golden diadem round her forehead. She poured out for the Earl, and the maidens played for them. The Earl took her hand along with the cup, and placed her beside him. They conversed during the day. The Earl sang:

Lady fair! thy form surpasses
All the loveliness of maidens,
Though arrayed in costly garments,
And adorned with precious jewels:
Silken curls in radiant splendour
Fall upon the beauteous shoulders
Of the goddess of the gold-rings.
The greedy eagle’s claws I redden’d.

The Earl stayed there a long time, and was well entertained. The inhabitants of the city solicited him to take up his residence there, saying that they were in favour of giving the Queen to him in marriage. The Earl said he wished to complete his intended journey, but that he would come there on his return, and then they might do what they thought fit. Then the Earl left with his retinue, and sailed round Thrasness. They had a fair wind, and sat and drank, and made themselves merry. The Earl sang this song:

Long in the Prince’s memory
Ermingerda’s soft words shall linger;
It is her desire that we shall
Ride the waters out to Jordan;
But the riders of sea-horses,
From the southern climes returning,
Soon shall plough their way to Verbon
O’er the whale-pond in the autumn.

Then Armód sang:

Ne’er shall I see Ermingerda
More, from this time, if it be not
That my fate shall be propitious;
Many now are grieving for her.
Happy were I if I could but
Be beside her just for one day;
That, indeed, would be good fortune,
Once again to see her fair face.

Then Oddi sang:

Truth to tell, we two are scarcely
Worthy of fair Ermingerda;
For this wise and lovely Princess
May be called the Queen of Maidens:
This the title that beseemeth
Best the splendour of her beauty.
While she lives beneath the sun-ray,
May her lot be ever happy.

They went on till they came west to Galicialand,[377] five nights before Yule-tide, and intended to spend it there. They asked the inhabitants whether they were willing to sell them provisions; but food is scarce in that country, and they thought it a great hardship to have to feed such a numerous host. It so happened that the country was under the rule of a foreigner, who resided in the castle, and oppressed the inhabitants greatly. He made war on them if they did not do everything he wished, and menaced them with violence and oppression. When the Earl asked the inhabitants to sell him victuals, they consented to do so until Lent, but made certain proposals on their part—to wit, that Earl Rögnvald should attack their enemies, and should have all the money which he might obtain from them. The Earl communicated this to his men, and asked them what they would be inclined to do. Most of them were willing to attack the castle, thinking that it was a very likely place to obtain booty. Therefore Earl Rögnvald and his men agreed to the terms of the inhabitants.

When the Yule-tide was close at hand the Earl called his men together, and said: “We have been resting for a while, and have not disturbed the men of the castle, and the inhabitants are getting tired of supplying us. I suppose they will think our promise will come to nothing; and it is not manly in us not to try to do what we promised. Now, I wish to hear your advice as to how we are to take the castle, as I know you here are men of great discretion; therefore I ask every one here present to state what plan he thinks most likely to succeed.”

Erling replied to the Earl, and said: “I will not be silent since you command us to speak, although I am not a man of sage counsels; and those ought rather to be asked who have seen more and are more experienced in such undertakings, as Eindridi Ungi. But I suppose we must do here as the saying is, ‘Shoot at the bird before we catch it.’ I may try to give some advice, whatever may be its value. If you and the other ship-commanders do not think it a bad plan, we shall to-day go all of us to the wood, and carry three bundles of faggots each to the castle, because it appears to me that the lime would not stand well if much heat were applied to it. Let us do this for the next three days, and see what happens.”

They did as Erling advised, and when they had finished their work Yule was close at hand. The Bishop would not permit the inhabitants of the castle to be attacked during the Yule-tide.

The chief inhabiting the castle was named Gudifrey. He was a wise man, and somewhat advanced in years. He was a good scholar, had travelled much, and knew many languages. He was a covetous man, and overbearing.

When he saw what the strangers were doing, he called his men together, and said: “The plan adopted by the Northmen seems to me a wise one, and likely to do us great harm. We shall see, when fire is applied to the stone wall round the castle, that it is not strong. Moreover, the Northmen are valiant, and men of great strength, and we may expect a fierce attack from them if they get an opportunity. Now, I wish to hear your advice about the difficult position in which we are placed.”

But all his men asked him to do what he thought best.

Then he said: “My first plan is to tie ropes together, and you shall let me down over the castle wall. I will dress myself in rags, and go to the camp of the Northmen, and see what I can ascertain.”

They did as he told them, and he came to Earl Rögnvald pretending to be a beggar, and speaking Valska, as they understood a little of it. He walked throughout the camp and begged food. He perceived that there was much jealousy among the Northmen, and that they were divided into two factions. Eindridi Ungi was the leader of one, and the Earl of the other.

Gudifrey went to Eindridi and spoke to him. He said that the chief of the castle had sent him there, wishing to form an alliance with him. “He expects that you will give him quarter if the castle is taken; and he is more willing to let you have his treasure, if you will do this in return, than those who wish to have him a dead man.”

Such things they spoke, and many others, but it was concealed from the Earl, as at first they observed profound secrecy. When Gudifrey had been some time with the Earl’s men, he returned to his castle. But they did not remove their property from it, because they did not know whether the attack would be successful, and they could not put faith in the inhabitants.