King Olaf Trygvason - a short extract
Genealogy Index | Orme in Icelandic Sagas
... Gold Harald asked King Harald to divide the kingdom with him in two equal parts, to which his royal birth and the custom of the Danish monarchy gave him right. The king was angry at this demand, and said that no man had asked his father Gorm to be king over half of Denmark, nor yet his grandfather King Hordaknut, or Sigurd Orm, or Ragnar Lodbrok; and he was so exasperated and angry, that nobody dared to speak of it to him. ...
... Earl Hakon was at a feast in Medalhus in Gaulardal and his ships lay out by Viggja. There was a powerful man, by name Orm Lyrgja, who dwelt in Bunes, who had a wife called Gudrun, a daughter of Bergthor of Lundar. She was called the Lundasol; for she was the most-beautiful of women. The earl sent his slaves to Orm, with the errand that they should bring Orm's wife, Gudrun, to the earl. The slaves delivered their message, and Orm asked them to first seat themselves to supper. While they were eating, Orme sent word to many people from the neighbourhood, and when they had gathered Orm declared that he would not send Gudrun with the messengers. Gudrun told the slaves to tell the earl that she would not come to him, unless he sent Thora of Rimul for her. Thora was a woman of great influence, and one of the earl's best beloved. The slaves said that they would come another time, and both Orm and his wife would be made to repent of it. They departed with many threats. Orm, on the other hand, sent out a message to all the neighbouring country, to attack Earl Hakon and kill him. He sent also a message to Haldor in Skerdingsstedja, who also sent out his message-token. A short time before, the earl had taken away the wife of a man called Brynjolf, and there had very nearly been an insurrection about that business. On hearing that the Earl was trying to take another man's wife again, the people made a general revolt, and all set out to Medalhus. When the Earl heard of this, he left the house with his followers, and hid in a deep glen, now called Jarlsdal (Earl's Dale). Later in the day, the Earl recieved news of the Orm's army. They had blocked the roads; but believed the earl had escaped to his ships, which his son Erlend, a remarkably handsome and hopeful young man, had the command of. When night came the Earl dispersed his people, and ordered them to go through the forest roads into Orkadal ...
... King Olaf lay with his ships in the river Nid, and had thirty vessels, which were manned with many brave people; but the King himself was often at Hlader, with his court attendants. As the time now was approaching when sacrifices should be made at Maeren, the King prepared a great feast at Hlader, and sent a message to the districts of Strind, Gaulardal, and out to Orkadal, to invite the chiefs and other great men. When the feast was ready, and the chiefs assembled, there was a magnificent entertainment the first evening, at which plenty of mead was provided and the guests were made very drunk. The night after they all slept in peace. The following morning, when the king was dressed, he had the early mass sung before him; and when the mass was over, ordered the trumpets to be sounded to call a meeting. All of his men left the ships to go to the meeting. When the meeting was seated, the king stood up, and spoke thus: "We held a meeting at Frosta, and there I asked the freemen to allow themselves to be baptized; but they replied by inviting me to offer sacrifice to their gods. If I am to turn again to sacrifice, then will I make the greatest of all sacrifices, I will sacrifice men. But I will not select slaves or prisoners for this, I will take only the greatest men to be offered to the gods; and for this I select Orm Lygra of Medalhus, Styrkar of Gimsar, Kar of Gryting, Asbjorn Thorbergson of Varnes, Orm of Lyxa, Haldor of Skerdingsstedja;" and besides these he named five others of the principal men. All of these, he said, he would offer in sacrifice to the gods for peace and a fruitful season; and he ordered them to be laid hold of immediately. When the freemen saw that they were not strong enough to oppose the king, they asked for peace, and submitted to the king's will. It was agreed that all the freemen would be baptized, and take an oath to renounce sacrifice to the gods. ...
... Ulf the Red was the name of the man who bore King Olaf's banner, and was in the forecastle of the Long Serpent; and with him was Kolbjorn the marshal, Thorstein Uxafot, and Vikar of Tiundaland, a brother of Arnliot Gelline. By the bulkhead next to the forecastle were Vak Raumason from Gaut River, Berse the Strong, An Skyte from Jamtaland, Thrand the Strong from Thelamork, and his brother Uthyrmer. Besides these were, of Halogaland men, Thrand Skjalge and Ogmund Sande, Hlodver Lange from Saltvik, and Harek Hvasse; together with these Throndhjem men - Ketil the High, Thorfin Eisle, Havard and his brothers from Orkadal. The following were in the fore-hold: Bjorn from Studla, Bork from the fjords. Thorgrim Thjodolfson from Hvin, Asbjorn and Orm, Thord from Njardarlog, Thorstein the White from Oprustadar, Arnor from More, Halstein and Hauk from the Fjord district, Eyvind Snak, Bergthor Bestil, Halkel from Fialer, Olaf Dreng, Arnfin from Sogn, Sigurd Bild, Einar from Hordaland, and Fin, and Ketil from Rogaland and Grjotgard the Brisk. The following were in the hold next the mast: Einar Tambaskelfer, who was not reckoned as fully experienced, being only eighteen years old; Thorstein Hlifarson, Thorolf, Ivar Smetta, and Orm Skogarnef. Many other valiant men were in the Serpent, although we cannot tell all their names. In every half division of the hold were eight men, and each and all chosen men; and in the fore-hold were thirty men. It was a common saying among people, that the Long Serpent's crew was as distinguished for bravery, strength, and daring, among other men, as the Long Serpent was distinguished among other ships. ...
Additional Links