mund then produced witnesses to prove that Grankel had
owned the rock, and the king gave judgment accordingly.
The case had a one-sided result. No mulct was paid for
Harek's house-servants, and the rock was declared to be
Grankel's. Harek observed it was no disgrace to obey
the king's decision, whatever way the case itself was
decided.
151. — tiiorod's story.
Thorod Snorrason had remained in Nor^vay, accord-
ing to King Olaf's commands, when Geller Thorkelson
got leave to go to Iceland, as before related. He remained
there (1027) with King Olaf, but was ill pleased that
he was not free to travel where he pleased. Early in
winter, King Olaf, when he was in Nidaros, made it
known that he would send people to Jamtaland to collect
504
SAGA Of OLAl- llARALUSON
the scat; but nobody had any great desire to go on this
business, after the fate of those wIkhu King Olaf had
sent before, — namely, Thrand While and others, twelve
in number, who lost their lives, as before related ; and the
Jamtalanders had ever since been subject to the Swedish
king. Thorod Snorrason now ofifered to imdertake this
journey, for he cared little what became of him if he
could but become his own master again. The king con-
sented, and Thorod set out with eleven men in company.
They came east to Jamtaland, and went to a man called
Thorar, who was lagman, and a person in high estimation.
They met with a hospitable reception ; and when they had
been there a while, they explained their business to
Thorar. He replied, that other men and chiefs of the
country had in all respects as much power and right to
give an answer as he had, and for that purpose he would
call together a Thing. It was so done; the message-
token was sent out, and a numerous Thing assembled.
Thorar went to the Thing, but the messengers in the
meantime remained at home. At the Thing, Thorar laid
the business before the people, but all were unanimous
that no scat should be paid to the king of Norway ; and
some were for hanging the messengers, others for sacri-
ficing them to the gods. At last it was resolved to hold
them fast until the king of Sweden's sheriffs arrived, and
they could treat them as they pleased with consent of the
people; and that, in the meantime, this decision should be
concealed, and the messengers treated well, and detained
under pretext that they must wait until the scat is col-
lected; and that they should be separated, and placed
505
THE IIEIMSKRINGLA
two and two, as if for the convenience of boarding them.
Thorod and another remained in Thorar's house. There
was a great Yule feast and ale-drinking, to which each
brought his own liquor ; for there were many peasants in
the village, who all drank in company together at Yule.
There was another village not far distant, where Thorar's
brother-in-law^ dwelt, who was a rich and powerful man,
and had a grown-up son. The brothers-in-law intended
to pass the Yule in drinking feasts, half of it at the house
of the one and half with the other; and the feast began
at Thorar's house. The brothers-in-law drank together,
and Thorod and the sons of the peasants by themselves ;
and it was a drinking match. In the evening words
arose, and comparisons between the men of Sweden and
of Norway, and then between their kings both of former
times and at the present, and of the manslaughters and
robljeries that had taken place between the countries.
Then said the peasants' sons, "If our king has lost most
people, his sheriffs will make it even with the lives of
twelve men when they come from the south after Yule;
and ye little know, ye silly fools, why ye are kept here."
Thorod took notice of these words, and many made jest
alx)ut it, and scoffed at them and their king. When the
ale l>egan to talk out of the hearts of the Jamtalanders,
what Thorod had before long suspected l^ecame evident.
The day after Thorod and his comrade took all their
clothes and weapons, and laid them ready; and at night,
when the people were all asleep, they fled to the forest.
The next morning, when the Jamtalanders were aware
of their flight, men set out after them with dogs to trace
506
SAGA OF OLAF IIARALDSON
them, and found thcni in a wood in which they had con-
cealed themselves. They brought them home to a room
in which there was a deep cellar, into which they were
thrown, and the door locked upon them. They had lit-
tle meat, and only the clothes they had on them. In the
middle of Yule, Thorar, with all his freeborn men, went
to his brother's-in-law, where he was to be a guest until
the last of Yule. Thorar's slaves w^ere to keep guard
upon the cellar, and they were provided with plenty of
liquor; but as they observed no moderation in drinking,
they became towards evening confused in the head with
the ale. As they were cjuite drunk, those who had to
bring meat to the prisoners in the cellar said among
themselves that they should want for nothing. Thorod
amused the slaves by singing to them. They said he was
a clever man, and gave him a large candle that was
lighted ; and the slaves who were in w^ent to call the others
to come in; but they were all so confused with the ale,
that in going out they neither locked the cellar nor the
room after them. Now Thorod and his comrades tore
up their skin clothes in strips, knotted them together,
made a noose at one end, and threw up the rope on the
floor of the room. It fastened itself around a chest, by
which they tried to haul themselves up. Thorod lifted
up his comrade until he stood on his shoulders, and from
thence scrambled up through the hatchhole. There was
no want of ropes in the chamber, and he threw a rope
down to Thorod ; but when he tried to draw him up, he
could not move him from the spot. Then Thorod told
him to cast the rope over a cross-l^cam that was in the
507
THE IIEIMSKRINGLA
house, make a loop in it, and place as much wcxjd and
stones in the loop as would outweigh him ; and the heavy
weight went down into the cellar, and Thorod was drawn
up by it. Now they took as much clothes as they required
in the room ; and among other things they took some rein-
deer hides, out of which they cut sandals, and bound them
under their feet, with the hoofs of the reindeer feet trail-
ing behind. But before they set off they set fire to a
large corn barn which was close by, and then ran out into
the pitch-dark night. The barn blazed, and set fire to
many other houses in the village. Thorod and his com-
rade travelled the whole night until they came to a lonely
wood, where they concealed themselves when it was day-
light. In the morning they were missed. There was
chase made with dogs to trace the footsteps all round the
house ; but the hounds always came back to the house, for
they had the smell of the reindeer hoofs, and followed the
scent back on the road that the hoofs had left, and there-
fore could not find the right direction. Thorod and his
comrade wandered long about in the desert forest, and
came one evening to a small house, and went in. A man
and a woman were sitting by the fire. The man called
himself Thorer, and said it was his wife who was sitting
there, and the hut belonged to them. The peasant asked
them to stop there, at which they were well pleased. He
told them that he had come to this place, because he had
fled from the inhabited district on account of a murder.
Thorod and his comrade were well received, and they all
got their supper at the fireside ; and then the benches were
cleared for them, and they lay down to sleep, but the fire
508
SAGA OF OLAF HARALDSON
was still burning with a clear light. Thorod saw a man
come in fr(^m another house, and never had he seen so
stout a man. He was dressed in a scarlet cloak beset
with gold clasps, and was of very handsome appearance.
Thorod heard him scold them for taking guests, when
they had scarcely food for themselves. The housewife
said. "Be not angry, brother; seldom such a thing hap-
pens; and rather do them some good too, for thou hast
better opportunity to do so than we." Thorod heard also
the stout man named by the name of Arnliot Gelline,
and observed that the woman of the house was his sister.
Thorod had heard speak of Arnliot as the greatest of
robbers and malefactors. Thorod and his companion
slept the first part of the night, for they were wearied
with walking; but when a third of the night was still to
come, Arnliot awoke them, told them to get up, and
make ready to depart. They arose immediately, put on
their clothes, and some breakfast was given them; and
Arnliot gave each of them also a pair of skees. Arnliot
made himself ready to accompany them, and got upon his
.skees, which were both broad and long; but scarcely had
he swung his skee-staft" before he was a long way past
them. He waited for them, and said they would make no
progress in this way, and told them to stand upon the
edge of his skees beside him. They did so. Thorod
stood nearest to him, and held by Arnliot's belt, and his
comrade held by him. Arnliot strode on as quickly with
them both, as if he was alone and without any weight.
The following day they came, towards night, to a lodge
for travellers, struck fire, and prepared some food; but
11 509
THE HEIMSKRINGLA
Arnliot told them to throw away nothing of their food,
neither bones nor crumbs. Arnhot took a silver plate
out of the pocket of his cloak, and ate from it. When
they were done eating, Arnliot gathered up the remains
of their meal, and they prepared to go to sleep. In the
other end of the house there was a loft upon cross-beams,
and Arnliot and the others went up, and laid themselves
down to sleep. Arnliot had a large halberd, of which
the upper part was mounted with gold, and the shaft was
so long that with his arm stretched out he could scarcely
touch the top of it; and he was girt with a sword. They
had both their weapons and their clothes up in the loft
beside them. Arnliot, who lay outermost in the loft, told
them to be perfectly quiet. Soon after twelve men came
to the house, who were merchants going with their wares
to Jamtaland ; and when they came into the house they
made a great disturbance, were merry, and made a great
fire before them ; and when they took their supper they
cast away all the bones around them. They then prepared
to go to sleep, and laid themselves down upon the benches
around the fire. When they had been asleep a short time,
a huge witch came into the house; and when she came in, -
she carefully swept together all the bones and whatever
was of food kind into a heap, and threw it into her
mouth. Then she gripped the man who was nearest to
her, riving and tearing him asunder, and threw him upon
the fire. Tlie others awoke in dreadful fright, and
sprang up; but she took them, and put them one by one
to death, so that only one remained in life. He ran
under the loft calling for help, and if there was any one
â– 510
SAGA OF OLAf IIARALDSON
on the loft to help him. Arnliot reached down his hand,
seized him by the shoulder, and drew him up into the loft.
The witch-wife had turned towards the fire, and began
to eat the men who were roasting-. Now Arnliot stood
up, took his halberd, and struck her between the shoul-
ders, so that the point came out at her breast. She
\\ rithed with it, gave a dreadful shriek, and sprang up.
The halberd slipped from Arnliot's hands, and she ran
out with it. Arnliot then w-ent in ; cleared away the dead
corpses out of the house; set the door and the door-posts
up, for she had torn them down in going out; and they
slept the rest of the night. When the day broke they got
up; and first they took their breakfast. When they had
got food, Arnliot said, "Now we must part here. Ye
can proceed upon the new-traced path the merchants have
made in coming here yesterday. In the meantime I will
seek after my halberd, and in reward for my labour I
will take so much of the goods these men had with them
as I find useful to me. Thou, Thorod, must take my
salutation to King Olaf; and say to him that he is the
man I am most desirous to see, although my sa-lutation
may appear to him of little worth." Then he took his
silver plate, wiped it dry with a cloth, and said. "Give
King Olaf this plate; salute him, and say it is from me."
Then they made themselves ready for their journey, and
parted. Thorod went on with his comrade and the man
of the merchants' company who had escaped. He pro-
ceeded until he came to King Olaf in the town (Nida-
ros) ; told the king all that had happened, and presented
to him the silver plate. The king said it was wrong that
5"
THE IIEIMSKRIXGLA
Arnliot himself had not come to him; "for it is a pity so
brave a hero, and so distinguished a man, should have
given himself up to misdeeds."
Thorod remained the rest of the winter with the king,
and in summer got leave to return to Iceland; and he and
King Olaf parted the best of friends.
152. — KING olaf's levy of men.
King Olaf made ready in spring (1027) to leave Nida-
ros, and many people were assembled about him, both
from Throndhjem and the Northern country ; and when
he was ready he proceeded first with his men to More,
where he gathered the men of the levy, and did the same
at Raumsdal. He went from thence to South More.
He lay a long time at the Herey Isles waiting for his
forces ; and he often held House-things, as many reports
came to his ears about which he thought it necessary to
hold councils. In one of these Things he made a speech,
in which he spoke of the loss he suffered from the Farey
islanders. "The scat which they promised me," he said,
"is not forthcoming; and I now intend to send men
thither after it." Then he proposed to different men to
undertake this expedition; but the answer was, that all
declined the adventure.
Then there stood up a stotit and very remarkable look-
ing man in the Thing. He was clad in a red kirtle, had
a helmet on his head, a sword in his belt, and a large hal-
berd in his hands. He took up the word and said, "In
truth here is a great want of men. Ye have a good king;
but ye are bad servants who say no to this expedition he
SAGA OF OLAl' IIARALDSON
offers you, although ye have received many gifts of friend-
ship and tokens of honour from him. I liave hitherto
been no friend of the king, and he has l:)een my enemy,
and says, besides, that he has good grounds for being so.
Now, I offer, sire, to go uix)n this expedition, if no better
will undertake it."
The king answers, "Who is this brave man who replies
to my offer? Thou showest thyself different from tlic
other men here present, in offering thyself for this expe-
dition from which they excuse themselves, although I ex-
pected they would willingly have undertaken it ; but I do
not know thee in the least, and do not know thy name."
He replies, "My name, sire, is not difficult to know,
and I think thou hast heard my name before. I am Karl
Morske."
The king — "So this is Karl ! I have indeed heard th}"
name before ; and, to say the truth, there was a time when
our meeting must have been such, if I had had my will;
that thou shouldst not have had to tell it now. But I will
not show myself worse than thou, but will join my thanks
and my favour to the side of the help thou hast offered
me. Now thou shalt come to me, Karl, and be my guest
to-day ; and then we shall consult together alxDut this bus^
iness." Karl said it should be so.
153 KARL MORSKE's STORY.
Karl Morske had been a viking, and a celebrated robber.
Often had the king sent out men against him, and wished
to make an end of him ; hut Kail, who was a man of high
connection, was quick in all his doings, and besides a maiT
513
THE HEIMSKRIXGLA
of great dexterity, and expert in all feats. Now when
Karl had undertaken this business the king was reconciled
to him, gave him his friendship, and let him be fitted
out in the best manner for this expedition. There were
about twenty men in the ship ; and the king sent messages
to his friends in the Farey Islands, and recommended
him also to Leif Ossurson and Lagman Gille, for aid and
defence ; and for this purpose furnished Karl with tokens
of the full powers given him. Karl set out as soon as he
was ready; and as he got a favourable breeze soon came
to the Farey Islands, and landed at Thorshavn, in the is-
land Straumey. A Thing was called, to which there came
a great number of people. Thrand of Gata came with a
great retinue, and Leif and Gille came there also, with
many in their following. After they had set up their
tents, and put themselves in order, they went to Karl
Morske, and saluted each other on both sides in a friendly
way. Then Karl produced King Olaf's words, tokens,
and friendly message to Leif and Gille, who received them
in a friendly manner, invited Karl to come to them, and
promised him to support his errand, and give him all the
aid in their power, for which he thanked them. Soon
after came Thrand of Gata, who also received Karl in the
most friendly manner, and said he was glad to see so able
a man coming to their country on the king's business,
which they were all bound to promote. "I will insist,
Karl," says he, "on thy taking up thy winter abode with
me, together with all those of thy people who may appear
to thee necessary for thy dignity."
Karl replies, that he had already settled to lodge with
514
SAGA OF OLAf HARALDSON
Leif; "otherwise I would with great pleasure have ac-
cepted thy invitation."
"Then fate has given great honour to Leif," says
Thrand ; "but is there any other way in which I can be
of service?"
Karl replies, that he would do him a great service by
collecting the scat of the eastern island, and of all the
northern islands.
Thrand said it was both his duty and interest to assist
in the king's business, and thereupon Thrand returned to
his tent ; and at that Thing nothing else worth speaking
of occurred. Karl took up his alx)de with Leif Ossurson,
and was there all winter (102S). Leif collected the scat
of Straumey Island, and all the islands south of it. The
spring after Thrand of Gata fell ill, and had sore eyes
and other complaints ; but he prepared to attend the Thing,
as was his custom. When he came to the Thing he had
his tent put up, and within it another black tent, that the
light might not penetrate. After some days of the Thing
had passed, Leif and Karl came to Thrand's tent, with a
great many people, and found some persons standing
outside. They asked if Thrand was in the tent, and were
told he wvas. Leif told them to bid Thrand come out,
as he and Karl had some business with him. They came
back, and said that Thrand had sore eyes, and could not
come out; "but he begs thee, Leif, to come to him
within." Leif told his comrades to come carefully into
the tent, and not to press forward, and that he wdio came
last in should go out first. Leif went in first, followed
by Karl, and then his comrades: and all fully armed as if
515
THE HEIMSKRINGLA
they were going into battle. Leif went into the black tent
and asked if Thrand was there. Thrand answered, and
saluted Leif. Leif returned his salutation, and asked
if he had brought the scat from the northern islands,
and if he would pay the scat that had been collected.
Thrand replies, that he had not forgotten what had been
spoken of between him and Karl, and that he would now
pay over the scat. "Here is a purse, Leif, full of silver,
which thou canst receive." Leif looked around, and saw
but few people in the tent, of whom some were lying upon
the benches, and a few were sitting up. Then Leif went
to Thrand, and took the purse, and carried it into the
outer tent, where it was light, turned out the money on
his shield, groped about in it with his hand, and told Karl
to look at the silver. When they had looked at it a while,
Karl asked Leif what he thought of the silver. He re-
plied, "I am thinking where the bad money that is in the
north isles can have come from." Thrand heard this, and
said, "Do you not think, Leif, the silver is good?" "No,"
says he. Thrand replies, "Our relations, then, are rascals
not to be trusted. I sent them in spring to collect the scat
in the north isles, as I could not myself go anywhere,
and they have allowed themselves to be bribed by the
bondes to take false money, which nolx)dy looks upon as
current and good; it is l:>etter, therefore, Leif, to look at
this silver which has been paid me as land-rent." Leif
thereupon carried back this silver, and received another
bag, which he carried to Karl, and they looked over the
money together. Karl asked Leif what he thought of
this money. He answered, that it appeared to him so
516
SAGA OF OLAP 1 1 AR ALU SON
bad that it would not be taken in payment, however little
hope there might be of getting a debt paid in any other
way : "therefore I will not take this money upon the
king's accoimt." A man who had been lying on the
bench now cast the skin coverlet off which he had drawn
over his head, and said, "True is the old word, — he grows
worse who grows older : so it is with thee, Thrand, who
allowest Karl Morske to handle thy money all the day."
This was Gaut the Red. Thrand sprang up at Gaut's
words, and reprimanded his relation with many angry
words. At last he said that Leif should leave this silver,
and take a bag which his own peasants had brought him
in spring. "And although I am weak-sighted, yet my
own hand is the truest test." Another man who was ly-
ing on the loench raised himself now upon his el1x)w ; and
this was Thord the Low. He said, "These are no ordi-
nary reproaches we suffer from Karl Morske, and there-
fore he well deserves a reward for them." Leif in the
meantime took the bag, and carried it to Karl ; and when
they cast their eyes on the money, Leif said, "We need
not look long at this silver, for here the one piece of money
is better than the other; and this is the money we will
have. Let a man come to be present at the counting it
out." Thrand says that he thought Leif was the fittest
man to do it upon his account. Leif and Karl theraipon
went a short way from the tent, sat down, and counted
and weighed the silver. Karl took the helmet off his
head, and received in it the weighed silver. They saw a
man coming to them who had a stick with an axe-head
on it in his hand, a hat low upon his head, and a short
THE HEIMSKRINGLA
green cloak. lie was bare-legged, and had linen breeches
on tied at the knee. He laid his stick down in the field,
and went to Karl and said, "Take care, Karl Morske, that
thou does not hurt thyself against my axe-stick." Imme-
diately a man came running and calls with great haste to
Leif Ossurson, telling him to come as quickly as possible
to Lagman Gille's tent; "for," says he, "Sigurd Thorlak-
son ran in just now into the mouth of the tent, and gave
one of Gille's men a desperate wound." Leif rose up in-
stantly, and went off to Gille's tent along with his men.
Karl remained sitting, and the Norway people stood
around in all corners. Gaut immediately sprang up, and
struck with a hand-axe over the heads of the people, and
the stroke came on Karl's head; but the wound was slight.
Thord the Low seized the stick-axe, wliich lay in the field
at his side, and struck the axe-blade right into Karl's
skull. Many people now streamed out of Thrand's tent.
Karl was carried away dead. Thrand was much grieved
at this event, and offered money-mulcts for his relations;
but Leif and Gille, who had to prosecute the business,
would accept no mulct. Sigurd was banished the country
for having wounded Gille's tent comrade, and Gaut and
Thord for the murder of Karl. The Norway people rig-
ged out the vessel which Karl had with him, and sailed
eastward to Olaf, and gave him these tidings. He was
in no pleasant humour at it, and threatened a speedy ven-
geance; but it was not allotted by fate to King Olaf to
revenge himself on Thrand and his relations, because of
the hostilities which had begun in Norway, and which are
now to be related. And there is nothing more to be told
518
SAGA OF OLAF llARALDSON
of what happened after King Olaf sent men to the Farey
Islands to take scat of them. But great strife arose after
Karl's death in the Farey Islands between the family of
Thrand of Gata and Leif Ossurson, and of which there
are great sagas.
154. KING clap's expedition WITH HIS IJvVY.
Now we must proceed with the relation we began be-
fore, — that King Olaf set out with his men, and raised
a levy over the whole country (1027). All lendermen
in the North followed him excepting Einar Tambaskelfcr,