694



SAGA OP IIARALD UARDRADE

row, or to take place in a harbour, or to cIio<^.sc tent
ground; and each side should be satisfied with wliat the
drawing of the lots gave them. Accordingly the lots were
made and marked. Harald said to Gyrger, "Let me see
what mark thou hast put uj^on thy lot, that wc may not
both mark our lots in the same way." lie did so. Then
Harald marked his lot, and put it into the box along with
the other. The man who was to draw out the lots then
took up one of the lots between his fingers, held it up in
the air, and said, "This lot shall be the first to ride, and to
row, and to take place in harbour and on the tent field."
Harald seized his hand, snatched the die, and threw it into
the sea, and called out, "That was our lot !" Gyrger said,
"Why did you not let other people see it?" Harald re-
plies, "Look at the one remaining in the box. — there you
see your own mark upon it." Accordingly the lot which
was left behind was examined, and all men saw that
Gyrger's mark was upon it, and accordingly the judgment
was given that the Yarings had gained the first choice in
all they had been quarrelling about. There were many
things they quarrelled about, but the end always was that
Harald got his own way.

5. — harald's Expedition in the land oe the sara-

CENS (serkland).

They went out all on a campaign in summer. When
the whole army was thus assembled Harald "kept his men
out of the battle, or wherever he saw the least danger,
under pretext of saving his men ; but where he was alone
with his own men only, he fought so desperately that they

695



THE HEIMSKRINGLA

must cither come off \ictorioiis or die. It tlnis liappened
often that when he commanded the army he gained vic-
tories, while Gyrger could do nothing. The troops ob-
served this, and insisted they would be more successful if
Harald alone was chief of the whole army, and upbraided
the general with never effecting anything, neither himself,
nor his people. Gyrger again said that the Varings would
give him no assistance, and ordered Harald to go with
his men somewhere else, and he, with the rest of his army,
would win what they could. Harald accordingly left the
army with the Varings and the Latin men, and Gyrger
on his side went off with the Greek troops. Then it was
seen what each could do. Harald always gained victories
and booty; but the Greeks went home to Constantinople
with their army, all except a few brave men, who, to gain
booty and money, joined themselves to Harald, and took
him for their leader. He then went with his troops west-
ward to Africa, which the Varings call Serkland, where
he was strengthened with many men. In Serkland he took
eighty castles, some of which surrendered, and others
were stormed. He then went to Sicily. So says Thio-
dolf :—

"The sorpent's bed of glowing golri Before upon Sicilian plains,

He hates — the generous king, the Shield joined to shield, the fight he

bold ! gains,

He who fo'ar score towers laid low, The victory at Hild's war game ;
Ta'en from the Saracenic foe. And now the heathens dread bis

name."

So says also Illugc Bryndala-skald : —

"For Michael's empire Harald So Biidle's son his friendship showed
fought, When he brought friends to his

And southern lands to Michael abode."

brought ;

Here it is said that IMichael was king of the Greeks at

696



.d.1



I » ( I V. . i



â–  V 1 V V V .



w-hnlp army iml nph:,,,

'hing", :,, ,. .. liiin v:

- lat the Vpri

trdered Harni '

with the 1
, J^ALF.ARNASON FLEES FjRD,M,,^^l^.G| l^AC^^y^^.^ ,

(f\6mn-PJf<"m^<Vn^^JL%.m^fihn, and Gyr;

7- . . uences.

T' ■'■.•.' ;.-.. .

ur. If, HarfelkUlftl -k^Q-

ruled jointljr 'with. Kihg 'M^rgOl1V^n«iaK:;accuJfe(Sefldhel(i,c^vbnd^
wj^ea 4sk^d-,bK.Mag^nis,tq,|-44?,.^j|h,,I^^^ t5,fly(jp|j^^t^-f,(|.|^ ^^^

paint out '' ' • ' - ''^]- ' ' ;' ' - • ■ •

and" fear . jt-

iAlgt-Kint -IMkignius tbiJithtc'-^fedeCAXttiet^ dlSflWas fell&^VBe'JsbdJ
d(!|ill5':-niounted his horse and Hed the country and became a



Sicilian rl.i



raceme



. Tllnn-p "Rrvndala-skald :^ —



1 o.., n.wii.-



hael was king of the



SAGA OF IIARALD IIARDRADE

that time, llarald remained many years in Africa, \vlicrc
he gathered great wealth in gold, jewels, and all sorts of
precious things ; and all the wealth he gathered there
which he did not need for his expenses, he sent with trusty
men of his own north to Novgorod to King Jarisleif's care
and keeping. He gathered together there extraordinary
treasure, as is reasonable to suppose ; for he had the plun-
dering of the part of the world richest in gold and valua-
ble things, and he had done such great deeds as with truth
are related, such as taking eighty strongholds by his
valour.

6. BATTLE IN SICILY.

Now when Harald came to Sicily he plundered there
also, and sat down with his army before a strong and pop-
ulous castle. He surrounded the castle; but the walls
were so thick there was no possibility of breaking into it.
and the people of the castle had enough of provisions, and
all that was necessary for defence. Then llarald hit upon
an expedient. He made his bird-catchers catch the small
birds which had their nests within the castle, but flew into
the woods by day to get food for their young. He had
small splinters of tarred wood bound upon the backs of tiie
birds, smeared these over with wax and sulphur, and set
fire to them. As soon as the birds were let loose they all
flew at once to the castle to their young, and to their nests.
which they had under the house roofs that were covered
with reeds or straw. The fire from the birds seized upon
the house roofs ; and although each bird could only carry a
small burden of fire, yet all at once there was a mighty

697



THE HEIMSKRINGLA

flame, caused by so many birds carrying fire with them
and spreading it widely among the house roofs. Thus one
house after the other was set on fire, until the castle itself
was in flames. Then the people came out of the castle
and begged for mercy ; the same men who for many days
had set at defiance the Greek army and its leader. Harald
granted life and safety to all who asked quarter, and made
himself master of the place.

7. BATTI.E AT ANOTHER CASTLE.

There was another castle before which Harald had come
with his army. This castle was both full of people and so
strong, that there was no hope of breaking into it. The
castle stood upon a flat hard plain. Then Harald under-
took to dig a passage from a place where a stream ran in
a bed so deep that it could not be seen from the castle.
They threw out all the earth into the stream, to be carried
away by the water. At this work they laboured day and
night, and relieved each other in gangs ; while the rest
of the army went the whole day against the castle, where
the castle people shot through their loop-holes. They shot
at each other all day in this way, and at night they slept on
Ijoth sides. Now when Harald perceived that his under-
ground passage was so long that it must be within the
castle walls, he ordered his people to arm themselves. It
was towards daybreak that they went into the passage.
When they got to the end of it they dug over their heads
until they came upon stones laid in lime which was the
floor of a stone hall. They broke open the floor and rose
into the hall. There sat many of the castle-men eating

698



SAGA or HARALf) IIARDRAUE

and drinking, and not in llic least expcctinc;^ such unin-
vited wolves; for the Variufjs instantly attacked them
sword in IkuhI, and killed some, antl those who could get
away fled. The Varings pursued them ; and some seized
the castle gate, and opened it. so that the whole body of
the army got in. The people of the castle fled ; but many
asked quarter from the troops, which was granted to
all who surrendered. In this way Harald got possession
of the place, and found an immense booty in it.

8. ^BATTLE AT A THIRD CASTLE.

They came to a third castle, the greatest and strongest
of them all, and also the richest in property and the fullest
of people. Around this castle there were great ditches, so
that it evidently could not be taken by the same device as
the former; and they lay a long time before it without
doing anything. When the castle-men saw this they be-
came bolder, drew up their array on the castle walls, threw
open the castle gates, and shouted to the Varings. urging
them, and jeering at them, and telling them to come into
the castle, and that they were no more fit for battle than
so many poultry. Harald told his men to make as if they
did not know what to do, or did not understand what was
said. "For," says he, "if we do make an assault we can
effect nothing, as they can throw their weaix)ns under
their feet among us; and if we get in the castle with a
party of our people, they have it in their power to shut
them in. and shut out the others; for they have all the
castle gates beset with men. We shall therefore show
them the same scorn they show us, and let them see we

699



THE HEIMSKRINGLA

do not fear them. Our men shall go out upon the plain
nearest to the castle ; taking care, however, to keep out of
bow-shot. All our men shall go unarmed, and be play-
ing with each other, so that the castle-men may see
we do not regard them or their array." Thus it went on
for some days, without anything being done.

9. OF ULF* AND HALDOR.

Two Iceland men were then with Plarald : the one was
Haldor,^ a son of the gode Snorre, who brought this ac-
count to Iceland ; the other w^as Ulf Uspakson, a grandson
of Usvifer Spake. Both were very strong men, bold
under arms, and Harald's best friends ; and both were in
this play. Now when some days were passed the castle
people showed more courage, and would go without
weapons upon the castle wall, while the castle gates w'ere
standing open. The Varings observing this, went one day
to their sports with the sword under their cloaks, and the
helmet under their hats. After playing awhile they ob-
served that the castle people were off their guard ; and in-
stantly seizing their weapons, they made at the castle
gates. When the men of the castle saw this they went
against them armed completely, and a battle began in the
castle gate. The Varings had no shields, but wrapped
their cloaks round their left arms. Some of them were
wounded, some killed, and all stood in great danger.
Now came Harald with the men who had remained in the
camp, to the assistance of his people; and the castle-men
had now got out upon the walls, from which they shot

'One of the descendants of this Haldor was Snorre Sturlason, the
author of Heiinskringla.

700



SAGA OP IIARALD ILUWRADE

and threw stones down upon them : so that tlicre was a
severe battle, and those who were in tlie casllc j:^ates
thought th;it help was brought them slower than thcx^^.
could have wished. When Harald came to the castle gate
his standard-bearer fell, and Harald said to Ilaldor, "Do
thou take up the banner now." llrddor took up Ihe ban-
ner, and said foolishly, "Who will carry the banner before
thee, if thou followest it so timidly as thou hast done for
a while?" But these were words more of anger than of
truth; for Harald was one of the boldest of men under
arms. Then they pressed in, and had a hard battle in the
castle; and the end was that Harald gained the victory
and took the castle. Haldor was much wounded in the
face, and it gave him great pain as long as he lived.

10. BATTI.E AT A FOURTH CASTLE;.

The fourth castle which Harald came to was the great-
est of all we have been speaking about. It was so strong
that there was no possibility of breaking into it. They
surrounded the castle, so that no supplies could get into
it. When they had remained here a short time Harald
fell sick, and he betook himself to his bed. He had his
tent put up a little from the camp, for he found quietness
and rest out of the clamour and clang of armed men. His
men went usually in companies to or from him to hear his
orders ; and the castle people observing there was some-
thing new among the Varings, sent out spies to discover
what this might mean. When the spies came back to the
castle they had to tell of the illness of the commander of
the Varings, and that no assault on that accoinit had been

23 701



THE HEIMSKRINGLA

made on the castle. A while after Ilarald's strength be-
gan to fail, at which his men were very melancholy and
cast down; all which was news to the castle-men. At
last Harald's sickness increased so rapidly that his death
was expected through all the army. Thereafter the
Varings went to the castle-men ; told them, in a parley, of
the death of their commander ; and begged of the priests
to grant him burial in the castle, V^'hen the castle people
heard this news, there were many among them who ruled
over cloisters or other great establishments within the
place, and who were very eager to get the corpse for their
church, knowing that upon that there would follow very
rich presents. A great many priests, therefore, clothed
themselves in all their robes, and went out of the castle
with cross and shrine and relics and formed a beautiful
procession. The Varings also made a great burial. The
coffin was borne high in the air, and over it was a tent of
costly linen and before it were carried many banners.
Now when the corpse was brought within the castle gate
the Varings set down the coffin right across the entry,
fixed a bar to keep the gates open, and sounded to battle
with all their trumpets, and drew their swords. The whole
army of the Varings, fully armed, rushed from the camp
to the assault of the castle with shout and cry; and the
monks and other priests who had gone to meet the corpse
and had striven with each other who should be the first to
come out and take the offering at the burial, were now
striving much more who should first get away from the
Varings; for they killed before their feet every one who
was nearest, whether clerk or unconsecrated. The Var-

702



SAGA 01- IIARALD HARDRADE

ings rummaged so well this castle that they killed all the
men, pillaged everything" and made rui enormous Lxxjty.

11. 01' llARALU.

Ilarald was many years in these campaigns, both in
Serkland and in Sicily. Then he came back to Constanti-
nople with his troops and stayed there but a little time Ijc-
fore he began his ex^j^dition to Jerusalem. There he left
the pay he had received from the Greek emperor and all
the Varings who accompanied him did the same. It is
said that on all these expeditions Harald had fought
eighteen regular battles. So says Thiodolf : —

"Harald the Stern ne'er allowed The kinpr. before his homo return.

Peace to his foemen, false and Oft dyed the bald head of the eruo

proud : With bloody specks, and o'er the

In eighteen battles, fought and won, wa-ste

The valour of the Norseman shone. The sharp-claw'd wolf his footsteps

traced."

12. HARALD's expedition to PALESTINE.

Harald went with his men to the land of Jerusalem
and then up to the city of Jerusalem, and wheresoever he
came in the land all the towns and strongholds were given
up to him. So says the skald Stuf, who had heard the
king himself relate these tidings: —

"He went, the warrior bold and And by the terror of hiR nam©

jjiave Under his power the country came,

Jerusalem', the holy grave. Nor needed wasting fire and sword

And the interior of the land. To yield obedience to his word.

To bring under the Greeks' com-
mand ;

Here it is told that this land came without fire and
sword under Harald's command. He then went out to
Jordan and bathed therein, according to the custom of

703



THE HEIMSKRINGLA

Other pilgrims. Harald gave great gifts to our Lord's
grave, to the Holy Cross, and other holy reli'cs in the land
of Jerusalem. He also cleared the whole road all the v^ay
out to Jordan, by killing the robbers and other disturbers
of the peace. So says the skald Stuf : —

"The Agder king cleared far and The wicked people of the land

wide Wero punished here by his dread

Jordan's fair banks on either side ; hand,

The robber-bands before him fled. And they hereafter will not miss

And his great name was widely Much worse from Jesus Christ than
spread. this."

13. HARALD PUT IN PRISON,

Thereafter he went back to Constantinople. When
Harald returned to Constantinople from Jerusalem he
longed to return to the North to his native land ; and when
he heard that Magnus Olafson, his brother's son, had be-
come king both of Norway and Denmark, he gave up his
command in the Greek service. And when the empress
Zoe heard of this she became angry and raised an accusa-
tion against Harald that he had misapplied the property
of the Greek emperor which he had received in the cam-
paigns in which he was commander of the army. There
was a young and beautiful girl called Maria, a brother's
daughter of the empress Zoe, and Harald had paid his
addresses to her ; but the empress had given him a refusal.
The Varings, who were then in pay in Constantinople, have
told here in the North that there went a report among
well-informed people that the empress Zoe herself wanted
Harald for her husband, and that she chiefly blamed Har-
ald for his determination to leave Constantinople, al-
though another reason was given out to the public. Con-

704



S.ICA or IIARALD IIARPKADF.

stantinus Monomachus was at thai time ctnpcror of the
Greeks and ruled along^ with Zoc. On this account the
Greek emperor had Harald made prisoner and carried
to prison.

14. — KING OLAF'S miracle AND BLINDING THE GREEK

EMPEROR.

When Harald drew near to the prison King^ Olaf the
Saint stood before him and said he would assist him. On
that spot of the street a chapel has since been built and
consecrated to Saint Olaf and which chapel has stood
there ever since. The prison was so constructed that there
was a high tower open above, but a door below to go into
it from the street. Through it Harald was thrust in,
along with Haldor and Ulf. Next night a lady of dis-
tinction with two servants came, by the help of ladders,
to the top of the tower, let down a rope into the prison
and hauled them up. Saint Olaf had formerly cured this
lady of a sickness and he had appeared to her in a vision
and told her to deliver his brother. Harald went imme-
diately to the Varings, who all rose from their seats when
he came in and received him with joy. The men armed
themselves forthwith and went to where the emperor
slept. They took the emperor prisoner and put out lx)th
the eyes of him. So says Thorarin Skeggjason in his
poem : —

"Of glowing gold that decks the hand Hut Its great erap«ror In the «frlfo
The king got plenty m this land ; Was made stone-blind for all hlfl

life.

So says Thiodolf, the skald, also:—

705



y



THE HEIMSKRINGLA

"He who the hungry wolf's wild yell The Norse king's mark will not
Quiets with prey, the stern, the fell, adorn.

Midst the uproar of shriek and shout The Norse king's mark gives cause
Slung the Greek emperor's eyes both to mourn ;

out: His mark the Eastern king must

bear.
Groping his sightless way in fear."

In these two songs, and many others, it is told that
Harald himself blinded the Greek emperor; and they
would surely have named some duke, count, or other great
man, if they had not known this to be the true account ;
and King Harald himself and other men who were with
him spread the account.

15. — harald's journey from constantinoplH.

The same night King Harald and his men went to the
house where Maria slept and carried her away by force.
Then they went down to where the galleys of the Varings
lay, took two of them and rowed out into Sjavid sound.
When they came to the place where the iron chain is
drawn across the sound, Harald told his men to stretch out
at their oars in both galleys; but the men who were not
rowing to run all to the stern of the galley, each with his
luggage in his hand. The galleys thus ran up and lay on the
iron chain. As soon as they stood fast on it, and would
advance no farther, Harald ordered all the men to run for-
ward into the bow. Then the galley, in which Harald was,
balanced forwards and swung down over the chain ; but
the other, which remained fast athwart the chain, split in
two, by which many men were lost ; but some were taken
up out of the sound. Thus Harald escaped out of Con-
stantinople and sailed thence into the Black Sea; but be-
fore he left the land he put the lady ashore and sent her

706



SAGA OF IIARALD UARDRADE

back with a good escort to Constantinople and bade her
tell her relation, the Empress Zoe, how little power she
had OA'er Harald, and how little the empress could have
hindered him from taking the lady. Harald then sailed
northwards in the Ellipalta and then all round the Eastern
empire. On this voyage Harald composed sixteen songs
for amusement and all ending with the same words. This
is one of them : —

"Past Sicily's wide plains we flew, Never, I think, along this Kbore

A dauntless, never-wearied crew ; Did Norseman ever sail before ;

Our viking steed rushed through the Yet to the Russian queen, I fear,

sea, My gold-adorned, 1 am not dear."
As viking-like fast, fast sailed we.

With this he meant Ellisif, daughter of King Jarisleif
in Novgorod.

16. OF KING HARALD.

When Harald came to Novgorod King Jarisleif re-
ceived him in the most friendly way and he remained
there all winter (1045). Then he took into his own keep-
ing all the gold and the many kinds of precious things
which he had sent there from Constantinople and which
together made up so vast a treasure that no man in the
Northern lands ever saw the like of it in one man's pos-
session. Harald had been three times in the poluta-svarf
while he w,as in Constantinople. It is the custom, namely,
there, that every time one of the Greek emi>erors dies, the
Varings are allowed poluta-svarf; that is, they may go
through all the emperor's palaces where his treasures are
and each may take and keep what he can lay hold of while
he is going through them.

707



THE HEIMSKRINGLA
17. KING HARALD's marriage.

This winter King Jarisleif gave Harald his daughter
EHsabeth in marriage. She is called by the Northmen
Ellisif. This is related by Stuf the Blind, thus: —

"Agder's chief now got the queen Of gold, no doubt, a mighty store

Who long his secret love had been. The princess to her husband bore."

In spring he began his journey from Novgorod and
came to Aldeigjuborg, where he took shipping and sailed
from the East in summer. He turned first tO' Svithjod
and came to Sigtuna. So says Valgard o' Val : —

"The fairest cargo ship e'er bore, The ship through dashing foam he

From Russia's distant eastern shore steers.

The gallant Harald homeward Through the sea-rain to Svithjod

brings — veers.

Gold, and a fame that skald still And at Sigtuna's grassy shores

sings. His gallant vessel safely moors."

18. THE LEAGUE BETWEEN KING HARALD AND SVEIN

ULESON.

Harald found there before him Svein Ulfson, who the
autumn before (1045) had fled from King Magnus at
Helganes ; and when they met they were very friendly
on IxDth sides. The Swedish king, Olaf the Swede, was
brother of the mother of Ellisif, Harald's wife; and As-
trid, the mother of Svein, was King Olaf's sister. Harald
and Svein entered into friendship with each other and
confirmed it by oath. All the Swedes were friendly to
Svein, because he belonged to the greatest family in the
country ; and thus all the Swedes were Harald's friends
and helpers also, for many great men were connected with
him by relationship. So says Thiodolf : —

"Cross the Kast sr>a the vessel flew, — The heavy vessel's leeward side

Her oak-keel a white furrow drew Was hid beneath the rushing tide ;

From Russia's coast to Swedish land. While the broad sail and gold-tipped
Where Harald can great help com- mast

mand. Swung to and fro in the hard blast."

708



SAGA OF HARALD IJARDRADE



19. KING ]IAR.\I.1)'S roRAY.

Then Harald and Svein fitted out ship?) and gathered
together a great force; and when the troops were ready
they sailed from the East towards Denmark. So says
Valgard : —



"Brave Yngve ! to the land decreed
To thee by fate, with tempest speed
The winds fly with thee o'er the sea —
To thy own udal land with thee.



As past the Sranlan plains they fly.
The gay ships glance 'Iwixt bea and

sky,
And Scanlan brides look out. and

fear
Some ill to those they hold mont

dear."



They landed first in Seeland with their men and hcrricd
and burned in the land far and wide. Then they went to