EGIL’S SAGA: CHAPTER 59; (Part 1) Norway in turmoil

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Adils, Aki, Alfgeir, Arinbjorn, Asgerd, Athelstan, Æthelstan, Bard, Bera, Berg-Onund, Bjorgolf, Bjorn, Borg, Brynjolf, Courland, Danes, Egil, Eirik Bloodaxe, England, Eyvind, Finnmark, Fjord Province, Geir, Godrek, Grim, Gunnhild, Halberd, Hallvard, Halogaland, Hildirid, Hildiridarsons, Hogni, Hring, Iceland, intrigue, Isle of Torg, Karelians, Ketil Trout, King Arnvid, King Æthelstan, King Faravid, King Harald, Kveldulf, Kvenland, Kylfings, Lapps, Namdalen, Norway, Norwegians, Olaf the Red, Olvir, Oslo Fjord, Rognvald, Sandness, Scandanavia, Scots, Shape-changer, Sigrid, Sigtrygg, Skallagrimsson, slander, Snorri Sturluson, Sweden, Thora, Thorfinn, Thorgils Gjallandi, Thorolf, Thorunn, treachery, Trondheim, Vikings, Welch, Yngvar

 

It had been a strange year for both I and my enemies, King Eirik and Queen Gunnhild.

King Eirik had been ruling Norway for one year after the death of his father Harald Fair Hair.

Another son of Harald Fair Hair was called Hakon. He was the foster son of King Athelstan. Hakon had gone to Norway at the same time that I left England and went to Iceland.

Hakon travelled to Trondheim, was adopted as king, and shared the realm with Eirik. Now everyone knows that two people sharing anything is not a good idea. This goes for kingdoms as well as wives, boats and ale-horns.

One spring Hakon and Eirik both gathered large armies in order to do battle with each other. Eirik saw that his army was much smaller. He decided, quite wisely I might add, to go into self-exile.

Arinbjorn had become indispensable to Eirik so they both sailed to Orkney. They were accompanied by their families.

Eirik decided to raid parts of Scotland. King Athelstan was not too pleased with this. He decided to offer Eirik full charge of Northumberland if Eirik would agree to defend it from the Scots. Agreements were reached.

 

EGIL’S SAGA: CHAPTER 58; (Part 2) Skallagrim dies

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Adils, Aki, Alfgeir, Arinbjorn, Asgerd, Athelstan, Æthelstan, Bard, Bera, Berg-Onund, Bjorgolf, Bjorn, Borg, Brynjolf, Courland, Danes, Egil, Eirik Bloodaxe, England, Eyvind, Finnmark, Fjord Province, Geir, Godrek, Grim, Gunnhild, Halberd, Hallvard, Halogaland, Hildirid, Hildiridarsons, Hogni, Hring, Iceland, intrigue, Isle of Torg, Karelians, Ketil Trout, King Arnvid, King Æthelstan, King Faravid, King Harald, Kveldulf, Kvenland, Kylfings, Lapps, Namdalen, Norway, Norwegians, Olaf the Red, Olvir, Oslo Fjord, Rognvald, Sandness, Scandanavia, Scots, Shape-changer, Sigrid, Sigtrygg, Skallagrimsson, slander, Snorri Sturluson, Sweden, Thora, Thorfinn, Thorgils Gjallandi, Thorolf, Thorunn, treachery, Trondheim, Vikings, Welch, Yngvar

It was the first night of the feast at Lambastead. Asgerd and I had a good time.

Unbeknownst to us my father, Skallagrim, arose in the middle of the night and took a chest of money and a pot of gold. He placed the chest on top of a horse and held the pot under his arm. He then rode out to Krum’s bog. There he sank the chest and the pot. After that he located a large stone slab and placed it on top of the chest and pot.

He rode back to his home and died while sitting on the edge of his bed.

Word was immediately sent to me about my father’s death. When I got there he had turned stiff in the sitting position. I dragged him to a bench in a sitting area. I then gave him last rites. We made a hole in the wall and then dragged him straight through the hole, through another area and out the back. We placed him in a tent at Naustaness for the night.

The next day we made a burial mound at Digraness and buried father, his horse, and his weapons there.

I took charge of my fathers estate.

EGIL’S SAGA: CHAPTER 58; (Part 1) Skallagrim discusses King Athelstan’s compensation

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Adils, Aki, Alfgeir, Arinbjorn, Asgerd, Athelstan, Æthelstan, Bard, Bera, Berg-Onund, Bjorgolf, Bjorn, Borg, Brynjolf, Courland, Danes, Egil, Eirik Bloodaxe, England, Eyvind, Finnmark, Fjord Province, Geir, Godrek, Grim, Gunnhild, Halberd, Hallvard, Halogaland, Hildirid, Hildiridarsons, Hogni, Hring, Iceland, intrigue, Isle of Torg, Karelians, Ketil Trout, King Arnvid, King Æthelstan, King Faravid, King Harald, Kveldulf, Kvenland, Kylfings, Lapps, Namdalen, Norway, Norwegians, Olaf the Red, Olvir, Oslo Fjord, Rognvald, Sandness, Scandanavia, Scots, Shape-changer, Sigrid, Sigtrygg, Skallagrimsson, slander, Snorri Sturluson, Sweden, Thora, Thorfinn, Thorgils Gjallandi, Thorolf, Thorunn, treachery, Trondheim, Vikings, Welch, Yngvar

I was not in Iceland too long before I heard that the man that married my mother’s sister had died. He left his farm, Lambastead, in charge of his son Thord.

One day Thord took a horse and rode over to Borg. He welcomed me back to Iceland and invited Asgerd and I to a feast at his place. The day and time for the feast was set.

When the day arrived Asgerd and I were ready to ride when my father, Skallagrim, came to my side. He took me to the side and we had a conversation about money.

Father was wondering when he would get a share of the money that King Athelstan of England had sent him. I told my father that he did not need any money; he already had chests of it. My father said that it looked like I already decided about the division of King Althestan’s compensation. He continued by telling me that with all that money I should not care what he did with his.

The conversation ended when I told my father “It does not make any difference what I say, you will do as you please with your money.”

And I rode off with Asgerd to the feast at Lambastead.

EGIL’S SAGA: CHAPTER 57; (Part 4) Egil places a curse

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Adils, Aki, Alfgeir, Arinbjorn, Asgerd, Athelstan, Æthelstan, Bard, Bera, Berg-Onund, Bjorgolf, Bjorn, Borg, Brynjolf, Courland, Danes, Egil, Eirik Bloodaxe, England, Eyvind, Finnmark, Fjord Province, Geir, Godrek, Grim, Gunnhild, Halberd, Hallvard, Halogaland, Hildirid, Hildiridarsons, Hogni, Hring, Iceland, intrigue, Isle of Torg, Karelians, Ketil Trout, King Arnvid, King Æthelstan, King Faravid, King Harald, Kveldulf, Kvenland, Kylfings, Lapps, Namdalen, Norway, Norwegians, Olaf the Red, Olvir, Oslo Fjord, Rognvald, Sandness, Scandanavia, Scots, Shape-changer, Sigrid, Sigtrygg, Skallagrimsson, slander, Snorri Sturluson, Sweden, Thora, Thorfinn, Thorgils Gjallandi, Thorolf, Thorunn, treachery, Trondheim, Vikings, Welch, Yngvar

 

We returned to the farm where Rognvald was staying. Everyone ran for their lives; men, women and children. We allowed them to escape but, once again, pillaged everything that was valuable and moveable. We carried it all back to the ship.

The wind was picking up and the men were ready to sail. I asked for a favor of time. They granted it.

I found a substantial pole and placed on it a horsehead that remained from the slaughter. The pole was stuck deep into the soil near a cliff with the horsehead facing the island.

I then spoke these words.

“Here I set up a pole of insult against King Eirik and Queen Gunnhild, and I direct this insult against the guardian spirits of this land, so tht everyone of them shall go astray, neither to figure nor find their dwelling places until they have driven King Eirik and Queen Gunnhild from this country.”

If Asgerd and I could not have her inheritance then no one would.

As we sailed out to open sea I made a verse.

 

The mast-beater blows,

The bow chisels

The smooth sea

Into spraystorms:

The wild willow-shaker

Whirls hard and cold,

Savaging the breast

Of my sailing swan.

 

We crossed the great ocean and made harbor at Borg in Iceland. I stayed at the house of my father, Skallagrim. My men found other lodging.

Father was getting very old.

EGIL’S SAGA: CHAPTER 57; (Part 3) Egil kills King Eirik’s son

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Adils, Aki, Alfgeir, Arinbjorn, Asgerd, Athelstan, Æthelstan, Bard, Bera, Berg-Onund, Bjorgolf, Bjorn, Borg, Brynjolf, Courland, Danes, Egil, Eirik Bloodaxe, England, Eyvind, Finnmark, Fjord Province, Geir, Godrek, Grim, Gunnhild, Halberd, Hallvard, Halogaland, Hildirid, Hildiridarsons, Hogni, Hring, Iceland, intrigue, Isle of Torg, Karelians, Ketil Trout, King Arnvid, King Æthelstan, King Faravid, King Harald, Kveldulf, Kvenland, Kylfings, Lapps, Namdalen, Norway, Norwegians, Olaf the Red, Olvir, Oslo Fjord, Rognvald, Sandness, Scandanavia, Scots, Shape-changer, Sigrid, Sigtrygg, Skallagrimsson, slander, Snorri Sturluson, Sweden, Thora, Thorfinn, Thorgils Gjallandi, Thorolf, Thorunn, treachery, Trondheim, Vikings, Welch, Yngvar

 

After I told my men about killing Berg-Onund I suggested that we go back and kill the rest of the men and pillage the farm.

We had little resistance from the drunken men and slaughtered most of them. A few got away and hid in the woods. We took everything of value that we could carry. As we walked down to the boat we drove some livestock ahead of us. When we reached shore we slaughtered the livestock and took it aboard for provisions.

We were heading back to the large ship when we saw the ship of the king’s son, Rognvald, heading for us. We turned our ship directly at their ship and rammed it. Rognvald’s ship listed and took on water. We boarded and killed every last man on board; all thirteen of them. There was no resistance from the drunken fools.

As we headed back to the island I made up a verse.

 

We fought with no fear

Of future vengeance,

I dabbled my blade

In Bloodaxe’s boy.

In one galley Gunnhild’s son

With twelve gold-adorned men

Bleeding and broken:

Busy, these battle-hands.

EGIL’S SAGA: CHAPTER 57; (Part 2) Egil kills Berg-Onund

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Adils, Aki, Alfgeir, Arinbjorn, Asgerd, Athelstan, Æthelstan, Bard, Bera, Berg-Onund, Bjorgolf, Bjorn, Borg, Brynjolf, Courland, Danes, Egil, Eirik Bloodaxe, England, Eyvind, Finnmark, Fjord Province, Geir, Godrek, Grim, Gunnhild, Halberd, Hallvard, Halogaland, Hildirid, Hildiridarsons, Hogni, Hring, Iceland, intrigue, Isle of Torg, Karelians, Ketil Trout, King Arnvid, King Æthelstan, King Faravid, King Harald, Kveldulf, Kvenland, Kylfings, Lapps, Namdalen, Norway, Norwegians, Olaf the Red, Olvir, Oslo Fjord, Sandness, Scandanavia, Scots, Shape-changer, Sigrid, Sigtrygg, Skallagrimsson, slander, Snorri Sturluson, Sweden, Thora, Thorfinn, Thorgils Gjallandi, Thorolf, Thorunn, treachery, Trondheim, Vikings, Welch, Yngvar

 

 

 

The winds at Vitar were changeable and therefore I stayed put. One day there was a good breeze so I put out to sea and let the boat drift on its own. Again a wind came up and I allowed the boat to be pushed wherever it chose to go.

We approached Herle Island. I sent a man on land to determine what was occurring there.

When he returned he told me that the king’s son, Rognvald, was there with companions. They were all drunk out of their minds. He also found out that there was another drinking party going on at Berg-Onunds place.

I put a smaller boat to use and took several men with me. We reached land. I told the men to stay with the boat while I scouted out the farm where the drinking party was occurring.

I ran into a man who asked me if I was looking for ‘the bear’. He continued on and told me there was a vicious bear killing livestock. I told him yes, I had just seen it and to go tell the men in the hall to come help me kill it

The ruse worked fine. First I rattled the leaves and Berg-Onund came towards me. We threw our spears at each other. I turned my shield a little so that his spear glanced off to the side. Berg-Onund held his straight and my spear went through. Berg-Onund could no longer hold the shield up and abandoned it. I drove my sword through him. As I withdrew it he started to fall. I took a mighty swing at his neck and came close to cutting his head off. I then withdrew my spear from his shield

The two other men came to see what the ruckus was about. I sent my spear through the first man’s shield so hard that it went through him also. It came out his back. The other man was no match for my sword. All three were lying dead when a herdsman decided to see what was going on.

I told him to watch over his master Berg-Onund and his companions so that the birds and beasts would not rip up their corpses. I returned to my men at the boat.

When they asked what had happened I made up a verse.

Too much have I suffered

The malice of this miser,

More prudent in past days

Was I with my weapons.

These warriors will not wake,

Not from the wounds that I gave them,

A blood-coif I bestowed

On earth, Odin’s bed mate.

 

 

EGIL’S SAGA: CHAPTER 57; (Part 1) King Eirik kills his two brothers

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Adils, Aki, Alfgeir, Arinbjorn, Asgerd, Athelstan, Æthelstan, Bard, Bera, Berg-Onund, Bjorgolf, Bjorn, Borg, Brynjolf, Courland, Danes, Egil, Eirik Bloodaxe, England, Eyvind, Finnmark, Fjord Province, Geir, Godrek, Grim, Gunnhild, Halberd, Hallvard, Halogaland, Hildirid, Hildiridarsons, Hogni, Hring, Iceland, intrigue, Isle of Torg, Karelians, Ketil Trout, King Arnvid, King Æthelstan, King Faravid, King Harald, Kveldulf, Kvenland, Kylfings, Lapps, Namdalen, Norway, Norwegians, Olaf the Red, Olvir, Oslo Fjord, Sandness, Scandanavia, Scots, Shape-changer, Sigrid, Sigtrygg, Skallagrimsson, slander, Snorri Sturluson, Sweden, Thora, Thorfinn, Thorgils Gjallandi, Thorolf, Thorunn, treachery, Trondheim, Vikings, Welch, Yngvar

 

The same summer that I had such bad luck with King Eirik, Queen Gunnhild, the Gula Assembly and Berg-Onund other things were occurring. Possibly that is why King Eirik was not in a good mood. He fought and killed his two brothers so that there would be no competition for the throne. I have no doubt that Queen Gunnhild put him up to this horrible deed.

Berg-Onund stayed close to home with his men. It was said that he was afraid to go sailing for fear I would show up.

The king put together a hunting party for me. He invited Arinbjorn to go with him. That is when Arinbjorn told me to go to the fishing village of  Vitar. It was out of the normal path and I would be away from the king’s normal haunts and routes.

The king had a foster son by the name of Frodi. The king told Frodi to go to Berg-Onund’s estate and help him. Berg-Onund had a brother by the name of Hadd and he also stayed with Frodi and Berg-Onund.

The king, before setting out on his mission, had declared me an outlaw in Norway.

As it turned out, the little village of Vitar was a good source of news. All of the fishermen who were going here and there brought back the latest news. When I heard that King Eirik had named me an outlaw I made the following verse.

 

Land-spirit,long the road

The law-breaker makes me walk,

Banished by the brother-killer

And his bitter woman:

Cunning and cruel

The character of Gunnhild,

But no beating about

The bush for young Egil.

 

EGIL’S SAGA: CHAPTER 56; (Part 10) Egil and Arinbjorn part ways

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Adils, Aki, Alfgeir, Arinbjorn, Asgerd, Athelstan, Æthelstan, Bard, Bera, Berg-Onund, Bjorgolf, Bjorn, Borg, Brynjolf, Courland, Danes, Egil, Eirik Bloodaxe, England, Eyvind, Finnmark, Fjord Province, Geir, Godrek, Grim, Gunnhild, Halberd, Hallvard, Halogaland, Hildirid, Hildiridarsons, Hogni, Hring, Iceland, intrigue, Isle of Torg, Karelians, Ketil Trout, King Arnvid, King Æthelstan, King Faravid, King Harald, Kveldulf, Kvenland, Kylfings, Lapps, Namdalen, Norway, Norwegians, Olaf the Red, Olvir, Oslo Fjord, Sandness, Scandanavia, Scots, Shape-changer, Sigrid, Sigtrygg, Skallagrimsson, slander, Snorri Sturluson, Sweden, Thora, Thorfinn, Thorgils Gjallandi, Thorolf, Thorunn, treachery, Trondheim, Vikings, Welch, Yngvar

 

Arinbjorn gave me an ocean-going ship to sail back to Iceland. He loaded it with timber for trading when I reached home.

Arinbjorn was a very generous man.

Before we parted he said “You could hardly have expected a different outcome when dealing with King Eirik. But you won’t be short of money. Take this boat and its load of lumber as compensation for the one you leave behind.

 

I made a verse for him.

May the gods get rid

Of this ruling robber,

Let the heavens hang him

For highway robbery!

May Odin and the others,

Frey and Njord, show their anger

To this enemy of ease

And order at the assemblies.

EGIL’S SAGA: CHAPTER 56; (Part 9) King Eirik stalks Egil

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Adils, Aki, Alfgeir, Arinbjorn, Asgerd, Athelstan, Æthelstan, Bard, Bera, Berg-Onund, Bjorgolf, Bjorn, Borg, Brynjolf, Courland, Danes, Egil, Eirik Bloodaxe, England, Eyvind, Finnmark, Fjord Province, Geir, Godrek, Grim, Gunnhild, Halberd, Hallvard, Halogaland, Hildirid, Hildiridarsons, Hogni, Hring, Iceland, intrigue, Isle of Torg, Karelians, Ketil Trout, King Arnvid, King Æthelstan, King Faravid, King Harald, Kveldulf, Kvenland, Kylfings, Lapps, Namdalen, Norway, Norwegians, Olaf the Red, Olvir, Oslo Fjord, Sandness, Scandanavia, Scots, Shape-changer, Sigrid, Sigtrygg, Skallagrimsson, slander, Snorri Sturluson, Sweden, Thora, Thorfinn, Thorgils Gjallandi, Thorolf, Thorunn, treachery, Trondheim, Vikings, Welch, Yngvar

The king was furious about what I had said – - – that no one was to touch Bjorn the Yoeman’s estate.

He assembled a fleet of longships and came after me. By nightfall I had taken the skiff back to my merchant ship and was ready to sail in the morning.

Just before dawn the guards spotted the king’s fleet of six long-ships. They were coming straight at us. I ordered some of my men to grab the two chests full of silver that King Athelstan had given me. I always kept them close to me. Many of us jumped into the skiff and being faster, we rowed right between the king’s ship and shore. As we passed, I hurled a spear and buried it into a man’s chest.

The king set fire to my merchant ship and murdered all those aboard.

I made a verse.

 

Now the bitter bearer

Of the blazing war-blade

Has taken ten

Of my trusted followers:

But my salmon-like spear

Settled the score

When I cast it through

the curved ribs of Ketil.

EGIL’S SAGA: CHAPTER 56; (Part 8) Egil challenges Berg-Onund to a duel

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Adils, Aki, Alfgeir, Arinbjorn, Asgerd, Athelstan, Æthelstan, Bard, Bera, Berg-Onund, Bjorgolf, Bjorn, Borg, Brynjolf, Courland, Danes, Egil, Eirik Bloodaxe, England, Eyvind, Finnmark, Fjord Province, Geir, Godrek, Grim, Gunnhild, Halberd, Hallvard, Halogaland, Hildirid, Hildiridarsons, Hogni, Hring, Iceland, intrigue, Isle of Torg, Karelians, Ketil Trout, King Arnvid, King Æthelstan, King Faravid, King Harald, Kveldulf, Kvenland, Kylfings, Lapps, Namdalen, Norway, Norwegians, Olaf the Red, Olvir, Oslo Fjord, Sandness, Scandanavia, Scots, Shape-changer, Sigrid, Sigtrygg, Skallagrimsson, slander, Snorri Sturluson, Sweden, Thora, Thorfinn, Thorgils Gjallandi, Thorolf, Thorunn, treachery, Trondheim, Vikings, Welch, Yngvar

 

The hall was a mess. Men were everywhere and the din was deafening.

I hollered out “Can Berg-Onund hear what I say?”

“I can hear you” he replied.

I told him “I challenge you to a duel, winner take all.”

King Eirik spoke up. “If you wish to duel, Egil, we will grant you that favor right now.”

I spoke. “I do not wish to fight you here. Not on these terms. But when I get a chance to fight you on even terms I will not run away.”

Arinbjorn said “Let us get out of here. There is nothing that will help us with our case.”

I turned to the hall at large and spoke. “I forbid anyone here from taking land, renting land or taking property from the estate of Bjorn the Yoeman until this matter is settled to my satisfaction. Is that clear?”

We departed the hall with all our men. Boats and skiffs and ferries took each man to his own place. I was ahead of Arinbjorn’s long boat. I made a verse.

 

The heir of Thorn-Foot,

Theif of the inheritance,

Has looted my legacy

And threatens my life:

Can I repay the pillage

Of my ploughed fields?

There is something to strive for,

Money is at stake.