The Saga of the Jomsvikings

by Lee M Hollander

  Thereupon he sailed forth to procure weapons and food. He sailed along the whole length of Denmark, raiding the countryside ruthlessly, robbing arms and war gear, and did not stop before he had enough of both. Then he set his course for Jómsborg and arrived there early in the day at sunrise. He moored his ships by the stone arch, and the chieftains of the stronghold came out with a great following and asked who were the men who had come there. In reply, Vagn asked whether Palnatóki was in the fort. Palnatóki answered that he was, “and who are you who behave in such grand fashion?”

  Vagn said: “I shall not conceal from you that my name is Vagn and that I am the son of Áki; I have come here to offer you my company of men, and I was not considered easy to deal with at home.”

  Palnatóki said: “Does it seem likely to you, kinsman, that you can get along with men here, seeing that your own folk at home could scarcely deal with you?”

  Vagn said: “They have told me wrong about you, kinsman, if such men as these would be of no use in your company.”

  Then Palnatóki said to his men: “Would you consider it wise for us to take them into our company?”

  “It would seem advisable to me,” said Búi, “even though he got along best with me of all his kinsmen, that we do not take him in.”

  Palnatóki said: “Kinsman Vagn, our men are set against you, your kinsmen as well as the others.”

  Vagn said: “I did not expect that of you, kinsman Búi.”

  Búi said: “I shall stand on it, though.”

  Vagn said: “And what do the sons of Strút-Harold say about it?”

  Sigvaldi said: “We are agreed, both of us, that you shall never get into our band.”

  Then Palnatóki asked: “How old are you, kinsman?”

  Vagn replied: “I shall not lie about it; I am twelve.”

  Palnatóki said: “That shows that you do not mean to abide by our laws: you are much younger than any one we have accepted into our company. And so that settles the matter; you cannot stay here.”

  Vagn said: “I don’t want to insist on your going against your laws. But they would hardly be broken, since I am as good as a man eighteen years old or older.”

  Palnatóki said: “Don’t insist, kinsman. I shall, rather, send you to Wales to Bjorn. And because of our kinship I shall let you have half of my possessions in Wales.”

  Vagn said: “A noble offer, but I won’t have it.”

  Palnatóki said: “What, then, do you want if you don’t want that?”

  “That I shall let you know now,” Vagn said. “I challenge Sigvaldi, the son of Strút-Harold, to come out of the fort with two ships and try conclusions with us and see who yields and who has the better of the fight. And let it be agreed between us that you shall take us into your company if his ships flee; in the contrary case I shall go away. And I stress that I challenge Sigvaldi to do battle with us unless he is an arrant coward and has the heart of a she-animal rather than that of a man.”40

  Palnatóki said: “Do you hear, Sigvaldi, what Vagn says? He is not so gentle in his terms of challenge, either. And I am thinking you will have a tough test. But since so much has been said about the matter already I will not stand in the way of your attacking his ships and doing them all the damage you can. Only, I do not want you to kill Vagn, even though he may not be altogether easy to deal with.”

  Thereupon Sigvaldi and his men put on their war gear and rowed out with two ships. And at once a fierce battle began. Vagn and his crew hurled such a volley of stones that Sigvaldi and his men could do nothing but protect themselves and were hard put to it to do even that. Then they lay broadside to broadside. And when Vagn and his crew ran out of stones they fell upon their opponents with sword blows, and Sigvaldi was obliged to order his ships to fall back to land for more stones. But Vagn and his crew were right after them and attacked them on land, so that Sigvaldi had to give ground and there was a still fiercer battle. Many of Sigvaldi’s troop fell.

  Meanwhile Palnatóki and his men were watching the combat from the fort. It seemed clear to Palnatóki what course matters would take, and he called on Sigvaldi to stop the fight, “for it will not do for you two to keep on with this. My advice is that we take Vagn and his men into our company even though he is younger than is permitted by our laws, and unless my judgment deceives me we may well expect that this man will become a valiant fighter.”

  Thereupon Sigvaldi’s men did as Palnatóki said. They left off fighting, and Vagn and his men were taken into the company and its laws. Thirty of Sigvaldi’s men had fallen, but few of Vagn’s, though many were wounded. After that Vagn, in command of a ship, went with the company on every expedition, and no one seemed to be his equal as a fighter.

  Notes

  40 To be called a she-animal was the most deadly insult that could be offered a man.

  16. OF PALNATÓKI’S DEATH AND SIGVALDI’S AMBITION

  This continued for three years, until Vagn was fifteen years old. Then Palnatóki took sick. He sent messengers to King Burisleif to come to him. And when the king arrived Palnatóki said: “I am thinking, Sir King, that this will be my last sickness.”

  The king said: “In that case it is my advice that you choose some one in your stead to look after matters as you have done and that he be chieftain in the fort and that the company stay here as before.” Palnatóki said that all in all Sigvaldi was the man best fitted to take command, “yet it seems to me that all of them fall somewhat short of what I have been.”

  The king said: “Often your counsels have benefited us, and now I shall follow your last one. Let all laws stand as before in the fort.”

  Sigvaldi was by no means loath, and in fact mightily pleased, to assume command.

  Then Palnatóki gave his kinsman Vagn half of his earldom in Wales to govern under the guardianship of Bjorn the Welshman, and commended him to the special care of the company. And shortly thereafter Palnatóki died, and that was felt by all to be a great loss.

  Sigvaldi had administered the laws but a short while when breaches in the discipline began to occur. Women stayed at Jómsborg two or three nights at a time; and men remained away longer from the fort than when Palnatóki lived. Also, there were maimings once in a while, and even some killings.

  King Burisleif had three daughters. The oldest was called Ástrid and she was both exceedingly beautiful and exceedingly wise. Another was called Gunnhild, and the third was Geira—she who later married King Ólaf Tryggvason. Sigvaldi came to King Burisleif and presented this proposition: he would remain no longer in the fort, unless he was given the king’s daughter Ástrid in marriage.

  “It had been my intention,” said the king, “to marry her to some one of more princely rank than yours; yet I need you in the fort. We shall take it all under advisement.”

  He sought his daughter Ástrid and asked her whether it suited her wishes to be married to Sigvaldi.

  Ástrid replied: “To say the truth, it would never be my choice to marry Sigvaldi. Therefore if he is to win my hand he must relieve us of all the tribute this land has been paying the Danish king before he may enter the marriage bed with me. There is a second condition too: he must lure King Svein here so that you will have him in your power.”

  Then Burisleif made this clear to Sigvaldi, who was nevertheless bent on marrying Ástrid. The upshot was that he accepted the conditions, and they made a binding agreement about it. He was to fulfill the conditions before the first days of Yule or the agreement would be null and void.

  17. SIGVALDI CAPTURES KING SVEIN

  Thereupon Sigvaldi returned to Jómsborg. And a short while thereafter he set sail from the fort with three ships and three hundred men and continued till he came to Zealand. He learned from people there that King Svein was being given a banquet, not far away. Sigvaldi moored his ships by a tongue of land. No other ships lay near the estate where the king sat banqueting, accompanied by six hundred of his men.

  Sigvaldi turned his ships so that their prows pointed away from land, and
fastened them together broadside to broadside. Then he sent twenty men as messengers to King Svein—”and tell him that I am sick unto death and would at all costs see him, and that his life depends on that.”

  They came to the king and delivered their message. The king started out at once with all his men. When Sigvaldi learned that the king had arrived he was lying on the ship farthest from land. He said to his men: “When thirty men have boarded the ship nearest to shore you are to pull up the gangplank and say that no more must crowd on lest the ship sink—and I surmise the king will be among the foremost. And when twenty men have entered the middle ship you are to pull up the gangplank between it and the first one.”

  Now the king stepped aboard the ship, and Sigvaldi’s men did as they were told. And when the king reached Sigvaldi’s ship with only ten men he asked whether Sigvaldi was still able to speak and was told that he was very low. Thereupon the king went up to Sigvaldi’s couch and asked whether he could speak.

  Sigvaldi said: “Bend down to me.”

  When the king bent down over him Sigvaldi with one arm took hold of him about his shoulders and with the other gripped him under the arm. At the same time he called out to all the crews to cast off double-quick, and so they did. The king’s men were left standing behind on land and could only look helplessly on.

  Then the king said: “How now, Sigvaldi, are you going to betray me? Or have you something else in mind?”

  Sigvaldi said: “I shall not betray you; but you shall come to Jómsborg with me, and there you will be welcome and we shall show you all honor.”

  The king said: “That I shall have to comply with.”

  So they sailed to Jómsborg, and the Jómsvíkings prepared a grand festival on his arrival and declared themselves to be his men.

  Afterwards, Sigvaldi told King Svein that he had asked, in his behalf, for the hand of that daughter of King Burisleif whose name was Gunnhild and who was the most beautiful; “and to me he has betrothed her sister, Ástrid. Now I shall journey to him to carry through this business for you.”

  The king asked him to do so. Thereupon Sigvaldi set out with one hundred and twenty of his men and had a conference with King Burisleif. Sigvaldi pointed out that now he had fulfilled the conditions for marrying Ástrid. And the king and he laid their plans together, whereupon Sigvaldi returned to Jómsborg.

  King Svein asked how his suit was progressing. Sigvaldi said that it depended altogether on King Svein himself: “whether you, Sir King, will remit all of King Burisleif’s tribute to you—then he will give you the hand of his daughter. Besides, it would be more fitting to your honor and his if the king whose daughter you marry does not have to pay you tribute.”

  And so persuasive was Sigvaldi in his representations that the king was willing to accept this condition. The day for the marriage feast was agreed on, and both weddings were to be on the same day. King Svein then proceeded to the feast, followed by all the Jómsvíkings, and it was so splendid that no one remembered a more glorious one ever celebrated in Wendland.

  The first evening, both brides wore their head coverings low over their faces;41 but the morning after, both brides were gay and had their faces uncovered. And now King Svein examined their countenances, for he had seen neither one before. Sigvaldi had said that Gunnhild was the more beautiful; but it did not seem so to the king, and he realized that Sigvaldi had not told him the truth. And now he grasped Sigvaldi’s designs. However, he made the best of a bad bargain. And when the feast came to an end the king sailed home with his bride, and had with him thirty ships and a great host of men and many valuable gifts. Sigvaldi journeyed to Jómsborg with his bride, and the Jómsvíkings with him.

  Notes

  41 As was the custom; cf. the Eddic “Lay of Thrym,” stanza 26, in The Poetic Edda, tr. Hollander (The University of Texas, 1928).

  18. THE VOWS OF THE JÓMSVÍKINGS

  A little while later the news came from Denmark that Earl Strút-Harold, the father of Sigvaldi and Thorkel, had died. Their brother Heming was still young, so King Svein sent messengers to Sigvaldi to say that he and Thorkel should return to Denmark to inherit their father. They sent word for the king to prepare the arvel feast and not be sparing with their goods, and that they themselves would arrive at the beginning of the winter season. This plan seemed unwise to most of their men, for they suspected that the friendship between King Svein and Sigvaldi was not too solid, the way things had gone. But the brothers would not hear of not going.

  The Jómsvíkings departed with sixty ships and sailed to Zealand. King Svein was there already and had prepared a splendid feast, and a huge force of men was assembled. The very first night King Svein saw to it that the Jómsvíkings were served the most powerful drink, and they took to it fast and furiously. When the king saw that they were dead drunk and very talkative he spoke as follows:

  “There is good cheer here now, and it would seem fitting if we chose some pastime to entertain all those here, one which would live in men’s minds in after times.”

  Sigvaldi said: “Then it seems to us best, to begin with, that you make the first choice, for we all owe allegiance to you.”

  The king said: “I know that it is customary at such celebrations for men to make vows so as to increase their renown. And since you Jómvíkings are famed in all lands it is likely that your vows will surpass all others. Now I shall make the beginning: I vow that I shall have driven King Æthelræd of England from his kingdom before the beginning of next winter or else have slain him and thus obtained his kingdom.42 Now it is your turn, Sigvaldi. And make your vow not less.”

  Sigvaldi said that so it should be. “Sire, I make the vow that before three years have passed I shall have harried in Norway with such forces as I have, and have driven Earl Hákon out of his land or killed him, or else have fallen myself.”

  Then the king said: “Now this is as it should be. That is a brave vow—all luck to you to carry it out well. Now it is your turn, Thorkel the Tall, and you will have to make your vow a handsome one.”

  Thorkel said: “I have considered it, and this it is: to accompany my brother Sigvaldi and not flee before I see the stern of his ship.”

  “Nobly spoken,” said the king, “and you are likely to perform it well. And now it is your turn, Búi the Stout, and let your vow be one that is noteworthy.”

  “This vow I make,” said Búi, “to support Sigvaldi in this expedition to the best of my power and to hold out as long as he does.”

  “It is as we thought,” said the king. “Manful deeds could be expected of you. It is your turn now, Sigurd Cape, after your brother.”

  “That is quickly done,” said Sigurd. “I shall follow my brother and not flee before he flees or has fallen.”

  “That was to be expected from you,” said the king. “Now it is your turn, Vagn. And we are eager to hear what your vow will be, because you kinsfolk are men of great mettle.”

  Vagn said: “My vow is that I shall follow Sigvaldi and Búi, my kinsman, on this expedition and hold out as long as Búi does and is alive; and another thing I vow is that if I get to Norway I shall kill Thorkel Leira43 and get into the bed of his daughter Ingeborg without the consent of her kinsfolk.”

  Bjorn the Welshman was there with Vagn. Then the king said: “What vow do you make, Bjorn?”

  He replied: “To follow my foster-son Vagn with all my might.”

  That was the end of their talks. Then all sought their couches. Sigvaldi went to bed with his wife Ástrid, and he soon fell asleep and slept soundly. When he awoke, Ástrid asked him whether he remembered what vows he had made. He said he remembered nothing.

  She said: “It will not do for you to pretend that you made none.” And she told him what they were. “And we shall need to set all our wits to work.”

  Sigvaldi said: “What are we to do? You are both wise and resourceful.”

  “I don’t know,” she said, “but we must contrive something, for you will get few reinforcements from King Svein if
you don’t get them right now.”

  Then together they laid their plans. Soon King Svein took his seat in the banquet hall, and all the Jómvíkings joined him. Sigvaldi was in a very cheerful mood. Then the king asked Sigvaldi whether he remembered the vows he had made. Sigvaldi said he did not remember, and the king told him what they were. Sigvaldi replied that one was not responsible for what one said over the cups, “but what would you contribute to help me fulfill my vows?” The king said that he might contribute twenty ships when Sigvaldi was all ready.

  Sigvaldi said: “That is good enough from a franklin but not from a king.”

  Then King Svein said, and wrinkled his brows: “How many would you have?”

  “That is quickly said,” Sigvaldi answered. “Sixty large ships; and I shall furnish as many to match them, though smaller.44 Because it is not certain that all will return.”

  Then the king said: “All the ships will be ready as soon as you are.”

  “Very good,” said Sigvaldi, “and be sure you live up to your promise, for we shall depart at once—as soon as this banquet comes to an end.”

  The king grew very quiet, then said, more quickly than might have been expected: “It shall be so. Yet this has come to pass sooner than I had thought.”

  Then said Ástrid, Sigvaldi’s wife: “There would be little hope of overcoming Earl Hákon if you did not act before he has any inkling of our plan.” Then and there at the banquet they made arrangements for the expedition.