Olaf the Glorious: A Story of the Viking Age

by Robert Leighton

  CHAPTER IX: THE VIKINGS OF JOMSBURG.

  Burislaf was the name of the king in Wendland. He was a very wealthymonarch and held in high esteem throughout the countries of the Baltic,and his court was the frequent meeting place of the great men of thattime. Now Burislaf had three very beautiful daughters--Geira, Gunnhild,and Astrid--whom many noble and kingly men sought vainly to win inmarriage. Geira, the eldest of the three, held rule and dominion in theland, for it was much the wont of mighty kings in those days that theyshould let the queen, or the eldest daughter, have half the court tosustain it at her own cost out of the revenues that came to her share.So when Geira heard that alien folk were come into Wendland, with agreat fleet of viking ships, and that the chief of them was a young manof unusual prowess and noble mien, she sent friendly messengers to thecoast and bade the newcomers be her guests that wintertide, for thesummer was now far spent, and the weather hard and stormy. And OlafTriggvison took her bidding, and went with his chosen captains to thecourt, where he was well received and most hospitably entertained.

  It is told that when Geira saw how kingly of aspect Olaf was, and howhandsome and courteous withal, she at once yearned for his love andcraved that he should wed with her and become a ruler in the land. Manylegends which have come down to us from that time even state that shestraightway fell a-wooing him, and that in the end they were married,and ruled the realm side by side. But it is not easy to believe thatone who was heir to the throne of Norway would be content to remain inWendland at the bidding of a woman he did not love, and it is to beremembered that Olaf was still little more than a youth, while Geirawas already well advanced in years. Moreover, Olaf had at this sametime met Thyra, the daughter of the king of Denmark--a princess who wasnot only more beautiful, but also much nearer his own age than Geira,and who afterwards became his wife and queen. Howsoever it be, Olaf hadlived but a few months in Wendland when Geira was stricken with anillness and died.

  Among the guests of King Burislaf were two men who in the later timehad a large share in the shaping of Olaf's destiny, first as hisfriends, and afterwards as his enemies. Their names were Earl Sigvaldiof Jomsburg and Sweyn of Denmark.

  Earl Sigvaldi was the son of Strut-Harald, sometime King of Skaney, andat the time of his meeting with Olaf in Wendland he was lord over thegreat company of vikings who had their stronghold in Jomsburg. He was avery mighty man, and his wealth and personal prowess were such thatBurislaf's daughter Astrid encouraged his wooing of her with the resultthat they were wedded.

  Earl Sweyn was a younger man, the son of Harald Bluetooth, King ofDenmark. He had come into Wendland in the company of his friendSigvaldi, for they had both been a-warring together, and, being beatenin a great sea fight, they had taken refuge in the court of Burislaf.Their warring had been against Sweyn's own father, King Harald. Sweynhad craved dominion in his father's realm, but Harald Bluetoothpreferred to retain his throne undivided. Then Sweyn gathered warshipstogether and got the help of the Jomsburg vikings, and stood towardsZealand, where King Harald lay with his fleet ready to fare to the warsagainst Norway. So Sweyn fell upon his father's ships, and there was agreat battle, in which Harald Bluetooth got the victory, but also hisdeath wound. Now the arrow with which King Harald was killed was onebearing marks which showed it to be of his own son's making, and Sweynfled lest vengeance should overtake him.

  Now Sigvaldi, knowing that it would not be long ere the Danes claimedSweyn as their king, was anxious to assure a peace between Wendland andDenmark, and with this purpose he had brought Sweyn in his company toKing Burislaf's court, and it was then arranged that Sweyn should wedGunnhild, daughter of Burislaf, and that thereafter there should bepeace between the two lands. So when the wedding was over, King Sweynfared home to Denmark with Gunnhild his wife, and they became theparents of Canute the Mighty--the same who in his manhood foughtagainst Edmund Ironsides and reigned as King of England.

  In those days the Danes and their neighbours the Wends made greatthreats of sailing with a host to Norway, and Olaf Triggvison heardmuch talk of this threatened expedition from Earl Sigvaldi. He learned,too, something of what had been taking place in his native land sincethe time of the death of King Triggvi.

  By their evil work Queen Gunnhild and the sons of Erik Bloodaxe had, asthey thought, put an end to the family of Harald Fairhair, for they hadlost all trace of Queen Astrid and her boy Olaf, and none remained todispute the throne of Norway. In the province of Thrandheim, however,there reigned a certain Earl Sigurd, who yet gave them great trouble.To rid themselves of all danger from him they resorted to treachery.They had murdered King Triggvi and his four brothers, and they hadlittle scruple in employing the same means towards Earl Sigurd, so theyentrapped him and put him to death. After this deed Harald Greyfellreigned as King of Norway for five troublous and unfruitful years. Bythe slaying of Earl Sigurd, however, the sons of Erik raised up againstthemselves an enemy who proved more dangerous to them than any they hadyet encountered. This was Earl Hakon, the son of Sigurd, a mostpowerful and sagacious warrior, whose one desire was to avenge hisfather's death and drive the whole race of Erik Bloodaxe from the land.Nor was he long in fulfilling his designs. By a daring intrigue, andwith help from Denmark, he succeeded not only in bringing King HaraldGreyfell to his bane, but also in winning his own way to the throne ofNorway. Queen Gunnhild and her two surviving sons then fled over sea tothe Orkneys, and that was the end of them.

  Now, when Olaf heard these things and understood that Earl Hakon,although not of royal birth or lineage, was still recognized as theking in Norway, he resolved to join issue with the Danes and Wends intheir projected expedition, and he spoke with Earl Sigvaldi, offeringthe support of all his ships and men. Well satisfied was Sigvaldi athearing this offer made, and he gladly accepted it, for he had quicklydiscerned that Ole the Esthonian was a young warrior whose help wouldbe most valuable, even apart from the great force of battleships andfighting men that were under his command.

  So when the winter had passed by, and the sea was clear of ice, Olafhad his ships refitted, mustered his men, and set sail along theWendland coast towards the island of Wollin, at the mouth of the riverOder, upon which stood the great stronghold of Jomsburg.

  Jomsburg had been founded and built by King Harald Bluetooth ofDenmark, who possessed a great earldom in Wendland. He had garrisonedthe place with vikings on the condition that they should defend theland, and be always ready to support him in any warlike expedition.There was a very fine harbour or dock made within the Burgh, in whichthree hundred longships could lie at the same time, all being lockedwithin the strongly built walls of granite with their massive gates ofiron. The Jomsburg vikings were a well disciplined company of pirateswho made war their exclusive business, living by rapine and plunder.Their firm belief in the heathen gods justified them in following thismode of life, and often they fought for mere fighting's sake. They werebound by very strict laws to obey their chief. No man older than fiftyor younger than eighteen winters could be received into the fellowship;they were all to be between these two ages. No man could join the bandwho was known to have ever yielded in fight to an opponent his match instrength of arms. Every member admitted swore by the hammer of Thor torevenge all the rest as his brother. Slander was forbidden. No woman orchild was ever to be molested or carried away as captive, and all thespoil or plunder of war was to be equally divided. One very importantlaw was that no member of the band was ever to utter a word of fear orto flinch from pain, or to attempt to dress his wounds until they hadbled for four and twenty hours. Nothing could occur within the Burghover which the chief should not have full power to rule as he liked. Ifany broke these rules he was to be punished by instant expulsion fromthe community.

  For two days after the time when Olaf's fleet anchored abreast of thegates of Jomsburg, there was the work of inspecting all his men andships and arms. Some two score of the men were rejected by EarlSigvaldi, some because they were at enmity with certain vikings whowere already of the band, others because they ha
d killed some nearkinsman of one of the members, and yet others who refused to follow orobey any other chief than Olaf Triggvison alone. But the ships andtheir equipment were all pronounced seaworthy and in good condition;so, after the vows had been made, there was held a great feast, andOlaf was chosen as a captain under Earl Sigvaldi, holding the commandof his own division of the Jomsburg fleet.

  Now, during the summer months of that same year, Olaf went out upon aviking cruise into the Gulf of Bothnia. On the coast of Jemptland andHelsingialand he encountered many Swedish warships, cleared them, andslew many men, and took all the wealth of them. It was his habit to liehidden behind some rocky promontory, or at the mouth of some vik, orcreek, and thence dart out upon his unsuspecting prey; and he wouldthus creep along the coast from vik to vik, harrying and plunderingwheresoever he went. And in all his battles he never received a woundor lost a ship, but always got the victory. He was accounted the mostfavoured by the gods among all the vikings of Jomsburg, and his renownspread far and wide.

  When Olaf returned at the beginning of the winter to Jomsburg he heardthat Earl Sigvaldi's father, Strut-Harald of Skaney, had just died. Nowit was the custom in those days that a high born man, before he couldtake possession of any inheritance left to him by his father, shouldhold an arvel, or inheritance feast. King Sweyn was at this timepreparing to hold such a feast before taking possession of the Danishkingdom, so it was arranged that Sweyn and Sigvaldi should make onearvel serve for them both, and Sweyn sent word to Sigvaldi inviting himwith all his captains and chosen warriors to join him in Zealand, andso arrange it that the greatest possible honour should be done to thedead.

  Sigvaldi accordingly left Jomsburg with a large host of his vikings andtwo score of ships. Among his captains were Olaf Triggvison, KolbiornStallare, Bui the Thick of Borgund holm, Thorkel the High, and VagnAkison. It was winter time, and the seas were rough, but the fleetpassed through the Danish islands without disaster, and came to ananchorage in a large bay near which now stands the city of Copenhagen.King Sweyn welcomed Earl Sigvaldi and all his men with great kindness.

  The feast was held in a very large hall, specially built for thereception of guests, and ornamented with splendid wood carvings andhung about with peace shields and curtains of beautiful tapestry. KingSweyn was dressed in very fine clothes of purple, with gold rings onhis arms and round his neck, and a band of burnished gold, set withgems, upon his head. His beard, which was as yet but short, was trimmedin a peculiar way--divided into two prongs--which won for him thenickname of Sweyn Forkbeard. The tables were loaded with cooked foodand white bread; sufficient to serve all the great company for threedays. The ale and mead flowed abundantly, and there was much good cheerin the hall. Many high born women were present, and the guests sat inpairs, each man and woman together. Olaf Triggvison had for his partnerthe Princess Thyra, sister of the king.

  In the midst of the feasting Thyra turned to Olaf and asked him histrue name.

  "Men call me Ole the Esthonian," answered Olaf.

  "I had known so much already," returned Thyra. "It is the same namethat you bore at the time we first met in Wendland. But when I look atyou, and see your silken hair and your fair skin, it seems to me thatyou must be of kingly birth."

  "It is not well always to judge by appearances," Olaf said with asmile. And he drew down the gold ring from the thick part of his bareleft arm. Thyra's eyes rested upon his arm for a moment, and she sawimprinted there the seared brand that showed him to have been a slave;and from that moment she ceased to regard him with personal interest.

  It was the custom at such feasts as this that the high seat, or throne,of the man whom the guests were met to do honour to, should be leftvacant until the memorial toast of the deceased, and of the mightiestof their departed kinsmen, had been proposed. In accordance with thiscustom King Sweyn stood up and drank the cup of memory to his father.Then he stepped into the high seat, and by this act took possession ofhis inheritance. The cup was filled and emptied to the last drop byeach man in turn.

  The Jomsburg vikings drank eagerly on that first evening, and ever astheir drinking horns were emptied they were filled again, brimming ofthe strongest. After it had gone on thus for a while, King Sweyn sawthat his guests were nearly all drunk.

  "Here is great merriment," said he, rising and holding aloft his silverdrinking horn. "And I propose that we shall find a new entertainmentwhich will long hereafter be remembered."

  Sigvaldi answered, "We think it most becoming and best for theentertainment, that you, lord, should make the first proposal, for weall have to obey you and follow your example."

  Then the king laughed and said: "I know it has always been customary atgreat feasts and meetings that all present should make vows to performgreat and valorous deeds, and I am willing to try that now. For, asyou, Jomsvikings, are far more famous than all other men in thisnorthern half of the world, so the vows you will make here will be asmuch more renowned than others, as you are greater than other men. Andto set you an example, I will myself begin."

  He filled his drinking horn to the brim and held it high, while allwaited eagerly and silently to hear what vow he should make.

  "This it is," said he in a loud voice which those at the farthest endof the hall could clearly hear. "I vow that I will, before the thirdwinter nights hereafter have passed, have driven King Ethelred ofEngland out of his realm, or else have slain him, and thus have got hiskingdom to myself!"

  And so saying he quaffed his deep horn.

  All wondered at this great vow, for not many had heard even the name ofKing Ethelred.

  "Now it is thy turn, Sigvaldi," cried Sweyn, wiping his wet lips withthe back of his hand, "and make no less a vow than mine."

  Then the drink bearers bore to the vikings the biggest horns of thestrongest drink that was there, and Sigvaldi rose to his feet. He firstproposed the memory of his dead father, and before raising the drink tohis lips added this oath:

  "I swear," said he, "that before three winters are worn away I willsail over to Norway and slay Earl Hakon, or else drive him from theland."

  Now, this was the selfsame oath that Olaf Triggvison had resolved toswear when it should come to his turn, and he was annoyed that EarlSigvaldi had, as it were, snatched it from his lips. He now thoughtover what other vow he could make in its stead. But it chanced that erehis turn came round all the company were either asleep or so full ofstrong drink that they could not listen, so in the end he made no vowwhatsoever. Yet to the last he was as sober as when he first enteredthe hall, and he remembered ever afterwards the boastful oaths that hadbeen made. Many of his fellow vikings--as Thorkel the High, Bui theThick, and Vagn Akison--declared that they would but follow their chiefto Norway, while others of Sweyn's following in like manner vowed toaccompany the king to England; and once having made these promises,none dared to go back from them.

  On the morrow, when the vikings regained their senses, they thoughtthey had spoken big words enough, so they met and took counsel how theyshould bring about this expedition against Earl Hakon, and the end ofit was that they determined to set about it as early as might be. Forthe rest of that wintertide the men of Jomsburg accordingly bestirredthemselves in making preparations for the journey. They fitted outtheir best warships and loaded them with weapons, and their warriorswere mustered to the number of eight thousand well trained men, witheighty chosen battleships.

  So, when the snows of that winter had melted in the vales and the seaswere clear of ice floes, Sigvaldi led his host north through the EyrSound and lay for a time in Lyme Firth. There he divided his forces,leaving twenty of Olaf Triggvison's longships in the firth, so thatthey might perchance intercept Earl Hakon should he escape the mainfleet. This was an ill judged measure, but Sigvaldi was not aware thatthe forces of Earl Hakon were vastly superior in number to his own.Olaf's ships were left in the charge of Kolbiorn Stallare, while Olafhimself went aboard the dragonship of Vagn Akison.

  Earl Sigvaldi then sailed out into the main with sixty ships,
and cameto Agdir, in the south of Norway. And there he fell to pillaging in thedominion of Earl Hakon.