Olaf the Glorious: A Story of the Viking Age

by Robert Leighton

  CHAPTER X: THE BATTLE OF JOMSVIKINGS.

  The rumour of the bold vows that the Jomsvikings had made spreadquickly throughout the land, and tidings of the great war gatheringsoon reached Norway. Earl Erik Hakonson heard them in good time at theplace where he abode in Raum realm, and he straightway gathered hisfolk about him and fared to the Uplands, and so north over the fells toThrandheim to meet Earl Hakon, his father. Now Earl Hakon greatlyfeared the vikings of Jomsburg, and on hearing this news he sent abroadthe war arrow all about the Thrandheim country, and to Mere andRaumsdale, north also into Naumdale and Halogaland; and in answer tothis summons there assembled a vast fleet of warships to the number ofone hundred and eighty keels, and a force amounting to eleven thousandmen. So many vessels and warriors had never before been seen togetherin the fiords.

  Now there was a man named Giermund who was out sailing in a fishingskiff among the Her isles. He fared north to Mere, and there he fell inwith Earl Hakon, and told the earl tidings of a host that had come tothe land from Denmark.

  "How can I know that what you tell is true?" asked the earl. "And whattoken have you to show?"

  Giermund drew forth his right arm with the hand smitten off at thewrist.

  "By this token may you know that these ships have come," said he.

  Then Earl Hakon questioned the man closely concerning this new comeenemy, and Giermund told him that the men were vikings of Jomsburg, andthat they had slain many people of the land, and had robbed far andwide.

  "Swiftly northward are they coming," said he, "and full eagerly, and nolong time will wear by ere they are come upon you."

  So thereupon the earl rowed through the firths with his fleet to meethis foes.

  The Jomsvikings had sailed northward along the coast, plundering andravaging wherever they landed. They made great coast raids, and oftenburned towns and hamlets. They were lying in Ulfasound, off Stad, whenthey and Hakon Jarl heard of each other. They were in want of food atthis time, and Vagn Akison and Olaf Triggvison went on their skiff tothe island of Hoed, not knowing that the earl lay in the bay near theisland. Vagn and Olaf landed with their men, wishing to make a shoreraid if they could, and they happened to meet a shepherd driving threecows and twelve goats.

  Vagn cried to his men: "Take the cows and goats and slaughter them forour ships."

  The shepherd asked: "Who commands the men on board your ship?"

  "Vagn Akison, of Jomsburg," was the answer.

  "I think then, that there are not very far from you bigger cattle forslaughter than my poor cows and goats," said the shepherd.

  Vagn did not understand his meaning. But Olaf Triggvison looked at theman with quick apprehension, and said:

  "If you know anything about the journey of Hakon Jarl, tell us at once.And if you can truthfully tell us where he is, then your cows and goatsare safe."

  The shepherd did not speak for many moments, but at last he answeredcalmly: "Jarl Hakon lay yesternight with one or two ships under shelterof the island of Hoed, and you can slay him when you like, for he isstill anchored in the bay waiting for his men."

  "Then your cattle are safe," rejoined Vagn. "And you shall have a goodreward if you will come aboard our ship and show us the way into thebay."

  Ulf--for such was the shepherd's name--went on board the skiff early inthe day, and Vagn Akison, as quickly as he could, returned to theJomsburg fleet and told the news, which spread speedily round theships. Earl Sigvaldi at once weighed anchor and rowed out north of theisland, giving word meanwhile to his vikings to make ready for battle.

  Greatly did Olaf Triggvison rejoice at this immediate prospect ofattacking and vanquishing the proud man who had for sixteen years heldsovereign sway in Norway. If, as Ulf the shepherd had reported, EarlHakon had but one or two ships, then it would be a very easy matter forthe Jomsburgers to vanquish him, and who could tell what gloriousresults might not follow? Despite the fact that he was not himself theleader of this present expedition, Olaf was confident that the expectedvictory must bring about the furtherance of his own personal plans. Itmight indeed be that Earl Sigvaldi, on proving himself the easyconqueror, would attempt to place himself in possession of the realm,and to assume the name and dignity of King of Norway. But Olaf, everhopeful and buoyant, trusted that with very little trouble on his ownpart, he could readily prove to the people that he, the directdescendant of Harald Fairhair, had claims of which neither Sigvaldi noreven the great Earl Hakon could justly boast.

  In his passage with the viking ships up the coast of western Norway,Olaf had looked for the first time upon the wild splendour of thefiords, with their deep blue reaches of the sea penetrating far inlandbetween steep precipices braided with sparkling waterfalls. He had seenthe giant mountains rising high into the sky, with their rugged summitscapped with snow and their lower slopes covered with vast forests oftall pine trees. Often some fertile valley had opened out before him,with verdant pastures and narrow strips of arable land. This was thecountry over which King Harald Fairhair had ruled, and now, for thefirst time, Olaf had realized the greatness of his heritage. Hedetermined to fight boldly and fearlessly in this coming battle, sothat he might thus win his way nearer to the possession of hisbirthright and the goal of his growing ambitions.

  He had been placed in command of one of the largest dragonships, andwhile the fleet was sailing round the island--his own vessel being sideby side with that of Vagn Akison--he went below and dressed himself inhis strongest armour, and took up his heavy battleaxe and the welltempered sword that King Valdemar had given him. The weather was brightand warm, and he wore no cloak, but only his closely knit coat of chainmail, with his brass helmet, crested with a winged dragon, and hisbossed shield. His long fair hair that fell down over his broadshoulders, his finely marked features, his beautiful blue eyes andclear ruddy complexion were on this day more evident than ever before;and his firm muscular limbs and stalwart figure distinguished him asthe noblest and handsomest man in all the company of the vikings.

  When he returned on deck he went at once to his post at the tiller andlooked out over the blue sunlit sea. A lusty cry rose at this instantfrom the prow of Sigvaldi's dragonship. The fleet was now abreast of alow lying point of land at the inner coast of Hoed Isle, and it was nowseen that the wide bay beyond was crowded all over with vessels of war.Ulf the shepherd had betrayed the vikings into the hands of theirawaiting foe. When his treachery was discovered he ran to the rail ofVagn Akison's ship and leapt overboard, intending to swim to the shorewithout waiting for his reward. Vagn threw a spear at him, but missedhis aim. Olaf Triggvison, who saw the shepherd swimming astern, caughtup a spear with his left hand and flung it at him. It hit him in themiddle and killed him.

  The Jomsvikings rowed with their sixty ships into the great bay. Theywere formed into three divisions, and Earl Sigvaldi laid his flagshipin the centre of the line of battle. To the north of him he arrayedtwenty ships under the command of Bui the Thick and Sigurd Kapa, whileVagn Akison and Olaf Triggvison held the southern wing.

  Earl Hakon determined which of his captains should fight against thesechampions. It was customary in such battles for ship to fight againstship and man against man; but in most cases Hakon, whose forces greatlyoutnumbered those of his enemies, placed three of his longships againstone of the vikings'. He himself was not matched against any one, buthad to support the whole line and command it. His son Sweyn held thechief position in the centre of battle, facing the leader of thevikings. Against the division of Bui was placed a great Norwegianwarrior named Thorkel Leira. The wing held by Vagn Akison and OlafTriggvison was opposed by Earl Hakon's eldest son, Erik. Each chief hadhis own banner in the shield burg at his prow.

  War horns were sounded, arrows of challenge were fired over theopposing fleets, the berserks on either side clashed their arms and bitthe rims of their shields, working themselves into a wild war fury.Then the fleets closed in upon each other amid a storm of arrows, andthe grim battle began.

  The ships of the vikings were high
er in the hull than those of theNorwegians, and this gave them an advantage, for, when the grapplingswere thrown out and the ships were lashed together, the Jomsburgerscould fire their arrows and spears down upon the heads of their foes.The onset and attack were faultlessly made, and for a long while itseemed uncertain which side was getting the better hand. But at lengthEarl Hakon, who was supporting his son Sweyn against Sigvaldi, saw thathis northern wing was being forced backward, and he hastened to itsaid. Nevertheless, Bui the Thick still pressed the Norwegians back withheavy blows and a ceaseless rain of arrows and spears, and it seemedthat at this point the vikings were quickly gaining the victory. On thesouthern wing, however, the fight was more equal, and Earl Erik thoughtthat he would go to his brother's help. He went thither, accordingly,but could do no more than set the wing in line again. Hakon thenreturned to fight against Sigvaldi.

  Now, by this short absence, Earl Erik had weakened the southern wing,and, when he came back to defend his ships, he found that Vagn Akisonand Olaf Triggvison had broken through the line and made great havoc.Erik was a brave warrior, however, and he did not hesitate to make abold attack upon the ships of these two champions. He encountered themwith four of his best longships against their two. The battle at thispoint now grew furious, and the carnage on both sides was tremendous.Vagn and Olaf, followed by their berserks, jumped on board Erik's ship,and each went along either side of her, clearing his way, so that allfell back before the mighty blows. Erik saw that these two warriorswere so fierce and mad that he would not long be able to withstandthem, and that Earl Hakon's help must be got as quickly as possible.Yet he goaded his men on, and they made a brave resistance. Olaf wasoften attacked by three or four berserks at once, but he guarded everyblow, and received but little hurt. He fought whiles with his sword andwhiles with his battleaxe, and at times even with both weapons, one ineither hand, dealing many hard and heavy blows, and slaying many a man.And ever when the decks were cleared there came on board other hosts ofmen from the neighbouring ships. Olaf wanted to come to a hand to handcombat with Earl Erik, but Erik always avoided him.

  In the midst of this conflict one of Erik's men went forward and cutthe lashings that bound the ships together, so that Olaf's dragonshipdrifted apart. Olaf noticed this, and he fought his way across the deckto where Vagn Akison was. At this moment there was a great onrush ofNorwegians, and Vagn and Olaf sought the safety of one of their ownships. They jumped on board of her, and had her rowed some distanceaway, so that they might rest themselves and make ready for a newattack.

  There was then a pause in the battle, and it was seen that Earl Hakon'sship had been taken landward, out of reach of the Jomsvikings' arrows.The legend tells that, seeing the battle going against him, he tooksome men ashore with him, together with his little son Erling--a lad ofseven years of age. Entering a forest glade he prayed to the gods, andoffered to propitiate them by making human sacrifice. When he thoughtthat his vows and prayers were heard, he took young Erling and put himto death. Then he returned to the battle, and there was a sudden changein the weather. The sky began to darken in the north, and a heavy blackcloud glided up from the sea, spreading quickly. A shower of hailstonesfollowed at once, and the Jomsvikings had to fight with their facesagainst the blinding storm, which was so terrible that some of the mencould do no more than stand against it, as they had previously takenoff their clothes on account of the heat. They began to shiver, thoughfor the most part they fought bravely enough.

  Hakon Jarl now had the advantage, confident that the gods had acceptedthe sacrifice of his son, and intended to give him the victory. It issaid that some saw the maidens of Odin, the Valkyrias, standing at theprow of Hakon's ship, sending forth a deadly hail of unerring arrows.

  The vikings fought half blindly, though they were sorely pressed, andtheir decks were slippery with the slush of blood and melting hail, andin spite of the twilight and the raging storm they still held theirown. But at last Earl Sigvaldi began to lose heart.

  "It seems to me," he cried, "that it is not men whom we have to fighttoday, but the worst fiends."

  Some one reminded him of the vow he had taken at King Sweyn'sinheritance feast.

  "I did not vow to fight against fiends!" he answered; and, seeing EarlHakon making ready for a renewed onslaught, he added: "Now I will flee,and all my men with me, for the battle is worse than when I spoke of itbefore, and I will stand it no longer."

  He turned away his ship, shouting to Vagn and Bui, whose ships were nowclose to his own, to follow in all haste. But these two champions werebraver than their chief. Vagn Akison saw Sigvaldi retreating, and criedout to him in a frenzy of rage:

  "Why dost thou flee, thou evil hound, and leave thy men in the lurch?That shame shall cling to thee all the days of thy life!"

  Earl Sigvaldi made no reply, and it was well for him that he did not;for at the same instant a spear was hurled from Vagn's hand at the manwho was at the helm, in the post usually occupied by the chief. ButSigvaldi, being cold, had taken one of the oars to warm himself, sothat the man at the rudder was killed instead.

  Confusion now spread throughout the fleet of the vikings. The line wasbroken, and five and twenty of their ships followed in the wake of EarlSigvaldi. At last only Vagn Akison and Bui the Thick were left. And nowEarl Hakon pulled up alongside the ship of Bui, and a combat ensued,which has scarcely had its equal in all the battles of the Northmen.Two great berserks of Jomsburg--Havard the Hewer and AslakRockskull--vaulted over the gunwale of Hakon's ship and made tremendoushavoc, until an Icelander seized an anvil that lay on the deck anddashed it against Aslak's head. Havard had both his feet cut off, butfought on furiously, standing on his knees. The spears and arrowswhizzed about the head of Earl Hakon, and his coat of mail was so rentand cut that it fell off from him. It seemed now that the fewJomsvikings who were left would have the glory of victory all tothemselves. But in the thick of the fight Earl Erik Hakonson, with athrong of men, boarded the galley of Bui the Thick, and in the firstonslaught Bui received a sword cut across his lips and chin. He did notflinch, but tried to pass off his injury with a jest.

  "The pretty women in Borgund holm will not now be so fond of kissingme," said he.

  Then the Norwegians pressed in a great throng against him, and he sawthat further resistance was useless. He took up two chests of gold, onein either arm, and mounting the gunwale of his ship, cried out:"Overboard all folk of Bui!" and sprang into the sea. Thereupon many ofhis men followed his example, while the rest were slain. So was Bui'sship cleared from stem to stern.

  Vagn Akison and Olaf Triggvison were now the only two championsremaining out of all the vikings of Jomsburg, and they had no more thanfifty men to support them. Earl Erik now boarded their dragonship, andthere was a fierce fight. But the Norwegians had the larger company,and when all but thirty of the vikings were slain, Vagn Akisonsurrendered and called upon Olaf to follow his example.

  "Never shall it be said that I surrendered to any man!" cried Olafproudly. "Rather would I die fighting."

  And, gripping his battleaxe, he prepared to resist all who should comenear him. But strong and valiant though he was, he could not hold hisown against the crowd of warriors then gathered about him. He wasseized from behind, disarmed, and bound hand and foot with strongropes. In like manner were Vagn Akison and all the other captives bound.

  At nightfall they were taken to the shore where Earl Hakon had landedand pitched his tents.

  Now, it was a question with Earl Hakon what he should do with thesethirty captives. He did not doubt that, because they were all thatremained of the Jomsburgers, they were therefore the bravest andstoutest of all the vikings who had engaged in the great battle, and hefeared that if they were allowed to live they would surely bring somegreat trouble upon him. So he ordered them to be slain. This order,added to the fact of his having sacrificed his own son for the sake ofvictory, was remembered against him by the Norwegians in the aftertime, and it went far towards gaining for him the hatred of his people.


  Early in the morning Vagn and Olaf, with their thirty comrades, wereled out in front of the tents for execution. They were made to sit in arow on the trunk of a fallen tree. Their feet were bound with ropes,but their hands were left free. The man who was to act as executionerwas one Thorkel Leira, a stalwart warrior, who had done great deeds inthe battle. Now, this same Thorkel was an old enemy of Vagn Akison, andat the arvel of King Sweyn, Vagn had taken a solemn oath that he wouldbe the death of him. It seemed that, like all the other vikings who hadspoken so boldly at that feast, Vagn was to be cheated of his vow, yethe resolved to meet his death bravely.

  When all was ready Thorkel appeared before the captives, carrying agreat axe. He put Vagn Akison at the end of the log, intending to keephim to the last in order to increase his agony. But Vagn sat chattingand joking with his companions, and there was much laughter. Earl Hakonwanted to know if these men were as hardy, and if their disregard ofdeath were as firm, as report told, and each of them, when his turncame to be dealt with by the executioner, was asked some question,as--"How likest thou to die?" and each answered in his own fashion.

  "I should not be a worthy Jomsviking if I were afraid of death," saidone; and then Thorkel dealt him the blow. Another said: "It is a greatsatisfaction to die by the hand of a brave warrior, although I wouldlike better if I were allowed a chance of first striking a blow athim." And a third: "I shall at least die in good company; but first,let me tighten my belt." One of them said: "I like very well to die,but strike me quickly; I have my cloak clasp in my hand, and I willthrust it into the earth if I wot of anything after my head is off." Sothe head was smitten from him, and down fell the clasp from hisnerveless hand.

  Eighteen of the vikings had been slain when it came to the turn of OlafTriggvison, and at this moment Earl Erik came upon the scene. Olafbared his neck, and swept up his long golden hair in a coil over hishead.

  "Let none of the blood fall upon my hair!" said he. So Thorkel told oneof the bystanders to hold the coil of hair while he struck off Olaf'shead. The man took the beautiful hair in his two hands and held itfast, while Olaf stretched forth his neck. Thorkel hove up his axe.Then Olaf snatched back his head sharply, and so it happened that theblow hit the man who had hold of his hair, and the axe took off bothhis hands.

  "Who is this goodly young man?" asked Earl Erik, stepping forward infront of Olaf.

  "The lads call me Ole the Esthonian," Olaf replied.

  "You are no Esthonian born," returned Erik. "Of what land are you,then?"

  "What matters it, so long as I am from Jomsburg?" asked Olaf.

  "I had thought you were of Norway," Erik said, "and if that be so itwere not well that you should die. What is your age?"

  Olaf answered: "If I live this winter I shall be three and twentywinters old."

  Erik said, "You shall live this winter if I have my will, for I do notlike to see one so handsome and strong put to such a death as this.Will you have peace?"

  "That depends upon who it is that offers me life," said Olaf.

  "He offers it who has the power--Earl Erik himself," answered the earl.

  "Then I gladly accept," said Olaf. And Earl Erik ordered his men to setOlaf free from his tether.

  At this Thorkel Leira grew wrothful, fearing that since the earl was ina forgiving mood he himself would perhaps be thwarted in his vengeanceon Vagn Akison.

  "Though you, Earl Erik, give peace to all these men," he cried, "yetnever shall Vagn Akison depart hence alive." And brandishing his axehe rushed towards his enemy. One of the men on the log, however, seeinghis chief's danger, flung himself forward so that Thorkel stumbled andfell, dropping his axe. Instantly Vagn Akison sprang to his feet,seized the axe, and dealt Thorkel Leira his death blow.

  Thus Vagn Akison was the only one of the Jomsvikings who accomplishedwhat he had vowed to do.

  Earl Erik, full of admiration of this feat, then said to Vagn:

  "Will you have peace, Vagn Akison?"

  "I will take peace gladly if it be that all my comrades have it also,"answered the viking.

  "Let them all be set free," ordered the earl. And so it was done.Eighteen of the captives had already been executed, but fourteen hadpeace.

  These remaining fourteen, as the price of their liberty, were expectedto take service under Earl Hakon. Even Olaf made a pretence of agreeingto this condition, and he helped the Norwegians to clear thedevastation of battle and to take possession of the various vikingships that had been either deserted by their crews or whose fightingmen had all been slain. But he had no intention to abide by hiscompact. In the general confusion he contrived to get on board his owndisabled dragonship. There he exchanged his tattered armour for a goodsuit of seaman's clothes, with a large cloak, a sword, and a bag ofgold. He remained on board until nightfall, and then, dropping into asmall sailing boat that he had been careful to provide himself with, hestole out of the bay and was soon far away among the skerries, safefrom all pursuit.

  The disappearance of Olaf Triggvison was scarcely remarked by theNorwegians, who were at that time holding high revel in celebration oftheir victory. But had Earl Hakon of Lade been able to look into thefuture, and see the disasters that awaited him at the hands of thisfair haired young viking, he would surely have swept every fiord andchannel in Norway in the endeavour to drag the runaway back and bringhim to the doom that he had so easily escaped.