The Guests of Odin (11 page)

Now Hrolf put thought to his father’s death at the hands of King Adils. He held a banquet and invited all his men. When they were all assembled, he commented on what strength he commanded and he asked Bodvar if he knew of another king with such warriors. Bodvar said he didn’t, but one thing diminished Hrolf’s standing – the fact that he had not gone to Uppsala to gain his inheritance. Hrolf said, “It will be hard to get since King Adils is a treacherous man,” but Bodvar was insistent and Hrolf agreed.

Hrolf and his men set out as if going to a feast, bringing with them their hawks and hounds, and they travelled across Scania towards Adils’ kingdom. On the way, they came to a farm, where a one-eyed man named Hrani invited them to stay with him for the night. Hrolf accepted, and after a meal they slept, although Hrolf’s warriors thought it was cold. In the morning, Hrani asked them how they had been, and said he thought the men had felt the cold. He advised Hrolf to leave them behind and the king did so.

They rode on another day at the end they came to the same farm. Hrolf thought this odd. The farmer greeted them and gave them the same hospitality. During the night, many men felt thirsty and drank water from a vat. The next morning Hrani suggested Hrolf leave those men behind. Hrolf agreed and went on, accompanied by his champions and his hawk, Habrok and his hound, Gram.

Again, they came to Hrani’s hall after a day of snow. This time Hrani made a fire for them, but it was too hot for Hrolf’s men, apart from his champions. The next day Hrani suggested the king not bring those men with him.

Then they rode on and came eventually to Adils’ hall in Uppsala. All the people in the stronghold lined the streets to see King Hrolf and his champions, but they fled as the warriors spurred their horses and galloped up to Adils’ hall. Here the king’s men greeted them and grooms took their horses to the stables. Bodvar Bjarki told them to take good care of their steeds, but Adils gave secret orders for the beasts to be mutilated.

The men escorted Hrolf and his warriors into the hall but they saw no sign of the king. Svipdag, who had had dealings with Adils before, led the way, and told them not to let on which of them was Hrolf. Now the men who had escorted them had vanished. As they crossed the hall, they met many obstacles but Svipdag guided them through them and at last, they could see the high seat where Adils sat. The king recognised Svipdag
from his time in Uppsala, and jeered at him.

Svipdag demanded safe conduct, and Adils granted it and urged them to come closer. Darkness lay on the hall but the Danes thought they could see pit traps and warriors concealed behind wall hangings. They leapt across the pits nevertheless and fought off the armed men when they rushed from out of cover.

Adils was angry when he saw Hrolf’s champions cutting his men down, but urged everyone to sit down and act peaceably. Hrolf and his men did so, and Adils taunted the king – who he did not yet recognise – for coming with so small a retinue.

He had the hall cleared of corpses and great fires built up for the guests. Adils and his men sat on one side, Hrolf and his champions on the other. Now Adils tried to find out which one of them was king and he had his
thralls build up the fires until the heat was unbearable, knowing Hrolf had sworn never to flee fire or iron.

Bodvar, Svipdag, and Hjalti each seized one of Adils’
thralls and flung them into the fire. Then Hrolf and his men leapt over the flame, intending to take Adils prisoner, but Adils escaped using his magic.

He went to Queen Yrsa’s chamber and told her all that had happened, but she spoke disdainfully to him and said, “I will help Hrolf rather than him.” Now Queen Yrsa went to serve Hrolf and his champions and she sent for a man to attend them during their stay. The man warned them, “Adils will do everything in his power to overcome you.” After that, they slept in the house allotted to them.

They were awakened by a commotion from outside. The attendant told them that it was King Adils’ sacred boar, come to kill them. The boar burst into the house, but Bodvar set Hrolf’s hound Gram on the beast and it chased the boar off.

But before they could celebrate the dog’s victory, Adils and his men came and set fire to the hall. As the thatch burned and the flames licked around the doors, Bodvar suggested they ram the walls until they can break their way out. They did this, although the walls were strong, and they broke out into the street beyond, which was filled with men in mail. Hrolf and his champions cut their way through these warriors. As they did so, Hrolf’s hawk Habrok appeared from Adils’ fortress and landed on Hrolf’s shoulder, having slain all Adils’ hawks.

Now Adils vanished from among his men, and his men began to surrender to the Danes. Hrolf and his men went into Adils’ hall and sat upon the high seat. Then Hjalti went to check the horses and found they had been mutilated. Yrsa came to the hall and warned Hrolf; “Adils is mustering his troops from all over the kingdom.” She gave him a silver horn and the ring Sviagris, and a great deal of other treasure, far more than that which belonged to Helgi. She also provided them with splendid horses: all red except for Hrolf’s, which was white, and armour and shields and fine clothes. Then they parted.

Hrolf and his champions rode across the Fyris Wolds, where the king saw a gold ring lying in their path. He would not stop to pick it up, since he suspected a trap, but instead he flung down another ring to join it. Then they heard a blare of horns from all around and saw a vast army riding after them. Hrolf and his men continued to ride at the same pace.

Now Hrolf began to cast gold behind him, flinging away treasure as the Danes rode onwards. As the pursuing Swedes saw that, they began to leap down off their horses and grab up handfuls of gold, their eyes glinting with greed. When Adils saw this he was angry and he shouted at them, saying they should go after the greatest prize, which they were allowing to escape. He rode ahead, and his men followed grudgingly.

When Hrolf saw Adils coming, he flung the ring Sviagris down in his path, and Adils got down and grubbed in the dirt for it. Then Hrolf cut him across the buttocks with his sword Skofnung and revealed his identity. Adils was close to fainting from loss of blood and he staggered homewards while Hrolf took back Sviagris, while his men fought off the closest attackers. When Adils turned back, the entire army retreated to Uppsala.

On the return journey, Hrolf and his men came to Hrani’s farm where the farmer greeted them and said that matters turned out much as he predicted. Then he offered the king a sword, shield, and mailcoat of apparently inferior work. Hrolf refused them and Hrani was angry. The Danes rode on, leaving Hrani behind them, until Bodvar realised that the farmer must have been Odin in disguise. They rode back hastily but found that Hrani and his farm had both vanished. They realised they had lost Odin’s favour. They returned to Hrolf’s kingdom, but Bodvar felt a foreboding that grave news would be quick to reach them.

9. Skuld’s Battle

Despite Bodvar’s premonition, peace lay over Hrolf’s kingdom for a long while. Meanwhile, Skuld grew discontent with her lot, and she began to egg her husband on to rise up against Hrolf in revolt. Although Hjorvard was unwilling to cross his overlord, Skuld began her plot by sending word to Hrolf asking to defer payment for tribute for three years. Meanwhile she began to gather a following of robbers and murderers, and cast spells so she was surrounded by evil elves and norns.

Hrolf and his men lived in luxury. A lavish feast was prepared for Yule, but as the champions ate, drank, and embraced their mistresses. Meanwhile Skuld’s army advanced through the night to pitch tents outside Hrolf’s stronghold.

Hjalti was going to the house of his mistress when he saw the tents of the enemy. He could see this did not mean good for Hrolf and his folk, but he went to lie with his mistress all the same.

Then he asked her, “Which would you rather, an old man of eighty or two men of twenty?”

When his mistress said, “I’d prefer two men of twenty,” he drew his sword, struck off her nose, and asked her, “Who do you think will fight over you now?”

He took his arms and armour and went to awaken Hrolf and his men. By now Skuld and Hjorvard’s army surrounded the stronghold. Hrolf and his champions sprang awake and prepared for battle, but the king sent a message to his sister that they would drink until they were merry before they fought.

That done, Hrolf and his men all went out, except Bodvar Bjarki, and no one could see any sign of him. Hrolf and his champions poured out of the stronghold and set upon Hjorvard’s warriors, Hrolf laying about him with his sword Skofnung and slaying many men. Then a bear appeared, fighting at Hrolf’s side, slaughtering the enemy. But Hjalti missed his old comrade Bodvar Bjarki, and he went back to the king’s hall to find the warrior sitting there without moving. Hjalti urged him to rise and join the battle, and finally he did so, but he said that now their chances of winning had been diminished. When they returned to the battle, the bear had vanished and now the tide turned against Hrolf and his warriors.

A huge boar raced out of Hjorvard’s ranks and Bodvar Bjarki fought this, cutting it apart and fighting his way through the ranks. But now the dead began to rise up and fight him, reanimated by Skuld’s sorcery.

Hjalti said, “I think I will be sitting in Valhalla this evening,” but Bodvar Bjarki said, “I have seen no sign of Odin on the field.”

Now Hrolf’s champions began to fall before the barrage of magic, until only Hrolf still stood, but he died soon after in a ring of the slain.

Now Skuld and Hjorvard seized Hrolf’s kingdom but they held it only a short time. Some say that Bodvar Bjarki’s brother Elk-Frodi avenged his brother’s death, and other say that Vogg led an army against Skuld and defeated her, and had her tortured to death. Another story says that Vogg was the only one of Hrolf’s company to survive the battle, and when he was found he was brought before Hjorvard, who offered to take him on as a warrior. Vogg said, “I will swear to serve you faithfully, but only if I could swear in the way I swore fealty to Hrolf – upon the hilt of a sword.” Hjorvard allowed him to but Vogg snatched the sword from him and slew the king, before the king’s men cut him down.

But King Hrolf and his champions were buried in barrows, and Hrolf had his sword Skofnung placed beside him. There it remained until the Icelander Skeggi of Midfjord looted the barrows. He took Skofnung, Hjalti’s axe and tried to
grab Bodvar Bjarki’s sword Laufi. But Hrolf’s champion rose from the dead and fought Skeggi until Hrolf came to his aid and Skeggi fled.

Harald Wartooth

Harald Wartooth, king of the Danes, was the son of Hroerek Ringslinger and Aud the Deep-Minded, daughter of Ivar Wide-Grasp. After her husband’s death, Aud fled to Russia where she married Radbart, the king, and they had a son named Randver. Harald gained great favour from Odin, who made him invulnerable to arrows. In return, Harald dedicated the souls of those he slew with his sword to the god.

When he heard that his father had died, Harald went to the Danes, where he was accepted as king. Then he learnt that his mother intended to marry Veseti, king of Scania. He went in disguise to the wedding, and when the guests were all asleep, he smashed his way into the bridal chamber with a wooden beam. Veseti attacked him with a cudgel, knocking out two teeth before Harald killed him and took over his kingdom. Two new teeth grew in the place of those Veseti broke, and these were so large they looked more like tusks, and so he gained the nickname “Wartooth.”

He took his ships to Sweden to reclaim the lands Ivar had ruled there, but the petty kings who Ivar had exiled returned to regain their realms, thinking it easy to defeat Harald, who was then only fifteen. He defeated the kings and regained Ivar’s lands in Sweden.

Learning that Asmund, king of Vik in Norway, had
been deposed by his sister, Harald went with a single ship to aid him. He entered battle unarmed and dressed as if for a feast, trusting to the god Odin’s magic. The arrows fell thick and fast but none of them penetrated him. When the enemy saw this, they rushed at him with their swords, but Harald either slew them or sent them into retreat. Finally, he defeated Asmund’s sister and restored the throne to its rightful owner. When Asmund offered him rewards, he told the king, “Glory is reward enough.”

In Sweden the king, Alfar, had died leaving his kingdom to his three sons, Olaf, Ing and Ingild. Ing felt his share in the kingdom was too small, so he declared war on the Danes to conquer new lands. Hearing of this, Harald asked of an oracle how the war would go.

A tall old man with one eye came to him, and identified himself as Odin. He advised Harald, “Divide your land force into three troops, each of which should have twenty ranks, the central troop having twenty more men than the other two, and which should be arranged in a triangular formation shaped like a boar’s head. With your fleet, you should have a mobile column of ships with which to harry the edges of the enemy fleet.” Odin told Harald that if he used these tactics he would be sure of victory.

Harald went to Sweden and fought as Odin had
said, and he defeated Olaf and Ing before they had readied themselves for battle. Ingild begged for a truce on grounds of ill health, which Harald accepted. But when Ingild raped Harald’s sister, the Danes went to war again and it dragged on for a long time before Harald and Ingild made peace once more.

Meanwhile, Harald’s brother Randver married Asa, daughter of King Harald Redbeard from Norway, and they had a son named Sigurd Hring.

Now Harald heard that Olaf, king of Trondheim, was fighting the shieldmaidens Stikla and Rusila for control of his kingdom. Harald went to Trondheim in disguise, and fought for Olaf wearing nothing more than his shirt, defeating the two women. Olaf offered him a reward for his valour, but again he turned it down, wanting only glory.

When he returned to his own kingdom he found that a Frisian named Ubbi was raiding the Jutland borders and slaughtering many people. Harald found he could not subdue Ubbi with weapons, so he told his warriors to force him down and bind him when he was overpowered. But when they made peace, Harald gave Ubbi one of his sisters to marry and he joined the Danish host.

Harald conquered the people living along the Rhine, and with a levy from this region he went on to attack the Wends, taking prisoner their leaders Duk and Dal the Fat, rather than killing them, because he was impressed by their courage. They fought with him when he went on to conquer Aquitania and remained when he invaded England and overthrew the king of Northumbria. Here, once again, he took on the bravest of the warriors who fought him, whose leader was Orm the Englishman.

Now Harald Wartooth turned this warband into a mercenary force that put down rebellions in many kingdoms and maintained a peace on land and at sea throughout the north due to the terror of his name. After Ingild died, Harald made Sigurd Hring king of Sweden, and peace continued to reign over the north. He had a son named Thrand, later known as Thrand the Old, and another called Eystein Beli, who was
later slain by the sons of Ragnar Lodbrok, who went on to conquer England.

2 Ali the Brave

Harald’s nephew was Ali the Brave, son of Fridleif, who came to be one of Harald’s chief warriors. When he was a small boy the norns, goddesses of fate, had prophesised that he would be handsome and know men’s good will; that he would be generous; but also that he would be niggardly. Wielding the sword Logdir, Ali proved himself a great warrior from an early age, and his gaze was so fierce that few could withstand it. He had a half-brother named Frodi with whom he feuded throughout his life. After several adventures in which he showed his savagery and cunning, he came to join Harald and was given control of the fleet. During this time, he vanquished seventy sea kings in one battle and gained a glorious reputation. Warriors flocked to his banner, including Starkad the Old, though Ali would one day regret this. Later he became one of Sigurd Hring’s right hand men.