The Sagas of the Icelanders (107 page)

I
As has been told earlier, Halldor Snorrason had been in Constantinople with Harald, and had come west with him, from Russia to Norway. He had received much honour and respect from King Harald. He was with the king that winter while he was staying in Kaupang.

But as the winter passed and spring approached, people began preparing their trading voyages early because there had been little or no passage of ships from Norway recently, owing to the hostilities and unrest that had existed between Norway and Denmark. As the spring passed, King Harald became aware that Halldor Snorrason was growing ever more unhappy. One day, the king asked him what was on his mind.

Halldor answered, ‘I long to go to Iceland, my lord.’

The king said, ‘Many others would have shown greater longing to go home. What means of travel have you got? How are you spending your money?’

He answered, ‘I’m spending it quickly, because I have nothing but the clothes I am wearing.’

‘A long service and many perils have received little reward then. I will give you a ship and a crew. Your father will be able to see that you haven’t served me for nothing.’

Halldor thanked the king for the gift. Several days later, Halldor met the king and the king asked him how many crew members he had taken on.

He answered, ‘All those men available for service have already got themselves positions, so I can get no one. Therefore I expect that the ship that you gave me will have to be left behind.’

The king said, ‘Then the gift was not an act of friendship. We will wait and see what happens about oarsmen.’

The following day, horns announced a meeting in the town, and it was said that the king wished to talk with the townspeople and the merchants. The king arrived late at the meeting and looked troubled when he arrived.

He said, ‘We have heard it said that war has begun in the east of our kingdom, in Vik. Svein, the king of the Danes, is in charge of the Danish army, and means to do us harm, but we do not mean to give up our land in any way. For this reason, we are banning all ships from leaving the country until I have taken such things as I want from each ship, both men and provisions. Only one knorr of no great size, which Halldor Snorrason owns, will go to Iceland. Those of you who have already prepared your trips might find this a little hard, but we have found it necessary to make such an imposition. We would think it better if there were peace, so that everyone who wished could go.’

After that the meeting broke up. Shortly afterwards, Halldor came to an audience with the king. The king asked how things were going with the preparations, and whether he had enough oarsmen.

Halldor answered, ‘I have probably taken on far too many now, because many more came to me asking for passage than I could offer places to People are always pestering me. They are breaking my house down trying to reach me. I have no peace from begging men around here, day or night.’

The king answered, ‘Keep those oarsmen that you have taken on, and we will see what happens.’

The next day, another meeting was called, and it was said that the king wished to talk to the merchants again. This time the king did not arrive late, because he got there first. He now looked calm.

He stood up and said, ‘There is some good news to announce. What you heard said about war the day before yesterday was nothing but false rumours and lies. We will now permit each ship to leave the country and go wherever its owner wishes his ship to go. Come back in the autumn, and bring us treasures, and you, in return, will receive gifts of quality and friendship.’

All the merchants who were there were pleased about this, and wished the king good health.

Halldor went to Iceland in the summer and spent that winter with his father. He went abroad again in the summer and then, once again, joined Harald’s followers. However, it is said that Halldor was not as attached to the king as he had been before, and he stayed up in the evenings when the king went to sleep.

2
There was a man named Thorir the England-trader, who had been a great merchant. He had spent much time sailing to various countries, and had brought the king treasures. Thorir was one of King Harald’s followers, and was now very old.

Thorir came to speak to the king, saying, ‘As you know, I am an old man, and get tired quickly. I do not think I am capable of following the customs of the king’s men, such as drinking toasts and such related things. I am now going to look elsewhere, even though being with you is best and most agreeable to me.’

The king answered, ‘It is possible for us to find a solution, my friend. Stay here with my followers. You have my permission to drink no more than you wish.’

Bard was a man from Oppland, a good comrade, and not very old. He was an intimate friend of King Harald’s. These three men, Bard, Thorir and Halldor, shared a bench, and one evening, just as the king walked by where they were sitting and drinking, Halldor was passing over the horn. It was a great animal horn, and nearly transparent. It was possible to see quite well through it that he had drunk half as much as Thorir, who was a slow drinker.

Then the king spoke: ‘It takes a while before you see people in their true colours, Halldor,’ he said. ‘So you break faith in drinking with old men, and rush off to whores in the late evening instead of following your king.’

Halldor made no answer, but Bard could sense that he disliked the king’s comments. Bard went to meet the king early in the morning.

‘You are an early riser, Bard,’ said the king.

‘I have come to reproach you, my lord,’ said Bard. ‘You spoke badly and unjustly to your friend Halldor yesterday evening, when you accused him of not drinking his share. It was Thorir’s horn and he had already given up and would have returned it to the tray if Halldor had not drunk it for him. It was also a great lie when you said that he paid visits to loose women. People might wish that he followed you more closely, though.’

The king answered, and said that when he and Halldor met, they would settle the matter between themselves.

Bard met Halldor and told him of the king’s good words to him, and said it was obvious that he should take no notice of the king’s outburst. Bard had the main role in bringing them together again.

Yule was approaching, and there was little warmth between the king and Halldor. When Yule came, as is the custom there, forfeits were listed for breaches in etiquette. One morning at Yule, the bell-ringing was altered.
The candle-bearers paid the bell-ringers to ring much earlier than usual. Halldor was ordered to pay the forfeit along with many other men. They had to sit in the straw all day long, and were supposed to drink the forfeit-cup. Halldor remained in his seat. In spite of this, they brought him the forfeit-cup, but he refused to drink it. They then told the king.

‘That cannot be true,’ said the king. ‘He will take it if I bring it to him.’

He then took the forfeit-horn and went to Halldor. Halldor stood up for him, and the king asked him to drink the forfeit-cup.

Halldor answered, ‘I don’t see why I should have to pay a forfeit when you played a trick with the ringing in order to make people break the rules.’

The king answered, ‘But you will drink the forfeit-cup no less than other men.’

‘It may well be that you will bring it about that I drink, King,’ said Halldor. ‘But I can tell you that Sigurd Sow wouldn’t have managed to force Snorri the Godi to do so.’
^*

He reached out for the horn, and took it and drank it up, but the king was infuriated and went back to his seat.

When the eighth day of Yule arrived, men were given payment for their service. It was termed Harald’s Coinage. The main part of it was copper; at best it was only half silver. When Halldor received the payment, he put the silver in the skirt of his tunic and looked at it, and did not consider that the silver was pure. He hit the silver from below with one hand and it all went down into the straw.

Bard spoke, saying that he was mistreating it: ‘The king will feel insulted, and that his payment is being questioned.’

‘That doesn’t bother me,’ said Halldor. ‘I’ve got little to lose.’

3
It is now said that they were getting their ships ready after Yule because the king meant to go to the south. But when the king was more than prepared, Halldor still had not got ready.

Bard said, ‘Why aren’t you getting prepared, Halldor?’

‘I don’t want to,’ he said, ‘and I don’t mean to go. I can now see that the king doesn’t approve of me.’

Bard said, ‘He will still want you to go, though.’

Later on, Bard went to meet the king and told him that Halldor was not getting ready – ‘You can expect it to be difficult to find anyone to put in the prow in place of him.’

The king said, ‘Tell him that I expect him to accompany me. This present coldness that exists between us isn’t serious.’

Bard met Halldor and said that the king by no means wanted to lose his services. It ended up with Halldor going, and he and the king went southwards down the coast.

One night, when they were sailing, Halldor said to the man at the helm, ‘Change course.’

The king spoke to the helmsman: ‘Go right ahead,’ he said.

Halldor spoke a second time: ‘Change course.’

The king said the same thing again.

Halldor said, ‘You’re heading straight for the skerry.’

And they landed on it. The bottom of the ship then gave way, and they had to be carried ashore in other ships. A tent was then pitched on land and the ship repaired.

Bard was woken up by Halldor tying up his leather sleeping sack. Bard asked him what he was planning.

Halldor said he intended to join a cargo vessel which was lying a short distance away from them – ‘It may well be that from now on the dust-clouds from our horses will head in separate directions, but things have been tested to the limit. I don’t want the king to ruin any more of his ships, or other valuables, just for the sake of ridiculing me so that I have less respect than before.’

‘Wait a little,’ said Bard, ‘I want to meet the king again.’

When he arrived, the king said, ‘You are up early, Bard.’

‘There is need for it, my lord. Halldor is preparing to leave, and feels that you have treated him in an unfriendly fashion. It is a little difficult taking care of you two. He now means to leave, and join up with a ship, and go off to Iceland in anger. Such a parting will be rather undeserved. I don’t think that you will find another man as trustworthy as he is.’

The king said that they would make things up, and that he would not take any offence at this.

Bard met Halldor and told him of the king’s friendly words.

Halldor answered, ‘Why should I serve him any longer? I don’t even get paid honestly.’

Bard said, ‘Don’t mention that. You can well accept what landholders’ sons get. You didn’t show much consideration last time when you threw the
silver into the straw and ruined everything. And you must know that the king took that as a personal insult.’

Halldor answered, ‘I do not know that my service has ever been as great a swindle as the king’s payment was.’

‘That’s true,’ said Bard. ‘Wait a bit. I want to see the king again.’

And that is what he did.

When Bard met the king, he said, ‘Give Halldor his payment in pure silver. He is worth it.’

The king answered, ‘Don’t you think it a little impudent to demand that Halldor should have a different payment than that which landholders’ sons have received, especially after the disrespect he showed the last payment?’

Bard answered, ‘On the other hand, my lord, there is greater importance in his loyalty and in the good friendship that existed between the two of you for a long time, and, then, in addition to that, there is your magnanimity. You know Halldor’s temperament and stubbornness, and it will be to your credit to do him honour.’

The king answered, ‘Give him the silver.’

This was done.

Bard came to Halldor and gave him twelve ounces of refined silver and said, ‘Can’t you see that whatever you nag the king about you get? He wants you to have from him what you say you need.’

Halldor said, ‘Nonetheless, I won’t go on the king’s ship again. If he wants my company any longer, then I want a ship of my own to command.’

Bard answered, ‘It is not fitting that landholders should give up their ships for you. You are being too demanding.’

Halldor said that he would not go otherwise.

Bard told the king what had been demanded on Halldor’s part – ‘And if the oarsmen of the ship are as trustworthy as the skipper, then that is as it should be.’

The king said, ‘Even though this might be thought somewhat forward, something will be done about it.’

Svein of Lyrgja, a landholder, commanded a ship. The king had him called to a meeting.

‘It’s like this,’ said the king. ‘As you know, you come from a great family. For that reason, I want you to be on my ship, but that means I will need another man to take command of your ship. You are a clever man, and I especially want you to give me advice.’

He said, ‘You have more often gone to other men for advice before now, and I have little skill at that. Who is meant to have the ship?’

‘Halldor Snorrason will have it,’ said the king.

Svein said, ‘I didn’t expect you to choose an Icelander for this, and that you would remove me from the command of a ship.’

The king said, ‘His family in Iceland is no worse than yours here in Norway. It is not so long ago that those now living in Iceland were Norwegian.’

It went as the king wished. Halldor took over the ship, and they then went east to Oslo and held feasts there.

4
It is told that one day when the king and his men were sitting and drinking in the king’s chamber, Halldor was there too, and his men who were supposed to be looking after the ship arrived. All of them were wet, and they said that Svein and his men had taken the ship and thrown them overboard. Halldor stood up and went before the king and asked whether he was supposed to own the ship, and whether the king’s word would be kept. The king answered and stated that of course he was supposed to own it, then told the king’s men that they should take six ships with a triple crew on each and go with Halldor.

They now went after Svein, and had him chased to land, and when Svein ran ashore, Halldor took the ship and went back to the king.

When the feasts were over, the king went north up the coast, and then to Trondheim towards the end of the summer.

Svein of Lyrgja sent the king word that he wanted to place the whole matter in the king’s hands, and that the king should settle things between Svein and Halldor as he wished, but that he would prefer to buy the ship if the king was agreeable to that. When the king saw that Svein had placed the whole matter under his judgement, he wanted to act in such a way that both parties would be satisfied. He told Halldor to sell him the ship, but wanted him to get a respectable price for it. Svein should then have the ship. After this, the king came to a deal with Halldor, and bought the ship. He paid Halldor everything except for half a mark of gold, which was left over. Halldor made few demands for it, and it was not paid, and that is how it went that winter.

When the spring was approaching, Halldor told the king that he wanted to go to Iceland in the summer, and stated that it would suit him if he were now paid what remained of the money for the ship. But the king was evasive about the payment, and did not think much of Halldor’s demand, but did not ban him from going home.

During the spring, Halldor prepared his ship on the river Nid, and then moved it up to Brattaeyri. And when they were all prepared and there was a fair wind, Halldor went into the town with several men late in the evening. He had his weapons with him. They went to where the king and queen were sleeping. Halldor’s travelling companions waited outside beneath the overhang of the upper floor while he walked in with his weapons. He made some noise and commotion, and this woke the king and the queen up. The king asked who was breaking in on them in the night.

‘Halldor is here, and ready to sail with a fair wind, and it would be advisable for you to pay me the money now.’

‘That cannot be done so quickly,’ said the king. ‘We will pay you the money tomorrow.’

‘I want it right now,’ said Halldor, ‘and I’m not leaving until my errand has been completed. I know your temperament, and, however you may act: at this moment, I’m well aware what you must be thinking about my visit and my demands for money. I’ll have little belief in what you say from now on; indeed it’s unlikely that we’ll be meeting each other so very often. I have the advantage, and mean to make use of it. I see that the queen has a ring on her arm that is the perfect equivalent. Let me have that.’

The king answered, ‘We’ll have to go and fetch some scales and weigh the ring then.’

‘No need,’ said Halldor. ‘I’ll take it for my debt. You’re not going to do any cheating this time. Hand it over immediately.’

The queen spoke: ‘Can’t you see,’ she said, ‘that he is standing over you., ready to kill you?’

Then she removed the ring and gave it to Halldor.

He took it, thanked them both for the payment and wished them a good life, ‘and we will now part.’

He then went out and spoke to his travelling companions, and told them to run to the ship as fast as possible, ‘because I’ve got little desire to hang about much longer in this town’.

They did so, and boarded the ship, and immediately some of them hoisted up the sail, while others got the rowing-boat ready, and others pulled up the anchor. Everyone did what they could. As they were sailing out, there was no lack of horn-blowing in the town. The last thing they saw was that three longships were afloat, and were setting off after them. They pulled
ahead, though, and reached the sea. There they got separated, and Halldor made a good start for Iceland. The king’s men turned back when they saw that Halldor was pulling ahead and had reached the open sea.