heimskringla-第120节

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ought　forth　containing　holy　relics；　and　Svein　laid　his　hand　hereon；　and　swore　the　oath　of　fidelity　to　King　Magnus；　upon　which　the　king　led　the　earl　to　the　highseat　by　his　side。　　So　says　Thiodolf：　

　　　　　〃Twas　at　the　Gaut　river's　shore；　　　　　　With　hand　on　shrine　Svein　Ulfson　swore。　　　　　　King　Magnus　first　said　o'er　the　oath；　　　　　　With　which　Svein　Ulfson　pledged　his　troth。　　　　　　The　vows　by　Svein　solemnly　given；　　　　　　On　holy　bones　of　saints　in　heaven；　　　　　　To　Magnus　seemed　both　fair　and　fast；　　　　　　He　found　they　were　too　fair　to　last。〃

Earl　Svein　went　thereafter　to　Denmark；　and　the　whole　nation　received　him　well。　　He　established　a　court　about　him；　and　soon　became　a　great　man。　　In　winter　（A。D。　1043）；　he　went　much　about　the　country；　and　made　friends　among　the　powerful　chiefs；　and；　indeed；　he　was　beloved　by　all　the　people　of　the　land。



25。　KING　MAGNUS'S　FORAY。

King　Magnus　proceeded　northward　to　Norway　with　his　fleet；　and　wintered　there；　but　when　the　spring　set　in　（A。D。　1048）　he　gathered　a　large　force；　with　which　he　sailed　south　to　Demnark；　having　heard　the　news　from　Vindland　that　the　Vindland　people　in　Jomsborg　had　withdrawn　from　their　submission　to　him。　　The　Danish　kings　had　formerly　had　a　very　large　earldom　there；　and　they　first　founded　Jomsborg；　and　now　the　place　was　become　a　very　strong　fortress。　　When　King　Magnus　heard　of　this；　he　ordered　a　large　fleet　and　army　to　be　levied　in　Denmark；　and　sailed　in　summer　to　Vindland　with　all　his　forces；　which　made　a　very　large　army　altogether。　　Arnor；　the　earls'　skald；　tells　of　it　thus：　

　　　　　〃Now　in　this　strophe；　royal　youth！　　　　　　I　tell　no　more　than　the　plain　truth。　　　　　　Thy　armed　outfit　from　the　strand　　　　　　Left　many　a　keel…trace　on　the　sand；　　　　　　And　never　did　a　king　before　　　　　　SO　many　ships　to　any　shore　　　　　　Lead　on；　as　thou　to　Vindland's　isle：　　　　　　The　Vindland　men　in　fright　recoil。〃

Now　when　King　Magnus　came　to　Vindland　he　attacked　Jomsborg；　and　soon　took　the　fortress；　killing'　many　people；　burning　and　destroying　both　in　the　town　and　in　the　courttry　all　around；　and　making　the　greatest　havoc。　　So　says　Arnor；　the　earl's　skald：　

　　　　　〃The　robbers；　hemmed　'twixt　death　and　fire；　　　　　　Knew　not　how　to　escape　thy　ire；　　　　　　O'er　Jomsborg　castle's　highest　towers　　　　　　Thy　wrath　the　whirlwind…fire　pours。　　　　　　The　heathen　on　his　false　gods　calls；　　　　　　And　trembles　even　in　their　halls；　　　　　　And　by　the　light　from　its　own　flame　　　　　　The　king　this　viking…hold　o'ercame。〃

Many　people　in　Vindland　submitted　to　King　Magnus；　but　many　more　got　out　of　the　way　and　fled。　　King　Magnus　returned　to　Denmark；　and　prepared　to　take　his　winter　abode　there；　and　sent　away　the　Danish；　and　also　a　great　many　of　the　Norwegian　people　he　had　brought　with　him。



26。　SVEIN　RECEIVES　THE　TITLE　OF　KING。

The　same　winter　（A。D。　1043）；　in　which　Svein　Ulfson　was　raised　to　the　government　of　the　whole　Danish　dominions；　and　had　made　friends　of　a　great　number　of　the　principal　chiefs　in　Denmark；　and　obtained　the　affections　of　the　people；　he　assumed　by　the　advice　of　many　of　the　chiefs　the　title　of　king。　　But　when　in　the　spring　thereafter　he　heard　that　King　Magnus　had　come　from　the　north　with　a　great　army；　Svein　went　over　to　Scania；　from　thence　up　to　Gautland；　and　so　on　to　Svithjod　to　his　relation；　King　Emund；　where　he　remained　all　summer；　and　sent　spies　out　to　Denmark；　to　inquire　about　the　king's　proceedings　and　the　number　of　his　men。　Now　when　Svein　heard　that　King　Magnus　had　let　a　great　part　of　his　army　go　away；　and　also　that　he　was　south　in　Jutland；　he　rode　from　Svithjod　with　a　great　body　of　peopie　which　the　Swedish　king　had　given　him。　　When　Svein　came　to　Scania　the　people　of　that　country　received　him　well；　treated　him　as　their　king；　and　men　joined　him　in　crowds。　　He　then　went　on　to　Seeland；　where　he　was　also　well　received；　and　the　whole　country　joined　　him。　　He　then　went　to　Fyen；　and　laid　all　the　islands　under　his　power；　and　as　the　people　also　joined　him；　he　collected　a　great　army　and　many　ships　of　war。



27。　OF　KING　MAGNUS'S　MILITARY　FORCE。

King　Magnus　heard　this　news；　and　at　the　same　time　that　the　people　of　Vindland　had　a　large　force　on　foot。　　He　summoned　people　therefore　to　come　to　him；　and　drew　together　a　great　army　in　Jutland。　　Otto；　also；　the　Duke　of　Brunsvik；　who　had　married　Ulfhild；　King　Olaf　the　Saint's　daughter；　and　the　sister　of　King　Magnus；　came　to　him　with　a　great　troop。　　The　Danish　chiefs　pressed　King　Magnus　to　advance　against　the　Vindland　army；　and　not　allow　pagans　to　march　over　and　lay　waste　the　country；　so　it　was　resolved　that　the　king　with　his　army　should　proceed　south　to　Heidaby。　　While　King　Magnus　lay　at　Skotborg　river；　on　Hlyrskog　Heath；　he　got　intelligence　concerning　the　Vindland　army；　and　that　it　was　so　numerous　it　could　not　be　counted；　whereas　King　Magnus　had　so　few；　that　there　seemed　no　chance　for　him　but　to　fly。　　The　king；　however；　determined　on　fighting；　if　there　was　any　possibility　of　gaining　the　victory；　but　the　most　dissuaded　him　from　venturing　on　an　engagement；　and　all；　as　one　man；　said　that　the　Vindland　people　had　undoubtedly　a　prodigious　force。　　Duke　Otto；　however；　pressed　much　to　go　to　battle。　　Then　the　king　ordered　the　whole　army　to　be　gathered　by　the　war　trumpets　into　battle　array；　and　ordered　all　the　men　to　arm；　and　to　lie　down　for　the　night　under　their　shields；　for　he　was　told　the　enemy's　army　had　come　to　the　neighbourhood。　　The　king　was　very　thoughtful；　for　he　was　vexed　that　he　should　be　obliged　to　fly；　which　fate　he　had　never　experienced　before。　　He　slept　but　little　all　night；　and　chanted　his　prayers。



28。　OF　KING　OLAF'S　MIRACLE。

The　following　day　was　Michaelmas　eve。　　Towards　dawn　the　king　slumbered；　and　dreamt　that　his　father；　King　Olaf　the　Saint；　appeared　to　him；　and　said；　〃Art　thou　so　melancholy　and　afraid；　because　the　Vindland　people　come　against　thee　with　a　great　army？　Be　not　afraid　of　heathens；　although　they　be　many；　for　I　shall　be　with　thee　in　the　battle。　　Prepare；　therefore；　to　give　battle　to　the　Vindlanders；　when　thou　hearest　my　trumpet。〃　　When　the　king　awoke　he　told　his　dream　to　his　men；　and　the　day　was　then　dawning。　At　that　moment　all　the　people　heard　a　ringing　of　bells　in　the　air；　and　those　among　King　Magnus's　men　who　had　been　in　Nidaros　thought　that　it　was　the　ringing　of　the　bell　called　Glod；　which　King　Olaf　had　presented　to　the　church　of　Saint　Clement　in　the　town　of　Nidaros。



29。　BATTLE　OF　HLYRSKOG　HEATH。

Then　King　Magnus　stood　up；　and　ordered　the　war　trumpets　to　sound；　and　at　that　moment　the　Vindland　army　advanced　from　the　south　across　the　river　against　him；　on　which　the　whole　of　the　king's　army　stood　up；　and　advanced　against　the　heathens。　　King　Magnus　threw　off　from　him　his　coat　of　ring…mail；　and　had　a　red　silk　shirt　outside　over　his　clothes；　and　had　in　his　hands　the　battle…　axe　called　Hel　（1）；　which　had　belonged　to　King　Olaf。　　King　Magnus　ran　on　before　all　his　men　to　the　enemy's　army；　and　instantly　hewed　down　with　both　hands　every　man　who　came　against　him。　　So　says　Arnor；　the　earls'　skald：　

　　　　　〃His　armour　on　the　ground　he　flung　　　　　　His　broad　axe　round　his　head　he　swung；　　　　　　And　Norway's　king　strode　on　in　might；　　　　　　Through　ringing　swords；　to　the　wild　fight。　　　　　　His　broad　axe　Hel　with　both　hands　wielding；　　　　　　Shields；　helms；　and　skulls　before　it　yielding；　　　　　　He　seemed　with　Fate　the　world　to　share；　　　　　　And　life　or　death　to　deal　out　there。〃

This　battle　was　not　very　long；　for　the　king's　men　were　very　fiery；　and　where　they　came　the　Vindland　men　fell　as　thick　as　tangles　heaped　up　by　the　waves　on　the　strand。　　They　who　stood　behind　betook　themselves　to　flight；　and　were　hewed　down　like　cattle　at　a　slaughter。　　The　king　himself　drove　the　fugitives　eastward　over　the　heath；　and　people　fell　all　over　the　moor。　　So　says　Thiodolf：　

　　　　　〃And　foremost　he　pursued；　　　　　　And　the　flying　foe　down　hewed；　　　　　　An　eagle's　feast　each　stroke；　　　　　　As　the　Vindland　helms　he　broke。　　　　　　He　drove　them　o'er　the　hearth；　　　　　　And　they　fly　from　bloody　death；　　　　　　But　the　moor；　a　mile　or　more；　　　　　　With　the　dead　was　studded　o'er。〃

It　is　a　common　saying；　that　there　never　was　so　great　a　slaughter　of　men　in　the　northern　lands；　since　the　time　of　Christianity；　as　took　place　among　the　Vindland　people　on　Hlyrskog's　Heath。　　On　the　other　side；　not　many　of　King　Magnus's　people　were　killed；　although　many　were　wounded。　　After　the　battle　the　king　ordered　the　wounds　of　his　men　to　be　bound；　but　there　were　not　so　many　doctors　in　the　army　as　were　necessary；　so　the　king　himself　went　round；　and　felt　the　hands　of　those　he　thought　best　suited　for　the　business；　and　when　he　had　thus　stroked　their　palms；　he　named　twelve　men；　who；　he　thought；　had　the　softest　hands；　and　told　them　to　bind　the　wounds　of　the　people；　and　although　none　of　them　had　ever　tried　it　before；　they　all　became　afterwards　the　best　of　doctors。　　There　were　two　Iceland　men　among　them；　the　one　was　Thorkil；　a　son　of　Geire；　from　Lyngar；　the　other　was　Atle；　father　of　Bard　Svarte　of　Selardal；　from　whom　many　good　doctors　are　descended。　　After　this　battle；　the　report　of　the　miracle　which　King　Olaf　the　Saint　had　worked　was　spread　widely　through　the　country；　and　it　was　the　common　saying　of　the　people；　that　no　man　could　venture　to　fight　against　King　Magnus　Olafson；　for　his　father　Saint　Olaf　stood　so　near　to　him　that　his　ene