The Sagas of the Icelanders (39 page)

8
It is said that in the last summer that Ingimund and Saemund held fellowship together, they returned with far more booty than ever before, and it so happened at the same time in Norway that an army had assembled in the east by Jaeren, and nearly all the arms-bearing men of the country were then assembled in two locations. On one side was Harald, nicknamed Tangle-hair.
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He fought against the local chieftains, and the battle he fought at Havsfjord was his last before he brought the whole country under his control.

At that moment Ingimund and Saemund landed, as was said earlier, close to the spot where the troops were assembled.

Then Ingimund said, ‘Great news is in prospect now, because all the mightiest men in the land are committed here; but I think that King Harald is the worthiest of them, and he is a man after my own heart and I want to offer him my support, because some help is always better than none.’

Saemund said that he would not risk his life for the king’s sake; and he took no part in the battle.

Ingimund replied, ‘You can see, foster-brother, that the king’s strength is great, and you may judge whether things will go better for those who stand by him, or with those who are set against him. As I see it, he will reward well those who show him honour and support, and it seems to me uncertain as to what might lie ahead if his wishes are not followed; and this will be the parting of the ways for us.’

Then Saemund and his men sailed into and along Sognefjord, and Ingi
mund sailed into Havsfjord and joined King Harald’s fleet. The most important leaders opposing King Harald were Thorir Long-chin and Asbjorn the Fleshy. Their forces were large in number and tough. Ingimund tied up alongside the raised deck of the king’s ship and greeted the king thus: ‘Hail, my lord, hail.’

The king replied, ‘You greet me handsomely, but who are you?’

‘My name is Ingimund and I am the son of Thorstein, and I have come here because I want to offer you my support, and we believe that those who support you will fare better than those others who rise up against you. I am newly returned from raiding with several ships.’

The king received his greeting warmly, and said that he had heard good things about him, ‘and I would want you rewarded for your efforts, because I will bring all Norway under my control, and I will treat those who wish to serve me very differently from those who now flee to the ranks of our enemies, or to their estates, as I have heard that Saemund, your companion, has done; and I declare that there is greater manliness to be seen in the kind of actions which you have taken’.

Ingimund said that there were many good points about Saemund.

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After that, horns sounded throughout the troops and men prepared themselves, each as best he could. This was King Harald’s greatest battle. With him were Rognvald of More and many other great chieftains and those berserks known as ‘Wolf-skins’ – they used wolf-skin cloaks for corslets and defended the bow of the king’s ship, and the king himself defended the stern with the greatest bravery and valour. Many a mighty blow could be seen there. Many and great deeds were done there in a short time, with blows and spear-thrusts along with fierce stone-throwing. Before long many men had fallen on both sides. Ingimund supported King Harald valiantly and won great praise for himself. The battle ended, as is well known to many and has become very famous, with King Harald winning a great victory and becoming thereafter sole ruler over all Norway. He rewarded all those chieftains who had supported him, and also all his other followers with the greatest generosity.

He rewarded Rognvald with an earldom and said, ‘You have shown great courage in your support of me; you have also lost your son for my sake, and he cannot be restored to you, but I can reward you with honours – first by making you an earl, and also by giving you those islands which lie over the sea to the west, and are called the Orkney Islands. You will have those
islands as compensation for your son; and you will receive many another honour from me.’

The king was as good as his word. Rognvald sent his son Hallad west, but he was unable to defend the islands against the Vikings. He then sent his son Turf-Einar, saying that he felt sure that he could hold the islands. He was the first earl in the Orkney Islands, and all the Orkney earls are descended from him.

King Harald gave substantial grants of land to many people in return for their support, and it made a big difference whether men had been for or against him, in that he rewarded his supporters in a variety of ways, but those others, who had been opposed to him, he drove from the land, or maimed or killed, so that none of them received any reparation.

Then the king said to Ingimund, ‘You have shown me great friendship, and added to your renown. I will always be a friend to you; and your share of the spoils will be three ships and their crews. Along with this you will have the war gear of all those Vikings against whom you fought and, as a token that you were present at Havsfjord, you will have as a gift the talisman
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which Asbjorn the Fleshy owned, and which he valued the most. That will be a better token of this battle than great riches would be, and it is an honour for you to receive it from our hand. And when we have put our kingdom in order, then I will reward your support with a feast and with gifts of friendship.’

Ingimund thanked the king for his gifts and generous words, and with that they parted. The king also said that he would be mindful of Saemund because of his designs and treason against him.

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Ingimund met Saemund soon after the battle of Havsfjord and said to him that his prophecy about the conflict had turned out to be not far off the mark: ‘I know also because of the words of the king, that it is not your lot to live in peace, and I think it would be a good idea for you to go away, because the king will carry out his threat, but I would like to spare you from a harsher fate because of our friendship. It seems to me not a bad idea for you to head for Iceland, as many worthy men do these days who cannot be sure of defending themselves against the power of King Harald.’

Saemund said, ‘In this, as in everything else, you show your good faith and friendship, and I will take your advice.’

Ingimund urged him to do so, ‘but it would have been better if you had
followed me at Havsfjord; you would not now need to head for that desolate outcrop’.

Saemund said that in many ways his words were not far from the truth. He then secretly sold his land and made ready to depart, and thanked Ingimund for his advice and pledged continuing friendship. Saemund then journeyed to Iceland and landed in Skagafjord; in all directions at that time there was land still to be settled. He set out carrying fire, in accordance with the old custom, and laid claim to land which is now called Saemundarhlid in Skagafjord and became a formidable man. He had a son named Geirmund and his daughter was Reginleif, who married Thorodd Helmet. Their daughter was Hallbera, mother of Gudmund the Powerful of Modruvellir, and of Einar of Thvera.

Ingimund, in great honour, visited his father after the battle of Havsfjord. Thorstein welcomed him with open arms and said to him that through good fortune he had turned his affairs around. He said that this was to be expected, ‘because you are the grandson of earl Ingimund, the noblest of men’.

He remained there over the winter, and during that time Ingjald came to Thorstein and there was a happy reunion.

Ingjald said that things had turned out for Ingimund as he had prophesied, ‘and I have now prepared a feast for you, my foster-son, with all the resources which I have at my disposal’.

Ingimund said that he would be present.

Ingjald returned home and invited many people to the feast. All those invited duly attended. Ingjald and his men prepared a magic rite in the old heathen fashion, so that men could examine what the fates had in store for them. A Lapp enchantress was among those present. Ingimund and Grim arrived at the feast along with a large retinue. The Lapp woman, splendidly attired, sat on a high seat. Men left their benches and went forward to ask about their destinies. For each of them she predicted that which eventually came to pass, but each took the news in a different way.

The foster-brothers sat in their places and did not go up to enquire about the future; they placed no trust in her predictions.

The seeress said, ‘Why do those young men not ask about their futures, because they seem to me to be the most outstanding of the men assembled here?’

Ingimund answered, ‘It is not important for me to know my future before it happens, and I do not think that my future life lies at the roots of your tongue.’

She answered, ‘I will nevertheless tell you without being asked. You
will settle in a land which is called Iceland; it is as yet not widely settled. There you will become a man of honour and live to a great age. Many of your kinsfolk will be noble figures in that land.’

Ingimund answered, ‘That is all very well, seeing that I have made up my mind never to go to that place, and I won’t be a successful merchant if I sell my many fine ancestral lands and head off to that wilderness.’

The Lapp woman answered, ‘What I am saying will come to pass and, as a sign of this, an amulet is missing from your purse – the gift which King Harald gave you at Havsfjord – and it now lies in the wood where you will settle, and on this silver amulet the figure of Frey is carved and when you establish your homestead there, then my prophecy will be fulfilled.’

Ingimund answered, ‘If it were not for offending my foster-father, you would receive your reward on your skull; but because I am not an aggressive or irritable man, we will let it pass.’

She said that there was no need for angry words. Ingimund said that ill fortune had brought her there. She said that things would turn out as she had stated, whether he liked it or not.

She went on – ‘the destinies of Grim and of his brother Hromund also lie in Iceland; and they will both become worthy farmers’.

The next morning Ingimund searched for the amulet and could not find it. That did not seem to him a good omen.

Ingjald told him to cheer up and not let this get him down or stand in the way of the festivities, and said that many worthy men now regarded it as no shame to go to Iceland – ‘Even though I did invite the Lapp woman here, I intended nothing but good.’

Ingimund said that he could not thank him for that, ‘but our friendship will never come to an end’.

Ingimund then went home to his father and remained there through the winter.

When spring came, he asked his foster-brothers what they thought of heading off on a voyage.

Grim said that he thought there was nothing to be gained from fighting against fate, ‘and I am off to Iceland this summer along with my brother, and many consider this no shame even though they are of noble birth. I have heard good things about the land – that livestock feed themselves during the winters, that there are fish in every river and lake, and great forests, and that men are free from the assaults of kings and criminals.’

Ingimund said, ‘I will not go there, and this will be the parting of the ways for us.’

Grim said that this may be so, ‘but it would not surprise me if we were to meet each other in Iceland, because it is not possible to fly from fate’s decree’.

Ingimund said that their parting was certainly a loss for him.

Grim set sail that summer along with his brother; they reached Borgarfjord and put in at Hvanneyri. Grim said that he thought he would take that land as his own and settle on it. He claimed so much land that many farms now occupy what was once his estate. Hromund said that he would head for the hills and settle happily on the mountain ends. Grim said that things had worked out well, in that they would have the best of the high ground but also the benefits of the sea. Hromund settled at Thverarhlid and was considered a remarkable man, blessed with good offspring; Illugi the Black was descended from him. Grim also was fortunate in his kinsfolk, and many worthy people are descended from him though they are not named here.

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During that summer when the brothers set sail for Iceland, Ingimund went to his father and stayed with him. Thorstein began to age.

On one occasion, Thorstein said to Ingimund, ‘It is now good to die knowing that one’s son is such a lucky man. The thing which I hold best in my life is that I have not been aggressive towards others; and it is very likely that my life will come to an end in the same peaceful manner because I feel a sickness coming on. Now, kinsman, I want to let you know how my affairs stand. It would not seem to me strange were you to find yourself moving from these ancestral lands, and I do not allow this to trouble me.’

Ingimund said that he would commit himself to act in accordance with Thorstein’s instructions. Thorstein said that he believed Ingimund would be regarded as a great man wherever he settled. Thorstein then prophesied many things for him and died shortly afterwards. He was given a fitting burial in the ancient heathen way. Ingimund took over the management of the estate and all its effects. He intended to make his home there and did not stir for a while.

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King Harald Fair-hair, the greatest of all the old kings of Scandinavia, had now established complete peace and stability. He then remembered what he had promised his friends and prepared lavish feasts for them with all due honours.

He issued a special invitation to Ingimund, and when he arrived, the king welcomed him warmly and said, ‘I understand that your situation is in many
ways an honourable one, but you nevertheless lack one thing, in that you are unmarried; but I have thought of a match for you. It was in my mind when you risked your life for mine. Earl Thorir the Silent has a daughter called Vigdis; she is the most beautiful of women and very wealthy. I will arrange this marriage for you.’

Ingimund thanked the king and said that he was keen on the idea. The king held a feast of great splendour and honour, and then men returned home. After that Ingimund prepared for the wedding and when things were ready King Harald arrived and many other men of distinction. Ingimund married Vigdis as arranged. The marriage went off with great splendour. The king paid for costly gifts and other honours.

Ingimund said to the king, ‘Now I am very happy with my marriage, and it is a great honour to be the object of your goodwill, but I have in mind what the Lapp woman prophesied for me about a change in my life, because I have no wish that it should ever be the case that I leave my family estate.’

The king answered, ‘I cannot deny that the prophecy may have some purpose, and that Frey might wish his amulet to come to rest in the place where he wants his seat of honour to be established.’

Ingimund said that he was eager to know whether he could find the amulet after the digging was done for his high-seat pillars – ‘It may be that all this has not happened for nothing. It is, therefore, to be no secret, my lord, that I now propose to send for those Lapps who can show me the extent of the region and the lie of the land where I will be living; and I intend to send them to Iceland.’

The king said that he could do that, ‘but I think that you will end up in Iceland, and it is a matter of concern whether you go with my blessing or keep the decision to yourself, which is very much the fashion nowadays’.

‘It would never be the case that I would go without your permission.’

Afterwards he and the king parted. Ingimund went home and remained on his farm. He sent for the Lapps, and three of them came from the north. Ingimund said that he wanted to make a bargain with them – ‘I will give you butter and tin, and you are to undertake an errand for me in Iceland and search for my amulet and report back to me about the lie of the land.’

They answered, ‘This is a hazardous mission for Lapp messengers to undertake, but in response to your request we want to make an attempt. You must now shut us up together in a shed and our names must not be revealed.’

This was duly done. And when three nights had passed, Ingimund went to them.

They stood up and sighed deeply and said, ‘It has been hard for us, and we have had much toil and trouble, but nevertheless we have returned with these tokens so that you may recognize the land from our account, if you go there; but it was very difficult for us to search for the amulet, and the spell of the Lapp woman was a powerful one because we placed ourselves in great jeopardy. We arrived at a spot where three fjords open up to the north-east and in one fjord there were big lakes to be seen. We later entered a long valley and there at the foot of a mountain were some wooded areas. It was a habitable hillside, and there in one of the woods was the amulet, but when we tried to pick it up, it flew off into another wood, and as we pursued it, it always flew away, and some sort of cover always lay over it, so that we could not get hold of it; and so it is that you yourself must go there.’

Ingimund said that he would be heading off there soon and declared that it was useless to fight against this. He looked after the Lapps well and they left, and he stayed quietly on his estate and was a very wealthy and worthy man. Afterwards he met the king and told him what he had done and what he was planning. The king said that this came as no surprise to him and that it was difficult to go against the way things must be.

Ingimund said that this was true – ‘I have now tried every way.’

The king said, ‘Whichever land you live in, you will be an honoured man.’

As before, the king showed him all due honour.

After this Ingimund held a splendid feast and invited his friends and the chieftains, and at the feast he asked for silence and said, ‘I have decided on a change in my life; I am thinking of going to Iceland, more because of destiny and the decree of mighty forces than out of any personal desire. Anyone wishing to accompany me may do so; those others wishing to remain behind are free to do so, and both groups will remain equally our friends, whatever they choose to do.’

There was much acclaim for his speech, and people said that the departure of such a man was a great blow, ‘but there are few things more powerful than destiny’. Many made ready to go with Ingimund – people of great worth, both farmers and men without land.