and so they separated.Ragnfred sailed with his fleet southwards around Stad; for he was much afraid the whole forces of the country would swarm around Hakon.Hakon, on his part, was not inclined to try again a battle, for he thought the difference between their ships in size was too great; so in harvest he went north to Throndhjem, and staid there all winter (A.D.971).King Ragnfred consequently had all the country south of Stad at his mercy; namely, Fjord district, Hordaland, Sogn, Rogaland; and he had many people about him all winter.When spring approached he ordered out the people and collected a large force.By going about the districts he got many men, ships, and warlike stores sent as he required.
18.BATTLE BETWEEN HAKON AND RAGNFRED.
Towards spring Earl Hakon ordered out all the men north in the country; and got many people from Halogaland and Naumudal; so that from Bryda to Stad he had men from all the sea-coast.
People flocked to him from all the Throndhjem district and from Raumsdal.It was said for certain that he had men from four great districts, and that seven earls followed him, and a matchless number of men.So it is said in the "Vellekla": --"Hakon, defender of the land, Armed in the North his warrior-band To Sogn's old shore his force he led, And from all quarters thither sped War-ships and men; and haste was made By the young god of the sword-blade, The hero-viking of the wave, His wide domain from foes to save.
With shining keels seven kings sailed on To meet this raven-feeding one.
When the clash came, the stunning sound Was heard in Norway's farthest bound;And sea-borne corpses, floating far, Brought round the Naze news from the war."Earl Hakon sailed then with his fleet southwards around Stad; and when he heard that King Ragnfred with his army had gone towards Sogn, he turned there also with his men to meet him: and there Ragnfred and Hakon met.Hakon came to the land with his ships, marked out a battle-field with hazel branches for King Ragnfred, and took ground for his own men in it.So it is told in the "Vellekla": --"In the fierce battle Ragnfred then Met the grim foe of Vindland men;And many a hero of great name Fell in the sharp sword's bloody game.
The wielder of fell Narve's weapon, The conquering hero, valiant Hakon Had laid his war-ships on the strand, And ranged his warriors on the land."There was a great battle; but Earl Hakon, having by far the most people, gained the victory.It took place on the Thinganes, where Sogn and Hordaland meet.
King Rangfred fled to his ships, after 300 of his men had fallen.
So it is said in the "Vellekla":-
"Sharp was the battle-strife, I ween, --
Deadly and close it must have been, Before, upon the bloody plain, Three hundred corpses of the slain Were stretched for the black raven's prey;And when the conquerors took their way To the sea-shore, they had to tread O'er piled-up heaps of foemen dead."After this battle King Ragnfred fled from Norway; but Earl Hakon restored peace to the country, and allowed the great army which had followed him in summer to return home to the north country, and he himself remained in the south that harvest and winter (A.D.972).
19.EARL HAKON'S MARRIAGE.
Earl Hakon married a girl called Thora, a daughter of the powerful Skage Skoptason, and very beautiful she was.They had two sons, Svein and Heming, and a daughter called Bergljot who was afterwards married to Einar Tambaskielfer.Earl Hakon was much addicted to women, and had many children; among others a daughter Ragnhild, whom he married to Skopte Skagason, a brother of Thora.The Earl loved Thora so much that he held Thora's family in higher respect than any other people, and Skopte his brother-in-law in particular; and he gave him many great fiefs in More.Whenever they were on a cruise together, Skopte must lay his ship nearest to the earl's, and no other ship was allowed to come in between.
20.DEATH OF SKOPTE.
One summer that Earl Hakon was on a cruise, there was a ship with him of which Thorleif Spake (the Wise) was steersman.In it was also Eirik, Earl Hakon's son, then about ten or eleven years old.
Now in the evenings, as they came into harbour, Eirik would not allow any ship but his to lie nearest to the earl's.But when they came to the south, to More, they met Skopte the earl's brother-in-law, with a well-manned ship; and as they rowed towards the fleet, Skopte called out that Thorleif should move out of the harbour to make room for him, and should go to the roadstead.Eirik in haste took up the matter, and ordered Skopte to go himself to the roadstead.When Earl Hakon heard that his son thought himself too great to give place to Skopte, he called to them immediately that they should haul out from their berth, threatening them with chastisement if they did not.When Thorleif heard this, he ordered his men to slip their land-cable, and they did so; and Skopte laid his vessel next to the earl's as he used to do.When they came together, Skopte brought the earl all the news he had gathered, and the earl communicated to Skopte all the news he had heard; and Skopte was therefore called Tidindaskopte (the Newsman Skopte).The winter after (A.D.973)Eirik was with his foster-father Thorleif, and early in spring he gathered a crew of followers, and Thorleif gave him a boat of fifteen benches of rowers, with ship furniture, tents, and ship provisions; and Eirik set out from the fjord, and southwards to More.Tidindaskopte happened also to be going with a fully manned boat of fifteen rowers' benches from one of his farms to another, and Eirik went against him to have a battle.Skopte was slain, but Eirik granted life to those of his men who were still on their legs.So says Eyjolf Dadaskald in the "Banda Lay": --"At eve the youth went out To meet the warrior stout --To meet stout Skopte -- he Whose war-ship roves the sea Like force was on each side, But in the whirling tide The young wolf Eirik slew Skopte, and all his crew And he was a gallant one, Dear to the Earl Hakon.
Up, youth of steel-hard breast --