Norse Legends. Snorri Sturluson

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      28. HAKON TAKEN PRISONER BY OLAF.

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      King Olaf steered his ships within the ordinary ships' course when he came abreast of Fjaler district, and ran into Saudungssund. There he laid his two vessels one on each side of the sound with a thick cable between them. At the same moment Hakon, Earl Eirik's son, came rowing into the sound with a manned ship; and as they thought these were but two merchant-vessels that were lying in the sound, they rowed between them. Then Olaf and his men draw the cable up right under Hakon's ship's keel and wind it up with the capstan. As soon as the vessel's course was stopped her stern was lifted up, and her bow plunged down; so that the water came in at her fore-end and over both sides, and she upset. King Olaf's people took Earl Hakon and all his men whom they could get hold of out of the water, and made them prisoners; but some they killed with stones and other weapons, and some were drowned. So says Ottar:—

      "The black ravens wade

       In the blood from thy blade.

       Young Hakon so gay,

       With his ship, is thy prey:

       His ship, with its gear,

       Thou hast ta'en; and art here,

       Thy forefather's land

       From the earl to demand."

      Earl Hakon was led up to the king's ship. He was the handsomest man that could be seen. He had long hair, as fine as silk, bound about his bead with a gold ornament.

      When he sat down in the fore-hold, the king said to him, "It is not false what is said of your family, that ye are handsome people to look at; but now your luck has deserted you."

      Hakon the earl replied, "It has always been the case that success is changeable; and there is no luck in the matter. It has gone with your family as with mine, to have by turns the better lot. I am little beyond childhood in years; and at any rate we could not have defended ourselves, as we did not expect any attack on the way. It may turn out better with us another time."

      Then said King Olaf, "Dost thou not apprehend that thou art in that condition that, hereafter, there can be neither victory nor defeat for thee?"

      The earl replies, "That is what thou only canst determine, king, according to thy pleasure."

      Olaf says, "What wilt thou give me, earl, if for this time I let thee go, whole and unhurt?"

      The earl asks what he would take.

      "Nothing," says the king, "except that thou shalt leave the country, give up thy kingdom, and take an oath that thou shalt never go into battle against me."

      The earl answered, that he would do so. And now Earl Hakon took the oath that he would never fight against Olaf, or seek to defend Norway against him, or attack him; and King Olaf thereupon gave him and all his men life and peace. The earl got back the ship which had brought him there, and he and his men rowed their way. Thus says Sigvat of him:—

      "In old Saudungs sound

       The king Earl Hakon found,

       Who little thought that there

       A foeman was so near.

       The best and fairest youth

       Earl Hakon was in truth,

       That speaks the Danish tongue,

       And of the race of great Hakon."