Earl Rögnvald sent for Swein, Asleif’s son, before he went out on his
expedition. When they met, Earl Rögnvald asked him to have an eye on
Gillaodran if he had an opportunity. Swein said he did not know how far
he might succeed.
CHAPTER CV
SWEIN SLAYS SUMARLIDI.
THEN Swein went on a marauding expedition, having five long-ships. When
he came west to Scotland’s Fiord, he heard that Sumarlidi Höld had gone
on board a ship, and was about to set out on an expedition. He had seven
ships, and Gillaodran commanded one. He had gone into the firths to
bring up some troops that had not arrived. When Swein heard of
Sumarlidi, he gave him battle, and it was a fierce fight. Sumarlidi Höld
was killed in that fight, and many men with him. When Swein became aware
that Gillaodran was not there, he went in search of him, and slew him in
Myrkvifiörd,[440] and fifty men with him. Then he went on his
expedition, and returned home in the autumn, as his custom was. He went
to see Earl Rögnvald soon after his return, and he was much pleased with
these deeds.
CHAPTER CVI
OF EARL RÖGNVALD AND EARL HARALD.
EVERY summer the Earls were wont to go over to Caithness, and up into
the forests to hunt the red-deer or the reindeer.[441] Thorbiörn Klerk
was with the King of Scots, and sometimes he went to Caithness and
stayed in hiding with his friends. He had three friends in Caithness
whom he trusted most. One was his brother-in-law, Hösvir; the second,
Liótólf, who lived in Thórsdal; and the third was Hallvard, Dúfa’s son,
in Kálfadal (Calder), at a certain promontory off Thórsdal. All these
were his intimate friends.
CHAPTER CVII
THE SLAYING OF EARL RÖGNVALD.
WHEN Earl Rögnvald had been an Earl two-and-twenty winters from the time
that Earl Paul was taken prisoner, the Earls went over to Caithness
during the latter part of the summer as usual, and when they came to
Thórsá they heard a rumour to the effect that Thorbiörn was there in
hiding with not a few men, and that he intended to attack them if he had
an opportunity. Then the Earls called men together, and went with a
hundred men, twenty of whom were on horseback and the rest on foot. In
the evening they went up into the valley,[442] and took up their
quarters for the night. When they were sitting by the fire in the
evening, Earl Rögnvald sneezed very much. Earl Harald said: “That was a
loud sneeze, kinsman.” In the morning they went along the valley.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account