178 



THE FLEETS OF THE NORTHMEN. 



to go to the Frankish chronicles in order to see the manner in 

 which they attacked or besieged a city. From these we learu 

 that the ships ascended the rivers as far as possible ; if any- 

 thing stopped the navigation, a canal was made or the vessels 

 were drawn along the shore, and the obstacle thus passed. The 

 Norsemen took possession of all the large islands, fortified 

 them, and wintered there ; and there they kept their spoils of 

 war or plunder. They also brought cavalry in their ships, a 

 fact proved by the Bayeux tapestry. 



It is said that Harald Blatonn (blue tooth) went to Norway 

 with a fleet of 700 (840) ships. 



"Then King Harald summoned a host from his entire 

 kingdom. Hakon jarl was with him, and Harald Graenski, 

 son of Gudraud Bjornsson. and many other powerful men, 

 who had fled from their estates in Norway on account of 

 Gunnhild's sons. 



" The King of Denmark sailed from the south into Vikin 

 with 700 ships, 1 and there all the inhabitants came under his 

 rule ; and when he reached Tiinsberg, large numbers gathered 

 to him. 



"King Harald gave to Hakon jarl all the men who had 

 come to him in Norway ; and made him ruler over the seven 

 fylkis of Rogaland, Hordaland, Sogn, Firdafylki, Simnmoeri, 

 Raumsdal, Nordmceri " 2 (Olaf Tryggvason, c. 24, 2 Fins. I.). 



1 Heimskringla says 600 ships. 



2 The English chronicles mention nu- 

 merous instances of large fleets descending 

 on various parts of the coast, of which 

 the following are a few : 



In the year 860, in the time of Ethel- 

 red a large fleet came to the land, and 

 the crews stormed Winchester. 



In the year 893 the Danish army came, 

 from the east westward to Boulogne, and 

 their war ships. They landed at the 

 mouth of the Limne with 250 ships 

 (this is in the eastern part of Kent). 



In the year 894 the Danes among 

 the Northumbrians and East Anglians 

 gathered 100 ships and went south to 

 besiege Exeter. 



In the year 9'J7 King Anlaf entered 

 the Humber with a vast fleet of 615 sails. 



In the year 993 Olave, with 93 ships, 

 came to Staines. 



In the year 994 Olave and Sveyn (Olaf 

 of Norway and Svein of Denmark) came 

 to London with 94 ships. 



In the year 1006 a great fleet came to 



Sandwich and ravaged wherever it went. 

 It returned in winter to the Isle of 

 Wight ; the distress and fear in the 

 land were extreme. 36.000 and provi- 

 sions was paid as tribute to the invaders. 



la the year 1009, Thurkills came with 

 his fleet to England, and after him another 

 innumerable fleet of Danes, the chiefs of 

 which were Hemming and Ailaf. 



In the year 1069 the sons of Svein 

 came from Denmark with 240 ships into 

 the Humber. 



In the year 1075 200 ships came from 

 Denmark under Knut, son of Sweyne 

 and Hecco, but did not dare to risk a 

 battle with King William. After plun- 

 dering in York they went to Flanders. 



The Frankish chronicles give an account 

 also of various flee's : 



EGINHARD. 



In the year 810 the emperor (Charle- 

 magne), then at Aix-le-Chapelle, planned 

 an expedition against King Godfrey. He 

 suddenly received the news that a fleet 



