IN NORTHERN MISTS 



other. Svein and Andres went home with their ship the 

 same autumn; but Ogmund proceeded southward through 

 Russia to the Suzdal kingdom in East Russia, on a tributary 

 of the Volga. Helge Bograngsson and his Nordlanders stayed 

 the winter in Bjarmeland; but he came in conflict with the 

 Bjarmas and was killed. After this Ogmund did not venture 

 to return that way, but went on through Russia to the sea 

 (i.e., the Black Sea) and thence to the Holy Land. He came 

 safely home to Norway after many years. 



When the rumor of what had happened to Helge and his 

 men reached home, a punitive expedition was decided on. 

 The king's officers in Nordland, Andres Skjaldarbrand and 

 Ivar Utvik, placed themselves at the head of it; and they 

 came to Bjarmeland with four ships in the year 1222, and 

 accomplished their purpose; "they wrought great havoc in 

 plunder and slaughter and obtained much booty in furs and 

 burnt silver." But on the homeward voyage Ivar's ship was 

 lost in the whirlpool at " Straumneskinn," and only Ivar and 

 one other escaped. "Straumneskinn" is probably Sviatoi 

 Nos (see p. 138). 



This is the last Norwegian expedition to Bjarmeland of 

 which Norwegian accounts are known; but that the White 

 Sea traffic continued, though it was never very active, may be 

 concluded from other sources. The name of the Bjarmas them- 

 selves disappears after the middle of the thirteenth century, 

 when it is related that a number of Bjarmas fled before the 

 " Mongols " and received permission from King Hakon to 

 live in Malangenfjord. After that time in the districts near 

 the Dvina we only hear of Karelians and their masters, the 

 Russians of Novgorod. 



That there was considerable navigation, probably combined 

 with piratical incursions, between the north of Norway and 

 the countries to the east, may also appear from a provision 

 of the older Gulathings Law, where in cap. 315, in a codex of 

 1 200-1 250, we find: 



" The inhabitants of Halogaland are to fit out thirteen twenty-seated and one 

 140 



