Battle on Stordo i6i 



the opportunity of seeing the beacons which to-day are 

 lit lip on the ' Nesses ' of the fjords ; and this may give 

 him some picture of Hakon's beacons flaring out their 

 warning fires over the waters. But the worst of precau- 

 tions of this kind is. that they are often abused. Many 

 a time the petty raid of some obscure Yiking was con- 

 verted by terror into the advent of Erik's sons and their 

 fleet, and the beacons were set on fire without due cause; 

 so that Hakon had to enact severe penalties for the 

 wanton lighting of the fires. The result was what might 

 have been expected : ' wolf ' had been cried too often ; 

 and when the real danger came there was no alarm. 



Hakon was on the island called Stordo at the mouth 

 of the Hardanger Fjord. The steamers from Stavanger 

 to Bergen pass this island, as do those which sail from 

 Bergen into the Hardanger. With its rounded shape 

 and green niches the island is not distinguishable in 

 character from its neighbours, but the traveller may 

 well note it as he passes for the sake of this picture 

 which comes to us from nine hundred years ago. King 

 Hakon was staying at the house of a bonder, and had 

 with him only the soldiers of his household — house- 

 carles, as they were called — and the bonders from the 

 neighbourhood. Just as the king sat down to table, 

 the look-outs on the island observed what they took for 

 a considerable fleet making for the spot ; but the king 

 had been so severe upon all who had given false alarms, 

 that they were afraid to light the beacon, or even to 

 warn the king. At last they sent for one of the king's 

 men, who was likewise a famous skald and a favourite 

 at Court ; and he, seeing the seriousness of the danger, 

 went to the house and roused his master. 



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