2 James Christian Liiidbcrg 



When he returned to Norway after this battle, he renounced the 

 Danish suzerainty. Learning of this the Danish king induced the Wick- 

 ings of lom to go against the crafty and rebellious earl. The result was 

 the famous lomsborg's battle where Hakon won a glorious victorj'. It 

 was in this encounter that the warrior Bue, who had lost both of his 

 hands in the fight, when he saw that all was lost, sprang overboard, hold- 

 ing a heavy money chest under his arms (cf. 1, ii, p. 16 below). It was 

 also at this time, when the battle seemed doubtful, that Hakon gave as 

 an offering his little son, Erling (cf. IV, ii, p. 75 below). Chronologically, 

 Oehlenschlaeger puts this scene much later. In the lomszvikinga-drapa 

 Bishop Biarni (circa 1200) says of this incident: 



"Cruel was tjie song of the sharp swords ! The blood dripped on 

 the javelins! Brave was the defense. . . On every side the foe 



gave way before them in the fight, till the cruel Hakon offered up his 

 son in the midst of the battle."' 



This saving of Norway from the dreaded Wickings of lom put 

 down all opposition toward Hakon that had hitherto existed. He was 

 heralded as the hero of the North and became the national idol. All 

 Norway lay under his sway. Says Einar : 



"I say that the gods strengthen Hakon's sway. Was there ever a 

 land and sixteen earls lying so under one ruler? His glory soars high 

 under the four ends of the heaven." — Vcllckla, Corpus Poctictiiii Borcale, 

 vol. II, p. 47. 



While he was still in league witli Harald Blaatand, he was baptized 

 and acknowledged the Christian faith. But no sooner was he independ- 

 ent of the Danish king than he threw it off as lightly as he had assumed 

 it, and again became a dutiful and zealous worshiper of Odin and Thor. 

 By his enemies he was called the "sacrificing earl." During the reign of 

 the Ynglings, everything was uncertain and unstable. Now all was peace- 

 ful, and while Hakon conducted himself wisely the country prospered. 



But as the years passed he began to overstep his legitimate rights. 

 The hero became the monster. The people were dissatisfied. Olaf ap- 

 peared as a threatening cloud from the West. Plakon was put to flight 

 and died at last at the hands of a treacherous slave. On this point 

 Saemund the historian says : 



"The stern Earl Hakon took the land after the dead Harald; one- 

 score and thirteen years he ruled the country. The end of the life of 

 Eric's father in Gaula-dale was not a good one, where Cark (in the play 

 Karker) the thrall slit the throat of Hakon with a knife." — Koiiiinga-tal. 

 Corpus Poeticum Borealc, vol. II, p. 313. 



About the year 995 Olaf Trygveson appeared in Norway. He was 

 the son of Trygve, who was the grandson of Harald Fairhair. The poet 

 Hallfred VandraedaScald, Lii'cs of the Kings, Corpus Poeticum Borealc, 

 vol. II. pp. 94-95, says the following of Olafs viking exploits: 



"He was twelve years old ... . when they launched his warship 

 out of Garth (Novgorod territory). . . . He dyed his spear red in 

 blood at Holm, and east in Garth. Who knows it not? I have heard 

 how the Breaker of high-places piled heaps of corpses in many a place. 

 The Hater of the Fanes made the kindred of the lamts and Wends to 

 fall in battle. He was trained early to that. He was a danger to the 

 lives of the Gots, and I hear that he fought at Sconey. He hewed the 

 mailcoats with the sword in Denmark, and south of Heathby Tryggwe's 

 son cut down the coarse-grown carcases of the Saxons for the witches' 

 chargers (the wolves), and gave the blood of many a Frisian to the 

 steeds of the night-hags (wolves). He fed the wolves on the bodies of 



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