href="@public@vhost@g@gutenberg@html@files@347@[email protected]#link2HCH0074" class="pginternal" tag="{http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml}a">CHAPTER LXXIV.   THE FIRE GOES OUT IN DRANGEY

CHAPTER LXXV.   GRETTIR SWIMS TO THE MAINLAND FOR FIRE

CHAPTER LXXVI.   ADVENTURE OF HAERING IN DRANGEY

CHAPTER LXXVII.   GRETTIR'S CASE BEFORE THE ALL-THING

CHAPTER LXXVIII.   THORBJORN'S FOSTER-MOTHER

CHAPTER LXXIX.   THE SPELL TAKES EFFECT

CHAPTER LXXX.   THE SPELL CONTINUES TO WORK

CHAPTER LXXXI.   THORBJORN AGAIN VISITS DRANGEY

CHAPTER LXXXII.   THE LAST BATTLE—DEATH OF GRETTIR AND ILLUGI

CHAPTER LXXXIII.   THORBJORN VISITS GRETTIR'S MOTHER AT BJARG

CHAPTER LXXXIV.   THORBJORN IS EXILED AT THE THING

CHAPTER LXXXV.   THORBJORN GOES TO NORWAY AND CONSTANTINOPLE

CHAPTER LXXXVI.   GRETTIR'S DEATH AVENGED BY HIS BROTHER THORSTEINN DROMUND

CHAPTER LXXXVII.   THE LADY SPES

CHAPTER LXXXVIII.   ADVENTURES OF THORSTEINN AND SPES

CHAPTER LXXXIX.   THE ORDEAL

CHAPTER XC.   THORSTEINN AND SPES RETURN TO NORWAY

CHAPTER XCI.   ABSOLUTION IN ROME

CHAPTER XCII.   THE END OF THORSTEINN AND SPES

CHAPTER XCIII.   THE TESTIMONY OF STURLA THE LAWMAN

CHAPTER I. THE FAMILY AND EARLY WARS OF ONUND THE SON OF OFEIG

There was a man named Onund, the son of Ofeig Clumsyfoot, who was the son of Ivar Horsetail. Onund was the brother of Gudbjorg, the mother of Gudbrand Knob, the father of Asta, the mother of King Olaf the Saint. His mother came from the Upplands, while his father's relations were mostly in Rogaland and Hordland. He was a great viking and used to harry away in the West over the sea. He was accompanied on these expeditions by one Balki, the son of Blaeing from Sotanes, and by Orm the Wealthy. Another comrade of theirs was named Hallvard. They had five ships, all well equipped. They plundered the Hebrides, reaching the Barra Isles, where there ruled a king named Kjarval, who also had five ships. These they attacked; there was a fierce battle between them, in which Onund's men fought with the utmost bravery. After many had fallen on both sides, the battle ended with the king taking to flight with a single ship; the rest were captured by Onund's force, along with much booty. They stayed there for the winter, and spent the succeeding three summers harrying the coasts of Ireland and Scotland, after which they returned to Norway.

CHAPTER II. THE BATTLE OF HAFRSFJORD

At that time Norway was very disturbed. Harald Shockhead, the son of Halfdan the Black, till then king of the Upplands, was aiming at the supreme kingship. He went into the North and fought many battles there, in which he was always victorious. Then he marched harrying through the territories to the South, bringing them into subjection wherever he came. On reaching Hordland he was opposed by a motley multitude led by Kjotvi the Wealthy, Thorir Long-chin, and Soti and King Sulki from South Rogaland. Geirmund Swarthyskin was then away in the West, beyond the sea, so he was not present at the battle, although Hordland belonged to his dominion.

Onund and his party had arrived that autumn from the western seas, and when Thorir and Kjotvi heard of their landing they sent envoys to ask for their aid, promising to treat them with honour.

They were very anxious for an opportunity of distinguishing themselves, so they joined Thorir's forces, and declared that they would be in the thickest part of the battle. They met King Harald in a fjord in Rogaland called Hafrsfjord. The forces on each side were very large, and the battle was one of the greatest ever fought in Norway. There are many accounts of it, for one always hears much about those people of whom the saga is told. Troops had come in from all the country around and from other countries as well, besides a multitude of vikings. Onund brought his ship alongside of that of Thorir Long-chin in the very middle of the battle. King Harald made for Thorir's ship, knowing him to be a terrible berserk, and very brave. The fighting was desperate on either side. Then the king ordered his berserks, the men called Wolfskins, forward. No iron could hurt them, and when they charged nothing could withstand them. Thorir defended himself bravely and fell on his ship fighting valiantly. The whole ship from stem to stern was cleared and her fastenings were cut, so that she fell out of the line of battle. Then they attacked Onund's ship, in the forepart of which he was standing and fighting manfully. The king's men said: "He bears himself well in the forecastle. Let us give him something to remind him of having been in the battle." Onund was stepping out with one foot on to the bulwark, and as he was striking they made a thrust at him with a spear; in parrying it he bent backwards, and at that moment a man on the forecastle of the king's ship struck him and took off his leg below