The Saga of
Half & his Heroes
© Peter Tunstall, 2005
1. Of King Alrek
There was a king called Alrek who lived at Alreksstadir. He
ruled over Hordaland. He married Signy, the daughter of the king of Voss. Alrek
had a retainer called Koll, and Koll went north with the king to Sogn and he spoke
a great deal to the king about the beauty of Geirhild Drif’s daughter—having seen
her brewing ale—and he told the king he thought they’d make a good match.
As Geirhild was dressing, Hood (who was really Odin) came
to her. He made a bargain with her, that King Alrek would marry her, but she must
call on Hood in all things. The king saw her on his way home, and they were wed
that same autumn.
The king rewarded Koll well for his loyalty and made him a
jarl and a gave him a residence at Kollsey, south of the
On account of their squabbles, King Alrek couldn’t keep both
wives and so he said he’d keep the one who made him the best ale when he came
home from his summer’s raiding. They competed at the brewing. Signy prayed to
Freyja, and Geirhild to Hood. He spat on the yeast and said he’d be back for what
was between the tub and her. And that proved good ale. Then Alrek said:
“Geirhild, girl,
good is this ale,
I can’t complain
unless there’s a catch.
I see hanging
on high gallows
your son, woman,
sold to Odin.”
Within the year, Vikar was born, the son of Alrek and Geirhild.
2. The Fall of
King Ogvald
Ogvald king of Rogaland stayed at Rogi on Josur Heath. That’s
between Rogaland and Telemark. It’s now called The Woods. He went deer hunting.
His court came with him, and the queen had a son there, who was called Josur.
He was fostered by Gunnvald the Jarl of Stord. Haekling the viking came with his
raiders against King Ogvald. In that battle King Ogvald fell and he was buried
at Ogvaldsnes.
Finn the Rich of Akranes, the settler, put in at Ogvaldsnes
on his way to Iceland and asked how long it was since King Ogvald died. He heard
this verse[1] intoned
in the howe:
“It was long ago
they laid a course
here in their hundreds,
Haekling’s men,
sailed the salty
sea-trouts’ track.
That’s when they crowned me
king of this mound.”
3. The Fall of
King Alrek and of Koll
Jarl Gunnvald and Koll both asked to marry the same woman,
and Gunnvald got her. After that, Koll came in secret with a great army to Stord,
and they set fire to Gunnvald of Rogi’s house. Gunnvald came out and was killed.
Josur had been king then for a while. Later he went with a
great army to avenge his foster father, and when Koll saw his sails, he ran to
his warships and sailed north round the
4. Vikar Avenged
his Father
Many years later, King Vikar came with many men against Josur,
while he was in the land that Koll had owned, and they fought a battle, and King
Josur fell first and with him all the landowners of the district. That’s why it’s
called Kvinnherad, or Women’s County, as only widows lived there after that. Then
Vikar took possession of all the land that Koll had owned. For that, Hjor Josursson
went against Vikar in battle, and they struggled a long while—first one, then
the other getting the upper hand—and at last they came to a settlement. Vikar’s
son was Vatnar, who was buried in Vatnar’s Howe—his sons were Snjal and Hjal,
who lie in the Brothers’ Howe.
5. King Hjorleif’s
Bjarmaland Expedition
King Hjor Josursson was a powerful king. He died of sickness
and was buried in Rogaland. His son was King Hjorleif of Hordaland. He also ruled
over Rogaland and was a very powerful king. He was called Hjorleif the Ladies’
Man. He married Aesa the Fair, the daughter of Jarl Eystein of Valdres.
Hjorleif’s wealth was used up with his generosity. He had
a ship made with special care and went to Bjarmaland. Hogni the Wealthy lived
on Njardey island at the mouth of the Namsfjord. He welcomed King Hjorleif who
stayed there three nights and got to marry Hild the Slender, Hogni’s daughter,
before he left, and she went with him to Bjarmaland along with her brother Solvi.
And when King Hjorleif came to the mouth of the
One night, in the
“Out the water!
Don’t wind me up.
Off home with you, thrall,
pathetic thing!
Hey wretch, I’ll send
a singeing spear.
That’ll wet
your whiskers with blood.”
When the monster shot into the cliff they got their water.
But later, as they sat by the fire, the boggart answered in verse from the rock:
“She doesn’t know,
not exactly,
what awaits her,
your woman, king,
or what’ll halt
her happy days.
You’ve pleased us, Hild:
best keep your king
close to the fire.”
Then Hjorleif threw the same spear and hit the troll in the
eye.
Hogni asked for Solvi and Hild to stay behind with him,[3]
but the king didn’t want them to. Two servant women went with Hild, and twenty
men with Solvi. Aesa was unhappy with the king and his companions, but everyone
else was happy.
6. Hjorleif Married
Hreidar’s Daughter
Now taking this ship of his in which he’d sailed to Bjarmaland,
King Hjorleif went to Konungahella. Hreidar, king of
In the
“I see a mound
made over Hringja,
Heri sinking thrust
right through with a spear.
I see fetters
forged for Hjorleif,
on Hreidar’s neck
a noose twisted.”
The ships wouldn’t go. So the king ordered them to take to
the oars. Then Hringja felt ill. They put up the oars. She died a day after she’d
taken ill, and her coffin was cast overboard, and she went back south so fast,
it seemed like it was being rowed with six oars. Heri found the casket washed
up not far from his father’s boatsheds and told him, and said King Hjorleif must
have murdered her.
7. Prophecies of
the Merman
That autumn, a father and son, Handir and Hrindir, went fishing
and caught a merman. They took him to Hjorleif. The king gave him into the hands
of a woman of the court and told her to take good care of him. No one got a word
out of him. The candle-boys were larking and wrestling and put the lights out.
At that moment Hild tore Aesa’s mantle with a horn. The king hit her with his
hand, but Hild said it was the dog on the floor’s fault. So the king struck the
dog. Then the merman laughed. The king asked why he was laughing. He said, “Because
you were stupid—those two will save your life.”
The king asked him to say some more. He didn’t answer. So
the king let him be taken back to sea and asked him to say what he needed to know.
As he came to sea, the merman sang:
“Far south at sea
I see the lights,
a Danish king
would avenge his daughter.
Out in the harbour
sit untold ships,
Hjorleif’s invited
to an island fight.[4]
Have a care king,
for what’s to come—
I want to go back in the sea.”
And as they rowed out to where they’d hauled him up, he chanted:
“A tale I can tell
to the sons of
oh a wonderful one,
if you want to hear:
Odin’s daughter
drawing northward
drenched all in blood
from
She has a helm
on her head buckled,
hard battle-crest,
no hanging back.
Not long have the lads
left to wait now,
for War’s on her way,
she won’t delay.
Shield-frame will be smashed,
the maid’s eyes flash
across this district
at the thanes’ maimer,
sword-lord. There’ll be
for all soldiers,
for each man here
many a spear,
before the great storm
of steel appears.
But if such is true,
when it turns out badly,
you’ll have all paid dear
for the year,
when spring comes.”
Then King Hjorleif let him overboard. But first, a man took
him by the hand and asked, “What is best for a man?” The merman answered:
“Cold water for eyes,
and meat for teeth,
linen for a body,
let me back in the sea!
No man manhandles
me, never from now,
nobody into boats,
off the sea-bottom.”
The king gave Handir and Hrindir land to farm and with it
a thrall and a bondswoman.
8. Of Hjorleif
and Hreidar
Now King Hjorleif had the arrow summons sent out and raised
himself an army. But King Hreidar came at night with his troops and drew up a
ring around Hjorleif’s dwelling. That same night Hjorleif’s dog Floki barked,
and Floki never barked unless he knew the king was in danger. King Hjorleif ran
at the besiegers and cast back a spear at their ranks. Then he heard someone shouting
that Heri had fallen. Hjorleif saw from the woods the burning of his home, and
King Hreidar sailing away with much booty, including the women.
That same autumn, King Hjorleif came with a single ship in
the night to King Hreidar’s dwelling, and walked alone into the sleeping-house,
but none of the women were there in bed except Aesa. Hjorleif asked her to get
him close to King Hreidar. She shut him in her washtub and then went and told
King Hreidar, and said where he was. On Aesa’s advice, King Hjorleif was strung
up by his own shoestraps between two fires in Hreidar’s hall. Meanwhile Hild stayed
awake and poured beer on the fire. She set him free by cutting the thongs with
a sword. King Hreidar was sat asleep in the high-seat, and Aesa in his lap. King
Hjorleif stabbed him through the chest and then went to his ship to fetch his
warriors and has them tie up King Hreidar’s retainers, though afterwards he let
them off, but as for King Hreidar, he strung him up dead on the very gallows that
Hreidar had meant for him.
On the same evening that Hjorleif arrived, Hreidar had heard
a voice chanting:
“Hreidar recalled
where you felled Heri.[5]
Woe woke there
before the west door.
She’s yet to get
to your hall, sir,
that woman with the wind behind her.
Wait on, king”
King Hjorleif took possession of all the lands that Hreidar
had owned, and he put Solvi Hogni’s son in charge of it and gave him a jarldom,
but Hjorleif went back to
Hjorleif and Aesa had a son called Oblaud, who was the father
of Otrygg, the father of Hogni the White, the father of Ulf the Squint, from whom
the folk of Reykjanes are descended.
9. Of Hjorolf Hjorleifsson
Hjorleif and Hild the Slender had two sons. The oldest was
called Hjorolf and the youngest Half. King Hjorleif was killed while out raiding.
There was a king called Asmund. He took Hild the Slender as his wife and fostered
Hjorleif’s sons.
When Hjorolf was thirteen, he got ready to go raiding. He
got every ship he could get his hands on, large or small, new or old, and every
man he could find, free or forced. They had lots of things for weapons: sticks
and staves, posts and poles. That’s why, since then, anything that’s a bit unwieldy
is called Hjorolf’s Gear.[6]
And when he got into a battle with some vikings, he rallied the troops and attacked.
He had an inexperienced and ill-equipped force, and many of his men were killed,
but some fled, and he got back home with that lot by autumn, and he didn’t amount
to much as a man.
10. Of King Half
and Half’s Heroes
The following spring Half was twelve years old, and no one
could match him for size or strength. Then he got ready to go raiding, and he
had one ship, new and well-made.
In Hordaland there lived a jarl whose name was Alf the Old.
His wife was Gunnlod, sister of Lord Hamund the Bold—their father was the berserk
Hromund. Gunnlod and Alf had two sons and both were called Stein. The oldest was
eighteen. He was then adviser to King Half. No one younger or more immature than
him was to go on the expedition. In the courtyard stood a big stone. No one was
to go unless they’d lifted that stone off the ground. No one who got scared was
to go, or who spoke despondently, or who winced at wounds. Stein junior couldn’t
go because of his age, as he was twelve years old.
Lord Hamund had two sons, one called Rook the Black and the
other Rook the White. They were chosen for this expedition. Aslak was a major
landowner. Egil and Erling were his sons. They were fine men. Half’s standard
bearer was called Vemund. Four men from the king’s following were attached to
him. Now the eleven provinces were scoured. There they found twelve men. There
were the two brothers Hawk and Falcon, Styr the Strong, Dag the Dashing, Bork
and Brynjolf, Bolverk, and Haki, Hring and Halfdan, Stari and Steingrim, Stuf
and Gauti, Bard and Bjorn. There were twenty-three of them in all when they set
out.
That first evening, as they put in to harbour, it rained heavily.
Stein asked for a tent. The king answered, “Still want to live in a tent? You’re
not at home now, you know.” So from then on they called him Innstein.
The next day they rowed around a headland in choppy weather.
A man was standing on the headland, and he asked for passage. The king said he
could stand on the rudder-post till evening. He said that was very kind of him,
and that he guessed then he’d be standing at the king’s right hand. And he did
just that. This man was Gunnlod’s other son, Stein the Younger. From then on,
he was called Utstein: Outside Stein.
They kept lots of rules, out of exuberance and a sense of
competition. One was that none of them should have a sword any longer than eighteen
inches, so they would be forced to get in close. They had saxes[7]
made specially for them so that the blows would be heavier. Not one of them had
less then twelve times the strength of an average man. They never stole women
or children on raids. They never bound a wound till a whole day had passed. No
one was accepted who failed to meet these standards of strength and courage. King
Half was raiding for eighteen summers. It was their custom to always lie in wait
round a headland. It was another of their customs to never pitch tents or awnings
on deck and never to reef a sail in a storm. They were called Half’s Heroes, and
he never had more than sixty on his ship.
11. Asmund Invited
King Half
King Half came home from war to own his kingdom. They had
a big storm at sea. Their ship was taking water, too much to bail. Then the decision
was taken to cast lots for who should go overboard, but there was no need for
that, as each man volunteered to go overboard on behalf of his mate. And as they
climbed over the gunwales, they said, “There’s no straw on the sea floor!”[8]
But when King Half reached Hordaland, King Asmund came to
see him and did homage to him and swore oaths of allegiance and became his man,
and he invited King Half to a feast together with half his warriors. But the next
morning, as the king got ready and said that half his troops were to stay on the
ships, Innstein said:
“We ought all of us
up from our ships
with burning brands,
best of warriors,
take fire to our foe
first while we can,
bring oblivion
to Asmund’s band.”
The king said:
“Half this host
of heroes goes
up from the sea,
I say, in peace.
To us an offer
Asmund has made,
red rings as we
would wish to have.
Innstein said:
“You don’t see all
of Asmund’s mind,
that chief conceals
deceit in his breast.
You’d set less store
in your step-father’s
(if we had our way)
word, my lord.
The king said:
“Asmund’s offered us
oaths untold,
promised peace,
pledged his friendship.
No lord well-born
would abuse a truce,
betray the trust
of a true ally.”
Innstein said:
“Odin’s fury
has fallen on you
if Asmund you trust
so absolutely.
He’ll dissemble,
hoodwink us all,
unless you keep
a look out, lord.”
The king said:
“You always twist
the talk to terror—
that king won’t betray
his treaty with us.
Gold we’ll get there
and gleaming gems,
red rings scattered
from the ruler’s hoard.”
Innstein said:
“Half, I had a dream
—pay heed to me—
fierce flame there played
upon our forces;
from that tight spot it seemed
quite tough to escape.
What meaning, majesty,
do you make of that dream?”
The king said:
“I’ll give a gilt helm
to each gallant hero,
to those bold fellows
who follow me.
That will flash
like fire over
the lord’s warband,
lighting their heads.
Innstein said:
“I dreamed again,
a dreadful scene:
it seemed that shoulders
shone with flame.
I’ve a feeling, sire,
that’s not a good sign.
Any idea
what this dream might mean?”
The king said:
“Chain-links will chime
on chief’s retainers,
on king’s men clinking
cascades the mail.
That will shine
on shoulders brightly,
of royal comrades
quite like fire.”
Innstein said:
“I dreamed again,
a third dream also,
that we took a dive
in deep water.
It’s got to imply
some great deceit.
What meaning, sire,
do you see in this dream.”
The king said:
“What’s it to me?
I’ve heard all I want,
now fasten your mouth,
it means just nothing.
Enough of this nonsense!
Not a word now
of your dreams and drivel
from this day forth.”
Innstein said:
“Listen up, you two Rooks,
in the ranks of the king,
and heed these words
of warning, Utstein.
Up from the strand
let’s stride together.
The words of our king
we won’t blame for that.”
Utstein said:
“We’ll let the warlord,
our warrior king,
lead with daring
our expeditions.
Let’s chance it, brother,
to please the chief,
risk our bodies
for a brave master.”
Innstein said:
“The ruler’s relied
while roaming abroad,
our lord many times,
on my loyal counsel.
Now though it seems
there’s nothing I can say—
the king won’t listen
since we came this way.”
12. King Asmund’s
Treachery
King Half went up to Asmund’s hall with one half of his warriors.
There was a multitude of people there. The banquet was bountiful and the drink
so strong that Half’s Heroes were soon fast asleep. King Asmund and his men set
fire to the hall.
And the first of the Heroes to wake saw that the hall was
nearly full of smoke. He said, “Seems a bit smoky round our hawks[9]
now.” Then he lay down and went back to sleep.
And another one woke up and he saw that the hall was burning,
and he said, “I suppose the wax’ll be dripping off our blades now.”[10]
That one lay back down.
And then King Half woke up. He got up and roused the men and
told them to arm themselves. They charged at the wall then, so that the clasps
on the corner-beams came loose.
And Innstein said:
“Smoke’s to the hawks
in the hall of the king,
and wax from saxes
it seems will drip.
High time to deal out
dear treasures and gold,
hurry helms to share
among Half’s Heroes.
Wake, Half, I urge -
no want of warmth,
of fires kindled,
conflagrations.
Rise ring-sharing king
rise to vengeance:
for a plotting parent
it’s pay back time.
Ram now the planks,
push on the walls.
The props splinter,
split finally in two.
The fame won’t fail
while folk live, ever,
of the day Half’s Heroes
dined with this duke.
With hard blows we’ll go
and give up never.
The chief’s champions
must charge with short-swords.
On themselves they’ll bear
bloody sores,
our foes, before
we’re finished battling.
Look lively, lads,
leap out the fire,
dodge cinders gentlemen
just like your prince.
No man’s likely
to live for ever -
I doubt he’ll dread
to die, our leader.”
13. The Fall of
King Half
So it is said that Half and his Heroes got out of the fire
and that Half fell before overwhelming odds together with his men. Innstein said,
when the king had fallen:
“Here I saw armed-men
all follow one,
(king’s kin he was)
keen as each other.
We’ll meet in one piece
when we part from here.
I’ve little more liking
for life than death.”
Then the rest of the Heroes joint the fight, those who’d stayed
with the ships. There fell a great many of Half’s Heroes. The battle dragged on
till nightfall, before Innstein fell. Innstein said:
“Rook has fallen
by the feet of our leader,
defending to the last
his liege-lord staunchly.
With Odin we’ve
one bone to pick–
that he snatched victory
from such a king.
I’ve been at sea
eighteen summers,
a bold boss I served,
stained shaft with blood.