Icelandic Saga - Ragnar's Saga (chap. 16 & 17) lyrics
Ragnar Lodbrok Saga: Chapter 16 &17 Chris Van Dyke Translation Cahpter 16 They went on so that they came to Danmork before the messengers of King Ella, and then they sat quietly with their troops. And when the messengers came with their troops to the town where the sons of Ragnar were being given a feast, they went into the hall where they were drinking, and went before the high-seat where Ivar was lying. Sigurd Snake in Eyes and Hvitserk sat playing hnefta, and Bjorn Jarnsidr was carving a spear-shaft on the oor of the hall. And when the messengers of King Ella came before Ivar, they spoke to him respectfully. He received their greeting, and asked where they were from, and what tidings they bore. And the one, who was their leader, said that they were Englishmen, and that King Ella had sent them thither with tiding which spoke the fall of Ragnar, their father. Hvitserk and Sigurd quickly let the ta-pieces fall from their hands, and they attended closely to the tiding-tale. Bjorn stood on the oor of the hall and leaned on his spear-shaft. But Ivar asked them exactly what the circumstances of Ragnar's life leaving had been. And they told it all as it had happened, from the time he came to England until the time he gave up his life. And then when the tale came to when he had said “the young boars might grumble,” Bjorn squeezed the spear-shaft with his hand, and he squeezed so strongly that the print of his hand was seen on it after wards. When the messengers ended the recounting, Bjorn shook the spear asunder, so that it broke into two pieces. And Hvitserk held a ta-piece that he had been moving, and he crushed it so strongly that blood spurted out from under each ngernail. And Sigurd Snake in Eyes had been holding a knife and paring his nails when the tidings were being told, and he listened so closely to the tidings that he did not notice until the knife stood in the bone, and he did not inch at that. But Ivar asked how it all had happened, and his color was now red, now livid, and he would suddenly become very pale, and he was so swollen that his esh was all mortied from the anger that was in his breast. Then Hvitserk began to speak and said that vengeance could be most quickly taken by k**ing the messengers of King Ella. Ivar said: “That shall not be. They shall go in peace wherever they wish, and anything which they lack, they need only ask me for, and I shall secure it for them.” And when they ended their errand, they turned back out of the hall and to their ships. And when they were given wind, they put out to sea, and they traveled well until they came to a meeting with King Ella, and they told him how each of the brothers had reacted to the tiding-signs. And when King Ella heard that he spoke: “It is certain that we will need fear either Ivar or else no one, because of what you say of him: thoughts of revenge do not run very deep in them, and we will manage to hold our kingdom against them.” Then he had watchmen sent through out all his kingdom, so that no army might come at him unknown. And when the messengers of King Ella had gone away, the brothers began to discuss how they should go about revenging Ragnar, their father. Then Ivar spoke: “I will have no part in this—I shall not muster troops, for it happened with Ragnar as I had thought it would. He prepared badly for his action from the beginning. He had no grievance with King Ella, and it often happens that if a man stubbornly decides to act unjustly, he is brought down contemptibly in such a way. And I will accept compensation from King Ella, if he will give it to me.” But when the brothers heard that, they became very angry and said that they would never become so cowardly, although he wished to be. “Many might say that we wrongly rest our hands upon our knees, if we do not seek father-vengeance when before we have fared widely across the land with war-shields and k**ed many a guiltless man. But it shall not be so; rather every ship in Danmork that is seaworthy shall be readied. The most sk**ed troops shall be gathered, so that every man who may bear a shield against King Ella shall travel with us.” But Ivar said that he would leave behind all those ships that he commanded,—“except for that one, which I will be upon myself.” And when it was heard that Ivar would not take any part in the action, they received many fewer troops, but they went none the less. And when they came to England, King Ella became aware of it and quickly had his trumpets sounded and called to him all the men who wished to a**ist him. And then he went with so many troops that no one could say how many had come, and he went to meet the brothers. Then the armies met with each other, and Ivar was not there when they clashed in battle. And when the battle ended, it came about that the sons of Ragnar ed, and King Ella had the victory. And while the king was pursuing the eeing host, Ivar told his brothers that he did not intend to turn back to his land—“and I desire to nd out whether King Ella will do me any honor or not; it seems to me better to thus receive compensation from him than to fare often again as we have now fared.” Hvitserk said that he would not have dealings with him, and he could go about his affairs as he wished,—“but we shall never take payment for our father.” Ivar said that he would part with them, and told them to rule the kingdom that they had all held together, “and you should send me my things, when I ask for them.” And when he had spoken, he bade them farewell. Then he turned away to meet with King Ella. And when he came before him, he greeted the king worthily, and spoke to him thus: “I have come to meet with you, and I want to come to an agreement with you on such compensation as you will prepare for me. And now I see that I have nothing compared to you, and it seems to me better to accept such compensation from you as you will grant me, rather than to lose my men or myself to you.” Then King Ella answered: “Some men claim that it is not safe to trust you, and that you speak most fairly when you are thinking deceitfully. It would be difcult to defend against you and your brothers.” “I will ask little of you. If you will grant it, I will swear to you in this manner: that I shall never be against you.” Then the king asked him to say what compensation he wanted. Ivar said, “I want you to give me as much of your land as an ox-hide covers, and outside of that shall be the outer boundary. I will not ask more from you, and I think that you wish me little honor, if you will not grant me this.” “I do not know,” said the king, “whether it might harm us if you have that much of my land, but I think I will give it to you, if you will swear not to bear arms against me. If you are true to me, I shall not fear your brothers.” Chapter 17 Then they discussed the matter between the two of them, and Ivar swore him an oath that he would not strike against him and not conspire to cause him harm, and he should have as much of England as an ox-hide could cover, the largest he might nd. Then Ivar took a hide from an old bull and he had it softened, and then he had it stretched three times. Then he cut it all asunder into strips, as narrowly as possible, and then he let them be split in half, between the hair and the esh. And when this was done, the thong was so long that it was marveled at, as it had not been thought that it might become so large. And then he had it laid around a eld, and there was as much space as was within a large town, and there he had the foundation marked for a large town-wall. And then he gathered to him many craftsmen and had many houses raised on the eld, and there he had a large town built, and it was called Lundunaborg. It is the largest and most famous of all towns in the Northern-Lands. And when he had this town made, he had his movable property sent over. And he was so liberal that he gave with two hands, and people thought so much of his wisdom that all sought him to a**ist their councils and difcult cases. He so arranged all the cases so that each party though he got the best of it, and he became popular, so that he had many friends about him. The king took much advice from him, and he arranged the cases so that they did not come before the King. When Ivar had proceeded with his plan until it seemed that peace was guaranteed him, he sent men to nd his brothers and tell them that they should send him as much gold and silver as he asked for. And when these men came to nd the brothers, they told their errand and also what had come of Ivar's plan—namely, that men thought they did not know what cunning he was preparing. And therefore the brothers thought that he did not have the same disposition that he was wont to have. Then they sent such goods as he had asked for. And when the goods came to Ivar, he gave all the goods to the strongest men in the land and stole the troops out from under King Ella. They all said that they would sit quiet, though he might later prepare for a war-going. And when Ivar had thus stolen the troops out from under the king, then he sent men to nd his brothers and to say to them that he wanted them to send a levy throughout all the lands which their rule stretched over, and they should demand however many men they could get. And when this word-sending came to the bothers, they quickly gured out that he most likely thought it very promising that they might now gain victory. Then they summoned troops from all Danmork and Gautland and all the kingdoms which they had power over, and an innumerable amount was gathered together when the a**emblage was complete. They then held course in their ships toward England both night and day, for they wanted to let as little forewarning of their coming to travel before them as possible. Then war-tidings were told to King Ella. He summoned his troops but he gathered few men, because Ivar had stolen many troops out from under him. Then Ivar went and met King Ella and said that he wished to carry through on that which he had sworn. “But I cannot inuence my brothers' doings. However, I can plan to nd them and know if they will stop their army and do no more ill than they have already done.” Then Ivar went to meet his brothers and encouraged them greatly to go forth as best they could and let a battle come about as soon as possible, “because the king has very few troops.” And they answered that he did not need to encourage them, as their intent was the same as before. Then Ivar went and met King Ella and told him that they were too eager and enraged to listen to his words. “And when I wanted to bring peace between you, they shouted against it. Now I will carry through on my vow, that I would not war against you: I will be quiet along with my troops, and the battle with you may go as it will.” Then King Ella saw the troops of the brothers, and they came so ercely that it was wondrous. Then Ivar spoke: “Now is the time that you should prepare your troops, King Ella, and I think that they will press against you with a strong onslaught for a while.” And as soon as the troops met each other there was a great battle, and the sons of Ragnar came hard upon the army of King Ella. Their vehemence was so great that their only thoughts were how they might work the most damage, and the war was both long and hard. And the battle ended thus—King Ella and his troops took to ight, but he was seized. Ivar was then nearby, and he said that they should now bring about his life-leaving. “Now is the time,” he said, “to remember the manner of d**h which he inicted on our father. Now a man who is most sk**ed in woodcarving shall mark an eagle on his back so precisely that the eagle shall redden with his blood.” And that man, when he was called to this task, did as Ivar commanded him, and King Ella was in great agony before the task was ended. Then he gave up his life, and it seemed to them that they then had vengeance for their father, Ragnar. Ivar said that he wanted to give them the kingdom that they all held together, and he wished to rule over England