Chapter 17 - Hildirida's sons in Finmark and at Harold's court.

Hildirida's sons took the business in Halogaland; and none gainsaid this because of the king's power, but Thorolf's kinsmen and friends were much displeased at the change. The two brothers went on the fell in the winter, taking with them thirty men. To the Finns there seemed much less honour in these stewards than when Thorolf came, and the money due was far worse paid.

That same winter Thorolf went up on the fell with a hundred men; he passed on at once eastwards to Kvenland and met king Faravid. They took counsel together, and resolved to go on the fell again as in the winter before; and with four hundred men they made a descent on Kirialaland, and attacked those districts for which they thought themselves a match in numbers, and harrying there took much booty, returning up to Finmark as the winter wore on. In the spring Thorolf went home to his farm, and then employed his men at the fishing in Vagar, and some in herring-fishing, and had the take of every kind brought to his farm.

Thorolf had a large ship, which was waiting to put to sea. It was elaborate in everything, beautifully painted down to the sea-line, the sails also carefully striped with blue and red, and all the tackling as elaborate as the ship. Thorolf had this ship made ready, and put aboard some of his house-carles as crew; he freighted it with dried fish and hides, and ermine and gray furs too in abundance, and other peltry such as he had gotten from the fell; it was a most valuable cargo. This ship he bade sail westwards for England to buy him clothes and other supplies that he needed; and they, first steering southwards along the coast, then stretching across the main, came to England. There they found a good market, laded the ship with wheat and honey and wine and clothes, and sailing back in autumn with a fair wind came to Hordaland.

That same autumn Hildirida's sons carried tribute to the king. But when they paid it the king himself was present and saw. He said:

'Is this tribute now paid all that ye took in Finmark?'

'It is,' they answered.

'Less by far,' said the king, 'and much worse paid is the tribute now than when Thorolf gathered it; yet ye said that he managed the business ill.'

'It is well, O king,' said Harek, 'that thou hast considered how large a tribute should usually come from Finmark, because thus thou knowest how much thou losest, if Thorolf waste all the tribute before thee. Last winter we were in Finmark with thirty men, as has been the wont of thy stewards heretofore. Soon after came Thorolf with a hundred men, and we learnt this, that he meant to take the lives of us two brothers and all our followers, his reason being that thou, O king, hadst handed over to us the business that he wished to have. It was then our best choice to shun meeting him, and to save ourselves: therefore we quickly left the settled districts, and went on the fell. But Thorolf went all round Finmark with his armed warriors; he had all the trade, the Finns paid him tribute, and he hindered thy stewards from entering Finmark. He means to be made king over the north there, both over Finmark and Halogaland: and the wonder is that thou wilt listen to him in anything whatever. Herein may true evidence be found of Thorolf's ill-gotten gains from Finmark; for the largest merchant ship in Halogaland was made ready for sea at Sandness in the spring, and all the cargo on board was said to be Thorolf's. It was laden mostly, I think, with gray furs, but there would be found there also bearskins and sables more than Thorolf brought to thee. And with that ship went Thorgils Yeller, and I believe he sailed westwards for England. But if thou wilt know the truth of this, set spies on the track of Thorgils when he comes eastwards; for I fancy that no trading-ship in our days has carried such store of wealth. And I am telling thee what is true, O king, when I say that to thee belongs every penny on board.'

All that Harek said his companions confirmed, and none there ventured to gainsay.

 



17. kafli - Af aflaföngum Þórólfs.

Hildiríðarsynir tóku við sýslu á Hálogalandi. Mælti engi maðr í móti fyrir ríki konungs, en mörgum þótti þetta skipti mjök í móti skapi, þeim er váru frændr Þórólfs eða vinir. Þeir fóru um vetrinn á fjall ok höfðu með sér þrjá tigu manna. Þótti Finnum miklu minni vegr at þessum sýslumönnum en þá er Þórólfr fór. Greiddist allt miklu verr gjald þat, er Finnar skyldu reiða.

Þann sama vetr fór Þórólfr upp á fjall með hundrað manna, fór þá þegar austr á Kvenland ok hitti Faravið konung. Gerðu þeir þá ráð sitt ok réðu þat at fara á fjall enn sem inn fyrra vetr ok höfðu fjögur hundruð manna ok kómu ofan í Kirjálaland, hljópu þar í byggðir, er þeim þótti sitt færi vera fyrir fjölmennis sakar, herjuðu þar ok fengu of fjár, fóru þá aftr, er á leið vetrinn, upp á mörkina.

Fór Þórólfr heim um várit til bús síns. Hann hafði þá menn í skreiðfiski í Vágum, en suma í síldfiski, ok leitaði alls konar fanga til bús síns.

Þórólfr átti skip mikit. Þat var lagt til hafs. Þat var vandat at öllu sem mest, steint mjök fyrir ofan sjó. Þar fylgði segl stafat með vendi blám ok rauðum. Allr var reiði vandaðr mjök með skipinu. Þat skip lætr Þórólfr búa ok fekk til húskarla sína með at fara, lét þar á bera skreið ok húðir ok vöru ljósa. Þar lét hann ok fylgja grávöru mikla ok aðra skinnavöru, þá er hann hafði haft af fjalli, ok var þat fé stórmikit. Skipi því lét hann Þorgils gjallanda halda vestr til Englands at kaupa sér klæði ok önnur föng, þau er hann þurfti. Heldu þeir skipi því suðr með landi ok síðan í haf ok kómu fram á Englandi, fengu þar góða kaupstefnu, hlóðu skipit með hveiti ok hunangi, víni ok klæðum, ok heldu aftr um haustit. Þeim byrjaði vel, kómu at Hörðalandi.

Þat sama haust fóru Hildiríðarsynir með skatt ok færðu konungi. En er þeir reiddu skattinn af hendi, þá var konungr sjálfr við ok sá.

Hann mælti: "Er nú allr skattrinn af höndum reiddr, sá er þit tókuð við á Finnmörk?"

"Svá er," sögðu þeir.

"Bæði er nú," sagði konungr, "skattrinn miklu minni ok verr af hendi goldinn en þá er Þórólfr heimti, ok sögðuð þér, at hann færi illa með sýslunni."

"Vel er þat, konungr," segir Hárekr, "er þú hefir hugleitt, hversu mikill skattr er vanr at koma af Finnmörk, því at þá veiztu gerr, hversu mikils þér missið, ef Þórólfr eyðir með öllu finnskattinum fyrir yðr. Vér várum í vetr þrír tigir manna á mörkinni, svá sem fyrr hefir verit vanði sýslumanna. Síðan kom þar Þórólfr með hundrað manna. Spurðum vér þat til orða hans, at hann ætlaði af lífi at taka okkr bræðr ok alla þá menn, er okkr fylgðu, ok fann hann þat til saka, er þú, konungr, hafðir selt okkr í hendr sýslu þá, er hann vildi hafa. Sám vér þann helzt várn kost at firrast fund hans ok forða oss, ok kómum vér fyrir þá sök skammt frá byggðum á fjallit, en Þórólfr fór um alla mörkina með her manns. Hafði hann kaup öll. Guldu Finnar honum skatt, en hann batzt í því, at sýslumenn yðrir skyldi ekki koma á mörkina. Ætlar hann at gerast konungr yfir norðr þar, bæði yfir mörkinni ok Hálogalandi, ok er þat undr, er þér látið honum hvetvetna hlýða. Munu hér sönn vitni til finnast um fjárdrátt þann, er Þórólfr hefir af mörkinni, því at knörr sá, er mestr var á Hálogalandi, var búinn í vár á Sandnesi, ok kallaðist Þórólfr eiga einn farm allan, þann er á var. Hygg ek, at nær væri hlaðinn af grávöru, ok þar hygg ek, at finnast myndi bjórr ok safali meira en þat, er Þórólfr færði þér, ok fór með Þorgils gjallandi. Ætla ek, at hann hafi siglt vestr til Englands. En ef þú vill vita sannendi af þessu, þá haldið til njósn um ferð Þorgils, þá er hann ferr austr, því at ek hygg, at á ekki kaupskip hafi komit jafnmikit fé á várum dögum. Ætla ek þat sannast at segja, at þér, konungr, eigið hvern penning, þann er þar var á."

Þetta sönnuðu förunautar hans allt, er Hárekr sagði, en hér kunnu engir í móti at mæla.


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