Njal's Saga
Chapter 155
“Of Signs and Wonders”
It so happened one night that a great din passed over Brodir and his men, so that they all woke, and sprang up and put on their clothes.
Along with that came a shower of gold.
Then they held out their helmets, and they were filled with the gold from the sky.
This wonder lasted all till day.
Then they slept during the day, but the second night there was again a din, and again they all sprang up. Then great fish began to leap from the sea, and pile themselves into the ship by the hundreds.
The fish came in such multitudes that they were forced to throw many back into the sea to prevent a sinking.
This wonder lasted all till day.
Then they slept again the day after.
But the third night there was a din of the same kind, and then eagles and ravens landed on board the ship and made loud raucous calls.
The birds called so loud that it seemed at times like the earth itself would soon rent at the noise, and so this went on again till day.
Then they went to sleep first of all, but when Brodir woke up, he drew his breath painfully, and bade them put off the boat. “For,” he said, “I will go to see Ospak.”
Then he got into the boat and some men with him, but when he found Ospak he told him of the wonders which had befallen them, and bade him say what he thought they boded.
Ospak readily opened his mouth and responded to Brodir:
“When gold rained on you, therefore shall the wealth of many men come to your possesion. But when ye heard a great din, then ye must have been shown the crack of doom, and many shall all die speedily. But when fish leaped in the boat, that must preclude the bending knees of many mighty Lords; and when the birds called about you, that marks you as the chosen to become a Great Leader of a large throng.”
Then Brodir was so pleased he could not answer a word, but he at once removed a gold chain he wore on his neck and placed it on Ospak's neck. He then ordered his men to cook the fish that had landed in his boat, and made great promises of wealth and power to Ospak.
And Ospak was pleased, and vowed to follow his brother and the faith of Odin and Thor till his death-day [1].
Then the brothers made plans to sail to Dublin to take battle with King Brian.
Njal's Saga
Chapter 156
"Brian's Battle"
Earl Sigurd Hlodver's son busked him from the Orkneys, and Flosi offered to go with him.
The Earl would not have that, since he had his pilgrimage to fulfill.
Flosi offered fifteen men of his band to go on the voyage, and the Earl accepted them, but Flosi fared with Earl Gilli to the Southern Isles.
Thorstein, the Son of Hall of the Side, went along with Earl Sigurd, and Hrafn the Red, and Erling of Straumey.
He would not that Hareck should go, but said he would be sure to be the first to tell him the tidings of his voyage.
The Earl came with all his host on Palm Sunday to Dublin, and there too was come Brodir and Ospak with all their host.
Brodir tried by sorcery how the fight would go, but the answer ran thus, that if the fight were on Good Friday, King Brian would fall and Brodir would win the day; but if they fought before, they would all fall who were against him.
Then Brodir said they must not fight before Friday.
On the fifth day of the week a man rode up to Kormlada and her company on an apple-grey horse, and in his hand he held a halberd; he talked long with them.
King Brian came with all his host to the Burg, and on the Friday the host fared out of the Burg, and both armies were drawn up in array.
Brodir and Ospak were on one wing of the battle, and King Sigtrygg on the other.
Earl Sigurd was in the mid battle.
Now it must be told of King Brian that he would not fight on the fast-day, and so a earthen wall was thrown round him, and his host was drawn up in array in front of it.
Ulf the Quarrelsome was on that wing of the battle against with Brodir and Ospak stood; but on the other wing, where Sigtrygg stood against them, was Cuduilgh, brother of King Brian.
But in the mid battle was Kerthialfad, foster-son of King Brian, and before him the banners were borne.
Now the wings fell on one another, and there was a very hard fight, Brodir went through the host of the foe, and felled all the foremost that stood there, but no steel would bite on his mail.
Ulf the Quarrelsome turned then to meet him, and thrust so hard that Brodir fell before him at each thrust, and was well-nigh not getting on his feet again; but then Ospak swung his ax through the leg of Ulf, cutting it at the knee, and then Brodir, finding his feet, hit Ulf in the shoulder with his sword, and thus died Ulf the Quarrelsome.
Earl Sigurd had a hard battle against Kerthialfad, and Kerthialfad came on so fast that he laid low all who were in the front rank, and he broke the array of Earl Sigurd right up to his banner, and slew the banner-bearer.
Then he got another man to bear the banner, and there was again a hard fight.
Kerthialfad smote this man too his death blow at once, and son one after the other all who stood near him.
Then Earl Sigurd called on Thorstein, the son of Hall the Side, to bear the banner, and Thorstein was just about to lift the banner, but then Asmund the White said-
“Don't bear the banner! For all they who bear it get their death.”
At that moment, Kerthialfad, seeking to spur his men on, grabbed the banner to insult the Earl; but Sigurd smote him with his spear, and thus fell Kerthialfad. [2]
A little while after Asmund the white was slain, and the Earl fell before the sword.
Cuduilgh had gone through all the battle on his wings, he had been sore wounded, and lost his son, before being forced back by King Sigtrygg.
Then flight broke out throughout all the Irish host.
Now Brodir saw that King Brian's men were fleeing away, and that there were few men by the earthworks.
Then he rushed out of the wood, and broke through the earthen wall, and hewed at the king.
The lad Takt threw his arm in the way, and the stroke took it off and the King's head too, but the King's blood came on the lad's stump, and the stump was healed by it on the spot.
Then Brodir called out with a loud voice-
“Now let man tell man that Brodir felled Brian!” And straightway, Brodir picked up the crown of King Brian off his head and placed it on his own.
At that moment in Swinefell, in Iceland, blood came on the priest's stole on Good Friday so that he had to put it off.
At Thvattwater the priest thought he saw on Good Friday a long deep of the sea hard by the altar, and there he saw many awful sights, and it was long ere he could sing the prayers.
Earl Gilli in the Southern Isles dreamed that a man came to him and said his name was Hostfinn, and told him he was come from Ireland.
The Earl thought he asked him for tidings thence, and he sang this song-
“I have been where warriors wrestled,
High in Erin sang the sword,
Boss to boss met many bucklers.
Steel rung sharp on rattling helm;
I can tell of all their struggle;
Sigurd fell in flight of swords;
Brian fell, and lost his kingdom
Ere he lost one drop of blood.”
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
[1]- Here is the P.O.D.; in OTL the omens were bad, and Ospak, being an interpreter of omens, got scared and ran with his men to fight for King Brian.
[2]- In OTL, Earl Sigurd said "It goes to the beggar to bear the bag" and picks up the banner, only to be killed by Kerthialfad. I reversed that here.
Chapter 155
“Of Signs and Wonders”
It so happened one night that a great din passed over Brodir and his men, so that they all woke, and sprang up and put on their clothes.
Along with that came a shower of gold.
Then they held out their helmets, and they were filled with the gold from the sky.
This wonder lasted all till day.
Then they slept during the day, but the second night there was again a din, and again they all sprang up. Then great fish began to leap from the sea, and pile themselves into the ship by the hundreds.
The fish came in such multitudes that they were forced to throw many back into the sea to prevent a sinking.
This wonder lasted all till day.
Then they slept again the day after.
But the third night there was a din of the same kind, and then eagles and ravens landed on board the ship and made loud raucous calls.
The birds called so loud that it seemed at times like the earth itself would soon rent at the noise, and so this went on again till day.
Then they went to sleep first of all, but when Brodir woke up, he drew his breath painfully, and bade them put off the boat. “For,” he said, “I will go to see Ospak.”
Then he got into the boat and some men with him, but when he found Ospak he told him of the wonders which had befallen them, and bade him say what he thought they boded.
Ospak readily opened his mouth and responded to Brodir:
“When gold rained on you, therefore shall the wealth of many men come to your possesion. But when ye heard a great din, then ye must have been shown the crack of doom, and many shall all die speedily. But when fish leaped in the boat, that must preclude the bending knees of many mighty Lords; and when the birds called about you, that marks you as the chosen to become a Great Leader of a large throng.”
Then Brodir was so pleased he could not answer a word, but he at once removed a gold chain he wore on his neck and placed it on Ospak's neck. He then ordered his men to cook the fish that had landed in his boat, and made great promises of wealth and power to Ospak.
And Ospak was pleased, and vowed to follow his brother and the faith of Odin and Thor till his death-day [1].
Then the brothers made plans to sail to Dublin to take battle with King Brian.
Njal's Saga
Chapter 156
"Brian's Battle"
Earl Sigurd Hlodver's son busked him from the Orkneys, and Flosi offered to go with him.
The Earl would not have that, since he had his pilgrimage to fulfill.
Flosi offered fifteen men of his band to go on the voyage, and the Earl accepted them, but Flosi fared with Earl Gilli to the Southern Isles.
Thorstein, the Son of Hall of the Side, went along with Earl Sigurd, and Hrafn the Red, and Erling of Straumey.
He would not that Hareck should go, but said he would be sure to be the first to tell him the tidings of his voyage.
The Earl came with all his host on Palm Sunday to Dublin, and there too was come Brodir and Ospak with all their host.
Brodir tried by sorcery how the fight would go, but the answer ran thus, that if the fight were on Good Friday, King Brian would fall and Brodir would win the day; but if they fought before, they would all fall who were against him.
Then Brodir said they must not fight before Friday.
On the fifth day of the week a man rode up to Kormlada and her company on an apple-grey horse, and in his hand he held a halberd; he talked long with them.
King Brian came with all his host to the Burg, and on the Friday the host fared out of the Burg, and both armies were drawn up in array.
Brodir and Ospak were on one wing of the battle, and King Sigtrygg on the other.
Earl Sigurd was in the mid battle.
Now it must be told of King Brian that he would not fight on the fast-day, and so a earthen wall was thrown round him, and his host was drawn up in array in front of it.
Ulf the Quarrelsome was on that wing of the battle against with Brodir and Ospak stood; but on the other wing, where Sigtrygg stood against them, was Cuduilgh, brother of King Brian.
But in the mid battle was Kerthialfad, foster-son of King Brian, and before him the banners were borne.
Now the wings fell on one another, and there was a very hard fight, Brodir went through the host of the foe, and felled all the foremost that stood there, but no steel would bite on his mail.
Ulf the Quarrelsome turned then to meet him, and thrust so hard that Brodir fell before him at each thrust, and was well-nigh not getting on his feet again; but then Ospak swung his ax through the leg of Ulf, cutting it at the knee, and then Brodir, finding his feet, hit Ulf in the shoulder with his sword, and thus died Ulf the Quarrelsome.
Earl Sigurd had a hard battle against Kerthialfad, and Kerthialfad came on so fast that he laid low all who were in the front rank, and he broke the array of Earl Sigurd right up to his banner, and slew the banner-bearer.
Then he got another man to bear the banner, and there was again a hard fight.
Kerthialfad smote this man too his death blow at once, and son one after the other all who stood near him.
Then Earl Sigurd called on Thorstein, the son of Hall the Side, to bear the banner, and Thorstein was just about to lift the banner, but then Asmund the White said-
“Don't bear the banner! For all they who bear it get their death.”
At that moment, Kerthialfad, seeking to spur his men on, grabbed the banner to insult the Earl; but Sigurd smote him with his spear, and thus fell Kerthialfad. [2]
A little while after Asmund the white was slain, and the Earl fell before the sword.
Cuduilgh had gone through all the battle on his wings, he had been sore wounded, and lost his son, before being forced back by King Sigtrygg.
Then flight broke out throughout all the Irish host.
Now Brodir saw that King Brian's men were fleeing away, and that there were few men by the earthworks.
Then he rushed out of the wood, and broke through the earthen wall, and hewed at the king.
The lad Takt threw his arm in the way, and the stroke took it off and the King's head too, but the King's blood came on the lad's stump, and the stump was healed by it on the spot.
Then Brodir called out with a loud voice-
“Now let man tell man that Brodir felled Brian!” And straightway, Brodir picked up the crown of King Brian off his head and placed it on his own.
At that moment in Swinefell, in Iceland, blood came on the priest's stole on Good Friday so that he had to put it off.
At Thvattwater the priest thought he saw on Good Friday a long deep of the sea hard by the altar, and there he saw many awful sights, and it was long ere he could sing the prayers.
Earl Gilli in the Southern Isles dreamed that a man came to him and said his name was Hostfinn, and told him he was come from Ireland.
The Earl thought he asked him for tidings thence, and he sang this song-
“I have been where warriors wrestled,
High in Erin sang the sword,
Boss to boss met many bucklers.
Steel rung sharp on rattling helm;
I can tell of all their struggle;
Sigurd fell in flight of swords;
Brian fell, and lost his kingdom
Ere he lost one drop of blood.”
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
[1]- Here is the P.O.D.; in OTL the omens were bad, and Ospak, being an interpreter of omens, got scared and ran with his men to fight for King Brian.
[2]- In OTL, Earl Sigurd said "It goes to the beggar to bear the bag" and picks up the banner, only to be killed by Kerthialfad. I reversed that here.
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