Kapituli fjórði - Haakonr þáttr rauða-vikingr [Chapter Four: The Tale of Haakon the Red-Viking]

There are more tales to be told than I can shake a stick at.  The next þáttr  concerns the great góði,  Haakonr Thorvadarsson, going "a-viking".  It was common for the youngest son to seek his fortune abroad, in what we call viking. Much of the time what we picture as pillage, rape, and burn was actually trading voyages. However, the "good press" concerning the blood-thirsty Northmen could not have hurt in getting better deals.  Anyway, here is a re-posting, a modification, of this previously published þáttr.  I will say here that the second verse is borrowed from a period saga. Let me note that Haakon being called rauða-vikingr has nothing to do with the color of his hair. In this case, rauða refers to his temperament while raiding, meaning he was often wroth.

As always, your comments and kind corrections are gratefully accepted and appreciated.

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Haakonr þáttr rauða-víkingr

Það bar til að það var, í sumar að hann varð maður og var sextán ára gamall, Haakon, vera yngri son sem þarf til að fara ok finna leið sína í heiminum. Þannig var það að, hann gekk til hafnar ok gerði einn þrjár sumar félag með Olafr sels-eista, einn vikingr mikill. þann dag sem hann var að fara, á mær hann elskaði, Elin hrafn-lokkar, kom með hann til skips. Haakon sór að hann myndi koma aftur til hennar eftir þrjú ár ok vildi koma aftur örlög nóg fyrir hana brúður-verð. Elin stóð sterk ok lofaði hún myndi bíða eftir honum.

Þá mælti Haakonr:

Svan-ligr Elin sven-gam
svart-hárr tók mitt hjarta
lind-líns minns lang-náttar
lauf-léttr fylla með draumum.
ár minns styra óðar
íðir klár-vígr blíðr
at ek varða ástar
okkar dreki götvar

Haakonr sigldi með Ólafi að árstíð ok tvö, víking þorpum í Vestrlönd. Haakon var maðr sterk ok hæstr. Hann var vígr-vel einnig. Hann lærði verkefni skipið hratt ok varða sjó-vanr. At skömmu, hann var meiri en aðrir menn ok var hét eiki, nafn sem hann hélt þar til hann dó. Hann var vitrastr sumar-liði ok sterkastr brand-maðr, ok sels-eista dró hann víð her-foringa. Haakon öðlaðisk einn lang-skip olaf-nautr, nafn-gipta Visundr. Haakon ok Olafr vikingu í Vestrlönd ok kaupu með austr-riki. Þeir váru auð-kýfingar. Allr var eiki frið-samr. Konungr-Haralds óvini géngu á lang-skipar. Haraldr skorar á Olaf ok Haakon. Margr orrostu-slög Haakon barði ok Visunds-höfn vann margr sigar.

Svá segir skaldi:

Djarft neyttir þú, dróttinn
dolgstrangr, skipa langra,
af því at ýtar hǫfðu
austr sjau tøgu flausta;
suðr gnauðuðu súðir,
segl hýnd við stag rýndu;
vík skar vandlangt eiki,
Visundr hneigði þrǫm sveigðan.

Eptir þrjú ár í þjónustu við Ólaf, Haakonr var auðugur maður, eiga skip til viðskipta ok fær um að stjórn a vænn áhöfn sterk ung stríðsmaður. Hann vildi ekki meira af hernaði lífsins, svo Haakon aftur til síns heima. Hann kom með hann að mikilli örlög af gulli og skartgripum, pillzir ok silki, lín ok kotungr. Hann seldi það sem hann þarf, pakkað upp hvíld og fór að leita á Elin hrafn-hárr, dottir af Aron Bjarnarsson, einn goði mikill. Með honum, Haakonr tók bróðir hans, Boris kol-skeggr, öflugur kappi. Haakon klæddist kyrtil af skarlati með hnöppum gulli, ok ól sverð með gulli hjalt. Hann klæddist svartan hatt með stafnhalla gulli. Boris fjallað Aron ok brátt þeir voru sammála um samning og brúðar - verð að Haakon myndi gefa fyrir hönd Elin er. Aron samráð dóttir hans, sem gjarnan samið. Arnór gaf bænum að Haakon og Elin, svo að þeir gætu býrð nálægt honum. Veisla var haldin tveimur vikum seinna ok svo Haakon sonur Þorvalds, sem kallast "eiki" kom til að vera sonur-í-lög godi ok ríkur ok öflugur maður í eigin rétti sínum.

Translation

It came to pass, in the summer that he become a man and made sixteen years, that Haakon, being the younger son, needed to go to find his way in the world. Thus, he went to the harbor and made a contract with Olaf seal-testicle, a great Viking. On the day he was to leave, the maiden he had courted, Elin raven-locks, came with him to the ship. Haakon swore to her that he would return after three winters and would bring back fortune enough to pay her bride-price. Elin stood strong and promised she would wait for him.

He spoke these words:

Lovely Elin “Dream-joy”
black-haired took my heart
linden of linens my long-nights
leaf-light filled with dreams
Oar my steers of poetry
thoughts clumsy joyous
as I guard love
ours a dragon treasure

(Elin, black-haired dream-joy, took my heart. The linden of linens (>WOMAN) filled my nights with leaf-light dreams. My clumsy oar of poetry (>TONGUE) steers joyous thoughts. As a dragon treasure, I guard our love.)

Haakon sailed with Olaf that season and two more, raiding villages in the Western Isles. Haakon was strong and tall and knew his way around weapons. He soon learned the tasks of the ship as well. As he grew taller, he topped many men and was called "oak," a name he kept until his last days. He grew in wisdom as well as stature, and "seal-eye" made him his second. Haakon came to command his own vessel, which he named Visun. He and Olaf and their crews raided in the Westen Isles and traded in the eastern lands, becoming wealthy men.

But all was not peaceful. here were enemies of Olaf's lord, King Haraldr, on the seas and at home. When Haraldr called for Olaf's service, Haakon sailed with him as well. Many battles were fought and the crew of the Visun won many fights, destroying the enemies ships.

As the skald says:

(You used long-ships boldly, battle-strong lord, as men steered seventy vessels eastward. Strakes roared south; high-hoisted sails talked with the forestays; the tall-lasted oak sliced the sound. Visundr plunged its curved tail)

After three years in service to Olaf, Haakon was a wealthy man, owning a ship for trading and able to command a goodly crew of strong, young warriors. He wanted no more of the raiding life, so Haakon returned to his home. He brought with him a great fortune of gold and jewels, furs and silks, linens and cottons. He sold what he needed, packed up the rest and went in search of Elin raven-hair, daughter of Arnor son of Bjorn, a chieftain. With him, Haakon took his brother, Boris son of Thorvald, known as "black-beard", for his prowess at war. Haakon wore a tunic of scarlet, with gold buttons, and bore a sword with a gold hilt. He wore a black hat with gold trim. Boris dealt with Arnor and soon they were agreed on a contract and a bride--price that Haakon would give for Elin's hand. Arnor consulted his daughter, who gladly agreed. Arnor gave a farm to Haakon and Elin, that could live close by him. The feast was held two weeks later and so Haakon son of Thorvald, called "Oak" came to be the son-in-law of a godi and a rich and powerful man in his own right.