Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 1.djvu/434

 that a great chief has come to the country at a time when the bonders are in arms against the earl.

Earl Hakon was at a feast in Melhouse in Guldal. There was a powerful bonder, by name Orm Lyrgia, who dwelt in Boness, who had a wife called Gudrun, a daughter of Bergthor of Lunde, She was called the Lunde-sun; for she was the most beautiful of women. The earl sent his slaves to Orm, with the errand that they should bring Orm's wife, Gudrun, to the earl. The thralls tell their errand, and Orm bids them first seat themselves to breakfast; but before they had done eating, many people from the neighbourhood, to whom Orm had sent notice, had gathered together: and now Orm declared he would not send Gudrun with the messengers. Gudrun told the thralls to tell the earl that she would not come to him, unless he sent Thora of Rimol after her. Thora was a woman of great influence, and one of the earl's best beloved. The thralls say that they will come another time, and both the bonder and his wife would be made to repent of it; and they departed with many threats. Orm, on the other hand, sent out a message-token to all the neighbouring country, and with it the message to attack Earl Hakon with weapons and kill him. He sent also a message to Haldor in Skirdingsted, who also sent out his message-token. A short time before, the earl had taken away the wife of a man called Bryniolf, and there had very nearly been an insurrection about that business. Having now again got this message-token, the people made a general revolt, and set out all to Melhouse. When the earl heard of this, he left the house with his followers, and concealed himself in a deep glen, now called Earl's Dale. Later in the day, the earl got news of the bonders' army. They had beset all the roads; but believed the earl had escaped to his ships, which his son Erlend, a re-