The Life and Death of Cormac the Skald Part 11

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE. How They Cruised With The King's Fleet, And Quarrelled, And Made It Up.

In the following spring King Harald set forth to the land of Permia with a great host. Cormac was one of the captains in that warfaring, and in another ship was Thorvald: the other captains of ships are not named in our story.

Now as they were all sailing in close order through a narrow sound, Cormac swung his steering-oar and hit Thorvald a clout on the ear, so that he fell from his place at the helm in a swoon; and Cormac's ship hove to, when she lost her rudder. Steingerd had been sitting beside Thorvald; she laid hold of the tiller, and ran Cormac down. When he saw what she was doing, he sang:--

(78) "There is one that is nearer and nigher To the n.o.blest of dames than her lover: With the haft of the helm is he smitten On the hat-block--and fairly amidships!

The false heir of Eystein--he falters-- He falls in the p.o.o.p of his galley!

Nay! steer not upon me, O Steingerd, Though stoutly ye carry the day!"

So Cormac's ship capsized under him; but his crew were saved without loss of time, for there were plenty of people round about. Thorvald soon came round again, and they all went on their way. The king offered to settle the matter between them; and when they both agreed, he gave judgment that Thorvald's hurt was atoned for by Cormac's upset.

In the evening they went ash.o.r.e; and the king and his men sat down to supper. Cormac was sitting outside the door of a tent, drinking out of the same cup with Steingerd. While they were busy at it, a young fellow for mere sport and mockery stole the brooch out of Cormac's fur cloak, which he had doffed and laid aside; and when he came to take his cloak again, the brooch was gone. He sprang up and rushed after the young fellow, with the spear that he called Vigr (the spear) and shot at him, but missed. This was the song he made about it:--

(79) "The youngster has pilfered my pin, As I pledged the gay dame in the beaker; And now must we brawl for a brooch Like boys when they wrangle and tussle.

Right well have I shafted my spear, Though I shot nothing more than the gravel: But sure, if I missed at my man, The moss has been prettily slaughtered!"

After this they went on their way to the land of Permia, and after that they went home again to Norway.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX. How Cormac Saved Steingerd Once More From Pirates; And How They Parted For Good And All.

Thorvald the Tinker fitted out his ship for a cruise to Denmark, and Steingerd sailed with him. A little afterwards the brothers set out on the same voyage, and late one evening they made the Brenneyjar.

There they saw Thorvald's ship riding, and found him aboard with part of his crew; but they had been robbed of all their goods, and Steingerd had been carried off by Vikings. Now the leader of those Vikings was Thorstein, the son of that Asmund Ashenside, the old enemy of Ogmund, the father of Cormac and Thorgils.

So Thorvald and Cormac met, and Cormac asked how came it that his voyage had been so unlucky.

"Things have not turned out for the best, indeed," said he.

"What is the matter?" asked Cormac. "Is Steingerd missing?"

"She is gone," said Thorvald, "and all our goods."

"Why don't you go after her?" asked Cormac.

"We are not strong enough," said Thorvald.

"Do you mean to say you can't?" said Cormac.

"We have not the means to fight Thorstein," said Thorvald. "But if thou hast, go in and fight for thy own hand."

"I will," said Cormac.

So at nightfall the brothers went in a boat and rowed to the Viking fleet, and boarded Thorstein's ship. Steingerd was in the cabin on the p.o.o.p; she had been allotted to one of the Vikings; but most of the crew were ash.o.r.e round the cooking-fires. Cormac got the story out of the men who were cooking, and they told all the brothers wanted to know. They clambered on board by the ladder; Thorgils dragged the bridegroom out to the gunwale, and Cormac cut him down then and there. Then he dived into the sea with Steingerd and swam ash.o.r.e; but when he was nearing the land a swarm of eels twisted round his hands and feet, so that he was dragged under. On which he made this song:--

(80) "They came at me yonder in crowds, O kemp of the shield-serpents' wrangle!

When I fared on my way through the flood, That flock of the wights of the water.

And ne'er to the gate of the G.o.ds Had I got me, if there had I perished; Yet once and again have I won, Little woman, thy safety in peril!"

So he swam ash.o.r.e and brought Steingerd back to her husband.

Thorvald bade Steingerd to go, at last, along with Cormac, for he had fairly won her, and manfully. That was what he, too, desired, said Cormac; but "Nay," said Steingerd, "she would not change knives."

"Well," said Cormac, "it was plain that this was not to be. Evil beings," he said, "ill luck, had parted them long ago." And he made this song:--

(81) "Nay, count not the comfort had brought me, Fair queen of the ring, thy embrace!

Go, mate with the man of thy choosing, Scant mirth will he get of thy grace!

Be dearer henceforth to thy dastard, False dame of the coif, than to me;-- I have spoken the word; I have sung it;-- I have said my last farewell to thee."

And so he bade her begone with her husband.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN. The Swan-Songs of Cormac.

After these things the brothers turned back to Norway, and Thorvald the Tinker made his way to Iceland. But the brothers went warfaring round about Ireland, Wales, England and Scotland, and they were reckoned to be the most famous of men. It was they who first built the castle of Scarborough; they made raids into Scotland, and achieved many great feats, and led a mighty host; and in all that host none was like Cormac in strength and courage.

Once upon a time, after a battle, Cormac was driving the flying foe before him while the rest of his host had gone back aboard ship. Out of the woods there rushed against him one as monstrous big as an idol--a Scot; and a fierce struggle began. Cormac felt for his sword, but it had slipped out of the sheath; he was over-matched, for the giant was possessed; but yet he reached out, caught his sword, and struck the giant his death-blow. Then the giant cast his hands about Cormac, and gripped his sides so hard that the ribs cracked, and he fell over, and the dead giant on top of him, so that he could not stir. Far and wide his folk were looking for him, but at last they found him and carried him aboard ship. Then he made this song:--

(82) "When my manhood was matched in embraces With the might of yon horror, the strangler, Far other I found it than folding That fair one ye know in my arms!

On the high-seat of heroes with Odin From the horn of the G.o.ds I were drinking O'er soon--let me speak it to warriors-- If Skrymir had failed of his aid."

Then his wounds were looked to; they found that his ribs were broken on both sides. He said it was no use trying to heal him, and lay there in his wounds for a time, while his men grieved that he should have been so unwary of his life.

He answered them in song:--

(83) "Of yore never once did I ween it, When I wielded the cleaver of targets, That sickness was fated to foil me-- A fighter so hardy as I.

But I shrink not, for others must share it, Stout shafts of the spear though they deem them, --O hard at my heart is the death-pang,-- Thus hopeless the bravest may die."

And this song also:--

(84) "He came not with me in the morning, Thy mate, O thou fairest of women, When we reddened for booty the broadsword, So brave to the hand-grip, in Ireland: When the sword from its scabbard was loosened And sang round my cheeks in the battle For the feast of the Fury, and blood-drops Fell hot on the neb of the raven."

And then he began to fail.

This was his last song:--

(85) "There was dew from the wound smitten deeply That drained from the stroke of the sword-edge; There was red on the weapon I wielded In the war with the glorious and gallant: Yet not where the broadsword,--the blood wand,-- Was borne by the lords of the falchion, But low in the straw like a laggard, O my lady, dishonoured I die!"

He said that his will was to give Thorgils his brother all he had,--the goods he owned and the host he led; for he would like best, he said, that his brother should have the use of them.

So then Cormac died. Thorgils became captain over the host, and was long time in viking.

And so ends the story.