For many years, in harbor and ports

The ocean dragons of the fair north did not row

Warships lie along the beaches and untested

Fear stirred the hearts of men here

No sails stained with sea spray

Death cut down our freedom,

In silent grief many cried

At the death of King Harald.

Yet still, many deemed it good

No other man save for Knut

Lay claim to the prize of Holvik’s high throne

For none of the descendants of Sweyn of Lodland,

Shall ever spy again the throne of power.

For the people’s king Knut, did have something in mind

For the betrayer of his cousin Harald the Proud

For on a time selected by King Knut,

Jarl Sweyn’s sons were seized and his men killed

For my own grandfather watched then,

The ships rise once more and row down the coast

Prowling then to Lodland to see the treacherous welp.

Above the prow, sailors looked on as the fire spitter roared once more

The bows were bound in gold, King Knut’s men rowed well.

And Holvik’s women watched on proudly,

As their young king was steering, his new ship Gresk

While his battle-hungry warriors

Dipped oars into the water quicker and quicker.

They could row without tiring,

Till the tarred oars were broken

And the broad blades lay idle

For trumpets would soon sound for battle.

At once, the ships reached Lodland

Lifting oars from the sea without tiring

Before the seventy sea oars

The dragon ships landed upon the sandy beach.

King Knut’s men arrived,

Eager to bring justice to the land.

On both banks of the Vjen river,

That which borders Lodland and Oranland,

All the people could be certain,

That swift punishment would follow

When King Knut’s ships landed there.

And at once, when Knut walked on to bring Sweyn to justice,

He saw then a vision of his dead cousin the king.

King Harald appeared to him above him, atop the cliffs

With a solemn gaze, the dead king pointed his cousin on

To the place where Sweyn had hid and where he would be found.

King Knut had been but a child, when Jarl Sweyn’s treachery was made

King Knut’s angered warriors,

sons and kinsmen of the men slain in Salia and at Onsund

Marked the vengeance they had felt,

And slaughtered the men of Lodland, bringing Sweyn to King Knut.

The Jarl of Lodland, lost sight of his eyes,

Pressed down, he had them ripped from him

The good King Knut marked his justice upon Sweyn’s face.

There did they drop the youngest of the Jarl's sons,

Eirik Sweynssen, now ruled in King Knut’s name.

Peace came upon the land, but dulled and quiet now.

For in this time, King Knut wed Ingerid the daughter of Harald Grensk.

The good and just King of Holvik

Won the match of his desire

For he had gained the hand of the daughter of a noble man

And a hoard of gold for himself.

Yet so, revenge stewed among those who remained loyal to jarl Sweyn.

The blind Jarl’s nephews, Skardi and Sardr

bid their time in the court of their cousin.

Waiting for the moment of weakness to reclaim their honor.

And as had been done before,

King Knut sent out raiding vessels to roam the sea.

Prized hulls of sturdy wood and fine sail

Once more rowed by strong armed northern men.

Freighted with hard won gold, they returned home

Through storm and gale and sea spray

They spotted home and made dock at the port.

Oak keel ploughed through the ocean

All the way west round the cape of the Halsats

Through their winding rivers, to the lands of riches there

After riches were won, many gave their support to King Knut

Who was known far and wide as the people’s king

Good and just in demeanor and wise in decision.

The King had four sons and beamed with pride for it,

Hamundr and Siggeir, were bright of hair and valiant.

Signy his third boy was dignified and diligent.

His last boy, little Hialtr, was but a babe,

when the sons of Hjodi, brother of Sweyn attacked.

Bright flame burned on the crest of the ship atop the sea

Near Voll, the royal dragon ships met the rebels.

A storm scattered all, save for a few of Hjodi’s son’s ships.

The raven ships of Sardr and Skardi roared in the sea

Picking apart the ships before them

Stumbling survivors, scattered by carnage

Sorrowfully fled to safety

Leaving the bulk of the fleet alone then.

And so good King Knut was left alone against his enemies

Many men lay fallen aboard the decks,

Blades tore them and cut their freedom from them.

In silent grief, the king watched his boats sink beneath the waves.

Now the seafaring king had little hope

Strong fear stirred in the hearts of his men

Warships lie smashed against the beaches

The death dealing sons of Hjodi

Sailed their vessels southward

Chasing the ragged ships of King Knut.

Many with power in Holvik,

Wished for the warring to cease,

And so called a council in the city

to discuss peace between the two parties.

Yet in the tents of the sons of Hjodi,

Drinking was done and a man under both did say.

“Which of your banners do you treasure most oh Lords?”

And so, the brothers did say they treasured the banner of the hawk.

For they did claim that whoever bore it into battle, would be victorious.

Yet Halldor, which was his name, did disagree with this.

He spoke, “I will believe in what you say,

when you have won another battle against King Knut.”

The brother’s eyes darted toward each other

And they sent messengers to call off the parlay with King Knut.

For the land split in two,

when the sailing ships of the brothers rowed further to Holvik

Fine ships under bad men, ploughed through the ocean.

And in battle, the two sides came and clashed outside the city

For the sons of Hjodi had acted treacherously.

But the gods granted them a short victory,

For blood red hands sized the green land around them

Open handed they came, to carry off wealth that was not theirs

When the pact between the brothers and King Knut was made

It was to be in peaceful accord

But strife came

At the pointed words of vile Halldor.

Tears were shed when the good and noble king Knut did fall

For the king had seen in a vision before,

The visage of his long dead cousin, the proud king Harald.

“Which would you prefer dear cousin, to come to me now

Or poison your rule with vile deeds against your enemies?”

King Knut did answer, “I wish for the choice to be yours fair cousin

For the choice before was robbed of you.”

And so King Harald bid his cousin to join him, and Knut did die.

So too did die, Knut’s sons along with him,

But spirited away was his last.

By the deed of Hamundr, was Hialtr saved

From the torture of Hjodi’s vile spawn.

For the boy heard the storm of arrows,

Raging all around

As he was led to his escape

By deed of his good brother Hamundr.

Now the princeling goes creeping from forest to forest

To the coast he goes where a ship awaits him

To sail to unknown lands.

Hialtr sailed across te east sea, and made it to Rognland

Where men had arrived who escaped the slaughter of King Knut’s men

By the next spring, the mustered a few ships and set sail.

That summer they came upon the seat of Jomsgard

And the brothers there took in the exiled prince.

Gorm, head brother of the order bid the prince welcome

Gorm sheltered the boy for a few years,

By the way of the sword did Hialtr become a man

Gorm made him a commander of the fortress’ defense

And gave him a good sword, called Hofung.

Hialtr grew within Jomsgard’s strong walls,

and when the time came, he bid farewell to it

he departed with these words,

“The far-off wolves how over their spoils,

They wiped good blood from their greedy swords,

Yet under their nose, shall I return.”

Hialtr sailed on, through the winding rivers of the lands of the Prus

Rather than plunder these lands,

Hialtr sheltered there for many years.

With a large following, Hialtr sailed on

to the great city of the eagles called Komnekstad

Bleak showers and dark rains came

when the ships reached the city,

Hard did they row before they reached the ports there.

Iron-shields on vessels so gleaming

Flaunting the colorful rigging of their nation

The exiled princeling saw ahead of him

The gilded roofs of the great city

The dragon ships swept on and came to

The tall walls of the towering city.

At this time, the realm of the Komneians was ruled by Matthias

The son of the previous Emperor of the realm.

When Hialtr arrived in the city, he presented himself to him

Hialtr joined his army and joined many galleys sailing south.

There, the Northmen came to serve the army under Leo,

A kinsman of the Emperor and leader of the army.

The Northmen drew lots with the commander,

To see which parcel of land they would camp in.

But the guile of Leo tricked the Northmen,

For he cheated and was granted the superior position.

Hialtr was angered by this as Leo had drawn lots,

With his hand, he grabbed ahold of the Komneian

With a motion, he snatched the lot away

And hurled it into the sea.

“That was my lot you had drawn!” spoke Hialtr

“Then why did you not let those before us see it”

Leo the commander did say this to Hialtr who replied,

“Look at the one that is remaining,

you will recognize its mark.”

When the lot was examined,

it was seen that it was indeed Leo’s mark

And so, the Northmen were granted the favorable land to encamp on.

During the campaigning, Hialtr remained in reserve,

His men did not battle often with the enemies.

Yet when they were bid to fight, they routed all.

In this way, the Northmen were seen with more respect,

And Hialtr became well respected among the Komneians.

It was now made apparent what the Northmen could do,

Especially against the soft bodied men of the seas there.

Hialtr gained victory and plunder, wherever he did fight.

When the Komneians returned to their city,

The Northmen remained and continued to plunder

For the weather in the south was pleasant

Unlike the harsh snows and winters in the North.

Hialtr now marched his new army south

To a land the Komneians called Mykra.

There he did capture eighty or so towns

Some of them surrendered to him,

Others resisted and were torched.

Bravely did he risk his life,

Capturing eighty cities of riches

In the lands of the hot south.

Then did the young warrior,

The scourge of the enemy

Waged a grim game of war

Upon those enemies called the Zhors.

Hialtr did force submission,

On these lands the Komneians called theirs

Gifting these great victories,

To the fair Emperor Matthias

Who bore them proudly.

Hialtr became very wealthy there,

In the Southern land and especially against the Zhors

Men of the horse, they routed very easily

Fleeing upon steeds,

Hialtr seized their baggage and their won loot

Increasing his immense hoard of treasure and gold.

It is said that a city refused to surrender to the army

Populous and standing behind strong walls,

This city would not fall to an assault.

So Hialtr ordered his men to a nearby stream.

To dig a tunnel from a place where the stream flowed

And into a deep ravine nearby.

This displaced the water, and the river ran away from the town,

Soon the city how no water to drink,

They surrendered to Hialtr and his army.

After this, Hialtr resolved to return to Komnekstad

With his plunder now returned to him, he would be on his way,

To return home and reclaim his birthright.

But the Emperor Matthias had scorned Hialtr,

Spurred on by the whispers of Leo the commander,

He refused to return Hialtr’s treasure.

Yet Hialtr did not rush to vilent deeds,

He parlayed with the emperor and asked of him

“What can I give you worthy of retuning to me

My hoard which I won by the sword?”

Emperor Matthias answered,

“Give me the full of my crown lands in Mykra,

The lands of my people must be restored to me.”

And so, dutifully, Hialtr went off

and marched to do what was bid of him.

Hialtr marched his troops to the largest town in Mykra,

A place named after a man named Gordian,

Every town had heard of the Northman

and surrendered as he passed by.

With courage sharp as a sword’s edge,

The unbeaten conqueror did go South

Far to the town of this Gordian

and beckoned them to surrender to him.

With overwhelming advantage,

The town fell in under a month to Hialtr

Yet remained unscorched and undisputed.

For fate watched over Hialtr ever more.

On returning to the city of the Komneians,

Emperor Matthias was overjoyed with the news heard

Of Hialtr’s conquests and victories.

In the midst of night, he ordered the hoards returned to Hialtr

And a week of celebration for the Northman.

Splendor unlike any seen by any man of the frozen North,

Was given to the conqueror.

Atop a gilded chariot adorned with plumed feathers,

Hialtr was escorted down the large street of the city.

So acclaimed was he,

That upon the alter of the largest temple in the city,

A laurel crown of grass and moss was placed on his head

And he was named a son of the Emperor and most righteous.

Yet so, Hialtr would not remain there,

Even as the Emperor offered to him,

The hand of his beautiful daughter Maria

Whose beauty was said to be like the sun itself

Hialtr refused, for he wished to return home.

With great sadness, the Emperor bid him farewell

And upon a great host of ships,

Hialtr sailed again, the rivers to the east sea.

During his time away, the sons of Hjodi made many ill moves.

They arrogantly ordered ships rebuilt,

though they had no cause to do so.

They levied more and more men to their army

though they had no enemies strong enough to fight.

They excecuted many who they claimed defied them,

Many were gutted and hung in the square in Holvik

For months on end before their corpses fell from rotten rope.

Their wicked deeds made them many enemies,

Each more eager to see them toppled.

Word reached the North of the arriving ships of Hialtr,

son of the good King Knut and last of the progeny of Roreth.

The winds spoke of the coming conflict,

And in their fear, the brothers consulted

a great seeress and wise woman.

Svivra was her name, and spying into the fire,

she saw a great tempest arriving.

When the dragon ships of Hialtr landed

On the beaches of Sovn,

Svivra’s vision became clear and with a tongue firm

She spoke to the brothers quivering in the dark

“Now will come a great storm, to discern the predator from the prey.”

Hialtr’s vessels lay anchored in Sovn

And he called a meeting with the angered nobles of Holvik

“Next we will raise a levy,

In Holvik’s fair lands a host of splendid men of arms

To rid the rot from fair Holvik’s shores.”

And so the host of Hialtr waited out

the winds of the winter that blew before them.

By spring, the Hird of Holvik arrived

And many noble men came and swore to serve Hialtr

And aid him in the coming clash.

And so, Hialtr boarded his ship

Sjoravn ploughed and pushed

Her oars in tune with the whipping of the wind

Behind her the gale burst forth

Dark skies came to the land

And ill omens continued to be seen in Holvik.

The vile sons of Hjodi

Suffering and lame,

Shall meet the great king of the Northmen

Prowling the sea atop his dragon ship

Only the gods can decree now,

Which side will rob the other

Of life and all their lands.

For the gods care little for treacherous men.

Often, did Hialtr launch his vessels to sea

Often with goal in mind and calculating

Now he sails on in anger

Across the sea to the land of his birth,

So robbed from him so many years ago.

A host of great warships

Now strain against the sea to the land of Holvik.

In haste, the men of Thraneland

Fled at sight of Hialtr and his ships,

Hialtr now lusted for battle

Eager to see the bodies of his family’s murderers

Thrown to the sea and eaten.

At the time, all of Hjeksur

On the sea land to Holvik

Lay burning and molten

Fire burned on, fueled by Hialtr’s fury.

For no limit was made,

On punishing those who did not surrender.

Skardi and Sardr now feel the havoc of war made on them

By one who was forged in the fires of it

Why the vengeful Hialtr

Vented on his rage towards these towns

Was asked of the returning warriors

But they said nothing of it.

For the vile brothers may have been born lucky

But they will die now without luck’s fortune

For they challenge now the true king

To bloody his shield ashore now

Where they prefer to fight aboard the sea vessels

The true king wishes to win his land with his army dry.

Many came before Hialtr

Outnumbered as they were to parlay

Brave as they were, they were not mad

They refused to fight the army in battle

They would not risk their lives

For those who would not do the same for them.

Those to be subjects of the rightful king

Must show openly their submission

By sitting or kneeling before him.

As the king wishes, all the people must bow low

The king will demand obedience

From those who endured unjust rule for so long.

The flailing swords of the sons of Hjodi

Will still drive the rightful king from his shrores

Unless first persuaded

To fall beneath his ax

And be hewed beneath his sword.