"The Jómsvikings"

"Overview"

The Jómsvikings was a Danish Viking Brotherhood of warriors founded by the Danish King Harold Bluetooth (d.985) as a defense against the Wends in the early 10th century. They lived in community/fort somewhere on the island of Wollin in the estuary of the Oder River, although the precise location is not known. The fort is thought to be similar to style like Trelleborg and Fyrkat with rules/code of conduct that ensured only the best came into their ranks.

In A.D.986, Jarl Hákon, then ruler of most of Norway, was triumphant over an invading fleet of Danes (aided and abetted by King Svein Forkbeard) in the great naval battle of Hjórunga Bay. Sailing with him were no fewer than five Icelandic skalds to observe and record, the events they had seen. As Poet-Historians of the Old Norse world, they probably did "spice up" their versions well with imagination but there is no doubt the conduct of the Jómsvikings during this battle and afterwards impressed the skalds very much. Two centuries later these accounts of the battle became the basis for one of the liveliest of the Icelandic Historical sagas "The Saga of the Jómsvikings" who feared no man and dared all.

From the saga are three tales from this saga: the codes of conduct these great warriors abided by, a tale of one young enterprising Danish Viking, named Vagn, who wanted to join kinsmen there and the "Testing" of the Jómsvíkings members who were captured after the battle of Hjórunga Bay.

The Code of the Jómsvíkings

"Then Palnatóki (the great warrior who founded the Brotherhood) established laws for Jómsborg with the assistance of wise men, to the end that the renown of the men of Jómsborg should spread most widely and their power should wax greatly:

"The first of the laws was that no one might join the company who was over fifty or under eighteen. All members were to be between these ages.

Kinship must not weigh when considering for membership a man who wished to join.

No member was to flee from any man who was his equal in bravery and as well armed as himself. Each member must avenge any other member as though he were his brother. No one was to utter words of fear or be afraid of anything, however hopeless matters looked.

All the booty brought in from their expeditions as to be carried to the standard (in the fort)---of whatever value, big or small--and anyone not abiding by this rule must leave the company.

No one within the fort was to start a quarrel. And if news of importance came to any man's knowledge he was to give to the Chieftain first to proclaim to all and not make it known otherwise.

No one was to have a woman within the fort (Although nothing was ever said about not having one outside though! Laurie) and no one was to be away for more than three days.

And if it became known after a man had been admitted into the company that he had earlier slain the father or brother or some other near kinsman of a member, the Chieftain was to be the judge, as he was to be also of whatever other differences arose among them.

In this way, they had their quarters in the fort and kept the laws well. Every summer they went on Viking expeditions to various countries and won renown. They were considered the greatest of warriors, with hardly any their equals in that time, and were called the Jómsvíkings."

(From Ch.12, "The Saga of the Jómsvíkings")

"Vagn joins the Jómsvíkings"

Vagn Ákason was a strong, unruly 12 year old and quite a handful at home. Although he lived alternately with his father and maternal grandfather, Véseti, he wanted to go follow his two uncles, Búi and Sigvaldi, to Jómsborg. They finally gave in and gave him two ships and 120 man crews no younger than he and yet no older than 20. Boasting he would take care of all food and war gear, he went a-Viking along Denmark's coast to get this and when done, sailed on to Jómsborg.

When he got there the great Jómsviking Chieftain, Palnatóki, and his uncles came out to see Vagn and the ships had brought.

"I shall not conceal from you that my name is Vagn and that I am the son of Áki; I have come here to offer you my company of men, and I was not considered easy to deal with at home" Vagn said.

Palnatóki replied "Does it seem likely to you, kinsmen, that you can get along with men here seeing that your own folk at home could scarcely deal with you?" To which Vagn replied he was told wrong about his men not being of use to the chieftain.

Then Palnatóki consulted with the other leaders including the uncles and they did not think advisable to take the young Vagn in with such a reputation of unruliness. When Vagn was asked and gave his age, Palnatóki told him that settled it as no one under 18 could be accepted.

"I don't want to insist on your going against your laws. But they would hardly be broken, since I am as good as a man 18 years or older" Vagn said. Palnatóki gave him an honorable aternative...to stay with a kinsmen in Wales and possessions there. But Vagn refused although admitting it was a noble offer. "What then will you have?" was the question.

"I challenge Sigvaldi to come out of his fort with two ships and try conclusions with us and see who yields and who fights better! Let it be agreed between us that you shall take us into your company if his ships flee; if I lose, I will go away. And I stress that I challenge Sigvaldi to do battle with us unless he is an arrant coward with the heart of a she-animal and not of a man!"

Palnatóki said he would not stand in the way as Sigvaldi was also not so gentle with his challenge either. But told the uncle, he did not want Vagn killed. Sigvaldi and his men put on their war gear and rowed out two ships and at once the battle began. Vagn and his crew hurled such a volley of stones Sigvaldi's men could do nothing but protect themselves and hard put to do that! They laid broadside to broadside and when Vagn ran out of stones he and his men struck with their swords. Sigvaldi was obliged to fall back to the shore and get more stones, but Vagn and his men were right after them and attacked on land so that Sigvaldi had to give ground and a fiercer battle ensued. Many fell.

Meanwhile Palnatóki and his chieftains were watching all this from Jómsborg. It was clear neither would give ground and the results would be if it went any further. He called upon Sigvaldi to stop the fight "for it will not do for you two to keep on with this. My advice is that we take Vagn and his men into our company even thought he is younger than permitted and unless my judgment is wrong we may well expect that this man will become a valiant fighter!"

Sigvaldi's men did as were told. They left off fighting and Vagn and his men were taken into the company and its laws. Thirty of Sigvaldi's men had fallen, but few of Vagn's, though many were wounded. After that Vagn, in command of a ship, went with the company on every expedition, and no one seemed to be his equal as a fighter.

From Chapter 15 "The Saga of the Jómsvikings"

In this last tale, the author of the Saga is superb in giving us men who know how to die with a jest on their lips while staring unflinchingly into the eyes of Death. They love life but would not be able to survive the taunt of having begged for it. Within this you hear the noble/heroic sentiments of the Havamál's stanza:

"Cattle die....Kinsmen die, Yourself will soon die, But fair fame will never fade, For the man who wins it" Cattle die.....Kinsmen die, Yourself will soon die, One thing I know that never dies, The good name of the dead"

By this time, Palnatóki had died and Vagn's (now eighteen) uncle, Sigvaldi, became the Jómsvíking Chieftain. Some rules were lessened afterwhile and some discipline suffered. Women were allowed to stay up to three nights in the fort and men were allowed to stay away longer than before. Some injuries from fights happened on occasion and even some killings. However the renown of the Jómsvíkings was such there was always young and older warriors wanting to join. King Svein Forkbeard had a grand plan to bring all of the Northern Lands under Danish rule and enlisted the Jómsvíkings help to carry out part of this to defeat Jarl Hakon of Norway.

But someone alerted Jarl Hakon and he was able to gather a great fleet of his own. After a long hard battle wherein great deeds were done on both sides through first the warmth of the sun and through a unseasonable storm, as related by the Icelandic skalds. The Danes were finally defeated with great loss of ships and men. It was said seventy Jómsvíkings tried to find shelter on a skerry with their wounded but were captured by the Norse. Jarl Hakon had them all fastened to one rope and hauled before him to witness their execution. With him was his own son, Jarl Eric and many other Norse warriors.

Thorkel Leira was picked to take deal the Jomsvikings the death blow with his sword. Three men were brought forward, all badly wounded, and slaves were set to guard them and twisted wands to bind their hair. Then Thorkel would come up and lopped their heads off. A fourth man was released from the rope, and a wand was twisted in his hair. He too was badly wounded.

"What do you think about dying?" Thorkel asked. "I am resigned to it," the man replied; "the same will happen to me as happened to my father." "What was that?" asked Thorkel. The man said: "Slash Away! He died". Then Thorkel gave him the deathblow.

Then a fifth man was brought up, and Thorkel asked him what he thought about dying. He said: "Poorly would I remember the laws of the Jómsvíkings if I shrank from death or spoke words of fear. Death comes to every man" Thorkel gave him the deathblow.

There upon it was decided to ask this same question of every man before he was slain to find out whether or not the Jómsvíking Brotherhood was as gallant as reputed to be. And the repute, they thought would be brought out if no one spoke words of fear.

The sixth man was brought up with a wand twisted in his hair. Thorkel asked the question. The man said it was well to die in high esteem with men; "but you, Thorkel, will live with shame." Thorkel cut him down. Then a seventh man was led out and again the question. "I think of dying. Just cut me down quickly. Here I hold a knife in my hand. We have often talked, we Jómsvíkings, about whether a man knows anything when he is quickly beheaded. So let this be their proof of the matter. I shall hold up this knife if I know of anything; else it will drop." Thorkel hewed, the head flew off, and the knife dropped.

The eighth man said he thought well of dying. And when he thought the blow would fall he said: "Hrút (Ram)!" Thorkel checked himself and asked why he uttered that word. He replied: "Even so, one would not be too many for the two ewes you called on, you Jarl's men, the time you got a drubbing from us." (In the original Icelandic a pun is involved, since "á"....the dative/accusative of "aer" or "ewe".... is in Icelandic like our "Ouch"). "Wretch that you are" said Thorkel, and chopped off his head.

The ninth man was brought out and again the question. The man said: "I think well of death, as do all of us. But I am not minded to let myself be slaughtered like a sheep and would rather face the blow. You hew into my face and watch closely if I flinch. Because we Jómsvíkings have often talked about that." They did what he asked for and let him face the blow. Not a flinch was seen except that his eyes closed when death came.

The question was put to the tenth man, who only replied: "I wish you would wait till I let down my trousers." This was granted and when he had done his business he said: "Many a things turns out differently from what one expected. I intended to get into bed with Thóra, the daughter of Skagi, who is the Jarl's wife." Then he shook his member and pulled up his trousers. Then Jarl Hákon said: "Strike down that man at once, he has long had ill in his mind." And it was done.

Then a young man whose hair was long and golden yellow like silk. Thorkel asked him the question. He said: "I have lived the best part of my life. I do not care to live after those who have died here. But I want to be led to slaughter not by slaves but rather by a man not lower than you (in rank) and let him hold my hair away from my head so that my hair will not become bloodstained." A man from the Jarl's own bodyguard stepped forward and wound the long hair around his hands. Thorkel slammed down with his sword, and at that moment the young man jerked away his head and the blow fell on the bodyguard's arms cutting them off at the elbow. The young man leapt up and said: "Whose hands are in my hair?". Jarl Hákon said "A great mischief has been done. Kill that man at once and also all the others who are left because these are too unmanageable to guard against."

But Jarl Eric asked the young man who he was and how old. "Svein the son of Búi and if I live through this one, I will be eighteen" came the reply. The Jarl said "You shall." Then took him into his company with a little grumbling from Jarl Hákon.

Then another tall young man was released but it caught his foot and held him fast. Thorkel asked him what he thought of death. "I would think well of it if I could fulfill my vow before dying." Jarl Eric asked for his name and whose son he was. "Vagn the son of Áki" he replied. "What is the vow that would satisfy you to fulfill before dying?". Vagn replied "That once I got to Norway I would get into bed with Ingeborg (whom he had fallen in love with and she him earlier in the saga), daughter of Thorkel Leira, without her kinsfolk's consent. And I would kill Thorkel myself."

"That I shall prevent," said Thorkel as he rushed at Vagn and leveled a blow with both hands. Bjorn the Welshman (Vagn's foster father) kicked Vagn out of the way so that the blow swished above his head and Thorkel stumbled as he missed the young man. The sword flew out of his hands and cut Vagn's rope, freeing him. Vagn leapt up and seized the sword and killed Thorkel. Then Vagn said: "Now I have fulfilled half of my vow, and I feel a good deal better satisfied."

Jarl Hákon yelled to have Vagn killed at once but Jarl Eric said he would have Vagn as a great trade for Thorkel Leira. Afterwards Jarl Eric asked Vagn to come into his company. Then Vagn said: "Only on this condition do I think it better to live than to die: that quarter is given to all our men. Else let us all go one way." This same offer was given to Bjorn the Welshman who answered the same. "That I shall grant you if I have the power" said Jarl Eric and he asked his father for quarter to be given to all Jómsvíkings who were still alive. Jarl Hákon told him to do as he pleased and all were released.

After that Vagn, on Jarl Eric's advice, journeyed east to Víken where Ingeborg was and announced his intentions to marry her. Many men of renown are descended from him and Ingeborg, who was considered a most outstanding woman......

Ch.23 The Saga of the Jómsvíkings

Laurie, "the Deep Minded"