Håkon den gode (Håkon the Good): a Norwegian Folk song by Harald Foss. It's a song about the Battle of Fitjar it was a battle that took place in 961, where the Danish King wished to install a puppet King in Norway. During the battle the Norwegians were outnumbered 6 to 1 but managed to defeat the Danish forces. However during the battle Håkon den Gode was Fatally wounded and before he died he sent for one of his Counsins to take his throne (One of the cousins he had been fighting when he was wounded)
Lyrics:
Vikingånd og fregdardåd um det er denna songen
Ut av Stord har detta hendt og Håkon han var kongen
Kongen satt i Holmagard og hadde ikkje mange menn
Stilt så leika bylgjene ut ved holma strendin
Ser då kongens sendemann ut ved dei ytste båar
Mange skip med stripne segl og innafjord dei roar
Skjott så samlast kongens menn for ufred ikkje dølgjast kan
Kongen spør kven råd kan gjev fly eller verta slegne?
Svara det inni kongens hird Han Torolv Sterke Skolmsson
Niding stor det er å fly for urettvise valdsmenn
Kongen veit at me har vunnet over overmakti før
svara då den heile hird: «Me vil gå med kongen!»
Tok då alle brynjer på og kongen sverdet Kvernbit
Fylka dei seg skjold i skjold under Håkons merke
Då åtakfolket på dei kom Dei var eit tal som seks mot ein
I hjelm og sverd på soli skein Som havet sine bylgjer
I brodden av dei åtaksmenn fór viking Øyvind Skrøya
Med åtakfolket gjekk han hardt Til nid mot Håkons merke
Ropa høgt han Øyvind «Eg Nordmannkongen finna vil!»
Gleivjer(?) han seg, er han redd? Kven kan seia til ham?
Kom det over kongens menn ein voldsom kraftig styrke
I harme full sprang kongen sjølv Frammanføre merke
Sa «Hald du fram som du gjer, um du
Nordmann kongen finna vil!»
Svinga Håkon kvernbit i, Toralv sverdet Fimreid
Striden vart då veldig kvass med mannefalli store
Håkon og hans menn dei [var] råast Striden avgjorde
Øyvind bær(?) sørgfrei(?) for sverdet kvernbit
lagt i vollen ned
Kom det frykt i åtakfolket, flydde ut or landet
English Lyrics:
Viking spirit and great man's deed,
Of this song it's about
Out of Stord has this happened,
And Haakon was king
The King he sat in Holmagard,
And did not have many men
Silently the Waves were playing,
Out by the Holma beaches
Sees then the King's Scout
Out by the furthest rocks
Many ships with striped sails,
And into the fjord they row
Quickly the kingsmen gather,
Because strife can not be hidden
The king then asks who advice can give,
Flee or be defeated ?
Answers one in the hird (kingsguard),
Strong Toralv Skolmsson
A great fool is he, who flees
From unjust and violent men
The king knows that we have won
When outmanned before
Answerd then the whole hird:
We will fight with the king !
All then put their breastplates on,
And the king his sword, Kvernbiter
Then they rallied, shield by shield,
Under Haakon's banner
The attackers came upon them,
With six men upon each one
In helmet and sword, the sun it shone,
Like waves of the ocean
In the front of the attackers,
Fared the viking Öyvind Skröya
With the attacking men he advanced
Ruthless towards Haakon's banner
Shouted loud he, Öyvind:
"I want to find the Norsemen's King"
Does he hide, is he afraid ? Say this to him !
Then it came over the King's men,
A fiercely great force
Full of resentment ran the king himself,
To the front of the banner
He said "come on as thou art coming,
And thou shalt find the norseman King"
Haakon swung his sword Kvernbit,
And Toralv his sword Firmreid
The battle then became very hard,
A great number of men fell
Haakon and his men were best,
And they settled the battle
Öyvind was killed by the sword Kvernbit,
And lay on the ground
Fear spread through the attackers,
And they fled the land
