The Heimskringla on Kark

Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > 53. Earl Hakon'S Flight.

• attestation: Kark dreamed a black man entered the hole saying 'Ulle is dead,' which Hakon interpreted as news of his son Erlend's death.

  "Kark awoke he told his dream,--that a black threatening mad had come into the hole, and was angry that people should have entered it; and that the man had said, "Ulle is dead." The earl said that his son Erlend must be killed."

• attestation: Kark dreamed again that 'all the sounds were closed,' which Hakon took as a portent of his own imminent death.

  "the same man had again appeared to him, and bade him tell the earl that all the sounds were closed. From this dream the earl began to suspect that it betokened a short life to him."

Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > 55. Earl Hakon'S Death.

• attestation: Kark dreamed that Olaf Trygvason was laying a gold ring about his neck; Hakon warned it would be a 'red ring' (execution).

  ""I was at Hlader and Olaf Trygvason was laying a gold ring about my neck."

The earl says, "It will be a red ring Olaf will lay about thy neck if he catches thee.""

• attestation: When Hakon fell into restless sleep near dawn, Kark cut his throat with a knife and killed him.

  "towards day the earl suddenly dropped asleep; but his sleep was so unquiet that he drew his heels under him, and raised his neck, as if going to rise, and screamed dreadfully high. On this Kark, dreadfully alarmed, drew a large knife out of his belt, stuck it in the earl's throat, and cut it across, and killed Earl Hakon."

• attestation: Kark cut off the earl's head, brought it to King Olaf at Hlader, and was then beheaded himself on Olaf's orders.

  "Then Kark cut off the earl's head, and ran away. Late in the day he came to Hlader, where he delivered the earl's head to King Olaf, and told all these circumstances of his own and Earl Hakon's doings. Olaf had him taken out and beheaded."