The Norwegian account of Hacos expedition against Scotland, A.D. MCCLXIII | Page 7

and accepted terms of
the Norwegians. There was with the Norwegians a sea-officer, called
Rudri.[70] He considered Bute as his Birthright; and because he had
not received the Island of the Scotch he committed many ravages, and
killed many people; and for that he was outlawed by the Scottish King.
He came to King Haco, and took the oaths to him; and with two of his
brothers became his subjects. As soon as the garrison, after having
delivered up the strong-hold, were gone away from the Norwegians,
Rudri killed nine of them, because he thought that he owed them no
good will. Afterwards King Haco reduced the island, as is here said.
10.
The wide-extended Bute was won from the forlorn wearers[71] of rings
by the renowned and invincible troops of the promoter of
conquest,--they wielded the two-edged sword--the foes of our Ruler
dropt, and the Raven from his fields of slaughter, winged his flight for
the Hebrides.

The Norwegians who had been in Bute went to Scotland, where they
burned many houses, and several towns. Rudri, proceeding a great way,
did all the mischief that he could, as is here described.
11.
The habitations of men, the dwellings of the wretched, flamed. Fire, the
devourer of halls, glowed in their granaries. The hapless throwers of the
dart[72] fell near the swan-frequented plain,[73] while south from our
floating pines[74] marched a host of warriors.
While King Haco was in the Hebrides, deputies came to him from
Ireland intimating that the Irish[75] Ostmen would submit to his power,
if he would secure them from the encroachments of the English, who
possessed all the best towns along the sea-coast. King Haco
accordingly sent Sigurd the Hebridian, with some fast-sailing vessels,
to examine on what terms the Irish invited him thither.
After this King Haco sailed south before the Mull of Kintire with all his
fleet, and anchored for some time in Arran-sound. Then, there came
often Predicant, or Barefooted friars, from the Scottish Monarch, to
King Haco, to sound him about a pacification between the two
Sovereigns. At this juncture also King Haco set King John at liberty;
and bidding him go in peace, wherever he would, gave him several rich
presents. He promised King Haco, to do everything in his power to
effectuate a peace between him and the Scottish King; and that he
would immediately return to King Haco whenever he desired him.
Soon after King Haco sent Gilbert Bishop of Hamar, Henry Bishop of
Orkney, Andrew Nicolson, Andrew Plytt, and Paul Soor as envoys to
treat about a peace with the King of Scotland. They went to the Scottish
Monarch, and laid before him their overtures. He received them
honourably, seemed inclined to a compromise, and said that such terms
of accommodation as he would consent to, would be transmitted to
King Haco. The commissioners departed; and the Scottish envoys
arrived soon after. King Haco had ordered that all the Islands to the
west of Scotland, which he called his, should be wrote down. The King
of Scotland again had named all such as he would not relinquish. These
were Bute, Arran, and the two Cumbras;[76] as to other matters there

was very little dispute between the Sovereigns; but however no
agreement took place.
The Scotch purposely declined any accommodation, because summer
was drawing to a period, and the weather was becoming bad. Finding
this, Haco sailed in, with all his forces, past the Cumbras.
Afterwards an interview in Scotland was agreed upon for a
reconciliation. King Haco sent thither a Bishop and a Baron; and to
meet them came some Knights and Monks. They spoke much about an
accommodation, but, at last, things ended the same way as formerly.
Towards the conclusion of the day a greater number of Scots convened
from the country than the Norwegians thought were to be trusted. They
therefore, retiring to the ships, waited on the King, and told him their
opinion. The generality advised him to declare that the truce was now
ended, and to give orders to plunder, as the army was very short of
provisions.
King Haco, however, sent one of his courtiers, called Kolbein Rich, to
the Scottish Monarch. He carried with him the Articles of pacification
which the Scottish King had sent to King Haco, and was commanded to
bring back the proposals which King Haco had sent to the King of
Scotland. He was besides to propose that the Sovereigns should meet
with all their forces and treat about a peace. If that, by the grace of God,
took place, it was very well; but if it should turn out otherwise, then
Haco proposed to the King of Scotland to fight, with their whole armies,
and let him conquer whom God pleased. The Scottish Monarch seem'd
not unwilling to