A summary of "The Saga of Harald the Sailor" by Alexander Markov Automatic translate

This book is the story of Norwegian Vikings and Irish monks whose destinies are tragically intertwined by the desecration of an ancient tomb. The events of the saga take place in 789. Scandinavian tales of the dead are closely intertwined with Celtic legends of a fairy people, set against the backdrop of early voyages to the shores of North America.

The Curse of the Mound and Exile

The story begins on the southern shore of the Ålesund Strait in Norway. Harald, the son of a poor bondsman named Hrut, woos the prettiest beauty in the area, Sigrun. The girl refuses, demanding wealth and glorious deeds from her suitor. She leads Harald to a green hill and tells him that the great warrior Gotholf rests there. The young man secretly digs up the grave. At night, he enters the burial mound, where he is attacked by a giant, living corpse. Harald impales the giant with an aspen shovel handle, after which Gotholf crumbles to dust. The victorious warrior leaves the mound carrying an ancient sword, a shield, a bronze dagger, and a large quantity of pure gold.

Harald’s father sees the treasure and is horrified. He throws a golden bracelet in his son’s face and shouts, "Take your gold, you wicked wretch!" At the local assembly, Harald is declared an outlaw for desecrating graves. He retreats to the remote forest of Runmörk, where he soon joins a band of outlaws led by Thorgeir. Sigrún begins visiting the bandits and one day saves them from a raid, leading them to the remote island of Birk. Meanwhile, Norway is experiencing an unprecedented lemming plague, a continuous stream of which moves toward the sea. Sigrún sees this as a sign and advises Harald to build ships for overseas raids.

Harald challenges Thorgeir to single combat, wounds him in the shoulder, and seizes control of the company. Using the cursed gold from the burial mounds, the hired craftsman Höskuld builds a never-before-seen warship — long, incredibly light, and maneuverable. A hawk’s head is carved into the prow. The ship is named "Gotholf’s Hawk." The bandits raise a banner embroidered with a raven and set out to sea. Along the way, they are joined by other fugitive Norwegian crews. Harald leads a formidable flotilla to the shores of Ireland.

The Fall of the King of Ireland

The story of the Irish ruler Muiredach unfolds in parallel. Immediately after his lavish wedding to the beautiful Grainne, the king unknowingly breaks three sacred vows. He allows the sinister druid Coire and his one-eyed giantess wife into his home. The uninvited guests treat the royal retinue to magical pork that drains strength and sing enchanting songs. The druid demands Grainne be given to him. When he refuses, he casts a spell and abducts the queen to the magical hill of Boire.

Consumed by rage, Muiredach rallies his warriors and, together with the monks of Clonmacfirth Abbey, razes the Sidhe Hill to the ground. During excavations, they kill the druid Coire. Before dying, the sorcerer curses the king and the monastery. The prophecy is immediately fulfilled: across Muiredach’s lands, cattle begin to die, crops are ruined, and swarms of mice destroy all food supplies. The neighboring rulers Condla and Diarmaid unite their armies and lay siege to the royal fortress. Muiredach loses his army and power, miraculously escapes, and takes monastic vows behind the strong walls of Clonmacfirth.

Harald’s fleet reaches the Irish coast. The Vikings join forces with local raiders led by Brian and attempt to storm the wealthy island monastery of Inis Mór. The Christian monks offer fierce resistance. Harald suffers a serious wound to his arm, drops his banner, and the Normans are forced to retreat. From their fellow countryman, Thjölvi, rescued from slavery, the Vikings learn of the political strife and the wealth of Clonmacfirth Monastery. Sigrun goes to the Irish King Diarmaid and cunningly persuades him to lead an army to the monastery’s walls by land to share the spoils with the Normans.

The Discovery of Greater Ireland

The monks of Clonmacfirth decide to leave the green island, fleeing bloody wars and a tight siege. They build large leather boats and set sail west in search of the mythical Isles of the Blessed. By a twist of fate, the Norse raiders and Christian exiles make this voyage together. After forty days at sea, they reach a vast, unknown land with dense forests and flowing rivers. Their new homeland is named Greater Ireland. The arriving settlers establish a settlement and enter into peaceful exchanges with the tall, red-skinned natives.

Bloody denouement on new shores

Peace in the new land doesn’t last long. Sigrun continues her plans to seize the church’s gold. Together with her secret lover, Niall, she steals the monastery’s treasury. Harald learns of the gold’s disappearance. He falsely blames the monks and rallies the Vikings for a fierce battle. Abbot Patrugh calls for Indians armed with bows just in time to help. In a fierce battle, Patrugh stabs Harald in the heart with a dagger. The priest survives, but loses his left arm permanently from a retaliatory sword strike.

The combined forces of the Irish and natives completely destroy the Norman detachment. Only a few Vikings manage to escape by ship. The stolen gold is returned to the monks, allowing them to lay a solid foundation for a new church in Greater Ireland. Red-skinned hunters catch and kill Sigrun’s accomplices in the forest. Sigrun herself eludes her pursuers. The surviving monks live in constant fear, awaiting the day when the treacherous Norsewoman returns to avenge the deaths of her comrades.