KING BRING´S CONQUEST

KING BRING´S CONQUEST   

by Finn Bringsjord

King Bring ride over the "Kings Bridge" on the way to Bringsjord-Nes.

Painting by Finn Bringsjord

Although the story of King Bring goes back to the Merovingian time (550-800 AD.), it is still alive in Bringsjord. Maybe it's because he left behind two large and dominant memorials; King Brings tumulus and King Brings Bridge. In this article I will attempt to demonstrate that he left behind much more than that; King Brings Nes - a 245 acre agriculture headlands that we today call Bringsjord-Nes.

County Conservationist Frans-Arne Stylegar writes in The Book of Lyngdal - 2001: "In the middle of the field south of Highway E39 on Bringsjord Lyngdal is a mighty mound called King Brings mound. It is the large pile that it's taken a "chunk" of the north, and it is one of the finest and most monumental burial mounds in the entire South Coast of Norway".

John Storaker and Ole Fuglestvedt collected folk traditions of Vest-Agder in the 1800s. In the book "Folktales gathered in Lister and Mandal County", has the following to tell of royal Bring: "On the farm Bringsjord there once lived a king whose name Bring. On another farm; Opsal, also lived a King. These two kings were always in conflict with each other. Fortresses were built, one at Aa-Farm and another at "Fantekleiva" on Bringsjord. Tags for these fortresses seen yet. "

From the context, it may seem as if the battle between the two "kings" really was a struggle for power in Lyngdal. Bring ruled on the west side of the river Lygna and built a fortress on Fantekleiva. The fortress shall tradition have lain on the hillside in the northeastern corner of Kattenes. See satellite photo 2.

"Opsal King" ruled on the east side of the river and built a fortress on the Aa-farm. We must therefore assume that the chief here called "Opsal King" was far more than a "mountain king" from the upper end of Opte-river. Probably his power bastion was the big, old Aa-farm with their mighty burial mounds from Merovingian- and Viking time.

Storaker and Fuglestvedt continue thus: "Finally there came to a battel under the fortress of Fantekleiva, and there fell the king of Opsal. Of famous men in King Brings army mentioned Vidrik Verlandsson. He had horse grazing on «Vidringsholmen" located on the south side of Lyngdal river middle against Aa-farm".

The fabled giant Vidrik Verlandsson, is in the folk tradition one of the heroes of the historic Goths king Theodoric the Great (454-526). According to Edda was Vidrik son of the blacksmith Volund and princess Bodvild.

King Brings burial mound on Bringsjord. Highway E 39 in the foreground. Photo: Finn Bringsjord

In the work "Norges Land and people; Description of Lister and Mandal County" (1903), written by the versatile geologist and cultural geographer, Amund Helland, concludes the following about Bringsjord: "On the farms ground are many significant burial mounds." He emphasizes this later by adding that in Lyngdal parish is the "giant mounds" by Aa-farm and the Bringsjord.

And Helland continues: "Bringsjord is a substantial farm ... that in several areas makes it special. It should by tradition in the past have been the residence of a king Bring and are yet the largest agricultural area in Lister bailiff. A large part of the farm's fields located on the so-called Bringsjordnes, formed by Lygna- and Møska rivers, are by a dam wall or a bridge of stones, gravel and soil, called "King Brings bridge ', combined with the farm. To the farm belongs salmon fishing in Lygna and Møska. "

Bringsjord and Bank. "Gammelt elveleie": Old riverbed. Satellite image 1

Helland's description of the great flood devastation in September 1864, is in many ways a straightforward description of the topography around "King Brings Bridge"; the big dam of stones and gravel which today is called the "Bank":

"Bringsjordnes is on three sides surrounded by the river Lygna and fourth, northwestern side of river Møska coming from Kvinesheia. Only the northern end of the headland is connected with the main farm by a 250 to 300 feet wide ground “bank”. There has been an old - now dry - riverbed as about 120 yards beneath, united with Møska, which for immemorial time is closed up by the so-called "King Brings bridge". Over this led roadway that connected Bringsjord with Bringsjord-Nes".

And Helland continues: "By the floods in 1864 went the water level to 2 feet over this “bridge” and destroyed it almost completely. Only part of both bridgeheads stood back. Thereby a large part of Lygnas floodwater run through the old riverbed down to Møska and garnished great harm. The old riverbed was transformed into Lygnas main run".

Sigurd Eikeland wrote in the book "Lyngdal- from Ice Age to the Present" on page 127: "At its narrowest and lowest point between Lygna and Møska - the bank - have Lygna later least twice broken through and united with Møska - with tremendous power and major damage to both Bringsjord and Møskeland »...

"A large part of the bank, 16 fathoms (33 yards), was washed away in 1699. It was in former times laid up laboriously by farm people. Where bank had stood there was now 2½ fathom (5 yards) of water and strong currents. Unless the Bank was rebuilt immediately, would also the remainder disappear” and he adds:" They probably started reconstruction immediately. "

Eikeland mentions that he has information from "farm history" but also writes that the information contained in the "Lists sponsor exercise books Tingbok no. 24, pp. 439, 26. sept. 1699. It is only partly right when the news that 16 fathoms of bank was washed away, and the water depth at which the Bank was now was 2½ Fathom is from 3 May 1700 and are Tingbok 25.

Eikeland refers to "farm history", and I suppose he thought of: "Lyngdal II, Central part, Farm and people" of Oddleif Lian. 

It says on page 388: "The bank was washed away by a flood about 1680, or something before, and was not rebuilt until a few years out in the 1700s." One can put the coffee in the throat of reading such. Have Bringsjord-farmers for 20 years only had access to 245 acre agriculture headlands on Bringsjordnes with rowing boats? That this assertion hobbled will appear in the sequel: "In September 1699 did the inhabitants of Bringsjord get Thing witness the damage the floods had caused the same year. Again had Lygna grown so large that it had broken into the Møska and separated part of Bringsjord-nes. "

It is here evident that Lian lacking local knowledge; for ... as long Lygna not switch over to Møska, is necessarily bank on place. Where Lian has obtained the information that "the bank was washed away by a flood about 1680, or something before", is still unclear for me.

County Conservationist Stylegar renders Eikeland presentation with broad pen in The Book of Lyngdal – 2001 and adds: "The bank is probably what other sources called King Brings Bridge. It must have been quite a bit of a building, and we know that it was perceived as old all in 1699. No wonder that such relics attracted legends about kings and heroes! "

Lyngdals topography in Merovingian time

Let the mind go back to the Merovingian time (550-800 AD), and take a look at Lyngdals topography in the time before the "King Brings Bridge" was built; when Lygna freely flowed through "Old riverbed" down to Møska. I can then see for me two past images:

One is that Lygna splits in two. The rivers main run must then, as in 1864, having gone through "Old riverbed" into Møska. But a smaller run may have accompanied the current riverbed southeast toward Oftebro where it united with Opteåna. Together they then followed the current riverbed past Bergsaker and Grøndokka to Faret.

Then todays Bringsjordnes must have been an island, surrounded by large and small rivers on all sides. Since Lygnas main run has gone shortcut through "Old riverbed" into Møska, the island has been at least available from Møskeland and secondly from Bringsjord. Most readily available should the island have been from Aa-farm.

The second picture is that the entire flow in Lygna took the shortcut through "Old riverbed". Then today's Priests Farm (Aa-farm) and Bringsjordnes remained as a coherent headlands from rectory property to hang bridge at Grøndokka; one topography we might call "The Great Aa-farm headland"; a peninsula on three sides surrounded by Lygna / Møska and Opteåna.

I think most of the last image. But also by alternative one there is very little to suggest that "Nes-island" belonged to the Bringsjord farm. The access was much easier from the mighty Aa-farm. It could also - if necessary - to force the entire water flow in Lygna down through “Old riverbed” by throwing up a small gravel embankment.

We begin to suspect that King Bring hardly was made immortal simply because he won a battle against Opsal King on Fantekleiva, or because he build a "bridge" (infrastructure) over to his own "Headland Isle". No, when he recalls up through the generations, it is because he stood for Bringsjords largest and most important conquest of new farmland - a 245 acre agriculture farmlands.

The municipality stated that Bringsjord-Nes, drawn with red outline, is approximately 990 hectares = 245 acre. "Old riverbed", from the bank into Møska, is drawn green. "New riverbed", from the Bank to Opteåna, is drawn yellow. Orange arrow is pointing at the southern tip of Bringsjord. (Municipal map).

King Bring

Who was this King Bring? According to county conservator Stylegar he will be buried 'one of the finest and most monumental burial mounds in the entire South Coast”. It lay along with 16 other grave mounds at a place called Hauan just south of the E 39 in the east end of Bringsjord. The burial mound is probably from the Merovingian time. 

There should be found a double-edged sword and a single-edged "rider sword" in the grave. Two swords in a burial mound are very unusual. The single-edged "battle sword" shows that the buried had high military rank; commander on “horseback”. (Cfr. The findings of Illerup, Denmark).

In addition, it should be found ships rivets in the grave. One view is that the findings of par of sword and ship rivets in a tomb from this period can be interpreted as a sign that the buried was the highest officer (commander) of a group of "20 thwarts” rowing ships. 

This clinker-built boat type was in Merovingian rowed by 40 highly trained marines; two on each thwart. On Vollen, a place located on the ridge toward the Møska from Foleskei up to Kvernhus-falls, it is proven 8 mounds. Most are amateurish excavated and destroyed, and several could have held some rusty ship rivets without this has been emphasized. 

Probably Kvernhus-pool is the place where King Brings' "20 thwarts” was laid, and it also implies that the marines were placed in boat-shaped longhouses on the ridge toward Møska and that these 8 mounds probably have been the graves of high ranking military commandants.

The "20 thwarts” was in Merovingian a rowing ship. Only at the end of the 700s were mast and square sail adopted. Till then joined the Norwegians the ancient route along the coast to Gothenburg from there to cross the Kattegat through Læsø to Limfjorden in Jutland. Having rowed Limfjorden, they came out in the North Sea just north of the Wadden Sea, and coastal and river cities of Europe lay open before them. 

The Nordic boats drifted in summer primarily trade between the so-called "vic-towns" around the North Sea. (Qentovic share in France, Vijk bij Duurestede (Dorestad) in the Netherlands, Lundenwic (London) and Eoforwic (Jorvik / York) in England et al.).

Main exports from South Western Norway (Agder and Jæren), must at this time have been wool and woolen products. It was only on this coastal strip called "uteganger sau" (outdoor sheep) could manage to spend the winter on the coast and then pulled up to highland in early summer on its own feet. This gave opportunities for large-scale sheep farming, and thereby competitive advantage on wool markets in Europe. 

We must assume that King Bring have gone in alliance with the boss at Huseby on Lista on winter pastures, and with the chief in Eiken about summer pastures. So have the common herd grazing on Brings heathlands when they pulled up and down; spring and fall. How are we allowed to believe that cooperation in Lister County are of proper old date.

A common feature of most vic towns is that they lay near the salt mines, and then there is also close to ask; what would the guys from Southwestern part of Norway with larger amounts of salt? For that flock of sheep should not grow beyond winter pastures capacity and tolerance limit, had virtually all male lambs and unproductive older ewes, slaughtered in late autumn, and to preserve this' heap of meat through the winter and spring months, so soldiers in longhouses lived well-fed through dark time, was curing and salting of mutton a necessity.

Naturally we have not so many physical traces of this gigantic wool production in Merovingian. “Utegangersau” leaves few permanent marks behind. But surveys of pollen from this period show that deciduous forest disappeared and heathlands emerged from coast to mountain from Agder to Boknafjorden. It's just huge herds of grazers which for centuries to preserve the heathlands intact. When grazing stops, comes back woods.

Natural conditions must have left its precise boundaries, not only between the large sheep drives but also between power areas. Feeding grounds Lista / Bringsjord / Eiken, have probably been limited to the east of Lyngdalsfjord / Lygna, and west of Fedafjord / Kvina. Hegemony has certainly changed between Bringsjord and Lista, through the centuries, but I like to think that on Bring's time he was boss of bosses.

It is found four other graves by ship rivets Lyngdal; three Aa farm and one in Inner Skomrak. It suggests that “Uppsala King” at Aa-farm had similar alliance with Hundingsland / Spangereid and perhaps with the chef on Snartemo. Their grazing must eastward gone as far as the river Audna. In such an image will Opsal have a strategic position where sheeps drift have to split in front of Lenesfjorden; where one part go to Spangereid and another part to Hundingsland.

The north Sea, fjords and rivers make bounds between sheep’s grazing areas, and between power structures in the Southwestern part of Norway.

Oddleif Lian does in «Farm History" accounted for a total of 27 burial mounds at Bringsjord. In relation to the 10 mounts which are registered in Aa-farm, this tells something about Bringsjords greatness over the centuries. On site Hauan in eastern end of Bringsjord-plain, on the brink between Lygna and E 39, is 13 burial mounds and the remains of 3 mounds removed. If 16 generations of the farm's owners are buried here, it is a historic "rule of thumb" to indicate that the burial may have stretched over a period of around 500 years.

The most barrows lay on my great-grandfather, Abraham Ole-Jacobisen´s (1826-1890) ground. Son Emanuel Abrahamsen, who bought half the family farm and moved to Norbakken, opened one of the mounds in the middle of the 1880s. (See Book of Lyngdal -1993 page 40).

He wrote about the discovery to "University Museum of National Antiquities" in December 1885: "I discovered on my property a strange bunch." He began to dig in the mound and "after much work", he came to a square, walled grave where he found an one-egged sword, a Celt of iron (an ax which is hollow in the head and therefore the hilt at an angle bent shaft), whetstone, whorls and needle.

And he continues: "The tomb waiting in the east - west. Weapon likewise. Weapon grips to the east. "

The information that the dead were buried with their heads facing east, indicate - in my view - that Emanuel had opened a Christian burial of late Merovingian or early Viking. (County Conservator Stylegar proved in 2001 a woman's grave under the church in Liknes. The coffin was carbon dated to the early 600s. From the coffin location in east-west direction, he meant to determine that it was a Christian woman's grave).

Towards the end of the letter comes Emanuel with a mind of his time: "I have a little thought - if it could not be the weapon after King Bring - for here should not before have been found weapons." When one of the "pillars of society", my father's uncle and married with my mother’s "Aunt Malla", could write such a thing to the University Museum of National Antiquities in 1885, reveals a deeply rooted belief that King Bring once lived on Bringsjord.

It was hardly the kings grave, when discovery is likely to be done in a less central pile on the fields to Norbakken, maybe a few hundred yards east of the dominant mount called King Brings Mount. But that there were a Christian chief on Bringsjord, 2-300 years before the battle of Stiklestad, is suitable for contemplation.

The name Bring

Whether it is king Bring that has given farm name Brings-Jord (farm-earth), or whether it is the farms name that has given its name to Royal Bring to discussion. In the work "Norwegian Farm Names" (NG) by Oluf Rygh, published in the years 1897 to 1924, is for Lister and Mandal County processed by Albert Kjær (1912). Kjær lean rather to the last. He guesses that the name may come from the word "brim": and then not in the usual sense of the word; the sound of 'Sea surf on Shore, "but in the odd importance; "Smell of the ocean beach, tight smell of the sea." I do not have any faith that this guesswork is correct. There must be two to three thousand years ago one could sence the smell of the sea on Bringsjord. Kjær do not distinguish between Bringsjord and Bringsjordnes in its topographical explanation of the word "brim", which reveals fundamentally a lack of local knowledge.

Norwegian Farm Names (NG) in reality have a far more likely explanation for the name of the farm "Bringsjord" lying hidden in their database. When I summarizes the number of farm names in NG where the first term begins with Bring-, I'm going 23. Let us look at how the other name investigators in NG have interpreted these names.

A total of 17 farm names (74%), explained that Bring- reflect the word "chest"; breast. The name is used when "transmitted on a wide, curving protruding mountain." When three out of four Bring- farms etymologically reflect chest / breast requires strong arguments from scientists who believe that a place name origin deviates from this norm. Such arguments have not Kjær who guesses and presume. I think it will be difficult to find a more accurate description of Bringsjord mountain heath than the above description - where it between Homman and Kattva arches and propagates behind the protruding Vågefjell (=Bay's mountain. See satellite photos). 

It is noteworthy that Albert Kjær in NG, and Oddleif Lian in the "farm book," not discussing this obvious solution to name riddle.

We note however with interest that two Bring- farms researchers meant that the names reflect man's nickname "Bringr." This viewpoint leads us straight on to the most beloved explanation for the name Bringsjord.

Clear traces indicate that the Merovingian was "Bring" not used as personal names, but that epithet or function designation. The word "bring / bringe" can been used as the designation of a commander or king among the Germans. According to Falk & Torp: "Etymologically Ordbog" is "bringe" Norse for bull moose and etymologically related to brind / bredis who is Swedish / Baltic for stag; a Crown Deer. A "bringr" could in other words, denote one who was crowned.

Among old English crown jewels, found in the famous burial ground of Sutton Hoo, with 18 burial mounds from 500-600's, it is a costly scepter adorned with a stag. The famous helmet findings of Sutton Hoo and Vendel at Uppsala show that there have been close relations between the two locations.

Scepter from Sutton Hoo. Crown Deer was an old Germanic royal symbol.

King Brings Bridge

Let the mind go back through the centuries, and rave a littel bit about the time when King Bring ruled west of Lygna. One summer the king and folk hero Vidrike Verlandsson took a ride down to Bringsjord's southernmost border, who then went by the northern shore of the "Old riverbed." (See satellite image 1). 

Here on the river brink, on the place where it was kept race for young horses, and that was called "Foleskei", the King held his white stallion back and sat looking over to Aa- headland; the vast plains that Aa-farm used as pasture for livestock. The choleric "crown moose" was dark at heart over what he saw. Although he had to leave his own livestock on meager heather and grass pastures inward Bringsjord heath, and he envied "Aa-king" that juicy pasture land with all his heart.

World Habitual Vidrik, followed the gaze of the young king, and read his face like writing in sand. "The king can take Neset from Uppsala King if he will," said Vidrik, and let his eyes follow the traces of former ages meandering rivers in a landscape on the big Aa-headland.

"I have seen how several such landnám was settled in Tuscany and Provence." Now Brings interest was awakened, he raised eyebrow and Vidrik continued: "What if the king built a earth wall that blocks the riverbed here right before us? It will force the river to unearth a new riverbed across the Aa-headland, roughly in that direction! "- He raised his arm in the direction of Oftebro. "Such a earth wall would open the way for you to Neset, and forever shut Aa-yard out."

Kong Bring was a while sitting speechless. Why had he not thought of this himself? And why had not these thoughts come to the old chiefs who now lay in mounds of fathers? Eventually he said: "Good friend! Your wisdom surpasses both my - and my father’s wisdom. I was sorry for the wretched horse pastures I had to offer you and your party when you came to feast on my father's farm. But as you have seen, almost all Bringsjord is a large barley field. "Well honey-mead be brewed and enjoyed among kinsmen," said my old father. But I can promise you, my friend, when we have completed this settlement; Then shalt thou and thy seed forever be entitled to own horse pasture on my Nes.

The young king stood before two major challenges before the Nes was his; river Lygna and the king of Uppsala/Aa-farm. Let's look at the biggest challenge at first; river Lygna. Or rather, let's delve into and look at soil conditions around Lygnas riverbed.

Disregarding some pavement in the riverside as Water Resources Authority had conducted approximately 20 years ago; there is no stone of any size Lyngdal Plain. The Flatland was formed in ancient sea floor and consists of a 10 to 25 yards thick layer of gravel and sand. Here and there it may be many tens of yards deeper, something only seismic measurements can reveal.

But the upper reaches of gravel layers in Lyngdal sea pool has been formed after the last ice age. The reason I say that is that there are no visible “move rocks" on the plain. The huge stone blocks were transported forward by the glaciers, and dumped when melting withdrew. The blocks are numerous, in the surrounding hills, and even on islands out at sea at Korshamn. But the small and large rocks that once were dumped in Lyngdal Basin, we see nothing to - even where the river has dug 12 yards into the gravel layers. The blocks are there, but hidden under layers of sand and gravel. First, the day we uncover a boulder, which not rests on a protruding ridge, but on gravel, we can calculate the thickness of the layers that were formed after the last ice age.

Whence came it so, this amount of sand and gravel that postglacial filled up Lyngdal pool? Like mentioned; fulfillment of inlet basin must been made to the glacier for the last time withdrew. Then large bulk amount of sand and gravel that lay frozen in the glacier - and material from previous moraines in the valleys – have been washed out from nook and cranny and led with cascading glacial rivers into the fjord basin between Vågefjell on Bringsjord and "islands" in Hamran.

When so the oppressive weight of the glacier disappeared, the land has risen. Soon stuck gravel surface up above sea level and formed the dry land. This rise has continued to the present time. (Bringsjord- and Roms Letta is eg. 13 to 14 yards above current sea level). Simultaneously with the dry land appeared, began rivers Lygna, Møska and Opteåna excavate shallow riverbeds in the flat polder gravel landscape.

Rivers on sandy soils behave in a certain pattern. In technical terms, it is said that they form "meander rivers." A meander river digs first into the sand until it meets groundwater, and on Lyngdal Plain this falls mostly with sea level. Then there's nothing more to achieve by digging downward, and the river begins instead to dig out swings in the riverbed. "The reason why rivers often change rent in a flat landscape," writes Arne Heiseldal in Book of Lyngdal 1990, "is that it digs (erodes) the outside of corner, adding up material in the inner bend." And he highlighted the river bend just above the Bank as an example of this phenomenon. See satellite 1.

To have rivers dug and wriggled over most of Lyngdal flatland and transported sand out to Rosfjord and Kvavik and filled up the innermost fjord arms there. Since the landscape for millennia has risen - and correspondingly, sea level / ground water subsided - the landscape left behind on different plateaus. Where rivers have dug, we find the highest plateaus in places where they dug for 8-9 thousand years ago. In ancient Lyngdal Flatland are only the Plateaus on Rom and Bringsjord still virgin untouched by rivers excavations.

But how long does it last? Lygna graves still ridge toward Bringsjord from Navershølen to Bankhølen and are not the digging stopped, the river in the few thousand years have dug until Vågefjell. (Høl: a fish pool).

Here we see the Bank from north, from Bringsjord. Here goes one overgrown rode down to Bankhølen so that horses can get enough to drink. Photo: Find Bringsjord.

The bank, as we look to the right in the picture, forcing the river to swing down towards Oftebro be glimpsed in the background. Photo: Find Bringsjord.

One thing is certain, and so has the breakdown of the Bank in 1699 and 1864 demonstrated, it's no use trying to build an embankment of gravel and sand while the river flows over the filling. Then the waters continuously move the gravel downward toward Møska. Heavier "patron" required - and such does not exist in Lyngdal flatland. The nearest access to quantities of stone large enough to not be moved by a lazy summer river, existed in Homman, on the east side of Skolandsvannet. (See satellite image 2).

Let us return to Bring and Vidrik and major visions they shared a summer night on Foleskei. King and legend slipped down the high brink of the river and began to aim and measure at the lowest point Aa-headland. After a while they were able to conclude such; a dam wall that towered 10 feet from the riverbed, will be high enough that bent river water begin to ran toward Oftebro. Lygnas digging in the new river bed - through peat and gravel - will slowly but surely lowering the water level in front of the dam wall, and Brings people can then leisurely fill up a mound of gravel and sand so wide and tall and big and strong that it will stand against what might come of what in 1699 termed "excess Wather."

The danger was obvious that Uppsala King would come from Aa-farm with his men and raze dam while work was in progress. It was therefore important for the feisty "crown moose" to cool down. "Sooner or later, Aa-king understands what is going on," said Vidrike, "no later than when the river flows straight across Aa-headland against Oftebro. But it's important that he gets as little time as possible to collect army." Bring famously agreed to this and they decided that for the time being they would keep the project secret.

The autumn spoke King Bring to his soldiers, young rowers with bulging arm muscles and said that he would erect a fort on Foleskei and that they this winter would drive up the stone and some lumber to this edifice. And so it was. Half a dozen ox sleds went shuttled on ice from scree in Homman to brink against Nes with large guard stones. And other crews drove a horse-drawn sleigh large pine logs to the brink of Foleskei.

Out in early summer next year, when most of Aa-king marines had staffed his "20-thwarts” and set course towards cities like Qentovic and Lundenwic, gathered Bring his men and informed them that the trade trip to the North Sea towns this summer was canceled for one of his "20 thwarts”: " the reason is that we should build a dam wall across river Lygna to the Aa headland at Foleskei. It is something we must do in the summer when there is little water in the river. " He noted that the elderly, veterans, nodded understandingly, before he continued: "There is one more thing I must entrust you; the stones you drove up in winter, should not be used for the construction of a fort, as it has been said, but the construction of the dam wall – to build a "bridge" over to headland. "

We do not know how Vidrik and Bring built the first earth-bridge (=Bank) across the headland. For the Bank has at least twice since been torn down by the great flood, and rebuilt. What we can be sure of is that the first Bank was built unilaterally out of a bridgehead on Bringsjord side, as it was only from that side entrepreneurs had access to manpower and materiel.

A section through the current Bank shows that it is distinctly trapezoidal. In relation to the growling road at the top, the dam two to three times as wide in the base. (See photo). This is to some extent Water Resources Authoritys stone laying at Bank slope ca. 20 years ago. Today's damwall, from 1865, is also markedly curved towards the river and water. Both are fully in line with modern constructing. From my boyhood I remember that there was stone in the base of the Bank. There were stones brought in from rockery. The stone was not soldered up in a wall or in a stone fence, but carried more signs of being dumped; as in a rock-fill. Then they filled in with coarse gravel, which despite the current, have settled between the big rocks. To have a 10 feet high and 300 feet wide layers of stone, gravel, peat and sand grown as a "breakwater" beyond the river from the bridgehead on Bringsjord page. Of filler at least 95% must be taken straight from Foleskei.

Summer days with little water flow in the river, this has gone well, until there remained a few three-yard open rivers between the pier and Aa-headland. Water flows through the narrow opening must have been so vehement that the river began to dig into the river brink of Nes. Then it began to rush for King Bring. A new bridgehead at Aa-headland had to be ensured - and the Bank has to be completed - before new rains flooded down. Pine logs were run up on the breakwater to be raised at the end and flipped over to the river brink of headland. Then the alarm went off.

Battle of Fantekleiva

A guard who was stationed in Hauan, came galloping and told the king that an army is gathered in the yard to the State farm. The young king ascended on his prancing white stallion and waved battle sword high above his head, and soldiers dropped everything they had in their hands and gathered around him.

So spoke Bring: "Uppsala King has collected army at Aa farm, ready for battle. The match will now stand on the right to pasture on Aa-headland. If we win today, we will in the coming days to close this riverbed and force Lygna to take another run across the Aa-headland to Oftebro. Then the river will cut the headland in two parts, and the biggest part is our "! He theatrical swung his battle sword of a rushing cut in direction Oftebro. Then he calmed himself and stallion down a few notches and continued: "Before the new moon is to be seen, outer part shall no longer be called Aa-headland, but Bringsjord-Nes. And so I promise: Next summer, every man letting his horses run free outside on Bringsjord-Nes while we together rudder to London and York. "

As soon as the excitement had subsided, gave King Bring order for the men to go to the longhouse and gearing up for war. Then they were to meet in front of the King's palace.

There were two fords Uppsala King could avail of to Bringsjord; "Kjørva" and "Kattva". Kjørva lay at the bottom of Døldegrova at mid Bringsjord. The name is probably a contraction of the word "kjørevad"; a vade whose normal water level can be crossed by horse and carriage. Døldegrov-road, which goes down to Kjørva discussed in replacement in 1850, but the road is probably many centuries older.

Homman marked with white arrows. Kattva and Fantekleiva are marked with red arrow. Døldegrova and Kjørva are marked with yellow arrow. (Satellite image 2)

Kattva lay deep in northeastern end of Lyngdal flatland, where Lygna meetings plains. On the east side of the river; is the Aa-farm located Skrumoen, and on Bringsjord riverside is Kattenes, and from there comes the name Kattva. (See Satellite image 2. The name Kattenes may be related to "Caithness" Viking Norse name for the northeastern part of Scotland, but it is uncertain).

As mentioned before wrote Storaker and Fuglestvedt in their account of King Bring: "Fortresses were built, one at Aa-farm and Fantekleiva on Bringsjord. Tags for these fortresses seen yet." And they continued thus: "Finally it came to a battle on Fantekleiva, and there fell king of Opsal."

Since "Fantekleiva" is located in the hillside just above Kattva, it is obvius that it was there Uppsala King with his army crossed Lygna. They must have received a warm welcome from King Brings highly trained soldiers up in the fortress; heavy javelin with barbs tickled through shields of the attackers and did shields impossible to handle. 

Accordingly, they stood almost without protection against arrow rain that followed. And worse was to go.

Storaker and Fuglestvedt writes that «traces after these fortresses seen yet." I think it is somewhat exaggerated. At least it's not weird marks a castle in Fantekleiva. But down at the roadway in the bottom of the Slope is a large pebble in trench edge. It was this stone so-called "Fantekleiv grind" was attached. (The gate was called so in the shift of 1862). Along the road are also larger and smaller stones laid up in a fence, which may indicate that the fortress has been a window dressing, a "mock castle" which was turned into a deadly rockslide when the enemy attacks on a broad front.

How Uppsala King was killed does not the legend say anything about. But on Bringsjord it was told that Vidrike Verlandsson killed him with his mighty battel sword a masterpiece forged by Volund blacksmith, Vidriks father. He should have cleft Uppsala King in half, as he contemptuously exclaimed, "the weakling own no bones at all." (See Book of Lyngdal - 2012 page 33).

But this has been rejected by one Opsahl man with access to Grimberg's historic works in 21 volumes. He points out that it was Vidriks lord and master; Theodoric the Great, who made this remark when he Ravenna cleaved Italian royal Odovacar in two with his battel sword. Yes, yes? We'll say the same as Peer Gynt said mother Åse: "Such things could happen more than once."

The large the settlement

Of which everything was; the young King Bring stood again triumphing in valence, and well before the new moon was the Kings Bridge to Bringsjord-Nes finished. When they had first built a makeshift footbridge of solid pine logs from the pier over to Bringsjord-Nes, and filled up the remaining riverbed with all they had left of stones from Homman. Then they sat down two solid gate poles as the top attached to the footbridge. Then sealed the well again on both sides of the portal, but left river water drop through the 3 yards wide door opening.

Finally came the D-Day and the closed gate with a "lock-limb" of logs covered in front with overlapping sheepskin. Then the "Old riverbed" went dry. Again got all man speeds up and riverbed behind the sluice gate was filled with gravel and sand right up to the "footbridge". Then could all wood be removed.

Meanwhile rose water in front of the dam, and tension rose in entrepreneurs. Was Vidriks primitive level to trust? Would Lygna soon overflow Banken down to Møska like before - or would the river "turn off" and flood across the Aa-headland to Opteåna? Fortunately for Bringsjord-people she chose the latter.

With great pump and circumstance, and with copious volumes of honey mixed mead, was 990 acre Bringsjord-Nes incorporated in King Brings old farm. It was a bitter pill to swallow for Aa-farm chiefs, and over the centuries has hostilities continued about fishing rights in Lygna, the border river between farms. 

For King Bring should also have credit that he had made two new salmon pool in Lygna. One dug currents and ice drift out front of the bridge he built; called Bank Hølen. The other dug river out in front of Oftebro hillside and called Node Hølen.

The dispute about salmon fishing in these pools lasted 400 years. First in 1956, was it settled with verdict in the Supreme Court of Norway. It gave farmers of Bringsjord entitled to all fishing in both pools, including exclusive rights to angling in the pools - from both riverbanks.

The picture was taken from Møskeland under a flood 6th Dec. 2015 Blue Arrow; Lygna. Red arrow; Bank. Green arrow; Møska. Yellow arrow; "Old riverbed." Photo: Anne Therese Benestvedt Bo

This story was printed in the newspaper "Lister" Saturday 19th March 2016