The Childhood of King Erik Menved Part 75

Wada, who lived in Sealand, had a son called Velint, one of the most excellent smiths that ever lived. His father, hearing of the great skill of the smith Mimer, in Hunaland, sent him thither in his ninth year, where he learnt the trade at the same time with the celebrated Sigurd (Siegfried). Afterwards he prosecuted his study with the dwarfs in a mountain, and there attained the perfection of his art. His father was killed by the fall of a rock, occasioned by an earthquake, which his tremendous snoring produced. Velint proceeded to the court of Nidung, King of Waringia, living in Jutland, at whose court he was challenged by the smith Amilias to a trial of his skill. The latter fabricated a suit of armour. Velint, in seven days, forged the sword Mimung, with which, in the king's presence, he cut asunder a thread of wool, floating on the water. But finding the faulchion heavy and unwieldy, he sawed it in pieces, and, in a mixture of milk and meal, forged it in a red-hot fire for three days, and, at the end of thirteen, produced another sword, which cut through a whole ball of wool floating on the water. Still he was not satisfied with its excellence, but committed it again to the flames, and, after several weeks, having separated every particle of dross from the metal, fabricated a faulchion of such exquisite perfection, that it split in two a whole bundle of wool, floating on the water. The smith Amilias, trusting to the impenetrability of his breastplate and helmet, sat down upon a bench, and bade his rival strike at him with the sword. But Velint split him to the navel; and, when he complained that he felt as if cold iron had pa.s.sed through his entrails, Velint desired him to shake himself a little, upon which his body fell to the ground in two pieces.

BRUCE AND WYLD PRINTERS, 84, FARRINGDON STREET, LONDON.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 1: Erik, Abel, and Christopher I.]

[Footnote 2: "Thing" (p.r.o.nounced "Ting"), a court of justice: also, the name of the ancient Scandinavian parliaments, or a.s.semblies of the states of the realm, at which, generally, all the freemen of the nation had a right to attend. They were usually held in the open air. The "Danehof," or Dane-court, mentioned farther on, was a similar inst.i.tution, at which were present the king and his n.o.bles, the princ.i.p.al clergy, burghers, and peasants.--Tr.]

[Footnote 3: The "marsk" anciently filled an office similar to that of the modern marshal, or field-marshal.--Tr.]

[Footnote 4: A "drost" filled the office of prime-minister to the king.

He was often required, not only to take a leading part in the councils of his sovereign, but to conduct warlike operations in a campaign. A prince of the blood might also have his drost, who attended him in the capacity of aide-de-camp. The king's drost superseded the marsk, when present with the army.--Tr.]

[Footnote 5: "Et Sondagsbarn." A superst.i.tion exists in Sweden and Denmark, that a child should not be baptised on the same day it is born. Hence it is believed that a child born and baptised on a Sunday will not live long; or, should it happen to live, that trolds and witches can have no power over it. A Sunday's child may, it is said, be known by its clear skin and complexion.--Tr.]

[Footnote 6: A small Norwegian horse--a kind of pony.]

[Footnote 7: Ale brewed of the herb called sweet gale, or Dutch myrtle, instead of hops.--Tr.]

[Footnote 8: A proverbial expression, said of one who conceives and carries out an odd or whimsical idea.--Tr.]

[Footnote 9: A garter--a punning nickname generally given to Drost Peter.]

[Footnote 10: Such was the name given to the munic.i.p.al law promulgated by King Erik Glipping, in 1269, for the government of Ribe, or Rypen, in Denmark, It contains many judicious and some singular enactments, for the discovery and punishment of offenders against the peace and morals of the community. The penalties it attaches to some crimes might well give rise to coa.r.s.e remarks among the discontented n.o.bles.--Tr.]

[Footnote 11: "Nidding." A term of contempt, for which we have no equivalent in English. It expresses more than the word coward. In some parts of Scotland and of the north of England, a low, mean-spirited fellow is termed a "niddy," probably from this Scandinavian original.--Tr.]

[Footnote 12: In allusion to an acute and learned work of Master Martin's.]

[Footnote 13: Junker, p.r.o.nounced "Yungker." A name formerly given to the sons of the king of Denmark.]

[Footnote 14: A kind of heroic ballad, or metrical romance, similar to "Chevy Chase," or "Sir James the Rose," great numbers of which are still extant in Scandinavia.--Tr.]

[Footnote 15: Thus were called those celebrated sea-rovers and pirates, the Norwegian and Danish sea-kings;--the terror of the European nations, during the middle ages, for their daring exploits both by sea and land.--Tr.]

[Footnote 16: The name of a powerful Swedish family, from which Magnus himself was descended.]

[Footnote 17: Skiold is fabled to have been the first king of Denmark.]

[Footnote 18: The Berserks are celebrated in Scandinavian history and romance for their great strength, courage, and daring. They often fought naked (hence, probably, their appellation--"bare-s.h.i.+rts"); and stimulated their courage to a degree of phrensy or madness by the use of strong liquors, or by chewing some herb, in which state they would rush against naked swords, dash against rocks, and oppose themselves to any odds of antagonists. They were the bullies and bravos of their age, and in this capacity were often retained in the service of great men, proving at times, however, rather intractable followers, and not always to be relied upon.--Tr.]

[Footnote 19: Thorstenson here intends a pun; and Flynderborg has, for the nonce, to be converted into its English equivalent, "Flounder Castle,"--Tr.]

[Footnote 20: Helsingborg, a fortress on the Swedish coast, at this time belonged to the Danes.--Tr.]

[Footnote 21: There were three courts of judicature in Denmark. The "Herred-Ting" was a local court, held weekly, for civil and criminal causes. This court was held, or built, in an open field, outside the towns and villages, to be at a distance from taverns and ale-houses, and strong drink was strictly forbidden to be brought into court. From this court there was an appeal to the "Land-Ting"--a provincial court, held monthly, in the princ.i.p.al cities of the kingdom. The highest court of appeal was the "Retter-Ting," or royal court, where the king himself often presided. It was usually opened about the middle of March, by the king in person, attended by the various estates of the kingdom, and continued its sittings almost daily, until about Christmas. The decrees of the "Retter-Ting" were final. Each of these courts had its judges, secretaries, and a.s.sessors, for the trial of causes, and the administration of justice.--Tr.]

[Footnote 22: The snowdrop is, in Denmark, called "sommergiaek"--a summer "geek," or fool.]

[Footnote 23: "Jomfru," the t.i.tle of unmarried ladies in Denmark.--Tr.]

[Footnote 24: It is related in the "Heimskringla," that Harald Hardrada (the Stern), king of Norway, in one of his plundering expeditions to the coast of Jutland, heard that the daughters of Thorkill Geysu had, the previous winter, in mockery, cut their cheeses into the shape of anchors, and had boasted that with these anchors they might hold all the s.h.i.+ps of the Norwegian king. A spy, who had been sent from the fleet of King Harald, came to these women, saying, "Thorkill's daughters, ye said that King Harald dared not come to Denmark." Dotte, Thorkill's daughter, answered, "That was yesterday." The King of Norway, having secured them, carried them off to his s.h.i.+ps, and Thorkill had to ransom them with a large sum.--Tr.]

[Footnote 25: A diminutive, expressive of endearment. Ingelil--i. e., little Inge: somewhat similar to our own diminutives in "ie" and "y"--as, Annie, Jenny, &c.--Tr.]

[Footnote 26: Jarl--(p.r.o.nounced yarl)--an earl.--Tr.]

[Footnote 27: The Danish mile is rather more than four and a half English miles.--Tr.]

[Footnote 28: A kind of chevaux-de-frise.]

[Footnote 29: About fifty English miles.--Tr.]

[Footnote 30: Hamlet, in his feigned madness, made wooden hooks, and hardened them by holding them in the heat of a fire. On being asked what he meant to do with these books, he replied, "To revenge the death of my father!" which all, but the more discerning, regarded as a proof of his insanity. The well-informed reader need scarcely be reminded that the discussion of Drost Peter and Lady Inge on Hamlet, had reference to that version of his history told by Saxo Grammaticus, and not to the more popular and beautiful version given by Shakespeare in his immortal tragedy.--Tr.]

[Footnote 31: King Waldemar Seier (the Victorious) committed an injustice on Count Henry of Schwerin, which the latter resolved to revenge. He came to the court of Denmark, and contrived to gain the king's confidence. One day, when the king was resting in a lonely forest, after a day's hard hunting, Count Henry seized him and his eldest son, carried them on board a s.h.i.+p, and had them conveyed to the dungeons of the strong castle of Schwerin, on the Mecklenburg coast. It was only after the interference of the pope and other princes, and the payment of a large ransom, that Waldemar and his son regained their freedom.--Tr.]

[Footnote 32: According to popular superst.i.tion, the elfin ladies were fair to look upon, but hollow behind as a dough-trough, and were, in consequence, careful to prevent any one seeing their backs.--Tr.]

[Footnote 33: These services for the murdered King Erik commenced at three in the afternoon and were continued until six the following morning. Even after the Reformation, and down to 1633, they were continued under the name of a Vaadesang--a song for protection from surprise and a.s.sa.s.sination--when the then reigning king subst.i.tuted a morning service, more in accordance with the usages of the reformed Church.--Tr.]

[Footnote 34: Alfsdaughter. Danish and Norwegian surnames were, and we believe still are, formed in the following manner:--The male children take the name of the father or family, with the addition of "son;" the females the same name, with the addition of "daughter." Thus we have Alfson and Alfsdaughter, the children of Alf, Erikson and Eriksdaughter, the children of Erik.--Tr.]

[Footnote 35: Literally, "s.h.i.+eld-maids," or amazons. The sword Tirfing, like King Arthur's Excalibar, was one of wonderful properties. It could never be drawn, even in jest, without causing the death of some one.

The story of Hervor, and the manner in which she recovered the fatal weapon from her father's cairn, or barrow, though interesting, is too long for the subject of a note. I have therefore ventured to give it in the form of an appendix, at the end of the work.--Tr.]

[Footnote 36: The original of this ballad, which has little to boast of but its great antiquity, will be found in Syr's Kaempeviser, p.

151.--Tr.]

[Footnote 37: Eagle's-borg or castle.]

[Footnote 38: Perhaps from his favourite expression: "By all holy men!"

(h.e.l.lige maend.) Some, however, derive this surname from maendevid, or mandevid,(p.r.o.nounced 'menved,' and signifying man-wit,) with reference to the young king's manly intelligence and sagacity.]

[Footnote 39: In the year following, Sir Algotson was beheaded on the spot where the abduction took place. Thorstenson's intended bride subsequently became Abbess of Breta convent.]

[Footnote 40: In a storm at sea, he was, some time afterwards, by casting lots, condemned to death as a secret criminal. He then confessed his crimes before the crucifix, and leaped overboard. There is still extant a ballad, ent.i.tled "John Rimaardson's Confession."]

[Footnote 41: Skalds: the appellation anciently given to the bards or poets.]