Heimskringla, or the Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Part 10

"At Stord, so late a lonely sh.o.r.e, Was heard the battle's wild uproar; The lightning of the flas.h.i.+ng sword Burned fiercely at the sh.o.r.e of Stord.

From levelled halberd and spearhead Life-blood was dropping fast and red; And the keen arrows' biting sleet Upon the sh.o.r.e at Stord fast beat.

"Upon the thundering cloud of s.h.i.+eld Flashed bright the sword-storm o'er the field; And on the plate-mail rattled loud The arrow-shower's rus.h.i.+ng cloud, In Odin's tempest-weather, there Swift whistling through the angry air; And the spear-torrents swept away Ranks of brave men from light of day.

"With batter'd s.h.i.+eld, and blood-smear'd sword Slits one beside the sh.o.r.e of Stord, With armour crushed and gashed sits he, A grim and ghastly sight to see; And round about in sorrow stand The warriors of his gallant band: Because the king of Dags' old race In Odin's hall must fill a place.

"Then up spake Gondul, standing near Resting upon her long ash spear,-- 'Hakon! the G.o.ds' cause prospers well, And thou in Odin's halls shalt dwell!'

The king beside the sh.o.r.e of Stord The speech of the valkyrie heard, Who sat there on his coal-black steed, With s.h.i.+eld on arm and helm on head.

"Thoughtful, said Hakon, 'Tell me why Ruler of battles, victory Is so dealt out on Stord's red plain?

Have we not well deserved to gain?'

'And is it not as well dealt out?'

Said Gondul. 'Hearest thou not the shout?

The field is cleared--the foemen run-- The day is ours--the battle won!'

"Then Skogul said, 'My coal-black steed, Home to the G.o.ds I now must speed, To their green home, to tell the tiding That Hakon's self is thither riding.'

To Hermod and to Brage then Said Odin, 'Here, the first of men, Brave Hakon comes, the Nors.e.m.e.n's king,-- Go forth, my welcome to him bring.'

"Fresh from the battle-field came in, Dripping with blood, the Nors.e.m.e.n'a king.

'Methinks,' said he, great Odin's will Is harsh, and bodes me further ill; Thy son from off the field to-day From victory to s.n.a.t.c.h away!'

But Odin said, 'Be thine the joy Valhal gives, my own brave boy!'

"And Brage said, 'Eight brothers here Welcome thee to Valhal's cheer, To drain the cup, or fights repeat Where Hakon Eirik's earls beat.'

Quoth the stout king, 'And shall my gear, Helm, sword, and mail-coat, axe and spear, Be still at hand! 'Tis good to hold Fast by our trusty friends of old.'

"Well was it seen that Hakon still Had saved the temples from all ill (1); For the whole council of the G.o.ds Welcomed the king to their abodes.

Happy the day when men are born Like Hakon, who all base things scorn.-- Win from the brave and honoured name, And die amidst an endless fame.

"Sooner shall Fenriswolf devour The race of man from sh.o.r.e to sh.o.r.e, Than such a grace to kingly crown As gallant Hakon want renown.

Life, land, friends, riches, all will fly, And we in slavery shall sigh.

But Hakon in the blessed abodes For ever lives with the bright G.o.ds."

ENDNOTES: (1) Hakon, although a Christian, appears to have favoured the old religion, and spared the temples of Odin, and therefore a place in Valhal is a.s.signed him.--L.

SAGA OF KING HARALD GRAFELD AND OF EARL HAKON SON OF SIGURD.

PRELIMINARY REMARKS

This saga might be called Gunhild's Saga, as she is the chief person in it. The reign of King Harald and Earl Hakon is more fully described in the next saga, that is, Olaf Trygvason's. Other literature on this epoch:

"Agrip" (chap. 8), "Historia Norvegia", (p. 12), "Thjodrek" (chap. 5), "Saxo" (pp. 479-482), "Egla" (chaps. 81, 82), "Floamanna" (chap.

12), "Fareyinga" (chaps. 2, 4, 10), "Halfred's Saga" (chap. 2), "Hord Grimkelsons Saga" (chaps. 13, 18), "Kormak" (chaps. 19-27), "Laxdaela"

(chaps. 19-21), "Njala" (chaps, 3-6).

The skalds of this saga are:--Glum Geirason, Kormak Agmundson, Eyvind Skaldaspiller, and Einar Helgason Skalaglam.

1. GOVERNMENT OF THE SONS OF EIRIK.

When King Hakon was killed, the sons of Eirik took the sovereignty of Norway. Harald, who was the oldest of the living brothers, was over them in dignity. Their mother Gunhild, who was called the King-mother, mixed herself much in the affairs of the country. There were many chiefs in the land at that time. There was Trygve Olafson in the Eastland, Gudrod Bjornson in Vestfold, Sigurd earl of Hlader in the Throndhjem land; but Gunhild's sons held the middle of the country the first winter. There went messages and amba.s.sadors between Gunhild's sons and Trygve and Gudrod, and all was settled upon the footing that they should hold from Gunhild's sons the same part of the country which they formerly had held under King Hakon. A man called Glum Geirason, who was King Harald's skald, and was a very brave man, made this song upon King Hakon's death:--

"Gamle is avenged by Harald!

Great is thy deed, thou champion bold!

The rumour of it came to me In distant lands beyond the sea, How Harald gave King Hakon's blood To Odin's ravens for their food."

This song was much favoured. When Eyvind Finson heard of it he composed the song which was given before, viz.:--

"Our dauntless king with Gamle's gore Sprinkled his bright sword o'er and o'er," &c.

This song also was much favoured, and was spread widely abroad; and when King Harald came to hear of it, he laid a charge against Evyind affecting his life; but friends made up the quarrel, on the condition that Eyvind should in future be Harald's skald, as he had formerly been King Hakon's. There was also some relations.h.i.+p between them, as Gunhild, Eyvind's mother, was a daughter of Earl Halfdan, and her mother was Ingibjorg, a daughter of Harald Harf.a.ger. Thereafter Eyvind made a song about King Harald:--

"Guardian of Norway, well we know Thy heart failed not when from the bow The piercing arrow-hail sharp rang On s.h.i.+eld and breast-plate, and the clang Of sword resounded in the press Of battle, like the splitting ice; For Harald, wild wolf of the wood, Must drink his fill of foeman's blood."

Gunhild's sons resided mostly in the middle of the country, for they did not think it safe for them to dwell among the people of Throndhjem or of Viken, where King Hakon's best friends lived; and also in both places there were many powerful men. Proposals of agreement then pa.s.sed between Gunhild's sons and Earl Sigurd, or they got no scat from the Throndhjem country; and at last an agreement was concluded between the kings and the earl, and confirmed by oath. Earl Sigurd was to get the same power in the Throndhjem land which he had possessed under King Hakon, and on that they considered themselves at peace. All Gunhild's sons had the character of being penurious; and it was said they hid their money in the ground. Eyvind Skaldaspiller made a song about this:--

"Main-mast of battle! Harald bold!

In Hakon's days the skald wore gold Upon his falcon's seat; he wore Rolf Krake's seed, the yellow ore Sown by him as he fled away, The avenger Adils' speed to stay.

The gold crop grows upon the plain; But Frode's girls so gay (1) in vain Grind out the golden meal, while those Who rule o'er Norway's realm like foes, In mother earth's old bosom hide The wealth which Hakon far and wide Scattered with generous hand: the sun Shone in the days of that great one, On the gold band of Fulla's brow,(2) On gold-ringed hands that bend the bow, On the skald's hand; but of the ray Of bright gold, glancing like the spray Of sun-lit waves, no skald now sings-- Buried are golden chains and rings."

Now when King Harald heard this song, he sent a message to Eyvind to come to him, and when Eyvind came made a charge against him of being unfaithful. "And it ill becomes thee," said the king, "to be my enemy, as thou hast entered into my service." Eyvind then made these verses:--

"One lord I had before thee, Harald!

One dear-loved lord! Now am I old, And do not wish to change again,-- To that loved lord, through strife and pain, Faithful I stood; still true to Hakon,-- To my good king, and him alone.

But now I'm old and useless grown, My hands are empty, wealth is flown; I am but fir for a short s.p.a.ce In thy court-hall to fill a place."

But King Harald forced Eyvind to submit himself to his clemency. Eyvind had a great gold ring, which was called Molde, that had been dug up out of the earth long since. This ring the King said he must have as the mulet for the offence; and there was no help for it. Then Eyvind sang:--

"I go across the ocean-foam, Swift skating to my Iceland home Upon the ocean-skates, fast driven By gales by Thurse's witch fire given.

For from the falcon-bearing hand Harald has plucked the gold snake band My father wore--by lawless might Has taken what is mine by right."

Eyvind went home; but it is not told that he ever came near the king again.

ENDNOTES: (1) Menja and Fenja were strong girls of the giant race, whom Frode bought in Sweden to grind gold and good luck to him; and their meal means gold.--L.

(2) Fulla was one of Frig's attendants, who wore a gold band on the forehead, and the figure means gold,--that the sun shone on gold rings on the hands of the skalds in Hakon's days.--L.

2. CHRISTIANITY OF GUNHILD'S SONS.