early kings of norway-第3部分

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uld　become　Christians；　and　believe　in　one　God；　Christ　the　Son　of　Mary；　renouncing　entirely　blood　sacrifices　and　heathen　idols；　should　keep　every　seventh　day　holy；　abstain　from　labor　that　day；　and　even　from　food；　devoting　the　day　to　fasting　and　sacred　meditation。　　Whereupon；　by　way　of　universal　answer；　arose　a　confused　universal　murmur　of　entire　dissent。　　〃Take　away　from　us　our　old　belief；　and　also　our　time　for　labor！〃　murmured　they　in　angry　astonishment；　〃how　can　even　the　land　be　got　tilled　in　that　way？〃　　〃We　cannot　work　if　we　don't　get　food；〃　said　the　hand　laborers　and　slaves。　　〃It　lies　in　King　Hakon's　blood；〃　remarked　others；　〃his　father　and　all　his　kindred　were　apt　to　be　stingy　about　food；　though　liberal　enough　with　money。〃　　At　length；　one　Osbjorn　（or　Bear　of　the　Asen　or　Gods；　what　we　now　call　Osborne）；　one　Osbjorn　of　Medalhusin　Gulathal；　stept　forward；　and　said；　in　a　distinct　manner；　〃We　Bonders　（peasant　proprietors）thought；　King　Hakon；　when　thou　heldest　thy　first　Thing…day　here　in　Trondhjem；　and　we　took　thee　for　our　king；　and　received　our　hereditary　lands　from　thee　again　that　we　had　got　heaven　itself。　　But　now　we　know　not　how　it　is；　whether　we　have　won　freedom；　or　whether　thou　intendest　anew　to　make　us　slaves；　with　this　wonderful　proposal　that　we　should　renounce　our　faith；　which　our　fathers　before　us　have　held；　and　all　our　ancestors　as　well；　first　in　the　age　of　burial　by　burning；　and　now　in　that　of　earth　burial；　and　yet　these　departed　ones　were　much　our　superiors；　and　their　faith；　too；　has　brought　prosperity　to　us。　　Thee；　at　the　same　time；　we　have　loved　so　much　that　we　raised　thee　to　manage　all　the　laws　of　the　land；　and　speak　as　their　voice　to　us　all。　　And　even　now　it　is　our　will　and　the　vote　of　all　Bonders　to　keep　that　paction　which　thou　gavest　us　here　on　the　Thing　at　Froste；　and　to　maintain　thee　as　king　so　long　as　any　of　us　Bonders　who　are　here　upon　the　Thing　has　life　left；　provided　thou；　king；　wilt　go　fairly　to　work；　and　demand　of　us　only　such　things　as　are　not　impossible。　　But　if　thou　wilt　fix　upon　this　thing　with　so　great　obstinacy；　and　employ　force　and　power；　in　that　case；　we　Bonders　have　taken　the　resolution；　all　of　us；　to　fall　away　from　thee；　and　to　take　for　ourselves　another　head；　who　will　so　behave　that　we　may　enjoy　in　freedom　the　belief　which　is　agreeable　to　us。　　Now　shalt　thou；　king；　choose　one　of　these　two　courses　before　the　Thing　disperse。〃　〃Whereupon；〃　adds　the　Chronicle；　〃all　the　Bonders　raised　a　mighty　shout；　'Yes；　we　will　have　it　so；　as　has　been　said。'〃　So　that　Jarl　Sigurd　had　to　intervene；　and　King　Hakon　to　choose　for　the　moment　the　milder　branch　of　the　alternative。＇4＇　　At　other　Things　Hakon　was　more　or　less　successful。　　All　his　days；　by　such　methods　as　there　were；　he　kept　pressing　forward　with　this　great　enterprise；　and　on　the　whole　did　thoroughly　shake　asunder　the　old　edifice　of　heathendom；　and　fairly　introduce　some　foundation　for　the　new　and　better　rule　of　faith　and　life　among　his　people。　　Sigurd；　Jarl　of　Lade；　his　wise　counsellor　in　all　these　matters；　is　also　a　man　worthy　of　notice。

Hakon's　arrangements　against　the　continual　invasions　of　Eric's　sons；　with　Danish　Blue…tooth　backing　them；　were　manifold；　and　for　a　long　time　successful。　　He　appointed；　after　consultation　and　consent　in　the　various　Things；　so　many　war…ships；　fully　manned　and　ready；　to　be　furnished　instantly　on　the　King's　demand　by　each　province　or　fjord；　watch…fires；　on　fit　places；　from　hill　to　hill　all　along　the　coast；　were　to　be　carefully　set　up；　carefully　maintained　in　readiness；　and　kindled　on　any　alarm　of　war。　　By　such　methods　Blue…tooth　and　Co。's　invasions　were　for　a　long　while　triumphantly；　and　even　rapidly；　one　and　all　of　them；　beaten　back；　till　at　length　they　seemed　as　if　intending　to　cease　altogether；　and　leave　Hakon　alone　of　them。　　But　such　was　not　their　issue　after　all。　　The　sons　of　Eric　had　only　abated　under　constant　discouragement；　had　not　finally　left　off　from　what　seemed　their　one　great　feasibility　in　life。　　Gunhild；　their　mother；　was　still　with　them：　　a　most　contriving；　fierce…minded；　irreconcilable　woman；　diligent　and　urgent　on　them；　in　season　and　out　of　season；　and　as　for　King　Blue…tooth；　he　was　at　all　times　ready　to　help；　with　his　good…will　at　least。

That　of　the　alarm…fires　on　Hakon's　part　was　found　troublesome　by　his　people；　sometimes　it　was　even　hurtful　and　provoking　（lighting　your　alarm…fires　and　rousing　the　whole　coast　and　population；　when　it　was　nothing　but　some　paltry　viking　with　a　couple　of　ships）；　in　short；　the　alarm…signal　system　fell　into　disuse；　and　good　King　Hakon　himself；　in　the　first　place；　paid　the　penalty。　　It　is　counted；　by　the　latest　commentators；　to　have　been　about　A。D。　961；　sixteenth　or　seventeenth　year　of　Hakon's　pious；　valiant；　and　worthy　reign。　　Being　at　a　feast　one　day；　with　many　guests；　on　the　Island　of　Stord；　sudden　announcement　came　to　him　that　ships　from　the　south　were　approaching　in　quantity；　and　evidently　ships　of　war。　　This　was　the　biggest　of　all　the　Blue…tooth　foster…son　invasions；　and　it　was　fatal　to　Hakon　the　Good　that　night。　　Eyvind　the　Skaldaspillir　（annihilator　of　all　other　Skalds）；　in　his　famed　_Hakon's　Song_；　gives　account；　and；　still　more　pertinently；　the　always　practical　Snorro。　　Danes　in　great　multitude；　six　to　one；　as　people　afterwards　computed；　springing　swiftly　to　land；　and　ranking　themselves；　Hakon；　nevertheless；　at　once　deciding　not　to　take　to　his　ships　and　run；　but　to　fight　there；　one　to　six；　fighting；　accordingly；　in　his　most　splendid　manner；　and　at　last　gloriously　prevailing；　routing　and　scattering　back　to　their　ships　and　flight　homeward　these　six…to…one　Danes。　　〃During　the　struggle　of　the　fight；〃　says　Snorro；　〃he　was　very　conspicuous　among　other　men；　and　while　the　sun　shone；　his　bright　gilded　helmet　glanced；　and　thereby　many　weapons　were　directed　at　him。　　One　of　his　henchmen；　Eyvind　Finnson　（_i。e。_　Skaldaspillir；　the　poet）；　took　a　hat；　and　put　it　over　the　king's　helmet。　　Now；　among　the　hostile　first　leaders　were　two　uncles　of　the　Ericsons；　brothers　of　Gunhild；　great　champions　both；　Skreya；　the　elder　of　them；　on　the　disappearance　of　the　glittering　helmet；　shouted　boastfully；　'Does　the　king　of　the　Norsemen　hide　himself；　then；　or　has　he　fled？　　Where　now　is　the　golden　helmet？'　　And　so　saying；　Skreya；　and　his　brother　Alf　with　him；　pushed　on　like　fools　or　madmen。　　The　king　said；　'Come　on　in　that　way；　and　you　shall　find　the　king　of　the　Norsemen。'〃　　And　in　a　short　space　of　time　braggart　Skreya　did　come　up；　swinging　his　sword；　and　made　a　cut　at　the　king；　but　Thoralf　the　Strong；　an　Icelander；　who　fought　at　the　king's　side；　dashed　his　shield　so　hard　against　Skreya；　that　he　tottered　with　the　shock。　　On　the　same　instant　the　king　takes　his　sword　〃quernbiter〃　（able　to　cut　_querns_　or　millstones）　with　both　hands；　and　hews　Skreya　through　helm　and　head；　cleaving　him　down　to　the　shoulders。　　Thoralf　also　slew　Alf。　　That　was　what　they　got　by　such　over…hasty　search　for　the　king　of　the　Norsemen。＇5＇

Snorro　considers　the　fall　of　these　two　champion　uncles　as　the　crisis　of　the　fight；　the　Danish　force　being　much　disheartened　by　such　a　sight；　and　King　Hakon　now　pressing　on　so　hard　that　all　men　gave　way　before　him；　the　battle　on　the　Ericson　part　became　a　whirl　of　recoil；　and　in　a　few　minutes　more　a　torrent　of　mere　flight　and　haste　to　get　on　board　their　ships；　and　put　to　sea　again；　in　which　operation　many　of　them　were　drowned；　says　Snorro；　survivors　making　instant　sail　for　Denmark　in　that　sad　condition。

This　seems　to　have　been　King　Hakon's　finest　battle；　and　the　most　conspicuous　of　his　victories；　due　not　a　little　to　his　own　grand　qualities　shown　on　the　occasion。　　But；　alas！　it　was　his　last　also。　　He　was　still　zealously　directing　the　chase　of　that　mad　Danish　flight；　or　whirl　of　recoil　towards　their　ships；　when　an　arrow；　shot　Most　likely　at　a　venture；　hit　him　under　the　left　armpit；　and　this　proved　his　death。

He　was　helped　into　his　ship；　and　made　sail　for　Alrekstad；　where　his　chief　residence　in　those　parts　was；　but　had　to　stop　at　a　smaller　place　of　his　（which　had　been　his　mother's；　and　where　he　himself　was　born）a　place　called　Hella　（the　Flat　Rock）；　still　known　as　〃Hakon's　Hella；〃　faint　from　loss　of　blood；　and　crushed　down　as　he　had　never　before　felt。　　Having　no　son　and　only　one　daughter；　he　appointed　these　invasive　sons　of　Eric　to　be　sent　for；　and　if　he　died　to　become　king；　but　to　〃spare　his　friends　and　kindred。〃　　〃If　a　longer　life　be　granted　me；〃　he　said；　〃I　will　go　out　of　this　land　to　Christian　men；　and　do　penance　for　what　I　have　committed　against　God。　　But　if　I　die　in　the　country　of　the　heathen；　let　me　have　such　burial　as　you　yourselves　think　fittest。〃　　These　are　his　last　recorded　words。　　And　in　heathen　fashion　he　was　buried；　and　besung　by　Eyvind　and　the　Skalds；　though　himself　a　zealously　Christian　king。　　Hakon　the　_Good_；　so　one　still　finds　him　worthy　of　being　called。　　The　sorrow　on　Hakon's　death；　Snorro　tells　us；　was　so　great　and　universal；　〃that　he　was　lamented　both　by　friends　and　enemies；　and　they　said　that　never　again　would　Norway　see　such　a　king。〃



CHAPTER　IV。

HARALD　GREYFELL　AND　BROTHERS。

Eric's　sons；　four　or　five　of　them；　with　a　Harald　at　the　top；　now　at　once　got　Norway　in　hand；　all　of　it　but　Trondhjem；　as　king　and　under…kings；　and　made　a　severe　time　of　it　for　those　who　had　been；　or　seemed　to　be；　their　enemies。　　Excellent　Jarl　Sigurd；　always　so　useful　to　Hakon　and　his　country；　was　killed　by　them；　and　they　came　to　repent　that　before　very　long。　　The　slain　Sigurd　left　a　son；　Hakon；　as　Jarl；　who　became　famous　in　the　northern　world　by　and　by。　　This　Hakon；　and　him　only；　would　the　Trondhjemers　accept　as　sovereign。　　〃Death　to　him；　then；〃　said　the　sons　of　Eric；　but　only　in　secret；　till　they　had　got　their　hands　free　and　were　ready；　which　was　not　yet　for　some　years。　Nay；　Hakon；　when　actually　attacked；　made　good　resistance；　and　threatened　to　cause　trouble。　　Nor　did　he　by　any　means　get　his　death　from　these　sons　of　Eric　at　this　time；　or　till　long　afterwards　at　all；　from　one　of　their　kin；　as　it　chanced。　　On　the　contrary；　he　fled　to　Denmark　now；　and　by　and　by　managed　to　come　back；　to　their　cost。

Among　their　other　chief　victims　were　two　cousins　of　their　own；　Tryggve　and　Gudrod；　who　had　been　honest　under…kings　to　the　late　head…king；　Hakon　the　Good；　but　were　now　become　suspect；　and　had　to　fight　f