early kings of norway-第6部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


d　heard　of　one　Gudrun；　a　Bonder's　wife；　unparalleled　in　beauty；　who　was　called　in　those　parts；　〃Sunbeam　of　the　Grove〃　（so　inexpressibly　lovely）；　and　sent　off　a　couple　of　thralls　to　bring　her　to　him。　　〃Never；〃　answered　Gudrun；　〃never；〃　her　indignant　husband；　in　a　tone　dangerous　and　displeasing　to　these　Court　thralls；　who　had　to　leave　rapidly；　but　threatened　to　return　in　better　strength　before　long。　　Whereupon；　instantly；　the　indignant　Bonder　and　his　Sunbeam　of　the　Grove　sent　out　their　war…arrow；　rousing　all　the　country　into　angry　promptitude；　and　more　than　one　perhaps　into　greedy　hope　of　revenge　for　their　own　injuries。　The　rest　of　Hakon's　history　now　rushes　on　with　extreme　rapidity。

Sunbeam　of　the　Grove；　when　next　demanded　of　her　Bonder；　has　the　whole　neighborhood　assembled　in　arms　round　her；　rumor　of　Tryggveson　is　fast　making　it　the　whole　country。　　Hakon's　insolent　messengers　are　cut　in　pieces；　Hakon　finds　he　cannot　fly　under　cover　too　soon。　　With　a　single　slave　he　flies　that　same　night；but　whitherward？　　Can　think　of　no　safe　place；　except　to　some　old　mistress　of　his；　who　lives　retired　in　that　neighborhood；　and　has　some　pity　or　regard　for　the　wicked　old　Hakon。　　Old　mistress　does　receive　him；　pities　him；　will　do　all　she　can　to　protect　and　hide　him。　　But　how；　by　what　uttermost　stretch　of　female　artifice　hide　him　here；　every　one　will　search　here　first　of　all！　　Old　mistress；　by　the　slave's　help；　extemporizes　a　cellar　under　the　floor　of　her　pig…house；　sticks　Hakon　and　slave　into　that；　as　the　one　safe　seclusion　she　can　contrive。　　Hakon　and　slave；　begrunted　by　the　pigs　above　them；　tortured　by　the　devils　within　and　about　them；　passed　two　days　in　circumstances　more　and　more　horrible。　　For　they　heard；　through　their　light…slit　and　breathing…slit；　the　triumph　of　Tryggveson　proclaiming　itself　by　Tryggveson's　own　lips；　who　had　mounted　a　big　boulder　near　by　and　was　victoriously　speaking　to　the　people；　winding　up　with　a　promise　of　honors　and　rewards　to　whoever　should　bring　him　wicked　old　Hakon's　head。　　Wretched　Hakon；　justly　suspecting　his　slave；　tried　to　at　least　keep　himself　awake。　　Slave　did　keep　himself　awake　till　Hakon　dozed　or　slept；　then　swiftly　cut　off　Hakon's　head；　and　plunged　out　with　it　to　the　presence　of　Tryggveson。　　Tryggveson；　detesting　the　traitor；　useful　as　the　treachery　was；　cut　off　the　slave's　head　too；　had　it　hung　up　along　with　Hakon's　on　the　pinnacle　of　the　Lade　Gallows；　where　the　populace　pelted　both　heads　with　stones　and　many　curses；　especially　the　more　important　of　the　two。　　〃Hakon　the　Bad〃　ever　henceforth；　instead　of　Hakon　the　Rich。

This　was　the　end　of　Hakon　Jarl；　the　last　support　of　heathenry　in　Norway；　among　other　characteristics　he　had：　　a　stronghanded；　hard…headed；　very　relentless；　greedy　and　wicked　being。　　He　is　reckoned　to　have　ruled　in　Norway；　or　mainly　ruled；　either　in　the　struggling　or　triumphant　state；　for　about　thirty　years　（965…995？）。　　He　and　his　seemed　to　have　formed；　by　chance　rather　than　design；　the　chief　opposition　which　the　Haarfagr　posterity　throughout　its　whole　course　experienced　in　Norway。　　Such　the　cost　to　them　of　killing　good　Jarl　Sigurd；　in　Greyfell's　time！　　For　〃curses；　like　chickens；〃　do　sometimes　visibly　〃come　home　to　feed；〃　as　they　always；　either　visibly　or　else　invisibly；　are　punctually　sure　to　do。

Hakon　Jarl　is　considerably　connected　with　the　_Faroer　Saga_　often　mentioned　there；　and　comes　out　perfectly　in　character；　an　altogether　worldly…wise　man　of　the　roughest　type；　not　without　a　turn　for　practicality　of　kindness　to　those　who　would　really　be　of　use　to　him。　His　tendencies　to　magic　also　are　not　forgotten。

Hakon　left　two　sons；　Eric　and　Svein；　often　also　mentioned　in　this　Saga。　　On　their　father's　death　they　fled　to　Sweden；　to　Denmark；　and　were　busy　stirring　up　troubles　in　those　countries　against　Olaf　Tryggveson；　till　at　length；　by　a　favorable　combination；　under　their　auspices　chiefly；　they　got　his　brief　and　noble　reign　put　an　end　to。　Nay；　furthermore；　Jarl　Eric　left　sons；　especially　an　elder　son；　named　also　Eric；　who　proved　a　sore　affliction；　and　a　continual　stone　of　stumbling　to　a　new　generation　of　Haarfagrs；　and　so　continued　the　curse　of　Sigurd's　murder　upon　them。

Towards　the　end　of　this　Hakon's　reign　it　was　that　the　discovery　of　America　took　place　（985）。　　Actual　discovery；　it　appears；　by　Eric　the　Red；　an　Icelander；　concerning　which　there　has　been　abundant　investigation　and　discussion　in　our　time。　　_Ginnungagap_　（Roaring　Abyss）　is　thought　to　be　the　mouth　of　Behring's　Straits　in　Baffin's　Bay；　_Big　Helloland_；　the　coast　from　Cape　Walsingham　to　near　Newfoundland；　_Little　Helloland_；　Newfoundland　itself。　　_Markland_　was　Lower　Canada；　New　Brunswick；　and　Nova　Scotia。　　Southward　thence　to　Chesapeake　Bay　was　called　_Wine　Land_　（wild　grapes　still　grow　in　Rhode　Island；　and　more　luxuriantly　further　south）。　　_White　Man's　Land_；　called　also　_Great　Ireland_；　is　supposed　to　mean　the　two　Carolinas；　down　to　the　Southern　Cape　of　Florida。　　In　Dahlmann's　opinion；　the　Irish　themselves　might　even　pretend　to　have　probably　been　the　first　discoverers　of　America；　they　had　evidently　got　to　Iceland　itself　before　the　Norse　exiles　found　it　out。　　It　appears　to　be　certain　that；　from　the　end　of　the　tenth　century　to　the　early　part　of　the　fourteenth；　there　was　a　dim　knowledge　of　those　distant　shores　extant　in　the　Norse　mind；　and　even　some　straggling　series　of　visits　thither　by　roving　Norsemen；　though；　as　only　danger；　difficulty；　and　no　profit　resulted；　the　visits　ceased；　and　the　whole　matter　sank　into　oblivion；　and；　but　for　the　Icelandic　talent　of　writing　in　the　long　winter　nights；　would　never　have　been　heard　of　by　posterity　at　all。



CHAPTER　VII。

REIGN　OF　OLAF　TRYGGVESON。

Olaf　Tryggveson　（A。D。　995…1000）　also　makes　a　great　figure　in　the　_Faroer　Saga_；　and　recounts　there　his　early　troubles；　which　were　strange　and　many。　　He　is　still　reckoned　a　grand　hero　of　the　North；　though　his　_vates_　now　is　only　Snorro　Sturleson　of　Iceland。　Tryggveson　had　indeed　many　adventures　in　the　world。　　His　poor　mother；　Astrid；　was　obliged　to　fly；　on　murder　of　her　husband　by　Gunhild；to　fly　for　life；　three　months　before　he；　her　little　Olaf；　was　born。　　She　lay　concealed　in　reedy　islands；　fled　through　trackless　forests；　reached　her　father's　with　the　little　baby　in　her　arms；　and　lay　deep…hidden　there；　tended　only　by　her　father　himself；　Gunhild's　pursuit　being　so　incessant；　and　keen　as　with　sleuth…hounds。　　Poor　Astrid　had　to　fly　again；　deviously　to　Sweden；　to　Esthland　（Esthonia）；　to　Russia。　　In　Esthland　she　was　sold　as　a　slave；　quite　parted　from　her　boy；who　also　was　sold；　and　again　sold；　but　did　at　last　fall　in　with　a　kinsman　high　in　the　Russian　service；　did　from　him　find　redemption　and　help；　and　so　rose；　in　a　distinguished　manner；　to　manhood；　victorious　self…help；　and　recovery　of　his　kingdom　at　last。　　He　even　met　his　mother　again；　he　as　king　of　Norway；　she　as　one　wonderfully　lifted　out　of　darkness　into　new　life　and　happiness　still　in　store。

Grown　to　manhood；　Tryggveson；now　become　acquainted　with　his　birth；　and　with　his；　alas；　hopeless　claims；left　Russia　for　the　one　profession　open　to　him；　that　of　sea…robbery；　and　did　feats　without　number　in　that　questionable　line　in　many　seas　and　scenes；in　England　latterly；　and　most　conspicuously　of　all。　　In　one　of　his　courses　thither；　after　long　labors　in　the　Hebrides；　Man；　Wales；　and　down　the　western　shores　to　the　very　Land's　End　and　farther；　he　paused　at　the　Scilly　Islands　for　a　little　while。　　He　was　told　of　a　wonderful　Christian　hermit　living　strangely　in　these　sea…solitudes；　had　the　curiosity　to　seek　him　out；　examine；　question；　and　discourse　with　him；　and；　after　some　reflection；　accepted　Christian　baptism　from　the　venerable　man。　　In　Snorro　the　story　is　involved　in　miracle；　rumor；　and　fable；　but　the　fact　itself　seems　certain；　and　is　very　interesting；　the　great；　wild；　noble　soul　of　fierce　Olaf　opening　to　this　wonderful　gospel　of　tidings　from　beyond　the　world；　tidings　which　infinitely　transcended　all　else　he　had　ever　heard　or　dreamt　of！　　It　seems　certain　he　was　baptized　here；　date　not　fixable；　shortly　before　poor　heart…broken　Dunstan's　death；　or　shortly　after；　most　English　churches；　monasteries　especially；　lying　burnt；　under　continual　visitation　of　the　Danes。　　Olaf　such　baptism　notwithstanding；　did　not　quit　his　viking　profession；　indeed；　what　other　was　there　for　him　in　the　world　as　yet？

We　mentioned　his　occasional　copartneries　with　Svein　of　the　Double…beard；　now　become　King　of　Denmark；　but　the　greatest　of　these；　and　the　alone　interesting　at　this　time；　is　their　joint　invasion　of　England；　and　Tryggveson's　exploits　and　fortunes　there　some　years　after　that　adventure　of　baptism　in　the　Scilly　Isles。　　Svein　and　he　〃were　above　a　year　in　England　together；〃　this　time：　　they　steered　up　the　Thames　with　three　hundred　ships　and　many　fighters；　siege；　or　at　least　furious　assault；　of　London　was　their　first　or　main　enterprise；　but　it　did　not　succeed。　　The　Saxon　Chronicle　gives　date　to　it；　A。D。　994；　and　names　expressly；　as　Svein's　co…partner；　〃Olaus；　king　of　Norway；〃which　he　was　as　yet　far　from　being；　but　in　regard　to　the　Year　of　Grace　the　Saxon　Chronicle　is　to　be　held　indisputable；　and；　indeed；　has　the　field　to　itself　in　this　matter。　　Famed　Olaf　Tryggveson；　seen　visibly　at　the　siege　of　London；　year　994；　it　throws　a　kind　of　momentary　light　to　us　over　that　disastrous　whirlpool　of　miseries　and　confusions；　all　dark　and　painful　to　the　fancy　otherwise！　This　big　voyage　and　furious　siege　of　London　is　Svein　Double…beard's　first　real　attempt　to　fulfil　that　vow　of　his　at　Father　Blue…tooth's　〃funeral　ale；〃　and　conquer　England；which　it　is　a　pity　he　could　not　yet　do。　　Had　London　now　fallen　to　him；　it　is　pretty　evident　all　England　must　have　followed；　and　poor　England；　with　Svein　as　king　over　it；　been　delivered　from　immeasurable　woes；　which　had　to　last　some　two…and…twenty　years　farther；　before　this　result　could　be　arrived　at。　But　finding　London　impregnable　for　the　moment　（no　ship　able　to　get　athwart　the　bridge；　and　many　Danes　perishing　in　the　attempt　to　do　it　by　swimming）；　Svein　and　Olaf　turned　to　other　enterprises；　all　England　in　a　manner　lying　open　to　them；　turn　which　way　they　liked。　　They　burnt　and　plundered　over　Kent；　over　Hampshire；　Sussex；　they　stormed　far　and　wide；　world　lying　all　before　them　where　to　choose。　　Wretched　Ethelred；　as