heimskringla-第1部分

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Heimskringla

The　Chronicle　of　the　Kings　of　Norway



by　Snorri　Sturlson





PREFACE　OF　SNORRE　STURLASON。

In　this　book　I　have　had　old　stories　written　down；　as　I　have　heard　them　told　by　intelligent　people；　concerning　chiefs　who　have　have　held　dominion　in　the　northern　countries；　and　who　spoke　the　Danish　tongue；　and　also　concerning　some　of　their　family　branches；　according　to　what　has　been　told　me。　　Some　of　this　is　found　in　ancient　family　registers；　in　which　the　pedigrees　of　kings　and　other　personages　of　high　birth　are　reckoned　up；　and　part　is　written　down　after　old　songs　and　ballads　which　our　forefathers　had　for　their　amusement。　　Now；　although　we　cannot　just　say　what　truth　there　may　be　in　these；　yet　we　have　the　certainty　that　old　and　wise　men　held　them　to　be　true。

Thjodolf　of　Hvin　was　the　skald　of　Harald　Harfager；　and　he　composed　a　poem　for　King　Rognvald　the　Mountain…high；　which　is　called　〃Ynglingatal。〃　　This　Rognvald　was　a　son　of　Olaf　Geirstadalf；　the　brother　of　King　Halfdan　the　Black。　　In　this　poem　thirty　of　his　forefathers　are　reckoned　up；　and　the　death　and　burial…place　of　each　are　given。　　He　begins　with　Fjolner；　a　son　of　Yngvefrey；　whom　the　Swedes；　long　after　his　time；　worshipped　and　sacrificed　to；　and　from　whom　the　race　or　family　of　the　Ynglings　take　their　name。

Eyvind　Skaldaspiller　also　reckoned　up　the　ancestors　of　Earl　Hakon　the　Great　in　a　poem　called　〃Haleygjatal〃；　composed　about　Hakon；　and　therein　he　mentions　Saeming；　a　son　of　Yngvefrey；　and　he　likewise　tells　of　the　death　and　funeral　rites　of　each。　　The　lives　and　times　of　the　Yngling　race　were　written　from　Thjodolf's　relation　enlarged　afterwards　by　the　accounts　of　intelligent　people。

As　to　funeral　rites；　the　earliest　age　is　called　the　Age　of　Burning；　because　all　the　dead　were　consumed　by　fire；　and　over　their　ashes　were　raised　standing　stones。　　But　after　Frey　was　buried　under　a　cairn　at　Upsala；　many　chiefs　raised　cairns；　as　commonly　as　stones；　to　the　memory　of　their　relatives。

The　Age　of　Cairns　began　properly　in　Denmark　after　Dan　Milkillate　had　raised　for　himself　a　burial　cairn；　and　ordered　that　he　should　be　buried　in　it　on　his　death；　with　his　royal　ornaments　and　armour；　his　horse　and　saddle…furniture；　and　other　valuable　goods；　and　many　of　his　descendants　followed　his　example。　　But　the　burning　of　the　dead　continued；　long　after　that　time；　to　be　the　custom　of　the　Swedes　and　Northmen。　　Iceland　was　occupied　in　the　time　that　Harald　Harfager　was　the　King　of　Norway。　　There　were　skalds　in　Harald's　court　whose　poems　the　people　know　by　heart　even　at　the　present　day；　together　with　all　the　songs　about　the　kings　who　have　ruled　in　Norway　since　his　time；　and　we　rest　the　foundations　of　our　story　principally　upon　the　songs　which　were　sung　in　the　presence　of　the　chiefs　themselves　or　of　their　sons；　and　take　all　to　be　true　that　is　found　in　such　poems　about　their　feats　and　battles：　for　although　it　be　the　fashion　with　skalds　to　praise　most　those　in　whose　presence　they　are　standing；　yet　no　one　would　dare　to　relete　to　a　chief　what　he；　and　all　those　who　heard　it；　knew　to　be　a　false　and　imaginary；　not　a　true　account　of　his　deeds；　because　that　would　be　mockery；　not　praise。

OF　THE　PRIEST　ARE　FRODE

The　priest　Are　Frode　（the　learned）；　a　son　of　Thorgils　the　son　of　Geller；　was　the　first　man　in　this　country　who　wrote　down　in　the　Norse　language　narratives　of　events　both　old　and　new。　　In　the　beginning　of　his　book　he　wrote　principally　about　the　first　settlements　in　Iceland；　the　laws　and　government；　and　next　of　the　lagmen；　and　how　long　each　had　administered　the　law；　and　he　reckoned　the　years　at　first；　until　the　time　when　Christianity　was　introduced　into　Iceland；　and　afterwards　reckoned　from　that　to　his　own　times。　　To　this　he　added　many　other　subjects；　such　as　the　lives　and　times　of　kings　of　Norway　and　Denmark；　and　also　of　England；　beside　accounts　of　great　events　which　have　taken　place　in　this　country　itself。　　His　narratives　are　considered　by　many　men　of　knowledge　to　be　the　most　remarkable　of　all；　because　he　was　a　man　of　good　understanding；　and　so　old　that　his　birth　was　as　far　back　as　the　year　after　Harald　Sigurdson's　fall。　　He　wrote；　as　he　himself　says；　the　lives　and　times　of　the　kings　of　Norway　from　the　report　of　Od　Kolson；　a　grandson　of　Hal　of　Sida。　　Od　again　took　his　information　from　Thorgeir　Afradskol；　who　was　an　intelligent　man；　and　so　old　that　when　Earl　Hakon　the　Great　was　killed　he　was　dwelling　at　Nidarnes　　the　same　place　at　which　King　Olaf　Trygvason　afterwards　laid　the　foundation　of　the　merchant　town　of　Nidaros　（i。e。；　Throndhjem）　which　is　now　there。　　The　priest　Are　came；　when　seven　years　old；　to　Haukadal　to　Hal　Thorarinson；　and　was　there　fourteen　years。　　Hal　was　a　man　of　great　knowledge　and　of　excellent　memory；　and　he　could　even　remember　being　baptized；　when　he　was　three　years　old；　by　the　priest　Thanghrand；　the　year　before　Christianity　was　established　by　law　in　Iceland。　　Are　was　twelve　years　of　age　when　Bishop　Isleif　died；　and　at　his　death　eighty　years　had　elapsed　since　the　fall　of　Olaf　Trygvason。　　Hal　died　nine　years　later　than　Bishop　Isleif；　and　had　attained　nearly　the　age　of　ninety…four　years。　　Hal　had　traded　between　the　two　countries；　and　had　enjoyed　intercourse　with　King　Olaf　the　Saint；　by　which　he　had　gained　greatly　in　reputation；　and　he　had　become　well　acquainted　with　the　kingdom　of　Norway。　　He　had　fixed　his　residence　in　Haukadal　when　he　was　thirty　years　of　age；　and　he　had　dwelt　there　sixty…four　years；　as　Are　tells　us。　　Teit；　a　son　of　Bishop　Isleif；　was　fostered　in　the　house　of　Hal　at　Haukadal；　and　afterwards　dwelt　there　himself。　　He　taught　Are　the　priest；　and　gave　him　information　about　many　circumstances　which　Are　afterwards　wrote　down。　　Are　also　got　many　a　piece　of　information　from　Thurid；　a　daughter　of　the　gode　Snorre。　　She　was　wise　and　intelligent；　and　remembered　her　father　Snorre；　who　was　nearly　thirty…five　years　of　age　when　Christianity　was　introduced　into　Iceland；　and　died　a　year　after　King　Olaf　the　Saint's　fall。　　So　it　is　not　wonderful　that　Are　the　priest　had　good　information　about　ancient　events　both　here　in　Iceland；　and　abroad；　being　a　man　anxious　for　information；　intelligent　and　of　excellent　memory；　and　having　besides　learned　much　from　old　intelligent　persons。　　But　the　songs　seem　to　me　most　reliable　if　they　are　sung　correctly；　and　judiciously　interpreted。



HALFDAN　THE　BLACK　SAGA。


PRELIMINARY　REMARKS。

Of　this　saga　there　are　other　versions　found　in　〃Fagrskinna〃　and　in　〃Flateyjarbok〃。　　The　〃Flateyjarbok〃　version　is　to　a　great　extent　a　copy　of　Snorre。　　The　story　about　Halfdan's　dream　is　found　both　in　〃Fagrskinna〃　and　in　〃Flateyjarbok〃。　　The　probability　is　that　both　Snorre　and　the　author　of　〃Fagrskinna〃　must　have　transcribed　the　same　original　text。　　Ed。



1。　HALFDAN　FIGHTS　WITH　GANDALF　AND　SIGTRYG。

Halfdan　was　a　year　old　when　his　father　was　killed；　and　his　mother　Asa　set　off　immediately　with　him　westwards　to　Agder；　and　set　herself　there　in　the　kingdom　which　her　father　Harald　had　possessed。　　Halfdan　grew　up　there；　and　soon　became　stout　and　strong；　and；　by　reason　of　his　black　hair；　was　called　Halfdan　the　Black。　　When　he　was　eighteen　years　old　he　took　his　kingdom　in　Agder；　and　went　immediately　to　Vestfold；　where　he　divided　that　kingdom；　as　before　related；　with　his　brother　Olaf。　　The　same　autumn　he　went　with　an　army　to　Vingulmark　against　King　Gandalf。　　They　had　many　battles；　and　sometimes　one；　sometimes　the　other　gained　the　victory；　but　at　last　they　agreed　that　Halfdan　should　have　half　of　Vingulmark；　as　his　father　Gudrod　had　had　it　before。　Then　King　Halfdan　proceeded　to　Raumarike；　and　subdued　it。　　King　Sigtryg；　son　of　King　Eystein；　who　then　had　his　residence　in　Hedemark；　and　who　had　subdued　Raumarike　before；　having　heard　of　this；　came　out　with　his　army　against　King　Halfdan；　and　there　was　great　battle；　in　which　King　Halfdan　was　victorious；　and　just　as　King　Sigtryg　and　his　troops　were　turning　about　to　fly；　an　arrow　struck　him　under　the　left　arm；　and　he　fell　dead。　　Halfdan　then　laid　the　whole　of　Raumarike　under　his　power。　　King　Eystein's　second　son；　King　Sigtryg's　brother；　was　also　called　Eystein；　and　was　then　king　in　Hedemark。　　As　soon　as　Halfdan　had　returned　to　Vestfold；　King　Eystein　went　out　with　his　army　to　Raumarike；　and　laid　the　whole　country　in　subjection　to　him



2。　BATTLE　BETWEEN　HALFDAN　AND　EYSTEIN。

When　King　Halfdan　heard　of　these　disturbances　in　Raumarike；　he　again　gathered　his　army　together；　and　went　out　against　King　Eystein。　　A　battle　took　place　between　them；　and　Halfdan　gained　the　victory；　and　Eystein　fled　up　to　Hedemark；　pursued　by　Halfdan。　Another　battle　took　place；　in　which　Halfdan　was　again　victorious；　and　Eystein　fled　northwards；　up　into　the　Dales　to　the　herse　Gudbrand。　　There　he　was　strengthened　with　new　people；　and　in　winter　he　went　towards　Hedemark；　and　met　Halfdan　the　Black　upon　a　large　island　which　lies　in　the　Mjosen　lake。　　There　a　great　battle　was　fought；　and　many　people　on　both　sides　were　slain；　but　Halfdan　won　the　victory。　　There　fell　Guthorm；　the　son　of　the　herse　Gudbrand；　who　was　one　of　the　finest　men　in　the　Uplands。　　Then　Eystein　fled　north　up　the　valley；　and　sent　his　relation　Halvard　Skalk　to　King　Halfdan　to　beg　for　peace。　On　consideration　of　their　relationship；　King　Halfdan　gave　King　Eystein　half　of　Hedemark；　which　he　and　his　relations　had　held　before；　but　kept　to　himself　Thoten；　and　the　district　called　Land。　　He　likewise　appropriated　to　himself　Hadeland；　and　thus　became　a　mighty　king。



3。　HALFDAN'S　MARRIAGE

Halfdan　the　Black　got　a　wife　called　Ragnhild；　a　daughter　of　Harald　Gulskeg　（Goldbeard）；　who　was　a　king　in　Sogn。　　They　had　a　son；　to　whom　Harald　gave　his　own　name；　and　the　boy　was　brought　up　in　Sogn；　by　his　mother's　father；　King　Harald。　　Now　when　this　Harald　had　lived　out　his　days　nearly；　and　was　become　weak；　having　no　son；　he　gave　his　dominions　to　his　daughter's　son　Harald；　and　gave　him　his　title　of　king；　and　he　died　soon　after。　　The　same　winter　his　daughter　Ragnhild　died；　and　the　following　spring　the　young　Harald　fell　sick　and　died　at　ten　years　of　age。　　As　soon　as　Halfdan　the　Black　heard　of　his　son's　death；　he　took　the　road　northwards　to　Sogn　with　a　great　force；　and　was　well　received。　　He　claimed　the　heritage　and　dominion　after　his　son；　and　no　opposition　being　made；　he　took　the　whole　kingdom。