heimskringla-第10部分

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　when　the　people　of　Viken　heard　that　those　of　Hordaland　had　taken　Eirik　as　upper　king；　they　did　the　same；　and　made　Olaf　the　upper　king　in　Viken；　which　kingdom　he　retained。　　Eirik　did　not　like　this　at　all。　　Two　years　after　this；　Halfdan　the　Black　died　suddenly　at　a　feast　in　Throndhjem　and　the　general　report　was　that　Gunhild　had　bribed　a　witch　to　give　him　a　death…drink。　Thereafter　the　Throndhjem　people　took　Sigrod　to　be　their　king。



45。　KING　HARALD'S　DEATH。

King　Harald　lived　three　years　after　he　gave　Eirik　the　supreme　authority　over　his　kingdom；　and　lived　mostly　on　his　great　farms　which　he　possessed；　some　in　Rogaland；　and　some　in　Hordaland。　Eirik　and　Gunhild　had　a　son　on　whom　King　Harald　poured　water；　and　gave　him　his　own　name；　and　the　promise　that　he　should　be　king　after　his　father　Eirik。　　King　Harald　married　most　of　his　daughters　within　the　country　to　his　earls；　and　from　them　many　great　families　are　descended。　　Harald　died　on　a　bed　of　sickness　in　Hogaland　（A。D。　933）；　and　was　buried　under　a　mound　at　Haugar　in　Karmtsund。　　In　Haugesund　is　a　church；　now　standing；　and　not　far　from　the　churchyard；　at　the　north…west　side；　is　King　Harald　Harfager's　mound；　but　his　grave…stone　stands　west　of　the　church；　and　is　thirteen　feet　and　a　half　high；　and　two　ells　broad。　　One　stone　was　set　at　head　and　one　at　the　feet；　on　the　top　lay　the　slab；　and　below　on　both　sides　were　laid　small　stones。　　The　grave；　mound；　and　stone；　are　there　to　the　present　day。　　Harald　Harfager　was；　according　to　the　report　of　men~of　knowledge；　or　remarkably　handsome　appearance；　great　and　strong；　and　very　generous　and　affable　to　his　men。　　He　was　a　great　warrior　in　his　youth；　and　people　think　that　this　was　foretold　by　his　mother's　dream　before　his　birth；　as　the　lowest　part　of　the　tree　she　dreamt　of　was　red　as　blood。　　The　stem　again　was　green　and　beautiful；　which　betokened　his　flourishing　kingdom；　and　that　the　tree　was　white　at　the　top　showed　that　he　should　reach　a　grey…haired　old　age。　　The　branches　and　twigs　showed　forth　his　posterity；　spread　over　the　whole　land；　for　of　his　race；　ever　since。　　Norway　has　always　had　kings。




46。　THE　DEATH　OF　OLAF　AND　OF　SIGROD。

King　Eirik　took　all　the　revenues　（A。D。　934）；　which　the　king　had　in　the　middle　of　the　country；　the　next　winter　after　King　Harald's　decease。　　But　Olaf　took　all　the　revenues　eastward　in　Viken；　and　their　brother　Sigrod　all　that　of　the　Throndhjem　country。　　Eirik　was　very　ill　pleased　with　this；　and　the　report　went　that　he　would　attempt　with　force　to　get　the　sole　sovereignty　over　the　country；　in　the　same　way　as　his　father　had　given　it　to　him。　　Now　when　Olaf　and　Sigrod　heard　this；　messengers　passed　between　them；　and　after　appointing　a　meeting　place；　Sigrod　went　eastward　in　spring　to　Viken；　and　he　and　his　brother　Olaf　met　at　Tunsberg；　and　remained　there　a　while。　　The　same　spring　（A。D。　934）；　King　Eirik　levied　a　　great　force；　and　ships　and　steered　towards　Viken。　　He　got　such　a　strong　steady　gale　that　he　sailed　night　and　day；　and　came　faster　than　the　news　of　him。　　When　he　came　to　Tunsberg；　Olaf　and　Sigrod；　with　their　forces；　went　out　of　the　town　a　little　eastward　to　a　ridge；　where　they　drew　up　their　men　in　battle　order；　but　as　Eirik　had　many　more　men　he　won　the　battle。　　Both　brothers；　Olaf　and　Sigrod；　fell　there；　and　both　their　grave…mounds　are　upon　the　ridge　where　they　fell。　　Then　King　Eirik　went　through　Viken；　and　subdued　it；　and　remained　far　into　summer。　　Gudrod　and　Trygve　fled　to　the　Uplands。　　Eirik　was　a　stout　handsome　man；　strong；　and　very　manly；　　a　great　and　fortunate　man　of　war；　but　bad…minded；　gruff；　unfriendly；　and　silent。　　Gunhild；　his　wife；　was　the　most　beautiful　of　women；　　clever；　with　much　knowledge；　and　lively；　but　a　very　false　person；　and　very　cruel　in　disposition。　　The　children　of　King　Eirik　and　Gunhild　were；　Gamle；　the　oldest；　then　Guthorm；　Harald；　Ragnfrod；　Ragnhild；　Erling；　Gudrod；　and　Sigurd　Sleva。　　All　were　handsome；　and　of　manly　appearance　（1）。


ENDNOTES：　（1）　　Of　Eirik；　his　wife；　and　children；　see　the　following　sagas。



HAKON　THE　GOOD'S　SAGA。


PRELIMINARY　REMARKS。

Of　Eirik　Blood…axe's　five　years'　reign　Snorre　has　no　separate　saga。　　He　appears　not　to　have　been　beloved　by　the　people　and　his　queen　Gunhild　seems　to　have　had　a　bad　influence　on　him。

Other　accounts　of　Hakon　may　be　found　in　〃Fagrskinna〃　（chaps。　25…34）；　〃Agrip〃；　〃Historia〃；　〃Norvegiae〃；　and　in　〃Thjodrek〃　（chap。　4）。

The　reader　is　also　referred　to　〃Saxo〃；　〃Egla〃；　〃Laxdaela〃；　〃Kormaks　Saga〃；　〃Gisle　Surssons　Saga〃；　〃Halfred's　Saga〃；　〃Floamanna　Saga〃；　〃Viga　Glum's　Saga〃；　and　to　〃Landnamabok〃。

Skald　mentioned　in　this　Saga　are：　　Glum　Geirason；　Thord　Sjarekson；　Guthorm　Sindre；　Kormak　Ogmundson；　and　Eyvind　Skaldaspiller。　　In　the　〃Egla〃　are　found　many　poems　belonging　to　this　epoch　by　Egil　Skallagrimson。

In　〃Fagrskinna〃　is　found　a　poem　（not　given　by　Snorre）　which　Gunhild　（his　wife）　had　made　on　King　Eirik　after　his　death；　telling　how　Odin　welcomed　him　to　Valhal。　　The　author　or　skald　who　composed　it　is　not　known；　but　it　is　considered　to　be　one　of　the　gems　of　old　Norse　poetry；　and　we　here　quote　it　in　Vigfusson's　translation　in　his　〃Corpus　Poeticum〃；　vol。　i。　pp。　260；　261。　Gudbrand　Vigfusson　has　filled　up　a　few　gaps　from　〃Hakonarmat〃；　the　poem　at　the　end　of　this　Saga。　　We　have　changed　Vigfusson's　orthography　of　names；　and　brought　them　into　harmony　with　the　spelling　used　in　this　work：　　Ed。

〃Odin　wakes　in　the　morning　and　cries；　as　he　opens　his　eyes；　with　his　dream　still　fresh　in　his　mind：　　‘What　dreams　are　these？　　I　thought　I　arose　before　daybreak　to　make　Valhal　ready　for　a　host　of　slain。　　I　woke　up　the　host　of　the　chosen。　　I　bade　them　ride　up　to　strew　the　benches；　and　to　till　up　the　beer…vats；　and　I　bade　valkyries　to　bear　the　wine；　as　if　a　king　were　coming。　　I　look　for　the　coming　of　some　noble　chiefs　from　the　earth；　wherefore　my　heart　is　glad。'

〃Brage；　Odin's　counsellor；　now　wakes；　as　a　great　din　is　heard　without；　and　calls　out：　　‘What　is　that　thundering？　　as　if　a　thousand　men　or　some　great　host　were　tramping　on　　the　walls　and　the　benches　are　creaking　withal　　as　if　Balder　was　coming　back　to　the　ball　of　Odin？'

〃Odin　answers：　　‘Surely　thou　speakest　foolishly；　good　Brage；　although　thou　art　very　wise。　　It　thunders　for　Eirik　the　king；　that　is　coming　to　the　hall　of　Odin。'

〃Then　turning　to　his　heroes；　he　cries：　　‘Sigmund　and　Sinfjotle；　rise　in　haste　and　go　forth　to　meet　the　prince！　　Bid　him　in　if　it　be　Eirik；　for　it　is　he　whom　I　look　for。'

〃Sigmund　answers：　　‘Why　lookest　thou　more　for　Eirik；　the　king；　to　Odin's　hall；　than　for　other　kings？'

〃Odin　answers：　　‘Because　he　has　reddened　his　brand；　and　borne　his　bloody　sword　in　many　a　land。'

〃Quoth　Sigmund：　　‘Why　didst　thou　rob　him；　the　chosen　king　of　victory　then；　seeing　thou　thoughtest　him　so　brave？'

〃Odin　answered：　　‘Because　it　is　not　surely　to　be　known；　when　the　grey　wolf　shall　come　upon　the　seat　of　the　god。'

SECOND　SCENE。　　Without　Valhal。　Sigmund　and　Sinfjotle　go　outside　the　hall　and　meet　Eirik。

〃Quoth　Sigmund：　　‘Hail　to　thee；　Eirik；　be　welcome　here；　and　come　into　the　hall；　thou　gallant　king！　　Now　I　will　ask　thee；　what　kings　are　these　that　follow　thee　from　the　clash　of　the　sword　edges？'

〃Eirik　answers：　　‘They　are　five　kings；　I　will　tell　thee　all　their　names；　I　myself　am　the　sixth　（the　names　followed　in　the　song；　whereof　the　rest　is　lost。）

〃Fagrskinna〃　says　〃Hakonarmal〃　was　the　model　of　this　poem。



1。　HAKON　CHOSEN　KING。

Hakon；　Athelstan's　foster…son；　was　in　England　at　the　time　（A。D。　934）　he　heard　of　his　father　King　Harald's　death；　and　he　immediately　made　himself　ready　to　depart。　　King　Athelstan　gave　him　men；　and　a　choice　of　good　ships；　and　fitted　him　out　for　his　journey　most　excellently。　　In　harvest　time　he　came　to　Norway；　where　he　heard　of　the　death　of　his　brothers；　and　that　King　Eirik　was　then　in　Viken。　　Then　Hakon　sailed　northwards　to　Throndhjem；　where　he　went　to　Sigurd　earl　of　Hlader　who　was　the　ablest　man　in　Norway。　　He　gave　Hakon　a　good　reception；　and　they　made　a　league　with　each　other；　by　which　Hakon　promised　great　power　to　Sigurd　if　he　was　made　king。　　They　assembled　then　a　numerous　Thing；　and　Sigurd　the　earl　recommended　Hakon's　cause　to　the　Thing；　and　proposed　him　to　the　bondes　as　king。　　Then　Hakon　himself　stood　up　and　spoke；　and　the　people　said　to　each　other；　two　and　two；　as　they　heard　him；　〃Herald　Harfager　is　come　again；　grown　and　young。〃　The　beginning　of　Hakon's　speech　was；　that　he　offered　himself　to　the　bondes　as　king；　and　desired　from　them　the　title　of　king；　and　aid　and　forces　to　defend　the　kingdom。　　He　promised；　on　the　other　hand；　to　make　all　the　bondes　udal…holders；　and　give　every　man　udal　rights　to　the　land　he　lived　on。　　This　speech　met　such　joyful　applause；　that　the　whole　public　cried　and　shouted　that　they　would　take　him　to　be　king。　　And　so　it　was　that　the　Throndhjem　people　took　Hakon；　who　was　then　fifteen　years　old；　for　king；　and　he　took　a　court　or　bodyguard；　and　servants；　and　proceeded　through　the　country。　　The　news　reached　the　Uplands　that　the　people　in　Throndhjem　had　taken　to　themselves　a　king；　who　in　every　respect　was　like　King　Harald　Harfager；　　with　the　difference；　that　Harald　had　made　all　the　people　of　the　land　vassals；　and　unfree；　but　this　Hakon　wished　well　to　every　man；　and　offered　the　bondes　to　give　them　their　udal　rights　again；　which　Harald　had　taken　from　them。　　All　were　rejoiced　at　this　news；　and　it　passed　from　mouth　to　mouth；　　it　flew；　like　fire　in　dry　grass；　through　the　whole　land；　and　eastward　to　the　land's　end。　　Many　bondes　came　from　the　Uplands　to　meet　King　Hakon。　　Some　sent　messengers；　some　tokens；　and　all　to　the　same　effect　　that　his　men　they　would　be：　and　the　king　received　all　thankfully。



2。　KING　HAKON'S　PROGRESS　THROUGH　THE　COUNTRY。

Early　in　winter　（935）；　the　king　went　to　the　Uplands；　and　summoned　the　people　to　a　Thing；　and　there　streamed　all　to　him　who　could　come。　　He　was　proclaimed　king　at　every　Thing；　and　then　he　proceeded　eastward　to　Viken；　where　his　brother's　sons；　Trygve　and　Gudrod；　and　many　others；　came　unto　him；　and　complained　of　the　sorrow　and　evil　his　brother　Eirik　had　wrought。　　The　hatred　to　King　Eirik　grew　more　and　more；　the　more　liking　all　men　took　to　King　Hakon；　and　they　got　more　boldness　to　say　what　they　thought。　King　Hakon　gave　Trygve　and　Gudrod　the　title　of　kings；　and　the　dominions　which　King　H