heimskringla-第49部分

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ople　came　to　him。　　At　the　Thing　there　he　was　taken　as　king；　and　so　he　proceeded　all　the　way　to　the　Naze；　and　when　he　heard　that　Erling　Skialgson　had　gathered　a　large　force；　he　did　not　tarry　in　North　Agder；　but　sailed　with　a　steady　fair　wind　to　the　Throndhjem　country；　for　there　it　appeared　to　him　was　the　greatest　strength　of　the　land；　if　he　could　subdue　it　for　himself　while　the　earl　was　abroad。　　When　Olaf　came　to　Throndhjem　there　was　no　opposition；　and　he　was　elected　there　to　be　king。　　In　harvest　（A。D。　1015）　he　took　his　seat　in　the　town　of　Nidaros；　and　collected　the　needful　winter　provision　（A。D。　1016）。　He　built　a　king's　house；　and　raised　Clement's　church　on　the　spot　on　which　it　now　stands。　　He　parcelled　out　building　ground；　which　he　gave　to　bondes；　merchants；　or　others　who　he　thought　would　build。　　There　he　sat　down　with　many　men…at…arms　around　him；　for　he　put　no　great　confidence　in　the　Throndhjem　people；　if　the　earl　should　return　to　the　country。　　The　people　of　the　interior　of　the　Throndhjem　country　showed　this　clearly；　for　he　got　no　land…scat　from　them。



52。　PLAN　OF　SVEIN　AND　THE　SWEDISH　KING。

Earl　Svein　went　first　to　Svithjod　to　his　brother…in…law　Olaf　the　Swedish　king；　told　him　all　that　had　happened　between　him　and　Olaf　the　Thick；　and　asked　his　advice　about　what　he　should　now　undertake。　　The　king　said　that　the　earl　should　stay　with　him　if　he　liked；　and　get　such　a　portion　of　his　kingdom　to　rule　over　as　should　seem　to　him　sufficient；　〃or　otherwise；〃　says　he；　〃I　will　give　thee　help　of　forces　to　conquer　the　country　again　from　Olaf。〃　The　earl　chose　the　latter；　for　all　those　among　his　men　who　had　great　possessions　in　Norway；　which　was　the　case　with　many　who　were　with　him；　were　anxious　to　get　back；　and　in　the　council　they　held　about　this；　it　was　resolved　that　in　winter　they　should　take　the　land…way　over　Helsingjaland　and　Jamtaland；　and　so　down　into　the　Throndhjem　land；　for　the　earl　reckoned　most　upon　the　faithful　help　and　strength　of　the　Throndhjem　people　of　the　interior　as　soon　as　he　should　appear　there。　　In　the　meantime；　however；　it　was　determined　to　take　a　cruise　in　summer　in　the　Baltic　to　gather　property。



53。　EARL　SVEIN'S　DEATH。

Earl　Svein　went　eastward　with　his　forces　to　Russia；　and　passed　the　summer　（A。D。　1015）　in　marauding　there；　but　on　the　approach　of　autumn　returned　with　his　ships　to　Svithjod。　　There　he　fell　into　a　sickness；　which　proved　fatal。　　After　the　earl's　death　some　of　the　people　who　had　followed　him　remained　in　Svithjod；　others　went　to　Helsingjaland；　thence　to　Jamtaland；　and　so　from　the　east　over　the　dividing　ridge　of　the　country　to　the　Throndhjem　district；　where　they　told　all　that　had　happened　upon　their　journey：　and　thus　the　truth　of　Earl　Svein's　death　was　known　（A。D。　1016）。



54。　OF　THE　THRONDHJEM　PEOPLE。

Einar　Tambaskelfer；　and　the　people　who　had　followed　him　went　in　winter　to　the　Swedish　king；　and　were　received　in　a　friendly　manner。　　There　were　also　among　them　many　who　had　followed　the　earl。　　The　Swedish　king　took　it　much　amiss　that　Olaf　the　Thick　had　set　himself　down　in　his　scat…lands；　and　driven　the　earl　out　of　them；　and　therefore　he　threatened　the　king　with　his　heaviest　vengeance　when　opportunity　offered。　　He　said　that　Olaf　ought　not　to　have　had　the　presumption　to　take　the　dominions　which　the　earl　had　held　of　him；　and　all　the　Swedish　king's　men　agreed　with　him。　But　the　Throndhjem　people；　when　they　heard　for　certain　that　the　earl　was　dead。　and　could　not　be　expected　back　to　Norway；　turned　all　to　obedience　to　King　Olaf。　　Many　came　from　the　interior　of　the　Throndhjem　country；　and　became　King　Olaf's　men；　others　sent　word　and　tokens　that　they　would　service　him。　　Then；　in　autumn；　he　went　into　the　interior　of　Throndhjem；　and　held　Things　with　the　bondes；　and　was　received　as　king　in　each　district。　　He　returned　to　Nidaros；　and　brought　there　all　the　king's　scat　and　revenue；　and　had　his　winter…seat　provided　there　（A。D。　1016）。



55。　OF　KING　OLAF'S　HOUSEHOLD。

King　Olaf　built　a　king's　house　in　Nidaros；　and　in　it　was　a　large　room　for　his　court；　with　doors　at　both　ends。　　The　king's　high…　seat　was　in　the　middle　of　the　room；　and　within　sat　his　court…　bishop；　Grimkel；　and　next　him　his　other　priests；　without　them　sat　his　counsellors；　and　in　the　other　high…seat　opposite　to　the　king　sat　his　marshal；　Bjorn；　and　next　to　him　his　pursuivants。　　When　people　of　importance　came　to　him；　they　also　had　a　seat　of　honour。　The　ale　was　drunk　by　the　fire…light。　　He　divided　the　service　among　his　men　after　the　fashion　of　other　kings。　　He　had　in　his　house　sixty　court…men　and　thirty　pursuivants；　and　to　them　he　gave　pay　and　certain　regulations。　　He　had　also　thirty　house…servants　to　do　the　needful　work　about　the　house；　and　procure　what　was　required。　　He　had；　besides；　many　slaves。　　At　the　house　were　many　outbuildings；　in　which　the　court…men　slept。　　There　was　also　a　large　room；　in　which　the　king　held　his　court…meetings。



56。　OF　KING　OLAF'S　HABITS。

It　was　King　Olaf's　custom　to　rise　betimes　in　the　morning；　put　on　his　clothes；　wash　his　hands；　and　then　go　to　the　church　and　hear　the　matins　and　morning　mass。　　Thereafter　he　went　to　the　Thing…　meeting；　to　bring　people　to　agreement　with　each　other；　or　to　talk　of　one　or　the　other　matter　that　appeared　to　him　necessary。　　He　invited　to　him　great　and　small　who　were　known　to　be　men　of　　understanding。　　He　often　made　them　recite　to　him　the　laws　which　Hakon　Athelstan's　foster…son　had　made　for　Throndhjem；　and　after　considering　them　with　those　men　of　understanding；　he　ordered　laws　adding　to　or　taking　from　those　established　before。　　But　Christian　privileges　he　settled　according　to　the　advice　of　Bishop　Grimbel　and　other　learned　priests；　and　bent　his　whole　mind　to　uprooting　heathenism；　and　old　customs　which　he　thought　contrary　to　Christianity。　　And　he　succeeded　so　far　that　the　bondes　accepted　of　the　laws　which　the　king　proposed。　　So　says　Sigvat：　

　　　　　〃The　king；　who　at　the　helm　guides　　　　　　His　warlike　ship　through　clashing　tides；　　　　　　Now　gives　one　law　for　all　the　land　　　　　　　A　heavenly　law；　which　long　will　stand。〃

King　Olaf　was　a　good　and　very　gentle　man；　of　little　speech；　and　open…handed　although　greedy　of　money。　　Sigvat　the　skald；　as　before　related；　was　in　King　Olaf's　house；　and　several　Iceland　men。　　The　king　asked　particularly　how　Christianity　was　observed　in　Iceland；　and　it　appeared　to　him　to　be　very　far　from　where　it　ought　to　be；　for；　as　to　observing　Christian　practices；　it　was　told　the　king　that　it　was　permitted　there　to　eat　horse…flesh；　to　expose　infants　as　heathens　do；　besides　many　other　things　contrary　to　Christianity。　　They　also　told　the　king　about　many　principal　men　who　were　then　in　Iceland。　　Skapte　Thorodson　was　then　the　lagman　of　the　country。　　He　inquired　also　of　those　who　were　best　acquainted　with　it　about　the　state　of　people　in　other　distant　countries；　and　his　inquiries　turned　principally　on　how　Christianity　was　observed　in　the　Orkney；　Shetland；　and　Farey　Islands：　and；　as　far　as　he　could　learn；　it　was　far　from　being　as　he　could　have　wished。　　Such　conversation　was　usually　carried　on　by　him；　or　else　he　spoke　about　the　laws　and　rights　of　the　country。



57。　KING　OLAF'S　MESSENGERS。

The　same　winter　（A。D。　1016）　came　messengers　from　the　Swedish　king；　Olaf　the　Swede；　out　of　Svithjod：　and　their　leaders　were　two　brothers；　Thorgaut　Skarde　and　Asgaut　the　bailiff；　and　they；　had　twenty…four　men　with　them；　when　they　came　from　the　eastward；　over　the　ridge　of　the　country　down　into　Veradal；　they　summoned　a　Thing　of　the　bondes；　talked　to　them；　and　demanded　of　them　scat　and　duties　upon　account　of　the　king　of　Sweden。　　But　the　bondes；　after　consulting　with　each　other；　determined　only　to　pay　the　scat　which　the　Swedish　king　required　in　so　far　as　King　Olaf　required　none　upon　his　account；　but　refused　to　pay　scat　to　both。　　The　messengers　proceeded　farther　down　the　valley；　but　received　at　every　Thing　they　held　the　same　answer；　and　no　money。　　They　went　forward　to　Skaun；　held　a　Thing　there；　and　demanded　scat；　but　it　went　there　as　before。　　Then　they　came　to　Stjoradal；　and　summoned　a　Thing；　but　the　bondes　would　not　come　to　it。　　Now　the　messengers　saw　that　their　business　was　a　failure；　and　Thorgaut　proposed　that　they　should　turn　about；　and　go　eastward　again。　〃I　do　not　think；〃　says　Asgaut；　〃that　we　have　performed　the　king's　errand　unless　we　go　to　King　Olaf　the　Thick；　since　the　bondes　refer　the　matter　to　him。〃　　He　was　their　commander；　so　they　proceeded　to　the　town　（Nidaros）；　and　took　lodging　there。　　The　day　after　they　presented　themselves　to　the　king；　just　as　he　was　seated　at　table；　saluted　him；　and　said　they　came　with　a　message　of　the　Swedish　king。　　The　king　told　them　to　come　to　him　next　day。　　Next　day　the　king；　having　heard　mass；　went　to　his　Thing…house；　ordered　the　messengers　of　the　Swedish　king　to　be　called；　and　told　them　to　produce　their　message。　　Then　Thorgaut　spoke；　and　told　first　what　his　errand　was；　and　next　how　the　Throndhjem　people　of　the　interior　had　replied　to　it；　and　asked　the　king's　decision　on　the　business；　that　they　might　know　what　result　their　errand　there　was　to　have。　　The　king　answers；　〃While　the　earls　ruled　over　the　country；　it　was　not　to　be　wondered　at　if　the　country　people　thought　themselves　bound　to　obey　them；　as　they　were　at　least　of　the　royal　race　of　the　kingdom。　　But　it　would　have　been　more　just　if　those　earls　had　given　assistance　and　service　to　the　kings　who　had　a　right　to　the　country；　rather　than　to　foreign　kings；　or　to　stir　up　opposition　to　their　lawful　kings；　depriving　them　of　their　land　and　kingdom。　　With　regard　to　Olaf　the　Swede；　who　calls　himself　entitled　to　the　kingdom　of　Norway；　I；　who　in　fact　am　so　entitled；　can　see　no　ground　for　his　claim；　but　well　remember　the　skaith　and　damage　we　have　suffered　from　him　and　his　relations。〃

Then　says　Asgaut。　〃It　is　not　wonderful　that　thou　art　called　Olaf　the　Thick；　seeing　thou　answerest　so　haughtily　to　such　a　prince's　message；　and　canst　not　see　clearly　how　heavy　the　king's　wrath　will　be　for　thee　to　support；　as　many　have　experienced　who　had　greater　strength　than　thou　appearest　to　have。　　But　if　thou　wishest　to　keep　hold　of　thy　kingdom；　it　will　be　best　for　thee　to　come　to　the　king；　and　be　his　man；　and　we　shall　beg　him　to　give　thee　this　kingdom　in　fief　under　him。〃

The　king　replies　with　all　gentleness；　〃I　will　give　thee　an　advice；　Asg