heimskringla-第78部分

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eland　before　I　have　heard　how　the　message　which　thou；　Geller；　shalt　bring　thither　has　been　received。〃

When　the　king　had　made　this　resolution　known；　it　appeared　to　those　who　had　a　great　desire　to　return；　and　were　thus　forbidden；　that　they　were　unreasonably　and　hardly　dealt　with；　and　that　they　were　placed　in　the　condition　of　unfree　men。　　In　the　meantime　Geller　got　ready　for　his　journey；　and　sailed　in　summer　（A。D。　1026）　to　Iceland；　taking　with　him　the　message　he　was　to　bring　before　the　Thing　the　following　summer　（A。D。　1027）。　　The　king's　message　was；　that　he　required　the　Icelanders　to　adopt　the　laws　which　he　had　set　in　Norway；　also　to　pay　him　thane…tax　and　nose…　tax　（1）；　namely；　a　penny　for　every　nose；　and　the　penny　at　the　rate　of　ten　pennies　to　the　yard　of　wadmal　（2）。　　At　the　same　time　he　promised　them　his　friendship　if　they　accepted；　and　threatened　them　with　all　his　vengeance　if　they　refused　his　proposals。

The　people　sat　long　in　deliberation　on　this　business；　but　at　last　they　were　unanimous　in　refusing　all　the　taxes　and　burdens　which　were　demanded　of　them。　　That　summer　Geller　returned　back　from　Iceland　to　Norway　to　King　Olaf；　and　found　him　in　autumn　in　the　east　in　Viken；　just　as　he　had　come　from　Gautland；　of　which　I　shall　speak　hereafter　in　this　story　of　King　Olaf。　　Towards　the　end　of　autumn　King　Olaf　repaired　north　to　Throndhjem；　and　went　with　his　people　to　Nidaros；　where　he　ordered　a　winter　residence　to　be　prepared　for　him。　　The　winter　（A。D。　1027）　that　he　passed　here　in　the　merchant…town　of　Nidaros　was　the　thirteenth　year　of　his　reign。


ENDNOTES：　（1）　　Nefgildi　（nef=nose）；　a　nose…tax　or　poll…tax　payable　to　the　　　　　　king。　　This　ancient　〃nose…tax〃　was　also　imposed　by　the　　　　　　Norsemen　on　conquered　countries；　the　penalty　for　defaulters　　　　　　being　the　loss　of　their　nose。　（2）　　Wadmal　was　the　coarse　woollen　cloth　made　in　Iceland；　and　so　　　　　　generally　used　for　clothing　that　it　was　a　measure　of　value　　　　　　in　the　North；　like　money；　for　other　commodities。　　L。



147。　OF　THE　JAMTALAND　PEOPLE。

There　was　once　a　man　called　Ketil　Jamte；　a　son　of　Earl　Onund　of　Sparby；　in　the　Throndhjem　district。　　He　fled　over　the　ridge　of　mountains　from　Eystein　Illrade；　cleared　the　forest；　and　settled　the　country　now　called　the　province　of　Jamtaland。　　A　great　many　people　joined　him　from　the　Throndhjem　land；　on　account　of　the　disturbances　there；　for　this　King　Eystein　had　laid　taxes　on　the　Throndhjem　people；　and　set　his　dog；　called　Saur；　to　be　king　over　them。　　Thorer　Helsing　was　Ketil's　grandson；　and　he　colonised　the　province　called　Helsingjaland；　which　is　named　after　him。　　When　Harald　Harfager　subdued　the　kingdom　by　force；　many　people　fled　out　of　the　country　from　him；　both　Throndhjem　people　and　Naumudal　people；　and　thus　new　settlements　were　added　to　Jamtaland；　and　some　settlers　went　even　eastwards　to　Helsingjaland　and　down　to　the　Baltic　coast；　and　all　became　subjects　of　the　Swedish　king。　While　Hakon　Athelstan's　foster…son　was　over　Norway　there　was　peace；　and　merchant　traffic　from　Throndhjem　to　Jamtaland；　and；　as　he　was　an　excellent　king；　the　Jamtalanders　came　from　the　east　to　him；　paid　him　scat；　and　he　gave　them　laws　and　administered　justice。　　They　would　rather　submit　to　his　government　than　to　the　Swedish　king's；　because　they　were　of　Norwegian　race；　and　all　the　Helsingjaland　people；　who　had　their　descent　from　the　north　side　of　the　mountain　ridge；　did　the　same。　　This　continued　long　after　those　times；　until　Olaf　the　Thick　and　the　Swedish　king　Olaf　quarrelled　about　the　boundaries。　　Then　the　Jamtaland　and　Helsingjaland　people　went　back　to　the　Swedish　king；　and　then　the　forest　of　Eid　was　the　eastern　boundary　of　the　land；　and　the　mountain　ridge；　or　keel　of　the　country；　the　northern：　and　the　Swedish　king　took　scat　of　Helsingjaland；　and　also　of　Jamtaland。　Now；　thought　the　king　of　Norway；　Olaf；　in　consequence　of　the　agreement　between　him　and　the　Swedish　king；　the　scat　of　Jamtaland　should　be　paid　differently　than　before；　although　it　had　long　been　established　that　the　Jamtaland　people　paid　their　scat　to　the　Swedish　king；　and　that　he　appointed　officers　over　the　country。　The　Swedes　would　listen　to　nothing；　but　that　all　the　land　to　the　east　of　the　keel　of　the　country　belonged　to　the　Swedish　king。　　Now　this　went　so；　as　it　often　happens；　that　although　the　kings　were　brothers…in…law　and　relations；　each　would　hold　fast　the　dominions　which　he　thought　he　had　a　right　to。　　King　Olaf　had　sent　a　message　round　in　Jamtaland；　declaring　it　to　be　his　will　that　the　Jamtaland　people　should　be　subject　to　him；　threatening　them　with　violence　if　they　refused；　but　the　Jamtaland　people　preferred　being　subjects　of　the　Swedish　king。



148。　STEIN'S　STORY。

The　Icelanders；　Thorod　Snorrason　and　Stein　Skaptason；　were　ill…　pleased　at　not　being　allowed　to　do　as　they　liked。　　Stein　was　a　remarkably　handsome　man；　dexterous　at　all　feats；　a　great　poet；　splendid　in　his　apparel；　and　very　ambitious　of　distinction。　　His　father；　Skapte；　had　composed　a　poem　on　King　Olaf；　which　he　had　taught　Stein；　with　the　intention　that　he　should　bring　it　to　King　Olaf。　　Stein　could　not　now　restrain　himself　from　making　the　king　reproaches　in　word　and　speech；　both　in　verse　and　prose。　　Both　he　and　Thorod　were　imprudent　in　their　conversation；　and　said　the　king　would　be　looked　upon　as　a　worse　man　than　those　who；　under　faith　and　law；　had　sent　their　sons　to　him；　as　he　now　treated　them　as　men　without　liberty。　　The　king　was　angry　at　this。　　One　day　Stein　stood　before　the　king；　and　asked　if　he　would　listen　to　the　poem　which　his　father　Skapte　had　composed　about　him。　　The　king　replies；　〃Thou　must　first　repeat　that；　Stein；　which　thou　hast　composed　about　me。〃　　Stein　replies；　that　it　was　not　the　case　that　he　had　composed　any。　　〃I　am　no　skald；　sire；〃　said　he；　〃and　if　I　even　could　compose　anything；　it；　and　all　that　concerns　me；　would　appear　to　thee　of　little　value。〃　　Stein　then　went　out；　but　thought　he　perceived　what　the　king　alluded　to。　　Thorgeir；　one　of　the　king's　land…bailiffs；　who　managed　one　of　his　farms　in　Orkadal；　happened　to　be　present；　and　heard　the　conversation　of　the　king　and　Stein；　and　soon　afterwards　Thorgeir　returned　home。　One　night　Stein　left　the　city；　and　his　footboy　with　him。　　They　went　up　Gaularas　and　into　Orkadal。　　One　evening　they　came　to　one　of　the　king's　farms　which　Thorgeir　had　the　management　of；　and　Thorgeir　invited　Stein　to　pass　the　night　there；　and　asked　where　he　was　travelling　to。　　Stein　begged　the　loan　of　a　horse　and　sledge；　for　he　saw　they　were　just　driving　home　corn。

Thorgeir　replies；　〃I　do　not　exactly　see　how　it　stands　with　thy　journey；　and　if　thou　art　travelling　with　the　king's　leave。　　The　other　day；　methinks；　the　words　were　not　very　sweet　that　passed　between　the　king　and　thee。〃

Stein　said；　〃If　it　be　so　that　I　am　not　my　own　master　for　the　king；　yet　I　will　not　submit　to　such　treatment　from　his　slaves；〃　and；　drawing　his　sword；　he　killed　the　landbailiff。　Then　he　took　the　horse；　put　the　boy　upon　him；　and　sat　himself　in　the　sledge；　and　so　drove　the　whole　night。　　They　travelled　until　they　came　to　Surnadal　in　More。　　There　they　had　themselves　ferried　across　the　fjord；　and　proceeded　onwards　as　fast　as　they　could。　　They　told　nobody　about　the　murder；　but　wherever　they　came　called　themselves　king's　men；　and　met　good　entertainment　everywhere。　　One　day　at　last　they　came　towards　evening　to　Giske　Isle；　to　Thorberg　Arnason's　house。　　He　was　not　at　home　himself；　but　his　wife　Ragnhild；　a　daughter　of　Erling　Skjalgson；　was。　　There　Stein　was　well　received；　because　formerly　there　had　been　great　friendship　between　them。　　It　had　once　happened；　namely；　that　Stein；　on　his　voyage　from　Iceland　with　his　own　vessel；　had　come　to　Giske　from　sea；　and　had　anchored　at　the　island。　　At　that　time　Ragnhild　was　in　the　pains　of　childbirth；　and　very　ill；　and　there　was　no　priest　on　the　island；　or　in　the　neighbourhood　of　it。　　There　came　a　message　to　the　merchant…vessel　to　inquire　if；　by　chance；　there　was　a　priest　on　board。　　There　happened　to　be　a　priest　in　the　vessel；　who　was　called　Bard；　but　he　was　a　young　man　from　Westfjord；　who　had　little　learning。　　The　messengers　begged　the　priest　to　go　with　them；　but　he　thought　it　was　a　difficult　matter：　for　he　knew　his　own　ignorance；　and　would　not　go。　　Stein　added　his　word　to　persuade　the　priest。　　The　priest　replies；　〃I　will　go　if　thou　wilt　go　with　me；　for　then　I　will　have　confidence；　if　I　should　require　advice。〃　　Stein　said　he　was　willing；　and　they　went　forthwith　to　the　house；　and　to　where　Ragnhild　was　in　labour。　　Soon　after　she　brought　forth　a　female　child；　which　appeared　to　be　rather　weak。　　Then　the　priest　baptized　the　infant；　and　Stein　held　it　at　the　baptism；　at　which　it　got　the　name　of　Thora；　and　Stein　gave　it　a　gold　ring。　　Ragnhild　promised　Stein　her　perfect　friendship；　and　bade　him　come　to　her　whenever　he　thought　he　required　her　help。　　Stein　replied　that　he　would　hold　no　other　female　child　at　baptism；　and　then　they　parted。　　Now　it　was　come　to　the　time　when　Stein　required　this　kind　promise　of　Ragnhild　to　be　fulfilled；　and　he　told　her　what　had　happened；　and　that　the　king's　wrath　had　fallen　upon　him。　　She　answered；　that　all　the　aid　she　could　give　should　stand　at　his　service；　but　bade　him　wait　for　Thorberg's　arrival。　　She　then　showed　him　to　a　seat　beside　her　son　Eystein　Orre；　who　was　then　twelve　years　old。　　Stein　presented　gifts　to　Ragnhild　and　Eystein。　　Thorberg　had　already　heard　how　Stein　had　conducted　himself　before　he　got　home；　and　was　rather　vexed　at　it。　　Ragnhild　went　to　him；　and　told　him　how　matters　stood　with　Stein；　and　begged　Thorberg　to　receive　him；　and　take　care　of　him。

Thorberg　replies；　〃I　have　heard　that　the　king；　after　sending　out　a　message…token；　held　a　Thing　concerning　the　murder　of　Thorgeir；　and　has　condemned　Stein　as　having　fled　the　country；　and　likewise　that　the　king　is　highly　incensed：　and　I　have　too　much　sense　to　take　the　cause　of　a　foreigner　in　hand；　and　draw　upon　myself　the　king's　wrath。　　Let　Stein；　therefore；　withdraw　from　hence　as　quickly　as　thou　canst。〃

Ragnhild　replied；　that　they　should　either　both　go　or　both　stay。

Thorberg　told　her　to　go　where　she　pleased。　〃For　I　expect；〃　said　he；　〃that　wherever　thou　goest　thou　wilt　soon　come　back；　for　here　is　thy　importance　greatest。〃

Her　son　Eystein　Orre　then　stood　forward；　and　said　he　would　not　stay　behind　if　Ragnhild　goes。

Tho