Heimskringla; Or, The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway
about and about the whole day to no purpose, as they could find no trace
of her, so they turned back to tell Gunhild the end of their travel.
Astrid and her friends proceeded on their journey, and came to Svithjod,
to Hakon Gamle (the Old), where she and her son remained a long time,
and had friendly welcome.
4. HAKON'S EMBASSY TO SWEDEN.
When Gunhild, the mother of the kings, heard that Astrid and her son
Olaf were in the kingdom of Svithjod, she again sent Hakon, with a
good attendance, eastward, to Eirik king of Sweden, with presents and
messages of friendship. The ambassadors were well received and well
treated. Hakon, after a time, disclosed his errand to the king, saying
that Gunhild had sent him with the request that the king would assist
him in getting hold of Olaf Trygvason, to conduct him to Norway, where
Gunhild would bring him up. The king gave Hakon people with him, and he
rode with them to Hakon the Old, where Hakon desired, with many friendly
expressions, that Olaf should go with him. Hakon the Old returned a
friendly answer, saying that it depended entirely upon Olaf's mother.
But Astrid would on no account listen to the proposal; and the
messengers had to return as they came, and to tell King Eirik how the
matter stood. The ambassadors then prepared to return home, and asked
the king for some assistance to take the boy, whether Hakon the Old
would or not. The king gave them again some attendants; and when they
came to Hakon the Old, they again asked for the boy, and on his refusal
to deliver him they used high words and threatened violence. But one of
the slaves, Buste by name, attacked Hakon, and was going to kill him;
and they barely escaped from the thralls without a cudgelling, and
proceeded home to Norway to tell Gunhild their ill success, and that
they had only seen Olaf.
5. OF SIGURD EIRIKSON.
Astrid had a brother called Sigurd, a son of Eirik Bjodaskalle, who had
long been abroad in Gardarike (Russia) with King Valdemar, and was there
in great consideration. Astrid had now a great inclination to travel to
her brother there. Hakon the Old gave her good attendants, and what was
needful for the journey, and she set out with some merchants. She had
then been two years (A.D. 965-966) with Hakon the Old, and Olaf was
three years of age. As they sailed out into the Baltic, they were
captured by vikings of Eistland, who made booty both of the people and
goods, killing some, and dividing others as slaves. Olaf was separated
from his mother, and an Eistland man called Klerkon got him as his share
along with Thorolf and Thorgils. Klerkon thought that Thorolf was too
old for a slave, and that there was not much work to be got out of him,
so he killed him; but took the boys with him, and sold them to a man
called Klerk for a stout and good ram. A third man, called Reas, bought
Olaf for a good cloak. Reas had a wife called Rekon, and a son by her
whose name was Rekone. Olaf was long with them, was treated well, and
was much beloved by the people. Olaf was six years in Eistland in this
banishment (A.D. 987-972).
6. OLAF IS SET FREE IN EISTLAND.
Sigurd, the son of Eirik (Astrid's brother), came into Eistland from
Novgorod, on King Valdemar's business to collect the king's taxes and
rents. Sigurd came as a man of consequence, with many followers and
great magnificence. In the market-place he happened to observe a
remarkably handsome boy; and as he could distinguish that he was a
foreigner, he asked him his name and family. He answered him, that
his name was Olaf; that he was a son of Trygve Olafson; and Astrid, a
daughter of Eirik Bjodaskalle, was his mother. Then Sigurd knew that the
boy was his sister's son, and asked him how he came there. Olaf told him
minutely all his adventures, and Sigurd told him to follow him to the
peasant Reas. When he came there he bought both the boys, Olaf and
Thorgils, and took them with him to Holmgard. But, for the first, he
made nothing known of Olaf's relationship to him, but treated him well.
7. KLERKON KILLED BY OLAF.
Olaf Trygvason was one day in the market-place, where there was a
great number of people. He recognized Klerkon again, who had killed his
foster-father Thorolf Lusarskeg. Olaf had a little axe in his hand, and
with it he clove Klerkon's skull down to the brain, and ran home to his
lodging, and told his friend Sigurd what he had done. Sigurd immediately
took Olaf to Queen Allogia's house, told her what had happened, and
begged her to protect the boy. She replied, that the boy appeared far
too comely to allow him to be slain; and she ordered her people to
be drawn out fully armed. In Holmgard the sacredness of peace is so
respected, that it is law there to slay whoever puts a man to death
except by judgment of law; and, according to this law and usage, the
whole people stormed and sought after the boy. It was reported that
he was in the Queen's house, and that there was a number of armed men
there. When this was told to the king, he went there with his people,
but would allow no bloodshed. It was settled at last in peace, that the
king should name the fine for the murder; and the queen paid it. Olaf
remained afterwards with the queen, and was much beloved. It is a law
at Holmgard, that no man of royal descent shall stay there without the
king's permission. Sigurd therefore told the queen of what family Olaf
was, and for what reason he had come to Russia; namely, that he could
not remain with safety in his own country: and begged her to speak to
the king about it. She did so, and begged the king to help a king's son
whose fate had been so hard; and in consequence of her entreaty the king
promised to assist him, and accordingly he received Olaf into his court,
and treated him nobly, and as a king's son. Olaf was nine years old when
he came to Russia, and he remained nine years more (A.D. 978-981) with
King Valdemar. Olaf was the handsomest of men, very stout and strong,
and in all bodily exercises he excelled every Northman that ever was
heard of.
8. OF HAKON EARL OF HLADER.
Earl Hakon, Sigurd's son, was with the Danish king, Harald Gormson, the
winter after he had fled from Norway before Gunhild's sons. During the
winter (A.D. 969) the earl had so much care and sorrow that he took to
bed, and passed many sleepless nights, and ate and drank no more than
was needful to support his strength. Then he sent a private message to
his friends north in Throndhjem, and proposed to them that they should
kill King Erling, if they had an opportunity; adding, that he would come
to them in summer. The same winter the Throndhjem people accordingly, as
before related, killed King Erling. There was great friendship between
Earl Hakon and Gold Harald, and Harald told Hakon all his intentions. He
told him that he was tired of a ship-life, and wanted to settle on the
land; and asked Hakon if he thought his brother King Harald would agree
to divide the kingdom with him if he asked it. "I think," replied Hakon,
"that the Danish king would not deny thy right; but the best way to know
is to speak to the king himself. I know for certain so much, that
you will not get a kingdom if you don't ask for it." Soon after this
conversation Gold Harald spoke to the king about the matter, in the
presence of many great men who were friends to both; and Gold Harald
asked King Harald to divide the kingdom with him in two equal parts,
to which his royal birth and the custom of the Danish monarchy gave him
right. The king was highly incensed at this demand, and said that no man
had asked his father Gorm to be king over half of Denmark, nor yet his
grandfather King Hordaknut, or Sigurd Orm, or Ragnar Lodbrok; and he was
so exasperated and angry, that nobody ventured to speak of it to him.
9. OF GOLD HARALD.
Gold Harald was now worse off than before; for he had got no kingdom,
and had got the king's anger by proposing it. He went as usual to his
friend Hakon, and complained to him of his fate, and asked for good
advice, and if he could help him to get his share of the kingdom; saying
that he would rather try force, and the chance of war, than give it up.
Hakon advised him not to speak to any man so that this should be known;
"for," said he, "it concerns thy life: and rather consider with thyself
what thou art man enough to undertake; for to accomplish such a purpose
requires a bold and firm man, who will neither stick at good nor evil to
do that which is intended; for to take up great resolutions, and then to
lay them aside, would only end in dishonour."
Gold Harald replies--"I will so carry on what I begin, that I will not
hesitate to kill Harald with my own hands, if I can come thereby to
the kingdom he denies me, and which is mine by right." And so they
separated.
Now King Harald comes also to Earl Hakon, and tells him the demand on
his kingdom which Gold Harald had made, and also his answer, and that
he would upon no account consent to diminish his kingdom. "And if Gold
Harald persists in his demand, I will have no hesitation in having him
killed; for I will not trust him if he does not renounce it."
The earl answered,--"My thoughts are, that Harald has carried his demand
so far that he cannot now let it drop, and I expect nothing but war in
the land; and that he will be able to gather a great force, because his
father was so beloved. And then it would be a great enormity if you were
to kill your relation; for, as things now stand, all men would say that
he was innocent. But I am far from saying, or advising, that you should
make yourself a smaller king than your father Gorm was, who in many ways
enlarged, but never diminished his kingdom."
The king replies,--"What then is your advice,--if I am neither to divide
my kingdom, nor to get rid of my fright and danger?"
"Let us meet again in a few days," said Earl Hakon, "and I will then
have considered the matter well, and will give you my advice upon it."
The king then went away with his people.
10. COUNCILS HELD BY HAKON AND HARALD.
Earl Hakon had now great reflection, and many opinions to weigh, and he
let only very few be in the house with him. In a few days King Harald
came again to the earl to speak with him, and ask if he had yet
considered fully the matter they had been talking of.
"I have," said the earl, "considered it night and day ever since, and
find it most advisable that you retain and rule over the whole of
your kingdom just as your father left it; but that you obtain for your
relation Harald another kingdom, that he also may enjoy honour and
dignity."
"What kind of kingdom is that," said the king, "which I can give to
Harald, that I may possess Denmark entire?"
"It is Norway," said the earl. "The kings who are there are oppressive
to the people of the country, so that every man is against them who has
tax or service to pay."
The king replies,--"Norway is a large country, and the people fierce,
and not good to attack with a foreign army. We found that sufficiently
when Hakon defended that country; for we lost many people, and gained no
victory. Besides, Harald the son of Eirik is my foster-son, and has sat
on my knee."
The earl answers, "I have long known that you have helped Gunhild's sons
with your force, and a bad return you have got for it; but we shall get
at Norway much more easily than by fighting for it with all the Danish
force. Send a message to your foster-son Harald, Eirik's son, and offer
him the lands and fiefs which Gunhild's sons held before in Denmark.
Appoint him a meeting, and Gold Harald will soon conquer for himself a
kingdom in Norway from Harald Grafeld."
The king replies, that it would be called a bad business to deceive his
own foster-son.