Heimskringla; Or, The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway
"Why art thou so pale," says the earl, "and now again black as earth?
Thou hast not the intention to betray me?"
"By no means," replies Kark.
"We were born on the same night," says the earl, "and the time will be
short between our deaths."
King Olaf went away in the evening. When night came the earl kept
himself awake but Kark slept, and was disturbed in his sleep. The earl
woke him, and asked him "what he was dreaming of?"
He answered, "I was at Hlader and Olaf Trygvason was laying a gold ring
about my neck."
The earl says, "It will be a red ring Olaf will lay about thy neck if
he catches thee. Take care of that! From me thou shalt enjoy all that is
good, therefore betray me not."
They then kept themselves awake both; the one, as it were, watching upon
the other. But towards day the earl suddenly dropped asleep; but his
sleep was so unquiet that he drew his heels under him, and raised his
neck, as if going to rise, and screamed dreadfully high. On this Kark,
dreadfully alarmed, drew a large knife out of his belt, stuck it in the
earl's throat, and cut it across, and killed Earl Hakon. Then Kark cut
off the earl's head, and ran away. Late in the day he came to Hlader,
where he delivered the earl's head to King Olaf, and told all these
circumstances of his own and Earl Hakon's doings. Olaf had him taken out
and beheaded.
56. EARL HAKON'S HEAD.
King Olaf, and a vast number of bondes with him, then went out to
Nidarholm, and had with him the heads of Earl Hakon and Kark. This holm
was used then for a place of execution of thieves and ill-doers, and
there stood a gallows on it. He had the heads of the earl and of Kark
hung upon it, and the whole army of the bondes cast stones at them,
screaming and shouting that the one worthless fellow had followed the
other. They then sent up to Gaulardal for the earl's dead body. So great
was the enmity of the Throndhjem people against Earl Hakon, that no man
could venture to call him by any other name than Hakon the Bad; and he
was so called long after those days. Yet, sooth to say of Earl Hakon,
he was in many respects fitted to be a chief: first, because he was
descended from a high race; then because he had understanding and
knowledge to direct a government; also manly courage in battle to
gain victories, and good luck in killing his enemies. So says Thorleif
Raudfeldson:--
"In Norway's land was never known
A braver earl than the brave Hakon.
At sea, beneath the clear moon's light,
No braver man e'er sought to fight.
Nine kings to Odin's wide domain
Were sent, by Hakon's right hand slain!
So well the raven-flocks were fed--
So well the wolves were filled with dead!"
Earl Hakon was very generous; but the greatest misfortunes attended even
such a chief at the end of his days: and the great cause of this was
that the time was come when heathen sacrifices and idolatrous worship
were doomed to fall, and the holy faith and good customs to come in
their place.
57. OLAF TRYGVASON ELECTED KING.
Olaf Trvgvason was chosen at Throndhjem by the General Thing to be the
king over the whole country, as Harald Harfager had been. The whole
public and the people throughout all the land would listen to nothing
else than that Olaf Trygvason should be king. Then Olaf went round the
whole country, and brought it under his rule, and all the people of
Norway gave in their submission; and also the chiefs in the Uplands and
in Viken, who before had held their lands as fiefs from the Danish king,
now became King Olaf's men, and held their hands from him. He went thus
through the whole country during the first winter (A.D. 996) and the
following summer. Earl Eirik, the son of Earl Hakon, his brother Svein,
and their friends and relations, fled out of the country, and went east
to Sweden to King Olaf the Swede, who gave them a good reception. So
says Thord Kolbeinson:--
"O thou whom bad men drove away,
After the bondes by foul play,
Took Hakon's life! Fate will pursue
These bloody wolves, and make them rue.
When the host came from out the West,
Like some tall stately war-ship's mast,
I saw the son of Trygve stand,
Surveying proud his native land."
And again,--
"Eirik has more upon his mind,
Against the new Norse king designed,
Than by his words he seems to show--
And truly it may well be so.
Stubborn and stiff are Throndhjem men,
But Throndhjem's earl may come again;
In Swedish land he knows no rest--
Fierce wrath is gathering in his breast."
58. LODIN'S MARRIAGE
Lodin was the name of a man from Viken who was rich and of good family.
He went often on merchant voyages, and sometimes on viking cruises.
It happened one summer that he went on a merchant voyage with much
merchandise in a ship of his own. He directed his course first to
Eistland, and was there at a market in summer. To the place at which the
market was held many merchant goods were brought, and also many thralls
or slaves for sale. There Lodin saw a woman who was to be sold as a
slave: and on looking at her he knew her to be Astrid Eirik's daughter,
who had been married to King Trygve. But now she was altogether unlike
what she had been when he last saw her; for now she was pale, meagre in
countenance, and ill clad. He went up to her, and asked her how matters
stood with her. She replied, "It is heavy to be told; for I have been
sold as a slave, and now again I am brought here for sale." After
speaking together a little Astrid knew him, and begged him to buy her;
and bring her home to her friends. "On this condition," said he, "I will
bring thee home tn Norway, that thou wilt marry me." Now as Astrid stood
in great need, and moreover knew that Lodin was a man of high birth,
rich, and brave, she promised to do so for her ransom. Lodin accordingly
bought Astrid, took her home to Norway with him, and married her with
her friends' consent. Their children were Thorkel Nefia, Ingerid, and
Ingegerd. Ingebjorg and Astrid were daughters of Astrid by King Trygve.
Eirik Bjodaskalle's sons were Sigird, Karlshofud, Jostein, and Thorkel
Dydril, who were all rich and brave people who had estates east in
the country. In Viken in the east dwelt two brothers, rich and of good
descent; one called Thorgeir, and the other Hyrning; and they married
Lodin and Astrid's daughters, Ingerid and Ingegerd.
59. OLAF BAPTIZES THE COUNTRY OF VIKEN.
When Harald Gormson, king of Denmark, had adopted Christianity, he sent
a message over all his kingdom that all people should be baptized, and
converted to the true faith. He himself followed his message, and used
power and violence where nothing else would do. He sent two earls,
Urguthrjot and Brimilskjar, with many people to Norway, to proclaim
Christianity there. In Viken, which stood directly under the king's
power, this succeeded, and many were baptized of the country folk. But
when Svein Forked-beard, immediately after his father King Harald's
death, went out on war expeditions in Saxland, Frisland, and at last
in England, the Northmen who had taken up Christianity returned back to
heathen sacrifices, just as before; and the people in the north of the
country did the same. But now that Olaf Trygvason was king of Norway, he
remained long during the summer (A.D. 996) in Viken, where many of his
relatives and some of his brothers-in-law were settled, and also many
who had been great friends of his father; so that he was received with
the greatest affection. Olaf called together his mother's brothers, his
stepfather Lodin, and his brothers-in-law Thorgeir and Hyrning, to speak
with them, and to disclose with the greatest care the business which he
desired they themselves should approve of, and support with all their
power; namely, the proclaiming Christianity over all his kingdom. He
would, he declared, either bring it to this, that all Norway should be
Christian, or die. "I shall make you all," said he, "great and mighty
men in promoting this work; for I trust to you most, as blood relations
or brothers-in-law." All agreed to do what he asked, and to follow him
in what he desired. King Olaf immediately made it known to the public
that he recommended Christianity to all the people in his kingdom, which
message was well received and approved of by those who had before given
him their promise; and these being the most powerful among the people
assembled, the others followed their example, and all the inhabitants of
the east part of Viken allowed themselves to be baptized. The king
then went to the north part of Viken and invited every man to accept
Christianity; and those who opposed him he punished severely, killing
some, mutilating others, and driving some into banishment. At length he
brought it so far, that all the kingdom which his father King Trvgve had
ruled over, and also that of his relation Harald Grenske, accepted of
Christianity; and during that summer (A.D. 996) and the following winter
(A.D. 997) all Viken was made Christian.
60. OF THE HORDALAND PEOPLE.
Early in spring (A.D. 997) King Olaf set out from Viken with a great
force northwards to Agder, and proclaimed that every man should be
baptized. And thus the people received Christianity, for nobody dared
oppose the king's will, wheresoever he came. In Hordaland, however, were
many bold and great men of Hordakare's race. He, namely, had left four
sons,--the first Thorleif Spake; the second, Ogmund, father of Thorolf
Skialg, who was father of Erling of Sole; the third was Thord father of
the Herse Klyp who killed King Sigurd Slefa, Gunhild's son; and lastly,
Olmod, father of Askel, whose son was Aslak Fitjaskalle; and that family
branch was the greatest and most considered in Hordaland. Now when this
family heard the bad tidings, that the king was coming along the country
from the eastward with a great force, and was breaking the ancient law
of the people, and imposing punishment and hard conditions on all who
opposed him, the relatives appointed a meeting to take counsel with each
other, for they knew the king would come down upon them at once: and
they all resolved to appear in force at the Gula-Thing, there to hold a
conference with King Olaf Trygvason.
61. ROGALAND BAPTIZED.
When King Olaf came to Rogaland, he immediately summoned the people to a
Thing; and when the bondes received the message-token for a Thing, they
assembled in great numbers well armed. After they had come together,
they resolved to choose three men, the best speakers of the whole, who
should answer King Olaf, and argue with the king; and especially should
decline to accept of anything against the old law, even if the king
should require it of them. Now when the bondes came to the Thing, and
the Thing was formed, King Olaf arose, and at first spoke good-humoredly
to the people; but they observed he wanted them to accept Christianity,
with all his fine words: and in the conclusion he let them know that
those who should speak against him, and not submit to his proposal, must
expect his displeasure and punishment, and all the ill that it was in
his power to inflict. When he had ended his speech, one of the bondes
stood up, who was considered the most eloquent, and who had been chosen
as the first who should reply to King Olaf. But when he would begin to
speak such a cough seized him, and such a difficulty of breathing, that
he could not bring out a word, and had to sit down again. Then another
bonde stood up, resolved not to let an answer be wanting, although it
had gone so ill with the former: but he stammered so that he could not
get a word uttered, and all present set up a laughter, amid which
the bonde sat down again. And now the third stood up to make a speech