Heimskringla; Or, The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway
fellow-travellers into their company and quarters. Now when Hjalte had
resided there a short time, and got acquainted with people, he was much
respected by everybody. The skalds were often in the king's house, for
they were well-spoken men; and often in the daytime they sat in front of
the king's high-seat, and Hjalte, to whom they paid the highest respect
in all things, by their side. He became thus known to the king, who
willingly entered into conversation with him, and heard from him news
about Iceland.
70. OF SIGVAT THE SKALD.
It happened that before Bjorn set out from home he asked Sigvat the
skald, who at that time was with King Olaf, to accompany him on his
journey. It was a journey for which people had no great inclination.
There was, however, great friendship between Bjorn and Sigvat. Then
Sigvat sang:--
"With the king's marshals all have I,
In days gone by,
Lived joyously,--
With all who on the king attend,
And knee before him humbly bend,
Bjorn, thou oft hast ta'en my part--
Pleaded with art,
And touched the heart.
Bjorn! brave stainer of the sword,
Thou art my friend--I trust thy word."
While they were riding up to Gautland, Sigvat made these verses:--
"Down the Fjord sweep wind and rain,
Our stout ship's sails and tackle strain;
Wet to the skin.
We're sound within,
And gaily o'er the waves are dancing,
Our sea-steed o'er the waves high prancing!
Through Lister sea
Flying all free;
Off from the wind with swelling sail,
We merrily scud before the gale,
And reach the sound
Where we were bound.
And now our ship, so gay and grand,
Glides past the green and lovely land,
And at the isle
Moors for a while.
Our horse-hoofs now leave hasty print;
We ride--of ease there's scanty stint--
In heat and haste
O'er Gautland's waste:
Though in a hurry to be married,
The king can't say that we have tarried."
One evening late they were riding through Gautland, and Sigvat made
these verses:--
"The weary horse will at nightfall
Gallop right well to reach his stall;
When night meets day, with hasty hoof
He plies the road to reach a roof.
Far from the Danes, we now may ride
Safely by stream or mountain-side;
But, in this twilight, in some ditch
The horse and rider both may pitch."
They rode through the merchant town of Skara, and down the street to the
earl's house. He sang:--
"The shy sweet girls, from window high
In wonder peep at the sparks that fly
From our horses heels, as down the street
Of the earl's town we ride so fleet.
Spur on!--that every pretty lass
May hear our horse-hoofs as we pass
Clatter upon the stones so hard,
And echo round the paved court-yard."
71. HJALTE SKEGGJASON WHILE HE WAS IN SVITHIOD.
One day Hjalte, and the skalds with him, went before the king, and he
began thus:--"It has so happened, king, as is known to you, that I
have come here after a long and difficult journey; but when I had once
crossed the ocean and heard of your greatness, it appeared to me unwise
to go back without having seen you in your splendour and glory. Now it
is a law between Iceland and Norway, that Iceland men pay landing due
when they come into Norway, but while I was coming across the sea I took
myself all the landing dues from my ship's people; but knowing that thou
have the greatest right to all the power in Norway, I hastened hither to
deliver to you the landing dues." With this he showed the silver to the
king, and laid ten marks of silver in Gissur Black's lap.
The king replies, "Few have brought us any such dues from Norway for
some time; and now, Hjalte, I will return you my warmest thanks for
having given yourself so much trouble to bring us the landing dues,
rather than pay them to our enemies. But I will that thou shouldst take
this money from me as a gift, and with it my friendship."
Hjalte thanked the king with many words, and from that day set himself
in great favour with the king, and often spoke with him; for the king
thought, what was true, that he was a man of much understanding and
eloquence. Now Hjalte told Gissur and Ottar that he was sent with
tokens to the king's daughter Ingegerd, to obtain her protection and
friendship; and he begged of them to procure him some opportunity to
speak with her. They answered, that this was an easy thing to do; and
went one day to her house, where she sat at the drinking table with many
men. She received the skalds in a friendly manner, for they were known
to her. Hjalte brought her a salutation from the earl's wife, Ingebjorg;
and said she had sent him here to obtain friendly help and succour
from her, and in proof whereof produced his tokens. The king's
daughter received him also kindly, and said he should be welcome to her
friendship. They sat there till late in the day drinking. The king's
daughter made Hjalte tell her much news, and invited him to come often
and converse with her. He did so: came there often, and spoke with the
king's daughter; and at last entrusted her with the purpose of Bjorn's
and his comrade's journey, and asked her how she thought the Swedish
king would receive the proposal that there should be a reconciliation
between the kings. The king's daughter replied, that, in her opinion,
it would be a useless attempt to propose to the king any reconciliation
with Olaf the Thick; for the king was so enraged against him, that he
would not suffer his name to be mentioned before him. It happened one
day that Hjalte was sitting with the king and talking to him, and the
king was very merry and drunk. Then Hjalte said, "Manifold splendour and
grandeur have I seen here; and I have now witnessed with my eyes what I
have often heard of, that no monarch in the north is so magnificent: but
it is very vexatious that we who come so far to visit it have a road
so long and troublesome, both on account of the great ocean, but more
especially because it is not safe to travel through Norway for those who
are coming here in a friendly disposition. But why is there no one to
bring proposals for a peace between you and King Olaf the Thick? I heard
much in Norway, and in west Gautland, of the general desire that this
peace should have taken place; and it has been told me for truth, as the
Norway king's words, that he earnestly desires to be reconciled to you;
and the reason I know is, that he feels how much less his power is than
yours. It is even said that he intends to pay his court to your daughter
Ingegerd; and that would lead to a useful peace, for I have heard from
people of credit that he is a remarkably distinguished man."
The king answers. "Thou must not speak thus, Hjalte; but for this time
I will not take it amiss of thee, as thou dost not know what people have
to avoid here. That fat fellow shall not be called king in my court, and
there is by no means the stuff in him that people talk of: and thou must
see thyself that such a connection is not suitable; for I am the tenth
king in Upsala who, relation after relation, has been sole monarch over
the Swedish, and many other great lands, and all have been the superior
kings over other kings in the northern countries. But Norway is little
inhabited, and the inhabitants are scattered. There have only been small
kings there; and although Harald Harfager was the greatest king in that
country, and strove against the small kings, and subdued them, yet he
knew so well his position that he did not covet the Swedish dominions,
and therefore the Swedish kings let him sit in peace, especially as
there was relationship between them. Thereafter, while Hakon Athelstan's
foster-son was in Norway he sat in peace, until he began to maraud in
Gautland and Denmark; on which a war-force came upon him, and took
from him both life and land. Gunhild's sons also were cut off when they
became disobedient to the Danish kings; and Harald Gormson joined Norway
to his own dominions, and made it subject to scat to him. And we reckon
Harald Gormson to be of less power and consideration than the Upsala
kings, for our relation Styrbjorn subdued him, and Harald became his
man; and yet Eirik the Victorious, my father, rose over Styrbjorn's head
when it came to a trial between them. When Olaf Trygvason came to Norway
and proclaimed himself king, we would not permit it, but we went with
King Svein, and cut him off; and thus we have appropriated Norway, as
thou hast not heard, and with no less right than if I had gained it in
battle, and by conquering the kings who ruled it before. Now thou canst
well suppose, as a man of sense, that I will not let slip the kingdom of
Norway for this thick fellow. It is wonderful he does not remember how
narrowly he made his escape, when we had penned him in in the Malar
lake. Although he slipped away with life from thence, he ought,
methinks, to have something else in his mind than to hold out against us
Swedes. Now, Hjalte, thou must never again open thy mouth in my presence
on such a subject."
Hjalte saw sufficiently that there was no hope of the king's listening
to any proposal of a peace, and desisted from speaking of it, and turned
the conversation to something else. When Hjalte, afterwards, came
into discourse with the king's daughter Ingegerd, he tells her his
conversation with the king. She told him she expected such an answer
from the king. Hjalte begged of her to say a good word to the king about
the matter, but she thought the king would listen as little to what she
said: "But speak about it I will, if thou requirest it." Hjalte assured
her he would be thankful for the attempt. One day the king's daughter
Ingegerd had a conversation with her father Olaf; and as she found her
father was in a particularly good humour, she said, "What is now thy
intention with regard to the strife with Olaf the Thick? There are many
who complain about it, having lost their property by it; others have
lost their relations by the Northmen, and all their peace and quiet; so
that none of your men see any harm that can be done to Norway. It would
be a bad counsel if thou sought the dominion over Norway; for it is a
poor country, difficult to come at, and the people dangerous: for the
men there will rather have any other for their king than thee. If I
might advise, thou wouldst let go all thoughts about Norway, and not
desire Olaf's heritage; and rather turn thyself to the kingdoms in the
East country, which thy forefathers the former Swedish kings had, and
which our relation Styrbjorn lately subdued, and let the thick Olaf
possess the heritage of his forefathers and make peace with him."
The king replies in a rage, "It is thy counsel, Ingegerd, that I should
let slip the kingdom of Norway, and give thee in marriage to this thick
Olaf."--"No," says he, "something else shall first take place. Rather
than that, I shall, at the Upsala Thing in winter, issue a proclamation
to all Swedes, that the whole people shall assemble for an expedition,
and go to their ships before the ice is off the waters; and I will
proceed to Norway, and lay waste the land with fire and sword, and burn
everything, to punish them for their want of fidelity."
The king was so mad with rage that nobody ventured to say a word, and
she went away. Hjalte, who was watching for her, immediately went to her
and asked how her errand to the king had turned out. She answered, it
turned out as she had expected; that none could venture to put in a word
with the king; but, on the contrary, he had used threats; and she begged