Heimskringla; Or, The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway
Hjalte never to speak of the matter again before the king. As Hjalte and
Ingegerd spoke together often, Olaf the Thick was often the subject, and
he told her about him and his manners; and Hjalte praised the king of
Norway what he could, but said no more than was the truth, and she could
well perceive it. Once, in a conversation, Hjalte said to her, "May I be
permitted, daughter of the king, to tell thee what lies in my mind?"
"Speak freely," says she; "but so that I alone can hear it."
"Then," said Hjalte, "what would be thy answer, if the Norway king Olaf
sent messengers to thee with the errand to propose marriage to thee?"
She blushed, and answered slowly but gently, "I have not made up my mind
to answer to that; but if Olaf be in all respects so perfect as thou
tellest me, I could wish for no other husband; unless, indeed, thou hast
gilded him over with thy praise more than sufficiently."
Hjalte replied, that he had in no respect spoken better of the king than
was true. They often spoke together on the same subject. Ingegerd begged
Hjalte to be cautious not to mention it to any other person, for the
king would be enraged against him if it came to his knowledge. Hjalte
only spoke of it to the skalds Gissur and Ottar, who thought it was the
most happy plan, if it could but be carried into effect. Ottar, who was
a man of great power of conversation, and much beloved in the court,
soon brought up the subject before the king's daughter, and recounted
to her, as Hjalte had done, all King Olaf's excellent qualities. Often
spoke Hjalte and the others about him; and now that Hjalte knew
the result of his mission, he sent those Gautland men away who had
accompanied him, and let them return to the earl with letters (1) which
the king's daughter Ingegerd sent to the earl and Ingebjorg. Hjalte also
let them give a hint to the earl about the conversation he had had with
Ingegerd, and her answer thereto: and the messengers came with it to the
earl a little before Yule.
ENDNOTES: (1) This seems the first notice we have in the sagas of
written letters being sent instead of tokens and verbal messages.
--L.
72. OLAF'S JOURNEY TO THE UPLANDS.
When King Olaf had despatched Bjorn and his followers to Gautland, he
sent other people also to the Uplands, with the errand that they should
have guest-quarters prepared for him, as he intended that winter (A.D.
1018) to live as guest in the Uplands; for it had been the custom of
former kings to make a progress in guest-quarters every third year in
the Uplands. In autumn he began his progress from Sarpsborg, and went
first to Vingulmark. He ordered his progress so that he came first to
lodge in the neighbourhood of the forest habitations, and summoned to
him all the men of the habitations who dwelt at the greatest distance
from the head-habitations of the district; and he inquired particularly
how it stood with their Christianity, and, where improvement was
needful, he taught them the right customs. If any there were who would
not renounce heathen ways, he took the matter so zealously that he drove
some out of the country, mutilated others of hands or feet, or stung
their eyes out; hung up some, cut down some with the sword; but let none
go unpunished who would not serve God. He went thus through the whole
district, sparing neither great nor small. He gave them teachers, and
placed these as thickly in the country as he saw needful. In this manner
he went about in that district, and had 300 deadly men-at-arms with him;
and then proceeded to Raumarike. He soon perceived that Christianity was
thriving less the farther he proceeded into the interior of the country.
He went forward everywhere in the same way, converting all the people to
the right faith, and severely punishing all who would not listen to his
word.
73. TREACHERY OF THE UPLAND KINGS.
Now when the king who at that time ruled in Raumarike heard of this, he
thought it was a very bad affair; for every day came men to him, both
great and small, who told him what was doing. Therefore this king
resolved to go up to Hedemark, and consult King Hrorek, who was the
most eminent for understanding of the kings who at that time were in the
country. Now when these kings spoke with each other, they agreed to
send a message to Gudrod, the valley-king north in the Gudbrandsdal,
and likewise to the king who was in Hadaland, and bid them to come to
Hedemark, to meet Hrorek and the other kings there. They did not spare
their travelling; for five kings met in Hedemark, at a place called
Ringsaker. Ring, King Hrorek's brother, was the fifth of these kings.
The kings had first a private conference together, in which he who
came from Raumarike first took up the word, and told of King Olaf's
proceedings, and of the disturbance he was causing both by killing and
mutilating people. Some he drove out of the country, some he deprived
of their offices or property if they spoke anything against him; and,
besides, he was travelling over the country with a great army, not
with the number of people fixed by law for a royal progress in
guest-quarters. He added, that he had fled hither upon account of this
disturbance, and many powerful people with him had fled from their udal
properties in Raumarike. "But although as yet the evil is nearest to
us, it will be but a short time before ye will also be exposed to it;
therefore it is best that we all consider together what resolution we
shall take." When he had ended his speech, Hrorek was desired to speak;
and he said, "Now is the day come that I foretold when we had had our
meeting at Hadaland, and ye were all so eager to raise Olaf over our
heads; namely, that as soon as he was the supreme master of the country
we would find it hard to hold him by the horns. We have but two things
now to do: the one is, to go all of us to him, and let him do with us as
he likes, which I think is the best thing we can do; or the other is,
to rise against him before he has gone farther through the country.
Although he has 300 or 400 men, that is not too great a force for us to
meet, if we are only all in movement together: but, in general, there is
less success and advantage to be gained when several of equal strength
are joined together, than when one alone stands at the head of his own
force; therefore it is my advice, that we do not venture to try our luck
against Olaf Haraldson."
Thereafter each of the kings spoke according to his own mind some
dissuading from going out against King Olaf, others urging it; and no
determination was come to, as each had his own reasons to produce.
Then Gudrod, the valley-king, took up the word, and spoke:--"It appears
wonderful to me, that ye make such a long roundabout in coming to a
resolution; and probably ye are frightened for him. We are here five
kings, and none of less high birth than Olaf. We gave him the strength
to fight with Earl Svein, and with our forces he has brought the country
under his power. But if he grudges each of us the little kingdom he had
before, and threatens us with tortures, or gives us ill words, then, say
I for myself, that I will withdraw myself from the king's slavery; and I
do not call him a man among you who is afraid to cut him off, if he come
into your hands here up in Hedemark. And this I can tell you, that we
shall never bear our heads in safety while Olaf is in life." After this
encouragement they all agreed to his determination.
Then said Hrorek, "With regard to this determination, it appears to me
necessary to make our agreement so strong that no one shall fail in his
promise to the other. Therefore, if ye determine upon attacking Olaf at
a fixed time, when he comes here to Hedemark, I will not trust much to
you if some are north in the valleys, others up in Hedemark; but if
our resolution is to come to anything, we must remain here assembled
together day and night."
This the kings agreed to, and kept themselves there all assembled,
ordering a feast to be provided for them at Ringsaker, and drank there a
cup to success; sending out spies to Raumarike, and when one set came
in sending out others, so that day and night they had intelligence of
Olaf's proceedings, and of the numbers of his men. King Olaf went
about in Raumarike in guest-quarters, and altogether in the way before
related; but as the provision of the guest-quarter was not always
sufficient, upon account of his numerous followers, he laid it upon the
bondes to give additional contributions wherever he found it necessary
to stay. In some places he stayed longer, in others, shorter than was
fixed; and his journey down to the lake Miosen was shorter than had
been fixed on. The kings, after taking their resolution, sent out
message-tokens, and summoned all the lendermen and powerful bondes from
all the districts thereabout; and when they had assembled the kings had
a private meeting with them, and made their determination known, setting
a day for gathering together and carrying it into effect; and it was
settled among them that each of the kings should have 300 (1) men. Then
they sent away the lendermen to gather the people, and meet all at the
appointed place. The most approved of the measure; but it happened
here, as it usually does, that every one has some friend even among his
enemies.
ENDNOTES: (1) I.e., 360.
74. MUTILATING OF THE UPLAND KINGS.
Ketil of Ringanes was at this meeting. Now when he came home in the
evening he took his supper, put on his clothes, and went down with his
house-servants to the lake; took a light vessel which he had, the same
that King Olaf had made him a present of, and launched it on the water.
They found in the boat-house everything ready to their hands; betook
themselves to their oars, and rowed out into the lake. Ketil had forty
well-armed men with him, and came early in the morning to the end of the
lake. He set off immediately with twenty men, leaving the other twenty
to look after the ship. King Olaf was at that time at Eid, in the upper
end of Raumarike. Thither Ketil arrived just as the king was coming from
matins. The king received Ketil kindly. He said he must speak with the
king in all haste; and they had a private conference together. There
Ketil tells the king the resolution which the kings had taken, and their
agreement, which he had come to the certain knowledge of. When the king
learnt this he called his people together, and sent some out to collect
riding-horses in the country; others he sent down to the lake to take
all the rowing-vessels they could lay hold of, and keep them for his
use. Thereafter he went to the church, had mass sung before him, and
then sat down to table. After his meal he got ready, and hastened down
to the lake, where the vessels were coming to meet him. He himself went
on board the light vessel, and as many men with him as it could stow,
and all the rest of his followers took such boats as they could get hold
of; and when it was getting late in the evening they set out from the
land, in still and calm weather. He rowed up the water with 400 men, and
came with them to Ringsaker before day dawned; and the watchmen were not
aware of the army before they were come into the very court. Ketil knew
well in what houses the kings slept, and the king had all these houses
surrounded and guarded, so that nobody could get out; and so they stood
till daylight. The kings had not people enough to make resistance, but
were all taken prisoners, and led before the king. Hrorek was an able
but obstinate man, whose fidelity the king could not trust to if he made
peace with him; therefore he ordered both his eyes to be punched out,
and took him in that condition about with him. He ordered Gudrod's
tongue to be cut out; but Ring and two others he banished from Norway,