Heimskringla; Or, The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway
autumn before in Gautland, went quite secretly from the court, and
proceeded to Gautland. When they came to Earl Ragnvald's court, they
produced the tokens which Olaf himself had sent to the earl, that he
might place confidence in Thord. Without delay the earl made himself
ready for a journey, as did Astrid, the king's daughter; and the earl
took with him 120 men, who were chosen both from among his courtmen and
the sons of great bondes, and who were carefully equipped in all things,
clothes, weapons, and horses. Then they rode northwards to Sarpsborg,
and came there at Candlemas.
94. OF KING OLAF'S MARRIAGE.
King Olaf had put all things in order in the best style. There were
all sorts of liquors of the best that could be got, and all other
preparations of the same quality. Many people of consequence were
summoned in from their residences. When the earl arrived with his
retinue the king received him particularly well; and the earl was shown
to a large, good, and remarkably well-furnished house for his lodging;
and serving-men and others were appointed to wait on him; and nothing
was wanting, in any respect, that could grace a feast. Now when the
entertainment had lasted some days, the king, the earl, and Astrid had
a conference together; and the result of it was, that Earl Ragnvald
contracted Astrid, daughter of the Swedish king Olaf, to Olaf king
of Norway, with the same dowry which had before been settled that her
sister Ingegerd should have from home. King Olaf, on his part, should
give Astrid the same bride-gift that had been intended for her sister
Ingegerd. Thereupon an eke was made to the feast, and King Olaf and
Queen Astrid's wedding was drunk in great festivity. Earl Ragnvald then
returned to Gautland, and the king gave the earl many great and good
gifts at parting; and they parted the dearest of friends, which they
continued to be while they lived.
95. THE AGREEMENT BROKEN BY OLAF.
The spring (A.D. 1019) thereafter came ambassadors from King Jarisleif
in Novgorod to Svithjod, to treat more particularly about the promise
given by King Olaf the preceding summer to marry his daughter Ingegerd
to King Jarisleif. King Olaf tallied about the business with Ingegerd,
and told her it was his pleasure that she should marry King Jarisleif.
She replied. "If I marry King Jarisleif, I must have as my bride-gift
the town and earldom of Ladoga." The Russian ambassadors agreed to this,
on the part of their sovereign. Then said Ingegerd, "If I go east to
Russia, I must choose the man in Svithjod whom I think most suitable
to accompany me; and I must stipulate that he shall not have any less
title, or in any respect less dignity, privilege, and consideration
there, than he has, here." This the king and the ambassadors agreed to,
and gave their hands upon it in confirmation of the condition.
"And who," asked the king, "is the man thou wilt take with thee as thy
attendant?"
"That man," she replied, "is my relation Earl Ragnvald."
The king replies, "I have resolved to reward Earl Ragnvald in a
different manner for his treason against his master in going to Norway
with my daughter, and giving her as a concubine to that fellow, who he
knew was my greatest enemy. I shall hang him up this summer."
Then Ingegerd begged her father to be true to the promise he had made
her, and had confirmed by giving his hand upon it. By her entreaties it
was at last agreed that the king should promise to let Earl Ragnvald
go in peace from Svithjod, but that he should never again appear in the
king's presence, or come back to Svithjod while Olaf reigned. Ingegerd
then sent messengers to the earl to bring him these tidings, and to
appoint a place of meeting. The earl immediately prepared for his
journey; rode up to East Gautland; procured there a vessel, and, with
his retinue, joined Ingegerd, and they proceeded together eastward to
Russia. There Ingegerd was married to King Jarisleif; and their children
were Valdemar, Vissivald, and Holte the Bold. Queen Ingegerd gave Earl
Ragnvald the town of Ladoga, and earldom belonging to it. Earl
Ragnvald was there a long time, and was a celebrated man. His sons and
Ingebjorg's were Earl Ulf and Earl Eilif.
96. HISTORY OF THE LAGMAN EMUND.
There was a man called Emund of Skara, who was lagman of west Gautland,
and was a man of great understanding and eloquence, and of high birth,
great connection, and very wealthy; but was considered deceitful, and
not to be trusted. He was the most powerful man in West Gautland after
the earl was gone. The same spring (A.D. 1019) that Earl Ragnvald left
Gautland the Gautland people held a Thing among themselves, and often
expressed their anxiety to each other about what the Swedish king
might do. They heard he was incensed because they had rather held in
friendship with the king of Norway than striven against him; and he
was also enraged against those who had attended his daughter Astrid to
Norway. Some proposed to seek help and support from the king of Norway,
and to offer him their services; others dissuaded from this measure, as
West Gautland had no strength to oppose to the Swedes. "And the king of
Norway," said they, "is far from us, the chief strength of his country
very distant; and therefore let us first send men to the Swedish king
to attempt to come to some reconciliation with him. If that fail, we
can still turn to the king of Norway." Then the bondes asked Emund to
undertake this mission, to which he agreed; and he proceeded with
thirty men to East Gautland, where there were many of his relations and
friends, who received him hospitably. He conversed there with the most
prudent men about this difficult business; and they were all unanimous
on one point,--that the king's treatment of them was against law and
reason. From thence Emund went into Svithjod, and conversed with many
men of consequence, who all expressed themselves in the same way. Emund
continued his journey thus, until one day, towards evening, he arrived
at Upsala, where he and his retinue took a good lodging, and stayed
there all night. The next day Emund waited upon the king, who was just
then sitting in the Thing surrounded by many people. Emund went before
him, bent his knee, and saluted him. The king looked at him, saluted
him, and asked him what news he brought.
Emund replies, "There is little news among us Gautlanders; but it
appears to us a piece of remarkable news that the proud, stupid Atte, in
Vermaland, whom we look upon as a great sportsman, went up to the forest
in winter with his snow-shoes and his bow. After he had got as many
furs in the mountains as filled his hand-sledge so full that he could
scarcely drag it, he returned home from the woods. But on the way he saw
a squirrel in the trees, and shot at it, but did not hit; at which he
was so angry, that he left the sledge to run after the squirrel: but
still the squirrel sprang where the wood was thickest, sometimes among
the roots of the trees, sometimes in the branches, sometimes among the
arms that stretch from tree to tree. When Atte shot at it the arrows
flew too high or too low, and the squirrel never jumped so that Atte
could get a fair aim at him. He was so eager upon this chase that he ran
the whole day after the squirrel, and yet could not get hold of it. It
was now getting dark; so he threw himself down upon the snow, as he was
wont, and lay there all night in a heavy snow-storm. Next day Atte got
up to look after his sledge, but never did he find it again; and so he
returned home. And this is the only news, king, I have to tell."
The king says, "This is news of but little importance, if it be all thou
hast to tell."
Ernund replies, "Lately something happened which may well be called
news. Gaute Tofason went with five warships out of the Gaut river,
and when he was lying at the Eikrey Isles there came five large Danish
merchant-ships there. Gaute and his men immediately took four of the
great vessels, and made a great booty without the loss of a man: but the
fifth vessel slipped out to sea, and sailed away. Gaute gave chase with
one ship, and at first came nearer to them; but as the wind increased,
the Danes got away. Then Gaute wanted to turn back; but a storm came on
so that he lost his ship at Hlesey, with all the goods, and the greater
part of his crew. In the meantime his people were waiting for him at the
Eikrey Isles: but the Danes came over in fifteen merchant-ships, killed
them all, and took all the booty they had made. So but little luck had
they with their greed of plunder."
The king replied. "That is great news, and worth being told; but what
now is thy errand here?"
Emund replies, "I travel, sire, to obtain your judgment in a difficult
case, in which our law and the Upsala law do not agree."
The king asks, "What is thy appeal case?"
Emund replies, "There were two noble-born men of equal birth, but
unequal in property and disposition. They quarrelled about some land,
and did each other much damage; but most was done to him who was the
more powerful of the two. This quarrel, however, was settled, and judged
of at a General Thing; and the judgment was, that the most powerful
should pay a compensation. But at the first payment, instead of paying
a goose, he paid a gosling; for an old swine he paid a sucking pig; and
for a mark of stamped gold only a half-mark, and for the other half-mark
nothing but clay and dirt; and, moreover, threatened, in the most
violent way, the people whom he forced to receive such goods in payment.
Now, sire, what is your judgment?"
The king replies, "He shall pay the full equivalent whom the judgment
ordered to do so, and that faithfully; and further, threefold to his
king: and if payment be not made within a year and a day, he shall be
cut off from all his property, his goods confiscated, and half go the
king's house, and half to the other party."
Emund took witnesses to this judgment among the most considerable of
the men who were present, according to the laws which were held in the
Upsala Thing. He then saluted the king, and went his way; and other men
brought their cases before the king, and he sat late in the day upon
the cases of the people. Now when the king came to table, he asked where
Lagman Emund was. It was answered, he was home at his lodgings. "Then,"
said the king, "go after him, and tell him to be my guest to-day."
Thereafter the dishes were borne in; then came the musicians with harps,
fiddles, and musical instruments; and lastly, the cup-bearers. The king
was particularly merry, and had many great people at table with him, so
that he thought little of Emund. The king drank the whole day, and slept
all the night after; but in the morning the king awoke, and recollected
what Emund had said the day before: and when he had put on his clothes,
he let his wise men be summoned to him; for he had always twelve of the
wisest men who sat in judgment with him, and treated the more difficult
cases; and that was no easy business, for the king was ill-pleased if
the judgment was not according to justice, and yet it was of no use
to contradict him. In this meeting the king ordered Lagman Emund to
be called before them. The messenger returned, and said, "Sire, Lagman
Emund rode away yesterday as soon as he had dined." "Then," said the
king, "tell me, ye good chiefs, what may have been the meaning of that
law-case which Emund laid before us yesterday?"
They replied, "You must have considered it yourself, if you think there
was any other meaning under it than what he said."
The king replied, "By the two noble-born men whom he spoke of, who were
at variance, and of whom one was more powerful than the other, and who
did each other damage, he must have meant us and Olaf the Thick."