Heimskringla; Or, The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway
They answered, "It is, sire, as you say."
The king--"Our case was judged at the Upsala Thing. But what was his
meaning when he said that bad payment was made; namely, a gosling for
a goose, a pig for a swine, and clay and dirt for half of the money
instead of gold?"
Arnvid the Blind replied, "Sire, red gold and clay are things very
unlike; but the difference is still greater between king and slave. You
promised Olaf the Thick your daughter Ingegerd, who, in all branches of
her descent, is born of kings, and of the Upland Swedish race of kings,
which is the most noble in the North; for it is traced up to the gods
themselves. But now Olaf has got Astrid; and although she is a king's
child, her mother was but a slave-woman, and, besides, of Vindish race.
Great difference, indeed, must there be between these kings, when the
one takes thankfully such a match; and now it is evident, as might be
expected, that no Northman is to be placed by the side of the Upsala
kings. Let us all give thanks that it has so turned out; for the gods
have long protected their descendants, although many now neglect this
faith."
There were three brothers:--Arnvid the Blind, who had a great
understanding, but was so weak-sighted that he was scarcely fit for
war; the second was Thorvid the Stammerer, who could not utter two words
together at one time, but was remarkably bold and courageous; the third
was Freyvid the Deaf, who was hard of hearing. All these brothers were
rich and powerful men, of noble birth, great wisdom, and all very dear
to the king.
Then said King Olaf, "What means that which Emund said about Atte the
Dull?"
None made any reply, but the one looked at the other.
"Speak freely," said the king.
Then said Thorvid the Stammerer,
"Atte--quarrel--some--greedy--jealous--deceitful--dull."
Then said the king, "To whom are these words of reproach and mockery
applied?"
Freyvid the Deaf replied, "We will speak more clearly if we have your
permission."
The king--"Speak freely, Freyvid, what you will."
Freyvid took up the word, and spoke. "My brother Thorvid, who
is considered to be the wisest of us brothers, holds the words
'quarrelsome, greedy, jealous, dull,' to be one and the same thing; for
it applies to him who is weary of peace, longs for small things without
attaining them, while he lets great and useful things pass away as they
came. I am deaf; yet so loud have many spoken out, that I can perceive
that all men, both great and small, take it ill that you have not kept
your promise to the king of Norway; and, worse than that, that you broke
the decision of the community as it was delivered at Upsala Thing. You
need not fear either the king of Norway, or the king of Denmark, or any
other, so long as the Swedish army will follow you; but if the people
of the country unanimously turn against you, we, your friends, see no
counsel that can be of advantage to you."
The king asks, "Who is the chief who dares to betray the country and
me?"
Freyvid replies, "All Swedes desire to have the ancient laws, and their
full rights. Look but here, sire, how many chiefs are sitting in
council with you. I think, in truth, we are but six whom you call your
councillors: all the others, so far as I know, have ridden forth through
the districts to hold Things with the people; and we will not conceal
it from you, that the message-token has gone forth to assemble a
Retribution-thing (1). All of us brothers have been invited to take part
in the decisions of this council, but none of us will bear the name of
traitor to the sovereign; for that our father never was."
Then the king said, "What council shall we take in this dangerous affair
that is in our hands? Good chiefs give me council, that I may keep my
kingdom, and the heritage of my forefathers; for I cannot enter into
strife against the whole Swedish force."
Arnvid the Blind replies, "Sire, it is my advice that you ride down to
Aros with such men as will follow you; take your ship there and go out
into the Maeler lake; summon all people to meet you; proceed no longer
with haughtiness, but promise every man the law and rights of old
established in the country; keep back in this way the message-token,
for it cannot as yet, in so short a time have travelled far through the
land. Send, then those of your men in whom you have the most confidence
to those who have this business on hand, and try if this uproar can be
appeased."
The king says that he will adopt this advice. "I will," says he, "that
ye brothers undertake this business; for I trust to you the most among
my men."
Thorvid the Stammerer said, "I remain behind. Let Jacob, your son, go
with them, for that is necessary."
Then said Freyvid, "Let us do as Thorvid says: he will not leave you,
and I and Arnvid must travel."
This counsel was followed. Olaf went to his ships, and set out into
the Maelar lake, and many people came to him. The brothers Arnvid and
Freyvid rode out to Ullaraker, and had with them the king's son Jacob;
but they kept it a secret that he was there. The brothers observed that
there was a great concourse and war-gathering, for the bondes held the
Thing night and day. When Arnvid and Freyvid met their relations and
friends, they said they would join with the people; and many agreed to
leave the management of the business in the hands of the brothers. But
all, as one man, declared they would no longer have King Olaf over them,
and no longer suffer his unlawful proceedings, and over-weening pride
which would not listen to any man's remonstrances, even when the great
chiefs spoke the truth to him. When Freyvid observed the heat of the
people, he saw in what a bad situation the king's cause was. He
summoned the chiefs of the land to a meeting with him and addressed them
thus:--"It appears to me, that if we are to depose Olaf Eirikson from
his kingdom, we Swedes of the Uplands should be the leading men in it:
for so it has always been, that the counsel which the Upland chiefs have
resolved among themselves has always been followed by the men of the
rest of the country. Our forefathers did not need to take advice from
the West Gautlanders about the government of the Swedes. Now we will
not be so degenerate as to need Emund to give us counsel; but let us,
friends and relations, unite ourselves for the purpose of coming to
a determination." All agreed to this, and thought it was well said.
Thereafter the people joined this union which the Upland chiefs made
among themselves, and Freyvid and Arnvid were chiefs of the whole
assemblage. When Emund heard this he suspected how the matter would end,
and went to both the brothers to have a conversation with them. Then
Freyvid asked Emund, "Who, in your opinion, should we take for king, in
case Olaf Eirikson's days are at an end?"
Emund--"He whom we think best suited to it, whether he be of the race of
chiefs or not."
Freyvid answers, "We Uplanders will not, in our time, have the kingdom
go out of the old race of our ancestors, which has given us kings for a
long course of generations, so long as we have so good a choice as now.
King Olaf has two sons, one of whom we will choose for king, although
there is a great difference between them. The one is noble-born, and
of Swedish race on both sides; the other is a slave-woman's son, and of
Vindish race on the mother's side."
This decision was received with loud applause, and all would have Jacob
for king.
Then said Emund. "Ye Upland Swedes have the power this time to
determinate the matter; but I will tell you what will happen:--some of
those who now will listen to nothing but that the kingdom remain in the
old race will live to see the day when they will wish the kingdom in
another race, as being of more advantage."
Thereupon the brothers Freyvid and Arnvid led the king's son Jacob into
the Thing, and saluted him with the title of king; and the Swedes gave
him the name of Onund, which he afterwards retained as long as he lived.
He was then ten or twelve years old. Thereafter King Onund took a court,
and chose chiefs to be around him; and they had as many attendants
in their suite as were thought necessary, so that he gave the whole
assemblage of bondes leave to return home. After that ambassadors went
between the two kings; and at last they had a meeting, and came to an
agreement. Olaf was to remain king over the country as long as he lived;
but should hold peace and be reconciled with King Olaf of Norway, and
also with all who had taken part in this business. Onund should also
be king, and have a part of the land, such as the father and son should
agree upon; but should be bound to support the bondes in case King Olaf
did anything which the bondes would not suffer.
ENDNOTES: (1) Refsithing--a Thing for punishment by penalty or death for
crimes and misdemeanours.--L.
97. MEETING OF RECONCILIATION BETWEEN THE KINGS, AND THEIR GAME AT DICE.
Thereafter ambassadors were sent to Norway to King Olaf, with the errand
that he should come with his retinue to a meeting at Konungahella with
the Swedish kings, and that the Swedish kings would there confirm their
reconciliation. When King Olaf heard this message, he was willing, now
as formerly, to enter into the agreement, and proceeded to the appointed
place. There the Swedish kings also came; and the relations, when they
met, bound themselves mutually to peace and agreement. Olaf the Swedish
king was then remarkably mild in manner, and agreeable to talk with.
Thorstein Frode relates of this meeting, that there was an inhabited
district in Hising which had sometimes belonged to Norway, and sometimes
to Gautland. The kings came to the agreement between themselves that
they would cast lots by the dice to determine who should have this
property, and that he who threw the highest should have the district.
The Swedish king threw two sixes, and said King Olaf need scarcely
throw. He replied, while shaking the dice in his hand, "Although there
be two sixes on the dice, it would be easy, sire, for God Almighty to
let them turn up in my favour." Then he threw, and had sixes also. Now
the Swedish king threw again, and had again two sixes. Olaf king of
Norway then threw, and had six upon one dice, and the other split in
two, so as to make seven eyes in all upon it; and the district was
adjudged to the king of Norway. We have heard nothing else of any
interest that took place at this meeting; and the kings separated the
dearest of friends with each other.
98. OF OLAF OF NORWAY, AFTER THE MEETING.
After the events now related Olaf returned with his people to Viken.
He went first to Tunsberg, and remained there a short time, and then
proceeded to the north of the country. In harvest-time he sailed north
to Throndhjem, and had winter provision laid in there, and remained
there all winter (A.D. 1090). Olaf Haraldson was now sole and supreme
king of Norway, and the whole of that sovereignty, as Harald Harfager
had possessed it, and had the advantage over that monarch of being the
only king in the land. By a peaceful agreement he had also recovered
that part of the country which Olaf the Swedish king had before
occupied; and that part of the country which the Danish king had got
he retook by force, and ruled over it as elsewhere in the country. The
Danish king Canute ruled at that time both over Denmark and England;
but he himself was in England for the most part, and set chiefs over the
country in Denmark, without at that time making any claim upon Norway.
99. HISTORY OF THE EARLS OF ORKNEY.
It is related that in the days of Harald Harfager, the king of Norway,
the islands of Orkney, which before had been only a resort for vikings,
were settled. The first earl in the Orkney Islands was called Sigurd,