Heimskringla; Or, The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway
course of it had come to England, where he met King Canute, and obtained
permission from him to sail to Norway, as before related. When he
came to Norway he proceeded straight to King Olaf, and found him at
Sarpsborg. He presented himself before the king just as he was sitting
down to table. Sigvat saluted him. The king looked at Sigvat and was
silent. Then Sigvat sang:--
"Great king! thy marshal is come home,
No more by land or sea to roam,
But by thy side
Still to abide.
Great king! what seat here shall he take
For the king's honour--not his sake?
For all seats here
To me are dear."
Then was verified the old saying, that "many are the ears of a king;"
for King Olaf had heard all about Sigvat's journey, and that he had
spoken with Canute. He says to Sigvat, "I do not know if thou art my
marshal, or hast become one of Canute's men." Sigvat said:--
"Canute, whose golden gifts display
A generous heart, would have me stay,
Service in his great court to take,
And my own Norway king forsake.
Two masters at a time, I said,
Were one too many for men bred
Where truth and virtue, shown to all,
Make all men true in Olaf's hall."
Then King Olaf told Sigvat to take his seat where he before used to sit;
and in a short time Sigvat was in as high favour with the king as ever.
171. OF ERLING SKJALGSON AND HIS SONS.
Erling Skjalgson and all his sons had been all summer in King Canute's
army, in the retinue of Earl Hakon. Thorer Hund was also there, and
was in high esteem. Now when King Canute heard that King Olaf had gone
overland to Norway, he discharged his army, and gave all men leave to
go to their winter abodes. There was then in Denmark a great army of
foreigners, both English, Norwegians, and men of other countries,
who had joined the expedition in summer. In autumn (A.D. 1027) Erling
Skjalgson went to Norway with his men, and received great presents from
King Canute at parting; but Thorer Hund remained behind in King Canute's
court. With Erling went messengers from King Canute well provided with
money; and in winter they travelled through all the country, paying
the money which King Canute had promised to many in autumn for their
assistance. They gave presents in money, besides, to many whose
friendship could be purchased for King Canute. They received much
assistance in their travels from Erling. In this way it came to pass
that many turned their support to King Canute, promised him their
services, and agreed to oppose King Olaf. Some did this openly, but many
more concealed it from the public. King Olaf heard this news, for many
had something to tell him about it; and the conversation in the court
often turned upon it. Sigvat the skald made a song upon it:--
"The base traitors ply
With purses of gold,
Wanting to buy
What is not to be sold,--
The king's life and throne
Wanting to buy:
But our souls are our own,
And to hell we'll not hie.
No pleasure in heaven,
As we know full well,
To the traitor is given,--
His soul is his hell."
Often also the conversation turned upon how ill it beseemed Earl Hakon
to raise his hand in arms against King Olaf, who had given him his life
when he fell into the king's power; but Sigvat was a particular friend
of Earl Hakon, and when he heard the earl spoken against he sang:--
"Our own court people we may blame,
If they take gold to their own shame,
Their king and country to betray.
With those who give it's not the same,
From them we have no faith to claim:
'Tis we are wrong, if we give way."
172. OF KING OLAF'S PRESENTS AT YULE.
King Olaf gave a great feast at Yule, and many great people had come to
him. It was the seventh day of Yule, that the king, with a few persons,
among whom was Sigvat, who attended him day and night, went to a house
in which the king's most precious valuables were kept. He had, according
to his custom, collected there with great care the valuable presents he
was to make on New Year's eve. There was in the house no small number of
gold-mounted swords; and Sigvat sang:--
"The swords stand there,
All bright and fair,--
Those oars that dip in blood:
If I in favour stood,
I too might have a share.
A sword the skald would gladly take,
And use it for his master's sake:
In favour once he stood,
And a sword has stained in blood."
The king took a sword of which the handle was twisted round with gold,
and the guard was gold-mounted, and gave it to him. It was a valuable
article; but the gift was not seen without envy, as will appear
hereafter.
Immediately after Yule (1028) the king began his journey to the Uplands;
for he had a great many people about him, but had received no income
that autumn from the North country, for there had been an armament in
summer, and the king had laid out all the revenues he could command;
and also he had no vessels with which he and his people could go to the
North. At the same time he had news from the North, from which he could
see that there would be no safety for him in that quarter, unless he
went with a great force. For these reasons he determined to proceed
through the Uplands, although it was not so long a time since he had
been there in guest-quarters as the law prescribes, and as the kings
usually had the custom of observing in their visits. When he came to
the Uplands the lendermen and the richest bondes invited him to be their
guest, and thus lightened his expenses.
173. OF BJORN THE BAILIFF.
There was a man called Bjorn who was of Gautland family, and a friend
and acquaintance of Queen Astrid, and in some way related to her. She
had given him farm-management and other offices in the upper part of
Hedemark. He had also the management of Osterdal district. Bjorn was
not in esteem with the king, nor liked by the bondes. It happened in a
hamlet which Bjorn ruled over, that many swine and cattle were missing:
therefore Bjorn ordered a Thing to be called to examine the matter. Such
pillage he attributed chiefly to the people settled in forest-farms far
from other men; by which he referred particularly to those who dwelt in
Osterdal, for that district was very thinly inhabited, and full of lakes
and forest-cleanings, and but in few places was any great neighbourhood
together.
174. OF RAUD'S SONS.
There was a man called Raud who dwelt in Osterdal. His wife was called
Ragnhild; and his sons, Dag and Sigurd, were men of great talent. They
were present at the Thing, made a reply in defence of the Osterdal
people, and removed the accusation from them. Bjorn thought they were
too pert in their answer, and too fine in their clothes and weapons; and
therefore turned his speech against these brothers, and said it was not
unlikely they may have committed these thefts. They denied it, and
the Thing closed. Soon after King Olaf, with his retinue, came to
guest-quarters in the house of bailiff Bjorn. The matter which had been
before the Thing was then complained of to the king; and Bjorn said that
Raud's sons appeared to him to have committed these thefts. A messenger
was sent for Raud's sons; and when they appeared before the king he
said they had not at all the appearance of thieves, and acquitted them.
Thereupon they invited the king, with all his retinue, to a three days'
entertainment at their father's; and although Bjorn dissuaded him from
it, the king went. At Raud's there was a very excellent feast. The king
asked Raud what people he and his wife were. Raud answered that he was
originally a Swedish man, rich and of high birth; "but I ran away
with the wife I have ever since had, and she is a sister of King Hring
Dagson." The king then remembered both their families. He found that
father and sons were men of understanding, and asked them what they
could do. Sigurd said he could interpret dreams, and determine the time
of the day although no heavenly bodies could be seen. The king made
trial of his art, and found it was as Sigurd had said. Dag stated, as
his accomplishment, that he could see the misdeeds and vices of every
man who came under his eye, when he chose to observe him closely. The
king told him to declare what faults of disposition he saw in the king
himself. Dag mentioned a fault which the king was sensible he really
had. Then the king asked what fault the bailiff Bjorn had. Dag said
Bjorn was a thief; and told also where Bjorn had concealed on his farm
the bones, horns, and hides of the cattle he had stolen in autumn; "for
he committed," said Dag, "all the thefts in autumn which he accuses
other people of." Dag also told the king the places where the king
should go after leaving them. When the king departed from Raud's house
he was accompanied on the way, and presented with friendly gifts; and
Raud's sons remained with the king. The king went first to Bjorn's,
and found there that all Dag had told him was true. Upon which he
drove Bjorn out of the country; and he had to thank the queen that he
preserved life and limbs.
175. THORER'S DEATH.
Thorer, a son of Olver of Eggja, a stepson of Kalf Arnason, and a
sister's son of Thorer Hund, was a remarkably handsome man, stout and
strong. He was at this time eighteen years old; had made a good marriage
in Hedemark, by which he got great wealth; and was besides one of the
most popular of men, and formed to be a chief. He invited the king and
his retinue home to him to a feast. The king accepted the invitation,
went to Thorer's, and was well received. The entertainment was very
splendid; they were excellently treated, and all that was set before the
guests was of the best that could be got. The king and his people talked
among themselves of the excellence of everything, and knew not what they
should admire the most,--whether Thorer's house outside, or the inside
furniture, the table service, or the liquors, or the host who gave them
such a feast. But Dag said little about it. The king used often to speak
to Dag, and ask him about various things; and he had proved the truth
of all that Dag had said, both of things that had happened or were to
happen, and therefore the king had much confidence in what he said.
The king called Dag to him to have a private conversation together,
and spoke to him about many things. Afterwards the king turned the
conversation on Thorer,--what an excellent man Thorer was, and what a
superb feast he had made for them. Dag answered but little to this,
but agreed it was true what the king said. The king then asked Dag
what disposition or faith he found in Thorer. Dag replied that he must
certainly consider Thorer of a good disposition, if he be really what
most people believe him to be. The king told him to answer direct what
he was asked, and said that it was his duty to do so. Dag replies, "Then
thou must allow me to determine the punishment if I disclose his faith."
The king replied that he would not submit his decision to another man,
but again ordered Dag to reply to what he asked.
Dag replies, "The sovereign's order goes before all. I find this
disposition in Thorer, as in so many others, that he is too greedy of
money."
The king: "Is he then a thief, or a robber?"
"He is neither."
"What is he then?"
"To win money he is a traitor to his sovereign. He has taken money from
King Canute the Great for thy head."
The king asks, "What proof hast thou of the truth of this?"
Dag: "He has upon his right arm, above the elbow, a thick gold ring,
which King Canute gave him, and which he lets no man see."
This ended their conference, and the king was very wroth. Now as the