Heimskringla; Or, The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway
ENDNOTES: (1) The fingers, the branches of the hand, bore golden fruits
from the generosity of the king.--L.
12. OF THORER HUND.
Thorer Hund left the country immediately after King Olaf's fall. He went
all the way to Jerusalem, and many people say he never came back. Thorer
Hund had a son called Sigurd, father of Ranveig who was married to Joan,
a son of Arne Arnason. Their children were Vidkun of Bjarkey, Sigurd
Hund, Erling, and Jardthrud.
13. OF THE MURDER OF HAREK OF THJOTTA.
Harek of Thjotta sat at home on his farm, till King Magnus Olafson came
to the country and was made king. Then Harek went south to Throndhjem
to King Magnus. At that time Asmund Grankelson was in the king's house.
When Harek came to Nidaros, and landed out of the ship, Asmund was
standing with the king in the gallery outside the loft, and both the
king and Asmund knew Harek when they saw him. "Now," says Asmund to the
king, "I will pay Harek for my father's murder." He had in his hand a
little thin hatchet. The king looked at him, and said, "Rather take
this axe of mine." It was thick, and made like a club. "Thou must know,
Asmund," added he, "that there are hard bones in the old fellow." Asmund
took the axe, went down, and through the house, and when he came down to
the cross-road Harek and his men coming up met him. Asmund struck Harek
on the head, so that the axe penetrated to the brains; and that was
Harek's death-wound. Asmund turned back directly to the king's house,
and the whole edge of the axe was turned with the blow. Then said the
king, "What would thy axe have done, for even this one, I think,
is spoilt?" King Magnus afterwards gave him a fief and office in
Halogaland, and many are the tales about the strife between Asmund and
Harek's sons.
14. OF THORGEIR FLEK.
Kalf Arnason had at first, for some time, the greatest share of the
government of the country under King Magnus; but afterwards there were
people who reminded the king of the part Kalf had taken at Stiklestad,
and then it became difficult for Kalf to give the king satisfaction in
anything. Once it happened there were many men with the king bringing
their affairs before him; and Thorgeir Flek from Sula in Veradal, of
whom mention is made before in the history of King Olaf the Saint, came
to him about some needful business. The king paid no attention to his
words, but was listening to people who stood near him. Then Thorgeir
said to the king, so loud that all who were around him could hear:--
"Listen, my lord, to my plain word.
I too was there, and had to bear
A bloody head from Stiklestad:
For I was then with Olaf's men.
Listen to me: well did I see
The men you're trusting the dead corpse thrusting
Out of their way, as dead it lay;
And striking o'er your father's gore."
There was instantly a great uproar, and some told Thorgeir to go out;
but the king called him, and not only despatched his business to his
satisfaction, but promised him favour and friendship.
15. KALF ARNASON FLIES THE COUNTRY
Soon after this the king was at a feast at the farm of Haug in Veradel,
and at the dinner-table Kalf Arnason sat upon one side of him, and Einar
Tambaskelfer on the other. It was already come so far that the king took
little notice of Kalf, but paid most attention to Einar. The king said
to Einar, "Let us ride to-day to Stiklestad. I should like to see the
memorials of the things which took place there." Einar replies, "I can
tell thee nothing about it; but take thy foster-father Kalf with thee;
he can give thee information about all that took place." When the tables
were removed, the king made himself ready, and said to Kalf, "Thou must
go with me to Stiklestad."
Kalf replied, "That is really not my duty."
Then the king stood up in a passion, and said, "Go thou shalt, Kalf!"
and thereupon he went out.
Kalf put on his riding clothes in all haste, and said to his foot-boy,
"Thou must ride directly to Eggja, and order my house-servants to ship
all my property on board my ship before sunset."
King Magnus now rides to Stiklestad, and Kalf with him. They alighted
from horseback, and went to the place where the battle had been. Then
said the king to Kalf, "Where is the spot at which the king fell?"
Kalf stretched out his spear-shaft, and said, "There he lay when he
fell."
The king: "And where wast thou, Kalf?"
Kalf: "Here where I am now standing."
The king turned red as blood in the face, and said, "Then thy axe could
well have reached him."
Kalf replied, "My axe did not come near him;" and immediately went to
his horse, sprang on horseback, and rode away with all his men; and
the king rode back to Haug. Kalf did not stop until he got home in the
evening to Eggja. There his ship lay ready at the shore side, and
all his effects were on board, and the vessel manned with his
house-servants. They set off immediately by night down the fjord, and
afterwards proceeded day and night, when the wind suited. He sailed
out into the West sea, and was there a long time plundering in Ireland,
Scotland, and the Hebudes. Bjarne Gullbrarskald tells of this in the
song about Kalf:--
"Brother of Thorberg, who still stood
Well with the king! in angry mood
He is the first to break with thee,
Who well deserves esteemed to be;
He is the first who friendship broke,
For envious men the falsehood spoke;
And he will he the first to rue
The breach of friendship 'twixt you two."
16. OF THE THREATS OF THE BONDES.
King Magnus added to his property Veggia, which Hrut had been owner of,
and Kviststad, which had belonged to Thorgeir, and also Eggja, with all
the goods which Kalf had left behind him; and thus he confiscated to
the king's estate many great farms, which had belonged to those of the
bonde-army who had fallen at Stiklestad. In like manner, he laid heavy
fined upon many of those who made the greatest opposition to King Olaf.
He drove some out of the country, took large sums of money from others,
and had the cattle of others slaughtered for his use. Then the bondes
began to murmur, and to say among themselves, "Will he go on in the same
way as his father and other chiefs, whom we made an end of when their
pride and lawless proceedings became insupportable?" This discontent
spread widely through the country. The people of Sogn gathered men, and,
it was said, were determined to give battle to King Magnus, if he came
into the Fjord district. King Magnus was then in Hordaland, where he had
remained a long time with a numerous retinue, and was now come to the
resolution to proceed north to Sogn. When the king's friends observed
this, twelve men had a meeting, and resolved to determine by casting
lots which of them should inform the king of the discontent of the
people; and it so happened that the lot fell upon Sigvat.
17. OF THE FREE-SPEAKING SONG ("BERSOGLISVISUR").
Sigvat accordingly composed a poem, which he called the "Free-speaking
Song", which begins with saying the king had delayed too long to pacify
the people, who were threatening to rise in tumult against him. He
said:--
"Here in the south, from Sogn is spread
The news that strife draws to a head:
The bondes will the king oppose--
Kings and their folk should ne'er be foes.
Let us take arms, and briskly go
To battle, if it must be so;
Defend our king--but still deplore
His land plunged in such strife once more."
In this song are also these verses:--
"Hakon, who at Fitiar died,--
Hakon the Good, could not abide
The viking rule, or robber train,
And all men's love he thus did gain.
The people since have still in mind
The laws of Hakon, just and kind;
And men will never see the day
When Hakon's laws have passed away.
"The bondes ask but what is fair;
The Olafs and the Earls, when there
Where Magnus sits, confirmed to all
Their lands and gear--to great and small,
Bold Trygve's son, and Harald's heir,
The Olafs, while on earth they were,
Observed the laws themselves had made,
And none was for his own afraid.
"Let not thy counsellors stir thy wrath
Against the man who speaks the truth;
Thy honour lies in thy good sword,
But still more in thy royal word;
And, if the people do not lie,
The new laws turn out not nigh
So Just and mild, as the laws given
At Ulfasund in face of heaven.
"Dread king! who urges thee to break
Thy pledged word, and back to take
Thy promise given? Thou warrior bold;
With thy own people word to hold,
Thy promise fully to maintain,
Is to thyself the greatest gain:
The battle-storm raiser he
Must by his own men trusted be.
"Who urges thee, who seek'st renown,
The bondes' cattle to cut down?
No king before e'er took in hand
Such viking-work in his own land.
Such rapine men will not long bear,
And the king's counsellors will but share
In their ill-will: when once inflamed,
The king himself for all is blamed.
"Do cautious, with this news of treason
Flying about--give them no reason.
We hange the thief, but then we use
Consideration of the excuse.
I think, great king (who wilt rejoice
Eagle and wolf with battle voice),
It would be wise not to oppose
Thy bondes, and make them thy foes.
"A dangerous sign it is, I fear,
That old grey-bearded men appear
In corners whispering at the Thing,
As if they had bad news to bring.
The young sit still,--no laugh, or shout,--
More looks than words passing shout;
And groups of whispering heads are seen,
On buttoned breasts, with lowering mien.
"Among the udalmen, they say
The king, if he could have his way,
Would seize the bondes' udal land,
And free-born men must this withstand.
In truth the man whose udal field,
By any doom that law can yield
From him adjudged the king would take,
Could the king's throne and power shake."
This verse is the last:--
"A holy bond between us still
Makes me wish speedy end to ill:
The sluggard waits till afternoon,--
At once great Magnus! grant our boon.
Then we will serve with heart and hand,
With thee we'll fight by sea or land:
With Olaf's sword take Olaf's mind,
And to thy bondes be more kind."
In this song the king was exhorted to observe the laws which his father
had established. This exhortation had a good effect on the king, for
many others held the same language to him. So at last the king consulted
the most prudent men, who ordered all affairs according to law.
Thereafter King Magnus had the law-book composed in writing which is
still in use in Throndhjem district, and is called "The Grey Goose" (1).
King Magnus afterwards became very popular, and was beloved by all the
country people, and therefore he was called Magnus the Good.
ENDNOTES: (1) "The Grey Goose", so called probably from the colour of
the parchment on which it is written, is one of the most curious
relics of the Middle Ages, and give us an unexpected view of
the social condition of the Northmen in the eleventh
century. Law appears to have been so far advanced among
them that the forms were not merely established, but the
slightest breach of the legal forms of proceeding involved
the loss of the case. The "Grey Goose" embraces subjects
not dealt with probably by any other code in Europe at that
period. The provision for the poor, the equality of