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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Early Kings of Norway, by Thomas Carlyle
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Early Kings of Norway
+
+Author: Thomas Carlyle
+
+Posting Date: October 10, 2008 [EBook #1932]
+Release Date: October, 1999
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK EARLY KINGS OF NORWAY ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Ron Burkey
+
+
+
+
+
+EARLY KINGS OF NORWAY.
+
+by Thomas Carlyle
+
+
+Transcriber's Note: The text has been taken from volume 19 of the
+"Sterling Edition" of Carlyle's complete works. All footnotes have been
+collected as endnotes. The pound (currency) symbol has been replaced by
+the word "pounds".
+
+
+
+The Icelanders, in their long winter, had a great habit of writing; and
+were, and still are, excellent in penmanship, says Dahlmann. It is to
+this fact, that any little history there is of the Norse Kings and their
+old tragedies, crimes and heroisms, is almost all due. The Icelanders,
+it seems, not only made beautiful letters on their paper or parchment,
+but were laudably observant and desirous of accuracy; and have left
+us such a collection of narratives (_Sagas_, literally "Says") as,
+for quantity and quality, is unexampled among rude nations. Snorro
+Sturleson's History of the Norse Kings is built out of these old
+Sagas; and has in it a great deal of poetic fire, not a little faithful
+sagacity applied in sifting and adjusting these old Sagas; and, in a
+word, deserves, were it once well edited, furnished with accurate
+maps, chronological summaries, &c., to be reckoned among the great
+history-books of the world. It is from these sources, greatly aided by
+accurate, learned and unwearied Dahlmann, [1] the German Professor, that
+the following rough notes of the early Norway Kings are hastily thrown
+together. In Histories of England (Rapin's excepted) next to nothing has
+been shown of the many and strong threads of connection between English
+affairs and Norse.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER I. HARALD HAARFAGR.
+
+Till about the Year of Grace 860 there were no kings in Norway, nothing
+but numerous jarls,--essentially kinglets, each presiding over a kind of
+republican or parliamentary little territory; generally striving each
+to be on some terms of human neighborhood with those about him, but,--in
+spite of "_Fylke Things_" (Folk Things, little parish parliaments),
+and small combinations of these, which had gradually formed
+themselves,--often reduced to the unhappy state of quarrel with them.
+Harald Haarfagr was the first to put an end to this state of things, and
+become memorable and profitable to his country by uniting it under
+one head and making a kingdom of it; which it has continued to be ever
+since. His father, Halfdan the Black, had already begun this rough but
+salutary process,--inspired by the cupidities and instincts, by the
+faculties and opportunities, which the good genius of this world,
+beneficent often enough under savage forms, and diligent at all times to
+diminish anarchy as the world's worst savagery, usually appoints in
+such cases,--conquest, hard fighting, followed by wise guidance of the
+conquered;--but it was Harald the Fairhaired, his son, who conspicuously
+carried it on and completed it. Harald's birth-year, death-year, and
+chronology in general, are known only by inference and computation; but,
+by the latest reckoning, he died about the year 933 of our era, a man of
+eighty-three.
+
+The business of conquest lasted Harald about twelve years (A.D.
+860-872?), in which he subdued also the vikings of the out-islands,
+Orkneys, Shetlands, Hebrides, and Man. Sixty more years were given him
+to consolidate and regulate what he had conquered, which he did with
+great judgment, industry and success. His reign altogether is counted to
+have been of over seventy years.
+
+The beginning of his great adventure was of a romantic
+character.--youthful love for the beautiful Gyda, a then glorious and
+famous young lady of those regions, whom the young Harald aspired to
+marry. Gyda answered his embassy and prayer in a distant, lofty manner:
+"Her it would not beseem to wed any Jarl or poor creature of that kind;
+let him do as Gorm of Denmark, Eric of Sweden, Egbert of England,
+and others had done,--subdue into peace and regulation the confused,
+contentious bits of jarls round him, and become a king; then, perhaps,
+she might think of his proposal: till then, not." Harald was struck with
+this proud answer, which rendered Gyda tenfold more desirable to him.
+He vowed to let his hair grow, never to cut or even to comb it till this
+feat were done, and the peerless Gyda his own. He proceeded accordingly
+to conquer, in fierce battle, a Jarl or two every year, and, at the end
+of twelve years, had his unkempt (and almost unimaginable) head of hair
+clipt off,--Jarl Rognwald (_Reginald_) of More, the most valued and
+valuable of all his subject-jarls, being promoted to this sublime barber
+function;--after which King Harald, with head thoroughly cleaned, and
+hair grown, or growing again to the luxuriant beauty that had no equal
+in his day, brought home his Gyda, and made her the brightest queen
+in all the north. He had after her, in succession, or perhaps even
+simultaneously in some cases, at least six other wives; and by Gyda
+herself one daughter and four sons.
+
+Harald was not to be considered a strict-living man, and he had a great
+deal of trouble, as we shall see, with the tumultuous ambition of his
+sons; but he managed his government, aided by Jarl Rognwald and others,
+in a large, quietly potent, and successful manner; and it lasted in this
+royal form till his death, after sixty years of it.
+
+These were the times of Norse colonization; proud Norsemen flying into
+other lands, to freer scenes,--to Iceland, to the Faroe Islands, which
+were hitherto quite vacant (tenanted only by some mournful hermit,
+Irish Christian _fakir_, or so); still more copiously to the Orkney and
+Shetland Isles, the Hebrides and other countries where Norse squatters
+and settlers already were. Settlement of Iceland, we say; settlement
+of the Faroe Islands, and, by far the notablest of all, settlement of
+Normandy by Rolf the Ganger (A.D. 876?). [2]
+
+Rolf, son of Rognwald, [3] was lord of three little islets far north,
+near the Fjord of Folden, called the Three Vigten Islands; but his
+chief means of living was that of sea robbery; which, or at least Rolf's
+conduct in which, Harald did not approve of. In the Court of Harald,
+sea-robbery was strictly forbidden as between Harald's own countries,
+but as against foreign countries it continued to be the one profession
+for a gentleman; thus, I read, Harald's own chief son, King Eric that
+afterwards was, had been at sea in such employments ever since his
+twelfth year. Rolf's crime, however, was that in coming home from one of
+these expeditions, his crew having fallen short of victual, Rolf landed
+with them on the shore of Norway, and in his strait, drove in some
+cattle there (a crime by law) and proceeded to kill and eat; which, in a
+little while, he heard that King Harald was on foot to inquire into and
+punish; whereupon Rolf the Ganger speedily got into his ships again, got
+to the coast of France with his sea-robbers, got infestment by the poor
+King of France in the fruitful, shaggy desert which is since called
+Normandy, land of the Northmen; and there, gradually felling the
+forests, banking the rivers, tilling the fields, became, during the next
+two centuries, Wilhelmus Conquaestor, the man famous to England, and
+momentous at this day, not to England alone, but to all speakers of the
+English tongue, now spread from side to side of the world in a wonderful
+degree. Tancred of Hauteville and his Italian Normans, though important
+too, in Italy, are not worth naming in comparison. This is a feracious
+earth, and the grain of mustard-seed will grow to miraculous extent in
+some cases.
+
+Harald's chief helper, counsellor, and lieutenant was the
+above-mentioned Jarl Rognwald of More, who had the honor to cut Harald's
+dreadful head of hair. This Rognwald was father of Turf-Einar, who first
+invented peat in the Orkneys, finding the wood all gone there; and
+is remembered to this day. Einar, being come to these islands by King
+Harald's permission, to see what he could do in them,--islands
+inhabited by what miscellany of Picts, Scots, Norse squatters we do not
+know,--found the indispensable fuel all wasted. Turf-Einar too may be
+regarded as a benefactor to his kind. He was, it appears, a bastard;
+and got no coddling from his father, who disliked him, partly perhaps,
+because "he was ugly and blind of an eye,"--got no flattering even on
+his conquest of the Orkneys and invention of peat. Here is the parting
+speech his father made to him on fitting him out with a "long-ship"
+(ship of war, "dragon-ship," ancient seventy-four), and sending him
+forth to make a living for himself in the world: "It were best if thou
+never camest back, for I have small hope that thy people will have honor
+by thee; thy mother's kin throughout is slavish."
+
+Harald Haarfagr had a good many sons and daughters; the daughters he
+married mostly to jarls of due merit who were loyal to him; with the
+sons, as remarked above, he had a great deal of trouble. They were
+ambitious, stirring fellows, and grudged at their finding so little
+promotion from a father so kind to his jarls; sea-robbery by no means
+an adequate career for the sons of a great king, two of them, Halfdan
+Haaleg (Long-leg), and Gudrod Ljome (Gleam), jealous of the favors won
+by the great Jarl Rognwald, surrounded him in his house one night, and
+burnt him and sixty men to death there. That was the end of Rognwald,
+the invaluable jarl, always true to Haarfagr; and distinguished in world
+history by producing Rolf the Ganger, author of the Norman Conquest of
+England, and Turf-Einar, who invented peat in the Orkneys. Whether Rolf
+had left Norway at this time there is no chronology to tell me. As to
+Rolf's surname, "Ganger," there are various hypotheses; the likeliest,
+perhaps, that Rolf was so weighty a man no horse (small Norwegian
+horses, big ponies rather) could carry him, and that he usually walked,
+having a mighty stride withal, and great velocity on foot.
+
+One of these murderers of Jarl Rognwald quietly set himself in
+Rognwald's place, the other making for Orkney to serve Turf-Einar in
+like fashion. Turf-Einar, taken by surprise, fled to the mainland; but
+returned, days or perhaps weeks after, ready for battle, fought with
+Halfdan, put his party to flight, and at next morning's light searched
+the island and slew all the men he found. As to Halfdan Long-leg
+himself, in fierce memory of his own murdered father, Turf-Einar "cut an
+eagle on his back," that is to say, hewed the ribs from each side of the
+spine and turned them out like the wings of a spread-eagle: a mode of
+Norse vengeance fashionable at that time in extremely aggravated cases!
+
+Harald Haarfagr, in the mean time, had descended upon the Rognwald
+scene, not in mild mood towards the new jarl there; indignantly
+dismissed said jarl, and appointed a brother of Rognwald (brother, notes
+Dahlmann), though Rognwald had left other sons. Which done, Haarfagr
+sailed with all speed to the Orkneys, there to avenge that cutting of an
+eagle on the human back on Turf-Einar's part. Turf-Einar did not resist;
+submissively met the angry Haarfagr, said he left it all, what had been
+done, what provocation there had been, to Haarfagr's own equity and
+greatness of mind. Magnanimous Haarfagr inflicted a fine of sixty marks
+in gold, which was paid in ready money by Turf-Einar, and so the matter
+ended.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II. ERIC BLOOD-AXE AND BROTHERS.
+
+In such violent courses Haarfagr's sons, I know not how many of them,
+had come to an untimely end; only Eric, the accomplished sea-rover, and
+three others remained to him. Among these four sons, rather impatient
+for property and authority of their own, King Harald, in his old days,
+tried to part his kingdom in some eligible and equitable way, and retire
+from the constant press of business, now becoming burdensome to him. To
+each of them he gave a kind of kingdom; Eric, his eldest son, to be head
+king, and the others to be feudatory under him, and pay a certain yearly
+contribution; an arrangement which did not answer well at all. Head-King
+Eric insisted on his tribute; quarrels arose as to the payment,
+considerable fighting and disturbance, bringing fierce destruction from
+King Eric upon many valiant but too stubborn Norse spirits, and among
+the rest upon all his three brothers, which got him from the Norse
+populations the surname of _Blod-axe_, "Eric Blood-axe," his title in
+history. One of his brothers he had killed in battle before his old
+father's life ended; this brother was Bjorn, a peaceable, improving,
+trading economic Under-king, whom the others mockingly called "Bjorn
+the Chapman." The great-grandson of this Bjorn became extremely
+distinguished by and by as _Saint_ Olaf. Head-King Eric seems to have
+had a violent wife, too. She was thought to have poisoned one of her
+other brothers-in-law. Eric Blood-axe had by no means a gentle life
+of it in this world, trained to sea-robbery on the coasts of England,
+Scotland, Ireland and France, since his twelfth year.
+
+Old King Fairhair, at the age of seventy, had another son, to whom was
+given the name of Hakon. His mother was a slave in Fairhair's house;
+slave by ill-luck of war, though nobly enough born. A strange adventure
+connects this Hakon with England and King Athelstan, who was then
+entering upon his great career there. Short while after this Hakon came
+into the world, there entered Fairhair's palace, one evening as Fairhair
+sat Feasting, an English ambassador or messenger, bearing in his hand,
+as gift from King Athelstan, a magnificent sword, with gold hilt and
+other fine trimmings, to the great Harald, King of Norway. Harald
+took the sword, drew it, or was half drawing it, admiringly from the
+scabbard, when the English excellency broke into a scornful laugh, "Ha,
+ha; thou art now the feudatory of my English king; thou hast accepted
+the sword from him, and art now his man!" (acceptance of a sword in that
+manner being the symbol of investiture in those days.) Harald looked
+a trifle flurried, it is probable; but held in his wrath, and did
+no damage to the tricksy Englishman. He kept the matter in his mind,
+however, and next summer little Hakon, having got his weaning done,--one
+of the prettiest, healthiest little creatures,--Harald sent him off,
+under charge of "Hauk" (Hawk so called), one of his Principal, warriors,
+with order, "Take him to England," and instructions what to do with him
+there. And accordingly, one evening, Hauk, with thirty men escorting,
+strode into Athelstan's high dwelling (where situated, how built,
+whether with logs like Harald's, I cannot specifically say), into
+Athelstan's high presence, and silently set the wild little cherub upon
+Athelstan's knee. "What is this?" asked Athelstan, looking at the little
+cherub. "This is King Harald's son, whom a serving-maid bore to him, and
+whom he now gives thee as foster-child!" Indignant Athelstan drew his
+sword, as if to do the gift a mischief; but Hauk said, "Thou hast taken
+him on thy knee  [common symbol of adoption]; thou canst kill him if thou
+wilt; but thou dost not thereby kill all the sons of Harald." Athelstan
+straightway took milder thoughts; brought up, and carefully educated
+Hakon; from whom, and this singular adventure, came, before very long,
+the first tidings of Christianity into Norway.
+
+Harald Haarfagr, latterly withdrawn from all kinds of business, died
+at the age of eighty-three--about A.D. 933, as is computed; nearly
+contemporary in death with the first Danish King, Gorm the Old, who had
+done a corresponding feat in reducing Denmark under one head. Remarkable
+old men, these two first kings; and possessed of gifts for bringing
+Chaos a little nearer to the form of Cosmos; possessed, in fact, of
+loyalties to Cosmos, that is to say, of authentic virtues in the savage
+state, such as have been needed in all societies at their incipience in
+this world; a kind of "virtues" hugely in discredit at present, but not
+unlikely to be needed again, to the astonishment of careless persons,
+before all is done!
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III. HAKON THE GOOD.
+
+Eric Blood-axe, whose practical reign is counted to have begun about
+A.D. 930, had by this time, or within a year or so of this time, pretty
+much extinguished all his brother kings, and crushed down recalcitrant
+spirits, in his violent way; but had naturally become entirely unpopular
+in Norway, and filled it with silent discontent and even rage against
+him. Hakon Fairhair's last son, the little foster-child of Athelstan in
+England, who had been baptized and carefully educated, was come to
+his fourteenth or fifteenth year at his father's death; a very
+shining youth, as Athelstan saw with just pleasure. So soon as the few
+preliminary preparations had been settled, Hakon, furnished with a ship
+or two by Athelstan, suddenly appeared in Norway got acknowledged by
+the Peasant Thing in Trondhjem "the news of which flew over Norway, like
+fire through dried grass," says an old chronicler. So that Eric, with
+his Queen Gunhild, and seven small children, had to run; no other shift
+for Eric. They went to the Orkneys first of all, then to England, and
+he "got Northumberland as earldom," I vaguely hear, from Athelstan.
+But Eric soon died, and his queen, with her children, went back to
+the Orkneys in search of refuge or help; to little purpose there or
+elsewhere. From Orkney she went to Denmark, where Harald Blue-tooth took
+her poor eldest boy as foster-child; but I fear did not very faithfully
+keep that promise. The Danes had been robbing extensively during the
+late tumults in Norway; this the Christian Hakon, now established there,
+paid in kind, and the two countries were at war; so that Gunhild's
+little boy was a welcome card in the hand of Blue-tooth.
+
+Hakon proved a brilliant and successful king; regulated many things,
+public law among others (_Gule-Thing_ Law, _Frost-Thing_ Law: these
+are little codes of his accepted by their respective Things, and had a
+salutary effect in their time); with prompt dexterity he drove back the
+Blue-tooth foster-son invasions every time they came; and on the whole
+gained for himself the name of Hakon the Good. These Danish invasions
+were a frequent source of trouble to him, but his greatest and continual
+trouble was that of extirpating heathen idolatry from Norway, and
+introducing the Christian Evangel in its stead. His transcendent anxiety
+to achieve this salutary enterprise was all along his grand difficulty
+and stumbling-block; the heathen opposition to it being also rooted
+and great. Bishops and priests from England Hakon had, preaching and
+baptizing what they could, but making only slow progress; much too slow
+for Hakon's zeal. On the other hand, every Yule-tide, when the chief
+heathen were assembled in his own palace on their grand sacrificial
+festival, there was great pressure put upon Hakon, as to sprinkling
+with horse-blood, drinking Yule-beer, eating horse-flesh, and the other
+distressing rites; the whole of which Hakon abhorred, and with all
+his steadfastness strove to reject utterly. Sigurd, Jarl of Lade
+(Trondhjem), a liberal heathen, not openly a Christian, was ever a wise
+counsellor and conciliator in such affairs; and proved of great help
+to Hakon. Once, for example, there having risen at a Yule-feast, loud,
+almost stormful demand that Hakon, like a true man and brother, should
+drink Yule-beer with them in their sacred hightide, Sigurd persuaded him
+to comply, for peace's sake, at least, in form. Hakon took the cup in
+his left hand (excellent hot _beer_), and with his right cut the sign
+of the cross above it, then drank a draught. "Yes; but what is this with
+the king's right hand?" cried the company. "Don't you see?" answered
+shifty Sigurd; "he makes the sign of Thor's hammer before drinking!"
+which quenched the matter for the time.
+
+Horse-flesh, horse-broth, and the horse ingredient generally, Hakon all
+but inexorably declined. By Sigurd's pressing exhortation and entreaty,
+he did once take a kettle of horsebroth by the handle, with a good deal
+of linen-quilt or towel interposed, and did open his lips for what of
+steam could insinuate itself. At another time he consented to a particle
+of horse-liver, intending privately, I guess, to keep it outside the
+gullet, and smuggle it away without swallowing; but farther than this
+not even Sigurd could persuade him to go. At the Things held in regard
+to this matter Hakon's success was always incomplete; now and then it
+was plain failure, and Hakon had to draw back till a better time. Here
+is one specimen of the response he got on such an occasion; curious
+specimen, withal, of antique parliamentary eloquence from an
+Anti-Christian Thing.
+
+At a Thing of all the Fylkes of Trondhjem, Thing held at Froste in that
+region, King Hakon, with all the eloquence he had, signified that it was
+imperatively necessary that all Bonders and sub-Bonders should become
+Christians, and believe in one God, Christ the Son of Mary; renouncing
+entirely blood sacrifices and heathen idols; should keep every seventh
+day holy, abstain from labor that day, and even from food, devoting the
+day to fasting and sacred meditation. Whereupon, by way of universal
+answer, arose a confused universal murmur of entire dissent. "Take away
+from us our old belief, and also our time for labor!" murmured they in
+angry astonishment; "how can even the land be got tilled in that way?"
+"We cannot work if we don't get food," said the hand laborers and
+slaves. "It lies in King Hakon's blood," remarked others; "his father
+and all his kindred were apt to be stingy about food, though liberal
+enough with money." At length, one Osbjorn (or Bear of the Asen or Gods,
+what we now call Osborne), one Osbjorn of Medalhusin Gulathal,
+stept forward, and said, in a distinct manner, "We Bonders (peasant
+proprietors) thought, King Hakon, when thou heldest thy first Thing-day
+here in Trondhjem, and we took thee for our king, and received our
+hereditary lands from thee again that we had got heaven itself. But
+now we know not how it is, whether we have won freedom, or whether thou
+intendest anew to make us slaves, with this wonderful proposal that we
+should renounce our faith, which our fathers before us have held, and
+all our ancestors as well, first in the age of burial by burning, and
+now in that of earth burial; and yet these departed ones were much our
+superiors, and their faith, too, has brought prosperity to us. Thee, at
+the same time, we have loved so much that we raised thee to manage all
+the laws of the land, and speak as their voice to us all. And even now
+it is our will and the vote of all Bonders to keep that paction which
+thou gavest us here on the Thing at Froste, and to maintain thee as king
+so long as any of us Bonders who are here upon the Thing has life left,
+provided thou, king, wilt go fairly to work, and demand of us only such
+things as are not impossible. But if thou wilt fix upon this thing with
+so great obstinacy, and employ force and power, in that case, we Bonders
+have taken the resolution, all of us, to fall away from thee, and to
+take for ourselves another head, who will so behave that we may enjoy
+in freedom the belief which is agreeable to us. Now shalt thou, king,
+choose one of these two courses before the Thing disperse." "Whereupon,"
+adds the Chronicle, "all the Bonders raised a mighty shout, 'Yes,
+we will have it so, as has been said.'" So that Jarl Sigurd had to
+intervene, and King Hakon to choose for the moment the milder branch of
+the alternative. [4] At other Things Hakon was more or less successful.
+All his days, by such methods as there were, he kept pressing forward
+with this great enterprise; and on the whole did thoroughly shake
+asunder the old edifice of heathendom, and fairly introduce some
+foundation for the new and better rule of faith and life among his
+people. Sigurd, Jarl of Lade, his wise counsellor in all these matters,
+is also a man worthy of notice.
+
+Hakon's arrangements against the continual invasions of Eric's sons,
+with Danish Blue-tooth backing them, were manifold, and for a long time
+successful. He appointed, after consultation and consent in the various
+Things, so many war-ships, fully manned and ready, to be furnished
+instantly on the King's demand by each province or fjord; watch-fires,
+on fit places, from hill to hill all along the coast, were to be
+carefully set up, carefully maintained in readiness, and kindled on any
+alarm of war. By such methods Blue-tooth and Co.'s invasions were for a
+long while triumphantly, and even rapidly, one and all of them, beaten
+back, till at length they seemed as if intending to cease altogether,
+and leave Hakon alone of them. But such was not their issue after all.
+The sons of Eric had only abated under constant discouragement, had not
+finally left off from what seemed their one great feasibility in
+life. Gunhild, their mother, was still with them: a most contriving,
+fierce-minded, irreconcilable woman, diligent and urgent on them, in
+season and out of season; and as for King Blue-tooth, he was at all
+times ready to help, with his good-will at least.
+
+That of the alarm-fires on Hakon's part was found troublesome by his
+people; sometimes it was even hurtful and provoking (lighting your
+alarm-fires and rousing the whole coast and population, when it was
+nothing but some paltry viking with a couple of ships); in short, the
+alarm-signal system fell into disuse, and good King Hakon himself,
+in the first place, paid the penalty. It is counted, by the latest
+commentators, to have been about A.D. 961, sixteenth or seventeenth year
+of Hakon's pious, valiant, and worthy reign. Being at a feast one day,
+with many guests, on the Island of Stord, sudden announcement came
+to him that ships from the south were approaching in quantity, and
+evidently ships of war. This was the biggest of all the Blue-tooth
+foster-son invasions; and it was fatal to Hakon the Good that night.
+Eyvind the Skaldaspillir (annihilator of all other Skalds), in his famed
+_Hakon's Song_, gives account, and, still more pertinently, the always
+practical Snorro. Danes in great multitude, six to one, as people
+afterwards computed, springing swiftly to land, and ranking themselves;
+Hakon, nevertheless, at once deciding not to take to his ships and
+run, but to fight there, one to six; fighting, accordingly, in his
+most splendid manner, and at last gloriously prevailing; routing and
+scattering back to their ships and flight homeward these six-to-one
+Danes. "During the struggle of the fight," says Snorro, "he was very
+conspicuous among other men; and while the sun shone, his bright gilded
+helmet glanced, and thereby many weapons were directed at him. One of
+his henchmen, Eyvind Finnson (_i.e._ Skaldaspillir, the poet), took a
+hat, and put it over the king's helmet. Now, among the hostile first
+leaders were two uncles of the Ericsons, brothers of Gunhild, great
+champions both; Skreya, the elder of them, on the disappearance of the
+glittering helmet, shouted boastfully, 'Does the king of the Norsemen
+hide himself, then, or has he fled? Where now is the golden helmet?' And
+so saying, Skreya, and his brother Alf with him, pushed on like fools or
+madmen. The king said, 'Come on in that way, and you shall find the king
+of the Norsemen.'" And in a short space of time braggart Skreya did
+come up, swinging his sword, and made a cut at the king; but Thoralf the
+Strong, an Icelander, who fought at the king's side, dashed his shield
+so hard against Skreya, that he tottered with the shock. On the same
+instant the king takes his sword "quernbiter" (able to cut _querns_
+or millstones) with both hands, and hews Skreya through helm and head,
+cleaving him down to the shoulders. Thoralf also slew Alf. That was what
+they got by such over-hasty search for the king of the Norsemen. [5]
+
+Snorro considers the fall of these two champion uncles as the crisis of
+the fight; the Danish force being much disheartened by such a sight, and
+King Hakon now pressing on so hard that all men gave way before him,
+the battle on the Ericson part became a whirl of recoil; and in a few
+minutes more a torrent of mere flight and haste to get on board their
+ships, and put to sea again; in which operation many of them were
+drowned, says Snorro; survivors making instant sail for Denmark in that
+sad condition.
+
+This seems to have been King Hakon's finest battle, and the most
+conspicuous of his victories, due not a little to his own grand
+qualities shown on the occasion. But, alas! it was his last also. He was
+still zealously directing the chase of that mad Danish flight, or whirl
+of recoil towards their ships, when an arrow, shot Most likely at a
+venture, hit him under the left armpit; and this proved his death.
+
+He was helped into his ship, and made sail for Alrekstad, where his
+chief residence in those parts was; but had to stop at a smaller place
+of his (which had been his mother's, and where he himself was born)--a
+place called Hella (the Flat Rock), still known as "Hakon's Hella,"
+faint from loss of blood, and crushed down as he had never before felt.
+Having no son and only one daughter, he appointed these invasive sons
+of Eric to be sent for, and if he died to become king; but to "spare his
+friends and kindred." "If a longer life be granted me," he said, "I will
+go out of this land to Christian men, and do penance for what I have
+committed against God. But if I die in the country of the heathen, let
+me have such burial as you yourselves think fittest." These are his
+last recorded words. And in heathen fashion he was buried, and besung by
+Eyvind and the Skalds, though himself a zealously Christian king. Hakon
+the _Good_; so one still finds him worthy of being called. The sorrow on
+Hakon's death, Snorro tells us, was so great and universal, "that he
+was lamented both by friends and enemies; and they said that never again
+would Norway see such a king."
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV. HARALD GREYFELL AND BROTHERS.
+
+Eric's sons, four or five of them, with a Harald at the top, now at once
+got Norway in hand, all of it but Trondhjem, as king and under-kings;
+and made a severe time of it for those who had been, or seemed to be,
+their enemies. Excellent Jarl Sigurd, always so useful to Hakon and his
+country, was killed by them; and they came to repent that before very
+long. The slain Sigurd left a son, Hakon, as Jarl, who became famous
+in the northern world by and by. This Hakon, and him only, would the
+Trondhjemers accept as sovereign. "Death to him, then," said the sons
+of Eric, but only in secret, till they had got their hands free and
+were ready; which was not yet for some years. Nay, Hakon, when actually
+attacked, made good resistance, and threatened to cause trouble. Nor did
+he by any means get his death from these sons of Eric at this time, or
+till long afterwards at all, from one of their kin, as it chanced. On
+the contrary, he fled to Denmark now, and by and by managed to come
+back, to their cost.
+
+Among their other chief victims were two cousins of their own, Tryggve
+and Gudrod, who had been honest under-kings to the late head-king, Hakon
+the Good; but were now become suspect, and had to fight for their lives,
+and lose them in a tragic manner. Tryggve had a son, whom we shall hear
+of. Gudrod, son of worthy Bjorn the Chapman, was grandfather of Saint
+Olaf, whom all men have heard of,--who has a church in Southwark even,
+and another in Old Jewry, to this hour. In all these violences, Gunhild,
+widow of the late king Eric, was understood to have a principal hand.
+She had come back to Norway with her sons; and naturally passed for the
+secret adviser and Maternal President in whatever of violence went on;
+always reckoned a fell, vehement, relentless personage where her own
+interests were concerned. Probably as things settled, her influence on
+affairs grew less. At least one hopes so; and, in the Sagas, hears less
+and less of her, and before long nothing.
+
+Harald, the head-king in this Eric fraternity, does not seem to have
+been a bad man,--the contrary indeed; but his position was untowardly,
+full of difficulty and contradictions. Whatever Harald could accomplish
+for behoof of Christianity, or real benefit to Norway, in these cross
+circumstances, he seems to have done in a modest and honest manner. He
+got the name of _Greyfell_ from his people on a very trivial account,
+but seemingly with perfect good humor on their part. Some Iceland trader
+had brought a cargo of furs to Trondhjem (Lade) for sale; sale being
+slacker than the Icelander wished, he presented a chosen specimen,
+cloak, doublet, or whatever it was, to Harald; who wore it with
+acceptance in public, and rapidly brought disposal of the Icelander's
+stock, and the surname of _Greyfell_ to himself. His under-kings and he
+were certainly not popular, though I almost think Greyfell himself, in
+absence of his mother and the under-kings, might have been so. But here
+they all were, and had wrought great trouble in Norway. "Too many of
+them," said everybody; "too many of these courts and court people,
+eating up any substance that there is." For the seasons withal, two or
+three of them in succession, were bad for grass, much more for grain;
+no _herring_ came either; very cleanness of teeth was like to come in
+Eyvind Skaldaspillir's opinion. This scarcity became at last their share
+of the great Famine Of A.D. 975, which desolated Western Europe (see the
+poem in the Saxon Chronicle). And all this by Eyvind Skaldaspillir, and
+the heathen Norse in general, was ascribed to anger of the heathen gods.
+Discontent in Norway, and especially in Eyvind Skaldaspillir, seems to
+have been very great.
+
+Whereupon exile Hakon, Jarl Sigurd's son, bestirs himself in Denmark,
+backed by old King Blue-tooth, and begins invading and encroaching in a
+miscellaneous way; especially intriguing and contriving plots all round
+him. An unfathomably cunning kind of fellow, as well as an audacious and
+strong-handed! Intriguing in Trondhjem, where he gets the under-king,
+Greyfell's brother, fallen upon and murdered; intriguing with Gold
+Harald, a distinguished cousin or nephew of King Blue-tooth's, who had
+done fine viking work, and gained, such wealth that he got the
+epithet of "Gold," and who now was infinitely desirous of a share in
+Blue-tooth's kingdom as the proper finish to these sea-rovings. He even
+ventured one day to make publicly a distinct proposal that way to King
+Harald Blue-tooth himself; who flew into thunder and lightning at the
+mere mention of it; so that none durst speak to him for several days
+afterwards. Of both these Haralds Hakon was confidential friend; and
+needed all his skill to walk without immediate annihilation between such
+a pair of dragons, and work out Norway for himself withal. In the end
+he found he must take solidly to Blue-tooth's side of the question; and
+that they two must provide a recipe for Gold Harald and Norway both at
+once.
+
+"It is as much as your life is worth to speak again of sharing this
+Danish kingdom," said Hakon very privately to Gold Harald; "but could
+not you, my golden friend, be content with Norway for a kingdom, if one
+helped you to it?"
+
+"That could I well," answered Harald.
+
+"Then keep me those nine war-ships you have just been rigging for a new
+viking cruise; have these in readiness when I lift my finger!"
+
+That was the recipe contrived for Gold Harald; recipe for King Greyfell
+goes into the same vial, and is also ready.
+
+Hitherto the Hakon-Blue-tooth disturbances in Norway had amounted to but
+little. King Greyfell, a very active and valiant man, has constantly,
+without much difficulty, repelled these sporadic bits of troubles; but
+Greyfell, all the same, would willingly have peace with dangerous old
+Blue-tooth (ever anxious to get his clutches over Norway on any terms)
+if peace with him could be had. Blue-tooth, too, professes every
+willingness; inveigles Greyfell, he and Hakon do; to have a friendly
+meeting on the Danish borders, and not only settle all these quarrels,
+but generously settle Greyfell in certain fiefs which he claimed in
+Denmark itself; and so swear everlasting friendship. Greyfell joyfully
+complies, punctually appears at the appointed day in Lymfjord Sound,
+the appointed place. Whereupon Hakon gives signal to Gold Harald, "To
+Lymfjord with these nine ships of yours, swift!" Gold Harald flies to
+Lymfjord with his ships, challenges King Harald Greyfell to land and
+fight; which the undaunted Greyfell, though so far outnumbered, does;
+and, fighting his very best, perishes there, he and almost all his
+people. Which done, Jarl Hakon, who is in readiness, attacks Gold
+Harald, the victorious but the wearied; easily beats Gold Harald, takes
+him prisoner, and instantly hangs and ends him, to the huge joy of King
+Blue-tooth and Hakon; who now make instant voyage to Norway; drive
+all the brother under-kings into rapid flight to the Orkneys, to any
+readiest shelter; and so, under the patronage of Blue-tooth, Hakon, with
+the title of Jarl, becomes ruler of Norway. This foul treachery done on
+the brave and honest Harald Greyfell is by some dated about A.D. 969, by
+Munch, 965, by others, computing out of Snorro only, A.D. 975. For there
+is always an uncertainty in these Icelandic dates (say rather, rare and
+rude attempts at dating, without even an "A.D." or other fixed "year
+one" to go upon in Iceland), though seldom, I think, so large a
+discrepancy as here.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V. HAKON JARL.
+
+Hakon Jarl, such the style he took, had engaged to pay some kind of
+tribute to King Blue-tooth, "if he could;" but he never did pay any,
+pleading always the necessity of his own affairs; with which excuse,
+joined to Hakon's readiness in things less important, King Blue-tooth
+managed to content himself, Hakon being always his good neighbor, at
+least, and the two mutually dependent. In Norway, Hakon, without
+the title of king, did in a strong-handed, steadfast, and at length,
+successful way, the office of one; governed Norway (some count) for
+above twenty years; and, both at home and abroad, had much consideration
+through most of that time; specially amongst the heathen orthodox, for
+Hakon Jarl himself was a zealous heathen, fixed in his mind against
+these chimerical Christian innovations and unsalutary changes of creed,
+and would have gladly trampled out all traces of what the last two kings
+(for Greyfell, also, was an English Christian after his sort) had done
+in this respect. But he wisely discerned that it was not possible, and
+that, for peace's sake, he must not even attempt it, but must strike
+preferably into "perfect toleration," and that of "every one getting to
+heaven or even to the other goal in his own way." He himself, it is well
+known, repaired many heathen temples (a great "church builder" in his
+way!), manufactured many splendid idols, with much gilding and such
+artistic ornament as there was,--in particular, one huge image of Thor,
+not forgetting the hammer and appendages, and such a collar (supposed of
+solid gold, which it was not quite, as we shall hear in time) round the
+neck of him as was never seen in all the North. How he did his own
+Yule festivals, with what magnificent solemnity, the horse-eatings,
+blood-sprinklings, and other sacred rites, need not be told. Something
+of a "Ritualist," one may perceive; perhaps had Scandinavian Puseyisms
+in him, and other desperate heathen notions. He was universally believed
+to have gone into magic, for one thing, and to have dangerous potencies
+derived from the Devil himself. The dark heathen mind of him struggling
+vehemently in that strange element, not altogether so unlike our own in
+some points.
+
+For the rest, he was evidently, in practical matters, a man of sharp,
+clear insight, of steadfast resolution, diligence, promptitude; and
+managed his secular matters uncommonly well. Had sixteen Jarls under
+him, though himself only Hakon Jarl by title; and got obedience from
+them stricter than any king since Haarfagr had done. Add to which
+that the country had years excellent for grass and crop, and that the
+herrings came in exuberance; tokens, to the thinking mind, that Hakon
+Jarl was a favorite of Heaven.
+
+His fight with the far-famed Jomsvikings was his grandest exploit in
+public rumor. Jomsburg, a locality not now known, except that it was
+near the mouth of the River Oder, denoted in those ages the impregnable
+castle of a certain hotly corporate, or "Sea Robbery Association
+(limited)," which, for some generations, held the Baltic in terror, and
+plundered far beyond the Belt,--in the ocean itself, in Flanders and the
+opulent trading havens there,--above all, in opulent anarchic England,
+which, for forty years from about this time, was the pirates' Goshen;
+and yielded, regularly every summer, slaves, Danegelt, and miscellaneous
+plunder, like no other country Jomsburg or the viking-world had
+ever known. Palnatoke, Bue, and the other quasi-heroic heads of this
+establishment are still remembered in the northern parts. _Palnatoke_
+is the title of a tragedy by Oehlenschlager, which had its run of
+immortality in Copenhagen some sixty or seventy years ago.
+
+I judge the institution to have been in its floweriest state, probably
+now in Hakon Jarl's time. Hakon Jarl and these pirates, robbing Hakon's
+subjects and merchants that frequented him, were naturally in quarrel;
+and frequent fightings had fallen out, not generally to the profit of
+the Jomsburgers, who at last determined on revenge, and the rooting out
+of this obstructive Hakon Jarl. They assembled in force at the Cape of
+Stad,--in the Firda Fylke; and the fight was dreadful in the extreme,
+noise of it filling all the north for long afterwards. Hakon, fighting
+like a lion, could scarcely hold his own,--Death or Victory, the word on
+both sides; when suddenly, the heavens grew black, and there broke out
+a terrific storm of thunder and hail, appalling to the human
+mind,--universe swallowed wholly in black night; only the momentary
+forked-blazes, the thunder-pealing as of Ragnarok, and the battering
+hail-torrents, hailstones about the size of an egg. Thor with his hammer
+evidently acting; but in behalf of whom? The Jomsburgers in the
+hideous darkness, broken only by flashing thunder-bolts, had a dismal
+apprehension that it was probably not on their behalf (Thor having a
+sense of justice in him); and before the storm ended, thirty-five of
+their seventy ships sheered away, leaving gallant Bue, with the other
+thirty-five, to follow as they liked, who reproachfully hailed these
+fugitives, and continued the now hopeless battle. Bue's nose and lips
+were smashed or cut away; Bue managed, half-articulately, to exclaim,
+"Ha! the maids ('mays') of Funen will never kiss me more. Overboard, all
+ye Bue's men!" And taking his two sea-chests, with all the gold he had
+gained in such life-struggle from of old, sprang overboard accordingly,
+and finished the affair. Hakon Jarl's renown rose naturally to the
+transcendent pitch after this exploit. His people, I suppose chiefly the
+Christian part of them, whispered one to another, with a shudder, "That
+in the blackest of the thunder-storm, he had taken his youngest little
+boy, and made away with him; sacrificed him to Thor or some devil, and
+gained his victory by art-magic, or something worse." Jarl Eric, Hakon's
+eldest son, without suspicion of art-magic, but already a distinguished
+viking, became thrice distinguished by his style of sea-fighting in this
+battle; and awakened great expectations in the viking public; of him we
+shall hear again.
+
+The Jomsburgers, one might fancy, after this sad clap went visibly down
+in the world; but the fact is not altogether so. Old King Blue-tooth was
+now dead, died of a wound got in battle with his unnatural (so-called
+"natural") son and successor, Otto Svein of the Forked Beard, afterwards
+king and conqueror of England for a little while; and seldom, perhaps
+never, had vikingism been in such flower as now. This man's name is Sven
+in Swedish, Svend in German, and means boy or lad,--the English "swain."
+It was at old "Father Bluetooth's funeral-ale" (drunken burial-feast),
+that Svein, carousing with his Jomsburg chiefs and other choice spirits,
+generally of the robber class, all risen into height of highest robber
+enthusiasm, pledged the vow to one another; Svein that he would conquer
+England (which, in a sense, he, after long struggling, did); and the
+Jomsburgers that they would ruin and root out Hakon Jarl (which, as
+we have just seen, they could by no means do), and other guests other
+foolish things which proved equally unfeasible. Sea-robber volunteers
+so especially abounding in that time, one perceives how easily the
+Jomsburgers could recruit themselves, build or refit new robber fleets,
+man them with the pick of crews, and steer for opulent, fruitful
+England; where, under Ethelred the Unready, was such a field for
+profitable enterprise as the viking public never had before or since.
+
+An idle question sometimes rises on me,--idle enough, for it never can
+be answered in the affirmative or the negative, Whether it was not these
+same refitted Jomsburgers who appeared some while after this at Red Head
+Point, on the shore of Angus, and sustained a new severe beating, in
+what the Scotch still faintly remember as their "Battle of Loncarty"?
+Beyond doubt a powerful Norse-pirate armament dropt anchor at the Red
+Head, to the alarm of peaceable mortals, about that time. It was thought
+and hoped to be on its way for England, but it visibly hung on for
+several days, deliberating (as was thought) whether they would do this
+poorer coast the honor to land on it before going farther. Did land, and
+vigorously plunder and burn south-westward as far as Perth; laid siege
+to Perth; but brought out King Kenneth on them, and produced that
+"Battle of Loncarty" which still dwells in vague memory among the Scots.
+Perhaps it might be the Jomsburgers; perhaps also not; for there were
+many pirate associations, lasting not from century to century like the
+Jomsburgers, but only for very limited periods, or from year to year;
+indeed, it was mainly by such that the splendid thief-harvest of England
+was reaped in this disastrous time. No Scottish chronicler gives the
+least of exact date to their famed victory of Loncarty, only that it was
+achieved by Kenneth III., which will mean some time between A.D. 975 and
+994; and, by the order they put it in, probably soon after A.D. 975, or
+the beginning of this Kenneth's reign. Buchanan's narrative, carefully
+distilled from all the ancient Scottish sources, is of admirable quality
+for style and otherwise quiet, brief, with perfect clearness, perfect
+credibility even, except that semi-miraculous appendage of the
+Ploughmen, Hay and Sons, always hanging to the tail of it; the grain of
+possible truth in which can now never be extracted by man's art! [6] In
+brief, what we know is, fragments of ancient human bones and armor
+have occasionally been ploughed up in this locality, proof positive of
+ancient fighting here; and the fight fell out not long after Hakon's
+beating of the Jomsburgers at the Cape of Stad. And in such dim glimmer
+of wavering twilight, the question whether these of Loncarty were
+refitted Jomsburgers or not, must be left hanging. Loncarty is now the
+biggest bleach-field in Queen Victoria's dominions; no village or hamlet
+there, only the huge bleaching-house and a beautiful field, some six or
+seven miles northwest of Perth, bordered by the beautiful Tay river
+on the one side, and by its beautiful tributary Almond on the other; a
+Loncarty fitted either for bleaching linen, or for a bit of fair duel
+between nations, in those simple times.
+
+Whether our refitted Jomsburgers had the least thing to do with it is
+only matter of fancy, but if it were they who here again got a good
+beating, fancy would be glad to find herself fact. The old piratical
+kings of Denmark had been at the founding of Jomsburg, and to Svein of
+the Forked Beard it was still vitally important, but not so to the great
+Knut, or any king that followed; all of whom had better business than
+mere thieving; and it was Magnus the Good, of Norway, a man of still
+higher anti-anarchic qualities, that annihilated it, about a century
+later.
+
+Hakon Jarl, his chief labors in the world being over, is said to have
+become very dissolute in his elder days, especially in the matter of
+women; the wretched old fool, led away by idleness and fulness of bread,
+which to all of us are well said to be the parents of mischief. Having
+absolute power, he got into the habit of openly plundering men's pretty
+daughters and wives from them, and, after a few weeks, sending them
+back; greatly to the rage of the fierce Norse heart, had there been any
+means of resisting or revenging. It did, after a little while, prove the
+ruin and destruction of Hakon the Rich, as he was then called. It opened
+the door, namely, for entry of Olaf Tryggveson upon the scene,--a very
+much grander man; in regard to whom the wiles and traps of Hakon proved
+to be a recipe, not on Tryggveson, but on the wily Hakon himself, as
+shall now be seen straightway.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI. OLAF TRYGGVESON.
+
+Hakon, in late times, had heard of a famous stirring person, victorious
+in various lands and seas, latterly united in sea-robbery with Svein,
+Prince Royal of Denmark, afterwards King Svein of the Double-beard
+("_Zvae Skiaeg_", _Twa Shag_) or fork-beard, both of whom had already
+done transcendent feats in the viking way during this copartnery. The
+fame of Svein, and this stirring personage, whose name was "Ole," and,
+recently, their stupendous feats in plunder of England, siege of London,
+and other wonders and splendors of viking glory and success, had gone
+over all the North, awakening the attention of Hakon and everybody
+there. The name of "Ole" was enigmatic, mysterious, and even
+dangerous-looking to Hakon Jarl; who at length sent out a confidential
+spy to investigate this "Ole;" a feat which the confidential spy did
+completely accomplish,--by no means to Hakon's profit! The mysterious
+"Ole" proved to be no other than Olaf, son of Tryggve, destined to blow
+Hakon Jarl suddenly into destruction, and become famous among the heroes
+of the Norse world.
+
+Of Olaf Tryggveson one always hopes there might, one day, some real
+outline of a biography be written; fished from the abysses where (as
+usual) it welters deep in foul neighborhood for the present. Farther on
+we intend a few words more upon the matter. But in this place all that
+concerns us in it limits itself to the two following facts first, that
+Hakon's confidential spy "found Ole in Dublin;" picked acquaintance with
+him, got him to confess that he was actually Olaf, son of Tryggve (the
+Tryggve, whom Blood-axe's fierce widow and her sons had murdered); got
+him gradually to own that perhaps an expedition into Norway might have
+its chances; and finally that, under such a wise and loyal guidance
+as his (the confidential spy's, whose friendship for Tryggveson was so
+indubitable), he (Tryggveson) would actually try it upon Hakon Jarl, the
+dissolute old scoundrel. Fact second is, that about the time they two
+set sail from Dublin on their Norway expedition, Hakon Jarl removed to
+Trondhjem, then called Lade; intending to pass some months there.
+
+Now just about the time when Tryggveson, spy, and party had landed in
+Norway, and were advancing upon Lade, with what support from the public
+could be got, dissolute old Hakon Jarl had heard of one Gudrun, a
+Bonder's wife, unparalleled in beauty, who was called in those parts,
+"Sunbeam of the Grove" (so inexpressibly lovely); and sent off a couple
+of thralls to bring her to him. "Never," answered Gudrun; "never," her
+indignant husband; in a tone dangerous and displeasing to these Court
+thralls; who had to leave rapidly, but threatened to return in better
+strength before long. Whereupon, instantly, the indignant Bonder and his
+Sunbeam of the Grove sent out their war-arrow, rousing all the country
+into angry promptitude, and more than one perhaps into greedy hope of
+revenge for their own injuries. The rest of Hakon's history now rushes
+on with extreme rapidity.
+
+Sunbeam of the Grove, when next demanded of her Bonder, has the whole
+neighborhood assembled in arms round her; rumor of Tryggveson is fast
+making it the whole country. Hakon's insolent messengers are cut in
+pieces; Hakon finds he cannot fly under cover too soon. With a single
+slave he flies that same night;--but whitherward? Can think of no safe
+place, except to some old mistress of his, who lives retired in that
+neighborhood, and has some pity or regard for the wicked old Hakon. Old
+mistress does receive him, pities him, will do all she can to protect
+and hide him. But how, by what uttermost stretch of female artifice hide
+him here; every one will search here first of all! Old mistress, by the
+slave's help, extemporizes a cellar under the floor of her pig-house;
+sticks Hakon and slave into that, as the one safe seclusion she can
+contrive. Hakon and slave, begrunted by the pigs above them, tortured by
+the devils within and about them, passed two days in circumstances
+more and more horrible. For they heard, through their light-slit
+and breathing-slit, the triumph of Tryggveson proclaiming itself by
+Tryggveson's own lips, who had mounted a big boulder near by and was
+victoriously speaking to the people, winding up with a promise of
+honors and rewards to whoever should bring him wicked old Hakon's head.
+Wretched Hakon, justly suspecting his slave, tried to at least keep
+himself awake. Slave did keep himself awake till Hakon dozed or slept,
+then swiftly cut off Hakon's head, and plunged out with it to the
+presence of Tryggveson. Tryggveson, detesting the traitor, useful as the
+treachery was, cut off the slave's head too, had it hung up along with
+Hakon's on the pinnacle of the Lade Gallows, where the populace pelted
+both heads with stones and many curses, especially the more important of
+the two. "Hakon the Bad" ever henceforth, instead of Hakon the Rich.
+
+This was the end of Hakon Jarl, the last support of heathenry in Norway,
+among other characteristics he had: a stronghanded, hard-headed, very
+relentless, greedy and wicked being. He is reckoned to have ruled in
+Norway, or mainly ruled, either in the struggling or triumphant state,
+for about thirty years (965-995?). He and his seemed to have formed,
+by chance rather than design, the chief opposition which the Haarfagr
+posterity throughout its whole course experienced in Norway. Such
+the cost to them of killing good Jarl Sigurd, in Greyfell's time! For
+"curses, like chickens," do sometimes visibly "come home to feed," as
+they always, either visibly or else invisibly, are punctually sure to
+do.
+
+Hakon Jarl is considerably connected with the _Faroer Saga_ often
+mentioned there, and comes out perfectly in character; an altogether
+worldly-wise man of the roughest type, not without a turn for
+practicality of kindness to those who would really be of use to him. His
+tendencies to magic also are not forgotten.
+
+Hakon left two sons, Eric and Svein, often also mentioned in this Saga.
+On their father's death they fled to Sweden, to Denmark, and were busy
+stirring up troubles in those countries against Olaf Tryggveson; till at
+length, by a favorable combination, under their auspices chiefly, they
+got his brief and noble reign put an end to. Nay, furthermore, Jarl Eric
+left sons, especially an elder son, named also Eric, who proved a sore
+affliction, and a continual stone of stumbling to a new generation of
+Haarfagrs, and so continued the curse of Sigurd's murder upon them.
+
+Towards the end of this Hakon's reign it was that the discovery of
+America took place (985). Actual discovery, it appears, by Eric the Red,
+an Icelander; concerning which there has been abundant investigation and
+discussion in our time. _Ginnungagap_ (Roaring Abyss) is thought to be
+the mouth of Behring's Straits in Baffin's Bay; _Big Helloland_, the
+coast from Cape Walsingham to near Newfoundland; _Little Helloland_,
+Newfoundland itself. _Markland_ was Lower Canada, New Brunswick, and
+Nova Scotia. Southward thence to Chesapeake Bay was called _Wine Land_
+(wild grapes still grow in Rhode Island, and more luxuriantly further
+south). _White Man's Land_, called also _Great Ireland_, is supposed
+to mean the two Carolinas, down to the Southern Cape of Florida. In
+Dahlmann's opinion, the Irish themselves might even pretend to have
+probably been the first discoverers of America; they had evidently got
+to Iceland itself before the Norse exiles found it out. It appears to be
+certain that, from the end of the tenth century to the early part of the
+fourteenth, there was a dim knowledge of those distant shores extant
+in the Norse mind, and even some straggling series of visits thither
+by roving Norsemen; though, as only danger, difficulty, and no profit
+resulted, the visits ceased, and the whole matter sank into oblivion,
+and, but for the Icelandic talent of writing in the long winter nights,
+would never have been heard of by posterity at all.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII. REIGN OF OLAF TRYGGVESON.
+
+Olaf Tryggveson (A.D. 995-1000) also makes a great figure in the _Faroer
+Saga_, and recounts there his early troubles, which were strange and
+many. He is still reckoned a grand hero of the North, though his _vates_
+now is only Snorro Sturleson of Iceland. Tryggveson had indeed many
+adventures in the world. His poor mother, Astrid, was obliged to fly, on
+murder of her husband by Gunhild,--to fly for life, three months before
+he, her little Olaf, was born. She lay concealed in reedy islands, fled
+through trackless forests; reached her father's with the little baby in
+her arms, and lay deep-hidden there, tended only by her father himself;
+Gunhild's pursuit being so incessant, and keen as with sleuth-hounds.
+Poor Astrid had to fly again, deviously to Sweden, to Esthland
+(Esthonia), to Russia. In Esthland she was sold as a slave, quite parted
+from her boy,--who also was sold, and again sold; but did at last
+fall in with a kinsman high in the Russian service; did from him find
+redemption and help, and so rose, in a distinguished manner, to manhood,
+victorious self-help, and recovery of his kingdom at last. He even met
+his mother again, he as king of Norway, she as one wonderfully lifted
+out of darkness into new life and happiness still in store.
+
+Grown to manhood, Tryggveson,--now become acquainted with his birth,
+and with his, alas, hopeless claims,--left Russia for the one profession
+open to him, that of sea-robbery; and did feats without number in that
+questionable line in many seas and scenes,--in England latterly, and
+most conspicuously of all. In one of his courses thither, after long
+labors in the Hebrides, Man, Wales, and down the western shores to
+the very Land's End and farther, he paused at the Scilly Islands for
+a little while. He was told of a wonderful Christian hermit living
+strangely in these sea-solitudes; had the curiosity to seek him out,
+examine, question, and discourse with him; and, after some reflection,
+accepted Christian baptism from the venerable man. In Snorro the story
+is involved in miracle, rumor, and fable; but the fact itself seems
+certain, and is very interesting; the great, wild, noble soul of fierce
+Olaf opening to this wonderful gospel of tidings from beyond the world,
+tidings which infinitely transcended all else he had ever heard or
+dreamt of! It seems certain he was baptized here; date not fixable;
+shortly before poor heart-broken Dunstan's death, or shortly after; most
+English churches, monasteries especially, lying burnt, under continual
+visitation of the Danes. Olaf such baptism notwithstanding, did not quit
+his viking profession; indeed, what other was there for him in the world
+as yet?
+
+We mentioned his occasional copartneries with Svein of the Double-beard,
+now become King of Denmark, but the greatest of these, and the alone
+interesting at this time, is their joint invasion of England, and
+Tryggveson's exploits and fortunes there some years after that adventure
+of baptism in the Scilly Isles. Svein and he "were above a year in
+England together," this time: they steered up the Thames with three
+hundred ships and many fighters; siege, or at least furious assault, of
+London was their first or main enterprise, but it did not succeed. The
+Saxon Chronicle gives date to it, A.D. 994, and names expressly, as
+Svein's co-partner, "Olaus, king of Norway,"--which he was as yet far
+from being; but in regard to the Year of Grace the Saxon Chronicle is
+to be held indisputable, and, indeed, has the field to itself in this
+matter. Famed Olaf Tryggveson, seen visibly at the siege of London,
+year 994, it throws a kind of momentary light to us over that disastrous
+whirlpool of miseries and confusions, all dark and painful to the
+fancy otherwise! This big voyage and furious siege of London is Svein
+Double-beard's first real attempt to fulfil that vow of his at Father
+Blue-tooth's "funeral ale," and conquer England,--which it is a pity he
+could not yet do. Had London now fallen to him, it is pretty evident all
+England must have followed, and poor England, with Svein as king over
+it, been delivered from immeasurable woes, which had to last some
+two-and-twenty years farther, before this result could be arrived at.
+But finding London impregnable for the moment (no ship able to get
+athwart the bridge, and many Danes perishing in the attempt to do it by
+swimming), Svein and Olaf turned to other enterprises; all England in
+a manner lying open to them, turn which way they liked. They burnt and
+plundered over Kent, over Hampshire, Sussex; they stormed far and wide;
+world lying all before them where to choose. Wretched Ethelred, as the
+one invention he could fall upon, offered them Danegelt (16,000 pounds
+of silver this year, but it rose in other years as high as 48,000
+pounds); the desperate Ethelred, a clear method of quenching fire
+by pouring oil on it! Svein and Olaf accepted; withdrew to
+Southampton,--Olaf at least did,--till the money was got ready. Strange
+to think of, fierce Svein of the Double-beard, and conquest of England
+by him; this had at last become the one salutary result which remained
+for that distracted, down-trodden, now utterly chaotic and anarchic
+country. A conquering Svein, followed by an ably and earnestly
+administrative, as well as conquering, Knut (whom Dahlmann compares
+to Charlemagne), were thus by the mysterious destinies appointed the
+effective saviors of England.
+
+Tryggveson, on this occasion, was a good while at Southampton; and
+roamed extensively about, easily victorious over everything, if
+resistance were attempted, but finding little or none; and acting now
+in a peaceable or even friendly capacity. In the Southampton country
+he came in contact with the then Bishop of Winchester, afterwards
+Archbishop of Canterbury, excellent Elphegus, still dimly decipherable
+to us as a man of great natural discernment, piety, and inborn veracity;
+a hero-soul, probably of real brotherhood with Olaf's own. He even made
+court visits to King Ethelred; one visit to him at Andover of a very
+serious nature. By Elphegus, as we can discover, he was introduced into
+the real depths of the Christian faith. Elphegus, with due solemnity of
+apparatus, in presence of the king, at Andover, baptized Olaf anew, and
+to him Olaf engaged that he would never plunder in England any more;
+which promise, too, he kept. In fact, not long after, Svein's conquest
+of England being in an evidently forward state, Tryggveson (having made,
+withal, a great English or Irish marriage,--a dowager Princess, who had
+voluntarily fallen in love with him,--see Snorro for this fine romantic
+fact!) mainly resided in our island for two or three years, or else in
+Dublin, in the precincts of the Danish Court there in the Sister Isle.
+Accordingly it was in Dublin, as above noted, that Hakon's spy found
+him; and from the Liffey that his squadron sailed, through the Hebrides,
+through the Orkneys, plundering and baptizing in their strange way,
+towards such success as we have seen.
+
+Tryggveson made a stout, and, in effect, victorious and glorious
+struggle for himself as king. Daily and hourly vigilant to do so, often
+enough by soft and even merry methods, for he was a witty, jocund man,
+and had a fine ringing laugh in him, and clear pregnant words ever
+ready,--or if soft methods would not serve, then by hard and even
+hardest he put down a great deal of miscellaneous anarchy in Norway; was
+especially busy against heathenism (devil-worship and its rites): this,
+indeed, may be called the focus and heart of all his royal endeavor in
+Norway, and of all the troubles he now had with his people there. For
+this was a serious, vital, all-comprehending matter; devil-worship, a
+thing not to be tolerated one moment longer than you could by any method
+help! Olaf's success was intermittent, of varying complexion; but his
+effort, swift or slow, was strong and continual; and on the whole he did
+succeed. Take a sample or two of that wonderful conversion process:--
+
+At one of his first Things he found the Bonders all assembled in
+arms; resolute to the death seemingly, against his proposal and him.
+Tryggveson said little; waited impassive, "What your reasons are,
+good men?" One zealous Bonder started up in passionate parliamentary
+eloquence; but after a sentence or two, broke down; one, and then
+another, and still another, and remained all three staring in
+open-mouthed silence there! The peasant-proprietors accepted the
+phenomenon as ludicrous, perhaps partly as miraculous withal, and
+consented to baptism this time.
+
+On another occasion of a Thing, which had assembled near some heathen
+temple to meet him,--temple where Hakon Jarl had done much repairing,
+and set up many idol figures and sumptuous ornaments, regardless of
+expense, especially a very big and splendid Thor, with massive gold
+collar round the neck of him, not the like of it in Norway,--King Olaf
+Tryggveson was clamorously invited by the Bonders to step in there,
+enlighten his eyes, and partake of the sacred rites. Instead of which
+he rushed into the temple with his armed men; smashed down, with his own
+battle-axe, the god Thor, prostrate on the ground at one stroke, to set
+an example; and, in a few minutes, had the whole Hakon Pantheon wrecked;
+packing up meanwhile all the gold and preciosities accumulated there
+(not forgetting Thor's illustrious gold collar, of which we shall hear
+again), and victoriously took the plunder home with him for his own
+royal uses and behoof of the state. In other cases, though a friend to
+strong measures, he had to hold in, and await the favorable moment. Thus
+once, in beginning a parliamentary address, so soon as he came to touch
+upon Christianity, the Bonders rose in murmurs, in vociferations and
+jingling of arms, which quite drowned the royal voice; declared, they
+had taken arms against king Hakon the Good to compel him to desist from
+his Christian proposals; and they did not think King Olaf a higher man
+than him (Hakon the Good). The king then said, "He purposed coming to
+them next Yule to their great sacrificial feast, to see for himself
+what their customs were," which pacified the Bonders for this time. The
+appointed place of meeting was again a Hakon-Jarl Temple, not yet done
+to ruin; chief shrine in those Trondhjem parts, I believe: there should
+Tryggveson appear at Yule. Well, but before Yule came, Tryggveson made a
+great banquet in his palace at Trondhjem, and invited far and wide, all
+manner of important persons out of the district as guests there. Banquet
+hardly done, Tryggveson gave some slight signal, upon which armed men
+strode in, seized eleven of these principal persons, and the king said:
+"Since he himself was to become a heathen again, and do sacrifice, it
+was his purpose to do it in the highest form, namely, that of Human
+Sacrifice; and this time not of slaves and malefactors, but of the best
+men in the country!" In which stringent circumstances the eleven seized
+persons, and company at large, gave unanimous consent to baptism;
+straightway received the same, and abjured their idols; but were not
+permitted to go home till they had left, in sons, brothers, and other
+precious relatives, sufficient hostages in the king's hands.
+
+By unwearied industry of this and better kinds, Tryggveson had trampled
+down idolatry, so far as form went,--how far in substance may be greatly
+doubted. But it is to be remembered withal, that always on the back of
+these compulsory adventures there followed English bishops, priests and
+preachers; whereby to the open-minded, conviction, to all degrees of it,
+was attainable, while silence and passivity became the duty or necessity
+of the unconvinced party.
+
+In about two years Norway was all gone over with a rough harrow of
+conversion. Heathenism at least constrained to be silent and outwardly
+conformable. Tryggveson, next turned his attention to Iceland, sent one
+Thangbrand, priest from Saxony, of wonderful qualities, military as
+well as theological, to try and convert Iceland. Thangbrand made a few
+converts; for Olaf had already many estimable Iceland friends, whom he
+liked much, and was much liked by; and conversion was the ready road
+to his favor. Thangbrand, I find, lodged with Hall of Sida (familiar
+acquaintance of "Burnt Njal," whose Saga has its admirers among us even
+now). Thangbrand converted Hall and one or two other leading men;
+but in general he was reckoned quarrelsome and blusterous rather than
+eloquent and piously convincing. Two skalds of repute made biting
+lampoons upon Thangbrand, whom Thangbrand, by two opportunities that
+offered, cut down and did to death because of their skaldic quality.
+Another he killed with his own hand, I know not for what reason. In
+brief, after about a year, Thangbrand returned to Norway and king Olaf;
+declaring the Icelanders to be a perverse, satirical, and inconvertible
+people, having himself, the record says, "been the death of three men
+there." King Olaf was in high rage at this result; but was persuaded by
+the Icelanders about him to try farther, and by a wilder instrument. He
+accordingly chose one Thormod, a pious, patient, and kindly man, who,
+within the next year or so, did actually accomplish the matter; namely,
+get Christianity, by open vote, declared at Thingvalla by the general
+Thing of Iceland there; the roar of a big thunder-clap at the right
+moment rather helping the conclusion, if I recollect. Whereupon Olaf's
+joy was no doubt great.
+
+One general result of these successful operations was the discontent,
+to all manner of degrees, on the part of many Norse individuals, against
+this glorious and victorious, but peremptory and terrible king of
+theirs. Tryggveson, I fancy, did not much regard all that; a man of
+joyful, cheery temper, habitually contemptuous of danger. Another
+trivial misfortune that befell in these conversion operations, and
+became important to him, he did not even know of, and would have much
+despised if he had. It was this: Sigrid, queen dowager of Sweden,
+thought to be amongst the most shining women of the world, was also
+known for one of the most imperious, revengeful, and relentless, and had
+got for herself the name of Sigrid the Proud. In her high widowhood she
+had naturally many wooers; but treated them in a manner unexampled. Two
+of her suitors, a simultaneous Two, were, King Harald Graenske (a cousin
+of King Tryggveson's, and kind of king in some district, by sufferance
+of the late Hakon's),--this luckless Graenske and the then Russian
+Sovereign as well, name not worth mentioning, were zealous suitors of
+Queen Dowager Sigrid, and were perversely slow to accept the negative,
+which in her heart was inexorable for both, though the expression of
+it could not be quite so emphatic. By ill-luck for them they came
+once,--from the far West, Graenske; from the far East, the Russian;--and
+arrived both together at Sigrid's court, to prosecute their importunate,
+and to her odious and tiresome suit; much, how very much, to her
+impatience and disdain. She lodged them both in some old mansion, which
+she had contiguous, and got compendiously furnished for them; and there,
+I know not whether on the first or on the second, or on what following
+night, this unparalleled Queen Sigrid had the house surrounded, set on
+fire, and the two suitors and their people burnt to ashes! No more of
+bother from these two at least! This appears to be a fact; and it could
+not be unknown to Tryggveson.
+
+In spite of which, however, there went from Tryggveson, who was now a
+widower, some incipient marriage proposals to this proud widow; by
+whom they were favorably received; as from the brightest man in all the
+world, they might seem worth being. Now, in one of these anti-heathen
+onslaughts of King Olaf's on the idol temples of Hakon--(I think it
+was that case where Olaf's own battle-axe struck down the monstrous
+refulgent Thor, and conquered an immense gold ring from the neck of him,
+or from the door of his temple),--a huge gold ring, at any rate, had
+come into Olaf's hands; and this he bethought him might be a pretty
+present to Queen Sigrid, the now favorable, though the proud. Sigrid
+received the ring with joy; fancied what a collar it would make for her
+own fair neck; but noticed that her two goldsmiths, weighing it on their
+fingers, exchanged a glance. "What is that?" exclaimed Queen Sigrid.
+"Nothing," answered they, or endeavored to answer, dreading mischief.
+But Sigrid compelled them to break open the ring; and there was found,
+all along the inside of it, an occult ring of copper, not a heart of
+gold at all! "Ha," said the proud Queen, flinging it away, "he that
+could deceive in this matter can deceive in many others!" And was in hot
+wrath with Olaf; though, by degrees, again she took milder thoughts.
+
+Milder thoughts, we say; and consented to a meeting next autumn, at some
+half-way station, where their great business might be brought to a happy
+settlement and betrothment. Both Olaf Tryggveson and the high dowager
+appear to have been tolerably of willing mind at this meeting; but Olaf
+interposed, what was always one condition with him, "Thou must consent
+to baptism, and give up thy idol-gods." "They are the gods of all my
+forefathers," answered the lady, "choose thou what gods thou pleasest,
+but leave me mine." Whereupon an altercation; and Tryggveson, as was his
+wont, towered up into shining wrath, and exclaimed at last, "Why should
+I care about thee then, old faded heathen creature?" And impatiently
+wagging his glove, hit her, or slightly switched her, on the face with
+it, and contemptuously turning away, walked out of the adventure. "This
+is a feat that may cost thee dear one day," said Sigrid. And in the end
+it came to do so, little as the magnificent Olaf deigned to think of it
+at the moment.
+
+One of the last scuffles I remember of Olaf's having with his refractory
+heathens, was at a Thing in Hordaland or Rogaland, far in the North,
+where the chief opposition hero was one Jaernskaegg ("ironbeard")
+Scottice ("Airn-shag," as it were!). Here again was a grand heathen
+temple, Hakon Jarl's building, with a splendid Thor in it and much idol
+furniture. The king stated what was his constant wish here as elsewhere,
+but had no sooner entered upon the subject of Christianity than
+universal murmur, rising into clangor and violent dissent, interrupted
+him, and Ironbeard took up the discourse in reply. Ironbeard did not
+break down; on the contrary, he, with great brevity, emphasis, and
+clearness, signified "that the proposal to reject their old gods was in
+the highest degree unacceptable to this Thing; that it was contrary
+to bargain, withal; so that if it were insisted on, they would have to
+fight with the king about it; and in fact were now ready to do so." In
+reply to this, Olaf, without word uttered, but merely with some signal
+to the trusty armed men he had with him, rushed off to the temple close
+at hand; burst into it, shutting the door behind him; smashed Thor and
+Co. to destruction; then reappearing victorious, found much confusion
+outside, and, in particular, what was a most important item, the rugged
+Ironbeard done to death by Olaf's men in the interim. Which entirely
+disheartened the Thing from fighting at that moment; having now no
+leader who dared to head them in so dangerous an enterprise. So that
+every one departed to digest his rage in silence as he could.
+
+Matters having cooled for a week or two, there was another Thing held;
+in which King Olaf testified regret for the quarrel that had fallen out,
+readiness to pay what _mulct_ was due by law for that unlucky homicide
+of Ironbeard by his people; and, withal, to take the fair daughter of
+Ironbeard to wife, if all would comply and be friends with him in other
+matters; which was the course resolved on as most convenient: accept
+baptism, we; marry Jaernskaegg's daughter, you. This bargain held on
+both sides. The wedding, too, was celebrated, but that took rather a
+strange turn. On the morning of the bride-night, Olaf, who had not been
+sleeping, though his fair partner thought he had, opened his eyes, and
+saw, with astonishment, the fair partner aiming a long knife ready
+to strike home upon him! Which at once ended their wedded life; poor
+Demoiselle Ironbeard immediately bundling off with her attendants home
+again; King Olaf into the apartment of his servants, mentioning there
+what had happened, and forbidding any of them to follow her.
+
+Olaf Tryggveson, though his kingdom was the smallest of the Norse Three,
+had risen to a renown over all the Norse world, which neither he
+of Denmark nor he of Sweden could pretend to rival. A magnificent,
+far-shining man; more expert in all "bodily exercises" as the Norse call
+them, than any man had ever been before him, or after was. Could keep
+five daggers in the air, always catching the proper fifth by its handle,
+and sending it aloft again; could shoot supremely, throw a javelin with
+either hand; and, in fact, in battle usually throw two together. These,
+with swimming, climbing, leaping, were the then admirable Fine Arts of
+the North; in all which Tryggveson appears to have been the Raphael and
+the Michael Angelo at once. Essentially definable, too, if we look
+well into him, as a wild bit of real heroism, in such rude guise and
+environment; a high, true, and great human soul. A jovial burst of
+laughter in him, withal; a bright, airy, wise way of speech; dressed
+beautifully and with care; a man admired and loved exceedingly by those
+he liked; dreaded as death by those he did not like. "Hardly any king,"
+says Snorro, "was ever so well obeyed; by one class out of zeal and
+love, by the rest out of dread." His glorious course, however, was not
+to last long.
+
+King Svein of the Double-Beard had not yet completed his conquest of
+England,--by no means yet, some thirteen horrid years of that still
+before him!--when, over in Denmark, he found that complaints against
+him and intricacies had arisen, on the part principally of one Burislav,
+King of the Wends (far up the Baltic), and in a less degree with the
+King of Sweden and other minor individuals. Svein earnestly applied
+himself to settle these, and have his hands free. Burislav, an aged
+heathen gentleman, proved reasonable and conciliatory; so, too, the King
+of Sweden, and Dowager Queen Sigrid, his managing mother. Bargain in
+both these cases got sealed and crowned by marriage. Svein, who had
+become a widower lately, now wedded Sigrid; and might think, possibly
+enough, he had got a proud bargain, though a heathen one. Burislav also
+insisted on marriage with Princess Thyri, the Double-Beard's sister.
+Thyri, inexpressibly disinclined to wed an aged heathen of that stamp,
+pleaded hard with her brother; but the Double-Bearded was inexorable;
+Thyri's wailings and entreaties went for nothing. With some guardian
+foster-brother, and a serving-maid or two, she had to go on this hated
+journey. Old Burislav, at sight of her, blazed out into marriage-feast
+of supreme magnificence, and was charmed to see her; but Thyri would not
+join the marriage party; refused to eat with it or sit with it at all.
+Day after day, for six days, flatly refused; and after nightfall of the
+sixth, glided out with her foster-brother into the woods, into by-paths
+and inconceivable wanderings; and, in effect, got home to Denmark.
+Brother Svein was not for the moment there; probably enough gone to
+England again. But Thyri knew too well he would not allow her to stay
+here, or anywhere that he could help, except with the old heathen she
+had just fled from.
+
+Thyri, looking round the world, saw no likely road for her, but to Olaf
+Tryggveson in Norway; to beg protection from the most heroic man she
+knew of in the world. Olaf, except by renown, was not known to her; but
+by renown he well was. Olaf, at sight of her, promised protection
+and asylum against all mortals. Nay, in discoursing with Thyri Olaf
+perceived more and more clearly what a fine handsome being, soul and
+body, Thyri was; and in a short space of time winded up by proposing
+marriage to Thyri; who, humbly, and we may fancy with what secret joy,
+consented to say yes, and become Queen of Norway. In the due months they
+had a little son, Harald; who, it is credibly recorded, was the joy of
+both his parents; but who, to their inexpressible sorrow, in about a
+year died, and vanished from them. This, and one other fact now to be
+mentioned, is all the wedded history we have of Thyri.
+
+The other fact is, that Thyri had, by inheritance or covenant, not
+depending on her marriage with old Burislav, considerable properties in
+Wendland; which, she often reflected, might be not a little behooveful
+to her here in Norway, where her civil-list was probably but straitened.
+She spoke of this to her husband; but her husband would take no hold,
+merely made her gifts, and said, "Pooh, pooh, can't we live without old
+Burislav and his Wendland properties?" So that the lady sank into
+ever deeper anxiety and eagerness about this Wendland object; took to
+weeping; sat weeping whole days; and when Olaf asked, "What ails thee,
+then?" would answer, or did answer once, "What a different man my father
+Harald Gormson was  [vulgarly called Blue-tooth], compared with some that
+are now kings! For no King Svein in the world would Harald Gormson
+have given up his own or his wife's just rights!" Whereupon Tryggveson
+started up, exclaiming in some heat, "Of thy brother Svein I never was
+afraid; if Svein and I meet in contest, it will not be Svein, I believe,
+that conquers;" and went off in a towering fume. Consented, however,
+at last, had to consent, to get his fine fleet equipped and armed, and
+decide to sail with it to Wendland to have speech and settlement with
+King Burislav.
+
+Tryggveson had already ships and navies that were the wonder of the
+North. Especially in building war ships, the Crane, the Serpent, last
+of all the Long Serpent, [7]--he had, for size, for outward beauty, and
+inward perfection of equipment, transcended all example.
+
+This new sea expedition became an object of attention to all neighbors;
+especially Queen Sigrid the Proud and Svein Double-Beard, her now king,
+were attentive to it.
+
+"This insolent Tryggveson," Queen Sigrid would often say, and had long
+been saying, to her Svein, "to marry thy sister without leave had or
+asked of thee; and now flaunting forth his war navies, as if he, king
+only of paltry Norway, were the big hero of the North! Why do you suffer
+it, you kings really great?"
+
+By such persuasions and reiterations, King Svein of Denmark, King
+Olaf of Sweden, and Jarl Eric, now a great man there, grown rich by
+prosperous sea robbery and other good management, were brought to take
+the matter up, and combine strenuously for destruction of King Olaf
+Tryggveson on this grand Wendland expedition of his. Fleets and forces
+were with best diligence got ready; and, withal, a certain Jarl Sigwald,
+of Jomsburg, chieftain of the Jomsvikings, a powerful, plausible,
+and cunning man, was appointed to find means of joining himself to
+Tryggveson's grand voyage, of getting into Tryggveson's confidence, and
+keeping Svein Double-Beard, Eric, and the Swedish King aware of all his
+movements.
+
+King Olaf Tryggveson, unacquainted with all this, sailed away in summer,
+with his splendid fleet; went through the Belts with prosperous winds,
+under bright skies, to the admiration of both shores. Such a fleet, with
+its shining Serpents, long and short, and perfection of equipment and
+appearance, the Baltic never saw before. Jarl Sigwald joined with new
+ships by the way: "Had," he too, "a visit to King Burislav to pay; how
+could he ever do it in better company?" and studiously and skilfully
+ingratiated himself with King Olaf. Old Burislav, when they arrived,
+proved altogether courteous, handsome, and amenable; agreed at once to
+Olaf's claims for his now queen, did the rites of hospitality with a
+generous plenitude to Olaf; who cheerily renewed acquaintance with that
+country, known to him in early days (the cradle of his fortunes in the
+viking line), and found old friends there still surviving, joyful to
+meet him again. Jarl Sigwald encouraged these delays, King Svein and Co.
+not being yet quite ready. "Get ready!" Sigwald directed them, and they
+diligently did. Olaf's men, their business now done, were impatient to
+be home; and grudged every day of loitering there; but, till Sigwald
+pleased, such his power of flattering and cajoling Tryggveson, they
+could not get away.
+
+At length, Sigwald's secret messengers reporting all ready on the part
+of Svein and Co., Olaf took farewell of Burislav and Wendland, and
+all gladly sailed away. Svein, Eric, and the Swedish king, with their
+combined fleets, lay in wait behind some cape in a safe little bay of
+some island, then called Svolde, but not in our time to be found; the
+Baltic tumults in the fourteenth century having swallowed it, as some
+think, and leaving us uncertain whether it was in the neighborhood of
+Rugen Island or in the Sound of Elsinore. There lay Svein, Eric, and Co.
+waiting till Tryggveson and his fleet came up, Sigwald's spy messengers
+daily reporting what progress he and it had made. At length, one bright
+summer morning, the fleet made appearance, sailing in loose order,
+Sigwald, as one acquainted with the shoal places, steering ahead, and
+showing them the way.
+
+Snorro rises into one of his pictorial fits, seized with enthusiasm at
+the thought of such a fleet, and reports to us largely in what order
+Tryggveson's winged Coursers of the Deep, in long series, for perhaps an
+hour or more, came on, and what the three potentates, from their knoll
+of vantage, said of each as it hove in sight, Svein thrice over guessed
+this and the other noble vessel to be the Long Serpent; Eric, always
+correcting him, "No, that is not the Long Serpent yet" (and aside
+always), "Nor shall you be lord of it, king, when it does come." The
+Long Serpent itself did make appearance. Eric, Svein, and the Swedish
+king hurried on board, and pushed out of their hiding-place into
+the open sea. Treacherous Sigwald, at the beginning of all this, had
+suddenly doubled that cape of theirs, and struck into the bay out of
+sight, leaving the foremost Tryggveson ships astonished, and uncertain
+what to do, if it were not simply to strike sail and wait till Olaf
+himself with the Long Serpent arrived.
+
+Olaf's chief captains, seeing the enemy's huge fleet come out, and
+how the matter lay, strongly advised King Olaf to elude this stroke of
+treachery, and, with all sail, hold on his course, fight being now on so
+unequal terms. Snorro says, the king, high on the quarter-deck where
+he stood, replied, "Strike the sails; never shall men of mine think of
+flight. I never fled from battle. Let God dispose of my life; but flight
+I will never take." And so the battle arrangements immediately began,
+and the battle with all fury went loose; and lasted hour after hour,
+till almost sunset, if I well recollect. "Olaf stood on the Serpent's
+quarter-deck," says Snorro, "high over the others. He had a gilt shield
+and a helmet inlaid with gold; over his armor he had a short red coat,
+and was easily distinguished from other men." Snorro's account of the
+battle is altogether animated, graphic, and so minute that antiquaries
+gather from it, if so disposed (which we but little are), what the
+methods of Norse sea-fighting were; their shooting of arrows, casting
+of javelins, pitching of big stones, ultimately boarding, and mutual
+clashing and smashing, which it would not avail us to speak of here.
+Olaf stood conspicuous all day, throwing javelins, of deadly aim, with
+both hands at once; encouraging, fighting and commanding like a highest
+sea-king.
+
+The Danish fleet, the Swedish fleet, were, both of them, quickly dealt
+with, and successively withdrew out of shot-range. And then Jarl Eric
+came up, and fiercely grappled with the Long Serpent, or, rather, with
+her surrounding comrades; and gradually, as they were beaten empty of
+men, with the Long Serpent herself. The fight grew ever fiercer, more
+furious. Eric was supplied with new men from the Swedes and Danes; Olaf
+had no such resource, except from the crews of his own beaten ships, and
+at length this also failed him; all his ships, except the Long Serpent,
+being beaten and emptied. Olaf fought on unyielding. Eric twice boarded
+him, was twice repulsed. Olaf kept his quarterdeck; unconquerable,
+though left now more and more hopeless, fatally short of help. A tall
+young man, called Einar Tamberskelver, very celebrated and important
+afterwards in Norway, and already the best archer known, kept busy with
+his bow. Twice he nearly shot Jarl Eric in his ship. "Shoot me that
+man," said Jarl Eric to a bowman near him; and, just as Tamberskelver
+was drawing his bow the third time, an arrow hit it in the middle
+and broke it in two. "What is this that has broken?" asked King Olaf.
+"Norway from thy hand, king," answered Tamberskelver. Tryggveson's men,
+he observed with surprise, were striking violently on Eric's; but to no
+purpose: nobody fell. "How is this?" asked Tryggveson. "Our swords are
+notched and blunted, king; they do not cut." Olaf stept down to his
+arm-chest; delivered out new swords; and it was observed as he did it,
+blood ran trickling from his wrist; but none knew where the wound was.
+Eric boarded a third time. Olaf, left with hardly more than one man,
+sprang overboard (one sees that red coat of his still glancing in the
+evening sun), and sank in the deep waters to his long rest.
+
+Rumor ran among his people that he still was not dead; grounding on some
+movement by the ships of that traitorous Sigwald, they fancied Olaf had
+dived beneath the keels of his enemies, and got away with Sigwald, as
+Sigwald himself evidently did. "Much was hoped, supposed, spoken," says
+one old mourning Skald; "but the truth was, Olaf Tryggveson was never
+seen in Norseland more." Strangely he remains still a shining figure to
+us; the wildly beautifulest man, in body and in soul, that one has ever
+heard of in the North.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII. JARLS ERIC AND SVEIN.
+
+Jarl Eric, splendent with this victory, not to speak of that over the
+Jomsburgers with his father long ago, was now made Governor of Norway:
+Governor or quasi-sovereign, with his brother, Jarl. Svein, as partner,
+who, however, took but little hand in governing;--and, under the
+patronage of Svein Double-Beard and the then Swedish king (Olaf his
+name, Sigrid the Proud, his mother's), administered it, they say, with
+skill and prudence for above fourteen years. Tryggveson's death is
+understood and laboriously computed to have happened in the year 1000;
+but there is no exact chronology in these things, but a continual
+uncertain guessing after such; so that one eye in History as regards
+them is as if put out;--neither indeed have I yet had the luck to find
+any decipherable and intelligible map of Norway: so that the other
+eye of History is much blinded withal, and her path through those wild
+regions and epochs is an extremely dim and chaotic one. An evil that
+much demands remedying, and especially wants some first attempt at
+remedying, by inquirers into English History; the whole period from
+Egbert, the first Saxon King of England, on to Edward the Confessor,
+the last, being everywhere completely interwoven with that of their
+mysterious, continually invasive "Danes," as they call them, and
+inextricably unintelligible till these also get to be a little
+understood, and cease to be utterly dark, hideous, and mythical to us as
+they now are.
+
+King Olaf Tryggveson is the first Norseman who is expressly mentioned
+to have been in England by our English History books, new or old; and of
+him it is merely said that he had an interview with King Ethelred II. at
+Andover, of a pacific and friendly nature,--though it is absurdly added
+that the noble Olaf was converted to Christianity by that extremely
+stupid Royal Person. Greater contrast in an interview than in this
+at Andover, between heroic Olaf Tryggveson and Ethelred the forever
+Unready, was not perhaps seen in the terrestrial Planet that day.
+Olaf or "Olaus," or "Anlaf," as they name him, did "engage on oath to
+Ethelred not to invade England any more," and kept his promise, they
+farther say. Essentially a truth, as we already know, though the
+circumstances were all different; and the promise was to a devout High
+Priest, not to a crowned Blockhead and cowardly Do-nothing. One other
+"Olaus" I find mentioned in our Books, two or three centuries before,
+at a time when there existed no such individual; not to speak of several
+Anlafs, who sometimes seem to mean Olaf and still oftener to mean nobody
+possible. Which occasions not a little obscurity in our early History,
+says the learned Selden. A thing remediable, too, in which, if any
+Englishman of due genius (or even capacity for standing labor), who
+understood the Icelandic and Anglo-Saxon languages, would engage in
+it, he might do a great deal of good, and bring the matter into a
+comparatively lucid state. Vain aspirations,--or perhaps not altogether
+vain.
+
+At the time of Olaf Tryggveson's death, and indeed long before, King
+Svein Double-Beard had always for chief enterprise the Conquest of
+England, and followed it by fits with extreme violence and impetus;
+often advancing largely towards a successful conclusion; but never, for
+thirteen years yet, getting it concluded. He possessed long since all
+England north of Watling Street. That is to say, Northumberland, East
+Anglia (naturally full of Danish settlers by this time), were fixedly
+his; Mercia, his oftener than not; Wessex itself, with all the coasts,
+he was free to visit, and to burn and rob in at discretion. There or
+elsewhere, Ethelred the Unready had no battle in him whatever; and,
+for a forty years after the beginning of his reign, England excelled in
+anarchic stupidity, murderous devastation, utter misery, platitude, and
+sluggish contemptibility, all the countries one has read of. Apparently
+a very opulent country, too; a ready skill in such arts and fine arts
+as there were; Svein's very ships, they say, had their gold dragons,
+top-mast pennons, and other metallic splendors generally wrought for
+them in England. "Unexampled prosperity" in the manufacture way not
+unknown there, it would seem! But co-existing with such spiritual
+bankruptcy as was also unexampled, one would hope. Read Lupus
+(Wulfstan), Archbishop of York's amazing _Sermon_ on the subject, [8]
+addressed to contemporary audiences; setting forth such a state of
+things,--sons selling their fathers, mothers, and sisters as Slaves to
+the Danish robber; themselves living in debauchery, blusterous gluttony,
+and depravity; the details of which are well-nigh incredible, though
+clearly stated as things generally known,--the humor of these poor
+wretches sunk to a state of what we may call greasy desperation, "Let us
+eat and drink, for to-morrow we die." The manner in which they treated
+their own English nuns, if young, good-looking, and captive to the
+Danes; buying them on a kind of brutish or subter-brutish "Greatest
+Happiness Principle" (for the moment), and by a Joint-Stock arrangement,
+far transcends all human speech or imagination, and awakens in one the
+momentary red-hot thought, The Danes have served you right, ye accursed!
+The so-called soldiers, one finds, made not the least fight anywhere;
+could make none, led and guided as they were, and the "Generals" often
+enough traitors, always ignorant, and blockheads, were in the habit,
+when expressly commanded to fight, of taking physic, and declaring that
+nature was incapable of castor-oil and battle both at once. This
+ought to be explained a little to the modern English and their
+War-Secretaries, who undertake the conduct of armies. The undeniable
+fact is, defeat on defeat was the constant fate of the English; during
+these forty years not one battle in which they were not beaten. No gleam
+of victory or real resistance till the noble Edmund Ironside (whom it
+is always strange to me how such an Ethelred could produce for son)
+made his appearance and ran his brief course, like a great and far-seen
+meteor, soon extinguished without result. No remedy for England in that
+base time, but yearly asking the victorious, plundering, burning and
+murdering Danes, "How much money will you take to go away?" Thirty
+thousand pounds in silver, which the annual _Danegelt_ soon rose to,
+continued to be about the average yearly sum, though generally on the
+increasing hand; in the last year I think it had risen to seventy-two
+thousand pounds in silver, raised yearly by a tax (Income-tax of its
+kind, rudely levied), the worst of all remedies, good for the day only.
+Nay, there was one remedy still worse, which the miserable Ethelred
+once tried: that of massacring "all the Danes settled in England"
+(practically, of a few thousands or hundreds of them), by treachery and
+a kind of Sicilian Vespers. Which issued, as such things usually do, in
+terrible monition to you not to try the like again! Issued, namely, in
+redoubled fury on the Danish part; new fiercer invasion by Svein's
+Jarl Thorkel; then by Svein himself; which latter drove the miserable
+Ethelred, with wife and family, into Normandy, to wife's brother, the
+then Duke there; and ended that miserable struggle by Svein's becoming
+King of England himself. Of this disgraceful massacre, which it would
+appear has been immensely exaggerated in the English books, we can
+happily give the exact date (A.D. 1002); and also of Svein's victorious
+accession (A.D. 1013), [9]--pretty much the only benefit one gets out of
+contemplating such a set of objects.
+
+King Svein's first act was to levy a terribly increased Income-Tax
+for the payment of his army. Svein was levying it with a stronghanded
+diligence, but had not yet done levying it, when, at Gainsborough one
+night, he suddenly died; smitten dead, once used to be said, by St.
+Edmund, whilom murdered King of the East Angles; who could not bear
+to see his shrine and monastery of St. Edmundsbury plundered by the
+Tyrant's tax-collectors, as they were on the point of being. In all ways
+impossible, however,--Edmund's own death did not occur till two years
+after Svein's. Svein's death, by whatever cause, befell 1014; his fleet,
+then lying in the Humber; and only Knut, [10] his eldest son (hardly
+yet eighteen, count some), in charge of it; who, on short counsel, and
+arrangement about this questionable kingdom of his, lifted anchor;
+made for Sandwich, a safer station at the moment; "cut off the feet and
+noses" (one shudders, and hopes not, there being some discrepancy about
+it!) of his numerous hostages that had been delivered to King Svein;
+set them ashore;--and made for Denmark, his natural storehouse and
+stronghold, as the hopefulest first thing he could do.
+
+Knut soon returned from Denmark, with increase of force sufficient for
+the English problem; which latter he now ended in a victorious, and
+essentially, for himself and chaotic England, beneficent manner. Became
+widely known by and by, there and elsewhere, as Knut the Great; and is
+thought by judges of our day to have really merited that title. A most
+nimble, sharp-striking, clear-thinking, prudent and effective man, who
+regulated this dismembered and distracted England in its Church matters,
+in its State matters, like a real King. Had a Standing Army (_House
+Carles_), who were well paid, well drilled and disciplined, capable of
+instantly quenching insurrection or breakage of the peace; and piously
+endeavored (with a signal earnestness, and even devoutness, if we look
+well) to do justice to all men, and to make all men rest satisfied with
+justice. In a word, he successfully strapped up, by every true method
+and regulation, this miserable, dislocated, and dissevered mass
+of bleeding Anarchy into something worthy to be called an England
+again;--only that he died too soon, and a second "Conqueror" of us,
+still weightier of structure, and under improved auspices, became
+possible, and was needed here! To appearance, Knut himself was capable
+of being a Charlemagne of England and the North (as has been already
+said or quoted), had he only lived twice as long as he did. But his
+whole sum of years seems not to have exceeded forty. His father Svein
+of the Forkbeard is reckoned to have been fifty to sixty when St. Edmund
+finished him at Gainsborough. We now return to Norway, ashamed of this
+long circuit which has been a truancy more or less.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX. KING OLAF THE THICK-SET'S VIKING DAYS
+
+King Harald Graenske, who, with another from Russia accidentally lodging
+beside him, got burned to death in Sweden, courting that unspeakable
+Sigrid the Proud,--was third cousin or so to Tryggve, father of our
+heroic Olaf. Accurately counted, he is great-grandson of Bjorn the
+Chapman, first of Haarfagr's sons whom Eric Bloodaxe made away with. His
+little "kingdom," as he called it, was a district named the Greenland
+(_Graeneland_); he himself was one of those little Haarfagr kinglets
+whom Hakon Jarl, much more Olaf Tryggveson, was content to leave
+reigning, since they would keep the peace with him. Harald had a loving
+wife of his own, Aasta the name of her, soon expecting the birth of her
+and his pretty babe, named Olaf,--at the time he went on that deplorable
+Swedish adventure, the foolish, fated creature, and ended self and
+kingdom altogether. Aasta was greatly shocked; composed herself however;
+married a new husband, Sigurd Syr, a kinglet, and a great-grandson of
+Harald Fairhair, a man of great wealth, prudence, and influence in those
+countries; in whose house, as favorite and well-beloved stepson, little
+Olaf was wholesomely and skilfully brought up. In Sigurd's house he had,
+withal, a special tutor entertained for him, one Rane, known as Rane the
+Far-travelled, by whom he could be trained, from the earliest basis, in
+Norse accomplishments and arts. New children came, one or two; but
+Olaf, from his mother, seems always to have known that he was the
+distinguished and royal article there. One day his Foster-father,
+hurrying to leave home on business, hastily bade Olaf, no other being
+by, saddle his horse for him. Olaf went out with the saddle, chose the
+biggest he-goat about, saddled that, and brought it to the door by way
+of horse. Old Sigurd, a most grave man, grinned sardonically at the
+sight. "Hah, I see thou hast no mind to take commands from me; thou art
+of too high a humor to take commands." To which, says Snorro, Boy Olaf
+answered little except by laughing, till Sigurd saddled for himself, and
+rode away. His mother Aasta appears to have been a thoughtful, prudent
+woman, though always with a fierce royalism at the bottom of her memory,
+and a secret implacability on that head.
+
+At the age of twelve Olaf went to sea; furnished with a little fleet,
+and skilful sea-counsellor, expert old Rane, by his Foster-father,
+and set out to push his fortune in the world. Rane was a steersman and
+counsellor in these incipient times; but the crew always called Olaf
+"King," though at first, as Snorro thinks, except it were in the hour of
+battle, he merely pulled an oar. He cruised and fought in this capacity
+on many seas and shores; passed several years, perhaps till the age
+of nineteen or twenty, in this wild element and way of life; fighting
+always in a glorious and distinguished manner. In the hour of battle,
+diligent enough "to amass property," as the Vikings termed it; and in
+the long days and nights of sailing, given over, it is likely, to his
+own thoughts and the unfathomable dialogue with the ever-moaning Sea;
+not the worst High School a man could have, and indeed infinitely
+preferable to the most that are going even now, for a high and deep
+young soul.
+
+His first distinguished expedition was to Sweden: natural to go thither
+first, to avenge his poor father's death, were it nothing more. Which
+he did, the Skalds say, in a distinguished manner; making victorious and
+handsome battle for himself, in entering Maelare Lake; and in getting
+out of it again, after being frozen there all winter, showing still more
+surprising, almost miraculous contrivance and dexterity. This was the
+first of his glorious victories, of which the Skalds reckon up some
+fourteen or thirteen very glorious indeed, mostly in the Western and
+Southern countries, most of all in England; till the name of Olaf
+Haraldson became quite famous in the Viking and strategic world. He
+seems really to have learned the secrets of his trade, and to have been,
+then and afterwards, for vigilance, contrivance, valor, and promptitude
+of execution, a superior fighter. Several exploits recorded of him
+betoken, in simple forms, what may be called a military genius.
+
+The principal, and to us the alone interesting, of his exploits seem
+to have lain in England, and, what is further notable, always on the
+anti-Svein side. English books do not mention him at all that I can
+find; but it is fairly credible that, as the Norse records report,
+in the end of Ethelred's reign, he was the ally or hired general of
+Ethelred, and did a great deal of sea-fighting, watching, sailing, and
+sieging for this miserable king and Edmund Ironside, his son. Snorro
+says expressly, London, the impregnable city, had to be besieged again
+for Ethelred's behoof (in the interval between Svein's death and young
+Knut's getting back from Denmark), and that our Olaf Haraldson was
+the great engineer and victorious captor of London on that singular
+occasion,--London captured for the first time. The Bridge, as usual,
+Snorro says, offered almost insuperable obstacles. But the engineering
+genius of Olaf contrived huge "platforms of wainscoting  [old walls
+of wooden houses, in fact], bound together by withes;" these, carried
+steadily aloft above the ships, will (thinks Olaf) considerably secure
+them and us from the destructive missiles, big boulder stones, and
+other, mischief profusely showered down on us, till we get under the
+Bridge with axes and cables, and do some good upon it. Olaf's plan
+was tried; most of the other ships, in spite of their wainscoting and
+withes, recoiled on reaching the Bridge, so destructive were the boulder
+and other missile showers. But Olaf's ships and self got actually under
+the Bridge; fixed all manner of cables there; and then, with the river
+current in their favor, and the frightened ships rallying to help in
+this safer part of the enterprise, tore out the important piles and
+props, and fairly broke the poor Bridge, wholly or partly, down into
+the river, and its Danish defenders into immediate surrender. That is
+Snorro's account.
+
+On a previous occasion, Olaf had been deep in a hopeful combination with
+Ethelred's two younger sons, Alfred and Edward, afterwards King Edward
+the Confessor: That they two should sally out from Normandy in strong
+force, unite with Olaf in ditto, and, landing on the Thames, do
+something effectual for themselves. But impediments, bad weather or the
+like, disheartened the poor Princes, and it came to nothing. Olaf was
+much in Normandy, what they then called Walland; a man held in honor by
+those Norman Dukes.
+
+What amount of "property" he had amassed I do not know, but could prove,
+were it necessary, that he had acquired some tactical or even strategic
+faculty and real talent for war. At Lymfjord, in Jutland, but some
+years after this (A.D. 1027), he had a sea-battle with the great Knut
+himself,--ships combined with flood-gates, with roaring, artificial
+deluges; right well managed by King Olaf; which were within a
+hair's-breadth of destroying Knut, now become a King and Great; and did
+in effect send him instantly running. But of this more particularly by
+and by.
+
+What still more surprises me is the mystery, where Olaf, in this
+wandering, fighting, sea-roving life, acquired his deeply religious
+feeling, his intense adherence to the Christian Faith. I suppose it
+had been in England, where many pious persons, priestly and other, were
+still to be met with, that Olaf had gathered these doctrines; and that
+in those his unfathomable dialogues with the ever-moaning Ocean, they
+had struck root downwards in the soul of him, and borne fruit upwards to
+the degree so conspicuous afterwards. It is certain he became a deeply
+pious man during these long Viking cruises; and directed all his
+strength, when strength and authority were lent him, to establishing
+the Christian religion in his country, and suppressing and abolishing
+Vikingism there; both of which objects, and their respective worth and
+unworth, he, must himself have long known so well.
+
+It was well on in A.D. 1016 that Knut gained his last victory, at
+Ashdon, in Essex, where the earth pyramids and antique church near by
+still testify the thankful piety of Knut,--or, at lowest his joy at
+having _won_ instead of lost and perished, as he was near doing there.
+And it was still this same year when the noble Edmund Ironside, after
+forced partition-treaty "in the Isle of Alney," got scandalously
+murdered, and Knut became indisputable sole King of England, and
+decisively settled himself to his work of governing there. In the year
+before either of which events, while all still hung uncertain for Knut,
+and even Eric Jarl of Norway had to be summoned in aid of him, in that
+year 1015, as one might naturally guess and as all Icelandic hints
+and indications lead us to date the thing, Olaf had decided to give
+up Vikingism in all its forms; to return to Norway, and try whether he
+could not assert the place and career that belonged to him there. Jarl
+Eric had vanished with all his war forces towards England, leaving only
+a boy, Hakon, as successor, and Svein, his own brother,--a quiet man,
+who had always avoided war. Olaf landed in Norway without obstacle; but
+decided to be quiet till he had himself examined and consulted friends.
+
+His reception by his mother Aasta was of the kindest and proudest, and
+is lovingly described by Snorro. A pretty idyllic, or epic piece, of
+_Norse_ Homeric type: How Aasta, hearing of her son's advent, set all
+her maids and menials to work at the top of their speed; despatched a
+runner to the harvest-field, where her husband Sigurd was, to warn him
+to come home and dress. How Sigurd was standing among his harvest folk,
+reapers and binders; and what he had on,--broad slouch hat, with veil
+(against the midges), blue kirtle, hose of I forget what color, with
+laced boots; and in his hand a stick with silver head and ditto ring
+upon it;--a personable old gentleman, of the eleventh century, in those
+parts. Sigurd was cautious, prudentially cunctatory, though heartily
+friendly in his counsel to Olaf as to the King question. Aasta had a
+Spartan tone in her wild maternal heart; and assures Olaf that she, with
+a half-reproachful glance at Sigurd, will stand by him to the death in
+this his just and noble enterprise. Sigurd promises to consult farther
+in his neighborhood, and to correspond by messages; the result is, Olaf
+resolutely pushing forward himself, resolves to call a Thing, and
+openly claim his kingship there. The Thing itself was willing enough:
+opposition parties do here and there bestir themselves; but Olaf
+is always swifter than they. Five kinglets somewhere in the
+Uplands, [11]--all descendants of Haarfagr; but averse to break the
+peace, which Jarl Eric and Hakon Jarl both have always willingly allowed
+to peaceable people,--seem to be the main opposition party. These five
+take the field against Olaf with what force they have; Olaf, one night,
+by beautiful celerity and strategic practice which a Friedrich or a
+Turenne might have approved, surrounds these Five; and when morning
+breaks, there is nothing for them but either death, or else instant
+surrender, and swearing of fealty to King Olaf. Which latter branch of
+the alternative they gladly accept, the whole five of them, and go home
+again.
+
+This was a beautiful bit of war-practice by King Olaf on land. By
+another stroke still more compendious at sea, he had already settled
+poor young Hakon, and made him peaceable for a long while. Olaf by
+diligent quest and spy-messaging, had ascertained that Hakon, just
+returning from Denmark and farewell to Papa and Knut, both now under way
+for England, was coasting north towards Trondhjem; and intended on or
+about such a day to land in such and such a fjord towards the end of
+this Trondhjem voyage. Olaf at once mans two big ships, steers through
+the narrow mouth of the said fjord, moors one ship on the north shore,
+another on the south; fixes a strong cable, well sunk under water, to
+the capstans of these two; and in all quietness waits for Hakon. Before
+many hours, Hakon's royal or quasi-royal barge steers gaily into this
+fjord; is a little surprised, perhaps, to see within the jaws of it two
+big ships at anchor, but steers gallantly along, nothing doubting. Olaf
+with a signal of "All hands," works his two capstans; has the cable
+up high enough at the right moment, catches with it the keel of poor
+Hakon's barge, upsets it, empties it wholly into the sea. Wholly into
+the sea; saves Hakon, however, and his people from drowning, and brings
+them on board. His dialogue with poor young Hakon, especially poor young
+Hakon's responses, is very pretty. Shall I give it, out of Snorro, and
+let the reader take it for as authentic as he can? It is at least
+the true image of it in authentic Snorro's head, little more than two
+centuries later.
+
+"Jarl Hakon was led up to the king's ship. He was the handsomest man
+that could be seen. He had long hair as fine as silk, bound about his
+head with a gold ornament. When he sat down in the forehold the king
+said to him:
+
+_King._ "'It is not false, what is said of your family, that ye are
+handsome people to look at; but now your luck has deserted you.'
+
+_Hakon._ "'It has always been the case that success is changeable; and
+there is no luck in the matter. It has gone with your family as with
+mine to have by turns the better lot. I am little beyond childhood in
+years; and at any rate we could not have defended ourselves, as we did
+not expect any attack on the way. It may turn out better with us another
+time.'
+
+_King._ "'Dost thou not apprehend that thou art in such a condition
+that, hereafter, there can be neither victory nor defeat for thee?'
+
+_Hakon._ "'That is what only thou canst determine, King, according to
+thy pleasure.'
+
+_King._ "'What wilt thou give me, Jarl, if, for this time, I let thee
+go, whole and unhurt?'
+
+_Hakon._ "'What wilt thou take, King?'
+
+_King._ "'Nothing, except that thou shalt leave the country; give up thy
+kingdom; and take an oath that thou wilt never go into battle against
+me.'" [12]
+
+Jarl Hakon accepted the generous terms; went to England and King Knut,
+and kept his bargain for a good few years; though he was at last driven,
+by pressure of King Knut, to violate it,--little to his profit, as we
+shall see. One victorious naval battle with Jarl Svein, Hakon's uncle,
+and his adherents, who fled to Sweden, after his beating,--battle not
+difficult to a skilful, hard-hitting king,--was pretty much all the
+actual fighting Olaf had to do in this enterprise. He various times
+met angry Bonders and refractory Things with arms in their hand; but by
+skilful, firm management,--perfectly patient, but also perfectly ready
+to be active,--he mostly managed without coming to strokes; and was
+universally recognized by Norway as its real king. A promising young
+man, and fit to be a king, thinks Snorro. Only of middle stature, almost
+rather shortish; but firm-standing, and stout-built; so that they got
+to call him Olaf the Thick (meaning Olaf the Thick-set, or Stout-built),
+though his final epithet among them was infinitely higher. For the
+rest, "a comely, earnest, prepossessing look; beautiful yellow hair in
+quantity; broad, honest face, of a complexion pure as snow and rose;"
+and finally (or firstly) "the brightest eyes in the world; such that,
+in his anger, no man could stand them." He had a heavy task ahead, and
+needed all his qualities and fine gifts to get it done.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X. REIGN OF KING OLAF THE SAINT.
+
+The late two Jarls, now gone about their business, had both been
+baptized, and called themselves Christians. But during their government
+they did nothing in the conversion way; left every man to choose his own
+God or Gods; so that some had actually two, the Christian God by land,
+and at sea Thor, whom they considered safer in that element. And in
+effect the mass of the people had fallen back into a sluggish heathenism
+or half-heathenism, the life-labor of Olaf Tryggveson lying ruinous or
+almost quite overset. The new Olaf, son of Harald, set himself with
+all his strength to mend such a state of matters; and stood by his
+enterprise to the end, as the one highest interest, including all
+others, for his People and him. His method was by no means soft; on
+the contrary, it was hard, rapid, severe,--somewhat on the model of
+Tryggveson's, though with more of _bishoping_ and preaching superadded.
+Yet still there was a great deal of mauling, vigorous punishing, and an
+entire intolerance of these two things: Heathenism and Sea-robbery, at
+least of Sea-robbery in the old style; whether in the style we moderns
+still practise, and call privateering, I do not quite know. But
+Vikingism proper had to cease in Norway; still more, Heathenism, under
+penalties too severe to be borne; death, mutilation of limb, not to
+mention forfeiture and less rigorous coercion. Olaf was inexorable
+against violation of the law. "Too severe," cried many; to whom one
+answers, "Perhaps in part _yes_, perhaps also in great part _no_;
+depends altogether on the previous question, How far the law was the
+eternal one of God Almighty in the universe, How far the law merely
+of Olaf (destitute of right inspiration) left to his own passions and
+whims?"
+
+Many were the jangles Olaf had with the refractory Heathen Things and
+Ironbeards of a new generation: very curious to see. Scarcely ever did
+it come to fighting between King and Thing, though often enough near it;
+but the Thing discerning, as it usually did in time, that the King was
+stronger in men, seemed to say unanimously to itself, "We have lost,
+then; baptize us, we must burn our old gods and conform." One new
+feature we do slightly discern: here and there a touch of theological
+argument on the heathen side. At one wild Thing, far up in the
+Dovrefjeld, of a very heathen temper, there was much of that; not to be
+quenched by King Olaf at the moment; so that it had to be adjourned till
+the morrow, and again till the next day. Here are some traits of it,
+much abridged from Snorro (who gives a highly punctual account), which
+vividly represent Olaf's posture and manner of proceeding in such
+intricacies.
+
+The chief Ironbeard on this occasion was one Gudbrand, a very rugged
+peasant; who, says Snorro, was like a king in that district. Some days
+before, King Olaf, intending a religious Thing in those deeply heathen
+parts, with alternative of Christianity or conflagration, is reported,
+on looking down into the valley and the beautiful village of Loar
+standing there, to have said wistfully, "What a pity it is that so
+beautiful a village should be burnt!" Olaf sent out his message-token
+all the same however, and met Gudbrand and an immense assemblage,
+whose humor towards him was uncompliant to a high degree indeed. Judge
+by this preliminary speech of Gudbrand to his Thing-people, while Olaf
+was not yet arrived, but only advancing, hardly got to Breeden on the
+other side of the hill: "A man has come to Loar who is called Olaf,"
+said Gudbrand, "and will force upon us another faith than we had before,
+and will break in pieces all our Gods. He says he has a much greater
+and more powerful God; and it is wonderful that the earth does not burst
+asunder under him, or that our God lets him go about unpunished when
+he dares to talk such things. I know this for certain, that if we carry
+Thor, who has always stood by us, out of our Temple that is standing
+upon this farm, Olaf's God will melt away, and he and his men be made
+nothing as soon as Thor looks upon them." Whereupon the Bonders all
+shouted as one man, "Yea!"
+
+Which tremendous message they even forwarded to Olaf, by Gudbrand's
+younger son at the head of 700 armed men; but did not terrify Olaf with
+it, who, on the contrary, drew up his troops, rode himself at the head
+of them, and began a speech to the Bonders, in which he invited them to
+adopt Christianity, as the one true faith for mortals.
+
+Far from consenting to this, the Bonders raised a general shout, smiting
+at the same time their shields with their weapons; but Olaf's men
+advancing on them swiftly, and flinging spears, they turned and ran,
+leaving Gudbrand's son behind, a prisoner, to whom Olaf gave his life:
+"Go home now to thy father, and tell him I mean to be with him soon."
+
+The son goes accordingly, and advises his father not to face Olaf; but
+Gudbrand angrily replies: "Ha, coward! I see thou, too, art taken by
+the folly that man is going about with;" and is resolved to fight. That
+night, however, Gudbrand has a most remarkable Dream, or Vision: a Man
+surrounded by light, bringing great terror with him, who warns Gudbrand
+against doing battle with Olaf. "If thou dost, thou and all thy people
+will fall; wolves will drag away thee and thine; ravens will tear
+thee in stripes!" And lo, in telling this to Thord Potbelly, a sturdy
+neighbor of his and henchman in the Thing, it is found that to Thord
+also has come the self same terrible Apparition! Better propose truce to
+Olaf (who seems to have these dreadful Ghostly Powers on his side), and
+the holding of a Thing, to discuss matters between us. Thing assembles,
+on a day of heavy rain. Being all seated, uprises King Olaf, and informs
+them: "The people of Lesso, Loar, and Vaage, have accepted Christianity,
+and broken down their idol-houses: they believe now in the True God, who
+has made heaven and earth, and knows all things;" and sits down again
+without more words.
+
+"Gudbrand replies, 'We know nothing about him of whom thou speakest.
+Dost thou call him God, whom neither thou nor any one else can see? But
+we have a God who can be seen every day, although he is not out to-day
+because the weather is wet; and he will appear to thee terrible and very
+grand; and I expect that fear will mix with thy very blood when he comes
+into the Thing. But since thou sayest thy God is so great, let him make
+it so that to-morrow we have a cloudy day, but without rain, and then
+let us meet again.'
+
+"The king accordingly returned home to his lodging, taking Gudbrand's
+son as a hostage; but he gave them a man as hostage in exchange. In
+the evening the king asked Gudbrand's son What their God was like? He
+replied that he bore the likeness of Thor; had a hammer in his hand; was
+of great size, but hollow within; and had a high stand, upon which he
+stood when he was out. 'Neither gold nor silver are wanting about him,
+and every day he receives four cakes of bread, besides meat.' They then
+went to bed; but the king watched all night in prayer. When day dawned
+the king went to mass; then to table, and from thence to the Thing. The
+weather was such as Gudbrand desired. Now the Bishop stood up in his
+choir-robes, with bishop's coif on his head, and bishop's crosier in his
+hand. He spoke to the Bonders of the true faith, told the many wonderful
+acts of God, and concluded his speech well.
+
+"Thord Potbelly replies, 'Many things we are told of by this learned man
+with the staff in his hand, crooked at the top like a ram's horn. But
+since you say, comrades, that your God is so powerful, and can do so
+many wonders, tell him to make it clear sunshine to-morrow forenoon, and
+then we shall meet here again, and do one of two things,--either agree
+with you about this business, or fight you.' And they separated for the
+day."
+
+Overnight the king instructed Kolbein the Strong, an immense fellow,
+the same who killed Gunhild's two brothers, that he, Kolbein, must
+stand next him to-morrow; people must go down to where the ships of the
+Bonders lay, and punctually bore holes in every one of them; _item_, to
+the farms where their horses wore, and punctually unhalter the whole of
+them, and let them loose: all which was done. Snorro continues:--
+
+"Now the king was in prayer all night, beseeching God of his goodness
+and mercy to release him from evil. When mass was ended, and morning was
+gray, the king went to the Thing. When he came thither, some Bonders had
+already arrived, and they saw a great crowd coming along, and bearing
+among them a huge man's image, glancing with gold and silver. When
+the Bonders who were at the Thing saw it, they started up, and bowed
+themselves down before the ugly idol. Thereupon it was set down upon the
+Thing field; and on the one side of it sat the Bonders, and on the other
+the King and his people.
+
+"Then Dale Gudbrand stood up and said, 'Where now, king, is thy God? I
+think he will now carry his head lower; and neither thou, nor the man
+with the horn, sitting beside thee there, whom thou callest Bishop, are
+so bold to-day as on the former days. For now our God, who rules over
+all, is come, and looks on you with an angry eye; and now I see well
+enough that you are terrified, and scarcely dare raise your eyes. Throw
+away now all your opposition, and believe in the God who has your fate
+wholly in his hands.'
+
+"The king now whispers to Kolbein the Strong, without the Bonders
+perceiving it, 'If it come so in the course of my speech that the
+Bonders look another way than towards their idol, strike him as hard as
+thou canst with thy club.'
+
+"The king then stood up and spoke. 'Much hast thou talked to us this
+morning, and greatly hast thou wondered that thou canst not see our God;
+but we expect that he will soon come to us. Thou wouldst frighten us
+with thy God, who is both blind and deaf, and cannot even move about
+without being carried; but now I expect it will be but a short time
+before he meets his fate: for turn your eyes towards the east,--behold
+our God advancing in great light.'
+
+"The sun was rising, and all turned to look. At that moment Kolbein gave
+their God a stroke, so that he quite burst asunder; and there ran out
+of him mice as big almost as cats, and reptiles and adders. The Bonders
+were so terrified that some fled to their ships; but when they sprang
+out upon them the ships filled with water, and could not get away.
+Others ran to their horses, but could not find them. The king then
+ordered the Bonders to be called together, saying he wanted to speak
+with them; on which the Bonders came back, and the Thing was again
+seated.
+
+"The king rose up and said, 'I do not understand what your noise and
+running mean. You yourselves see what your God can do,--the idol you
+adorned with gold and silver, and brought meat and provisions to. You
+see now that the protecting powers, who used and got good of all that,
+were the mice and adders, the reptiles and lizards; and surely they do
+ill who trust to such, and will not abandon this folly. Take now your
+gold and ornaments that are lying strewed on the grass, and give them to
+your wives and daughters, but never hang them hereafter upon stocks and
+stones. Here are two conditions between us to choose upon: either accept
+Christianity, or fight this very day, and the victory be to them to whom
+the God we worship gives it.'
+
+"Then Dale Gudbrand stood up and said, 'We have sustained great damage
+upon our God; but since he will not help us, we will believe in the God
+whom thou believest in.'
+
+"Then all received Christianity. The Bishop baptized Gudbrand and his
+son. King Olaf and Bishop Sigurd left behind them teachers; and they who
+met as enemies parted as friends. And afterwards Gudbrand built a church
+in the valley." [13]
+
+Olaf was by no means an unmerciful man,--much the reverse where he saw
+good cause. There was a wicked old King Raerik, for example, one
+of those five kinglets whom, with their bits of armaments, Olaf by
+stratagem had surrounded one night, and at once bagged and subjected
+when morning rose, all of them consenting; all of them except this
+Raerik, whom Olaf, as the readiest sure course, took home with him;
+blinded, and kept in his own house; finding there was no alternative but
+that or death to the obstinate old dog, who was a kind of distant cousin
+withal, and could not conscientiously be killed. Stone-blind old Raerik
+was not always in murderous humor. Indeed, for most part he wore a
+placid, conciliatory aspect, and said shrewd amusing things; but
+had thrice over tried, with amazing cunning of contrivance, though
+stone-blind, to thrust a dagger into Olaf and the last time had all but
+succeeded. So that, as Olaf still refused to have him killed, it had
+become a problem what was to be done with him. Olaf's good humor, as
+well as _his_ quiet, ready sense and practicality, are manifested in his
+final settlement of this Raerik problem. Olaf's laugh, I can perceive,
+was not so loud as Tryggveson's but equally hearty, coming from the
+bright mind of him!
+
+Besides blind Raerik, Olaf had in his household one Thorarin, an
+Icelander; a remarkably ugly man, says Snorro, but a far-travelled,
+shrewdly observant, loyal-minded, and good-humored person, whom Olaf
+liked to talk with. "Remarkably ugly," says Snorro, "especially in
+his hands and feet, which were large and ill-shaped to a degree."
+One morning Thorarin, who, with other trusted ones, slept in Olaf's
+apartment, was lazily dozing and yawning, and had stretched one of his
+feet out of the bed before the king awoke. The foot was still there when
+Olaf did open his bright eyes, which instantly lighted on this foot.
+
+"Well, here is a foot," says Olaf, gayly, "which one seldom sees the
+match of; I durst venture there is not another so ugly in this city of
+Nidaros."
+
+"Hah, king!" said Thorarin, "there are few things one cannot match if
+one seek long and take pains. I would bet, with thy permission, King, to
+find an uglier."
+
+"Done!" cried Olaf. Upon which Thorarin stretched out the other foot.
+
+"A still uglier," cried he; "for it has lost the little toe."
+
+"Ho, ho!" said Olaf; "but it is I who have gained the bet. The _less_ of
+an ugly thing the less ugly, not the more!"
+
+Loyal Thorarin respectfully submitted.
+
+"What is to be my penalty, then? The king it is that must decide."
+
+"To take me that wicked old Raerik to Leif Ericson in Greenland."
+
+Which the Icelander did; leaving two vacant seats henceforth at Olaf's
+table. Leif Ericson, son of Eric discoverer of America, quietly managed
+Raerik henceforth; sent him to Iceland,--I think to father Eric himself;
+certainly to some safe hand there, in whose house, or in some still
+quieter neighboring lodging, at his own choice, old Raerik spent the
+last three years of his life in a perfectly quiescent manner.
+
+Olaf's struggles in the matter of religion had actually settled that
+question in Norway. By these rough methods of his, whatever we may think
+of them, Heathenism had got itself smashed dead; and was no more heard
+of in that country. Olaf himself was evidently a highly devout and pious
+man;--whosoever is born with Olaf's temper now will still find, as Olaf
+did, new and infinite field for it! Christianity in Norway had the like
+fertility as in other countries; or even rose to a higher, and what
+Dahlmann thinks, exuberant pitch, in the course of the two centuries
+which followed that of Olaf. Him all testimony represents to us as a
+most righteous no less than most religious king. Continually vigilant,
+just, and rigorous was Olaf's administration of the laws; repression
+of robbery, punishment of injustice, stern repayment of evil-doers,
+wherever he could lay hold of them.
+
+Among the Bonder or opulent class, and indeed everywhere, for the poor
+too can be sinners and need punishment, Olaf had, by this course of
+conduct, naturally made enemies. His severity so visible to all, and
+the justice and infinite beneficence of it so invisible except to a very
+few. But, at any rate, his reign for the first ten years was victorious;
+and might have been so to the end, had it not been intersected, and
+interfered with, by King Knut in his far bigger orbit and current of
+affairs and interests. Knut's English affairs and Danish being all
+settled to his mind, he seems, especially after that year of pilgrimage
+to Rome, and association with the Pontiffs and Kaisers of the world on
+that occasion, to have turned his more particular attention upon Norway,
+and the claims he himself had there. Jarl Hakon, too, sister's son of
+Knut, and always well seen by him, had long been busy in this direction,
+much forgetful of that oath to Olaf when his barge got canted over
+by the cable of two capstans, and his life was given him, not without
+conditions altogether!
+
+About the year 1026 there arrived two splendid persons out of England,
+bearing King Knut the Great's letter and seal, with a message, likely
+enough to be far from welcome to Olaf. For some days Olaf refused to see
+them or their letter, shrewdly guessing what the purport would be. Which
+indeed was couched in mild language, but of sharp meaning enough: a
+notice to King Olaf namely, That Norway was properly, by just heritage,
+Knut the Great's; and that Olaf must become the great Knut's liegeman,
+and pay tribute to him, or worse would follow. King Olaf listening to
+these two splendid persons and their letter, in indignant silence till
+they quite ended, made answer: "I have heard say, by old accounts
+there are, that King Gorm of Denmark  [Blue-tooth's father, Knut's
+great-grandfather] was considered but a small king; having Denmark only
+and few people to rule over. But the kings who succeeded him thought
+that insufficient for them; and it has since come so far that King Knut
+rules over both Denmark and England, and has conquered for himself a
+part of Scotland. And now he claims also my paternal bit of heritage;
+cannot be contented without that too. Does he wish to rule over all the
+countries of the North? Can he eat up all the kale in England itself,
+this Knut the Great? He shall do that, and reduce his England to a
+desert, before I lay my head in his hands, or show him any other kind
+of vassalage. And so I bid you tell him these my words: I will defend
+Norway with battle-axe and sword as long as life is given me, and will
+pay tax to no man for my kingdom." Words which naturally irritated Knut
+to a high degree.
+
+Next year accordingly (year 1027), tenth or eleventh year of Olaf's
+reign, there came bad rumors out of England: That Knut was equipping an
+immense army,--land-army, and such a fleet as had never sailed before;
+Knut's own ship in it,--a Gold Dragon with no fewer than sixty benches
+of oars. Olaf and Onund King of Sweden, whose sister he had married,
+well guessed whither this armament was bound. They were friends withal,
+they recognized their common peril in this imminence; and had, in
+repeated consultations, taken measures the best that their united skill
+(which I find was mainly Olaf's but loyally accepted by the other) could
+suggest. It was in this year that Olaf (with his Swedish king assisting)
+did his grand feat upon Knut in Lymfjord of Jutland, which was already
+spoken of. The special circumstances of which were these:
+
+Knut's big armament arriving on the Jutish coasts too late in the
+season, and the coast country lying all plundered into temporary wreck
+by the two Norse kings, who shrank away on sight of Knut, there was
+nothing could be done upon them by Knut this year,--or, if anything,
+what? Knut's ships ran into Lymfjord, the safe-sheltered frith, or
+intricate long straggle of friths and straits, which almost cuts Jutland
+in two in that region; and lay safe, idly rocking on the waters there,
+uncertain what to do farther. At last he steered in his big ship and
+some others, deeper into the interior of Lymfjord, deeper and deeper
+onwards to the mouth of a big river called the Helge (_Helge-aa_, the
+Holy River, not discoverable in my poor maps, but certainly enough still
+existing and still flowing somewhere among those intricate straits and
+friths), towards the bottom of which Helge river lay, in some safe nook,
+the small combined Swedish and Norse fleet, under the charge of Onund,
+the Swedish king, while at the top or source, which is a biggish
+mountain lake, King Olaf had been doing considerable engineering works,
+well suited to such an occasion, and was now ready at a moment's notice.
+Knut's fleet having idly taken station here, notice from the Swedish
+king was instantly sent; instantly Olaf's well-engineered flood-gates
+were thrown open; from the swollen lake a huge deluge of water was
+let loose; Olaf himself with all his people hastening down to join his
+Swedish friend, and get on board in time; Helge river all the while
+alongside of him, with ever-increasing roar, and wider-spreading deluge,
+hastening down the steeps in the night-watches. So that, along with Olaf
+or some way ahead of him, came immeasurable roaring waste of waters
+upon Knut's negligent fleet; shattered, broke, and stranded many of his
+ships, and was within a trifle of destroying the Golden Dragon herself,
+with Knut on board. Olaf and Onund, we need not say, were promptly there
+in person, doing their very best; the railings of the Golden Dragon,
+however, were too high for their little ships; and Jarl Ulf, husband
+of Knut's sister, at the top of his speed, courageously intervening,
+spoiled their stratagem, and saved Knut from this very dangerous pass.
+
+Knut did nothing more this winter. The two Norse kings, quite unequal to
+attack such an armament, except by ambush and engineering, sailed away;
+again plundering at discretion on the Danish coast; carrying into Sweden
+great booties and many prisoners; but obliged to lie fixed all winter;
+and indeed to leave their fleets there for a series of winters,--Knut's
+fleet, posted at Elsinore on both sides of the Sound, rendering all
+egress from the Baltic impossible, except at his pleasure. Ulf's
+opportune deliverance of his royal brother-in-law did not much bestead
+poor Ulf himself. He had been in disfavor before, pardoned with
+difficulty, by Queen Emma's intercession; an ambitious, officious,
+pushing, stirring, and, both in England and Denmark, almost dangerous
+man; and this conspicuous accidental merit only awoke new jealousy in
+Knut. Knut, finding nothing pass the Sound worth much blockading, went
+ashore; "and the day before Michaelmas," says Snorro, "rode with a great
+retinue to Roeskilde." Snorro continues his tragic narrative of what
+befell there:
+
+"There Knut's brother-in-law, Jarl Ulf, had prepared a great feast for
+him. The Jarl was the most agreeable of hosts; but the King was silent
+and sullen. The Jarl talked to him in every way to make him cheerful,
+and brought forward everything he could think of to amuse him; but the
+King remained stern, and speaking little. At last the Jarl proposed a
+game of chess, which he agreed to. A chess-board was produced, and they
+played together. Jarl Ulf was hasty in temper, stiff, and in nothing
+yielding; but everything he managed went on well in his hands: and he
+was a great warrior, about whom there are many stories. He was the most
+powerful man in Denmark next to the King. Jarl Ulf's sister, Gyda, was
+married to Jarl Gudin (Godwin) Ulfnadson; and their sons were, Harald
+King of England, and Jarl Tosti, Jarl Walthiof, Jarl Mauro-Kaare, and
+Jarl Svein. Gyda was the name of their daughter, who was married to the
+English King Edward, the Good (whom we call the Confessor).
+
+"When they had played a while, the King made a false move; on which the
+Jarl took a knight from him; but the King set the piece on the board
+again, and told the Jarl to make another move. But the Jarl flew angry,
+tumbled the chess-board over, rose, and went away. The King said, 'Run
+thy ways, Ulf the Fearful.' The Jarl turned round at the door and said,
+'Thou wouldst have run farther at Helge river hadst thou been left to
+battle there. Thou didst not call me Ulf the Fearful when I hastened to
+thy help while the Swedes were beating thee like a dog.' The Jarl then
+went out, and went to bed.
+
+"The following morning, while the King was putting on his clothes, he
+said to his footboy, 'Go thou to Jarl Ulf and kill him.' The lad went,
+was away a while, and then came back. The King said, 'Hast thou killed
+the Jarl?' 'I did not kill him, for he was gone to St. Lucius's church.'
+There was a man called Ivar the White, a Norwegian by birth, who was the
+King's courtman and chamberlain. The King said to him, 'Go thou and kill
+the Jarl.' Ivar went to the church, and in at the choir, and thrust
+his sword through the Jarl, who died on the spot. Then Ivar went to the
+King, with the bloody sword in his hand.
+
+"The King said, 'Hast thou killed the Jarl?' 'I have killed him,' said
+he. 'Thou hast done well,' answered the King." I
+
+From a man who built so many churches (one on each battlefield where
+he had fought, to say nothing of the others), and who had in him such
+depths of real devotion and other fine cosmic quality, this does seem
+rather strong! But it is characteristic, withal,--of the man, and
+perhaps of the times still more. [14] In any case, it is an event worth
+noting, the slain Jarl Ulf and his connections being of importance
+in the history of Denmark and of England also. Ulf's wife was Astrid,
+sister of Knut, and their only child was Svein, styled afterwards "Svein
+Estrithson" ("Astrid-son") when he became noted in the world,--at this
+time a beardless youth, who, on the back of this tragedy, fled hastily
+to Sweden, where were friends of Ulf. After some ten years' eclipse
+there, Knut and both his sons being now dead, Svein reappeared in
+Denmark under a new and eminent figure, "Jarl of Denmark," highest
+Liegeman to the then sovereign there. Broke his oath to said sovereign,
+declared himself, Svein Estrithson, to be real King of Denmark; and,
+after much preliminary trouble, and many beatings and disastrous flights
+to and fro, became in effect such,--to the wonder of mankind; for he had
+not had one victory to cheer him on, or any good luck or merit that one
+sees, except that of surviving longer than some others. Nevertheless
+he came to be the Restorer, so called, of Danish independence; sole
+remaining representative of Knut (or Knut's sister), of Fork-beard,
+Blue-tooth, and Old Gorm; and ancestor of all the subsequent kings
+of Denmark for some 400 years; himself coming, as we see, only by the
+Distaff side, all of the Sword or male side having died so soon. Early
+death, it has been observed, was the Great Knut's allotment, and all his
+posterity's as well;--fatal limit (had there been no others, which
+we see there were) to his becoming "Charlemagne of the North" in any
+considerable degree! Jarl Ulf, as we have seen, had a sister, Gyda by
+name, wife to Earl Godwin ("Gudin Ulfnadsson," as Snorro calls him) a
+very memorable Englishman, whose son and hers, King Harald, _Harold_
+in English books, is the memorablest of all. These things ought to be
+better known to English antiquaries, and will perhaps be alluded to
+again.
+
+This pretty little victory or affront, gained over Knut in _Lymfjord_,
+was among the last successes of Olaf against that mighty man. Olaf, the
+skilful captain he was, need not have despaired to defend his Norway
+against Knut and all the world. But he learned henceforth, month by
+month ever more tragically, that his own people, seeing softer prospects
+under Knut, and in particular the chiefs of them, industriously bribed
+by Knut for years past, had fallen away from him; and that his means of
+defence were gone. Next summer, Knut's grand fleet sailed, unopposed,
+along the coast of Norway; Knut summoning a Thing every here and
+there, and in all of them meeting nothing but sky-high acclamation and
+acceptance. Olaf, with some twelve little ships, all he now had, lay
+quiet in some safe fjord, near Lindenaes, what we now call the Naze,
+behind some little solitary isles on the southeast of Norway there;
+till triumphant Knut had streamed home again. Home to England again
+"Sovereign of Norway" now, with nephew Hakon appointed Jarl and
+Vice-regent under him! This was the news Olaf met on venturing out;
+and that his worst anticipations were not beyond the sad truth all, or
+almost all, the chief Bonders and men of weight in Norway had declared
+against him, and stood with triumphant Knut.
+
+Olaf, with his twelve poor ships, steered vigorously along the coast to
+collect money and force,--if such could now anywhere be had. He himself
+was resolute to hold out, and try. "Sailing swiftly with a fair wind,
+morning cloudy with some showers," he passed the coast of Jedderen,
+which was Erling Skjalgson's country, when he got sure notice of an
+endless multitude of ships, war-ships, armed merchant ships, all kinds
+of shipping-craft, down to fishermen's boats, just getting under way
+against him, under the command of Erling Skjalgson,--the powerfulest of
+his subjects, once much a friend of Olaf's but now gone against him to
+this length, thanks to Olaf's severity of justice, and Knut's abundance
+in gold and promises for years back. To that complexion had it come with
+Erling; sailing with this immense assemblage of the naval people and
+populace of Norway to seize King Olaf, and bring him to the great Knut
+dead or alive.
+
+Erling had a grand new ship of his own, which far outsailed the general
+miscellany of rebel ships, and was visibly fast gaining distance on Olaf
+himself,--who well understood what Erling's puzzle was, between the tail
+of his game (the miscellany of rebel ships, namely) that could not come
+up, and the head or general prize of the game which was crowding all
+sail to get away; and Olaf took advantage of the same. "Lower your
+sails!" said Olaf to his men (though we must go slower).
+
+"Ho you, we have lost sight of them!" said Erling to his, and put on all
+his speed; Olaf going, soon after this, altogether invisible,--behind a
+little island that he knew of, whence into a certain fjord or bay (Bay
+of Fungen on the maps), which he thought would suit him. "Halt here, and
+get out your arms," said Olaf, and had not to wait long till Erling came
+bounding in, past the rocky promontory, and with astonishment beheld
+Olaf's fleet of twelve with their battle-axes and their grappling-irons
+all in perfect readiness. These fell on him, the unready Erling,
+simultaneous, like a cluster of angry bees; and in a few minutes cleared
+his ship of men altogether, except Erling himself. Nobody asked his
+life, nor probably would have got it if he had. Only Erling still
+stood erect on a high place on the poop, fiercely defensive, and very
+difficult to get at. "Could not be reached at all," says Snorro, "except
+by spears or arrows, and these he warded off with untiring dexterity;
+no man in Norway, it was said, had ever defended himself so long alone
+against many,"--an almost invincible Erling, had his cause been good.
+Olaf himself noticed Erling's behavior, and said to him, from the
+foredeck below, "Thou hast turned against me to-day, Erling." "The
+eagles fight breast to breast," answers he. This was a speech of the
+king's to Erling once long ago, while they stood fighting, not as now,
+but side by side. The king, with some transient thought of possibility
+going through his head, rejoins, "Wilt thou surrender, Erling?" "That
+will I," answered he; took the helmet off his head; laid down sword and
+shield; and went forward to the forecastle deck. The king pricked, I
+think not very harshly, into Erling's chin or beard with the point of
+his battle-axe, saying, "I must mark thee as traitor to thy Sovereign,
+though." Whereupon one of the bystanders, Aslak Fitiaskalle, stupidly
+and fiercely burst up; smote Erling on the head with his axe; so that
+it struck fast in his brain and was instantly the death of Erling.
+"Ill-luck attend thee for that stroke; thou hast struck Norway out of my
+hand by it!" cried the king to Aslak; but forgave the poor fellow, who
+had done it meaning well. The insurrectionary Bonder fleet arriving soon
+after, as if for certain victory, was struck with astonishment at this
+Erling catastrophe; and being now without any leader of authority,
+made not the least attempt at battle; but, full of discouragement and
+consternation, thankfully allowed Olaf to sail away on his northward
+voyage, at discretion; and themselves went off lamenting, with Erling's
+dead body.
+
+This small victory was the last that Olaf had over his many enemies
+at present. He sailed along, still northward, day after day; several
+important people joined him; but the news from landward grew daily more
+ominous: Bonders busily arming to rear of him; and ahead, Hakon still
+more busily at Trondhjem, now near by, "--and he will end thy days,
+King, if he have strength enough!" Olaf paused; sent scouts to a
+hill-top: "Hakon's armament visible enough, and under way hitherward,
+about the Isle of Bjarno, yonder!" Soon after, Olaf himself saw the
+Bonder armament of twenty-five ships, from the southward, sail past in
+the distance to join that of Hakon; and, worse still, his own ships, one
+and another (seven in all), were slipping off on a like errand! He
+made for the Fjord of Fodrar, mouth of the rugged strath called
+Valdal,--which I think still knows Olaf and has now an "Olaf's Highway,"
+where, nine centuries ago, it scarcely had a path. Olaf entered this
+fjord, had his land-tent set up, and a cross beside it, on the small
+level green behind the promontory there. Finding that his twelve poor
+ships were now reduced to five, against a world all risen upon him, he
+could not but see and admit to himself that there was no chance left;
+and that he must withdraw across the mountains and wait for a better
+time.
+
+His journey through that wild country, in these forlorn and straitened
+circumstances, has a mournful dignity and homely pathos, as described
+by Snorro: how he drew up his five poor ships upon the beach, packed all
+their furniture away, and with his hundred or so of attendants and their
+journey-baggage, under guidance of some friendly Bonder, rode up into
+the desert and foot of the mountains; scaled, after three days' effort
+(as if by miracle, thought his attendants and thought Snorro), the
+well-nigh precipitous slope that led across, never without miraculous
+aid from Heaven and Olaf could baggage-wagons have ascended that path!
+In short, How he fared along, beset by difficulties and the mournfulest
+thoughts; but patiently persisted, steadfastly trusted in God; and was
+fixed to return, and by God's help try again. An evidently very pious
+and devout man; a good man struggling with adversity, such as the gods,
+we may still imagine with the ancients, do look down upon as their
+noblest sight.
+
+He got to Sweden, to the court of his brother-in-law; kindly and nobly
+enough received there, though gradually, perhaps, ill-seen by the now
+authorities of Norway. So that, before long, he quitted Sweden; left his
+queen there with her only daughter, his and hers, the only child they
+had; he himself had an only son, "by a bondwoman," Magnus by name, who
+came to great things afterwards; of whom, and of which, by and by. With
+this bright little boy, and a selected escort of attendants, he moved
+away to Russia, to King Jarroslav; where he might wait secure against
+all risk of hurting kind friends by his presence. He seems to have been
+an exile altogether some two years,--such is one's vague notion; for
+there is no chronology in Snorro or his Sagas, and one is reduced to
+guessing and inferring. He had reigned over Norway, reckoning from the
+first days of his landing there to those last of his leaving it across
+the Dovrefjeld, about fifteen years, ten of them shiningly victorious.
+
+The news from Norway were naturally agitating to King Olaf and, in the
+fluctuation of events there, his purposes and prospects varied much.
+He sometimes thought of pilgriming to Jerusalem, and a henceforth
+exclusively religious life; but for most part his pious thoughts
+themselves gravitated towards Norway, and a stroke for his old place and
+task there, which he steadily considered to have been committed to him
+by God. Norway, by the rumors, was evidently not at rest. Jarl Hakon,
+under the high patronage of his uncle, had lasted there but a little
+while. I know not that his government was especially unpopular, nor
+whether he himself much remembered his broken oath. It appears, however,
+he had left in England a beautiful bride; and considering farther that
+in England only could bridal ornaments and other wedding outfit of a
+sufficiently royal kind be found, he set sail thither, to fetch her and
+them himself. One evening of wildish-looking weather he was seen
+about the northeast corner of the Pentland Frith; the night rose to be
+tempestuous; Hakon or any timber of his fleet was never seen more. Had
+all gone down,--broken oaths, bridal hopes, and all else; mouse and
+man,--into the roaring waters. There was no farther Opposition-line; the
+like of which had lasted ever since old heathen Hakon Jarl, down to this
+his grandson Hakon's _finis_ in the Pentland Frith. With this Hakon's
+disappearance it now disappeared.
+
+Indeed Knut himself, though of an empire suddenly so great, was but a
+temporary phenomenon. Fate had decided that the grand and wise Knut was
+to be short-lived; and to leave nothing as successors but an ineffectual
+young Harald Harefoot, who soon perished, and a still stupider
+fiercely-drinking Harda-Knut, who rushed down of apoplexy (here in
+London City, as I guess), with the goblet at his mouth, drinking health
+and happiness at a wedding-feast, also before long.
+
+Hakon having vanished in this dark way, there ensued a pause, both on
+Knut's part and on Norway's. Pause or interregnum of some months, till
+it became certain, first, whether Hakon were actually dead, secondly,
+till Norway, and especially till King Knut himself, could decide what to
+do. Knut, to the deep disappointment, which had to keep itself silent,
+of three or four chief Norway men, named none of these three or four
+Jarl of Norway; but bethought him of a certain Svein, a bastard son of
+his own,--who, and almost still more his English mother, much desired a
+career in the world fitter for him, thought they indignantly, than
+that of captain over Jomsburg, where alone the father had been able to
+provide for him hitherto. Svein was sent to Norway as king or vice-king
+for Father Knut; and along with him his fond and vehement mother.
+Neither of whom gained any favor from the Norse people by the kind of
+management they ultimately came to show.
+
+Olaf on news of this change, and such uncertainty prevailing everywhere
+in Norway as to the future course of things, whether Svein would
+come, as was rumored of at last, and be able to maintain himself if he
+did,--thought there might be something in it of a chance for himself
+and his rights. And, after lengthened hesitation, much prayer, pious
+invocation, and consideration, decided to go and try it. The final
+grain that had turned the balance, it appears, was a half-waking morning
+dream, or almost ocular vision he had of his glorious cousin Olaf
+Tryggveson, who severely admonished, exhorted, and encouraged him; and
+disappeared grandly, just in the instant of Olaf's awakening; so that
+Olaf almost fancied he had seen the very figure of him, as it melted
+into air. "Let us on, let us on!" thought Olaf always after that. He
+left his son, not in Russia, but in Sweden with the Queen, who proved
+very good and carefully helpful in wise ways to him:--in Russia Olaf had
+now nothing more to do but give his grateful adieus, and get ready.
+
+His march towards Sweden, and from that towards Norway and the passes
+of the mountains, down Vaerdal, towards Stickelstad, and the crisis
+that awaited, is beautifully depicted by Snorro. It has, all of it,
+the description (and we see clearly, the fact itself had), a kind of
+pathetic grandeur, simplicity, and rude nobleness; something Epic or
+Homeric, without the metre or the singing of Homer, but with all the
+sincerity, rugged truth to nature, and much more of piety, devoutness,
+reverence for what is forever High in this Universe, than meets us
+in those old Greek Ballad-mongers. Singularly visual all of it, too,
+brought home in every particular to one's imagination, so that it stands
+out almost as a thing one actually saw.
+
+Olaf had about three thousand men with him; gathered mostly as he fared
+along through Norway. Four hundred, raised by one Dag, a kinsman whom he
+had found in Sweden and persuaded to come with him, marched usually in
+a separate body; and were, or might have been, rather an important
+element. Learning that the Bonders were all arming, especially in
+Trondhjem country, Olaf streamed down towards them in the closest order
+he could. By no means very close, subsistence even for three thousand
+being difficult in such a country. His speech was almost always free
+and cheerful, though his thoughts always naturally were of a high and
+earnest, almost sacred tone; devout above all. Stickelstad, a small
+poor hamlet still standing where the valley ends, was seen by Olaf, and
+tacitly by the Bonders as well, to be the natural place for offering
+battle. There Olaf issued out from the hills one morning: drew himself
+up according to the best rules of Norse tactics, rules of little
+complexity, but perspicuously true to the facts. I think he had a clear
+open ground still rather raised above the plain in front; he could see
+how the Bonder army had not yet quite arrived, but was pouring forward,
+in spontaneous rows or groups, copiously by every path. This was thought
+to be the biggest army that ever met in Norway; "certainly not much
+fewer than a hundred times a hundred men," according to Snorro; great
+Bonders several of them, small Bonders very many,--all of willing
+mind, animated with a hot sense of intolerable injuries. "King Olaf had
+punished great and small with equal rigor," says Snorro; "which appeared
+to the chief people of the country too severe; and animosity rose to the
+highest when they lost relatives by the King's just sentence, although
+they were in reality guilty. He again would rather renounce his dignity
+than omit righteous judgment. The accusation against him, of being
+stingy with his money, was not just, for he was a most generous man
+towards his friends. But that alone was the cause of the discontent
+raised against him, that he appeared hard and severe in his
+retributions. Besides, King Knut offered large sums of money, and the
+great chiefs were corrupted by this, and by his offering them greater
+dignities than they had possessed before." On these grounds, against the
+intolerable man, great and small were now pouring along by every path.
+
+Olaf perceived it would still be some time before the Bonder army was
+in rank. His own Dag of Sweden, too, was not yet come up; he was to have
+the right banner; King Olaf's own being the middle or grand one; some
+other person the third or left banner. All which being perfectly ranked
+and settled, according to the best rules, and waiting only the arrival
+of Dag, Olaf bade his men sit down, and freshen themselves with a little
+rest. There were religious services gone through: a matins-worship such
+as there have been few; sternly earnest to the heart of it, and deep as
+death and eternity, at least on Olaf's own part. For the rest Thormod
+sang a stave of the fiercest Skaldic poetry that was in him; all the
+army straightway sang it in chorus with fiery mind. The Bonder of the
+nearest farm came up, to tell Olaf that he also wished to fight for him
+"Thanks to thee; but don't," said Olaf; "stay at home rather, that the
+wounded may have some shelter." To this Bonder, Olaf delivered all the
+money he had, with solemn order to lay out the whole of it in masses
+and prayers for the souls of such of his enemies as fell. "Such of thy
+enemies, King?" "Yes, surely," said Olaf, "my friends will all either
+conquer, or go whither I also am going."
+
+At last the Bonder army too was got ranked; three commanders, one of
+them with a kind of loose chief command, having settled to take charge
+of it; and began to shake itself towards actual advance. Olaf, in
+the mean while, had laid his head on the knees of Finn Arneson, his
+trustiest man, and fallen fast asleep. Finn's brother, Kalf Arneson,
+once a warm friend of Olaf, was chief of the three commanders on the
+opposite side. Finn and he addressed angry speech to one another from
+the opposite ranks, when they came near enough. Finn, seeing the enemy
+fairly approach, stirred Olaf from his sleep. "Oh, why hast thou wakened
+me from such a dream?" said Olaf, in a deeply solemn tone. "What dream
+was it, then?" asked Finn. "I dreamt that there rose a ladder here
+reaching up to very Heaven," said Olaf; "I had climbed and climbed,
+and got to the very last step, and should have entered there hadst thou
+given me another moment." "King, I doubt thou art _fey_; I do not quite
+like that dream."
+
+The actual fight began about one of the clock in a most bright last day
+of July, and was very fierce and hot, especially on the part of Olaf's
+men, who shook the others back a little, though fierce enough they too;
+and had Dag been on the ground, which he wasn't yet, it was thought
+victory might have been won. Soon after battle joined, the sky grew of
+a ghastly brass or copper color, darker and darker, till thick night
+involved all things; and did not clear away again till battle was near
+ending. Dag, with his four hundred, arrived in the darkness, and made a
+furious charge, what was afterwards, in the speech of the people, called
+"Dag's storm." Which had nearly prevailed, but could not quite; victory
+again inclining to the so vastly larger party. It is uncertain still how
+the matter would have gone; for Olaf himself was now fighting with his
+own hand, and doing deadly execution on his busiest enemies to right
+and to left. But one of these chief rebels, Thorer Hund (thought to have
+learnt magic from the Laplanders, whom he long traded with, and made
+money by), mysteriously would not fall for Olaf's best strokes. Best
+strokes brought only dust from the (enchanted) deer-skin coat of the
+fellow, to Olaf's surprise,--when another of the rebel chiefs rushed
+forward, struck Olaf with his battle-axe, a wild slashing wound, and
+miserably broke his thigh, so that he staggered or was supported back to
+the nearest stone; and there sat down, lamentably calling on God to
+help him in this bad hour. Another rebel of note (the name of him long
+memorable in Norway) slashed or stabbed Olaf a second time, as did then
+a third. Upon which the noble Olaf sank dead; and forever quitted this
+doghole of a world,--little worthy of such men as Olaf one sometimes
+thinks. But that too is a mistake, and even an important one, should we
+persist in it.
+
+With Olaf's death the sky cleared again. Battle, now near done, ended
+with complete victory to the rebels, and next to no pursuit or result,
+except the death of Olaf everybody hastening home, as soon as the big
+Duel had decided itself. Olaf's body was secretly carried, after dark,
+to some out-house on the farm near the spot; whither a poor blind
+beggar, creeping in for shelter that very evening, was miraculously
+restored to sight. And, truly with a notable, almost miraculous, speed,
+the feelings of all Norway for King Olaf changed themselves, and were
+turned upside down, "within a year," or almost within a day. Superlative
+example of _Extinctus amabitur idem._ Not "Olaf the Thick-set" any
+longer, but "Olaf the Blessed" or Saint, now clearly in Heaven; such the
+name and character of him from that time to this. Two churches dedicated
+to him (out of four that once stood) stand in London at this moment.
+And the miracles that have been done there, not to speak of Norway and
+Christendom elsewhere, in his name, were numerous and great for long
+centuries afterwards. Visibly a Saint Olaf ever since; and, indeed, in
+_Bollandus_ or elsewhere, I have seldom met with better stuff to make a
+Saint of, or a true World-Hero in all good senses.
+
+Speaking of the London Olaf Churches, I should have added that from one
+of these the thrice-famous Tooley Street gets its name,--where those
+Three Tailors, addressing Parliament and the Universe, sublimely styled
+themselves, "We, the People of England." Saint Olave Street, Saint Oley
+Street, Stooley Street, Tooley Street; such are the metamorphoses of
+human fame in the world!
+
+The battle-day of Stickelstad, King Olaf's death-day, is generally
+believed to have been Wednesday, July 31, 1033. But on investigation, it
+turns out that there was no total eclipse of the sun visible in Norway
+that year; though three years before, there was one; but on the 29th
+instead of the 31st. So that the exact date still remains uncertain;
+Dahlmann, the latest critic, inclining for 1030, and its indisputable
+eclipse. [15]
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XI. MAGNUS THE GOOD AND OTHERS.
+
+St. Olaf is the highest of these Norway Kings, and is the last that much
+attracts us. For this reason, if a reason were not superfluous, we might
+here end our poor reminiscences of those dim Sovereigns. But we will,
+nevertheless, for the sake of their connection with bits of English
+History, still hastily mention the Dames of one or two who follow,
+and who throw a momentary gleam of life and illumination on events and
+epochs that have fallen so extinct among ourselves at present, though
+once they were so momentous and memorable.
+
+The new King Svein from Jomsburg, Knut's natural son, had no success in
+Norway, nor seems to have deserved any. His English mother and he were
+found to be grasping, oppressive persons; and awoke, almost from the
+instant that Olaf was suppressed and crushed away from Norway into
+Heaven, universal odium more and more in that country. Well-deservedly,
+as still appears; for their taxings and extortions of malt, of herring,
+of meal, smithwork and every article taxable in Norway, were extreme;
+and their service to the country otherwise nearly imperceptible. In
+brief their one basis there was the power of Knut the Great; and that,
+like all earthly things, was liable to sudden collapse,--and it suffered
+such in a notable degree. King Knut, hardly yet of middle age, and
+the greatest King in the then world, died at Shaftesbury, in 1035, as
+Dahlmann thinks [16],--leaving two legitimate sons and a busy, intriguing
+widow (Norman Emma, widow of Ethelred the Unready), mother of the
+younger of these two; neither of whom proved to have any talent or any
+continuance. In spite of Emma's utmost efforts, Harald, the elder son of
+Knut, not hers, got England for his kingdom; Emma and her Harda-Knut
+had to be content with Denmark, and go thither, much against their will.
+Harald in England,--light-going little figure like his father before
+him,--got the name of Harefoot here; and might have done good work among
+his now orderly and settled people; but he died almost within year and
+day; and has left no trace among us, except that of "Harefoot," from his
+swift mode of walking. Emma and her Harda-Knut now returned joyful
+to England. But the violent, idle, and drunken Harda-Knut did no good
+there; and, happily for England and him, soon suddenly ended, by stroke
+of apoplexy at a marriage festival, as mentioned above. In Denmark he
+had done still less good. And indeed,--under him, in a year or two, the
+grand imperial edifice, laboriously built by Knut's valor and wisdom,
+had already tumbled all to the ground, in a most unexpected and
+remarkable way. As we are now to indicate with all brevity.
+
+
+
+Svein's tyrannies in Norway had wrought such fruit that, within the four
+years after Olaf's death, the chief men in Norway, the very slayers of
+King Olaf, Kalf Arneson at the head of them, met secretly once or twice;
+and unanimously agreed that Kalf Arneson must go to Sweden, or to Russia
+itself; seek young Magnus, son of Olaf home: excellent Magnus, to be
+king over all Norway and them, instead of this intolerable Svein. Which
+was at once done,--Magnus brought home in a kind of triumph, all Norway
+waiting for him. Intolerable Svein had already been rebelled against:
+some years before this, a certain young Tryggve out of Ireland,
+authentic son of Olaf Tryggveson, and of that fine Irish Princess who
+chose him in his low habiliments and low estate, and took him over to
+her own Green Island,--this royal young Tryggve Olafson had invaded the
+usurper Svein, in a fierce, valiant, and determined manner; and though
+with too small a party, showed excellent fight for some time; till
+Svein, zealously bestirring himself, managed to get him beaten and
+killed. But that was a couple of years ago; the party still too small,
+not including one and all as now! Svein, without stroke of sword this
+time, moved off towards Denmark; never showing face in Norway again. His
+drunken brother, Harda-Knut, received him brother-like; even gave him
+some territory to rule over and subsist upon. But he lived only a short
+while; was gone before Harda-Knut himself; and we will mention him no
+more.
+
+Magnus was a fine bright young fellow, and proved a valiant, wise, and
+successful King, known among his people as Magnus the Good. He was only
+natural son of King Olaf but that made little difference in those times
+and there. His strange-looking, unexpected Latin name he got in this
+way: Alfhild, his mother, a slave through ill-luck of war, though nobly
+born, was seen to be in a hopeful way; and it was known in the King's
+house how intimately Olaf was connected with that occurrence, and
+how much he loved this "King's serving-maid," as she was commonly
+designated. Alfhild was brought to bed late at night; and all the world,
+especially King Olaf was asleep; Olaf's strict rule, then and always,
+being, Don't awaken me:--seemingly a man sensitive about his sleep. The
+child was a boy, of rather weakly aspect; no important person present,
+except Sigvat, the King's Icelandic Skald, who happened to be still
+awake; and the Bishop of Norway, who, I suppose, had been sent for in
+hurry. "What is to be done?" said the Bishop: "here is an infant in
+pressing need of baptism; and we know not what the name is: go, Sigvat,
+awaken the King, and ask." "I dare not for my life," answered Sigvat;
+"King's orders are rigorous on that point." "But if the child die
+unbaptized," said the Bishop, shuddering; too certain, he and everybody,
+where the child would go in that case! "I will myself give him a name,"
+said Sigvat, with a desperate concentration of all his faculties; "he
+shall be namesake of the greatest of mankind,--imperial Carolus Magnus;
+let us call the infant Magnus!" King Olaf, on the morrow, asked rather
+sharply how Sigvat had dared take such a liberty; but excused Sigvat,
+seeing what the perilous alternative was. And Magnus, by such accident,
+this boy was called; and he, not another, is the prime origin and
+introducer of that name Magnus, which occurs rather frequently, not
+among the Norman Kings only, but by and by among the Danish and Swedish;
+and, among the Scandinavian populations, appears to be rather frequent
+to this day.
+
+Magnus, a youth of great spirit, whose own, and standing at his
+beck, all Norway now was, immediately smote home on Denmark; desirous
+naturally of vengeance for what it had done to Norway, and the sacred
+kindred of Magnus. Denmark, its great Knut gone, and nothing but a
+drunken Harda-Knut, fugitive Svein and Co., there in his stead, was
+become a weak dislocated Country. And Magnus plundered in it, burnt it,
+beat it, as often as he pleased; Harda-Knut struggling what he could to
+make resistance or reprisals, but never once getting any victory over
+Magnus. Magnus, I perceive, was, like his Father, a skilful as well
+as valiant fighter by sea and land; Magnus, with good battalions, and
+probably backed by immediate alliance with Heaven and St. Olaf, as
+was then the general belief or surmise about him, could not easily be
+beaten. And the truth is, he never was, by Harda-Knut or any other.
+Harda-Knut's last transaction with him was, To make a firm Peace and
+even Family-treaty sanctioned by all the grandees of both countries, who
+did indeed mainly themselves make it; their two Kings assenting: That
+there should be perpetual Peace, and no thought of war more, between
+Denmark and Norway; and that, if either of the Kings died childless
+while the other was reigning, the other should succeed him in both
+Kingdoms. A magnificent arrangement, such as has several times been
+made in the world's history; but which in this instance, what is very
+singular, took actual effect; drunken Harda-Knut dying so speedily, and
+Magnus being the man he was. One would like to give the date of this
+remarkable Treaty; but cannot with precision. Guess somewhere about
+1040: [17] actual fruition of it came to Magnus, beyond question, in
+1042, when Harda-Knut drank that wassail bowl at the wedding in Lambeth,
+and fell down dead; which in the Saxon Chronicle is dated 3d June of
+that year. Magnus at once went to Denmark on hearing this event; was
+joyfully received by the headmen there, who indeed, with their fellows
+in Norway, had been main contrivers of the Treaty; both Countries
+longing for mutual peace, and the end of such incessant broils.
+
+Magnus was triumphantly received as King in Denmark. The only
+unfortunate thing was, that Svein Estrithson, the exile son of Ulf,
+Knut's Brother-in-law, whom Knut, as we saw, had summarily killed twelve
+years before, emerged from his exile in Sweden in a flattering form;
+and proposed that Magnus should make him Jarl of Denmark, and general
+administrator there, in his own stead. To which the sanguine Magnus, in
+spite of advice to the contrary, insisted on acceding. "Too powerful a
+Jarl," said Einar Tamberskelver--the same Einar whose bow was heard to
+break in Olaf Tryggveson's last battle ("Norway breaking from thy hand,
+King!"), who had now become Magnus's chief man, and had long been
+among the highest chiefs in Norway; "too powerful a Jarl," said Einar
+earnestly. But Magnus disregarded it; and a troublesome experience had
+to teach him that it was true. In about a year, crafty Svein, bringing
+ends to meet, got himself declared King of Denmark for his own behoof,
+instead of Jarl for another's: and had to be beaten and driven out by
+Magnus. Beaten every year; but almost always returned next year, for a
+new beating,--almost, though not altogether; having at length got one
+dreadful smashing-down and half-killing, which held him quiet for a
+while,--so long as Magnus lived. Nay in the end, he made good his point,
+as if by mere patience in being beaten; and did become King himself,
+and progenitor of all the Kings that followed. King Svein Estrithson;
+so called from Astrid or Estrith, his mother, the great Knut's sister,
+daughter of Svein Forkbeard by that amazing Sigrid the Proud, who
+_burnt_ those two ineligible suitors of hers both at once, and got a
+switch on the face from Olaf Tryggveson, which proved the death of that
+high man.
+
+But all this fine fortune of the often beaten Estrithson was posterior
+to Magnus's death; who never would have suffered it, had he been alive.
+Magnus was a mighty fighter; a fiery man; very proud and positive,
+among other qualities, and had such luck as was never seen before. Luck
+invariably good, said everybody; never once was beaten,--which proves,
+continued everybody, that his Father Olaf and the miraculous power of
+Heaven were with him always. Magnus, I believe, did put down a great
+deal of anarchy in those countries. One of his earliest enterprises
+was to abolish Jomsburg, and trample out that nest of pirates. Which
+he managed so completely that Jomsburg remained a mere reminiscence
+thenceforth; and its place is not now known to any mortal.
+
+One perverse thing did at last turn up in the course of Magnus: a new
+Claimant for the Crown of Norway, and he a formidable person withal.
+This was Harald, half-brother of the late Saint Olaf; uncle or
+half-uncle, therefore, of Magnus himself. Indisputable son of the
+Saint's mother by St. Olaf's stepfather, who was, himself descended
+straight from Harald Haarfagr. This new Harald was already much heard of
+in the world. As an ardent Boy of fifteen he had fought at King Olaf's
+side at Stickelstad; would not be admonished by the Saint to go away.
+Got smitten down there, not killed; was smuggled away that night from
+the field by friendly help; got cured of his wounds, forwarded to
+Russia, where he grew to man's estate, under bright auspices and
+successes. Fell in love with the Russian Princess, but could not get
+her to wife; went off thereupon to Constantinople as _Vaeringer_
+(Life-Guardsman of the Greek Kaiser); became Chief Captain of the
+Vaeringers, invincible champion of the poor Kaisers that then were,
+and filled all the East with the shine and noise of his exploits. An
+authentic _Waring_ or _Baring_, such the surname we now have derived
+from these people; who were an important institution in those Greek
+countries for several ages: Vaeringer Life-Guard, consisting of
+Norsemen, with sometimes a few English among them. Harald had
+innumerable adventures, nearly always successful, sing the Skalds;
+gained a great deal of wealth, gold ornaments, and gold coin; had even
+Queen Zoe (so they sing, though falsely) enamored of him at one time;
+and was himself a Skald of eminence; some of whose verses, by no means
+the worst of their kind, remain to this day.
+
+This character of Waring much distinguishes Harald to me; the only
+Vaeringer of whom I could ever get the least biography, true or
+half-true. It seems the Greek History-books but indifferently correspond
+with these Saga records; and scholars say there could have been no
+considerable romance between Zoe and him, Zoe at that date being 60
+years of age! Harald's own lays say nothing of any Zoe, but are still
+full of longing for his Russian Princess far away.
+
+At last, what with Zoes, what with Greek perversities and perfidies, and
+troubles that could not fail, he determined on quitting Greece; packed
+up his immensities of wealth in succinct shape, and actually returned
+to Russia, where new honors and favors awaited him from old friends, and
+especially, if I mistake not, the hand of that adorable Princess, crown
+of all his wishes for the time being. Before long, however, he decided
+farther to look after his Norway Royal heritages; and, for that purpose,
+sailed in force to the Jarl or quasi-King of Denmark, the often-beaten
+Svein, who was now in Sweden on his usual winter exile after beating.
+Svein and he had evidently interests in common. Svein was charmed to see
+him, so warlike, glorious and renowned a man, with masses of money about
+him, too. Svein did by and by become treacherous; and even attempted,
+one night, to assassinate Harald in his bed on board ship: but Harald,
+vigilant of Svein, and a man of quick and sure insight, had providently
+gone to sleep elsewhere, leaving a log instead of himself among the
+blankets. In which log, next morning, treacherous Svein's battle-axe was
+found deeply sticking: and could not be removed without difficulty! But
+this was after Harald and King Magnus himself bad begun treating; with
+the fairest prospects,--which this of the $vein battle-axe naturally
+tended to forward, as it altogether ended the other copartnery.
+
+Magnus, on first hearing of Vaeringer Harald and his intentions, made
+instant equipment, and determination to fight his uttermost against
+the same. But wise persons of influence round him, as did the like
+sort round Vaeringer Harald, earnestly advised compromise and peaceable
+agreement. Which, soon after that of Svein's nocturnal battle-axe,
+was the course adopted; and, to the joy of all parties, did prove
+a successful solution. Magnus agreed to part his kingdom with Uncle
+Harald; uncle parting his treasures, or uniting them with Magnus's
+poverty. Each was to be an independent king, but they were to govern in
+common; Magnus rather presiding. He, to sit, for example, in the High
+Seat alone; King Harald opposite him in a seat not quite so high, though
+if a stranger King came on a visit, both the Norse Kings were to sit
+in the High Seat. With various other punctilious regulations; which the
+fiery Magnus was extremely strict with; rendering the mutual relation a
+very dangerous one, had not both the Kings been honest men, and Harald
+a much more prudent and tolerant one than Magnus. They, on the whole,
+never had any weighty quarrel, thanks now and then rather to Harald
+than to Magnus. Magnus too was very noble; and Harald, with his wide
+experience and greater length of years, carefully held his heat of
+temper well covered in.
+
+Prior to Uncle Harald's coming, Magnus had distinguished himself as a
+Lawgiver. His Code of Laws for the Trondhjem Province was considered
+a pretty piece of legislation; and in subsequent times got the name of
+_Gray-goose_ (Gragas); one of the wonderfulest names ever given to a
+wise Book. Some say it came from the gray color of the parchment, some
+give other incredible origins; the last guess I have heard is, that
+the name merely denotes antiquity; the witty name in Norway for a man
+growing old having been, in those times, that he was now "becoming a
+gray-goose." Very fantastic indeed; certain, however, that Gray-goose is
+the name of that venerable Law Book; nay, there is another, still more
+famous, belonging to Iceland, and not far from a century younger, the
+Iceland _Gray-goose._ The Norway one is perhaps of date about 1037, the
+other of about 1118; peace be with them both! Or, if anybody is inclined
+to such matters let him go to Dahlmann, for the amplest information and
+such minuteness of detail as might almost enable him to be an Advocate,
+with Silk Gown, in any Court depending on these Gray-geese.
+
+Magnus did not live long. He had a dream one night of his Father Olaf's
+coming to him in shining presence, and announcing, That a magnificent
+fortune and world-great renown was now possible for him; but that
+perhaps it was his duty to refuse it; in which case his earthly life
+would be short. "Which way wilt thou do, then?" said the shining
+presence. "Thou shalt decide for me, Father, thou, not I!" and told his
+Uncle Harald on the morrow, adding that he thought he should now
+soon die; which proved to be the fact. The magnificent fortune, so
+questionable otherwise, has reference, no doubt, to the Conquest
+of England; to which country Magnus, as rightful and actual King of
+_Denmark_, as well as undisputed heir to drunken Harda-Knut, by treaty
+long ago, had now some evident claim. The enterprise itself was reserved
+to the patient, gay, and prudent Uncle Harald; and to him it did prove
+fatal,--and merely paved the way for Another, luckier, not likelier!
+
+Svein Estrithson, always beaten during Magnus's life, by and by got an
+agreement from the prudent Harald to _be_ King of Denmark, then; and end
+these wearisome and ineffectual brabbles; Harald having other work to
+do. But in the autumn of 1066, Tosti, a younger son of our English
+Earl Godwin, came to Svein's court with a most important announcement;
+namely, that King Edward the Confessor, so called, was dead, and that
+Harold, as the English write it, his eldest brother would give him,
+Tosti, no sufficient share in the kingship. Which state of matters, if
+Svein would go ahead with him to rectify it, would be greatly to the
+advantage of Svein. Svein, taught by many beatings, was too wise for
+this proposal; refused Tosti, who indignantly stepped over into
+Norway, and proposed it to King Harald there. Svein really had acquired
+considerable teaching, I should guess, from his much beating and hard
+experience in the world; one finds him afterwards the esteemed friend
+of the famous Historian Adam of Bremen, who reports various wise
+humanities, and pleasant discoursings with Svein Estrithson.
+
+As for Harald Hardrade, "Harald the Hard or Severe," as he was now
+called, Tosti's proposal awakened in him all his old Vaeringer ambitious
+and cupidities into blazing vehemence. He zealously consented; and at
+once, with his whole strength, embarked in the adventure. Fitted out two
+hundred ships, and the biggest army he could carry in them; and sailed
+with Tosti towards the dangerous Promised Land. Got into the Tyne and
+took booty; got into the Humber, thence into the Ouse; easily subdued
+any opposition the official people or their populations could make;
+victoriously scattered these, victoriously took the City of York in a
+day; and even got himself homaged there, "King of Northumberland,"
+as per covenant,--Tosti proving honorable,--Tosti and he going with
+faithful strict copartnery, and all things looking prosperous and
+glorious. Except only (an important exception!) that they learnt for
+certain, English Harold was advancing with all his strength; and, in
+a measurable space of hours, unless care were taken, would be in York
+himself. Harald and Tosti hastened off to seize the post of Stamford
+Bridge on Derwent River, six or seven miles east of York City, and
+there bar this dangerous advent. Their own ships lay not far off in
+Ouse River, in case of the worst. The battle that ensued the next day,
+September 20, 1066, is forever memorable in English history.
+
+Snorro gives vividly enough his view of it from the Icelandic side: A
+ring of stalwart Norsemen, close ranked, with their steel tools in hand;
+English Harold's Army, mostly cavalry, prancing and pricking all around;
+trying to find or make some opening in that ring. For a long time trying
+in vain, till at length, getting them enticed to burst out somewhere
+in pursuit, they quickly turned round, and quickly made an end, of that
+matter. Snorro represents English Harold, with a first party of these
+horse coming up, and, with preliminary salutations, asking if Tosti were
+there, and if Harald were; making generous proposals to Tosti; but,
+in regard to Harald and what share of England was to be his, answering
+Tosti with the words, "Seven feet of English earth, or more if he
+require it, for a grave." Upon which Tosti, like an honorable man and
+copartner, said, "No, never; let us fight you rather till we all die."
+"Who is this that spoke to you?" inquired Harald, when the cavaliers had
+withdrawn. "My brother Harold," answers Tosti; which looks rather like a
+Saga, but may be historical after all. Snorro's history of the battle is
+intelligible only after you have premised to it, what he never hints at,
+that the scene was on the east side of the bridge and of the Derwent;
+the great struggle for the bridge, one at last finds, was after the
+fall of Harald; and to the English Chroniclers, said struggle, which was
+abundantly severe, is all they know of the battle.
+
+Enraged at that breaking loose of his steel ring of infantry, Norse
+Harald blazed up into true Norse fury, all the old Vaeringer and
+Berserkir rage awakening in him; sprang forth into the front of the
+fight, and mauled and cut and smashed down, on both hands of him,
+everything he met, irresistible by any horse or man, till an arrow cut
+him through the windpipe, and laid him low forever. That was the end of
+King Harald and of his workings in this world. The circumstance that
+he was a Waring or Baring and had smitten to pieces so many Oriental
+cohorts or crowds, and had made love-verses (kind of iron madrigals) to
+his Russian Princess, and caught the fancy of questionable Greek queens,
+and had amassed such heaps of money, while poor nephew Magnus had
+only one gold ring (which had been his father's, and even his father's
+_mother's_, as Uncle Harald noticed), and nothing more whatever of that
+precious metal to combine with Harald's treasures:--all this is new to
+me, naturally no hint of it in any English book; and lends some gleam of
+romantic splendor to that dim business of Stamford Bridge, now fallen
+so dull and torpid to most English minds, transcendently important as it
+once was to all Englishmen. Adam of Bremen says, the English got as
+much gold plunder from Harald's people as was a heavy burden for twelve
+men; [18] a thing evidently impossible, which nobody need try to believe.
+Young Olaf, Harald's son, age about sixteen, steering down the Ouse at
+the top of his speed, escaped home to Norway with all his ships, and
+subsequently reigned there with Magnus, his brother. Harald's body did
+lie in English earth for about a year; but was then brought to Norway
+for burial. He needed more than seven feet of grave, say some;
+Laing, interpreting Snorro's measurements, makes Harald eight feet in
+stature,--I do hope, with some error in excess!
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XII. OLAF THE TRANQUIL, MAGNUS BAREFOOT, AND SIGURD THE
+CRUSADER.
+
+The new King Olaf, his brother Magnus having soon died, bore rule in
+Norway for some five-and-twenty years. Rule soft and gentle, not like
+his father's, and inclining rather to improvement in the arts and
+elegancies than to anything severe or dangerously laborious. A
+slim-built, witty-talking, popular and pretty man, with uncommonly
+bright eyes, and hair like floss silk: they called him Olaf _Kyrre_ (the
+Tranquil or Easygoing).
+
+The ceremonials of the palace were much improved by him. Palace still
+continued to be built of huge logs pyramidally sloping upwards, with
+fireplace in the middle of the floor, and no egress for smoke or ingress
+for light except right overhead, which, in bad weather, you could shut,
+or all but shut, with a lid. Lid originally made of mere opaque board,
+but changed latterly into a light frame, covered (_glazed_, so to speak)
+with entrails of animals, clarified into something of pellucidity. All
+this Olaf, I hope, further perfected, as he did the placing of the court
+ladies, court officials, and the like; but I doubt if the luxury of a
+glass window were ever known to him, or a cup to drink from that was
+not made of metal or horn. In fact it is chiefly for his son's sake I
+mention him here; and with the son, too, I have little real concern, but
+only a kind of fantastic.
+
+This son bears the name of Magnus _Barfod_ (Barefoot, or Bareleg); and
+if you ask why so, the answer is: He was used to appear in the streets
+of Nidaros (Trondhjem) now and then in complete Scotch Highland dress.
+Authentic tartan plaid and philibeg, at that epoch,--to the wonder of
+Trondhjem and us! The truth is, he had a mighty fancy for those Hebrides
+and other Scotch possessions of his; and seeing England now quite
+impossible, eagerly speculated on some conquest in Ireland as next
+best. He did, in fact, go diligently voyaging and inspecting among
+those Orkney and Hebridian Isles; putting everything straight there,
+appointing stringent authorities, jarls,--nay, a king, "Kingdom of the
+Suderoer" (Southern Isles, now called _Sodor_),--and, as first king,
+Sigurd, his pretty little boy of nine years. All which done, and some
+quarrel with Sweden fought out, he seriously applied himself to visiting
+in a still more emphatic manner; namely, to invading, with his best
+skill and strength, the considerable virtual or actual kingdom he had
+in Ireland, intending fully to enlarge it to the utmost limits of the
+Island if possible. He got prosperously into Dublin (guess A.D. 1102).
+Considerable authority he already had, even among those poor Irish
+Kings, or kinglets, in their glibs and yellow-saffron gowns; still more,
+I suppose, among the numerous Norse Principalities there. "King Murdog,
+King of Ireland," says the Chronicle of Man, "had obliged himself, every
+Yule-day, to take a pair of shoes, hang them over his shoulder, as your
+servant does on a journey, and walk across his court, at bidding and in
+presence of Magnus Barefoot's messenger, by way of homage to the said
+King." Murdog on this greater occasion did whatever homage could be
+required of him; but that, though comfortable, was far from satisfying
+the great King's ambitious mind. The great King left Murdog; left his
+own Dublin; marched off westward on a general conquest of Ireland.
+Marched easily victorious for a time; and got, some say, into the wilds
+of Connaught, but there saw himself beset by ambuscades and wild Irish
+countenances intent on mischief; and had, on the sudden, to draw up for
+battle;--place, I regret to say, altogether undiscoverable to me; known
+only that it was boggy in the extreme. Certain enough, too certain and
+evident, Magnus Barefoot, searching eagerly, could find no firm footing
+there; nor, fighting furiously up to the knees or deeper, any result but
+honorable death! Date is confidently marked "24 August, 1103,"--as if
+people knew the very day of the month. The natives did humanely give
+King Magnus Christian burial. The remnants of his force, without further
+molestation, found their ships on the Coast of Ulster; and sailed
+home,--without conquest of Ireland; nay perhaps, leaving royal Murdog
+disposed to be relieved of his procession with the pair of shoes.
+
+Magnus Barefoot left three sons, all kings at once, reigning peaceably
+together. But to us, at present, the only noteworthy one of them was
+Sigurd; who, finding nothing special to do at home, left his brothers
+to manage for him, and went off on a far Voyage, which has rendered him
+distinguishable in the crowd. Voyage through the Straits of Gibraltar,
+on to Jerusalem, thence to Constantinople; and so home through Russia,
+shining with such renown as filled all Norway for the time being. A
+King called Sigurd Jorsalafarer (Jerusalemer) or Sigurd the Crusader
+henceforth. His voyage had been only partially of the Viking type;
+in general it was of the Royal-Progress kind rather; Vikingism only
+intervening in cases of incivility or the like. His reception in
+the Courts of Portugal, Spain, Sicily, Italy, had been honorable and
+sumptuous. The King of Jerusalem broke out into utmost splendor and
+effusion at sight of such a pilgrim; and Constantinople did its
+highest honors to such a Prince of Vaeringers. And the truth is, Sigurd
+intrinsically was a wise, able, and prudent man; who, surviving both his
+brothers, reigned a good while alone in a solid and successful way. He
+shows features of an original, independent-thinking man; something
+of ruggedly strong, sincere, and honest, with peculiarities that are
+amiable and even pathetic in the character and temperament of him;
+as certainly, the course of life he took was of his own choosing, and
+peculiar enough. He happens furthermore to be, what he least of all
+could have chosen or expected, the last of the Haarfagr Genealogy that
+had any success, or much deserved any, in this world. The last of the
+Haarfagrs, or as good as the last! So that, singular to say, it is in
+reality, for one thing only that Sigurd, after all his crusadings and
+wonderful adventures, is memorable to us here: the advent of an
+Irish gentleman called "Gylle Krist" (Gil-christ, Servant of Christ),
+who,--not over welcome, I should think, but (unconsciously) big with the
+above result,--appeared in Norway, while King Sigurd was supreme. Let us
+explain a little.
+
+This Gylle Krist, the unconsciously fatal individual, who "spoke Norse
+imperfectly," declared himself to be the natural son of whilom Magnus
+Barefoot; born to him there while engaged in that unfortunate "Conquest
+of Ireland." "Here is my mother come with me," said Gilchrist, "who
+declares my real baptismal name to have been Harald, given me by that
+great King; and who will carry the red-hot ploughshares or do any
+reasonable ordeal in testimony of these facts. I am King Sigurd's
+veritable half-brother: what will King Sigurd think it fair to do with
+me?" Sigurd clearly seems to have believed the man to be speaking truth;
+and indeed nobody to have doubted but he was. Sigurd said, "Honorable
+sustenance shalt thou have from me here. But, under pain of extirpation,
+swear that, neither in my time, nor in that of my young son Magnus,
+wilt thou ever claim any share in this Government." Gylle swore; and
+punctually kept his promise during Sigurd's reign. But during Magnus's,
+he conspicuously broke it; and, in result, through many reigns, and
+during three or four generations afterwards, produced unspeakable
+contentions, massacrings, confusions in the country he had adopted.
+There are reckoned, from the time of Sigurd's death (A.D. 1130), about a
+hundred years of civil war: no king allowed to distinguish himself by a
+solid reign of well-doing, or by any continuing reign at all,--sometimes
+as many as four kings simultaneously fighting;--and in Norway, from sire
+to son, nothing but sanguinary anarchy, disaster and bewilderment;
+a Country sinking steadily as if towards absolute ruin. Of all which
+frightful misery and discord Irish Gylle, styled afterwards King
+Harald Gylle, was, by ill destiny and otherwise, the visible origin: an
+illegitimate Irish Haarfagr who proved to be his own destruction, and
+that of the Haarfagr kindred altogether!
+
+Sigurd himself seems always to have rather favored Gylle, who was a
+cheerful, shrewd, patient, witty, and effective fellow; and had at first
+much quizzing to endure, from the younger kind, on account of his Irish
+way of speaking Norse, and for other reasons. One evening, for example,
+while the drink was going round, Gylle mentioned that the Irish had a
+wonderful talent of swift running and that there were among them people
+who could keep up with the swiftest horse. At which, especially from
+young Magnus, there were peals of laughter; and a declaration from the
+latter that Gylle and he would have it tried to-morrow morning! Gylle in
+vain urged that he had not himself professed to be so swift a runner
+as to keep up with the Prince's horses; but only that there were men in
+Ireland who could. Magnus was positive; and, early next morning, Gylle
+had to be on the ground; and the race, naturally under heavy bet,
+actually went off. Gylle started parallel to Magnus's stirrup; ran like
+a very roe, and was clearly ahead at the goal. "Unfair," said Magnus;
+"thou must have had hold of my stirrup-leather, and helped thyself
+along; we must try it again." Gylle ran behind the horse this second
+time; then at the end, sprang forward; and again was fairly in ahead.
+"Thou must have held by the tail," said Magnus; "not by fair running was
+this possible; we must try a third time!" Gylle started ahead of Magnus
+and his horse, this third time; kept ahead with increasing distance,
+Magnus galloping his very best; and reached the goal more palpably
+foremost than ever. So that Magnus had to pay his bet, and other
+damage and humiliation. And got from his father, who heard of it soon
+afterwards, scoffing rebuke as a silly fellow, who did not know the
+worth of men, but only the clothes and rank of them, and well deserved
+what he had got from Gylle. All the time King Sigurd lived, Gylle seems
+to have had good recognition and protection from that famous man; and,
+indeed, to have gained favor all round, by his quiet social demeanor and
+the qualities he showed.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIII. MAGNUS THE BLIND, HARALD GYLLE, AND MUTUAL EXTINCTION OF
+THE HAARFAGRS.
+
+On Sigurd the Crusader's death, Magnus naturally came to the throne;
+Gylle keeping silence and a cheerful face for the time. But it was not
+long till claim arose on Gylle's part, till war and fight arose between
+Magnus and him, till the skilful, popular, ever-active and shifty Gylle
+had entirely beaten Magnus; put out his eyes, mutilated the poor body
+of him in a horrid and unnamable manner, and shut him up in a convent as
+out of the game henceforth. There in his dark misery Magnus lived now
+as a monk; called "Magnus the Blind" by those Norse populations; King
+Harald Gylle reigning victoriously in his stead. But this also was only
+for a time. There arose avenging kinsfolk of Magnus, who had no Irish
+accent in their Norse, and were themselves eager enough to bear rule
+in their native country. By one of these,--a terribly stronghanded,
+fighting, violent, and regardless fellow, who also was a Bastard of
+Magnus Barefoot's, and had been made a Priest, but liked it unbearably
+ill, and had broken loose from it into the wildest courses at home and
+abroad; so that his current name got to be "Slembi-diakn," Slim or Ill
+Deacon, under which he is much noised of in Snorro and the Sagas: by
+this Slim-Deacon, Gylle was put an end to (murdered by night, drunk in
+his sleep); and poor blind Magnus was brought out, and again set to act
+as King, or King's Cloak, in hopes Gylle's posterity would never rise to
+victory more. But Gylle's posterity did, to victory and also to defeat,
+and were the death of Magnus and of Slim-Deacon too, in a frightful way;
+and all got their own death by and by in a ditto. In brief, these two
+kindreds (reckoned to be authentic enough Haarfagr people, both kinds of
+them) proved now to have become a veritable crop of dragon's teeth;
+who mutually fought, plotted, struggled, as if it had been their life's
+business; never ended fighting and seldom long intermitted it, till they
+had exterminated one another, and did at last all rest in death. One
+of these later Gylle temporary Kings I remember by the name of Harald
+Herdebred, Harald of the Broad Shoulders. The very last of them I
+think was Harald Mund (Harald of the _Wry-Mouth_), who gave rise to two
+Impostors, pretending to be Sons of his, a good while after the poor
+Wry-Mouth itself and all its troublesome belongings were quietly
+underground. What Norway suffered during that sad century may be
+imagined.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIV. SVERRIR AND DESCENDANTS, TO HAKON THE OLD.
+
+The end of it was, or rather the first abatement, and _beginnings_ of
+the end, That, when all this had gone on ever worsening for some forty
+years or so, one Sverrir (A.D. 1177), at the head of an armed mob of
+poor people called _Birkebeins_, came upon the scene. A strange enough
+figure in History, this Sverrir and his Birkebeins! At first a mere
+mockery and dismal laughing-stock to the enlightened Norway public.
+Nevertheless by unheard-of fighting, hungering, exertion, and endurance,
+Sverrir, after ten years of such a death-wrestle against men and things,
+got himself accepted as King; and by wonderful expenditure of ingenuity,
+common cunning, unctuous Parliamentary Eloquence or almost Popular
+Preaching, and (it must be owned) general human faculty and valor
+(or value) in the over-clouded and distorted state, did victoriously
+continue such. And founded a new Dynasty in Norway, which ended only
+with Norway's separate existence, after near three hundred years.
+
+This Sverrir called himself a Son of Harald Wry-Mouth; but was in
+reality the son of a poor Comb-maker in some little town of Norway;
+nothing heard of Sonship to Wry-Mouth till after good success otherwise.
+His Birkebeins (that is to say, _Birchlegs;_ the poor rebellious
+wretches having taken to the woods; and been obliged, besides their
+intolerable scarcity of food, to thatch their bodies from the cold with
+whatever covering could be got, and their legs especially with birch
+bark; sad species of fleecy hosiery; whence their nickname),--his
+Birkebeins I guess always to have been a kind of Norse _Jacquerie_:
+desperate rising of thralls and indigent people, driven mad by their
+unendurable sufferings and famishings,--theirs the _deepest_ stratum
+of misery, and the densest and heaviest, in this the general misery of
+Norway, which had lasted towards the third generation and looked as if
+it would last forever:--whereupon they had risen proclaiming, in this
+furious dumb manner, unintelligible except to Heaven, that the same
+could not, nor would not, be endured any longer! And, by their Sverrir,
+strange to say, they did attain a kind of permanent success; and, from
+being a dismal laughing-stock in Norway, came to be important, and for
+a time all-important there. Their opposition nicknames, "_Baglers_ (from
+Bagall, _baculus_, bishop's staff; Bishop Nicholas being chief Leader),"
+"_Gold-legs_," and the like obscure terms (for there was still a
+considerable course of counter-fighting ahead, and especially of
+counter-nicknaming), I take to have meant in Norse prefigurement seven
+centuries ago, "bloated Aristocracy," "tyrannous-_Bourgeoisie_,"--till,
+in the next century, these rents were closed again!
+
+King Sverrir, not himself bred to comb-making, had, in his fifth year,
+gone to an uncle, Bishop in the Faroe Islands; and got some considerable
+education from him, with a view to Priesthood on the part of Sverrir.
+But, not liking that career, Sverrir had fled and smuggled himself
+over to the Birkebeins; who, noticing the learned tongue, and other
+miraculous qualities of the man, proposed to make him Captain of them;
+and even threatened to kill him if he would not accept,--which thus at
+the sword's point, as Sverrir says, he was obliged to do. It was after
+this that he thought of becoming son of Wry-Mouth and other higher
+things.
+
+His Birkebeins and he had certainly a talent of campaigning which has
+hardly ever been equalled. They fought like devils against any odds
+of number; and before battle they have been known to march six days
+together without food, except, perhaps, the inner barks of trees, and in
+such clothing and shoeing as mere birch bark:--at one time, somewhere in
+the Dovrefjeld, there was serious counsel held among them whether
+they should not all, as one man, leap down into the frozen gulfs and
+precipices, or at once massacre one another wholly, and so finish. Of
+their conduct in battle, fiercer than that of _Baresarks_, where was
+there ever seen the parallel? In truth they are a dim strange object to
+one, in that black time; wondrously bringing light into it withal; and
+proved to be, under such unexpected circumstances, the beginning of
+better days!
+
+Of Sverrir's public speeches there still exist authentic specimens;
+wonderful indeed, and much characteristic of such a Sverrir. A
+comb-maker King, evidently meaning several good and solid things;
+and effecting them too, athwart such an element of Norwegian
+chaos-come-again. His descendants and successors were a comparatively
+respectable kin. The last and greatest of them I shall mention is Hakon
+VII., or Hakon the Old; whose fame is still lively among us, from the
+Battle of Largs at least.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XV. HAKON THE OLD AT LARGS.
+
+In the Norse annals our famous Battle of Largs makes small figure, or
+almost none at all among Hakon's battles and feats. They do say indeed,
+these Norse annalists, that the King of Scotland, Alexander III. (who
+had such a fate among the crags about Kinghorn in time coming), was
+very anxious to purchase from King Hakon his sovereignty of the Western
+Isles, but that Hakon pointedly refused; and at length, being again
+importuned and bothered on the business, decided on giving a refusal
+that could not be mistaken. Decided, namely, to go with a big
+expedition, and look thoroughly into that wing of his Dominions; where
+no doubt much has fallen awry since Magnus Barefoot's grand visit
+thither, and seems to be inviting the cupidity of bad neighbors! "All
+this we will put right again," thinks Hakon, "and gird it up into a safe
+and defensive posture." Hakon sailed accordingly, with a strong fleet;
+adjusting and rectifying among his Hebrides as he went long, and landing
+withal on the Scotch coast to plunder and punish as he thought fit.
+The Scots say he had claimed of them Arran, Bute, and the Two Cumbraes
+("given my ancestors by Donald Bain," said Hakon, to the amazement
+of the Scots) "as part of the Sudoer" (Southern Isles):--so far from
+selling that fine kingdom!--and that it was after taking both Arran and
+Bute that he made his descent at Largs.
+
+Of Largs there is no mention whatever in Norse books. But beyond any
+doubt, such is the other evidence, Hakon did land there; land and fight,
+not conquering, probably rather beaten; and very certainly "retiring to
+his ships," as in either case he behooved to do! It is further certain
+he was dreadfully maltreated by the weather on those wild coasts; and
+altogether credible, as the Scotch records bear, that he was so at Largs
+very specially. The Norse Records or Sagas say merely, he lost many
+of his ships by the tempests, and many of his men by land fighting in
+various parts,--tacitly including Largs, no doubt, which was the last
+of these misfortunes to him. "In the battle here he lost 15,000 men, say
+the Scots, we 5,000"! Divide these numbers by ten, and the excellently
+brief and lucid Scottish summary by Buchanan may be taken as the
+approximately true and exact. [19] Date of the battle is A.D. 1263.
+
+To this day, on a little plain to the south of the village, now town,
+of Largs, in Ayrshire, there are seen stone cairns and monumental heaps,
+and, until within a century ago, one huge, solitary, upright stone;
+still mutely testifying to a battle there,--altogether clearly, to this
+battle of King Hakon's; who by the Norse records, too, was in these
+neighborhoods at that same date, and evidently in an aggressive, high
+kind of humor. For "while his ships and army were doubling the Mull
+of Cantire, he had his own boat set on wheels, and therein, splendidly
+enough, had himself drawn across the Promontory at a flatter part," no
+doubt with horns sounding, banners waving. "All to the left of me is
+mine and Norway's," exclaimed Hakon in his triumphant boat progress,
+which such disasters soon followed.
+
+Hakon gathered his wrecks together, and sorrowfully made for Orkney.
+It is possible enough, as our Guide Books now say, he may have gone
+by Iona, Mull, and the narrow seas inside of Skye; and that the
+_Kyle-Akin_, favorably known to sea-bathers in that region, may actually
+mean the Kyle (narrow strait) of Hakon, where Hakon may have dropped
+anchor, and rested for a little while in smooth water and beautiful
+environment, safe from equinoctial storms. But poor Hakon's heart was
+now broken. He went to Orkney; died there in the winter; never beholding
+Norway more.
+
+He it was who got Iceland, which had been a Republic for four centuries,
+united to his kingdom of Norway: a long and intricate operation,--much
+presided over by our Snorro Sturleson, so often quoted here, who indeed
+lost his life (by assassination from his sons-in-law) and out of great
+wealth sank at once into poverty of zero,--one midnight in his own
+cellar, in the course of that bad business. Hakon was a great Politician
+in his time; and succeeded in many things before he lost Largs. Snorro's
+death by murder had happened about twenty years before Hakon's by broken
+heart. He is called Hakon the Old, though one finds his age was
+but fifty-nine, probably a longish life for a Norway King. Snorro's
+narrative ceases when Snorro himself was born; that is to say, at the
+threshold of King Sverrir; of whose exploits and doubtful birth it is
+guessed by some that Snorro willingly forbore to speak in the hearing of
+such a Hakon.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVI. EPILOGUE.
+
+Haarfagr's kindred lasted some three centuries in Norway; Sverrir's
+lasted into its third century there; how long after this, among the
+neighboring kinships, I did not inquire. For, by regal affinities,
+consanguinities, and unexpected chances and changes, the three
+Scandinavian kingdoms fell all peaceably together under Queen Margaret,
+of the Calmar Union (A.D. 1397); and Norway, incorporated now with
+Denmark, needed no more kings.
+
+The History of these Haarfagrs has awakened in me many thoughts: Of
+Despotism and Democracy, arbitrary government by one and self-government
+(which means no government, or anarchy) by all; of Dictatorship with
+many faults, and Universal Suffrage with little possibility of
+any virtue. For the contrast between Olaf Tryggveson, and a
+Universal-Suffrage Parliament or an "Imperial" Copper Captain has, in
+these nine centuries, grown to be very great. And the eternal Providence
+that guides all this, and produces alike these entities with their
+epochs, is not its course still through the great deep? Does not it
+still speak to us, if we have ears? Here, clothed in stormy enough
+passions and instincts, unconscious of any aim but their own
+satisfaction, is the blessed beginning of Human Order, Regulation,
+and real Government; there, clothed in a highly different, but again
+suitable garniture of passions, instincts, and equally unconscious as
+to real aim, is the accursed-looking ending (temporary ending) of Order,
+Regulation, and Government;--very dismal to the sane onlooker for the
+time being; not dismal to him otherwise, his hope, too, being steadfast!
+But here, at any rate, in this poor Norse theatre, one looks with
+interest on the first transformation, so mysterious and abstruse, of
+human Chaos into something of articulate Cosmos; witnesses the wild
+and strange birth-pangs of Human Society, and reflects that without
+something similar (little as men expect such now), no Cosmos of human
+society ever was got into existence, nor can ever again be.
+
+The violences, fightings, crimes--ah yes, these seldom fail, and they
+are very lamentable. But always, too, among those old populations, there
+was one saving element; the now want of which, especially the unlamented
+want, transcends all lamentation. Here is one of those strange,
+piercing, winged-words of Ruskin, which has in it a terrible truth for
+us in these epochs now come:--
+
+"My friends, the follies of modern Liberalism, many and great though
+they be, are practically summed in this denial or neglect of the quality
+and intrinsic value of things. Its rectangular beatitudes, and spherical
+benevolences,--theology of universal indulgence, and jurisprudence which
+will hang no rogues, mean, one and all of them, in the root, incapacity
+of discerning, or refusal to discern, worth and unworth in anything,
+and least of all in man; whereas Nature and Heaven command you, at your
+peril, to discern worth from unworth in everything, and most of all in
+man. Your main problem is that ancient and trite one, 'Who is best man?'
+and the Fates forgive much,--forgive the wildest, fiercest, cruelest
+experiments,--if fairly made for the determination of that.
+
+"Theft and blood-guiltiness are not pleasing in their sight; yet the
+favoring powers of the spiritual and material world will confirm to you
+your stolen goods, and their noblest voices applaud the lifting of Your
+spear, and rehearse the sculpture of your shield, if only your robbing
+and slaying have been in fair arbitrament of that question, 'Who is best
+man?' But if you refuse such inquiry, and maintain every man for his
+neighbor's match,--if you give vote to the simple and liberty to the
+vile, the powers of those spiritual and material worlds in due time
+present you inevitably with the same problem, soluble now only wrong
+side upwards; and your robbing and slaying must be done then to find
+out, 'Who is worst man?' Which, in so wide an order of merit, is,
+indeed, not easy; but a complete Tammany Ring, and lowest circle in the
+Inferno of Worst, you are sure to find, and to be governed by." [20]
+
+All readers will admit that there was something naturally royal in these
+Haarfagr Kings. A wildly great kind of kindred; counts in it two Heroes
+of a high, or almost highest, type: the first two Olafs, Tryggveson and
+the Saint. And the view of them, withal, as we chance to have it, I have
+often thought, how essentially Homeric it was:--indeed what is "Homer"
+himself but the _Rhapsody_ of five centuries of Greek Skalds and
+wandering Ballad-singers, done (i.e. "stitched together") by somebody
+more musical than Snorro was? Olaf Tryggveson and Olaf Saint please me
+quite as well in their prosaic form; offering me the truth of them as
+if seen in their real lineaments by some marvellous opening (through
+the art of Snorro) across the black strata of the ages. Two high, almost
+among the highest sons of Nature, seen as they veritably were; fairly
+comparable or superior to god-like Achilleus, goddess-wounding Diomedes,
+much more to the two Atreidai, Regulators of the Peoples.
+
+I have also thought often what a Book might be made of Snorro, did there
+but arise a man furnished with due literary insight, and indefatigable
+diligence; who, faithfully acquainting himself with the topography,
+the monumental relies and illustrative actualities of Norway, carefully
+scanning the best testimonies as to place and time which that
+country can still give him, carefully the best collateral records and
+chronologies of other countries, and who, himself possessing the highest
+faculty of a Poet, could, abridging, arranging, elucidating, reduce
+Snorro to a polished Cosmic state, unweariedly purging away his much
+chaotic matter! A modern "highest kind of Poet," capable of unlimited
+slavish labor withal;--who, I fear, is not soon to be expected in this
+world, or likely to find his task in the _Heimskringla_ if he did appear
+here.
+
+
+
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[Footnote 1: J. G. Dahlmann, _Geschichte von Dannemark_, 3 vols. 8vo.
+Hamburg, 1840-1843.]
+
+[Footnote 2: "Settlement," dated 912, by Munch, Henault, &c. The Saxon
+Chronicle says (anno 876): "In this year Rolf overran Normandy with his
+army, and he reigned fifty winters."]
+
+[Footnote 3: Dahlmann, ii. 87.]
+
+[Footnote 4: Dahlmann, ii. 93.]
+
+[Footnote 5: _Laing's Snorro_, i. 344.]
+
+[Footnote 6: G. Buchanani _Opera Omnia_, i. 103, 104 (Curante Ruddimano,
+Edinburgi, 1715).]
+
+[Footnote 7: His Long Serpent, judged by some to be of the size of a
+frigate of forty-five guns (Laing).]
+
+[Footnote 8: This sermon was printed by Hearne; and is given also by
+Langebek in his excellent Collection, _Rerum Danicarum Scriptores Medii
+AEri._ Hafniae. 1772-1834.]
+
+[Footnote 9: Kennet, i. 67; Rapin, i. 119, 121 (from the _Saxon
+Chronicle_ both).]
+
+[Footnote 10: Knut born A.D. 988 according to Munch's calculation (ii.
+126).]
+
+[Footnote 11: Snorro, Laing's Translation, ii. p. 31 et seq., will
+minutely specify.]
+
+[Footnote 12: Snorro, ii. pp. 24, 25.]
+
+[Footnote 13: Snorro, ii. pp. 156-161.]
+
+[Footnote 14: Snorro, ii. pp. 252, 253.]
+
+[Footnote 15: _Saxon Chronicle_ says expressly, under A.D. 1030: "In
+this year King Olaf was slain in Norway by his own people, and was
+afterwards sainted."]
+
+[Footnote 16: _Saxon Chronicle_ says: "1035. In this year died King
+Cnut.... He departed at Shaftesbury, November 12, and they conveyed him
+thence to Winchester, and there buried him."]
+
+[Footnote 17: Munch gives the date 1038 (ii. 840), Adam of Bremen 1040.]
+
+[Footnote 18: Camden, Rapin, &c. quote.]
+
+[Footnote 19: _Buchanani Hist._ i. 130.]
+
+[Footnote 20: _Fors Clavigera_, Letter XIV. Pp. 8-10.]
+
+
+
+
+
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