DESCRIBES OUR HERO'S INTERVIEW WITH JARL RONGVOLD AND KING HARALD
HAARFAGER.
Late in the evening, Erling and Glumm arrived in the neighbourhood of
the house of Jarl Rongvold, where King Harald Haarfager was staying in
guest-quarters with a numerous retinue.
In the days of which we write there were no royal palaces in Norway.
The kings spent most of their time--when not engaged in war or out on
viking cruises--in travelling about the country, with a band of
"herd-men", or men-at-arms, in "guest-quarters". Wherever they went the
inhabitants were bound by law to afford them house-room and good cheer
at their own cost, and the kings usually made this tax upon their people
as light as possible by staying only a few days at each place.
Rongvold, who entertained the King at this time, was one of those Jarls
or Earls--rulers over districts under himself--of whom he had recently
created many throughout the land, to supersede those small independent
kings who refused to become subject to him. He was a stout warrior, an
able courtier, and a very dear friend of the King.
Just before his arrival at Jarl Rongvold's house, King Harald had
completed a considerable part of the programme which he had laid down in
the great work of subduing the whole of Norway to himself. And wild
bloody work it had been.
Hearing that several of the small kings had called a meeting in the
uplands to discuss his doings, Harald went, with all the men he could
gather, through the forests to the uplands, came to the place of meeting
about midnight without being observed by the watchmen, set the house on
fire, and burnt or slew four kings with all their followers. After that
he subdued Hedemark, Ringerige, Gudbrandsdal, Hadeland, Raumarige, and
the whole northern part of Vingulmark, and got possession of all the
land as far south as the Glommen. It was at this time that he was
taunted by the girl Gyda, and took the oath not to clip his hair until
he had subdued the whole land--as formerly related. After his somewhat
peculiar determination, he gathered together a great force, and went
northwards up the Gudbrandsdal and over the Doverfielde. When he came
to the inhabited land he ordered all the men to be killed, and
everything wide around to be delivered to the flames. The people fled
before him in all directions on hearing of his approach--some down the
country to Orkadal, some to Gaulerdal, and some to the forests; but many
begged for peace, and obtained it on condition of joining him and
becoming his men. He met no decided opposition till he came to Orkadal,
where a king named Gryting gave him battle. Harald won the victory.
King Gryting was taken prisoner, and most of his men were killed. He
took service himself, however, under the King, and thereafter all the
people of Orkadal district swore fidelity to him.
Many other battles King Harald fought, and many other kings did he
subdue--all of which, however, we will pass over at present, merely
observing that wherever he conquered he laid down the law that all the
udal property should belong to him, and that the bonders--the hitherto
free landholders--both small and great, should pay him land dues for
their possessions. It is due, however, to Harald Fairhair, to say that
he never seems to have aimed at despotic power; for it is recorded of
him that over every district he set an earl, or jarl, to judge
_according to the law of the land and to justice_, and also to collect
the land dues and the fines; and for this each earl received a third
part of the dues and services and fines for the support of his table and
other expenses. Every earl had under him four or more bersers, on each
of whom was bestowed an estate of twenty merks yearly, for which he was
bound to support twenty men-at-arms at his own expense--each earl being
obliged to support sixty retainers. The King increased the land dues
and burdens so much that his earls had greater power and income than the
kings had before, and when this became known at Drontheim many of the
great men of that district joined the King.
Wherever Harald went, submission or extinction were the alternatives;
and as he carried things with a high hand, using fire and sword freely,
it is not a matter of wonder that his conquests were rapid and complete.
It has been said of Harald Fairhair by his contemporaries, handed down
by the scalds, and recorded in the Icelandic Sagas, that he was of
remarkably handsome appearance, great and strong, and very generous and
affable to his men.
But to return.
It was late in the evening, as we have said, when Erling and Glumm
reached the vicinity of Jarl Rongvold's dwelling. Before coming in
sight of it they were met by two of the mounted guards that were posted
regularly as sentries round the King's quarters. These challenged them
at once, and, on being informed that they desired to have speech with
the King on matters of urgency, conveyed them past the inner guard to
the house.
The state of readiness for instant action in which the men were kept did
not escape the observant eyes of the visitors. Besides an outlying
mounted patrol, which they had managed to pass unobserved, and the
sentries who conducted them, they found a strong guard round the range
of farm buildings where the King and his men lay. These men were all
well armed, and those of them who were not on immediate duty lay at
their stations sound asleep, each man with his helmet on his head, his
sword under it, his right hand grasping the hilt, and his shield serving
the purpose of a blanket to cover him.
Although the young men observed all this they did not suffer their looks
to betray idle curiosity, but rode on with stern countenances, looking,
apparently, straight before them, until they reined up at the front door
of the house.
In a few minutes a stout handsome man with white hair came out and
saluted Erling in a friendly way. This was Jarl Rongvold, who was
distantly related to him.
"I would I could say with truth that I am glad to see thee, cousin," he
said, "but I fear me that thine errand to the King is not likely to end
in pleasant intercourse, if all be true that is reported of the folk in
Horlingdal."
"Thanks, kinsman, for the wish, if not for the welcome," replied the
youth, somewhat stiffly, as he dismounted; "but it matters little to me
whether our intercourse be pleasant or painful, so long as it is
profitable. The men of Horlingdal send a message to Harald Haarfager;
can my companion and I have speech with him?"
"I can manage that for thee, yet would I counsel delay, for the King is
not in a sweet mood to-night, and it may go ill with thee."
"I care not whether the King's mood be sweet or sour," replied Erling
sternly. "Whatever he may become in the future, Harald is not yet the
all-powerful king he would wish to be. The men of Horlingdal have held
a Thing, and Glumm and I have been deputed to see the King, convey to
him their sentiments, and ask his intentions."
A grim smile played on the jarl's fine features for a moment, as he
observed the blood mantling to the youth's forehead.
"No good will come to thee or thine, kinsman, by meeting the King with a
proud look. Be advised, Erling," he continued in a more confidential
tone; "it is easier to swim with the stream than against it--and wiser
too, when it is impossible to turn it. Thou hast heard, no doubt, of
Harald's doings in the north."
"I have heard," said Erling bitterly.
"Well, be he right or be he wrong, it were easier to make the Glommen
run up the fells than to alter the King's determination; and it seems to
me that it behoves every man who loves his country, and would spare
further bloodshed, to submit to what is inevitable."
"Every lover of his country deems bloodshed better than slavery," said
Erling, "because the death of a few is not so great an evil as the
slavery of all."
"Aye, when there is hope that good may come of dying," rejoined the
jarl, "but now there is no hope."
"That is yet to be proved," said the youth; and Glumm uttered one of
those emphatic grunts with which men of few words are wont to signify
their hearty assent to a proposition.
"Tut, kinsman," continued Rongvold, with a look of perplexity, "I don't
like the idea of seeing so goodly a youth end his days before his right
time. Let me assure thee that, if thou wilt join us and win over thy
friends in Horlingdal, a splendid career awaits thee, for the King loves
stout men, and will treat thee well; he is a good master."
"It grieves me that one whose blood flows in my veins should call any
man master!" said Erling.
"Now a plague on thee, for a stupid hot-blood," cried the jarl; "if thou
art so displeased with the word, I can tell thee that it need never be
used, for, if ye will take service with the King, he will give thee the
charge and the revenues of a goodly district, where thou shalt be master
and a jarl too."
"I am a king!" said Erling, drawing himself proudly up. "Thinkest thou
I would exchange an old title for a new one, which the giver has no
right to create?"
Glumm uttered another powerfully emphatic grunt at this point.
"Besides," continued Erling, "I have no desire to become a
scatt-gatherer."
The jarl flushed a little at this thrust, but mastering his indignation
said, with a smile--
"Nay, then, if ye prefer a warrior's work there is plenty of that at the
disposal of the King."
"I have no particular love for war," said Erling. Jarl Rongvold looked
at his kinsman in undisguised amazement.
"Truly thou art well fitted for it, if not fond of it," he said curtly;
"but as thou art bent on following thine own nose, thou art like to have
more than enough of that which thou lovest not.--Come, I will bring thee
to the King."
The jarl led the two young men into his dwelling, where nearly a hundred
men-at-arms were carousing. The hall was a long, narrow, and high
apartment, with a table running down each side, and one at either end.
In the centre of each table was a raised seat, on which sat the chief
guests, but, at the moment they entered, the highest of these seats was
vacant, for the King had left the table. The fireplace of the hall was
in the centre, and the smoke from it curled up among the rafters, which
it blackened before escaping through a hole in the roof.
As all the revellers were armed, and many of them were moving about the
hall, no notice was taken of the entrance of the strangers, except that
one or two near whom they passed remarked that Jarl Rongvold owned some
stout men-at-arms.
The King had retired to one of the sleeping-chambers off the great halt
in which he sat at a small window, gazing dreamily upon the magnificent
view of dale, fell, fiord, and sea, that lay stretched out before the
house. The slanting rays of the sun shone through the window, and
through the heavy masses of the King's golden hair, which fell in
enormous volumes, like a lion's mane, on a pair of shoulders which were
noted, even in that age of powerful men, for enormous breadth and
strength. Like his men, King Harald was armed from head to foot, with
the exception of his helmet, which lay, with his shield, on the low
wolf-skin couch on which he had passed the previous night.
He did not move when the jarl and the young men entered, but on the
former whispering in his ear he let his clenched fist fall on the window
sill, and, turning, with a frown on his bold, handsome face, looked long
and steadily at Erling. And well might he gaze, for he looked upon one
who bore a singularly strong resemblance to himself. There was the same
height and width and massive strength, the same bold, fearless look in
the clear blue eyes, and the same firm lips; but Erling's hair fell in
softer curls on his shoulders, and his brow was more intellectual.
Being a younger man, his beard was shorter.
Advancing a step, after Jarl Rongvold had left the room, Erling stated
the sentiments of the men of Horlingdal in simple, blunt language, and
ended by telling the King that they had no wish to refuse due and lawful
allegiance to him, but that they objected to having the old customs of
the land illegally altered.
During the progress of his statement both Erling and Glumm observed that
the King's face flushed more than once, and that his great blue eyes
blazed with astonishment and suppressed wrath. After he had concluded,
the King still gazed at him in ominous silence. Then he said, sternly:
"For what purpose camest thou hither if the men of Horlingdal hold such
opinions?"
"We came to tell you, King Harald, what the men of Horlingdal think, and
to ask what you intend to do."
There was something so cool in this speech that a sort of grin curled
the King's moustache, and mingled with the wrath that was gathering on
his countenance.
"I'll tell thee what I will do," he said, drawing his breath sharply,
and hissing the words; "I will march into the dale, and burn and s--" He
stopped abruptly, and then in a soft tone added, "But what will _they_
do if I refuse to listen to them?"
"I know not what the men of Horlingdal will do," replied Erling; "but I
will counsel them to defend their rights."
At this the King leaped up, and drew his sword half out of its scabbard,
but again checked himself suddenly; for, as the Saga tells us, "it was
his invariable rule, whenever anything raised his anger, to collect
himself and let his passion run off, and then take the matter into
consideration coolly."
"Go," he said, sitting down again at the window, "I will speak with thee
on this subject to-morrow."
Erling, who during the little burst of passion had kept his blue eyes
unflinchingly fixed on those of the King, bowed and retired, followed by
Glumm, whose admiration of his friend's diplomatic powers would have
been unbounded, had he only wound up with a challenge to the King, then
and there, to single combat!