"On a time very long ago," began Sigurd, as he sat beside Olaf on a
bench facing Queen Allogia, "there reigned in the south of Norway a
young king named Halfdan the Swarthy. His realm was not large, for the
country was at that time divided into many districts, each having its
independent king. But, by warfare and by fortunate marriage, Halfdan
soon increased the possessions which his father had left to him, so
that he became the mightiest king in all the land. The name of his wife
was Queen Ragnhild, who was very beautiful, and they had a son whom
they named Harald.
"This Harald grew to be a very handsome boy, tall and strong and of
great intelligence. He was fond of manly sports, and his skill and
beauty brought him the favour and admiration of all men of the
northland. Well, when Harald was still a youth of ten winters, his
father was one day crossing the ice on the Randsfjord when the ice
broke under him and he was drowned, so his kingdom fell to his son. The
kings whom Halfdan the Swarthy had conquered then bethought them that
they might win back what lands they had lost, and they accordingly made
war against the young king. Many battles were fought, but Harald was
always victorious. Instead of yielding to his enemies he soon extended
his dominions until they stretched as far north as Orkadale. And then
he was content."
Sigurd here raised his eyes and looked across at Allogia as she
silently plied her busy needle.
"It is a long story, lady," he said; "and it may be that it is not new
to you."
"Tell it to the end," returned the queen.
"There lived at that time in Valders a maid named Gyda," continued
Sigurd. "She was the daughter of King Erik of Hordaland, and King
Harald, hearing that she was exceedingly fair and high minded would
fain have her to be his wife. So he sent forth messengers to her,
asking her to wed with him. Now the maid was proud as well as
beautiful, and when she received this message she answered thus: 'Tell
your master,' she said, 'that I will not sacrifice myself to be the
wife of a king who has no more realm to rule over than a few counties.
Marvellous it seems to me that there is no king who can make all Norway
his own and be the sole lord thereof, as King Erik in Sweden, and King
Gorm in Denmark. Give this message to King Harald, and tell him that I
will only promise to be his wedded wife on this condition, that he will
for my sake lay under him all Norway. For only then can he be accounted
the king of a people."
"Now these words of Gyda were taken duly to the king, and they awakened
in his mind a thought which had never before occurred to him, and he
said, in the presence of many men: 'This oath do I now solemnly make,
and swear before that God who made me and rules over all things, that
never more will I cut my hair nor comb it until the day when I have
conquered all Norway, and have made myself the sole ruler of the
Northmen. And if I do not fulfil my vow, I shall die in the attempt.'"
"Spoken like a true king!" interrupted Allogia. "I trust, for the proud
maiden's sake, that he did not take long to fulfil his vow."
"Ten long years it took him," returned Sigurd. "Northward he sallied
with a vast army and conquered Orkadale, Trondelag, and Naumdale, and
all the country about Thrandheim, making himself the overlord of all
the old kings who thereafter became his earls and vassals. Those who
would not be subdued he killed or maimed. He made new laws, took from
the peasants their odal estates, and declared all land to be the king's
property. Many of the conquered people rebelled against his rule and
his strict feudal laws, and some of his provinces had to be conquered
twice over. But with every year he came nearer to his goal, and those
who opposed him only brought about their own ruin.
"At last the old kings, smarting in their subjection, banded themselves
together, resolving to assert their ancient rights in a pitched battle.
They assembled a great fleet of warships and met the conqueror in the
Hafrsfjord. In the sea fight that followed many of Harald's bravest men
were slain; spears and stones fell about them on every side; the air
was filled with the flying arrows as with winter hail. But the king's
berserks at length took on their fury and won for their master the
greatest battle that has ever been fought in Norway. Thus, after a ten
years' struggle, did Harald fulfil his vow.
"At a feast which followed this fight his hair was cut and combed. Men
had formerly named him Harald Shockhead; but now they marvelled at his
new made beauty and called him Harald Fairhair. Then, having done what
he set out to do, he married Gyda and lived with her until she died.
"From that day forth," continued Sigurd, "Harald Fairhair ruled with
great rigour, and so severely did he tax his people that many of the
nobler and prouder sort grew discontented and straightway abandoned
Norway to seek new homes across the sea. Many were content to roam upon
the waters as vikings; others sailed west to the Faroe Isles, some
settled in Shetland and the Orkneys, while others went far north into
Iceland--a country so rich that, as I have heard, every blade of grass
drips with butter. But Harald followed these adventurous men who had
thus sought to escape his rule, with the result that he reduced all
these islands to his sway."
At this point of the steward's narrative the queen moved impatiently
and said:
"All this may be very well, Hersir Sigurd. But I fail to see how this
history can bear upon the story of the boy Ole."
"You shall see its bearing very soon," returned Sigurd. "But, if you so
wish, I will cut it short."
"Nay, tell it in your own way," said the queen, "for my time is of no
account."
"You must know, then," pursued Sigurd, "that King Harald Fairhair had
many wives, other than Gyda. And as he had many wives, so had he many
sons. These sons as they grew up to manhood became to him a serious
trouble. They were jealous of each other and for ever quarrelling among
themselves. A chief cause of their disagreement was their bitter
jealousy of Erik, the son whom Harald favoured above all the rest.
"When Erik was but a mere boy--no older than young Ole, here--his
father gave him the command of five great ships of war, and with a
picked crew of hardy warriors the boy went a-viking along the coasts,
harrying and plundering, fighting and slaughtering wherever he fell in
with ships less powerful than his own. He became a terror to all
peaceful folk, and for his murderous deeds by sea and land he won the
name of Erik Bloodaxe.
"It was through his foolish love of this wild hearted son that Harald
Fairhair was led to commit an act whereby he undid all the great work
of his life. He had succeeded in uniting all Norway into one nation,
and this was good. But now nothing would suit him but that he should
once more divide his great realm into many provinces. He therefore
created all his sons kings, and gave to each his portion of the
country, on condition that after his own death they should all
acknowledge Erik Bloodaxe their overlord.
"But no sooner had this unwise course been taken than the sons began to
quarrel more wildly than ever. There was but one son among them who was
wise enough to enjoy his share in contentment and keep peace. This was
Olaf, the son of Queen Swanhild. To him King Harald had given the
country of Viken, in the south of Norway. Olaf was the father of
Triggvi, and the grandfather of the boy who is now before you."'
Allogia's eyes were now fixed upon young Olaf, who sat at his ease in
front of her with his arm resting on the back of the bench and his
fingers playing idly with his long gold curls.
"Truly did I guess," said she, "that the boy had kingly blood in him.
Such silken hair, such clear soft skin, and beautiful blue eyes could
not possibly have come of lowly birth. And now do I well believe that
it was he whom the king's mother meant when, at the yuletide feast, she
spoke of the child who was destined to be brought up here in Holmgard,
and who was to grow to be a famous prince." She smiled softly on the
boy as she said this. "And now, hersir," she added, "we will hear the
rest of your saga."
Sigurd rose from the bench and began to pace slowly to and fro with his
hands clasped behind his back.
"Of all King Harald's sons," said he, "Erik Bloodaxe was the one who
had the most ambition and who fought hardest to win worship from his
brothers. In his strivings he did not scruple to act unfairly. He
stooped to treachery, and even to murder. He first killed his brother,
Ragnvald Rattlebone, because he was said to be a sorcerer. Next he
killed his brother Biorn, because he refused to pay him homage and
tribute. None of Harald's sons could be safe while Erik was thus
allowed to take the law into his own hands; so two other of the
brothers attempted to take Erik's life, by setting fire to a farmhouse
in which he was feasting. But Erik escaped with four men, secured his
father's protection, and for a time there was peace.
"Now King Harald Fairhair had a young son named Hakon, the child of his
old age, and this son became in the after years a very great man in the
land, and was called Hakon the Good.
"The King of England in those days was named Athelstane the Victorious,
and it is told that on a time Athelstane, who was passing jealous of
the power of Harald Fairhair, sent a messenger to Norway bearing a
precious sword as a gift to King Harald. The sword was done with gold
about the hilt and set with dear bought gems, and well tempered in the
blade. So the messenger fared to Lade, in Thrandheim, where Harald
dwelt, and said he: 'Here is a sword which the King of England sendeth
thee, bidding thee take it withal.' So the king took the grip of it.
Then said the messenger: 'Thou hast taken the sword even as our king
wished, and thou art therefore his sword taker and vassal.'
"Well, Harald was angry at being thus tricked, and he pondered how he
might pay back King Athelstane, so the next year he got ship and sent
his young son Hakon to England, along with a great berserker, or
champion, named Hawk, and thirty warriors. They found the king in
London town, and, being fully armed, they entered his feasting hall
where he sat. Hawk took the child Hakon and placed him on King
Athelstane's knee, saying: 'The King of Norway biddeth thee foster this
his child.'
"Athelstane was exceeding wroth, and he caught up his sword that lay
beside him and drew it as if he would slay the lad. Then said Hawk:
'Thou hast set the child on thy knee and mayest murder him if thou
wilt, but not thus withal wilt thou make an end of all the sons of King
Harald Fairhair.'
"Thus did the King of Norway pay back the King of England in his own
coin, for men ever account the fosterer less noble than him whose child
he fosters. Howbeit, King Athelstane kept the lad and fostered him
right well. Thereafter he treated young Hakon with great kindness,
taught him good manners and all kinds of prowess, and in the end grew
to love him more than any of his own kin. In England, Hakon abandoned
his faith in the gods of Scandinavia, and became a worshipper of the
White Christ, for in that land all men are Christians, and Thor and
Odin have no power.
"Now, while Hakon was away in England, his elder brother, Erik
Bloodaxe, went a-warring in his viking ships to many lands--Scotland,
Wales, Ireland, and Normandy, and north away in Finland. And in Finland
he found a certain woman, the like of whom he had never seen for
fairness in all his roamings. She was named Gunnhild, and had learned
all kinds of sorcery and witchcraft among the Finns. Erik wedded with
this woman, and it afterwards befell that she wrought more evil in
Norway than even Erik himself. She was his evil genius, egging him on
to deeds of treachery and violence which made him detested of all men.
"Glad was Gunnhild when Harald the Fairhaired, being stricken in years,
declared that he felt no longer able to bear the burden of the
government. This he did when he was eighty years old. He led his son
Erik to his royal high seat and put him there as the king, so that
Gunnhild by this became the queen, and could work her evil as she
willed.
"Three years afterwards Harald Fairhair died in his bed, having ruled
over Norway for seventy-three years."
Sigurd paused in his narrative and sat down beside Olaf. He felt that
the queen's interest in his nephew was now secure and that it boded
well for Olaf. Allogia set aside her needle and nodded to the steward
as if she would tell him to continue his saga. Sigurd leaned back in
his seat, crossed his legs, and went on.
"King Erik now held dominion over the larger part of Norway," said he.
"But there were two of his brothers who would not yield to him, and who
yet peacefully ruled in the realms over which their father had placed
them. Olaf--the son of King Harald and Queen Swanhild--was the
sovereign king in Viken, and his brother Halfdan in like manner ruled
in Thrandheim. Full ill content was Erik that he could not truthfully
call himself the lord over all Norway. But, as he could not be king by
favour alone, he resolved to become so by other means. Two winters
after Erik's enthronement his brother Halfdan died a sudden and painful
death at a feast in Thrandheim. It is told that he was cunningly
poisoned by Queen Gunnhild. Erik straightway claimed his dead brother's
kingdom; but the Thrandheimers would have none of him; they declared
against him, and took another brother, Sigrod, for their king. To
protect themselves against their overbearing brother, Sigrod and Olaf
joined their forces. But Erik attacked them unawares with a great army
at Tunsberg and won the day. Both Olaf and Sigrod, champions in the
battle, were killed. Olaf's son, Triggvi, escaped, however, and fled
away to the Uplands, where he remained as long as Erik Bloodaxe was
master in the land. Triggvi was the biggest and strongest of men, and
the fairest of face of all that have ever been seen.
"Erik Bloodaxe had now killed four of his brothers and caused the death
of a fifth. He had made himself the king of all Norway, even as his
father had been. Yet the people misliked him sorely, they were for ever
striving to displace him and to set up Triggvi Olafson in his stead.
Then Queen Gunnhild swore that, if Erik would not make his rule a
certainty, she at least would not rest until she had exterminated all
the race of Harald Fairhair outside of her husband's line."
Here Olaf spoke, leaning forward and looking round into Sigurd's face.
"I think," said he, "that if I had been in my father's place I would
have rid the earth of so murderous a traitor as Erik Bloodaxe."
"Your father was a peace lover," returned Sigurd, "though, indeed,
there was not in all the land at that time a more splendid warrior than
he. But there were other reasons. The first was that Triggvi was
passing content in the place where he was living, away in the Uplands,
for there he had become the friend of a great earl who had most
fruitful lands at Ofrestead, and he had won the love of the earl's
daughter, Astrid, the most beautiful maid in all Norway. Her he had
wedded, and they were very happy together and free from all the cares
of state and war. This do I know full well," added Sigurd, addressing
Allogia, "for Queen Astrid was my own dear sister, and Earl Erik of
Ofrestead was my own father."
"Then," said Queen Allogia, "it must be that Astrid was the mother of
this boy whose cause you are now pleading; and in that case you
yourself must be our young Ole's uncle?"
"It is even so," replied Sigurd. "And now I must tell the second reason
why Triggvi did not try to compass the death of King Erik. It was that
Queen Gunnhild had already been seeking to fulfil her vow, and had been
attempting through her wicked sorcery to bring about young Triggvi's
death. So Triggvi thereupon left Astrid in the care of her father, and
went a-warring as a viking. He sailed west over sea to Scotland, and
there harried the coasts; and then to the Orkneys, where he had many
battles with the vikings of the isles. So that when the people sought
for him, wishing to make him their king, he could not be found.
"Well, in the meantime there had appeared another who had rightful
claim to the throne. Hakon, Athelstane's foster son, had come back from
England on hearing of King Harald's death. He was now a full grown man
and a valiant warrior. When he landed in Trondelag the people hailed
him with great rejoicing, and declared that old Harald Fairhair had
come back once more, gentler and more generous than before, but no less
mighty and beautiful. They claimed him as their king, calling him Hakon
the Good, and he reigned in Norway for many years, nor did he seek to
do any ill to his nephew, Triggvi Olafson, but confirmed him as king in
Viken.
"Now when Hakon the Good returned it was an ill day for his elder
brother Erik Bloodaxe, for the people had become so wroth against him
that he could find no peace. At first he tried to raise an army, but
none would serve him, and he was forced to flee from the land with his
wife and children and a few weak followers. He thereupon took a ship
and roamed about as a viking. He fared westward to the Orkneys, and got
many vikings to join him, then he sailed south and harried all about
the north parts of England. So greatly did he trouble the English
people that at last King Athelstane, to win his peace, offered Erik the
dominion over Northumberland, on the condition that he would become the
king's vassal and defend that part of the realm against the Danes and
other vikings. Erik agreed, allowed himself to be christened, and took
the right troth.
"Now Northumbria is accounted the fifth part of England, and the better
bargain was on Erik's side. He made his abode in the town of York, and
he warded the country well, for full oft did the Danes and Northmen
harry there in the earlier time. But very soon, urged, it may be, by
Queen Gunnhild, he sought to increase his wealth and to add to his
lands; and when Athelstane died and King Edmund became the monarch of
England Erik Bloodaxe went far into the land, and forcibly drove the
people from their homes. Too greatly did he reckon upon success, for it
happened that there was another who, like himself, had been set there
by the king for the warding of the country. This other gathered an army
and fell upon Erik. There was a great battle, and many of the English
folk were killed; but ere the day was ended Erik lay dead upon the
field, and that was the last of him.
"No longer could Queen Gunnhild hope to dwell at peace in England. Her
husband's estates were forfeited, and she had no home. So she took her
children and sailed east to Denmark. There she was well received by the
Danish king, Harald Bluetooth. But in spite of her misfortune her
ambitions were not dead, for she had many sons growing up, and she had
a mind to make them all kings in Norway. These sons, as you may well
suppose, had little goodwill for Hakon the Good, who had dispossessed
them of their inheritance. The eldest of them had roved for a while as
vikings, and were already skilled in warfare, so Gunnhild contrived to
get them ships and followers, and sent them across to Viken, the part
of Norway where, as I have said, King Triggvi Olafson reigned. They had
many battles with Triggvi, but they could not conquer him. But at last
King Hakon came to his nephew's help, and with him pursued the sons of
Gunnhild into Denmark.
"This attack upon Danish soil brought about a war between the kings of
Denmark and Norway, and in a battle at Sotoness Triggvi Olafson was
defeated. He was forced to abandon his ships and save himself by
flight. In a later battle Hakon the Good was killed. It is said that
Gunnhild had bewitched the arrow that slew him.
"Hakon had never tried very hard to make his people Christians, and he
had himself drifted back to the worship of Thor and Odin. One of his
friends, when he was dying, offered to take his body over to England,
so that he might be buried in Christian soil, but Hakon replied: 'I am
not worthy of it. I have lived like a heathen, and therefore it is meet
that I should be buried like a heathen.'"
Queen Allogia drew a heavy breath at this point in Sigurd's narrative,
as if she thought that the story would have no end.
"Your voice gets tired, hersir," said she, "and it may be that you
would wish to keep the rest of the saga for another time!"
"There is but little more to tell," returned Sigurd, looking up with
anxious eyes. "And as what is left is the more important part, I beg
you to hear it to the end."
The queen assented, and Sigurd took up the thread of his story:
"Little time did the sons of Gunnhild lose," said he, "in claiming the
kingdom of their fathers; but it was only the middle part of Norway
that they could possess in safety. To gain the whole country they had
need to break the power of Triggvi Olafson and Gudrod Biornson, both
grandsons of Harald Fairhair, who ruled as independent kings. To do
this in open warfare was not easy. Gunnhild, who now forced her sons to
action, as she had formerly forced Erik Bloodaxe, found treachery an
easier means; so she got one of her sons to feign hostility to his
brothers and to make a show of friendship for Triggvi Olafson. King
Triggvi was invited by this son to go out on a cruise with him. Triggvi
yielded to his false friend's wish, and on reaching the place of
meeting he was foully murdered with all his men. His cousin, King
Gudrod Biornson, was at about this same time surprised at a feast by
Harald Greyfell and slain after a desperate fight.
"Thus did the sons of Gunnhild clear their path. Thus, too, did the
wicked queen fulfil the vow that she had sworn many years before, to
exterminate the whole race of Harald Fairhair outside her husband's
line.
"But," added Sigurd, in a deep and solemn voice, "the flower that is
trampled under foot may yet leave its seed behind to come forth in its
own season and flourish. The race of King Harald was not yet dead, and
Queen Gunnhild presently found that there was a woman in Norway whose
true love and faithfulness were better than all the guile and treachery
that jealousy could devise. Triggvi Olafson's widow, Queen Astrid, when
she heard tidings of his murder, guessed rightly that Gunnhild would
pursue her, so she fled from Viken, and journeyed north towards the
Uplands, taking with her her two young daughters, Ingibiorg and Astrid,
together with such chattels as she might have with her. In her company
was her foster father, Thoralf Lusaskegg by name, and his young son
Thorgils. Thoralf never left her, but guarded her always most
faithfully, while other trusty men of hers went about spying for
tidings of her foes.
"Now very soon Astrid heard that Gunnhild's sons were pursuing her with
intent to kill her, so she let herself be hidden on a little island in
the midst of a certain lake. There on that island her son was born, and
she had him sprinkled with water and named Olaf, after his father's
father."
Sigurd paused, and laying his hand on Olaf's shoulder, "This," said he,
"is that same child, Olaf Triggvison, and he is the one true flower of
which King Harald Fairhair was the parent stem. An ill thing would it
be for Norway if, for the slaying of Klerkon the Viking, he were now to
lose his life. And I beg you, oh, queen! to deal kindly with this
king's son so hardly dealt with, and to deal with King Valdemar
concerning him that his life may be spared."
Then Queen Allogia answered, looking on the lad, that she would do as
Sigurd wished.
"And now," she added, "tell me how it came to pass that the boy was
ever brought across the sea to Esthonia."
So Sigurd told how Queen Astrid journeyed farther into the Uplands
until she came to her father's manor at Ofrestead; how, dwelling there,
she had been at last discovered by Gunnhild's spies, and been forced to
take flight that she might save young Olaf from their murderous hands.
For Gunnhild had now heard of the birth of this son of King Triggvi,
and nothing would content her, but that he should die ere he could grow
up to manhood, and so dispute with her own sons the realm that they now
usurped.
He told how Queen Astrid, leaving her two daughters at Ofrestead, had
fared east away into Sweden, and of what privations she had borne for
her son's sake, and of how, still pursued by her enemies, she had at
length taken safe refuge with Hakon Gamle, a friend of her father's.
"But even here," continued Sigurd, "Queen Gunnhild's enmity followed
her. This time it was not with the sword but with soft words that
Gunnhild sought to gain her ends. She sent a message through the King
of Sweden, asking that she might have Olaf back in Norway to live in
her court, and to be taught and nurtured as behoved one of such exalted
birth. But Astrid knew full well that there was falseness underlying
this message, and she sent word back to Norway saying that her boy
stood in no need of such help, and that she would herself see that he
was both well nurtured and fitly taught.
"I have told you," said Sigurd, "that Queen Astrid was my own sister.
Now, at the time I speak of I was already in the service of King
Valdemar; so Astrid thought that the best means of escaping her enemies
and of saving her son was that she should come here with Olaf into
Holmgard. The boy was then three winters old and full sturdy. So Hakon
Gamle gave her a good company of men, and took her down to the seacoast
and gave her into the care of certain traders whose ship was bound
eastward.
"But now as they made out to sea vikings fell on them, and took both
men and money. Some they slew, and some they shared between them for
bondslaves. Then was Olaf parted from his mother, and the captain of
the vikings, an Esthonian named Klerkon Flatface, got him along with
Thoralf and Thorgils. Klerkon deemed Thoralf over old for a thrall,
and, seeing no work in him, slew him and flung him overboard, but he
had the lads away with him, and sold them into slavery. Olaf and
Thorgils swore foster brotherhood, and they took oath in handshaking
that they would bring this viking to his bane. That oath did Olaf
fulfil this day, when he drove his axe into Klerkon's head."
Sigurd rose from his seat and stood before the queen.
"And now," said he, "my story is at an end, and you know of what kin
this boy has come. Well am I aware, oh, queen! that in fostering a
king's son I have broken the law of this land. I seek no pardon for
myself. For Olaf alone do I ask your help. And if King Valdemar condemn
him to death for his crime, then do I crave that my life, and not the
boy's, be taken."
"Go with the boy to your home," returned the queen. "None shall hurt
either him or you. Wait in patience until the sun rise, and then you
shall know the issue of my pleadings with the king."
And so saying, she signed to them to leave the hall.