early kings of norway-第4部分

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t　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　fig