early kings of norway-第5部分

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bing　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；　〃Sunb