early kings of norway-第4节

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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　atte