early kings of norway-第5节

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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　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　Kenne