heimskringla-第39节

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〃Thou　art　a　skald　who　composes　difficulties；〃　says　the　king；　〃but　into　my　service；　Halfred；　thou　shalt　be　received。〃

Halfred　says；　〃if　I　am　to　be　named　the　composer　of　difficulties；　what　cost　thou　give　me；　king；　on　my　name…day？〃

The　king　gave　him　a　sword　without　a　scabbard；　and　said；　〃Now　compose　me　a　song　upon　this　sword；　and　let　the　word　sword　be　in　every　line　of　the　strophe。〃　Halfred　sang　thus：

　　　　　〃This　sword　of　swords　is　my　reward。　　　　　　For　him　who　knows　to　wield　a　sword；　　　　　　And　with　his　sword　to　serve　his　lord；　　　　　　Yet　wants　a　sword；　his　lot　is　hard。　　　　　　I　would　I　had　my　good　lord's　leave　　　　　　For　this　good　sword　a　sheath　to　choose：　　　　　　I'm　worth　three　swords　when　men　use；　　　　　　But　for　the　sword…sheath　now　I　grieve。〃

Then　the　king　gave　him　the　scabbard；　observing　that　the　word　sword　was　wanting　in　one　line　of　his　strophe。　　〃But　there　instead　are　three　swords　in　one　of　the　lines；〃　says　Halfred。　　〃That　is　true；〃　replies　the　king。　　Out　of　Halfred's　lays　we　have　taken　the　most　of　the　true　and　faithful　accounts　that　are　here　related　about　Olaf　Trygvason。



91。　THANGBRAND　RETURNS　FROM　ICELAND。

The　same　harvest　（A。D。　999）　Thangbrand　the　priest　came　back　from　Iceland　to　King　Olaf；　and　told　the　ill　success　of　his　journey；　namely；　that　the　Icelanders　had　made　lampoons　about　him；　and　that　some　even　sought　to　kill　him；　and　there　was　little　hope　of　that　country　ever　being　made　Christian。　　King　Olaf　was　so　enraged　at　this；　that　he　ordered　all　the　Icelanders　to　be　assembled　by　sound　of　horn；　and　was　going　to　kill　all　who　were　in　the　town；　but　Kjartan；　Gissur；　and　Hjalte；　with　the　other　Icelanders　who　had　become　Christians；　went　to　him；　and　said；　〃King；　thou　must　not　fail　from　thy　word　　that　however　much　any　man　may　irritate　thee；　thou　wilt　forgive　him　if　he　turn　from　heathenism　and　become　Christian。　　All　the　Icelanders　here　are　willing　to　be　baptized；　and　through　them　we　may　find　means　to　bring　Christianity　into　Iceland：　for　there　are　many　amongst　them；　sons　of　considerable　people　in　Iceland；　whose　friends　can　advance　the　cause；　but　the　priest　Thangbrand　proceeded　there　as　he　did　here　in　the　court；　with　violence　and　manslaughter；　and　such　conduct　the　people　there　would　not　submit　to。〃　　The　king　harkened　to　those　remonstrances；　and　all　the　Iceland　men　who　were　there　were　baptized。



92。　OF　KING　OLAF'S　FEATS。

King　Olaf　was　more　expert　in　all　exercises　than　any　man　in　Norway　whose　memory　is　preserved　to　us　in　sagas；　and　he　was　stronger　and　more　agile　than　most　men；　and　many　stories　are　written　down　about　it。　　One　is　that　he　ascended　the　Smalsarhorn；　and　fixed　his　shield　upon　the　very　peak。　　Another　is；　that　one　of　his　followers　had　climbed　up　the　peak　after　him；　until　he　came　to　where　he　could　neither　get　up　nor　down；　but　the　king　came　to　his　help；　climbed　up　to　him；　took　him　under　his　arm；　and　bore　him　to　the　flat　ground。　　King　Olaf　could　run　across　the　oars　outside　of　the　vessel　while　his　men　were　rowing　the　Serpent。　　He　could　play　with　three　daggers；　so　that　one　was　always　in　the　air；　and　he　took　the　one　falling　by　the　handle。　　He　could　walk　all　round　upon　the　ship's　rails；　could　strike　and　cut　equally　well　with　both　hands；　and　could　cast　two　spears　at　once。　　King　Olaf　was　a　very　merry　frolicsome　man；　gay　and　social；　was　very　violent　in　all　respects；　was　very　generous；　was　very　finical　in　his　dress；　but　in　battle　he　exceeded　all　in　bravery。　　He　was　distinguished　for　cruelty　when　he　was　enraged；　and　tortured　many　of　his　enemies。　　Some　he　burnt　in　fire；　some　he　had　torn　in　pieces　by　mad　dogs；　some　he　had　mutilated；　or　cast　down　from　high　precipices。　　On　this　account　his　friends　were　attached　to　him　warmly；　and　his　enemies　feared　him　greatly；　and　thus　he　made　such　a　fortunate　advance　in　his　undertakings；　for　some　obeyed　his　will　out　of　the　friendliest　zeal；　and　others　out　of　dread。



93。　BAPTISM　OF　LEIF　EIRIKSON。

Leif；　a　son　of　Eirik　the　Red；　who　first　settled　in　Greenland；　came　this　summer　（A。D。　999）　from　Greenland　to　Norway；　and　as　he　met　King　Olaf　he　adopted　Christianity；　and　passed　the　winter　（A。D。　1000）　with　the　king。



94。　FALL　OF　KING　GUDROD。

Gudrod；　a　son　of　Eirik　Bloodaxe　and　Gunhild；　had　been　ravaging　in　the　west　countries　ever　since　he　fled　from　Norway　before　the　Earl　Hakon。　　But　the　summer　before　mentioned　（A。D。　999）；　where　King　Olaf　Trygvason　had　ruled　four　years　over　Norway；　Gudrod　came　to　the　country；　and　had　many　ships　of　war　with　him。　　He　had　sailed　from　England；　and　when　he　thought　himself　near　to　the　Norway　coast；　he　steered　south　along　the　land；　to　the　quarter　where　it　was　least　likely　King　Olaf　would　be。　　Gudrod　sailed　in　this　way　south　to　Viken；　and　as　soon　as　he　came　to　the　land　he　began　to　plunder；　to　subject　the　people　to　him；　and　to　demand　that　they　should　accept　of　him　as　king。　　Now　as　the　country　people　saw　that　a　great　army　was　come　upon　them；　they　desired　peace　and　terms。　They　offered　King　Gudrod　to　send　a　Thing…message　over　all　the　country；　and　to　accept　of　him　at　the　Thing　as　king；　rather　than　suffer　from　his　army；　but　they　desired　delay　until　a　fixed　day；　while　the　token　of　the　Thing's　assembling　was　going　round　through　the　land。　　The　king　demanded　maintenance　during　the　time　this　delay　lasted。　　The　bondes　preferred　entertaining　the　king　as　a　guest；　by　turns；　as　long　as　he　required　it；　and　the　king　accepted　of　the　proposal　to　go　about　with　some　of　his　men　as　a　guest　from　place　to　place　in　the　land；　while　others　of　his　men　remained　to　guard　the　ships。　　When　King　Olaf's　relations；　Hyrning　and　Thorgeir；　heard　of　this；　they　gathered　men；　fitted　out　ships；　and　went　northwards　to　Viken。　　They　came　in　the　night　with　their　men　to　a　place　at　which　King　Gudrod　was　living　as　a　guest；　and　attacked　him　with　fire　and　weapons；　and　there　King　Gudrod　fell；　and　most　of　his　followers。　　Of　those　who　were　with　his　ships　some　were　killed；　some　slipped　away　and　fled　to　great　distances；　and　now　were　all　the　sons　of　Eirik　and　Gunhild　dead。



95。　BUILDING　OF　THE　SHIP　LONG　SERPENT。

The　winter　after；　King　Olaf　came　from　Halogaland　（A。D。　1000）；　he　had　a　great　vessel　built　at　Hladhamrar；　which　was　larger　than　any　ship　in　the　country；　and　of　which　the　beam…knees　are　still　to　be　seen。　　The　length　of　keel　that　rested　upon　the　grass　was　seventy…　four　ells。　　Thorberg　Skafhog　was　the　man's　name　who　was　the　master…builder　of　the　ship；　but　there　were　many　others　besides；　　some　to　fell　wood；　some　to　shape　it；　some　to　make　nails；　some　to　carry　timber；　and　all　that　was　used　was　of　the　best。　　The　ship　was　both　long　and　broad　and　high…sided；　and　strongly　timbered。

While　they　were　planking　the　ship；　it　happened　that　Thorberg　had　to　go　home　to　his　farm　upon　some　urgent　business；　and　as　he　remained　there　a　long　time；　the　ship　was　planked　up　on　both　sides　when　he　came　back。　　In　the　evening　the　king　went　out；　and　Thorberg　with　him；　to　see　how　the　vessel　looked；　and　everybody　said　that　never　was　seen　so　large　and　so　beautiful　a　ship　of　war。　　Then　the　king　returned　to　the　town。　　Early　next　morning　the　king　returns　again　to　the　ship；　and　Thorberg　with　him。　　The　carpenters　were　there　before　them；　but　all　were　standing　idle　with　their　arms　across。　　The　king　asked；　〃what　was　the　matter？〃　They　said　the　ship　was　destroyed；　for　somebody　had　gone　from；　stem　to　stern；　and　cut　one　deep　notch　after　the　other　down　the　one　side　of　the　planking。　　When　the　king　came　nearer　he　saw　it　was　so；　and　said；　with　an　oath；　〃The　man　shall　die　who　has　thus　destroyed　the　vessel　out　of　envy；　if　he　can　be　discovered；　and　I　shall　bestow　a　great　reward　on　whoever　finds　him　out。〃

〃I　can　tell　you；　king；〃　said　Thorberg；　〃who　has　done　this　piece　of　work。〃　

〃I　don't　think；〃　replies　the　king；　〃that　any　one　is　so　likely　to　find　it　out　as　thou　art。〃

Thorberg　says；　〃I　will　tell　you；　king；　who　did　it。　　I　did　it　myself。〃

The　king　says；　〃Thou　must　restore　it　all　to　the　same　condition　as　before；　or　thy　life　shall　pay　for　it。〃

Then　Thorberg　went　and　chipped　the　planks　until　the　deep　notches　were　all　smoothed　and　made　even　with　the　rest；　and　the　king　and　all　present　declared　that　the　ship　was　much　handsomer　on　the　side　of　the　hull　which　Thorberg；　had　chipped；　and　bade　him　shape　the　other　side　in　the　same　way；　and　gave　him　great　thanks　for　the　improvement。　　Afterwards　Thorberg　was　the　master　builder　of　the　ship　until　she　was　entirely　finished。　　The　ship　was　a　dragon；　built　after　the　one　the　king　had　captured　in　Halogaland；　but　this　ship　was　far　larger；　and　more　carefully　put　together　in　all　her　parts。　　The　king　called　this　ship　Serpent　the　Long；　and　the　other　Serpent　the　Short。　　The　long　Serpent　had　thirty…four　benches　for　rowers。　　The　head　and　the　arched　tail　were　both　gilt；　and　the　bulwarks　were　as　high　as　in　sea…going　ships。　　This　ship　was　the　best　and　most　costly　ship　ever　made　in　Norway。



96。　EARL　EIRIK；　THE　SON　OF　HAKON。

Earl　Eirik；　the　son　of　Earl　Hakon；　and　his　brothers；　with　many　other　valiant　men　their　relations；　had　left　the　country　after　Earl　Hakon's　fall。　　Earl　Eirik　went　eastwards　to　Svithjod；　to　Olaf；　the　Swedish　king；　and　he　and　his　people　were　well　received。　King　Olaf　gave　the　earl　peace　and　freedom　in　the　land；　and　great　fiefs；　so　that　he　could　support　himself　and　his　men　well。　　Thord　Kolbeinson　speaks　of　this