Saga of Olaf Haroldson

79. RAGNVALD AND THORGNY.

Earl Ragnvald came towards evening one day to the house of Lagman
Thorgny. It was a great and stately mansion, and many people
stood outside, who received the earl kindly, and took care of the
horses and baggage. The earl went into the room, where there was
a number of people. In the high-seat sat an old man; and never
had Bjorn or his companions seen a man so stout. His beard was
so long that it lay upon his knee, and was spread over his whole
breast; and the man, moreover, was handsome and stately in
appearance. The earl went forward and saluted him. Thorgny
received him joyfully and kindly, and bade him go to the seat he
was accustomed to take. The earl seated himself on the other
side, opposite Thorgny. They remained there some days before the
earl disclosed his errand, and then he asked Thorgny to go with
him into the conversing room. Bjorn and his followers went there
with the earl. Then the earl began, and told how Olaf king of
Norway had sent these men hither to conclude a peaceful
agreement. He showed at great length what injury it was of to
the West Gautland people, that there was hostility between their
country and Norway. He further related that Olaf the king of
Norway had sent ambassadors, who were here present, and to whom
he had promised he would attend them to the Swedish king; but he
added, "The Swedish king takes the matter so grievously, that he
has uttered menaces against those who entertain it. Now so it
is, my foster-father, that I do not trust to myself in this
matter; but am come on a visit to thee to get good counsel and
help from thee in the matter."

Now when the earl had done speaking Thorgny sat silent for a
while, and then took up the word. "Ye have curious dispositions
who are so ambitious of honour and renown, and yet have no
prudence or counsel in you when you get into any mischief. Why
did you not consider, before you gave your promise to this
adventure, that you had no power to stand against King Olaf? In
my opinion it is not a less honourable condition to be in the
number of bondes and have one's words free, and be able to say
what one will, even if the king be present. But I must go to the
Upsala Thing, and give thee such help that without fear thou
canst speak before the king what thou findest good."

The earl thanked him for the promise, remained with Thorgny, and
rode with him to the Upsala Thing. There was a great assemblage
of people at the Thing, and King Olaf was there with his court.

The first day the Thing sat, King Olaf was seated on a stool, and
his court stood in a circle around him. Right opposite to him
sat Earl Ragnvald and Thorgny in the Thing upon one stool, and
before them the earl's court and Thorgny's house-people. Behind
their stool stood the bonde community, all in a circle around
them. Some stood upon hillocks and heights, in order to hear the
better. Now when the king's messages, which are usually handled
in the Things, were produced and settled, the marshal Bjorn rose
beside the earl's stool, and said aloud, "King Olaf sends me here
with the message that he will offer to the Swedish king peace,
and the frontiers that in old times were fixed between Norway and
Svithjod." He spoke so loud that the Swedish king could
distinctly hear him; but at first, when he heard King Olaf's name
spoken, he thought the speaker had some message or business of
his own to execute; but when he heard of peace, and the frontiers
between Norway and Svithjod, he saw from what root it came, and
sprang up, and called out that the man should be silent, for that
such speeches were useless. Thereupon Bjorn sat down; and when
the noise had ceased Earl Ragnvald stood up and made a speech.

He spoke of Olaf the Thick's message, and proposal of peace to
Olaf the Swedish king; and that all the West Gautland people sent
their entreaty to Olaf that he would make peace with the king of
Norway. He recounted all the evils the West Gautlanders were
suffering under; that they must go without all the things from
Norway which were necessary in their households; and, on the
other hand, were exposed to attack and hostility whenever the
king of Norway gathered an army and made an inroad on them. The
earl added, that Olaf the Norway king had sent men hither with
the intent to obtain Ingegerd the king's daughter in marriage.

When the earl had done speaking Olaf the Swedish king stood up
and replied, and was altogether against listening to any
proposals of peace, and made many and heavy reproaches against
the earl for his impudence in entering into a peaceful truce with
the thick fellow, and making up a peaceful friendship with him,
and which in truth he considered treason against himself. He
added, that it would be well deserved if Earl Ragnvald were
driven out of the kingdom. The earl had, in his opinion, the
influence of his wife Ingebjorg to thank for what might happen;
and it was the most imprudent fancy he could have fallen upon to
take up with such a wife. The king spoke long and bitterly,
turning his speech always against Olaf the Thick. When he sat
down not a sound was to be heard at first.

81. THORGNY'S SPEECH.

Then Thorgny stood up; and when he arose all the bondes stood up
who had before been sitting, and rushed together from all parts
to listen to what Lagman Thorgny would say. At first there was a
great din of people and weapons; but when the noise was settled
into silent listening, Thorguy made his speech. "The disposition
of Swedish kings is different now from what it has been formerly.
My grandfather Thorgny could well remember the Upsala king Eirik
Eymundson, and used to say of him that when he was in his best
years he went out every summer on expeditions to different
countries, and conquered for himself Finland, Kirjalaland,
Courland, Esthonia, and the eastern countries all around; and at
the present day the earth-bulwarks, ramparts, and other great
works which he made are to be seen. And, more over, he was not
so proud that he would not listen to people who had anything to
say to him. My father, again, was a long time with King Bjorn,
and was well acquainted with his ways and manners. In Bjorn's
lifetime his kingdom stood in great power, and no kind of want
was felt, and he was gay and sociable with his friends. I also
remember King Eirik the Victorious, and was with him on many a
war-expedition. He enlarged the Swedish dominion, and defended
it manfully; and it was also easy and agreeable to communicate
our opinions to him. But the king we have now got allows no man
to presume to talk with him, unless it be what he desires to
hear. On this alone he applies all his power, while he allows
his scat-lands in other countries to go from him through laziness
and weakness. He wants to have the Norway kingdom laid under
him, which no Swedish king before him ever desired, and therewith
brings war and distress on many a man. Now it is our will, we
bondes, that thou King Olaf make peace with the Norway king, Olaf
the Thick, and marry thy daughter Ingegerd to him. Wilt thou,
however, reconquer the kingdoms in the east countries which thy
relations and forefathers had there, we will all for that purpose
follow thee to the war. But if thou wilt not do as we desire, we
will now attack thee, and put thee to death; for we will no
longer suffer law and peace to be disturbed. So our forefathers
went to work when they drowned five kings in a morass at the
Mula-thing, and they were filled with the same insupportable
pride thou hast shown towards us. Now tell us, in all haste,
what resolution thou wilt take." Then the whole public approved,
with clash of arms and shouts, the lagman's speech.

The king stands up and says he will let things go according to
the desire of the bondes. "All Swedish kings," he said, "have
done so, and have allowed the bondes to rule in all according to
their will." The murmur among the bondes then came to an end,
and the chiefs, the king, the earl, and Thorgny talked together,
and concluded a truce and reconciliation, on the part of the
Swedish king, according to the terms which the king of Norway had
proposed by his ambassadors; and it was resolved at the Thing
that Ingegerd, the king's daughter, should be married to Olaf
Haraldson. The king left it to the earl to make the contract
feast, and gave him full powers to conclude this marriage affair;
and after this was settled at the Thing, they separated. When
the earl returned homewards, he and the king's daughter Ingegerd
had a meeting, at which they talked between themselves over this
matter. She sent Olaf a long cloak of fine linen richly
embroidered with gold, and with silk points. The earl returned
to Gautland, and Bjorn with him; and after staying with him a
short time, Bjorn and his company returned to Norway. When he
came to King Olaf he told him the result of his errand, and the
king returned him many thanks for his conduct, and said Bjorn had
had great success in bringing his errand to so favourabie a
conclusion against such animosity.

82. OF KING HROREK'S TREACHERY.

On the approach of spring (A.D. 1018) King Olaf went down to the
coast, had his ships rigged out, summoned troops to him, and
proceeded in spring out from Viken to the Naze, and so north to
Hordaland. He then sent messages to all the lendermen, selected
the most considerable men in each district, and made the most
splendid preparations to meet his bride. The wedding-feast was
to be in autumn, at the Gaut river, on the frontiers of the two
countries. King Olaf had with him the blind king Hrorek. When
his wound was healed, the king gave him two men to serve him, let
him sit in the high-seat by his side, and kept him in meat and
clothes in no respect Norse than he had kept himself before.
Hrorek was taciturn, and answered short and cross when any one
spoke to him. It was his custom to make his footboy, when he
went out in the daytime, lead him away from people, and then to
beat the lad until he ran away. He would then complain to King
Olaf that the lad would not serve him. The king changed his
servants, but it was as before; no servant would hold it out with
King Hrorek. Then the king appointed a man called Svein to wait
upon and serve King Hrorek. He was Hrorek's relation, and had
formerly been in his service. Hrorek continued with his habits
of moroseness, and of solitary walks; but when he and Svein were
alone together, he was merry and talkative. He used to bring up
many things which had happened in former days when he was king.
He alluded, too, to the man who had, in his former days, torn him
from his kingdom and happiness, and made him live on alms. "It
is hardest of all," says he, "that thou and my other relations,
who ought to be men of bravery, are so degenerated that thou wilt
not avenge the shame and disgrace brought upon our race." Such
discourse he often brought out. Svein said, they had too great a
power to deal with, while they themselves had but little means.
Hrorek said, "Why should we live longer as mutilated men with
disgrace? I, a blind man, may conquer them as well as they
conquered me when I was asleep. Come then, let us kill this
thick Olaf. He is not afraid for himself at present. I will lay
the plan, and would not spare my hands if I could use them, but
that I cannot by reason of my blindness; therefore thou must use
the weapons against him, and as soon as Olaf is killed I can see
well enough that his power must come into the hands of his
enemies, and it may well be that I shall be king, and thou shalt
be my earl." So much persuasion he used that Svein at last
agreed to join in the deed. The plan was so laid that when the
king was ready to go to vespers, Svein stood on the threshold
with a drawn dagger under his cloak. Now when the king came out
of the room, it so happened that he walked quicker than Svein
expected; and when he looked the king in the face he grew pale,
and then white as a corpse, and his hand sank down. The king
observed his terror and said, "What is this, Svein? Wilt thou
betray me?" Svein threw down his cloak and dagger, and fell at
the king's feet, saying, "All is in Gods hands and thine, king!"
The king ordered his men to seize Svein, and he was put in irons.
The king ordered Hrorek's seat to be moved to another bench. He
gave Svein his life, and he left the country. The king appointed
a different lodging for Hrorek to sleep in from that in which he
slept himself, and in which many of his court-people slept. He
set two of his court-men, who had been long with him, and whose
fidelity he had proof of, to attend Hrorek day and night; but it
is not said whether they were people of high birth or not. King
Hrorek's mood was very different at different times. Sometimes
he would sit silent for days together, so that no man could get a
word out of him; and sometimes he was so merry and gay, that
people found a joke in every word he said. Sometimes his words
were very bitter. He was sometimes in a mood that he would drink
them all under the benches, and made all his neighbours drunk;
but in general he drank but little. King Olaf gave him plenty of
pocket-money. When he went to his lodgings he would often,
before going to bed, have some stoups of mead brought in, which
he gave to all the men in the house to drink, so that he was much
liked.