Three Northern Love Stories and Other Tales
Frithiof saves the king and queen on the ice
He said he had liefer to go; and the king said: "Then am I the more content."
So they went on their ways, and had to cross a certain frozen water. Then said Thief: "I deem this ice untrustworthy; meseemeth ye fare unwarily."
Quoth the king: "It is often shown, how heedful in thine heart thou wilt be to us."
So a little after the ice broke in beneath them, and Thief ran thereto, and dragged the wain to him, with all that was therein; and the king and queen both sat in the same: so Thief drew it all up on to the ice, with the horses that were yoked to the wain.
Then spake King Ring: "Right well drawn, Thief! Frithiof the Bold himself would have drawn no stronger had he been here; doughty followers are such as thou!"
So they came to the feast, and there is nought to tell thereof, and the king went back again with seemly gifts.
The king sleeps before Frithiof
So did they, and went flock-meal with the king into the woods; but so it befell, that the king and Frithiof were gotten alone together afar from other men, and the king said he was heavy, and would fain sleep. Then said Thief: "Get thee home, then, lord, for it better beseemeth men of high estate to lie at home than abroad."
"Nay," said the king, "so will I not do." And he laid him down therewith, and slept fast, snoring loud.
Thief sat close by him, and presently drew his sword from his sheath and cast it far away from him.
A little while after the king woke up, and said: "Was it not so, Frithiof, that a many things came into thy mind e'en now? But well hast thou dealt with them, and great honour shalt thou have of me. Lo, now, I knew thee straightaway that first evening thou camest into our hall: now nowise speedily shalt thou depart from us; and somewhat great abideth thee."
Said Frithiof: "Lord King, thou hast done to me well, and in friendly wise; but yet must I get me gone soon, because my company cometh speedily to meet me, as I have given them charge to do."
So then they rode home from the wood, and the king's folk came flocking to him, and home they fared to the hall and drank joyously; and it was made known to all folk that Frithiof the Bold had been abiding there through the wintertide.
King Ring's gift to Frithiof
Then was the door opened, and Frithiof came in, and sang a stave:----
"Have great thanks for the guesting
Thou gavest with all bounty;
Dight fully for wayfaring
Is the feeder of the eagle;
But, Ingibiorg, I mind thee
While yet on earth we tarry;
Live gloriously! I give thee
This gift for many kisses."
And therewith he cast the goodly ring towards Ingibiorg, and bade her take it.
The king smiled at this stave of his, and said: "Yea, forsooth, she hath more thanks for thy winter quarters than I; yet hath she not been more friendly to thee than I."
Then sent the king his serving-folk to fetch victuals and drink, and saith that they must eat and drink before Frithiof departed. "So arise queen, and be joyful!" But she said she was loth to fall a-feasting so early.
"Nay, we will eat all together," said King Ring; and they did so.
But when they had drank a while King Ring spake: "I would that thou abide here, Frithiof; for my sons are but children and I am old, and unmeet for the warding of my realm, if any should bring war against it."
Frithiof said: "Speedily must I be gone, lord." And he sang:----
"Oh, live, King Ring,
Both long and hale!
The highest king
Neath heaven's skirt!
Ward well, O king,
Thy wife and land,
For Ingibiorg now
Never more shall I meet."
Then quoth King Ring:---
"Fare not away,
O Frithiof, thus,
With downcast heart,
O dearest of chieftains!
For now will I give thee
For all thy good gifts,
Far better things
Than thou wottest thyself."
And again he sang:----
"To Frithiof the famous
My fair wife I give,
And all things therewith
That are unto me."
Then Frithiof took up the word and sang:----
"Nay, how from thine hands
These gifts may I have,
But if thou hast fared
By the last way of fate?"
The king said: "I would not give thee this, but that I deem it will soon be so, for I sicken now. But of all men I would that thou shouldst have the joy of this; for thou art the crown of all Norway. The name of king will I give thee also; and all this, because Ingibiorg's brethren would begrudge thee any honour; and would be slower in getting thee a wife than I am."
Said Frithiof: "Have all thanks, lord, for thy good-will beyond that I looked for! but I will have no higher dignity than to be called earl."
Then King Ring gave Frithiof rule over all his realm in due wise, and the name of earl therewith; and Frithiof was to rule it until such time as the sons of King Ring were of age to rule their own realm. So King Ring lay sick a little while, and then died; and great mourning was made for him; then there was a mound cast over him, and much wealth laid therein, according to his bidding.
Thereafter Frithiof made a noble feast, whereunto the folk came; and thereat was drunken at one and the same time the heritage feast after King Ring, and the bridal of Frithiof and Ingibiorg.
After these things Frithiof abode in his realm, and was deemed therein a most noble man; he and Ingibiorg had many children.
Frithiof King in Sogn
But when Frithiof was ware of this, he gathered folk, and spake to the queen moreover: "New war is come upon our realm; and now, in whatso wise the dealings go, fain am I that thy ways to me grow no colder."
She said: "In such wise have matters gone that I must needs let thee be the highest."
Now was Biorn come from the east to help Frithiof; so they fared to the fight, and it befell as ever erst, that Frithiof was the foremost in the peril: King Helgi and he came to handy-blows, and there he slew King Helgi.
Then bade Frithiof raise up the Shield of Peace, and the battle was stayed; and therewith he cried to King Halfdan: "Two choices are in thine hands now, either that thou give up all to my will, or else gettest thou thy bane like thy brother; for now may men see that mine is the better part."
So Halfdan chose to lay himself and his realm under Frithiof's sway; and so now Frithiof became ruler over Sogn-folk, and Halfdan was to be Hersir in Sogn and pay Frithiof tribute, while Frithiof ruled Ringrealm. So Frithiof had the name of King of Sogn-folk from the time that he gave up Ringrealm to the sons of King Ring, and thereafter he won Hordaland also. He and Ingibiorg had two sons, called Gunnthiof and Hunthiof, men of might, both of them.
OF FRITHIOF THE BOLD
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