Heimskringla; Or, The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway. Snorri Sturluson

Happy the day when men are born

       Like Hakon, who all base things scorn.—

       Win from the brave and honoured name,

       And die amidst an endless fame.

       "Sooner shall Fenriswolf devour

       The race of man from shore to shore,

       Than such a grace to kingly crown

       As gallant Hakon want renown.

       Life, land, friends, riches, all will fly,

       And we in slavery shall sigh.

       But Hakon in the blessed abodes

       For ever lives with the bright gods."

      ENDNOTES: (1) Hakon, although a Christian, appears to have favoured the

       old religion, and spared the temples of Odin, and therefore

       a place in Valhal is assigned him.—L.

SAGA OF KING HARALD GRAFELD AND OF EARL HAKON SON OF SIGURD.

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      PRELIMINARY REMARKS

      This saga might be called Gunhild's Saga, as she is the chief person in it. The reign of King Harald and Earl Hakon is more fully described in the next saga, that is, Olaf Trygvason's. Other literature on this epoch:

      "Agrip" (chap. 8), "Historia Norvegia", (p. 12), "Thjodrek" (chap. 5), "Saxo" (pp. 479–482), "Egla" (chaps. 81, 82), "Floamanna" (chap. 12), "Fareyinga" (chaps. 2, 4, 10), "Halfred's Saga" (chap. 2), "Hord Grimkelsons Saga" (chaps. 13, 18), "Kormak" (chaps. 19–27), "Laxdaela" (chaps. 19–21), "Njala" (chaps, 3–6).

      The skalds of this saga are:—Glum Geirason, Kormak Agmundson, Eyvind Skaldaspiller, and Einar Helgason Skalaglam.

1. GOVERNMENT OF THE SONS OF EIRIK.

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      When King Hakon was killed, the sons of Eirik took the sovereignty of Norway. Harald, who was the oldest of the living brothers, was over them in dignity. Their mother Gunhild, who was called the King-mother, mixed herself much in the affairs of the country. There were many chiefs in the land at that time. There was Trygve Olafson in the Eastland, Gudrod Bjornson in Vestfold, Sigurd earl of Hlader in the Throndhjem land; but Gunhild's sons held the middle of the country the first winter. There went messages and ambassadors between Gunhild's sons and Trygve and Gudrod, and all was settled upon the footing that they should hold from Gunhild's sons the same part of the country which they formerly had held under King Hakon. A man called Glum Geirason, who was King Harald's skald, and was a very brave man, made this song upon King Hakon's death:—

      "Gamle is avenged by Harald!

       Great is thy deed, thou champion bold!

       The rumour of it came to me

       In distant lands beyond the sea,

       How Harald gave King Hakon's blood

       To Odin's ravens for their food."

      This song was much favoured. When Eyvind Finson heard of it he composed the song which was given before, viz.:—

      "Our dauntless king with Gamle's gore

       Sprinkled his bright sword o'er and o'er," &c.

      This song also was much favoured, and was spread widely abroad; and when King Harald came to hear of it, he laid a charge against Evyind affecting his life; but friends made up the quarrel, on the condition that Eyvind should in future be Harald's skald, as he had formerly been King Hakon's. There was also some relationship between them, as Gunhild, Eyvind's mother, was a daughter of Earl Halfdan, and her mother was Ingibjorg, a daughter of Harald Harfager. Thereafter Eyvind made a song about King Harald:—

      "Guardian of Norway, well we know

       Thy heart failed not when from the bow

       The piercing arrow-hail sharp rang

       On shield and breast-plate, and the clang

       Of sword resounded in the press

       Of battle, like the splitting ice;

       For Harald, wild wolf of the wood,

       Must drink his fill of foeman's blood."

      Gunhild's sons resided mostly in the middle of the country, for they did not think it safe for them to dwell among the people of Throndhjem or of Viken, where King Hakon's best friends lived; and also in both places there were many powerful men. Proposals of agreement then passed between Gunhild's sons and Earl Sigurd, .or they got no scat from the Throndhjem country; and at last an agreement was concluded between the kings and the earl, and confirmed by oath. Earl Sigurd was to get the same power in the Throndhjem land which he had possessed under King Hakon, and on that they considered themselves at peace. All Gunhild's sons had the character of being penurious; and it was said they hid their money in the ground. Eyvind Skaldaspiller made a song about this:—

      "Main-mast of battle! Harald bold!

       In Hakon's days the skald wore gold

       Upon his falcon's seat; he wore

       Rolf Krake's seed, the yellow ore

       Sown by him as he fled away,

       The avenger Adils' speed to stay.

       The gold crop grows upon the plain;

       But Frode's girls so gay (1) in vain

       Grind out the golden meal, while those

       Who rule o'er Norway's realm like foes,

       In mother earth's old bosom hide

       The wealth which Hakon far and wide

       Scattered with generous hand: the sun

       Shone in the days of that great one,

       On the gold band of Fulla's brow,(2)

       On gold-ringed hands that bend the bow,

       On the skald's hand; but of the ray

       Of bright gold, glancing like the spray

       Of sun-lit waves, no skald now sings—

       Buried are golden chains and rings."

      Now when King Harald heard this song, he sent a message to Eyvind to come to him, and when Eyvind came made a charge against him of being unfaithful. "And it ill becomes thee," said the king, "to be my enemy, as thou hast entered into my service." Eyvind then made these verses:—

      "One lord I had before thee, Harald!

       One dear-loved lord! Now am I old,

       And do not wish to change again—

       To that loved lord, through strife and pain,

       Faithful I stood; still true to Hakon—

       To my good king, and him alone.

       But now I'm old and useless grown,

       My hands are empty, wealth is flown;

       I am but fir for a short space

       In thy court-hall to fill a place."

      But King Harald forced Eyvind to submit himself to his clemency. Eyvind had a great gold ring, which was called Molde, that had been dug up out of the earth long since. This ring the King said he must have as the mulet for the offence; and there was no help for it. Then Eyvind sang:—

      "I go across the ocean-foam,

       Swift skating to my Iceland home

       Upon the ocean-skates, fast driven