THE HEIMSKRINGLA;

OR,

CHRONICLE OF THE KINGS OF NORWAY.

IV.

HAKON THE GOOD'S SAGA.

INTRODUCTORY.

OF Eirik Blook-axe's five years' reign Snorre has no separate saga. He appears not to have been beloved by the people. His queen Gunhild seems to have had a bad influence on him. Other accounts of Hakon may be found in Fagrskinna (chaps. 25-34), Agrip, Historia Norvegia, and in Thjodrek (chap. 4).

The reader is also referred to Saxo, Egla, Laxdæla, Kormaks Saga, Gisle Surssons Saga, Halfred's Saga, Floamanna Saga, Viga Glums Saga, and to Landnamabok.

Skalds mentioned in this Saga are:- Glum Geirason, Guthorm Sindre, Kormak Ogmundson, and Eyvind Skaldaspiller. In the Egla are found many poems belonging to this epoch by Egil Skallagrimson.

In Fagrskinna is found a poem (not given by Snorre) which Gunhild (his wife) had made on King Eirik after his death, telling how Odin welcomed him to Valhal. The author or skald who composed it is not known, but it is considered to be one of the gems of old Norse poetry, and we here quote it in Vigfusson's translation in his Corpus Poeticum, vol. i. pp. 260, 261. Gudbrand Vigfusson has filled up a few gaps

VOL. II.

A

from Hakonarmal, the poem at the end of this Saga. We have changed Vigfusson's orthography of names, and brought them into harmony with the spelling used in this work:

Odin wakes in the morning and cries, as he opens his eyes, with his dream still fresh in his mind:-What dreams are these? I thought I arose before daybreak to make Valhal ready for a host of slain. I woke up the host of the chosen. I bade them rise up to strew the benches, and to fill up the beer-vats, and I bade valkyries to bear the wine, as if a king were coming. I look for the coming of some noble chiefs from the earth, wherefore my heart is glad.

Brage, Odin's counsellor, now wakes, as a great din is heard without, and calls out:-What is that thundering? as if a thousand men or some great host were tramping on-the walls and the benches are creaking withal-as if Balder was coming back to the hall of Odin?

Odin answers:-Surely thou speakest foolishly, good Brage, although thou art very wise. It thunders for Eirik the king, that is coming to the hall of Odin.

Then turning to his heroes, he cries:- Sigmund and Sinfjotle, rise up in haste and go forth to meet the prince! Bid him in if it be Eirik, for it is he whom I look for.

Sigmund answers :-Why lookest thou more for Eirik, the king, to Odin's hall, than for other kings?

Odin answers:-Because he has reddened his brand, and borne his bloody sword in many a land.

Quoth Sigmund-Why didst thou rob him, the chosen king of victory, then, seeing thou thoughtest him so brave? . . .

Odin answers:-Because it is not surely to be known, when the grey wolf shall come upon the seat of the god.

SECOND SCENE.-Without Valhal.

Sigmund and Sinfjotle go outside the hall and meet Eirik.

Quoth Sigmund-Hail to thee, Eirik, be welcome here, and come into the hall, thou gallant king! Now I will ask thee, what kings are these that follow thee from the clash of the sword edges?

Eirik answers:-They are five kings; I will tell thee all their names; I myself am the sixth. (The names followed in the song, whereof the rest is lost.)

Fagrskinna says Hakonarmal was the model of this poem.

CHAPTER I.-Hakon chosen King.

Hakon, Athelstan's foster-son, was in England at the time [934] he heard of his father King Harald's death, and he immediately made himself ready to depart. King Athelstan gave him men, and a choice of good ships, and fitted him out for his journey most excellently. In harvest time he came to Norway, where he heard of the death of his brothers, and that King Eirik was then in Viken. Then Hakon sailed northwards to Throndhjem, where he went to Sigurd earl of Lade, who was the ablest man in Norway. He gave Hakon a good reception; and they made a league with each other, by which Hakon promised great power to Sigurd if he was made king. They assembled then a numerous Thing, and Sigurd the earl recommended Hakon's cause to the Thing,* and proposed him to the bondes as king. Then Hakon himself stood up and spoke; and the people said to each other, two and two, as they heard him, "Harald Harfager is come again, and grown young." The beginning of Hakon's speech was, that he offered himself to the bondes as king, and desired from them the title of king, and aid and forces to defend the kingdom. He promised, on the other hand, to make all the bondes udalholders, and give every man udal rights to the land he lived on. This speech met such joyful applause,

This reference to a Thing appears from the saga to have been necessary, whatever the claim from hereditary right by succession may have been to the kingdom.-L.

that the whole public cried and shouted that they would take him to be king. And so it was that the Throndhjem people took Hakon, who was then fifteen years old, for king; and he took a court or bodyguard, and servants, and proceeded through the country. The news reached the Uplands that the people in Throndhjem had taken to themselves a king, who in every respect was like King Harald Harfager, with the difference, that Harald had made all the people of the land vassals,* and unfree; but this Hakon wished well to every man, and offered the bondes to give them their udal rights again, which Harald had taken from them. All were rejoiced at this news, and it passed from mouth to mouth,-it flew, like fire in dry grass, through the whole land, and eastward to the land's end. Many bondes came from the Uplands to meet King Hakon. Some sent messages, some tokens; and all to the same effect-that his men they would be: and the king received all thankfully.

CHAPTER II.-King Hakon's Progress through the Country.

Early in winter, the king went to the Uplands, and summoned the people to a Thing; and there streamed all to him who could come. He was pro

claimed king at every Thing; and then proceeded eastward to Viken, where his brother's sons, Trygve and Gudrod, and many others, came unto him, and

* The policy of Harald Harfager had evidently been to introduce the feudal system into his kingdom, and it failed by his sons requiring their udal right to equal shares in the kingdom.-L.

complained of the sorrow and evil his brother Eirik had wrought. The hatred to King Eirik grew more and more, the more liking all men took to King Hakon; and they got more boldness to say what they thought. King Hakon gave Trygve and Gudrod the title of kings, and the dominions which King Harald had bestowed on their fathers.* Trygve got Ranrike and Vingulmark, and Gudrod, Vestfold ; but as they were young, and in the years of childhood, he appointed able men to rule the land for them. He gave them the country on the same conditions as it had been given before,-that they should have half of the scat and revenues with him. Towards spring King Hakon returned north, over the Uplands, to Throndhjem.

CHAPTER III.-Eirik's Departure from the Country.

King Hakon, early in spring, collected a great army at Throndhjem, and fitted out ships. The people of Viken also had a great force on foot, and intended to join Hakon. King Eirik also levied people in the middle of the country; but it went badly with him to gather people, for the leading men left him, and went over to Hakon. As he saw himself not nearly strong enough to oppose Hakon, he sailed out to the West sea [935] with such men as would follow him. He first sailed to Orkney, and took many people with him from that country; and then went south towards England, plundering in Scotland,

* Trygve and Gudrod were grandsons of Harald Harfager.-L.