heimskringla-第178章

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They　answered；　〃Sire；　it　is　not　the　custom　to　eat　flesh…meat　on　Yule　eve。〃

The　king　said；　〃If　it　be　not　the　custom　I　will　make　it　the　custom。〃

They　went　out；　and　brought　him　a　dolphin。　　The　king　stuck　his　knife　into　it；　but　did　not　eat　of　it。　　Then　the　king　said；　〃Bring　me　a　girl　here　into　the　hall。〃　　They　brought　him　a　woman　whose　head…dress　went　far　down　her　brows。　　The　king　took　her　hand　in　his　hands；　looked　at　her；　and　said；　〃An　ill　looking　girl！〃

（（LACUNA　　The　rest　of　this　story　is　missing））



34。　HARALD　GILLE　COMES　TO　NORWAY。

Halkel　Huk；　a　son　of　Jon　Smiorbalte；　who　was　lenderman　in　More；　made　a　voyage　in　the　West　sea；　all　the　way　to　the　South　Hebudes。　A　man　came　to　him　out　of　Ireland　called　Gillikrist；　and　gave　himself　out　for　a　son　of　King　Magnus　Barefoot。　　His　mother　came　with　him；　and　said　his　other　name　was　Harald。　　Halkel　received　the　man；　brought　him　to　Norway　with　him；　and　went　immediately　to　King　Sigurd　with　Harald　and　his　mother。　　When　they　had　told　their　story　to　the　king；　he　talked　over　the　matter　with　his　principal　men；　and　bade　them　give　their　opinions　upon　it。　　They　were　of　different　opinions；　and　all　left　it　to　the　king　himself；　although　there　were　several　who　opposed　this；　and　the　king　followed　his　own　counsel。　　King　Sigurd　ordered　Harald　to　be　called　before　him；　and　told　him　that　he　would　not　deny　him　the　proof；　by　ordeal；　of　who　his　father　was；　but　on　condition　that　if　he　should　prove　his　descent　according　to　his　claim；　he　should　not　desire　the　kingdom　in　the　lifetime　of　King　Sigurd；　or　of　King　Magnus：　and　to　this　he　bound　himself　by　oath。　　King　Sigurd　said　he　must　tread　over　hot　iron　to　prove　his　birth；　but　this　ordeal　was　thought　by　many　too　severe；　as　he　was　to　undergo　it　merely　to　prove　his　father；　and　without　getting　the　kingdom；　but　Harald　agreed　to　it；　and　fixed　on　the　trial　by　iron：　and　this　ordeal　was　the　greatest　ever　made　in　Norway；　for　nine　glowing　plowshares　were　laid　down；　and　Harald　went　over　them　with　bare　feet；　attended　by　two　bishops。

Three　days　after　the　iron　trial　the　ordeal　was　taken　to　proof；　and　the　feet　were　found　unburnt。　　Thereafter　King　Sigurd　acknowledged　Harald's　relationship；　but　his　son　Magnus　conceived　a　great　hatred　of　him；　and　in　this　many　chiefs　followed　Magnus。　King　Sigurd　trusted　so　much　to　his　favour　with　the　whole　people　of　the　country；　that　he　desired　all　men；　under　oath；　to　promise　to　accept　Magnus　after　him　as　their　king；　and　all　the　people　took　this　oath。



35。　RACE　BETWEEN　MAGNUS　AND　HARALD　GILLE。

Harald　Gille　was　a　tall；　slender…grown　man；　of　a　long　neck　and　face；　black　eyes；　and　dark　hair；　brisk　and　quick；　and　wore　generally　the　Irish　dress　of　short　light　clothes。　　The　Norse　language　was　difficult　for　Harald；　and　he　brought　out　words　which　many　laughed　at。　　Harald　sat　late　drinking　one　evening。　　He　spoke　with　another　man　about　different　things　in　the　west　in　Ireland；　and　among　other　things；　said　that　there　were　men　in　Ireland　so　swift　of　foot　that　no　horse　could　overtake　them　in　running。　Magnus；　the　king's　son；　heard　this；　and　said；　〃Now　he　is　lying；　as　he　usually　does。〃

Harald　replies；　〃It　is　true　that　there　are　men　in　Ireland　whom　no　horse　in　Norway　could　overtake。〃　　They　exchanged　some　words　about　this；　and　both　were　drunk。　　Then　said　Magnus；　〃Thou　shalt　make　a　wager　with　me；　and　stake　thy　head　if　thou　canst　not　run　so　fast　as　I　ride　upon　my　horse；　and　I　shall　stake　my　gold　ring。〃

Harald　replies；　〃I　did　not　say　that　I　could　run　so　swiftly；　but　I　said　that　men　are　to　be　found　in　Ireland　who　will　run　as　fast；　and　on　that　I　would　wager。〃

The　king's　son　Magnus　replies；　〃I　will　not　go　to　Ireland　about　it；　we　are　wagering　here；　and　not　there。〃

Harald　on　this　went　to　bed；　and　would　not　speak　to　him　more　about　it。　　This　was　in　Oslo。　　The　following　morning；　when　the　early　mass　was　over；　Magnus　rode　up　the　street；　and　sent　a　message　to　Harald　to　come　to　him。　　When　Harald　came　he　was　dressed　thus。　　He　had　on　a　shirt　and　trousers　which　were　bound　with　ribands　under　his　foot…soles；　a　short　cloak；　an　Irish　hat　on　his　head；　and　a　spear…shaft　in　his　hand。　　Magnus　set　up　a　mark　for　the　race。　Harald　said；　〃Thou　hast　made　the　course　too　long；〃　but　Magnus　made　it　at　once　even　much　longer；　and　said　it　was　still　too　short。　　There　were　many　spectators。　　They　began　the　race；　and　Harald　followed　always　the　horse's　pace；　and　when　they　came　to　the　end　of　the　race　course；　Magnus　said；　〃Thou　hadst　hold　of　the　saddle…girth；　and　the　horse　dragged　thee　along。〃　　Magnus　had　his　swift　runner；　the　Gautland　horse。　　They　began　the　race　again；　and　Harald　ran　the　whole　race…course　before　the　horse。　　When　came　to　the　end　Harald　asked；　〃Had　I　hold　of　the　saddle…girths　now？〃

Magnus　replied；　〃Thou　hadst　the　start　at　first。〃

Then　Magnus　let　his　horse　breathe　a　while；　and　when　he　was　ready　he　put　the　spurs　to　him；　and　set　off　in　full　gallop。　　Harald　stood　still；　and　Magnus　looked　back；　and　called；　〃Set　off　now。〃

Then　Harald　ran　quickly　past　the　horse；　and　came　to　the　end　of　the　course　so　long　before　him　that　he　lay　down；　and　got　up　and　saluted　Magnus　as　he　came　in。〃

Then　they　went　home　to　the　town。　　In　the　meantime　King　Sigurd　had　been　at　high　mass；　and　knew　nothing　of　this　until　after　he　had　dined　that　day。　　Then　he　said　to　Magnus　angrily；　〃Thou　callest　Harald　useless；　but　I　think　thou　art　a　great　fool；　and　knowest　nothing　of　the　customs　of　foreign　people。　　Dost　thou　not　know　that　men　in　other　countries　exercise　themselves　in　other　feats　than　in　filling　themselves　with　ale；　and　making　themselves　mad；　and　so　unfit　for　everything　that　they　scarcely　know　each　other？　Give　Harald　his　ring；　and　do　not　try　to　make　a　fool　of　him　again；　as　long　as　I　am　above　ground。〃



36。　OF　SIGURD'S　SWIMMING。

It　happened　once　that　Sigurd　was　out　in　his　ship；　which　lay　in　the　harbour；　and　there　lay　a　merchant　ship；　which　was　an　Iceland　trader；　at　the　side　of　it。　　Harald　Gille　was　in　the　forecastle　of　the　king's　ship；　and　Svein　Rimhildson；　a　son　of　Knut　Sveinson　of　Jadar；　had　his　berth　the　next　before　him。　　There　was　also　Sigurd　Sigurdson；　a　gallant　lenderman；　who　himself　commanded　a　ship。　　It　was　a　day　of　beautiful　weather　and　warm　sunshine；　and　many　went　out　to　swim；　both　from　the　long…ship　and　the　merchant　vessel。　　An　Iceland　man；　who　was　among　the　swimmers；　amused　himself　by　drawing　those　under　water　who　could　not　swim　so　well　as　himself；　and　at　that　the　spectators　laughed。　　When　King　Sigurd　saw　and　heard　this；　he　cast　off　his　clothes；　sprang　into　the　water；　and　swam　to　the　Icelander；　seized　him；　and　pressed　him　under　the　water；　and　held　him　there；　and　as　soon　as　the　Icelander　came　up　the　king　pressed　him　down　again；　and　thus　the　one　time　after　the　other。

Then　said　Sigurd　Sigurdson；　〃Shall　we　let　the　king　kill　this　man？〃

Somebody　said；　〃No　one　has　any　wish　to　interfere。〃

Sigurd　replies；　that　〃If　Dag　Eilifson　were　here；　we　should　not　be　without　one　who　dared。〃

Then　Sigurd　sprang　overboard；　swam　to　the　king；　took　hold　of　him；　and　said；　〃Sire；　do　not　kill　the　man。　　Everybody　sees　that　you　are　a　much　better　swimmer。〃

The　king　replies；　〃Let　me　loose；　Sigurd：　I　shall　be　his　death；　for　he　will　destroy　our　people　under　water。〃

Sigurd　says；　〃Let　us　first　amuse　ourselves；　and；　Icelander；　do　thou　set　off　to　the　land；〃　which　he　did。　　The　king　now　got　loose　from　Sigurd；　and　swam　to　his　ship；　and　Sigurd　went　his　way：　but　the　king　ordered　that　Sigurd　should　not　presume　to　come　into　his　presence；　this　was　reported　to　Sigurd；　and　so　he　went　up　into　the　country。　



37。　OF　HARALD　AND　SVEIN　RIMHILDSON。

In　the　evening；　when　people　were　going　to　bed；　some　of　the　ship's　men　were　still　at　their　games　up　in　the　country。　　Harald　was　with　those　who　played　on　the　land；　and　told　his　footboy　to　go　out　to　the　ship；　make　his　bed；　and　wait　for　him　there。　　The　lad　did　as　he　was　ordered。　　The　king　had　gone　to　sleep；　and　as　the　boy　thought　Harald　late；　he　laid　himself　in　Harald's　berth。　　Svein　Rimhildson　said；　〃It　is　a　shame　for　brave　men　to　be　brought　from　their　farms　at　home；　and　to　have　here　serving　boys　to　sleep　beside　them。〃　　The　lad　said　that　Harald　had　ordered　him　to　come　there。　　Svein　Rimhildson　said；　〃We　do　not　so　much　care　for　Harald　himself　lying　here；　if　he　do　not