heimskringla-第69章

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rding　it。　The　king　took　the　boy　by　the　hair；　and　plucked　it；　but　the　boy　seized　the　king's　whiskers；　and　gave　them　a　tug。　　〃Then；〃　said　the　king；　〃thou　wilt　be　revengeful；　my　friend；　some　day。〃　　The　following　day　the　king　was　walking　with　his　mother　about　the　farm；　and　they　came　to　a　playground；　where　Asta's　sons；　Guthorm　and　Halfdan；　were　amusing　themselves。　　They　were　building　great　houses　and　barns　in　their　play；　and　were　supposing　them　full　of　cattle　and　sheep；　and　close　beside　them；　in　a　clay　pool；　Harald　was　busy　with　chips　of　wood；　sailing　them；　in　his　sport　along　the　edge。　　The　king　asked　him　what　these　were；　and　he　answered；　these　were　his　ships　of　war。　　The　king　laughed；　and　said；　〃The　time　may　come；　friend；　when　thou　wilt　command　ships。〃

Then　the　king　called　to　him　Halfdan　and　Guthorm；　and　first　he　asked　Guthorm；　〃What　wouldst　thou　like　best　to　have？〃

〃Corn　land；〃　replied　he。

〃And　how　great　wouldst　thou　like　thy　corn　land　to　be？〃

〃I　would　have　the　whole　ness　that　goes　out　into　the　lake　sown　with　corn　every　summer。〃　　On　that　ness　there　are　ten　farms。

The　king　replies；　〃There　would　be　a　great　deal　of　corn　there。〃　And；　turning　to　Halfdan；　he　asked；　〃And　what　wouldst　thou　like　best　to　have？〃

〃Cows；〃　he　replied。

〃How　many　wouldst　thou　like　to　have？〃

〃When　they　went　to　the　lake　to　be　watered　I　would　have　so　many；　that　they　stood　as　tight　round　the　lake　as　they　could　stand。〃

〃That　would　be　a　great　housekeeping；〃　said　the　king；　〃and　therein　ye　take　after　your　father。〃

Then　the　king　says　to　Harald；　〃And　what　wouldst　thou　like　best　to　have？〃

〃House…servants。〃

〃And　how　many　wouldst　thou　have？〃

〃Oh！　　so　many　I　would　like　to　have　as　would　eat　up　my　brother　Halfdan's　cows　at　a　single　meal。〃

The　king　laughed；　and　said　to　Asta；　〃Here；　mother；　thou　art　bringing　up　a　king。〃　　And　more　is　not　related　of　them　on　this　occasion。



76。　THE　DIVISION　OF　THE　COUNTRY。

In　Svithjod　it　was　the　old　custom；　as　long　as　heathenism　prevailed；　that　the　chief　sacrifice　took　place　in　Goe　month　at　Upsala。　　Then　sacrifice　was　offered　for　peace；　and　victory　to　the　king；　and　thither　came　people　from　all　parts　of　Svithjod。　　All　the　Things　of　the　Swedes；　also；　were　held　there；　and　markets；　and　meetings　for　buying；　which　continued　for　a　week：　and　after　Christianity　was　introduced　into　Svithjod；　the　Things　and　fairs　were　held　there　as　before。　　After　Christianity　had　taken　root　in　Svithjod；　and　the　kings　would　no　longer　dwell　in　Upsala；　the　market…time　was　moved　to　Candlemas；　and　it　has　since　continued　so；　and　it　lasts　only　three　days。　　There　is　then　the　Swedish　Thing　also；　and　people　from　all　quarters　come　there。　　Svithjod　is　divided　into　many　parts。　　One　part　is　West　Gautland；　Vermaland；　and　the　Marks；　with　what　belongs　to　them；　and　this　part　of　the　kingdom　is　so　large；　that　the　bishop　who　is　set　over　it　has　1100　churches　under　him。　　The　other　part　is　East　Gautland；　where　there　is　also　a　bishop's　seat；　to　which　the　islands　of　Gotland　and　Eyland　belong；　and　forming　all　together　a　still　greater　bishopric。　　In　Svithjod　itself　there　is　a　part　of　the　country　called　Sudermanland；　where　there　is　also　a　bishopric。　　Then　comes　Westmanland；　or　Fiathrundaland；　which　is　also　a　bishopric。　　The　third　portion　of　Svithjod　proper　is　called　Tiundaland；　the　fourth　Attandaland；　the　fifth　Sialand；　and　what　belongs　to　it　lies　eastward　along　the　coast。　　Tiundaland　is　the　best　and　most　inhabited　part　of　Svithjod；　under　which　the　other　kingdoms　stand。　There　Upsala　is　situated；　the　seat　of　the　king　and　archbishop；　and　from　it　Upsala…audr；　or　the　domain　of　the　Swedish　kings；　takes　its　name。　　Each　of　these　divisions　of　the　country　has　its　Lag…thing；　and　its　own　laws　in　many　parts。　　Over　each　is　a　lagman；　who　rules　principally　in　affairs　of　the　bondes：　for　that　becomes　law　which　he；　by　his　speech；　determines　them　to　make　law：　and　if　king；　earl；　or　bishop　goes　through　the　country；　and　holds　a　Thing　with　the　bondes；　the　lagmen　reply　on　account　of　the　bondes；　and　they　all　follow　their　lagmen；　so　that　even　the　most　powerful　men　scarcely　dare　to　come　to　their　Al…thing　without　regarding　the　bondes'　and　lagmen's　law。　　And　in　all　matters　in　which　the　laws　differ　from　each　other；　Upsala…law　is　the　directing　law；　and　the　other　lagmen　are　under　the　lagman　who　dwells　in　Tiundaland。



77。　OF　THE　LAGMAN　THORGNY。

In　Tiundaland　there　was　a　lagman　who　was　called　Thorgny；　whose　father　was　called　Thorgny　Thorgnyson。　　His　forefathers　had　for　a　long　course　of　years；　and　during　many　kings'　times；　been　lagmen　of　Tiundaland。　　At　this　time　Thorgny　was　old；　and　had　a　great　court　about　him。　　He　was　considered　one　of　the　wisest　men　in　Sweden；　and　was　Earl　Ragnvald's　relation　and　foster…father。



78。　MEETING　OF　RAGNVALD　AND　INGEGERD。

Now　we　must　go　back　in　our　story　to　the　time　when　the　men　whom　the　king's　daughter　Ingegerd　and　Hjalte　had　sent　from　the　east　came　to　Earl　Ragnvald。　　They　relate　their　errand　to　the　earl　and　his　wife　Ingebjorg；　and　tell　how　the　king's　daughter　had　oft　spoken　to　the　Swedish　king　about　a　peace　between　him　and　King　Olaf　the　Thick；　and　that　she　was　a　great　friend　of　King　Olaf；　but　that　the　Swedish　king　flew　into　a　passion　every　time　she　named　Olaf；　so　that　she　had　no　hopes　of　any　peace。　　The　Earl　told　Bjorn　the　news　he　had　received　from　the　east；　but　Bjorn　gave　the　same　reply；　that　he　would　not　turn　back　until　he　had　met　the　Swedish　king；　and　said　the　earl　had　promised　to　go　with　him。　　Now　the　winter　was　passing　fast；　and　immediately　after　Yule　the　earl　made　himself　ready　to　travel　with　sixty　men；　among　whom　where　the　marshal　Bjorn　and　his　companions。　　The　earl　proceeded　eastward　all　the　way　to　Svithjod；　but　when　he　came　a　little　way　into　the　country　he　sent　his　men　before　him　to　Upsala　with　a　message　to　Ingegerd　the　king's　daughter　to　come　out　to　meet　him　at　Ullaraker；　where　she　had　a　large　farm。　　When　the　king's　daughter　got　the　earl's　message　she　made　herself　ready　immediately　to　travel　with　a　large　attendance；　and　Hjalte　accompanied　her。　　But　before　he　took　his　departure　he　went　to　King　Olaf；　and　said；　〃Continue　always　to　be　the　most　fortunate　of　monarchs！　　Such　splendour　as　I　have　seen　about　thee　I　have　in　truth　never　witnessed　elsewhere；　and　wheresoever　I　come　it　shall　not　be　concealed。　　Now；　king；　may　I　entreat　thy　favour　and　friendship　in　time　to　come？〃

The　king　replies；　〃Why　art　thou　in　so　great　a　haste；　and　where　art　thou　going？〃

Hjalte　replies；　〃I　am　to　ride　out　to　Ullaraker　with　Ingegerd　thy　daughter。〃

The　king　says；　〃Farewell；　then：　a　man　thou　art　of　understanding　and　politeness；　and　well　suited　to　live　with　people　of　rank。〃

Thereupon　Hjalte　withdrew。

The　king's　daughter　Ingegerd　rode　to　her　farm　in　Ullaraker；　and　ordered　a　great　feast　to　be　prepared　for　the　earl。　　When　the　earl　arrived　he　was　welcomed　with　gladness；　and　he　remained　there　several　days。　　The　earl　and　the　king's　daughter　talked　much；　and　of　many　things；　but　most　about　the　Swedish　and　Norwegian　kings；　and　she　told　the　earl　that　in　her　opinion　there　was　no　hope　of　peace　between　them。

Then　said　the　earl；　〃How　wouldst　thou　like　it；　my　cousin；　if　Olaf　king　of　Norway　were　to　pay　his　addresses　to　thee？　　It　appears　to　us　that　it　would　contribute　most　towards　a　settled　peace　if　there　was　relationship　established　between　the　kings；　but　I　would　not　support　such　a　matter　if　it　were　against　thy　inclination。〃

She　replies；　〃My　father　disposes　of　my　hand；　but　among　all　my　other　relations　thou　art　he　whose　advice　I　would　rather　follow　in　weighty　affairs。　　Dost　thou　think　it　would　be　advisable？〃　　The　earl　recommended　it　to　her　strongly；　and　reckoned　up　many　excellent　achievements　of　King　Olaf's。　　He　told　her；　in　particular；　about　what　had　lately　been　done；　that　King　Olaf　in　an　hours　time　one　morning　had　taken　five　kings　prisoners；　deprived　them　all　of　their　governments；　and　laid　their　kingdoms　and　properties　under　his　own　power。　　Much　they　talked　about　the　business；　and　in　all　their　conversations　they　perfectly　agreed　with　each　other。　　When　the　earl　was　ready　he　took　leave；　and　proceeded　on　his　way；　taking　Hjalte　with　him。



79。　RAGNVALD　AND　THORGNY。

Earl　Ragnvald　came　towards　evening　one　day　to　the　house　of　Lagman　Thorgny。　　It　was　a　great　and　sta