To Hermod and to Brage then Said Odin, `Here, the first of men, Brave Hakon comes, the Norsemen's king, --Go forth, my welcome to him bring.'
"Fresh from the battle-field came in, Dripping with blood, the Norsemen'a king.
`Methinks,' said he, great Odin's will Is harsh, and bodes me further ill;Thy son from off the field to-day From victory to snatch away!'
But Odin said, `Be thine the joy Valhal gives, my own brave boy!'
"And Brage said, `Eight brothers here Welcome thee to Valhal's cheer, To drain the cup, or fights repeat Where Hakon Eirik's earls beat.'
Quoth the stout king, 'And shall my gear, Helm, sword, and mail-coat, axe and spear, Be still at hand! 'Tis good to hold Fast by our trusty friends of old.'
"Well was it seen that Hakon still Had saved the temples from all ill (1);For the whole council of the gods Welcomed the king to their abodes.
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.
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.
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;