The Forms Of Those Old Greeks And Romans Whom We Are
Taught To Reverence, May Project Taller Shadows On The
World's Stage; But Though The Scene Be Narrow Here, And
Light Be Wanting, The Interest Is Not Less Intense, Nor
Are The Passions Less Awful That Inspired These Ruder
Dramas.
There is an individuality in the Icelandic historian's
description of King Olaf that wins one's interest - at
first as in an acquaintance - and rivets it at last as in
a personal friend.
The old Chronicle lingers with such
loving minuteness over his attaching qualities, his
social, generous nature, his gaiety and "frolicsomeness;"
even his finical taste in dress, and his evident proneness
to fall too hastily in love, have a value in the portrait,
as contrasting with the gloomy colours in which the story
sinks at last. The warm, impulsive spirit speaks in every
action of his life, from the hour when - a young child,
in exile - he strikes his axe into the skull of his
foster-father's murderer, to the last grand scene near
Svalderoe. You trace it in his absorbing grief for the
death of Geyra, the wife of his youth; the saga says,
"he had no pleasure in Vinland after it," and then naively
observes, "he therefore provided himself with war-ships,
and went a-plundering," one of his first achievements
being to go and pull down London Bridge. This peculiar
kind of "distraction" (as the French call it) seems to
have had the desired effect, as is evident in the romantic
incident of his second marriage, when the Irish Princess
Gyda chooses him - apparently an obscure stranger - to be
her husband, out of a hundred wealthy and well-born
aspirants to her hand. But neither Gyda's love, nor the
rude splendours of her father's court, can make Olaf
forgetful of his claims upon the throne of Norway - the
inheritance of his father; and when that object of his
just ambition is attained, and he is proclaimed King by
general election of the Bonders, as his ancestor Harald
Haarfager had been, his character deepens in earnestness
as the sphere of his duties is enlarged. All the energies
of his ardent nature are put forth in the endeavour to
convert his subjects to the true Faith. As he himself
expresses it, "he would bring it to this, - that all
Norway should be Christian or die!" In the same spirit
he meets his heretic and rebellious subjects at the Thing
of Lade, and boldly replies, when they require him to
sacrifice to the false gods, "If I turn with you to offer
sacrifice, then shall it be the greatest sacrifice that
can be made; I will not offer slaves, nor malefactors to
your gods, - I will sacrifice men; - and they shall be the
noblest men among you!" It was soon after this that he
despatched the exemplary Thangbrand to Iceland.
With a front not less determined does he face his country's
foes. The king of Sweden, and Svend "of the forked beard,"
king of Denmark, have combined against him. With them
is joined the Norse jarl, Eric, the son of Hacon. Olaf
Tryggvesson is sailing homewards with a fleet of seventy
ships, - himself commanding the famous "Long Serpent,"
the largest ship built in Norway. His enemies are lying
in wait for him behind the islands.
Nothing can be more dramatic than the description of
the sailing of this gallant fleet - (piloted by the treacherous
Earl Sigwald) - within sight of the ambushed Danes and
Swedes, who watch from their hiding-place the beautiful
procession of hostile vessels, mistaking each in turn for the
"Long Serpent," and as often undeceived by a new and yet
more stately apparition. She appears at length, her dragon
prow glittering in the sunshine, all canvas spread, her
sides bristling with armed men; "and when they saw her,
none spoke, all knew it to be indeed the 'Serpent,' - and
they went to their ships to arm for the fight." As soon as
Olaf and his forces had been enticed into the narrow
passage, the united fleets of the three allies pour out of the
Sound; his people beg Olaf to hold on his way and not
risk battle with such a superior force; but the King replied,
high on the quarter-deck where he stood, "Strike the
sails! I never fled from battle: let God dispose of my life,
but flight I will never take!" He then orders the warhorns
to sound, for all his ships to close up to each other.
"Then," says Ulf the Red, captain of the forecastle, "if
the 'Long Serpent' is to lie so much a-head of the other
vessels, we shall have hot work of it here on the forecastle."
The King replies, "I did not think I had a forecastle
man afraid, as well as red." [Footnote: There is a play
on these two words in the Icelandic, "Raudau oc Ragan."]
Says Ulf, "Defend thou the quarter-deck, as _I_ shall
the forecastle."
The King had a bow in his hands; he laid an arrow on the
string, and made as if he aimed at Ulf.
Ulf said, "Shoot another way, King, where it is more
needful, - my work is thy gain."
Then the King asks, "Who is the chief of the force right
opposite to us?" He is answered, "Svend of Denmark, with
his army."
Olaf replies, "We are not afraid of these soft Danes!
Who are the troops on the right?"
They answer, "Olaf of Sweden, and his forces."
"Better it were," replies the King, "for these Swedes to
be sitting at home, killing their sacrifices, than
venturing under the weapons of the 'Long Serpent.' But
who owns the large ships on the larboard side of the
Danes?"
"That is Jarl Eric, son of Hacon," say they.
The King says, "He has reason for meeting us; we may
expect hard blows from these men; they are Norsemen like
ourselves."
The fierce conflict raged for many hours.
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