CHAPTER ELEVEN.
DESCRIBES OUR HERO'S INTERVIEW WITH JARL RONGVOLD AND KING HARALDHAARFAGER.
Late in the evening, Erling and Glumm arrived in the neighbourhood ofthe house of Jarl Rongvold, where King Harald Haarfager was staying inguest-quarters with a numerous retinue.
In the days of which we write there were no royal palaces in Norway.The kings spent most of their time--when not engaged in war or out onviking cruises--in travelling about the country, with a band of"herd-men", or men-at-arms, in "guest-quarters". Wherever they went theinhabitants were bound by law to afford them house-room and good cheerat their own cost, and the kings usually made this tax upon their peopleas light as possible by staying only a few days at each place.
Rongvold, who entertained the King at this time, was one of those Jarlsor Earls--rulers over districts under himself--of whom he had recentlycreated many throughout the land, to supersede those small independentkings who refused to become subject to him. He was a stout warrior, anable courtier, and a very dear friend of the King.
Just before his arrival at Jarl Rongvold's house, King Harald hadcompleted a considerable part of the programme which he had laid down inthe great work of subduing the whole of Norway to himself. And wildbloody work it had been.
Hearing that several of the small kings had called a meeting in theuplands to discuss his doings, Harald went, with all the men he couldgather, through the forests to the uplands, came to the place of meetingabout midnight without being observed by the watchmen, set the house onfire, and burnt or slew four kings with all their followers. After thathe subdued Hedemark, Ringerige, Gudbrandsdal, Hadeland, Raumarige, andthe whole northern part of Vingulmark, and got possession of all theland as far south as the Glommen. It was at this time that he wastaunted by the girl Gyda, and took the oath not to clip his hair untilhe had subdued the whole land--as formerly related. After his somewhatpeculiar determination, he gathered together a great force, and wentnorthwards up the Gudbrandsdal and over the Doverfielde. When he cameto the inhabited land he ordered all the men to be killed, andeverything wide around to be delivered to the flames. The people fledbefore him in all directions on hearing of his approach--some down thecountry to Orkadal, some to Gaulerdal, and some to the forests; but manybegged for peace, and obtained it on condition of joining him andbecoming his men. He met no decided opposition till he came to Orkadal,where a king named Gryting gave him battle. Harald won the victory.King Gryting was taken prisoner, and most of his men were killed. Hetook service himself, however, under the King, and thereafter all thepeople of Orkadal district swore fidelity to him.
Many other battles King Harald fought, and many other kings did hesubdue--all of which, however, we will pass over at present, merelyobserving that wherever he conquered he laid down the law that all theudal property should belong to him, and that the bonders--the hithertofree landholders--both small and great, should pay him land dues fortheir possessions. It is due, however, to Harald Fairhair, to say thathe never seems to have aimed at despotic power; for it is recorded ofhim that over every district he set an earl, or jarl, to judge_according to the law of the land and to justice_, and also to collectthe land dues and the fines; and for this each earl received a thirdpart of the dues and services and fines for the support of his table andother expenses. Every earl had under him four or more bersers, on eachof whom was bestowed an estate of twenty merks yearly, for which he wasbound to support twenty men-at-arms at his own expense--each earl beingobliged to support sixty retainers. The King increased the land duesand burdens so much that his earls had greater power and income than thekings had before, and when this became known at Drontheim many of thegreat men of that district joined the King.
Wherever Harald went, submission or extinction were the alternatives;and as he carried things with a high hand, using fire and sword freely,it is not a matter of wonder that his conquests were rapid and complete.It has been said of Harald Fairhair by his contemporaries, handed downby the scalds, and recorded in the Icelandic Sagas, that he was ofremarkably handsome appearance, great and strong, and very generous andaffable to his men.
But to return.
It was late in the evening, as we have said, when Erling and Glummreached the vicinity of Jarl Rongvold's dwelling. Before coming insight of it they were met by two of the mounted guards that were postedregularly as sentries round the King's quarters. These challenged themat once, and, on being informed that they desired to have speech withthe King on matters of urgency, conveyed them past the inner guard tothe house.
The state of readiness for instant action in which the men were kept didnot escape the observant eyes of the visitors. Besides an outlyingmounted patrol, which they had managed to pass unobserved, and thesentries who conducted them, they found a strong guard round the rangeof farm buildings where the King and his men lay. These men were allwell armed, and those of them who were not on immediate duty lay attheir stations sound asleep, each man with his helmet on his head, hissword under it, his right hand grasping the hilt, and his shield servingthe purpose of a blanket to cover him.
Although the young men observed all this they did not suffer their looksto betray idle curiosity, but rode on with stern countenances, looking,apparently, straight before them, until they reined up at the front doorof the house.
In a few minutes a stout handsome man with white hair came out andsaluted Erling in a friendly way. This was Jarl Rongvold, who wasdistantly related to him.
"I would I could say with truth that I am glad to see thee, cousin," hesaid, "but I fear me that thine errand to the King is not likely to endin pleasant intercourse, if all be true that is reported of the folk inHorlingdal."
"Thanks, kinsman, for the wish, if not for the welcome," replied theyouth, somewhat stiffly, as he dismounted; "but it matters little to mewhether our intercourse be pleasant or painful, so long as it isprofitable. The men of Horlingdal send a message to Harald Haarfager;can my companion and I have speech with him?"
"I can manage that for thee, yet would I counsel delay, for the King isnot in a sweet mood to-night, and it may go ill with thee."
"I care not whether the King's mood be sweet or sour," replied Erlingsternly. "Whatever he may become in the future, Harald is not yet theall-powerful king he would wish to be. The men of Horlingdal have helda Thing, and Glumm and I have been deputed to see the King, convey tohim their sentiments, and ask his intentions."
A grim smile played on the jarl's fine features for a moment, as heobserved the blood mantling to the youth's forehead.
"No good will come to thee or thine, kinsman, by meeting the King with aproud look. Be advised, Erling," he continued in a more confidentialtone; "it is easier to swim with the stream than against it--and wisertoo, when it is impossible to turn it. Thou hast heard, no doubt, ofHarald's doings in the north."
"I have heard," said Erling bitterly.
"Well, be he right or be he wrong, it were easier to make the Glommenrun up the fells than to alter the King's determination; and it seems tome that it behoves every man who loves his country, and would sparefurther bloodshed, to submit to what is inevitable."
"Every lover of his country deems bloodshed better than slavery," saidErling, "because the death of a few is not so great an evil as theslavery of all."
"Aye, when there is hope that good may come of dying," rejoined thejarl, "but now there is no hope."
"That is yet to be proved," said the youth; and Glumm uttered one ofthose emphatic grunts with which men of few words are wont to signifytheir hearty assent to a proposition.
"Tut, kinsman," continued Rongvold, with a look of perplexity, "I don'tlike the idea of seeing so goodly a youth end his days before his righttime. Let me assure thee that, if thou wilt join us and win over thyfriends in Horlingdal, a splendid career awaits thee, for the King lovesstout men, and will treat thee well; he is a good master."
"It grieves me that one whose blood flows in my veins should call anyman master!" said Erling.
"Now a plague on thee, for a stupid hot-blood," cried the jarl; "if thouart so displeased with the word, I can tell thee that it need never beused, for, if ye will take service with the King, he will give thee thecharge and the revenues of a goodly district, where thou shalt be masterand a jarl too."
"I am a king!" said Erling, drawing himself proudly up. "Thinkest thouI would exchange an old title for a new one, which the giver has noright to create?"
Glumm uttered another powerfully emphatic grunt at this point.
"Besides," continued Erling, "I have no desire to become ascatt-gatherer."
The jarl flushed a little at this thrust, but mastering his indignationsaid, with a smile--
"Nay, then, if ye prefer a warrior's work there is plenty of that at thedisposal of the King."
"I have no particular love for war," said Erling. Jarl Rongvold lookedat his kinsman in undisguised amazement.
"Truly thou art well fitted for it, if not fond of it," he said curtly;"but as thou art bent on following thine own nose, thou art like to havemore than enough of that which thou lovest not.--Come, I will bring theeto the King."
The jarl led the two young men into his dwelling, where nearly a hundredmen-at-arms were carousing. The hall was a long, narrow, and highapartment, with a table running down each side, and one at either end.In the centre of each table was a raised seat, on which sat the chiefguests, but, at the moment they entered, the highest of these seats wasvacant, for the King had left the table. The fireplace of the hall wasin the centre, and the smoke from it curled up among the rafters, whichit blackened before escaping through a hole in the roof.
As all the revellers were armed, and many of them were moving about thehall, no notice was taken of the entrance of the strangers, except thatone or two near whom they passed remarked that Jarl Rongvold owned somestout men-at-arms.
The King had retired to one of the sleeping-chambers off the great haltin which he sat at a small window, gazing dreamily upon the magnificentview of dale, fell, fiord, and sea, that lay stretched out before thehouse. The slanting rays of the sun shone through the window, andthrough the heavy masses of the King's golden hair, which fell inenormous volumes, like a lion's mane, on a pair of shoulders which werenoted, even in that age of powerful men, for enormous breadth andstrength. Like his men, King Harald was armed from head to foot, withthe exception of his helmet, which lay, with his shield, on the lowwolf-skin couch on which he had passed the previous night.
He did not move when the jarl and the young men entered, but on theformer whispering in his ear he let his clenched fist fall on the windowsill, and, turning, with a frown on his bold, handsome face, looked longand steadily at Erling. And well might he gaze, for he looked upon onewho bore a singularly strong resemblance to himself. There was the sameheight and width and massive strength, the same bold, fearless look inthe clear blue eyes, and the same firm lips; but Erling's hair fell insofter curls on his shoulders, and his brow was more intellectual.Being a younger man, his beard was shorter.
Advancing a step, after Jarl Rongvold had left the room, Erling statedthe sentiments of the men of Horlingdal in simple, blunt language, andended by telling the King that they had no wish to refuse due and lawfulallegiance to him, but that they objected to having the old customs ofthe land illegally altered.
During the progress of his statement both Erling and Glumm observed thatthe King's face flushed more than once, and that his great blue eyesblazed with astonishment and suppressed wrath. After he had concluded,the King still gazed at him in ominous silence. Then he said, sternly:
"For what purpose camest thou hither if the men of Horlingdal hold suchopinions?"
"We came to tell you, King Harald, what the men of Horlingdal think, andto ask what you intend to do."
There was something so cool in this speech that a sort of grin curledthe King's moustache, and mingled with the wrath that was gathering onhis countenance.
"I'll tell thee what I will do," he said, drawing his breath sharply,and hissing the words; "I will march into the dale, and burn and s--" Hestopped abruptly, and then in a soft tone added, "But what will _they_do if I refuse to listen to them?"
"I know not what the men of Horlingdal will do," replied Erling; "but Iwill counsel them to defend their rights."
At this the King leaped up, and drew his sword half out of its scabbard,but again checked himself suddenly; for, as the Saga tells us, "it washis invariable rule, whenever anything raised his anger, to collecthimself and let his passion run off, and then take the matter intoconsideration coolly."
"Go," he said, sitting down again at the window, "I will speak with theeon this subject to-morrow."
Erling, who during the little burst of passion had kept his blue eyesunflinchingly fixed on those of the King, bowed and retired, followed byGlumm, whose admiration of his friend's diplomatic powers would havebeen unbounded, had he only wound up with a challenge to the King, thenand there, to single combat!
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