heimskringla-第74部分

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In　autumn　the　news　was　brought　to　King　Olaf　that　the　bondes　had　had　a　great　feast　on　the　first　winter…day's　eve；　at　which　there　was　a　numerous　attendance　and　much　drinking；　and　it　was　told　the　king　that　all　the　remembrance…cups　to　the　Asas；　or　old　gods；　were　blessed　according　to　the　old　heathen　forms；　and　it　was　added；　that　cattle　and　horses　had　been　slain；　and　the　altars　sprinkled　with　their　blood；　and　the　sacrifices　accompanied　with　the　prayer　that　was　made　to　obtain　good　seasons。　　It　was　also　reported　that　all　men　saw　clearly　that　the　gods　were　offended　at　the　Halogaland　people　turning　Christian。　　Now　when　the　king　heard　this　news　he　sent　men　into　the　Throndhjem　country；　and　ordered　several　bondes；　whose　names　he　gave；　to　appear　before　him。　　There　was　a　man　called　Olver　of　Eggja；　so　called　after　his　farm　on　which　he　lived。　　He　was　powerful；　of　great　family；　and　the　head…man　of　those　who　on　account　of　the　bondes　appeared　before　the　king。　　Now；　when　they　came　to　the　king；　he　told　them　these　accusations；　to　which　Olver；　on　behalf　of　the　bondes；　replied；　that　they　had　had　no　other　feasts　that　harvest　than　their　usual　entertainments；　and　social　meetings；　and　friendly　drinking　parties。　　〃But　as　to　what　may　have　been　told　you　of　the　words　which　may　have　fallen　from　us　Throndhjem　people　in　our　drinking　parties；　men　of　understanding　would　take　good　care　not　to　use　such　language；　but　I　cannot　hinder　drunken　or　foolish　people's　talk。〃　　Olver　was　a　man　of　clever　speech；　and　bold　in　what　he　said；　and　defended　the　bondes　against　such　accusations。　　In　the　end；　the　king　said　the　people　of　the　interior　of　Thorndhjem　must　themselves　give　the　best　testimony　to　their　being　in　the　right　faith。　　The　bondes　got　leave　to　return　home；　and　set　off　as　soon　as　they　were　ready。



114。　OF　THE　SACRIFICES　BY　THE　PEOPLE　OF　THE　INTERIOR　OF　THE　　　　　　THRONDHJEM　DISTRICT。

Afterwards；　when　winter　was　advanced；　it　was　told　the　king　that　the　people　of　the　interior　of　Throndhjem　had　assembled　in　great　number　at　Maerin；　and　that　there　was　a　great　sacrifice　in　the　middle　of　winter；　at　which　they　sacrificed　offerings　for　peace　and　a　good　season。　　Now　when　the　king　knew　this　on　good　authority　to　be　true；　he　sent　men　and　messages　into　the　interior；　and　summoned　the　bondes　whom　he　thought　of　most　understanding　into　the　town。　　The　bondes　held　a　council　among　themselves　about　this　message；　and　all　those　who　had　been　upon　the　same　occasion　in　the　beginning　of　winter　were　now　very　unwilling　to　make　the　journey。　Olver；　however；　at　the　desire　of　all　the　bondes；　allowed　himself　to　be　persuaded。　　When　he　came　to　the　town　he　went　immediately　before　the　king；　and　they　talked　together。　　The　king　made　the　same　accusation　against　the　bondes；　that　they　had　held　a　mid…　winter　sacrifice。　　Olver　replies；　that　this　accusation　against　the　bondes　was　false。　　〃We　had；〃　said　he；　〃Yule　feasts　and　drinking　feasts　wide　around　in　the　districts；　and　the　bondes　do　not　prepare　their　feasts　so　sparingly；　sire；　that　there　is　not　much　left　over；　which　people　consume　long　afterwards。　　At　Maerin　there　is　a　great　farm；　with　a　large　house　on　it；　and　a　great　neighbourhood　all　around　it；　and　it　is　the　great　delight　of　the　people　to　drink　many　together　in　company。〃　　The　king　said　little　in　reply；　but　looked　angry；　as　he　thought　he　knew　the　truth　of　the　matter　better　than　it　was　now　represented。　　He　ordered　the　bondes　to　return　home。　　〃I　shall　some　time　or　other；〃　said　he；　〃come　to　the　truth　of　what　you　are　now　concealing；　and　in　such　a　way　that　ye　shall　not　be　able　to　contradict　it。　　But；　however；　that　may　be；　do　not　try　such　things　again。〃　　The　bondes　returned　home；　and　told　the　result　of　their　journey；　and　that　the　king　was　altogether　enraged。



115。　MURDER　OF　OLVER　OF　EGGJA。

At　Easter　（A。D。　1021）　the　king　held　a　feast；　to　which　he　had　invited　many　of　the　townspeople　as　well　as　bondes。　　After　Easter　he　ordered　his　ships　to　be　launched　into　the　water；　oars　and　tackle　to　be　put　on　board；　decks　to　be　laid　in　the　ships；　and　tilts　（1）　and　rigging　to　be　set　up；　and　to　be　laid　ready　for　sea　at　the　piers。　　Immediately　after　Easter　he　sent　men　into　Veradal。　There　was　a　man　called　Thoralde；　who　was　the　king's　bailiff；　and　who　managed　the　king's　farm　there　at　Haug；　and　to　him　the　king　sent　a　message　to　come　to　him　as　quickly　as　possible。　　Thoralde　did　not　decline　the　journey；　but　went　immediately　to　the　town　with　the　messenger。　　The　king　called　him　in　and　in　a　private　conversation　asked　him　what　truth　there　was　in　what　had　been　told　him　of　the　principles　and　living　of　the　people　of　the　interior　of　Throndhjem；　and　if　it　really　was　so　that　they　practised　sacrifices　to　heathen　gods。　　〃I　will；〃　says　the　king；　〃that　thou　declare　to　me　the　things　as　they　are；　and　as　thou　knowest　to　be　true；　for　it　is　thy　duty　to　tell　me　the　truth；　as　thou　art　my　man。〃

Thoralde　replies；　〃Sire；　I　will　first　tell　you　that　I　have　brought　here　to　the　town　my　two　children；　my　wife；　and　all　my　loose　property　that　I　could　take　with　me；　and　if　thou　desirest　to　know　the　truth　it　shall　be　told　according　to　thy　command；　but　if　I　declare　it；　thou　must　take　care　of　me　and　mine。〃

The　king　replies；　〃Say　only　what　is　true　on　what　I　ask　thee；　and　I　will　take　care　that　no　evil　befall　thee。〃

Then　said　Thoralde；　〃If　I　must　say　the　truth；　king；　as　it　is；　I　must　declare　that　in　the　interior　of　the　Throndhjem　land　almost　all　the　people　are　heathen　in　faith；　although　some　of　them　are　baptized。　　It　is　their　custom　to　offer　sacrifice　in　autumn　for　a　good　winter；　a　second　at　mid…winter；　and　a　third　in　summer。　　In　this　the　people　of　Eyna；　Sparby；　Veradal；　and　Skaun　partake。　There　are　twelve　men　who　preside　over　these　sacrifice…feasts；　and　in　spring　it　is　Olver　who　has　to　get　the　feast　in　order；　and　he　is　now　busy　transporting　to　Maerin　everything　needful　for　it。〃　Now　when　the　king　had　got　to　the　truth　with　a　certainty；　he　ordered　the　signal　to　be　sounded　for　his　men　to　assemble；　and　for　the　men…at…arms　to　go　on　board　ship。　　He　appointed　men　to　steer　the　ships；　and　leaders　for　the　people；　and　ordered　how　the　people　should　be　divided　among　the　vessels。　　All　was　got　ready　in　haste；　and　with　five　ships　and　300　men　he　steered　up　the　fjord。　　The　wind　was　favourable；　the　ships　sailed　briskly　before　it；　and　nobody　could　have　thought　that　the　king　would　be　so　soon　there。　The　king　came　in　the　night　time　to　Maerin；　and　immediately　surrounded　the　house　with　a　ring　of　armed　men。　　Olver　was　taken；　and　the　king　ordered　him　to　be　put　to　death；　and　many　other　men　besides。　　Then　the　king　took　all　the　provision　for　the　feast；　and　had　it　brought　to　his　ships；　and　also　all　the　goods；　both　furniture；　clothes；　and　valuables；　which　the　people　had　brought　there；　and　divided　the　booty　among　his　men。　　The　king　also　let　all　the　bondes　he　thought　had　the　greatest　part　in　the　business　be　plundered　by　his　men…at…arms。　　Some　were　taken　prisoners　and　laid　in　irons；　some　ran　away；　and　many　were　robbed　of　their　goods。　　Thereafter　the　bondes　were　summoned　to　a　Thing；　but　because　he　had　taken　many　powerful　men　prisoners；　and　held　them　in　his　power；　their　friends　and　relations　resolved　to　promise　obedience　to　the　king；　so　that　there　was　no　insurrection　against　the　king　on　this　occasion。　　He　thus　brought　the　whole　people　back　to　the　right　faith；　gave　them　teachers；　and　built　and　consecrated　churches。　　The　king　let　Olver　lie　without　fine　paid　for　his　bloodshed；　and　all　that　he　possessed　was　adjudged　to　the　king；　and　of　the　men　he　judged　the　most　guilty；　some　he　ordered　to　be　executed；　some　he　maimed；　some　he　drove　out　of　the　country；　and　took　fines　from　others。　　The　king　then　returned　to　Nidaros。


ENDNOTES：　（1）　　The　ships　appear　to　have　been　decked　fore　and　aft　only；　and　　　　　　in　the　middle；　where　the　rowers　sat；　to　have　had　tilts　or　　　　　　tents　set　up　at　night　to　sleep　under。　　L。



116。　OF　THE　SONS　OF　ARNE。

There　was　a　man　called　Arne　Arnmodson；　who　was　married　to　Thora；　Thorstein　Galge's　daughter。　　Their　children　were　Kalf；　Fin；　Thorberg；　Amunde；　Kolbjorn；　Arnbjorn；　and　Arne。　　Their　daughter；　who　was　called　Ragnhild；　was　married　to　Harek　of　Thjotta。　　Arne　was　a　lenderman；　powerful；　and　of　ability；　and　a　great　friend　of　King　Olaf。　　At　that　time　his　sons　Kalf　and　Fin　were　with　the　king；　and　in　great　favour。　　The　wife　whom　Olver　of　Eggja　had　left　was　young　and　handsome；　of　great　family；　and　rich；　so　that　he　who　got　her　might　be　considered　to　have　made　an　excellent　marriage；　and　her　land　was　in　the　gift　of　the　king。　　She　and　Olver　had　two　sons；　who　were　still　in　infancy。　　Kalf　Arneson　begged　of　the　king　that　he　would　give　him　to　wife　the　widow　of　Olver；　and　out　of　friendship　the　king　agreed　to　it；　and　with　her　he　got　all　the　property　Olver　had　possessed。　　The　king　at　the　same　time　made　him　his　lenderman；　and　gave　him　an　office　in　the　interior　of　the　Throndhjem　country。　　Kalf　became　a　great　chief；　and　was　a　man　of　very　great　understanding。



117。　KING　OLAF'S　JOURNEY　TO　THE　UPLANDS。

When　King　Olaf　had　been　seven　years　（A。D。　1015…1021）　in　Norway　the　earls　Thorfin　and　Bruse　came　to　him；　as　before　related；　in　the　summer；　from　Orkney；　and　he　became　master　of　their　land。　　The　same　summer　Olaf　went　to　North　and　South　More；　and　in　autumn　to　Raumsdal。　　He　left　his　ships　there；　and　came