heimskringla-第86部分

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　ship；　and　let　it　remain　there　all　night。　　King　Olaf　was　at　that　time　in　guest…quarters　at　Lygra；　and　thither　they　sent　a　message。　　Now　a　Thing　was　called　by　message…token；　and　the　king　came　to　the　Thing。　　He　had　also　ordered　the　Farey　people　of　both　vessels　to　be　summoned；　and　they　appeared　at　the　Thing。　　Now　when　the　Thing　was　seated；　the　king　stood　up　and　said；　〃Here　an　event　has　happened　which　（and　it　is　well　that　it　is　so）　is　very　seldom　heard　of。　　Here　has　a　good　man　been　put　to　death；　without　any　cause。　　Is　there　any　man　upon　the　Thing　who　can　say　who　has　done　it？〃

Nobody　could　answer。

〃Then；〃　said　the　king；　〃I　cannot　conceal　my　suspicion　that　this　deed　has　been　done　by　the　Farey　people　themselves。　　It　appears　to　me　that　it　has　been　done　in　this　way；　　that　Sigurd　Thorlakson　has　killed　the　man；　and　Thord　the　Low　has　cast　his　comrade　into　the　sea。　　I　think；　too；　that　the　motives　to　this　must　have　been　to　hinder　Thoralf　from　telling　about　the　misdeed　of　which　he　had　information；　namely；　the　murder　which　I　suspect　was　committed　upon　my　messengers。〃

When　he　had　ended　his　speech；　Sigurd　Thorlakson　stood　up；　and　desired　to　be　heard。　　〃I　have　never　before；〃　said　he；　〃spoken　at　a　Thing；　and　I　do　not　expect　to　be　looked　upon　as　a　man　of　ready　words。　　But　I　think　there　is　sufficient　necessity　before　me　to　reply　something　to　this。　　I　will　venture　to　make　a　guess　that　the　speech　the　king　has　made　comes　from　some　man's　tongue　who　is　of　far　less　understanding　and　goodness　than　he　is；　and　has　evidently　proceeded　from　those　who　are　our　enemies。　　It　is　speaking　improbabilities　to　say　that　I　could　be　Thoralf's　murderer；　for　he　was　my　foster…brother　and　good　friend。　　Had　the　case　been　otherwise；　and　had　there　been　anything　outstanding　between　me　and　Thoralf；　yet　I　am　surely　born　with　sufficient　understanding　to　have　done　this　deed　in　the　Farey　Islands；　rather　than　here　between　your　hands；　sire。　　But　I　am　ready　to　clear　myself；　and　my　whole　ship's　crew；　of　this　act；　and　to　make　oath　according　to　what　stands　in　your　laws。　　Or；　if　ye　find　it　more　satisfactory；　I　offer　to　clear　myself　by　the　ordeal　of　hot　iron；　and　I　wish；　sire；　that　you　may　be　present　yourself　at　the　proof。〃

When　Sigurd　had　ceased　to　speak　there　were　many　who　supported　his　case；　and　begged　the　king　that　Sigurd　might　be　allowed　to　clear　himself　of　this　accusation。　　They　thought　that　Sigurd　had　spoken　well；　and　that　the　accusation　against　him　might　be　untrue。

The　king　replies；　〃It　may　be　with　regard　to　this　man　very　differently；　and　if　he　is　belied　in　any　respect　he　must　be　a　good　man；　and　if　not；　he　is　the　boldest　I　have　ever　met　with：　and　I　believe　this　is　the　case；　and　that　he　will　bear　witness　to　it　himself。〃

At　the　desire　of　the　people；　the　king　took　Sigurd's　obligation　to　take　the　iron　ordeal；　he　should　come　the　following　day　to　Lygra；　where　the　bishop　should　preside　at　the　ordeal；　and　so　the　Thing　closed。　　The　king　went　back　to　Lygra；　and　Sigurd　and　his　comrades　to　their　ship。

As　soon　as　it　began　to　be　dark　at　night　Sigurd　said　to　his　ship's　people。　　〃To　say　the　truth；　we　have　come　into　a　great　misfortune；　for　a　great　lie　is　got　up　against　us；　and　this　king　is　a　deceitful；　crafty　man。　　Our　fate　is　easy　to　be　foreseen　where　he　rules；　for　first　he　made　Thoralf　be　slain；　and　then　made　us　the　misdoers；　without　benefit　of　redemption　by　fine。　　For　him　it　is　an　easy　matter　to　manage　the　iron　ordeal；　so　that　I　fear　he　will　come　ill　off　who　tries　it　against　him。　　Now　there　is　coming　a　brisk　mountain　breeze；　blowing　right　out　of　the　sound　and　off　the　land；　and　it　is　my　advice　that　we　hoist　our　sail；　and　set　out　to　sea。　　Let　Thrand　himself　come　with　his　wool　to　market　another　summer；　but　if　I　get　away；　it　is　my　opinion　I　shall　never　think　of　coming　to　Norway　again。〃

His　comrades　thought　the　advice　good；　hoisted　their　sail；　and　in　the　night…time　took　to　the　open　sea　with　all　speed。　　They　did　not　stop　until　they　came　to　Farey；　and　home　to　Gata。　　Thrand　was　ill…　pleased　with　their　voyage；　and　they　did　not　answer　him　in　a　very　friendly　way；　but　they　remained　at　home；　however；　with　Thrand。　The　morning　after；　King　Olaf　heard　of　Sigurd's　departure；　and　heavy　reports　went　round　about　this　case；　and　there　were　many　who　believed　that　the　accusation　against　Sigurd　was　true；　although　they　had　denied　and　opposed　it　before　the　king。　　King　Olaf　spoke　but　little　about　the　matter；　but　seemed　to　know　of　a　certainty　that　the　suspicion　he　had　taken　up　was　founded　in　truth。　　The　king　afterwards　proceeded　in　his　progress；　taking　up　his　abode　where　it　was　provided　for　him。



146。　OF　THE　ICELANDERS。

King　Olaf　called　before　him　the　men　who　had　come　from　Iceland；　Thorod　Snorrason；　Geller　Thorkelson；　Stein　Skaptason；　and　Egil　Halson；　and　spoke　to　them　thus：　　〃Ye　have　spoken　to　me　much　in　summer　about　making　yourselves　ready　to　return　to　Iceland；　and　I　have　never　given　you　a　distinct　answer。　　Now　I　will　tell　you　what　my　intention　is。　　Thee；　Geller；　I　propose　to　allow　to　return；　if　thou　wilt　carry　my　message　there；　but　none　of　the　other　Icelanders　who　are　now　here　may　go　to　Iceland　before　I　have　heard　how　the　message　which　thou；　Geller；　shalt　bring　thither　has　been　received。〃

When　the　king　had　made　this　resolution　known；　it　appeared　to　those　who　had　a　great　desire　to　return；　and　were　thus　forbidden；　that　they　were　unreasonably　and　hardly　dealt　with；　and　that　they　were　placed　in　the　condition　of　unfree　men。　　In　the　meantime　Geller　got　ready　for　his　journey；　and　sailed　in　summer　（A。D。　1026）　to　Iceland；　taking　with　him　the　message　he　was　to　bring　before　the　Thing　the　following　summer　（A。D。　1027）。　　The　king's　message　was；　that　he　required　the　Icelanders　to　adopt　the　laws　which　he　had　set　in　Norway；　also　to　pay　him　thane…tax　and　nose…　tax　（1）；　namely；　a　penny　for　every　nose；　and　the　penny　at　the　rate　of　ten　pennies　to　the　yard　of　wadmal　（2）。　　At　the　same　time　he　promised　them　his　friendship　if　they　accepted；　and　threatened　them　with　all　his　vengeance　if　they　refused　his　proposals。

The　people　sat　long　in　deliberation　on　this　business；　but　at　last　they　were　unanimous　in　refusing　all　the　taxes　and　burdens　which　were　demanded　of　them。　　That　summer　Geller　returned　back　from　Iceland　to　Norway　to　King　Olaf；　and　found　him　in　autumn　in　the　east　in　Viken；　just　as　he　had　come　from　Gautland；　of　which　I　shall　speak　hereafter　in　this　story　of　King　Olaf。　　Towards　the　end　of　autumn　King　Olaf　repaired　north　to　Throndhjem；　and　went　with　his　people　to　Nidaros；　where　he　ordered　a　winter　residence　to　be　prepared　for　him。　　The　winter　（A。D。　1027）　that　he　passed　here　in　the　merchant…town　of　Nidaros　was　the　thirteenth　year　of　his　reign。


ENDNOTES：　（1）　　Nefgildi　（nef=nose）；　a　nose…tax　or　poll…tax　payable　to　the　　　　　　king。　　This　ancient　〃nose…tax〃　was　also　imposed　by　the　　　　　　Norsemen　on　conquered　countries；　the　penalty　for　defaulters　　　　　　being　the　loss　of　their　nose。　（2）　　Wadmal　was　the　coarse　woollen　cloth　made　in　Iceland；　and　so　　　　　　generally　used　for　clothing　that　it　was　a　measure　of　value　　　　　　in　the　North；　like　money；　for　other　commodities。　　L。



147。　OF　THE　JAMTALAND　PEOPLE。

There　was　once　a　man　called　Ketil　Jamte；　a　son　of　Earl　Onund　of　Sparby；　in　the　Throndhjem　district。　　He　fled　over　the　ridge　of　mountains　from　Eystein　Illrade；　cleared　the　forest；　and　settled　the　country　now　called　the　province　of　Jamtaland。　　A　great　many　people　joined　him　from　the　Throndhjem　land；　on　account　of　the　disturbances　there；　for　this　King　Eystein　had　laid　taxes　on　the　Throndhjem　people；　and　set　his　dog；　called　Saur；　to　be　king　over　them。　　Thorer　Helsing　was　Ketil's　grandson；　and　he　colonised　the　province　called　Helsingjaland；　which　is　named　after　him。　　When　Harald　Harfager　subdued　the　kingdom　by　force；　many　people　fled　out　of　the　country　from　him；　both　Throndhjem　people　and　Naumudal　people；　and　thus　new　settlements　were　added　to　Jamtaland；　and　some　settlers　went　even　eastwards　to　Helsingjaland　and　down　to　the　Baltic　coast；　and　all　became　subjects　of　the　Swedish　king。　While　Hakon　Athelstan's　foster…son　was　over　Norway　there　was　peace；　and　merchant　traffic　from　Throndhjem　to　Jamtaland；　and；　as　he　was　an　excellent　king；　the　Jamtalanders　came　from　the　east　to　him；　paid　him　scat；　and　he　gave　them　laws　and　administered　justice。　　They　would　rather　submit　to　his　government　than　to　the　Swedish　king's；　because　they　were　of　Norwegian　race；　and　all　the　Helsingjaland　people；　who　had　their　descent　from　the　north　side　of　the　mountain　ridge；　did　the　same。　　This　continued　long　after　those　times；　until　Olaf　the　Thick　and　the　Swedish　king　Olaf　quarrelled　about　the　boundaries。　　Then　the　Jamtaland　and　Helsingjaland　people　went　back　to　the　Swedish　king；　and　then　the　forest　of　Eid　was　the　eastern　boundary　of　the　land；　and　the　mountain　ridge；　or　keel　of　the　country；　the　northern：　and　the　Swedish　king　took　scat　of　Helsingjaland；　and　also　of　Jamtaland。　Now；　thought　the　king　of　Norway；　Olaf；　in　consequence　of　the　agreement　between　him　and　the　Swedish　king；　the　scat　of　Jamtaland　should　be　paid　differently　than　before；　although　it　had　long　been　established　that　the　Jamtaland　people　paid　their　scat　to　the　Swedish　king；　and　that　he　appointed　officers　over　the　country。　The　Swedes　would　listen　to　nothing；　but　that　all　the　land　to　the　east　of　the　k