mc.eatersofthedead-第10部分

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n　of　the　North　say　that　women　are　devious　and　cannot　be　trusted；　to　this　they　appear　resigned；　and　speak　of　it　with　their　usual　cheerful　demeanor。
　I　inquired　of　Herger　if　he　was　married；　and　he　said　that　he　had　a　wife。　I　inquired　with　all　discretion　if　she　were　chaste；　and　he　laughed　in　my　face　and　said　to　me：　〃I　sail　upon　the　seas；　and　I　may　never　return；　or　I　may　be　absent　many　years。　My　wife　is　not　dead。〃　From　this；　I　took　the　meaning　that　she　was　unfaithful　to　him；　and　he　did　not　care。
　The　Northmen　do　not　consider　any　offspring　a　bastard　if　the　mother　be　a　wife。　The　children　of　slaves　are　slaves　sometimes；　and　free　sometimes；　how　this　is　decided　I　do　not　know。
　In　some　regions；　slaves　are　marked　by　a　crop　of　the　ear。　In　other　regions；　slaves　wear　a　neckband　of　iron　to　signify　their　place。　In　other　regions；　slaves　have　no　markings；　for　that　is　the　local　custom。
　Pederasty　is　not　known　among　the　Northmen；　although　they　say　that　other　peoples　practice　it；　they　themselves　claim　no　interest　in　the　matter；　and　since　it　does　not　occur　among　them；　they　have　no　punishment　for　it。
　All　this　and　more　I　learned　from　my　talking　with　Herger；　and　from　witnessing　the　travels　of　our　party。　Further　I　saw　that　in　each　place　where　we　rested；　the　people　inquired　of　Buliwyf　what　quest　he　had　undertaken；　and　when　they　were　informed　of　its　nature…that　which　I　did　not　yet　prehend…he　and　his　warriors；　and　I　among　them；　were　accorded　the　highest　respect；　receiving　their　prayers　and　sacrifices　and　tokens　of　good　wishes。
　At　sea；　as　I　have　said；　the　Northmen　bee　happy　and　jubilant；　although　the　ocean　was　rough　and　forbidding　to　my　way　of　thinking；　and　also　to　my　stomach；　which　felt　most　delicate　and　unsettled。　Indeed　I　purged　myself；　and　then　asked　Herger　why　his　panions　were　so　happy。
　Herger　said；　〃It　is　because　we　shall　soon　be　at　the　home　of　Buliwyf；　the　place　known　as　Yatlam；　where　live　his　father　and　his　mother　and　all　his　relatives；　and　he　has　not　seen　them　for　many　long　years。〃
　To　this　I　said；　〃Are　we　not　going　to　Wulfgar's　land？〃
　Herger　replied；　〃Yes；　but　it　is　fitting　that　Buliwyf　must　pay　homage　to　his　father　and　also　to　his　mother。〃
　I　saw　by　their　faces　that　all　the　other　earls；　nobles；　and　warriors　were　happy　as　Buliwyf　himself。　I　asked　Herger　why　this　was　so。
　〃Buliwyf　is　our　chief；　and　we　are　happy　for　him；　and　for　the　power　that　he　will　soon　have。〃　I　inquired　what　was　this　power　of　which　he　spoke。　〃The　power　of　Runding；〃　Herger　answered　me。　〃What　power　is　that？〃　I　inquired；　to　which　he　made　this　reply：　〃The　power　of　the　ancients；　the　power　of　the　giants。〃
　The　Northmen　believe　that　in　ages　past　the　world　was　populated　by　a　race　of　giant　men；　who　have　since　vanished。　The　Northmen　do　not　count　themselves　the　descendants　of　these　giants；　but　they　have　received　some　of　the　powers　of　these　ancient　giants；　in　such　ways　as　I　do　not　understand　well。　These　heathens　also　believe　in　many　gods；　who　are　also　themselves　giants；　and　who　also　have　power。　But　the　giants　of　which　Herger　spoke　were　giant　men；　and　not　gods；　or　so　it　seemed　to　me。
　That　night　we　breached　upon　a　rocky　shore；　made　of　stones　the　size　of　a　man's　fist；　and　there　Buliwyf　encamped　with　his　men；　and　long　into　the　night　they　drank　and　sang　around　the　fire。　Herger　joined　in　the　celebration　and　had　no　patience　to　explain　to　me　the　meanings　of　the　songs；　and　so　I　do　not　know　what　they　sang；　but　they　were　happy。　On　the　morrow　they　would　e　to　the　home　of　Buliwyf；　the　land　called　Yatlam。
　We　left　before　the　first　fight　of　dawn；　and　it　was　so　cold　my　bones　ached；　and　my　body　was　sore　from　the　rocky　beach；　and　we　set　out　upon　the　raging　sea　and　the　blasting　wind。　For　all　the　morning　we　sailed；　and　during　this　period　the　excitement　of　the　men　increased　further　until　they　became　like　children　or　women。　It　was　a　wonder　to　me　to　see　these　huge　strong　warriors　giggle　and　laugh　like　the　Caliph's　harem；　and　yet　they　saw　nothing　unmanly　in　this。
　There　was　a　point　of　land；　a　high　rocky　outcrop　of　gray　stone　above　the　gray　sea；　and　beyond　this　point；　Herger　told　me；　would　be　the　town　of　Yatlam。　I　strained　to　see　this　fabled　home　of　Buliwyf　as　the　Northmen's　vessel　came　around　the　cliff。　The　warriors　laughed　and　cheered　more　loudly；　and　I　gathered　there　were　many　rude　jokes　and　plans　for　sport　with　women　when　they　landed。
　And　then　there　was　the　smell　of　smoke　on　the　sea；　and　we　saw　smoke；　and　all　the　men　fell　silent。　As　we　came　around　the　point；　I　saw　with　my　own　eyes　that　the　town　there　was　in　smoldering　flames　and　billowing　black　smoke。　There　was　no　sign　of　life。
　Buliwyf　and　his　warriors　landed　and　walked　the　town　of　Yatlam。　There　were　dead　bodies　of　men　and　women　and　children；　some　consumed　by　flames；　some　hacked　by　swords…a　multitude　of　corpses。　Buliwyf　and　the　warriors　did　not　speak　and　yet　even　here　there　was　no　grief；　no　crying　and　sadness。　Never　have　I　seen　a　race　that　accepts　death　as　the　Northmen　do。　I　myself　was　sick　many　times　at　the　sights；　and　they　were　never　so。
　At　last　I　said　to　Herger；　〃Who　has　done　this？〃　Herger　pointed　in　to　the　land；　to　the　forests　and　the　hills　set　back　from　the　gray　ocean。　There　were　mists　over　the　forests。　He　pointed　and　did　not　speak。　I　said　to　him；　〃Is　it　the　mists？〃　He　said　to　me；　〃Do　not　ask　more。　You　will　know　sooner　than　you　wish。〃
　Now　this　happened：　Buliwyf　entered　one　smoking　ruined　house　and　returned　to　our　pany　bearing　a　sword。　This　sword　was　very　large　and　heavy；　and　so　heated　by　the　fire　that　he　carried　it　with　a　cloth　wrapped　around　the　handle。　Verily　I　say　it　was　the　largest　sword　I　have　ever　seen。　It　was　as　long　as　my　own　body　and　the　blade　was　flat　and　broad　as　the　palms　of　two　men's　hands　set　side　by　side。　It　was　so　large　and　heavy　that　even　Buliwyf　grunted　at　the　carrying　of　it。　I　asked　Herger　what　was　the　sword；　and　he　said；　〃That　is　Runding；〃　and　then　Buliwyf　ordered　all　his　party　to　the　boat；　and　we　set　out　to　sea　again。　None　of　the　warriors　looked　back　at　the　burning　town　of　Yatlam；　I　alone　did　this；　and　I　saw　the　smoking　ruin；　and　the　mists　in　the　hills　beyond。
　
　THE　ENCAMPMENT　AT　TRELBURG

　FOR　THE　SPACE　OF　TWO　DAYS　WE　SAILED　ALONG　A　FLAT　coast　among　many　islands　that　are　called　the　land　of　Dans；　ing　finally　to　a　region　of　marsh　with　a　crisscross　of　narrow　rivers　that　pour　onto　the　sea。　These　rivers　have　no　names　themselves　but　are　each　one　called　〃wyk；〃　and　the　peoples　of　the　narrow　rivers　are　called　〃wykings；〃　which　means　the　Northmen　warriors　who　sail　their　ships　up　the　rivers　and　attack　settlements　in　such　fashion。13
　Now　in　this　marshy　region　we　stopped　at　a　place　they　called　Trelburg；　which　was　a　wonder　to　me。　Here　is　no　town；　but　rather　a　military　camp；　and　its　people　are　warriors；　with　few　women　or　children　among　them。　The　defenses　of　this　camp　of　Trelburg　are　constructed　with　great　care　and　skill　of　workmanship　in　the　Roman　fashion。
　Trelburg　lies　at　the　joining　point　of　two　wyks；　which　then　run　to　the　sea。　The　main　part　of　the　town　is　encircled　by　a　round　earthwork　wall；　as　tall　as　five　men　standing　one　atop　the　other。　Above　this　earthen　ring　there　stands　a　wooden　fence　for　greater　protection。　Outside　the　earthen　ring　there　is　a　ditch　filled　with　water；　the　depth　I　do　not　know。
　These　earthworks　are　excellently　made；　of　a　symmetry　and　quality　to　rival　anything　we　know。　And　there　is　this　further：　on　the　landward　side　of　the　town；　a　second　semicircle　of　high　wall；　and　a　second　ditch　beyond。
　The　town　itself　lies　within　the　inner　ring；　which　is　broken　by　four　gates；　facing　the　four　corners　of　the　earth。　Each　gate　is　barred　by　strong　oaken　doors　with　heavy　fittings　of　iron；　and　many　guards。　Many　guards　also　walk　the　ramparts；　keeping　watch　day　and　night。
　Inside　the　town　stand　sixteen　wooden　dwellings；　all　the　same：　they　are　long　houses；　for　so　the　Northmen　call　them；　with　walls　that　curve　so　that　they　resemble　overturned　boats　with　the　ends　cut　flat　front　and　back。　In　length　they　are　thirty　paces；　and　wider　in　the　middle　portion　than　either　end。　They　are　arranged　thus：　four　long　houses　precisely　set；　so　as　to　form　a　square。　Four　squares　are　arranged　to　make　sixteen　houses　in　all。14
　Every　long　house　has　but　one　entrance；　and　no　house　has　its　entrance　within　sight　of　another。　I　inquired　why　this　was　so；　and　Herger　said　thus：　〃If　the　camp　is　attacked；　the　men。　must　run　to　defense；　and　the　doorways　are　such　that　the　men　can　hasten　without　mingling　and　confusion；　but　on　the　contrary　each　man　can　proceed　freely　to　the　task　of　defense。〃
　Thus　it　is　within　the　square　that　one　house　has　a　north　door；　the　next　house　an　east　door；　the　next　house　a　south　door；　the　next　house　a　west　door；　so　also　each　of　the　four　squares。
　Then　also　I　saw　that　while　the　Northmen　are　gigantic；　these　doorways　were　so　low　that　even　I　must　bend　in　two　to　enter　one　of　the　houses。　I　inquired　of　Herger；　who　said：　〃If　we　are　attacked；　a　single　warrior　may　remain　inside　the　house；　and　with　his　sword　cut　off　the　heads　of　all　who　enter。　The　door　is　low　so　that　heads　will　be　bent　for　cutting。〃
　Verily；　I　saw　that　in　all　respects　the　Trelburg　town　was　constructed　for　warfare　and　for　defense。　No　trading　is　conducted　here　at　all；　as　I　have　said。　Inside　the　long　houses；　there　are　three　sections　or　rooms；　each　with