友情提示:如果本网页打开太慢或显示不完整,请尝试鼠标右键“刷新”本网页!阅读过程发现任何错误请告诉我们,谢谢!! 报告错误
九色书籍 返回本书目录 我的书架 我的书签 TXT全本下载 进入书吧 加入书签

heimskringla-第86章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!



 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
返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0
未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!
温馨提示: 温看小说的同时发表评论,说出自己的看法和其它小伙伴们分享也不错哦!发表书评还可以获得积分和经验奖励,认真写原创书评 被采纳为精评可以获得大量金币、积分和经验奖励哦!