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第148节

heimskringla-第148节

小说: heimskringla 字数: 每页4000字

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   Where our Norse king draws his bow:      His bowstring twangs;  its biting hail      Rattles against the ring…linked mail。      Up in the land in deadly strife      Our Norse king took Earl Huge's life。〃

King Magnus gained the victory in this battle; and then took Anglesey Isle; which was the farthest south the Norway kings of former days had ever extended their rule。  Anglesey is a third part of Wales。  After this battle King Magnus turned back with his fleet; and came first to Scotland。  Then men went between the Scottish king; Melkolm and King Magnus; and a peace was made between them; so that all the islands lying west of Scotland; between which and the mainland he could pass in a vessel with her rudder shipped; should be held to belong to the king of Norway。 Now when King Magnus came north to Cantire; he had a skiff drawn over the strand at Cantire; and shipped the rudder of it。  The king himself sat in the stern…sheets; and held the tiller; and thus he appropriated to himself the land that lay on the farboard side。  Cantire is a great district; better than the best of the southern isles of the Hebudes; excepting Man; and there is a small neck of land between it and the mainland of Scotland; over which longships are often drawn。



12。 DEATH OF THE EARLS OF ORKNEY。

King Magnus was all the winter in the southern isles; and his men went over all the fjords of Scotland; rowing within all the inhabited and uninhabited isles; and took possession for the king of Norway of all the islands west of Scotland。  King Magnus contracted in marriage his son Sigurd to Biadmynia; King Myrkjartan's daughter。  Myrkjartan was a son of the Irish king Thialfe; and ruled over Connaught。  The summer after; King Magnus; with his fleet; returned east to Norway。  Earl Erland died of sickness at Nidaros; and is buried there; and Earl Paul died in Bergen。

Skopte Ogmundson; a grandson of Thorberg; was a gallant lenderman; who dwelt at Giske in Sunmore; and was married to Gudrun; a daughter of Thord Folason。  Their children were Ogmund; Fin; Thord; and Thora; who was married to Asolf Skulason。  Skopte's and Gudrun's sons were the most promising and popular men in their youth。



13。 QUARRELS OF KING MAGNUS AND KING INGE。

Steinkel; the Swedish king; died about the same time (A。D。 1066) as the two Haralds fell; and the king who came after him in Svithjod was called Hakon。  Afterwards Inge; a son of Steinkel; was king; and was a good and powerful king; strong and stout beyond most men; and he was king of Svithjod when King Magnus was king of Norway。  King Magnus insisted that the boundaries of the countries in old times had been so; that the Gaut river divided the kingdoms of the Swedish and Norwegian kings; but afterwards the Vener lake up to Vermaland。  Thus King Magnus insisted that he was owner of all the places lying west of the Vener lake up to Vermaland; which are the districts of Sundal; Nordal; Vear; and Vardyniar; with all the woods belonging thereto。  But these had for a long time been under the Swedish dominion; and with respect to scat were joined to West Gautland; and; besides; the forest… settlers preferred being under the Swedish king。  King Magnus rode from Viken up to Gautland with a great and fine army; and when he came to the forest…settlements he plundered and burnt all round; on which the people submitted; and took the oath of fidelity to him。  When he came to the Vener lake; autumn was advanced and he went out to the island Kvaldinsey; and made a stronghold of turf and wood; and dug a ditch around it。  When the work was finished; provisions and other necessaries that might be required were brought to it。  The king left in it 300 men; who were the chosen of his forces; and Fin Skoptason and Sigurd Ulstreng as their commanders。  The king himself returned to Viken。



14。 OF THE NORTHMEN。

When the Swedish king heard this he drew together people; and the report came that he would ride against these Northmen; but there was delay about his riding; and the Northmen made these lines:       〃The fat…hipped king; with heavy sides;      Finds he must mount before he rides。〃

But when the ice set in upon the Vener lake King Inge rode down; and had near 300 men with him。  He sent a message to the Northmen who sat in the burgh that they might retire with all the booty they had taken; and go to Norway。  When the messengers brought this message; Sigurd Ulstreng replied to it; saying that King Inge must take the trouble to come; if he wished to drive them away like cattle out of a grass field; and said he must come nearer if he wished them to remove。  The messengers returned with this answer to the king; who then rode out with all his army to the island; and again sent a message to the Northmen that they might go away; taking with them their weapons; clothes; and horses; but must leave behind all their booty。  This they refused。  The king made an assault upon them; and they shot at each other。  Then the king ordered timber and stones to be collected; and he filled up the ditch; and then he fastened anchors to long spars which were brought up to the timber…walls; and; by the strength of many hands; the walls were broken down。 Thereafter a large pile of wood was set on fire; and the lighted brands were flung in among them。  Then the Northmen asked for quarter。  The king ordered them to go out without weapons or cloaks。  As they went out each of them received a stroke with a whip; and then they set off for Norway; and all the forest…men submitted again to King Inge。  Sigurd and his people went to King Magnus; and told him their misfortune。



15。 KING MAGNUS AND GIPARDE。

When King Magnus was east in Viken; there came to him a foreigner called Giparde。  He gave himself out for a good knight; and offered his services to King Magnus; for he understood that in the king's dominions there was something to be done。  The king received him well。  At that time the king was preparing to go to Gautland; on which country the king had pretensions; and besides he would repay the Gautland people the disgrace they had occasioned him in spring; when he was obliged to fly from them。 He had then a great force in arms; and the West Gautlanders in the northern districts submitted to him。  He set up his camp on the borders; intending to make a foray from thence。  When King Inge heard of this he collected troops; and hastened to oppose King Magnus; and when King Magnus heard of this expedition; many of the chiefs of the people urged him to turn back; but this the king would not listen to; but in the night time went unsuspectedly against the Swedish king。  They met at Foxerne; and when he was drawing up his men in battle order he asked; 〃Where is Giparde?〃 but he was not to be found。  Then the king made these verses: 

     〃Cannot the foreign knight abide      Our rough array?  where does he hide?〃

Then a skald who followed the king replied: 

     〃The king asks where the foreign knight      In our array rides to the fight:      Giparde the knight rode quite away      When our men joined in bloody fray。      When swords were wet the knight was slow      With his bay horse in front to go;      The foreign knight could not abide      Our rough array; and went to hide。〃

There was a great slaughter; and after the battle the field was covered with the Swedes slain; and King Inge escaped by flight。 King Magnus gained a great victory。  Then came Giparde riding down from the country; and people did not speak well of him for not being in the fight。  He went away; and proceeded westward to England; and the voyage was stormy; and Giparde lay in bed。  There was an Iceland man called Eldjarn; who went to bale out the water in the ship's hold; and when he saw where Giparde was lying he made this verse: 

     〃Does it beseem a courtman bold      Here to be dozing in the hold?      The bearded knight should danger face:      The leak gains on our ship apace。      Here; ply this bucket!  bale who can;      We need the work of every man。      Our sea…horse stands full to the breast;       Sluggards and cowards must not rest。〃

When they came west to England; Giparde said the Northmen had slandered him。  A meeting was appointed; and a count came to it; and the case was brought before him for trial。  He said he was not much acquainted with law cases; as he was but young; and had only been a short time in office; and also; of all things; he said what he least understood to judge about was poetry。  〃But let us hear what it was。〃  Then Eldjarn sang: 

     〃I heard that in the bloody fight      Giparde drove all our foes to flight:      Brave Giparde would the foe abide;      While all our men ran off to hide。      At Foxerne the fight was won      By Giparde's valour all alone;      Where Giparde fought; alone was he;      Not one survived to fight or flee。〃

Then said the count; 〃Although I know but little about skald… craft; I can hear that this is no slander; but rather the highest praise and honour。〃  Giparde could say nothing against it; yet he felt it was a mockery。



16。 BATTLE OF FOXERNE。

The spring after; as soon as the ice broke up; King Magnus; with a great army; sailed eastwards to the Gaut river; and went up the eastern arm of it;

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