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第2节

heimskringla-第2节

小说: heimskringla 字数: 每页4000字

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edemark; which he and his relations had held before; but kept to himself Thoten; and the district called Land。  He likewise appropriated to himself Hadeland; and thus became a mighty king。



3。 HALFDAN'S MARRIAGE

Halfdan the Black got a wife called Ragnhild; a daughter of Harald Gulskeg (Goldbeard); who was a king in Sogn。  They had a son; to whom Harald gave his own name; and the boy was brought up in Sogn; by his mother's father; King Harald。  Now when this Harald had lived out his days nearly; and was become weak; having no son; he gave his dominions to his daughter's son Harald; and gave him his title of king; and he died soon after。  The same winter his daughter Ragnhild died; and the following spring the young Harald fell sick and died at ten years of age。  As soon as Halfdan the Black heard of his son's death; he took the road northwards to Sogn with a great force; and was well received。  He claimed the heritage and dominion after his son; and no opposition being made; he took the whole kingdom。  Earl Atle Mjove (the Slender); who was a friend of King Halfdan; came to him from Gaular; and the king set him over the Sogn district; to judge in the country according to the country's laws; and collect scat upon the king's account。  Thereafter King Halfdan proceeded to his kingdom in the Uplands。



4。 HALFDAN'S STRIFE WITH GANDALF'S SONS。 

In autumn; King Halfdan proceeded to Vingulmark。  One night when he was there in guest quarters; it happened that about midnight a man came to him who had been on the watch on horseback; and told him a war force was come near to the house。  The king instantly got up; ordered his men to arm themselves; and went out of the house and drew them up in battle order。  At the same moment; Gandalf's sons; Hysing and Helsing; made their appearance with a large army。  There was a great battle; but Halfdan being overpowered by the numbers of people fled to the forest; leaving many of his men on this spot。  His foster…father; Olver Spake (the Wise); fell here。  The people now came in swarms to King Halfdan; and he advanced to seek Gandalf's sons。  They met at Eid; near Lake Oieren; and fought there。  Hysing and Helsing fell; and their brother Hake saved himself by flight。  King Halfdan then took possession of the whole of Vingulmark; and Hake fled to Alfheimar。



5。 HALFDAN'S MARRIAGE WITH HJORT'S DAUGHTER。

Sigurd Hjort was the name of a king in Ringerike; who was stouter and stronger than any other man; and his equal could not be seen for a handsome appearance。  His father was Helge Hvasse (the Sharp); and his mother was Aslaug; a daughter of Sigurd the worm… eyed; who again was a son of Ragnar Lodbrok。  It is told of Sigurd that when he was only twelve years old he killed in single combat the berserk Hildebrand; and eleven others of his comrades; and many are the deeds of manhood told of him in a long saga about his feats。  Sigurd had two children; one of whom was a daughter; called Ragnhild; then twenty years of age; and an excellent brisk girl。  Her brother Guthorm was a youth。  It is related in regard to Sigurd's death that he had a custom of riding out quite alone in the uninhabited forest to hunt the wild beasts that are hurtful to man; and he was always very eager at this sport。  One day he rode out into the forest as usual; and when he had ridden a long way he came out at a piece of cleared land near to Hadeland。  There the berserk Hake came against him with thirty men; and they fought。  Sigurd Hjort fell there; after killing twelve of Hake's men; and Hake himself lost one hand; and had three other wounds。  Then Hake and his men rode to Sigurd's house; where they took his daughter Ragnhild and her brother Guthorm; and carried them; with much property and valuable articles; home to Hadeland; where Hake had many great farms。  He ordered a feast to be prepared; intending to hold his wedding with Ragnhild; but the time passed on account of his wounds; which healed slowly; and the berserk Hake of Hadeland had to keep his bed; on account of his wounds; all the autumn and beginning of winter。  Now King Halfdan was in Hedemark at the Yule entertainments when he heard this news; and one morning early; when the king was dressed; he called to him Harek Gand; and told him to go over to Hadeland; and bring him Ragnhild; Sigurd Hjort's daughter。  Harek got ready with a hundred men; and made his journey so that they came over the lake to Hake's house in the grey of the morning; and beset all the doors and stairs of the places where the house…servants slept。  Then they broke into the sleeping…room where Hake slept; took Ragnhild; with her brother Guthorm; and all the goods that were there; and set fire to the house…servants' place; and burnt all the people in it。  Then they covered over a magnificent waggon; placed Ragnhild and Guthorm in it; and drove down upon the ice。  Hake got up and went after them a while; but when he came to the ice on the lake; he turned his sword…hilt to the ground and let himself fall upon the point; so that the sword went through him。  He was buried under a mound on the banks of the lake。  When King Halfdan; who was very quick of sight; saw the party returning over the frozen lake; and with a covered waggon; he knew that their errand was accomplished according to his desire。  Thereupon he ordered the tables to be set out; and sent people all round in the neighbourhood to invite plenty of guests; and the same day there was a good feast which was also Halfdan's marriage…feast with Ragnhild; who became a great queen。  Ragnhild's mother was Thorny; a daughter of Klakharald king in Jutland; and a sister of Thrye Dannebod who was married to the Danish king; Gorm the Old; who then ruled over the Danish dominions。



6。 OF RAGNHILD'S DREAM。 

Ragnhild; who was wise and intelligent; dreamt great dreams。  She dreamt; for one; that she was standing out in her herb…garden; and she took a thorn out of her shift; but while she was holding the thorn in her hand it grew so that it became a great tree; one end of which struck itself down into the earth; and it became firmly rooted; and the other end of the tree raised itself so high in the air that she could scarcely see over it; and it became also wonderfully thick。  The under part of the tree was red with blood; but the stem upwards was beautifully green and the branches white as snow。  There were many and great limbs to the tree; some high up; others low down; and so vast were the tree's branches that they seemed to her to cover all Norway; and even much more。



7。 OF HALFDAN'S DREAM。 

King Halfdan never had dreams; which appeared to him an extraordinary circumstance; and he told it to a man called Thorleif Spake (the Wise); and asked him what his advice was about it。  Thorleif said that what he himself did; when he wanted to have any revelation by dream; was to take his sleep in a swine…sty; and then it never failed that he had dreams。  The king did so; and the following dream was revealed to him。  He thought he had the most beautiful hair; which was all in ringlets; some so long as to fall upon the ground; some reaching to the middle of his legs; some to his knees; some to his loins or the middle of his sides; some to his neck; and some were only as knots springing from his head。  These ringlets were of various colours; but one ringlet surpassed all the others in beauty; lustre; and size。  This dream he told to Thorleif; who interpreted it thus:  There should be a great posterity from him; and his descendants should rule over countries with great; but not all with equally great; honour; but one of his race should be more celebrated than all the others。  It was the opinion of people that this ringlet betokened King Olaf the Saint。

King Halfdan was a wise man; a man of truth and uprightness  who made laws; observed them himself; and obliged others to observe them。  And that violence should not come in place of the laws; he himself fixed the number of criminal acts in law; and the compensations; mulcts; or penalties; for each case; according to every one's birth and dignity (1)。

Queen Ragnhild gave birth to a son; and water was poured over him; and the name of Harald given him; and he soon grew stout and remarkably handsome。  As he grew up he became very expert at all feats; and showed also a good understanding。  He was much beloved by his mother; but less so by his father。


ENDNOTES:

(1)  The penalty; compensation; or manbod for every injury; due      the party injured; or to his family and next of kin if the      injury was the death or premeditated murder of the party;      appears to have been fixed for every rank and condition;      from the murder of the king down to the maiming or beating a      man's cattle or his slave。  A man for whom no compensation      was due was a dishonored person; or an outlaw。  It appears      to have been optional with the injured party; or his kin if      he had been killed; to take the mulct or compensation; or to      refuse it; and wait for an opportunity of taking vengeance      for the injury on the party who inflicted it; or on his kin。      A part of each mulct or compensation was due to the king;      and; these fines or penalties appear to have constituted a      

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