Heimskringla; Or, The Chronicle of the Kings of NorwaySnorri Sturluson
History
Heimskringla; Or, The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway
Snorri Sturluson
Iceland -- History; Norway -- History; Sagas -- Translations into English; Scandinavia -- History
Hjalte saw sufficiently that there was no hope of the king's listening
to any proposal of a peace, and desisted from speaking of it, and turned
the conversation to something else. When Hjalte, afterwards, came
into discourse with the king's daughter Ingegerd, he tells her his
conversation with the king. She told him she expected such an answer
from the king. Hjalte begged of her to say a good word to the king about
the matter, but she thought the king would listen as little to what she
said: "But speak about it I will, if thou requirest it." Hjalte assured
her he would be thankful for the attempt. One day the king's daughter
Ingegerd had a conversation with her father Olaf; and as she found her
father was in a particularly good humour, she said, "What is now thy
intention with regard to the strife with Olaf the Thick? There are many
who complain about it, having lost their property by it; others have
lost their relations by the Northmen, and all their peace and quiet; so
that none of your men see any harm that can be done to Norway. It would
be a bad counsel if thou sought the dominion over Norway; for it is a
poor country, difficult to come at, and the people dangerous: for the
men there will rather have any other for their king than thee. If I
might advise, thou wouldst let go all thoughts about Norway, and not
desire Olaf's heritage; and rather turn thyself to the kingdoms in the
East country, which thy forefathers the former Swedish kings had, and
which our relation Styrbjorn lately subdued, and let the thick Olaf
possess the heritage of his forefathers and make peace with him."
The king replies in a rage, "It is thy counsel, Ingegerd, that I should
let slip the kingdom of Norway, and give thee in marriage to this thick
Olaf."--"No," says he, "something else shall first take place. Rather
than that, I shall, at the Upsala Thing in winter, issue a proclamation
to all Swedes, that the whole people shall assemble for an expedition,
and go to their ships before the ice is off the waters; and I will
proceed to Norway, and lay waste the land with fire and sword, and burn
everything, to punish them for their want of fidelity."
The king was so mad with rage that nobody ventured to say a word, and
she went away. Hjalte, who was watching for her, immediately went to her
and asked how her errand to the king had turned out. She answered, it
turned out as she had expected; that none could venture to put in a word
with the king; but, on the contrary, he had used threats; and she begged
Hjalte never to speak of the matter again before the king. As Hjalte and
Ingegerd spoke together often, Olaf the Thick was often the subject, and
he told her about him and his manners; and Hjalte praised the king of
Norway what he could, but said no more than was the truth, and she could
well perceive it. Once, in a conversation, Hjalte said to her, "May I be
permitted, daughter of the king, to tell thee what lies in my mind?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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