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
Then said Sigvat to Thord, "What wilt thou rather do, comrade, waken the
king, or tell him the tidings?"
Thord replies, "I do not dare to waken him, and I would rather tell him
the news."
Then said Sigvat, "There is minch of the night still to pass, and before
morning Hrorek may get himself concealed in such a way that it may be
difficult to find him; but as yet he cannot be very far off, for the
bodies are still warm. We must never let the disgrace rest upon us of
concealing this treason from the king. Go thou, up to the lodging, and
wait for me there."
Sigvat then went to the church, and told the bell-ringer to toll for
the souls of the king's court-men, naming the men who were killed.
The-bell-ringer did as he was told. The king awoke at the ringing, sat
up in his bed, and asked if it was already the hours of matins.
Thord replies, "It is worse than that, for there has occurred a very
important affair. Hrorek is fled, and two of the court-men are killed."
The king asked how this had taken place, and Thord told him all he knew.
The king got up immediately, ordered to sound the call for a meeting of
the court, and when the people were assembled he named men to go out
to every quarter from the town, by sea and land, to search for Hrorek.
Thorer Lange took a boat, and set off with thirty men; and when day
dawned they saw two small boats before them in the channel, and when
they saw each other both parties rowed as hard as they could. King
Hrorek was there with thirty men. When they came quite close to each
other Hrorek and his men turned towards the land, and all sprang on
shore except the king, who sat on the aft seat. He bade them farewell,
and wished they might meet each other again in better luck. At the same
moment Thorer with his company rowed to the land. Fin the Little shot
off an arrow, which hit Thorer in the middle of the body, and was his
death; and Sigurd Hit, with his men, ran up into the forest. Thorer's
men took his body, and transported it, together with Hrorek, to
Tunsberg. King Olaf undertook himself thereafter to look after King
Hrorek, made him be carefully guarded, and took good care of his
treason, for which reason he had a watch over him night and day. King
Hrorek thereafter was very gay, and nobody could observe but that he was
in every way well satisfied.
85. OF HROREK'S ASSAULT.
It happened on Ascension-day that King Olaf went to high mass, and the
bishop went in procession around the church, and conducted the king; and
when they came back to the church the bishop led the king to his seat
on the north side of the choir. There Hrorek sat next to the king,
and concealed his countenance in his upper cloak. When Olaf had seated
himself Hrorek laid his hand on the king's shoulder, and felt it.
"Thou hast fine clothes on, cousin, today," said he.
King Olaf replies, "It is a festival today, in remembrance that Jesus
Christ ascended to heaven from earth."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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