Stories and Ballads of the Far Past: Translated from the Norse (Icelandic and Faroese) with Introductions and NotesChadwick, Nora K. (Nora Kershaw)
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Stories and Ballads of the Far Past: Translated from the Norse (Icelandic and Faroese) with Introductions and Notes
Chadwick, Nora K. (Nora Kershaw)
Folk songs, Scandinavian; Old Norse literature -- Translations into English; Sagas
Guest said: "I have told you my name truly, Sire, and I will gladly
receive your hospitality if I may."
The King told him he could have it readily. But since the day was far
spent, the King would not enter into conversation with his guest; for
he was going soon to vespers, and after that to dinner, and then to
bed and to sleep.
Now on that same night King Olaf Tryggvason was lying awake in his
bed and saying his prayers, while all the other men in the hall were
asleep. Then the King noticed that an elf or spirit of some kind had
come into the hall, though all the doors were locked. He made his way
past the beds of the men who were asleep there, one after another, and
at last reached the bed of a man at the far end.
Then the elf stopped and said: "An empty house, and a mighty strong
bolt on the door! People say that the King is the wisest of men. If he
were as clever in things of this kind as they say he would not sleep
so soundly."
After that he vanished through the door, locked as it was.
Early next morning the King sent his servant to find out who had
occupied that bed over night, and it proved to have been the stranger.
The King ordered him to be summoned before him and asked him whose son
he was.
He answered: "My father's name was Thorth. He was a Dane and was
called 'The Contentious,' and lived at a place called Groening in
Denmark."
"You are a well set-up man," said the King.
Guest was bold of speech, and bigger in build than most men. He looked
strong but was somewhat advanced in years. He asked the King if he
might stay for a while in his retinue. The King asked if he were
baptised. Guest said that he had been prime-signed but not baptised.
The King said that he was free to remain in his retinue, but added:
"You will not remain long unbaptised with me."
The reason for the elf's remark about the bolt was that Guest had
crossed himself, that evening like other men, but was in reality still
a heathen.
The King said: "Can you do anything in the way of sport or music?"
He replied that he could play the harp and tell stories which people
enjoyed.
Then said the King: "King Svein has no right to let unbaptised men
leave his kingdom and wander about from one country to another."
Guest replied: "You must not blame the King of the Danes for this,
for it is a long time since I left Denmark. In fact it was a long time
before the Emperor Otto burnt the Dane-work and forced King Harold
Gormsson and Earl Haakon the Heathen to become Christians."
The King questioned Guest about many subjects and he always gave him
good and intelligent answers. Men say that it was in the third year of
King Olaf's reign that Guest came to him.
In this year also there came to him two men called Grim who were sent
by Guthmund from Glasisvellir. They brought to the King as a present
from Guthmund two horns which were also called 'Grim.' They had also
some further business with the King which we will return later.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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