The Childhood of King Erik Menved: An Historical RomanceIngemann, Bernhard Severin
History
The Childhood of King Erik Menved: An Historical Romance
Ingemann, Bernhard Severin
Denmark -- History -- Erik Glipping, 1259-1286 -- Fiction; Denmark -- History -- Erik Menved, 1286-1319 -- Fiction
Rané, since he had received the stroke of knighthood, seemed to have
acquired a spirit of daring which was strikingly manifested in his
whole deportment and appearance. His squeaking voice had, in the course
of the last half year, become transformed into a somewhat rough bass,
not deficient in strength; his reddish downy beard had become darker
and stronger; and the feminine expression of his countenance gave place
to one of strong and wild passionateness. The feeling of the important
influence he had acquired in these great state affairs, and the
dangerous position he had placed himself in, from which he could
extricate himself only by his own sagacity and abilities, gave a stamp
of confidence to his air and manner which considerably mitigated the
unpleasantness of his crafty smile.
At Tönsberg Castle dwelt the daughter of Jarl Mindre-Alf, Kirstine
Alfsdatter,[34] or Jomfru Buckleshoe, as she was called, from the large
gold buckles she wore. She was about sixteen years of age, strong,
plump, with dark brown hair, very lively blue eyes, and a pert, little,
turned-up nose. She had been brought up in Tönsberg, like a future
princess. Her mother died during her infancy, and her father she had
seldom seen. She had been indulged in every humour; and, whilst the
algrev was absent on his viking expeditions, his daughter lived free
and happy in the castle, where she soon ruled not only the old warden,
but the whole garrison.
Yet with all her wildness and self-will, she did not lack a certain
polish of education. Snorro's nephew, the famous Icelandic skald and
saga-writer, Sturlé Thordarson, had visited Tönsberg three years
previously, and shortly before his death; and this old man of
three score and ten, with his lively and characteristic narratives of
King Hagen Hagensen's exploits, and his spirit-stirring poems
respecting old Norwegian heroes, awakened in the heart of the young
girl so strong a desire for a life of activity, that, ever since, she
had formed no higher wish than to set out on a cruise like her father,
or live to see some grand event take place. A few months before the
period our narrative has reached, she had made the acquaintance of
Jomfru Ingé, who had followed her fugitive father to Tönsberg, and at
his wish had remained there, whilst he continued his journey to
Kongshelle, where most of the conspirators had found protection with
King Erik the Priest-hater and Duke Hakon.
Sir Lavé suffered much from witnessing the grief of his daughter,
occasioned by his treachery to the royal house of Denmark. Her presence
awoke a constant warfare and inquietude in his wavering soul. He could,
indeed, read nothing but filial solicitude in his daughter's looks,
since she had witnessed his repentance and his agony during their
flight from Viborg, after the king's funeral; yet, notwithstanding
this, he had embraced the first opportunity of separating from her.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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