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
At Tönsberg Castle Jomfru Ingé again breathed freely, and conquered the
feelings of dejection which her father's presence had inspired. Still
it was to her a painful thought, that she was living in the castle
of a hostile pirate; for, while it belonged to a vassal like Jarl
Mindre-Alf, it did not seem to her like the ancient royal castle
erected by King Hagen Hagensen. The assurance that the rude
pirate-chief was not expected home for a considerable time, could alone
reconcile her; and her horror of the algrev did not extend to his
daughter.
The bold Norwegian girl and the high-souled daughter of the Danish
knight soon became intimate friends. Norwegian skald-songs and
Danish kæmpeviser seemed, from their lips, lays of the same stock.
Jomfru Buckleshoe rode out with her Danish friend to the fells, and
proudly exhibited to her the glories of her native land; whilst the
noble-hearted Ingé admired the land of rocks and Norwegian heroism with
as much sincerity, as she sang with pathos and animation the quiet
beauties of her own fatherland, and extolled her own faithful and
constant countrymen, who, in these unhappy times, were defending
against rebels the crown of Denmark and its youthful king.
Ingé's attachment to the royal house to which her father was opposed,
strongly influenced the courageous daughter of the jarl. This spirit of
independence recommended itself powerfully to the mind of the Norwegian
damsel. She was provoked that her own father and the King of Norway
should render assistance to the enemies of the youthful king, who, from
Lady Ingé's account of his dangerous situation, stood before her as the
personification of that peculiar form of adventure in which her
imagination was most prone to feel an interest.
One day, as the two maidens were riding by the strand, they perceived a
ship, under full sail, run into Tönsberg Fiord.
"See, see!" cried Kirstine, joyfully, "one of my father's galleys. And
seest thou that haughty knight by the prow? Who can it be? Take heed,
proud Ingé! 'tis one of thy countrymen, who can no longer bear thy
absence!"
"'Tis one of thy father's ships, Kirstine," replied Ingé, "and
therefore can bear no friend of mine or Denmark's. One only grieves my
absence, and he it cannot be: he would not forsake his king and country
in their need to visit me."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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