第 20 节
作者:北方网      更新:2021-02-24 22:10      字数:9322
  Gyda   was   the   name   of   their   daughter;   who   was   married   to   the   English
  King Edward; the Good (whom we call the Confessor)。
  〃When they had played a while; the King made a false move; on which
  the Jarl took a knight from him; but the King set the piece on the board
  again;   and   told   the   Jarl   to   make   another   move。   But   the   Jarl   flew   angry;
  tumbled the chess…board over; rose; and went away。 The King said; 'Run
  thy   ways;   Ulf   the   Fearful。'   The   Jarl   turned   round   at   the   door   and   said;
  'Thou wouldst have run farther at Helge river hadst thou been left to battle
  there。 Thou didst not call me Ulf the Fearful when I hastened to thy help
  while the   Swedes   were beating   thee like a dog。' The Jarl   then   went out;
  and went to bed。
  〃The following morning; while the King was putting on his clothes; he
  said to his footboy; 'Go thou to Jarl Ulf and kill him。' The lad went; was
  away a   while;   and then came back。 The King said; 'Hast thou killed   the
  Jarl?' 'I did not kill him; for he was gone to St。 Lucius's church。' There was
  a   man called Ivar the White; a Norwegian by  birth; who was the   King's
  courtman   and   chamberlain。 The   King   said   to   him;   'Go   thou   and   kill   the
  Jarl。'   Ivar   went   to   the   church;   and   in   at   the   choir;   and   thrust   his   sword
  through the Jarl; who died on the spot。 Then Ivar went to the King; with
  the bloody sword in his hand。
  〃The King said; 'Hast thou killed the Jarl?' 'I have killed him;' said he。
  'Thou hast done well;' answered the King。〃 I
  From   a   man   who   built   so   many   churches   (one   on   each   battlefield
  where he had fought; to say nothing of the others); and who had in him
  such depths of real devotion and other fine cosmic quality; this does seem
  rather strong! But it is characteristic; withal;of the man; and perhaps of
  the times still more。'14' In any case; it is an event worth noting; the slain
  Jarl   Ulf    and   his  connections      being    of   importance      in  the   history   of
  Denmark and of England also。 Ulf's wife was Astrid; sister of Knut; and
  their only child was Svein; styled afterwards 〃Svein Estrithson〃 (〃Astrid…
  son〃) when he became noted in the world;at this time a beardless youth;
  who;   on   the   back   of   this   tragedy;   fled   hastily   to   Sweden;   where   were
  68
  … Page 69…
  EARLY KINGS OF NORWAY。
  friends of Ulf。 After some ten years' eclipse there; Knut and both his sons
  being now dead; Svein reappeared in Denmark under a new and eminent
  figure; 〃Jarl of Denmark;〃 highest Liegeman to the then sovereign there。
  Broke his oath to said sovereign; declared himself; Svein Estrithson; to be
  real   King   of   Denmark;   and;   after   much   preliminary   trouble;   and   many
  beatings   and disastrous flights to   and   fro; became   in   effect such;to   the
  wonder of mankind; for he had not had one victory to cheer him on; or any
  good luck or merit that one sees; except that of surviving longer than some
  others。   Nevertheless   he   came   to   be   the   Restorer;   so   called;   of   Danish
  independence; sole remaining representative of Knut (or Knut's sister); of
  Fork…beard; Blue…tooth; and Old Gorm; and ancestor of all the subsequent
  kings of Denmark for some 400 years; himself coming; as we see; only by
  the Distaff side; all of the Sword or male side having died so soon。 Early
  death;  it   has   been   observed;   was   the   Great   Knut's   allotment;   and   all   his
  posterity's   as   well;fatal   limit   (had   there   been   no   others;   which   we   see
  there     were)    to   his   becoming       〃Charlemagne        of   the   North〃     in   any
  considerable degree! Jarl Ulf; as we have seen; had a sister; Gyda by name;
  wife   to   Earl   Godwin   (〃Gudin   Ulfnadsson;〃   as   Snorro   calls   him)   a   very
  memorable   Englishman;   whose   son   and   hers;   King   Harald;   _Harold_   in
  English books; is the memorablest of all。 These things ought to be better
  known to English antiquaries; and will perhaps be alluded to again。
  This pretty little victory or affront; gained over Knut in _Lymfjord_;
  was among the last successes of Olaf against that mighty man。 Olaf; the
  skilful   captain   he   was;   need   not   have   despaired   to   defend   his   Norway
  against   Knut   and   all   the   world。   But   he   learned   henceforth;   month   by
  month   ever   more   tragically;  that his   own   people;  seeing softer prospects
  under Knut; and in particular the chiefs of them; industriously bribed by
  Knut   for   years   past;   had   fallen   away   from   him;   and   that   his   means   of
  defence   were   gone。   Next   summer;   Knut's   grand   fleet   sailed;   unopposed;
  along the coast of Norway; Knut summoning a Thing every here and there;
  and     in  all   of   them    meeting     nothing     but    sky…high     acclamation      and
  acceptance。 Olaf; with some twelve little ships; all he now had; lay quiet in
  some safe fjord; near Lindenaes; what we now call the Naze; behind some
  little solitary isles on the southeast of Norway there; till triumphant Knut
  69
  … Page 70…
  EARLY KINGS OF NORWAY。
  had streamed home again。 Home to England again 〃Sovereign of Norway〃
  now; with nephew Hakon appointed Jarl and Vice…regent under him! This
  was the news Olaf met on venturing out; and that his worst anticipations
  were not beyond the sad truth all; or almost all; the chief Bonders and men
  of weight in Norway had declared against him; and stood with triumphant
  Knut。
  Olaf; with his twelve poor ships; steered vigorously along the coast to
  collect money and force;if such could now anywhere be had。 He himself
  was     resolute   to  hold   out;   and   try。  〃Sailing   swiftly    with   a  fair  wind;
  morning   cloudy   with   some   showers;〃   he   passed   the   coast   of   Jedderen;
  which   was   Erling      Skjalgson's   country;   when   he   got   sure   notice   of   an
  endless multitude of ships; war…ships; armed merchant ships; all kinds of
  shipping…craft; down to fishermen's boats; just getting under way against
  him;   under   the   command   of   Erling   Skjalgson;   the   powerfulest   of   his
  subjects; once much a   friend of Olaf's but now gone   against him to   this
  length; thanks to Olaf's severity of justice; and Knut's abundance in gold
  and promises for years back。 To that complexion had it come with Erling;
  sailing with this immense assemblage of the naval people and populace of
  Norway to seize King Olaf; and bring him to the great Knut dead or alive。
  Erling    had   a  grand    new   ship   of  his   own;   which    far  outsailed    the
  general miscellany of rebel ships; and was visibly fast gaining distance on
  Olaf himself;who well understood what Erling's puzzle was; between the
  tail   of   his   game   (the   miscellany   of   rebel   ships;   namely)   that   could   not
  come up; and the head or general prize of the game which was crowding
  all sail   to get   away;   and   Olaf   took   advantage   of   the   same。   〃Lower   your
  sails!〃 said Olaf to his men (though we must go slower)。
  〃Ho you; we have lost sight of them!〃 said Erling to his; and put on all
  his speed; Olaf going; soon after this; altogether invisible;behind a little
  island that he knew of; whence into a certain fjord or bay (Bay of Fungen
  on the maps); which he thought would suit him。  〃Halt here; and get out
  your arms;〃 said Olaf; and had not to wait long till Erling came bounding
  in; past the rocky promontory; and with astonishment beheld Olaf's fleet of
  twelve     with   their   battle…axes    and    their  grappling…irons      all  in  perfect
  readiness。   These   fell   on   him;   the   unready   Erling;   simultaneous;   like   a
  70
  … Page 71…
  EARLY KINGS OF NORWAY。
  cluster   of    angry   bees;    and   in  a   few   minutes   cleared      his   ship  of  men
  altogether;   except   Erling   himself。   Nobody   asked   his   life;   nor   probably
  would have got it if he had。 Only Erling still stood erect on a high place on
  the   poop;   fiercely   defensive;   and   very   difficult   to   get   at。   〃Could   not   be
  reached   at   all;〃   says   Snorro;   〃except   by   spears   or   arrows;   and   these   he
  warded   off   with   untiring   dexterity;   no   man   in   Norway;   it   was   said;   had
  ever defended himself so long alone against many;〃an almost invincible
  Erling; had his   cause  been good。  Olaf himself noticed   Erling's behavior;
  and said to him