Olaf the Glorious: A Story of the Viking Age

by Robert Leighton

  CHAPTER VI: THE TRAINING OF OLAF.

  Very much of this story that Sigurd had told was strangely new to Olaf,and even the parts that he had before been familiar with came to himwith fresh meaning. He had known all along of his descent from KingHarald Fairhair, but not until now did he fully and clearly understandthat by the death of his father and of all his father's brothers he washimself at this moment the sole heir to the throne of Norway. Now forthe first time he realized that during all that past time, when he hadbeen living as a poor and wretched bondslave in Esthonia, he had heldthis glorious birthright.

  As he lay on his bed that night, thinking over all that he had heard,he tried to comprehend all that it must mean to him in the future, andin his own boyish way he made great resolves of how, when the fittingmoment should come, he would sail across the sea, and, landing on theshores of Norway, tell his people the story of his royal birth andheritage, so that they might know him and acknowledge him their king,even as they had acknowledged Hakon the Good. But in the midst of hisdreaming there came to him the remembrance of the crime that he hadjust committed, and he began to dread that King Valdemar might hold himguilty, and order him to be slain.

  All through the long night this dread haunted him. He had killed JarlKlerkon, and the sense of his own guilt now preyed upon him like aterrible nightmare. He wondered by what means they would take his life.Would they smite off his head with a sharp sword or shoot an arrow intohis heart, or would they slowly torture him to death? Perhaps theywould deem him too young to be thus punished by the taking of his life;but if they spared his life he would none the less be punished, forthey would throw him into the dark prison that he had once seen underthe king's castle, and there they would leave him to languish in chainsfor many years, so that his strength would go from him, and he would beno longer fit to be called a king.

  Not for a moment did Olaf think of allowing his Uncle Sigurd to takethe punishment for his crime. He knew that Sigurd had made no idleoffer when he had said that he would give up his life for his sake; butSigurd was guiltless, and it would be a coward's act to allow him tomake this sacrifice. With all his newborn hopes burning within him, itwas a hard thing for Olaf to think of death. Nevertheless, before thenight was half spent he had resolved to take whatever punishment shouldbe meted out to him, and if need be to face even death with a braveheart.

  Early on the next morning he was awakened from his sleep by the touchof rough hands upon him. His own hands were seized, and heavy chainswere bound upon his wrists and ankles. Then he was taken away andthrust into a dark cell that was cold, and damp, and airless. No foodwas given to him, and very soon the pangs of hunger made him wild andrestless. A sudden dread came upon him that they meant to starve him todeath. But not long had he been imprisoned before the heavy door wasagain thrown open, and he was summoned forth. Two men of the king'sbodyguard led him into the great hall, where he was met by a loudclamour of voices. He looked about him fearlessly at the crowd oftownsfolk and vikings, who were there, as he now well knew, to bearwitness against him and to hear him condemned. As he stood facing themthe vikings broke into fierce cries for speedy vengeance, and he feltthe hot blood rush to his cheeks and brow. His clear blue eyes flashedin bold challenge as one of the seamen called out aloud:

  "Death to him! Death to the slayer of our chief!" Then one of theking's lawmen demanded silence, and Olaf was made to turn with his faceto the high seat. There sat King Valdemar in his robes of justice, andwith his naked sword lying before him on the oaken table. At his rightside sat Queen Allogia, with her eyes fixed gravely upon the youngcriminal.

  Presently, when there was complete silence, Olaf's accuser steppedforward, and making the sign of Thor's hammer, spoke aloud. He wasnamed Rand the Strong, and the vikings had chosen him as their captainin the place of the dead Jarl Klerkon. He told very truthfully how theyoung prisoner had made his attack upon Klerkon, and showed that it wasin no mean and underhand way that he had committed this crime, but withsuch boldness that none had guessed what was happening until they sawKlerkon fall to the ground with the lad's axe buried deep in his skull.

  Then came others, both townsfolk and seafolk, declaring that Rand hadspoken truly. And so when all who accused the boy had spoken, Sigurd,the king's steward, was bidden to rise and say what he knew in Olaf'sfavour.

  "The boy is my own servant," said he, "and I bought him as a thrallfrom a certain yeoman in Esthonia. I know no ill against him, and itwas not in his nature to commit any violent act without cause. Rash hecertainly was in killing this viking without due warning. But JarlKlerkon was a man whose skill and prowess have made him well known onall the seas where the vikings are wont to do battle, and I think hemight easily have defended himself against this child, who, as you haveheard, attacked him face to face in the full daylight. As to the causeof this attack it was this: some seven summers back Jarl Klerkonassailed and captured a certain merchant ship, on board of which werethis boy Ole, his mother, and his foster father. Klerkon slew the boy'sfoster father and sold the mother and her child into bondage. The boytook oath of vengeance, which oath he has now fulfilled. Now,"continued Sigurd, raising his voice so that all could hear, "it is notlawful for any Esthonian viking to attack a peaceful trading ship; butKlerkon assuredly did this, and I therefore hold that it was he who wasthe aggressor. For this reason, and also on account of his youth, Icrave that the boy's life be spared."

  While Sigurd was speaking, Olaf's eyes rested upon the queen. He sawher lean over and whisper in the king's ear. The king nodded andsmiled, waited until there was silence, and then said briefly:

  "Little question is there that the offender is guilty. He is guilty,and must suffer the penalty of his crime. But as he is still littlemore than a child in years the penalty will not be death, but thepayment of a heavy fine. He will, therefore, pay to the vikings whom hehas injured the sum of two hundred gold marks."

  Now Olaf deemed this judgment very hard, for he had not the moneywherewith to pay this fine. But his life had been spared, and that wasa great matter. It might be that Sigurd Erikson, who was as he knewvery wealthy, would help him to meet the weregild.

  Meanwhile the vikings had put their heads together in council. Theydecided that as the young murderer's death would in no way profit themthey would accept the fine. But there was yet something that seemed totrouble them, and at last Rand the Strong came forward before the king.

  "We are well content with thy judgment, O king," said he, "and we agreethat on receiving this money we shall not molest the lad any longer onaccount of this matter. But we are told that he is only a thrall, andthat there is no hope of our getting the gold from him. Therefore weclaim that he shall die the death."

  Olaf looked towards his uncle as if expecting that he would at onceoffer to pay this gold. But Sigurd's eyes were fixed upon QueenAllogia, who now slowly rose from her seat and held up her hand tosilence the loud murmur of voices that filled the hall.

  "As to this money," said she, addressing the vikings in a clear ringingvoice, "there is no need that you concern yourselves. The gold shallnow be paid to you in full. It is here!" she cried, throwing down a bagof coins upon the table. "Now, loosen the boy's chains! Loosen hischains and set him free."

  Then Olaf's warders unbound him, and at a sign from the queen hestepped to the table and took up the bag of gold and carried it to Randthe Strong, who received it from him with willing hands, bidding theboy have no further fear.

  On that same day the vikings departed out of Holmgard not ill pleased,for they went away much richer than they had come, and none of themseemed at all sorry at the loss of their chief. Jarl Klerkon had goneto Valhalla, they said, and he was surely happier than they.

  Now on the day after the paying of the weregild Olaf had audience withQueen Allogia, and he thanked her well for the great friendship she hadshown him.

  "Little do I deserve your thanks, Prince Olaf," said she. "What I havedone is no more than I would wish any other woman to do for my own sonif he were so
hardly dealt with in a foreign land. And now," she added,"since I have at length learned of what great kin you are, it is mywish that you shall be received here as becomes your royal birth, andthat you shall be educated as behoves a king's son. Too young are youyet to bear arms as a warrior. For the present, therefore, you shallattend upon me as my page, and you will be treated with all kindness."

  Not as a servant, but rather as an honoured courtier was OlafTriggvison received after this time. He was twelve winters old when hecame into Holmgard, and he abode in King Valdemar's service other fivewinters. Little can be told of his life during those years. They wereyears of preparation for his great work in the after time; and althoughhe learnt very much and acquired a large part of the skill that was tomake him famous among men, yet his days were without adventure.

  There was one matter which had sorely troubled him for many a long day,and this was the thought of his mother living in bondage. Little did heremember of those early times when she had done so much for his sake;he had been too young then to understand what sacrifices Queen Astridhad made and what privations she had endured. But ever as he grew olderhe thought more of her, and it pained him very much to know that evennow, when he was living in comfort, with good food and rich apparel,she, to whom he owed so much, was perhaps labouring as a bondswomanunder some cruel master.

  On a certain summer morning he sat in the queen's presence, playingupon a little harp that Allogia had given to him. And as his deftfingers touched the trembling strings he chanted a little song, tellingof how the giant Loki, in punishment for all the ills he had done togods and men, was bound by strong cords against the walls of a cave,with a serpent suspended over him dropping venom into his face drop bydrop; and of how Sigyn his wife took pity on him and stood by him forhundreds of years, catching the drops as they fell in a cup which sheheld.

  Suddenly in the midst of his song Olaf stopped. The queen looked roundat him and saw that there were tears in his eyes.

  "Why do you weep?" she asked. "Are you not happy, Olaf?"

  "Happy enough am I for my own sake," he replied. "It was the thought ofmy mother that brought the tears to my eyes. I was thinking that whatSigyn did for the wicked giant was just such a good act as my motherwould do for anyone whom she loved."

  "Marvellous it seems to me," said Allogia, "that we can never learnwhat has become of the good Queen Astrid."

  "I think," returned Olaf, "that if ever I were to journey into EsthoniaI might get some tidings of her. The last that I heard of her was thatshe had been sold to a rich fisherman named Hallstein, who made herlabour at cleaning the fish for him and mending his nets."

  "A sorry occupation for a queen to be at!" Allogia said with a sigh."But if it be that you have any hope of finding her, then it would bewell if you made that journey you speak of. Sigurd Erikson goes northto Esthonia in three days' time, on business for the king. Will you notgo with him?"

  "Gladly will I go with him," answered Olaf, "if it be that I may."

  Well, on the third day Olaf and Sigurd mounted their horses, and with agood company of men-at-arms set off on their journey over the rockyplains. Five days were they riding before they came within sight of theblue sea with its ships and its quiet green islands. That sight broughta restless yearning into Olaf's spirit. It seemed as if nothing wouldnow content him but that he should go out upon the wide ocean and spendall his days in roving. And so much did he speak of the ships and ofthe viking life that when at last the time came for the return toHolmgard, Sigurd Erikson had hard work to win the boy away with him.

  While Sigurd was dealing with the people concerning the king'sbusiness, Olaf Triggvison went about from place to place in quest oftidings of Queen Astrid. But nothing certain could he learn, for hedared not say that the woman he sought was the widow of King Triggvi,and when he told of her fairness those whom he questioned only shooktheir heads. They had seen many bondswomen who were fair, they said,and how could they tell that any one of them was she whom the younghersir was now seeking? At last Olaf found his way to the house ofHallstein the fisher, only to hear that Hallstein had been drowned inthe sea full five winters before. But Olaf described his mother to thefisher's widow, who bade him fare to a certain yeoman named EinarUlfsson, at a farmstead over the hills. So Olaf took horse and rodeaway to this man and questioned him concerning Astrid. Einar rememberedher, for she had been his bondwoman for two summers. He had sold her,he said, to a stranger, who had taken her on board his ship and carriedher away across the seas. This was the last trace of his mother thatOlaf could discover, and he went back to Sigurd Erikson and told himwhat he had learned. Sigurd was very sad at this, for he loved hissister, and it pained him to think that she was still in slavery, when,if she could but be found, she might live in comfort and happiness. Buthe bade Olaf to be hopeful, "for," said he, "I think it may be thatsome friendly man has bought her and taken her home to Norway. And ifthat be so, then we shall soon learn the truth. I will send messengersto Ofrestead, and my father, Earl Erik, will surely find her if she isto be found."

  Now when Olaf returned to Holmgard it was with the resolve that hewould not long remain in this foreign land, but would take his firstchance to go west over sea to the country of his birth. He had seen theships passing along the rocky coasts of Esthonia; he had breathed thefresh free air of the sea, and the viking blood in him had been roused.His spirit was filled with the ambition to be the commander of a greatwarship, and to rove the ocean as his father had done, to visit distantlands and to make himself glorious in battle. But well he knew that tofit himself for the viking life he must increase his strength of bodyand acquire even greater skill than he now had in the use of allwarlike weapons. So he set himself the task of excelling in the gamesand exercises that were then known and practised.

  Already he had been taught by his uncle to read runes, to recite sagas,to play upon the harp, to carve wood, to twist string, to bend a bow,and to shaft an arrow. These and many other arts had come easy to hisactive mind and his deft fingers. All that a man of peace need know heknew full well. Nor had he neglected to give thought to the religion ofhis times. Every day he went into the temple to bow down in devoutworship of the heathen gods, to take part in the rites and ceremoniesof his faith, and even to offer sacrifice to Thor and Odin. The gravenimage of Odin was to him, as to most of the Norsemen, a sacred and aholy thing. When he took oath it was by the sign of Thor's hammer thathe swore; he knew the names and the special powers of all the gods inAsgard, and Valhalla was the heaven to which, after death, he hoped togo.

  But these arts and this religion would not alone fit him for fulfillinghis ambition. To be such a great viking as he dreamed of becoming hemust learn how to use his sword, how to wield his battleaxe, how tothrow a spear and to shoot an arrow with greater skill than any otherman could boast. He must learn, too, how to defend himself, and how, ifwounded, to bear pain without shrinking. He was a king's son, and to beworthy of his father it was well that he should excel even the fullgrown men who had been well tried in battle and who had never known themeaning of defeat.

  To this end Olaf remained three other years in Holmgard, which time hespent in making himself strong. In the neighbouring waters of LakeIlmen he practised swimming, and with such success that at last hecould remain under the surface for many minutes, diving off a ship'sprow and coming up again under her steering board. So quickly andstrongly could he swim that no man rowing in a boat could keep levelwith him. He could ride the wildest horse in the king's stable. Atrunning and jumping no man could surpass him. In the use of the swordhe was so expert that he could wield the weapon with either hand, andhe could throw two spears at once. Never was he known to shoot an arrowwithout hitting the mark. So long as daylight served him he was alwaysto be found performing some manly feat.

  But in these matters it was not his training alone that aided him.Nature had given him a very beautiful and powerful frame, with wellproportioned limbs, clear quick eyesight, and wonderful strength toendure all fatigue. Also, throug
h all his life he was never known to beafraid of any danger or to shrink before any enemy. Other men of hisrace have won undying renown, but Olaf Triggvison has ever beenaccounted the fairest and tallest and strongest of all the heroes ofScandinavia, and in prowess surpassing all the warriors told of in thesagas.