"You tell me so much about Christ," said Rorek, "which I don"t understand, and therefore can"t remember; although, to be sure, many incredible things may have happened in ancient times."
When the ma.s.s commenced, Olaf arose, raised his hands above his head, and bowed toward the altar, so that his cloak fell from his shoulders.
Swift as a flash Rorek sprang forward and made a lunge with his dagger at the place where the king had stood. The cloak was rent in twain, but the forward inclination of the king"s body saved him. Rorek made a second thrust, but Olaf had by this time rushed out upon the floor, and was beyond his reach.
"Fleest thou now, Olaf the Big," shouted Rorek, "from me who am blind?"
He had put his hand on the king"s shoulder merely to feel if he wore armor. The would-be murderer was now seized, but though many urged him, Olaf refused to put him to death. Being, however, compelled to protect himself from his machinations, he sent Rorek to Iceland, where, a few years later, he died. All the shire-kings had now lost their power, and for the first time in the history of Norway, no one had royal t.i.tle in all the country except the king. It was as the representatives of a narrow local patriotism, which was shared by a large number of the people, that these men had been formidable, and to weld all the scattered tribes into one nation would have been impossible, without first breaking their power. But as has already been observed, to break their power, as long as the Asa faith was the national religion, was out of the question; because the old tribal chieftainships embraced also the priesthoods, and the hereditary dignity of the local priest-kings was thus hallowed by all the religious as well as the political traditions of the tribe. King Olaf"s zeal for the Christianization of the country had, therefore, its political as well as its religious aspect; and it was no mere coincidence that he directed his energy simultaneously against the old G.o.ds and the men who derived the chief benefit from their worship. During the years of peace from 1020-1026 he devoted himself with unflagging ardor to this task of eradicating every vestige of heathenism, and bringing the laws and inst.i.tutions of the land into conformity with the religion of Christ. It was a n.o.ble task and, if we overlook a certain tendency to violence which was in the spirit of the age, n.o.bly performed. To perform it completely would have been a superhuman labor. The ideals and sentiments of men, of which their inst.i.tutions are but the expression, do not change radically in the course of one or two generations. There are traces of a gradual change of sentiment, even before the days of Olaf Haroldsson, in favor of gentler and more peaceful ideals. Not only by b.l.o.o.d.y deeds was honor acquired, but a man could by just and honorable conduct, and particularly by insight into the law, make for himself a respected position, even if he was reluctant to unsheath the sword. Instances of this kind are, however, rare, and to draw general inferences from them would be hazardous. War was the Norseman"s occupation, and his G.o.ds were war-G.o.ds. A life full of warlike achievements, and after death an honorable fame, he had been taught to regard as the worthiest objects of aspiration. Asceticism and humility he looked upon with pitying disdain, and the sublimity of self-sacrificing suffering, as revealed in Christ, could scarcely appeal to him. A G.o.d who consented to be slain by his enemies must have appeared to him quite an incomprehensible being, whose feebleness contrasted strikingly with the grandeur of the thundering Thor. The joys of Valhalla, the _valkyrias_ with the mead-horns, the daily diet of pork, the exhilarating tumult of never-ending combat, and the glorious companionship with departed heroes, were in conformity with the ideas of happiness which his life and training had fostered; while the Christian heaven, with its prospect of unending praise, in the company of saints who had no taste for fight or craving for honor, must, by comparison, have appeared ineffably dreary. It is told of a Frisian chieftain, who was about to be baptized, that he suddenly turned to the priest and asked him where his brave forefathers were who had died unbaptized.
[Ill.u.s.tration: KNIVES OF IRON FOUND IN HEDEMARKEN AND HADELAND.]
"They are in h.e.l.l," answered the priest.
"Then," said the chief, flinging off his baptismal robe and stepping out of the water, "I will rather be in h.e.l.l with Odin and my forefathers, who were brave and n.o.ble men, than in heaven with cowardly Christians and bald-headed monks."
It will be seen, then, that the relapse into paganism which followed the death of Olaf Tryggvesson was what might have been expected; and the general reaction against the new faith which set in during the reign of the earls was also quite natural. Olaf, Haroldsson, therefore, had, in a large measure, to do the work of his kinsman over again, and he did it with such energy that, in the end, he forced the expiring Asa faith, and the tribal magnates who founded their power upon it, into a mortal combat in which he himself succ.u.mbed, while the religion of Christ rose from his tomb, victorious.
King Olaf was by nature well equipped for his mission. He had a robust frame, indomitable will, and great endurance. There was something in his very build and look which indicated that he was not to be trifled with. It was not the youthful enthusiasm of an Olaf Tryggvesson which inspired his measures for the propagation of the faith; but rather a firm, dogged determination to accomplish a task, the moral and political importance of which had strongly impressed him. We need not question his sincerity because in serving G.o.d he also served himself. All his habits and actions seem to show that he was by conviction and temperament a religious man. But a fanatic he was not; and the legends which in later times cl.u.s.tered about his name have, by attributing to him an undue ardor, distorted his image. He was, in spite of his later sainthood, a strong-willed, ambitious, and worldly-wise man; far-seeing in his plans, business-like in his methods, relentless in his hates, ruthless in his punishments. And yet, as we have seen him in his treatment of Rorek, he was by no means devoid of pity, and could, when occasion demanded, show himself magnanimous.
His severity, which the sagas comment upon, was never wanton; but was in proportion to the magnitude of the offence. Robbers, thieves, and vikings who plundered within the land he punished with death, no matter whether their birth was high or low; because the extirpation of the old predatory spirit with its internecine feuds was the first condition for the establishment of a united nationality.
In appearance King Olaf was of middle height, large-limbed, broad-necked, of florid complexion, and inclined to corpulence. He wore a full red beard, and his eyes were piercing and of great brilliancy.
In spite of his stoutness, he was brisk in his motions and of active habits. He was a good judge of men, and staunch in his friendship to those who did him faithful service. He selected Bishop Grimkel, an Englishman, though probably of Norse blood, to elaborate a Christian law, and revise the previous legislation so as to bring it into accord with the teaching of Christ. Although himself no scholar, he valued theological learning, and showed great favor to the priests whom he brought over from England to instruct the people. Such instruction was indeed needed; for during the journeys which the king undertook through the length and breadth of the land for the purpose of "inquiring into the condition of Christianity," he made the most disheartening discoveries. During his sojourn in Nidaros he ascertained that the Tronders, in spite of their a.s.sertions to the contrary, were in the habit of celebrating the old pagan festivals and offering up sacrifices to Odin and Frey for good crops. The chieftain, Oelve of Egge, who had twice deceived the king in regard to the practices of the peasants, and himself partic.i.p.ated in them, was slain, and a great number of others who had been similarly guilty were killed, maimed, or outlawed, and their estates confiscated. In Guldbrandsdale the peasants had the hardihood to send eight hundred armed men against the king, under the leadership of Alf, son of Dale-Guldbrand, the first chieftain in the valley. The battle was, however, scarcely opened when the peasants fled, and Dale-Guldbrand invited Olaf to hold _thing_ with them and deliberate concerning the change of faith. To the king"s request that the men of Guldbrandsdale should believe in the one G.o.d and be baptized, Dale-Guldbrand replied:
"We know not of whom thou art speaking; for thou callest him a G.o.d whom neither thou canst see nor any one else. I cannot ask help of any one whom I do not see or know. Then we have a very different kind of G.o.d whom we can look at every day. The reason why he is not out to-day is that it is raining so hard. But I dare say that when you get sight of him you will be frightened, nay, quite terrified because of his might.
But if there is any truth in what thou sayest, that thy G.o.d is so powerful, then let him arrange it so that to-morrow we shall have cloudy weather but no rain."
The next morning the _thing_ again met, and the sky was overcast, but no drop of rain fell. The king ordered the ma.s.s to be celebrated by Bishop Sigurd, who preached to the peasants about the miracles which Christ had wrought when he was on earth. On the third day the people again came to the _thing_, this time bearing a great image of the G.o.d Thor, which they placed upon the green. The weather was still cloudy, but without rain.
From out of the throng of the peasants Dale-Guldbrand arose and said:
"Where is now thy G.o.d, king? He wears his chin beard pretty low now, and methinks that thou art not so bold as thou wast yesterday, nor is the horned man at thy side who is called the bishop. For now our G.o.d has come who rules over all things, and he is looking at you with his fierce eyes. I see now that you are full of fear and scarcely dare look into his eyes. Therefore give up your folly and believe in our G.o.d who holds your fate in his hand."
To this the king replied:
"Many things thou hast spoken to us this day, and thou art wondering that thou canst not see our G.o.d. But I think he will soon come to us.
Thou wishest to frighten us with thy G.o.d, who is both deaf and blind, and can save neither himself nor others; who cannot stir from the spot unless he is carried. Now I have a foreboding that he will soon come to grief. For, behold! Look eastward! There our G.o.d is coming with much light,"
Just at that moment the sun burst through the clouds, and the peasants all turned toward the east. But instantly Kolbjorn the Strong, at a sign from the king, struck the idol with his club, so that it burst into many pieces. Out leaped rats as big as cats, snakes, and lizards, which had fattened on the delicacies with which the G.o.d had daily been fed. A terrible consternation seized the peasants when they saw what their G.o.d contained. They fled to the river; but Olaf, who had foreseen this, had bored holes in their boats so that they were unable to float them. Quite subdued in spirit, they were compelled to return to the _thing_-meadow, where the king addressed them in these words: * * * "Now you see what power there was in your G.o.d, to whom you bore silver and gold and bread and meat, and who it was that enjoyed it all. It was mice and snakes, vipers and toads. * * * Take now your gold and ornaments, which lie scattered on the ground, and bring them home to your wives, but hang them no more on logs and stones. Now I will give you the choice of two things. Either you shall accept the Christian faith or you shall fight with me this day. He will win to whom the G.o.d in whom we trust will give victory."
The peasants were in no mood to fight; and therefore, after the discomfiture of their G.o.d, declared their faith in Christ and were baptized by the king"s bishop. Priests were left behind to instruct them, and Dale-Guldbrand built the first church in Guldbrandsdale.
After having with the same firm hand put down paganism in Hedemarken and Raumarike, Olaf called a great _thing_ at Eidsvold, where the Eidsivia law was proclaimed and adopted for all the Oplands. It was his intention to revise the laws of all the judicial districts in the same spirit, and he naturally turned his attention to the western coast-shires, which belonged under the jurisdiction of the _Gula-thing"s_ law. But these shires were part of Erling Skjalgsson"s fief, which extended from Lindesness to the Sogne Fjord. Having small faith in Erling"s friendship, which on a previous occasion had been pledged to him, Olaf prepared to travel with a large force through his shires; and as the crops had partly failed in the northern shires, he forbade all exportation of grain from the districts which he meant to traverse. This was merely a measure of self-protection, and though oppressive in its effect, was prompted by no unfriendly motive. Erling"s nephew, the young chief Aasbjorn Sigurdsson, of Haalogaland, in spite of the prohibition, with the connivance of his uncle, bought malt and grain of the latter"s thralls, and was in consequence deprived of his cargo by the king"s steward, Th.o.r.e Sel, at Agvaldsness. In return for this he killed the steward in the king"s presence, was seized, and sentenced to death, but forcibly liberated by his uncle. Enraged by this unexampled audacity, the king came near taking summary vengeance upon Erling, but allowed himself to be persuaded by Bishop Sigurd to make peace, on condition that Aasbjorn should surrender himself to his mercy. The second sentence was, however, according to the notions of those days, severer than the first. Olaf demanded of the young chief that he should perform the service of the man he had slain. Any personal service, even under a king, was held to be degrading and unworthy of a freeman. The royal stewards were usually men of low birth; sometimes even thralls or sons of thralls. For a man of ill.u.s.trious lineage to take the place of such a minion would be tantamount to accepting a badge of servitude.
Aasbjorn, therefore, broke his promise, relying upon Erling Skjalgsson, and his father"s brother, the powerful Th.o.r.e Hund of Bjarko, to shield him from the king"s vengeance. In this, however, he made a miscalculation. For one day, as he was sailing in his fine ship along the coast, another ship pa.s.sed him, from which a spear was hurled forth that transfixed him. This spear was thrown by a friend of the king.
Aasbjorn"s mother, Sigrid, made a great funeral feast over her son, and gave each of the guests gifts by which to remember him. Only Th.o.r.e Hund of Bjarko received no gift. But when the time came for departing, Sigrid accompanied him down to his ship and gave him a spear inscribed with strange runes.
"This spear it was," she said, "which pierced my son Aasbjorn. It is yet sticky with his blood. * * * It would be a brave deed, if thou didst part with this spear in such wise that it stuck in the heart of Olaf the Big, and I declare thee as a nithing before all men, if thou dost not avenge Aasbjorn."
Th.o.r.e Hund remembered this injunction, six years later, at the battle of Stiklestad.
There could now no longer be any question of peace between Olaf and the race of Erling Skjalgsson. A decisive conflict was inevitable, and each party began to make preparations for utterly crushing the other. King Knut the Mighty, of England and Denmark, took advantage of this state of things, and by bribes and promises encouraged the discontented chieftains throughout the land to unite in revolt against the tyrannical king. Secret messengers from Knut were sent with presents to nearly all the heads of the tribal aristocracy, and the friendliest reception awaited those of them who went to England. Two of Erling Skjalgsson"s sons, who visited Knut in London, were quite dazzled by the splendor and friendliness of the English king. In thus maturing the revolt, Knut"s first purpose was to punish Olaf for his insolence in refusing to consider his claim to Norway, which in an emba.s.sy (1024) he had threatened to enforce. Secondly, it tallied well with his ambitious dream of uniting England and the three Scandinavian countries in one grand monarchy, which in the north might counterbalance the German and French power in the south.
Olaf did not long remain ignorant of King Knut"s machinations; and he took immediate measures to protect himself. He spent the winter (1025-1026) in Sarpsborg, and not, as usual, in Nidaros; for he had learned that Knut was in Denmark and contemplated an invasion of Norway.
Viken, being the province nearest Denmark, and having formerly belonged to the Danish kings, would naturally be exposed to the first attack. In order to strengthen himself further, he entered into an alliance with his brother-in-law, the Swedish King Anund Jacob, impressing upon him the probability that his own turn would come next, in case Knut gained possession of Norway. When Knut heard of this, he too sent an emba.s.sy to Anund Jacob, for the purpose of winning his friendship, or at least secure his neutrality. The emba.s.sadors supported their arguments with splendid gifts; and King Anund was no doubt sorely tempted to listen to them. First they put two candlesticks of gold on the table.
"A very pretty toy is that," said Anund, "but I will not, in order to get it, break with Olaf."
A golden platter of rare workmanship, and set with jewels, was placed before him. He gazed longingly at it; but finally cried out: "A glorious treasure is that; but I will not sell King Olaf for a dish."
The spokesman of the emba.s.sy, talking eagerly in his master"s behalf, at last pulled out two gorgeous rings.
"King Knut has much shrewdness," e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Anund, "for he knows that I would fain win treasure, and that I know little of courtly custom. But King Olaf I have known since I was a boy, and learned to love him so much, that I cannot now forsake him."
Possibly it was this staunch att.i.tude of Anund Jacob which discouraged Knut from waging open war against Olaf. At all events he went (1026) as a pilgrim to Rome, not as conqueror to Norway. In the meanwhile, his brother-in-law, Earl Ulf,[A] headed a rebellion against him in Denmark, and entered into an alliance with Olaf Haroldsson and Anund Jacob. Both thought this a convenient opportunity for striking a blow at the threatening power of Knut, and gathered a fleet with which they ravaged the coasts of Halland and Skaane. They even in some places summoned the people to the _thing_ and received their homage. These tidings reached Knut who promptly returned from his pilgrimage, and came within a hair of capturing the two kings who did not suspect that he was near. Knut"s ships were so greatly superior both in size, number, and equipment, that it would have been folly to remain and await battle. Olaf and Anund, therefore, hastened along the coast of Skaane toward Swedish territory, hotly pursued by Knut. They put up in the Helge-aa, a short river, uniting a series of lakes, near what was then the boundary between Sweden and Denmark. Olaf made haste to dam up the river where it issued from the lake, and filled the river-bed with a ma.s.s of trees and other obstructions. Late in the afternoon Knut sailed into the harbor, and found it deserted. The allies lay with their fleet outside the harbor, apparently ready for battle. It was, however, too late in the day to begin the fight, and Knut left part of his fleet outside to watch them.
In the night the command was given to break the dam, and an enormous volume of water rushed down upon the Danish and English fleet, which broke from its moorings, and drifted seaward in disorder. A considerable number of people were drowned, but the ships though much damaged were not wrecked. The confusion was, on the whole, less than had been antic.i.p.ated, and Earl Ulf, seeing that there was a chance that Knut might save himself, turned traitor once more and went to his rescue. The Swedes and the Nors.e.m.e.n, perceiving that the Danish king with this accession of strength was too formidable, sailed away without making an attack (1027). Knut, instead of pursuing them further, sailed back to England, but in the following year returned with a greatly increased force. He had by his extensive system of bribes effectually secured the friendship of the disaffected Norse chiefs, and therefore steered without hesitation to Nidaros where he was proclaimed king of Norway. He appointed his nephew Earl Haakon, the son of Earl Erik, regent in his absence.
[Footnote A: Ulf Jarl, the ancestor of a long line of Danish kings, was the grandson of Thyra, the sister of Sweyn Forkbeard, by her first husband the Swedish Prince Styrbjorn. He was, accordingly, through his grandmother, a descendant of Gorm the Old, and of Ragnar Lodbrok.]
For Olaf there was now really nothing to do but to leave the country. He determined, however, to make a last effort to maintain himself and sailed with a few ships, and as many men as remained faithful to him, up along the coast, hoping that he might yet be able to rally a sufficient force to expel Earl Haakon. When Erling Skjalgsson heard of his approach, he called together his household troops, and manned his fleet.
The king, however, who had no desire to fight with Erling, had already slipped by, but was no further in advance than that he could easily be overtaken. Erling, accordingly, started in pursuit, but allowed himself by a stratagem to be separated from his main force, and after a heroic fight lost all his men and was captured by Olaf. As he stood alone among a heap of the slain, his gray locks falling down over his shoulders, the king called to him:
"Thou settest thy face straight against us to-day, Erling." "Face to face do eagles fight," answered Erling; "wilt thou give me peace?"
Olaf, after some deliberation, declared that he would; but on second thought half repented of his generosity. He took his axe and gently scratched the old man"s cheek, saying: "Something must be done to mark the traitor to his king."
One of the king"s men who stood by suddenly raised his axe and cleft Erling"s skull, saying:
"This is the way to mark a traitor to his king."
Thus died the mightiest chieftain in all Norway. No representative of the tribal aristocracy, before or since, ever possessed such power as Erling Skjalgsson.
Olaf continued his voyage northward to Sondmore where a great number of his followers left him, while at the news of Erling"s death enemies blocked his way wherever he turned. He saw that his last hope was gone; and with a few friends fled through Valdalen across the mountains into Sweden, where he left his wife and daughter. Thence he travelled to Russia (1029), where he was warmly welcomed by his brother-in-law, King Jaroslav, who had married Ingegerd, the sister of Anund Jacob.
Norway was now a province of a foreign power. The separatistic tendencies of the old tribal magnates had triumphed over the national idea represented by King Olaf. It was they and not King Knut who, in order to gratify their own greed for power, had destroyed the national unity. In order to secure their own independence, each in his own shire, they sacrificed the national independence. It was natural that Knut, who based his dominion upon their support, should make them large concessions. He flattered Einar Thambarskelver, hinting that if Earl Haakon had not been his nephew he would have made Einar regent of Norway. Kalf Arnesson, the mightiest chief among the In-Tronders, he called over to England and a.s.sured him, too, that he was the man for the earl"s place. For Earl Haakon, he said, was too conscientious to break his oath to Olaf Haroldsson, in case the latter should return and attempt to regain his kingdom. It may have been true that he vaguely distrusted the earl; for on a slight pretext he summoned him to England and sent him on an expedition, the nature of which is not entirely clear. From this expedition, however, Earl Haakon never returned, and it was reported that he had been drowned at sea with all his men. Bjorn Stallare, Olaf"s friend, hastened to Russia with this intelligence, and found his old master at King Jaroslav"s court. Olaf asked him for tidings of home, and how his friends had kept their oath of allegiance.
"Some well and some poorly," answered Bjorn, and threw himself at the king"s feet, embracing his knees; "every thing is in G.o.d"s power and in yours, king. I have received money from Knut"s men and sworn him allegiance; but now I will follow thee and not forsake thee as long as we are both alive."
"Few men have remained faithful to me in Norway," said the king, sadly, "when such men as thou art have been led astray. * * *"
He was not at first ready to accept Bjorn"s invitation to return to his kingdom. In his forced inactivity a resolution had half matured in his mind to become a monk and go on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. An offer from Jaroslav to accept a Russian province in fief he declined.
Religious meditations occupied much of his time; and he acquired the reputation of being a holy man. While in this frame of mind, he had a vision in which he saw Olaf Tryggvesson who commanded him to go back to Norway and conquer it or die. He could now no longer hesitate. Much against the advice of Jaroslav and Ingegerd, he started out for Norway, leaving his young son Magnus at the Russian court. In Sweden he received permission from King Anund to collect whatever recruits he could; but while he accepted robbers and outlaws, if they would only be baptized, he had the courage to reject large bands of brave men who refused to renounce paganism.
[Ill.u.s.tration: ST. OLAF, FROM THE ANTEPENDIUM OF THE ALTAR IN DRONTHEIM CATHEDRAL. REMOVED 1691 TO COPENHAGEN.]
Tradition has preserved with minute fidelity a number of incidents of King Olaf"s progress through Sweden to the fatal field of Vaerdalen.
There is a melancholy radiance, as of the setting sun, about his figure as he returns with the gospel of Christ to his people who had rejected him. First, Bishop Sigurd came to meet him and strongly dissuaded him from entering his kingdom. But he would listen to no remonstrance.
Through forests and wildernesses he broke his way; cheerful amid the greatest hardships, encouraging his people and never showing, except on a single occasion, the foreboding that cast its shadow over his soul.
When he crossed the mountains between Norway and Sweden, and he caught the first glimpse of the land of his birth with its rivers, mountains, and sunny valleys, he reined his horse and sat gazing, lost in thought, on the beautiful sight. A profound sadness was expressed in his features. At last the bishop roused him from his reverie, asking him what he was thinking.
"Strange things," answered the king, "have for a while been borne past me. It seemed to me, as if I looked not only out over Drontheim, but over all Norway; and the longer the vision lasted, the wider it grew, until I surveyed the whole world, both land and ocean. Then it seemed to me that I recognized all the places where I had ever been before; even as plainly I saw places where I had never been before;--nay even some of which I had never even heard--both inhabited and uninhabited, as far as the world goes."