第23章

King Hakon came to the Frosta-thing, at which a vast multitude of people were assembled.And when the Thing was seated, the king spoke to the people, and began his speech with saying, -- it was his message and entreaty to the bondes and householding men, both great and small, and to the whole public in general, young and old, rich and poor, women as well as men, that they should all allow themselves to be baptized, and should believe in one God, and in Christ the son of Mary and refrain from all sacrifices and heathen gods; and should keep holy the seventh day, and abstain from all work on it, and keep a fast on the seventh day.As soon as the king had proposed this to the bondes, great was the murmur and noise among the crowd.They complained that the king wanted to take their labour and their old faith from them, and the land could not be cultivated in that way.The labouring men and slaves thought that they could not work if they did not get meat;and they said it was the character of King Hakon, and his father, and all the family, to be generous enough with their money, but sparing with their diet.Asbjorn of Medalhus in the Gaulardal stood up, and answered thus to the king's proposal: --"We bondes, King Hakon, when we elected thee to be our king, and got back our udal rights at the Thing held in Throndhjem, thought we had got into heaven; but now we don't know whether we have really got back our freedom, or whether thou wishest to make vassa1s of us again by this extraordinary proposal that we should abandon the ancient faith which our fathers and forefathers have held from the oldest times, in the times when the dead were burnt, as well as since that they are laid under mounds, and which, although they were braver than the people of our days, has served us as a faith to the present time.We have also held thee so dear, that we have allowed thee to rule and give law and right to all the country.And even now we bondes will unanimously hold by the law which thou givest us here in the Frosta-thing, and to which we have also given our assent; and we will follow thee, and have thee for our king, as long as there is a living man among us bondes here in this Thing assembled.But thou, king, must use some moderation towards us, and only require from us such things as we can obey thee in, and are not impossible for us.If, however, thou wilt take up this matter with a high hand, and wilt try thy power and strength against us, we bondes have resolved among ourselves to part with thee, and to take to ourselves some other chief, who will so conduct himself towards us that we can freely and safely enjoy that faith that suits our own inclinations.Now, king, thou must choose one or other of these conditions before the Thing is ended."The bondes gave loud applause to this speech, and said it expressed their will, and they would stand or fall by what had been spoken.When silence was again restored, Earl Sigurd said, "It is King Hakon's will to give way to you, the bondes, and never to separate himself from your friendship." The bondes replied, that it was their desire that the king should offer a sacrifice for peace and a good year, as his father was want to do; and thereupon the noise and tumult ceased, and the Thing was concluded.Earl Sigurd spoke to the king afterwards, and advised him not to refuse altogether to do as the people desired, saying there was nothing else for it but to give way to the will of the bondes; "for it is, as thou hast heard thyself, the will and earnest desire of the head-people, as well as of the multitude.

Hereafter we may find a good way to manage it." And in this resolution the king and earl agreed (A.D.950).

18.KING HAKON OFFERS SACRIFICES.

The harvest thereafter, towards the winter season, there was a festival of sacrifice at Hlader, and the king came to it.It had always been his custom before, when he was present at a place where there was sacrifice, to take his meals in a little house by himself, or with some few of his men; but the bondes grumbled that he did not seat himself in his high-seat at these the most joyous of the meetings of the people.The earl said that the king should do so this time.The king accordingly sat upon his high-seat.Now when the first full goblet was filled, Earl Sigurd spoke some words over it, blessed it in Odin's name, and drank to the king out of the horn; and the king then took it, and made the sign of the cross over it.Then said Kar of Gryting, "What does the king mean by doing so? Will he not sacrifice?"Earl Sigurd replies, "The king is doing what all of you do, who trust to your power and strength.He is blessing the full goblet in the name of Thor, by making the sign of his hammer over it before he drinks it." On this there was quietness for the evening.The next day, when the people sat down to table, the bondes pressed the king strongly to eat of horse-flesh (1); and as he would on no account do so, they wanted him to drink of the soup; and as he would not do this, they insisted he should at least taste the gravy; and on his refusal they were going to lay hands on him.Earl Sigurd came and made peace among them, by asking the king to hold his mouth over the handle of the kettle, upon which the fat smoke of the boiled horse-flesh had settled itself; and the king first laid a linen cloth over the handle, and then gaped over it, and returned to the high-seat; but neither party was satisfied with this.

ENDNOTES:

(1) This eating of horse-flesh at these religious festivals was considered the most direct proof of paganism in the following times, and was punished by death or mutilation by Saint Olaf.It was a ceremony apparently commemorative of their Asiatic origin and ancestors.

19.FEAST OF THE SACRIFICE AT MORE.