An un

Among their other chief victims were | Western Europe (See the poem in the two cousins of their own, Tryggve and Saxon Chronicle). And all this by EyGudröd, who had been honest under-kings vind Skaldaspillir, and the heathen Norse to the late head-king, Hakon the Good; in general, was ascribed to anger of the but were now become suspect, and had to heathen gods. Discontent in Norway, fight for their lives, and lose them in a and especially in Eyvind Skaldaspillir, tragic manner. Tryggve had a son, seems to have been very great. whom we shall hear of. Gudröd, son of Whereupon exile Hakon, Jarl Sigurd's worthy Bjorn the Chapman, was grand-son, bestirs himself in Denmark, backed father of Saint Olaf, whom all men have by old King Blue-tooth, and begins inheard of,- who has a church in South-vading and encroaching in a miscellawark even, and another in Old Jewry, to neous way; especially intriguing and this hour. In all these violences, Gun- contriving plots all round him. hild, widow of the late king Eric, was fathomably cunning kind of fellow, as understood to have a principal hand. She well as an audacious and strong-handed! had come back to Norway with her sons; Intriguing in Trondhjem, where he gets and naturally passed for the secret ad- the under-king, Greyfell's brother, fallen viser and maternal president in whatever upon and murdered; intriguing with Gold of violence went on; always reckoned Harald, a distinguished cousin or nephew a fell, vehement, relentless personage of King Bluc-tooth's, who had done fine where her own interests were concerned. viking work, and gained such wealth that Probably as things settled, her influence he got the epithet of "Gold," and who on affairs grew less. At least one hopes now was infinitely desirous of a share in so; and, in the Sagas, hears less and Blue-tooth's kingdom as the proper finish less of her, and before long nothing. to these sea-rovings. He even ventured Harald, the head-king in this Eric fra- one day to make publicly a distinct proternity, does not seem to have been a bad posal that way to King Harald Blue-tooth man, the contrary indeed; but his po- himself; who flew into thunder and lightsition was untowardly, full of difficulty ning at the mere mention of it; so that and contradictions. Whatever Harald none durst speak to him for several days could accomplish for behoof of Chris- afterwards. Of both these Haralds tianity, or real benefit to Norway, in these Hakon was confidential friend; and cross circumstances, he seems to have needed all his skill to walk without imdone in a modest and honest manner. mediate annihilation between such a pair He got the name of Greyfell from his of dragons, and work out Norway for people on a very trivial account, but seem-himself withal. In the end he found he ingly with perfect good humour on their part. Some Iceland trader had brought a cargo of furs to Trondhjem (Lade) for sale; sale being slacker than the Icelander wished, he presented a chosen specimen, cloak, doublet, or whatever it was, to Harald, who wore it with acceptance in public, and rapidly brought disposal of the Icelander's stock, and the surname of Greyfell to himself. His under-kings and he were certainly not popular, though I almost think Greyfell himself, in absence of his mother and the under-kings, might have been so. here they all were, and had wrought great trouble in Norway. "Too many of them," said everybody; "too many of these courts and court-people, eating up any substance that there is!" For the seasons withal, two or three of them in succession, were bad for grass, much more for grain; no herring came either; very cleanness of teeth was like to come in Eyvind Skaldas pillir's opinion. This Skaldaspillir's scarcity became at last their share of the great famine of A.D. 975, which desolated

But

must take solidly to Blue-tooth's side of
the question; and that they two must
provide a recipe for Gold Harald and
Norway both at once.

"It is as much as your life is worth to
speak again of sharing this Danish king-
dom," said Hakon very privately to Gold
Harald; "but could not you, my golden
friend, be content with Norway for a
kingdom, if one helped you to it?"

"That could I well," answered Har-,

ald.

"Then keep me those nine war-ships you have just been rigging for a new viking cruise; have these in readiness when I lift my finger!"

That was the recipe contrived for Gold Harold; recipe for King Greyfell goes into the same phial, and is also ready.

Hitherto the Hakon-Blue-tooth disturbances in Norway had amounted to but little. King Greyfell, a very active and valiant man, has constantly, without much difficulty, repelled these sporadic bits of troubles; but Greyfell, all the same, would willingly have peace with dangerous old

Blue-tooth (ever anxious to get his clutches abroad, had much consideration through over Norway on any terms), if peace with most of that time; specially amongst the him could be had. Blue-tooth, too, pro- heathen orthodox, for Hakon Jarl himself fesses every willingness; inveigles Grey- was a zealous heathen, fixed in his mind fell, he and Hakon do, to have a friendly against these chimerical Christian innomeeting on the Danish borders, and not vations and unsalutary changes of creed, only settle all these quarrels, but gener- and would have gladly trampled out all ously settle Greyfell in certain fiefs which traces of what the last two kings (for he claimed in Denmark itself; and so Greyfell, also, was an English Christian swear everlasting friendship. Greyfell after his sort) had done in this respect. joyfully complies, punctually appears at But he wisely discerned that it was not the appointed day in Lymfjord Sound, the possible, and that, for peace' sake, he appointed place. Whereupon Hakon must not even attempt it, but must strike gives signal to Gold Harald "To Lymfjord preferably into "perfect toleration," and with these nine ships of yours, swift!" that of "every one getting to heaven" (or Gold Harald flies to Lymfjord with his even to the other goal) "in his own way." ships, challenges King Harald Greyfell to He himself, it is well known, repaired land and fight; which the undaunted many heathen temples (a great "churchGreyfell, though so far outnumbered, builder" in his way!), manufactured does; and, fighting his very best, per- many splendid idols, with much gilding ishes there, he and almost all his people. and such artistic ornament as there was Which done, Jarl Hakon, who is in readi--in particular, one huge image of Thor, ness, attacks Gold Harald, the victorious not forgetting the hammer and appendbut the wearied; easily beats Gold ages, and such a collar (supposed of Harald, takes him prisoner, and instantly solid gold, which it was not quite, as we hangs and ends him to the huge joy of shall hear in time) round the neck of him King Blue-tooth and Hakon, who now as was never seen in all the north. How make instant voyage to Norway; drive he did his own Yule-festivals, with what all the brother under-kings into rapid magnificent solemnity, the horse-eatings, flight to the Orkneys, to any readiest blood-sprinklings, and other sacred rites, shelter; and so, under the patronage of need not be told. Something of a "RitBlue-tooth, Hakon, with the title of jarl, ualist," one may perceive; perhaps had becomes ruler of Norway. This foul Scandinavian Puseyisms in him, and treachery done on the brave and honest other desperate heathen notions. He was Harald Greyfell is by some dated about universally believed to have gone into A.D. 969, by Munch, 965, by others, com-magic for one thing, and to have dangerputing out of Snorro only, A.D. 975. For ous potencies derived from the devil himthere is always an uncertainty in these self. The dark heathen mind of him Icelandic dates (say rather, rare and rude struggling vehemently in that strange attempts at dating, without even an element, not altogether so unlike our A.D. or other fixed " year one to go own in some points. upon in Iceland), though seldom, I think; so large a discrepancy as here.

66

CHAPTER V.

HAKON JARL.

For the rest, he was evidently in practical matters, a man of sharp, clear insight, of steadfast resolution, diligence, promptitude; and managed his secular matters uncommonly well. Had sixteen jarls under him, though himself only HAKON JARL, such the style he took, Hakon Jarl by title; and got obedience had engaged to pay some kind of tribute from them stricter than any king since to King Blue-tooth, "if he could; " but Haarfagr had done. Add to which that he never did pay any, pleading always the country had years excellent for grass the necessity of his own affairs; with and crop, and that the herrings came in which excuse, joined to Hakon's readi- exuberance; tokens, to the thinking ness in things less important, King Blue-mind, that Hakon Jarl was a favourite of tooth managed to content himself, Hakon Heaven. being always his good neighbour, at least, and the two mutually dependent. In Norway, Hakon, without the title of king, did in a strong-handed, steadfast, and at length successful way, the office of one; governed Norway (some count) for above twenty years; and, both at home and

His fight with the far-famed Jom's vikings was his grandest exploit in public rumour. Jomsburg, a locality not now known, except that it was near the mouth of the river Oder, denoted in those ages the impregnable castle of a certain body corporate, or "Sea-Robbery Association

(limited)," which, for some generations, overboard accordingly, and finished the
held the Baltic in terror, and plundered affair. Hakon Jarl's renown rose natu-
far bepond the Belt, in the ocean itself, rally to the transcendent pitch after this
in Flanders and the opulent trading ha- exploit. His people, I suppose chiefly
vens there, above all, in opulent anar- the Christian part of them, whispered
chic England, which, for forty years from one to another, with a shudder, "that in
about this time, was the pirates' Goshen; the blackest of the thunderstorm, he had
and yielded, regularly every summer, taken his youngest little boy, and made
slaves, danegelt, and miscellaneous plun-away with him; sacrificed him to Thor
der, like no other country Jomsburg or or some devil, and gained his victory by
the viking-world had ever known. Palna-art-magic, or something worse." Jarl
toke, Bue, and the other quasi-heroic Eric, Hakon's eldest son, without sus-
heads of this establishment are still re-picion of art-magic, but already a distin-
membered in the northern parts. "Pal- guished viking, became thrice distin-
natoke" is the title of a tragedy by Och-guished by his style of sea-fighting in
lenschläger, which had its run of immor- this battle; and awakened great expec-
tality in Copenhagen some sixty or tations in the viking public; of him we
seventy years ago.
shall hear again.

I judge the institution to have been in
its floweriest state, probably now in
Hakon Jarl's time. Hakon Jarl and these
pirates, robbing Hakon's subjects and
merchants that frequented him, were nat-
urally in quarrel; and frequent fightings
had fallen out, not generally to the profit
of the Jomsburgers, who at last deter-
mined on revenge, and the rooting-out of
this obstructive Hakon Jarl. They as-
sembled in force at the Cape of Stad,
in the Firda Fylke; and the fight was
dreadful in the extreme, noise of it filling
all the north for long afterwards. Hakon,
fighting like a lion, could scarcely hold
his own-death or victory the word on
both sides; when suddenly, the heavens
grew black, and there broke out a terrific
storm of thunder and hail, appalling to
the human mind, — universe swallowed
wholly in black night; only the moment-
ary forked blazes, the thunder-pealing
as of Ragnarök, and the battering hail-
torrents, hail-stones about the size of an
egg.

The Jomsburgers, one might fancy, after this sad clap went visibly down in the world; but the fact is not altogether so. Old King Blue-tooth was now dead, died of a wound got in battle with his un-natural (so-called "natural") son and successor, Otto Svein of the Forked Beard, afterwards king and conqueror of England for a little while; and seldom, perhaps never, had vikingism been in such flower as now. This man's name is Sven in Swedish, Svend in German, and means boy or lad-the English "swain." It was at old "Father Blue-tooth's funeralale" (drunken burial-feast), that Sven, carousing with his Jomsburg chiefs and other choice spirits, generally of the robber-class, all risen into height of highest robber-enthusiasm, pledged the vow to one another; Svein that he would conquer England (which, in a sense, he, after long struggling, did); and the Jomsburgers that they would ruin and root out Hakon Jarl (which they could by no Thor with his hammer evidently means do), and other guests other foolish acting; but in behalf of whom? The things which proved equally unfeasible. Jomsburgers in the hideous darkness, Sea-robber volunteers SO especially broken only by flashing thunderbolts, abounding in that time, one perceives had a dismal apprehension that it was how easily the Jomsburgers could recruit probably not on their behalf (Thor hav- themselves, build or refit new robber ing a sense of justice in him); and before fleets, man them with the pick of crews, the storm ended, thirty-five of their and steer for opulent, fruitful England; seventy ships sheered away, leaving gal-where, under Ethelred the Unready, was lant Bue, with thirty-five ships, to follow such a field for profitable enterprise as as they liked, who reproachfully hailed the viking public never had before or these fugitives, and continued the now since.

hopeless battle. Bue's nose and lips An idle question sometimes rises on me were smashed or cut away; Bue man--idle enough, for it never can be anaged, half-articulately, to exclaim, "Ha! swered in the affirmative, or negative. the maids (mays) of Denmark will Whether it was not these same refitted never kiss me more. Overboard, all ye | Jomsburgers who appeared some while Bue's men!" And taking his two sea- after this at Red Head Point, on the shore chests, with all the gold he had gained of Angus, and sustained a new severe in such life-struggle from of old, sprang beating, in what the Scotch still faintly

remember as their " Battle of Loncarty"? | wavering twilight, the question whether Beyond doubt a powerful Norse-pirate these of Loncarty were refitted Jomsarmament dropt anchor at the Red Head, burgers or not, must be left hanging. to the alarm of peaceable mortals, about Loncarty is now the biggest bleachfield that time. It was thought and hoped to in Queen Victoria's dominions; no vilbe on its way for England, but it visibly lage or hamlet there, only the huge hung on for several days, deliberating bleaching-house and a beautiful field, (as was thought) whether they would do some six or seven miles north-west of this poorer coast the honour to land on it Perth, bordered by the beautiful Tay before going farther. Did land, and vig-river on the one side, and by its beautiful orously plunder and burn south-westward tributary Almond on the other; a Lonas far as Perth; laid siege to Perth; but carty fitted either for bleaching linen, or brought out King Kenneth on them, and for a bit of fair duel between nations, in produced that "Battle of Loncarty "those simple times. Whether our refitted which still dwells in vague memory Jomsburgers had the least thing to do among the Scots. Perhaps it might be with it is only matter of fancy, but if it the Jomsburgers; perhaps also not; for were they who here again got a good there were many pirate associations, last-beating, fancy would be glad to find hering not from century to century like the self fact. The old piratical kings of DenJomsburgers, but only for very limited mark had been at the founding of Jomsperiods, or from year to year; indeed, it burg, and to Svein of the Forked Beard was mainly by such that the splendid it was still vitally important, but not so thief-harvest of England was reaped in to the great Knut, or any king that folthis disastrous time. No Scottish chron-lowed; all of whom had better business icler gives the least of exact date to their than mere thieving; and it was Magnus famed victory of Loncarty, only that it the Good, of Norway, a man of still was achieved by Kenneth III., which higher anti-anarchic qualities, that annbiwill mean sometime between A.D. 975 lated it, about a century later. and 994; and, by the order they put it in, probably soon after A.D. 975, or the beginning of this Kenneth's reign. Buchanan's narrative, carefully distilled from all the ancient Scottish sources, is of admirable quality for style and otherwise; quiet, brief, with perfect clearness, perfect credibility even, except that semi-miraculous appendage of the Ploughmen, Hay and Sons, always hanging to the tail of it; the grain of possible truth in which can now never be extracted by man's art! * In brief, what we know is, fragments of ancient human bones and armour have occasionally been ploughed up in this locality, proof-position of Hakon the Rich, as he was then tive of ancient fighting here; and the fight fell out not long after Hakon's beating of the Jomsburgers at the Cape of Stad. And in such dim glimmer of

*G. Buchanani Opera Omnia, i. 103-4 (Curante

Ruddimano, Edinburgi, 1715).

Hakon Jarl, his chief labours in the world being over, is said to have become very dissolute in his elder days, especially in the matter of women; the wretched old fool, led away by idleness and fulness of bread, which to all of us are well said to be the parents of mischief. Having absolute power, he got into the habit of openly plundering men's pretty daughters and wives from them, and, after a few weeks, sending them back; greatly to the rage of the fierce Norse heart, had there been any means of resisting or revenging. It did, after a little while, prove the ruin and destruc

called. It opened the door, namely, for entry of Olaf Tryggveson upon the scene, -a very much grander man; in regard to whom the wiles and traps of Hakon proved to be a recipe, not on Tryggveson, but on the wily Hakon himself, as shall now be seen straightway.

THE 'distillation and manufacture of attar of rose is a large and important branch of industry in Adrianople. In the northern parts of the country, we are told in an official document, the produce of 1873 exceeded by 35 per cent. that of the previous year, the quantity distilled being some 121,875 ounces, valued at about 90,000l. It is chiefly ex

ported from Philipopoli to England, France, Germany, and Austria; and recently merchants in the United States and Germany have opened correspondence with firms in Adrianople, with the view of establishing agencies to further extend this branch of commerce.

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