Six Sagas of Adventure (10 page)

CHAPTER VIII

Now we move on to two stories. First it’s time to tell the one that we left off earlier, concerning how King Gautrek ruled Gautland and became a mighty ruler and the greatest warrior. The king felt that the main thing lacking in his kingdom was that he wasn’t married, and he wanted to look for a match for himself.

There was a king named Harald who ruled over the southern Baltic lands. He was a wise man, but not much of a warrior. He had a queen and a lovely and well-bred daughter named Alfhild. King Gautrek set out on a journey to the Baltic shore and asked to marry King Harald’s daughter. His proposal received a favorable answer, and after all their discussions, it was concluded that Gautrek should marry the maiden. He brought her home to Gautland and held her wedding feast. And when they had not been together for long, Alfhild gave birth to a lovely daughter. She was named Helga. She was mature at an early age. She grew up with her father, and she was considered the best match in Gautland.

King Gautrek had many outstanding men with him. There was one man named Hrosskel, Gautrek’s friend and a great raider. On one occasion he accepted an invitation to feast with King Gautrek, and at their parting, King Gautrek gave him worthy gifts. He gave Hrosskel a fine stud-horse, a gray stallion, along with four mares. They were all as pale as silk and the most handsome animals. Hrosskel thanked the king for the gifts, and they parted in great friendship.
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King Gautrek now ruled his kingdom for many years and lived in peace, until the queen fell ill, and her sickness didn’t end until the queen was carried out dead.
King Gautrek felt this to be the worst grief. The king had a burial mound raised for his queen. He was so grieved that he paid no attention to governing the kingdom. He sat on the mound every day and hunted with his hawk from there, amusing himself and whiling away the days.

CHAPTER IX

Now it is time to tell how Jarl Neri held the rulership of Uppland, as was said before. When he heard of the killing of his father King Vikar, he summoned his brother King Harald, and when they met, they discussed how to divide up their inheritance. It was decided between them that, since Harald was the elder brother, he should claim all the kingdoms that Vikar had formerly ruled and be king over them, but Jarl Neri should have Uppland, as before, along with Telemark, which his brother King Harald had formerly ruled. The brothers parted in harmony.

Jarl Neri was so wise that no one to match him could be found. Everything he set his mind to turned out well, whatever it might be. He never wanted to accept gifts, because he was so stingy that he begrudged giving anything in return.

As we mentioned before, it’s said that Rennir the farmer went to the cookhouse one day. He tripped over the leg of his son Ref, and he said to him, “It’s a terrible shame for such a son, that you want nothing better for yourself. Now you must go away and not come before my eyes or into my sight again, as long as you keep up this foolishness.”

Ref answered, “Since you’re driving me away, it’ll be fitting for me to take with me the best treasure that you have, the one you’d think it worst to lose.”

Rennir said, “There’s no possession in my holdings that I won’t give up to never see you again, because you’re the laughingstock of your family.”

After that they ended their conversation.

Not long afterwards, Ref stood up one fine day and prepared to leave. He took the splendid ox and led it to the beach. He pushed out the boat, meaning to go to the mainland. The ox got a bit wet, but he didn’t care. He sat down at the oars, but tied the ox to the ship, and that’s how he rowed to land. He was wearing a short cloak and ankle-length breeches,
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and when he reached land, he led the ox behind him. He first went east along the coast of Jæren, and then followed the road towards Uppland. He didn’t break his journey until he came to the estate that Jarl Neri owned. The jarl’s retainers told him that Refr Renni’s Fool had arrived, leading the fine ox behind him. The jarl ordered them not to mock him. When Ref came to the doors of the hall where the jarl was accustomed to sit, he asked the doorkeepers to call the jarl to speak with him. They answered, “Your foolishness just doesn’t quit. The jarl is not in the habit of rushing to speak with a peasant.”

Ref said, “Take him my message, and let him decide on an answer.”

They went to find the jarl, and said that Ref the Foolish was asking him to come out. The jarl said, “Say that I will meet with Ref. You never know what sort of luck each person brings.”

The jarl went outside, and Ref greeted him courteously. The jarl said, “Why have you come here?”

Ref answered, “My father has driven me away. But here is an ox that I own, and I want to give him to you.”

The jarl replied, “Haven’t you heard that I accept no gifts, because I’m not willing to repay anyone?”

Ref answered, “I have heard that you’re so stingy that no one needs to assume that he’ll get anything valuable in return, even if he gives you a gift. Still, I want you to accept this treasure. Maybe you will do me good by your words, whatever the monetary reward is.”

The jarl said, “I will accept the ox because of what you say. Come inside and be my most highly honored guest tonight.”

Ref released the ox and went in. The jarl ordered him to be brought clothes, so that he wouldn’t be shamed. When Ref washed, he was the finest-looking man. He sat there for a while. The jarl’s entire hall was decorated with shields, so that each touched another where they were hung up. The jarl took one shield which was inlaid all over with gold, and he gave it to Ref.

When the jarl went to his feasting the next day, he turned to where the shield had been hanging. He then spoke a verse:

The showy prize once shimmered,

my shield against the hangings.

The greatest sorrow grips me

when I gaze in that direction.

The chasm looks unlovely;

I’ll lose my riches quickly,

once warriors win my shields

without wiles, by their own gifts.

The jarl was so affected by the loss of his shield that he turned his high seat away. When Ref saw that, he went before the jarl, with the shield in his hand, and said, “My lord, cheer up, because here is the shield that you gave me. I want to give it to you because it’s of no use to me, since I have no other weapons.”

The jarl said, “You gave the finest gift of all, because it’s a great ornament to my hall to have it back in the place where it formerly hung. But here’s a treasure I want to give you, and it might be to your benefit if you follow my advice.”

The jarl put a whetstone
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in his hand—“and you won’t think this gift valuable.”

Ref said, “I don’t know how this helps me.”

The jarl said, “Here’s how it is: I won’t feed any man who sits there and doesn’t busy himself with something. Now I want to send you to King Gautrek. Put this whetstone in his hand.”

Ref said, “I’m not used to going between noble men, and I don’t know what use this stone will be to the king.”

The jarl said, “My cleverness wouldn’t be of much use if I couldn’t see farther forward than you. But the only trial for you will be to find the king, because you mustn’t talk to him. I’m told that the king often sits on his queen’s burial mound and hunts from there with his hawk, and often, when day is passing, the hawk droops. Then the king has to sweep around his chair with his hands to find something to throw at it. If it happens that the king doesn’t get anything to throw at the hawk, put the stone in his hand. If he passes something in his hand to you, accept it and come back to me.”

Then Ref left, as the jarl had instructed him, and came to where the king was sitting on the mound. It went as Neri had guessed: the king flung everything that he picked up at the hawk. Ref sat down by the king’s chair, behind the king. At once he saw how things were. The king reached out his hand behind him. Ref stuck the stone into his hand, and the king threw it straight at the hawk’s back. The hawk flew up sharply when the whetstone hit it. The king felt that he had done well, and he didn’t want the one who had done him this service to lack what was rightfully his. He passed a gold ring behind his back, without looking at Ref. Ref took the ring and went to meet the jarl. He asked how it had gone. Ref told him and showed him the ring. The jarl said, “This is a fine treasure. Sitting around isn’t more useful than winning such a thing.”

Ref stayed there over the winter. When spring came, the jarl said, “What will you accomplish now?”

Ref said, “That’s an easy decision. Now I can sell the ring for cash.”

The jarl said, “I’ll give you some more help. There is a king named Ælle. He rules over England. You must give the ring to him, and you won’t lose money from it. But come to me in the autumn. I won’t withhold food or advice from you, though it won’t amount to another payment for the ox.”

Ref said, “I wish you wouldn’t mention that.”

Then he traveled to England and came before King Ælle and greeted him fittingly. Ref was well fitted out with both weapons and clothing. The king asked who this man was. He answered, “My name is Ref, and I want you to accept this gold ring from me,” and he laid it on the table before the king.

The king looked at it and said, “This is a great treasure. But who gave it to you?”

Ref answered, “King Gautrek gave me the ring.”

The king said, “What did you give him?”

Ref answered, “A little whetstone.”

The king said, “Great is King Gautrek’s generosity, since he gives gold for pebbles. I will accept the ring, and I invite you to stay here.”

Ref said, “Thank you for your invitation, my lord! But I intend to return to Jarl Neri, my foster-father.”

The king said, “You must stay here for a while.” He had a ship made ready, and one day he asked Ref to go with him. The king said, “Here is a ship which I want to give you, with all the cargo that’s best for you, along with as many men as you need. I don’t want you to be someone else’s passenger in order to go where you like. Yet this is a small thing, compared to how King Gautrek rewarded you for the whetstone.”

Ref said, “This is a magnificent reward.” Then Ref made ready to board his ship with his lavish cargo, and he thanked the king with many fair words.

The king said, “Here are two dogs that I will give you.” They were quite small and pretty, and Ref had never seen anything like them. They had on golden harnesses, and a gold ring was clasped around the neck of each one, with seven little rings on the leash between them. No one thought he’d ever seen such treasures of this sort.

Then Ref departed, and came to Jarl Neri’s realm. The jarl went to meet him and welcomed him—“and come to me with all your men.”

Ref said, “I have enough goods to pay our way.”

The jarl said, “That is well, but you mustn’t diminish those goods of yours. You must eat at our table, though it’s not a great reward for the ox.”

Ref said, “The only thing that bothers me is that you mention that.”

Now Ref stayed with the jarl for the winter and became popular, and many men chose to follow him. When spring came, the jarl spoke with Ref: “What will you do now?”

Ref said, “Wouldn’t it be easiest to set out raiding or trading, since there’s no lack of money?”

The jarl said, “That’s true, but I will meddle in your affairs again. You must now go south to Denmark to meet King Hrolf Kraki,
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and bring him the dogs, because they aren’t possessions for a commoner. Once again, you won’t lose money from it, if he will accept them.”

Ref said, “It’s up to you, but I’m not short of money now.”

CHAPTER X

Now Ref made ready and sailed to Denmark. He met King Hrolf and came before him and greeted him. The king asked him who he might be. He said that he was named Ref.

The king asked, “Are you called Gift-Ref?”

Ref replied, “I’ve accepted gifts from men, yet I’ve also given them now and again. I want to give you these little dogs, my lord, along with their harness.”

The king looked at them and said, “Such things are great treasures. But who gave them to you?”

Ref answered, “King Ælle.”

King Hrolf said, “What did you give him?”

Ref answered, “A gold ring.”

“Who gave you that?”

Ref answered, “King Gautrek.”

“But what did you give him?”

Ref answered, “A whetstone.”

King Hrolf said, “Great is King Gautrek’s generosity, since he gives gold for pebbles. I will accept the dogs. Stay with us.”

Ref answered, “I have to return in the fall to Jarl Neri, my foster-father.”

King Hrolf answered, “So be it.”

Ref stayed with the king for a while, and readied his ship in the fall. Then the king said, “I’ve thought of a reward for you. You shall accept a ship from me, just like the one from the king of England, and the finest cargo and men shall go with it.”

Ref said, “Thank you very much for a noble gift,” and then he got ready to leave.

King Hrolf said, “Here are two treasures, Ref, that you should accept from me: a helmet and a mailcoat.”

Ref accepted the treasures. They were both made of red gold. Ref and King Hrolf parted in good cheer, and Ref went to meet Jarl Neri, captaining two ships. The jarl welcomed him and said that his wealth had grown still more—“and you all shall stay with me over the winter. It’s a small reward for the ox, but it wouldn’t be seemly for me to withhold my advice, since it’s helpful for you.”

Ref answered, “I benefit from your guidance in all these affairs.” Ref stayed there over the winter, highly honored, and he became a famous man.

CHAPTER XI

In the spring, the jarl asked Ref, “What will you do this summer?”

Ref answered, “Lord, you should see to that, but I’m not short of money now.”

The jarl said, “I suppose that’s true. Now there is just one expedition that I want to propose to you. There’s a king named Olaf who goes out raiding. He has eighty ships. He sails out to sea, in winter and in warm summer. He is the most famous battle-king. You must bring him the helmet and the mailcoat. If he accepts, I expect that he will ask you to choose a reward for it. You must choose to command his forces for half a month, and take them wherever you like. But there’s a man named Refnef
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with the king, the wickedest of men. He is the king’s counsellor. I can scarcely tell whether your luck or his sorcery might be greater, but you’ll have to risk it, however it turns out. You must lead all your forces here, and then maybe I’ll get you rewarded for the fine ox.”