 Introduction of Viking Tales. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Timothy Ferguson. Viking Tales by Jenny Hall. Introduction. What the sagas were. Iceland is a little country, far north in the cold sea. Men found it and went to live there more than a thousand years ago. During the warm season they used to fish and make fish oil, and hunt sea birds and gather feathers, and tend their sheep and make hay. But the winters were long and cold and dark. Men and women and children stayed in the house and carded and spun and wove and knit. A whole family sat for hours around the fire in the middle of the room. That fire gave the only light. Shadows flitted in the dark corners. Smoke curled along the high beams in the ceiling. The children sat on the dirt floor, close by the fire. Our own people were on a long, narrow bench that they had pulled up to the light and warmth. Everybody's hands were busy with wool. The work left their minds free to think and their lips to talk. What was there to talk about? The summer's fishing, the killing of a fox, a voyage to Norway? But the people grew tired of this little gossip. They looked at their children and thought, they are not learning much. What will make them brave and wise? What will teach them to love their country and old Norway? Will not the stories of battles, of brave deeds, of mighty men do this? So as the family worked in the red firelight, the father told of the kings of Norway, of long voyages to strange lands, of good fights, and in farmhouses all through Iceland. These old tales were told over and over until everybody knew them and loved them. Some men could sing and play the harp. This made the stories all the more interesting. People called such men scalds and they called their songs sagas. Every midsummer there was a great meeting. Men from all over Iceland came to it and made laws. During the day there were rest times when no business was going on. Then some scald will take his harp and walk to a large stone or a knoll and stand on it and begin a song of some brave deed of an old Norse hero. At the first sound of the harp and the voice men came running from all directions crying out, the scald, the scald, a saga. They stood about for hours and listened. They shouted applause. When the scald was tired some other man would come up from the crowd and sing or tell a story. As the scald stepped down from his high position some rich man would rush up to him and say, Come and spend the next winter at my house. Our ears are thirsty for song. So the best scalds travelled much and visited many people. Their songs made them welcome everywhere. They were always honoured with good seats at a feast. They were given many rich gifts. Even the King of Norway would sometimes send across the water to Iceland, saying to some famous scald, Come and visit me. You shall not go away empty handed. Men say that the sweetest songs are in Iceland. I wish to hear them. These tales were not written. Few men wrote or read in those days. Scalds learned songs from hearing them sung. At last people began to write more easily. Then they said, These stories are very precious. We must write them down to save them from being forgotten. After that many men in Iceland spent their winters in writing books. They wrote on sheepskin, vellum we call it. Many of these old vellum books have been saved for hundreds of years and are now in museums in Norway. Some leaves are lost. Some are torn or yellow and crumpled. But they are precious. They tell us all that we know about that olden time. There are the very words that the men of Iceland wrote so long ago. Stories of kings and of battles and of ship sailing. Some of those old stories I have told in this book. End of introduction. Recording by Timothy Ferguson, Gold Coast, Australia. Chapter 1 of Viking Tales. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Mary Ballard Johansson. Viking Tales by Jenny Hall. Part 1 in Norway. Chapter 1 The Baby King Halfton lived in Norway long ago. One morning his queen said to him, I had a strange dream last night. I thought that I stood in the grass before my bower. I pulled a thorn from my dress. As I held it in my fingers it grew into a tall tree. The trunk was thick and red as blood. But the lower limbs were fair and green and the highest ones were white. I thought that the branches of this great tree spread so far that they covered all Norway and even more. A strange dream said King Halfton. Dreams are the messengers of the gods. I wonder what they would tell us. And he stroked his beard and thought. Some time after that a serving woman came into the feast hall where King Halfton was. She carried a little white bundle in her arms. My lord, she said, a little son is just born to you. Ha! cried the king. And he jumped up from the high seat and hastened forward until he stood before the woman. Show him to me, he shouted, and there was joy in his voice. The serving woman put down her bundle on the ground and turned back the cloth. There was a little naked baby. The king looked at it carefully. It was a goodly youngster, he said, and smiled. Bring Ivar and Torshton. They were captains of the king's soldiers. Soon they came. Stand as witnesses, Halfton said. Then he lifted the baby in his arms while the old serving woman brought a silver bowl of water. The king dipped his hand into it and sprinkled the baby, saying, I own this baby for my son. He shall be called Harold. My naming gift to him is ten pounds of gold. Then the woman carried the baby back to the queen's room. My lord owns him for his son, she said, and no wonder he is perfect in every limb. The queen looked at him and smiled and remembered her dream and thought, That great tree, can it be this little baby of mine? End of chapter one. Chapter two of Viking Tales This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Elizabeth Zarenka. Viking Tales by Jenny Hall Chapter two, The Tooththrall When Harold was seven months old, he cut his first tooth. Then his father said, All the young of my herds, lambs and calves and cults, That have been born since this baby was born, I this day give to him. I also give him this thrall, Olaf. These are my tooth gifts to my son. The boy grew fast, for as soon as he could walk about, He was out of doors most of the time. He ran in the woods and climbed the hills and waited in the creek. He was much with his tooththrall, For the king had said to Olaf, he ever had his call. Now this Olaf was full of stories and Harold liked to hear them. Come out to Adjir's rock Olaf and tell me stories, He said almost every day. So they started off across the hills. The man wore a long loose coat of white wool, Belted at the waist with a strap. He had on core shoes and leather leggings. Around his neck was an iron collar welded together, So that it could not come off. On it were strange marks called runes that said, Olaf, thrall of half-dan. But Harold's clothes were gay. The cape of grey velvet hung from his shoulders. It was fastened over his breast with great gold buckles. When it waved in the wind, a scarlet lining flashed out, And the bottom of a little scarlet jacket showed. His feet and legs were covered with grey woolen tights. Gold lacings wound around his legs from his shoes to his knees. A band of gold held down his long yellow hair. It was a wild country that these two were walking over. They were climbing steep, rough hills. Some of them seemed made olive rock with a little earth lying in spots. Great rocks hung out from them, with trees growing in their cracks. Some big pieces had broken off and rolled down the hill. Thor broke them, Olaf said. He rides through the sky and hurls his hammer at clouds and at mountains. That makes the thunder and the lightning and cracks the hills. His hammer never misses its aim and it always comes back to his hand and is eager to go again. When they reached the top of the hill they looked back. Far below was a soft green valley. In front of it the sea came up into the land and made a fjord. On each side of the fjord high walls of rock stood up and made the water black with shadow. All around the valley were high hills with dark pines on them. Far off were the mountains. In the valley were Halfden's house around their square yard. How little our houses looked down there, Harold said. But I can almost, yes, I can see the red dragon on the roof of the feast hall. Do you remember when I climbed up and sat on its head, Olaf? He laughed and kicked his heels and ran on. He threw back his cape and drew a little dagger from his belt. At last they came to Adjir's rock and walked up on its flat top. Harold went to the edge and looked over. A ragged wall of rock reached down and at two hundred feet below was the black water of the fjord. Olaf watched him for a while. Then he said, No whitening of your cheek, Harold. Good. A boy that can face the fall of Adjir's rock will not be afraid to face the war of flesh when he is a man. Ho! I am not afraid of the war of flesh now! cried Harold. He threw back his cape and drew a little dagger from his belt. See? he cried. Does this not flesh like a sword? And I am not afraid. But after all, this is a baby thing. When I am eight years old I will have a sword, a sharp tooth of war. He swung his dagger as though it were a long sword. Then he ran and sat on a rock by Olaf. Why is this Adjir's rock? He asked. He know that Asgard is up in the sky, Olaf said. It is a wonderful city where the golden houses of the gods are and the golden grove. A high wall runs all around it. In the house of Odin, the All Father, there is a great feast tall larger than the whole orre. Its name is Valhalla. It has five hundred doors. The rafters are spears. The roof is thatched with shields. Armor lies on the benches. And the high seat sits Odin. A golden helmet on his head, a spear in his hand. Two wolves lie at his feet. At his right hand and his left sit all the gods and goddesses. And around the hall sit thousands and thousands of men. All the brave ones that have ever died. Now it is good to be in Valhalla. There is me, there better than men can brew. And it never runs out. And there are scalds that sing wonderful songs that men never heard. Before the doors of Valhalla is a great meadow where the warriors fight every day and get glorious and sweet wounds and give many. And all night they feast in their wounds heal. But none may go to Valhalla except warriors that have died bravely in battle. Men who die from sickness go with women and children and cowards to Niflheim. There Hella who is queen always sneers at them. And a terrible cold takes hold of their bones and they sit down and freeze. Years ago Adjir was a great warrior. Adjir the big handed they called him. In many a battle his sword had sung and he had sent many warriors to Valhalla. Many swords had bit into his flesh and left marks there. But never a one had struck him to death. So his hair grew white and his arms thin. There was peace in that country then. And Adjir Sarov sang, I am old, battles are still. Must I die in bed like a woman? Shall I not see Valhalla? Now thus did Odin say long ago, If a man is old and has come near death and cannot die in fight, Let him find death in some brave way and he shall feast with me in Valhalla. So one day Adjir came to this rock. A deed to win Valhalla he cried. And he drew his sword and flashed it over his head and held his shield high above him and leaped out into the air and died in the water of the fjord. Ho! cried Harold, jumping to his feet. I think that Odin stood up before his high seat and welcomed that man gladly when he walked through the door of Valhalla. So the song say, replied Ola, for scalds still sing of that deed all over Norway. End of the Tooth-Throw, recording by Elizabeth Sarenka. Chapter 3 of Viking Tales This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Part 1 in Norway. Viking Tales by Jenny Hall. Chapter 3. Olaf's Farm At another time Harold asked, What is your country Olaf? Have you always been a thrall? The thrall's eyes flashed. When you were a man and go a Viking to Denmark, ask men whether they have heard of Olaf the Crafty. There far off is my country across the water. My father was Gudbran the big. Two hundred warriors feasted in his hall and followed him to battle. Ten sons sat at meet with him and I was the youngest. One day he said, You are all grown to be men and there is not elbow room here for so many chiefs. The eldest of you shall have my farm when I die. The rest of you, off of Viking. He had three ships. These he gave to three of my brothers. But I stayed that spring and built me a boat. I made her for only twenty oars because I thought few men would follow me. For I was young, fifteen years old. But I made her in the likeness of a dragon. At the prow I carved the head with open mouth and forked tongue thrust out. I painted the eyes red for anger. There stand so I said and glare and hiss at my foes. In the stern I carved the tail up almost as high as the head. There I put the pilot seat and a strong tiller for the rudder. On the breast and sides I carved the dragon's scales. Then I painted it all black and on the tip of every scale I put gold. I called her Wave Runner. There she sat on the rollers as fair a ship as I ever saw. The night that it was finished I went to my father's feast. After the meats were eaten and the meat horns came round, I stood up on my bench and raised my drinking horn high and spoke with a great voice. This is my vow. I will sail to Norway and I will harry the coast and fill my boat with riches. Then I will get me a farm and will win her in that land. Now who will follow me? He is but a boy, the man said. He has opened his mouth wider than he could. But others jumped to their feet with their meat horns in their hands. Thirty men, one after another, raised their horns and said, I will follow this lad and I will not turn back as long as he and I live. On the next morning we got into my dragon and started. I sat high in the pilot's seat. As our boat flashed down the rollers into the water, I made this song and sang it. The dragon runs, where will she steer, where swords will sing, where spears will bite, where I shall laugh. So we harried the coast of Norway. We ate at many men's tables uninvited. Many men we found overburdened with gold. Then I said, my dragon's belly is never full and on board went the gold. Oh, it is better to live on the sea and let other men raise your crops and cook your meals. A house smells of smoke, a ship smells of frolic. From a house you see a sooty roof. From a ship you see Valhalla. Up and down the water we went to get much wealth and much frolic. After a while my men said, what of the farm, Olaf? Not yet, I answered. Viking is better for summer. When the ice comes and our dragon cannot play, then we'll get our farm and sit down. At last the winter came and I said to my men, now for the farm. I have my eye on one up the coast away in King Halfton's country. So we set off for it. We landed late at night and pulled our boat up on shore and walked quietly to the house. It was rather a wealthy farm for there were stables and a storehouse and a smithy at the sides of the house. But there was but one door to the house. We went to it and I struck it with my spear. Hello, ho, hello, I shouted, and my men made a great den. At last someone from inside said, who calls? I called, I answered. Opener, you will think at Thor who calls. And I struck my shield against the door, so it made a great clanging. The door opened only a little, but I pushed it wide and leaped into the room. It was so dark that I could see nothing but a few sparks on the hearth. I stood with my back to the wall, for I wanted no sword reaching out of the dark for me. Now start up the fire, I said. Come, come, I called when no one obeyed. A fire, this is a cold welcome for your guests. My men laughed. Yes, a stingy host. He acts as though he had not expected us. But now the farmer was blowing on the coals and putting on fresh wood. Soon it blazed up and we could see about us. We were in a little feast hall with its fire down the middle of it. There were benches for twenty men along each side. The farmer crouched by the fire, afraid to move. On a bench in a far corner were a dozen people huddled together. Ho, thralls, I called to them. Bring in the table, we are hungry. Off they ran through a door at the back of the hall. My men came in and lay down by the fire and warmed themselves. But I set two of them as guards at the door. Well, friend farmer laughed one, why such a long face? Do you not think we shall be merry company? We came only to cheer you, said another. What man wants to spend the winter with no guests? Ah, another then cried out, sitting up. Here comes something that will be a welcome guest to my stomach. The thralls were ringing in a great pot of meat. They set up a crane over the fire and hung the pot upon it. And we sat and watched it boil while we joked. At last the supper began. The farmer sat gloomily on the bench and would not eat. And you cannot wonder, for he saw us putting potfuls of his good beef and basket loads of bread into our big mouths. When the tables were taken out and the mead horns came round, I stood up and raised my horn and said to the farmer, You would not eat with us. You cannot say no to half of my ale. I drank this to your health. Then I drank half of the horn full and set the rest across the fire to the farmer. He took it and smiled, saying, Since it is to my health I will drink it. I thought that all this night's work would be my death. Oh, do not fear that, I laughed, for a dead man sets no tables. So we drank and all grew merrier. At last I stood up and said, I like this little taste of your hospitality, friend farmer. I have decided to accept more of it. My men roared with laughter. Come, they cried, thank him for that farmer. Did you ever have such a lordly guest before? I went on. Now there is no fun in having guests unless you keep company and make you marry. So I will give out this law, that my men shall never leave you alone. Hawking there shall be your constant companion, friend farmer. He shall not leave you day or night, whether you are working or playing or sleeping. Lath and Grimm shall be the same kind of friends to your two sons. I named nine others and said, And these shall follow your thralls in the same way. Now I am not careful to make your time go merrily. So I set guards over everyone in that house. Not once all that winter they stir out a sight of some of us. So no tales got out to the neighbors. Besides it was a lonely place and by good luck no one came that way. Oh, that was the fat and easy living. Well, after we had been there for a long time, Hawking came in to the feast one night and said, I heard a cuckoo today. It is a call to go a Viking, I said. All my men put their hands to their mouths and shouted. Their eyes danced, big tourleaf stood up and stretched himself. I am stiff with long sitting, he said. I itch for a fight. I turned to the farmer. This is our last feast with you, I said. Well, he laughed. This has been the busiest winter I ever spent. And the merriest. May good luck go with you. By the beard of Odin I cried, You have taken our joke like a man. My men pounded the table with their fists. By the hammer of Thor, shouted Grimm, There is no stingy coward. He is a man fit to carry my drinking horn, the horn of a sea rover and sword swinger. Here, friend, take it. And he thrust into the farmer's hand. May you drink heartsees from it for many years. And with it I leave you a name, Sif the Friendly. I shall hope to drink with you sometime in Valhalla. Then all my men poured around that farmer and clapped him on the shoulder and piled things upon him saying, Here is a ring for Sif the Friendly. And here is a bracelet. And a sword would not be ashamed to hang at your side. I took five great bracelets of gold from our treasure chest and gave them to him. The old man's eyes opened wide at all these things, and at the same time he laughed. May Odin send me such guests every winter, he said. Early next morning we shook hands with our host and boarded the wave runner and sailed off. Where shall we go? my men asked. Let the gods decide, I said, and tossed up my spear. When it fell on the deck it pointed up shore, so I steered in that direction. That is the best way to decide, for the spear will always point somewhere, and one thing is as good as another. That time it pointed us into your father's ships. They closed in battle with us and killed my men and sunk my ship and dragged me off a prisoner. They were three against one, or they might have tasted something more bitter at our hands. They took me before King Halfton. Here they said, as a rascal who has been harrying our coasts, we sunk his ship and men, but him we brought to you. A robber viking, said the king, and he scowled at me. I threw back my head and laughed. Yes, and with all your fingers it took you a year to catch me. The king frowned more angrily. Saucy, too, he said. Well, thieves must die. Take him out, Torkle, and let him taste your sword. Your mother, the queen, was standing by. Now she put her hand on his arm and smiled, and said, he is only a lad. Let him live. And would he not be a good gift for our baby? Your father thought a moment and looked at your mother and smiled. Soft heart, he said gently to her. Then to Torkle. Well, let him go, Torkle. Then he turned to me again, frowning. But, young sharp tongue, now that we have caught you, we will put you into a trap that you cannot get out of. Weld and iron collar on his neck. So I lived, and now I am your tooth-thrall. Well, it is the luck of war, but by the chair of Odin, I kept my vow. Yes, cried Harold, jumping to his feet, and had a joke into the bargain. Ah, some time I will make a brave vow like that. End of Chapter 3. At another time Harold said, Tell me of a fight, Olaf. I want to hear about the music of swords. Olaf's eyes blazed. I will tell you of our fight with King Harvard, he said. One dark night we had landed at a farm. We left our wave-runner in the water with three men to guard her. The rest of us went into the house. The farmer met us at the door, but he died by Torkle's sword. The others we shot into their beds. The door at each end of the hall we had barred on the inside so that nobody could surprise us. We were busy going through the cupboards and shouting at our good luck, but suddenly we heard a shout outside. Thor and Harvard! Then there was a great beating at the doors. He has two hundred fighters with him, said Grimm. For we saw his ships last night, thirty against two hundred. We shall all drink in Valhalla tonight. Well, I cried, oh, then shall have no unwilling guest in me. Nor in me, cried Hawcon. Nor in me shouted Torkle. And that shout went all around and we drew out our swords and caught up our shields. Hot workers ahead of us, said Hawcon. Besides, we must leave none of this mead for Harvard. Lend a hand, someone. Then he and another pulled out a great tub that sat on the floor of the cupboard. I drank to Valhalla tonight, cried Torkle the thirsty, and he plunged his horn deep into the tub. When he brought it up, his sleeve was dripping and the sweet mead was running over from the horn. Slavin, cried Hawcon, and he struck Torkle with his fist and knocked him over into the cupboard. He fell against the wooden wall at the back and a carved panel swung open behind him. He dropped down head first. In a minute he put his head out of the hole again. We all stood staring. I think it is a secret passage, he said. We will try it, I answered in a whisper. Throw dirt on the fire, it must be dark. So he dug up dirt from the earth floor and smothered the fire. All this time there was a terrible shouting and hammering at the doors but they were of heavy logs and stood. I with four more will guard this door, I said, pointing to the east end. Immediately four men stepped to my side. And I will guard the other, Hawcon said, and four went with him. The rest of you down the hole, I said. Close the door after you. If luck is with us we will meet at the ships. Now Thor and our good swords help us. Quick! The doors are giving way. So we ten men stood at the doors and held back the king's soldiers. It was dark in the room and the people out of doors could not tell how many were inside. Few were eager to be the first in. Thirty swords are waiting in there to eat up the first man, we heard someone say. We chuckled at that. But the king stood on the very doorway and fought. Our five swords held him back for a long time but at last he pushed in and his men poured after him. We ran back and hid behind some tubs in a dark corner. The king's men went groping about and calling but they did not find us. The room was full of shouting and running and sword-clashing. For in the dark and the noise the men could not tell their own soldiers. More than one fell by his friend's sword. When it was less crowded about the doorway I whispered, follow me in double line. We will make for the ships. Keep close together. So that double line of men with swords swinging from both sides ran out through the dark. Swords struck out at us and we struck back. Men ran after us shouting but our legs were as good as theirs. But I and Hawcon and one other were all that reached the ship. There we saw our wave-runner with sail up and bow pointing to open sea. We swam out to her and climbed aboard. Then the men swung the sail to the wind and we moved off. Even as we went a spear whizzed through the air and Hawcon fell dead. For the king and all his men were running to the shore. After them they were shouting. Then we heard the king call to the men and his boats lying out in the water. Road to shore and take us in. Forkle was standing by my side. At that he laughed and said, They do not answer. He left but a handful to guard his ships. They tasted our swords and we went aboard and broke the oars and threw the sails into the water. It will be slow going for Harvard tonight. Then he turned to the shore and sang out loudly. King Harvard's ships are dead. Olaf's dragon flies. King Harvard stamps the shore. Olaf skims the waves. King Harvard shakes his fist. Olaf turns and laughs. That was the end of our meeting with King Harvard. End of Chapter 4 Chapter 5 of Viking Tales This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Michael Wolfe Viking Tales by Jenny Hall Chapter 5 Fo's Fear Every day the boy Harold heard some such story of war or of the gods until he could see Thor riding among the storm clouds and throwing his hammer until he knew that a brave man has many wounds but never a one on his back. Many nights he dreamed that he himself walked into Valhalla and that all the heroes stood up and shouted, Welcome, Harold Halfdinson! Ah, the bite of the sword is sweeter than the kiss of your mother! He said to Olaf one day, When shall I stand in the prow of a dragon and feast on the fight? I'm hungry to see the world. Ivor the Fargoer tells me of the strange countries he has seen. Ah, we Vikings are great folk. There is no water that has not licked our boat sides. This cape of mine came in a Viking boat from France. These cloakpins came from a far country called Greece. In my father's house are golden cups from Rome away on the Southern Sea. The land pours rich things into our treasure chest. Ivor has been to a strange country where it is all sand and is very hot. The people call their country Arabia. They've never heard of Thor or Odin. Ivor brought beautiful striped cloth from there and wonderful sweet-smelling waters. Oh, when shall the white horses of the sea lead me out to strange lands and glorious battles? But Harold did something besides listen to stories. Every morning he was up at sunrise and went with a thrall to feed the hunting dogs. Thorstain taught him to swim in the rough waters of the fjord. Often he went with the men hunting in the woods and learned to ride a horse and pull a bow and throw a lance. Ivor taught him to play the harp and to make up songs. He went much to the smithy where the warriors mended their helmets and made their spears and swords of iron and bronze. At first he only watched the men or worked the bellows but soon he could handle the tongs and hold the red-hot iron and after a long time he learned to use the hammer and to shape metal. One day he made himself a spearhead. It was two feet long and sharp on both edges. While the iron was hot he beat into it some runes. When the men in the smithy saw the runes they opened their eyes wide and looked at the boy for few Norsemen could read. What does it say? It is the name of my spear-point and it says, foes fear, Harold said, but now for a handle. It was winter and the snow was very deep so Harold put on his skis and started for a wood that was back from shore. Down the mountains he went twenty, thirty feet at a slide leaping over chasms a hundred feet across. In his scarlet cloak he looked like a flash of fire. The wind shot past him howling. His eyes danced at the fun. It is like flying, he thought and laughed. I am an eagle, now I saw as he leapt over a frozen river. He saw a slender ash growing on top of a high rock. That is the handle for foes fear, he said. The rock stood up like a ragged tower but he did not stop because of the steep climb. He threw off his skis and thrust his hands and feet into holes of the rock and drew himself up. He tore his jacket and cut his leather leggings and scratched his face and bruised his hands but at last he was on the top. Soon he had chopped down the tree and had cut a straight pole ten feet long and as big around as his arm. He went down sliding and jumping and tearing himself on the sharp stones. With the last leap he landed near his skis. As he did so a lean wolf jumped and snapped at him smiling. Harold shouted and swung his pole. The wolf dodged but quickly jumped again and caught the boy's arm between his sharp teeth. Harold thought of the spear-point in his belt. In a wink he had it out and was striking with it. He drove it into the wolf's neck and threw him back on the snow, dead. You were the first to feel the tooth of foes fear, he said but I think you will not be the last. Then without thinking of his torn arm he put on his skis and went leaping home. He went straight to the smithy and smoothed his pole and drove it into the half of the spear-point. He hammered out a gold band and put it around the joining-place. He made nails with beautiful heads and drove them into the pole in different places. If it is heavy it will strike hard, he said. Then he weighed the spear in his hand and found the balancing-point and put another gold band there to mark it. It was striking. A good spear, he said. Then he saw the torn sleeve and the red wound beneath. Hello!" he cried, your first wound. Oh! it is only a wolf's scratch, Harold answered. By Thor, cried Thorstein, I see that you are ready for better wounds. You bear this like a warrior. I think it will not be my last, Harold said. End of Chapter 5 Chapter 6 of Viking Tales This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Elizabeth Zarenka Viking Tales by Jenny Hall Chapter 6 Harold is King Now when Harold was 10 years old, an old book that tells about Harold says that then he was the biggest of all men the strongest and the fairest to look upon. That about a boy 10 years old! But boys grew fast in those days for they were out of doors all the time running, swimming, leaping on skis and hunting in the forest. All that makes big manly boys. So now King Halfden was dead and buried and Harold was to be king. But first he must drink his father's funeral ale. Take down the gay tapestries that hang in the feast hall, he said to the thralls. Put up black and grey ones. Strew the floor with pine branches. Brew 20 tubs of fresh ale and mead. Scour every dish until it shines. Then Harold sent messengers all over that country as kingsmen and friends. Bid them come in three months time to drink my father's funeral ale, he said. Tell them that no one shall go away empty handed. So in three months men came riding up at every hour. Some came in boats but many had ridden far through mountains swimming rivers for there were few roads or bridges in Norway. On account of the hard ride the women came to the feast. At nine o'clock in the night the feast began the men came walking in at the west end of the hall. The great bonfires down the middle of the room were flashing light on everything. The clean smell of this wood smoke and of the pine branches on the floor was pleasant to the guests. Down each side of the hall stretched long backless benches with room for 300 men and the middle of each side rose the high seat a great carved chair on a platform. All along behind the benches were the black and grey draperies. Here hung the shields of the guest for every man when he was given his place turned and hung his shield behind him and set his tall spear by it. So on each wall there was a long row of gay shields red and green and yellow and all shining with gold or bronze trimmings and higher up there was another row of gleaming spear points. Above the hall the rafters were carved and gaily painted so that dragons seemed to be crawling across or eagles seemed to be swooping down. The guests walked in laughing and talking with their big voices They made the hall look all the brighter with their clothes of scarlet and blue and green with their flashing golden bracelets and headbands and sword scabbards with their flying hair of red or yellow. Across the east end of the hall was a bench when the men were all in the queen Harold's mother and the women who lived with her walked in through the east door and sat upon this bench then thralls came running in and set up the long tables before the benches Other thralls ran in with large steaming kettles of meat They put big pieces of this meat into platters of wood and set it before the men They had a few dishes of silver These they put before the guests at the middle of the tables for the great people sat here near the high seats When the meat came the talking stopped The Norsemen ate only twice a day and these men had had long rides and were hungry Three or four persons ate from one platter and drank from the same big bowl of milk They had no forks so they ate from their fingers and threw the bones under the table among the pine branches Sometimes they took knives from their belt to cut the meat When his guests sat back satisfied Harold called to the thralls carry out the tables So they did and brought in two great tubs of meat and set one at each end of the hall Then the queen stood up and called some of her women They went to the meat tubs They took the horns when the thralls had filled them and carried them to the men with some merry word Perhaps one woman said this as she handed a man his horn has no feet to be set upon You must drink it at one drop Perhaps another said The women were beautiful moving about the hall The queen wore a trailing dress of blue velvet with long flowing sleeves She had a short apron of striped Arabian silk with gold fringe along the bottom From her shoulders hung a long train of scarlet wool embroidered with gold White linen covered her head Her long yellow hair was pulled around at the sides and over her breast and was fastened under the belt of her apron As she walked her train made a pleasant rustle among the pine branches She was tall and straight and strong Some of her younger women wore no linen on their heads and they had their white arms shining on them They too were tall and strong All the time men were calling across the fire to one another asking news or telling jokes and laughing I vow that I will grind my father's foes under my heel An old man Harold's uncle sat in the high seat on the north side That was the place of honor But the high seat on the south side was empty Harold sat on the steps before it The feast went merrily until long after midnight Then the thralls took some of the guests to the guest house to sleep and some to the beds around the sides of the feast hall But some men lay down on the benches and drew their cloaks over themselves On the next night there was another feast Still Harold sat on the step before the high seat But when the tables were gone and the horns were going around He stood up and raised high a horn of the ale and said loudly This horn of memory I drink in honor of my father Halfdan, son of Ghulral who sits now in Valhalla and I vow that I will grind my father's foes under my heel Then he drank the ale and sat down in the king's high seat while all the men stood up and raised their horns King Harold in some cried That was a brave vow and Harold's uncle called out A health to King Harold and they all drank it Then a man stood up and said Hear my song of King Halfdan for this man was sculled Yes, the song shouted the man and Harold nodded his head So the scull took down his great harp from the wall behind him and went and stood before Harold The bottom of the harp rested on the floor but the top reached as high as the sculled shoulders The brass frame shown in the light The strings were some of gold and some of silver The man struck them with his hand and sang of King Halfdan of his battles and of his strong arm and good sword of his death and how men loved him King Harold took a bracelet from his arm and gave it to him saying Take this as thanks for your good song The guest stayed the next day and at night there was another feast When the mead horns were going around King Harold stood up and spoke I said that no man should go away empty handed from drinking my father's funeral ale He beckoned the thralls and they brought in a great treasure chest and set it down by the high seat King Harold opened it and took out rich gifts capes and sword belts and beautiful cloth and bracelets and gold cloak pins These he sent about the hall and gave something to every man The guest wondered at the richness of his gifts This young king has an open hand they said and deep treasure chests After breakfast the next morning the guest went out and stood by their horses ready to go But before they mounted thralls brought a horn of mead to each man That was called the stirrup horn because after they drank it men put their feet to the stirrups and sprang upon their horses and started King Harold and his people rode a little way with them All men said that that was the richest funeral feast that ever was held End of chapter 8 Chapter 7 of Biking Tales This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Reading by Los Rolander Part 1 Harold's Battle Biking Tales by Jenny Hall Chapter 7 Now King Halfton had many foes When he was alive they were afraid to make war upon him for he was a mighty warrior But when Harold became king they said he is but a lad we will fight with him and take his land so they began to make ready King Harold heard of this and he laughed and said good foes fear is thirsty and my legs are stiff with much sitting He called three men to him to one he gave an arrow saying run and carry this arrow north give it into the hands of the master of the next farm and say that all men are to meet here within two weeks from this day they must come ready for war and mounted on horses say also that if a man does not obey this call or if he receives this arrow and does not carry it on to his next neighbor he shall be outlawed from this country and his land shall be taken from him he gave arrows to the other two men and told them to run south and east with the same message so all through King Harold's country men were soon busy mending helmets and polishing swords and making shields there was placing of forges and clanging of anvils all through the land the day set the fields about King Harold's house were full of men and horses after breakfast a horn blew every man snatched his weapons and jumped upon his horse men of the same neighborhoods stood together and their chief led them they waited for the starting horn this did not look like our army there were no uniforms some men wore helmets some did not some wore coats of mail some wore only their jackets and tights of bright colored wool but at each man's left side hung a great shield over his right shoulder went his sword belt and held his long sword under his left hand above most men's heads shown the point of their tall spares some men carried axes in their belts some carried bows and arrows many had rams horns hanging from their necks King Harold rode at the front of his army with his standard bearer beside him chain armor covered the king's body a red cloak was thrown over his shoulders on his head was a gold helmet with a dragon standing up from it he carried a round shield on his left arm the king had made that shield himself it was a brass the rivets were of silver with strangely shaped heads the back of Harold's horse was a red cloth trimmed with a fur of ermine King Harold looked up at his standard and laughed aloud oh war lover he cried you and I ride out on a gay journey a horn blew again and the army started the men shouted as they went and blew their rams horns nah we shall taste something better than even King Harold's ale shouted one another rose in his stirrups and sniffed the air ah I smell a battle he cried it is sweeter than those strange waters of Arabium so the army went merrily through the land they carried no tents they had no provision wagons the sky is a good enough tent for a soldier said the Norsemen why carry provisions when they lie in the farms beside you after two days King Harold saw another army on the hills Thorstein he shouted up with a white shield and go tell King Hockey to choose his battlefield we will wait but an hour I am eager for the frolic so Thorstein raised a white shield on his spear as a sign that he came on an errand of peace he rode near King Hockey but he could not wait until he came close before he shouted out his message and then turned and rode back tell your boy king that we will not hang back Hockey called after Thorstein King Harold's men waited on the hillside and watched the other army across the valley King Hockey point and saw twenty men ride off as he pointed they stopped in a patch of hazel and ewed with their axes they are getting the hazels said Thorstein Audon said King Harold to man near him stay close to my stand at all day you must see the best of the fight I want to hear a song about it after it is over this Audon was the scald who sang at the drinking of King Halfton's funeral ale King Hockey's men rode down into the valley they drove down stakes all about a great field they tied the hazel twigs to the stakes in a string but they left an open space toward King Harold's army and one toward King Hockey's then a man raised a white shield and galloped toward King Harold we are ready he shouted at the same time King Hockey raised a red shield King Harold's men put their shields before their mouths and shouted into them it made a great roaring war cry up with the war shield shouted King Harold horns blow there was a blowing of horns on both sides the two armies galloped down into the field and ran together the fight had begun all that day long swords were flashing spears flying men shouting men falling from their horses swords clashing against shields victory flashes from that dragon Harold's men said pointing to the king's helmet no one stands before it and surely before night came King Hockey fell dead under foe's fear when he fell a great shout went up from his warriors and they turned and fled King Harold's men chased them far but during the night came back to camp many brought swords and helmets and bracelets or silver trimmed saddles and bridles with them here is what we got from the foe they said the next morning King Harold spoke to his men let us go about and find our dead so they went all over the battlefield they put every man on his shield and carried him and laid him on a hilltop they hung his sword over his shoulder and laid his spear by his side so they laid all the dead together there on the hilltop then King Harold said looking about this is a good place to lie it looks far over the country the sound of the sea reaches it the wind sweeps here it is a good grave for Norsemen and Vikings but it is a long road and a rough road to Valhalla that these men must travel let the nearest kinsmen of each man come and tie on his hell shoes tie them fast for they will need them much on that hard road so friends tied shoes on the dead men's feet then King Harold said now let us make the moon every man said to work with what tools he had and heaped earth over the dead until a great moon stood up they piled stones on the top on one of these stones King Harold made runes telling how these men had died after that was done King Harold said now set up the pool Thorstein let every man bring to that pool all that he took from the foe so they did and there was a great hill of things around it Harold divided it into piles this pile we will give to Thor in thanks for the victory he said this pile is mine because I am king here are the piles for the chiefs and these things go to the other men of the army so every man went away from that battle richer than he was before and Thor looked down from Valhalla upon his full temple and was pleased the next morning King Harold led his army back but on the way he met other foes and had many battles and did not lose one the kings either died in battle or ran away and Harold had their lands he has kept his bow, men said and ground his father's foes under his heel so King Harold sat in peace for a while End of Chapter 7 Read by Lorsch Rolander Chapter 8 of Biking Tales This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Reading by Lorsch Rolander Viking Tales by Jenny Hall Chapter 8 Jida's Socio Message Now Harold heard men talk of Jida the daughter of King Eric She's very beautiful, they said but she's very proud too she can both read and make runes no other woman in the world knows so much about her as she does she can cure any sickness and she's proud of all this Now when King Harold heard that he thought to himself fair and proud, I like them both I love her for my wife So he called his uncle Gathorm and said Take rich gifts and go to Jida's foster father and tell him that I will marry Jida So Guthern and his men came to that house and they told the king's message to the foster father Jida was standing near, weaving a rich cloak She heard the speech up and said holding her head high and curling her lip I will not waste myself on the king of so few people Norway is a strange country There is a little king here and a little king there hundreds of them scattered about Now in Denmark there is but one great king over the whole land and it is so in Sweden Is no one brave enough to make all of Norway his own? She laughed a scornful laugh and walked away The men stood with open mouths and stared after her Could it be that she had sent that saucy message to King Harold? They looked at her foster father He was chuckling in his beard and said nothing to them They started out of the house in anger When they were at the door Jida came up to them again and said Give this message to your King Harold for me I will not be his wife unless he puts all of Norway under him for my sake So Gutham and his men rode homeward across the country They did not talk, they were all thinking At last one said How shall we give this message to the king? I have been thinking of that, Gutham said His anger is no little thing It was late when they rode into the king's yard For they had ridden slowly trying to make some plan For softening the message But they had thought of none I see light through the wind's eyes of the feast all One said Yes, the king keeps feast Gutham said Give our message before all his guests So they went in with very heavy hearts There sat King Harold in the high seat The benches on both sides were full of men The tables had been taken out And the mead horns were going round Oh ho! cried King Harold Our messenger is what news Then Gutham said Yes, Jida is a bold and saucy girl, King Harold My tongue refuses to give her message The king stamped his foot Out with it, he cried What does she say? She says she will not marry so little a king Gutham answered Harold jumped to his feet His face flushed red Gutham stretched out his hand They are not my words, O king They are the words of a silly girl Is there any more? The king shouted, Go on! She said There is one king in Denmark And one king in Sweden Is there no man brave enough To make himself king of all Norway? Tell King Harold That I will not marry him Unless he puts all of Norway under him For my sake The guests sat speechless Staring at Gutham All at once The king broke into a roar of laughter By the hammer of Thor He cried That is a good message I thank you, Jida Did you hear it, friends? King of all Norway Why, we are all stupid Friends, why did we not think of that? Then he raised his horn high Now hear my bow I say that I will not cut my hair Or comb it until I am king of all Norway That I will be or I will die Then he drank off the horn of Mead And while he drank it All the men in the halls stood up And waved their swords and shouted and shouted That old hall in all its two hundred years of feasts Had not heard such a noise before Ah, Harold! Gutham cried surely Thor in Valhalla smiled when he heard that bow The men sat all night talking Of that wonderful bow On the very next day King Harold sent out his war arrows Soon a great army was gathered They marched through the country North and south and east and west Burning houses and fighting battles As they went People fled before them Some to their own kings Some inland to the deep woods And hid there But some went to King Harold and said We will be your men Then take the oath And I will be friends with you He said They took off their swords and laid them down And came one by one And knelt before the king They put their heads between his knees and said From this day Harold Halfdanson I am your man I will serve you in war For my land I will pay your taxes I will be faithful to you as my king Then Harold said I am your king and I will be faithful to you The kings took that oath And thousands of common men Of all the battles that Harold fought He did not lose one Now for a long time The king's hair and beard Had not been combed or cut They stood out around his head In a great pushy mat of jello At a feast one day When the jokes were going round Harold's uncle said Harold I will give you a new name After this you shall be called Harold Shockhead As my naming gift I give you this drinking horn It's a good name Locked all the men After that all people called him Harold Shockhead During these wars Whenever King Harold got the country for his own This is what he did He said All the marshland and the woodland Where no people lived is mine For his farm every man shall pay me taxes Over every country put some brave wise man And called him Earl He said to the earls You shall collect the taxes and pay them to me But some you shall keep for yourselves You shall punish any man Who steals or murders or does any wicked thing When your people are in trouble They shall come to you And you shall set the thing right You must keep peace in the land I will not have my people troubled with rubber Vikings The earls did all these things as best they could For they were good strong men The farmers were happy They said We can work on our farms with peace now Before King Harold came something was always wrong The Vikings would come and steal our gold Burn our grain and burn our houses Or the king would call us to war Those little kings are always fighting It is better under King Harold But the chiefs would like to fight And go by King hated King Harold and his new ways One of these chiefs was Sulfi He was a king's son Harold had killed his father in battle Sulfi had been in that battle At the end of it he fled away with two hundred men And got into ships We will make that shocked smart He said So they harried the coast of King Harold's country They filled their ships with gold They ate other men's meals They burned farmhouses behind them The people cried out to the earls for help So the earls had out their ships all the time Trying to catch Sulfi But he was too clever for them In the spring he went to certain King Ordbjörn And said to him Now there are two things that we can do We can become this shocked Harold's thralls We can kneel before him and put our heads between his knees Or else we can fight My father thought it better to die in battle Than to be any man's thrall How is it? Will you join with my cousin Arnvid and me Against this young shockhead? Yes, I will do it Said the King End of chapter 8 Read by Lorsch Rolander Chapter 9 Of Viking Tales This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer Please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Aubrey Kirkham Part 1 The Sea Fight Viking Tales by Jenny Hall Chapter 9 Many men felt as Sulfi did So when King Ordbjörn and King Arnvid Sent out their war arrows A great host gathered All men came by sea Two hundred ships lay at anchor in the ford Looking like strange swimming animals Because of their high carved prowls and bright paint There were red and gold dragons With long necks and curved tails Seahorses reared out of the water Green and gold snakes coiled up Seahawks sat with spread wings ready to fly Among all these curved necks Stood up the tall straight mass With the long yard arms swinging across them Holding the looped up sails When the starting horn blew And their sails were let down It was like the spreading of hundreds of curious flags Some were striped black and yellow or blue and gold Some were white with a black raven Or a brown bear embroidered on them Or blue with a white sea hawk Or black with a gold sun Some were edged with fur As the wind filled the gaudy sails And the ships moved off The men waved their hands to the women On shore and sang To the sea, to the sea The wind in our sail The sea in our face And the smell of the fight After ship meets ship In the coral of swords King Harald shall lie Under sea and Norsemen shall laugh In the prowl stood men leaning forward And sniffing the selt air with joy Some were talking of King Harald Yesterday he had a hard fight, they said Today he will be lying still Dressing his wounds and mending his ships We shall take him by surprise They sailed near the coast Sophie and his sea hawk Suddenly men saw his sail veer And his oars flash out He had quickly turned his boat And was rowing back He came close to King Arnvid and called He is there, ahead His boats are ready in line of battle The fox has not been asleep King Arnvid blew his horn Slowly his boats came into line With his sea stag in the middle Again he blew his horn Cables were thrown across From one prowl to the next And all the ships were tied together So that their sides touched Then the men set their sails again And they went past a tongue of land Into a broad ford There lay the long line Of King Harald's ships With their fierce heads grinning And mocking at the newcomers Back of those prowls was what looked Like a long wall with spots of green And red and blue and yellow And shining gold It was the locked shields of the men In the boughs And over every shield looked fierce blue eyes Higher up and farther back Was another wall of shields For on the half-deck And the stern of every ship Stood the captain with his shield guard Of a dozen men Arnvid's people had furled their sails And were taking down the masts But the ships were still drifting On with the wind The horn blew And quickly every man sprang to his place And bow and stern All were leaning forward With clenched teeth and widespread nostrils They were clutching their naked Swords in their hands Their flashing eyes looked over their shields Soon King Arnvid's ships crashed Into Harald's line And immediately the men in the boughs Began to swing their swords at one another The soldiers of the shield guard On the high decks began to throw darts And stones and to shoot arrows Into the ships opposite them So in every ship Showers of stones and arrows were falling And many men died under them Or got broken arms or legs Spears were hurled from deck to deck And many of them bit deep Into men's bodies And every bowman slashed With their swords at the foes In the opposite ship King Harald had to leave the gun well To lean nearer or hung from the prow head Some even leapt into the enemy's boat King Harald's ship Lay prow to prow with King Arnvid's The battle had been going on for an hour King Harald was still in the stern On the deck There was a dent in his helmet Where a great stone had struck There was a gash in his shoulder Where a spear had cut But he was still fighting And laughed as he worked Wolf meets wolf today, he said But things are going badly In the prow, he cried Ivar fallen Thornstein wounded A dozen men lying in the bottom of the boat He leapt down from the deck And ran all wrong the gun well Shouting as he went Harald and victory So he came to the bow and stood Swinging his sword as fast as he breathed Every time it hit a man of Arnvid's men Harald's own warriors cheered seeing him Harald and victory They shouted And went to work again with good heart Slowly King Arnvid's men Fell back before Harald's biting sword Then Harald's men threw A great hook into that boat And pulled it alongside And still pushed King Arnvid's people back Come on, follow me Cried Harald Then he leapt into King Arnvid's boat And his warriors followed him He comes like a mad wolf King Arnvid's men said And they turned and ran below the deck Then Arnvid himself Slipped down and stood with his sword raised Can this young shockhead Make cowards of you all? He cried But Harald's sword struck him And he fell dead Then a big, bloody viking Of King Arnvid leapt upon the edge of the ship And stood there He held his drinking horn And his sword held high in his hands Ran See note about Ran On page 198 Ran and not you, shockhead Shall have them in me He cried And leapt laughing into the water And was drowned Many other warriors chose The same death on that terrible day All along the line Of boats Men fought for hours The cables had been cut And the boats had drifted apart Ships lay scattered about Two by two fighting Many boats sank Many men died Some fled away in their ships And at the end King Harald had won the battle So he had King Arnvid's country And King Odbiond's country Many men took the oath And became his friends All people were talking About wonderful battles End of Chapter 9 Recording by Aubrey Kirkham Chapter 10 of Viking Tales This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer Please visit LibriVox.org Viking Tales by Jenny Hall Chapter 10 Part 1 King Harald's Wedding It had taken King Harald ten years To fight so many battles And all that time He had not cut his hair or combed it Now he was feasting one day At an Earl's house Many people were there How is it friends, Harald said Have I kept my vow His friends answered You have kept your vow There is no king but you In all Norway Then I think I will cut my hair The king laughed So he went and bathed And put on fresh clothes Then the Earl cut his hair and beard And combed them And put a gold band about his head Then he looked at him and said It is beautiful, smooth and yellow And all the people Wondered at the beauty of the king's hair I will give you a new name The Earl said You shall no longer be called You shall be called Harald Hairfare It is a good name everybody Cried Then Harald said But I have another thing to do now Guthorn You shall take the same message to Gita That you gave ten years ago So Guthorn went And brought back this answer from Gita I will marry the king Of all Norway So when the wedding time came Harold rode across the country To the home of Gita's father, Eric Many men followed him They were all richly dressed In velvet and gold For three nights they feasted at Eric's house On the next night Gita sat on the crossbench With her women A long veil of white linen Covered her face and head And hung down to the ground After the mead horns had been brought in Eric stood up from his high seat And stood before King Harold Will you marry Gita now? He asked Harold jumped to his feet and laughed Yes, he said, I have waited long enough Then he stepped down from his high seat And stood by Eric They walked about the hall Before them walked thralls carrying candles Behind them Walked many of King Harold's great earls Three times they walked around the hall The third time They stopped before the crossbench King Harold and Eric Stepped upon the platform Where the crossbench was Eric gave a holy hammer To Harold And it was like the hammer of Thor Harold put it upon Gita's lap Saying With this holy hammer of Thor's I, Harold, King of Norway Take you, Gita, for my wife Then he took a bunch of keys And tied it to Gita's girdle Saying That you are mistress of my house After that Eric called out loudly Now are Harold King of Norway and Gita Daughter of Eric, man and wife Then thralls Brought meat and drink In golden dishes They were about to serve it to Gita For the bride's feast But Harold took the dish from them and said No, I will serve my bride So he knelt and held the platter When he did that his men shouted Then they talked among themselves Saying Surely Harold never knelt before It is always other people who kneel to him When the bride had tasted the food And touched the mead horn to her lips She stood up and walked from the hall All her women followed her But the men stayed and feasted Long On the next morning at breakfast Gita sat by Harold's side Soon the king rose and said Father in law Our horses stand ready in the yard Work is waiting for me at home And on the sea Lead out the bride So Eric took Gita by the hand And led her out of the hall Harold followed close When they passed through the door Eric said With this hand I lead my daughter out of my house And give her to you, Harold Son of Half Dan To be your wife All the gods make you happy Harold led his bride to the horse And lifted her up And set her behind his saddle And said Now this Gita is my wife Then they drank the stirrup horn And rode off Everything comes to King Harold His men said Wife and land and crown and victory In battle He is a lucky man End of chapter 10 By Richard Kilmer Real Medina, Texas Chapter 11 of Viking Tales This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer Please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Ceiling of Stars Viking Tales by Jenny Hall Chapter 11 King Harold goes west overseas Now many men hated King Harold Many a man said Why should he put himself up For King of all of us? He is no better than I am Am I not a king's son as well as he? And are not many of us king's sons? I will not kneel before him And promise to be his man I will not pay him taxes I will not have his earl sitting over me The good old days have gone This Norway has become a prison I will go away and find some other place So hundreds of thousands So hundreds of men sailed away Someone to France and got land And lived there Big Rolf go afoot And all his men sailed up the great French river And won a battle against the French king himself There was no way to stop The flashing of his battle axes But to give him what he wanted So the king made Rolf a duke Gave him broad lands And gave him the king's own daughter for a wife Rolf called his country Normandy For old Norway He ruled it well and was a great lord And his son's sons after him were kings of England Other Norsemen went to Ireland And England and Scotland They drew up their boats on the river banks The people ran away before them And gathered into great armies That marched back to meet the Vikings in battle Sometimes the Norsemen lost But oftener they won So that they got land and lived in those countries Their houses sat in these strange lands Like warriors camps And the Norsemen went among their new neighbors With hanging swords and spears in hand Ever ready for a fight There are many islands north of Scotland They are called the Orkneys and the Shetlands They have many good harbors for ships They are little and rocky And bare of trees Wild seabirds scream around them On some of them A man can stand in the middle And see the ocean all about him Now the Vikings sailed to these islands And were pleased It is like being always in a boat They said, this shall be our home So it went until all the lands Around about were covered with Vikings Norse carved and painted Houses brightened the hillsides Viking ships sailed all the seas And made harbour in every river Norsemen's thralls Plowed the soil and planted crops And herded cattle And gold flowed into their masters treasure chests Norse warriors walked up And down the land And no man dared to say them nay These men did not forget Norway In the summers they sailed back there And harried the coast They took gold and grain And beautiful cloth back to their homes In Norway they left burning houses And weeping women Every summer King Harold Had out his ships and men And hunted these Vikings There are many little islands about Norway With caves and deep woods Here the Vikings hid when they saw King Harold's ships coming But Harold ran his boat into every creek And fjord and hunted in every cave And threw all the woods and among the crags He caught many men But most of them got away And went home laughing at Harold Then they came back the next summer And did the same deeds over again At last King Harold said There is but one thing to do I must sail to these western islands And whip these robbers in their own homes So he went with a great number of ships He found his brave men As he had brought from Norway These Vikings had brought their own Old courage to their new homes King Harold's fine ships Were scarred by Viking stones And scorched by Viking fire The shields of Harold's warriors Had dents from Viking blows Many of those men carried Viking scars All their lives And many of King Harold's warriors Had long, hard road to Valhalla And feasted there with some of these very Vikings That had died in King Harold's battles But after many hard fights On land and sea After many men had died And many had fled away to other lands King Harold won and he made the men That were yet in the islands take the oath And he left his earls to rule over them Then he went back to Norway He has done more than he vowed to do People said He has not only whipped the Vikings But he has got a new kingdom west overseas Then they talked of that dream That his mother had King Harold was that great tree They said the trunk was red With the blood of his many battles But higher up the limbs were fair and green Like this good time of peace The topmost branches were white Because Harold will live to be an old man Just as that tree spread out Until all of Norway was in its shade And even more lands So Harold is king of all this country On western islands The many branches of that tree Are the many sons of Harold Who shall be earls and kings in Norway And their sons after them For hundreds of years End of Chapter 11 End of Part 1 in Norway Recording by Ceiling of Stars