第129章

An evil lot, which heaps years of ill-fortune on the joyous, chokes mirth in mourning, and troubles our destiny.For it is lamentable and wretched to drag out a downcast life, to draw breath through dismal days and to chafe at foreboding.But whatsoever things are bound by the prophetic order of the fates, whatsoever are shadowed in the secrets of the divine plan, whatsoever are foreseen and fixed in the course of the destinies, no change of what is transient shall cancel these things."When he had thus spoken, Halfdan condemned Hildiger for sloth in avowing so late their bond of brotherhood; he declared he had kept silence that he might not be thought a coward for refusing to fight, or a villain if he fought; and while intent on these words of excuse, he died.But report had given out among the Danes that Hildiger had overthrown Halfdan.After this, Siwar, a Saxon of very high birth, began to be a suitor for Gurid, the only survivor of the royal blood among the Danes.Secretly she preferred Halfdan to him, and imposed on her wooer the condition that he should not ask her in marriage till he had united into one body the kingdom of the Danes, which was now torn limb from limb, and restored by arms what had been wrongfully taken from her.Siwar made a vain attempt to do this; but as he bribed all the guardians, she was at last granted to him in betrothal.

Halfdan heard of this in Russia through traders, and voyaged so hard that he arrived before the time of the wedding-rites.On their first day, before he went to the palace, he gave orders that his men should not stir from the watches appointed them till their ears caught the clash of the steel in the distance.

Unknown to the guests, he came and stood before the maiden, and, that he might not reveal his meaning to too many by bare and common speech, he composed a dark and ambiguous song as follows:

"As I left my father's sceptre, I had no fear of the wiles of woman's device nor of female subtlety.

"When I overthrew, one and two, three and four, and soon five, and next six, then seven, and also eight, yea eleven single-handed, triumphant in battle.

"But neither did I then think that I was to be shamed with the taint of disgrace, with thy frailness to thy word and thy beguiling pledges."Gurid answered: "My soul wavered in suspense, with slender power over events, and shifted about with restless fickleness.The report of thee was so fleeting, so doubtful, borne on uncertain stories, and parched by doubting heart.I feared that the years of thy youth had perished by the sword.Could I withstand singly my elders and governors, when they forbade me to refuse that thing, and pressed me to become a wife? My love and my flame are both yet unchanged, they shall be mate and match to thine; nor has my troth been disturbed, but shall have faithful approach to thee.

"For my promise has not yet beguiled thee at all, though I, being alone, could not reject the counsel of such manifold persuasion, nor oppose their stern bidding in the matter of my consent to the marriage bond."Before the maiden had finished her answer, Halfdan had already run his sword through the bridegroom.Not content with having killed one man, he massacred most of the guests.Staggering tipsily backwards, the Saxons ran at him, but his servants came up and slaughtered them.After this HALFDAN took Gurid to wife.

But finding in her the fault of barrenness, and desiring much to have offspring, he went to Upsala in order to procure fruitfulness for her; and being told in answer, that he must make atonement to the shades of his brother if he would raise up children, he obeyed the oracle, and was comforted by gaining his desire.For he had a son by Gurid, to whom he gave the name of Harald.Under his title Halfdan tried to restore the kingdom of the Danes to its ancient estate, as it was torn asunder by the injuries of the chiefs; but, while fighting in Zealand, he attacked Wesete, a very famous champion, in battle, and was slain.Gurid was at the battle in man's attire, from love for her son.She saw the event; the young man fought hotly, but his companions fled; and she took him on her shoulders to a neighbouring wood.Weariness, more than anything else, kept the enemy from pursuing him; but one of them shot him as he hung, with an arrow, through the hinder parts, and Harald thought that his mother's care brought him more shame than help.

HARALD, being of great beauty and unusual size, and surpassing those of his age in strength and stature, received such favour from Odin (whose oracle was thought to have been the cause of his birth), that steel could not injure his perfect soundness.The result was, that shafts which wounded others were disabled from doing him any harm.Nor was the boon unrequited; for he is reported to have promised to Odin all the souls which his sword cast out of their bodies.He also had his father's deeds recorded for a memorial by craftsmen on a rock in Bleking, whereof I have made mention.