Read Ebook: Northland Heroes by Holbrook Florence

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Ebook has 407 lines and 23080 words, and 9 pages

Then again spoke Bele: "These are my last commands. On you, O Helge, my eldest son, I place a father's care. Guard and love your sister Ingeborg. Be gentle and guide her with loving words. Noble spirits fret under harshness, but loving and gentle manners win all to right and honour.

"And now, farewell, my children. Together Thorsten and I go to the All-father gladly. Lay us in mounds close to the waves of the restless gulf singing the song of the sea."

Framness

So the old king and his faithful friend were united in death as they had been in life, and were buried on the shore of the loud-singing sea. Together by the wish of the people did his sons, Helge and Halfdan, rule the kingdom.

Frithiof, the son of Thorsten, went to his father's hall, the mighty Framness. For twelve miles in all directions stretched his broad acres. The hilltops were covered with birch forests. On the sloping sides grew the golden corn and the tall rye. Many blue lakes gleamed like mirrors. Streams rippled over the pebbly beds. In the wide valleys herds of oxen and sheep were quietly grazing, and in the stables were twenty-four steeds swift as the whirlwind.

In the great hall built of choicest fir more than five hundred warriors gathered at Yule-time. A great table of oak, polished and shining, ran through the middle from end to end. The floor was covered with straw, and on the hearth in the centre of the hall a warm and cheerful fire was always burning.

On the great nails in the hall hung helmets and coats-of-mail. Between them flashed swords and sparkling shields. Round the table sat the warriors, and as often as the drinking-horn needed filling fair maidens came with the joyous mead.

All this and other vast treasures did Frithiof receive from his father, Scarce was there found in the Northland any with richer possessions, Save were he heir to a kingdom, for of kings is the wealth always greatest. Though from no king he descended, yet was his mind truly royal, Courteous, noble, and kind. Daily became he more famous.

Rich was the house of Framness. Everywhere plenty and beauty, gleaming jewels, gold and silver, met the eye of the stranger. But three things in Framness were most prized by Frithiof and his brave men. First of the three was a sword which had descended from father to son. The sword was called Angurvadel, grief-wader, and brother of lightning. Made in the far east, it had finally come into the hands of Viking, the father of Thorsten.

When Viking was a youth of fifteen he heard of a monster ferocious and shaggy, misshapen and higher in stature than man, who came from the wood to the palace of a weak old king. This king had a lovely daughter, and the monster boldly demanded her hand and the kingdom, offering to meet in hand-to-hand combat any who would say him nay. No one dared to meet him, for no one had a weapon that could pierce his hard skull.

Then came Viking gladly to the combat with Ironskull, and with one blow of his good sword Angurvadel cleft the head of the monster and rescued the maiden. Viking gave the sword to his son Thorsten, and Thorsten gave it to Frithiof. The hilt was of hammered gold, covered with mystic red letters. Whenever he drew the sword light filled the hall, as when the northern lights gleam or the bright lightning flashes.

Lost was the warrior Who met, on the field of encounter, the blade with its red letters glowing. Widely renowned was that sword, and of swords was the chief in the Northland.

The second prize in Framness was the wonderful arm-ring forged by Volund, the lame blacksmith. This ring was made of gold and was very heavy, and upon it Volund had carved pictures. First he showed the house of the gods, with twelve high castles. In one was the sun rising over the ocean. In the second castle were Odin and Saga, drinking together from a golden shell. That shell is the ocean gilded by the glow of morning. Balder, the beautiful king of summer, was seen, the good, kind god. Next was shown the castle of Giltner, the home of peace. Within was Forseti, god of justice, holding the scales. Many more pictures were graven on the great ring, showing the conflict between light and darkness. High in the centre was a cluster of rubies bright as the sun in the heavens. This circlet was a family heirloom, for Frithiof's mother was a descendant of Volund, its maker.

Viking took him home and cared for him right courteously; but soon he sailed away in his broken boat, thanking Viking warmly for his kindness. "If I could only leave thee a gift!" said he. "Perhaps in the morning the ocean will waft thee a token."

The next day Viking stood on the shore, when, lo! swiftly over the billows came a dragon ship. There was no leader, no sailor, no steersman. The wonderful ship drew near, the sails were furled by unseen hands and the anchor dropped into the firm sand.

Viking was speechless with wonder. Then he heard the winds murmur softly: "Aeger never forgetteth a kindness. He giveth thee this dragon."

Kingly the gift and beautiful. Its throat was ablaze with gold, and bordered with red were its inky black pinions. When they were unfolded, the boat flew in a race with the whirlwind and left far behind the swift eagle. Widely renowned was the ship, the chief of all ships of the Northland.

Of chieftains Frithiof had many around his hearth. One youth whom he greatly loved was Bjorn. Frithiof and Bjorn were of the same age and dear to each other, brothers in joy and grief. In the days of their boyhood they had mingled their blood, thus becoming brothers in good Northern fashion, in peace and in war sworn to help and avenge each other.

King Helge and Frithiof

In the spring Frithiof sailed in his dragon ship proudly over the billows to the palace of King Helge. The kings had met at the mound of their father to give justice to their people.

To them came Frithiof and proudly he spoke: "Ye kings, I choose here from all women your sister, the lovely Ingeborg, to be my bride. The good king, your father, wished us to marry, and therefore reared us together in the garden of Hilding. My father was of peasant birth, yet his memory will live in the songs of the poets, for he and his father were the bravest of heroes.

"Full easily could I win a kingdom for myself, but I choose to stay in my own country and serve ye, my kings.

"On King Bele's grave we are standing now, He hears every word in the grave below, With thee he pleadeth.-- A dead father's counsel a wise son heedeth."

But King Helge refused Frithiof's words with scorn, saying: "Our sister was not for a peasant born! Kings should strive to win our Ingeborg. Boast not of your strength--women are won by words and not by force. As for my kingdom, I will defend that myself and do not need your help. If you wish to be my man your place is among my servants."

With these words he struck the gold shield of Helge, and it fell in halves with a clang to the ground.

"Well done, my sword! Lie still and dream of great deeds to come! Now will we go home over the foaming billows."

So in anger did the noble Frithiof leave the presence of King Helge, and return to Framness, the house of his fathers.

In the Country of King Ring

Far in the north lived the good King Ring. His words were wise and kind. In his land no war cast its dark shadow and everywhere in his kingdom blossomed fair flowers. Justice and right clasped hands, and peace lived with plenty in the golden fields.

For thirty years King Ring had ruled in the Northland. The people loved him well and named him in their evening prayers. His good queen had died, and long had he mourned for her. But the people begged him to marry again.

At last the old king said: "King Bele often visited me and spake of his fair daughter. Her would I choose for my bride. Take gold and jewels rare from my coffers. Have minstrels go and with their songs win for me the fair Ingeborg."

In gay company they went to Helge's court and asked him for his sister Ingeborg. Here they remained three days, singing and feasting. On the fourth morning they asked for a reply from King Helge for their king.

In the grove of Balder Helge offered bird and beast and asked the priest what answer he should give. The priest, frightened by evil omens, replied that Ingeborg must not be given to King Ring. Then Helge said nay to the messengers, for men must obey when the gods have spoken.

Angry were the messengers, and angry was King Ring when he was told that Helge would not give the lovely Ingeborg to be his queen. He struck his bright shield and seized his warlike weapons.

Over the sea many a dragon ship came hurrying and the plumes of the warriors waved in the breeze.

"Let us teach the proud Helge a lesson," they cried.

When King Helge heard of the ships and the warriors hurrying over the sea, he said: "Long and bloody will be the strife, for King Ring is a mighty king. To protect my sister we must place her in the temple of Balder the holy."

Frithiof's Answer

While King Helge gathered his warriors to fight King Ring, the angry Frithiof was playing chess with his friend Bjorn. Hilding urged him to forget his anger and go into battle to fight for his king and his country. "The times are evil, dear foster-son," said the good Hilding, "and you are all the people's hope."

Kindly but firmly said the youth: "My resolve is firm. I will not obey Helge. He and Halfdan may be angry and threaten. They are kings, but I bid defiance to their power and their threats."

Then said Hilding sadly: "Is this the reply to my pleading?"

Frithiof then arises, laying Hilding's hand in his, and saying: "My resolve is firm and steady, And my answer you have heard.

"Go to Bele's sons and warn them Peasants love not those who scorn them; To their power I bid defiance, Their behests will not obey."

"In thy chosen way abide thee, For thy wrath I cannot chide thee; Odin must be our reliance," Hilding said, and went his way.

In Balder's Grove

While King Bele's sons were preparing for war with King Ring, Frithiof sought Ingeborg in the grove of Balder. Most beautiful was this temple of the sun-god, and here the sunshine seemed lovelier than in other groves. The flowers glowed in the friendly rays and seemed more beautiful. At night, when evening drew the rosy curtain, the brooks and breezes whispered softly to one another and the stars gleamed like pearls upon the dark blue robe of night.

So spake Frithiof as he landed on the shore. The earth seemed friendly, the red and white flowers smiled upon him, and he was happy and free from care. With Ingeborg the brave youth knelt at the shrine of Balder, the mild, radiant god of the sun whom all gods and men love, and prayed for happiness and peace. They prayed not for princely honours, but for a home near the dark blue sea. Then, amid flowers and under the shade of the leafy trees, their lives would be happy and free from envy and care.

But they feared the king, the cold and cruel Helge. He would never consent to Frithiof's request for the hand of Ingeborg. If he learned that Frithiof had dared to visit Ingeborg in Balder's grove, his anger would be greater than ever. But Ingeborg begged Frithiof to go to her brother and to offer his hand in friendship. She could not leave the grove of Balder, where Helge had placed her for protection during the war with King Ring.

At last Frithiof yielded. He said farewell to Ingeborg with sadness in his heart.

"Like Balder are you, Ingeborg! Like him your hair is golden, and your eyes are blue as his skies, while your soul is as pure as the morning light!"

The Parting

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