第 12 节
作者:北方网      更新:2021-02-24 22:10      字数:9322
  from   them。     This;   and   one   other   fact   now   to  be   mentioned;   is   all  the
  wedded history we have of Thyri。
  The    other   fact  is;  that  Thyri   had;   by   inheritance    or  covenant;     not
  depending   on   her   marriage   with   old   Burislav;   considerable   properties   in
  Wendland; which; she often reflected; might be not a little behooveful to
  her here in Norway; where her civil…list was probably but straitened。 She
  spoke of this to her husband; but her husband would take no hold; merely
  made her gifts; and said; 〃Pooh; pooh; can't we live without old Burislav
  and   his   Wendland   properties?〃   So   that   the   lady   sank   into   ever   deeper
  anxiety   and   eagerness   about   this   Wendland   object;   took   to   weeping;   sat
  weeping whole days; and when Olaf asked; 〃What ails thee; then?〃 would
  answer;   or   did   answer   once;   〃What   a   different   man   my   father   Harald
  Gormson was 'vulgarly called Blue…tooth'; compared with some that are
  now kings! For no King Svein in the world would Harald Gormson have
  given up his own or his wife's just rights!〃 Whereupon Tryggveson started
  up; exclaiming in some heat; 〃Of thy brother Svein I never was afraid; if
  Svein and I meet in contest; it will not be Svein; I believe; that conquers;〃
  and   went   off   in   a   towering   fume。   Consented;   however;   at   last;   had   to
  consent; to get his fine fleet equipped and armed; and decide to sail with it
  to Wendland to have speech and settlement with King Burislav。
  Tryggveson had already ships and navies that were the wonder of the
  North。 Especially in building war ships; the Crane; the Serpent; last of all
  the   Long   Serpent;'7'he   had;   for   size;   for   outward   beauty;   and   inward
  perfection of equipment; transcended all example。
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  This new sea expedition became an object of attention to all neighbors;
  especially Queen Sigrid the Proud and Svein Double…Beard; her now king;
  were attentive to it。
  〃This   insolent   Tryggveson;〃   Queen   Sigrid   would   often   say;   and   had
  long been saying; to her Svein; 〃to marry thy sister without leave had or
  asked of thee; and now flaunting forth his war navies; as if he; king only
  of paltry Norway; were the big hero of the North! Why do you suffer it;
  you kings really great?〃
  By  such   persuasions   and   reiterations;   King   Svein   of   Denmark;   King
  Olaf   of   Sweden;   and   Jarl   Eric;   now   a   great   man   there;   grown   rich   by
  prosperous sea robbery and other good management; were brought to take
  the    matter   up;   and   combine     strenuously     for   destruction    of  King    Olaf
  Tryggveson on   this grand Wendland   expedition of   his。  Fleets and   forces
  were with best diligence got ready; and; withal; a certain Jarl Sigwald; of
  Jomsburg;       chieftain    of   the   Jomsvikings;      a   powerful;     plausible;    and
  cunning      man;     was    appointed     to   find   means     of   joining    himself    to
  Tryggveson's grand voyage; of getting into Tryggveson's confidence; and
  keeping Svein Double…Beard; Eric; and the Swedish King aware of all his
  movements。
  King     Olaf   Tryggveson;      unacquainted      with    all  this;  sailed  away    in
  summer; with his splendid fleet; went through the Belts with prosperous
  winds; under bright skies; to the admiration of both shores。 Such a fleet;
  with its shining Serpents; long and short; and perfection of equipment and
  appearance;   the   Baltic   never   saw   before。   Jarl   Sigwald   joined   with   new
  ships   by   the   way:   〃Had;〃   he   too;   〃a   visit   to   King   Burislav   to   pay;   how
  could     he  ever   do   it  in  better  company?〃       and   studiously   and     skilfully
  ingratiated     himself    with   King    Olaf。   Old    Burislav;    when    they   arrived;
  proved altogether courteous; handsome; and amenable; agreed at once to
  Olaf's    claims    for   his  now    queen;    did   the   rites  of  hospitality    with    a
  generous plenitude to Olaf; who cheerily renewed acquaintance with that
  country;   known   to   him   in   early   days   (the   cradle   of   his   fortunes   in   the
  viking line); and found old friends there still surviving; joyful to meet him
  again。 Jarl Sigwald encouraged these delays; King Svein and Co。 not being
  yet   quite   ready。  〃Get   ready!〃   Sigwald directed   them;  and   they  diligently
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  did。 Olaf's men; their business now done; were impatient to be home; and
  grudged   every   day   of   loitering   there;   but;   till   Sigwald   pleased;   such   his
  power of flattering and cajoling Tryggveson; they could not get away。
  At length; Sigwald's secret messengers reporting all ready on the part
  of   Svein   and   Co。;   Olaf   took   farewell of   Burislav   and Wendland;  and   all
  gladly sailed away。 Svein; Eric; and the Swedish king; with their combined
  fleets; lay in wait behind some cape in a safe little bay of some island; then
  called Svolde; but not in our time to be found; the Baltic tumults in the
  fourteenth   century   having   swallowed   it;   as   some   think;   and   leaving   us
  uncertain   whether   it   was   in   the   neighborhood   of   Rugen   Island   or   in   the
  Sound of Elsinore。 There lay Svein; Eric; and Co。 waiting till Tryggveson
  and   his   fleet   came   up;   Sigwald's   spy   messengers   daily   reporting   what
  progress he and it had made。 At length; one bright summer morning; the
  fleet made appearance; sailing in loose order; Sigwald; as one acquainted
  with the shoal places; steering ahead; and showing them the way。
  Snorro rises into one of his pictorial fits; seized with enthusiasm at the
  thought      of   such    a   fleet;  and    reports    to   us   largely    in   what    order
  Tryggveson's winged Coursers of the Deep; in long series; for perhaps an
  hour or more; came on; and what the three potentates; from their knoll of
  vantage; said of each as it hove in sight; Svein thrice over guessed this and
  the other noble vessel to be the Long Serpent; Eric; always correcting him;
  〃No; that is not the Long Serpent yet〃 (and aside always); 〃Nor shall you
  be lord of it; king; when it does come。〃 The Long Serpent itself did make
  appearance。       Eric;   Svein;   and    the  Swedish      king   hurried    on   board;   and
  pushed out of their hiding…place into the open sea。 Treacherous Sigwald; at
  the   beginning   of   all   this;   had   suddenly   doubled   that   cape   of   theirs;   and
  struck   into   the   bay   out   of   sight;   leaving   the   foremost   Tryggveson   ships
  astonished; and   uncertain what to do; if   it were  not   simply to   strike sail
  and wait till Olaf himself with the Long Serpent arrived。
  Olaf's chief captains; seeing the enemy's huge fleet come out; and how
  the matter lay; strongly advised King Olaf to elude this stroke of treachery;
  and; with all sail; hold on his course; fight being now on so unequal terms。
  Snorro says;  the king;  high on   the quarter…deck   where  he  stood;   replied;
  〃Strike the sails; never shall men of mine think of flight。 I never fled from
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  battle。 Let God dispose of my life; but flight I will never take。〃 And so the
  battle arrangements immediately began; and the battle with all fury went
  loose;   and   lasted   hour   after   hour;   till   almost   sunset;   if   I   well   recollect。
  〃Olaf   stood   on   the   Serpent's   quarter…deck;〃   says   Snorro;   〃high   over   the
  others。 He had a gilt shield and a helmet inlaid with gold; over his armor
  he   had   a   short   red   coat;   and   was   easily   distinguished   from   other   men。〃
  Snorro's      account    of   the  battle   is  altogether    animated;      graphic;    and   so
  minute that antiquaries gather from it; if so disposed (which we but little
  are);    what    the  methods      of  Norse     sea…fighting     were;    their  shooting     of
  arrows; casting of javelins; pitching of big stones; ultimately boarding; and
  mutual   clashing   and   smashing;   which   it   would   not   avail   us   to   speak   of
  here。   Olaf   stood   conspicuous   all   day;   throwing   javelins;   of   deadly   aim;
  with   both   hands   at   once;   encouraging;   fighting   and   commanding   like   a
  highest sea…king。
  The Danish fleet; the Swedish fleet; were; both of them; quickly dealt
  with;   and   successively   withdrew   out   of   shot…rang