Episode 16

Earl Hakon Grjotgardson of Hlader had the whole rule over Throndhjem when King Harald was anywhere away in the country; and Hakon stood higher with the king than any in the country of Throndhjem.After Hakon's death his son Sigurd succeeded to his power in Throndhjem, and was the earl, and had his mansion at Hlader.King Harald's sons, Halfdan the Black and Sigrod, who had been before in the house of his father Earl Hakon, continued to be brought up in his house.The sons of Harald and Sigurd were about the same age.Earl Sigurd was one of the wisest men of his time, and married Bergljot, a daughter of Earl Thorer the Silent; and her mother was Alof Arbot, a daughter of Harald Harfager.When King Harald began to grow old he generally dwelt on some of his great farms in Hordaland; namely, Alreksstader or Saeheim, Fitjar, Utstein, or Ogvaldsnes in the island Kormt.

When Harald was seventy years of age he begat a son with a girl called Thora Mosterstang, because her family came from Moster.

She was descended from good people, being connected with Kare (Aslakson) of Hordaland; and was moreover a very stout and remarkably handsome girl.She was called the king's servant-girl; for at that time many were subject to service to the king who were of good birth, both men and women.Then it was the custom, with people of consideration, to choose with great care the man who should pour water over their children, and give them a name.Now when the time came that Thora, who was then at Moster, expected her confinement, she would to King Harald, who was then living at Saeheim; and she went northwards in a ship belonging to Earl Sigurd.They lay at night close to the land;and there Thora brought forth a child upon the land, up among the rocks, close to the ship's gangway, and it was a man child.Earl Sigurd poured water over him, and called him Hakon, after his own father, Hakon earl of Hlader.The boy soon grew handsome, large in size, and very like his father King Harald.King Harald let him follow his mother, and they were both in the king's house as long as he was an infant.

41.KING ATHELSTAN'S MESSAGE

At this time a king called Aethelstan had taken the Kingdom of England.He was called victorious and faithful.He sent men to Norway to King Harald, with the errand that the messengers should present him with a sword, with the hilt and handle gilt, and also the whole sheath adorned with gold and silver, and set with precious jewels.The ambassador presented the sword-hilt to the king, saying, "Here is a sword which King Athelstan sends thee, with the request that thou wilt accept it." The king took the sword by the handle; whereupon the ambassador said, "Now thou hast taken the sword according to our king's desire, and therefore art thou his subject as thou hast taken his sword."King Harald saw now that this was an insult, for he would be subject to no man.But he remembered it was his rule, whenever anything raised his anger, to collect himself, and let his passion run off, and then take the matter into consideration coolly.Now he did so, and consulted his friends, who all gave him the advice to let the ambassadors, in the first place, go home in safety.

42.HAUK'S JOURNEY TO ENGLAND.

The following summer King Harald sent a ship westward to England, and gave the command of it to Hauk Habrok.He was a great warrior, and very dear to the king.Into his hands he gave his son Hakon.Hank proceeded westward tn England, and found King Athelstan in London, where there was just at the time a great feast and entertainment.When they came to the hall, Hauk told his men how they should conduct themselves; namely, that he who went first in should go last out, and all should stand in a row at the table, at equal distance from each other; and each should have his sword at his left side, but should fasten his cloak so that his sword should not be seen.Then they went into the hall, thirty in number.Hauk went up to the king and saluted him, and the king bade him welcome.Then Hauk took the child Hakon, and set it on the king's knee.The king looks at the boy, and asks Hauk what the meaning of this is.Hauk replies, "Herald the king bids thee foster his servant-girl's child." The king was in great anger, and seized a sword which lay beside him, and drew it, as if he was going to kill the child.Hauk says, "Thou hast borne him on thy knee, and thou canst murder him if thou wilt;but thou wilt not make an end of all King Harald's sons by so doing." On that Hauk went out with all his men, and took the way direct to his ship, and put to sea, -- for they were ready, --and came back to King Harald.The king was highly pleased with this; for it is the common observation of all people, that the man who fosters another's children is of less consideration than the other.From these transactions between the two kings, it appears that each wanted to be held greater than the other; but in truth there was no injury, to the dignity of either, for each was the upper king in his own kingdom till his dying day.

43.HAKON, THE FOSTER-SON OF ATHELSTAN, IS BAPTIZED.

King Athelstan had Hakon baptized, and brought up in the right faith, and in good habits, and all sorts of good manners, and he loved Hakon above all his relations; and Hakon was beloved by all men.He was henceforth called Athelstan's foster-son.He was an accomplished skald, and he was larger, stronger and more beautiful than other men; he was a man of understanding and eloquence, and also a good Christian.King Athelstan gave Hakon a sword, of which the hilt and handle were gold, and the blade still better; for with it Hakon cut down a mill-stone to the centre eye, and the sword thereafter was called the Quernbite (1).Better sword never came into Norway, and Hakon carried it to his dying day.

ENDNOTES:

(1) Quern is the name of the small hand mill-stones still found in use among the cottars in Orkney, Shetland, and the Hebrides.This sword is mentioned in the Younger Edda.