Journeys Through Bookland Volume Iii Part 42

In deep dejection Frithiof then set sail in Ellida, Ingeborg watching him from the sh.o.r.e with a heavy and foreboding heart. Hardly had the ship got under way when there arose a terrible storm, caused by two witches whom Helge had paid to use their evil power against his enemy.

For days the storm raged, until it seemed that the dragon-ship must be wrecked.

"As made with defeat, It blows more and more hard; There is bursting of sheet, There is splintering of yard.

O'er and o'er the half-gulfed side, Flood succeeding flood is poured; Fast as they expel the tide, Faster still it rolls aboard.

Now e'en Frithiof's dauntless mind Owned the triumph of his foe; Louder yet than wave and wind Thus his thundering accents flow!

'Haste and grasp the tiller, Bjorn, with might of bear-paw!

Tempest so infuriate Comes not from Valhalla.*

Witchcraft is a-going; Sure, the coward Helge Spells* the raging billows!

Mine the charge to explore.'"

[Footnote: Longfellow's translation]

*[Footnote: Valhalla, the palace of Odin, in Asgard, the home of the G.o.ds.]

*[Footnote: Spells, bewitches]

Had the prayers of Ingeborg at length availed? Even as he was gazing out over the waters, Frithiof beheld the two witches floating before him on the back of a great whale. Then it was that his ship Ellida, intelligent and faithful as a human servant, saved him from the power of the crafty Helge. Bearing down quickly upon the evil-workers, it despatched one of them with its sharp prow, while Frithiof, with one thrust of his weapon, destroyed the other. But the vessel was filled with water, and the sailors were forced to bale continually. In this desperate plight the Orkney Islands were reached, and the exhausted crew were borne ash.o.r.e. Frithiof, too, was worn with fatigue, yet he carried eight of his men at one time from the ship to safety.

When Ellida put into harbor, Earl Angantyrand his warriors were in the midst of a drinking-bout at the palace. The old attendant Halvar, while refilling the Earl's horn [Footnote: Horn, a drinking vessel, horn shaped, or made of horn.] with mead, [Footnote: Mead, a drink made of honey and water.] called the attention of the party to the incoming vessel.

"A ship that can weather such a sea must be no other than Ellida, bearing the doughty son of my good friend Thorsten," exclaimed Angantyr, rising to get a better view.

At these words of praise the keenest envy was aroused in Atle and several of his companions who were most celebrated in that realm for their skill and prowess as huntsmen and warriors; and in a body they went down to the sh.o.r.e to challenge the far-famed youth of Norway.

Again did the magic Angurvadel stand its owner in good stead. Atle's sword having been broken, Frithiof cast aside his own weapon, and the two men wrestled until the latter threw his opponent and stood over him victor.

"Now had I my sword, thou should'st die," cried Frithiof. "Get thy weapon," calmly replied Atle. "I give thee my word I will await thy return."

Frithiof recovered Angurvadel, but as he was about to plunge it into Atle's body he was so moved by the fearlessness of the vanquished man that he spared his life. Earl Angantyr then warmly welcomed the son of his n.o.ble friend Thorsten, and because of the memory of this friendship agreed to pay the required tribute.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FRITHIOF BEHELD THE TWO WITCHES]

Not until spring did Frithiof return to Sogn. When he arrived in his native land he learned of two direful events. Helge had destroyed the estate at Framnas, and had given Ingeborg as a bride to King Ring.

Into such a furious pa.s.sion did the news put him, that he went at once to seek out Helge. The two kings with their wives were worshipping in Balder's temple. Unable to suppress his rage, Frithiof advanced toward Helge and thrust Angantyr's tribute into the very face of the king.

Then, finding that Helge's wife was wearing the magic ring that Ingeborg had been forced to give up, Frithiof tried to wrest this from its wearer, and in doing so caused the queen to drop into the fire an image of the G.o.d Balder. In the effort to avert this disaster Halfdan's wife let fall a second image, and immediately the temple burst into flames.

Had not Frithiof been the most dauntless of all the sons of Norway, he would have been prostrated with fear for the consequences of this terrible sacrilege. Could he longer escape the avenging anger of Balder? Summoning all his courage, he ran to the sh.o.r.e and immediately embarked in Ellida. Swiftly the dragon-ship skimmed the waves, while Helge paced up and down the sh.o.r.e in helpless wrath, all of his vessels having been destroyed by the companions of his fleeing enemy.

For three years thereafter Frithiof roved the seas as a viking, overcoming the great sea-pirates, and taking from them their rich spoils. At length, when he had become very wealthy, he tired of his ceaseless roaming and came to feel that nothing would satisfy him but to see Ingeborg again. Then, despite the protests of Bjorn, he set out for Norway to visit the kingdom of Ringland.

Arrived at the king's palace he entered, disguised as an old man, and humbly seated himself among the servants. Soon those about him began to make fun of his forlorn appearance, whereupon he seized a youth standing near, and raising him high above his head, twisted him about as though he weighed no more than a mere babe. This surprising test of strength drew the attention of the entire party, and the king questioned: "Who art thou, and where didst thou pa.s.s the night just gone?"

"In Anguish was I nurtured, Want is my homestead bright.

Now come I from the Wolf's den, I slept with him last night"

[Footnote: Longfellow's translation]

came in a quavering voice from Frithiof.

But the king, intent upon further discovery, bade the stranger remove his s.h.a.ggy cloak. Then Frithiof knew that deception was no longer possible, and, throwing off his cloak, he stood forth in all the might of his manhood. Even had it not been otherwise possible to recognize him, the Vaulund ring worn on his arm would have betrayed its owner.

At once his eyes traveled to Ingeborg, who blushed deeply, while the king feigned ignorance.

So much favor did Frithiof find with the aged monarch, that he was besought to remain at the court during the winter. On one occasion he repaid this hospitality by saving the lives of the king and queen when they were on their way to a feast. The ice over which they were pa.s.sing broke, and they would have sunk into the river below had not Frithiof by main force pulled the pony and sleigh out of the water.

Somewhat later, while accompanying the royal party on a visit to the woods and fields where the new beauty of the springtime could be fully enjoyed, Frithiof was left alone with King Ring. Feeling weary, the old man lay down upon a cloak spread for him by his companion, and fell asleep with his head upon the younger man's knee. As he lay thus, a coal-black raven from a near-by tree called in hoa.r.s.e whispers to Frithiof: "Take his life, now that he is in thy power." But from another bough a bird, white as snow, admonished him: "Respect old age and be true to the trust that has been placed in thee." Thereupon Frithiof cast his sword from him as far as it could be thrown. Soon the king aroused himself from the sleep that he had merely pretended, and said in kindly tones:

"I know thee now to be a brave and loyal friend; and thy trustworthiness shall be rewarded, Frithiof. Do not be surprised that I speak thy name, for I have known thee from the first. Even now the darkness of death is closing round me, and when the light of Midgard [Footnote: Midgard, the name given in Norse mythology to earth, as distinguished from Asgard (the home of the G.o.ds) and Hel (the lower world).] fades from my sight, I shall die willing that thou marry Ingeborg and rule my kingdom until my young son shall have grown to manhood."

Frithiof, whose n.o.ble nature had been deeply touched by the king's generosity, would have departed from Ringland soon afterward, but with great difficulty was prevailed upon to stay. And so it came about that when in a little time the king died, the long years of trial endured by Ingeborg and Frithiof were brought to an end, and their constancy was rewarded. To fill the measure of their joy, Halfdan, who was now reigning alone, Helge having died, became reconciled to them and gladly agreed to their union. Indeed, it was he who led his sister to the altar in the restored temple of Balder and gave her into the safe- keeping of her faithful lover.

When you think how old your grandmother and grandfather seem, and then remember that they have lived less than a hundred years, you feel that a story which has been living for hundreds of years is indeed very old. Such a story is the one that you have just been reading. Many more children than you could possibly imagine, if you were trying to picture them all in one place--especially children of Norway, Sweden and Denmark--have delightedly read or listened to this same interesting tale.

The Frithiof saga,[Footnote: Saga, an ancient Scandinavian legend, or mythical or historical tale.] as the story is called, did not appear in its present form until the fourteenth century, though it is believed to have existed, at least in part, in earlier ages. It has been told and retold by writers of Norway and Sweden, translated into many languages, and even made into a celebrated epic[Footnote: Epic, a narrative poem concerned usually with historic deeds and characters, and written in a style of marked dignity and grandeur.] poem by the Swedish poet, Tegner.

Of course in the fourteenth century the people of northern Europe no longer thought that Odin, Balder and the other G.o.ds mentioned in the story lived in Valhalla and ruled the world. But at that time many did believe in magic and in the evil power of witches; and it is altogether probable that the wonderful ship Ellida, which possessed human intelligence and could save its master from shipwreck; the witches traveling about on the whale's back; the talking birds, and the magical ring and sword would have seemed far less astonishing to these people than would our great ocean steamships and men-of-war, our railroad trains and trolley cars, our telephones and talking-machines, and many other modern wonders in which we fully believe.

While we agree with the children of the long-ago in admiring Frithiof's bravery and faithfulness and Ingeborg's amiability and constancy, probably we are most interested in the story because of the many adventures that it contains. How many of the bold deeds of Frithiof can you recall without turning to the story? If you can remember all of them you are surely doing well. Can you name these deeds in just the order in which you have read them? Suppose you tell this story some time when you are playing school with the younger children in the family or in the neighborhood. It would be a good thing for you to do just what a real teacher might do: go over the story, picking out all of the princ.i.p.al events and writing these briefly and clearly on a slip of paper, one under another, exactly in the order in which they occur.

THE STORY OF SIEGFRIED

Adapted by GRACE E. SELLON

NOTE.--Near the beginning of the thirteenth century there was written in Germany one of the greatest story-poems in the literature of the world. This is the Nibelungenlied, a partly historical, partly mythical tale containing more than two thousand stanzas composed by an unknown poet, or perhaps by several poets. The first half of the poem is made up mostly of the deeds of Siegfried, a warrior king claimed as a national hero, not only by the Germans but by the Norse people, who lived in northern Europe, in the countries of Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Denmark. In the Norse stories, however, Siegfried is known as Sigurd.

It is not at all certain that Siegfried was an historical person.

Though there is some reason for thinking that he was Arminius, the fearless leader of the Germans in the terrible revolt by which they overthrew their Roman rulers in the year 9 A. D., yet of the warriors with whom he has been identified, Siegfried seems most like Sigibert, king of the Franks who lived in Austrasia, or ancient Germany. For this king, like Siegfried, overcame the Saxons and Danes by his brave fighting, he too discovered a hidden treasure, and he was at length treacherously put to death by pages of his sister-in-law, Fredegunde, with whom his wife, Brunhilde, had quarreled over some question of precedence.

After all, though, it does not make a great difference whether or not Siegfried was any of the heroes to whom he has been likened or was all of them put together; he really lives for us in the wonderful story of his knightly bravery and good faith.

Some of the greatest poets and dramatists and composers, not only of Germany, but of other countries as well, have made use of incidents from the Nibelungenlied. Of all these works which have been produced with this old poem as a basis, the Ring of the Nibelungen, a group of four operas by Richard Wagner, is most famous. These operas, which are among the finest works of this great composer, are not based absolutely on the Nibelungenlied; many happenings in the life of the hero, Siegfried, are different. But it is clear that Wagner drew his inspiration from this thirteenth century epic, and his use of it has opened other people's eyes to its beauties.

In the golden days of knightly adventure, when heroes famed for marvelous daring went up and down the land in search of deeds in which to display their skill, strength and courage in combat, and their gallantry towards fair ladies, there lived in one of the countries on the Rhine a prince named Siegfried who, though but a youth, was noted far and wide for his unequaled valor and boldness. When he was a mere boy he n.o.bly served his country in putting to death the Dragon of the Linden-tree, a monster so full of hate that it would cast its poison out upon any one who came near it, and so strong that it could destroy any one who tried to conquer it. Nevertheless the fearless Siegfried not only slew this evil creature but bathed in its blood, thus making his own skin so hard that it could never afterward be pierced by any weapon. At another time, while traveling through the land of the Nibelungers, he came upon the two princes of the country and a company of their attendants gathered about the foot of a hill from which had just been taken great quant.i.ties of gold and precious stones.

[Ill.u.s.tration: SIEGFRIED AND THE DRAGON]

"Ho, Siegfried," called one of the princes, advancing to meet him, "come to our aid, for we are much in need of some one to divide between my brother and myself this treasure left us by our father. For such help we will prove to you our grat.i.tude."

Siegfried, however, would have ridden on had not both princes and all those about them urged him again and again to make the division. They gave him, for reward, the mighty sword Balmung, that had belonged to the dead king of the Nibelungers, and then in anxious expectation stood around him as he began to count out and separate the pieces of gold and the shining stones.

But Siegfried soon grew weary of his task, and glancing over the great piles of treasure that would have filled more than a hundred wagons, he turned impatiently away and would have departed had not twelve powerful companions of the two princes blocked his path.

"Do you think to stay me thus?" cried Siegfried; and before they could answer he attacked them one after another and put them all to death.

Then in fury rode against him seven hundred of the great warriors of that land, but, secure in the possession of Balmung, and with a skin like horn, Siegfried overcame every opponent. Last of all he slew the two princes and subdued the dwarf Alberich, whom he made keeper of the treasure.

From this same dwarf he wrested a magic cloak or tarnkappe, that gave its owner wonderful strength, made him proof against every blow dealt him, and enabled him to become invisible. At length, when the remaining n.o.bles had sworn allegiance to him, Siegfried rode away, lord of the Nibelunger's land and treasure.