第125章

There was a man called Aslak Fitiaskalle, who was powerful and of high birth.Erling's father Skjalg, and Aslak's father Askel, were brother's sons.Aslak was a great friend of King Olaf, and the king settled him in South Hordaland, where he gave him a great fief, and great income, and ordered him in no respect to give way to Erling.But this came to nothing when the king was not in the neighbourhood; for then Erling would reign as he used to do, and was not more humble because Aslak would thrust himself forward as his equal.At last the strife went so far that Aslak could not keep his place, but hastened to King Olaf, and told him the circumstances between him and Erling.The king told Aslak to remain with him until he should meet Erling; and sent a message to Erling that he should come to him in spring at Tunsberg.When they all arrived there they held a meeting at which the king said to him, "It is told me concerning thy government, Erling, that no man from Sogn Lake to the Naze can enjoy his freedom for thee;although there are many men there who consider themselves born to udal rights, and have their privileges like others born as they are.Now, here is your relation Aslak, who appears to have suffered great inconvenience from your conduct; and I do not know whether he himself is in fault, or whether he suffers because Ihave placed him to defend what is mine; and although I name him, there are many others who have brought the same complaint before us, both among those who are placed in office in our districts, and among the bailiffs who have our farms to manage, and are obliged to entertain me and my people."Erling replies to this, "I will answer at once.I deny altogether that I have ever injured Aslak, or any one else, for being in your service; but this I will not deny, that it is now, as it has long been, that each of us relations will willingly be greater than the other: and, moreover, I freely acknowledge that I am ready to bow my neck to thee, King Olaf; but it is more difficult for me to stoop before one who is of slave descent in all his generation, although he is now your bailiff, or before others who are but equal to him in descent, although you bestow honours on them."Now the friends of both interfered, and entreated that they would be reconciled; saying, that the king never could have such powerful aid as from Erling, "if he was your friend entirely."On the other hand, they represent to Erling that he should give up to the king; for if he was in friendship with the king, it would be easy to do with all the others what he pleased.The meeting accordingly ended so that Erling should retain the fiefs he formerly had, and every complaint the king had against Erling should be dropped; but Skjalg, Erling's son, should come to the king, and remain in his power.Then Aslak returned to his dominions, and the two were in some sort reconciled.Erling returned home also to his domains, and followed his own way of ruling them.

123.HERE BEGINS THE STORY OF ASBJORN SELSBANE.

There was a man named Sigurd Thoreson, a brother of Thorer Hund of Bjarkey Island.Sigurd was married to Sigrid Skjalg's daughter, a sister of Erling.Their son, called Asbjorn, became as he grew up a very able man.Sigurd dwelt at Omd in Thrandarnes, and was a very rich and respected man.He had not gone into the king's service; and Thorer in so far had attained higher dignity than his brother, that he was the king's lenderman.But at home, on his farm, Sigurd stood in no respect behind his brother in splendour and magnificence.As long as heathenism prevailed, Sigurd usually had three sacrifices every year: one on winter-night's eve, one on mid-winter's eve, and the third in summer.Although he had adopted Christianity, he continued the same custom with his feasts: he had, namely, a great friendly entertainment at harvest time; a Yule feast in winter, to which he invited many; the third feast he had about Easter, to which also he invited many guests.He continued this fashion as long as he lived.Sigurd died on a bed of sickness when Asbjorn was eighteen years old.He was the only heir of his father, and he followed his father's custom of holding three festivals every year.Soon after Asbjorn came to his heritage the course of seasons began to grow worse, and the corn harvests of the people to fail; but Asbjorn held his usual feasts, and helped himself by having old corn, and an old provision laid up of all that was useful.But when one year had passed and another came, and the crops were no better than the year before, Sigrid wished that some if not all of the feasts should be given up.

That Asbjorn would not consent to, but went round in harvest among his friends, buying corn where he could get it, and some he received in presents.He thus kept his feasts this winter also;but the spring after people got but little seed into the ground, for they had to buy the seed-corn.Then Sigurd spoke of diminishing the number of their house-servants.That Asbjorn would not consent to, but held by the old fashion of the house in all things.In summer (A.D.1022) it appeared again that there would be a bad year for corn; and to this came the report from the south that King Olaf prohibited all export of corn, malt, or meal from the southern to the northern parts of the country.