Northland Heroes | Page 4

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.
[Illustration: Viking ship]

The third of the family treasures was Ellide, the famous ship, of which
this story is told. When Viking was returning from the wars he saw a
sailor adrift on the billows. Noble and tall he seemed, borne on the
waves as if he were at home on the sea. He wore a mantle of blue
bound by a golden girdle. His hair was sea-green and his beard as white
as the foam of the ocean.
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."
[Illustration: Frithiof asking for Ingeborg]
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."
"Thy servant! No, never!" cried Frithiof. "My father had no master, nor
shall I. Fly from your silver dwelling to avenge this insult, my good
Angurvadel! You, at least, are royal. Were we not at the grave of thy
father, O King, here would I teach thee not to come where my sword
can reach."
With these words he struck the gold shield