This compilation © Phoenix E-Books UK ) OF THE There are but four hundred and fifty complete sets niaae for the world, of which this is copy 150 ]Sl0K^R(E]^A AJJOLO-SAXON CLASSICS THE NINE BOOKS OF THE DANISH HISTORY OP Saxo Grammaticus IN TWO VOLUMES TRANSLATED BY OLIVER ELTON, B.A. SOMETIME SCHOLAR OF CORPUS CHRISTI COLLEGE, OXFORD, AND LECTTTKER ON ENGLISH LITERATURE AT THE OWENS COLLEGE (VICTORIA university), MANCHESTER WITH SOME CONSIDERA TIONS ON SAXO'S SOURCES, HISTORICAL METHODS, AND FOLK-LORE t BY FREDERICK YORK POWELL, M.A., F.S.A. STUDENT OF CHRIST CHURCH, OXFORD HON. RASMUS B. ANDERSON, LL.D., Ph.D. EDITOR IN CHIEF J. W. BUEL, Ph.D. MANAGING EDITOR ;VOL. II J' PUBLISHED BT THE NORRCENA SOCIETY LONDON COPENHAGEN STOCKHOLM BERLIN NEW YORK 58123 Saio*'6rammaticu9 The most ornate and symbolic binding that belongs to the art of the Seventeenth Century is reproduced for "Saxo Grammaticus." The original was used on a foHo edition of Soriano's Masses, for Pope Paul V (Camillo Borghese, 1609), and though the Vatican should own it, the book is in the British Museum. The features of this unique design are a Borghese coat-of-arms surmounted by the Papal tiara and the crossed keys of St. Peter. The papal arms are en- closed in a narrow fillet frame-work, in which are four sym- bolic cameos, illustrative of the Crucifixion, Mater Dolorosa, St. Peter and St. Paul, that identify the design with the work it so attractively decorates. The irregular spaces are filled with richly ornamental tooled work, repre- senting conventional sprays, scattered among which are cherubs, couchant lions, stoats, Pandean pipes, baldacchinos, dragons and fleurs-de-lis. The workmanship, like the de- sign, is of such astonishing excellence that it is a matter of great regret the names of the artists are not now known. TABLE OF CONTENTS. SAXO GRAMMATICUS. VOL. II. Page Book V— (continuation from Vol. I) 299 Book VI 347 Book VII 409 Book VIII 471 Book IX 539 Appendix I—Passages from later books of Saxo: Story of Toke and the Apple 577 Allusions to the Niflung Story 578 The Wonderful Statue of the God Suanto-Vitus. .579 The Image (idol) of the God Rugie-Vitus 584 Appendix II—Saxo's Hamlet, with Critical Annotations.587 Appendix III—The Tale of Thorstan Shiver G03 Index to Characters and Places in Saxo's History 609 LIST OF PHOTOGRAVURES. VOL. II. Frontispiece—Frode Humbles Himself before Erik. Page Duel Between Hame and Starkad 371 Battle of Bravalla 479 Ragner's Peril in Permland 554 BOOK V. \Continiied from Vol. I.) The king prepared to give them chase with his mutil- ated ships, but soon the waves broke through ; and though he was very heavily laden with his armour, he began to swim off among the rest, having become more anxious to save his own life than to attack that of others. The bows plunged over into the sea, the tide flooded in and swept the rowers from their seats. When Erik and Roller saw this they instantly flung themselves into the deep water, spurning danger, and by swimming picked up the king, who was tossing about. Thrice the waves had poured over him and borne him down when Erik caught him by the hair, and lifted him out of the sea. The remaining crowd of the wrecked either sank in the waters, or got with trouble to the land. The king was stripped of his dripping attire and swathed round with dry garments, and the water poured in floods from his chest as he kept belching it ; his voice also seemed to fail under the exhaustion of continual pantings. At last heat was restored to his limbs, which were numbed with cold, and his breathing became quicker. He had not fully got back his strength, and could sit but not rise. Gradually his native force returned. But when he was asked at 299 : SAXO GRAMMATICUS last whether he sued for life and grace, he put his hand to his eyes, and strove to Hft up their downcast gaze. But as, Httle by httle, power came back to his body, and as his voice became more assured, he said "By this Hght, which I am loth to look on, by this heaven which I behold and drink in with little joy, I beseech and conjure you not to persuade me to use either any more. I wished to die; ye have saved me in least vain. I was not allowed to perish in the waters ; at I will die by the sword. I was unconquered before; I yielded I was thine, Erik, was the first wit to which : all the more unhappy, because I had never been beaten by men of note, and now I let a low-born man defeat me. This is great cause for a king to be ashamed. This is a die it is right good and sufficient reason for a general to ; that he should care for nothing so much as glory. If he want that, then take it that he lacks all else. For nothing about a king is more on men's lips than his repute. I was credited with the height of understanding and eloquence. But I have been stripped of both the things wherein I was thought to excel, and am all the more miserable because I, the conqueror of kings, am seen ccm- quered by a peasant. Why grant life to him whom thou hast robbed of honour? I have lost sister, realm, treasure, household gear, and, what is greater than them all, renown: I am luckless in all chances, and in all thy good fortune is confessed. Why am I to be kept to live on for all this ignominy ? What freedom can be so happy for me that it can wipe out all the shame of captivity? What will all the following time bring for me? It can be- 300 BOOK FIVE get nothing but long remorse in my mind, and will savour only of past woes. What will prolonging of life avail, if it only brings back the memory of sorrow? To the stricken nought is pleasanter than death, and that decease is happy which comes at a man's wish, for it cuts not short any sweetness of his days, but annihilates his disgust at all things. Life in prosperity, but death in adversity, is best to seek. No hope of better things tempts me to long for life. What hap can quite repair my shattered fortunes ? And by now, had ye not rescued me in my peril, I should have forgotten even these. What though thou shouldst give me back my realm, restore my sister, and renew my treasure? thou canst never repair my renown. Nothing that is patched up can have the lustre of the unimpaired, and rumour will recount for ages that Frode was taken captive. Moreover, if ye reckon the calamities I have inflicted on you. I have deserved to die at your hands ; if ye recall the harms I have done, ye will repent your kindness. Ye will be ashamed of having aided a foe, if ye consider how savagely he treated you. Why do ye spare the guilty? Why do ye stay your hand from the throat of your persecutor ? It is fitting that the lot which I had prepared for you should come home to myself. I own that if I had happened to have you in my power as ye now have me, I should have paid no heed to compassion. But if I am innocent before you in act, I am guilty at least in will. I pray you, let my wrongful intention, which sometimes is counted to stand for the deed, recoil upon me. If ye refuse me death by the sword I will take care to kill myself with my own hand." 301 ; SAXO GRAMMATICUS Erik rejoined thus: "I pray that the gods may turn thee from the folly of thy purpose ; turn thee, I say, that thou mayst not try to end a most glorious life abominably. Why, surely the gods themselves have forbidden that a man v^'ho is kind to others should commit unnatural self-murder. Fortune has tried thee to find out with what spirit thou wouldst meet adversity. Destiny has proved thee, not brought thee low. No sorrow has been inflicted on thee which a happier lot cannot efface. Thy prosperity has not been changed; only a warning has been given thee. No man behaves with self-control in prosperity who has not learnt to endure adversity. Besides, the whole use of blessings is reaped after misfortunes have been graciously acknowledged. Sweeter is the joy which follows on the bitterness of fate. Wilt thou shun thy life because thou hast once had a drenching, and the waters closed over thee? But if the waters can crush thy spirit, when wilt thou with calm courage bear the sword? Who would not reckon swimming away in his armour more to his glory than to his shame? How many men would think themselves happy were they unhappy with thy fortune? The sovereignty is still thine ; thy courage is in its prime ; thy years are ripening thou canst hope to compass more than thou hast yet achieved. I would not find thee fickle enough to wish, not only to shun hardships, but also to fling away thy life, because thou couldst not bear them. None is so unmanly as he who from fear of adversity loses heart to live.