"Her pilot soon he joyed to glide,
In Viking*-guise, o'er stream and tide:
Sure, hands so gentle, heart so gay,
Ne'er plauded rover's young essay!
"No beetling lair, no pine-rocked nest,
Might 'scape the love-urged spoiler's quest:
Oft ere an eaglet-wing had soared,
The eyry mourned its parted hoard.
"He sought each brook of rudest force,
To bear his Ing'borg o'er its source:
So thrilling, midst the wild alarm,
The tendril-twining of her arm."
[Footnote: From Longfellow's translation of portions of Tegner's
Frithiof Saga.]
*[Footnote: Viking, the name of the Norse sea-pirates who coasted the
shores of Europe in the eighth, ninth and tenth centuries. The name is
derived from wick, a kind of creek or inlet which these plunderers
used as harbors.]
As the years passed, and Ingeborg became lovelier and Frithiof more brave and noble each day, their pleasure in each other's company grew deeper and more absorbing. From this state of happy content, however, Frithiof was to be rudely awakened by the faithful Hilding, who could see a great disappointment looming in the path of his young charge.
Calling Frithiof to him one day, he said:
"Thou knowest the grief I would feel to see thee unhappy. For thy own good I warn thee that it is not possible for Ingeborg ever to be thine. Thou dost forget that she is the king's daughter, and can trace her lineage even to All-father Odin, [Footnote: Odin, the father of the Norse gods. From his lofty throne in Asgard, home of the gods, he could survey and govern all heaven.] while thou art a mere subject in this realm."
"Ah, but strength and prowess, the gifts of Thor [Footnote: Thor, the eldest son of Odin, superior in strength to all the other Norse gods. He was renowned for the possession of a wonderful hammer, which, after being cast at an object, came back of itself to the hand of him who had thrown it, a magic belt that greatly increased his strength; and a pair of iron gloves that gave him strength and skill in throwing his hammer.] himself, must rank above the dignity of kings. Ingeborg, the white lily, shall be mine," retorted Frithiof in angry pride, and took himself off, apparently unheeding the counsel.
Nevertheless, when he thought later of Hilding's words and of the hostile feelings that Halfdan and Helge bore him because of envy of his prowess, he became troubled in mind.
It was not long after this that both Bele and his loyal Thorsten, after impressing many a word of wisdom upon the hearts and minds of their heirs, died peacefully and were placed so near each other that in death, as in life, they seemed always together.
Helge and Halfdan now became the kings of Sogn and Frithiof went to live on the estate of Framnas, left him by his father. Great indeed was his inheritance, for he came into possession of the wonderful sword Angurvadel, on the blade of which were mystic runes [Footnote: Runes, letters or characters of ancient Scandinavian alphabets. The literal meaning of rune, a secret or mystery, is explained by the fact that at first these symbols could be read only by a few.] dull in times of peace, but fiery red in war; the magic ring or armlet made by Vaulund the smith, and the ship Ellida, built in the shape of a dragon and swifter in its flight than any eagle.