The Norsemen in the West, R. M. Ballantyne [best books to read all time .txt] 📗

From where they sat the party on the poop could see that the men on the high forecastle were similarly engaged, for they had gathered together in a group, and their heads were laid together as if listening intently to one of their number who sat in the centre of the circle. Below, in the waist of the ship, some humorous character appeared to be holding his mates enchained, for long periods of comparative silence—in which could be heard the monotonous tones of a single voice mingled with occasional soft lowing from the cattle—were suddenly broken by bursts of uproarious laughter, which, however, quickly subsided again, leaving prominent the occasional lowing and the prolonged monotone. Everything in and around the ship, that night, breathed of harmony and peace—though there was little knowledge among them of Him who is the Prince of Peace. We say “little” knowledge, because Christianity had only just begun to dawn among the Norsemen at that time, and there were some on board of that discovery-ship who were tinged with the first rays of that sweet light which, in the person of the Son of God, was sent to lighten the world and to shine more and more unto the perfect day.

“Now,” said Karlsefin, at the conclusion of one of his stories, “that is the saga of Halfdan the Black—at least it is part of his saga; but, friends, it seems to me that we must begin a saga of our own, for it is evident that if we are successful in this venture we shall have something to relate when we return to Greenland, and we must all learn to tell our saga in the same words, for that is the only way in which truth can be handed down to future generations, seeing that when men are careless in learning the truth they are apt to distort it so that honest men are led into telling lies unwittingly. They say that the nations of the south have invented a process whereby with a sharp-pointed tool they fashion marks on skins to represent words, so that once put down in this way a saga never changes. Would that we Norsemen understood that process!” said Karlsefin meditatively.

“It seems to me,” said Biarne, who reclined on the deck, leaning against the weather-bulwarks and running his fingers playfully through Olaf’s fair curls, “It seems to me that it were better to bestow the craft of the skald on the record of our voyage, for then the measure and the rhyme would chain men to the words, and so to the truth—that is, supposing they get truth to start with! Come, Karlsefin, begin our voyage for us.”

All present seemed to agree to that proposal, and urged Karlsefin to begin at once.

The skipper—for such indeed was his position in the ship—though a modest man, was by no means bashful, therefore, after looking round upon the moonlit sea for a few minutes, he began as follows:—

“When western waves were all unknown,

And western fields were all unsown,

When Iceland was the outmost bound

That roving viking-keels had found—

Gunbiorn then—Ulf Kraka’s son—

Still farther west was forced to run

By furious gales, and there saw land

Stretching abroad on either hand.

Eric of Iceland, called the Red,

Heard of the news and straightway said—

‘This western land I’ll go and see;

Three summers hence look out for me.’

He went; he landed; stayed awhile,

And wintered first on ‘Eric’s Isle;’

Then searched the coast both far and wide,

Then back to Iceland o’er the tide.

‘A wondrous land is this,’ said he,

And called it Greenland of the sea.

Twenty and five great ships sailed west

To claim this gem on Ocean’s breast.

With man and woman, horn and hoof,

And bigging for the homestead roof.

Some turnèd back—in heart but mice—

Some sank amid the Northern ice.

Half reached the land, in much distress,

At Ericsfiord and Heriulfness.

    Next, Biarne—Heriulf’s doughty son—

Sought to trace out the aged one. (His father.)

From Norway sailed, but missed his mark;

Passed snow-topped Greenland in the dark;

And came then to a new-found land—

But did not touch the tempting strand;

For winter winds oppressed him sore

And kept him from his father’s shore.

    Then Leif, the son of Eric, rose

And straightway off to Biarne goes,

Buys up his ship, takes all his men,

Fares forth to seek that land again.

Leif found the land; discovered more,

And spent a winter on the shore;

Cut trees and grain to load the ship,

And pay them for the lengthened trip.

Named ‘Hella-land’ and ‘Markland’ too,

And saw an island sweet with dew!

And grapes in great abundance found,

So named it Vinland all around.

But after that forsook the shore,

And north again for Greenland bore.

    And now—we cross the moonlit seas

To search this land of grapes and trees

Biarne, Thorward, Karlsefin—

Go forth this better land to win,

With men and cattle not a few,

And household gear and weapons too;

And, best of all, with women dear,

To comfort, counsel, check, and cheer.

Thus far we’ve made a prosp’rous way,

God speed us onward every day!”

They all agreed that this was a true account of the discovery of Vinland and of their own expedition as far as it had gone, though Gudrid said it was short, and Freydissa was of opinion that there was very little in it.

“But hold!” exclaimed Biarne, suddenly raising himself on his elbows; “Karlsefin, you are but a sorry skald after all.”

“How so?” asked the skipper.

“Why, because you have made no mention of the chief part of our voyage.”

“And pray what may that be?”

“Stay, I too am a skald; I will tell you.”

Biarne, whose poetical powers were not of the highest type, here stretched forth his hand and said:—

“When Biarne, Thorward, Karlsefin,

This famous voyage did begin,

They stood upon the deck one night,

And there beheld a moving sight.

It made the very men grow pale,

Their shudder almost rent the sail!

For lo! they saw a mighty whale!

    It drew a shriek from Olaf brave,

Then plunged beneath the briny wave,

And, while the women loudly shouted,

Up came its blundering nose and spouted.

Then underneath our keel it went,

And glared with savage fury pent,

And round about the ship it swum,

Striking each man and woman dumb.

    Stay—one there was who found a tongue

And still retained her strength of lung.

Freydissa, beauteous matron bold,

Resolved to give that whale a scold!

But little cared that monster fish

To gratify Freydissa’s wish;

He shook his tail, that naughty whale,

And flourished it like any flail,

And, ho! for Vinland he made sail!”

“Now, friends, was not that a great omission on the part of Karlsefin?”

“If the whale had brought his flail down on your pate it would have served you right, Biarne,” said Freydissa, flushing, yet smiling in spite of herself.

“I think it is capital,” cried Olaf, clapping his hands—“quite as good as the other poem.”

Some agreed with Olaf, and some thought that it was not quite in keeping with Karlsefin’s composition, but, after much debate, it was finally ruled that it should be added thereto as part and parcel of the great Vinland poem. Hence it appears in this chronicle, and forms an interesting instance of the way in which men, for the sake of humorous effect, mingle little pieces of fiction with veritable history.

By the time this important matter was settled it was getting so late that even the most enthusiastic admirer among them of moonlight on a calm sea became irresistibly desirous of going to sleep. They therefore broke up for the night; the women retired to their cabin, and none were left on deck except the steersman and the watch. Long before this the saga-tellers on the forecastle had retired; the monotone and the soft lowing of the cattle had ceased; man and beast had sought and found repose, and nothing was heard save the ripple of the water on the ship’s sides as she glided slowly but steadily over the sleeping sea.