Heimskringla [255]
King Olaf's holy remains, and cut his nails and hair; for both grew as if he had still been alive. So says Sigvat the skald: --
"I lie not, when I say the king Seemed as alive in every thing: His nails, his yellow hair still growing, And round his ruddy cheek still flowing, As when, to please the Russian queen, His yellow locks adorned were seen; Or to the blind he cured he gave A tress, their precious sight to save."
Thorarin Loftunga also composed a song upon Svein Alfifason, called the "Glelogn Song", in which are these verses: --
"Svein, king of all, In Olaf's hall Now sits on high; And Olaf's eye Looks down from heaven, Where it is given To him to dwell: Or here in cell, As heavenly saint, To heal men's plaint, May our gold-giver Live here for ever!
"King Olaf there To hold a share On earth prepared, Nor labour spared A seat to win From heaven's great King; Which he has won Next God's own Son.
"His holy form, Untouched by worm, Lies at this day Where good men pray, And nails and hair Grow fresh and fair; His cheek is red, His flesh not dead.
"Around his bier, Good people hear The small bells ring Over the king, Or great bell toll; And living soul Not one can tell Who tolls the bell.
"Tapers up there, (Which Christ holds dear,) By day and night The altar light: Olaf did so, And all men know In heaven he From sin sits free.
"And crowds do come, The deaf and dumb, Cripple and blind, Sick of all kind, Cured to be On bended knee; And off the ground Rise whole and sound.
"To Olaf pray To eke thy day, To save thy land From spoiler's hand. God's man is he To deal to thee Good crops and peace; Let not prayer cease.
"Book-prayers prevail, If, nail for nail (1), Thou tellest on, Forgetting none."
Thorarin Loftunga was himself with King Svein, and heard these great testimonials of King Olaf's holiness, that people, by the heavenly power, could hear a sound over his holy remains as if bells were ringing, and that candles were lighted of themselves upon the altar as by a heavenly fire. But when Thorarin says that a multitude of lame, and blind, and other sick, who came to the holy Olaf, went back cured, he means nothing more than that there were a vast number of persons who at the beginning of King Olaf's miraculous working regained their health. King Olaf's greatest miracles are clearly written down, although they occurred somewhat later.
ENDNOTES: (1) Before the entrance of the temples or churches were posts called Ondveigis-sulor, with nails called Rigin-naglar -- the gods' nails -- either for ornament, or, as Schoning suggests, to assist the people in reckoning weeks, months, festivals, and in reckoning or keeping tale of prayers repeated, and to recall them to memory, in the same way as beads are used still by the common people in Catholic countries for the same purpose. -- L.
260. OF KING OLAF'S AGE AND REIGN.
It is reckoned by those who have kept an exact account, that Olaf the Saint was king of Norway for fifteen years from the time Earl Svein left the country; but he had received the title of king from the people of the Uplands the winter before. Sigvat the skald tells this: --
"For fifteen winters o'er the land King Olaf held the chief command, Before he fell up in the North: His fall made known to us his worth. No worthier prince before his day In our North land e'er held the sway, Too short he held it for our good; All men wish now that he had stood."
Saint Olaf was thirty-five years old when he fell, according to what Are Frode the priest says, and he had been in twenty pitched battles. So says Sigvat the skald: --
"Some leaders
"I lie not, when I say the king Seemed as alive in every thing: His nails, his yellow hair still growing, And round his ruddy cheek still flowing, As when, to please the Russian queen, His yellow locks adorned were seen; Or to the blind he cured he gave A tress, their precious sight to save."
Thorarin Loftunga also composed a song upon Svein Alfifason, called the "Glelogn Song", in which are these verses: --
"Svein, king of all, In Olaf's hall Now sits on high; And Olaf's eye Looks down from heaven, Where it is given To him to dwell: Or here in cell, As heavenly saint, To heal men's plaint, May our gold-giver Live here for ever!
"King Olaf there To hold a share On earth prepared, Nor labour spared A seat to win From heaven's great King; Which he has won Next God's own Son.
"His holy form, Untouched by worm, Lies at this day Where good men pray, And nails and hair Grow fresh and fair; His cheek is red, His flesh not dead.
"Around his bier, Good people hear The small bells ring Over the king, Or great bell toll; And living soul Not one can tell Who tolls the bell.
"Tapers up there, (Which Christ holds dear,) By day and night The altar light: Olaf did so, And all men know In heaven he From sin sits free.
"And crowds do come, The deaf and dumb, Cripple and blind, Sick of all kind, Cured to be On bended knee; And off the ground Rise whole and sound.
"To Olaf pray To eke thy day, To save thy land From spoiler's hand. God's man is he To deal to thee Good crops and peace; Let not prayer cease.
"Book-prayers prevail, If, nail for nail (1), Thou tellest on, Forgetting none."
Thorarin Loftunga was himself with King Svein, and heard these great testimonials of King Olaf's holiness, that people, by the heavenly power, could hear a sound over his holy remains as if bells were ringing, and that candles were lighted of themselves upon the altar as by a heavenly fire. But when Thorarin says that a multitude of lame, and blind, and other sick, who came to the holy Olaf, went back cured, he means nothing more than that there were a vast number of persons who at the beginning of King Olaf's miraculous working regained their health. King Olaf's greatest miracles are clearly written down, although they occurred somewhat later.
ENDNOTES: (1) Before the entrance of the temples or churches were posts called Ondveigis-sulor, with nails called Rigin-naglar -- the gods' nails -- either for ornament, or, as Schoning suggests, to assist the people in reckoning weeks, months, festivals, and in reckoning or keeping tale of prayers repeated, and to recall them to memory, in the same way as beads are used still by the common people in Catholic countries for the same purpose. -- L.
260. OF KING OLAF'S AGE AND REIGN.
It is reckoned by those who have kept an exact account, that Olaf the Saint was king of Norway for fifteen years from the time Earl Svein left the country; but he had received the title of king from the people of the Uplands the winter before. Sigvat the skald tells this: --
"For fifteen winters o'er the land King Olaf held the chief command, Before he fell up in the North: His fall made known to us his worth. No worthier prince before his day In our North land e'er held the sway, Too short he held it for our good; All men wish now that he had stood."
Saint Olaf was thirty-five years old when he fell, according to what Are Frode the priest says, and he had been in twenty pitched battles. So says Sigvat the skald: --
"Some leaders