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Eric　Brighteyes



by　H。　Rider　Haggard









DEDICATION



　　Madam；



　　You　have　graciously　conveyed　to　me　the　intelligence　that　during

　　the　weary　weeks　spent　far　from　his　homein　alternate　hope　and

　　fear；　in　suffering　and　mortal　triala　Prince　whose　memory　all　men

　　must　reverence；　the　Emperor　Frederick；　found　pleasure　in　the

　　reading　of　my　stories：　that　〃they　interested　and　fascinated　him。〃



　　While　the　world　was　watching　daily　at　the　bedside　of　your

　　Majesty's　Imperial　husband；　while　many　were　endeavouring　to　learn

　　courage　in　our　supremest　need　from　the　spectacle　of　that　heroic

　　patience；　a　distant　writer　little　knew　that　it　had　been　his

　　fortune　to　bring　to　such　a　sufferer　an　hour's　forgetfulness　of

　　sorrow　and　pain。



　　This　knowledge；　to　an　author；　is　far　dearer　than　any　praise；　and

　　it　is　in　gratitude　that；　with　your　Majesty's　permission；　I　venture

　　to　dedicate　to　you　the　tale　of　Eric　Brighteyes。



　　The　late　Emperor；　at　heart　a　lover　of　peace；　though　by　duty　a

　　soldier　of　soldiers；　might　perhaps　have　cared　to　interest　himself

　　in　a　warrior　of　long　ago；　a　hero　of　our　Northern　stock；　whose　days

　　were　spent　in　strife；　and　whose　latest　desire　was　Rest。　But　it　may

　　not　be；　like　the　Golden　Eric　of　this　Saga；　and　after　a　nobler

　　fashion；　he　has　passed　through　the　Hundred　Gates　into　the　Valhalla

　　of　Renown。



　　To　you；　then；　Madam；　I　dedicate　this　book；　a　token；　however　slight

　　and　unworthy；　of　profound　respect　and　sympathy。



I　am；　Madam；

Your　Majesty's　most　obedient　servant；

H。　Rider　Haggard。



　　November　17；　1889。

　　To　H。I。M。　Victoria；　Empress　Frederick　of　Germany。







INTRODUCTION



〃Eric　Brighteyes〃　is　a　romance　founded　on　the　Icelandic　Sagas。　〃What

is　a　saga？〃　〃Is　it　a　fable　or　a　true　story？〃　The　answer　is　not

altogether　simple。　For　such　sagas　as　those　of　Burnt　Njal　and　Grettir

the　Strong　partake　both　of　truth　and　fiction：　historians　dispute　as　to

the　proportions。　This　was　the　manner　of　the　saga's　growth：　In　the

early　days　of　the　Iceland　communitythat　republic　of　aristocrats

say；　between　the　dates　900　and　1100　of　our　era；　a　quarrel　would　arise

between　two　great　families。　As　in　the　case　of　the　Njal　Saga；　its

cause；　probably；　was　the　ill　doings　of　some　noble　woman。　This　quarrel

would　lead　to　manslaughter。　Then　blood　called　for　blood；　and　a

vendetta　was　set　on　foot　that　ended　only　with　the　death　by　violence　of

a　majority　of　the　actors　in　the　drama　and　of　large　numbers　of　their

adherents。　In　the　course　of　the　feud；　men　of　heroic　strength　and　mould

would　come　to　the　front　and　perform　deeds　worthy　of　the　iron　age　which

bore　them。　Women　also　would　help　to　fashion　the　tale；　for　good　or　ill；

according　to　their　natural　gifts　and　characters。　At　last　the　tragedy

was　covered　up　by　death　and　time；　leaving　only　a　few　dinted　shields

and　haunted　cairns　to　tell　of　those　who　had　played　its　leading　parts。



But　its　fame　lived　on　in　the　minds　of　men。　From　generation　to

generation　skalds　wandered　through　the　winter　snows；　much　as　Homer　may

have　wandered　in　his　day　across　the　Grecian　vales　and　mountains；　to

find　a　welcome　at　every　stead；　because　of　the　old…time　story　they　had

to　tell。　Here；　night　after　night；　they　would　sit　in　the　ingle　and

while　away　the　weariness　of　the　dayless　dark　with　histories　of　the

times　when　men　carried　their　lives　in　their　hands；　and　thought　them

well　lost　if　there　might　be　a　song　in　the　ears　of　folk　to　come。　To

alter　the　tale　was　one　of　the　greatest　of　crimes：　the　skald　must

repeat　it　as　it　came　to　him；　but　by　degrees　undoubtedly　the　sagas　did

suffer　alteration。　The　facts　remained　the　same　indeed；　but　around　them

gathered　a　mist　of　miraculous　occurrences　and　legends。　To　take　a

single　instance：　the　account　of　the　burning　of　Bergthorsknoll　in　the

Njal　Saga　is　not　only　a　piece　of　descriptive　writing　that　for　vivid；

simple　force　and　insight　is　scarcely　to　be　matched　out　of　Homer　and

the　Bible；　it　is　also　obviously　true。　We　feel　as　we　read；　that　no　man

could　have　invented　that　story；　though　some　great　skald　threw　it　into

shape。　That　the　tale　is　true；　the　writer　of　〃Eric〃　can　testify；　for；

saga　in　hand；　he　has　followed　every　act　of　the　drama　on　its　very　site。

There　he　who　digs　beneath　the　surface　of　the　lonely　mound　that　looks

across　plain　and　sea　to　Westman　Isles　may　still　find　traces　of　the

burning；　and　see　what　appears　to　be　the　black　sand　with　which　the

hands　of　Bergthora　and　her　women　strewed　the　earthen　floor　some　nine

hundred　years　ago；　and　even　the　greasy　and　clotted　remains　of　the　whey

that　they　threw　upon　the　flame　to　quench　it。　He　may　discover　the

places　where　Fosi　drew　up　his　men；　where　Skarphedinn　died；　singing

while　his　legs　were　burnt　from　off　him；　where　Kari　leapt　from　the

flaming　ruin；　and　the　dell　in　which　he　laid　down　to　restat　every

step；　in　short；　the　truth　of　the　narrative　becomes　more　obvious。　And

yet　the　tale　has　been　added　to；　for；　unless　we　may　believe　that　some

human　beings　are　gifted　with　second　sight；　we　cannot　accept　as　true

the　prophetic　vision　that　came　to　Runolf；　Thorstein's　son；　or　that　of

Njal　who；　on　the　evening　of　the　onslaught；　like　Theoclymenus　in　the

Odyssey；　saw　the　whole　board　and　the　meats　upon　it　〃one　gore　of

blood。〃



Thus；　in　the　Norse　romance　now　offered　to　the　reader；　the　tale　of　Eric

and　his　deeds　would　be　true；　but　the　dream　of　Asmund；　the　witchcraft

of　Swanhild；　the　incident　of　the　speaking　head；　and　the　visions　of

Eric　and　Skallagrim；　would　owe　their　origin　to　the　imagination　of

successive　generations　of　skalds；　and；　finally；　in　the　fifteenth　or

sixteenth　century；　the　story　would　have　been　written　down　with　all　its

supernatural　additions。



The　tendency　of　the　human　mindand　more　especially　of　the　Norse　mind

is　to　supply　uncommon　and　extraordinary　reasons　for　actions　and

facts　that　are　to　be　amply　accounted　for　by　the　working　of　natural

forces。　Swanhild　would　have　needed　no　〃familiar〃　to　instruct　her　in

her　evil　schemes；　Eric　would　have　wanted　no　love…draught　to　bring　about

his　overthrow。　Our　common　experience　of　mankind　as　it　is；　in

opposition　to　mankind　as　we　fable　it　to　be；　is　sufficient　to　teach　us

that　the　passion　of　one　and　the　human　weakness　of　the　other　would

suffice　to　these　ends。　The　natural　magic；　the　beauty　and　inherent

power　of　such　a　woman　as　Swanhild；　are　things　more　forceful　than　any

spell　magicians　have　invented；　or　any　demon　they　are　supposed　to　have

summoned　to　their　aid。　But　no　saga　would　be　complete　without　the

intervention　of　such　extraneous　forces：　the　need　of　them　was　always

felt；　in　order　to　throw　up　the　acts　of　heroes　and　heroines；　and　to

invest　their　persons　with　an　added　importance。　Even　Homer　felt　this

need；　and　did　not　scruple　to　introduce　not　only　second　sight；　but　gods

and　goddesses；　and　to　bring　their　supernatural　agency　to　bear　directly

on　the　personages　of　his　chant；　and　that　far　more　freely　than　any

Norse　sagaman。　A　word　may　be　added　in　explanation　of　the　appearances

of　〃familiars〃　in　the　shapes　of　animals；　an　instance　of　which　will　be

found　in　this　story。　It　was　believed　in　Iceland；　as　now　by　the　Finns

and　Eskimo；　that　the　passions　and　desires　of　sorcerers　took　visible

form　in　such　creatures　as　wolves　or　rats。　These　were　called

〃sendings；〃　and　there　are　many　allusions　to　them　in　the　Sagas。



Another　peculiarity　that　may　be　briefly　alluded　to　as　eminently

characteristic　of　the　Sagas　is　their　fatefulness。　As　we　read　we　seem

to　hear　the　voice　of　Doom　speaking　continually。　〃/Things　will　happen

as　they　are　fated/〃：　that　is　the　keynote　of　them　all。　The　Norse　mind

had　little　belief　in　free　will；　less　even　than　we　have　to…day。　Men　and

women　were　born　with　certain　characters　and　tendencies；　given　to　them

in　order　that　their　lives　should　run　in　appointed　channels；　and　their

acts　bring　about　an　appointed　end。　They　do　not　these　things　of　their

own　desire；　though　their　desires　prompt　them　to　the　deeds：　they　do

them　because　they　must。　The　Norns；　as　they　name　Fate；　have　mapped　out

their　path　long　and　long　ago；　their　feet　are　set　therein；　and　they

must　tread　it　to　the　end。　Such　was　the　conclusion　of　our　Scandinavian

ancestorsa　belief　forced　upon　them　by　their　intense　realisation　of

the　futility　of　human　hopes　and　schemings；　of　the　terror　and　the

tragedy　of　life；　the　vanity　of　its　desires；　and　the　untravelled　gloom

or　sleep；　dreamless　or　dreamfull；　which　lies　beyond　its　end。



Though　the　Sagas　are　entrancing；　both　as　examples　of　literature　of

which　there　is　but　little　in　the　world　and　because　of　their　living

interest；　they　are　scarcely　known　to　the　English…speaking　public。　This

is　easy　to　account　for：　it　is　hard　to　persuade　the　nineteenth　century

world　to　interest　itself　in　people　who　lived　and　events　that　happened

a　thousand　years　ago。　Moreover；　the　Sagas　are　undoubtedly　difficult

reading。　The　archaic　nature　of　the　work；　even　in　a　translation；　the

multitude　of　its　actors；　the　Norse　sagaman's　habit　of　interweaving

endless　side…plots；　and　the　persistence　with　which　he　introduces　the

genealogy　and　adventures　of　the　ancestors　of　every　unimportant

character；　are　none　of　them　to　the　taste　of　the　modern　reader。



〃Eric　Brighteyes〃　therefore；　is　clipped　of　these　peculiarities；　and；

to　some　extent；　is　cast　in　the　form　of　the　romance　of　our　own　day；

archaisms　being　avoided　as　much　as　possible。　The　author　will　be

gratified　should　he　succeed　in　exciting　interest　in　the　troubled　lives

of　our　Norse　forefathers；　and　still　more　so　if　his　difficult

experiment　brings　readers　to　the　Sagasto　the　prose　epics　of　our　own

race。　Too　ample；　too　prolix；　too　crowded　with　detail；　they　cannot

indeed　vie　in　art　with　the　epics　of　Greece；　but　in　their　pictures　of

life；　simple　and　heroic；　they　fall　beneath　no　literature　in　the　world；

save　the　Iliad　and　the　Odyssey　alone。











ERIC　BRIGHTEYES







I



HOW　ASMUND　THE　PRIEST　FOUND　GROA　THE　WITCH