Five Pieces of Runic Poetry/Complaint of Harold
( V. )
THE
COMPLAINT
OF
HAROLD.
INTRODUCTION.
“HAROLD, surnamed The Valiant, lived about the middle of the eleventh century, and was one of the most illustrious adventurers of his time. Piracy was considered among the northern nations, as the only road to riches and glory: in pursuit of these Harold had not only run thro’ all the northern seas, but had even penetrated into the Mediterranean, and made many successful attempts on the coasts of Africa and Sicily. He was at length taken. prisoner and detained for some time at Constantinople. In this ode he complains that all the glory he had acquired by so many exploits had not been able to move the heart of Elizabeth daughter of Jarislaus king of Russia.
“The following piece is only a fragment; for the ode originally consisted of sixteen stanzas: it is also much more modern than any of the former. It was notwithstanding acceptable, as the subject of it turns upon the softer passions, and is not altogether taken up with blood and death and other images of horror, like the rest.
“The original of this fragment is printed in Bartholin's excellent treatise intitled, Causa contemptæ a Danis mortis, 4to 1689. p. 54: where it is accompanied with a literal Latin version, which we have chiefly followed, except in one or two passages, where the preference seemed due to the French translation of the Chevalier Mallet, published in his L’ Edda, 4to 1755. Bartholin tells us he had the original out of an old Islandic history, intitled Knitlinga Saga.”
THE
COMPLAINT
OF
HAROLD.
MY ship hath sailed round the isle
of Sicily. Then were we all
magnificent and splendid. My brown
vessel, full of warriors, rapidly skimmed
along the waves. Eager for the fight,
I thought my sails would never flacken:
And yet a Russian maid disdains me.
I fought in my youth with the inhabitants of Drontheim. They had troops superior in number. Dreadful was the conflict. Young, as I was, I left their young young king dead in the fight. And yet a Russian maid disdains me.
One day we were but sixteen on ship-board: a tempest rose and swelled the ocean. The waves filled the loaded vessel: but we diligently cleared it. Thence I formed the brightest hopes. And yet a Russian maid disdains me.
I know how to perform eight exercises. I fight with courage. I keep a firm seat on horseback. I am skilled in swimming. I glide along the ice on scates. I excell in darting the lance. I am dextrous at the oar. And yet a Russian maid disdains me.
What tender maid or widow can deny, that in the morning, when, posted near the city in the south, we joined battle; can deny that I bravely wielded my arms; or that I left behind me lasting monuments of my valour. And yet a Russian maid disdains me.
I was born in the uplands of Norway, where the inhabitants handle so well the bow. Now I make my ships, the dread of peasants, rush among the rocks of the sea. Far from the abode of men, I have plowed the wide ocean with my vessels. And yet a Russian maid disdains me.
POST-SCRIPT.
“In the preceding poem Harold mentions eight exercises, but enumerates only five. If the Reader is inquisitive to know what those are, which he has omitted, he may collect them from the following ancient Runic verses. Wherein a northern hero is introduced boasting of himself,
“I am master of nine accomplishments. I play well at chess. I know how to engrave Runic letters. I am apt at my book; and know how to handle the tools of the smith. I traverse the snow on scates of wood. I excell in shooting with the bow; and in managing the oar. I sing to the harp; and compose verſes.”
Olj. Wormij. Lit. Run. pag. 129.— Barthol. Causa &c. pag. 420.
“We shall conclude this subject, with a celebrated character from the ancient chronicles of Norway. viz.”
“King Olaf Tryggeson was stronger, more alert and nimble than any man of his time. He would climb the rock Smalserhorn, and fix his shield on the top of it. He would walk without the boat on the oars while the men were rowing. He would play with three darts at once; tossing them up in the air, and always keeping two up, while one was down in his hand. He was ambi-dexter, and could use his weapon with both hands, and throw two javelins at once. He excelled all his men in shooting with the bow: And in swimming, he had no equal.”
See Pontoppidan’s Hist. of Norway, pag. 248.
THE END.