Northern Antiquities/Chapter 9

by Paul Henri Mallet

CHAPTER IX.

The passion of the ancient Scandinavians for arms: their valour: the manner in which they made war. A digression concerning the state of population among them.

“ROME had reckoned from its foundation six hundred and forty years, when the arms of the Cimbri were first heard of among us. From that time to the present have elapsed two hundred and six years more. So long have we been in conquering Germany. And in the course of so tedious a war, what various losses have been sustained by each party? No nation hath given us more frequent alarms; neither the Samnites, the Carthaginians, the Spaniards, the Gauls, nor even the Parthians: so much less vigour hath the despotic power of Arsaces had, than the liberty of the Germans. For, except Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/269 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/270 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/271 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/272 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/273 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/274 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/275 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/276 so great a reward. We have seen what motives this religion offered to its votaries and we cannot fail to recall them in reading some instances of that courage which distinguished the ancient Scandinavians, and of their contempt of death itself, which I shall produce from the most authentic chronicles of Iceland.

History informs us, that Harold surnamed Blaatand or Blue Tooth (a king of Denmark, who reigned in the middle of the tenth century) had founded on the coasts of Pomerania, which he had subdued, a city named Julin or Jomsburg; where he sent a colony of young Danes, and bestowed the government on a celebrated warrior named Palnatoko. This new Lycurgus had made of that city a second Sparta, and every thing was directed to this single end, to form complete soldiers. The author who has left us the history of this colony assures us, that “it was forbidden there so much as to mention the name of Fear, even in the most imminent dangers^[1].” No citizen of Jomsburg was to yield to any number however great, but to fight intrepidly without flying, even from a very superior force. Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/278 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/279 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/280 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/281 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/282 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/283 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/284 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/285 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/286 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/287 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/288 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/289 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/290 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/291 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/292 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/293 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/294 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/295 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/296 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/297 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/298 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/299 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/300 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/301 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/302 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/303 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/304 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/305 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/306 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/307 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/308 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/309 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/310 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/311 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/312 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/313 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/314 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/315 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/316 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/317 Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/318 delivered by young heroes, who could not atchieve their rescue till they had overcome thofe terrible guards. These rude forts were seldom taken by the enemy, unless by surprize or after a long blockade: however, when these were of great importance, they raised terraces and artificial banks on that side of the fort which was lowest; and by this means annoyed the besieged by throwing in arrows, stones, boiling water and melted pitch; offensive arms, which the besieged, on their part, were not negligent in returning^[2].

1. See Jomswikinga Saga, in Bartholin. de caus. contempt. mort. lib. i. c. 5.
2. There is also reason to believe that the ancient Northern nations were not wholly unacquainted with the use of the Catapulta and other engines for battering, darting stones, &c. but it is very probable that these were not common, and were besides of very rude and simple construction. Vid. Loccen. Antiq. Suev. Goth. lib. iii. c. 2. apud Dalin. Suea. Rik. hist. First Edit.