CHAPTER XI--SOME DANISH TALES

The knowledge that Egwina had gained of forest lore during her residence in the cottage of Denewulf, now stood her well in hand. With it she was enabled to thread her way through the intricate mazes of the great wood. At last, emerging from its eastern border, with brave heart the intrepid girl struck boldly into Wessex, now overrun by the Danes.

Stopping at the houses of ceorl and thegn alike for shelter and refreshment, she gave her merriest smile and sang her gayest songs. But the Saxons were in no mood for festivity. Willingly they succored her, and listened to her songs; but grave were their faces and heavy their hearts, for the rule of the invader bore heavily upon them. Everywhere the maiden heard the wail of the oppressed people: "Oh, that King Alfred were here!"

Often and often was she tempted to tell them the glad news that Alfred lived and was even then endeavoring to gather those to his standard who were willing to peril life for liberty.

Restraining her ardor, however, for she knew not whom to trust, with a heart burthened by the sorrows of the people, she went on her way.

One day, it was drawing near the evening and Egwina was trying to find some place of shelter for the night, she was overtaken by a Danish man and a young woman.

"Whither away, maiden?" queried the man, as they came up with her.

"I am a gleemaiden seeking shelter for the night," returned Egwina boldly. "Who are ye, and whither do ye wend your way?"

"Sigurd the skald am I," answered the man, "and this is Gyda, my daughter, who is a seid woman. A gleemaiden, thou sayest, in search of shelter? Then hie with us to the dwelling of Hakon the jarl who hath a feast to-night. Much glee will there be, for Gyda doth tell each and every one his fate."

"What would a Saxon gleemaiden in the halls of Hakon the jarl?" cried Egwina, knowing not how to be rid of her companions.

"It will be music to his heart," answered the skald. "Little doth he reck whether thou beest Saxon or Dane so that thou dost make merry. Join us, for sibbe are all gleemen and maidens whether they be skalds of the Norseman, bards of the Welsh, or scops or gleemen of the Saxon. But thou art alone, girl? Why travelest thou so?"

"There is naught else to do," answered she. Then, continuing after a slight pause, "My grandfather and I for many years wandered the length and breadth of the land. Now doth he lie dead, and alone do I follow the harp."

"Thy grandfather! Alack! He was old then?" Sigurd declared rather than questioned. "'Tis pity that Hela the death goddess comes to us all. Methinks the AEsir should have bestowed the apples of Iduna upon man that he might eat and be young again."

"Iduna? The apples?" Egwina looked bewildered. "Be not wroth, good Sigurd, but I understand not what thou meanest."

"Hast not heard of Iduna?" asked the skald in surprise.

"Is she not a Saxon?" sneered Gyda, the seid woman, speaking for the first time. "And are not the Saxons Christians? She hath been too busy with mass and priest to have heard of Iduna."

"Then shall she be enlightened," cried Sigurd, while Egwina looked hastily away from the coal-black eyes of the seid woman. Their gaze filled her with a sort of nameless terror. Inviting she was not in aspect, as was Gunnehilde in the forest, and involuntarily the girl crossed herself. The woman's eyes glittered as she saw the action, but she made no comment.

"Iduna," went on the skald, "lived in Asgard, the city of the AEsir. To her care was given the apples of youth, which gave strength again to the body, and color and light to face and eyes. She kept them in a casket and never were they renewed. When the AEsir had need of them, she drew forth from the case the apples which were small as peas until her hands touched them. Others took the place of those taken out, so that the casket was never empty. Always was it filled, and none knew whence they came.

"But Thyassi Joetun looked with covetous eyes upon the apples of Iduna, and sought how to get them. Once Odin, together with Loki the evil one, and Hoenir, went from Asgard over the mountains to an uninhabited land, and it was not easy for them to get food to eat. When they came down into a valley they saw a herd of oxen, took one of them and prepared it for the fire. When they thought it was cooked they took it off, but it was not cooked. A second time, after waiting a little, they took it off, and it was not cooked. They considered what might be the cause of this. Then they heard a voice from the tree above them which said that he who sat there caused this. They looked up, and a large eagle sat there. The eagle said:

"'If thou wilt give me my fill of the ox, it shall be cooked.'

"They assented. The bird came slowly down from the tree, sat on the hearth, and at once ate up the four shoulder pieces of the ox. Loki got angry, took a large pole, and with all his strength struck the eagle. At the blow the eagle flew into the air. The pole adhered to its body, and the hands of Loki to one end of it. The eagle flew so that Loki's feet touched the rocks, the stone heaps, and the trees. He thought his hands would be torn from his shoulders.

"He shouted eagerly, asking the bird to spare him, but it answered that he would never get loose unless he promised to make Iduna leave Asgard with her apples. Loki promised this, got loose, and went home.

"At the appointed time, the evil one enticed Iduna to go to a wood out of Asgard, by saying that he had found some apples which she would prefer to her own, and asked her to take her apples with her to compare them. Iduna went with him willingly, for he was one of the AEsir. As she left the walls of Asgard behind, a fear seized upon her, and she would have returned, for now it came to her that Bragi, her husband, the wise and the eloquent, had told her never to leave the city. Even as the fear seized upon her, Thyassi Joetun came in eagle's shape, took Iduna, and flew away to his abode in Joetunheim.

"The AEsir were much grieved at the disappearance of Iduna, and soon became gray-haired and old for the apples of youth had gone from them. Hela the death goddess came from Niflheim, and abode among them also. Then did the AEsir grieve more for the apples of Iduna. They held a Thing (the parliament of the Norsemen is so called), and asked each other for news of her. Then was it made known that she was last with Loki. Odin, the fierce one, ordered Loki before him, and declared that if he did not return Iduna, he should be put to death or torture.

"Then did the evil one fear, and consented to bring Iduna from Joetunheim if Freyga would lend him the hawk skin which she owned. When he got it, he flew north to Joetunheim, and one day came to Thyassi Joetun who was sea-fishing. Iduna was at home alone. At first, she had been glad when her bond maidens were always smiling; but soon she discovered that they had no souls, and could not sympathize with her in her sorrow.

"Often did Thyassi Joetun try to get the apples, but when he would touch them they disappeared, and he could not. Angrily had he threatened Iduna if she gave him not them, and now, full of wrath at her refusal, he had gone sea-fishing. So Loki found her alone.

"He changed her into a nut, held her in his claws, and flew away as fast as he could. But Thyassi Joetun in the form of an eagle pursued them. The AEsir saw the hawk flying with the nut and the eagle pursuing, and they went to the Asgard wall, and carried thither bundles of plane shavings. When the hawk flew into the burgh, it came down at the wall.

"The AEsir set fire to the shavings, but the eagle could not stop when it lost the hawk, and the fire caught its feathers and stopped it. The AEsir were near, and slew Thyassi Joetun which was a very famous deed. So did they have again the apples of youth.

"For my own part, I would that men might partake of them, for I like not to get old."

"'Tis a pretty tale," remarked the maiden who had listened with interest.

"Thinkest thou so?" cried the skald, much pleased. "Once such tales were heritage of Saxon as well as Dane; but now have they turned aside from the old gods, and taken up with mass and rood until their strength has waned, and no longer have they courage in the strife. Truly, to the followers of Odin doth the victory come."

"It hath not been so always," cried Egwina, stung out of caution. "I trow that King Alfred hath borne the victory often from thee. What he hath done, that will he do again."

"Maiden, what knowest thou of the king? Bracelets the most massive, many gifts, and a place on the high seat would Guthrum give thee for tidings of Alfred. Speak!"

"Naught, naught," answering the girl, realizing her mistake. "I speak only a Saxon's hope. Is it unseemly that we should wish our king victorious in place of thine?"

"Nay; 'tis natural," returned Sigurd. "But methought that thou didst speak as if thou wert ware of the king's doings."

"I would that I were," answered the maiden with fervor. "What should a simple maiden wot of the king?"

"Speaketh she the truth?" demanded Sigurd of his daughter.

"In seeming, but not in deed," returned the seid woman. "Be patient, my father. This night in the hall of Hakon the jarl will Gyda perform the seid. Then shalt thou know all that lieth in the maiden's heart."

"Sainted mother be with me!" murmured the girl under her breath.

"Knowest thou the fate songs, maiden?" asked Gyda.

"Nay; I am a Christian," answered the maiden simply.

"Then will I teach thee," remarked Gyda. "If thou hast a good voice thou couldst he useful to me in singing the spell songs; for few they be that know them. Listen, and thou shalt hear one now."

"Nay; rather let me hear more of thy tales," and Egwina looked appealingly at the skald. "Well dost thou tell them, and I wonder not that thou art welcome where there is glee."

"Thou shalt hear them then," cried Sigurd, flattered by her words. "Later, daughter, canst thou use her for thy art. Now let her listen to mine, for I have need to refresh my memory. Wise is she in the lore of our craft; for a daughter of a skald, and a skald maiden is she. Then knowest thou, maiden, how Skadi, the daughter of Thyassi Joetun, came to Asgard to avenge her father?"

"No; I know but the tales of my own people," said Egwina, rejoiced that she was not obliged to listen to the spell songs of the seid woman.

"Listen then! All Asgard rejoiced at the death of Thyassi Joetun, when Skadi, his daughter, took helmet and brynja (shield), and a complete war dress, and came to Asgard to avenge her father. The AEsir offered her reconciliation and a weregeld, but first that she might choose from among them a husband. Then was the heart of Skadi made glad, for a live husband is better than a dead father; so she consented to the reconciliation.

"The AEsir could not agree among themselves as to which one she should take, so they made Skadi choose from among them, not seeing more than the feet. They stood behind a large curtain, and only their feet could be seen below it. Now Skadi wished very much to have Baldur, the beautiful, for a husband, so she looked very carefully at the feet, and chose the most beautiful pair, saying, 'This one I choose. Few things can be ugly in Baldur.'

"But it was not Baldur at all, but Njord, the old one, whom she had chosen. Then did the AEsir laugh and exult. Skadi was angry, but she was fain to abide by her choice, for she alone had done the choosing."

Egwina laughed, interested in spite of her fears.

"Methinks I would rather choose by the countenance than the feet," she cried merrily. "Men's looks reflect their deeds, and a clear eye doth oft show a kind heart as well as a brave one."

"True, child. Much wisdom is there in thy speech. Remember well thy words, and when Skulda doth mingle another's golden thread with thine, look well to face and heart as well as strength of arm, and well-shaped feet."

"Already is the web of her fate woven," declared the seid woman. "Skulda hath already interwoven with hers the warp and woof of greatness."

"How dost thou know?" cried Egwina. "Thou canst not know such things. I believe it not. Little care I for my fate until I come to it, and I wot that my life depends not on thy tongue roots."

The ghost of a smile flitted over the face of the woman.

"Thus didst thou not speak when the vala unraveled for thee thy dream. To-night thou shalt know more of thy future, and we shall know more of thee. Thy design and what of import that is which thou dost carry in thy bosom."

Involuntarily the maiden's hand went to the bosom of her tunic, for there did she carry the jewel that the king had given her. A light flashed into Gyda's eyes, and again did the maiden cross herself.

"Here are we come at last to the dwelling of Hakon the jarl," said Sigurd, turning into the courtyard of a large wooden dwelling which had belonged to a Saxon thegn. "Here do we dwell for the night."

"I will pass on," said Egwina, trying to speak calmly. "I see in yon distance the house of a ceorl. Happier far will I be to abide with mine own people. I thank ye both for sweet and gracious entertainment, and bid ye God-speed."

So saying, she started onward, but the seid woman was by her side instantly.

"Too gracious hath been thy company, maiden," she cried with glittering eyes, "for us now to be deprived of it. Besides, hath not my father entertained thee with tales of our people? Now them must listen to the spell songs of Gyda."

"Prithee insist not upon it," entreated the girl. "I would go onward."

"Be with us for the night, maiden," spoke Sigurd. "Naught of harm shall befall thee if thy intent be good. Darkness hath begun to settle over the earth, and it is not meet for maiden to be out alone. Thou art of my craft, and Sigurd will ask of thee only thy songs and glee. Unless it so be that thou hast some mission to perform and must be on thy way, I entreat thee to stay with us."

So much against her wish, Egwina was forced to enter the dwelling of Hakon the jarl.