The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-07-24


took it as a subject for his verse he did
not have to add to or substract from
ft-only to throw over it the charm of
his poetic genius. OF all SCANDINAVIAN
literature 1t would be impossible to
name a work which is so thoroughly
his poetic genius. OF all Scandinavian
as the Firth of saga. Nor is its fame
confined to Scandinavia. There are in
existence twenty-one German, as many
English, several Dutch. French, Polish,
Latin, one italian. one Hungarian, one
Greek and one Icelandic translations
of Tegner's "Frithjof" 1t would be OBJ
served that in "F'rithjof" supernatural
agencies are sparingly used, the story
being, for the most part, a straightfor-
ward tale which, antiquarians are
pretty we'll agreed, rests upon an his
toric foundation. 1t originated, proba-
bly,, in the eighth century and was
written down first from popular bal
lads about the year 1900.
~ ING Belle and his doughty COM
~ panion In arms, Thorsten the
L n bonder. or yeoman, had grown
old together in wars and adventures.
Many a sea had been breasted by their
warships, many battles had they
fought. Even the far-off coasts and
isles of Greece had trembled when they
above the bellying sails of the Long
Dragon, and their shields had clashed
in battle above the blue waters of
Sicily, as we'll over those tumultuous
tides which roll around the Orkneys
and the Hebrides. King Belle had two
sons, Hedge and Hafdan, and one fair
daughter the Ioveliest rose that
bloomed upon the rugged Norway
coast. Old Thorsten had only one child,
son named Frithjof and this son he
had sent to be brought up in the house
hold of old Hiding, Bele's tried and
trusted counselor, who resided on
rich and well-kept farm at some dis
lance from the court. Thither, also, had
been sent King Beles daughter, Inge-
1 borg.
So Frithjof and Ingeborg, the son of
the bonder and the daughter of the
King grew up together under the same
roof Frithjof was young, dark tall and
strong to defy the storm, and lnge-
borg was his companion and his de-
light. When he learned his first rune
he FASTENED to teach it her; when he
killed his first bear-which he did
without weapons, crushing the ami
NAL to death in his sinewy arms-he
FASTENED home to lay 1T at her feet' In
the long nights of the northern winter,
when all the household gathered about
the roaring fire, Frithjof would read,
perhaps, ancient lays of Odin, the All
Fathers halls of Valhalla; but the tales
of the goddesses he liked best, for
there was not a goddess whom he did
not secretly compare, to her disad-
vantage. to Ingeborg.
Ingeborg's hair fell in yellow ringlets'
her tender blue eyes were like the SKY
in spring and her delicate skin was white
as the SHOWS of winter The tale OF
vounr Raider, ever fair and ever young,
the darling of the gods, delighted Firth
iof It told how. when Balder was done
to death through malice, he was mourned
by his faithful wife. Mamma, and Frith1ot
thought how gladly he would die to be
mourned as lovingly by one true maid
ems heart. Ingeborg meantime. would
ait day by day at her loom singing the
deeds of heroes at her work, and as she
wove into the tapestry with threads OF
many dyes the story of some saga OF OLD
and under her deft hands woods and
cornfields started into life-the knights
and foot soldiers in silver mall WIN
golden shields-ever the hero of the PIC
tured story grew like Frithjof. and sne
smiled as she saw the growing resemp-
lance.
Ola Hiding saw how things were going
and warned Frithjof. mo good can come
of this he said. "Only where like
mates like are happiness and peace. lnge-
borg is a kings daughter thy father is
of bonder stock and his son no MT mate
for the daughter of the race OF Odin'
.arhe freeborn man is second 10 none
replied Frithjof What chance divided
chance can bring together The sword Is
a mighty wooer," and for ingeborg VIII
do battle with Thor himself 1t VIII
be perceived that by this time FrlthJof
was a young man and lngeborg young
woman, and that they were desperately In
love with each other
Belle. in his royal hall, leaned upon his
sheatbed sword and beside him stood
Thorsten. Nearly 100 winters had
passed over the heads of the mighty war
riors since they had sailed the seven
seas killing much and robbing more. Inc
wears had silvered their locks and marked
tbe,r faces with lines like craven runes.
said Belle: ss"Our day is done and night
.rones On apace The helmet is heavy to
NV brow. the sword heavy to my hand
To my taste the strongest mead seems
nat and stale. Mine eyes grow dim 1or
earthly sights, but clearer ever can see
the vision of yalhalla. Our time, my
friend is brief Therefore have sent Tor
o,,r sons. your one and my two, that be-
Fore we ascend to the halls of Odin we
may speak to the young eagles that they
NAV be as firmly bound together in the
davs to come as we have been in the days
that are past. Warning words would
sneak to them and many more my lips
shall not utter upon this earth
AS he spoke the three youths entered
the hall. Hedge. the kings eldest son,
had a gloomy brow and a sullen eye. He
was mostly founds with the priests and
soothsayers by the great altar stones, and
even now, as he entered the royal pres
ence. his hands were bloody from the sac
rihce. Haitian, the younger son, had
sunny locks and an open countenance, but
vas too soft Lastly came Frithjof, taller
nv a head than the other two, and as he
took his place between the sons of the
King ne seemed like noon between dawn
and dusk. The old King addressed his
SONS. telling them that his sun was setting
q ,vhi,e theirs was Just rising, and babe