Complete Works of Henrik Ibsen (47 page)

Gunnar
[angrily]
. Is it true what thou sayest? Has she —— ?

Kåre. True, every word.

Örnulf. Therefore the peasant besought me to stand by him, and that will I do.

Gunnar
[after a moment’s thought]
. Honourably hast thou dealt with me, Örnulf; therefore is it fit that I should yield to thy will. Hear then, Kåre: I am willing to let the slaying of the thrall and the wrongs done toward thee quit each other.

Kåre
[gives Gunnar his hand]
. It is a good offer; I am content.

Örnulf. And he shall have peace for thee and thine?

Gunnar. Peace shall he have, here and overall.

Sigurd
[pointing to the right]
. See yonder!

Gunnar
[disturbed]
. It is Hiördis!

Örnulf. With armed men!

Kåre. She is seeking me!

[Hiördis enters, with a troop of house-carls. She is clad in black, wearing a kirtle, cloak, and hood; the men are armed with swords and axes; she herself carries a light spear.]

Hiördis
[stops on entering]
. A meeting of many, meseems.

Dagny
[rushes to meet her]
. Peace and joy to thee, Hiördis!

Hiördis
[coldly]
. Thanks. It was told me that thou wast not far off.
[Comes forward, looking sharply at those assembled.]
Gunnar, and — Kåre, my foeman — Örnulf and his sons and ——
[As she catches sight of Sigurd, she starts almost imperceptibly, is silent a moment, but collects herself and says:]
Many I see here who are known to me — but little I know who is best minded towards me.

Örnulf. We are all well-minded towards thee.

Hiördis. If so be, thou wilt not deny to give Kåre into my husband’s hands.

Örnulf. There is no need.

Gunnar. There is peace and friendship between us.

Hiördis
[with suppressed scorn]
. Friendship? Well well, I know thou art a wise man, Gunnar! Kåre has met mighty friends, and well I woth thou deem’st it safest ——

Gunnar. Thy taunts avail not!
[With dignity.]
Kåre is at peace with us!

Hiördis
[restraining herself]
. Well and good; if thou hast sworn him peace, the vow must be held.

Gunnar
[forcibly, but without anger]
. It must and it shall.

Örnulf
[to Hiördis]
. Another pact had been well-nigh made ere thy coming.

Hiördis
[sharply]
. Between thee and Gunnar.

Örnulf
[nods]
. It had to do with thee.

Hiördis. Well can I guess what it had to do with; but this I tell thee, foster-father, never shall it be said that Gunnar let himself be cowed because thou camest in arms to the isle. Hadst thou come alone, a single wayfarer, to our hall, the quarrel had more easily been healed.

Gunnar. Örnulf and his sons come in peace.

Hiördis. Mayhap; but otherwise will it sound in the mouths of men; and thou thyself, Gunnar, didst show scant trust in the peace yesterday, in sending our son Egil to the southland so soon as it was known that Örnulf’s warship lay in the fiord.

Sigurd
[to Gunnar]
. Didst thou send thy sons to the south?

Hiördis. Ay, that he might be in safety should Örnulf fall upon us.

Örnulf. Scoff not at that, Hiördis; what Gunnar has done may prove wise in the end, if so be thou hinderest the pact.

Hiördis. Life must take its chance; come what will, I had liever die than save my life by a shameful pact.

Dagny. Sigurd makes atonement, and will not be deemed the lesser man for that.

Hiördis. Sigurd best knows what his own honour can bear.

Sigurd. On that score shall I never need reminding.

Hiördis. Sigurd has done famous deeds, but the boldest deed of all was Gunnar’s, when he slew the white bear that guarded my bower.

Gunnar
[with an embarrassed glance at Sigurd]
. Nay nay, no more of that!

Örnulf. In truth it was the boldest deed that e’er was seen in Iceland; and therefore ——

Sigurd. The more easily can Gunnar yield, and not be deemed a coward.

Hiördis. If amends are to be made, amends shall also be craved. Bethink thee, Gunnar, of thy vow!

Gunnar. That vow was ill bethought; wilt thou hold me to it?

Hiördis. That will I, if we two are to dwell under one roof after this day. Know then, Örnulf, that if atonement is to be made for the carrying away of thy foster-daughter, thou, too, must atone for the slaying of Jokul my father, and the seizure of his goods and gear.

Örnulf. Jokul was slain in fair fight;
²
thy kinsmen did me a worse wrong when they sent thee to Iceland and entrapped me into adopting
³
thee, unwitting who thou wast.

²
“I aerling holmgang.” The established form of duel in the viking times was to land the combatants on one of the rocky islets or “holms” that stud the Norwegian coast, and there let them fight it out. Hence “holmgang”=duel.

³
“At knaessette”=to knee-set a child, to take it on one’s knee, an irrevocable form of adoption.

Hiördis. Honour, and now wrong, befell thee in adopting Jokul’s daughter.

Örnulf. Nought but strife hast thou brought me, that I know.

Hiördis. Sterner strife may be at hand, if ——

Örnulf. I came not hither to bandy words with women! — Gunnar, hear my last word: art willing to make atonement?

Hiördis
[to Gunnar]
. Think of thy vow!

Gunnar
[to Örnulf]
. Thou hearest, I have sworn a vow, and that must I ——

Örnulf
[irritated]
. Enough, enough! Never shall it be said that I made atonement for slaying in fair fight.

Hiördis
[forcibly]
. Then we bid defiance to thee and thine.

Örnulf
[in rising wrath]
. And who has the right to crave atonement for Jokul? Where are his kinsmen? There is none alive! Where is his lawful avenger?

Hiördis. That is Gunnar, on my behalf.

Örnulf. Gunnar! Ay, hadst thou been betrothed to him with thy foster-father’s good-will, or had he made atonement for carrying thee away, then were he thy father’s lawful avenger; but ——

Dagny
[apprehensive and imploring]
. Father, father!

Sigurd
[quickly]
. Do not speak it!

Örnulf
[raising his voice]
. Nay, loudly shall it be spoken! A woman wedded by force has no lawful husband!

Gunnar
[vehemently]
. Örnulf!

Hiördis
[in a wild outburst]
. Flouted and shamed!
[In a quivering voice.]
This — this shalt thou come to rue!

Örnulf
[continuing]
. A woman wedded by force is lawfully no more than a leman! Wilt thou regain thine honour, then must thou ——

Hiördis
[controlling herself]
. Nay, Örnulf, I know better what is fitting. If I am to be held as Gunnar’s leman — well and good, then must he win me honour by his deeds — by deeds so mighty that my shame shall be shame no more! And thou, Örnulf, beware! Here our ways part, and from this day I shall make war upon thee and thine whensoever and wheresoever it may be; thou shalt know no safety, thou, or any whom thou ——
[Looking fiercely at Kåre.]
Kåre! Örnulf has stood thy friend, forsooth, and there is peace between us; but I counsel thee not to seek thy home yet awhile; the man thou slewest has many avengers, and it well might befall —— See, I have shown thee the danger; thou must e’en take what follows. Come, Gunnar, we must gird ourselves for the fight. A famous deed didst thou achieve in Iceland, but greater deeds must here be done, if thou wouldst not have thy — thy leman shrink with shame from thee and from herself!

Gunnar. Curb thyself, Hiördis; it is unseemly to bear thee thus.

Dagny
[imploringly]
. Stay, foster-sister — stay; I will appease my father.

Hiördis
[without listening to her]
. Homewards, homewards! Who could have foretold me that I should wear out my life as a worthless leman? But if I am to bear this life of shame, ay, even a single day longer, then must my husband do such a deed — such a deed as shall make his name more famous than all other names of men.

[Goes out to the right.]

Gunnar
[softly]
. Sigurd, this thou must promise me, that we shall have speech together ere thou leave the land.

[Goes out with his men to the right.]

[The storm has meanwhile ceased; the mid-day sun is now visible, like a red disc, low upon the rim of the sea.]

Örnulf
[threateningly]
. Dearly shalt thou aby this day’s work, foster-daughter!

Dagny. Father, father! Surely thou wilt not harm her!

Örnulf. Let me be! Now, Sigurd, now can no amends avail between Gunnar and me.

Sigurd. What thinkest thou to do?

Örnulf. That I know not; but far and wide shall the tale be told how Örnulf of the Fiords came to Gunnar’s hall.

Sigurd
[with quiet determination]
. That may be; but this I tell thee, Örnulf, that thou shalt never bear arms against him so long as I am alive.

Örnulf. So, so! And what if it be my will to?

Sigurd. It shall not be-let thy will be never so strong.

Örnulf
[angrily]
. Go then; join thou with my foes; I can match the twain of you!

Sigurd. Hear me out, Örnulf; the day shall never dawn that shall see thee and me at strife. There is honourable peace between us, Dagny is dearer to me than weapons or gold, and never shall I forget that thou art her nearest kinsman.

Örnulf. There I know thee again, brave Sigurd!

Sigurd. But Gunnar is my foster-brother; faith and friendship have we sworn each other. Both in war and peace have we faced fortune together, and of all men he is dearest to me. Stout though he be, he loves not war; — but as for me, ye know, all of you, that I shrink not from strife; yet here I stand forth, Örnulf, and pray for peace on Gunnar’s behalf. Let me have my will!

Örnulf. I cannot; I should be a scoff to all brave men, were I to fare empty-handed back to Iceland.

Sigurd. Empty-handed shalt thou not fare. Here in the cove my two long-ships are lying, with all the wealth I have won in my viking-ventures. There are many costly gifts from outland kings, good weapons by the chestful, and other priceless chattels. Take thou one of the ships; choose which thou wilt, and it shall be thine with all it contains — be that the atonement for Hiördis, and let Gunnar be at peace.

Örnulf. Brave Sigurd, wilt thou do this for Gunnar?

Sigurd. For a faithful friend, no man can do too much.

Örnulf. Give half thy goods and gear!

Sigurd
[urgently]
. Take the whole, take both my ships, take all that is mine, and let me fare with thee to Iceland as the poorest man in thy train. What I give, I can win once more; but if thou and Gunnar come to strife, I shall never see a glad day again. Now Örnulf, thy answer?

Örnulf
[reflecting]
. Two good long-ships, weapons and other chattels — too much gear can no man have; but ——
[vehemently]
no, no! — Hiördis has threatened me; I will not! It were shameful for me to take thy goods!

Sigurd. Yet listen ——

Örnulf. No, I say! I must fight my own battle, be my fortune what it may.