68 James CJiristian Lindberg 



A shrine to Valhal's gods. And there they thought 



To rear a church, and build their monkish cells. 



'T was right, my men, that ye expelled them ; right 



That ye should win for me this golden treasure, 



As rare as brilliant. Look, how runics chase 



The golden rim. Let 's see, what 's written here. [Reads. 



"If for thy guilt 

 Fortune forsakes thee ; . 

 Go to the gods, and 

 Give them thy best !" 



[Hakon stands for a lonp^ time deeply touched and auiased, then 

 lie rereads ihc stanza sloivly and- meaningly.^ 



"Give them thy best !" 

 Ye crave the best ere ye are reconciled ? 

 I understand thy sign, thou highest Skuld."-'* 

 I see thee wrapped within thy whitish cowl, 

 Thou sittest there beneath the YgdrasiP" 

 And starest into Urdur's fount.'"' Pray tell 

 Me, is the water red, is blood required ? 

 ■'The best" ! And what perchance may be the best ? 

 My Erland fell ; in him thou hast the best ! 

 But Hakon hath not freely offered him ; 

 The will, the heart must l>e in every gift 

 To regain the favor of an angered god. 

 Give them the best ! There still remains to me 

 My little son, with golden hair, with eyes 

 As blue as heaven, as pure, as innocent 

 As fairest morning star, yet quick, and full 

 Of life as is the mountain buck ; withal. 

 Of Hakon's blood, the latest drop ;— not him. 

 No, no, not him, thou blessed Freia ! Pray, 

 Thoti crav'st not him, whom thou thyself hast given ? 



[Deep in thought. 

 Two kinds of offerings do the gods demand. 

 The one attests their splendor and their power; 

 For such are cattle, fallen foes required. 



106 



