第1章

InmemoryofOodnadattaandmanywanderingsoverseaIofferthesepicturesfromthepast，mydearVincent，toyou，aloverofthepresentifanaspirantwhocanlookuponthefuturewithmoreofhopethanfear。

Yourcolleague，H。RiderHaggard。

ItchancesthatI，theEditorofthesepages——for，intruth，thatismyhumblefunction——haverecoveredaconsiderableknowledgeofabygonelifeofmine。Thislifeendedintimesthatarecomparativelyrecent，namely，earlyintheninthcentury，asisfixedbythefactthattheByzantineEmpress，Irene，playsapartinthestory。

Thenarrative，itwillbeobserved，isnotabsolutelyconsecutive；

thatistosay，allthedetailsarenotfilledin。Indeed，ithasreturnedtomeinaseriesofscenesorpictures，andalthougheachsceneorpicturehastodowitheveryother，therearesometimesgapsbetweenthem。Totakeoneexampleamongseveral——

thejourneyofOlaf(inthosedaysmynamewasOlaf，orMichaelafterIwasbaptised)fromtheNorthtoConstantinopleisnotrecorded。ThecurtaindropsatAarinJutlandandrisesagaininByzantium。Onlythoseeventswhichwereofthemostimportanceseemtohaveburnedthemselvesintomysubconsciousmemory；manyminordetailshavevanished，or，atleast，Icannotfindthem。

This，however，doesnotappeartometobeamatterforregret。Ifeveryepisodeofafullandeventfullifewerepaintedin，thecanvaswouldbeoverloadedandtheeyethatstudieditbewildered。

IdonotthinkthatIhaveanythingmoretosay。Mytalemustspeakforitself。SoIwillbutaddthatIholditunnecessarytosetouttheexactmethodbywhichIhavebeenabletodigitandothersfromthequarryofmypast。Itisagiftwhich，althoughsmallatfirst，Ihavebeenablegraduallytodevelop。Therefore，asIwishtohidemypresentidentity，IwillonlysignmyselfTheEditor。

OfmychildhoodinthisOlaflifeIcanregainbutlittle。Therecometome，however，recollectionsofahouse，surroundedbyamoat，situatedinagreatplainneartoseasorinlandlakes，onwhichplainstoodmoundsthatIconnectedwiththedead。WhatthedeadwereIdidnotquiteunderstand，butIgatheredthattheywerepeoplewho，havingoncewalkedaboutandbeenawake，nowlaidthemselvesdowninabedofearthandslept。Irememberlookingatabigmoundwhichwassaidtocoverachiefknownas“TheWanderer，“whomFreydisa，thewisewoman，mynurse，toldmehadlivedhundredsorthousandsofyearsbefore，andthinkingthatsomuchearthoverhimmustmakehimveryhotatnights。

IrememberalsothatthehallcalledAarwasalonghouseroofedwithsods，onwhichgrewgrassandsometimeslittlewhiteflowers，andthatinsideofitcowsweretiedup。Welivedinaplacebeyond，thatwasseparatedofffromthecowsbybalksofroughtimber。Iusedtowatchthembeingmilkedthroughacrackbetweentwoofthebalkswhereaknothadfallenout，leavingaconvenienteyeholeabouttheheightofawalking-stickfromthefloor。

Onedaymyelderandonlybrother，Ragnar，whohadveryredhair，cameandpulledmeawayfromthiseyeholebecausehewantedtolookthroughithimselfatacowthatalwayskickedthegirlwhomilkedit。I

howled，andSteinar，myfoster-brother，whohadlight-colouredhairandblueeyes，andwasmuchbiggerandstrongerthanI，cametomyhelp，becausewealwayslovedeachother。HefoughtRagnarandmadehisnosebleed，afterwhichmymother，theLadyThora，whowasverybeautiful，boxedhisears。Thenweallcried，andmyfather，Thorvald，atallman，ratherlooselymade，whohadcomeinfromhunting，forhecarriedtheskinofsomeanimalofwhichthebloodhadrundownontohisleggings，scoldedusandtoldmymothertokeepusquietashewastiredandwantedtoeat。

Thatistheonlyscenewhichreturnstomeofmyinfancy。

ThenextofwhichavisionhascometomeisoneofasomewhatsimilarhousetoourowninAar，uponanislandcalledLesso，wherewewereallvisitingachiefofthenameofAthalbrand。Hewasafierce-

lookingmanwithagreatforkedbeard，fromwhichhewascalledAthalbrandFork-beard。Oneofhisnostrilswaslargerthantheother，andhehadadroopinhislefteye，bothofwhichpeculiaritiescametohimfromsomewoundorwoundsthathehadreceivedinwar。Inthosedayseverybodywasatwarwitheverybodyelse，anditwasquiteuncommonforanyonetoliveuntilhishairturnedgrey。

ThereasonofourvisittothischiefAthalbrandwasthatmyelderbrother，Ragnar，mightbebetrothedtohisonlysurvivingchild，Iduna，allofwhosebrothershadbeenkilledinsomebattle。IcanseeIdunanowasshewaswhenshefirstappearedbeforeus。Weweresittingattable，andsheenteredthroughadooratthetopofthehall。Shewasclothedinabluerobe，herlongfairhair，whereofshehadanabundance，wasarrangedintwoplaitswhichhungalmosttoherknees，andaboutherneckandarmsweremassivegoldringsthattinkledasshewalked。Shehadaroundface，colouredlikeawildrose，andinnocentblueeyesthattookineverything，althoughshealwaysseemedtolookinfrontofherandseenothing。Herlipswereveryredandappearedtosmile。AltogetherIthoughthertheloveliestcreaturethateverIhadlookedon，andshewalkedlikeadeerandheldherheadproudly。

Still，shedidnotpleaseRagnar，whowhisperedtomethatshewasslyandwouldbringmischiefonallthathadtodowithher。I，whoatthetimewasabouttwenty-oneyearsofage，wonderedifhehadgonemadtotalkthusofthisbeautifulcreature。ThenIrememberedthatjustbeforewehadlefthomeIhadcaughtRagnarkissingthedaughterofoneofourthrallsbehindtheshedinwhichthecalveswerekept。Shewasabrowngirl，verywellmade，asherroughrobe，fastenedbeneathherbreastwithastrap，showedplainly，andshehadbigdarkeyeswithasleepylookinthem。Also，Ineversawanyonekissquitesohardasshedid；Ragnarhimselfwasoutpassed。Ithinkthatiswhyeventhegreatlady，IdunatheFair，didnotpleasehim。Allthewhilehewasthinkingofthebrown-eyedgirlintherussetrobe。Still，itistruethat，brown-eyedgirlorno，hereadIdunaaright。

Moreover，ifRagnardidnotlikeIduna，fromthefirstIdunahatedRagnar。Soitcameaboutthat，althoughbothmyfather，Thorvald，andIduna’sfather，Athalbrand，stormedandthreatened，thesetwodeclaredthattheywouldhavenothingtodowitheachother，andtheprojectoftheirmarriagecametoanend。

OnthenightbeforeweweretoleaveLesso，whenceRagnarhadalreadygone，AthalbrandsawmestaringatIduna。This，indeed，wasnotwonderful，asIcouldnottakemyeyesfromherlovelyface，andwhenshelookedatmeandsmiledwiththoseredlipsofhersIbecamelikeasillybirdthatisbewitchedbyasnake。AtfirstIthoughtthathewasgoingtobeangry，butsuddenlysomeideaseemedtostrikehimsothathecalledmyfather，Thorvald，outsidethehouse。AfterwardsI

wassentfor，andfoundthetwoofthemseatedonathree-cornered，flatstone，talkinginthemoonlight，foritwassummer-time，wheneverythinglooksblueatnightandthesunandthemoonrideintheskytogether。Nearbystoodmymother，listening。

“Olaf，“saidmyfather，“wouldyouliketomarryIdunatheFair？“

“LiketomarryIduna？“Igasped。“Aye，morethantobeHighKingofDenmark，forsheisnowoman，butagoddess。“

Atthissayingmymotherlaughed，andAthalbrand，whoknewIdunawhenshedidnotseemagoddess，calledmeafool。Thentheytalked，whileIstoodtremblingwithhopeandfear。

“He’sbutasecondson，“saidAthalbrand。

“Ihavetoldyouthereislandenoughforbothofthem，alsothegoldthatcamewithhismotherwillbehis，andthat’snosmallsum，“

answeredThorvald。

“He’snowarrior，butaskald，“objectedAthalbrandagain；“asillyhalf-manwhomakessongsandplaysupontheharp。“

“Songsaresometimesstrongerthanswords，“repliedmyfather，“and，afterall，itiswisdomthatrules。Onebraincangovernmanymen；

also，harpsmakemerrymusicatafeast。Moreover，Olafisbraveenough。Howcanhebeotherwisecomingofthestockhedoes？“

“Heisthinandweedy，“objectedAthalbrand，asayingthatmademymotherangry。

“Nay，lordAthalbrand，“shesaid；“heistallandstraightasadart，andwillyetbethehandsomestmanintheseparts。“

“Everyduckthinksithashatchedoutaswan，“grumbledAthalbrand，whilewithmyeyesIimploredmymothertobesilent。

Thenhethoughtforawhile，pullingathislongforkedbeard，andsaidatlast:

“Myhearttellsmenogoodofsuchamarriage。Iduna，whoistheonlyonelefttome，couldmarryamanofmorewealthandpowerthanthisrune-makingstriplingiseverlikelytobe。YetjustnowIknownonesuchwhomIwouldwishtoholdmyplacewhenIamgone。Moreover，itisspreadfarandwidethroughoutthelandthatmydaughteristobewedtoThorvald’sson，anditmatterslittletowhichson。Atleast，I

willnothaveitsaidthatshehasbeengiventhego-by。Therefore，letthisOlaftakeher，ifshewillhavehim。Only，“headdedwithagrowl，“lethimplaynotrickslikethatred-headedcub，hisbrotherRagnar，ifhewouldnottasteofaspearthroughhisliver。NowIgotolearnIduna’smind。“

Sohewent；asdidmyfatherandmother，leavingmealone，thinkingandthankingthegodsforthechancethathadcomemyway——yes，andblessingRagnarandthatbrown-eyedwenchwhohadthrownherspelloverhim。

WhilstIstoodthusIheardasound，and，turning，sawIdunaglidingtowardsmeinthebluetwilight，lookingmorelovelythanadream。Atmysideshestoppedandsaid: