Древняя Русь и Скандинавия: Избранные труды

Nv er vfriþr milli Sveins Alfi fosonar oc Jarizleifs konvngs. þvi at Jarizleifr konvngr virði sem var at Noregsmenn hof þo nizc a enom helga Olafi konvngi. oc var þar noccora stvnd eigi cavpfriþr i milli. Maðr er nefndr Karl en annarr Biorn. þeir voro bröðr.ii. litils hattar at bvrþom oc þo framqvemþarmenn. verit salltmenn enn fyrra lvt efi sinnar oc afl at sva peninga. en nv var sva orþit at þeir vorv rikir kavpmenn… þa tok Karl til orða oc melti við haseta sina… ec etla at fara i Austrveg cavpferþ. en nv fi rir sakir vmmela Sveins konvngs oc Jarizleifs konvngs oc þess vfriþar er i milli þeira er. þa ma þat kalla eigi varlict…

Oc þetta taca þeir raþs. fara nv með honom vnz þeir koma i Austrriki oc leggia þar at viþ eitt mikit cavptvn, oc vildo þeir kavpa ser navðsynia lvti. En þegar er landzmenn visso at þeir voro Norðmenn, þa fengo þeir þeim at siþr cavp at þegar helt viþ bardaga oc vildo lanzmenn veita юeim atgongo. Oc er Karl sa at i oeni for þa melti hann til lanzmanna. Þat mon metit til hvatvisi oc noccot sva diorfvngar at taca slict fyrir hendr konvngi yðrom at meiþa vtlenda menn eþa rena. þott her comi meþ cavpeyri sinn oc gere yþr engan ofriþ. oc vitit aldri hvart konvngr geri yþr þocc fyri eþa eigi. nv er yðr vitrligra at biþa konvngs atqveþa vm slict. Viþ þetta sefaz lanzmenn oc verþr eigi at þeim gengit með ollo. þo ser Karl at þat endiz eigi sva bvit. hann gerir þa ferþ sina a konvngs fvnd.

Er eigi getit vm ferþ hans fyrr en hann cømr fyrir Jarizleif konvng oc qvaddi hann. Konvngr spyrr hverr hann er. Ec em norrønn maþr einn segir hann litils verðr oc kominn hingat með goþom peningom oc felagar minir [með góðum friði. – Hulda]. Konvngr melti. Hví vart þv sva diarfr at søkja hingat. hyggr þv noccot þina gefo meiri enn annarra manna. oc hyggr þv at þv munir her draga fram cavpeyri þinn en aðrir fa eigi haldit lifi nu. oc hafa þeir Noregsmenn aldri sva illt af mer at eigi se þeir verra verþir. [Karl melti. Eigi mono allir iafnir i þvi. ec em saltkarl einn litils verþr. þo at nv hafa ec peninga. hefi ec avalt verit til noccors hentogleika en aldri var ec i moti Olafi konungi i huga minom. þat mon ec etla segir konvngr. at þv monir reynaz sem allir aþrir Noregsmenn. Konvngr bað taca hann ok setia þegar i fi otra. oc sva var gert. Oc siþan segir konvngr Magnvsi fostra sinom oc spyrr hann raðs vm hverso scipa scal við Norðmennina. Magnvs svarar. Litt hafi þer fostri minn haft mic viþ raþin her til. en seint ventir mik at raþiz at minn verþi Noregr ef sva scal at fara at drepa þa alla er þaðan ero ettaþir. en vel mvndot þer vilia fostri minn. þvi at þeir mego at retto allir callaz minir þegnar. – Hulda]. Oc oþrovis get ec venna mvno at at orca en hataz viþ alla þa menn er baðan ero. Konvngrenn let þetta vel melt. oc qvað hans raþom scyldo fram fara. Konvngr callaþi Carll til sin vm morgoninn. oc siþan melti konvngr til hans. Sva litz mer a þic at þv ser giptvvenligr maðr. oc þat vill Magnvs konvngs son at þu hafi r griþ. oc ero þer nv.ii. costir gervir af minni hendi. annarr at þv farir til scips y þars. oc fø ec yþr oc vist. farit með cavpeyri yðarnn sem yþr syniz. ella far þv til min oc ver með mer i vetr[1256].

(Now there is no peace between Svein Alfi fason and konung Jarizleif because konung Jarizleif thinks that Norwegians have betrayed saint konung Olaf, and for some time there was no trade peace between them. A man is called Karl and another man is called Bjцrn. They were two brothers, of humble birth but men of prowess. They were salt-makers earlier in their lives and they thus acquired money, and now it happened so that they became rich merchants…

Then Karl spoke and said to his mates, «… I am going to make a trade voyage to the Eastern Route but nowadays this trip cannot be called safe because there is a disagreement between konung Svein and konung Jarizleif and there is no peace between them…».

And they take their decision and go now with him until they come to the Eastern Country [i. e. Rus’] and stopped at a large trade town and want to buy some necessities for themselves. But as soon as the men of the land learned that they were Norwegians, they not only refused to sell anything to them but it came close to a battle, and the men of the land wanted to attack them. And when Karl saw that it was getting dangerous he said to the men of the land, «It can be regarded as reckless and bold [to take a decision] instead of your konung to maim or rob foreigners while they came here with their wares and make you no hostilities. And one can never know if the konung would approve of you or not. Now it is wiser of you to wait for konung’s decision on this matter». The men of the land got soothed with this and restrained from attacking them. Nevertheless, Karl sees that it will not end like that, and he starts his trip to the konung Nothing is said about his trip until he came to Jarizleif konung and greeted him. The konung asked him who he was. «I am a Norwegian, he says, of humble birth and I came here with good money and my companions with peace». The konung said, «How is it that you got so bold to come here? Do you think that your luck is larger than that of other men or do you think that you can profi t from your wares while others could not preserve their lives? And those Norwegians never get as much evil from me, as they are worth». Karl said, «Not all men are equal in this. I am a salt-maker of humble birth, though now I have money, and I have always been ready for any opportunity and I have never been against Olaf konung in my thoughts». «I suppose, the konung says, that you’ll turn out to be like all other Norwegians». The konung ordered to take him and put him into irons, and it was done. And later the konung speaks to Magnus, his fosterson, and asks for his advice on what is to be done with those Norwegians. Magnus answers, «Until now you have asked little for my advice, my foster-father, but it seems to me that Norway won’t become mine soon if it comes to killing all those who originate from there. But you will be well-disposed, my foster-father, because they all have right to be called my thegns. And I think that it is better for me to behave diff erently than to share hatred with all those who are from there». The konung thought it well spoken and said that it would be done according to his advice. The konung called for Karl in the morning and then said to him, «It seems to me that you are a man promising good luck, and Magnus, the konung’s son, wants that you should be given peace. And there are two possibilities that I can grant you. The fi rst of them is that you go to your ship and I shall give you wine and food and you will go with your merchandise as you wish. Or you go to me and stay a winter with me…»).