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PCRN

Pre-Christian Religions of the North: Sources

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King Hrollaugr submits to King Haraldr hárfagri by rolling down the side of a grave mound and taking the name of ‘jarl’. Hrollaugr's brother, King Herlaugr, chooses living-death by walling himself up inside the mound.

text

[excerpt from] HHárf ch. 8b

8b. [Haraldur vann Naumdælafylki]

Norður í Naumudal voru bræður tveir konungar, Herlaugur og Hrollaugur. Þeir höfðu verið að þrjú sumur að gera haug einn. Sá haugur var hlaðinn með grjóti og lími og viðum ger. En er haugurinn var alger þá spurðu þeir bræður þau tíðindi að Haraldur konungur fór á hendur þeim með her. Þá lét Herlaugur konungur aka til haugsins vist mikla og drykk. Eftir það gekk Herlaugur konungur í hauginn með tólfta mann. Síðan lét hann kasta aftur hauginn.

Hrollaugur konungur fór upp á haug þann er konungar voru vanir að sitja á og lét þar búa hásæti konungs og settist þar í. Hann lét leggja dýnur á fótpallinn er jarlar voru vanir að sitja. Þá veltist Hrollaugur konungur úr konungshásætinu og í jarlssæti og gaf sér sjálfur jarlsnafn. Eftir það fór hann móti Haraldi konungi og gaf honum allt ríki sitt og bauð að gerast hans maður og sagði konungi alla sína meðferð. Þá tók Haraldur konungur sverð og festi á linda honum og hann hengdi skjöld á háls honum og gerði hann jarl sinn og leiddi hann í hásæti. Með því gaf hann honum Naumdælafylki að yfirsókn og setti hann þar jarl yfir.

Haraldur konungur fór þá aftur til Þrándheims og dvaldist þar um veturinn. Jafnan síðan kallaði hann heimili sitt í Þrándheimi. Þar setti hann hinn mesta höfuðbæ sinn sem Hlaðir heita.

North in Naumudalr two brothers, Herlaugr and Hrollaugr, were kings. They had been three summers about fashioning a funeral mound. This mound was constructed of stones, mortar and timber. But when this mound was completed, the brothers learned that King Haraldr was marching against them with an army. Then King Herlaugr had much food and drink brought into the mound, and then entered it with elven other men, whereupon he had it walled up [from the outside]. King Hrollaugr went up on the mound on which the kings were wont to sit. There he had the king’s high-seat prepared for himself, and seated himself on it. Then he had down pillows laid on the footstool where it was the custom of earls to sit. Thereupon King Hrollaugr rolled himself down from the king’s high-seat and onto the earl’s seat and gave himself the title of ‘earl’. Then he went to meet King Haraldr and gave to him all his realm, offering to become his follower and informing him about the procedure he had taken.

[status: in progress]

commentary

context

This episode occurs within the wider framework of King Haraldr’s saga, narrated in Haralds saga hárfagra. This saga is one of the kings' sagas contained in the compilation Heimskringla.

commentary

(Contributed by Anna Millward.)

tags

Main text: Haralds saga hárfagra

Attributes: burial mound broken open Sacral kingship Ritual Mound Burial living in mounds rolling down mounds Funeral customs Ritual Space

Named things:

Text sections: Hkr HHárf 8bII

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