A Viking Festival in Trzcinica, Poland, in 2015. Vikings settled all around the Baltic Sea in scattered enclaves collectively called ‘Wendland’. In one of these, at the southern end of the Baltic, Olaf Tryggvason married a princess named Geira, but she died not long afterwards, sending Olaf into a fit of grief that he worked off by a four-year rampage around Britain that took him north along the eastern seaboard to Scotland, and then down the west into Cumbria and Ireland. Mercifully, his conversion to Christianity in the Isles of Scilly in 988 and his marriage to Gyda calmed him down somewhat, but in 995 he began a turbulent five-year reign as King of Norway.
HE said, “I am called Ola;* and I am a stranger here.” Gyda replies, “Wilt thou have me if I choose thee?” “I will not say no to that,” answered he; and asked what her name was, and her family, and descent. She was a young and handsome woman. They afterwards talked over the matter together, and Olaf and Gyda were betrothed.
Alfin was very ill pleased with this. It was the custom then in England, if two strove for any thing, to settle the matter by single combat;* and now Alfin challenges Olaf Tryggvason to fight about this business. The time and place were settled, and that each should have twelve men with him.
Olaf had a large axe; and when Alfin was going to cut at him with his sword he hewed away the sword out of his hand, and with the next blow struck down Alfin himself. He then bound him fast. Olaf in this way got Gyda in marriage, and lived sometimes in England, and sometimes in Ireland.
Tr. Samuel Laing (abridged)
From The Heimskringla; or Chronicle of the Kings of Norway by Snorro Sturluson (1179-1241), translated by Samuel Laing. Abridged.
This was the form of his name he had been accustomed to use in Novgorod, modern-day Russia, where he was a captain in the service of Vladimir the Great, Grand Prince of Kiev — Vladimir’s forebears were Vikings who had come to Kiev a century before, and when Vladimir was briefly evicted from Novgorod in 977 by his brothers, he turned for help to Haakon Sigurdsson, ruler of Norway. Olaf himself was minor Norwegian royalty and an exile, and regarded by Earl Haakon as a potential threat, especially as his uneasy relationship with both Harald Bluetooth of Denmark and his own noblemen began to deteriorate. Olaf realised that this was no time to draw attention to himself.
This custom was called Holmgang, and properly speaking took place within a week, on an isolated patch of land (a holme or islet) chosen for the purpose. It was not necessarily a fight to the death — Alfin was not killed, but bound and banished permanently — though the winner was not liable for murder if he loser died. The practice was outlawed in Norway in 1014, partly because of professional fighters who who made a living by disputing lands and honours and then winning them in combat. Sturluson implies that Alfin was one such fighter.
Questions for Critics
1. What is the author aiming to achieve in writing this?
2. Note any words, devices or turns of phrase that strike you. How do they help the author communicate his ideas more effectively?
3. What impression does this passage make on you? How might you put that impression into words?
Based on The English Critic (1939) by NL Clay, drawing on The New Criticism: A Lecture Delivered at Columbia University, March 9, 1910, by J. E. Spingarn, Professor of Comparative Literature in Columbia University, USA.
Précis
Gyda indicated to Olaf that she was disposed to take him for her husband, and Olaf cautiously returned her interest. They eventually came to an understanding, but Olaf’s rival Alfin took umbrage and insisted that the matter must be resolved by combat. Olaf’s axe proved mightier than Alfin’s sword, and Olaf took Gyda in marriage. (55 / 60 words)
Gyda indicated to Olaf that she was disposed to take him for her husband, and Olaf cautiously returned her interest. They eventually came to an understanding, but Olaf’s rival Alfin took umbrage and insisted that the matter must be resolved by combat. Olaf’s axe proved mightier than Alfin’s sword, and Olaf took Gyda in marriage.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 60 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 50 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: if, just, or, ought, since, until, whether, who.
Archive
Word Games
Sevens Based on this passage
Suggest answers to this question. See if you can limit one answer to exactly seven words.
Variations: 1.expand your answer to exactly fourteen words. 2.expand your answer further, to exactly twenty-one words. 3.include one of the following words in your answer: if, but, despite, because, (al)though, unless.
Jigsaws Based on this passage
Express the ideas below in a single sentence, using different words as much as possible. Do not be satisfied with the first answer you think of; think of several, and choose the best.
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Any. Apart. Stand.
2 Choose. Go. Have.
3 Family. Settle. Straight.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
High Tiles Find in Think and Speak
Make words (three letters or more) from the seven letters showing below, using any letter once only. Each letter carries a score. What is the highest-scoring word you can make?
x
0
Add
Your Words ()
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