Gest of the Norns tells a King Olaf of his meeting with Starkadh the Strong - although this does not seem to be, as I had thought, the King Olaf who became St Olaf.
"It was no skaldic drapa that came to his lips." (p. 112)
"...they wore only sarks..." (p. 114)
"'I'm no scaldcrow...'" (p. 116)
"'Do you think me a coalbiter?'" (p. 118)
Because they are both immortals, Gest proposes a partnership but Starkadh, alienated and violent, is incapable of this. At the end of the chapter, does Nornagest, after receiving baptism, die or enter a yogic trance?
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
You are correct, it was not St. Olaf II whom Nornagest met. Rather, it was Olaf I, an older kinsman of the saint, who ruled Norway from 995 to 1000.
And the manner of Nornagest's death reminded me, in fact, of how the long lived Kings of Numenore died before folly and pride corrupted them (as seen in the "Akallabeth," one of the later parts of THE SILMARILLION). That is, in hope and trust that Iluvatar knew what He was doing when He made death one of His gifts to mankind, the Kings of Numenore freely surrendered their lives when old age came on them, instead of desperately clinging to life as long as possible. I even suggested this analogy to Poul Anderson in one of my letters to him!
Sean
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