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.I should like cups of Charity to quench their thirst; I should like jars of Mercy for each member of that angelic company.I should like Love to be never-ending in their midst; I should like the Blessed Jesu to be inthe Hero's seat."Ah, mo croi, I should like to hold an everlasting ale-feast for the High King of Heaven, and Jesu to be drinking with me always."I do not know what Tolar made of this outburst--probably I had rendered it poorly in the tongue I still spoke so inelegantly, but he endured it with a vague smile.When the vats were replenished, we elbowed our way to the edge and plunged our tub into the foamy depths.Together, holding tight to the rope handles with both hands, we carried the tub back to our camp, careful not to spill even the smallest drop along the way.The others praised our diligence and skill as they crowded round with cups in hand."The Shaven One," Tolar said, meaning me, "has charmed this of with a rune to his god.""Is this so?" wondered Ragnar."I said a prayer my people know," I explained simply."You respect this god of yours," said Leif, cocking his head to one side."He does that," Gunnar assured him, taking some pride in this fact."Aeddan has not ceased making prayers to his god since he came to us.He even makes prayers over our supper.""Indeed?" asked Ragnar wonderingly."Scop never does this.He was of the Shaven Men, I am told.Is this something your god demands of you?""It is not a demand of the god," I replied."It is--" I paused, desperately trying to think how to describe devotion."It is a thing we do out of gratitude for his care of us.""Your god gives you food and drink?" hooted the one called Jarn."Now I have heard everything!"Talk turned to whether it was worth a man's time to hold to any gods, and which ones were best to worship.Leif insisted that it made no difference whether a man worshipped all of them or none.The debate occupied them for a goodly while, the ale vat supplying the necessary moisture when throats grew hoarse from argument.Finally, Ragnar turned to me."Shaven One, what say you? Is it that men should obey the old gods or give them up?""The gods you are speaking of," I replied carelessly, "are like thechaff thrown to the pigs; they are the dried grass knotted and burned for kindling.They are worth less than the breath it takes to speak out their names."They all stared at me.But the of was making me feel expansive and wise, so I blustered on."The sun has set on their day, and it will not rise again.""Hoo! Hoo!" cried Jarn derisively."Hear him! We have a thul among us now.Hoo!""Quiet, Jarn," growled Ragnar Yellow Hair."I would hear his answer, for this question has vexed me sorely many years.," When silence had been enforced, he turned to me."Speak more.I am listening.""The god I serve is the Most High God," I told them.Jarn snorted at my presumption, but I ignored him and blundered on, mangling the few words at my disposal, but pushing on regardless."This God is the Creator of all that is, and ruler of all Heaven and Earth, and of the unseen realms, both above and below.He is not worshipped by way of stone images or wooden idols, but in the heart and spirit of those who humble themselves before him.It is ever his desire to befriend and welcome the people who call upon his name."Leif spoke up."How do you know this? Has anyone ever seen this god of yours? Has anyone ever spoken to him, eaten with him, drunk with him?" He took a long pull on his cup.The others reinforced themselves likewise."Ah!" I answered."Many years ago, this very thing came to pass.God himself came down from his Great Hall.He took flesh and was born as an infant, grew to manhood and astonished everyone with his wisdom andthe wonders he performed.Many people believed and followed him.""Wonders?" sneered Jarn."What are these wonders?" "He brought dead people back to life, restored sight to men born blind, gave the deaf to hear.He touched the sick with his hands and they were healed.Once, at a wedding feast, he even turned water into of--" "That is a god worthy of worship!" cried Leif enthusiastically."Heya, but the jarls and truth-singers of that land could not abide his presence," I continued."Despite the good things he did and taught, the skalds of the kings feared him.So, one dark night, up they leapt and seized him and dragged him before the Roman Magister; they accused him falsely and demanded that he be put to death.""Ho!" shouted Gunnar, growing excited by the tale."But his followers raised the battle cry and descended upon the Romans and slew them.They cut off their heads and hands, and made a feast for the crows.""Alas," I informed him sadly, "his followers were not warriors.""Nay? What were they then, jarls?""Neither were they lords.They were fisherfolk," I told him."Fisherfolk!" hooted Jarn, who acted as if he had never heard anything so funny."Yes, fisherfolk and shepherds and the like," I replied."Thus, when the Romans seized him, all his followers scattered to the hills lest they should be caught and tortured and put to death also.""Ha!" laughed Ragnar scornfully."I would not have run away.I would have driven them down with my spear and axe.I would have stood beforethem with my shield and fought them like a man.""What happened to this God-man?" wondered Gunnar."The skalds and Romans killed him.""What are you saying!" cried Leif, aghast with incredulity."Is it that this god of yours was killed by the Romans? If he was truly creator of the world, he could take any form he wished.Why did he not change himself into a fire and burn them up? Could he not seize them and crush them with his mighty strength? Could he not send the death wind among them and slay his enemies in their beds?""You are forgetting," I said, "that he had become a man and could do only what a man might do.""He let them kill him?" hooted Leif."Eve my hound would never allowsuch a thing.""Maybe your hound is a better god than the one Aeddan worships," Jarn suggested maliciously."Perhaps we should all worship Leifs hound instead.""Is this so?" demanded Ragnar, frowning with concern."He let the Romans kill him? How could this happen?""The Roman warriors chained him and took him out they stripped him, tied him to a post, and beat him with the iron-tipped lash," I said."They beat him so hard the flesh came off his bones and his blood covered the ground.Even so, he did not cry out.""That is manful, at least," put in Gunnar, much impressed."I am certain Leif's hound could not do that [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.I should like cups of Charity to quench their thirst; I should like jars of Mercy for each member of that angelic company.I should like Love to be never-ending in their midst; I should like the Blessed Jesu to be inthe Hero's seat."Ah, mo croi, I should like to hold an everlasting ale-feast for the High King of Heaven, and Jesu to be drinking with me always."I do not know what Tolar made of this outburst--probably I had rendered it poorly in the tongue I still spoke so inelegantly, but he endured it with a vague smile.When the vats were replenished, we elbowed our way to the edge and plunged our tub into the foamy depths.Together, holding tight to the rope handles with both hands, we carried the tub back to our camp, careful not to spill even the smallest drop along the way.The others praised our diligence and skill as they crowded round with cups in hand."The Shaven One," Tolar said, meaning me, "has charmed this of with a rune to his god.""Is this so?" wondered Ragnar."I said a prayer my people know," I explained simply."You respect this god of yours," said Leif, cocking his head to one side."He does that," Gunnar assured him, taking some pride in this fact."Aeddan has not ceased making prayers to his god since he came to us.He even makes prayers over our supper.""Indeed?" asked Ragnar wonderingly."Scop never does this.He was of the Shaven Men, I am told.Is this something your god demands of you?""It is not a demand of the god," I replied."It is--" I paused, desperately trying to think how to describe devotion."It is a thing we do out of gratitude for his care of us.""Your god gives you food and drink?" hooted the one called Jarn."Now I have heard everything!"Talk turned to whether it was worth a man's time to hold to any gods, and which ones were best to worship.Leif insisted that it made no difference whether a man worshipped all of them or none.The debate occupied them for a goodly while, the ale vat supplying the necessary moisture when throats grew hoarse from argument.Finally, Ragnar turned to me."Shaven One, what say you? Is it that men should obey the old gods or give them up?""The gods you are speaking of," I replied carelessly, "are like thechaff thrown to the pigs; they are the dried grass knotted and burned for kindling.They are worth less than the breath it takes to speak out their names."They all stared at me.But the of was making me feel expansive and wise, so I blustered on."The sun has set on their day, and it will not rise again.""Hoo! Hoo!" cried Jarn derisively."Hear him! We have a thul among us now.Hoo!""Quiet, Jarn," growled Ragnar Yellow Hair."I would hear his answer, for this question has vexed me sorely many years.," When silence had been enforced, he turned to me."Speak more.I am listening.""The god I serve is the Most High God," I told them.Jarn snorted at my presumption, but I ignored him and blundered on, mangling the few words at my disposal, but pushing on regardless."This God is the Creator of all that is, and ruler of all Heaven and Earth, and of the unseen realms, both above and below.He is not worshipped by way of stone images or wooden idols, but in the heart and spirit of those who humble themselves before him.It is ever his desire to befriend and welcome the people who call upon his name."Leif spoke up."How do you know this? Has anyone ever seen this god of yours? Has anyone ever spoken to him, eaten with him, drunk with him?" He took a long pull on his cup.The others reinforced themselves likewise."Ah!" I answered."Many years ago, this very thing came to pass.God himself came down from his Great Hall.He took flesh and was born as an infant, grew to manhood and astonished everyone with his wisdom andthe wonders he performed.Many people believed and followed him.""Wonders?" sneered Jarn."What are these wonders?" "He brought dead people back to life, restored sight to men born blind, gave the deaf to hear.He touched the sick with his hands and they were healed.Once, at a wedding feast, he even turned water into of--" "That is a god worthy of worship!" cried Leif enthusiastically."Heya, but the jarls and truth-singers of that land could not abide his presence," I continued."Despite the good things he did and taught, the skalds of the kings feared him.So, one dark night, up they leapt and seized him and dragged him before the Roman Magister; they accused him falsely and demanded that he be put to death.""Ho!" shouted Gunnar, growing excited by the tale."But his followers raised the battle cry and descended upon the Romans and slew them.They cut off their heads and hands, and made a feast for the crows.""Alas," I informed him sadly, "his followers were not warriors.""Nay? What were they then, jarls?""Neither were they lords.They were fisherfolk," I told him."Fisherfolk!" hooted Jarn, who acted as if he had never heard anything so funny."Yes, fisherfolk and shepherds and the like," I replied."Thus, when the Romans seized him, all his followers scattered to the hills lest they should be caught and tortured and put to death also.""Ha!" laughed Ragnar scornfully."I would not have run away.I would have driven them down with my spear and axe.I would have stood beforethem with my shield and fought them like a man.""What happened to this God-man?" wondered Gunnar."The skalds and Romans killed him.""What are you saying!" cried Leif, aghast with incredulity."Is it that this god of yours was killed by the Romans? If he was truly creator of the world, he could take any form he wished.Why did he not change himself into a fire and burn them up? Could he not seize them and crush them with his mighty strength? Could he not send the death wind among them and slay his enemies in their beds?""You are forgetting," I said, "that he had become a man and could do only what a man might do.""He let them kill him?" hooted Leif."Eve my hound would never allowsuch a thing.""Maybe your hound is a better god than the one Aeddan worships," Jarn suggested maliciously."Perhaps we should all worship Leifs hound instead.""Is this so?" demanded Ragnar, frowning with concern."He let the Romans kill him? How could this happen?""The Roman warriors chained him and took him out they stripped him, tied him to a post, and beat him with the iron-tipped lash," I said."They beat him so hard the flesh came off his bones and his blood covered the ground.Even so, he did not cry out.""That is manful, at least," put in Gunnar, much impressed."I am certain Leif's hound could not do that [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]