Project Gutenberg's Aslauga's Knight, by Fredrich de la Motte-Fouque

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Title: Aslauga's Knight

Author: Fredrich de la Motte-Fouque

Posting Date: January 2, 2009 [EBook #2827]
Release Date: September, 2001

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ASLAUGA'S KNIGHT ***

Produced by Sandra Laythorpe

ASLAUGA'S KNIGHT

By Fredrich de la Motte-Fouque

CHAPTER I.

Many years ago there lived in the island of Fuhnen a noble knight,
called Froda, the friend of the Skalds, who was so named because he not
only offered free hospitality in his fair castle to every renowned and
noble bard, but likewise strove with all his might to discover those
ancient songs, and tales, and legends which, in Runic writings or
elsewhere, were still to be found; he had even made some voyages to
Iceland in search of them, and had fought many a hard battle with the
pirates of those seas--for he was also a right valiant knight, and he
followed his great ancestors not only in their love of song, but also
in their bold deeds of arms. Although he was still scarcely beyond
the prime of youth, yet all the other nobles in the island willingly
submitted themselves to him, whether in council or in war; nay, his
renown had even been carried ere now over the sea to the neighbouring
land of Germany.

One bright autumn evening this honour-loving knight sat before his
castle, as he was often wont to do, that he might look far and wide over
land and sea, and that he might invite any travellers who were passing
by, as was his custom, to share in his noble hospitality.

But on this day he saw little of all that he was accustomed to look
upon; for on his knees there lay an ancient book with skilfully and
richly painted characters, which a learned Icelander had just sent to
him across the sea: it was the history of Aslauga, the fair daughter of
Sigurd, who at first, concealing her high birth, kept goats among the
simple peasants of the land, clothed in mean attire; then, in the golden
veil of her flowing hair, won the love of King Ragnar Lodbrog; and at
last shone brightly on the Danish throne as his glorious queen, till the
day of h