He who desireth that God should redeem him from the sorrows and difficulties of the Day of Resurrection must delay in calling on poor debtors, or forgive the debt in part or whole. Give the laborer his wage before his perspiration be dry.

I swear by God, in whose hand is my life, that marching about morning and evening to fight for religion is better than the world and everything that is in it: and verily the standing of one of you in the line of battle is better than prayers performed in your house for sixty years.

No judge must decide between two persons while he is angry. The world and all things in it are valuable, but the most valuable thing in the world is a virtuous woman.

Admonish your wives with kindness; for women were created out of a crooked rib of Adam, therefore if ye wish to straighten it, ye will break it; and if ye let it alone, it will always be crooked.

Every woman who dieth, and her husband is pleased with her, shall enter into paradise.

That which is lawful but disliked by God is divorce.

Do not prevent your women from coming to the mosque; but their homes are better for them.

God has ordained that your brothers should be your slaves: therefore him whom God hath ordained to be the slave of his brother, his brother must give him of the food which he eateth himself, and of the clothes wherewith he clotheth himself, and not order him to do anything beyond his power, and if he doth order such a work, he must himself assist him in doing it.

He who beateth his slave without fault, or slappeth him in the face, his atonement for this is freeing him.

A man who behaveth ill to his slave will not enter into paradise.

Forgive thy servant seventy times a day.

Fear God in respect of animals: ride them when they are fit to be ridden, and get off when they are tired.

Whosoever believeth in God and the Day of Resurrection must respect his guest, and the time of being kind to him is one

day and one night, and the period of entertaining him is three days, and after that, if he doeth it longer, he benefiteth him more. It is not right for a guest to stay in the house of the host so long as to inconvenience him.

Verily a king is God's shadow upon the earth; and everyone oppressed turneth to him: then when the king doeth justice, for him are rewards and gratitude from his subjects: but, if the king oppresseth, on him is sin, and for the oppressed resignation.

Every painter is in hell fire: and God will appoint a person at the Day of Resurrection for every picture he shall have drawn, to punish him, and they will punish him in hell. Then if you must make pictures, make them of trees and things without souls.

O servants of God use medicine: because God hath not created a pain without a remedy for it, except age; for that is a pain without a remedy.

Whoso pursueth the road of knowledge, God will direct him to the road of paradise; and verily the angels spread their arms to receive him who seeketh after knowledge; and everything in heaven and earth will ask grace for him; and verily the superiority of a learned man over a mere worshiper is like that of the full moon over all the stars.

Be not extravagant in praising me, as the Christians are in praising Jesus, Mary's Son, by calling him God, and the Son of God; I am only the Lord's servant; then call me the servant of God, and His messenger.

Wish not for death any one of you; either a doer of good works, for peradventure he may increase them by an increase of life; or an offender, for perhaps he may obtain the forgiveness of God by repentance.

I am no more than man; when I order you anything with respect to religion, receive it, and when I order you about the affairs of the world, then I am nothing more than man.

CHAPTER VII

THE SAGA OF A VIKING 1

THE Heimskringla is a collection of the sagas relating to the early Norwegian kings. It was composed in the thirteenth century by the Icelandic historian and poet, Snorre Sturlason. Iceland, at the time he wrote, was rich in legends and skaldic poems. Snorre learned from them all, but he told the story in his own way, artistically, and at the same time with such accuracy as he could command. One of the most interesting of the sagas in the Heimskringla deals with the life of Olaf Trygvesson, who reigned in Norway between the years 995-1000. In character this king was a typical Viking.

32. Olaf's Early Career 2

Olaf, the son of a Norwegian king, was only three years old when his mother set out with him for Russia, where the Northmen had settled. On the way there they were captured by Esthonian pirates. Olaf fell to the share of an Esthonian named Klerkon, who sold him into slavery. Olaf's uncle, Sigurd, found him in Esthonia, paid his ransom, and brought him to Novgorod in Russia. Sigurd at first did not disclose his relationship to Olaf, but treated the boy with kindness.

Olaf was one day in the market place of Novgorod, where there was a great number of people. He there recognized Klerkon, who had killed his foster-father, Thoralf. Olaf had a little ax in his hand, and with it he clove Klerkon's skull down to the brain, and then ran home and told his friend Sigurd

1 Heimskringla. The Olaf Sagas, by Snorre Sturlason. The translation by Samuel Laing, revised by John Beveridge. London, 1915. J. M. Dent and Sons. 2 Olaf Trygvesson's Saga, chs. 7, 21, 30, 32-34.

what he had done. Sigurd immediately took Olaf to Queen Olga's house, told her what had happened, and begged her to protect the boy. She replied that Olaf was too comely a boy to be slain; and she ordered her people to be drawn out fully armed. In Novgorod the sacredness of peace is so respected, that it is law there to slay anyone who puts a man to death except by judgment of law; and, according to this law and usage, the whole people stormed and sought after the boy. ... It was settled at last that the king should name the fine for the murder; and the queen paid it.

...

Olaf remained afterwards with the queen, and was much beloved. It is a law at Novgorod that no man of royal descent shall stay there without the king's permission. Sigurd therefore told the queen of what family Olaf was . . . and asked her to speak to the king about it. She did so, and begged her husband to help a king's son whose fate had been so hard; and in consequence of her request the king promised to assist him. Accordingly he received Olaf into his court and treated him nobly. Olaf was nine years old when he came to Russia, and he remained nine years more with King Valdemar. Olaf was the handsomest of men, very stout and strong, and in all bodily exercises he excelled every Northman that ever was heard of.

But many envied Olaf because he was so favored by the king and queen.

They hinted to the king that he should take care not to make Olaf too powerful. "Such a man," said they, "may be dangerous to you, if he were to allow himself to be used for the purpose of doing you or your kingdom harm; for he is extremely expert in all exercises and feats and is very popular. We do not, indeed, know what it is he can have to talk of so often with the queen."... So it fell out that the king listened to such speeches, and became somewhat silent and blunt toward Olaf. When Olaf observed this, he told it to the queen. He said, also, that he desired to travel to the Northern land, where his family formerly had power and kingdoms and where it was

most likely he would advance himself. The queen wished him a prosperous journey, and said he would be found a brave man wherever he might be. Olaf then made ready, went on board, and set out to sea in the Baltic.

As he was coming from the east he made the island of Bornholm, where he landed and plundered. The country people hastened down to the strand and gave him battle; but Olaf gained the victory and a large booty.... While Olaf lay at Bornholm there came on bad weather, storm and a heavy sea, so that his ships could not lie there; and he sailed southwards to Wendland, where they found a good harbor. They conducted themselves very peacefully and remained some time.

Olaf married the queen of Wendland and ruled over her dominions.

Olaf was three years in Wendland when Geyra, his queen, fell sick, and she died of her illness. Olaf felt his loss so great that he now had no pleasure in Wendland. He provided himself, therefore, with warships, and went out again on plundering expeditions. He plundered first in Friesland, next in Saxony, and then all the way to Flanders. . . . Thereafter Olaf sailed to England and ravaged far and wide in the land. He sailed all the way north to Northumberland, where he plundered; and thence to Scotland. Then he went to the Hebrides, where he fought some battles; and then southwards to Man, where he also fought. He ravaged the country of Ireland, and thence steered to Wales, which he laid waste with fire and sword, and also the district called Cumberland. He then sailed southward to the west coast of France and plundered there. When he left the south, intending to sail to England, he came to the Scilly Islands, lying westward from England in the ocean.... Olaf had been four years on this cruise from the time he left Wendland till he came to the Scilly Islands.

It was at this time that the heathen Viking accepted Christianity.

1 The land of the Wends, a Slavic people who then occupied the coast from the mouth of the Vistula westward.