Norway in June ... Third and revised edition

Front matter

PRICE SIXPENCE. Norway in June BY OLIVIA M. STONE Author of "TENERIFE AND ITS SIX SATELLITES" m.\Vo illustrations from pbotograpbs b£ J. HARRIS STONE, M.A., F.L.S., F.C.S., Barrister-at-Law THIRD AND REVISED EDITION Xonbon : MARCUS WARD & CO., LIMITED ORIEL HOUSE, FARRINGDON STREET, E.C. AND AT BELFAST & NEW YORK Winter Caution— Don't Buy Furs and Sealskins from Drapers. EXTRAORDINARY OPPORTUNITY. LARGEST FUR & SEALSKIN STOCK IN EUROPE. IMPORTANT TO LADIES. PHILLIPS, 52 & 53, NEWGATE STREET, 2,000 SEALSKIN BATTENBERGS, DOLMANS & JACKETS to select from, £6 to £8. 5,000 Bear-skin and Squirrel Boas ; Sable, Beaver, and Marten Tail Capes. Bear, Beaver, and other Trimmings. Everything guaranteed half West-end prices. Gentlemen's Fur-lined Coats, £5 to £9. Fur Carriage Rugs; Bear-skin Hearth Rugs in every kind. 10,000 L.adies' Muffs. 200 Russian Sable Cloaks and Dolmans. 3,000 Yards of tinest quality Black Meuve and Satin De Lyon's at 3/6.

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THROUGH RATES: LONDON-OHEISTIAOTA, - 1st 01. £8 16 9 - 2nd 01. £6 14 6 Return, „ 13 3 6 - „ 9 19 i For farther particulars apply to the Continental Manager, London, Chatham and Dover Railway, Victoria Station, London. TO NORWAY. Quickest and Shortest Route. THE NORTH OF SCOTLAND AND ORKNEY AND SHETLAND STEAM NAVIGATION COMPANY'S First-class Steam Ships " St. Sunniva" and " St. Roguvald " leave LEITH and ABERDEEN every Saturday during June, July, and August on 12 days Tours to the West Coast of Norway, embracing the Hardanger, Sogne, Gieranger, and Romsdal Fjords, Bergen, Vossevangen, Gudvangen, Molde, and Trondhjeml__^ Fares for the Tour, from £12 i2s./^^f^ Including: an excellent Cuisine. f Full Particulars and Handbook may be had from y » . - ._£ ABERDEEN .... Northern STEAivt^fisa^ CHARLES MERRYLEES, Manager.

Chapter I. London

— CHRISTIANIA. Now from the town Buried in smoke, and sleep, and noisome clamps. Thompson. 0 ye valleys ! 0 ye mountains ! 0 ye groves and crystal fountains ! How I love at liberty. By turns, to come and visit ye ! Charles Cotton. GOING to Norway ! " "What on earth takes you to Norway, of all places?" "Is it not very cold?" "Your husband fishes?" "No! then he shoots ? " "Not going for fishing >r shooting ! what are you going for ? is there anything else to do here ?" Such were the numerous questions and exclamations made by iends upon our projected visit to Norway. The idea that anyone M'uld go to Norway for the scenery alone seemed too Quixotic to be nought of for an instant.* Yet such was the case. Once visit that lively country, and a "Norway mania" becomes a chronic disease ' >r the remainder of life.

A sort of restlessness comes over one as May glides onward into June," and a longing seizes one for the Eild freedom of the fjords and f j elds, the quiet valleys and breezy ountain tops, the pure, fresh, bracing air with which life and figour are inhaled at every inspiration. Morbid, and perchance ynical views of life vanish as if by the touch of a magician's wand, nd the delightful childish faith of earlier days in human nature lecomes once more a possibility. There are five routes by which Norway may be reached from England. The Wilson line of steamers run from both Hull and jondon. A Norwegian line goes from Newcastle-on-Tyne, the teamers of which, I have heard, are most comfortable ; the fourth oute, for those who object to even a day or two at sea, is by way f the Continent and Copenhagen ; and a fifth is by Leith and tergen, which is convenient for travellers from North Britain.

We left home on Thursday, June 2nd. The Albano was to tart early the next morning from the Millwall Docks, London, so re were obliged to be on board all night — a very disagreeable ecessity, which we put off as late as possible, and only arrived at ur vessel between eleven and twelve o'clock. June 3rd, Friday. — We were awakened at 5.30 a.m. by the receiving of the screw and the noises necessary to getting under way. These steamers, although English, are yet partially provisioned l Norway, so at breakfast this morning Norwegian rye bread was ri the table. It is of a very dark brown colour, and has a curious jur taste, which is particularly palatable when taken with coffee. t any rate it is better, and certainly more satisfying, than the isipid and unsubstantial white bread generally eaten.

We had a lovely day for starting, but, although very fine, wards evening the motion of the vessel increased. In fact, it was ith serious doubts as to my wisdom in so doing that I descended > the saloon for dinner. There were about twenty passengers on Dard. One always, I think, be the sea-voyage long or short, looks >und with some little anxiety at the passengers, who all usually isemble at the first meal, in order to gain an idea if the voyage is kely to be pleasant or otherwise. Seated opposite us was a^fine^; * Now, of course, this is changed, and numbers go for the scenery. , l» A looking Norwegian gentleman of, I should guess, about sixty years of age. He had a broad, powerful and strongly-marked face, a well-proportioned head firmly set upon his shoulders ; his hair was almost white, but his eyes were bright and open as those of a lad of twenty.

He was a fair specimen of a type common amongst the superior class of Norwegians. One might readily have mistaken him for an Englishman, so like was he to one's conception of a "fine old English gentleman, one of the olden time." I think this is one of the dirtiest vessels in which it has ever been my lot to travel. The decks are still unwashed, although black with coal dust and the general dirt that accumulates when a vessel has been lying in dock. In addition to this, all day it has had a most un pleasant lurch to starboard, owing to the coals not having been put in evenly. However, the weather and the kindly captain made up for all inconveniences, and we were too elated at leaving the noise and smoke of London behind to be fastidious. It was, besides, a glorious day, only a slight breeze rippling the even surface of the water.

June ith, Saturday. — I was awakened at 5.30 this morning by a cold feeling, and gradually, as consciousness returned, became sensible of a drip, drip, drip upon my arm. This thoroughly aroused me, and I found the water running in streams through the ceiling into my berth. The decks were being swabbed, certainly not before they required it, and from defective caulking the seams were not water-tight. The result to me was intense discomfort, and I could only hope nothing worse would ensue in the shape of illness. I tried to catch the water in a soap-dish, but it filled so rapidly that to continue this baling process was almost useless. The motion of the vessel, too, had so much increased, that I preferred my berth, even though it was a wet one, to going on deck. Most of the other passengers also remained in their cabins, but none, luckily, had the dire misfortune to be obliged to lie in a wet berth.

During the evening I was considerably entertained by some of the conversation in the saloon ; the cabin opening j ust off it, made it impossible not to hear all that was said. Part of the discussion turned upon education, and what advantages there were for it in Norway. The schools for the peasants were considered good ; but the better class of Norwegians, as a rule, preferred educating their children abroad, chiefly in England. One Norwegian gentleman stated that he had sent all his children to school in England. When he first began to do so, his friends, to use his own expression, "thought it very cruel" of him, as in Norway it is considered unnatural to part from one's children. Now, however, he said, many others had followed the example he had set, seeing the result so satisfactory. June 5th, Sunday. — We were in the Skakker Rack all the morning, and experienced the proverbially . rough, chopping state of that sea to its full extent.

I ventured on deck after breakfast, and, by dint of much practice, I and some other ladies succeeded in sitting upon camp-stools. The rolling was still so great, we almost expected to go overboard, camp-stools and all. About 3 p.m. we entered the Christiania Fjord — that is, we could see land on the port bow — but there was no cessation of the pitching and rolling we had experienced all day. A little while after entering the fjord we noticed a small boat bearing down upon us. It had a reddish-brown streak running perpendicularly down the aft end of the mainsail. There were two men in it ; but, owing to the boat being entirely decked, nothing was to be seen of them rfeftk their heads and shoulders appearing through the open T^^way. waters and the calm glory of the setting sun. Drunkenness, save at weddings, seems almost an unknown vice; the laws governing the liquor traffic appear more conducive to general soberness than those we have in England.

To-day we had a good opportunity of seeing tlie townspeople of Christiania out in their holiday attire, and I must confess that a plainer set of people, on the whole, it would be difficult tip pick out of any town with which I am acquainted. Out of all the holiday seekers, there was not one — we deliberately scanned the faces — that could lay the least claim to being either pretty or handsome. As for the dressing, it was in the extreme of bad taste. Had they only kept to their own national costumes, the effect would have been very different. Instead of that, however, it seemed to us as though all the unfashionable and unsaleable wares accumulated in English sin >pa had been shipped to Christiania. Harmony of colour was totally disregarded— red, green, blue, yellow, purple, and that awful magenta, were scattered in wild but not artistic confusion over the person of each.

The dressing round the throats of the women was perhaps the most objectionable part of the attire in the majority of cases. Wide, low linen collars were worn, or sometimes frilling, so low down in front as to display several inches of neck. Some were in bright blue Garibaldis, trimmed with jet beads ; others in short rough jackets, with the waist half-way up the back. Full-gathered skirts decorated with large flounces were very prevalent, and occa sionally long trailing dresses were worn. The men displayed similarly atrocious taste. Coats of a distinctly antiquated cut, with trousers to match, and brilliant waistcoats surmounted by gaudy ties, completed a costume only to be seen now on the boards of a second-rate London melo-dramatic theatre. These people were apparently chiefly the smaller shopkeepers, artisans, and servants — in fact, much the same as the ordinary run of folk that a bank holiday draws forth in England.

As in England on Whit-Monday, all banks and offices were closed. We had therefore to change some Bank of England notes at the hotel for our up-country journey. Bank notes are the simplest way of taking money to Norway, as at any large inn a £5 note can be readily changed, whereas circular notes apply only to the four or five towns Norway possesses. The exchange is very good, being generally some ore over the eighteen kroner which is the normal equivalent for a sovereign. Small change at the posting stations and minor inns is difficult to obtain, and as you may be obliged to travel one or two hundred miles without receiving any change, it is absolutely necessary to carry some pounds worth of single kroner and ore, though it is easier to get change now than it was a few years ago. When it is remembered that one ore is about the size of a three-penny piece, that ten ore are only equal to IJ of a penny, and that it requires one hundred ore to make one krone, it will be readily understood that this amount of small coins necessitates providing oneself with a bag from six to ten inches square, in which to stow away sufficient money when starting on any journey up the country.

This bag is the bane of one's existence, for one never knows where to keep it ; no pocket would stand the weight, and it cannot be packed away, as it is required every eight or ten miles. Luckily, Norwegians as a rule are very honest, and it is seldom that one hears of thefts from travellers. If there be anything that tempts a Norwegian peasant, it is the straps which fasten the traveller's luggage to the back of the carriole. I remember, on one occasion, a gentleman friend, when taking a walk, dropped his purse from a loose outside pocket ; he had inadvertently drawn it out with his pocket-handkerchief. All un witting of his loss, he walked on placidly. Presently, hearing rapid footsteps behind, he turned leisurely to see what Norwegian could be exerting himself in such an unusual fashion.

It was a small boy with something in his hand. That something he laid in my friend's palm. He, of course, immediately inserted one hand into his pocket while receiving the purse with the other, but before he could draw out a coin, as the reward of honesty, the boy had turned, and was disappearing as fast as he had come. I only hope he did not understand the action of the hand in the pocket ; it w . puld have been a shame to hurt his honourable pride. I never can understand why honesty should be rewarded ; to do so is surely acting upon a mistaken principle, though unfortunately the exi gencies of the case frequently require that course of action. Tlie Norwegian lad evidently never expected a reward for doing what was the only course open to his mind on finding the purse. This incident occurred near Yossevangen.

Chapter III

I in: \ IK1NO sinr. This mound, in some remote and datefet* da Reared o'er a chieftain of the age of hills, May Iwrc detain thee In his narrow t Some warrior slaps below ; his gallant deeds Un/, III at iiiniiii a solemn fsl. Veil The bard lias harped, but pcriihed is (hi Of praise. Sol'l'IlEY. "In the old Sea kings, what an indomitable energy I Silent, Oilh closed lips, as I fancy them, unconscious that they were specially brave; defying the wild ocean with its monsters, and all men and things; — progenitors of our own Slakes and Nelsons/" Thomas Cablyi.e. June 6th, Monday (continued). — During the day we went to tlie University to see a Viking ship that had lately been discovered. We were first of all shown into a huge wooden shed behind the University, and saw there a boat much broken by age — in fact, only the keel and a few ribs and planks were left.

We examined it in ominous silence, neither of us liking to express the disappoint ment felt with an object that we had been told was well worth seeing. We presently found, however, that we had been en deavouring to conjure up a feeling of sentiment at the wrong place, for in another and larger shed we came to the Viking ship pa. excellence, discovered at Sandefjord. The galley at which we had first been looking was found some years ago at Tune, on Like Mjosen. The Sandefjord vessel is in an almost perfect state of preservation, and is worthy of the most minute investigation. From the way in which Viking is so commonly and frequently used in connection with Sea-king, it would seem that the geneial impression is that the word has something to do with our word king. Many think that Sea-king — the term erroneously applied to these marauders — is a translation of Viking.

This is not so. The word Viking has nothing at all to do with king. It is derived from the Scandinavian word vik — a bay or creek — and the pirates were called Vikings because they set sail on their piratical cruises, not from the usual harbours, but from out-of-the-way bays on the fjords and coasts. Abetter translation than Sea-king (if Sea-king be intended as a translation of Vik-ing) would be Creeker, or Creek man, for we should not then entirely lose the significant meaning ppf the Norsk word. But it were hopeless to expect that a change p if m pmenclature would be adopted with respect to words so familiar .is Viking and Bea-kmg have become. There is, perhaps unfortu nately, no linguistical Metropolitan Board of Works. By opening wide all the windows and the two doors of the wooden shed — in fact, throwing as much light upon the subject as possible — John obtained four photographs of the vessel, wood engravings from which are here given.

What a curious thrill passes through one when standing face to face with armour or weapons that have been used by our species in the past ages ! Notably does this feeling overwhelm one in the Tower of London. We wish this or that helmet could speak, and we fancy if only a visor were raised we should see a countenance beneath. We touch shrinkingly the sword-hilt which a hand, now mouldered into dust, once grasped firmly. With a similar feeling — but ten times intensified — we stood beside the Viking ship. Not only were we awe-struck by its form and workmanship, but the past warriors filled it from beam to beam ; the forms of our — in part, at least — progenitors flitted ghost-like over the planks ; hardy sailors manned the oars. What were they like, who were they, these bold Creek-men, our piratical ancestors ?

Long, long before the relics in the Tower, they lived and moved, fought and died. We came expecting to see an old galley ship — in fact, Hue oldest ship in the world probably — and instead of an antiquated, rudely constructed, and roughly finished vessel, with primitively drawn lines, we found, to our astonishment, a smart, trim-looking craft, built on what a sailor would call "beautiful lines," and admirably adapted as well for speed as for general sea-worthiness. It is with difficulty that one's mind allows itself to believe that this vessel, so fresh-looking and so well preserved, even down to mere details, is beyond all doubt about one thousand years old. Where, then, is the superiority of the boat-building of the present day ? Are we to understand that in a.d. 800, crafts of this sort were turned out as sound and as thoroughly constructed as in a.d. 1882, and, what is still stranger, built on as good if not better lines?

Surely the knowledge accumulated during ten centuries would, we might naturally expect, enable us to construct a boat vastly superior to the vessel of primitive times. We are afraid that the discovery of THE VIKING SHIP. 5 this ancient galley has not brought to light an argument in favour of the theory of the growing superiority of mankind in all branches of knowledge and industry. At any rate this may be said with respect to boat-building. On the contrary, there are several points in the build of this galley which would indicate that retrogression rather than progression may have actually taken place. It is a long way to go back in thought to those days when this ancient galley walked "the waters like a thing of life," and dared "the elements to strife;" when, full of warriors armed to the teeth, she paid visits (as it is likely she may have done) to our own shores, and on the Tay, or by the banks of the Forth, or in the country around Dublin, devastated the homes of our unfortunate ancestors, and drove them inland at the point of the sword to take refuge in the woods and mountain fastnesses.

For though tradition has always thrown, and will doubtless continue to throw, a halo of romantic chivalry around the doings of these valiant Vikings and their followers, and though in the Frithiof Saga — one of the finest poems the world possesses — we read of mighty deeds, heroic acts, and fair women, still the fact unfortunately stands out clearly in history, that these self -same heroes were nothing more or less than what, in these prosaic days, would be termed pirates, and those too of a bloodthirsty, even if brave and plucky type. But it were manifestly an injustice to regard them with only the cold, commercial, unsympathetic eyes of the nineteeth century. These Vikings were heroes ; and in the whole army of heroes who have before and since arisen and departed — but who have never died — by no means the least inspiring.

They were mighty men of valour ; men who held it their chief duty to banish fear, to court rather than to shun dangers and toils, and to boldly face foes and difficulties. Resolution, determination, pluck were their watch words. England would not now be at the head of the nations had not her sons inherited the blood of these Vikings. Their religion, given them by the mighty gods, Thor, Odin, and their fellows, was a religion of conquest and war. That might is right was a maxim in those days as religiously believed in as it was universally acted upon. Those who had, must have the strength to keep ; those who had not, took from those who were weaker than themselves. About the beginning of the 5th century the Picts and Scots formed an alliance with these pirates of the North Sea, and the Britons, unable to withstand the combined enemy, sought aid from the invaders themselves.

They made terms with two Jutish chiefs, who came to their assistance, but not content with the stipulated reward, took possession, of a larger portion of the country. Their success enticed other pirate chiefs, Angles and Saxons, to make descents on the coast, with such satisfactory results that the whole of South Britain passed into their hands. The next appearance of the Vikings in England was towards the end of the 8th century, from which time for nearly 200 years they ravaged the country. First they came as robbers, then as settlers, and in the end as conquerors ; for, from 1017 to 1040, England was ruled by Danish kings. But the piratical visits of the Vikings were not confined to England. They were for many a long day the special plague of Scotland. They had effected a settlement in Ireland, and having become acquainted with the Scotch ports, paid them several piratical visits.

They spread themselves over the Hebrides as early as 793, and during the next two centuries they appear to have emigrate'! to Orkney, Shetland, Skye, and the Isle of Man, all of which places seem to have become Norwegian colonies. They associated and intermarried with the inhabitants, and to this day their descendants may be readily distinguished, both in physiognomy and temperament, from those of Celtic origin. Many names of the clans, as well as designations of places, also bear testimony to the presence of the Viking.* The "Orkneyinga Saga," containing a good deal of Scotch and European history, are especially interesting. During 870, a large and powerful armament sailed from Dublin under Anlaf and Ivar, overran all North Britain, ravaging the country and pillaging its inhabitants, returning to Ireland gorged with blood and plunder.

In 881, Constantine met his death whilst fighting with them on the banks of the Forth. They still continued their descents on Scotland during the reign of Donald, who, however, signally defeated them twice. During the last battle, which was fought in 904 on the banks of the Tay, Donald himself was slain, but, unlike Constantine, not until he had killed the Viking leader. They plagued the country during the following years with varying success ; and in 970, Kenneth III. , a most energetic sovereign, gained a bloody victory over them at Luncarty, the * Vik, a creek or bay — Harwich, Ipswich, Norwich. Birr, by, a building — Grirosby, Ormsby. Fjord, an arm of the sea — Haverford, Oxford. Fos. a force, a waterfall — Airy Force. Gil, a ravine — Dungeon Gill. Scar, a cliff— Scarborough. Thwaite, a forest eleari ng — Finsth waite.

For other examples see Historical Maps of England, by C. H. Pearson, M.A., Fellow of Oriel, Oxford. tumuli to this day marking the scene of the exploit. It was not until 1014 that a treaty was made between Malcolm and King Sweno of Denmark, and the final departure of these marauders was witnessed by the long-suffering people. The struggle had been long and tediously protracted. From about 866 to 1014 it had con tinued, but eventually the pluck and steady determination of the Scotch conquered, and they had the satisfaction, after struggling for some 148 years, of seeing the last of their foes. Whether this galley did or did not visit Great Britian is a question which cannot now be determined. We do not know the name of the Viking owner, or anything about his doings, or by what name he called his vessel.

We can merely say that he lived at some time during the period from the end of the eighth to the middle of the eleventh century, and that when he died he was buried in his vessel, which was drawn up on land, and had a mound of earth thrown over it, which, luckily for posterity, happened to consist of blue clay. At any rate, it was in galleys such as this that the Vikings arrived on our shores, and therefore, nationally, if not archæologically, we are interested in the discovery. But it is far pleasanter to leave this dreary record of bloodshed and strife, and to approach this priceless relic of antiquity imbued only with a spirit of admiration and appreciation for the vessel, such as Frithiof had for his own beloved Ellida. When Frithiof, as a punishment for his contempt of the shrine of Balder, was sent by the kings to demand tribute from the Orkneys, a fearful storm arose — Now ocean fierce battles, The wave-troughs deeper grow, The whistling cordage rattles, The planks creak loud below.

" But though higher waves appearing Seem like mountains to engage, Brave Ellida, never fearing, Mocks the angry ocean's rage. "Like a meteor, flashing brightness, Darts she forth, with dauntless breast, Bounding, with a roebuck's lightness, Over trough and over crest." But the storm-spirits riding on whales oppose themselves to the vessel. Then Frithiof thus speaks to his ship, for she could under stand the voice of men — " Now, Ellida, let us see If in truth thou bearest Valour in thine iron-fastened Breast of bended oak. " Hearken to my calling If thou'rt Heaven's daughter, Let thy keel of copper Sting this magic whale." And the good ship hears, and is equal to the occasion — "Heed Ellida giveth To her lord's behest : With a bound she cleaveth Deep the monster's breast." Ellida, however, does not come out of the contest unscathed — " But Ellida' s prow Hath stricken with such force, That slow she crawleth now A-weary of her course." * These extracts help us to realise the feeling of the time towards the ship of that clay.

In fact, it is impossible to read the Frithioj Saga and the mythology of Scandinavia without observing that vessels were more or less regarded in the light of animate objects. Remembering this, we are not so surprised as we might otherwise have been, at seeing in this galley evidence of the most scrupulously finished workmanship. Considering the very inadequate tools and mechanical contrivances of those days, the galley appears to us indeed a marvellous construction. The vessel which Frithiof thus beautifully apostrophises, and which enters so largely into the Saga associated with his name, was doubtless a galley similar in every respect to this one. The mound which contained the boat is situated at Gokstad, Sandefjord, Norway, about half-a-mile from the sea. But it is nearly certain that at this part, as on the west coast of Norwa}', the sea had very much receded since the boat was buried.

It is pro bable that, when first deposited in its resting-place, the vessel was only drawn say twenty feet above the sea-level. The land upon which the mound is situated belongs to a poor widow. During the winter months her sons, who are seafaring men, having nothing to do, took upon themselves to dig into this « Translation by Rev. W. L. Blackley. London, 1880. mound, which tradition asserted contained a treasure. There are many similar mounds in that part of Norway, and tradition has always associated them with hidden treasure, the remains of fallen heroes, renowned chieftains, and such like. The result was that the galley was discovered, with her bow pointing towards the sea. She was deliberately so covered up, in accordance with the trustful and grandly simple feelings of the time, in order that, at the first summons of the Almighty Father, the renowned chieftain and his splendidly accoutred vessel might be ready to start from their burial mound, and once more sail over the blue waters of the sea which formerly they had loved so well.