Skáldskaparmál - 01.01.1997, Blaðsíða 183

Saint Olafs Dream House 181
way round on the inner side of the balcony. There were four main doors to the building,
equidistantly placed. Round the outer walls, finely-fumished beds had been prepared,
all hung with curtains where it pleased the eye. Twenty high, stout posts had been
erected inside the building; they stood in a circle upholding the vaulted roof, which
was all decorated with designs in colour. The spaces between the posts were screened,
and within were set beds for the nobility. There was ample room for 20 men in each
quarter, but 40 in the outer part, where members of the King's household were
accommodated. In the centre of the building was a broad, circular platform of wood,
with steps to mount it running round. On the platform stood a large bed, fashioned
with surpassing skill. Most of the woodwork was finished with the turner's chisel; it
was painted all over and plated with gold here and there. The corner-posts were
surmounted by huge knobs of gilded brass. Running out from the corner-posts were
iron bars bearing candlesticks, and upon them were fixed three-branched processional
candles. Ulf told the King that he should lie down on the bed there made ready if he
wished to dream a prophetic dream. The Queen was to sleep in a separate bed that
night. The King agreed. So he undressed, mounted the bed, and laid himself down to
sleep. He saw that the Bishop and his priests were accommodated to his right in the
central screened partition, while to his left lay the Queen with her ladies-in-waiting.
The quarter behind the bed's head was occupied by Kalf, Arnbjörn and Kolbjörn, sons
of Arni, and their followers. In the quarter opposite the foot of the bed lay Finn,
Þorberg and Arni, sons of Arni. King Olaf lay awake far into the night, as was his
custom. First he recited his prayers, then gave himself up to long meditation. He gazed
up at the ceiling, and there he saw depicted God himself within his orb of might.6
En íþessu húsi voru reistir upp .xx. stafir hdvir ogdigrir. Stóðu peir í hring. Þar var upp afihvelfi
ráfiið ogvar pað allt steint ogpurtreað. En millistafanna voru bríkurogparfiyririnnan voru rekkjur
búnar ríkismönnum, og máttu par rúmlega liggja í hverjum fiórðungi xx. menn, en xl. í útskem-
munni. Þar var skipað hirðmónnum konungs. I miðju húsinu var arinn kringlóttur og viður, með
tré ger, ogpallar umhverfis upp að ganga. En uppi á arninum stóð sæng mikil ogger með hinum
mesta hagleik. Flest tré voru par með kopparajárnum ger, og steint allt en sumt gulllagt. Upp afi
hornstbfiinum voru stórir knappar afieiri gervir oggylbiir, en út úr hornstöfunum voru járnslár, en
þarafupp kertistikur, ogstóðuþará upphalldskerti meðþrem kvislum. Úlfursagði konungiaðhann
skalfiaraípásœng, erpar var búin, efihann vildi draumafbrvitnast "en drottningskalliggja íannarri
s&ng náttlangt". Konungur sagði að svo skal vera. Og er hann var afkbeddur sté hann í rekkjuna,
iagðist síðan til svefins. Hann sápá til hœgri handar sér í hinu innra setinu aðpar var skipað biskupi
og kennimönnum hans. En til vinstri handar hvíldi drottning og konur hennar. En út í frá
hbfðafjblinni þá lágu i'þeim fiórðungi Kálfur, Arnbjörn, Kolbjbrn Arnasynir ogþeirra menn. En út
i frá fótafiölinni bí Finnur, Þorbergur, Arni Arnasynir. Ölafur konungur vakti lengi um nóttina
sem hann var vanur, söngfyrst bœnir sínar, síðan hugsar hann margt. Þá sá hann uppyfir sig í ráfið.
Hann sáþar skrifaðan guðsjálfan og veldishring hans. Enþar ofan ifrá englafylki ogþarfyrir neðan
himininn, þann er hvelfdur er utan um loft 'áll. En þar með voru mb'rkuð himintungl, en neðst ský
og vindar ogþáfugbzr margskyns en neðstjörðin ogþar meðgr'ós og viðir og margs konar kykvendi,
sjár og v'ótn og sjákykvendi á marga lund. En á neðra rafiinu, fyrir utan stafina, voru markaðar
fomsögur ogfrásagnirfrá ágœtum konungum og leit konungurþar lengi á. En er hann hugsaði hér
um, þá varþósá einn hlutur er honum þótti undarlegri en alltannað, að honum þóttisxngin snúast
undir sér eða húsið elbi. Síðan féll svefin á hann og svafihann um hríð. (Johnsen and Helgason
(1941), p. 667, 1. 10 - p. 670,1. 3. Text normalized here).
From the description of the dream later on it becomes clear that the orb is a mandorla (vesica
piscis) and coloured like the rainbow.