understand his words. Perhaps to the young boy’s ears it sounded like the usual church talk when people wanted to sound solemn and said things that meant nothing for a while before they ventured to say something that really did have meaning. Magnus had to start over.
He talked about the difficult time when Arn was not with them among the living, and how he and Sigrid in their despair had promised God to give their son to God’s work on earth if only he would be allowed to come back to life. Then they had hesitated in fulfilling their promise, but now God had punished them harshly for this disobedience, so the promise had to be honored at once.
Arn slowly began to sense that something unpleasant was coming. And his father immediately confirmed this when he revealed what was going to happen. Arn must now travel to Varnhem with his mother and Erlend. There he would enter the cloister as an oblate, which is what children were called who entered the service of God. God would assuredly watch over him, just as his patron saint, Saint Bernard, always did, for God most certainly had great plans for him.
Now Arn began to understand. His parents were going to offer him to God. Not like in the olden days, not like in the sagas from the heathen times, but they would still offer him to God. And he could do nothing at all about it, since children always had to obey their father and their mother. He started to cry, and no matter how ashamed he was to cry in front of his father, he could not stop.
Magnus took him in his arms and tried awkwardly to console him with words about God’s good will and protection, about Saint Bernard who would watch over him, and anything else he could think of. But the boy’s little body shook with sobs in his embrace, and Magnus felt that he too, God forbid, would eventually show his sorrow.
Then the wagons came driving up and the retainers reined in the horses as they waited in the courtyard before the door to the longhouse. Sigrid came out first with her face covered and went over to the lead wagon. Then Erlend emerged, looked about shyly, and slipped into the second wagon.
Last came Magnus with the two small boys, who were holding each other and crying, clinging to each other as if the strength of their little child-arms might prevent what was going to happen. Magnus separated them gently but firmly, lifted up Arn and carried him over to Sigrid’s wagon and set him down next to his mother. Then he took a deep breath and slapped the horses so that the wagon started with an abrupt lurch while he turned around and walked back toward the door, making a vain attempt to catch Eskil, who managed to escape.
Magnus went inside and closed the door behind him without turning around. Eskil ran behind the wagons for a while, crying, until he fell and helplessly watched his brother vanish in the dust from the road.
Arn cried bitterly as he knelt in the wagon and looked back toward Arnas, which grew smaller and smaller in the distance. He understood that he would never see his home again, and it was impossible for Sigrid to console him.
----
Sigrid’s visit came at an inopportune time for Father Henri. His old friend and colleague from Clairvaux, Father Stephan, who was now the prior in Alvastra, was visiting so that they could discuss the difficult situation that had arisen with Queen Kristina, who was stirring up trouble and inciting the people against the monks at Varnhem. Naturally Stephan was the one with whom Father Henri most wanted to discuss complicated questions. They had been together ever since their youth, and they were part of the first group that had received the terrible orders from holy Saint Bernard himself, that they should depart for the cold, barbaric North to start a daughter cloister. It had been a long journey, horrendously cold and gloomy.
Father Stephan had already read the account of the miracle from Arnas and was familiar with Sigrid’s problem. To be sure, both at
He talked about the difficult time when Arn was not with them among the living, and how he and Sigrid in their despair had promised God to give their son to God’s work on earth if only he would be allowed to come back to life. Then they had hesitated in fulfilling their promise, but now God had punished them harshly for this disobedience, so the promise had to be honored at once.
Arn slowly began to sense that something unpleasant was coming. And his father immediately confirmed this when he revealed what was going to happen. Arn must now travel to Varnhem with his mother and Erlend. There he would enter the cloister as an oblate, which is what children were called who entered the service of God. God would assuredly watch over him, just as his patron saint, Saint Bernard, always did, for God most certainly had great plans for him.
Now Arn began to understand. His parents were going to offer him to God. Not like in the olden days, not like in the sagas from the heathen times, but they would still offer him to God. And he could do nothing at all about it, since children always had to obey their father and their mother. He started to cry, and no matter how ashamed he was to cry in front of his father, he could not stop.
Magnus took him in his arms and tried awkwardly to console him with words about God’s good will and protection, about Saint Bernard who would watch over him, and anything else he could think of. But the boy’s little body shook with sobs in his embrace, and Magnus felt that he too, God forbid, would eventually show his sorrow.
Then the wagons came driving up and the retainers reined in the horses as they waited in the courtyard before the door to the longhouse. Sigrid came out first with her face covered and went over to the lead wagon. Then Erlend emerged, looked about shyly, and slipped into the second wagon.
Last came Magnus with the two small boys, who were holding each other and crying, clinging to each other as if the strength of their little child-arms might prevent what was going to happen. Magnus separated them gently but firmly, lifted up Arn and carried him over to Sigrid’s wagon and set him down next to his mother. Then he took a deep breath and slapped the horses so that the wagon started with an abrupt lurch while he turned around and walked back toward the door, making a vain attempt to catch Eskil, who managed to escape.
Magnus went inside and closed the door behind him without turning around. Eskil ran behind the wagons for a while, crying, until he fell and helplessly watched his brother vanish in the dust from the road.
Arn cried bitterly as he knelt in the wagon and looked back toward Arnas, which grew smaller and smaller in the distance. He understood that he would never see his home again, and it was impossible for Sigrid to console him.
----
Sigrid’s visit came at an inopportune time for Father Henri. His old friend and colleague from Clairvaux, Father Stephan, who was now the prior in Alvastra, was visiting so that they could discuss the difficult situation that had arisen with Queen Kristina, who was stirring up trouble and inciting the people against the monks at Varnhem. Naturally Stephan was the one with whom Father Henri most wanted to discuss complicated questions. They had been together ever since their youth, and they were part of the first group that had received the terrible orders from holy Saint Bernard himself, that they should depart for the cold, barbaric North to start a daughter cloister. It had been a long journey, horrendously cold and gloomy.
Father Stephan had already read the account of the miracle from Arnas and was familiar with Sigrid’s problem. To be sure, both at
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