InmemoryofOodnadattaandmanywanderingsoverseaIofferthesepicturesfromthepast，mydearVincent，toyou，aloverofthepresentifanaspirantwhocanlookuponthefuturewithmoreofhopethanfear。
Yourcolleague，H。RiderHaggard。
ItchancesthatI，theEditorofthesepages——for，intruth，thatismyhumblefunction——haverecoveredaconsiderableknowledgeofabygonelifeofmine。Thislifeendedintimesthatarecomparativelyrecent，namely，earlyintheninthcentury，asisfixedbythefactthattheByzantineEmpress，Irene，playsapartinthestory。
Thenarrative，itwillbeobserved，isnotabsolutelyconsecutive；
thatistosay，allthedetailsarenotfilledin。Indeed，ithasreturnedtomeinaseriesofscenesorpictures，andalthougheachsceneorpicturehastodowitheveryother，therearesometimesgapsbetweenthem。Totakeoneexampleamongseveral——
thejourneyofOlaf(inthosedaysmynamewasOlaf，orMichaelafterIwasbaptised)fromtheNorthtoConstantinopleisnotrecorded。ThecurtaindropsatAarinJutlandandrisesagaininByzantium。Onlythoseeventswhichwereofthemostimportanceseemtohaveburnedthemselvesintomysubconsciousmemory；manyminordetailshavevanished，or，atleast，Icannotfindthem。
This，however，doesnotappeartometobeamatterforregret。Ifeveryepisodeofafullandeventfullifewerepaintedin，thecanvaswouldbeoverloadedandtheeyethatstudieditbewildered。
IdonotthinkthatIhaveanythingmoretosay。Mytalemustspeakforitself。SoIwillbutaddthatIholditunnecessarytosetouttheexactmethodbywhichIhavebeenabletodigitandothersfromthequarryofmypast。Itisagiftwhich，althoughsmallatfirst，Ihavebeenablegraduallytodevelop。Therefore，asIwishtohidemypresentidentity，IwillonlysignmyselfTheEditor。
OfmychildhoodinthisOlaflifeIcanregainbutlittle。Therecometome，however，recollectionsofahouse，surroundedbyamoat，situatedinagreatplainneartoseasorinlandlakes，onwhichplainstoodmoundsthatIconnectedwiththedead。WhatthedeadwereIdidnotquiteunderstand，butIgatheredthattheywerepeoplewho，havingoncewalkedaboutandbeenawake，nowlaidthemselvesdowninabedofearthandslept。Irememberlookingatabigmoundwhichwassaidtocoverachiefknownas“TheWanderer，“whomFreydisa，thewisewoman，mynurse，toldmehadlivedhundredsorthousandsofyearsbefore，andthinkingthatsomuchearthoverhimmustmakehimveryhotatnights。
IrememberalsothatthehallcalledAarwasalonghouseroofedwithsods，onwhichgrewgrassandsometimeslittlewhiteflowers，andthatinsideofitcowsweretiedup。Welivedinaplacebeyond，thatwasseparatedofffromthecowsbybalksofroughtimber。Iusedtowatchthembeingmilkedthroughacrackbetweentwoofthebalkswhereaknothadfallenout，leavingaconvenienteyeholeabouttheheightofawalking-stickfromthefloor。
Onedaymyelderandonlybrother，Ragnar，whohadveryredhair，cameandpulledmeawayfromthiseyeholebecausehewantedtolookthroughithimselfatacowthatalwayskickedthegirlwhomilkedit。I
howled，andSteinar，myfoster-brother，whohadlight-colouredhairandblueeyes，andwasmuchbiggerandstrongerthanI，cametomyhelp，becausewealwayslovedeachother。HefoughtRagnarandmadehisnosebleed，afterwhichmymother，theLadyThora，whowasverybeautiful，boxedhisears。Thenweallcried，andmyfather，Thorvald，atallman，ratherlooselymade，whohadcomeinfromhunting，forhecarriedtheskinofsomeanimalofwhichthebloodhadrundownontohisleggings，scoldedusandtoldmymothertokeepusquietashewastiredandwantedtoeat。
Thatistheonlyscenewhichreturnstomeofmyinfancy。
ThenextofwhichavisionhascometomeisoneofasomewhatsimilarhousetoourowninAar，uponanislandcalledLesso，wherewewereallvisitingachiefofthenameofAthalbrand。Hewasafierce-
lookingmanwithagreatforkedbeard，fromwhichhewascalledAthalbrandFork-beard。Oneofhisnostrilswaslargerthantheother，andhehadadroopinhislefteye，bothofwhichpeculiaritiescametohimfromsomewoundorwoundsthathehadreceivedinwar。Inthosedayseverybodywasatwarwitheverybodyelse，anditwasquiteuncommonforanyonetoliveuntilhishairturnedgrey。
ThereasonofourvisittothischiefAthalbrandwasthatmyelderbrother，Ragnar，mightbebetrothedtohisonlysurvivingchild，Iduna，allofwhosebrothershadbeenkilledinsomebattle。IcanseeIdunanowasshewaswhenshefirstappearedbeforeus。Weweresittingattable，andsheenteredthroughadooratthetopofthehall。Shewasclothedinabluerobe，herlongfairhair，whereofshehadanabundance，wasarrangedintwoplaitswhichhungalmosttoherknees，andaboutherneckandarmsweremassivegoldringsthattinkledasshewalked。Shehadaroundface，colouredlikeawildrose，andinnocentblueeyesthattookineverything，althoughshealwaysseemedtolookinfrontofherandseenothing。Herlipswereveryredandappearedtosmile。AltogetherIthoughthertheloveliestcreaturethateverIhadlookedon，andshewalkedlikeadeerandheldherheadproudly。
Still，shedidnotpleaseRagnar，whowhisperedtomethatshewasslyandwouldbringmischiefonallthathadtodowithher。I，whoatthetimewasabouttwenty-oneyearsofage，wonderedifhehadgonemadtotalkthusofthisbeautifulcreature。ThenIrememberedthatjustbeforewehadlefthomeIhadcaughtRagnarkissingthedaughterofoneofourthrallsbehindtheshedinwhichthecalveswerekept。Shewasabrowngirl，verywellmade，asherroughrobe，fastenedbeneathherbreastwithastrap，showedplainly，andshehadbigdarkeyeswithasleepylookinthem。Also，Ineversawanyonekissquitesohardasshedid；Ragnarhimselfwasoutpassed。Ithinkthatiswhyeventhegreatlady，IdunatheFair，didnotpleasehim。Allthewhilehewasthinkingofthebrown-eyedgirlintherussetrobe。Still，itistruethat，brown-eyedgirlorno，hereadIdunaaright。
Moreover，ifRagnardidnotlikeIduna，fromthefirstIdunahatedRagnar。Soitcameaboutthat，althoughbothmyfather，Thorvald，andIduna’sfather，Athalbrand，stormedandthreatened，thesetwodeclaredthattheywouldhavenothingtodowitheachother，andtheprojectoftheirmarriagecametoanend。
OnthenightbeforeweweretoleaveLesso，whenceRagnarhadalreadygone，AthalbrandsawmestaringatIduna。This，indeed，wasnotwonderful，asIcouldnottakemyeyesfromherlovelyface，andwhenshelookedatmeandsmiledwiththoseredlipsofhersIbecamelikeasillybirdthatisbewitchedbyasnake。AtfirstIthoughtthathewasgoingtobeangry，butsuddenlysomeideaseemedtostrikehimsothathecalledmyfather，Thorvald，outsidethehouse。AfterwardsI
wassentfor，andfoundthetwoofthemseatedonathree-cornered，flatstone，talkinginthemoonlight，foritwassummer-time，wheneverythinglooksblueatnightandthesunandthemoonrideintheskytogether。Nearbystoodmymother，listening。
“Olaf，“saidmyfather，“wouldyouliketomarryIdunatheFair？“
“LiketomarryIduna？“Igasped。“Aye，morethantobeHighKingofDenmark，forsheisnowoman，butagoddess。“
Atthissayingmymotherlaughed，andAthalbrand，whoknewIdunawhenshedidnotseemagoddess，calledmeafool。Thentheytalked，whileIstoodtremblingwithhopeandfear。
“He’sbutasecondson，“saidAthalbrand。
“Ihavetoldyouthereislandenoughforbothofthem，alsothegoldthatcamewithhismotherwillbehis，andthat’snosmallsum，“
answeredThorvald。
“He’snowarrior，butaskald，“objectedAthalbrandagain；“asillyhalf-manwhomakessongsandplaysupontheharp。“
“Songsaresometimesstrongerthanswords，“repliedmyfather，“and，afterall，itiswisdomthatrules。Onebraincangovernmanymen；
also，harpsmakemerrymusicatafeast。Moreover，Olafisbraveenough。Howcanhebeotherwisecomingofthestockhedoes？“
“Heisthinandweedy，“objectedAthalbrand，asayingthatmademymotherangry。
“Nay，lordAthalbrand，“shesaid；“heistallandstraightasadart，andwillyetbethehandsomestmanintheseparts。“
“Everyduckthinksithashatchedoutaswan，“grumbledAthalbrand，whilewithmyeyesIimploredmymothertobesilent。
Thenhethoughtforawhile，pullingathislongforkedbeard，andsaidatlast:
“Myhearttellsmenogoodofsuchamarriage。Iduna，whoistheonlyonelefttome，couldmarryamanofmorewealthandpowerthanthisrune-makingstriplingiseverlikelytobe。YetjustnowIknownonesuchwhomIwouldwishtoholdmyplacewhenIamgone。Moreover，itisspreadfarandwidethroughoutthelandthatmydaughteristobewedtoThorvald’sson，anditmatterslittletowhichson。Atleast，I
willnothaveitsaidthatshehasbeengiventhego-by。Therefore，letthisOlaftakeher，ifshewillhavehim。Only，“headdedwithagrowl，“lethimplaynotrickslikethatred-headedcub，hisbrotherRagnar，ifhewouldnottasteofaspearthroughhisliver。NowIgotolearnIduna’smind。“
Sohewent；asdidmyfatherandmother，leavingmealone，thinkingandthankingthegodsforthechancethathadcomemyway——yes，andblessingRagnarandthatbrown-eyedwenchwhohadthrownherspelloverhim。
WhilstIstoodthusIheardasound，and，turning，sawIdunaglidingtowardsmeinthebluetwilight，lookingmorelovelythanadream。Atmysideshestoppedandsaid:
