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THORA OF RIMOL by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

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This poem recounts the last moments of Jarl Hakon, a formidable Norse chieftain who takes refuge in a pigsty with his slave Karker, sheltered by a woman named Thora who loves him dearly.

Poet
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Themes
betrayal, death, love
The PoemFull text

THORA OF RIMOL

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

"Thora of Rimol! hide me! hide me! Danger and shame and death betide me! For Olaf the King is hunting me down Through field and forest, through thorp and town!" Thus cried Jarl Hakon To Thora, the fairest of women. Hakon Jarl! for the love I bear thee Neither shall shame nor death come near thee! But the hiding-place wherein thou must lie Is the cave underneath the swine in the sty." Thus to Jarl Hakon Said Thora, the fairest of women. So Hakon Jarl and his base thrall Karker Crouched in the cave, than a dungeon darker, As Olaf came riding, with men in mail, Through the forest roads into Orkadale, Demanding Jarl Hakon Of Thora, the fairest of women. "Rich and honored shall be whoever The head of Hakon Jarl shall dissever!" Hakon heard him, and Karker the slave, Through the breathing-holes of the darksome cave. Alone in her chamber Wept Thora, the fairest of women. Said Karker, the crafty, "I will not slay thee! For all the king's gold I will never betray thee!" "Then why dost thou turn so pale, O churl, And then again black as the earth?" said the Earl. More pale and more faithful Was Thora, the fairest of women. From a dream in the night the thrall started, saying, "Round my neck a gold ring King Olaf was laying!" And Hakon answered, "Beware of the king! He will lay round thy neck a blood-red ring." At the ring on her finger Gazed Thora, the fairest of women. At daybreak slept Hakon, with sorrows encumbered, But screamed and drew up his feet as he slumbered; The thrall in the darkness plunged with his knife, And the Earl awakened no more in this life. But wakeful and weeping Sat Thora, the fairest of women. At Nidarholm the priests are all singing, Two ghastly heads on the gibbet are swinging; One is Jarl Hakon's and one is his thrall's, And the people are shouting from windows and walls; While alone in her chamber Swoons Thora, the fairest of women. IV

Public domain

Sourced from Project Gutenberg

§01Quick summary

What this poem is about

This poem recounts the last moments of Jarl Hakon, a formidable Norse chieftain who takes refuge in a pigsty with his slave Karker, sheltered by a woman named Thora who loves him dearly. In a tragic twist, Karker betrays and murders Hakon during the night, leading to both their heads being displayed on a gibbet. Throughout this ordeal, Thora watches in sorrow, weeping, and ultimately fainting — steadfast in her loyalty as the world revels in the death of the man she cherished.

§02Themes

Recurring themes

§03Line by line

Stanza by stanza, with notes

  1. "Thora of Rimol! hide me! hide me! / Danger and shame and death betide me!"

    Editor's note

    Hakon rushes in, frantic and scared, pleading with Thora for a place to hide. The looming threats of danger, shame, and death make it clear that he’s in a dire situation. The urgency in his plea is palpable, and Longfellow uses the line "Thora, the fairest of women" at this point to firmly establish her as the emotional heart of the poem.

  2. "Hakon Jarl! for the love I bear thee / Neither shall shame nor death come near thee!"

    Editor's note

    Thora responds immediately, stating her motive clearly: love. However, the hiding spot she suggests — a cave beneath a pigsty — is intentionally demeaning for a great earl. She preserves his life but at the expense of his dignity, creating a tragedy of its own.

  3. So Hakon Jarl and his base thrall Karker / Crouched in the cave, than a dungeon darker,

    Editor's note

    The term "base" used for Karker carries significant weight—it indicates his low social status while hinting at his betrayal. King Olaf rides through, calling for Hakon, and Thora finds herself torn between her love for him and the king who is pursuing him. The cave's darkness reflects the moral shadows that are tightening around them.

  4. "Rich and honored shall be whoever / The head of Hakon Jarl shall dissever!"

    Editor's note

    Olaf's proclamation is a bounty — and importantly, both Hakon and Karker hear it through the breathing holes. The reward stirs temptation in the slave. Meanwhile, Thora weeps alone in her chamber, cut off from Hakon and unable to shield him from what lies ahead.

  5. Said Karker, the crafty, "I will not slay thee! / For all the king's gold I will never betray thee!"

    Editor's note

    Karker's denial is overly loud and oddly specific—he objects to precisely what he's considering. Hakon observes Karker's face shifting from pale to black, which in Norse tradition indicates a man struggling with a murderous thought. Thora, portrayed as "more pale and more faithful," serves as the quiet contrast: her paleness stems from grief, not guilt.

  6. From a dream in the night the thrall started, saying, / "Round my neck a gold ring King Olaf was laying!"

    Editor's note

    Karker dreams of the king putting a gold ring around his neck — a reward. Hakon sees it differently: the king will put a "blood-red ring" around his neck, suggesting a noose or a blade. This ring imagery ties back to Thora, who looks at her own ring, representing her connection to Hakon that is soon to be broken.

  7. At daybreak slept Hakon, with sorrows encumbered, / But screamed and drew up his feet as he slumbered;

    Editor's note

    Hakon finally succumbs to exhaustion and falls asleep, only for Karker to kill him in the darkness. The physicality of the scene — the screams and the drawing up of his feet — is jarring and immediate. Longfellow doesn't dwell on the violence; the horror hits hard in just one line. Thora, on the other hand, never sleeps: she remains awake and weeping, as if she’s been keeping a vigil that she knew would end in this manner.

  8. At Nidarholm the priests are all singing, / Two ghastly heads on the gibbet are swinging;

    Editor's note

    The poem concludes with a public spectacle. Priests sing, crowds cheer, and two heads hang from a gibbet — Hakon's and Karker's, the betrayer and the betrayed united in death. The irony is striking: Karker murdered Hakon for the gold ring but ended up facing a death sentence instead. Meanwhile, Thora, alone in her chamber, swoons. The world celebrates; she collapses. Her private sorrow serves as the poem's final image.

§04Tone & mood

How this poem feels

The tone is ballad-solemn—steady, measured, and fatalistic. Longfellow almost entirely removes his voice, allowing the events to unfold like a steady drumbeat. He doesn't editorialize about whether Hakon deserves his fate or if Karker's betrayal can be justified. The refrain "Thora, the fairest of women" rings out with the regularity of a tolling bell, each time landing with a different impact: first as an introduction, then as a contrast, and finally as quiet devastation. By the final stanza, the phrase feels less like a compliment and more like an epitaph.

§05Symbols & metaphors

Symbols & metaphors

The pigsty / cave
The hiding spot under the pigs intentionally contrasts Hakon's former status as a great earl. A man who once led armies now finds himself crouching in dirt. This imagery indicates that his power has vanished even before Karker picks up a knife.
The gold ring
The ring shows up twice: first in Karker's dream as a gift from the king, and then on Thora's finger as a sign of love. Hakon views the dream ring differently, seeing it as a noose. This symbol connects greed, loyalty, and doom — its meaning shifts dramatically based on who perceives it.
Karker's changing face (pale and black)
The slave's face, shifting from pale to dark, reflects his inner turmoil. In Norse saga tradition, such physical signs indicate a man on the brink of a significant decision. This stands in stark contrast to Thora, whose paleness symbolizes faithfulness rather than betrayal.
The gibbet at Nidarholm
The gibbet where both heads hang represents public justice and spectacle — yet it also blurs the line between the earl and his slave. In death, they stand as equals, side by side, offering a stark commentary on power and betrayal.
Thora's chamber
Thora's chamber is her private refuge away from the public turmoil outside. It’s where she cries, where she stays awake with worry, and ultimately where she collapses. This space embodies her helpless loyalty — she can conceal Hakon but cannot rescue him, turning the chamber into a prison of sorrow.

§06Historical context

Historical context

Longfellow based this poem on Norse sagas, particularly the story of Jarl Hakon Sigurdsson, Norway's last major pagan ruler, who was killed around 995 AD as Olaf Tryggvason began establishing Christian rule. Historically, Hakon did take refuge with a woman named Thora at Rimol and was ultimately killed by his own thrall, Karker — the saga sources, especially Snorri Sturluson's *Heimskringla*, provide a detailed account of this tale. Longfellow included this poem in his collection *The Musician's Tale*, part of *Tales of a Wayside Inn* (1863–1873), which is a frame narrative loosely inspired by Chaucer's *Canterbury Tales*. The poem belongs to a broader 19th-century Romantic interest in Norse mythology and Viking history, themes Longfellow also examined in his translation of the Finnish *Kalevala* and his unfinished Norse drama *The Saga of King Olaf*.

§07FAQ

Questions readers ask

Yes. Jarl Hakon Sigurdsson was a real Norse chieftain who ruled Norway in the late 10th century. He died after being betrayed by his slave Karker while hiding at the farm of a woman named Thora. This event is documented in *Heimskringla*, a collection of Norse kings' sagas written by Snorri Sturluson in the 13th century. Longfellow closely follows this saga account.

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