{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/heim/14magbnd.htm","path":"neu/heim/14magbnd.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/heim/14magbnd.htm","text":"SAGA OF MAGNUS THE BLIND AND OF HARALD GILLE.\nPRELIMINARY REMARKS\nAn age of conflict now begins in Norway. On his death, in 1130,\nSigurd left his son Magnus and his brother Harald. They soon\ndivided the government, and then entered upon a five-years'\nconflict, until Magnus, in 1135, with eyes picked out, went into\na convent.\nThe next year, 1136, a new pretender appeared in the person of\nSigurd Slembe, who took King Harald's life in 1137. Magnus died\nin 1139.\nOther literature in regard to this epoch is \"Fagrskinna\" and\n\"Morkinskinna\". The corresponding part of \"Agrip\" is lost.\nSkalds quoted are: Haldor Skvaldre, Einar Skulason, and Ivar\nIngemundson.\n1. MAGNUS AND HARALD PROCLAIMED KINGS.\nKing Sigurd's son Magnus was proclaimed in Oslo king of all the\ncountry immediately after his father's death, according to the\noath which the whole nation had sworn to King Sigurd; and many\nwent into his service, and many became his lendermen. Magnus was\nthe handsomest man then in Norway; of a passionate temper, and\ncruel, but distinguished in bodily exercises. The favour of the\npeople he owed most to the respect for his father. He was a\ngreat drinker, greedy of money, hard, and obstinate.\nHarald Gille, on the other hand, was very pleasing in\nintercourse, gay, and full of mirth; and so generous that he\nspared in nothing for the sake of his friends. He willingly\nlistened to good advice, so that he allowed others to consult\nwith him and give counsel. With all this he obtained favour and a\ngood repute, and many men attached themselves as much to him as\nto King Magnus. Harald was in Tunsberg when he heard of his\nbrother King Sigurd's death. He called together his friends to a\nmeeting, and it was resolved to hold the Hauga Thing (1) there in\nthe town. At this Thing, Harald was chosen king of half the\ncountry, and it was called a forced oath which had been taken\nfrom him to renounce his paternal heritage. Then Harald formed a\ncourt, and appointed lendermen; and very soon he had as many\npeople about him as King Magnus. Then men went between them, and\nmatters stood in this way for seven days; but King Magnus,\nfinding he had fewer people, was obliged to give way, and to\ndivide the kingdom with Harald into two parts. The kingdom\naccordingly was so divided (October 3, 1130) that each of them\nshould have the half part of the kingdom which King Sigurd had\npossessed; but that King Magnus alone should inherit the fleet of\nships, the table service, the valuable articles and the movable\neffects which had belonged to his father, King Sigurd. He was\nnotwithstanding the least satisfied with his share. Although\nthey were of such different dispositions, they ruled the country\nfor some time in peace. King Harald had a son called Sigurd, by\nThora, a daughter of Guthorm Grabarde. King Harald afterwards\nmarried Ingerid, a daughter of Ragnvald, who was a son of the\nSwedish King Inge Steinkelson. King Magnus was married to a\ndaughter of Knut Lavard, and she was a sister of the Danish King\nValdernar; but King Magnus having no affection for her, sent her\nback to Denmark; and from that day everything went ill with him,\nand he brought upon himself the enmity of her family.\nENDNOTES:\n(1) Hauga-thing means a Thing held at the tumuli or burial\nmounds. -- L.\n2. OF THE FORCES OF HARALD AND MAGNUS.\nWhen the two relations, Harald and Magnus, had been about three\nyears kings of Norway (A.D. 1131-1133), they both passed the\nfourth winter (A.D. 1134) in the town of Nidaros, and invited\neach other as guests; but their people were always ready for a\nfight. In spring King Magnus sailed southwards along the land\nwith his fleet, and drew all the men he could obtain out of each\ndistrict, and sounded his friends if they would strengthen him\nwith their power to take the kingly dignity from Harald, and give\nhim such a portion of the kingdom, as might be suitable;\nrepresenting to them that King Harald had already renounced the\nkingdom by oath. King Magnus obtained the consent of many\npowerful men. The same spring Harald went to the Uplands, and by\nthe upper roads eastwards to Viken; and when he heard what King\nMagnus was doing, he also drew together men on his side.\nWheresoever the two parties went they killed the cattle, or even\nthe people, upon the farms of the adverse party. King Magnus had\nby far the most people, for the main strength of the country lay\nopen to him for collecting men from it. King Harald was in Viken\non the east side of the fjord, and collected men, while they were\ndoing each other damage in property and life. King Harald had\nwith him Kristrod, his brother by his mother's side, and many\nother lendermen; but King Magnus had many more. King Harald was\nwith his forces at a place called Fors in Ranrike, and went from\nthence towards the sea. The evening before Saint Lawrence day\n(August 10), they had their supper at a place called Fyrileif,\nwhile the guard kept a watch on horseback all around the house.\nThe watchmen observed King Magnus's army hastening towards the\nhouse, and consisting of full 6000 men, while King Harald had but\n1500. Now come the watchmen who had to bring the news to King\nHarald of what was going on and say that King Magnus's army was\nnow very near the town.\nThe king says, \"What will my relation King Magnus Sigurdson have?\nHe wants not surely to fight us.\"\nThjostolf Alason replies, \"You must certainly, sire, make\npreparation for that, both for yourself and your, men. King\nMagnus has been drawing together an army all the summer for the\npurpose of giving you battle when he meets you.\"\nThen King Harald stood up, and ordered his men to take their\narms. \"We shall fight, if our relative King Magnus wants to\nfight us.\"\nThen the war-horns sounded, and all Harald's men went out from\nthe house to an enclosed field, and set up their banners. King\nHarald had on two shirts of ring-mail, but his brother Kristrod\nhad no armour on; and a gallant man he was. When King Magnus and\nhis men saw King Harald's troop they drew up and made their\narray, and made their line so long that they could surround the\nwhole of King Harald's troop. So says Haldor Skvaldre: --\n\"King Magnus on the battle-plain\nFrom his long troop-line had great gain;\nThe plain was drenched with warm blood,\nWhich lay a red and reeking flood.\"\n3. BATTLE AT FYRILEIF.\nKing Magnus had the holy cross carried before him in this battle,\nand the battle was great and severe. The king's brother,\nKristrod, had penetrated with his troop into the middle of King\nMagnus's array, and cut down on each side of him, so that people\ngave way before him everywhere. But a powerful bonde who was in\nKing Harald's array raised his spear with both hands, and drove\nit through between Kristrod's shoulders, so that it came out at\nhis breast; and thus fell Kristrod. Many who were near asked the\nbonde why he had done so foul a deed.\nThe bonde replies, \"He knows the consequences now of slaughtering\nmy cattle in summer, and taking all that was in my house, and\nforcing me to follow him here. I determined to give him some\nreturn when the opportunity came.\"\nAfter this King Harald's army took to flight, and he fled\nhimself, with all his men. Many fell; and Ingemar Sveinson of\nAsk, a great chief and lenderman, got there his death-wound, and\nnearly sixty of King Harald's court-men also fell. Harald\nhimself fled eastward to Viken to his ships, and went out of the\ncountry to King Eirik Eimune in Denmark, and found him in Seeland\nand sought aid from him. King Eirik received him well, and\nprincipally because they had sworn to each other to be as\nbrothers (1); and gave him Halland as a fief to rule over, and\ngave him seven long-ships, but without equipment. Thereafter\nKing Harald went northwards through Halland, and many Northmen\ncame to meet him. After this battle King Magnus subdued the\nwhole country, giving life and safety to all who were wounded,\nand had them taken care of equally with his own men. He then\ncalled the whole country his own, and had a choice of the best\nmen who were in the country. When they held a council among\nthemselves afterwards, Sigurd Sigurdson, Thorer Ingeridson, and\nall the men of most understanding, advised that they should keep\ntheir forces together in Viken, and remain there, in case Harald\nshould return from the south; but King Magnus would take his own\nway, and went north to Bergen. There he sat all winter (A.D.\n1135), and allowed his men to leave him; on which the lendermen\nreturned home to their own houses.\nENDNOTES:\n(1) These brotherhoods, by which one man was bound by oath to\naid or avenge another, were common in the Middle Ages among\nall ranks. \"Sworn brothers\" is still a common expression\nwith us. -- L.\n4. DEATH OF ASBJORN AND OF NEREID.\nKing Harald came to Konungahella with the men who had followed\nhim from Denmark. The lendermen and town's burgesses collected a\nforce against him, which they drew up in a thick array above the\ntown. King Harald landed from his ships, and sent a message to\nthe bondes, desiring that they would not deny him his land, as he\nwanted no more than what of right belonged to him. Then\nmediators went between them; and it came to this, that the bondes\ndismissed their troops, and submitted to him. Thereupon he\nbestowed fiefs and property on the lendermen, that they might\nstand by him, and paid the bondes who joined him the lawful\nmulcts for what they had lost. A great body of men attached\nthemselves, therefore, to King Harald; and he proceeded westwards\nto Viken, where he gave peace to all men, except to King Magnus's\npeople, whom he plundered and killed wherever he found them. And\nwhen he came west to Sarpsborg he took prisoners two of King\nMagnus s lendermen, Asbjorn and his brother Nereid; and gave them\nthe choice that one should be hanged, and the other thrown into\nthe Sarpsborg waterfall, and they might choose as they pleased.\nAsbjorn chose to be thrown into the cataract, for he was the\nelder of the two, and this death appeared the most dreadful; and\nso it was done. Halder Skvaldre tells of this: --\n\"Asbjorn, who opposed the king,\nO'er the wild cataract they fling:\nNereid, who opposed the king,\nMust on Hagbard's high tree swing.\nThe king given food in many a way\nTo foul-mouthed beasts and birds of prey:\nThe generous men who dare oppose\nAre treated as the worst of foes.\"\nThereafter King Harald proceeded north to Tunsberg, where he was\nwell received, and a large force gathered to him.\n5. OF THE COUNSELS PROPOSED.\nWhen King Magnus, who was in Bergen, heard these tidings, he\ncalled together all the chiefs who were in the town, and asked\nthem their counsel, and what they should now do. Then Sigurd\nSigurdson said, \"Here I can give a good advice. Let a ship be\nmanned with good men, and put me, or any other lenderman, to\ncommand it; send it to thy relation, King Harald, and offer him\npeace according to the conditions upright men may determine upon,\nand offer him the half of the kingdom. It appears to me probable\nthat King Harald, by the words and counsel of good men, may\naccept this offer, and thus there may be a peace established\nbetween you.\"\nThen King Magnus replied, \"This proposal I will not accept of;\nfor of what advantage would it be, after we have gained the whole\nkingdom in summer to give away the half of it now? Give us some\nother counsel.\"\nThen Sigurd Sigurdson answered, \"It appears to me, sire, that\nyour lendermen who in autumn asked your leave to return home will\nnow sit at home and will not come to you. At that time it was\nmuch against my advice that you dispersed so entirely the people\nwe had collected; for I could well suppose that Harald would come\nback to Viken as soon as he heard that it was without a chief.\nNow there is still another counsel, and it is but a poor one; but\nit may turn out useful to us. Send out your pursuivants, and\nsend other people with them, and let them go against the\nlendermen who will not join you in your necessity, and kill them;\nand bestow their property on others who will give you help\nalthough they may have been of small importance before. Let them\ndrive together the people, the bad as well as the good; and go\nwith the men you can thus assemble against King Harald, and give\nhim battle.\"\nThe king replies, \"It would be unpopular to put to death people\nof distinction, and raise up inferior people who often break\nfaith and law, and the country would be still worse off. I would\nlike to hear some other counsel still.\"\nSigurd replies, \"It is difficult for me now to give advice, as\nyou will neither make peace nor give battle. Let us go north to\nThrondhjem, where the main strength of the country is most\ninclined to our side; and on the way let us gather all the men we\ncan. It may be that these Elfgrims will be tired of such a long\nstride after us.\"\nThe king replies, \"We must not fly from those whom we beat in\nsummer. Give some better counsel still.\"\nThen Sigurd stood up and said, while he was preparing to go out,\n\"I will now give you the counsel which I see you will take, and\nwhich must have its course. Sit here in Bergen until Harald\ncomes with his troops, and then you will either suffer death or\ndisgrace.\"\nAnd Sigurd remained no longer at that meeting.\n6. OF HARALD'S FORCE.\nKing Harald came from the East along the coast with a great army,\nand this winter (A.D. 1135) is called on that account the\nCrowd-winter. King Harald came to Bergen on Christmas eve, and\nlanded with his fleet at Floruvagar; but would not fight on\naccount of the sacred time. But King Magnus prepared for defence\nin the town. He erected a stone-slinging machine out on the\nholm, and had iron chains and wooden booms laid across over the\npassage from the king's house to Nordnes, and to the Monks\nbridge. He had foot-traps made, and thrown into Saint John's\nfield, and did not suspend these works except during the three\nsacred days of Christmas. The last holyday of Yule, King Harald\nordered his war-horns to sound the gathering of his men for going\nto the town; and, during the Yule holydays, his army had been\nincreased by about 900 men.\n7. KING MAGNUS TAKEN PRISONER.\nKing Harald made a promise to King Olaf the Saint for victory,\nthat he would build an Olaf's church in the town at his own\nexpense. King Magnus drew up his men in the Christ church yard;\nbut King Harald laid his vessels first at Nordnes. Now when King\nMagnus and his people saw that, they turned round towards the\ntown, and to the end of the shore; but as they passed through the\nstreets many of the burgesses ran into their houses and homes,\nand those who went across the fields fell into the foot-traps.\nThen King Magnus and his men perceived that King Harald had rowed\nwith all his men across to Hegravik, and landed there, and had\ngone from thence the upper road up the hill opposite the town.\nNow Magnus returned back again through the streets, and then his\nmen fled from him in all directions; some up to the mountains,\nsome up to the neighbourhood of the convent of nuns, some to\nchurches, or hid themselves as they best could. King Magnus fled\nto his ship; but there was no possibility of getting away, for\nthe iron chains outside prevented the passage of vessels. He had\nalso but few men with him, and therefore could do nothing. Einar\nSkulason tells of this in the song of Harald: --\n\"For a whole week an iron chain\nCut off all sailing to the main:\nBergen's blue stable was locked fast, --\nHer floating wains could not get past.\"\nSoon after Harald's people came out to the ships, and then King\nMagnus was made prisoner. He was sitting behind in the\nforecastle upon the chests of the high-seat, and at his side\nHakon Fauk, his mother's brother, who was very popular but was\nnot considered very wise, and Ivar Assurson. They, and many\nothers of King Magnus's friends, were taken, and some of them\nkilled on the spot.\n8. KING MAGNUS MUTILATED.\nThereafter King Harald had a meeting of his counsellors, and\ndesired their counsel; and in this meeting the judgment was given\nthat Magnus should be deposed from his dominions, and should no\nlonger be called king. Then he was delivered to the king's\nslaves, who mutilated him, picked out both his eyes, cut off one\nfoot, and at last castrated him. Ivar Assurson was blinded, and\nHakon Fauk killed. The whole country then was reduced to\nobedience under King Harald. Afterwards it was diligently\nexamined who were King Magnus's best friends, or who knew most of\nhis concealments of treasure or valuables. The holy cross King\nMagnus had kept beside him since the battle of Fyrileif, but\nwould not tell where it was deposited for preservation. Bishop\nReinald of Stavanger, who was an Englishman, was considered very\ngreedy of money. He was a great friend of King Magnus, and it\nwas thought likely that great treasure and valuables had been\ngiven into his keeping. Men were sent for him accordingly, and\nhe came to Bergen, where it was insisted against him that he had\nsome knowledge of such treasure; but he denied it altogether,\nwould not admit it, and offered to clear himself by ordeal. King\nHarald would not have this, but laid on the bishop a money fine\nof fifteen marks of gold, which he should pay to the king. The\nbishop declared he would not thus impoverish his bishop's see,\nbut would rather offer his life. On this they hanged the bishop\nout on the holm, beside the sling machine. As he was going to\nthe gallows he threw the sock from his foot, and said with an\noath, \"I know no more about King Magnus's treasure than what is\nin this sock;\" and in it there was a gold ring. Bishop Reinald\nwas buried at Nordnes in Michael's church, and this deed was much\nblamed. After this Harald Gille was sole king of Norway as long\nas he lived.\n9. WONDERFUL OMENS IN KONUNGAHELLA.\nFive years after King Sigurd's death remarkable occurrences took\nplace in Konungahella (A.D. 1135). Guthorm, a son of Harald\nFletter, and Saemund Husfreyja, were at that time the king's\nofficers there. Saemund was married to Ingebjorg, a daughter of\nthe priest Andres Brunson. Their sons were Paul Flip and Gunne\nFis. Saemund's natural son was called Asmund. Andres Brunson\nwas a very remarkable man, who carried on divine service in the\nCross church. His wife (1) was called Solveig. Jon Loptson, who\nwas then eleven years old, was in their house to be fostered and\neducated. The priest Lopt Saemundson, Jon's father, was also in\nthe town at that time. The priest Andres and Solveig had a\ndaughter by name Helga, who was Einar's wife. It happened now in\nKonungahella, the next Sunday night after Easter week, that there\nwas a great noise in the streets through the whole town as if the\nking was going through with all his court-men. The dogs were so\naffected that nobody could hold them, but they slipped loose; and\nwhen they came out they ran mad, biting all that came in their\nway, people and cattle. All who were bitten by them till the\nblood came turned raging mad; and pregnant women were taken in\nlabour prematurely, and became mad. From Easter to\nAscension-day, these portentous circumstances took place almost\nevery night. People were dreadfully alarmed at these wonders;\nand many made themselves ready to remove, sold their houses, and\nwent out to the country districts, or to other towns. The most\nintelligent men looked upon it as something extremely remarkable;\nwere in dread of it; and said, as it proved to be, that it was an\nomen of important events which had not yet taken place. And the\npriest Andres, on Whit Sunday, made a long and excellent speech,\nand turned the conclusion of it to the distressing situation of\nthe townspeople; telling them to muster courage, and not lay\nwaste their excellent town by deserting it, but rather to take\nthe utmost care in all things, and use the greatest foresight\nagainst all dangers, as of fire or the enemy, and to pray to God\nto have mercy on them.\nENDNOTES:\n(1) The Catholic priests appear to have had wives at that time\nin Norway, and celibacy to have been confined to the monks.\n-- L.\n10. THE RISE OF WAR IN KONUNGAHELLA.\nThirteen loaded merchant ships made ready to leave the town,\nintending to proceed to Bergen; but eleven of them were lost, men\nand goods, and all that was in them; the twelfth was lost also,\nbut the people were saved, although the cargo went to the bottom.\nAt that time the priest Lopt went north to Bergen, with all that\nbelonged to him, and arrived safely. The merchant vessels were\nlost on Saint Lawrence eve (August 10). The Danish king Eirik\nand the Archbishop Assur, both sent notice to Konungahella to\nkeep watch on their town; and said the Vindland people had a\ngreat force on foot with which they made war far around on\nChristian people, and usually gained the victory. But the\ntownspeople attended very little to this warning, were\nindifferent, and forgot more and more the dreadful omens the\nlonger it was since they happened. On the holy Saint Lawrence\nday, while the words of high mass were spoken, came to the\nVindland king Rettibur to Konungahella with 550 Vindland cutters,\nand in each cutter were forty-four men and two horses. The\nking's sister's son Dunimiz, and Unibur, a chief who ruled over\nmany people, were with him. These two chiefs rowed at once, with\na part of their troops, up the east arm of the Gaut river past\nHising Isle, and thus came down to the town; but a part of the\nfleet lay in the western arm, and came so to the town. They made\nfast their ships at the piles, and landed their horses, and rode\nover the height of Bratsas, and from thence up around the town.\nEinar, a relation of priest Andres, brought these tidings up to\nthe Castle church; for there the whole inhabitants of the town\nwere gathered to hear high mass. Einar came just as the priest\nAndres was holding his discourse; and he told the people that an\narmy was sailing up against the town with a great number of ships\nof war, and that some people were riding over Bratsas. Many said\nit must be the Danish king Eirik, and from him they might expect\npeace. The people ran down into the town to their properties,\narmed themselves, and went down upon the piers, whence they\nimmediately saw there was an enemy and an immense army. Nine\nEast-country trading vessels belonging to the merchants were\nafloat in the river at the piers. The Vindland people first\ndirected their course toward these and fought with the merchants,\nwho armed themselves, and defended themselves long, well, and\nmanfully. There was a hard battle, and resistance, before the\nmerchant vessels were cleared of their men; and in this conflict\nthe Vindland people lost 150 of their ships, with all the men on\nboard. When the battle was sharpest the townsmen stood upon the\npiers, and shot at the heathens. But when the fight slackened\nthe burgesses fled up to the town, and from thence into the\ncastle; and the men took with them all their valuable articles,\nand such goods as they could carry. Solveig and her daughters,\nwith two other women, went on shore when the Vindlanders took\npossession of the merchant vessels. Now the Vindlanders landed,\nand mustered their men, and discovered their loss. Some of them\nwent up into the town, some on board the merchant ships, and took\nall the goods they pleased; and then they set fire to the town,\nand burnt it and the ships. They hastened then with all their\narmy to assault the castle.\n11. THE SECOND BATTLE.\nKing Rettibur made an offer to those who were in the castle that\nthey should go out, and he would give them their lives, weapons,\nclothes, silver, and gold; but all exclaimed against it, and went\nout on the fortification; some shot, some threw stones, some\nsharp stakes. It was a great battle, in which many fell on both\nsides, but by far the most of the Vindlanders. Solveig came up\nto a large farm called Solbjorg, and brought the news. A message\nwar-token was there split, and sent out to Skurbagar, where there\nhappened to be a joint ale-drinking feast, and many men were\nassembled. A bonde called Olver Miklimun (Mickle Mouth) was\nthere, who immediately sprang up, took helmet and shield, and a\ngreat axe in his hand, and said, \"Stand up, brave lads, and take\nyour weapons. Let us go help the townspeople; for it would\nappear shameful to every man who heard of it, if we sit here\nsipping our ale, while good men in the town are losing their\nlives by our neglect.\"\nMany made an objection, and said they would only be losing their\nown lives, without being of any assistance to the townspeople.\nThen said Olver, \"Although all of you should hold back, I will go\nalone; and one or two heathens, at any rate, shall fall before I\nfall.\"\nHe ran down to the town, and a few men after him to see what he\nwould do, and also whether they could assist him in any way.\nWhen he came near the castle, and the heathens saw him, they sent\nout eight men fully armed against him; and when they met, the\nheathen men ran and surrounded him on all sides. Olver lifted\nhis axe, and struck behind him with the extreme point of it,\nhitting the neck of the man who was coming up behind him, so that\nhis throat and jawbone were cut through, and he fell dead\nbackwards. Then he heaved his axe forwards, and struck the next\nman in the head, and clove him down to the shoulders. He then\nfought with the others, and killed two of them; but was much\nwounded himself. The four who remained took to flight, but Olver\nran after them. There was a ditch before them, and two of the\nheathens jumped into it, and Olver killed them both; but he stuck\nfast himself in the ditch, so that two of the eight heathens\nescaped. The men who had followed Olver took him up, and brought\nhim back to Skurbagar, where his wounds were bound and healed;\nand it was the talk of the people, that no single man had ever\nmade such a bloody onset. Two lendermen, Sigurd Gyrdson, a\nbrother of Philip, and Sigard, came with 600 men to Skurbagar; on\nwhich Sigurd turned back with 400 men. He was but little\nrespected afterwards, and soon died. Sigard, on the other hand,\nproceeded with 200 men towards the town; and they gave battle to\nthe heathens, and were all slain. While the Vindlanders were\nstorming the castle, their king and his chiefs were out of the\nbattle. At one place there was a man among the Vindlanders\nshooting with a bow, and killing a man for every arrow; and two\nmen stood before him, and covered him with their shields. Then\nSaemund Husfreyja said to his son Asmund, that they should both\nshoot together at this bowman. \"But I will shoot at the man who\nholds the shield before him.\" He did so, and he knocked the\nshield down a little before the man; and in the same instant\nAsmund shot between the shields, and the arrow hit the bowman in\nthe forehead, so that it came out at his neck, and he fell down\ndead. When the Vindlanders saw it they howled like dogs, or like\nwolves. Then King Rettibur called to them that he would give\nthem safety and life, but they refused terms. The heathens again\nmade a hard assault. One of the heathens in particular fought so\nbravely, and ventured so near, that he came quite up to the\ncastle-gate, and pierced the man who stood outside the gate with\nhis sword; and although they used both arrows and stones against\nhim, and he had neither shield nor helmet, nothing could touch\nhim, for he was so skilled in witchcraft that weapon could not\nwound him. Then priest Andres took consecrated fire; blew upon\nit; cut tinder in pieces, and laid it on the fire; and then laid\nthe tinder on the arrow-point, and gave it to Asmund. He shot\nthis arrow at the warlock; and the shaft hit so well that it did\nits business, and the man of witchcraft fell dead. Then the\nheathens crowded together as before, howling and whining\ndreadfully; and all gathered about their king, on which the\nChristians believed that they were holding a council about\nretreating. The interpreters, who understood the Vindland\ntongue, heard the chief Unibur make the following speech: \"These\npeople are brave, and it is difficult to make anything of them;\nand even if we took all the goods in their town, we might\nwillingly give as much more that we had never come here, so great\nhas been our loss of men and chiefs. Early in the day, when we\nbegan to assault the castle, they defended themselves first with\narrows and spears; then they fought against us with stones; and\nnow with sticks and staves, as against dogs. I see from this\nthat they are in want of weapons and means of defense; so we\nshall make one more hard assault, and try their strength.\" It\nwas as he said, that they now fought with stakes; because, in the\nfirst assault, they had imprudently used up all their missile\nweapons and stones; and now when the Christians saw the number of\ntheir stakes diminishing, they clave each stake in two. The\nheathens now made a very hot attack, and rested themselves\nbetween whiles, and on both sides they were exhausted. During a\nrest the Vindland king Rettibur again offered terms, and that\nthey should retain the weapons, clothes, and silver they could\ncarry out of the castle. Saemund Husfreyja had fallen, and the\nmen who remained gave the counsel to deliver up the castle and\nthemselves into the power of the heathens; but it was a foolish\ncounsel; for the heathens did not keep their promises, but took\nall people, men, women, and children, and killed all of them who\nwere wounded or young, or could not easily be carried with them.\nThey took all the goods that were in the castle; went into the\nCross church, and plundered it of all its ornaments. The priest\nAndres gave King Rettibur a silver-mounted gilt sceptre, and to\nhis sister's son Dunimiz he gave a gold ring. They supposed from\nthis that he was a man of great importance in the town, and held\nhim in higher respect than the others. They took away with them\nthe holy cross, and also the tables which stood before the altar,\nwhich Sigurd had got made in the Greek country, and had brought\nhome himself. These they took, and laid flat down on the steps\nbefore the altar. Then the heathens went out of the church.\nRettibur said, \"This house has been adorned with great zeal for\nthe God to whom it is dedicated; but, methinks, He has shown\nlittle regard for the town or house: so I see their God has been\nangry at those who defended them.\" King Rettibur gave the priest\nAndres the church, the shrine, the holy cross, the Bible, the\naltar-book, and four clerks (prisoners); but the heathens burnt\nthe Castle church, and all the houses that were in the castle.\nAs the fire they had set to the church went out twice, they hewed\nthe church down, and then it burnt like other houses. Then the\nheathens went to their ships with the booty; but when they\nmustered their people and saw their loss, they made prisoners of\nall the people, and divided them among the vessels. Now priest\nAndres went on board the king's ship with the holy cross, and\nthere came a great terror over the heathens on account of the\nportentous circumstance which took place in the king's ship;\nnamely, it became so hot that all thought they were to be burnt\nup. The king ordered the interpreter to ask the priest why this\nhappened. He replied, that the Almighty God on whom the\nChristians believed, sent them a proof of His anger, that they\nwho would not believe in their Creator presumed to lay hands on\nthe emblem of His suffering; and that there lay so much power in\nthe cross, that such, and even clearer miracles, happened to\nheathen men who had taken the cross in their hands. The king had\nthe priest put into the ship's boat, and the priest Andres\ncarried the holy cross in his grasp. They led the boat along\npast the ship's bow, and then along the side of the next ship,\nand then shoved it with a boat-hook in beside the pier. Then\nAndres went with the cross by night to Solbjorg, in rain and\ndreadful weather; but brought it in good preservation. King\nRettibur, and the men he had remaining, went home to Vindland,\nand many of the people who were taken at Konungahella were long\nafterwards in slavery in Vindland; and those who were ransomed\nand came back to Norway to their udal lands and properties,\nthrove worse than before their capture. The merchant town of\nKonungahella has never since risen to the importance it was of\nbefore this event.\n12. OF MAGNUS THE BLIND.\nKing Magnus, after he was deprived of sight, went north to\nNidaros, where he went into the cloister on the holm, and assumed\nthe monk's dress. The cloister received the farm of Great Hernes\nin Frosta for his support. King Harald alone ruled the country\nthe following winter, gave all men peace and pardon who desired\nit, and took many of the men into his court-service who had been\nwith King Magnus. Einar Skulason says that King Harald had two\nbattles in Denmark; the one at Hvedn Isle, and the other at\nHlesey Isle: --\n\"Unwearied champion! who wast bred\nTo stain thy blue-edged weapons red!\nBeneath high Hvedn's rocky shore,\nThe faithless felt thy steel once more.\"\nAnd again, thus: --\n\"On Hlesey's plain the foe must quail\n'Fore him who dyes their shirts of mail.\nHis storm-stretched banner o'er his head\nFlies straight, and fills the foe with dread.\"\n13. OF KING HARALD GILLE AND BISHOP MAGNUS.\nKing Harald Gille was a very generous man. It is told that in\nhis time Magnus Einarson came from Iceland to be consecrated a\nbishop, and the king received him well, and showed him much\nrespect. When the bishop was ready to sail for Iceland again,\nand the ship was rigged out for sea, he went to the hall where\nthe king was drinking, saluted him politely and warmly, and the\nking received him joyfully. The queen was sitting beside the\nking.\nThen said the king, \"Are you ready, bishop, for your voyage?\"\nHe replied that he was.\nThe king said, \"You come to us just now at a bad time; for the\ntables are just removed, and there is nothing at hand suitable to\npresent to you. What is there to give the bishop?\"\nThe treasurer replies, \"Sire, as far as I know, all articles of\nany value are given away.\"\nThe king: \"Here is a drinking goblet remaining; take this,\nbishop; it is not without value.\"\nThe bishop expressed his thanks for the honour shown him.\nThen said the queen, \"Farewell, bishop! and a happy voyage.\"\nThe king said to her, \"When did you ever hear a noble lady say so\nto a bishop without giving him something?\"\nShe replies, \"Sire, what have I to give him?\"\nThe king: \"Thou hast the cushion under thee.\"\nThereupon this, which was covered with costly cloth, and was a\nvaluable article, was given to the bishop. When the bishop was\ngoing away the king took the cushion from under himself and gave\nit him, saying, \"They have long been together.\" When the bishop\narrived in Iceland to his bishop's see, it was talked over what\nshould be done with the goblet that would be serviceable for the\nking; and when the bishop asked the opinion of other people, many\nthought it should be sold, and the value-bestowed on the poor.\nThen said the bishop, \"I will take another plan. I will have a\nchalice made of it for this church, and consecrate it, so that\nall the saints of whom there are relics in this church shall let\nthe king have some good for his gift every time a mass is sung\nover it.\" This chalice has since belonged to the bishopric of\nSkalholt; and of the costly cloth with which the cushions given\nhim by the king were covered, were made the choristers' cloaks\nwhich are now in Skalholt. From this the generous spirit of King\nHarald may be seen, as well as from many other things, of which\nbut a few are set down here.\n14. BEGINNING OF SIGURD SLEMBIDJAKN.\nThere was a man, by name Sigurd, who was brought up in Norway,\nand was called priest Adalbrikt's son. Sigurd's mother was\nThora, a daughter of Saxe of Vik, a sister of Sigrid, who was\nmother of King Olaf Magnuson, and of Kare, the king's brother who\nmarried Borghild, a daughter of Dag Eilifson. Their sons were\nSigurd of Austrat and Dag. Sigurd of Austrat's sons were Jon of\nAustrat, Thorstein, and Andres the Deaf. Jon was married to\nSigrid, a sister of King Inge and of Duke Skule. This Sigurd, in\nhis childhood, was kept at his book, became a clerk, and was\nconsecrated a deacon; but as he ripened in years and strength he\nbecame a very clever man, stout, strong, distinguished for all\nperfections and exercises beyond any of his years, -- indeed,\nbeyond any man in Norway. Sigurd showed early traces of a\nhaughty ungovernable spirit, and was therefore called\nSlembidjakn. He was as handsome a man as could be seen, with\nrather thin but beautiful hair. When it came to Sigurd's ears\nthat his mother said King Magnus was his father, he laid aside\nall clerkship; and as soon as he was old enough to be his own\nmaster, he left the country. He was a long time on his travels,\nwent to Palestine; was at the Jordan river; and visited many holy\nplaces, as pilgrims usually do. When he came back, he applied\nhimself to trading expeditions. One winter he was in Orkney with\nEarl Harald, and was with him when Thorkel Fostre Summarlidason\nwas killed. Sigurd was also in Scotland with the Scottish king\nDavid, and was held in great esteem by him. Thereafter Sigurd\nwent to Denmark; and according to the account of himself and his\nmen, he there submitted to the iron ordeal to confirm his\npaternal descent, and proved by it, in the presence of five\nbishops, that he was a son of King Magnus Barefoot. So says Ivar\nIngemundson, in Sigurd's song: --\n\"The holiest five\nOf men alive, --\nBishops were they, --\nSolemnly say,\nThe iron glowing\nRed hot, yet showing\nNo scaith on skin,\nProves cause and kin.\"\nKing Harald Gille's friends, however, said this was only a lie,\nand deceit of the Danes.\n15. SIGURD IN ICELAND.\nIt is told before of Sigurd that he passed some years in merchant\nvoyages, and he came thus to Iceland one winter, and took up his\nlodging with Thorgils Odson in Saurby; but very few knew where he\nwas. In autumn, when the sheep were being driven into a fold to\nbe slaughtered, a sheep that was to be caught ran to Sigurd; and\nas Sigurd thought the sheep ran to him for protection, he\nstretched out his hands to it and lifted it over the fold dyke,\nand let it run to the hills, saying, \"There are not many who seek\nhelp from me, so I may well help this one.\" It happened the same\nwinter that a woman had committed a theft, and Thorgils, who was\nangry at her for it, was going to punish her; but she ran to\nSigurd to ask his help, and he set her upon the bench by his\nside. Thorgils told him to give her up, and told him what she\nhad committed; but Sigurd begged forgiveness for her since she\nhad come to him for protection, and that Thorgils would dismiss\nthe complaint against her, but Thorgils insisted that she should\nreceive her punishment. When Sigurd saw that Thorgils would not\nlisten to his entreaty, he started up, drew his sword, and bade\nhim take her if he dared; and Thorgils seeing that Sigurd would\ndefend the woman by force of arms, and observing his commanding\nmien, guessed who he must be, desisted from pursuing the woman,\nand pardoned her. There were many foreign men there, and Sigurd\nmade the least appearance among them. One day Sigurd came into\nthe sitting-room, and a Northman who was splendidly clothed was\nplaying chess with one of Thorads house-servants. The Northman\ncalled Sigurd, and asked him his advice how to play; but when\nSigurd looked at the board, he saw the game was lost. The man\nwho was playing against the Northman had a sore foot, so that one\ntoe was bruised, and matter was coming out of it. Sigurd, who\nwas sitting on the bench, takes a straw, and draws it along the\nfloor, so that some young kittens ran after it. He drew the\nstraw always before them, until they came near the house-\nservant's foot, who jumping up with a scream, threw the chessmen\nin disorder on the board; and thus it was a dispute how the game\nhad stood. This is given as a proof of Sigurd's cunning. People\ndid not know that he was a learned clerk until the Saturday\nbefore Easter, when he consecrated the holy water with chant; and\nthe longer he stayed there the more he was esteemed. The summer\nafter, Sigurd told Thorgils before they parted, that he might\nwith all confidence address his friends to Sigurd Slembidjakn.\nThorgils asked how nearly he was related to him, on which he\nreplies, \"I am Sigurd Slembidjakn, a son of King Magnus\nBarefoot.\" He then left Iceland.\n16. OF SIGURD SLEMBE.\nWhen Harald Gille had been six years (A.D. 1136), king of Norway,\nSigurd came to the country and went to his brother King Harald,\nand found him in Bergen. He placed himself entirely in the\nking's hands, disclosed who his father was, and asked him to\nacknowledge their relationship. The king gave him no hasty or\ndistinct reply; but laid the matter before his friends in a\nconference at a specially appointed meeting. After this\nconference it became known that the king laid an accusation\nagainst Sigurd, because he had been at the killing of Thorkel\nFostre in the West. Thorkel had accompanied Harald to Norway\nwhen he first came to the country, and had been one of Harald's\nbest friends. This case was followed up so severely, that a\ncapital accusation against Sigurd was made, and, by the advice of\nthe lendermen, was carried so far, that some of the king's\npursuivants went one evening late to Sigurd, and called him to\nthem. They then took a boat and rowed away with Sigurd from the\ntown south to Nordnes. Sigurd sat on a chest in the stern of the\nboat, and had his suspicions that foul play was intended. He was\nclothed in blue trousers, and over his shirt he had a hood tied\nwith ribands, which served him for a cloak. He sat looking down,\nand holding his hood-strings; and sometimes moved them over his\nhead, sometimes let them fall again before him. Now when they\nhad passed the ness, they were drunk, and merry, were rowing so\neagerly that they were not taking notice of anything. Sigurd\nstood up, and went on the boat's deck; but the two men who were\nplaced to guard him stood up also, and followed him to the side\nof the vessel, holding by his cloak, as is the custom in guarding\npeople of distinction. As he was afraid that they would catch\nhold of more of his clothes, he seized them both, and leaped\noverboard with them. The boat, in the meantime, had gone on a\nlong way, and it was a long time before those on board could turn\nthe vessel, and long before they could get their own men taken on\nboard again; and Sigurd dived under water, and swam so far away\nthat he reached the land before they could get the boat turned to\npursue him. Sigurd, who was very swift of foot, hied up to the\nmountains, and the king's men travelled about the whole night\nseeking him without finding him. He lay down in a cleft of the\nrocks; and as he was very cold he took off his trousers, cut a\nhole in the seat of them, and stuck his head through it, and put\nhis arms in the legs of them. He escaped with life this time;\nand the king's men returned, and could not conceal their\nunsuccessful adventure.\n17. TREACHERY TOWARDS KING HARALD.\nSigurd thought now that it would be of no use to seek any help\nfrom King Harald again; and he kept himself concealed all the\nautumn and the beginning of the winter. He lay hid in Bergen, in\nthe house of a priest. King Harald was also in the town, and\nmany great people with him. Now Sigurd considered how, with his\nfriends' help, he might take the king by surprise, and make an\nend of him. Many men took part in this design; and among them\nsome who were King Harald's court-men and chamberlains, but who\nhad formerly been King Magnus's court-men. They stood in great\nfavour with the king, and some of them sat constantly at the\nking's table. On Saint Lucia's day (December 13), in the evening\nwhen they proposed to execute this treason, two men sat at the\nking's table talking together; and one of them said to the king,\n\"Sire, we two table-companions submit our dispute to your\njudgment, having made a wager of a basket of honey to him who\nguesses right. I say that you will sleep this night with your\nQueen Ingerid; and he says that you will sleep with Thora,\nGuthorm's daughter.\"\nThe king answered laughing, and without suspecting in the least\nthat there lay treachery under the question, that he who had\nasked had lost his bet.\nThey knew thus where he was to be found that night; but the main\nguard was without the house in which most people thought the king\nwould sleep, viz., that which the queen was in.\n18. MURDER OF KING HARALD.\nSigurd Slembe, and some men who were in his design, came in the\nnight to the lodging in which King Harald was sleeping; killed\nthe watchman first; then broke open the door, and went in with\ndrawn swords. Ivar Kolbeinson made the first attack on King\nHarald; and as the king had been drunk when he went to bed he\nslept sound, and awoke only when the men were striking at him.\nThen he said in his sleep, \"Thou art treating me hardly, Thora.\"\nShe sprang up, saying, \"They are treating thee hardly who love\nthee less than I do.\" Harald was deprived of life. Then Sigurd\nwent out with his helpers, and ordered the men to be called to\nhim who had promised him their support if he should get King\nHarald taken out of the way. Sigurd and his men then went on,\nand took a boat, set themselves to the oars, and rowed out in\nfront of the king's house; and then it was just beginning to be\ndaylight. Then Sigurd stood up, spoke to those who were standing\non the king's pier, made known to them the murder of King Harald\nby his hand, and desired that they would take him, and choose him\nas chief according to his birth. Now came many swarming down to\nthe pier from the king's house; and all with one voice replied,\nthat they would never give obedience or service to a man who had\nmurdered his own brother. \"And if thou are not his brother, thou\nhast no claim from descent to be king.\" They clashed their\nweapons together, and adjudged all murderers to be banished and\noutlawed men. Now the king's horn sounded, and all lendermen and\ncourtmen were called together. Sigurd and his companions saw it\nwas best for them to get way; and he went northward to North\nHordaland, where he held a Thing with the bondes, who submitted\nto him, and gave him the title of king. From thence he went to\nSogn, and held a Thing there with the bondes and was proclaimed\nking. Then he went north across the fjords, and most people\nsupported his cause. So says Ivar Ingemundson: --\n\"On Harald's fall\nThe bondes all,\nIn Hord and Sogn,\nTook Magnus' son.\nThe Things swore too\nThey would be true\nTo this new head\nIn Harald's stead.\"\nKing Harald was buried in the old Christ church.","title":"SAGA OF MAGNUS THE BLIND AND OF HARALD GILLE","type":"page"}