{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/heim/17magerl.htm","path":"neu/heim/17magerl.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/heim/17magerl.htm","text":"MAGNUS ERLINGSON'S SAGA.\nPRELIMINARY REMARKS.\nWith this saga, which describes a series of conflicts, Snorre's\n\"Heimskringla\" ends. King Eystein died in 1177, but Magnus\nErlingson continued to reign until his death in 1184. The\nconflicts continued until the opposition party was led to victory\nby King Sverre.\nThe only skald quoted is Thorbjorn Skakkaskald.\n1. OF MAGNUS ERLINGSON'S BEGINNING.\nWhen Erling got certain intelligence of the determinations of\nHakon and his counsellors, he sent a message to all the chiefs\nwho he knew had been steady friends of King Inge, and also to his\ncourt-men and his retinue, who had saved themselves by flight,\nand also to all Gregorius's house-men, and called them together\nto a meeting. When they met, and conversed with each other, they\nresolved to keep their men together; and which resolution they\nconfirmed by oath and hand-shake to each other. Then they\nconsidered whom they should take to be king. Erling Skakke first\nspoke, and inquired if it was the opinion of the chiefs and other\nmen of power that Simon Skalp's son, the son of the daughter of\nKing Harald Gille, should be chosen king, and Jon Halkelson be\ntaken to lead the army; but Jon refused it. Then it was inquired\nif Nikolas Skialdvarson, a sister's son of King Magnus Barefoot,\nwould place himself at the head of the army; but he answered\nthus: -- It was his opinion that some one should be chosen king\nwho was of the royal race; and, for leader of the troops, some\none from whom help and understanding were to be looked for; and\nthen it would be easier to gather an army. It was now tried\nwhether Arne would let any of his sons, King Inge's brothers, be\nproclaimed king. Arne replies, that Kristin's son, she was the\ndaughter of King Sigurd the Crusader, was nearest by propinquity\nof descent to the crown of Norway. \"And here is also a man to be\nhis adviser, and whose duty it is to take care of him and of the\nkingdom; and that man is his father Erling, who is both prudent,\nbrave, experienced in war, and an able man in governing the\nkingdom; he wants no capability of bringing this counsel into\neffect, if luck be with him.\" Many thought well of this advice.\nErling replied to it, \"As far as I can see or hear in this\nmeeting, the most will rather be excused from taking upon\nthemselves such a difficult business. Now it appears to me\naltogether uncertain, provided we begin this work, whether he who\nputs himself at the head of it will gain any honour; or whether\nmatters will go as they have done before when any one undertakes\nsuch great things, that he loses all his property and possibly\nhis life. But if this counsel be adopted, there may be men who\nwill undertake to carry it through; but he who comes under such\nan obligation must seek, in every way, to prevent any opposition\nor enmity from those who are now in this council.\"\nAll gave assurance that they would enter into this confederacy\nwith perfect fidelity. Then said Erling, \"I can say for myself\nthat it would almost be my death to serve King Hakon; and however\ndangerous it may be, I will rather venture to adopt your advice,\nand take upon me to lead this force, if that be the will,\ncounsel, and desire of you all, and if you will all bind\nyourselves to this agreement by oath.\"\nTo this they all agreed; and in this meeting it was determined to\ntake Erling's son Magnus to be king. They afterwards held a\nThing in the town; and at this Thing Magnus Erlingson, then five\nyears old, was elected king of the whole country. All who had\nbeen servants of King Inge went into his service, and each of\nthem retained the office and dignity he had held under King Inge\n(A.D. 1161).\n2. KING MAGNUS GOES TO DENMARK.\nErling Skakke made himself ready to travel, fitted out ships, and\nhad with him King Magnus, together with the household-men who\nwere on the spot. In this expedition were the king's relatives,\n-- Arne; Ingerid, King Inge's mother, with her two sons; besides\nJon Kutiza, a son of Sigurd Stork, and Erling's house-men, as\nwell as those who had been Gregorius's house-men; and they had in\nall ten ships. They went south to Denmark to King Valdemar and\nBuriz Heinrekson, King Inge's brother. King Valdemar was King\nMagnus's blood-relation; for Ingebjorg, mother of King Valdemar,\nand Malmfrid, mother of Kristin, King Magnus's mother, were\ncousins. The Danish king received them hospitably, and he and\nErling had private meetings and consultations: and so much was\nknown of their counsels, that King Valdemar was to aid King\nMagnus with such help as might be required from his kingdom to\nwin and retain Norway. On the other hand, King Valdemar should\nget that domain in Norway which his ancestors Harald Gormson and\nSvein Forked-beard had possessed; namely, the whole of Viken as\nfar north as Rygiarbit. This agreement was confirmed by oath and\na fixed treaty. Then Erling and King Magnus made themselves\nready to leave Denmark, and they sailed out of Vendilskage.\n3. BATTLE OF TUNSBERG.\nKing Hakon went in spring, after the Easter week, north to\nThrondhjem, and had with him the whole fleet that had belonged to\nKing Inge. He held a Thing there in the merchant-town, and was\nchosen king of the whole country. Then he made Sigurd of Reyr an\nearl, and gave him an earldom, and afterwards proceeded\nsouthwards with his followers all the way to Viken. The king\nwent to Tunsberg; but sent Earl Sigurd east to Konungahella, to\ndefend the country with a part of the forces in case Erling\nshould come from the south. Erling and his fleet came to Agder,\nand went straight north to Bergen, where they killed Arne\nBrigdarskalle, King Hakon's officer, and came back immediately\nagainst King Hakon. Earl Sigurd, who had not observed the\njourney of Erling and his followers from the south, was at that\ntime east in the Gaut river, and King Hakon was in Tunsberg.\nErling brought up at Hrossanes, and lay there some nights. In\nthe meantime King Hakon made preparations in the town. When\nErling and his fleet were coming up to the town, they took a\nmerchant vessel, filled it with wood and straw, and set fire to\nit; and the wind blowing right towards the town, drove the vessel\nagainst the piers. Erling had two cables brought on board the\nvessel, and made fast to two boats, and made them row along as\nthe vessel drove. Now when the fire was come almost abreast of\nthe town, those who were in the boats held back the vessel by the\nropes, so that the town could not be set on fire; but so thick a\nsmoke spread from it over the town, that one could not see from\nthe piers where the king's array was. Then Erling drew the whole\nfleet in where the wind carried the fire, and shot at the enemy.\nWhen the townspeople saw that the fire was approaching their\nhouses, and many were wounded by the bowmen, they resolved to\nsend the priest Hroald, the long-winded speaker, to Erling, to\nbeg him to spare them and the town; and they dissolved the array\nin favour of Hakon, as soon as Hroald told them their prayer was\ngranted. Now when the array of towns-people had dispersed, the\nmen on the piers were much thinned: however, some urged Hakon's\nmen to make resistance: but Onund Simonson, who had most\ninfluence over the army, said, \"I will not fight for Earl\nSigurd's earldom, since he is not here himself.\" Then Onund\nfled, and was followed by all the people, and by the king\nhimself; and they hastened up the country. King Hakon lost many\nmen here; and these verses were made about it: --\n\"Onund declares he will not go\nIn battle 'gainst Earl Sigurd's foe,\nIf Earl Sigurd does not come,\nBut with his house-men sits at home.\nKing Magnus' men rush up the street,\nEager with Hakon's troop to meet;\nBut Hakon's war-hawks, somewhat shy,\nTurn quick about, and off they fly.\"\nThorbjorn Skakkaskald also said: --\n\"The Tunsberg men would not be slow\nIn thy good cause to risk a blow;\nAnd well they knew the chief could stain\nThe wolves' mouths on a battle-plain.\nBut the town champion rather fears\nThe sharp bright glance of levelled spears;\nTheir steel-clad warrior loves no fight\nWhere bowstring twangs, or fire flies bright.\"\nKing Hakon then took the land-road northwards to Throndhjem.\nWhen Earl Sigurd heard of this, he proceeded with all the ships\nhe could get the seaway north-wards, to meet King Hakon there.\n4. OF ERLING AND HAKON.\nErling Skakke took all the ships in Tunsberg belonging to King\nHakon, and there he also took the Baekisudin which had belonged\nto King Inge. Then Erling proceeded, and reduced the whole of\nViken in obedience to King Magnus, and also the whole country\nnorth wheresoever he appeared up to Bergen, where he remained all\nwinter. There Erling killed Ingebjorn Sipil, King Hakon's\nlenderman of the north part of the Fjord district. In winter\n(A.D. 1162) King Hakon was in Throndhjem; but in the following\nspring he ordered a levy, and prepared to go against Erling. He\nhad with him Earl Sigurd, Jon Sveinson, Eindride Unge, Onund\nSimonson, Philip Peterson, Philip Gyrdson, Ragnvald Kunta, Sigurd\nKapa, Sigurd Hiupa, Frirek Keina, Asbjorn of Forland, Thorbjorn,\na son of Gunnar the treasurer, and Stradbjarne.\n5. OF ERLING'S PEOPLE.\nErling was in Bergen with a great armament, and resolved to lay a\nsailing prohibition on all the merchant vessels which were going\nnorth to Nidaros; for he knew that King Hakon would soon get\ntidings of him, if ships were sailing between the towns.\nBesides, he gave out that it was better for Bergen to get the\ngoods, even if the owners were obliged to sell them cheaper than\nthey wished than that they should fall into the hands of enemies\nand thereby strengthen them. And now a great many vessels were\nassembled at Bergen, for many arrived every day, and none were\nallowed to go away. Then Erling let some of the lightest of his\nvessels be laid ashore, and spread the report that he would wait\nfor Hakon, and, with the help of his friends and relations,\noppose the enemy there. He then one day called a meeting of the\nship-masters, and gave them and all the merchant ships and their\nsteersmen leave to go where they pleased. When the men who had\ncharge of the cargoes, and were all ready to sail away with their\ngoods, some for trade, others on various business, had got leave\nfrom Erling Skakke to depart, there was a soft and favourable\nwind for sailing north along the coast. Before the evening all\nwho were ready had set sail, and hastened on as fast as they\ncould, according to the speed of their vessels, the one vying\nwith the other. When this fleet came north to More, Hakon's\nfleet had arrived there before them: and he himself was there\nfully engaged in collecting people, and summoning to him the\nlendermen, and all liable to serve in the levy, without having\nfor a long time heard any news from Bergen. Now, however, they\nheard, as the latest news, that Erling Skakke had laid his ships\nup in Bergen, and there they would find him; and also that he had\na large force with him. King Hakon sailed from thence to Veey,\nand sent away Earl Sigurd and Onund Simonson to gather people,\nand sent men also to both the More districts. After King Hakon\nhad remained a few days at the town he sailed farther, and\nproceeded to the South, thinking that it would both promote his\njourney and enable new levies to join him sooner.\nErling Skakke had given leave on Sunday to all the merchant\nvessels to leave Bergen; and on Tuesday, as soon as the early\nmass was over, he ordered the warhorns to sound, summoned to him\nthe men-at-arms and the townsmen, and let the ships which were\nlaid up on shore be drawn down into the water. Then Erling held\na House-Thing with his men and the people of the levy; told them\nhis intentions; named ship commanders; and had the names called\nover of the men who were to be on board of the king's ship. This\nThing ended with Erling's order to every man to make himself\nready in his berth wherever a place was appointed him; and\ndeclared that he who remained in the town after the Baekisudin\nwas hauled out, should be punished by loss of life or limb. Orm,\nthe king's brother, laid his ships out in the harbour immediately\nthat evening, and many others, and the greater number were afloat\nbefore.\n6. OF ERLING SKAKKE.\nOn Wednesday, before mass was sung in the town, Erling sailed\nfrom Bergen with all his fleet, consisting of twenty-one ships;\nand there was a fresh breeze for sailing northwards along the\ncoast. Erling had his son King Magnus with him, and there were\nmany lendermen accompanied by the finest men. When Erling came\nnorth, abreast of the Fjord district, he sent a boat on shore to\nJon Halkelson's farm, and took Nikolas, a son of Simon Skalp and\nof Maria, Harald Gille's daughter, and brought him out to the\nfleet, and put him on board the king's ship. On Friday,\nimmediately after matins, they sailed to Steinavag, and King\nHakon, with thirteen ships, was lying in the harbour in the\nneighbourhood. He himself and his men were up at play upon the\nisland, and the lendermen were sitting on the hill, when they saw\na boat rowing from the south with two men in it, who were bending\nback deep towards the keel, and taking hasty strokes with their\noars. When they came to the shore they did not belay the boat,\nbut both ran from it. The great men seeing this, said to each\nother, \"These men must have some news to tell;\" and got up to\nmeet them. When they met, Onund Simonson asked, \"Have ye any\nnews of Erling Skakke, that ye are running so fast?\"\nThey answered, as soon as they could get out the words, for they\nhad lost their breath, \"Here comes Erling against you, sailing\nfrom the south, with twenty-one ships, or thereabouts, of which\nmany are great enough; and now ye will soon see their sails.\"\nThen said Eindride Unge, \"Too near to the nose, said the peasant,\nwhen his eye was knocked out.\"\nThey went in haste now to where the games were playing, and\nimmediately the war-horns resounded, and with the battle-call all\nthe people were gathered down to the ships in the greatest haste.\nIt was just the time of day when their meat was nearly cooked.\nAll the men rushed to the ships, and each ran on board the vessel\nthat was nearest to him, so that the ships were unequally manned.\nSome took to the oars; some raised the masts, turned the heads of\nthe vessels to the north, and steered for Veey, where they\nexpected much assistance from the towns.\n7. FALL OF KING HAKON.\nSoon after they saw the sails of Erling's fleet, and both fleets\ncame in sight of each other. Eindride Unge had a ship called\nDraglaun, which was a large buss-like long-ship, but which had\nbut a small crew; for those who belonged to her had run on board\nof other ships, and she was therefore the hindmost of Hakon's\nfleet. When Eindride came abreast of the island Sek, the\nBaekisudin, which Erling Skakke himself commanded, came up with\nher; and these two ships were bound fast together. King Hakon\nand his followers had arrived close to Veey; but when they heard\nthe war-horn they turned again to assist Eindride. Now they\nbegan the battle on both sides, as the vessels came up. Many of\nthe sails lay midships across the vessels; and the ships were not\nmade fast to each other, but they lay side by side. The conflict\nwas not long before there came disorder in Hakon's ship; and some\nfell, and others sprang overboard. Hakon threw over him a grey\ncloak, and jumped on board another ship; but when he had been\nthere a short time he thought he had got among his enemies; and\nwhen he looked about him he saw none of his men nor of his ships\nnear him. Then he went into the Baekisudin to the forecastle-\nmen, and begged his life. They took him in their keeping, and\ngave him quarter. In this conflict there was a great loss of\npeople, but principally of Hakon's men. In the Baekisudin fell\nNikolas, Simon Skalp's son; and Erling's men are accused of\nhaving killed him themselves. Then there was a pause in the\nbattle, and the vessels separated. It was now told to Erling\nthat Hakon was on board of his ship; that the forecastle-men had\ntaken him, and threatened that they would defend him with arms.\nErling sent men forwards in the ship to bring the forecastle-men\nhis orders to guard Hakon well, so that he should not get away.\nHe at the same time let it be understood that he had no objection\nto giving the king life and safety, if the other chiefs were\nwilling, and a peace could be established. All the forecastle-\nmen gave their chief great credit and honour for these words.\nThen Erling ordered anew a blast of the war-horns, and that the\nships should be attacked which had not lost their men; saying\nthat they would never have such another opportunity of avenging\nKing Inge. Thereupon they all raised a war-shout, encouraged\neach other, and rushed to the assault. In this tumult King Hakon\nreceived his death-wound. When his men knew he had fallen they\nrowed with all their might against the enemy, threw away their\nshields, slashed with both hands, and cared not for life. This\nheat and recklessness, however, proved soon a great loss to them;\nfor Erling's men saw the unprotected parts of their bodies, and\nwhere their blows would have effect. The greater part of Hakon's\nmen who remained fell here; and it was principally owing to the\nwant of numbers, as they were not enough to defend themselves.\nThey could not get quarter, also excepting those whom the chiefs\ntook under their protection and bound themselves to pay ransom\nfor. The following of Hakon's people fell: Sigurd Kapa, Sigurd\nHiupa, and Ragnvald Kunta; but some ships crews got away, rowed\ninto the fjords, and thus saved their lives. Hakon's body was\ncarried to Raumsdal, and buried there; but afterwards his\nbrother, King Sverre, had the body transported north to the\nmerchant town Nidaros, and laid in the stone wall of Christ\nchurch south of the choir.\n8. FLIGHT OF THE CHIEFS OF HAKON'S MEN.\nEarl Sigurd, Eindride Unge, Onund Simonson, Frirek Keina, and\nother chiefs kept the troop together, left the ships in Raumsdal,\nand went up to the Uplands. King Magnus and his father Erling\nsailed with their troops north to Nidaros in Throndhjem, and\nsubdued the country as they went along. Erling called together\nan Eyra-thing, at which King Magnus was proclaimed king of all\nNorway. Erling, however, remained there but a short time; for he\nthought the Throndhjem people were not well affected towards him\nand his son. King Magnus was then called king of the whole\ncountry.\nKing Hakon had been a handsome man in appearance, well grown,\ntall and thin; but rather broad-shouldered, on which account his\nmen called him Herdebreid. As he was young in years, his\nlendermen ruled for him. He was cheerful and friendly in\nconversation, playful and youthful in his ways, and was much\nliked by the people.\n9. OF KING SIGURD'S BEGINNING.\nThere was an Upland man called Markus of Skog, who was a relation\nof Earl Sigurd. Markus brought up a son of King Sigurd Mun, who\nwas also called Sigurd. This Sigurd was chosen king (A.D. 1162)\nby the Upland people, by the advice of Earl Sigurd and the other\nchiefs who had followed King Hakon. They had now a great army,\nand the troops were divided in two bodies; so that Markus and the\nking were less exposed where there was anything to do, and Earl\nSigurd and his troop, along with the lendermen, were most in the\nway of danger. They went with their troops mostly through the\nUplands, and sometimes eastwards to Viken. Erling Skakke had his\nson King Magnus always with him, and he had also the whole fleet\nand the land defence under him. He was a while in Bergen in\nautumn; but went from thence eastward to Viken, where he settled\nin Tunsberg for his winter quarters (A.D. 1163), and collected in\nViken all the taxes and revenues that belonged to Magnus as king;\nand he had many and very fine troops. As Earl Sigurd had but a\nsmall part of the country, and kept many men on foot, he soon was\nin want of money; and where there was no chief in the\nneighbourhood he had to seek money by unlawful ways, -- sometimes\nby unfounded accusations and fines, sometimes by open robbery.\n10. EARL SIGURD'S CONDEMNATION.\nAt that time the realm of Norway was in great prosperity. The\nbondes were rich and powerful, unaccustomed to hostilities or\nviolence, and the oppression of roving troops; so that there was\nsoon a great noise and scandal when they were despoiled and\nrobbed. The people of Viken were very friendly to Erling and\nKing Magnus, principally from the popularity of the late King\nInge Haraldson; for the Viken people had always served under his\nbanner. Erling kept a guard in the town, and twelve men were on\nwatch every night. Erling had Things regularly with the bondes,\nat which the misdeeds of Sigurd's people were often talked over;\nand by the representations of Erling and his adherents, the\nbondes were brought unanimously to consider that it would be a\ngreat good fortune if these bands should be rooted out. Arne,\nthe king's relation, spoke well and long on this subject, and at\nlast severely; and required that all who were at the Thing, --\nmen-at-arms, bondes, towns-men, and merchants, -- should come to\nthe resolution to sentence according to law Earl Sigurd and all\nhis troop, and deliver them to Satan, both living and dead. From\nthe animosity and hatred of the people, this was agreed to by\nall; and thus the unheard-of deed was adopted and confirmed by\noath, as if a judgment in the case was delivered there by the\nThing according to law. The priest Hroald the Long-winded, who\nwas a very eloquent man, spoke in the case; but his speech was to\nthe same purpose as that of others who had spoken before. Erling\ngave a feast at Yule in Tunsberg, and paid the wages of the\nmen-at-arms at Candlemas.\n11. OF ERLING.\nEarl Sigurd went with his best troops down to Viken, where many\npeople were obliged to submit to his superior force, and many had\nto pay money. He drove about thus widely higher up the country,\npenetrating into different districts. But there were some in his\ntroop who desired privately to make peace with Erling; but they\ngot back the answer, that all who asked for their lives should\nobtain quarter, but they only should get leave to remain in the\ncountry who had not been guilty of any great offenses against\nErling. And when Sigurd's adherents heard that they would not\nget leave to remain in the country, they held together in one\nbody; for there were many among them who knew for certain that\nErling would look upon them as guilty of offences against him.\nPhilip Gyrdson made terms with Erling, got his property back, and\nwent home to his farm; but soon after Sigurd's men came there,\nand killed him. They committed many crimes against each other,\nand many men were slain in their mutual persecution; but here\nwhat was committed by the chiefs only is written down.\n12. ERLING GETS NEWS OF EARL SIGURD.\nIt was in the beginning of Lent that news came to Erling that\nEarl Sigurd intended to come upon him; and news of him came here\nand there, sometimes nearer, sometimes farther off. Erling sent\nout spies in all quarters around to discover where they were.\nEvery evening he assembled all the men-at-arms by the war-horn\nout of the town; and for a long time in the winter they lay under\narms all night, ready to be drawn up in array. At last Erling\ngot intelligence that Sigurd and his followers were not far\ndistant, up at the farm Re. Erling then began his expedition out\nof the town, and took with him all the towns-people who were able\nto carry arms and had arms, and likewise all the merchants; and\nleft only twelve men behind to keep watch in the town. Erling\nwent out of the town on Thursday afternoon, in the second week of\nLent (February 19); and every man had two days' provisions with\nhim. They marched by night, and it was late before they got out\nof the town with the men. Two men were with each shield and each\nhorse; and the people, when mustered, were about 1200 men. When\nthey met their spies, they were informed that Sigurd was at Re,\nin a house called Rafnnes, and had 500 men. Then Erling called\ntogether his people; told them the news he had received, and all\nwere eager to hasten their march, fall on them in the houses, or\nengage them by night.\nErling replied to them thus: -- \"It is probable that we and Earl\nSigurd shall soon meet. There are also many men in this band\nwhose handy-work remains in our memories; such as cutting down\nKing Inge, and so many more of our friends, that it would take\nlong to reckon them up. These deeds they did by the power of\nSatan, by witchcraft, and by villainy; for it stands in our laws\nand country rights, that however highly a man may have been\nguilty, it shall be called villainy and cowardly murder to kill\nhim in the night. This band has had its luck hitherto by\nfollowing the counsel of men acquainted with witchcraft and\nfighting by night, and not in the light of day; and by this\nproceeding have they been victorious hitherto over the chiefs\nwhose heads they have laid low on the earth. Now we have often\nseen, and proved, how unsuitable and improper it is to go into\nbattle in the nighttime; therefore let us rather have before our\neyes the example of chiefs better known to us, and who deserve\nbetter to be imitated, and fight by open day in regular battle\narray, and not steal upon sleeping men in the night. We have\npeople enough against them, so few as they are. Let us,\ntherefore, wait for day and daylight, and keep together in our\narray in case they attack us.\"\nThereafter the whole army sat down. Some opened up bundles of\nhay, and made a bed of it for themselves; some sat upon their\nshields, and thus waited the daydawn. The weather was raw, and\nthere was a wet snowdrift.\n13. OF EARL SIGURD'S BATTLE ARRAY.\nEarl Sigurd got the first intelligence of Erling's army, when it\nwas already near to the house. His men got up, and armed\nthemselves; but not knowing how many men Erling had with him,\nsome were inclined to fly, but the most determined to stand.\nEarl Sigurd was a man of understanding, and could talk well, but\ncertainly was not considered brave enough to take a strong\nresolution; and indeed the earl showed a great inclination to\nfly, for which he got many stinging words from his men-at-arms.\nAs day dawned, they began on both sides to draw up their battle\narray. Earl Sigurd placed his men on the edge of a ridge between\nthe river and the house, at a place at which a little stream runs\ninto the river. Erling and his people placed their array on the\nother side of the river; but at the back of his array were men on\nhorseback well armed, who had the king with them. When Earl\nSigurd's men saw that there was so great a want of men on their\nside, they held a council, and were for taking to the forest.\nBut Earl Sigurd said, \"Ye alleged that I had no courage, but it\nwill now be proved; and let each of you take care not to fail, or\nfly, before I do so. We have a good battle-field. Let them\ncross the bridge; but as soon as the banner comes over it let us\nthen rush down the hill upon them, and none desert his\nneighbour.\"\nEarl Sigurd had on a red-brown kirtle, and a red cloak, of which\nthe corners were tied and turned back; shoes on his feet; and a\nshield and sword called Bastard. The earl said, \"God knows that\nI would rather get at Erling Skakke with a stroke of Bastard,\nthan receive much gold.\"\n14. EARL SIGURD'S FALL.\nErling Skakke's army wished to go on to the bridge; but Erling\ntold them to go up along the river, which was small, and not\ndifficult to cross, as its banks were flat; and they did so.\nEarl Sigurd's array proceeded up along the ridge right opposite\nto them; but as the ridge ended, and the ground was good and\nlevel over the river, Erling told his men to sing a Paternoster,\nand beg God to give them the victory who best deserved it. Then\nthey all sang aloud \"Kyrie Eleison\", and struck with their\nweapons on their shields. But with this singing 300 men of\nErling's people slipped away and fled. Then Erling and his\npeople went across the river, and the earl's men raised the\nwar-shout; but there was no assault from the ridge down upon\nErling's array, but the battle began upon the hill itself. They\nfirst used spears then edge weapons; and the earl's banner soon\nretired so far back, that Erling and his men scaled the ridge.\nThe battle lasted but a short time before the earl's men fled to\nthe forest, which they had close behind them. This was told Earl\nSigurd, and his men bade him fly; but he replied, \"Let us on\nwhile we can.\" And his men went bravely on, and cut down on all\nsides. In this tumult fell Earl Sigurd and Jon Sveinson, and\nnearly sixty men. Erling lost few men, and pursued the fugitives\nto the forest. There Erling halted his troops, and turned back.\nHe came just as the king's slaves were about stripping the\nclothes off Earl Sigurd, who was not quite lifeless. He had put\nhis sword in the sheath, and it lay by his side. Erling took it,\nstruck the slaves with it, and drove them away. Then Erling,\nwith his troops, returned, and sat down in Tunsberg. Seven days\nafter Earl Sigurd's fall Erling's men took Eindride Unge\nprisoner, and killed him, with all his ship's crew.\n15. MARKUS OF SKOG, AND SIGURD SIGURDSON.\nMarkus of Skog, and King Sigurd, his foster-son, rode down to\nViken towards spring, and there got a ship; but when Erling heard\nit he went eastwards against them, and they met at Konungahella.\nMarkus fled with his followers to the island Hising; and there\nthe country people of Hising came down in swarms, and placed\nthemselves in Markus's and Sigurd's array. Erling and his men\nrowed to the shore; but Markus's men shot at them. Then Erling\nsaid to his people, \"Let us take their ships, but not go up to\nfight with a land force. The Hisingers are a bad set to quarrel\nwith, -- hard, and without understanding. They will keep this\ntroop but a little while among them, for Hising is but a small\nspot.\" This was done: they took the ships, and brought them over\nto Konungahella. Markus and his men went up to the forest\ndistrict, from which they intended to make assaults, and they had\nspies out on both sides. Erling had many men-at-arms with him,\nwhom he brought from other districts, and they made attacks on\neach other in turn.\n16. BEGINNING OF ARCHBISHOP EYSTEIN.\nEystein, a son of Erlend Himaide, was selected to be archbishop,\nafter Archbishop Jon's death; and he was consecrated the same\nyear King Inge was killed. Now when Archbishop Eystein came to\nhis see, he made himself beloved by all the country, as an\nexcellent active man of high birth. The Throndhjem people, in\nparticular, received him with pleasure; for most of the great\npeople in the Throndhjem district were connected with the\narchbishop by relationship or other connection, and all were his\nfriends. The archbishop brought forward a request to the bondes\nin a speech, in which he set forth the great want of money for\nthe see, and also how much greater improvement of the revenues\nwould be necessary to maintain it suitably, as it was now of much\nmore importance than formerly when the bishop's see was first\nestablished. He requested of the bondes that they should give\nhim, for determining law-suits, an ore of silver value, instead\nof what they had before paid, which was an ore of judgment money,\nof that kind which was paid to the king in judging cases; and the\ndifference between the two kinds of ore was, that the ore he\ndesired was a half greater than the other. By help of the\narchbishop's relations and friends, and his own activity, this\nwas carried; and it was fixed by law in all the Throndhjem\ndistrict, and in all the districts belonging to his\narchbishopric.\n17. OF MARKUS AND KING SIGURD.\nWhen Sigurd and Markus lost their ships in the Gaut river, and\nsaw they could get no hold on Erling, they went to the Uplands,\nand proceeded by land north to Throndhjem. Sigurd was received\nthere joyfully, and chosen king at an Eyra-thing; and many\ngallant men, with their sons, attached themselves to his party.\nThey fitted out ships, rigged them for a voyage, and proceeded\nwhen summer came southwards to More, and took up all the royal\nrevenues wheresoever they came. At this time the following\nlendermen were appointed in Bergen for the defence of the\ncountry: -- Nikolas Sigurdson, Nokve Palson, and several military\nleaders; as Thorolf Dryl, Thorbjorn Gjaldkere, and many others.\nAs Markus and Sigurd sailed south, they heard that Erling's men\nwere numerous in Bergen; and therefore they sailed outside the\ncoast-rocks, and southwards past Bergen. It was generally\nremarked, that Markus's men always got a fair wind, wherever they\nwished to sail to.\n18. MARKUS AND KING SIGURD KILLED.\nAs soon as Erling Skakke heard that Sigurd and Markus had sailed\nsouthwards, he hastened to Viken, and drew together an armed\nforce; and he soon had a great many men, and many stout ships.\nBut when he came farther in Viken, he met with a strong contrary\nwind, which kept him there in port the whole summer. Now when\nSigurd and Markus came east to Lister, they heard that Erling had\na great force in Viken; so they turned to the north again. But\nwhen they reached Hordaland, with the intention of sailing to\nBergen, and came opposite the town, Nikolas and his men rowed out\nagainst them, with more men and larger ships than they had.\nSigurd and Markus saw no other way of escaping but to row away\nsouthwards. Some of them went out to sea, others got south to\nthe sound, and some got into the Fjords. Markus, and some people\nwith him, sprang upon an isle called Skarpa. Nikolas and his men\ntook their ships, gave Jon Halkelson and a few others quarter,\nbut killed the most of them they could get hold of. Some days\nafter Eindride Heidafylja found Sigurd and Markus, and they were\nbrought to Bergen. Sigurd was beheaded outside of Grafdal, and\nMarkus and another man were hanged at Hvarfsnes. This took place\non Michaelmas day (September 29, 1163), and the band which had\nfollowed them was dispersed.\n19. ERLING AND THE PEOPLE OF HISING ISLE.\nFrirek Keina and Bjarne the Bad, Onund Simonson and Ornolf Skorpa\nhad rowed out to sea with some ships, and sailed outside along\nthe land to the east. Wheresoever they came to the land they\nplundered, and killed Erling's friends. Now when Erling heard\nthat Sigurd and Markus were killed, he gave leave to the\nlendermen and people of the levy to return home; but he himself,\nwith his men, set his course eastward across the Folden fjord,\nfor he heard of Markus's men there. Erling sailed to\nKonungahella, where he remained the autumn; and in the first week\nof winter Erling went out to the island Hising with his men, and\ncalled the bondes to a Thing. When the Hising people came to the\nThing, Erling laid his law-suit against them for having joined\nthe bands of Sigurd and Markus, and having raised men against\nhim. Assur was the name of one of the greatest of the bondes on\nthe island, and he answered Erling on account of the others. The\nThing was long assembled; but at the close the bondes gave the\ncase into Erling's own power, and he appointed a meeting in the\ntown within one week, and named fifteen bondes who should appear\nthere. When they came, he condemned them to pay a penalty of 300\nhead of cattle; and the bondes returned home ill pleased at this\nsentence. Soon after the Gaut river was frozen, and Erling's\nships were fast in the ice; and the bondes kept back the mulct,\nand lay assembled for some time. Erling made a Yule feast in the\ntown; but the Hising people had joint-feasts with each other, and\nkept under arms during Yule. The night after the fifth day of\nYule Erling went up to Hising, surrounded Assur's house, and\nburnt him in it. He killed one hundred men in all, burnt three\nhouses, and then returned to Konungahella. The bondes came then,\naccording to agreement, to pay the mulct.\n20. DEATH OF FRIREK KEINA AND BJARNE.\nErling Skakke made ready to sail in spring as soon as he could\nget his ships afloat for ice, and sailed from Konungahella; for\nhe heard that those who had formerly been Markus's friends were\nmarauding in the north of Viken. Erling sent out spies to learn\ntheir doings, searched for them, and found them lying in a\nharbour. Onund Simonson and Ornolf Skorpa escaped, but Frirek\nKeina and Bjarne the Bad were taken, and many of their followers\nwere killed. Erling had Frirek bound to an anchor and thrown\noverboard; and for that deed Erling was much detested in the\nThrondhjem country, for the most powerful men there were\nrelatives of Frirek. Erling ordered Bjarne the Bad to be hanged;\nand he uttered, according to his custom, many dreadful\nimprecations during his execution. Thorbjorn Skakkaskald tells\nof this business: --\n\"East of the Fjord beyond the land,\nUnnoticed by the pirate band,\nErling stole on them ere they knew,\nAnd seized and killed all Keina's crew.\nKeina, fast to an anchor bound,\nWas thrown into the deep-blue Sound;\nAnd Bjarne swung high on gallows-tree,\nA sight all good men loved to see.\"\nOnund and Ornolf, with the band that had escaped, fled to\nDenmark; but were sometimes in Gautland, or in Viken.\n21. CONFERENCE BETWEEN ERLING AND EYSTEIN.\nErling Skakke sailed after this to Tunsberg, and remained there\nvery long in spring (A.D. 1164); but when summer came he\nproceeded north to Bergen, where at that time a great many people\nwere assembled. There was the legate from Rome, Stephanus; the\nArchbishop Eystein, and other bishops of the country. There was\nalso Bishop Brand, who was consecrated bishop of Iceland, and Jon\nLoptson, a daughter's son of King Magnus Barefoot; and on this\noccasion King Magnus and Jon's other relations acknowledged the\nrelationship with him.\nArchbishop Eystein and Erling Skakke often conversed together in\nprivate; and, among other things, Erling asked one day, \"Is it\ntrue, sir, what people tell me, that you have raised the value of\nthe ore upon the people north in Throndhjem, in the law cases in\nwhich money-fees are paid you ?\"\n\"It is so,\" said the archbishop, \"that the bondes have allowed me\nan advance on the ore of law casualties; but they did it\nwillingly, and without any kind of compulsion, and have thereby\nadded to their honour for God and the income of the bishopric.\"\nErling replies, \"Is this according to the law of the holy Olaf?\nor have you gone to work more arbitrarily in this than is written\ndown in the lawbook?\"\nThe archbishop replies, \"King Olaf the Holy fixed the laws, to\nwhich he received the consent and affirmative of the people; but\nit will not be found in his laws that it is forbidden to increase\nGod's right.\"\nErling: \"If you augment your right, you must assist us to augment\nas much the king's right.\"\nThe archbishop: \"Thou hast already augmented enough thy son's\npower and dominion; and if I have exceeded the law in taking an\nincrease of the ore from the Throndhjem people, it is, I think, a\nmuch greater breach of the law that one is king over the country\nwho is not a king's son, and which has neither any support in the\nlaw, nor in any precedent here in the country.\"\nErling: \"When Magnus was chosen king, it was done with your\nknowledge and consent, and also of all the other bishops here in\nthe country.\"\nArchbishop: \"You promised then, Erling, that provided we gave our\nconsent to electing Magnus king, you would, on all occasions, and\nwith all your power, strengthen God's rights.\"\nErling: \"I may well admit that I have promised to preserve and\nstrengthen God's commands and the laws of the land with all my\npower, and with the king's strength; and now I consider it to be\nmuch more advisable, instead of accusing each other of a breach\nof our promises, to hold firmly by the agreement entered into\nbetween us. Do you strengthen Magnus in his dominion, according\nto what you have promised; and I will, on my part, strengthen\nyour power in all that can be of advantage or honour.\"\nThe conversation now took a more friendly turn; and Erling said,\n\"Although Magnus was not chosen king according to what has been\nthe old custom of this country, yet can you with your power give\nhim consecration as king, as God's law prescribes, by anointing\nthe king to sovereignty; and although I be neither a king, nor of\nkingly race, yet most of the kings, within my recollection, have\nnot known the laws or the constitution of the country so well as\nI do. Besides, the mother of King Magnus is the daughter of a\nking and queen born in lawful wedlock, and Magnus is son of a\nqueen and a lawfully married wife. Now if you will give him\nroyal consecration, no man can take royalty from him. William\nBastard was not a king's son; but he was consecrated and crowned\nking of England, and the royalty in England has ever since\nremained with his race, and all have been crowned. Svein Ulfson\nwas not a king's son in Denmark, and still he was a crowned king,\nand his sons likewise, and all his descendants have been crowned\nkings. Now we have here in Norway an archiepiscopal seat, to the\nglory and honour of the country; let us also have a crowned king,\nas well as the Danes and Englishmen.\"\nErling and the archbishop afterwards talked often of this matter,\nand they were quite agreed. Then the archbishop brought the\nbusiness before the legate, and got him easily persuaded to give\nhis consent. Thereafter the archbishop called together the\nbishops, and other learned men, and explained the subject to\nthem. They all replied in the same terms, that they would follow\nthe counsels of the archbishop, and all were eager to promote the\nconsecration as soon as the archbishop pleased.\n22. KING MAGNUS'S CONSECRATION.\nErling Skakke then had a great feast prepared in the king's\nhouse. The large hall was covered with costly cloth and\ntapestry, and adorned with great expense. The court-men and all\nthe attendants were there entertained, and there were numerous\nguests, and many chiefs. Then King Magnus received the royal\nconsecration from the Archbishop Eystein; and at the consecration\nthere were five other bishops and the legate, besides a number of\nother clergy. Erling Skakke, and with him twelve other\nlendermen, administered to the king the oath of the law; and the\nday of the consecration the king and Erling had the legate, the\narchbishop, and all the other bishops as guests; and the feast\nwas exceedingly magnificent, and the father and son distributed\nmany great presents. King Magnus was then eight years of age,\nand had been king for three years.\n23. KING VALDEMAR'S EMBASSY.\nWhen the Danish king Valdemar heard the news from Norway that\nMagnus was become king of the whole country, and all the other\nparties in the country were rooted out, he sent his men with a\nletter to King Magnus and Erling, and reminded them of the\nagreement which Erling had entered into, under oath, with King\nValdemar, of which we have spoken before; namely, that Viken from\nthe east to Rygiarbit should be ceded to King Valdemar, if Magnus\nbecame the sole king of Norway. When the ambassadors came\nforward and showed Erling the letter of the Danish king, and he\nheard the Danish king's demand upon Norway, he laid it before the\nother chiefs by whose counsels he usually covered his acts. All,\nas one man, replied that the Danes should never hold the\nslightest portion of Norway; for never had things been worse in\nthe land than when the Danes had power in it. The ambassadors of\nthe Danish king were urgent with Erling for an answer, and\ndesired to have it decided; but Erling begged them to proceed\nwith him east to Viken, and said he would give his final answer\nwhen he had met with the men of most understanding and influence\nin Viken.\n24. ERLING AND THE PEOPLE OF VIKEN.\nErling Skakke proceeded in autumn to Viken, and stayed in\nTunsberg, from whence he sent people to Sarpsborg to summon a\nThing (1) of four districts; and then Erling went there with his\npeople.\nWhen the Thing was seated Erling made a speech in which he\nexplained the resolutions which had been settled upon between him\nand the Danish king, the first time he collected troops against\nhis enemies. \"I will,\" said Erling, \"keep faithfully the\nagreement which we then entered into with the king, if it be your\nwill and consent, bondes, rather to serve the Danish king than\nthe king who is now consecrated and crowned king of this\ncountry.\"\nThe bondes replied thus to Erling's speech: \"Never will we become\nthe Danish king's men, as long as one of us Viken men is in\nlife.\" And the whole assembly, with shouts and cries, called on\nErling to keep the oath he had taken to defend his son's\ndominions, \"should we even all follow thee to battle.\" And so\nthe Thing was dissolved.\nThe ambassadors of the Danish king then returned home, and told\nthe issue of their errand. The Danes abused Erling, and all\nNorthmen, and declared that evil only proceeded from them; and\nthe report was spread, that in Spring the Danish king would send\nout an army and lay waste Norway. Erling returned in autumn\nnorth to Bergen, stayed there all winter, and gave their pay to\nhis people.\nENDNOTES:\n(1) This reference to a Thing of the people in the affairs of\nthe country is a striking example of the right of the Things\nbeing recognised, in theory at least, as fully as the right\nof our parliaments in later times. -- L.\n25. LETTERS OF THE THRONDHJEM PEOPLE.\nThe same winter (A.D. 1165) some Danish people came by land\nthrough the Uplands, saying they were to go, as was then the\ngeneral practice, to the holy King Olaf's festival. But when\nthey came to the Throndhjem country, they went to many men of\ninfluence, and told their business; which was, that the Danish\nking had sent them to desire their friendship, and consent, if he\ncame to the country, promising them both power and money. With\nthis verbal message came also the Danish king's letter and seal,\nand a message to the Throndhjem people that they should send back\ntheir letters and seals to him. They did so, and the most of\nthem received well the Danish king's message; whereupon the\nmessengers returned back towards Lent. Erling was in Bergen; and\ntowards spring Erling's friends told him the loose reports they\nhad heard by some merchant vessels that had arrived from\nThrondhjem, that the Throndhjem people were in hostility openly\nagainst him; and had declared that if Erling came to Throndhjem,\nhe should never pass Agdanes in life. Erling said this was mere\nfolly and idle talk. Erling now made it known that he would go\nto Unarheim to the Gangdag-thing; and ordered a cutter of twenty\nrowing benches to be fitted out, a boat of fifteen benches, and a\nprovision-ship. When the vessels were ready, there came a strong\nsoutherly gale. On the Thursday of the Ascension week, Erling\ncalled his people by sound of trumpet to their departure; but the\nmen were loath to leave the town, and were ill inclined to row\nagainst the wind. Erling brought his vessels to Biskupshafn.\n\"Well,\" said Erling, \"since ye are so unwilling to row against\nthe wind, raise the mast, hoist the sails, and let the ship go\nnorth.\" They did so, and sailed northwards both day and night.\nOn Wednesday, in the evening, they sailed in past Agdanes, where\nthey found a fleet assembled of many merchant vessels, rowing\ncraft, and boats, all going towards the town to the celebration\nof the festival, -- some before them, some behind them -- so that\nthe townspeople paid no attention to the long-ships coming.\n26. ERLING AND THE PEOPLE OF THRONDHJEM.\nErling came to the town just as vespers was being sung in Christ\nchurch. He and his men ran into the town, to where it was told\nthem that the lenderman, Alf Rode, a son of Ottar Birting, was\nstill sitting at table, and drinking with his men. Erling fell\nupon them; and Alf was killed, with almost all his men. Few\nother men were killed; for they had almost all gone to church, as\nthis was the night before Christ's Ascension-day. In the morning\nearly, Erling called all the people by sound of trumpet to a\nThing out upon Evrar. At the Thing Erling laid a charge against\nthe Throndhjem people, accusing them of intending to betray the\ncountry, and take it from the king; and named Bard Standale, Pal\nAndreason, and Razabard, who then presided over the town's\naffairs, and many others. They, in their defence, denied the\naccusation; but Erling's writer stood up, produced many letters\nwith seals, and asked if they acknowledged their seals which they\nhad sent to the Danish king; and thereupon the letters were read.\nThere was also a Danish man with Erling who had gone with the\nletters in winter, and whom Erling for that purpose had taken\ninto his service. He told to these men the very words which each\nof them had used. \"And you, Razabard, spoke, striking your\nbreast; and the very words you used were, `Out of this breast are\nall these counsels produced.'\" Bard replied, \"I was wrong in the\nhead, sirs, when I spoke so.\" There was now nothing to be done\nbut to submit the case entirely to the sentence Erling might give\nupon it. He took great sums of money from many as fines, and\ncondemned all those who had been killed as lawless, and their\ndeeds as lawless; making their deaths thereby not subject to\nmulct. Then Erling returned south to Bergen.\n27. KING VALDEMAR'S EXPEDITION TO NORWAY.\nThe Danish king Valdemar assembled in spring (A.D. 1165) a great\narmy, and proceeded with it north to Viken. As soon as he\nreached the dominions of the king of Norway, the bondes assembled\nin a great multitude. The king advanced peacefully; but when\nthey came to the mainland, the people shot at them even when\nthere were only two or three together, from which the ill-will of\nthe country people towards them was evident. When they came to\nTunsberg, King Valdemar summoned a Hauga-thing; but nobody\nattended it from the country parts. Then Valdemar spoke thus to\nhis troops: \"It is evident that all the country-people are\nagainst us; and now we have two things to choose: the one to go\nthrough the country, sword in hand, sparing neither man nor\nbeast; the other is to go back without effecting our object. And\nit is more my inclination to go with the army to the East against\nthe heathens, of whom we have enough before us in the East\ncountry, than to kill Christian people here, although they have\nwell deserved it.\" All the others had a greater desire for a\nforay; but the king ruled, and they all returned back to Denmark\nwithout effecting their purpose. They pillaged, however, all\naround in the distant islands, or where the king was not in the\nneighbourhood. They then returned south to Denmark without doing\nanything.\n28. ERLING'S EXPEDITION TO JUTLAND.\nAs soon as Erling heard that a Danish force had come to Viken, he\nordered a levy through all the land, both of men and ships, so\nthat there was a great assemblage of men in arms; and with this\nforce he proceeded eastward along the coast. But when he came to\nLidandisnes, he heard that the Danish army had returned south to\nDenmark, after plundering all around them in Viken. Then Erling\ngave all the people of the levy permission to return home; but he\nhimself and some lendermen, with many vessels, sailed to Jutland\nafter the Danes. When they came to a place called Dyrsa, the\nDanes who had returned from the expedition lay there with many\nships. Erling gave them battle, and there was a fight, in which\nthe Danes soon fled with the loss of many people; and Erling and\nhis men plundered the ships and the town, and made a great booty,\nwith which they returned to Norway. Thereafter, for a time,\nthere was hostility between Norway and Denmark.\n29. ERLING'S EXPEDITION TO DENMARK.\nThe princess Krisfin went south in autumn (A.D. 1165) to Denmark,\nto visit her relation King Valdemar, who was her cousin. The\nking received her kindly, and gave her fiefs in his kingdom, so\nthat she could support her household well. She often conversed\nwith the king, who was remarkably kind towards her. In the\nspring following (A.D. 1166) Kristin sent to Erling, and begged\nhim to pay a visit to the Danish king, and enter into a peace\nwith him. In summer Erling was in Viken, where he fitted out a\nlong-ship, manned it with his finest lads, and sailed (a single\nship) over to Jutland. When he heard that the Danish king\nValdemar was in Randaros, Erling sailed thither, and came to the\ntown just as the king sat at the dinner-table, and most of the\npeople were taking their meal. When his people had made\nthemselves ready according to Erling's orders, set up the\nship-tents, and made fast the ship, Erling landed with twelve\nmen, all in armour, with hats over their helmets, and swords\nunder their cloaks. They went to the king's lodging, where the\ndoors stood open, and the dishes were being carried in. Erling\nand his people went in immediately, and drew up in front of the\nhigh-seat. Erling said, \"Peace and safe conduct we desire, king,\nboth here and to return home.\"\nThe king looked at him, and said, \"Art thou here, Erling?\"\nHe replies, \"Here is Erling; and tell us, at once, if we shall\nhave peace and safe conduct.\"\nThere were eighty of the king's men in the room, but all unarmed.\nThe king replies, \"Peace ye shall have, Erling, according to thy\ndesire; for I will not use force or villainy against a man who\ncomes to visit me.\"\nErling then kissed the king's hand, went out, and down to his\nship. Erling stayed at Randaros some time with the king, and\nthey talked about terms of peace between them and between the\ncountries. They agreed that Erling should remain as hostage with\nthe Danish king; and that Asbjorn Snara, Bishop Absalon's\nbrother, should go to Norway as hostage on the other part.\n30. KING VALDEMAR AND ERLING.\nIn a conference which King Valdemar and Erling once had together.\nErling said, \"Sire, it appears to me likely that it might lead to\na peace between the countries if you got that part of Norway\nwhich was promised you in our agreement; but if it should be so,\nwhat chief would you place over it? Would he be a Dane?\"\n\"No,\" replied the king; \"no Danish chief would go to Norway,\nwhere he would have to manage an obstinate hard people, when he\nhas it so easy here with me.\"\nErling: \"It was on that very consideration that I came here; for\nI would not on any account in the world deprive myself of the\nadvantage of your friendship. In days of old other men, Hakon\nIvarson and Fin Arnason, came also from Norway to Denmark, and\nyour predecessor, King Svein, made them both earls. Now I am not\na man of less power in Norway than they were then, and my\ninfluence is not less than theirs; and the king gave them the\nprovince of Halland to rule over, which he himself had and owned\nbefore. Now it appears to me, sire, that you, if I become your\nman and vassal, can allow me to hold of you the fief which my son\nMagnus will not deny me, by which I will be bound in duty, and\nready, to undertake all the service belonging to that title.\"\nErling spoke such things, and much more in the same strain, until\nit came at last to this, that Erling became Valdemar's man and\nvassal; and the king led Erling to the earl's seat one day, and\ngave him the title of earl, and Viken as a fief under his rule.\nEarl Erling went thereafter to Norway, and was earl afterwards as\nlong as he lived; and also the peace with the Danish king was\nafterwards always preserved. Earl Erling had four sons by his\nconcubines. The one was called Hreidar, the next Ogmund; and\nthese by two different mothers: the third was called Fin; the\nfourth Sigurd: these were younger, and their mother was Asa the\nFair. The princess Kristin and Earl Erling had a daughter called\nRagnhild, who was married to Jon Thorbergson of Randaberg.\nKristin went away from the country with a man called Grim Rusle;\nand they went to Constantinople, where they were for a time, and\nhad some children.\n31. BEGINNING OF OLAF.\nOlaf, a son of Gudbrand Skafhaug, and Maria, a daughter of King\nEystein Magnuson, were brought up in the house of Sigurd Agnhot\nin the Uplands. While Earl Erling was in Denmark (A.D. 1166),\nOlaf and his foster-father gathered a troop together, and many\nUpland people joined them; and Olaf was chosen king by them.\nThey went with their bands through the Uplands, and sometimes\ndown to Viken, and sometimes east to the forest settlements; but\nnever came on board of ships. Now when, Earl Erling got news of\nthis troop, he hastened to Viken with his forces; and was there\nin summer in his ships, and in Oslo in autumn (A.D. 1167) and\nkept Yule there. He had spies up the country after this troop,\nand went himself, along with Orm, the King-brother, up the\ncountry to follow them. Now when they came to a lake called....\n.... (1) they took all the vessels that were upon the lake.\nENDNOTES:\n(1) The name of the lake not given.\n32. OF ERLING.\nThe priest who performed divine service at a place called\nRydiokul, close by the lake, invited the earl to a feast at\nCandlemas. The earl promised to come; and thinking it would be\ngood to hear mass there, he rowed with his attendants over the\nlake the night before Candlemas day. But the priest had another\nplan on hand. He sent men to bring Olaf news of Earl Erling's\narrival. The priest gave Erling strong drink in the evening, and\nlet him have an excessive quantity of it. When the earl wished\nto lie down and sleep, the beds were made ready in the drinking-\nroom; but when they had slept a short time the earl awoke, and\nasked if it was not the hour for matins. The priest replied,\nthat only a small part of the night was gone, and told him to\nsleep in peace. The earl replied, \"I dream of many things\nto-night, and I sleep ill.\" He slumbered again, but awoke soon,\nand told the priest to get up and sing mass. The priest told the\nearl to sleep, and said it was but midnight. Then the earl again\nlay down, slept a little while, and, springing out of bed,\nordered his men to put on their clothes. They did so; took their\nweapons, went to the church, and laid their arms outside while\nthe priest was singing matins.\n33. BATTLE AT RYDIOKUL.\nAs Olaf got the message in the evening, they travelled in the\nnight six miles, which people considered an extraordinarily long\nmarch. They arrived at Rydiokul while the priest was still\nsinging mass, and it was pitch-dark. Olaf and his men went into\nthe room, raised a war-shout, and killed some of the earl's men\nwho had not gone to the early mass. Now when Erling and his men\nheard the war-shout, they ran to their weapons, and hastened down\nto their ships. Olaf and his men met them at a fence, at which\nthere was a sharp conflict. Erling and his men retreated along\nthe fence, which protected them. Erling had far fewer men, and\nmany of them had fallen, and still more were wounded. What\nhelped Earl Erling and his men the most was, that Olaf's men\ncould not distinguish them, it was so dark; and the earl's men\nwere always drawing down to their ships. Are Thorgeirson, father\nof Bishop Gudmund fell there, and many other of Erling's court-\nmen. Erling himself was wounded in the left side; but some say\nhe did it himself in drawing his sword. Orm the King-brother was\nalso severely wounded; and with great difficulty they escaped to\ntheir ships, and instantly pushed off from land. It was\ngenerally considered as a most unlucky meeting for Olaf's people,\nas Earl Erling was in a manner sold into their hands, if they had\nproceeded with common prudence. He was afterwards called Olaf\nthe Unlucky; but others called his people Hat-lads. They went\nwith their bands through the Uplands as before. Erling again\nwent down to Viken to his ships, and remained there all summer.\nOlaf was in the Uplands, and sometimes east in the forest\ndistricts, where he and his troop remained all the next winter\n(A.D. 1168).\n34. BATTLE AT STANGAR.\nThe following spring the Hat-lads went down to Viken, and raised\nthe king's taxes all around, and remained there long in summer.\nWhen Earl Erling heard this, he hastened with his troops to meet\nthem in Viken, and fell in with them east of the Fjord, at a\nplace called Stangar; where they had a great battle, in which\nErling was victorious. Sigurd Agnhot, and many others of Olaf's\nmen, fell there; but Olaf escaped by flight, went south to\nDenmark, and was all winter (A.D. 1169) in Alaborg in Jutland.\nThe following spring Olaf fell into an illness which ended in\ndeath, and he was buried in the Maria church; and the Danes call\nhim a saint.\n35. HARALD'S DEATH.\nKing Magnus had a lenderman called Nikolas Kufung, who was a son\nof Pal Skaptason. He took Harald prisoner, who called himself a\nson of King Sigurd Haraldson and the princess Kristin, and a\nbrother of King Magnus by the mother's side. Nikolas brought\nHarald to Bergen, and delivered him into Earl Erling's hands. It\nwas Erling's custom when his enemies came before him, that he\neither said nothing to them, or very little, and that in all\ngentleness, when he had determined to put them to death; or rose\nwith furious words against them, when he intended to spare their\nlives. Erling spoke but little to Harald, and many, therefore,\nsuspected his intentions; and some begged King Magnus to put in a\ngood word for Harald with the earl; and the king did so. The\nearl replies, \"Thy friends advise thee badly. Thou wouldst\ngovern this kingdom but a short time in peace and safety, if thou\nwert to follow the counsels of the heart only.\" Earl Erling\nordered Harald to be taken to Nordnes, where he was beheaded.\n36. EYSTEIN EYSTEINSON AND THE BIRKEBEINS.\nThere was a man called Eystein, who gave himself out for a son of\nKing Eystein Haraldson. He was at this time young, and not full\ngrown. It is told of him that he one summer appeared in\nSvithjod, and went to Earl Birger Brosa, who was then married to\nBrigida, Eystein's aunt, a daughter of King Harald Gille.\nEystein explained his business to him, and asked their\nassistance. Both Earl Birger and his wife listened to him in a\nfriendly way, and promised him their confidence, and he stayed\nwith them a while. Earl Birger gave him some assistance of men,\nand a good sum for travelling expenses; and both promised him\ntheir friendship on his taking leave. Thereafter Eystein\nproceeded north into Norway (A.D. 1174), and when he came down to\nViken people flocked to him in crowds; and Eystein was there\nproclaimed king, and he remained in Viken in winter. As they\nwere very poor in money, they robbed all around, wherefore the\nlendermen and bondes raised men against them; and being thus\noverpowered by numbers, they fled away to the forests and\ndeserted hill grounds, where they lived for a long time. Their\nclothes being worn out, they wound the bark of the birch-tree\nabout their legs, and thus were called by the bondes Birkebeins.\nThey often rushed down upon the settled districts, pushed on here\nor there, and made an assault where they did not find many people\nto oppose them. They had several battles with the bondes with\nvarious success; and the Birkebeins held three battles in regular\narray, and gained the victory in them all. At Krokaskog they had\nnearly made an unlucky expedition, for a great number of bondes\nand men-at-arms were assembled there against them; but the\nBirkebeins felled brushwood across the roads, and retired into\nthe forest. They were two years (A.D. 1175-1176) in Viken before\nthey showed themselves in the northern parts of the country.\n37. BIRKEBEINS, KING EYSTEIN, AND SKAKKE.\nMagnus had been king for thirteen years when the Birkebeins first\nmade their appearance. They got themselves ships in the third\nsummer (A.D. 1176), with which they sailed along the coast\ngathering goods and men. They were first in Viken; but when\nsummer advanced they proceeded northwards, and so rapidly that no\nnews preceded them until they came to Throndhjem. The\nBirkebeins' troop consisted principally of hill-men and Elfgrims,\nand many were from Thelemark; and all were well armed. Their\nking, Eystein, was a handsome man, and with a little but good\ncountenance; and he was not of great stature, for his men called\nhim Eystein Meyla. King Magnus and Earl Erling were in Bergen\nwhen the Birkebeins sailed past it to the north; but they did not\nhear of them.\nEarl Erling was a man of great understanding and power, an\nexcellent leader in war, and an able and prudent ruler of the\ncountry; but he had the character of being cruel and severe. The\ncause of this was principally that he never allowed his enemies\nto remain in the country, even when they prayed to him for mercy;\nand therefore many joined the bands which were collected against\nhim. Erling was a tall strong-made man, somewhat short-necked\nand high-shouldered; had a long and sharp countenance of a light\ncomplexion, and his hair became very grey. He bore his head a\nlittle on one side; was free and agreeable in his manners. He\nwore the old fashion of clothes, -- long body-pieces and long\narms to his coats, foreign cloak, and high shoes. He made the\nking wear the same kind of dress in his youth; but when he grew\nup, and acted for himself, he dressed very sumptuously.\nKing Magnus was of a light turn of mind, full of jokes; a great\nlover of mirth, and not less of women.\n38. OF NIKOLAS.\nNikolas was a son of Sigurd Hranason and of Skialdvor, a daughter\nof Brynjolf Ulfalde, and a sister of Haldor Brynjolfson by the\nfather's side, and of King Magnus Barefoot by the mother's side.\nNikolas was a distinguished chief, who had a farm at Ongul in\nHalogaland, which was called Steig. Nikolas had also a house in\nNidaros, below Saint Jon's church, where Thorgeir the scribe\nlately dwelt. Nikolas was often in the town, and was president\nof the townspeople. Skialdvor, Nikolas's daughter, was married\nto Eirik Arnason, who was also a lenderman.\n39. OF EIRIK AND NIKOLAS.\nAs the people of the town were coming from matins the last day of\nMarymas (September 8th), Eirik came up to Nikolas, and said,\n\"Here are some fishermen come from the sea, who report that some\nlong-ships are sailing into the fjord; and people conjecture that\nthese may be the Birkebeins. It would be advisable to call the\ntownspeople together with the war-horns, to meet under arms out\non Eyrar.\"\nNikolas replies, \"I don't go after fishermen's reports; but I\nshall send out spies to the fjord, and in the meantime hold a\nThing to-day.\"\nEirik went home; but when they were ringing to high mass, and\nNikolas was going to church, Eirik came to hint again, and said,\n\"I believe the news to be true; for here are men who say they saw\nthem under sail; and I think it would be most advisable to ride\nout of town, and gather men with arms; for it appears to me the\ntownspeople will be too few.\"\nNikolas replies, \"Thou art mixing everything together; let us\nfirst hear mass, and then take our resolution.\"\nNikolas then went into the church. When the mass was over Eirik\nwent to Nikolas, and said, \"My horses are saddled; I will ride\naway.\"\nNikolas replies, \"Farewell, then: we will hold a Thing to-day on\nthe Eyrar, and examine what force of men there may be in the\ntown.\"\nEirik rode away, and Nikolas went to his house, and then to\ndinner.\n40. THE FALL OF NIKOLAS.\nThe meat was scarcely put on the table, when a man came into the\nhouse to tell Nikolas that the Birkebeins were roving up the\nriver. Then Nikolas called to his men to take their weapons.\nWhen they were armed Nikolas ordered them to go up into the loft.\nBut that was a most imprudent step; for if they had remained in\nthe yard, the townspeople might have come to their assistance;\nbut now the Birkebeins filled the whole yard, and from thence\nscrambled from all sides up to the loft. They called to Nikolas,\nand offered him quarter, but he refused it. Then they attacked\nthe loft. Nikolas and his men defended themselves with bow-shot,\nhand-shot, and stones of the chimney; but the Birkebeins hewed\ndown the houses, broke up the loft, and returned shot for shot\nfrom bow or hand. Nikolas had a red shield in which were gilt\nnails, and about it was a border of stars. The Birkebeins shot\nso that the arrows went in up to the arrow feather. Then said\nNikolas, \"My shield deceives me.\" Nikolas and a number of his\npeople fell, and his death was greatly lamented. The Birkebeins\ngave all the towns-people their lives.\n41. EYSTEIN PROCLAIMED KING.\nEystein was then proclaimed king, and all the people submitted to\nhim. He stayed a while in the town, and then went into the\ninterior of the Throndhjem land, where many joined him, and among\nthem Thorfin Svarte of Snos with a troop of people. When the\nBirkebeins, in the beginning of winter (A.D. 1177), came again\ninto the town, the sons of Gudrun from Saltnes, Jon Ketling,\nSigurd, and William, joined them; and when they proceeded\nafterwards from Nidaros up Orkadal, they could number nearly 2000\nmen. They afterwards went to the Uplands, and on to Thoten and\nHadaland, and from thence to Ringerike, and subdued the country\nwheresover they came.\n42. THE FALL OF KING EYSTEIN.\nKing Magnus went eastward to Viken in autumn with a part of his\nmen and with him Orm, the king's brother; but Earl Erling\nremained behind in Bergen to meet the Berkebeins in case they\ntook the sea route. King Magnus went to Tunsberg, where he and\nOrm held their Yule (A.D. 1177). When King Magnus heard that the\nBirkebeins were up in Re, the king and Orm proceeded thither with\ntheir men. There was much snow, and it was dreadfully cold.\nWhen they came to the farm they left the beaten track on the\nroad, and drew up their array outside of the fence, and trod a\npath through the snow with their men, who were not quite 1500 in\nnumber. The Birkebeins were dispersed here and there in other\nfarms, a few men in each house. When they perceived King\nMagnus's army they assembled, and drew up in regular order; and\nas they thought their force was larger than his, which it\nactually was, they resolved to fight; but when they hurried\nforward to the road only a few could advance at a time, which\nbroke their array, and the men fell who first advanced upon the\nbeaten way. Then the Birkebeins' banner was cut down; those who\nwere nearest gave way and some took to flight. King Magnus's men\npursued them, and killed one after the other as they came up with\nthem. Thus the Birkebeins could never form themselves in array;\nand being exposed to the weapons of the enemy singly, many of\nthem fell, and many fled. It happened here, as it often does,\nthat although men be brave and gallant, if they have once been\ndefeated and driven to flight, they will not easily be brought to\nturn round. Now the main body of the Birkebeins began to fly,\nand many fell; because Magnus's men killed all they could lay\nhold of, and not one of them got quarter. The whole body became\nscattered far and wide. Eystein in his flight ran into a house,\nand begged for his life, and that the bonde would conceal him;\nbut the bonde killed him, and then went to King Magnus, whom he\nfound at Rafnnes, where the king was in a room warming himself by\nthe fire along with many people. Some went for the corpse, and\nbore it into the room, where the king told the people to come and\ninspect the body. A man was sitting on a bench in the corner,\nand he was a Birkebein, but nobody had observed him; and when he\nsaw and recognised his chief's body he sprang up suddenly and\nactively, rushed out upon the floor, and with an axe he had in\nhis hands made a blow at King Magnus's neck between the\nshoulders. A man saw the axe swinging, and pulled the king to a\nside, by which the axe struck lower in the shoulder, and made a\nlarge wound. He then raised the axe again, and made a blow at\nOrm, the King-brother, who was lying on a bench, and the blow was\ndirected at both legs; but Orm seeing the man about to kill him,\ndrew in his feet instantly, threw them over his head, and the\nblow fell on the bench, in which the axe stuck fast; and then the\nblows at the Birkebein came so thick that he could scarcely fall\nto the ground. It was discovered that he had dragged his\nentrails after him over the floor; and this man's bravery was\nhighly praised. King Magnus's men followed the fugitives, and\nkilled so many that they were tired of it. Thorfin of Snos, and\na very great number of Throndhjem people, fell there.\n43. OF THE BIRKEBEINS.\nThe faction which called itself the Birkebeins had gathered\ntogether in great numbers. They were a hardy people, and the\nboldest of men under arms; but wild, and going forward madly when\nthey had a strong force. They had few men in their faction who\nwere good counsellors, or accustomed to rule a country by law, or\nto head an army; and if there were such men among them who had\nmore knowledge, yet the many would only allow of those measures\nwhich they liked, trusting always to their numbers and courage.\nOf the men who escaped many were wounded, and had lost both their\nclothes and their arms, and were altogether destitute of money.\nSome went east to the borders, some went all the way east to\nSvithjod; but the most of them went to Thelemark, where they had\ntheir families. All took flight, as they had no hope of getting\ntheir lives from King Magnus or Earl Erling.\n44. OF KING MAGNUS ERLINGSON.\nKing Magnus then returned to Tunsberg, and got great renown by\nthis victory; for it had been an expression in the mouths of all,\nthat Earl Erling was the shield and support of his son and\nhimself. But after gaining a victory over so strong and numerous\na force with fewer troops, King Magnus was considered by all as\nsurpassing other leaders, and that he would become a warrior as\nmuch greater than his father, Earl Erling, as he was younger.\n[End of Snorri Sturlson's \"Heimskringla\"]","title":"MAGNUS ERLINGSON'S SAGA","type":"page"}