PRELIMINARY REMARKS.
Sigurd died A.D. 1155, Eystein
1157, and Inge 1161.
Other literature is "Morkinskinna"
and "Fagrskinna."
Sigurd Slembe is the subject
of a drama by Bjornstjerne Bjornson,
translated into English by
William Morton Payne, and published by
Houghton, Mifflin & Co.,
Boston, 1888.
Skalds quoted are: Kolle, Einar
Skulason, and Thorbjorn
Skakkaskald.
1. HISTORY OF KINGS SIGURD
AND INGE.
Queen Ingerid, and with her
the lendermen and the court which had
been with King Harald, resolved
to send a fast-sailing vessel to
Throndhjem to make known King
Harald's death, and also to desire
the Throndhjem people to take
King Harald's son Sigurd for king.
He was then in the north, and
was fostered by Sadagyrd Bardson.
Queen Ingerid herself proceeded
eastward immediately to Viken.
Inge was the name of her son
by King Harald, and he was then
fostered by Amunde Gyrdson,
a grandson of Logberse. When they
came to Viken a Borgar-thing
was immediately called together, at
which Inge, who was in the
second year of his age, was chosen
king. This resolution was
supported by Amunde and Thjostolf
Alason, together with many
other great chiefs. Now when the
tidings came north to Throndhjem
that King Harald was murdered,
the Throndhjem people took
Sigurd, King Harald's son, to be the
king; and this resolution was
supported by Ottar Birting, Peter
Saudaulfson, the brothers Guthorm
of Reine, and Ottar Balle, sons
of Asolf and many other great
chiefs. Afterwards the whole
nation almost submitted to
the brothers, and principally because
their father was considered
holy; and the country took the oath
to them, that the kingly power
should not go to any other man as
long as any of King Harald's
sons were alive.
2. OF SIGURD SLEMBIDJAKN.
Sigurd Slembe sailed north
around Stad; and when he came to North
More, he found that letters
and full powers had arrived before
him from the leaders who had
given in their allegiance to
Harald's sons; so that there
he got no welcome or help. As
Sigurd himself had but few
people with him, he resolved to go
with them to Throndhjem, and
seek out Magnus the Blind; for he
had already sent a message
before him to Magnus's friends. Now
when they came to the town,
they rowed up the river Nid to meet
King Magnus, and fastened their
land-ropes on the shore at the
king's house; but were obliged
to set off immediately, for all
the people rose against them.
They then landed at Monkholm, and
took Magnus the Blind out of
the cloister against the will of the
monks; for he had been consecrated
a monk. It is said by some
that Magnus willingly went
with them; although it was differently
reported, in order to make
his cause appear better. Sigurd,
immediately after Yule (January,
A.D. 1137), went forth with his
suite, expecting aid from his
relations and Magnus's friends, and
which they also got. Sigurd
sailed with his men out of the
fjord, and was joined afterwards
by Bjorn Egilson, Gunnar of
Gimsar, Haldor Sigurdson, Aslak
Hakonson, the brothers Bendikt
and Eirik, and also the court
which had before been with King
Magnus, and many others. With
this troop they went south to
More, and down to the mouth
of Raumsdal fjord. Here Sigurd and
Magnus divided their forces,
and Sigurd went immediately
westwards across the sea.
King Magnus again proceeded to the
Uplands, where he expected
much help and strength, and which he
obtained. He remained there
the winter and all the summer (A.D.
1137), and had many people
with him; but King Inge proceeded
against him with all his forces,
and they met at a place called
Mynne. There was a great battle,
at which King Magnus had the
most people. It is related
that Thjostolf Alason carried King
Inge in his belt as long as
the battle lasted, and stood under
the banner; but Thjostolf was
hard pressed by fatigue and
fighting; and it is commonly
said that King Inge got his ill
health there, and which he
retained as long as he lived, so that
his back was knotted into a
hump, and the one foot was shorter
than the other; and he was
besides so infirm that he could
scarcely walk as long as he
lived. The defeat began to turn upon
Magnus and his men; and in
the front rank of his array fell
Haldor Sigurdson, Bjorn Egilson,
Gunnar of Gimsar, and a great
number of his men, before he
himself would take to his horse and
fly. So says Kolle: --
"Thy arrow-storm
on Mynne's banks
Fast thinn'd the foemen's
strongest ranks;
Thy good sword hewed the
raven's feast
On Mynne's banks up in
the East.
Shield clashed on shield,
and bucklers broke
Under thy battle-axe's
stroke;
While thou, uncovered,
urged the fray,
Thy shield and mail-coat
thrown away."
And also this: --
"The king to heaven
belonging fled,
When thou, in war's quick
death-game bred,
Unpanzered, shieldless
on the plain
His heavy steel-clad guards
hadst slain.
The painted shield, and
steel-plate mail,
Before thy fierce attack
soon fail,
To Magnus who belongs
to heaven,
Was no such fame in battle
given."
Magnus fled eastward to Gautland,
and then to Denmark. At that
time there was in Gautland
an earl, Karl Sonason, who was a great
and ambitious man. Magnus
the Blind and his men said, wherever
they happened to meet with
chiefs, that Norway lay quite open to
any great chieftain who would
attack it; for it might well be
said there was no king in the
country, and the kingdom was only
ruled by lendermen, and, among
those who had most sway, there
was, from mutual jealousy,
most discord. Now Karl, being
ambitious of power, listens
willingly to such speeches; collects
men, and rides west to Viken,
where many people, out of fear,
submit to him. When Thjostolf
Alason and Amunde heard of this,
they went with the men they
could get together, and took King
Inge with them. They met Earl
Karl and the Gautland army
eastward in Krokaskog, where
there was a great battle and a great
defeat, King Inge gaining the
victory. Munan Ogmundson, Earl
Karl's mother's brother, fell
there. Ogmund, the father of
Munan, was a son of Earl Orm
Eilifson, and Sigrid, a daughter of
Earl Fin Arnason. Astrid,
Ogrnund's daughter, was the mother of
Earl Karl. Many others of
the Gautland people fell at Krokaskog;
and the earl fled eastward
through the forest. King Inge pursued
them all the way out of the
kingdom; and this expedition turned
out a great disgrace to them.
So says Kolle: --
"I must proclaim
how our great lord
Coloured deep red his
ice-cold sword;
And ravens played with
Gautland bones,
And wolves heard Gautlanders'
last groans.
Their silly jests were
well repaid, --
In Krokaskog their laugh
was laid:
Thy battle power was then
well tried,
And they who won may now
deride."
3. KING EIRIK'S EXPEDITION
TO NORWAY.
Magnus the Blind then went
to Denmark to King Eirik Eimune, where
he was well received. He offered
the king to follow him if he
would invade Norway with a
Danish army, and subdue the country;
saying, that if he came to
Norway with his army, no man in Norway
would venture to throw a spear
against him. The king allowed
himself to be moved by Magnus's
persuasions, ordered a levy, and
went north to Norway with 200
ships; and Magnus and his men were
with him on this expedition.
When they came to Viken, they
proceeded peacefully and gently
on the east side of the fjord;
but when the fleet came westward
to Tunsberg, a great number of
King Inge's lendermen came
against them. Their leader was
Vatnorm Dagson, a brother of
Gregorius. The Danes could not land
to get water without many of
them being killed; and therefore
they went in through the fjord
to Oslo, where Thjostolf Alason
opposed them. It is told that
some people wanted to carry the
holy Halvard's coffin out of
the town in the evening when the
fleet was first observed, and
as many as could took hold of it;
but the coffin became so heavy
that they could not carry it over
the church floor. The morning
after, however, when they saw the
fleet sailing in past the Hofud
Isle, four men carried the coffin
out of the town, and Thjostolf
and all the townspeople followed
it.
4. THE TOWN OF OSLO BURNT.
King Eirik and his army advanced
against the town; and some of
his men hastened after Thjostolf
and his troop. Thjostolf threw
a spear at a man named Askel,
which hit him under the throat, so
that the spear point went through
his neck; and Thjostolf thought
he had never made a better
spear-cast, for, except the place he
hit, there was nothing bare
to be seen. The shrine of St.
Halvard, was taken up to Raumarike,
where it remained for three
months. Thjostolf went up
to Raumarike, and collected men during
the night, with whom he returned
towards the town in the morning.
In the meantime King Eirik
set fire to Halvard's church, and to
the town, which was entirely
burnt. Thjostolf came soon after to
the town with the men he had
assembled, and Eirik sailed off with
his fleet; but could not land
anywhere on that side of the fjord,
on account of the troops of
the lendermen who came down against
them; and wherever they attempted
a landing, they left five or
six men or more upon the strand.
King Inge lay with a great
number of people into Hornborusund,
but when he learned this, he
turned about southwards to
Denmark again. King Inge pursued him,
and took from him all the ships
he could get hold of; and it was
a common observation among
people, that never was so poor an
expedition made with so great
an armament in another king's
dominions. King Eirik was
ill pleased at it, and thought King
Magnus and his men had been
making a fool of him by encouraging
him to undertake this expedition,
and he declared he would never
again besuch friends with them
as before.
5. OF SIGURD SLEMBIDJAKN.
Sigurd Slembidjakn came that
summer from the West sea to Norway,
where he heard of his relation
King Magnus's unlucky expedition;
so he expected no welcome in
Norway, but sailed south, outside
the rocks, past the land, and
set over to Denmark, and went into
the Sound. He fell in with
some Vindland cutters south of the
islands, gave them battle,
and gained the victory. He cleared
eight ships, killing many of
the men, and he hanged the others.
He also had a battle off the
Island Mon with the Vindland men,
and gained a victory. He then
sailed from the south and came to
the eastern arm of the Gaut
river, and took three ships of the
fleet of Thorer Hvinantorde,
and Olaf, the son of Harald Kesia,
who was Sigurd's own sister's
son; for Ragnhild, the mother of
Olaf, was a daughter of King
Magnus Barefoot. He drove Olaf up
the country.
Thjostolf was at this time
in Konungahella, and had collected
people to defend the country,
and Sigurd steered thither with his
fleet. They shot at each other,
but he could not effect a
landing; and, on both sides,
many were killed and many wounded.
Ulfhedin Saxolfson, Sigurd's
forecastle man, fell there. He was
an Icelander, from the north
quarter. Sigurd continued his
course northwards to Viken
and plundered far and wide around.
Now when Sigurd lay in a harbour
called Portyrja on Limgard's
coast, and watched the ships
going to or coming from Viken to
plunder them, the Tunsberg
men collected an armed force against
him, and came unexpectedly
upon them while Sigurd and his men
were on shore dividing their
booty. Some of the men came down
from the land, but some of
the other party laid themselves with
their ships right across the
harbour outside of them. Sigurd ran
up into his ship, and rowed
out against them. Vatnorm's ship was
the nearest, and he let his
ship fall behind the line, and Sigurd
rowed clear past, and thus
escaped with one ship and the loss of
many men. This verse was made
upon Vatnorm (1): --
"The water serpent,
people say,
From Portyrja slipped
away."
ENDNOTES:
(1) Vatnorm, the name of this
man, means the water-serpent, and
appears to have been a
favourite name for war-ships also;
hence the pun in the lines
upon Vatnorm. -- L.
6. THE MURDER OF BEINTEIN.
Sigurd Slembidjakn sailed from
thence to Denmark; and at that
time a man was lost in his
ship, whose name was Kolbein
Thorliotson of Batald. He
was sitting in a boat which was made
fast to the vessel, and upset
because she was sailing quickly.
When they came south to Denmark,
Sigurd's ship itself was cast
away; but he got to Alaborg,
and was there in winter. The summer
after (A.D. 1138) Magnus and
Sigurd sailed together from the
south with seven ships, and
came unexpectedly in the night to
Lister, where they laid their
ships on the land. Beintein
Kolbeinson, a court-man of
King Inge, and a very brave man, was
there. Sigurd and his men
jumped on shore at daylight, came
unexpectedly on the people,
surrounded the house, and were
setting fire to the buildings;
but Beintein came out of a store-
house with his weapons, well
armed, and stood within the door
with drawn sword, his shield
before him, helmet on, and ready to
defend himself. The door was
somewhat low. Sigurd asked which
of his lads had most desire
to go in against Beintein, which he
called brave man's work; but
none was very hurried to make ready
for it. While they were discussing
this matter Sigurd rushed
into the house, past Beintein.
Beintein struck at him, but
missed him. Sigurd turned instantly
on Beintein; and after
exchanging blows, Sigurd gave
him his death-stroke, and came out
presently bearing his head
in his hands.
They took all the goods that
were in the farm-house, carried the
booty to their ships, and sailed
away. When King Inge and his
friends, and also Kolbein's
sons, Sigurd and Gyrd, the brothers
of Beintein, heard of Beintein's
murder, the king sent a great
force against Sigurd Slembe
and his followers; and also travelled
himself, and took a ship from
Hakon Paulson Pungelta, who was a
daughter's son of Aslak, a
son of Erling Skjalgson of Sole, and
cousin of Hakon Mage. King
Inge drove Hakon and his followers up
the country, and took all their
gear. Sigurd Stork, a son of
Eindride of Gautdal, and his
brother, Eirik Hael, and Andres
Kelduskit, son of Grim of Vist,
all fled away into the fjords.
But Sigurd Slembe, Magnus the
Blind and Thorieif Skiappa sailed
outside the isles with three
ships north to Halogaland; and
Magnus was in winter (A.D.
1139) north in Bjarkey Isle with
Vidkun Jonson. But Sigurd
had the stem and stern-post of his
ship cut out, made a hole in
her, and sank her in the inner part
of Egisfjord, and thereafter
he passed the winter at Tialdasund
by Gljufrafjord in Hin. Far
up the fjord there is a cave in the
rock; in that place Sigurd
sat with his followers, who were above
twenty men, secretly, and hung
a grey cloth before the mouth of
the hole, so that no person
could see them from the strand.
Thorleif Skiappa, and Einar,
son of Ogmund of Sand, and of
Gudrun, daughter of Einar Arason
of Reikiaholar, procured food
for Sigurd during the winter.
It is said that Sigurd made the
Laplanders construct two boats
for him during the winter up in
the fjord; and they were fastened
together with deer sinews,
without nails, and with twigs
of willow instead of knees, and
each boat could carry twelve
men. Sigurd was with the Laplanders
while they were making the
boats; and the Laplanders had good
ale, with which they entertained
Sigurd. Sigurd made these lines
on it: --
"In the Lapland
tent
Brave days we spent.
Under the grey birch tree;
In bed or on bank
We knew no rank,
And a merry crew were
we.
"Good ale went
round
As we sat on the
ground,
Under the grey birch tree;
And up with the smoke
Flew laugh and joke,
And a merry crew were
we."
These boats were so light that
no ship could overtake them in the
water, according to what was
sung at the time: --
"Our skin-sewed Fin-boats
lightly swim,
Over the sea like wind
they skim.
Our ships are built without
a nail;
Few ships like ours can
row or sail."
In spring Sigurd and Magnus
went south along the coast with the
two boats which the Laplanders
had made; and when they came to
Vagar they killed Svein the
priest and his two sons.
7. OF SIGURD'S SLEMBE'S CAMPAIGN.
Thereafter Sigurd came south
to Vikar, and seized King Sigurd's
lendermen, William Skinnare
and Thorald Kept, and killed them
both. Then Sigurd turned south-wards
along the coast, and met
Styrkar Glaesirofa south of
Byrda, as he was coming from the
south from the town of Nidaros,
and killed him. Now when Sigurd
came south to Valsnes, he met
Svinagrim outside of the ness, and
cut off his right hand. From
thence he went south to More, past
the mouth of the Throndhjem
fjord, where they took Hedin Hirdmage
and Kalf Kringluauge. They
let Hedin escape, but killed Kalf.
When King Sigurd, and his foster-father,
Sadagyrd, heard of
Sigurd Slembidjakn's proceedings,
and what he was doing, they
sent people to search for him;
and their leader was Jon Kauda, a
son of Kalf Range. Bishop
Ivar's brother, and besides the priest
Jon Smyril. They went on board
the ship the Reindeer, which had
twenty-two rowing benches,
and was one of the swiftest sailing
vessels, to seek Sigurd; but
as they could not find him, they
returned north-wards with little
glory; for people said that they
had got sight of Sigurd and
his people, and durst not attack
them. Afterwards Sigurd proceeded
southwards to Hordaland, and
came to Herdla, where Einar,
a son of Laxapaul, had a farm; and
went into Hamar's fjord, to
the Gangdaga-thing. They took all
the goods that were at the
farm, and a long-ship of twenty-two
benches which belonged to Einar;
and also his son, four years
old, who was living with one
of his labouring people. Some
wanted to kill the boy, but
others took him and carried him with
them. The labouring man said,
"It will not be lucky for you to
kill the child; and it will
be of no use to you to carry him
away, for it is my son, and
not Einar's." And on his word they
let the boy remain, and went
away. When Einar came home he gave
the labourer money to the value
of two ore of gold, and thanked
him for his clever invention,
and promised him his constant
friendship. So says Eirik
Odson, who first wrote down this
relation; and he heard himself
Einar Paulson telling these
circumstances in Bergen. Sigurd
then went southward along the
coast all the way east to Viken,
and met Fin Saudaulfson east at
Kvildar, as he was engaged
in drawing in King Inge's rents and
duties, and hanged him. Then
they sailed south to Denmark.
8. OF KING INGE'S LETTER TO
KING SIGURD.
The people of Viken and of
Bergen complained that it was wrong
for King Sigurd and his friends
to be sitting quietly north in
the town of Nidaros, while
his father's murderer was cruising
about in the ordinary passage
at the mouth of the Throndhjem
fjord; and King Inge and his
people, on the other hand, were in
Viken in the midst of the danger,
defending the country and
holding many battles. Then
King Inge sent a letter north to the
merchant-town Nidaros, in which
were these words: "King Inge
Haraldson sends his brother
King Sigurd, as also Sadagyrd, Ogmund
Svipte, Ottar Birting, and
all lendermen, court-men, house-
people, and all the public,
rich and poor, young and old, his own
and God's salutation. The
misfortune is known to all men that on
account of our childhoods --
thou being five, and I but three
years of age -- we can undertake
nothing without the counsel of
our friends and other good
men. Now I and my men think that we
stand nearer to the danger
and necessity common to us both, than
thou and thy friends; therefore
make it so that thou, as soon as
possible, come to me, and as
strong in troops as possible, that
we may be assembled to meet
whatever may come. He will be our
best friend who does all he
can that we may be united, and may
take an equal part in all things.
But if thou refuse, and wilt
not come after this message
which I send thee in need, as thou
hast done before, then thou
must expect that I will come against
thee with an armament; and
let God decide between us; for we are
not in a condition to sit here
at so great an expense, and with
so numerous a body of troops
as are necessary here on account of
the enemy, and besides many
other pressing charges, whilst thou
hast half of all the land-tax
and other revenues of Norway. Live
in the peace of God!"
9. OTTAR BIRTING'S SPEECH.
Then Ottar Birting stood up
in the Thing, and first of all
answered thus: "This is
King Sigurd's reply to his brother King
Inge -- that God will reward
him for his good salutation, and
likewise for the trouble and
burden which he and his friends have
in this kingdom, and in matters
of necessity which effect them
both. Although now some think
there is something sharp in King
Inge's message to his brother
Sigurd, yet he has in many respects
sufficient cause for it. Now
I will make known to you my
opinion, and we will hear if
King Sigurd and the other people of
power will agree to it; and
it is, that thou, King Sigurd, make
thyself ready, with all the
people who will follow thee, to
defend thy country; and go
as strong in men as possible to thy
brother King Inge as soon as
thou art prepared, in order to
assist each other in all things
that are for the common good; and
may God Almighty strengthen
and assist you both! Now, king, we
will have thy words."
Peter, a son of Saudaulf, who
was afterwards called Peter
Byrdarsvein, bore King Sigurd
to the Thing. Then the king said,
"Ye must know that, if
I am to advise, I will go as soon as
possible to my brother King
Inge." Then others spoke, one after
the other; but although each
began his speech in his own way, he
ended with agreeing to what
Ottar Birting had proposed; and it
was determined to call together
the war-forces, and go to the
east part of the country.
King Sigurd accordingly went with
great armament east to Viken,
and there he met his brother King
Inge.
10. FALL OF MAGNUS THE BLIND.
The same autumn (A.D. 1139)
Sigurd Slembe and Magnus the Blind
came from Denmark with thirty
ships, manned both with Danes and
Northmen. It was near to winter.
When the kings heard of this,
they set out with their people
eastwards to meet them. They met
at Hvalar, near Holm the Grey,
the day after Martinmas, which was
a Sunday. King Inge and King
Sigurd had twenty ships, which were
all large. There was a great
battle; but, after the first
assault, the Danes fled home
to Denmark with eighteen ships. On
this Sigurd's and Magnus's
ships were cleared; and as the last
was almost entirely bare of
men, and Magnus was lying in his bed,
Hreidar Griotgardson, who had
long followed him, and been his
courtman, took King Magnus
in his arms, and tried to run with him
on board some other ship.
But Hreidar was struck by a spear,
which went between his shoulders;
and people say King Magnus was
killed by the same spear.
Hreidar fell backwards upon the deck,
and Magnus upon him; and every
man spoke of how honourably he had
followed his master and rightful
sovereign. Happy are they who
have such praise! There fell,
on King Magnus's ship, Lodin
Saupprud of Linustadar, Bruse
Thormodson; and the forecastle-men
to Sigurd Slembidjakn, Ivar
Kolbeinson and Halyard Faeger, who
had been in Sigurd Slembe's
fore-hold. This Ivar had been the
first who had gone in, in the
night, to King Harald, and had laid
hands on him. There fell a
great number of the men of King
Magnus and Sigurd Slembe, for
Inge's men let not a single one
escape if they got hold of
him; but only a few are named here.
They killed upon a holm more
than forty men, among whom were two
Icelanders -- the priest Sigurd
Bergthorson, a grandson of Mas;
the other Clemet, a son of
Are Einarson. But three Icelanders
obtained their lives: namely,
Ivar Skrauthanke, a son of Kalf
Range, and who afterwards was
bishop of Throndhjem, and was
father of the archbishop Eirik.
Ivar had always followed King
Magnus, and he escaped into
his brother Jon Kauda's ship. Jon
was married to Cecilia, a daughter
of Gyrd Bardson, and was then
in King Inge's and Sigurd's
armament. There were three in all
who escaped on board of Jon's
ship. The second was Arnbjorn
Ambe, who afterwards married
Thorstein's daughter in Audsholt;
the third was Ivar Dynta, a
son of Stare, but on the mother's
side of a Throndhjem family,
-- a very agreeable man. When the
troops came to know that these
three were on board his ship, they
took their weapons and assaulted
the vessel, and some blows were
exchanged, and the whole fleet
had nearly come to a fight among
themselves; but it came to
an agreement, so that Jon ransomed his
brothers Ivar and Arnbjorn
for a fixed sum in ransom, which,
however, was afterwards remitted.
But Ivar Dynta was taken to
the shore, and beheaded; for
Sigurd and Gyrd, the sons of
Kolbein, would not take any
mulct for him, as they knew he had
been at their brother Beintein's
murder. Ivar the bishop said,
that never was there anything
that touched him so nearly, as
Ivar's going to the shore under
the axe, and turning to the
others with the wish that they
might meet in joy here-after.
Gudrid Birger's daughter, a
sister of Archbishop Jon, told Eirik
Odson that she heard Bishop
Ivar say this.
11. SIGURD SLEMBE TAKEN PRISONER.
A man called Thrand Gialdkere
was the steersman of King Inge's
ship. It was come so far,
that Inge's men were rowing in small
boats between the ships after
those who were swimming in the
water, and killed those they
could get hold of. Sigurd Slembe
threw himself overboard after
his ship had lost her crew,
stripped off his armour under
the water, and then swam with his
shield over him. Some men
from Thrand's vessel took prisoner a
man who was swimming, and were
about to kill him; but he begged
his life, and offered to tell
them where Sigurd Slembe was, and
they agreed to it. Shields
and spears, dead men, weapons, and
clothes, were floating all
around on the sea about the ships, "Ye
can see," said he, "a
red shield floating on the water; he is
under it." They rowed
to it immediately, took him, and brought
him on board of Thrand's ship.
Thrand then sent a message to
Thjostolf, Ottar, and Amunde.
Sigurd Slembe had a tinder box on
him; and the tinder was in
a walnut-shell, around which there was
wax. This is related, because
it seems an ingenious way of
preserving it from ever getting
wet. He swam with a shield over
him, because nobody could know
one shield from another where so
many were floating about; and
they would never have hit upon him,
if they had not been told where
he was. When Thrand came to the
land with Sigurd, and it was
told to the troops that he was
taken, the army set up a shout
of joy. When Sigurd heard it he
said, "Many a bad man
will rejoice over my head this day." Then
Thjostolf Alason went to where
Sigurd was sitting, struck from
his head a silk hat with silver
fringes, and said. "Why wert thou
so impudent, thou son of a
slave! to dare to call thyself King
Magnus Barefoot's son?"
Sigurd replied, "Presume
not to compare my father to a slave; for
thy father was of little worth
compared to mine."
Hal, a son of the doctor Thorgeir
Steinson, King Inge's court-
man, was present at this circumstance,
and told it to Eirik
Odson, who afterwards wrote
these relations in a book, which he
called "Hryggjarstykke".
In this book is told all concerning
Harald Gille and his sons,
and Magnus the Blind, and Sigurd
Slembidjakn, until their deaths.
Eirik was a sensible man, who
was long in Norway about that
time. Some of his narratives he
wrote down from Hakon Mage's
account; some were from lendermen of
Harald's sons, who along with
his sons were in all this feud, and
in all the councils. Eirik
names, moreover, several men of
understanding and veracity,
who told him these accounts, and were
so near that they saw or heard
all that happened. Something he
wrote from what he himself
had heard or seen.
12. TORTURE OF SIGURD SLEMBE.
Hal says that the chiefs wished
to have Sigurd killed instantly;
but the men who were the most
cruel, and thought they had
injuries to avenge, advised
torturing him; and for this they
named Beintein's brothers,
Sigurd and Gyrd, the sons of Kolbein.
Peter Byrdarsvein would also
avenge his brother Fin. But the
chiefs and the greater part
of the people went away. They broke
his shin-bones and arms with
an axe-hammer. Then they stripped
him, and would flay him alive;
but when they tried to take off
the skin, they could not do
it for the gush of blood. They took
leather whips and flogged him
so long, that the skin was as much
taken off as if he had been
flayed. Then they stuck a piece of
wood in his back until it broke,
dragged him to a tree and hanged
him; and then cut off his head,
and brought the body and head to
a heap of stones and buried
them there. All acknowledge, both
enemies and friends, that no
man in Norway, within memory of the
living, was more gifted with
all perfections, or more
experienced, than Sigurd, but
in some respects he was an unlucky
man. Hal says that he spoke
little, and answered only a few, and
in single words, under his
tortures, although they spoke to him.
Hal says further, that he never
moved when they tortured him,
more than if they were striking
a stock or a stone. This Hal
alleged as proof that he was
a brave hero, who had courage to
endure tortures; for he still
held his tongue, and never moved
from the spot. And farther
he says, that he never altered his
voice in the least, but spoke
with as much ease as if he was
sitting at the ale-table; neither
speaking higher nor lower, nor
in a more tremulous voice than
he was used to do. He spoke until
he gave up the ghost, and sang
between whiles parts of the Psalm-
book, and which Hal considered
beyond the powers and strength of
ordinary men. And the priest
who had the church in the
neighbourhood let Sigurd's
body be transported thither to the
church. This priest was a
friend of Harald's sons: but when they
heard it they were angry at
him, had the body carried back to
where it had been, and made
the priest pay a fine. Sigurd's
friends afterwards came from
Denmark with a ship for his body,
carried it to Alaborg, and
interred it in Mary church in that
town. So said Dean Ketil,
who officiated as priest at Mary
church, to Eirik; and that
Sigurd was buried there. Thjostolf
Alason transported Magnus the
Blind's body to Oslo, and buried it
in Halvard's church, beside
King Sigurd his father. Lodin
Saupprud was transported to
Tunsberg; but the others of the slain
were buried on the spot.
13. EYSTEIN HARALDSON COMES
TO NORWAY.
When the kings Sigurd and Inge
had ruled over Norway about six
years, Eystein, who was a son
of Harald Gille, came in spring
from Scotland (A.D. 1142).
Arne Sturla, Thorleif Brynjolfson,
and Kolbein Hruga had sailed
westward over the sea after Eystein,
accompanied him to Norway,
and sailed immediately with him to
Throndhjem. The Throndhjem
people received him well; and at the
Eyra-thing of Ascension-day
he was chosen king, so that he should
have the third part of Norway
with his brothers Sigurd and Inge.
They were at this time in the
east part of the country; and men
went between the kings who
brought about a peace, and that
Eystein should have a third
part of the kingdom. People believed
what he said of his paternal
descent, because King Harald himself
had testified to it, and he
did not resort to the ordeal of iron.
King Eystein's mother was called
Bjadok, and she followed him to
Norway. Magnus was the name
of King Harald Gille's fourth son,
who was fostered by Kyrpingaorm.
He also was chosen king, and
got a fourth part of the country;
but Magnus was deformed in his
feet, lived but a short time,
and died in his bed. Einar
Skulason speaks of them: --
"The generous Eystein
money gave;
Sigurd in fight was quick
and brave;
Inge loved well the war-alarm;
Magnus to save his land
from harm.
No country boasts a nobler
race
The battle-field, or Thing,
to grace.
Four brothers of such
high pretence
The sun ne'er shone upon
at once."
14. MURDER OF OTTAR BIRTING.
After King Harald Gille's death
Queen Ingerid married Ottar
Birting, who was a lendermen
and a great chief, and of a
Throndhjem family, who strengthened
King Inge's government much
while he was in his childhood.
King Sigurd was not very friendly
to Ottar; because, as he thought,
Ottar always took King Inge's
side. Ottar Birting was killed
north in the merchant town
(Nidaros), in an assault upon
him in the twilight as he was going
to the evening song. When
he heard the whistling of the blow he
held up his cloak with his
hands against it; thinking, no doubt,
it was a snowball thrown at
him, as young boys do in the streets.
Ottar fell by the stroke; but
his son, Alf Hrode, who just at the
same moment was coming into
the churchyard, saw his father's
fall, and saw that the man
who had killed him ran east about the
church. Alf ran after him,
and killed him at the corner of the
choir; and people said that
he had good luck in avenging his
father, and afterwards was
much more respected than he had been
before.
15. BEGINNING OF KING EYSTEIN.
King Eystein Haraldson was
in the interior of the Throndhjem
district when he heard of Ottar's
murder, and summoned to him the
bonde-army, with which he proceeded
to the town; and he had many
men. Ottar's relations and
other friends accused King Sigurd,
who was in the town, of having
instigated this deed; and the
bondes were much enraged against
him. But the king offered to
clear himself by the ordeal
of iron, and thereby to establish the
truth of his denial; and accordingly
a peace was made. King
Sigurd went to the south end
of the country, and the ordeal was
never afterwards heard of.
16. BEGINNING OF ORM THE KING-BROTHER.
Queen Ingerid had a son to
Ivar Sneis, and he was called Orm, and
got the surname of King-brother.
He was a handsome man in
appearance, and became a great
chief, as shall be told hereafter.
Ingerid afterwards married
Arne of Stodreim, who was from this
called King's-mate; and their
children were Inge, Nikolas, Philip
of Herdla, and Margaret, who
was first married to Bjorn Buk, and
afterwards to Simon Karason.