Heimskringla; Or, The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway
silver. With that came also two gold rings, which together stood for a
mark. He gave him also his cloak of dark purple lined with white skins
within, and promised him besides his friendship and great dignity.
Thorgils Snorrason, an intelligent man, says he has seen an altar-cloth
that was made of this cloak; and Gudrid, a daughter of Guthorm, the son
of Thorer of Steig, said, according to Thorgil's account, that she had
seen this bowl in her father Guthorm's possession. Bolverk also tells of
these matters:--
"Thou, generous king, I have been told,
For the green land hast given gold;
And Magnus got a mighty treasure,
That thou one half might'st rule at pleasure.
The people gained a blessed peace,
Which 'twixt the kings did never cease;
While Svein, disturbed with war's alarms,
Had his folk always under arms."
25. OF KING MAGNUS.
The kings Magnus and Harald both ruled in Norway the winter after their
agreement (A.D. 1047), and each had his court. In winter they went
around the Upland country in guest-quarters; and sometimes they were
both together, sometimes each was for himself. They went all the way
north to Throndhjem, to the town of Nidaros. King Magnus had taken
special care of the holy remains of King Olaf after he came to the
country; had the hair and nails clipped every twelve month, and kept
himself the keys that opened the shrine. Many miracles were worked by
King Olaf's holy remains. It was not long before there was a breach
in the good understanding between the two kings, as many were so
mischievous as to promote discord between them.
26. OF SVEIN ULFSON.
Svein Ulfson remained behind in the harbour after Harald had gone away,
and inquired about his proceedings. When he heard at last of Magnus and
Harald having agreed and joined their forces, he steered with his forces
eastward along Scania, and remained there until towards winter, when he
heard that King Magnus and King Harald had gone northwards to Norway.
Then Svein, with his troops, came south to Denmark and took all the
royal income that winter (A.D. 1047).
27. OF THE LEVY OF THE TWO KINGS.
Towards spring (A.D. 1047) King Magnus and his relation, King Harald,
ordered a levy in Norway. It happened once that the kings lay all night
in the same harbour and next day, King Harald, being first ready, made
sail. Towards evening he brought up in the harbour in which Magnus and
his retinue had intended to pass the night. Harald laid his vessel in
the royal ground, and there set up his tents. King Magnus got under sail
later in the day and came into the harbour just as King Harald had done
pitching his tents. They saw then that King Harald had taken up the
king's ground and intended to lie there. After King Magnus had ordered
the sails to be taken in, he said, "The men will now get ready along
both sides of the vessel to lay out their oars, and some will open the
hatches and bring up the arms and arm themselves; for, if they will not
make way for us, we will fight them." Now when King Harald sees
that King Magnus will give him battle, he says to his men, "Cut our
land-fastenings and back the ship out of the ground, for friend Magnus
is in a passion." They did so and laid the vessel out of the ground
and King Magnus laid his vessel in it. When they were now ready on both
sides with their business, King Harald went with a few men on board of
King Magnus's ship. King Magnus received him in a friendly way, and
bade him welcome. King Harald answered, "I thought we were come among
friends; but just now I was in doubt if ye would have it so. But it is a
truth that childhood is hasty, and I will only consider it as a childish
freak." Then said King Magnus, "It is no childish whim, but a trait of
my family, that I never forget what I have given, or what I have not
given. If this trifle had been settled against my will, there would soon
have followed' some other discord like it. In all particulars I will
hold the agreement between us; but in the same way we will have all that
belongs to us by that right." King Harald coolly replied, that it is an
old custom for the wisest to give way; and returned to his ship. From
such circumstances it was found difficult to preserve good understanding
between the kings. King Magnus's men said he was in the right; but
others, less wise, thought there was some slight put upon Harald in the
business. King Harald's men, besides, insisted that the agreement was
only that King Magnus should have the preference of the harbour-ground
when they arrived together, but that King Harald was not bound to draw
out of his place when he came first. They observed, also, that King
Harald had conducted himself well and wisely in the matter. Those who
viewed the business in the worst light insisted that King Magnus wanted
to break the agreement, and that he had done King Harald injustice,
and put an affront on him. Such disputes were talked over so long
among foolish people, that the spirit of disagreeing affected the kings
themselves. Many other things also occurred, in which the kings appeared
determined to have each his own way; but of these little will be set
down here.
28. KING MAGNUS THE GOOD'S DEATH.
The kings, Magnus and Harald, sailed with their fleet south to Denmark;
and when Svein heard of their approach, he fled away east to Scania.
Magnus and Harald remained in Denmark late in summer, and subdued the
whole country. In autumn they were in Jutland. One night, as King Magnus
lay in his bed, it appeared to him in a dream that he was in the same
place as his father, Saint Olaf, and that he spoke to him thus: "Wilt
thou choose, my son, to follow me, or to become a mighty king, and
have long life; but to commit a crime which thou wilt never be able to
expiate?" He thought he made the answer, "Do thou, father, choose for
me." Then the king thought the answer was, "Thou shalt follow me." King
Magnus told his men this dream. Soon after he fell sick and lay at a
place called Sudathorp. When he was near his death he sent his brother,
Thorer, with tokens to Svein Ulfson, with the request to give Thorer the
aid he might require. In this message King Magnus also gave the Danish
dominions to Svein after his death; and said it was just that Harald
should rule over Norway and Svein over Denmark. Then King Magnus the
Good died (A.D. 1047), and great was the sorrow of all the people at his
death. So says Od Kikinaskald:--
"The tears o'er good King Magnus' bier,
The people's tears, were all sincere:
Even they to whom he riches gave
Carried him heavily to the grave.
All hearts were struck at the king's end;
His house-thralls wept as for a friend;
His court-men oft alone would muse,
As pondering o'er unthought of news."
29. KING MAGNUS'S FUNERAL.
After this event King Harald held a Thing of his men-at-arms, and told
them his intention to go with the army to Viborg Thing, and make himself
be proclaimed king over the whole Danish dominions, to which, he said,
he had hereditary right after his relation Magnus, as well as to Norway.
He therefore asked his men for their aid, and said he thought the
Norway man should show himself always superior to the Dane. Then Einar
Tambaskelfer replies that he considered it a greater duty to bring his
foster-son King Magnus's corpse to the grave, and lay it beside his
father, King Olaf's, north in Throndhjem town, than to be fighting
abroad and taking another king's dominions and property. He ended his
speech with saying that he would rather follow King Magnus dead than any
other king alive. Thereupon he had the body adorned in the most careful
way, so that most magnificent preparations were made in the king's ship.
Then all the Throndhjem people and all the Northmen made themselves
ready to return home with the king's body, and so the army was broken
up. King Harald saw then that it was better for him to return to Norway
to secure that kingdom first, and to assemble men anew; and so King
Harald returned to Norway with all his army. As soon as he came to
Norway he held a Thing with the people of the country, and had himself
proclaimed king everywhere. He proceeded thus from the East through
Viken, and in every district in Norway he was named king. Einar
Tambaskelfer, and with him all the Throndhjem troops, went with King
Magnus's body and transported it to the town of Nidaros, where it was
buried in St. Clement's church, where also was the shrine of King
Olaf the Saint. King Magnus was of middle size, of long and
clear-complexioned countenance, and light hair, spoke well and hastily,
was brisk in his actions, and extremely generous. He was a great
warrior, and remarkably bold in arms. He was the most popular of kings,
prized even by enemies as well as friends.
30. OF SVEIN ULFSON.
Svein Ulfson remained that autumn in Scania (A.D. 1047), and was making
ready to travel eastward to Sweden, with the intention of renouncing the
title of king he had assumed in Denmark; but just as he was mounting his
horse some men came riding to him with the first news that King Magnus
was dead, and all the Northmen had left Denmark. Svein answered in
haste, "I call God to witness that I shall never again fly from the
Danish dominions as long as I live." Then he got on his horse and rode
south into Scania, where immediately many people crowded to him. That
winter he brought under his power all the Danish dominions, and all the
Danes took him for their king. Thorer, King Magnus's brother, came to
Svein in autumn with the message of King Magnus, as before related,
and was well received; and Thorer remained long with Svein and was well
taken care of.
31. OF KING HARALD SIGURDSON.
King Harald Sigurdson took the royal power over all Norway after the
death of King Magnus Olafson; and when he had reigned over Norway one
winter and spring was come (A.D. 1048), he ordered a levy through all
the land of one-half of all men and ships and went south to Jutland.
He herried and burned all summer wide around in the land and came into
Godnarfjord, where King Harald made these verses:--
"While wives of husbands fondly dream,
Here let us anchor in the stream,
In Godnarfjord; we'll safely moor
Our sea-homes, and sleep quite secure."
Then he spoke to Thiodolf, the skald, and asked him to add to it what it
wanted, and he sang:--
"In the next summer, I foresee,
Our anchorage in the South will be;
To hold our sea-homes on the ground,
More cold-tongued anchors will be found."
To this Bolverk alludes in his song also, that Harald went to Denmark
the summer after King Magnus's death. Bolverk sings thus:--
"Next summer thou the levy raised,
And seawards all the people gazed,
Where thy sea-steeds in sunshine glancing
Over the waves were gaily prancing;
While the deep ships that plunder bore
Seemed black specks from the distant shore.
The Danes, from banks or hillocks green,
Looked with dismay upon the scene."
32. OF THORKEL GEYSA'S DAUGHTERS.
Then they burned the house of Thorkel Geysa, who was a great lord, and
his daughters they carried off bound to their ships. They had made a
great mockery the winter before of King Harald's coming with war-ships
against Denmark; and they cut their cheese into the shape of anchors,
and said such anchors might hold all the ships of the Norway king. Then
this was composed:--
"The Island-girls, we were told,
Made anchors all our fleet to hold:
Their Danish jest cut out in cheese
Did not our stern king's fancy please.
Now many a maiden fair, may be,
Sees iron anchors splash the sea,
Who will not wake a maid next morn