Heimskringla; Or, The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway
everywhere. But a powerful bonde who was in King Harald's array raised
his spear with both hands, and drove it through between Kristrod's
shoulders, so that it came out at his breast; and thus fell Kristrod.
Many who were near asked the bonde why he had done so foul a deed.
The bonde replies, "He knows the consequences now of slaughtering my
cattle in summer, and taking all that was in my house, and forcing me
to follow him here. I determined to give him some return when the
opportunity came."
After this King Harald's army took to flight, and he fled himself, with
all his men. Many fell; and Ingemar Sveinson of Ask, a great chief and
lenderman, got there his death-wound, and nearly sixty of King Harald's
court-men also fell. Harald himself fled eastward to Viken to his ships,
and went out of the country to King Eirik Eimune in Denmark, and found
him in Seeland and sought aid from him. King Eirik received him well,
and principally because they had sworn to each other to be as brothers
(1); and gave him Halland as a fief to rule over, and gave him
seven long-ships, but without equipment. Thereafter King Harald went
northwards through Halland, and many Northmen came to meet him. After
this battle King Magnus subdued the whole country, giving life and
safety to all who were wounded, and had them taken care of equally with
his own men. He then called the whole country his own, and had a choice
of the best men who were in the country. When they held a council among
themselves afterwards, Sigurd Sigurdson, Thorer Ingeridson, and all the
men of most understanding, advised that they should keep their forces
together in Viken, and remain there, in case Harald should return from
the south; but King Magnus would take his own way, and went north to
Bergen. There he sat all winter (A.D. 1135), and allowed his men to
leave him; on which the lendermen returned home to their own houses.
ENDNOTES: (1) These brotherhoods, by which one man was bound by oath to
aid or avenge another, were common in the Middle Ages among
all ranks. "Sworn brothers" is still a common expression
with us.--L.
4. DEATH OF ASBJORN AND OF NEREID.
King Harald came to Konungahella with the men who had followed him from
Denmark. The lendermen and town's burgesses collected a force against
him, which they drew up in a thick array above the town. King Harald
landed from his ships, and sent a message to the bondes, desiring that
they would not deny him his land, as he wanted no more than what of
right belonged to him. Then mediators went between them; and it came
to this, that the bondes dismissed their troops, and submitted to him.
Thereupon he bestowed fiefs and property on the lendermen, that they
might stand by him, and paid the bondes who joined him the lawful
mulcts for what they had lost. A great body of men attached themselves,
therefore, to King Harald; and he proceeded westwards to Viken, where he
gave peace to all men, except to King Magnus's people, whom he plundered
and killed wherever he found them. And when he came west to Sarpsborg he
took prisoners two of King Magnus s lendermen, Asbjorn and his brother
Nereid; and gave them the choice that one should be hanged, and the
other thrown into the Sarpsborg waterfall, and they might choose as they
pleased. Asbjorn chose to be thrown into the cataract, for he was the
elder of the two, and this death appeared the most dreadful; and so it
was done. Halder Skvaldre tells of this:--
"Asbjorn, who opposed the king,
O'er the wild cataract they fling:
Nereid, who opposed the king,
Must on Hagbard's high tree swing.
The king given food in many a way
To foul-mouthed beasts and birds of prey:
The generous men who dare oppose
Are treated as the worst of foes."
Thereafter King Harald proceeded north to Tunsberg, where he was well
received, and a large force gathered to him.
5. OF THE COUNSELS PROPOSED.
When King Magnus, who was in Bergen, heard these tidings, he called
together all the chiefs who were in the town, and asked them their
counsel, and what they should now do. Then Sigurd Sigurdson said, "Here
I can give a good advice. Let a ship be manned with good men, and put
me, or any other lenderman, to command it; send it to thy relation, King
Harald, and offer him peace according to the conditions upright men may
determine upon, and offer him the half of the kingdom. It appears to
me probable that King Harald, by the words and counsel of good men, may
accept this offer, and thus there may be a peace established between
you."
Then King Magnus replied, "This proposal I will not accept of; for of
what advantage would it be, after we have gained the whole kingdom in
summer to give away the half of it now? Give us some other counsel."
Then Sigurd Sigurdson answered, "It appears to me, sire, that your
lendermen who in autumn asked your leave to return home will now sit
at home and will not come to you. At that time it was much against my
advice that you dispersed so entirely the people we had collected; for
I could well suppose that Harald would come back to Viken as soon as he
heard that it was without a chief. Now there is still another counsel,
and it is but a poor one; but it may turn out useful to us. Send out
your pursuivants, and send other people with them, and let them go
against the lendermen who will not join you in your necessity, and
kill them; and bestow their property on others who will give you help
although they may have been of small importance before. Let them drive
together the people, the bad as well as the good; and go with the men
you can thus assemble against King Harald, and give him battle."
The king replies, "It would be unpopular to put to death people of
distinction, and raise up inferior people who often break faith and
law, and the country would be still worse off. I would like to hear some
other counsel still."
Sigurd replies, "It is difficult for me now to give advice, as you will
neither make peace nor give battle. Let us go north to Throndhjem, where
the main strength of the country is most inclined to our side; and on
the way let us gather all the men we can. It may be that these Elfgrims
will be tired of such a long stride after us."
The king replies, "We must not fly from those whom we beat in summer.
Give some better counsel still."
Then Sigurd stood up and said, while he was preparing to go out, "I will
now give you the counsel which I see you will take, and which must have
its course. Sit here in Bergen until Harald comes with his troops, and
then you will either suffer death or disgrace."
And Sigurd remained no longer at that meeting.
6. OF HARALD'S FORCE.
King Harald came from the East along the coast with a great army, and
this winter (A.D. 1135) is called on that account the Crowd-winter. King
Harald came to Bergen on Christmas eve, and landed with his fleet at
Floruvagar; but would not fight on account of the sacred time. But King
Magnus prepared for defence in the town. He erected a stone-slinging
machine out on the holm, and had iron chains and wooden booms laid
across over the passage from the king's house to Nordnes, and to the
Monks bridge. He had foot-traps made, and thrown into Saint John's
field, and did not suspend these works except during the three sacred
days of Christmas. The last holyday of Yule, King Harald ordered his
war-horns to sound the gathering of his men for going to the town; and,
during the Yule holydays, his army had been increased by about 900 men.
7. KING MAGNUS TAKEN PRISONER.
King Harald made a promise to King Olaf the Saint for victory, that he
would build an Olaf's church in the town at his own expense. King Magnus
drew up his men in the Christ church yard; but King Harald laid his
vessels first at Nordnes. Now when King Magnus and his people saw that,
they turned round towards the town, and to the end of the shore; but
as they passed through the streets many of the burgesses ran into their
houses and homes, and those who went across the fields fell into the
foot-traps. Then King Magnus and his men perceived that King Harald had
rowed with all his men across to Hegravik, and landed there, and had
gone from thence the upper road up the hill opposite the town. Now
Magnus returned back again through the streets, and then his men fled
from him in all directions; some up to the mountains, some up to
the neighbourhood of the convent of nuns, some to churches, or hid
themselves as they best could. King Magnus fled to his ship; but
there was no possibility of getting away, for the iron chains outside
prevented the passage of vessels. He had also but few men with him, and
therefore could do nothing. Einar Skulason tells of this in the song of
Harald:--
"For a whole week an iron chain
Cut off all sailing to the main:
Bergen's blue stable was locked fast,--
Her floating wains could not get past."
Soon after Harald's people came out to the ships, and then King Magnus
was made prisoner. He was sitting behind in the forecastle upon the
chests of the high-seat, and at his side Hakon Fauk, his mother's
brother, who was very popular but was not considered very wise, and Ivar
Assurson. They, and many others of King Magnus's friends, were taken,
and some of them killed on the spot.
8. KING MAGNUS MUTILATED.
Thereafter King Harald had a meeting of his counsellors, and desired
their counsel; and in this meeting the judgment was given that Magnus
should be deposed from his dominions, and should no longer be called
king. Then he was delivered to the king's slaves, who mutilated him,
picked out both his eyes, cut off one foot, and at last castrated him.
Ivar Assurson was blinded, and Hakon Fauk killed. The whole country then
was reduced to obedience under King Harald. Afterwards it was diligently
examined who were King Magnus's best friends, or who knew most of his
concealments of treasure or valuables. The holy cross King Magnus had
kept beside him since the battle of Fyrileif, but would not tell where
it was deposited for preservation. Bishop Reinald of Stavanger, who
was an Englishman, was considered very greedy of money. He was a great
friend of King Magnus, and it was thought likely that great treasure
and valuables had been given into his keeping. Men were sent for him
accordingly, and he came to Bergen, where it was insisted against
him that he had some knowledge of such treasure; but he denied it
altogether, would not admit it, and offered to clear himself by ordeal.
King Harald would not have this, but laid on the bishop a money fine
of fifteen marks of gold, which he should pay to the king. The bishop
declared he would not thus impoverish his bishop's see, but would rather
offer his life. On this they hanged the bishop out on the holm, beside
the sling machine. As he was going to the gallows he threw the sock from
his foot, and said with an oath, "I know no more about King Magnus's
treasure than what is in this sock;" and in it there was a gold ring.
Bishop Reinald was buried at Nordnes in Michael's church, and this deed
was much blamed. After this Harald Gille was sole king of Norway as long
as he lived.
9. WONDERFUL OMENS IN KONUNGAHELLA.
Five years after King Sigurd's death remarkable occurrences took place
in Konungahella (A.D. 1135). Guthorm, a son of Harald Fletter, and
Saemund Husfreyja, were at that time the king's officers there. Saemund
was married to Ingebjorg, a daughter of the priest Andres Brunson. Their
sons were Paul Flip and Gunne Fis. Saemund's natural son was called
Asmund. Andres Brunson was a very remarkable man, who carried on divine
service in the Cross church. His wife (1) was called Solveig. Jon