Heimskringla; Or, The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway
For sword on shield incessant clang."
Here they burnt Langatun, a large village; and people say that the town
has never since risen to its former condition. After this King Eystein
left England in autumn, and returned to Norway. People spoke in various
ways about this expedition.
21. OF HARALD'S SONS.
There was good peace maintained in Norway in the first years of the
government of Harald's sons; and as long as their old counsellors were
alive, there was some kind of unanimity among them. While Inge and
Sigurd were in their childhood, they had a court together; but Eystein,
who was come to age of discretion, had a court for himself. But when
Inge's and Sigurd's counsellors were dead,--namely, Sadagyrd Bardson,
Ottar Birting, Amunde Gyrdson, Thjostolf Alason, Ogmund Svipter, and
Ogmund Denger, a brother of Erling Skakke (Erling was not much looked
up to while Ogmund lived),--the two kings, Inge and Sigurd divided their
courts. King Inge then got great assistance from Gregorius Dagson, a son
of Dag Eilifson by Ragnhild a daughter of Skapte Ogmundson. Gregorius
had much property, and was himself a thriving, sagacious man. He
presided in the governing the country under King Inge, and the king
allowed him to manage his property for him according to his own
judgment.
22. HABITS AND MANNERS OF HARALD'S SONS.
When King Sigurd grew up he was a very ungovernable, restless man in
every way; and so was King Eystein, but Eystein was the more reasonable
of the two. King Sigurd was a stout and strong man, of a brisk
appearance; he had light brown hair, an ugly mouth; but otherwise a
well-shaped countenance. He was polite in his conversation beyond any
man, and was expert in all exercises. Einar Skulason speaks of this:--
"Sigurd, expert in every way
To wield the sword in bloody fray,
Showed well that to the bold and brave
God always luck and victory gave.
In speech, as well as bloody deeds,
The king all other men exceeds;
And when he speaks we think that none
Has said a word but he alone."
King Eystein was dark and dingy in complexion, of middle height, and a
prudent able man; but what deprived him of consideration and popularity
with those under him were his avarice and narrowness. He was married to
Ragna, a daughter of Nicolas Mase. King Inge was the handsomest among
them in countenance. He had yellow but rather thin hair, which was much
curled. His stature was small; and he had difficulty in walking alone,
because he had one foot withered, and he had a hump both on his back and
his breast. He was of cheerful conversation, and friendly towards his
friends; was generous, and allowed other chiefs to give him counsel in
governing the country. He was popular, therefore, with the public; and
all this brought the kingdom and the mass of the people on his side.
King Harald Gille's daughter Brigida was first married to the Swedish
king Inge Halsteinson, and afterwards to Earl Karl Sonason, and then to
the Swedish king Magnus. She and King Inge Haraldson were cousins by the
mother's side. At last Brigida married Earl Birger Brose, and they had
four sons, namely, Earl Philip, Earl Knut, Folke, and Magnus. Their
daughters were Ingegerd, who was married to the Swedish king Sorkver,
and their son was King Jon; a second daughter was called Kristin, and a
third Margaret. Harald Gille's second daughter was called Maria, who was
married to Simon Skalp, a son of Halkel Huk; and their son was called
Nikolas. King Harald Gille's third daughter was called Margaret, who was
married to Jon Halkelson, a brother of Simon. Now many things occurred
between the brothers which occasioned differences and disputes; but I
will only relate what appears to me to have produced the more important
events.
23. CARDINAL NIKOLAS COMES TO THE COUNTRY.
In the days of Harald's sons Cardinal Nikolas came from Rome to Norway,
being sent there by the pope. The cardinal had taken offence at
the brothers Sigurd and Eystein, and they were obliged to come to a
reconciliation with him; but, on the other hand, he stood on the most
affectionate terms with King Inge, whom he called his son. Now when
they were all reconciled with him, he moved them to let Jon Birgerson
be consecrated archbishop of Throndhjem and gave him a vestment which is
called a pallium; and settled moreover that the archbishop's seat should
be in Nidaros, in Christ church, where King Olaf the Saint reposes.
Before that time there had only been common bishops in Norway. The
cardinal introduced also the law, that no man should go unpunished who
appeared with arms in the merchant-town, excepting the twelve men who
were in attendancce on the king. He improved many of the customs of the
Northmen while he was in the country. There never came a foreigner to
Norway whom all men respected so highly, or who could govern the people
so well as he did. After some time he returned to the South with many
friendly presents, and declared ever afterwards that he was the greatest
friend of the people of Norway. When he came south to Rome the former
pope died suddenly, and all the people of Rome would have Cardinal
Nikolas for pope, and he was consecrated under the name of Adrian; and
according to the report of men who went to Rome in his days, he had
never any business, however important, to settle with other people, but
he would break it off to speak with the Northmen who desired to see him.
He was not long pope, and is now considered a saint.
24. MIRACLE OF KING OLAF.
In the time of Harald Gille's sons, it happened that a man called Haldor
fell into the hands of the Vindland people, who took him and mutilated
him, cut open his neck, took out the tongue through the opening, and cut
out his tongue root. He afterwards sought out the holy King Olaf, fixed
his mind entirely on the holy man, and weeping besought King Olaf to
restore his speech and health. Thereupon he immediately recovered his
speech by the good king's compassion, went immediately into his service
for all his life, and became an excellent trustworthy man. This miracle
took place a fortnight before the last Olafsmas, upon the day that
Cardinal Nikolas set foot on the land of Norway.
25. MIRACLES OF KING OLAF ON RICHARD.
In the Uplands were two brothers, men of great family, and men of
fortune, Einar and Andres, sons of Guthorm Grabard, and brothers of
King Sigurd Haraldson's mother; and they had great properties and udal
estates in that quarter. They had a sister who was very handsome, but
did not pay sufficient regard to the scandal of evil persons, as it
afterwards appeared. She was on a friendly footing with an English
priest called Richard, who had a welcome to the house of her brothers,
and on account of their friendship for him she did many things to please
him, and often to his advantage; but the end of all this was, that an
ugly report flew about concerning this girl. When this came into the
mouth of the public all men threw the blame on the priest. Her brothers
did the same, and expressed publicly, as soon as they observed it, that
they laid the blame most on him. The great friendship that was between
the earl and the priest proved a great misfortune to both, which might
have been expected, as the brothers were silent about their secret
determination, and let nothing be observed. But one day they called the
priest to them, who went, expecting nothing but good from them; enticed
him from home with them, saying that they intended to go to another
district, where they had some needful business, and inviting him to go
with them. They had with them a farm-servant who knew their purpose.
They went in a boat along the shore of a lake which is called Rands
lake, and landed at a ness called Skiptisand, where they went on shore
and amused themselves awhile. Then they went to a retired place, and
commanded their servant-man to strike the priest with an axe-hammer.
He struck the priest so hard that he swooned; but when he recovered he
said, "Why are ye playing so roughly with me?" They replied, "Although
nobody has told thee of it before, thou shalt now find the consequence
of what thou hast done." They then upbraided him; but he denied their
accusations, and besought God and the holy King Olaf to judge between
them. Then they broke his leg-bones, and dragged him bound to the forest
with them; and then they put a string around his head, and put a board
under his head and shoulders, and made a knot on the string, and bound
his head fast to the board. Then the elder brother, Einar, took a wedge,
and put it on the priest's eye, and the servant who stood beside him
struck upon it with an axe, so that the eye flew out, and fell upon the
board. Then he set the pin upon the other eye, and said to the servant,
"Strike now more softly." He did so, and the wedge sprang from the
eye-stone, and tore the eyelid loose. Then Einar took up the eyelid in
his hand, and saw that the eye-stone was still in its place; and he set
the wedge on the cheek, and when the servant struck it the eye-stone
sprang out upon the cheek-bone. Thereafter they opened his mouth, took
his tongue and cut it off, and then untied his hands and his head. As
soon as he came to himself, he thought of laying the eye-stones in their
place under the eyelids, and pressing then with both hands as much as
he could. Then they carried him on board, and went to a farm called
Saeheimrud, where they landed. They sent up to the farm to say that a
priest was lying in the boat at the shore. While the message was going
to the farm, they asked the priest if he could talk; and he made a noise
and attempted to speak. Then said Einar to his brother, "If he recover
and the stump of his tongue grow, I am afraid he will get his speech
again." Thereupon they seized the stump with a pair of tongs, drew it
out, cut it twice, and the third time to the very roots, and left him
lying half dead. The housewife in the farm was poor; but she hastened to
the place with her daughter, and they carried the priest home to their
farm in their cloaks. They then brought a priest, and when he arrived he
bound all his wounds; and they attended to his comfort as much as they
were able. And thus lay the wounded priest grievously handled, but
trusting always to God's grace, and never doubting; and although he was
speechless, he prayed to God in thought with a sorrowful mind, but with
the more confidence the worse he was. He turned his thoughts also to the
mild King Olaf the Saint, God's dear favourite, of whose excellent deeds
he had heard so much told, and trusted so much more zealously on him
with all his heart for help in his necessity. As he lay there lame, and
deprived of all strength, he wept bitterly, moaned, and prayed with a
sore heart that the dear King Olaf would help him. Now when this wounded
priest was sleeping after midnight, he thought he saw a gallant man
coming to him, who spoke these words, "Thou art ill off, friend Richard,
and thy strength is little." He thought he replied to this assentingly.
Then the man accosted him again, "Thou requirest compassion?" The priest
replies, "I need the compassion of Almighty God and the holy King Olaf."
He answered, "Thou shalt get it." Thereupon he pulled the tongue-stump
so hard that it gave the priest pain; then he stroked with his hands his
eyes, and legs, and other wounded members. Then the priest asked who he
was. He looked at him, and said, "Olaf, come here from Throndhjem;" and
then disappeared. But the priest awoke altogether sound, and thus he
spoke: "Happy am I, and thanks be to the Almighty God and the holy King
Olaf, who have restored me!" Dreadfully mishandled as he had been, yet
so quickly was he restored from his misfortune that he scarcely thought