Heimskringla; Or, The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway
Tunsberg, and paid the wages of the men-at-arms at Candlemas.
11. OF ERLING.
Earl Sigurd went with his best troops down to Viken, where many people
were obliged to submit to his superior force, and many had to pay money.
He drove about thus widely higher up the country, penetrating into
different districts. But there were some in his troop who desired
privately to make peace with Erling; but they got back the answer,
that all who asked for their lives should obtain quarter, but they only
should get leave to remain in the country who had not been guilty of any
great offenses against Erling. And when Sigurd's adherents heard that
they would not get leave to remain in the country, they held together
in one body; for there were many among them who knew for certain that
Erling would look upon them as guilty of offences against him. Philip
Gyrdson made terms with Erling, got his property back, and went home to
his farm; but soon after Sigurd's men came there, and killed him. They
committed many crimes against each other, and many men were slain in
their mutual persecution; but here what was committed by the chiefs only
is written down.
12. ERLING GETS NEWS OF EARL SIGURD.
It was in the beginning of Lent that news came to Erling that Earl
Sigurd intended to come upon him; and news of him came here and there,
sometimes nearer, sometimes farther off. Erling sent out spies in all
quarters around to discover where they were. Every evening he assembled
all the men-at-arms by the war-horn out of the town; and for a long time
in the winter they lay under arms all night, ready to be drawn up in
array. At last Erling got intelligence that Sigurd and his followers
were not far distant, up at the farm Re. Erling then began his
expedition out of the town, and took with him all the towns-people who
were able to carry arms and had arms, and likewise all the merchants;
and left only twelve men behind to keep watch in the town. Erling
went out of the town on Thursday afternoon, in the second week of Lent
(February 19); and every man had two days' provisions with him. They
marched by night, and it was late before they got out of the town with
the men. Two men were with each shield and each horse; and the people,
when mustered, were about 1200 men. When they met their spies, they were
informed that Sigurd was at Re, in a house called Rafnnes, and had 500
men. Then Erling called together his people; told them the news he had
received, and all were eager to hasten their march, fall on them in the
houses, or engage them by night.
Erling replied to them thus:--"It is probable that we and Earl Sigurd
shall soon meet. There are also many men in this band whose handy-work
remains in our memories; such as cutting down King Inge, and so many
more of our friends, that it would take long to reckon them up. These
deeds they did by the power of Satan, by witchcraft, and by villainy;
for it stands in our laws and country rights, that however highly a man
may have been guilty, it shall be called villainy and cowardly murder to
kill him in the night. This band has had its luck hitherto by following
the counsel of men acquainted with witchcraft and fighting by night,
and not in the light of day; and by this proceeding have they been
victorious hitherto over the chiefs whose heads they have laid low
on the earth. Now we have often seen, and proved, how unsuitable and
improper it is to go into battle in the nighttime; therefore let us
rather have before our eyes the example of chiefs better known to us,
and who deserve better to be imitated, and fight by open day in regular
battle array, and not steal upon sleeping men in the night. We have
people enough against them, so few as they are. Let us, therefore, wait
for day and daylight, and keep together in our array in case they attack
us."
Thereafter the whole army sat down. Some opened up bundles of hay, and
made a bed of it for themselves; some sat upon their shields, and thus
waited the daydawn. The weather was raw, and there was a wet snowdrift.
13. OF EARL SIGURD'S BATTLE ARRAY.
Earl Sigurd got the first intelligence of Erling's army, when it was
already near to the house. His men got up, and armed themselves; but not
knowing how many men Erling had with him, some were inclined to fly, but
the most determined to stand. Earl Sigurd was a man of understanding,
and could talk well, but certainly was not considered brave enough to
take a strong resolution; and indeed the earl showed a great inclination
to fly, for which he got many stinging words from his men-at-arms. As
day dawned, they began on both sides to draw up their battle array. Earl
Sigurd placed his men on the edge of a ridge between the river and the
house, at a place at which a little stream runs into the river. Erling
and his people placed their array on the other side of the river; but at
the back of his array were men on horseback well armed, who had the king
with them. When Earl Sigurd's men saw that there was so great a want
of men on their side, they held a council, and were for taking to the
forest. But Earl Sigurd said, "Ye alleged that I had no courage, but it
will now be proved; and let each of you take care not to fail, or fly,
before I do so. We have a good battle-field. Let them cross the bridge;
but as soon as the banner comes over it let us then rush down the hill
upon them, and none desert his neighbour."
Earl Sigurd had on a red-brown kirtle, and a red cloak, of which the
corners were tied and turned back; shoes on his feet; and a shield and
sword called Bastard. The earl said, "God knows that I would rather get
at Erling Skakke with a stroke of Bastard, than receive much gold."
14. EARL SIGURD'S FALL.
Erling Skakke's army wished to go on to the bridge; but Erling told them
to go up along the river, which was small, and not difficult to cross,
as its banks were flat; and they did so. Earl Sigurd's array proceeded
up along the ridge right opposite to them; but as the ridge ended, and
the ground was good and level over the river, Erling told his men
to sing a Paternoster, and beg God to give them the victory who best
deserved it. Then they all sang aloud "Kyrie Eleison", and struck
with their weapons on their shields. But with this singing 300 men of
Erling's people slipped away and fled. Then Erling and his people went
across the river, and the earl's men raised the war-shout; but there was
no assault from the ridge down upon Erling's array, but the battle began
upon the hill itself. They first used spears then edge weapons; and the
earl's banner soon retired so far back, that Erling and his men scaled
the ridge. The battle lasted but a short time before the earl's men
fled to the forest, which they had close behind them. This was told Earl
Sigurd, and his men bade him fly; but he replied, "Let us on while we
can." And his men went bravely on, and cut down on all sides. In this
tumult fell Earl Sigurd and Jon Sveinson, and nearly sixty men. Erling
lost few men, and pursued the fugitives to the forest. There Erling
halted his troops, and turned back. He came just as the king's slaves
were about stripping the clothes off Earl Sigurd, who was not quite
lifeless. He had put his sword in the sheath, and it lay by his side.
Erling took it, struck the slaves with it, and drove them away. Then
Erling, with his troops, returned, and sat down in Tunsberg. Seven days
after Earl Sigurd's fall Erling's men took Eindride Unge prisoner, and
killed him, with all his ship's crew.
15. MARKUS OF SKOG, AND SIGURD SIGURDSON.
Markus of Skog, and King Sigurd, his foster-son, rode down to Viken
towards spring, and there got a ship; but when Erling heard it he went
eastwards against them, and they met at Konungahella. Markus fled with
his followers to the island Hising; and there the country people of
Hising came down in swarms, and placed themselves in Markus's and
Sigurd's array. Erling and his men rowed to the shore; but Markus's men
shot at them. Then Erling said to his people, "Let us take their ships,
but not go up to fight with a land force. The Hisingers are a bad set
to quarrel with,--hard, and without understanding. They will keep this
troop but a little while among them, for Hising is but a small
spot." This was done: they took the ships, and brought them over to
Konungahella. Markus and his men went up to the forest district, from
which they intended to make assaults, and they had spies out on both
sides. Erling had many men-at-arms with him, whom he brought from other
districts, and they made attacks on each other in turn.
16. BEGINNING OF ARCHBISHOP EYSTEIN.
Eystein, a son of Erlend Himaide, was selected to be archbishop, after
Archbishop Jon's death; and he was consecrated the same year King Inge
was killed. Now when Archbishop Eystein came to his see, he made himself
beloved by all the country, as an excellent active man of high birth.
The Throndhjem people, in particular, received him with pleasure; for
most of the great people in the Throndhjem district were connected with
the archbishop by relationship or other connection, and all were his
friends. The archbishop brought forward a request to the bondes in a
speech, in which he set forth the great want of money for the see, and
also how much greater improvement of the revenues would be necessary
to maintain it suitably, as it was now of much more importance than
formerly when the bishop's see was first established. He requested of
the bondes that they should give him, for determining law-suits, an ore
of silver value, instead of what they had before paid, which was an ore
of judgment money, of that kind which was paid to the king in judging
cases; and the difference between the two kinds of ore was, that the
ore he desired was a half greater than the other. By help of the
archbishop's relations and friends, and his own activity, this was
carried; and it was fixed by law in all the Throndhjem district, and in
all the districts belonging to his archbishopric.
17. OF MARKUS AND KING SIGURD.
When Sigurd and Markus lost their ships in the Gaut river, and saw they
could get no hold on Erling, they went to the Uplands, and proceeded by
land north to Throndhjem. Sigurd was received there joyfully, and chosen
king at an Eyra-thing; and many gallant men, with their sons, attached
themselves to his party. They fitted out ships, rigged them for a
voyage, and proceeded when summer came southwards to More, and took up
all the royal revenues wheresoever they came. At this time the
following lendermen were appointed in Bergen for the defence of the
country:--Nikolas Sigurdson, Nokve Palson, and several military leaders;
as Thorolf Dryl, Thorbjorn Gjaldkere, and many others. As Markus and
Sigurd sailed south, they heard that Erling's men were numerous
in Bergen; and therefore they sailed outside the coast-rocks, and
southwards past Bergen. It was generally remarked, that Markus's men
always got a fair wind, wherever they wished to sail to.
18. MARKUS AND KING SIGURD KILLED.
As soon as Erling Skakke heard that Sigurd and Markus had sailed
southwards, he hastened to Viken, and drew together an armed force; and
he soon had a great many men, and many stout ships. But when he came
farther in Viken, he met with a strong contrary wind, which kept him
there in port the whole summer. Now when Sigurd and Markus came east
to Lister, they heard that Erling had a great force in Viken; so they
turned to the north again. But when they reached Hordaland, with the
intention of sailing to Bergen, and came opposite the town, Nikolas and
his men rowed out against them, with more men and larger ships than
they had. Sigurd and Markus saw no other way of escaping but to row away