Heimskringla; Or, The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway
the country is a striking example of the right of the Things
being recognised, in theory at least, as fully as the right
of our parliaments in later times.--L.
25. LETTERS OF THE THRONDHJEM PEOPLE.
The same winter (A.D. 1165) some Danish people came by land through the
Uplands, saying they were to go, as was then the general practice, to
the holy King Olaf's festival. But when they came to the Throndhjem
country, they went to many men of influence, and told their business;
which was, that the Danish king had sent them to desire their
friendship, and consent, if he came to the country, promising them both
power and money. With this verbal message came also the Danish king's
letter and seal, and a message to the Throndhjem people that they should
send back their letters and seals to him. They did so, and the most of
them received well the Danish king's message; whereupon the messengers
returned back towards Lent. Erling was in Bergen; and towards spring
Erling's friends told him the loose reports they had heard by some
merchant vessels that had arrived from Throndhjem, that the Throndhjem
people were in hostility openly against him; and had declared that if
Erling came to Throndhjem, he should never pass Agdanes in life. Erling
said this was mere folly and idle talk. Erling now made it known that
he would go to Unarheim to the Gangdag-thing; and ordered a cutter of
twenty rowing benches to be fitted out, a boat of fifteen benches, and
a provision-ship. When the vessels were ready, there came a strong
southerly gale. On the Thursday of the Ascension week, Erling called his
people by sound of trumpet to their departure; but the men were loath
to leave the town, and were ill inclined to row against the wind. Erling
brought his vessels to Biskupshafn. "Well," said Erling, "since ye are
so unwilling to row against the wind, raise the mast, hoist the sails,
and let the ship go north." They did so, and sailed northwards both day
and night. On Wednesday, in the evening, they sailed in past Agdanes,
where they found a fleet assembled of many merchant vessels, rowing
craft, and boats, all going towards the town to the celebration of the
festival,--some before them, some behind them--so that the townspeople
paid no attention to the long-ships coming.
26. ERLING AND THE PEOPLE OF THRONDHJEM.
Erling came to the town just as vespers was being sung in Christ church.
He and his men ran into the town, to where it was told them that the
lenderman, Alf Rode, a son of Ottar Birting, was still sitting at table,
and drinking with his men. Erling fell upon them; and Alf was killed,
with almost all his men. Few other men were killed; for they had almost
all gone to church, as this was the night before Christ's Ascension-day.
In the morning early, Erling called all the people by sound of trumpet
to a Thing out upon Evrar. At the Thing Erling laid a charge against the
Throndhjem people, accusing them of intending to betray the country,
and take it from the king; and named Bard Standale, Pal Andreason, and
Razabard, who then presided over the town's affairs, and many others.
They, in their defence, denied the accusation; but Erling's writer stood
up, produced many letters with seals, and asked if they acknowledged
their seals which they had sent to the Danish king; and thereupon the
letters were read. There was also a Danish man with Erling who had gone
with the letters in winter, and whom Erling for that purpose had taken
into his service. He told to these men the very words which each of them
had used. "And you, Razabard, spoke, striking your breast; and the
very words you used were, 'Out of this breast are all these counsels
produced.'" Bard replied, "I was wrong in the head, sirs, when I spoke
so." There was now nothing to be done but to submit the case entirely to
the sentence Erling might give upon it. He took great sums of money from
many as fines, and condemned all those who had been killed as lawless,
and their deeds as lawless; making their deaths thereby not subject to
mulct. Then Erling returned south to Bergen.
27. KING VALDEMAR'S EXPEDITION TO NORWAY.
The Danish king Valdemar assembled in spring (A.D. 1165) a great
army, and proceeded with it north to Viken. As soon as he reached
the dominions of the king of Norway, the bondes assembled in a great
multitude. The king advanced peacefully; but when they came to the
mainland, the people shot at them even when there were only two or three
together, from which the ill-will of the country people towards them
was evident. When they came to Tunsberg, King Valdemar summoned a
Hauga-thing; but nobody attended it from the country parts. Then
Valdemar spoke thus to his troops: "It is evident that all the
country-people are against us; and now we have two things to choose: the
one to go through the country, sword in hand, sparing neither man nor
beast; the other is to go back without effecting our object. And it
is more my inclination to go with the army to the East against the
heathens, of whom we have enough before us in the East country, than to
kill Christian people here, although they have well deserved it." All
the others had a greater desire for a foray; but the king ruled, and
they all returned back to Denmark without effecting their purpose. They
pillaged, however, all around in the distant islands, or where the
king was not in the neighbourhood. They then returned south to Denmark
without doing anything.
28. ERLING'S EXPEDITION TO JUTLAND.
As soon as Erling heard that a Danish force had come to Viken, he
ordered a levy through all the land, both of men and ships, so that
there was a great assemblage of men in arms; and with this force he
proceeded eastward along the coast. But when he came to Lidandisnes,
he heard that the Danish army had returned south to Denmark, after
plundering all around them in Viken. Then Erling gave all the people of
the levy permission to return home; but he himself and some lendermen,
with many vessels, sailed to Jutland after the Danes. When they came to
a place called Dyrsa, the Danes who had returned from the expedition lay
there with many ships. Erling gave them battle, and there was a fight,
in which the Danes soon fled with the loss of many people; and Erling
and his men plundered the ships and the town, and made a great booty,
with which they returned to Norway. Thereafter, for a time, there was
hostility between Norway and Denmark.
29. ERLING'S EXPEDITION TO DENMARK.
The princess Krisfin went south in autumn (A.D. 1165) to Denmark, to
visit her relation King Valdemar, who was her cousin. The king received
her kindly, and gave her fiefs in his kingdom, so that she could
support her household well. She often conversed with the king, who was
remarkably kind towards her. In the spring following (A.D. 1166) Kristin
sent to Erling, and begged him to pay a visit to the Danish king, and
enter into a peace with him. In summer Erling was in Viken, where he
fitted out a long-ship, manned it with his finest lads, and sailed
(a single ship) over to Jutland. When he heard that the Danish king
Valdemar was in Randaros, Erling sailed thither, and came to the town
just as the king sat at the dinner-table, and most of the people were
taking their meal. When his people had made themselves ready according
to Erling's orders, set up the ship-tents, and made fast the ship,
Erling landed with twelve men, all in armour, with hats over their
helmets, and swords under their cloaks. They went to the king's lodging,
where the doors stood open, and the dishes were being carried in.
Erling and his people went in immediately, and drew up in front of the
high-seat. Erling said, "Peace and safe conduct we desire, king, both
here and to return home."
The king looked at him, and said, "Art thou here, Erling?"
He replies, "Here is Erling; and tell us, at once, if we shall have
peace and safe conduct."
There were eighty of the king's men in the room, but all unarmed. The
king replies, "Peace ye shall have, Erling, according to thy desire; for
I will not use force or villainy against a man who comes to visit me."
Erling then kissed the king's hand, went out, and down to his ship.
Erling stayed at Randaros some time with the king, and they talked about
terms of peace between them and between the countries. They agreed that
Erling should remain as hostage with the Danish king; and that Asbjorn
Snara, Bishop Absalon's brother, should go to Norway as hostage on the
other part.
30. KING VALDEMAR AND ERLING.
In a conference which King Valdemar and Erling once had together. Erling
said, "Sire, it appears to me likely that it might lead to a peace
between the countries if you got that part of Norway which was promised
you in our agreement; but if it should be so, what chief would you place
over it? Would he be a Dane?"
"No," replied the king; "no Danish chief would go to Norway, where he
would have to manage an obstinate hard people, when he has it so easy
here with me."
Erling: "It was on that very consideration that I came here; for I would
not on any account in the world deprive myself of the advantage of your
friendship. In days of old other men, Hakon Ivarson and Fin Arnason,
came also from Norway to Denmark, and your predecessor, King Svein, made
them both earls. Now I am not a man of less power in Norway than they
were then, and my influence is not less than theirs; and the king gave
them the province of Halland to rule over, which he himself had and
owned before. Now it appears to me, sire, that you, if I become your
man and vassal, can allow me to hold of you the fief which my son
Magnus will not deny me, by which I will be bound in duty, and ready, to
undertake all the service belonging to that title."
Erling spoke such things, and much more in the same strain, until it
came at last to this, that Erling became Valdemar's man and vassal; and
the king led Erling to the earl's seat one day, and gave him the title
of earl, and Viken as a fief under his rule. Earl Erling went thereafter
to Norway, and was earl afterwards as long as he lived; and also the
peace with the Danish king was afterwards always preserved. Earl Erling
had four sons by his concubines. The one was called Hreidar, the next
Ogmund; and these by two different mothers: the third was called Fin;
the fourth Sigurd: these were younger, and their mother was Asa the
Fair. The princess Kristin and Earl Erling had a daughter called
Ragnhild, who was married to Jon Thorbergson of Randaberg. Kristin went
away from the country with a man called Grim Rusle; and they went to
Constantinople, where they were for a time, and had some children.
31. BEGINNING OF OLAF.
Olaf, a son of Gudbrand Skafhaug, and Maria, a daughter of King Eystein
Magnuson, were brought up in the house of Sigurd Agnhot in the Uplands.
While Earl Erling was in Denmark (A.D. 1166), Olaf and his foster-father
gathered a troop together, and many Upland people joined them; and Olaf
was chosen king by them. They went with their bands through the
Uplands, and sometimes down to Viken, and sometimes east to the forest
settlements; but never came on board of ships. Now when, Earl Erling got
news of this troop, he hastened to Viken with his forces; and was there
in summer in his ships, and in Oslo in autumn (A.D. 1167) and kept Yule
there. He had spies up the country after this troop, and went himself,
along with Orm, the King-brother, up the country to follow them. Now
when they came to a lake called.... .... (1) they took all the vessels
that were upon the lake.
ENDNOTES: (1) The name of the lake not given.
32. OF ERLING.
The priest who performed divine service at a place called Rydiokul,