Heimskringla; Or, The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway
close by the lake, invited the earl to a feast at Candlemas. The earl
promised to come; and thinking it would be good to hear mass there, he
rowed with his attendants over the lake the night before Candlemas day.
But the priest had another plan on hand. He sent men to bring Olaf news
of Earl Erling's arrival. The priest gave Erling strong drink in the
evening, and let him have an excessive quantity of it. When the
earl wished to lie down and sleep, the beds were made ready in the
drinking-room; but when they had slept a short time the earl awoke, and
asked if it was not the hour for matins. The priest replied, that only
a small part of the night was gone, and told him to sleep in peace. The
earl replied, "I dream of many things to-night, and I sleep ill." He
slumbered again, but awoke soon, and told the priest to get up and sing
mass. The priest told the earl to sleep, and said it was but midnight.
Then the earl again lay down, slept a little while, and, springing out
of bed, ordered his men to put on their clothes. They did so; took
their weapons, went to the church, and laid their arms outside while the
priest was singing matins.
33. BATTLE AT RYDIOKUL.
As Olaf got the message in the evening, they travelled in the night
six miles, which people considered an extraordinarily long march. They
arrived at Rydiokul while the priest was still singing mass, and it was
pitch-dark. Olaf and his men went into the room, raised a war-shout, and
killed some of the earl's men who had not gone to the early mass. Now
when Erling and his men heard the war-shout, they ran to their weapons,
and hastened down to their ships. Olaf and his men met them at a fence,
at which there was a sharp conflict. Erling and his men retreated along
the fence, which protected them. Erling had far fewer men, and many of
them had fallen, and still more were wounded. What helped Earl Erling
and his men the most was, that Olaf's men could not distinguish them, it
was so dark; and the earl's men were always drawing down to their ships.
Are Thorgeirson, father of Bishop Gudmund fell there, and many other
of Erling's court-men. Erling himself was wounded in the left side; but
some say he did it himself in drawing his sword. Orm the King-brother
was also severely wounded; and with great difficulty they escaped
to their ships, and instantly pushed off from land. It was generally
considered as a most unlucky meeting for Olaf's people, as Earl Erling
was in a manner sold into their hands, if they had proceeded with common
prudence. He was afterwards called Olaf the Unlucky; but others called
his people Hat-lads. They went with their bands through the Uplands as
before. Erling again went down to Viken to his ships, and remained there
all summer. Olaf was in the Uplands, and sometimes east in the forest
districts, where he and his troop remained all the next winter (A.D.
1168).
34. BATTLE AT STANGAR.
The following spring the Hat-lads went down to Viken, and raised the
king's taxes all around, and remained there long in summer. When Earl
Erling heard this, he hastened with his troops to meet them in Viken,
and fell in with them east of the Fjord, at a place called Stangar;
where they had a great battle, in which Erling was victorious. Sigurd
Agnhot, and many others of Olaf's men, fell there; but Olaf escaped by
flight, went south to Denmark, and was all winter (A.D. 1169) in Alaborg
in Jutland. The following spring Olaf fell into an illness which ended
in death, and he was buried in the Maria church; and the Danes call him
a saint.
35. HARALD'S DEATH.
King Magnus had a lenderman called Nikolas Kufung, who was a son of Pal
Skaptason. He took Harald prisoner, who called himself a son of King
Sigurd Haraldson and the princess Kristin, and a brother of King Magnus
by the mother's side. Nikolas brought Harald to Bergen, and delivered
him into Earl Erling's hands. It was Erling's custom when his enemies
came before him, that he either said nothing to them, or very little,
and that in all gentleness, when he had determined to put them to death;
or rose with furious words against them, when he intended to spare their
lives. Erling spoke but little to Harald, and many, therefore, suspected
his intentions; and some begged King Magnus to put in a good word
for Harald with the earl; and the king did so. The earl replies, "Thy
friends advise thee badly. Thou wouldst govern this kingdom but a short
time in peace and safety, if thou wert to follow the counsels of the
heart only." Earl Erling ordered Harald to be taken to Nordnes, where he
was beheaded.
36. EYSTEIN EYSTEINSON AND THE BIRKEBEINS.
There was a man called Eystein, who gave himself out for a son of King
Eystein Haraldson. He was at this time young, and not full grown. It is
told of him that he one summer appeared in Svithjod, and went to
Earl Birger Brosa, who was then married to Brigida, Eystein's aunt, a
daughter of King Harald Gille. Eystein explained his business to him,
and asked their assistance. Both Earl Birger and his wife listened to
him in a friendly way, and promised him their confidence, and he stayed
with them a while. Earl Birger gave him some assistance of men, and a
good sum for travelling expenses; and both promised him their friendship
on his taking leave. Thereafter Eystein proceeded north into Norway
(A.D. 1174), and when he came down to Viken people flocked to him in
crowds; and Eystein was there proclaimed king, and he remained in Viken
in winter. As they were very poor in money, they robbed all around,
wherefore the lendermen and bondes raised men against them; and being
thus overpowered by numbers, they fled away to the forests and deserted
hill grounds, where they lived for a long time. Their clothes being worn
out, they wound the bark of the birch-tree about their legs, and thus
were called by the bondes Birkebeins. They often rushed down upon the
settled districts, pushed on here or there, and made an assault where
they did not find many people to oppose them. They had several battles
with the bondes with various success; and the Birkebeins held three
battles in regular array, and gained the victory in them all. At
Krokaskog they had nearly made an unlucky expedition, for a great number
of bondes and men-at-arms were assembled there against them; but the
Birkebeins felled brushwood across the roads, and retired into the
forest. They were two years (A.D. 1175-1176) in Viken before they showed
themselves in the northern parts of the country.
37. BIRKEBEINS, KING EYSTEIN, AND SKAKKE.
Magnus had been king for thirteen years when the Birkebeins first made
their appearance. They got themselves ships in the third summer (A.D.
1176), with which they sailed along the coast gathering goods and
men. They were first in Viken; but when summer advanced they proceeded
northwards, and so rapidly that no news preceded them until they came to
Throndhjem. The Birkebeins' troop consisted principally of hill-men and
Elfgrims, and many were from Thelemark; and all were well armed.
Their king, Eystein, was a handsome man, and with a little but good
countenance; and he was not of great stature, for his men called him
Eystein Meyla. King Magnus and Earl Erling were in Bergen when the
Birkebeins sailed past it to the north; but they did not hear of them.
Earl Erling was a man of great understanding and power, an excellent
leader in war, and an able and prudent ruler of the country; but he
had the character of being cruel and severe. The cause of this was
principally that he never allowed his enemies to remain in the country,
even when they prayed to him for mercy; and therefore many joined the
bands which were collected against him. Erling was a tall strong-made
man, somewhat short-necked and high-shouldered; had a long and sharp
countenance of a light complexion, and his hair became very grey.
He bore his head a little on one side; was free and agreeable in his
manners. He wore the old fashion of clothes,--long body-pieces and long
arms to his coats, foreign cloak, and high shoes. He made the king wear
the same kind of dress in his youth; but when he grew up, and acted for
himself, he dressed very sumptuously.
King Magnus was of a light turn of mind, full of jokes; a great lover of
mirth, and not less of women.
38. OF NIKOLAS.
Nikolas was a son of Sigurd Hranason and of Skialdvor, a daughter of
Brynjolf Ulfalde, and a sister of Haldor Brynjolfson by the father's
side, and of King Magnus Barefoot by the mother's side. Nikolas was a
distinguished chief, who had a farm at Ongul in Halogaland, which was
called Steig. Nikolas had also a house in Nidaros, below Saint Jon's
church, where Thorgeir the scribe lately dwelt. Nikolas was often in
the town, and was president of the townspeople. Skialdvor, Nikolas's
daughter, was married to Eirik Arnason, who was also a lenderman.
39. OF EIRIK AND NIKOLAS.
As the people of the town were coming from matins the last day of
Marymas (September 8th), Eirik came up to Nikolas, and said, "Here are
some fishermen come from the sea, who report that some long-ships are
sailing into the fjord; and people conjecture that these may be the
Birkebeins. It would be advisable to call the townspeople together with
the war-horns, to meet under arms out on Eyrar."
Nikolas replies, "I don't go after fishermen's reports; but I shall send
out spies to the fjord, and in the meantime hold a Thing to-day."
Eirik went home; but when they were ringing to high mass, and Nikolas
was going to church, Eirik came to hint again, and said, "I believe the
news to be true; for here are men who say they saw them under sail; and
I think it would be most advisable to ride out of town, and gather men
with arms; for it appears to me the townspeople will be too few."
Nikolas replies, "Thou art mixing everything together; let us first hear
mass, and then take our resolution."
Nikolas then went into the church. When the mass was over Eirik went to
Nikolas, and said, "My horses are saddled; I will ride away."
Nikolas replies, "Farewell, then: we will hold a Thing to-day on the
Eyrar, and examine what force of men there may be in the town."
Eirik rode away, and Nikolas went to his house, and then to dinner.
40. THE FALL OF NIKOLAS.
The meat was scarcely put on the table, when a man came into the house
to tell Nikolas that the Birkebeins were roving up the river. Then
Nikolas called to his men to take their weapons. When they were armed
Nikolas ordered them to go up into the loft. But that was a most
imprudent step; for if they had remained in the yard, the townspeople
might have come to their assistance; but now the Birkebeins filled the
whole yard, and from thence scrambled from all sides up to the loft.
They called to Nikolas, and offered him quarter, but he refused it. Then
they attacked the loft. Nikolas and his men defended themselves with
bow-shot, hand-shot, and stones of the chimney; but the Birkebeins hewed
down the houses, broke up the loft, and returned shot for shot from bow
or hand. Nikolas had a red shield in which were gilt nails, and about it
was a border of stars. The Birkebeins shot so that the arrows went in
up to the arrow feather. Then said Nikolas, "My shield deceives me."
Nikolas and a number of his people fell, and his death was greatly
lamented. The Birkebeins gave all the towns-people their lives.
41. EYSTEIN PROCLAIMED KING.
Eystein was then proclaimed king, and all the people submitted to him.
He stayed a while in the town, and then went into the interior of the
Throndhjem land, where many joined him, and among them Thorfin Svarte
of Snos with a troop of people. When the Birkebeins, in the beginning
of winter (A.D. 1177), came again into the town, the sons of Gudrun from