King Sverri is compelled by his men to attack Nidaros against his judgment.

27. Hereupon King Sverri set out on his journey over the fells, and came down into Naumundale, where he betook himself to the ships owned by the yeomen, and sailed out to the Skillinga. He held a council of his men here, for he did not wish the people to know of what they spoke. The King then discussed with his men how they should go on with their journey, saying that three courses appeared open: one, to make a voyage north to Halogaland, obtain there friends and ships, and then sail south to Bergen to see if he could win a victory over his foes; the second course, to leave the land and sail west to the islands⁴ where was a good prospect, he considered, of obtaining support; the third course, to go on a plundering expedition to Ireland or other western lands, for he was of opinion that the popularity of King Magnus and Earl Erling would grow less the longer they ruled over the country. “At present,” he said, “there power is great and to contend with them will be a hard matter.” His men all answered him that they wished to go on to Nidaros; there was nothing to prevent their reaching the town; and as it held no forces of either King or Earl, but contained many friends of King Sverri, they would be able to win it and so increase his resources. But the King replied, “I am not eager for this, and my feeling has been confirmed by a dream. You would not more wisely in following my advice, as on former occasions, and attack the town later on.” As nothing would satisfy his men except an attempt on the town, the King said they should have their wish. So, against his desire, they now sailed south to the entrance of Throndham. Arrived at Folksn, the king wished to sail on to Bergen and not enter Fiord, saying that no honour would be gained, in his opinion, by going present to Nidaros. But the men said there was no wiser course, and nothing to prevent them reaching town; and all, the King excepted, agreed with one consent that they must go to Throndham. So they rowed into the Fiord to the Raudabiorg, where they anchored. The King then summoned all his men from the ships and when silence obtained, inquired how the purposed to make their attack on the town, if they were so eager to make it. They answered that they meant to row up to the quays and try to effect a landing. “Your plan seems to me unwise,” replied the king; “I don't suppose the townsmen will let us quietly take possession of the town. I expect they will defend it, for they will not look on us Birkibeins as likely to forbear from plunder and pillage. It is my advice that, before daylight, we send a cutter up the Fiord past Stad and above Holm, to look out. Let it anchor under Hladhamra, so far from land as to be visible from the town when daylight appears, and let the awning be all gaily set up. Its crew should all go on shore into the wood, and march by the land road above Hladi, directing their course to the height above the bridge, where they will wait till daybreak. But we will row up the Fiord to Fladki, on the other side, and then keep near the shore under the Gualaras until we come close to the Gullhamar. I expect that at daybreak, as soon as they see a ship lying close to the Hladhamra, they will suppose it to be ours, and think that there are more ships where they see only one. They will then man their own ships and set out from the town. And while they are rowing towards Hladhamra, our wisest plan will be, I think. To row from the Hefring up to Eyra; we may hope then that we shall have to defend the town against them, and not they against us.” But Gudlaug, the King's marshal, answered, “Our force, probably will not seem too numerous even if we do not divide it in two.” The majority agreed with Gudlaug rather than the kIng. They decided to row to the town as soon as it was daylight. The King said he could go wherever they went, but declared that he was unwilling. “Your scheme,” he said, “opposed to my wishes, will turn out, I imagine, badly.”

Archbishop Eystein degends nidaros against the Birkibeins, And defeats them off the Hattahamar. The King's Narrow escape.

28. Archbisop Eystein was present in the town, and had summoned a meeting the day before. He said he had received intelligence of the Birkibeins, who had come down into Naumudale in the north and gone away south by sea. “We expect they will pay us a visit here in the Fiord,” He said. “ I have been told their numbers are few and their ships small; the men, more-over, are in an exhausted and wretched condition. It befits not yeomen and merchants to give up their cloths or goods to such thieves and evildoers as Sverri has scraped together. We desire rather to help you, if you will defend the town against them. I will contribute my ships, and all my house-carles present here at the Bishop's court, of the townsmen and merchants will offer themselves.” This seemed to all of them a fit plan, and they declared their willingness to follow it, rather than to be exposed to the landing of the Birkibeins . Four ships were then manned by the townsmen and merchants, and a fifth by the Archbishop, which contained his house-carles, and was the best manned of all; its captain being Sigurd, son of Ozur Bilsi. The townsmen set a watch on the Dirgmull and raised a beacon, and at day break when the watch say the ships at the Raudbiorg they fired the beacon. The townsmen, seeing it, summoned the crews on board and rowed out of the river. The Birkibeins had pulled down the awning of their ships, and the rowed across the Fiord under the Gaularas as the townsmen rowed over the bay; and when the townsmen were off the Birgmull, the two fleets came in sight of each other, and met in the bay within the Hattarhamar. The four ships of the townsmen came into battle; also four of King Sverri, one only of which was a twenty-benched vessel. A hard and fierce contest began; and while the fighting went on, the weather was fine, and a light north-east wind drove all the shops together towards the shore until the toughed land. After they had fought for a time there came in sight the Archbishop's ship, which, before this ship came in sight, had gone hard with the Birkibeins, did not look more promising when they beheld her. So they broke into flight and leapt on shore from their ships. King Sverri was dressed in a long dark cowled cloak, and was one of the first that moved to the fore part of the ship to leap on shore. When he was beyond the mast, a plank slipped under his feet and he fell into the hold. His men leapt htickly over him, and he was kept there a long time, unable to rise, while the crowd passed. One of the last to leap over him was Helgi, surnamed Byggvomb. As the King looked up, Helgi recognized him, and said, “Tis a bad parting from our king to leave him lying in the bilge-water;” and he caught hold of the king's holder and raised him out of the hold. The king said, “Call me nit King too freely for a while,” and they then leapt on shore both together. Three of the townsmen came against them on the beach, but Helgi ran towards them and fought with them, and the king climbed up a steep bank. When a good height up, he stepped on his cloak, his feet slipped, and he then fell down on the beach. On of the three fighting with Helgi ran to the King to slay him, but Helgi seeing him, extricated himself form his two opponents, and going after the man, struck him a deathblow. The King looked up at him the second time. The two men who had already tried Helgi's prowess had less mind now to renew the attack, and turned away without more ado. The King was not well able to walk, for he had been struck by a javelin in the battle and wounded in the foot. Serk of Riod was the man that wounded him. Helgi now accompanied the King, and the climbed up the Bualaras and went along it, joined gradually by the King's men who escaped from the battle. The King moved forward to the fell and rested there, and they heard the voices of the townsmen discussing whether Sverri had fallen or not. Whereupon Helgi answered them so loud that they hear him: “King Sverri will raise a fiercer storm about you townsmen before he is dead.”

In this battle there fell many brave and valiant men. Sigurd of Saltness and his brother Jon Ketling were slain on the beach; their brother Vilhialm was scaping on board ship under the Gaularas and off the Ness, but the townsmen followed hard after him and he leapt on shore. He was slain on the beach; and the townsmen, after sharing among themselves the weapons of the slain went back again. Gudlaug, the King's marshal, received a severe would, but made his escape up the Gaularas. He was dressed in a scarlet kirtle. A yeoman armed with a poleaxe met him, and perceiving that Gudlaug belonged to the fugitive host, struck at him, hitting him just below the nape of the neck. The blow felled Gudlaug. The yeoman, supposing him slain, stripped him of his clothes, and left his body covered with brushwood. Shortly afterwards Gudlaug recovered from his swoon, and stood up and made his way to a farmhouse, where he was well received. Afterwards he followed the king and grew whole of his wounds, and henceforth the Birkibeins gave him name Gudlaug Gnitaskor.

Speech of King Sverri, to his men after the defeat off the Hattarhamar.

29. After this battle King Sverri and his men marched into the Uplands; some went down into Mœri, where they slew Serk and eleven others, and then followed the King. When the Birkibeins were come east into the Vik, King Magnus and Orm Kings-brother heard of them, and proceeded to seek them; but the Birkibeins turned aside, for their force was small compared with that of King Magnus. King Sverri addressed his men and thus spoke:-

“When we sailed with our force into Throndham to fight against the men of Nidaros, it was done against my will. We lost men there, most valiant fellow. And now that our ill-luck has become known, we are chased and harassed wherever we go, and all who know of our wretchedness think we are nobody of consequence. Before this battle, victory was always on our side, and men all dreaded to come to blows with us. You have learnt that King Magnus now pursues us with a numerous force. We have only to let ourselves by driven by him over the land for a short time, and lo! The whole country, thane and thrall, will be upon us; our whole force will perish ingloriously, like all who fall in flight. It seems to me a braver course to confront our foes, though our band is not large. Even if we are overwhelmed by superior numbers, we may yet so behave as to obtain great renown in our fall, since we shall fight against King Magnus himself. But if we win a victory over him, then will our strength increase thereby. We must no expect to win the land and realm without seeing some time or other the banner of King Magnus on high. We have now been driven quite long enough from place to place, and endured many troubles from out enemies.”

King Sverri then spoke many encouraging words to his men and urged them stoutly; his heart, he said, assured him of success. He thus put courage in his men, and much applause followed his words.

King Sverri's success over King Magnus at the bridge over the Hirta [Hirtubru]

30. After this they marched forward until they had crossed the bridge of the river called Hirta, where they obtained accurate information that King Magnus was come near them. King Sverri made his men enter a thicket a little way from the bridge. King Magnus and Orm Kings-brother also had accurate information of the march of the Birkibeins, and when they arrived at the bridge, King Magnus straightway caused his banner to be carried over, and himself followed; Orm Kings-brother did likewise. As soon as King Magnus and a portion of his force had passed over the bridge, the Birkibeins made a violent attack on them. A sharp fight began, which did not last long before much of King Magnus's force fell; he himself and Orm Kings-brother also, fled back over the bridge, both wounded. King Magnus lost many men in the battle. After it was over, the two armies shot at each other for some time across the stream, and then drew away. King Magnus went back to Tunsberg to his ships, and afterwards sailed east coastwise. King Sverri marched up into Raumariki and east to Liodhus, overland. Here he learnt that king Magnus was at Konungahella, and he marched thither, arriving unexpectedly. Some fighting again occurred, but no great slaughter. King Magnus sailed away down the river, and King Sverri seized some ships and had them burnt. King Magnus then sailed into the Vik, and came to Oslo, where he abode for a time, and sent forth scouts as far as to the Elf. King Sverri brought all the eastern bailiwicks under his rule, and drew tribute from them. Both the Birkibeins and Keklungs⁵ were now in the Vik, and made frequent assaults on each other.

King Sverri's success in another skirmish.

31. King Sverri led his force in the Vik, to plan the gaining of some further advantage if opportunity offered. And one night, in order to get information, he himself with six men rode into a certain wood a short distance from Saurby. The same night a captain of King Magnus was on the march with fifty men, intending to slay, if he could, some of the Birkibeins. The night was dark, and King Sverri heard them on their ride in single file. Then King Sverri addressed his men and bade them keep silent. “We must have our bows ready,” he said, “and stand on both sides of the road. When they come right opposite, let every man shoot with all the speed he can. Possibly they may suppose our force more numerous than it is; but if we are overborne by superior numbers, we can then save ourselves.” So the Birkibeins shot their bolts with all speed, being guided by the voices of the foe, for it was so dark, that no one could see before him, and those who rode behind were ignorant of what hindered those in front. So they crowded all together, not knowing what was the matter; and meanwhile the Birkibeins continued shooting as fast as possible. The enemy, thinking there must be many men in the wood, ran away as quickly as they could. The Birkibeins followed after, and chased them as long as they were able; and in the morning when it was light, returning to the spot, they found eighteen men slain, and many horses.

Winter in Throndham. Miraculous escape of King Sverri Off Stad in the following spring [1179].

32. In the autumn King Sverri marched north to Throndham, and inflicted a heavy blow on the men of King Magnus at Kaupang [Nidaros], winning a victory and capturing ten ships.

The following spring he sailed down the Fiord with his force, and took the outside course, on the open sea, south to Mœri. When he approached Stad form the north, he was met by a fleet of large ships, with a very great lost on board, under King Magnus, Earl Erling, Archbishop Eystein, Orm Kings-brother, and many of the barons. As soon as the two fleets came in sight of one another, and King Sverri perceived the odds against him, he endeavoured to push out into the open sea, using both sails and oars to the upmost. King Magnus's men observing this, hasted after him, likewise using their sails and rowing furiously. They gained on King Sverri, so that the ship under Earl Erling's command came near enough to see the men on board King Sverri's ships. The Earl then bade his men lay to and wait for the others. The ships having all come up, the Earl called out to the men on board and made arrangements for an attack. They were likely to have a battle with the Birkibeins, he said, and he bade his men in that case to remember what great injury the Birkibeins had done them by manslaughter and robbery. He bade them beware of presuming, any of them, to give quarter to the Birkibeins, though he would like Sverri to be taken prisoner, if possible, and brought him alive. To this they all agreed, and then unfurled the sails and pursued the fugitives. King Sverri now perceived that the ships of King Magnus were much swifter than his, and were gaining on them; and there appeared no way out of his difficulty, fitting well the occasion, unless God would grant them His mercy beyond what would seem likely. He bettok himself therefore to prayer, and called upon King Olaf the Saint, pleading form his men with much eloquence. And at that instant a mist came down on the sea, so thick that they could not see form one ship to another. King Mangus and Earl Erling, not being able to see their way, turned their ships round and sailed close up the shore. And the Earl said, “Luck fared not thus when it wished us well.” Their whole fleet now arrived at the Hereys, and the following day they learnt that the Birkibeins had sailed with five ships through the sounds, and had gone towards the fiord. The Earl therefore summoned the chiefs for conference and counsel, and this spoke: “I cannot tell whether the Birkibeins sailed north or south along the coast when they came near land, and it seems to me that we shall need to send a force both ways. I desire therefore that the Archbishop and Orm Kings-brother, with the barons and captains whom I shall name proceed south to Bergen to defend the land there; King Magnus and I will sail north with the greater part of the host.” As the earl directed, so they did.

The rival Kings at Nidaros. Proposals of King Sverri.

33. When Earl Erling and king Mangus reached Nord-Mœri, they heard the tidings that King Sverri had sailed from the open sea, past Smyl and Aedey, and so to Knarrarskeid, from the north. Thence King Sverri sailed north to the entrance of Throndham, and afterwards up the Fiord to Kaupang, where he brought his ships to anchor close to the quays. King Magnus and Earl Erling sailed north in pursuit of him. And when King Sverri perceived the sails of their ships , now but a short distance from the town, he summoned his men to a meeting, at which he declared his intention to leave his ships and go on shore. “Let no man presume,” he said, “to take with him anything but his weapons, and the cloths in which he stands.” After that, the Birkibeins armed themselves and went up into the town. They left their ships afloat, with all the awnings spread, in front of the quays; the hammocks lay in their places, the cabin chests remained on the ships, and the keys were set in the lockers. The Birkibeins were marching inland over the bridge as King Magnus and Earl Erling rowed into the river. King Sverri himself used to say how great a boast it was to him the few instances could be found where men in flight had left behind them property or ships as his men had done; at a time, too, he said, when it was almost certain that others would in turn have the use of the property and clothes also, The fleet of King Magnus and Earl Erling was brought to anchor close to Brottu-eyri, outside Skipacrook, and the men landed there. As the Earl leapt on shore, he fell forward on his knees. Thrusting both hands into the ground, he said, “Fall portends fortunate journey.” Each captain, as he landed with his ship's crew arranged them in order and marched them up the street. The Earl and his troop were the first ready, and when he came beyond Kristskirk yard and the Bishop's court to the bridge, he beheld King Sverri's standard in rapid movement along the highroad to Kleeabu, and he supposed the king would be with it and the greater part of is force. He therefore passed over the bridge to the Sprota-fields; but King Sverri, with the greater part of his force, lay in a valley a short distance from the bridge, above the lower Sandbreck. The Earl saw naught of King Sverri's ambush for his mind was bent on cutting off some of the rear; and when the Birkibeins sprang forward to attack, the Earl retreated to the bridge and over to the other side. The Birkibeins pursued his men right up to the fence that divides the end of the bridge from the town; but when the force of King Magnus and the Earl moved up to meet them, the Birkibeins turned back again over the bridge, and the armies exchanged shot across the river. The Earl then bade his men move out of range, and they sat down on the Akr and watched what the Birkibeins did. King Sverri and his men sat down on the other side on the river near Sandbreck, and so, both armies remained a large part of the day. King Magnus's men sent into the town to fetch ale. Many of the bowmen in both forces moved to the front to shoot at one another, and some of both sides were wounded. The day passed on, and when it was now the hour of Nones, King Sverri's marshal Gudlaung, advanced to the end of the bridge, holding his shield in front, and called out to King Magnus's force, saying that he wished to speak with them if they would listen. Ivar Horti, one of King Magnus's men, answered, saying that he would listen to whatever was said; and Gudlaug thus befan: “King Sverri wishes to make three offers to King Magnus, Earl Erling, and, with them, to all their force. This is the first: if they will come over the bridge, King Sverri will retire with all his force to a distance, while the Earl arranges his men as shall seem good; let me join battle on the Sprota-fields, and let the side win that God wills. If king Magnus and Earl Erling will not accept this offer, King Sverri makes a second: if they will go out of the town to the castle and draw their men up in battle array on a fair open ground, we Birkibeins will pass over the bridge to you and leave the issue to fortune. If they will accept neither of these offers, there is yet a third: let them go out to Eyra, near their ships, and draw up in battle array as shall seem good, and we Birkibeins will pass through the town to encounter them. For King Sverri wishes to join battle now, if he has the opportunity.” Then Ivar withdrew from the bank of the river to Akr, and having found the Earl, delivered the message to him. King Magnus was near the Earl at the time, asleep, and the Earl, clapping him on the back with his hand, bade him awake. The King asked what was the matter, and the Earl told him of the offers that Priest Sverri had made. King Magnus bade the Earl choose, but the Earl said he would not choose any one of them. He would rather offer terms to Priest Sverri, he said, than have them offered by Sverri to him. Then Ivar went and bore the Earl's answer to Gudlaug,and Gudlaug returned and told it to the Birkibeins. They now crowded together for a while, and afterwards began their march, by King Sverri's direction. Along the way on the east side of the river to Kleppabu. They so ordered their going that they walked in single file, and the force appeared to be very numerous, for the last man was long in starting. So the two armies separated for the present.

King Sverri now led his men along the river to a homestead called Kot, where they pulled down a building to get material for a float. On this float they passed over the river Nid, and about the sixth hour of the afternoon they marched over Thiodmoors and came down to Staf. Here the crossed the Gaul on small ferry-boats; and when they reached the other side the King bade his men take rest, saying that he felt heavy and wished to sleep. He soon fell asleep, and at supper-time a yeoman came up with packs of malt which he intended to sell in the town. The Birkibeins crowded around him, pretending they would buy the malt. The King awoke, and inquired what was the matter. Being told that a yeoman was there with malt, he said he would like to see him. And the king said to him, “We will not stop your journey to the town, but tell them the truth, that you met with the Birkibeins on the other side of the Gaul, and they intended to pass the night at Medalhus.” So the man went his way, and the Birkibeins stayed there three or four nights before they advanced to the town a second time.