Saga of Sigurd, Inge, and Eystein, the Sons of Harald

13. EYSTEIN HARALDSON COMES TO NORWAY.

When the kings Sigurd and Inge had ruled over Norway about six
years, Eystein, who was a son of Harald Gille, came in spring
from Scotland (A.D. 1142). Arne Sturla, Thorleif Brynjolfson,
and Kolbein Hruga had sailed westward over the sea after Eystein,
accompanied him to Norway, and sailed immediately with him to
Throndhjem. The Throndhjem people received him well; and at the
Eyra-thing of Ascension-day he was chosen king, so that he should
have the third part of Norway with his brothers Sigurd and Inge.
They were at this time in the east part of the country; and men
went between the kings who brought about a peace, and that
Eystein should have a third part of the kingdom. People believed
what he said of his paternal descent, because King Harald himself
had testified to it, and he did not resort to the ordeal of iron.
King Eystein's mother was called Bjadok, and she followed him to
Norway. Magnus was the name of King Harald Gille's fourth son,
who was fostered by Kyrpingaorm. He also was chosen king, and
got a fourth part of the country; but Magnus was deformed in his
feet, lived but a short time, and died in his bed. Einar
Skulason speaks of them: --

"The generous Eystein money gave;
Sigurd in fight was quick and brave;
Inge loved well the war-alarm;
Magnus to save his land from harm.
No country boasts a nobler race
The battle-field, or Thing, to grace.
Four brothers of such high pretence
The sun ne'er shone upon at once."

14. MURDER OF OTTAR BIRTING.

After King Harald Gille's death Queen Ingerid married Ottar
Birting, who was a lendermen and a great chief, and of a
Throndhjem family, who strengthened King Inge's government much
while he was in his childhood. King Sigurd was not very friendly
to Ottar; because, as he thought, Ottar always took King Inge's
side. Ottar Birting was killed north in the merchant town
(Nidaros), in an assault upon him in the twilight as he was going
to the evening song. When he heard the whistling of the blow he
held up his cloak with his hands against it; thinking, no doubt,
it was a snowball thrown at him, as young boys do in the streets.
Ottar fell by the stroke; but his son, Alf Hrode, who just at the
same moment was coming into the churchyard, saw his father's
fall, and saw that the man who had killed him ran east about the
church. Alf ran after him, and killed him at the corner of the
choir; and people said that he had good luck in avenging his
father, and afterwards was much more respected than he had been
before.

15. BEGINNING OF KING EYSTEIN.

King Eystein Haraldson was in the interior of the Throndhjem
district when he heard of Ottar's murder, and summoned to him the
bonde-army, with which he proceeded to the town; and he had many
men. Ottar's relations and other friends accused King Sigurd,
who was in the town, of having instigated this deed; and the
bondes were much enraged against him. But the king offered to
clear himself by the ordeal of iron, and thereby to establish the
truth of his denial; and accordingly a peace was made. King
Sigurd went to the south end of the country, and the ordeal was
never afterwards heard of.

16. BEGINNING OF ORM THE KING-BROTHER.

Queen Ingerid had a son to Ivar Sneis, and he was called Orm, and
got the surname of King-brother. He was a handsome man in
appearance, and became a great chief, as shall be told hereafter.
Ingerid afterwards married Arne of Stodreim, who was from this
called King's-mate; and their children were Inge, Nikolas, Philip
of Herdla, and Margaret, who was first married to Bjorn Buk, and
afterwards to Simon Karason.

17. JOURNEY OF ERLING SKAKKE AND EARL RAGNVALD.

Kyrpingaorm and Ragnhild, a daughter of Sveinke Steinarson, had a
son called Erling. Kyrpingaorm was a son of Svein Sveinson, who
was a son of Erling of Gerd. Otto's mother was Ragna, a daughter
of Earl Orm Eilifson and Sigrid, a daughter of Earl Fin Arnason.
The mother of Earl Orm was Ragnhild, a daughter of Earl Hakon the
Great. Erling was a man of understanding, and a great friend of
King Inge, by whose assistance and counsel Erling obtained in
marriage Christina, a daughter of King Sigurd the Crusader and
Queen Malmfrid. Erling possessed a farm at Studla in South
Hordaland. Erling left the country; and with him went Eindride
Unge and several lendermen, who had chosen men with them. They
intended to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and went across the
West sea to Orkney. There Earl Ragnvald and Bishop William
joined them; and they had in all fifteen ships from Orkney, with
which they first sailed to the South Hebrides, from thence west
to Valland, and then the same way King Sigurd the Crusader had
sailed to Norvasund; and they plundered all around in the heathen
part of Spain. Soon after they had sailed through the Norvasund,
Eindride Unge and his followers, with six ships, separated from
them; and then each was for himself. Earl Ragnvald and Erling
Skakke fell in with a large ship of burden at sea called a
dromund, and gave battle to it with nine ships. At last they
laid their cutters close under the dromund; but the heathens
threw both weapons and stones, and pots full of pitch and boiling
oil. Erling laid his ship so close under the dromund, that the
missiles of the heathens fell without his ship. Then Erling and
his men cut a hole in the dromund, some working below and some
above the water-mark; and so they boarded the vessel through it.
So says Thorbjorn Skakkaskald, in his poem on Erling: --

"The axes of the Northmen bold
A door into the huge ships' hold
Hewed through her high and curved side,
As snug beneath her bulge they ride.
Their spears bring down the astonished foe,
Who cannot see from whence the blow.
The eagle's prey, they, man by man,
Fall by the Northmen's daring plan."

Audunraude, Erling's forecastle-man, was the first man who got
into the dromund. Then they carried her, killing an immense
number of people; making an extraordinarily valuable booty, and
gaining a famous victory. Earl Ragnvald and Erling Skakke came
to Palestine in the course of their expedition, and all the way
to the river Jordan. From thence they went first to
Constantinople, where they left their ships, travelled northwards
by land, and arrived in safety in Norway, where their journey was
highly praised. Erling Skakke appeared now a much greater man
than before, both on account of his journey and of his marriage;
besides he was a prudent sensible man, rich, of great family,
eloquent, and devoted to King Inge by the strictest friendship
more than to the other royal brothers.

18. BIRTH OF HAKON HERDEBREID.

King Sigurd went to a feast east in Viken along with his court,
and rode past a house belonging to a great bonde called Simon.
While the king was riding past the house, he heard within such
beautiful singing that he was quite enchanted with it, and rode
up to the house, and saw a lovely girl standing at the handmill
and grinding. The king got off his horse, and went to the girl
and courted her. When the king went away, the bonde Simon came
to know what the object of the king's visit had been. The girl
was called Thora, and she was Simon the bonde's servant-girl.
Simon took good care of her afterwards, and the girl brought
forth a male child (A.D. 1047), who was called Hakon, and was
considered King Sigurd's son. Hakon was brought up by Simon
Thorbergson and his wife Gunhild. Their own sons also, Onund and
Andreas, were brought up with Hakon, and were so dear to him that
death only could have parted them.

19. EYSTEIN AND THE PEASANTS OF HISING ISLE.

While King Eystein Haraldson was in Viken, he fell into disputes
with the bondes of Reine and the inhabitants of Hising Isle, who
assembled to oppose him; but he gave them battle at a place
called Leikberg, and afterwards burnt and destroyed all around in
Hising; so that the bondes submitted to his will, paid great
fines to the king, and he took hostages from them. So says Einar
Skulason: --

"The Viken men
Won't strive again,
With words or blows,
The king to oppose.
None safety found
On Viken's ground,
Till all, afraid,
Pledge and scat paid."

And further: --

"The king came near;
He who is dear
To all good men
Came down the glen,
By Leikberg hill.
They who do ill,
The Reine folk, fly
Or quarter cry."