Magnus Erlingson's Saga

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.