Magnus Barefoot's Saga

25. WAR IN IRELAND.

When King Magnus had been nine years king of Norway (A.D. 1094-
1102), he equipped himself to go out of the country with a great
force. He sailed out into the West sea with the finest men who
could be got in Norway. All the powerful men of the country
followed him; such as Sigurd Hranason, Vidkun Jonson, Dag
Eilifson, Serk of Sogn, Eyvind Olboge, the king's marshal Ulf
Hranason, brother of Sigurd, and many other great men. With all
this armament the king sailed west to the Orkney Islands, from
whence he took with him Earl Erlend's sons, Magnus and Erling,
and then sailed to the southern Hebudes. But as he lay under the
Scotch land, Magnus Erlendson ran away in the night from the
king's ship, swam to the shore, escaped into the woods, and came
at last to the Scotch king's court. King Magnus sailed to
Ireland with his fleet, and plundered there. King Myrkjartan
came to his assistance, and they conquered a great part of the
country, both Dublin and Dyflinnarskire (Dublin shire). King
Magnus was in winter (A.D. 1102) up in Connaught with King
Myrkjartan, but set men to defend the country he had taken.
Towards spring both kings went westward with their army all the
way to Ulster, where they had many battles, subdued the country,
and had conquered the greatest part of Ulster when Myrkjartan
returned home to Connaught.

26. KING MAGNUS'S FORAY ON THE LAND.

King Magnus rigged his ships, and intended returning to Norway,
but set his men to defend the country of Dublin. He lay at
Ulster ready for sea with his whole fleet. As they thought they
needed cattle for ship-provision, King Magnus sent a message to
King Myrkjartan, telling him to send some cattle for slaughter;
and appointed the day before Bartholomew's day as the day they
should arrive, if the messengers reached him in safety; but the
cattle had not made their appearance the evening before
Bartholomew's mass. On the mass-day itself, when the sun rose in
the sky, King Magnus went on shore himself with the greater part
of his men, to look after his people, and to carry off cattle
from the coast. The weather was calm, the sun shone, and the
road lay through mires and mosses, and there were paths cut
through; but there was brushwood on each side of the road. When
they came somewhat farther, they reached a height from which they
had a wide view. They saw from it a great dust rising up the
country, as of horsemen, and they said to each other, "That must
be the Irish army;" but others said, "It was their own men
returning with the cattle." They halted there; and Eyvind Olboge
said, "How, sire, do you intend to direct the march? The men
think we are advancing imprudently. You know the Irish are
treacherous; think, therefore, of a good counsel for your men."
Then the king said, "Let us draw up our men, and be ready, if
there be treachery." This was done, and the king and Eyvind went
before the line. King Magnus had a helmet on his head; a red
shield, in which was inlaid a gilded lion; and was girt with the
sword of Legbit, of which the hilt was of tooth (ivory), and
handgrip wound about with gold thread; and the sword was
extremely sharp. In his hand he had a short spear, and a red
silk short cloak, over his coat, on which, both before and
behind, was embroidered a lion in yellow silk; and all men
acknowledged that they never had seen a brisker, statelier man.
Eyvind had also a red silk cloak like the king's; and he also was
a stout, handsome, warlike man.

27. FALL OF KING MAGNUS.

When the dust-cloud approached nearer they knew their own men,
who were driving the cattle. The Irish king had been faithful to
the promises he had given the king, and had sent them. Thereupon
they all turned towards the ships, and it was mid-day. When they
came to the mires they went but slowly over the boggy places; and
then the Irish started up on every side against them from every
bushy point of land, and the battle began instantly. The
Northmen were going divided in various heaps, so that many of
them fell.

Then said Eyvind to the king, "Unfortunate is this march to our
people, and we must instantly hit upon some good plan."

The king answered, "Call all the men together with the war-horns
under the banner, and the men who are here shall make a rampart
with their shields, and thus we will retreat backwards out of the
mires; and we will clear ourselves fast enough when we get upon
firm ground."

The Irish shot boldly; and although they fell in crowds, there
came always two in the place of one. Now when the king had come
to the nearest ditch there was a very difficult crossing, and few
places were passable; so that many Northmen fell there. Then the
king called to his lenderman Thorgrim Skinhufa, who was an Upland
man, and ordered him to go over the ditch with his division. "We
shall defend you," said he, "in the meantime, so that no harm
shall come to you. Go out then to those holms, and shoot at them
from thence; for ye are good bowmen."

When Thorgrim and his men came over the ditch they cast their
shields behind their backs, and set off to the ships.

When the king saw this, he said, "Thou art deserting thy king in
an unmanly way. I was foolish in making thee a lenderman, and
driving Sigurd Hund out of the country; for never would he have
behaved so."

King Magnus received a wound, being pierced by a spear through
both thighs above the knees. The king laid hold of the shaft
between his legs, broke the spear in two, and said, "Thus we
break spear-shafts, my lads; let us go briskly on. Nothing hurts
me." A little after King Magnus was struck in the neck with an
Irish axe, and this was his death-wound. Then those who were
behind fled. Vidkun Jonson instantly killed the man who had
given the king his death-wound, and fled, after having received
three wounds; but brought the king's banner and the sword Legbit
to the ships. Vidkun was the last man who fled; the other next
to him was Sigurd Hranason, and the third before him, Dag
Eilifson. There fell with King Magnus, Eyvind Olboge, Ulf
Hranason, and many other great people. Many of the Northmen
fell, but many more of the Irish. The Northmen who escaped
sailed away immediately in autumn. Erling, Earl Erlend's'son,
fell with King Magnus in Ireland; but the men who fled from
Ireland came to the Orkney Islands. Now when King Sigurd heard
that his father had fallen, he set off immediately, leaving the
Irish king's daughter behind, and proceeded in autumn with the
whole fleet directly to Norway.

28. OF KING MAGNUS AND VIDKUN JONSON.

King Magnus was ten years king of Norway (A.D. 1094-1105), and in
his days there was good peace kept within the country; but the
people were sorely oppressed with levies. King Magnus was
beloved by his men, but the bondes thought him harsh. The words
have been transmitted from him that he said when his friends
observed that he proceeded incautiously when he was on his
expeditions abroad, -- "The kings are made for honour, not for
long life." King Magnus was nearly thirty years of age when he
fell. Vidkun did not fly until he had killed the man who gave
the king his mortal wound, and for this cause King Magnus's sons
had him in the most affectionate regard.