Icelandic Sagas Vol. 3
31. The most merciful God, our Lord Jesus Christ, who bids and leads his friends to everlasting bliss from all the misery of this world, he the same who looses all those who creep with all their heart to his mercy, from all the sins and defilement of this sorrowful world, and makes out of the ignorant the wisest, of low and humble the most famous, of poor the richest, of ignoble the most noble chiefs, not indeed of this world's kingdom, but rather of the kingdom of heaven, and of endless glory, as he did of old by Joseph the patriarch, who was led out of the dark dungeon, and made at once lord and chief of all the realm of Egypt --- he, the same who made David out of a shepherd's lad the highest king over all the tribes of Israel, and led Judas Maccabeus out of the starvation of the wilderness, that he might attain honour and renown in victory, and such great glory that he was thought by far to excel other men; and Alexander the son of Philip, who was called the Macedonian, for the sake of the hard mastership of Aristotle [Here at least one leaf in the MS. is lost.] **************** and furnished in all things, as might be most seemly. Then the lord bishop enshrined the halidom of the blessed earl Magnus with honour and pomp, and the thanksgiving of the whole people; and then all those were healed who were in despair of health, and needing mercy, who had come thither at that time to his halidom. Saint Magnus the earl was enshrined on the Feast of Lucy the Virgin, before Yule in the winter. And that day is worthily kept far and wide, both to saint Magnus and the blessed maid of God Lucy; but the day of his departure to the kingdom of heaven is in spring.
32. Now we have gone over, though it be less worthily than should be, the story of the translation, proving, and enshrining of the halidom of the blessed earl Magnus, and no less the law which was passed as to his feast. And it is to be borne in mind and marked that the Lord God honours his bosom friends with divers privileges for their righteousness, some here at once in this life, but others after life. But still those prerogatives among saints seem somewhat special and preeminent which belong to Magnus the martyr of God. This is to be understood thus, that when one of his bones was proved at home in the Orkneys, it turned into the fairest mark of the cross in the eyesight of men who stood by. Another mark is this, that this very same cross of bone was turned afterwards to the brightest hue of gold before the lord Pope himself in Rome. Wherefore he takes this the purple martyr into the catalogue of saints; but that has been granted to few others in the North lands, that he (the Pope) himself has done this. For this we may behold and wonder, though no man may understand it as it is, how mighty the all ruling God is in the riches and depth of his mercy; for he grants these gifts of love to some of his friends which he doth not grant to others, and shares them between them in the way that he will; and never faileth, though he give the gifts of the Holy Spirit to each of them. Therefore be his name eternally praised and blessed for ever and ever, Amen.
33. From that time the working of miracles of saint Magnus the earl was noised and spread far and near over all the western lands, and the north region of the world; and men fared from nearlying lands, burgs, and towns, castles and hundreds, with great hearts and offering hands to seek his halidom; but some sent money towards his holy shrine as an honour to him, but as a means of healing soul and body for themselves, both in this world and the other. For that shall here next be told some miracles, though they be few, of the countless ones which God grants for his worthiness.
34. When goodman Bergfinn from the north of Shetland, who was before named in this matter, [i.e., in the lost leaves.] heard these joyful tidings of the translation of saint Magnus the earl, then he fared a second time from the north of Shetland with his leprous son, whose name was Halfdan, to Kirkwall, and they both watched, that father and son, at the halidom of earl Magnus. But the saint of God appeared to Halfdan, and passed his hands over his body, and on the spot all leprosy fell off him. Then he arose as whole. Saint Magnus the earl also showed himself to goodman Bergfinn in sleep, and said to him, "Now shalt thou take clear sight, for now hast thou fared hither with right faith, and not doubted my holiness, and offered me fair vows, both in prayers and fee-gifts." Then he made the mark of the cross over Bergfinn's eyes, and he awoke as sharpsighted as when he had been sharpest-sighted, and both father and son fared home whole, praising God and saint Magnus the earl. Thorkell hight a man who abode in the Orkneys, he fell off his barley-rick and was all lamed on his other side on which he fell on the earth. He was borne to the saint earl Magnus, and there he got speedy cure of his hurts, in healed broken bones, and strengthened body. He thanked God and saint Magnus for his healing gift. Amundi Illugi's son hight a man, a goodman north from Shetland, he was leprous and very sick. He fared to earl Magnus the saint, and watched at his shrine, and begged him for mercy and cure. But as he slept then Magnus the isle-earl appeared to him, and passed his hands over his body, and gave him healing so speedily that he woke up quite whole; and he gave thanks to God for his cure, and to the merciful Magnus. Sigurd Tandri's son hight a man, he abode in Shetland at that farm which is hight the Dale; he became mad, so that he was sewn up in hide. This man was brought to saint Magnus the earl, and there he got his wit and full health, and he fared thence quite whole, praising God and the saint earl Magnus. Another man hight Sigurd, from the north of Shetland; he had cramped hands, so that all the fingers lay in the palms. He sought the halidom of the saint earl Magnus, and there he got his cure with straight and lissom fingers for all his needs. He thanked God for the mercies which had been shown him for the worthiness of earl Magnus. There was a man hight Thorbjorn Olaf's son, from the north of Shetland, he was devil-mad and witless. He was brought to the shrine of St. Magnus the earl, and he became at once whole, and he fared to his own home, praising and blessing God, and this his blissful martyr. Thord hight a man who was also called "dragonbeak," hireling of the aforesaid goodman Bergfinn. He thrashed corn in the barley barn the next day before the mass-day of saint Magnus the earl. But when it was about nones in the day, then Bergfinn bade him to leave off working. "Tis not very often," said Thord, "that thou thinkest overmuch work is done." Bergfinn said, "The highday that cometh tomorrow we are bound to keep with all the reverence that we may and can." Then Bergfinn went away, but Thord worked on as before. But when a short time was over, then Bergfinn went out the second time, and said to Thord in great wrath, "It mislikes me very much that thou workest in holy times; but leave off at once on the spot." Then the goodman went away very wrath, but Thord worked on as before. But when men were about full at supper, then in came Thord in workaday clothes, and fell at once to drinking greedily. And when he had drunk one horn of liquor, then he became mad, so that men had once to throw him into bonds, and he went on so for six days. Then goodman Bergfinn vowed for him to give a half a mark of silver towards the shrine of saint Magnus the earl, and to let Thord watch there three nights if he became whole. But Thord got back his health the next night after the vow was made for him; and all praised the highest King of heaven, and this his worthy bosom friend saint Magnus the earl. It is said again that two men broke gold from off the shrine of saint Magnus the earl, one of them was a Caithness man, and the other an Orkneyan. But that Caithness man was lost and drowned in the Pentland Firth, and his name was Gilli. But the Orkneyan became mad, and he said in his ravings what they had done. Then a pilgrimage to Rome was vowed for him if he got whole. After that he was brought to earl Magnus the saint, and a vow was made for his cure, and he became whole on the spot, and praised God and saint Magnus the earl. Asmund hight a man. On his head fell a great log, and crushed his skull, but the oftnamed goodman Bergfinn vowed for him; and lots were cast whether it should be vowed for him to go on a pilgrimage to Rome, or to give money to the church of Magnus. But the lot came up that he should seek the halidom of earl Magnus the saint. Then he got back at once his speech which he had before lost. After that he fared to saint Magnus the earl, and watched there and got the full cure of his hurts. But goodman Bergfinn gave earl Magnus half a mark of silver weighed as he had vowed. There was a woman hight Sigrid; she was daughter of Sigurd of Sand, from the north of Shetland. She was blind from blate babyhood [i.e., from "tender years."] till she was quite twenty. Her father carried her south to the Orkneys, and let her watch at the shrine of saint Magnus the earl. e offered there much money. Sigrid got there clear sight in both her eyes, and that father and daughter fared thence, blessing and praising God and earl Magnus the saint. There was yet another woman hight Sigrid, daughter of Arnfrid, from the north of Shetland, from that farm which is called Unst. Her leg broke into two bits, and she was carried to saint Magnus the earl, and she got speedy cure, and thanked God and earl Magnus the saint. Yet a third woman hight Sigrid, from the north of Shetland out of Unst. She was at board with that householder whose name was Thorlak; he abode at Bollastede. Sigrid was sewing about evening before the feast of saint Magnus the earl, after that other men had kept it holy. Thorlak asked why she worked so long, but she said she was just going to stop. The goodman went away then, but she sewed as before. Then came Thorlak the second time to her, and said, "Why dost thou so ill at such a holy time? Go away now, and work no longer in my house." She said it was a very little fault, and sewed on as before till it was dark night. But when men busked them to meat, then Sigrid fell mad, so that she had to be thrown at once into bonds, and was hardly held until Thorlak vowed for her, and cast lots whether she should go to Rome or give goods to saint Magnus the earl. And that lot came up that she was to go to Kirkwall to the halidom of earl Magnus the saint. And afterwards she was borne thither, and got there the sublime gift of healing for her loss of wit, and she praised God and his exalted knight earl Magnus; but still she fared afterwards to Rome for her (soul's) help. Groa hight a woman out of Hrossey; she was devil mad, and fared to Kirkwall to saint Magnus the earl, and there she got good health, and praised God and the earl saint Magnus. Ragnhild hight a woman; she was a cripple when she was four winters old, and all up to the time she was twenty. Then she watched three nights at the halidom of St. Magnus the earl. And on the third night there appeared to her in her sleep a bright man and a noble and fairly clad, and said to her, "Ever and oft hast thou lain here, great is thy need; rise thou up now, and be whole, and bear this staff in thy hand." After that he vanished from her. But she woke; then she had hold on the lock that was on the aumbry which was on the other side of the choir of Magnus' (church). (She) rose up at once quite whole, as though she had never been bent, with straight legs and sinews, praising God and saint Magnus the earl. She was with the bishop many winters. Asa hight a woman; she had been all her days a cripple, but she got such a sublime cure of her health from the blessed earl Magnus, that she walked to Rome the same summer that she became whole. Gudrun hight a woman; she was a cripple a long time of her life. She got quick healing of her hurt and full cure from the worthiness and intercession of earl Magnus the saint, and praised God and his bosom friend earl Magnus. Sigurd hight a man; he was an almsman from Knotsand. He was so very weakly that he crawled on his knees, and could not stand upright. He became quite whole at the shrine of earl Magnus; he praised God and saint Magnus. Two men from the Southern isles cast dice for silver, and one of them lost a hundred marks; then all his goods were at an end, save one barge that he had left. Then he laid the barge against all the goods which he had lost. Then he threw that had won before two sixes. The then the other vowed a vow to earl Magnus the saint for help that he might get back his goods. After that he cast, and there turned up six on one of the dice, but the other split asunder into two bits, and there were seven spots on both the bits together and thirteen on the three, and so he won all his goods. That event happened in Norway in the days of Harold Gilli, that some powerful and high and mighty men laid it against two brothers that they meant to beguile their kinswomen. But this charge was not sooth. But for all that those powerful men fell on them and laid hands on them, carrying them to the wood away from other men, and slew him against whom they gave it out that he was most guilty. After that they took the other, and dealt him many and great tortures with great cruelty, so far that they broke asunder both his legs and his arms too. After that those cruel men stabbed out both his eyes, therewith cutting the tongue away out of his head, and parting from him in such unmanly wise that they fared away, but he lay there half dead. Speedily after they were away, many wolves rushed out of the wood, rending and tearing the flesh off the bones of him that lay slain, and after that fairing back into the wood. But of the wounded one it is to be said that albeit he could not with his tongue pray for mercy, he still bethought him all at once that Almighty God might grant him some help. Especially he turned his thoughts thither where the earl saint Magnus was, for in that time his miracle-making flourished most of all. And when he had vowed his vow he became aware that a man has come to him, who passes his hands over his broken legs and arms. Therewith he takes the stump of the tongue and brings it to its place at last; afterwards he lays his hands on the eye-sockets. But with this handling wondrous changes came about; the eyes were reset with clear sight, the tongue is become useful for all utterance, the broken limbs were healed, and all his former health restored to him. He sees standing by him a man fair of face, to whom he thus speaks: --- "What is thy name most noble lord?" The bright man answers, "Here is earl Magnus, but mind well to keep what thou hast vowed to God." At this he was full of joy, and so speaks the second time: --- "For that, sublime friend of God, that thou hast granted me a great gift of healing. I pray again of thy mercy that thou beggest life for my brother from God." After he had so spoken the saint earl Magnus vanished from his sight, answering nothing to the prayer mentioned. But that man falls forward, and thanks God for the mercy shown him, meaning to abide there in that spot two nights in steadfast prayer to help his brother. But as time went by he looks around, and sees a flock of many wolves running out of the wood to where the carcase of the departed one lay, and there they spew up all that they had eaten of his flesh and bones, and turn back after that into the wood. And when a little time is passed he sees saint Magnus come, and he blesses with his right hand the whole mass together, the wolves' spew and the bones. Next to this the body becomes quite whole by these means. Saint Magnus blesses the breathless body a second time, for the sake of which he that before was slain rose up whole and living, and goes to his brother. Then each of them greeted the other, giving thanks to God and to saint Magnus the earl for such ready mercy as was shown them. So let also all hearing such great works yield manifold praise to the true God who grants such great things to sinful men for the prayers and worthiness of his most beloved bosom friends.
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