Saga of Harald Hardrade

23. KING MAGNUS GIVES HARALD HALF OF NORWAY.

King Magnus lay at the shore and had set up tents upon the land.
There he invited his relation, King Harald, to be his guest at
table; and Harald went to the entertainment with sixty of his men
and was feasted excellently. Towards the end of the day King
Magnus went into the tent where Harald sat and with him went men
carrying parcels consisting of clothes and arms. Then the king
went to the man who sat lowest and gave him a good sword, to the
next a shield, to the next a kirtle, and so on, -- clothes, or
weapons, or gold; to all he gave one or the other valuable gift,
and the more costly to the more distinguished men among them.
Then he placed himself before his relation Harald, holding two
sticks in his hand, and said, "Which of these two sticks wilt
thou have, my friend?"

Harald replies, "The one nearest me."

"Then," said King Magnus, "with this stick I give thee half of
the Norwegian power, with all the scat and duties, and all the
domains thereunto belonging, with the condition that everywhere
thou shalt be as lawful king in Norway as I am myself; but when
we are both together in one place, I shall be the first man in
seat, service and salutation; and if there be three of us
together of equal dignity, that I shall sit in the middle, and
shall have the royal tent-ground and the royal landing-place.
Thou shalt strengthen and advance our kingdom, in return for
making thee that man in Norway whom we never expected any man
should be so long as our head was above ground." Then Harald
stood up, and thanked him for the high title and dignity.
Thereupon they both sat down, and were very merry together. The
same evening Harald and his men returned to their ships.

24. HARALD GIVES MAGNUS THE HALF OF HIS TREASURES.

The following morning King Magnus ordered the trumpets to sound
to a General Thing of the people; and when it was seated, he made
known to the whole army the gift he had given to his relation
Harald. Thorer of Steig gave Harald the title of King there at
the Thing; and the same day King Harald invited King Magnus to
table with him, and he went with sixty men to King Harald's
land-tent, where he had prepared a feast. The two kings sat
together on a high-seat, and the feast was splendid; everything
went on with magnificence, and the kings' were merry and glad.
Towards the close of the day King Harald ordered many caskets to
be brought into the tent, and in like manner people bore in
weapons, clothes and other sorts of valuables; and all these King
Harald divided among King Magnus's men who were at the feast.
Then he had the caskets opened and said to King Magnus,
"Yesterday you gave us a large kingdom, which your hand won from
your and our enemies, and took us in partnership with you, which
was well done; and this has cost you much. Now we on our side
have been in foreign parts, and oft in peril of life, to gather
together the gold which you here see. Now, King Magnus, I will
divide this with you. We shall both own this movable property,
and each have his equal share of it, as each has his equal half
share of Norway. I know that our dispositions are different, as
thou art more liberal than I am; therefore let us divide this
property equally between us, so that each may have his share free
to do with as he will." Then Harald had a large ox-hide spread
out, and turned the gold out of the caskets upon it. Then scales
and weights were taken and the gold separated and divided by
weight into equal parts; and all people wondered exceedingly that
so much gold should have come together in one place in the
northern countries. But it was understood that it was the Greek
emperor's property and wealth; for, as all people say, there are
whole houses there full of red gold. The kings were now very
merry. Then there appeared an ingot among the rest as big as a
man's hand. Harald took it in his hands and said, "Where is the
gold, friend Magnus, that thou canst show against this piece?"

King Magnus replied, "So many disturbances and levies have been
in the country that almost all the gold and silver I could lay up
is gone. I have no more gold in my possession than this ring."
And he took the ring off his hand and gave it to Harald.

Harald looked at it, and said, "That is but little gold, friend.
for the king who owns two kingdoms; and yet some may doubt
whether thou art rightful owner of even this ring."

Then King Magnus replied, after a little reflection, "If I be not
rightful owner of this ring, then I know not what I have got
right to; for my father, King Olaf the Saint, gave me this ring
at our last parting."

Then said King Harald, laughing, "It is true, King Magnus, what
thou sayest. Thy father gave thee this ring, but he took the
ring from my father for some trifling cause; and in truth it was
not a good time for small kings in Norway when thy father was in
full power."

King Harald gave Thorer of Steig at that feast a bowl of mountain
birch, that was encircled with a silver ring and had a silver
handle, both which parts were gilt; and the bowl was filled with
money of pure silver. With that came also two gold rings, which
together stood for a mark. He gave him also his cloak of dark
purple lined with white skins within, and promised him besides
his friendship and great dignity. Thorgils Snorrason, an
intelligent man, says he has seen an altar-cloth that was made of
this cloak; and Gudrid, a daughter of Guthorm, the son of Thorer
of Steig, said, according to Thorgil's account, that she had seen
this bowl in her father Guthorm's possession. Bolverk also tells
of these matters: --

"Thou, generous king, I have been told,
For the green land hast given gold;
And Magnus got a mighty treasure,
That thou one half might'st rule at pleasure.
The people gained a blessed peace,
Which 'twixt the kings did never cease;
While Svein, disturbed with war's alarms,
Had his folk always under arms."

25. OF KING MAGNUS.

The kings Magnus and Harald both ruled in Norway the winter after
their agreement (A.D. 1047), and each had his court. In winter
they went around the Upland country in guest-quarters; and
sometimes they were both together, sometimes each was for
himself. They went all the way north to Throndhjem, to the town
of Nidaros. King Magnus had taken special care of the holy
remains of King Olaf after he came to the country; had the hair
and nails clipped every twelve month, and kept himself the keys
that opened the shrine. Many miracles were worked by King Olaf's
holy remains. It was not long before there was a breach in the
good understanding between the two kings, as many were so
mischievous as to promote discord between them.

26. OF SVEIN ULFSON.

Svein Ulfson remained behind in the harbour after Harald had gone
away, and inquired about his proceedings. When he heard at last
of Magnus and Harald having agreed and joined their forces, he
steered with his forces eastward along Scania, and remained there
until towards winter, when he heard that King Magnus and King
Harald had gone northwards to Norway. Then Svein, with his
troops, came south to Denmark and took all the royal income that
winter (A.D. 1047).

27. OF THE LEVY OF THE TWO KINGS.

Towards spring (A.D. 1047) King Magnus and his relation, King
Harald, ordered a levy in Norway. It happened once that the
kings lay all night in the same harbour and next day, King
Harald, being first ready, made sail. Towards evening he brought
up in the harbour in which Magnus and his retinue had intended to
pass the night. Harald laid his vessel in the royal ground, and
there set up his tents. King Magnus got under sail later in the
day and came into the harbour just as King Harald had done
pitching his tents. They saw then that King Harald had taken up
the king's ground and intended to lie there. After King Magnus
had ordered the sails to be taken in, he said, "The men will now
get ready along both sides of the vessel to lay out their oars,
and some will open the hatches and bring up the arms and arm
themselves; for, if they will not make way for us, we will fight
them." Now when King Harald sees that King Magnus will give him
battle, he says to his men, "Cut our land-fastenings and back the
ship out of the ground, for friend Magnus is in a passion." They
did so and laid the vessel out of the ground and King Magnus laid
his vessel in it. When they were now ready on both sides with
their business, King Harald went with a few men on board of King
Magnus's ship. King Magnus received him in a friendly way, and
bade him welcome. King Harald answered, "I thought we were come
among friends; but just now I was in doubt if ye would have it
so. But it is a truth that childhood is hasty, and I will only
consider it as a childish freak." Then said King Magnus, "It is
no childish whim, but a trait of my family, that I never forget
what I have given, or what I have not given. If this trifle had
been settled against my will, there would soon have followed'
some other discord like it. In all particulars I will hold the
agreement between us; but in the same way we will have all that
belongs to us by that right." King Harald coolly replied, that
it is an old custom for the wisest to give way; and returned to
his ship. From such circumstances it was found difficult to
preserve good understanding between the kings. King Magnus's men
said he was in the right; but others, less wise, thought there
was some slight put upon Harald in the business. King Harald's
men, besides, insisted that the agreement was only that King
Magnus should have the preference of the harbour-ground when they
arrived together, but that King Harald was not bound to draw out
of his place when he came first. They observed, also, that King
Harald had conducted himself well and wisely in the matter.
Those who viewed the business in the worst light insisted that
King Magnus wanted to break the agreement, and that he had done
King Harald injustice, and put an affront on him. Such disputes
were talked over so long among foolish people, that the spirit of
disagreeing affected the kings themselves. Many other things
also occurred, in which the kings appeared determined to have
each his own way; but of these little will be set down here.