Magnus Barefoot's Saga

6. DEATH OF THORER AND EGIL.

Jon and Vidkun travelled day and night till they met King Magnus.
Svein and Thorer proceeded northwards with their men, and
plundered far and wide in Halogaland. But while they lay in a
fjord called Harm, Thorer and his party saw King Magnus coming
under sail towards them; and thinking they had not men enough to
fight him, they rowed away and fled. Thorer and Egil brought up
at Hesjutun; but Svein rowed out to sea, and some of their people
rowed into the fjords. King Magnus pursued Thorer, and the
vessels struck together while they were landing. Thorer stood in
the forecastle of his ship, and Sigurd Ulstreng called out to
him, and asked, "Art thou well, Thorer?" Thorer replied, "I am
well in hands, but ill on my feet."

Then all Thorer's men fled up the country, and Thorer was taken
prisoner. Egil was also taken prisoner, for he would not leave
his wife. King Magnus then ordered both of them to be taken out
to Vambarholm; and when they were leading Thorer from the ship he
tottered on his legs. Then Vidkun called out, "More to the
larboard, Thorer!" When he was being led to the gallows he sang:
--

"We were four comrades gay, --
Let one by the helm stay."

When he came to the gallows he said, "Bad counsel comes to a bad
end." Then Thorer was hanged; but when he was hoisted up the
gallows tree he was so heavy that his neck gave way, and the body
fell down to the ground; for Thorer was a man exceedingly stout,
both high of stature and thick. Egil was also led to the
gallows, and when the king's thralls were about hanging him he
said, "Ye should not hang me, for in truth each of you deserves
much more to be hanged." People sang these verses about it: --

"I hear, my girl, that Egil said,
When to the gallows he was led,
That the king's thralls far more than he
Deserved to hang on gallows-tree.
It might be so; but, death in view,
A man should to himself be true, --
End a stout life by death as stout,
Showing no fear; or care, or doubt."

King Magnus sat near while they were being hanged, and was in
such a rage that none of his men was so bold as to ask mercy for
them. The king said, when Egil was spinning at the gallows, "Thy
great friends help thee but poorly in time of need." From this
people supposed that the king only wanted to have been entreated
to have spared Egil's life. Bjorn Krephende speaks of these
things: --

"King Magnus in the robbers' gore
Dyed red his sword; and round the shore
The wolves howled out their wild delight,
At corpses swinging in their sight.
Have ye not heard how the king's sword
Punished the traitors to their lord?
How the king's thralls hung on the gallows
Old Thorer and his traitor-fellows?"

7. OF THE PUNISHMENT OF THE THRONDHJEM PEOPLE.

After this King Magnus sailed south to Throndhjem, and brought up
in the fjord, and punished severely all who had been guilty of
treason towards him; killing some, and burning the houses of
others. So says Bjorn Krephende: --

"He who despises fence of shields
Drove terror through the Throndhjem fields,
When all the land through which he came
Was swimming in a flood of flame.
The raven-feeder, will I know,
Cut off two chieftans at a blow;
The wolf could scarcely ravenous be,
The ernes flew round the gallows-tree."

Svein Harald Fletter's son, fled out to sea first, and sailed
then to Denmark, and remained there; and at last came into great
favour with King Eystein, the son of King Magnus, who took so
great a liking to Svein that he made him his dish-bearer, and
held him in great respect. King Magnus had now alone the whole
kingdom, and he kept good peace in the land, and rooted out all
vikings and lawless men. He was a man quick, warlike, and able,
and more like in all things to his grandfather, King Harald, in
disposition and talents than to his father.

8. OF THE BONDE SVEINKE, AND SIGURD ULSTRENG.

There was a man called Sveinke Steinarson, who was very wealthy,
and dwelt in Viken at the Gaut river. He had brought up Hakon
Magnuson before Thorer of Steig took him. Sveinke had not yet
submitted to King Magnus. King Magnus ordered Sigurd Ulstreng to
be called, and told him he would send him to Sveinke with the
command that he should quit the king's land and domain. "He has
not yet submitted to us, or shown us due honour." He added, that
there were some lendermen east in Viken, namely Svein Bryggjufot,
Dag Eilifson, and Kolbjorn Klakke, who could bring this matter
into right bearing. Then Sigurd said, "I did not know there was
the man in Norway against whom three lendermen besides myself
were needful." The king replied, "Thou needst not take this
help, unless it be necessary." Now Sigurd made himself ready for
the journey with a ship, sailed east to Viken, and there summoned
the lendermen to him. Then a Thing was appointed to Viken, to
which the people were called who dwelt on the Gaut river, besides
others; so that it was a numerous assembly. When the Thing was
formed they had to wait for Sveinke. They soon after saw a troop
of men coming along, so well furnished with weapons that they
looked like pieces of shining ice; and now came Sveinke and his
people to the Thing, and set themselves down in a circle. All
were clad in iron, with glowing arms, and 500 in number. Then
Sigurd stood up, and spoke. "My master, King Magnus, sends God's
salutation and his own to all friends, lendermen and others, his
subjects in the kingdom; also to the powerful bondes, and the
people in general, with kind words and offers of friendship; and
to all who will obey him he offers his friendship and good will.
Now the king will, with all cheerfulness and peace, show himself
a gracious master to all who will submit to him, and to all in
his dominions. He will be the leader and defender of all the men
of Norway; and it will be good for you to accept his gracious
speech, and this offer."

Then stood up a man in the troop of the Elfgrims, who was of
great stature and grim countenance, clad in a leather cloak, with
a halberd on his shoulder, and a great steel hat upon his head.
He looked sternly, and said, "Here is no need of wheels, says the
fox, when he draws the trap over the ice." He said nothing more,
but sat down again.

Soon after Sigurd Ulstreng stood up again, and spoke thus: "But
little concern or help have we for the king's affairs from you,
Elfgrims, and but little friendship; yet by such means every man
shows how much he respects himself. But now I shall produce more
clearly the king's errand." Thereupon he demanded land-dues and
levy-dues, together with all other rights of the king, from the
great bondes. He bade each of them to consider with himself how
they had conducted themselves in these matters; and that they
should now promote their own honour, and do the king justice, if
they had come short hitherto in doing so. And then he sat down.

Then the same man got up in the troop of Elfgrims who had spoken
before, lifted his hat a little up, and said, "The lads run well,
say the Laplanders, who have skates for nothing." Then he sat
himself down again.

Soon after Sigurd arose, after speaking with the lendermen, and
said that so weighty a message as the king's ought not to be
treated lightly as a jest. He was now somewhat angry; and added,
that they ought not to receive the king's message and errand so
scornfully, for it was not decent. He was dressed in a red or
scarlet coat, and had a blue coat over it. He cast off his upper
coat and said, "Now it is come so far that every one must look to
himself, and not loiter and jest with others; for by so doing
every man will show what he is. We do not require now to be
taught by others; for now we can see ourselves how much we are
regarded. But this may be borne with; but not that ye treat so
scornfully the king's message. Thereby every one shows how
highly he considers himself. There is one man called Sveinke
Steinarson, who lives east at the Gaut river; and from him the
king will have his just land-dues, together with his own land, or
will banish him from the country. It is of no use here to seek
excuses, or to answer with sharp words; for people are to be
found who are his equals in power, although he now receives our
speech so unworthily; and it is better now than afterwards to
return to the right way, and do himself honour, rather than await
disgrace for his obstinancy." He then sat down.

Sveinke then got up, threw back his steel-hat, and gave Sigurd
many scornful words, and said, "Tut! tut! 'tis a shame for the
dogs, says the proverb, when the fox is allowed to cast their
excrements in the peasant's well. Here will be a miracle! Thou
useless fellow! with a coat without arms, and a kirtle with
skirts, wilt thou drive me out of the country? Thy relation,
Sigurd Woolsack, was sent before on this errand, and one called
Gille the Backthief, and one who had still a worse name. They
were a night in every house, and stole wherever they came. Wilt
thou drive me out of the country? Formerly thou wast not so
mighty, and thy pride was less when King Hakon, my foster-son,
was in life. Then thou wert as frightened for him when he met
thee on the road as a mouse in a mouse-trap, and hid thyself
under a heap of clothes, like a dog on board a ship. Thou wast
thrust into a leather-bag like corn in a sack, and driven from
house and farm like a year-old colt from the mares; and dost thou
dare to drive me from the land? Thou shouldst rather think
thyself lucky to escape from hence with life. Let us stand up
and attack him."

Then all his men stood up, and made a great clash with their
weapons. Then Svein Bryggjufot and the other lendermen saw there
was no other chance for Sigurd but to get him on horseback, which
was done, and he rode off into the forest. The end was that
Sveinke returned home to his farm, and Sigurd Ulstreng came, with
great difficulty, by land north to Throndhjem to King Magnus, and
told the result of his errand. "Did I not say," said the king,
"that the help of my lendermen would be needed?" Sigurd was ill
pleased with his journey; insisted that he would be revenged,
cost what it will; and urged the king much. The king ordered
five ships to be fitted out; and as soon as they were ready for
sea he sailed south along the land, and then east to Viken, where
he was entertained in excellent guest-quarters by his lendermen.
The king told them he would seek out Sveinke. "For I will not
conceal my suspicion that he thinks to make himself king of
Norway." They said that Sveinke was both a powerful and an
ungovernable man. Now the king went from Viken until he came to
Sveinke's farm. Then the lendermen desired that they might be
put on shore to see how matters stood; and when they came to the
land they saw that Sveinke had already come down from the farm,
and was on the road with a number of well-armed men. The
lendermen held up a white shield in the air, as a peace-token;
and when Sveinke saw it he halted his men, and they approached
each other. Then said Kolbjorn Klakke, "King Magnus sends thee
God's salutation and his own, and bids thee consider what becomes
thee, and do him obedience, and not prepare thyself to give him
battle." Kolbjorn offered to mediate peace between them, if he
could, and told him to halt his troops.

Sveinke said he would wait for them where he was. "We came out to
meet you," he said, "that ye might not tread down our corn-
fields."

The lendermen returned to the king, and told him all was now at
his pleasure.

The king said, "My doom is soon delivered. He shall fly the
country, and never come back to Norway as long as the kingdom is
mine; and he shall leave all his goods behind."

"But will it not be more for thy honour," said Kolbjorn, "and
give thee a higher reputation among other kings, if, in banishing
him from the country, thou shouldst allow him to keep his
property, and show himself among other people? And we shall take
care that he never comes back while we live. Consider of this,
sire, by yourself, and have respect for our assurance."

The king replied, "Let him then go forth immediately."

They went back, therefore, to Sveinke, and told him the king's
words; and also that the king had ordered him out of the country,
and he should show his obedience, since he had forgotten himself
towards the king. "It is for the honour of both that thou
shouldst show obedience to the king."

Then Sveinke said, "There must be some great change if the king
speaks agreeably to me; but why should I fly the country and my
properties? Listen now to what I say. It appears to me better
to die upon my property than to fly from my udal estates. Tell
the king that I will not stir from them even an arrow-flight."

Kolbjorn replied, "This is scarcely prudent, or right; for it is
better for one's own honour to give way to the best chief, than
to make opposition to one's own loss. A gallant man succeeds
wheresoever he goes; and thou wilt be the more respected
wheresoever thou art, with men of power, just because thou hast
made head so boldly against so powerful a chief. Hear our
promises, and pay some attention to our errand. We offer thee to
manage thy estates, and take them faithfully under our
protection; and also never, against thy will, to pay scat for thy
land until thou comest back. We will pledge our lives and
properties upon this. Do not throw away good counsel from thee,
and avoid thus the ill fortune of other good men."

Then Sveinke was silent for a short time, and said at last, "Your
endeavours are wise; but I have my suspicions that ye are
changing a little the king's message. In consideration, however,
of the great good-will that ye show me, I will hold your advice
in such respect that I will go out of the country for the whole
winter, if, according to your promises, I can then retain my
estates in peace. Tell the king, also, these my words, that I do
this on your account, not on his."

Thereupon they returned to the king, and said, that Sveinke left
all in the king's hands. "But entreats you to have respect to
his honour. He will be away for three years, and then come back,
if it be the king's pleasure. Do this; let all things be done
according to what is suitable for the royal dignity and according
to our entreaty, now that the matter is entirely in thy power,
and we shall do all we can to prevent his returning against thy
will."

The king replied, "Ye treat this matter like men, and, for your
sakes, shall all things be as ye desire. Tell him so."

They thanked the king, and then went to Sveinke, and told him the
king's gracious intentions. "We will be glad," said they, "if ye
can be reconciled. The king requires, indeed that thy absence
shall be for three years; but, if we know the truth rightly, we
expect that before that time he will find he cannot do without
thee in this part of the country. It will be to thy own future
honour, therefore, to agree to this."

Sveinke replies, "What condition is better than this? Tell the
king that I shall not vex him longer with my presence here, and
accept of my goods and estates on this condition."

Thereupon he went home with his men, and set off directly; for he
had prepared everything beforehand. Kolbjorn remains behind, and
makes ready a feast for King Magnus, which also was thought of
and prepared. Sveinke, on the other hand, rides up to Gautland
with all the men he thought proper to take with him. The king
let himself be entertained in guest-quarters at his house,
returned to Viken, and Sveinke's estates were nominally the
king's, but Kolbjorn had them under his charge. The king
received guest-quarters in Viken, proceeded from thence
northwards, and there was peace for a while; but now that the
Elfgrims were without a chief, marauding gangs infested them, and
the king saw this eastern part of the kingdom would be laid
waste. It appeared to him, therefore, most suitable and
advisable to make Sveinke himself oppose the stream, and twice he
sent messages to him. But he did not stir until King Magnus
himself was south in Denmark, when Sveinke and the king met, and
made a full reconciliation; on which Sveinke returned home to his
house and estates, and was afterwards King Magnus's best and
trustiest friend, who strengthened his kingdom on the eastern
border; and their friendship continued as long as they lived.