Saga of Sigurd the Crusader and His Brothers Eystein and Olaf

11. SIDON TAKEN.

King Baldwin made a magnificent feast for King Sigurd and many of
his people, and gave him many holy relics. By the orders of King
Baldwin and the patriarch, there was taken a splinter off the
holy cross; and on this holy relic both made oath, that this wood
was of the holy cross upon which God Himself had been tortured.
Then this holy relic was given to King Sigurd; with the condition
that he, and twelve other men with him, should swear to promote
Christianity with all his power, and erect an archbishop's seat
in Norway if he could; and also that the cross should be kept
where the holy King Olaf reposed, and that he should introduce
tithes, and also pay them himself. After this King Sigurd
returned to his ships at Acre; and then King Baldwin prepared to
go to Syria, to a heathen town called Saet. On this expedition
King Sigurd accompanied him, and after the kings had besieged the
town some time it surrendered, and they took possession of it,
and of a great treasure of money; and their men found other
booty. King Sigurd made a present of his share to King Baldwin.
So say Haldor Skvaldre: --

"He who for wolves provides the feast
Seized on the city in the East,
The heathen nest; and honour drew,
And gold to give, from those he slew."

Einar Skulason also tells of it: --

"The Norsemen's king, the skalds relate,
Has ta'en the heathen town of Saet:
The slinging engine with dread noise
Gables and roofs with stones destroys.
The town wall totters too, -- it falls;
The Norsemen mount the blackened walls.
He who stains red the raven's bill
Has won, -- the town lies at his will."

Thereafter King Sigurd went to his ships and made ready to leave
Palestine. They sailed north to the island Cyprus; and King
Sigurd stayed there a while, and then went to the Greek country,
and came to the land with all his fleet at Engilsnes. Here he
lay still for a fortnight, although every day it blew a breeze
for going before the wind to the north; but Sigurd would wait a
side wind, so that the sails might stretch fore and aft in the
ship; for in all his sails there was silk joined in, before and
behind in the sail, and neither those before nor those behind the
ships could see the slightest appearance of this, if the vessel
was before the wind; so they would rather wait a side wind.

12. SIGURD'S EXPEDITION TO CONSTANTINOPLE.

When King Sigurd sailed into Constantinople, he steered near the
land. Over all the land there are burghs, castles, country
towns, the one upon the other without interval. There from the
land one could see into the bights of the sails; and the sails
stood so close beside each other, that they seemed to form one
enclosure. All the people turned out to see King Sigurd sailing
past. The Emperor Kirjalax had also heard of King Sigurd's
expedition, and ordered the city port of Constantinople to be
opened, which is called the Gold Tower, through which the emperor
rides when he has been long absent from Constantinople, or has
made a campaign in which he has been victorious. The emperor had
precious cloths spread out from the Gold Tower to Laktjarna,
which is the name of the emperor's most splendid hall. King
Sigurd ordered his men to ride in great state into the city, and
not to regard all the new things they might see; and this they
did. King Sigurd and his followers rode with this great
splendour into Constantinople, and then came to the magnificent
hall, where everything was in the grandest style.

King Sigurd remained here some time. The Emperor Kirjalax sent
his men to him to ask if he would rather accept from the emperor
six lispund of gold, or would have the emperor give the games in
his honour which the emperor was used to have played at the
Padreim. King Sigurd preferred the games, and the messengers
said the spectacle would not cost the emperor less than the money
offered. Then the emperor prepared for the games, which were
held in the usual way; but this day everything went on better for
the king than for the queen; for the queen has always the half
part in the games, and their men, therefore, always strive
against each other in all games. The Greeks accordingly think
that when the king's men win more games at the Padreim than the
queen's, the king will gain the victory when he goes into battle.
People who have been in Constantinople tell that the Padreim is
thus constructed: -- A high wall surrounds a flat plain, which
may be compared to a round bare Thing-place, with earthen banks
all around at the stone wall, on which banks the spectators sit;
but the games themselves are in the flat plain. There are many
sorts of old events represented concerning the Asas, Volsungs,
and Giukungs, in these games; and all the figures are cast in
copper, or metal, with so great art that they appear to be living
things; and to the people it appears as if they were really
present in the games. The games themselves are so artfully and
cleverly managed, that people appear to be riding in the air; and
at them also are used shot-fire (1), and all kinds of harp-
playing, singing, and music instruments.

12. SIGURD AND THE EMPEROR OF CONSTANTINOPLE.

It is related that King Sigurd one day was to give the emperor a
feast, and he ordered his men to provide sumptuously all that was
necessary for the entertainment; and when all things were
provided which are suitable for an entertainment given by a great
personage to persons of high dignity, King Sigurd ordered his
men to go to the street in the city where firewood was sold, as
they would require a great quantity to prepare the feast. They
said the king need not be afraid of wanting firewood, for every
day many loads were brought into the town. When it was
necessary, however, to have firewood, it was found that it was
all sold, which they told the king. He replied, "Go and try if
you can get walnuts. They will answer as well as wood for fuel."
They went and got as many as they needed. Now came the emperor,
and his grandees and court, and sat down to table. All was very
splendid; and King Sigurd received the emperor with great state,
and entertained him magnificently. When the queen and the
emperor found that nothing was wanting, she sent some persons to
inquire what they had used for firewood; and they came to a house
filled with walnuts, and they came back and told the queen.
"Truly," said she, "this is a magnificent king, who spares no
expense where his honour is concerned." She had contrived this
to try what they would do when they could get no firewood to
dress their feast with.

14. KING SIGURD THE CRUSADER'S RETURN HOME.

King Sigurd soon after prepared for his return home. He gave the
emperor all his ships; and the valuable figureheads which were on
the king's ships were set up in Peter's church, where they have
since been to be seen. The emperor gave the king many horses and
guides to conduct him through all his dominions. Then King
Sigurd left Constantinople; but a great many Northmen remained,
and went into the emperor's pay. Then King Sigurd traveled from
Bulgaria, and through Hungary, Pannonia. Suabia, and Bavaria,
where he met the Roman emperor, Lotharius, who received him in
the most friendly way, gave him guides through his dominions, and
had markets established for him at which he could purchase all he
required. When King Sigurd came to Slesvik in Denmark, Earl
Eilif made a sumptuous feast for him; and it was then midsummer.
In Heidaby he met the Danish king, Nikolas, who received him in
the most friendly way, made a great entertainment for him,
accompanied him north to Jutland, and gave him a ship provided
with everything needful. From thence the king returned to
Norway, and was joyfully welcomed on his return to his kingdom
(A.D. 1110). It was the common talk among the people, that none
had ever made so honourable a journey from Norway as this of King
Sigurd. He was twenty years of age, and had been three years on
these travels. His brother Olaf was then twelve years old.

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