Saga of Sigurd the Crusader and His Brothers Eystein and Olaf

40. KING SIGURD MARRIES CECILIA.

In the last period of King Sigurd's life, his new and
extraordinary resolution was whispered about, that he would be
divorced from his queen, and would take Cecilia, who was a great
man's daughter, to wife. He ordered accordingly a great feast to
be prepared, and intended to hold his wedding with her in Bergen.
Now when Bishop Magne heard this, he was very sorry; and one day
the bishop goes to the king's hall, and with him a priest called
Sigurd, who was afterwards bishop of Bergen. When they came to
the king's hall, the bishop sent the king a message that he would
like to meet him; and asked the king to come out to him. He did
so, and came out with a drawn sword in his hand. He received the
bishop kindly and asked him to go in and sit down to table with
him.

The bishop replies, "I have other business now. Is it true,
sire, what is told me, that thou hast the intention of marrying,
and of driving away thy queen, and taking another wife?"

The king said it was true.

Then the bishop changed countenance, and angrily replied, "How
can it come into your mind, sire, to do such an act in our
bishopric as to betray God's word and law, and the holy church?
It surprises me that you treat with such contempt our episcopal
office, and your own royal office. I will now do what is my
duty; and in the name of God, of the holy King Olaf, of Peter the
apostle, and of the other saints, forbid thee this wickedness."

While he thus spoke he stood straight up, as if stretching out
his neck to the blow, as if ready if the king chose to let the
sword fall; and the priest Sigurd, who afterwards was bishop, has
declared that the sky appeared to him no bigger than a calf's
skin, so frightful did the appearance of the king present itself
to him. The king returned to the hall, however, without saying a
word; and the bishop went to his house and home so cheerful and
gay that he laughed, and saluted every child on his way, and was
playing with his fingers. Then the priest Sigurd asked him the
reason, saying, "Why are you so cheerful, sir? Do you not
consider that the king may be exasperated against you? and would
it not be better to get out of the way?"

Then said the bishop, "It appears to me more likely that he will
not act so; and besides, what death could be better, or more
desirable, than to leave life for the honour of God? or to die
for the holy cause of Christianity and our own office, by
preventing that which is not right? I am so cheerful because I
have done what I ought to do."

There was much noise in the town about this. The king got ready
for a journey, and took with him corn, malt and honey. He went
south to Stavanger, and prepared a feast there for his marriage
with Cecilia. When a bishop who ruled there heard of this he
went to the king, and asked if it were true that he intended to
marry in the lifetime of the queen.

The king said it was so.

The bishop answers, "If it be so, sire, you must know how much
such a thing is forbidden to inferior persons. Now it appears as
if you thought it was allowable for you, because you have great
power, and that it is proper for you, although it is against
right and propriety; but I do not know how you will do it in our
bishopric, dishonouring thereby God's command, the holy Church,
and our episcopal authority. But you must bestow a great amount
of gifts and estates on this foundation, and thereby pay the
mulct due to God and to us for such transgression."

Then said the king, "Take what thou wilt of our possessions.
Thou art far more reasonable than Bishop Magne."

Then the king went away, as well pleased with this bishop as ill
pleased with him who had laid a prohibition on him. Thereafter
the king married the girl, and loved her tenderly.

41. IMPROVEMENT OF KONUNGAHELLA.

King Sigurd improved the town of Konungahella so much, that there
was not a greater town in Norway at the time, and he remained
there long for the defence of the frontiers. He built a king's
house in the castle, and imposed a duty on all the districts in
the neighbourhood of the town, as well as on the townspeople,
that every person of nine years of age and upwards should bring
to the castle five missile stones for weapons, or as many large
stakes sharp at one end and five ells long. In the castle the
king built a cross-church of timber, and carefully put together,
as far as regards the wood and other materials. The cross-church
was consecrated in the 24th year of King Sigurd's reign (A.D.
1127). Here the king deposited the piece of the holy cross, and
many other holy relics. It was called the castle church; and
before the high altar he placed the tables he had got made in the
Greek country, which were of copper and silver, all gilt, and
beautifully adorned with jewels. Here was also the shrine which
the Danish king Eirik Eimune had sent to King Sigurd; and the
altar book, written with gold letters, which the patriarch had
presented to King Sigurd.

42. KING SIGURD'S DEATH.

Three years after the consecration of the cross-church, when King
Sigurd was stopping at Viken, he fell sick (A.D. 1130). He died
the night before Mary's-mass (August 15), and was buried in
Halvard's church, where he was laid in the stone wall without the
choir on the south side. His son Magnus was in the town at the
time and took possession of the whole of the king's treasury when
King Sigurd died. Sigurd had been king of Norway twenty-seven
years (A.D. 1104-1130), and was forty years of age when he died.
The time of his reign was good for the country; for there was
peace, and crops were good.