Saga of Magnus the Blind and of Harald Gille

16. OF SIGURD SLEMBE.

When Harald Gille had been six years (A.D. 1136), king of Norway,
Sigurd came to the country and went to his brother King Harald,
and found him in Bergen. He placed himself entirely in the
king's hands, disclosed who his father was, and asked him to
acknowledge their relationship. The king gave him no hasty or
distinct reply; but laid the matter before his friends in a
conference at a specially appointed meeting. After this
conference it became known that the king laid an accusation
against Sigurd, because he had been at the killing of Thorkel
Fostre in the West. Thorkel had accompanied Harald to Norway
when he first came to the country, and had been one of Harald's
best friends. This case was followed up so severely, that a
capital accusation against Sigurd was made, and, by the advice of
the lendermen, was carried so far, that some of the king's
pursuivants went one evening late to Sigurd, and called him to
them. They then took a boat and rowed away with Sigurd from the
town south to Nordnes. Sigurd sat on a chest in the stern of the
boat, and had his suspicions that foul play was intended. He was
clothed in blue trousers, and over his shirt he had a hood tied
with ribands, which served him for a cloak. He sat looking down,
and holding his hood-strings; and sometimes moved them over his
head, sometimes let them fall again before him. Now when they
had passed the ness, they were drunk, and merry, were rowing so
eagerly that they were not taking notice of anything. Sigurd
stood up, and went on the boat's deck; but the two men who were
placed to guard him stood up also, and followed him to the side
of the vessel, holding by his cloak, as is the custom in guarding
people of distinction. As he was afraid that they would catch
hold of more of his clothes, he seized them both, and leaped
overboard with them. The boat, in the meantime, had gone on a
long way, and it was a long time before those on board could turn
the vessel, and long before they could get their own men taken on
board again; and Sigurd dived under water, and swam so far away
that he reached the land before they could get the boat turned to
pursue him. Sigurd, who was very swift of foot, hied up to the
mountains, and the king's men travelled about the whole night
seeking him without finding him. He lay down in a cleft of the
rocks; and as he was very cold he took off his trousers, cut a
hole in the seat of them, and stuck his head through it, and put
his arms in the legs of them. He escaped with life this time;
and the king's men returned, and could not conceal their
unsuccessful adventure.

17. TREACHERY TOWARDS KING HARALD.

Sigurd thought now that it would be of no use to seek any help
from King Harald again; and he kept himself concealed all the
autumn and the beginning of the winter. He lay hid in Bergen, in
the house of a priest. King Harald was also in the town, and
many great people with him. Now Sigurd considered how, with his
friends' help, he might take the king by surprise, and make an
end of him. Many men took part in this design; and among them
some who were King Harald's court-men and chamberlains, but who
had formerly been King Magnus's court-men. They stood in great
favour with the king, and some of them sat constantly at the
king's table. On Saint Lucia's day (December 13), in the evening
when they proposed to execute this treason, two men sat at the
king's table talking together; and one of them said to the king,
"Sire, we two table-companions submit our dispute to your
judgment, having made a wager of a basket of honey to him who
guesses right. I say that you will sleep this night with your
Queen Ingerid; and he says that you will sleep with Thora,
Guthorm's daughter."

The king answered laughing, and without suspecting in the least
that there lay treachery under the question, that he who had
asked had lost his bet.

They knew thus where he was to be found that night; but the main
guard was without the house in which most people thought the king
would sleep, viz., that which the queen was in.

18. MURDER OF KING HARALD.

Sigurd Slembe, and some men who were in his design, came in the
night to the lodging in which King Harald was sleeping; killed
the watchman first; then broke open the door, and went in with
drawn swords. Ivar Kolbeinson made the first attack on King
Harald; and as the king had been drunk when he went to bed he
slept sound, and awoke only when the men were striking at him.
Then he said in his sleep, "Thou art treating me hardly, Thora."
She sprang up, saying, "They are treating thee hardly who love
thee less than I do." Harald was deprived of life. Then Sigurd
went out with his helpers, and ordered the men to be called to
him who had promised him their support if he should get King
Harald taken out of the way. Sigurd and his men then went on,
and took a boat, set themselves to the oars, and rowed out in
front of the king's house; and then it was just beginning to be
daylight. Then Sigurd stood up, spoke to those who were standing
on the king's pier, made known to them the murder of King Harald
by his hand, and desired that they would take him, and choose him
as chief according to his birth. Now came many swarming down to
the pier from the king's house; and all with one voice replied,
that they would never give obedience or service to a man who had
murdered his own brother. "And if thou are not his brother, thou
hast no claim from descent to be king." They clashed their
weapons together, and adjudged all murderers to be banished and
outlawed men. Now the king's horn sounded, and all lendermen and
courtmen were called together. Sigurd and his companions saw it
was best for them to get way; and he went northward to North
Hordaland, where he held a Thing with the bondes, who submitted
to him, and gave him the title of king. From thence he went to
Sogn, and held a Thing there with the bondes and was proclaimed
king. Then he went north across the fjords, and most people
supported his cause. So says Ivar Ingemundson: --

"On Harald's fall
The bondes all,
In Hord and Sogn,
Took Magnus' son.
The Things swore too
They would be true
To this new head
In Harald's stead."

King Harald was buried in the old Christ church.