Saga of Sigurd, Inge, and Eystein, the Sons of Harald

5. OF SIGURD SLEMBIDJAKN.

Sigurd Slembidjakn came that summer from the West sea to Norway,
where he heard of his relation King Magnus's unlucky expedition;
so he expected no welcome in Norway, but sailed south, outside
the rocks, past the land, and set over to Denmark, and went into
the Sound. He fell in with some Vindland cutters south of the
islands, gave them battle, and gained the victory. He cleared
eight ships, killing many of the men, and he hanged the others.

He also had a battle off the Island Mon with the Vindland men,
and gained a victory. He then sailed from the south and came to
the eastern arm of the Gaut river, and took three ships of the
fleet of Thorer Hvinantorde, and Olaf, the son of Harald Kesia,
who was Sigurd's own sister's son; for Ragnhild, the mother of
Olaf, was a daughter of King Magnus Barefoot. He drove Olaf up
the country.

Thjostolf was at this time in Konungahella, and had collected
people to defend the country, and Sigurd steered thither with his
fleet. They shot at each other, but he could not effect a
landing; and, on both sides, many were killed and many wounded.
Ulfhedin Saxolfson, Sigurd's forecastle man, fell there. He was
an Icelander, from the north quarter. Sigurd continued his
course northwards to Viken and plundered far and wide around.
Now when Sigurd lay in a harbour called Portyrja on Limgard's
coast, and watched the ships going to or coming from Viken to
plunder them, the Tunsberg men collected an armed force against
him, and came unexpectedly upon them while Sigurd and his men
were on shore dividing their booty. Some of the men came down
from the land, but some of the other party laid themselves with
their ships right across the harbour outside of them. Sigurd ran
up into his ship, and rowed out against them. Vatnorm's ship was
the nearest, and he let his ship fall behind the line, and Sigurd
rowed clear past, and thus escaped with one ship and the loss of
many men. This verse was made upon Vatnorm (1): --

"The water serpent, people say,
From Portyrja slipped away."

6. THE MURDER OF BEINTEIN.

Sigurd Slembidjakn sailed from thence to Denmark; and at that
time a man was lost in his ship, whose name was Kolbein
Thorliotson of Batald. He was sitting in a boat which was made
fast to the vessel, and upset because she was sailing quickly.
When they came south to Denmark, Sigurd's ship itself was cast
away; but he got to Alaborg, and was there in winter. The summer
after (A.D. 1138) Magnus and Sigurd sailed together from the
south with seven ships, and came unexpectedly in the night to
Lister, where they laid their ships on the land. Beintein
Kolbeinson, a court-man of King Inge, and a very brave man, was
there. Sigurd and his men jumped on shore at daylight, came
unexpectedly on the people, surrounded the house, and were
setting fire to the buildings; but Beintein came out of a store-
house with his weapons, well armed, and stood within the door
with drawn sword, his shield before him, helmet on, and ready to
defend himself. The door was somewhat low. Sigurd asked which
of his lads had most desire to go in against Beintein, which he
called brave man's work; but none was very hurried to make ready
for it. While they were discussing this matter Sigurd rushed
into the house, past Beintein. Beintein struck at him, but
missed him. Sigurd turned instantly on Beintein; and after
exchanging blows, Sigurd gave him his death-stroke, and came out
presently bearing his head in his hands.

They took all the goods that were in the farm-house, carried the
booty to their ships, and sailed away. When King Inge and his
friends, and also Kolbein's sons, Sigurd and Gyrd, the brothers
of Beintein, heard of Beintein's murder, the king sent a great
force against Sigurd Slembe and his followers; and also travelled
himself, and took a ship from Hakon Paulson Pungelta, who was a
daughter's son of Aslak, a son of Erling Skjalgson of Sole, and
cousin of Hakon Mage. King Inge drove Hakon and his followers up
the country, and took all their gear. Sigurd Stork, a son of
Eindride of Gautdal, and his brother, Eirik Hael, and Andres
Kelduskit, son of Grim of Vist, all fled away into the fjords.
But Sigurd Slembe, Magnus the Blind and Thorieif Skiappa sailed
outside the isles with three ships north to Halogaland; and
Magnus was in winter (A.D. 1139) north in Bjarkey Isle with
Vidkun Jonson. But Sigurd had the stem and stern-post of his
ship cut out, made a hole in her, and sank her in the inner part
of Egisfjord, and thereafter he passed the winter at Tialdasund
by Gljufrafjord in Hin. Far up the fjord there is a cave in the
rock; in that place Sigurd sat with his followers, who were above
twenty men, secretly, and hung a grey cloth before the mouth of
the hole, so that no person could see them from the strand.
Thorleif Skiappa, and Einar, son of Ogmund of Sand, and of
Gudrun, daughter of Einar Arason of Reikiaholar, procured food
for Sigurd during the winter. It is said that Sigurd made the
Laplanders construct two boats for him during the winter up in
the fjord; and they were fastened together with deer sinews,
without nails, and with twigs of willow instead of knees, and
each boat could carry twelve men. Sigurd was with the Laplanders
while they were making the boats; and the Laplanders had good
ale, with which they entertained Sigurd. Sigurd made these lines
on it: --

"In the Lapland tent
      Brave days we spent.
      Under the grey birch tree;
In bed or on bank
      We knew no rank,
      And a merry crew were we.

"Good ale went round
      As we sat on the ground,
      Under the grey birch tree;
And up with the smoke
      Flew laugh and joke,
      And a merry crew were we."

These boats were so light that no ship could overtake them in the
water, according to what was sung at the time: --

"Our skin-sewed Fin-boats lightly swim,
Over the sea like wind they skim.
Our ships are built without a nail;
Few ships like ours can row or sail."

In spring Sigurd and Magnus went south along the coast with the
two boats which the Laplanders had made; and when they came to
Vagar they killed Svein the priest and his two sons.

7. OF SIGURD'S SLEMBE'S CAMPAIGN.

Thereafter Sigurd came south to Vikar, and seized King Sigurd's
lendermen, William Skinnare and Thorald Kept, and killed them
both. Then Sigurd turned south-wards along the coast, and met
Styrkar Glaesirofa south of Byrda, as he was coming from the
south from the town of Nidaros, and killed him. Now when Sigurd
came south to Valsnes, he met Svinagrim outside of the ness, and
cut off his right hand. From thence he went south to More, past
the mouth of the Throndhjem fjord, where they took Hedin Hirdmage
and Kalf Kringluauge. They let Hedin escape, but killed Kalf.
When King Sigurd, and his foster-father, Sadagyrd, heard of
Sigurd Slembidjakn's proceedings, and what he was doing, they
sent people to search for him; and their leader was Jon Kauda, a
son of Kalf Range. Bishop Ivar's brother, and besides the priest
Jon Smyril. They went on board the ship the Reindeer, which had
twenty-two rowing benches, and was one of the swiftest sailing
vessels, to seek Sigurd; but as they could not find him, they
returned north-wards with little glory; for people said that they
had got sight of Sigurd and his people, and durst not attack
them. Afterwards Sigurd proceeded southwards to Hordaland, and
came to Herdla, where Einar, a son of Laxapaul, had a farm; and
went into Hamar's fjord, to the Gangdaga-thing. They took all
the goods that were at the farm, and a long-ship of twenty-two
benches which belonged to Einar; and also his son, four years
old, who was living with one of his labouring people. Some
wanted to kill the boy, but others took him and carried him with
them. The labouring man said, "It will not be lucky for you to
kill the child; and it will be of no use to you to carry him
away, for it is my son, and not Einar's." And on his word they
let the boy remain, and went away. When Einar came home he gave
the labourer money to the value of two ore of gold, and thanked
him for his clever invention, and promised him his constant
friendship. So says Eirik Odson, who first wrote down this
relation; and he heard himself Einar Paulson telling these
circumstances in Bergen. Sigurd then went southward along the
coast all the way east to Viken, and met Fin Saudaulfson east at
Kvildar, as he was engaged in drawing in King Inge's rents and
duties, and hanged him. Then they sailed south to Denmark.

8. OF KING INGE'S LETTER TO KING SIGURD.

The people of Viken and of Bergen complained that it was wrong
for King Sigurd and his friends to be sitting quietly north in
the town of Nidaros, while his father's murderer was cruising
about in the ordinary passage at the mouth of the Throndhjem
fjord; and King Inge and his people, on the other hand, were in
Viken in the midst of the danger, defending the country and
holding many battles. Then King Inge sent a letter north to the
merchant-town Nidaros, in which were these words: "King Inge
Haraldson sends his brother King Sigurd, as also Sadagyrd, Ogmund
Svipte, Ottar Birting, and all lendermen, court-men, house-
people, and all the public, rich and poor, young and old, his own
and God's salutation. The misfortune is known to all men that on
account of our childhoods -- thou being five, and I but three
years of age -- we can undertake nothing without the counsel of
our friends and other good men. Now I and my men think that we
stand nearer to the danger and necessity common to us both, than
thou and thy friends; therefore make it so that thou, as soon as
possible, come to me, and as strong in troops as possible, that
we may be assembled to meet whatever may come. He will be our
best friend who does all he can that we may be united, and may
take an equal part in all things. But if thou refuse, and wilt
not come after this message which I send thee in need, as thou
hast done before, then thou must expect that I will come against
thee with an armament; and let God decide between us; for we are
not in a condition to sit here at so great an expense, and with
so numerous a body of troops as are necessary here on account of
the enemy, and besides many other pressing charges, whilst thou
hast half of all the land-tax and other revenues of Norway. Live
in the peace of God!"

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