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

20. WAR EXPEDITION OF KING HARALDSON.

Soon after King Eystein began his journey out of the country over
sea to the West (A.D. 1153), and sailed first to Caithness. Here
he heard that Earl Harald Maddad's son was in Thursa, to which he
sailed directly in three small boats. The earl had a ship of
thirty banks of oars, and nearly eighty men in her. But they
were not prepared to make resistance, so that King Eystein was
able to board the ship with his men; and he took the earl
prisoner, and carried him to his own ship, but the earl ransomed
himself with three marks of gold: and thus they parted. Einar
Skulason tells of it thus: --

"Earl Harald in his stout ship lay
On the bright sand in Thursa bay;
With fourscore men he had no fear,
Nor thought the Norse king was so near,
He who provides the eagle's meals
In three small boats along-shore steals;
And Maddad's son must ransom pay
For his bad outlook that fair day."

From thence King Eystein sailed south along the east side of
Scotland, and brought up at a merchant-town in Scotland called
Aberdeen, where he killed many people, and plundered the town.
So says Einar Skulason: --

"At Aberdeen, too, I am told,
Fell many by our Norsemen bold;
Peace was disturbed, and blue swords broke
With many a hard and bloody stroke."

The next battle was at Hartlepool in the south, with a party of
horsemen. The king put them to flight, and seized some ships
there. So says Einar: --

"At Hartlepool, in rank and row,
The king's court-men attack the foe.
The king's sharp sword in blood was red,
Blood dropped from every Norse spear-head.
Ravens rejoice o'er the warm food
Of English slain, each where he stood;
And in the ships their thirst was quenched:
The decks were in the foe's blood drenched."

Then he went southwards to England, and had his third battle at
Whitby, and gained the victory, and burnt the town. So says
Einar: --

"The ring of swords, the clash of shields,
Were loud in Whitby's peaceful fields;
For here the king stirred up the strife. --
Man against man, for death or life.
O'er roof and tower, rose on high
The red wrath-fire in the sky;
House after house the red fiend burns;
By blackened walls the poor man mourns."

Thereafter he plundered wide around in England, where Stephen was
then the king. After this King Eystein fought with some cavalry
at Skarpasker. So says Einar: --

"At Skarpasker the English horse
Retire before the Norse king's force:
The arrow-shower like snow-drift flew,
And the shield-covered foemen slew."

He fought next at Pilavik, and gained the victory. So says
Einar: --

"At Pilavik the wild wolf feeds,
Well furnished by the king's brave deeds
He poured upon the grass-green plain
A red shower from the Perthmen slain.
On westwards in the sea he urges,
With fire and sword the country purges:
Langtown he burns; the country rang,
For sword on shield incessant clang."

Here they burnt Langatun, a large village; and people say that
the town has never since risen to its former condition. After
this King Eystein left England in autumn, and returned to Norway.
People spoke in various ways about this expedition.

21. OF HARALD'S SONS.

There was good peace maintained in Norway in the first years of
the government of Harald's sons; and as long as their old
counsellors were alive, there was some kind of unanimity among
them. While Inge and Sigurd were in their childhood, they had a
court together; but Eystein, who was come to age of discretion,
had a court for himself. But when Inge's and Sigurd's
counsellors were dead, -- namely, Sadagyrd Bardson, Ottar
Birting, Amunde Gyrdson, Thjostolf Alason, Ogmund Svipter, and
Ogmund Denger, a brother of Erling Skakke (Erling was not much
looked up to while Ogmund lived), -- the two kings, Inge and
Sigurd divided their courts. King Inge then got great assistance
from Gregorius Dagson, a son of Dag Eilifson by Ragnhild a
daughter of Skapte Ogmundson. Gregorius had much property, and
was himself a thriving, sagacious man. He presided in the
governing the country under King Inge, and the king allowed him
to manage his property for him according to his own judgment.

22. HABITS AND MANNERS OF HARALD'S SONS.

When King Sigurd grew up he was a very ungovernable, restless man
in every way; and so was King Eystein, but Eystein was the more
reasonable of the two. King Sigurd was a stout and strong man,
of a brisk appearance; he had light brown hair, an ugly mouth;
but otherwise a well-shaped countenance. He was polite in his
conversation beyond any man, and was expert in all exercises.
Einar Skulason speaks of this: --

"Sigurd, expert in every way
To wield the sword in bloody fray,
Showed well that to the bold and brave
God always luck and victory gave.
In speech, as well as bloody deeds,
The king all other men exceeds;
And when he speaks we think that none
Has said a word but he alone."

King Eystein was dark and dingy in complexion, of middle height,
and a prudent able man; but what deprived him of consideration
and popularity with those under him were his avarice and
narrowness. He was married to Ragna, a daughter of Nicolas Mase.
King Inge was the handsomest among them in countenance. He had
yellow but rather thin hair, which was much curled. His stature
was small; and he had difficulty in walking alone, because he had
one foot withered, and he had a hump both on his back and his
breast. He was of cheerful conversation, and friendly towards
his friends; was generous, and allowed other chiefs to give him
counsel in governing the country. He was popular, therefore,
with the public; and all this brought the kingdom and the mass of
the people on his side. King Harald Gille's daughter Brigida was
first married to the Swedish king Inge Halsteinson, and
afterwards to Earl Karl Sonason, and then to the Swedish king
Magnus. She and King Inge Haraldson were cousins by the mother's
side. At last Brigida married Earl Birger Brose, and they had
four sons, namely, Earl Philip, Earl Knut, Folke, and Magnus.
Their daughters were Ingegerd, who was married to the Swedish
king Sorkver, and their son was King Jon; a second daughter was
called Kristin, and a third Margaret. Harald Gille's second
daughter was called Maria, who was married to Simon Skalp, a son
of Halkel Huk; and their son was called Nikolas. King Harald
Gille's third daughter was called Margaret, who was married to
Jon Halkelson, a brother of Simon. Now many things occurred
between the brothers which occasioned differences and disputes;
but I will only relate what appears to me to have produced the
more important events.

23. CARDINAL NIKOLAS COMES TO THE COUNTRY.

In the days of Harald's sons Cardinal Nikolas came from Rome to
Norway, being sent there by the pope. The cardinal had taken
offence at the brothers Sigurd and Eystein, and they were obliged
to come to a reconciliation with him; but, on the other hand, he
stood on the most affectionate terms with King Inge, whom he
called his son. Now when they were all reconciled with him, he
moved them to let Jon Birgerson be consecrated archbishop of
Throndhjem and gave him a vestment which is called a pallium; and
settled moreover that the archbishop's seat should be in Nidaros,
in Christ church, where King Olaf the Saint reposes. Before that
time there had only been common bishops in Norway. The cardinal
introduced also the law, that no man should go unpunished who
appeared with arms in the merchant-town, excepting the twelve men
who were in attendancce on the king. He improved many of the
customs of the Northmen while he was in the country. There never
came a foreigner to Norway whom all men respected so highly, or
who could govern the people so well as he did. After some time
he returned to the South with many friendly presents, and
declared ever afterwards that he was the greatest friend of the
people of Norway. When he came south to Rome the former pope
died suddenly, and all the people of Rome would have Cardinal
Nikolas for pope, and he was consecrated under the name of
Adrian; and according to the report of men who went to Rome in
his days, he had never any business, however important, to settle
with other people, but he would break it off to speak with the
Northmen who desired to see him. He was not long pope, and is
now considered a saint.