Magnus Erlingson's Saga

17. OF MARKUS AND KING SIGURD.

When Sigurd and Markus lost their ships in the Gaut river, and
saw they could get no hold on Erling, they went to the Uplands,
and proceeded by land north to Throndhjem. Sigurd was received
there joyfully, and chosen king at an Eyra-thing; and many
gallant men, with their sons, attached themselves to his party.
They fitted out ships, rigged them for a voyage, and proceeded
when summer came southwards to More, and took up all the royal
revenues wheresoever they came. At this time the following
lendermen were appointed in Bergen for the defence of the
country: -- Nikolas Sigurdson, Nokve Palson, and several military
leaders; as Thorolf Dryl, Thorbjorn Gjaldkere, and many others.
As Markus and Sigurd sailed south, they heard that Erling's men
were numerous in Bergen; and therefore they sailed outside the
coast-rocks, and southwards past Bergen. It was generally
remarked, that Markus's men always got a fair wind, wherever they
wished to sail to.

18. MARKUS AND KING SIGURD KILLED.

As soon as Erling Skakke heard that Sigurd and Markus had sailed
southwards, he hastened to Viken, and drew together an armed
force; and he soon had a great many men, and many stout ships.
But when he came farther in Viken, he met with a strong contrary
wind, which kept him there in port the whole summer. Now when
Sigurd and Markus came east to Lister, they heard that Erling had
a great force in Viken; so they turned to the north again. But
when they reached Hordaland, with the intention of sailing to
Bergen, and came opposite the town, Nikolas and his men rowed out
against them, with more men and larger ships than they had.
Sigurd and Markus saw no other way of escaping but to row away
southwards. Some of them went out to sea, others got south to
the sound, and some got into the Fjords. Markus, and some people
with him, sprang upon an isle called Skarpa. Nikolas and his men
took their ships, gave Jon Halkelson and a few others quarter,
but killed the most of them they could get hold of. Some days
after Eindride Heidafylja found Sigurd and Markus, and they were
brought to Bergen. Sigurd was beheaded outside of Grafdal, and
Markus and another man were hanged at Hvarfsnes. This took place
on Michaelmas day (September 29, 1163), and the band which had
followed them was dispersed.

19. ERLING AND THE PEOPLE OF HISING ISLE.

Frirek Keina and Bjarne the Bad, Onund Simonson and Ornolf Skorpa
had rowed out to sea with some ships, and sailed outside along
the land to the east. Wheresoever they came to the land they
plundered, and killed Erling's friends. Now when Erling heard
that Sigurd and Markus were killed, he gave leave to the
lendermen and people of the levy to return home; but he himself,
with his men, set his course eastward across the Folden fjord,
for he heard of Markus's men there. Erling sailed to
Konungahella, where he remained the autumn; and in the first week
of winter Erling went out to the island Hising with his men, and
called the bondes to a Thing. When the Hising people came to the
Thing, Erling laid his law-suit against them for having joined
the bands of Sigurd and Markus, and having raised men against
him. Assur was the name of one of the greatest of the bondes on
the island, and he answered Erling on account of the others. The
Thing was long assembled; but at the close the bondes gave the
case into Erling's own power, and he appointed a meeting in the
town within one week, and named fifteen bondes who should appear
there. When they came, he condemned them to pay a penalty of 300
head of cattle; and the bondes returned home ill pleased at this
sentence. Soon after the Gaut river was frozen, and Erling's
ships were fast in the ice; and the bondes kept back the mulct,
and lay assembled for some time. Erling made a Yule feast in the
town; but the Hising people had joint-feasts with each other, and
kept under arms during Yule. The night after the fifth day of
Yule Erling went up to Hising, surrounded Assur's house, and
burnt him in it. He killed one hundred men in all, burnt three
houses, and then returned to Konungahella. The bondes came then,
according to agreement, to pay the mulct.

20. DEATH OF FRIREK KEINA AND BJARNE.

Erling Skakke made ready to sail in spring as soon as he could
get his ships afloat for ice, and sailed from Konungahella; for
he heard that those who had formerly been Markus's friends were
marauding in the north of Viken. Erling sent out spies to learn
their doings, searched for them, and found them lying in a
harbour. Onund Simonson and Ornolf Skorpa escaped, but Frirek
Keina and Bjarne the Bad were taken, and many of their followers
were killed. Erling had Frirek bound to an anchor and thrown
overboard; and for that deed Erling was much detested in the
Throndhjem country, for the most powerful men there were
relatives of Frirek. Erling ordered Bjarne the Bad to be hanged;
and he uttered, according to his custom, many dreadful
imprecations during his execution. Thorbjorn Skakkaskald tells
of this business: --

"East of the Fjord beyond the land,
Unnoticed by the pirate band,
Erling stole on them ere they knew,
And seized and killed all Keina's crew.
Keina, fast to an anchor bound,
Was thrown into the deep-blue Sound;
And Bjarne swung high on gallows-tree,
A sight all good men loved to see."

Onund and Ornolf, with the band that had escaped, fled to
Denmark; but were sometimes in Gautland, or in Viken.

21. CONFERENCE BETWEEN ERLING AND EYSTEIN.

Erling Skakke sailed after this to Tunsberg, and remained there
very long in spring (A.D. 1164); but when summer came he
proceeded north to Bergen, where at that time a great many people
were assembled. There was the legate from Rome, Stephanus; the
Archbishop Eystein, and other bishops of the country. There was
also Bishop Brand, who was consecrated bishop of Iceland, and Jon
Loptson, a daughter's son of King Magnus Barefoot; and on this
occasion King Magnus and Jon's other relations acknowledged the
relationship with him.

Archbishop Eystein and Erling Skakke often conversed together in
private; and, among other things, Erling asked one day, "Is it
true, sir, what people tell me, that you have raised the value of
the ore upon the people north in Throndhjem, in the law cases in
which money-fees are paid you ?"

"It is so," said the archbishop, "that the bondes have allowed me
an advance on the ore of law casualties; but they did it
willingly, and without any kind of compulsion, and have thereby
added to their honour for God and the income of the bishopric."

Erling replies, "Is this according to the law of the holy Olaf?
or have you gone to work more arbitrarily in this than is written
down in the lawbook?"

The archbishop replies, "King Olaf the Holy fixed the laws, to
which he received the consent and affirmative of the people; but
it will not be found in his laws that it is forbidden to increase
God's right."

Erling: "If you augment your right, you must assist us to augment
as much the king's right."

The archbishop: "Thou hast already augmented enough thy son's
power and dominion; and if I have exceeded the law in taking an
increase of the ore from the Throndhjem people, it is, I think, a
much greater breach of the law that one is king over the country
who is not a king's son, and which has neither any support in the
law, nor in any precedent here in the country."

Erling: "When Magnus was chosen king, it was done with your
knowledge and consent, and also of all the other bishops here in
the country."

Archbishop: "You promised then, Erling, that provided we gave our
consent to electing Magnus king, you would, on all occasions, and
with all your power, strengthen God's rights."

Erling: "I may well admit that I have promised to preserve and
strengthen God's commands and the laws of the land with all my
power, and with the king's strength; and now I consider it to be
much more advisable, instead of accusing each other of a breach
of our promises, to hold firmly by the agreement entered into
between us. Do you strengthen Magnus in his dominion, according
to what you have promised; and I will, on my part, strengthen
your power in all that can be of advantage or honour."

The conversation now took a more friendly turn; and Erling said,
"Although Magnus was not chosen king according to what has been
the old custom of this country, yet can you with your power give
him consecration as king, as God's law prescribes, by anointing
the king to sovereignty; and although I be neither a king, nor of
kingly race, yet most of the kings, within my recollection, have
not known the laws or the constitution of the country so well as
I do. Besides, the mother of King Magnus is the daughter of a
king and queen born in lawful wedlock, and Magnus is son of a
queen and a lawfully married wife. Now if you will give him
royal consecration, no man can take royalty from him. William
Bastard was not a king's son; but he was consecrated and crowned
king of England, and the royalty in England has ever since
remained with his race, and all have been crowned. Svein Ulfson
was not a king's son in Denmark, and still he was a crowned king,
and his sons likewise, and all his descendants have been crowned
kings. Now we have here in Norway an archiepiscopal seat, to the
glory and honour of the country; let us also have a crowned king,
as well as the Danes and Englishmen."

Erling and the archbishop afterwards talked often of this matter,
and they were quite agreed. Then the archbishop brought the
business before the legate, and got him easily persuaded to give
his consent. Thereafter the archbishop called together the
bishops, and other learned men, and explained the subject to
them. They all replied in the same terms, that they would follow
the counsels of the archbishop, and all were eager to promote the
consecration as soon as the archbishop pleased.