Affray between King Magnus's Guardsmen and Gests.

64. King Magnus had his Yule banquet prepared in Bergen; he entertained his Guardsmen in the large King's hall, and the Gests in Sunnifa's hall. The Gests were displeased because the Guardsmen had mead to drink and they had ale. The fifth evening of Yule, when the Gests had well drunk, they seized their weapons and rushed to the King's hall, intending to force an entrance. The King was told, and he ran hastily to the door to quiet them; but his thrall Bard Skiold pressed before him into the ante-chamber, and was slain immediately. Then the King turned back, and his Guardsmen barred the door, but the Gests broke it open. Then the Guardsmen who had been in attendance during the day hastened to defend the door, they alone having weapons; other seized the oven-stones and threw them into the ante-chamber. When this became known to the townsmen and the House-carles of King Magnus, they armed themselves and went to the King's hall. The Gests took to flight, but many were wounded there. The following morning King Magnus ordered the Gets to be seized who had been the ring leaders; some had a food cut off, the others a hand, and a few were put to death.

King Sverri's reception of Eirik Kings-son after his defeat.

65. When Eirik Kings-son came east to King Sverri with his companions, he begged the king to march north to Throndham as speedily as he could. The Thronds, he said, had sent a message, and prayed the King to be their leader as he had promised them; for king Magnus, in sailing from Throndham, had threatened to come in like manner a second time when he had more leisure, and requite the Thronds the treason and guile they had practiced towards him and his father Earl Erling. King Sverri answered that he would not march at their call. He declared that they had shown little wisdom in their plans, and he rebuked them sternly, as they deserved. The King said that he had prepared, at much expense and labour, to hold his Yule feast there, and he did not intend to move away until after Yule. And thus he did.

King Sverri begins his march from Oslo to Throndham [1182].

66. Orm Kings-brother came east to Vik with a large force. Then he sailed to Tunsberg, where his men remained constantly on board the ships. At times they sailed east over the Fold, at other times north Agdi or about Vestfold. The two forces now surprised each other's men wherever they could; but the Heklungs did not sail to Oslo, and King Sverri could not go against them, for he had no ships. After Candlemas, King Sverri left Oslo, and began his march north to Throndham. And as they marched through Hadaland it happened that they rose over the ice on the Rond; and the ice broke under them, and seven were drowned, all distinguished men. Among them were Jon the Page, Hallvard Lepp Sunnifuson, and Ogmund Hallsteinsson, brother of Lodin. Neither men nor horses could be saved.

King Magnus sails to Throndham.

67. When Yule was past, King Magnus prepared to sail north to Throndham, and left the town [Bergen] after Candlemas. He had his Guardsmen and picked troops on board to the number of eight hundred men. The voyage was made with all speed, though they lay very long in harbour in different places weather-bound. Nevertheless they arrived quite unexpected at Throndham, and entering the Fiord, they reached the town [Nidaros] on the Saturday of the second week of Lent. They planned their approach so that some of the ships landed their men near the castle, some on the Eyra; other were rowed up the river, and their men rushed into the town. Two cutters proceeded to the opposite side of the river, off Bakki, and the men leapt ashore there above Elrendshaug, and marched towards the bridge.

Flight of the Birkibeins from Nidaros. King Sverri's march north.

68. We come now to speak of the Birkibeins. Many of them were in the bath-rooms, and all were unprepared to meet foes. Bard Buthormsson was the first to hear of them; he and all his men at once hastened away over the bridge. Ottar Knerr and Helgi Thorfinnsson ran to a cutter which they owned at the quays in the Kings court. Eyiolf Aflason was gone to the bath at Griot. He heard a child cry out, “Here come the Heklungs,” took his clothes in his arms and rast past Krosskirk up the town. Many Heklungs were then coming up the street. Then he ran past Kristskirk yard, and a troop came towards him that had marched up the town, so he turned to the quays and took refuge with many others on a cutter. Some of these brandished swords, others had bucklers or whatever they found to hand. They pushed the ship from land and swept across the river. But when they would land under the Skellingar-hella, above Elrendshaug, the ship, they knew not why, would not go to the bank, and some thought they were spellbound, and that they were all doomed to die. But the cause was an anchor that hung from the ship, for they had taken no heed, to haul it up, and it held the ship in the shallow part of the river near land. Seeing this, they cut the rope instantly, and soon came to land, and leapt on shore. Ottar and Eyiolf went together, and snow had fallen heavily. And now the Heklungs who had landed at Bakki hastened up and met them at the junction of the roads above Erlendshaug, and all ran as fast as they could. Three of the Heklungs were very swift of foot. These overtook Ottar and Eyiolf, who were together, but did not attack them, and the two Birkibeins escaped along the road to their own men. They were now fifteen together in a valley below Berg; and Ottar said he wished to fight the Heklungs, but Eyiolf prevented him: “Help will come to them,” he said, “but we shall receive no support.” The Birkibeins held on their way to Kleppa and over the river Nid into Gaulardale. Here others joined them, and so all came together that had escaped. Then they marched inland through Soknadale and over Dalskog, making their way to the fells; and when they reached Hardkinn, King Sverri came up on his way from Vik. When they met the King they told him of their ill-luck and the loss of many of their fellows. The Birkibiens who had accompanied the King form the east, spoke of the mishap rather scornfully. The following day as they marched down to Updale, those who had come with the King all rode on horseback, and not one them would share his horse with any of the men from the north. So Bard Buthormsson marched of foot with all his fellows. He had with him the poet Biarni Kalfsson, who recited this verse:-

“Here's a custom of the worst I see:
Each common soldier rides a horse, and barons walk afoot;
A tedious route it is
Guardsmen here must run while cook-boys ride;
The bargain is not fair, but I shall not
Fret much about it.”

King Sverri then marched down into Orkadale, where at the homestead of Griota, King Magnus's bailiffs were, Sigurd and Hakon. The Birkibeins surprised them in the house and slew them with all their company. One man escaped, Ottar Gasi, who got through a wainscot partition and slipped away. Five men on horseback pursued him and the one that followed longest and came nearest was King Sverri. Ottar fled into a thicket and made his way to the mouth of the Orkna, over which he passed in a boat; thence to stein and to Nidaros, over the Gualaras.

King Magnus's dealings with the yeomen of Throndham.

69. We must now tell of King Magnus and his men. They spread over the town and slew many of the Birkibeins, for it availed none to mention quarter. The King remained in the town over Sunday, and sent a message into Orkadale that he would arrive there on the Wednesday following, and hold Assembly of the men of Orkadale. And he sent a message into Gualaradale to come to town on Friday, when he would hold an Assembly in the town. King Magnus sailed to Orkadale with all his force; the yeomen had come to the appointed place, and the King went up to the Assembly. Here he stood up and spoke: “It must seem a long time, in the memory of you Thronds, since we last held Assembly together. Three years have passed since you paid me any dies. It is now my will that you provide and pay over the war-tax, the whole contribution which you had to furnish for the last twelve months, and also two other contributions. To these must be added the tax for rowing and rigging, and contributions for service at sea, which are the King's right; likewise the land dues and fines you have already provided and paid to our foes, for which deed may you feel God's anger as well as mine.” After this he made use of hard language, and became so angry that he swore, and the yeomen imagined for a time that he meant to fall upon them and slay them. One of them name Hroi of Kiarkasteads answered the King in a dew words, craving peace and pardon for the yeomen and some delay in the payment. The King appointed a meeting in a fortnight, when the whole sum should be brought to him in the town; and he promised the yeomen pardon if the payment were made. The Assembly then decreed the payment of war-tax to the King. The bailiffs before mentioned, Sigurd and Hakon, went up to Griota, and in the evening the King sailed to the town.

News of King Sverri's approach brought to King Magnus by Ottar Gasi.

70. On Friday, matins being ended, no yeomen came to the Assembly. Then a few men were seen coming over Steinbiorg with cart-loads of wood. King Magnus was staying the house of Eirik Arnason. At this moment, Ottar Gast, who has already been mentioned, arrived at the town and went straight to Eirik's house. Some Guardsmen there saw a man come up at a furious speed, and asked him he knew aught of the Birkibeins. “I shall tell you nothing,” he said. “Where is the King?” “He is gone to Kristskirk to the meeting” They answered. So the man left the house instantly to go to the King. Shortly afterwards the King came to house, running at a furious rate, and bade his men take their arms and go on board as soon as they could. “The Birkibeins are on us,” he said. Then the trumpet sounded; they all took their weapons and clothes in the utmost haste, rushed on board ship and rowed out to Holm. But as the day passed the Birkibeins came not, nor any Gaulardale yeomen to the Assembly. It seemed strange that the Birkibeins were nowhere near, and they began to think the man had brought them false information; but he, who was on board the King's ship, persisted in his story. Many asked leave of the King to go back to town; they had left their clothes behind, they said, or their weapons, or their money. Some wished to get drink, others had wives in the town. King Magnus forbade the men generally to go to the town, but permitted a few; nevertheless there were many that went.

King Magnus's hasty departure form Nidaros. Birkibeins And Heklungs compared. King Sverri's fortifications at Nidaros.

71. King Sverri and his men rested on the Gualaras, and had knowledge of all that passed in the town. On the morning of Saturday his followers wished to set out for the town, but the King advised them to wait until their foes were mostly in the bath-houses. But his men prevailed, being very eager for the prey, and started to go to the town early in the morning during a heavy shower of rain. They arrived in the town before any one perceived them; there was no resistance, and they slew a large number. Einar, captain of one of King Magnus's ships, was slain; others escaped to their boats and rowed out to Holm. Many boats were setting out at that time from Holm, ready to row to the town, before the Birkibeins were seen advancing to the castle. As soon as King Magnus knew that King Sverri was come, he sailed away with his force down the Fiord, and all the way south to Bergen.

Men remarked how evident it seemed that King Magnus and his men were unwilling to engage in a pitched battle with King Sverri and his force. For as soon as intelligence reached them of the approach of the Birkibeins, they fled form the town without a fight, although King Magnus had eight hundred men at the time, and king Sverri not more than three hundred and a half. Moreover, the wooden castle was then so strong, and surrounded by a trench, that it was easier to defend with half the number than to attack.

At this time King Magnus had in his sole possession the whole of the fleet, and by its means held under tax and tribute all the land and people south of the entrance of the Throndham, expect only when the Birkibeins made incursions south into Mœri with cutters. The men of both forces behaved with violence whenever no chiefs were present. The Birkibeins kept detachments of their force east in Vik, and over the uplands, as they had the most hope of plunder there. The Heklungs made constant attacks on the Birkibeins, and the Birkibeins on the Heklungs; sometimes one side was victorious, and sometimes the other. Many stories might be told of them, but we shall prefer to write of those matters which seem most noteworthy, and in which the Kings themselves were engaged.

During the spring King Sverri caused palisades to be set up. So that a complete line stretched [from the castle]¹²along the seacoast, then inland round the Guildhalls, and over the Eyra across to the river, and along the river to the quays. A catapult was fixed on Brottu-Eyri by the sea, and a blockhouse was built close to the bridge.

King Magnus makes a final and unsuccessful attack on Nidaros.

72. The following summer King Magnus prepared to leave Bergen, and a great host gathered around him form the south of the land. Nearly all his barons were with him. When he came to Throndham he sailed with his host close to Holm, where he lay a few days. King Sverri remained in the town. King Magnus then sailed up the Fiord of Throndham, collected the war-tax and sailed back towards the town. The first night he anchored off Depil within the Hladhamra, and on the following morning there was so thick a fog that they could not see father before them than from stem to stern. King Magnus then rowed in a calm to Holm. King Sverri heard the noise of their oars, but as he saw nothing he thought they were about to make an attack, and he summoned his whole force by sound of trumpet to Eyra; but King Magnus remained that night at sea near Holm. In the morning they rowed to land, and came on shore at the fields of Ila with the greatest part of their host, and advanced close to the castle-keep. The Birkibeins came out to the castle against them, and shots were exchanged for a time. King Magnus and his men burned down the bridge over the Nid, thinking to stop all transport of goods to the Birkibeins in the town, by land as well as by sea. King Sverri led his force out of the town to the castle, where they had set up tent-booths; and he took from the town two buildings, which he removed to his camp and set up near the castle. And now the two armies sat for a time watching each other. Most of King Magnus's men passed the night on board ship, but detachments were appointed to keep near watch near the castle; and there was always a numerous force on land, that kept huge night-fires burning on the fields. The Birkibeins observed that the enemy could see clearly as far as their fires, but beyond them they could see only a short distance in the darkness. And one night they took their weapons, came forth from the castle, and fell upon the Heklungs, who only became aware of the attack when the arrows whizzed over their heads; and they had not long to wait for the hurling of spears. Next the Birkibeins used their swords, and made a great slaughter in the night. All fled that could. Those on ship-board, hearing the noise of trumpets and the war-shout on the fields, rowed to land, set up their standard, and advanced to aid their fellows. But the night being dark they did not see them until the fugitives rushed into their ranks. And now many fell who would have escaped by flight if their own comrades had not stopped the,. The advancing Heklungs next met the halberd-thrusts and sword-strokes of the Birkibeins. They made no resistance, and the very men who had been most eager to come on land fled at full speed to the ships. Many were slain; some rushed into the sea, and so reached the ships. King Sverri and his men returned to their land-booths around the castle, taking with them much booty in weapons and clothes, gold and silver. In the morning light the Birkibeins beheld the Heklungs lying thick on the fields, bleaching their sides. King Magnus and his men rowed out to Holm, and after a few days they sailed away form Throndham, south to Bergen. The expedition had been most disastrous. King Magnus passed the following winter in Bergen, and King Sverri abode with his men in Kaupang.

King Sverri plans the building of the Mariusud. Events of the winter [1182].

73. This winter King Sverri began the building of a castle on the Steinbiorg; and the King's rooms in it were ready by the early part of Lent. He then moved into the castle, and abode there regularly during the spring with some of his troops; but others stayed in town. This winter, too, he began to build a ship in Throndham, a much larger vessel than others then in the land. It contained thirty-three cabins for rowers, and there was room for more. It was called the Mariusud.

On a day in the early part of winter, King Sverri summoned by trumpet an Assembly of his troops and the townsmen, and spoke to them, saying: “We have had of late such great difficulties, that hunger and starvation are at hand; as we might expect when so great a host has fed upon one fiord for two winters. All our trouble has arisen since we lost our ships, and I see not many vessels here within the fiord that are fit for war service. I tell you of a truth that if I saw any hope that we Birkibeins could procure ships here, we should take our turn and attack the Heklungs by sea, as they attack us. But now that my men are tired of this close struggle, I see no other way out than to turn to the Uplands and thence east to Vermaland, or even to Gautland.” The King ended his speech by ordering all his men to make ready for the march. The following week a hundred and twenty horses were shod, and preparations made day by day for the march. This became known to the merchants who went to Bergen from the north. A great number of men were gathered together in Bergen at this time, King Magnus and his barons and nearly all the chiefs. They had with them all their largest ships, and intended to sail north against King Sverri. But they put off their voyage when they heard that the King was preparing to leave Throndham. King Magnus's men then departed to their bailiwicks, and the whole of this gathering broke up. But King Sverri abode in Kaupang until after Yule. When Yule was past, he sailed south with a few cutters at high speed, hoping to come upon King Magnus unawares in Bergen. But when he reached Mœri he met contrary winds, and lay there for a time. Then suspecting that intelligence by land over the isthmus would reach Bergen before him, King Sverri turned back north to Throndham and abode there through the winter and following spring.

Vidkunn of Biarkey attacks and slays King Sverri's bailiff in Halogaland.

74. King Sverri had a bailiff named Thorgils, whose bailiwick extended over the northernmost community of Halogaland. He held also the right to ravel among the Finns, and during the winter he journeyed into the fell to trade with the Finns and to collect tribute. At this time Vidjunn Erlingsson lived in Biarkey, the handsomest of all the men of Halogaland. He was now eighteen years of age, and had lately inherited his father's estate/ King Magnus sent word to Vidkunn to come to him and be invested with the rights of a baron, to which his birth entitled him. It was a general opinion that the King's message to Vidkunn covered other matters, of a private nature, between the King and Vidkunn. Vidkunn had tow sisters, both beautiful, and thought to be excellent matches, and Ragnhild, the sister of King Magnus, was unmarried.¹³In the winter Vidkunn sailed into the fiords and got intelligence of the Birkibeins. By this time Thorgils had returned from the fell, having acquired a large store of wealth. Vidkunn then lay in wait for him with Oegisfiord, slew Thorgils and twelve men with him, seized all the booty, and took it with him to Biarkey.