Saga of Magnus the Good

10. OF KING MAGNUS'S FIRST ARRIVAL IN SVITHJOD.

Immediately after Magnus Olafson came to Svithjod from Russia,
Sigvat met him at Queen Astrid's house, and glad they all were at
meeting. Sigvat then sang: --

"Thou art come here, prince, young and bold!
Thou art come home! With joy behold
Thy land and people. From this hour
I join myself to thy young power.
I could not o'er to Russie hie, --
Thy mother's guardian here was I.
It was my punishment for giving
Magnus his name, while scarcely living."

Afterwards Sigvat travelled with Queen Astrid, and followed
Magnus to Norway. Sigvat sang thus: --

"To the crowds streaming to the Thing,
To see and hear Magnus their king,
Loudly, young king, I'll speak my mind --
`God to His people has been kind.'
If He, to whom be all the praise,
Give us a son in all his ways
Like to his sire, no folk on earth
Will bless so much a royal birth."

Now when Magnus became king of Norway Sigvat attended him, and
was his dearest friend. Once it happened that Queen Astrid and
Alfhild the king's mother had exchanged some sharp words with
each other, and Sigvat said: --

"Alfhild! though it was God's will
To raise thee -- yet remember still
The queen-born Astrid should not be
Kept out of due respect by thee."

11. KING OLAF'S SHRINE.

King Magnus had a shrine made and mounted with gold and silver,
and studded with jewels. This shrine was made so that in shape
and size it was like a coffin. Under it was an arched way, and
above was a raised roof, with a head and a roof-ridge. Behind
were plaited hangings; and before were gratings with padlocks,
which could be locked with a key. In this shrine King Magnus had
the holy remains of King Olaf deposited, and many were the
miracles there wrought. Of this Sigvat speaks: --

"For him a golden shrine is made,
For him whose heart was ne'er afraid
Of mortal man -- the holy king,
Whom the Lord God to heaven did bring.
Here many a man shall feel his way,
Stone-blind, unconscious of the day,
And at the shrine where Olaf lies
Give songs of praise for opened eyes."

It was also appointed by law that King Olaf's holy day should be
held sacred over all Norway, and that day has been kept ever
afterwards as the greatest of Church days. Sigvat speaks of it:
--

"To Olaf, Magnus' father, raise,
Within my house, the song of praise!
With joy, yet grief, we'll keep the day
Olaf to heaven was called away.
Well may I keep within my breast
A day for him in holy rest, --
My upraised hands a golden ring
On every branch (1) bear from that king."

12. OF THORER HUND.

Thorer Hund left the country immediately after King Olaf's fall.
He went all the way to Jerusalem, and many people say he never
came back. Thorer Hund had a son called Sigurd, father of
Ranveig who was married to Joan, a son of Arne Arnason. Their
children were Vidkun of Bjarkey, Sigurd Hund, Erling, and
Jardthrud.

13. OF THE MURDER OF HAREK OF THJOTTA.

Harek of Thjotta sat at home on his farm, till King Magnus
Olafson came to the country and was made king. Then Harek went
south to Throndhjem to King Magnus. At that time Asmund
Grankelson was in the king's house. When Harek came to Nidaros,
and landed out of the ship, Asmund was standing with the king in
the gallery outside the loft, and both the king and Asmund knew
Harek when they saw him. "Now," says Asmund to the king, "I will
pay Harek for my father's murder." He had in his hand a little
thin hatchet. The king looked at him, and said, "Rather take
this axe of mine." It was thick, and made like a club. "Thou
must know, Asmund," added he, "that there are hard bones in the
old fellow." Asmund took the axe, went down, and through the
house, and when he came down to the cross-road Harek and his men
coming up met him. Asmund struck Harek on the head, so that the
axe penetrated to the brains; and that was Harek's death-wound.
Asmund turned back directly to the king's house, and the whole
edge of the axe was turned with the blow. Then said the king,
"What would thy axe have done, for even this one, I think, is
spoilt?" King Magnus afterwards gave him a fief and office in
Halogaland, and many are the tales about the strife between
Asmund and Harek's sons.

14. OF THORGEIR FLEK.

Kalf Arnason had at first, for some time, the greatest share of
the government of the country under King Magnus; but afterwards
there were people who reminded the king of the part Kalf had
taken at Stiklestad, and then it became difficult for Kalf to
give the king satisfaction in anything. Once it happened there
were many men with the king bringing their affairs before him;
and Thorgeir Flek from Sula in Veradal, of whom mention is made
before in the history of King Olaf the Saint, came to him about
some needful business. The king paid no attention to his words,
but was listening to people who stood near him. Then Thorgeir
said to the king, so loud that all who were around him could
hear: --

"Listen, my lord, to my plain word.
I too was there, and had to bear
A bloody head from Stiklestad:
For I was then with Olaf's men.
Listen to me: well did I see
The men you're trusting the dead corpse thrusting
Out of their way, as dead it lay;
And striking o'er your father's gore."

There was instantly a great uproar, and some told Thorgeir to go
out; but the king called him, and not only despatched his
business to his satisfaction, but promised him favour and
friendship.

15. KALF ARNASON FLIES THE COUNTRY

Soon after this the king was at a feast at the farm of Haug in
Veradel, and at the dinner-table Kalf Arnason sat upon one side
of him, and Einar Tambaskelfer on the other. It was already come
so far that the king took little notice of Kalf, but paid most
attention to Einar. The king said to Einar, "Let us ride to-day
to Stiklestad. I should like to see the memorials of the things
which took place there." Einar replies, "I can tell thee nothing
about it; but take thy foster-father Kalf with thee; he can give
thee information about all that took place." When the tables
were removed, the king made himself ready, and said to Kalf,
"Thou must go with me to Stiklestad."

Kalf replied, "That is really not my duty."

Then the king stood up in a passion, and said, "Go thou shalt,
Kalf!" and thereupon he went out.

Kalf put on his riding clothes in all haste, and said to his
foot-boy, "Thou must ride directly to Eggja, and order my house-
servants to ship all my property on board my ship before sunset."

King Magnus now rides to Stiklestad, and Kalf with him. They
alighted from horseback, and went to the place where the battle
had been. Then said the king to Kalf, "Where is the spot at
which the king fell?"

Kalf stretched out his spear-shaft, and said, "There he lay when
he fell."

The king: "And where wast thou, Kalf?"

Kalf: "Here where I am now standing."

The king turned red as blood in the face, and said, "Then thy axe
could well have reached him."

Kalf replied, "My axe did not come near him;" and immediately
went to his horse, sprang on horseback, and rode away with all
his men; and the king rode back to Haug. Kalf did not stop until
he got home in the evening to Eggja. There his ship lay ready at
the shore side, and all his effects were on board, and the vessel
manned with his house-servants. They set off immediately by
night down the fjord, and afterwards proceeded day and night,
when the wind suited. He sailed out into the West sea, and was
there a long time plundering in Ireland, Scotland, and the
Hebudes. Bjarne Gullbrarskald tells of this in the song about
Kalf: --

"Brother of Thorberg, who still stood
Well with the king! in angry mood
He is the first to break with thee,
Who well deserves esteemed to be;
He is the first who friendship broke,
For envious men the falsehood spoke;
And he will he the first to rue
The breach of friendship 'twixt you two."

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