Heimskringla
Page 80
In the spring following, King Sigurth proceeded west to France 1108 with his fleet, and in fall reached Galicia, where he remained another winter. As says Einar Skúlason:
(187.)
555. He who holiest realm1 did
have ’neath the sun’s-mansion,2
one more winter tarried
west in land of Saint Jacob.3
There the prince repaid the
perjured earl—he gladdened
ravening ravens ever—
richly for broken promise.
What happened was that the earl who ruled that land had made an agreement with King Sigurth that he would have a market set up where Sigurth could purchase food the whole winter through; but this he did no longer than Yule, so food became scarce for them, because that land is rugged and does not produce much food. Then King Sigurth proceeded with a large army to the castle the earl had; whereupon the earl fled as he had but a small force. King Sigurth captured much food there and made much other 1109 booty, which he transported to his ships. Then he made ready to depart and sailed west [south?] along the Spanish coast.
When King Sigurth was sailing along the coast of Spain it happened that some vikings out for plunder came toward him with a fleet of galleys. But King Sigurth joined battle with them, and this was his first engagement with heathen men. He won eight galleys from them. As says Halldór Skvaldri:4
(188.)
556. And the paltry pirates
pounced—but many warriors
fierce before his onset
fell—on the mighty ruler.
Fast the fleet of men cleared—
few were there our losses—
eight of the enemy’s galleys:
heir was he to their riches.
Thereupon King Sigurth proceeded to the castle which is called Sintre [Cintra], and there had another battle. That stronghold is in Spain. There the heathens had established themselves and harried on the Christians. He conquered the stronghold and killed all people in it, because they refused to be baptized, and made much booty there. As says Halldór Skvaldri:
(189.)
557. Tell I shall the tidings
to you, how that the lavish
dispender-of-spoils took, in
Spain, the castle of Cintra.
Hard found it the hapless
heathens—but they would not
take to God’s his tested
truth—to deal with Sigurth.
Chapter 5. King Sigurth Conquers the City of Alcasse
Thereupon King Sigurth and his fleet proceeded to Lissabon. That is a great city in Spain, half Christian and half heathen. There is the boundary between Christian and heathen1 Spain. All the districts west [south] of that are heathen. There King Sigurth had a third battle with heathen warriors in which he was victorious, and carried off much booty. As says Halldór Skvaldri:
(190.)
558. South you sailed and landed,
Sigurth, by the castle
Lisbon, learned I, called, and,
lord, won a third victory.
Then King Sigurth with his fleet proceeded west [south] along the heathen part of Spain and made land by a city which is called Alcasse,2 and there had a fourth battle with the heathens and conquered that city. He slew many people there so as to depopulate the city. There they made an immense amount of booty. As says Halldór Skvaldri:
(191.)
559. Fourth victory fain wouldst,
folk-ruler, win in combat,
heard I, ’gainst a heathen
host, at Alcasse castle.
And still further:
(192.)
560. In sapped castle, sorrow
seized on heathen women,
heard I, when their men had
hied them off in wild flight.
Chapter 6. King Sigurth Subdues a Cave Fort on Forminterra
Then King Sigurth continued on his journey and came to Norva Sound, and in the sound he encountered a large fleet of corsairs. The king engaged them in combat. This was his fifth battle, and he was victorious. As says Halldór Skvaldri:
(193.)
561. Fearless ye fought—God did
favor you—the raven to
new wounds flew—in Norva
Narrows ’gainst the heathens.
After that King Sigurth sailed south [east—of Spain] along Serkland1 and arrived at the islands which are called Forminterra.2 There a large force of heathen black men had established themselves in some cave and had placed a stone wall in front of its mouth. They harried far and wide on the land and had brought all their booty into the cave. King Sigurth went on land in this island and advanced to the cave—it was in a cliff, and one had to go high up to the stone wall, and the cliff jutted out above it. The heathens defended the stone wall and were not afraid of the weapons of the Norwegians, because they could throw stones and shoot down on the Norwegians below them. Nor did the Norwegians want to attack under such conditions. Then the heathens brought costly stuffs and other precious things out on the wall, shook them at the Norwegians, shouted at them, egged them to come on, and taunted them.
Then King Sigurth bethought himself of a stratagem. He had two ship-boats which are called barks [launches] dragged up to the top of the cliff above the opening of the cave and had them secured with strong ropes under the ribs and about the stern. Then as many men got into them as could find room in them, and then they let the boats down above the cave with ropes. Then those in the boats shot and hurled stones so that the heathens drew back from the stone wall. Then King Sigurth and his troops climbed up the cliff under the wall, broke it down and thus got into the cave. The heathens fled behind the stone wall which was set across the cave. Then the king had large pieces of wood brought up and great bonfires lit before the door-opening. And when the fire and the smoke told on them, some of the heathens lost their lives, others hurled themselves against the weapons of the Norwegians; but all were either killed or burned. The Norwegians took the greatest amount of booty they had gotten on this expedition. As says Halldór Skvaldri:
(194.)
562. 3 His sea-steed then
steered the dauntless,
fight-loving prince to
Forminterra.
There, fire and sword
suffered the Moors
in dogged fray, ere
death overtook them.
And still further:
(195.)
563. From above, the boats thou,
battle-urger—done were
mighty works among the
Moors—didst lower gently.
But from below, liege, didst,
loving battle, climb to
cliffy and man-crowded
cave at head of warriors.
Still further, Thórarin Suttfeld says:
(196.)
564. Bade the weapon-skilled
warlord drag two
blue-black breeze-wolves4
above the cliff,
whence by ropes were
the roller-horses5
lowered to cave-mouth,
laden with men.
Chapter 7. King Sigurth Has Battles at Íviza and Minorca
Then King Sigurth continued on his journey and came to the island called Íviza.1 There he had a battle and was victorious—that was the seventh. As says Halldór Skvaldri:
(197.)
565. Steered then the strife-loving,
stout-souled king his sea-steeds—
eager aye was he for
honor—straight to Íviza.
Then King Sigurth arrived at the island which is called Manork [Minorca] and there had an eighth battle with heathens and was victorious. As says Halldór Skvaldri:
(198.)
566. An eighth storm-of-arrows
added the prince sithen—
crimsoned king’s men spears in
combat—on green Minorca.
Chapter 8. King Sigurth Is the Guest of Duke Roger
In the spr
ing King Sigurth arrived in Sicily, and there he remained for a long time. Rothgeir [Roger] was duke there at that time. He received the king well and invited him to a banquet. King Sigurth came to it with a great following. A splendid hospitality was shown him there, and every day the feast lasted, Duke Rothgeir stood by the table of King Sigurth, serving him. And on the seventh day of the banquet, when men had washed their hands, King Sigurth took the duke by the hand, led him up to the high-seat, and conferred the title of king on him and the right to be king over the realm of Sicily; but before that time earls had ruled that land.
Chapter 9. Of Duke Roger and His Kin
Rothgeir [Roger], the king of Sicily, was a most powerful ruler. He conquered all of Apulia and also many large islands in the Greek Sea. He was called Rothgeir the Powerful. His son was William, king over Sicily, who for a long time was at war with the emperors of Miklagarth. King William had three daughters but no son. One of his daughters was married to Emperor Henry, the son of Emperor Frederick; and their son was the Frederick who at that time was Roman emperor. Another daughter of King William was married to the duke of Capr [Cyprus?]. The third was the wife of the admiral of the fleet, Margrít [Margarito]. Emperor Henry slew both of them. The daughter of Rothgeir, king of Sicily, was married to Mánúli [Emanuel Komnenos], emperor of Miklagarth. Their son was Emperor Kir-jalax [Kyr-Alexios].
Chapter 10. King Sigurth Is Received by King Balduin
During the summer King Sigurth crossed the Greek Sea on his 1109 way to Palestine, then marched up to Jerusalem and there met Balduin, the king of Jerusalem. King Balduin received King Sigurth most graciously and with him rode to the River Jordan and back to Jerusalem. Thus says Einar Skúlason:
The kings ride to Jordan.
(199.)
567. Sped the king through spume and
spindrift his man-of-war—not
few the folk-lord’s deeds of
fame—in Grecian waters,
ere at Acre the liege his
anchor lowered, and all his
followers fain were on that
festive morning, with him.
(200.)
568. Peaceful pilgrimage made the
prince—under wide heaven
nobler lord was never
known—through Land the Holy;
and the gladsome gold-ring-
giver—praiseworthy was that—
bathed in blessed Jordan’s
burn, of sin to cleanse him.
King Sigurth remained a long time in Palestine during the fall and the first part of winter.
Chapter 11. King Sigurth Is Given a Splinter of the Holy Cross
King Balduin prepared a splendid feast for King Sigurth and a great following of his. At that time King Balduin gave King Sigurth many sacred relics. With the consent of King Balduin and the Patriarch a splinter was taken from the Holy Cross. They both swore by the sacred relics that this wood was from the holy cross on which God himself was martyred. Then this sacred relic was given to King Sigurth on condition that he, and twelve other men with him, made oath that he was to promote Christianity with all his power and establish an archbishopric [in his land] if he could, and that [this piece of] the cross should be deposited where Holy King Óláf was interred, and that he [the king] should promote the paying of tithes [to the church] and that he should do so himself.
Thereafter the king returned to his ships at Acre. Then also King Balduin made ready his army to proceed to Syria and the city called Sæt [Sidon]. That city was 1110 heathen. King Sigurth joined him on this expedition. And when the two kings had beleaguered the city for a short time the heathen men surrendered, and the kings took possession of the city, and their troops of all other booty. King Sigurth yielded to King Balduin entire possession of the city. As says Halldór Skvaldri:
(201.)
569. Heathen fastness, feeder-of-
famished-wolves, thou tookst and,
great-hearted, gavest back then,
gallant ruler, to Balduin.
Einar Skúlason also speaks about this:
(202.)
570. A pact of peace, I heard, the
prince-of-Dalesmen1 made there.
Crashed the catapults in
combat against Sidon.
Broke down the strong, beetling
breastworks the ravens’-feeder.
Bitter brands were reddened,
boasted the king of victory.
After that, King Sigurth returned to his ships and made ready to leave Palestine. They sailed north to the island called Kípr [Cyprus], and there King Sigurth remained for some time. Then he sailed to Greece and moored the whole fleet by Angel’s Ness [Cape Saint Angelo] and lay there for half a month. A fresh south wind blew there every day [to sail with] but he wanted to wait for a side-wind so that the sails could be set lengthwise on the ships; because all his sails were covered with costly stuffs—both in front and back, because neither those stationed in the bow of the ships nor those in the stern cared to see the less attractive side of the sails.
King Sigurth and his men ride into Miklagarth.
Chapter 12. King Sigurth and His Train Make Their Entry into Byzantium
When King Sigurth sailed in to Miklagarth he kept close to the shore. There, towns and castles and villages follow the shore without a break. The people on land could see all the billowing sails, nor was there any opening between them, so that it looked like an unbroken wall. All the people stood outside to behold the sailing of King Sigurth. Also Emperor Kirjalax had heard of the approach of King Sigurth, and he had the castle gate of Miklagarth opened which is called Gullvarta [Golden Gate] That gate the emperor is to ride through when he has been away for a long time from Miklagarth and returns victorious. Then the emperor had precious stuffs laid on all streets of the city leading from Gullvarta to Laktjarnir.1 There is the most splendid imperial palace.
King Sigurth told his men to ride into the city with a proud bearing and not to show any astonishment at all the new things they might see; and so they did. With such pomp King Sigurth and all his men rode into Miklagarth and then into the most splendid of royal halls; and all was ready there for their reception. King Sigurth remained there for some time. Then King [sic] Kirjalax sent messengers to him to ask whether he would rather accept six hundred-weights of gold from the emperor or have him make preparations for the games which the emperor was accustomed to have played in the Hippodrome. King Sigurth chose the games; and the messengers said that it would cost the emperor as much as the gold. Thereupon the emperor made preparations for the games, and then they were played in the usual fashion; and all the games that time went better for the emperor. The empress has half the game, and their men vie with each other. The Greeks say that if the emperor wins more games in the Hippodrome than the empress, then the emperor would be victorious in his expeditions.
Chapter 13. King Sigurth Returns to Norway
Thereupon King Sigurth made ready for the home journey. He gave the emperor all his ships. There were gilded [dragon] heads on the ship the king had steered—they were set on Saint Peter’s Church. Emperor Kirjalax gave King Sigurth many horses and furnished him guides through all his lands. Then King Sigurth left Miklagarth; but a great many of his men remained behind and went into military service [with the emperor].
First, King Sigurth marched into Bulgaria, then through Hungary, Pannonia, Swabia, and Bavaria. There he met Lothar, the emperor of Rome, who gave him an excellent welcome, furnished [his force] guides through the whole of his realm, and had markets established for them, whenever they needed all kinds of purchases. And when King Sigurth came to Slesvík in Denmark, Earl Eilíf entertained him splendidly. That was in midsummer time. In Heithaby1 he met Níkolás, the king of Denmark, who made him greatly welcome, and himself accompanied him north in Jutland and gave him a ship with complete equipment on which he sailed to Norway. Thus King Sigurth returned to his own kingdom, and was well received. It was thought that no more honorable expedition had
ever sailed from Norway than this one. He was then twenty years of age, and had been three years on this expedition. Óláf, his [youngest] brother, was then twelve years old.
Chapter 14. King Eystein’s Improvements in Norway
King Eystein had done much in the land to serve it well, while King Sigurth was on his expedition. He had established the monastery in Bergen on the North ness and endowed it with much wealth. He had built the Church of Saint Michael, a splendid stone minster. And on the site of the royal palace in Bergen he had built the Apostle Church, a wooden edifice. There also he had erected the great hall, the most magnificent wooden structure that has been built in Norway. Also, he had built a church at Agthaness, and had made a fortification and a harbor where before had been a harbor-less coast. Still further, he had built the Saint Nicholas Church in the royal palace in Nitharós, which edifice is very richly adorned with woodwork and all kinds of artistry. Another church he had built in Vágar in Hálogaland and gave it a prebend [for its maintenance].
Chapter 15. King Eystein Wins over Jamtaland
King Eystein sent word to the wisest and most powerful men of Jamtaland, inviting them to come to him; and very kindly welcomed all who came, and saw them off with gifts of friendship, and thus won them over. And as many became accustomed to see him and receive his gifts, and others who did not come to him were sent presents, he gained the complete adherence of all those who were leaders in that land. Then he spoke to them and said that the people of Jamtaland had followed ill counsel to turn their allegiance and their tribute away from the kings of Norway. He brought up the fact that the people of Jamtaland had joined the realm of King Hákon, the foster son of Æthelstān, and had long been subject to the kings of Norway. He also mentioned how many necessaries they might obtain from Norway and how much trouble it was for them to seek in the realm of the king of Sweden the things they needed. And with his speeches he brought it about that the people of Jamtaland offered to yield their allegiance to King Eystein, calling that their need and necessity. The outcome of their friendly intercourse was that the people of Jamtaland brought all their land under the sway of King Eystein. First, their chieftains obtained assurance of complete agreement from all the people, and then they came to King Eystein and by oaths confirmed to him possession of their land; and this they have abided by ever since. Thus King Eystein won the land of the Jamts by wisdom and not by force as had some of his forbears.