King Harald had a son, called Sigurth, by Thóra, a daughter of Guthorm Graybeard. King Harald was married to Ingiríth, a daughter of Rognvald, who was a son of King Ingi Steinkelsson. King Magnús married Kristín, a daughter of Knút Lávarth and [thus] a sister of Valdamar, king of Denmark. Magnús did not take to her and sent her back to Denmark, and thereafter all his affairs took an unfavorable turn. Her kinsfolk were greatly incensed against him.
Horsemen guard the farm.
Chapter 2. The Two Kings Arm against One Another
When the two, Magnús and Harald, had been kings for three 1134 years, both took their residence north in Kaupang during the fourth winter. They invited each other for entertainment. Yet the men of both were ever at the point of fighting. But in the spring following, Magnús with his fleet proceeded south along the coast, collecting all the forces he could get and then approached his friends whether they would furnish him sufficient troops to remove Harald from the kingship and to assign him only so much power as he [Magnús] saw fit, alleging that Harald had [before] renounced the kingship. King Magnús got the consent of many chieftains to this plan.
Harald proceeded to the Uppland districts and overland to Vík, and also collected troops when he heard that King Magnús had done so. And wherever either went he destroyed the property of the other and killed his men. King Magnús had by far the greater force since he had the main part of the country to draw on for troops. Harald was in Vík, east of the fjord, and collected troops, and each deprived the other of men and goods. In Harald’s company there was at that time Kriströth, his brother by the same mother, and there were also many landed-men on his side; yet many more on King Magnús’.
King Harald with his troops was at a place called Fors, in the Ranríki District, and from there proceeded toward the sea. On the eve of Saint Lawrence Mass [August 10th] they ate supper at a place called Fyrileif. 1134 Mounted guards were set on all sides of the farm buildings, and these guards became aware of the approach of King Magnús’ troops. King Magnús had nearly six thousand men [7200], and Harald, fifteen hundred [1800]. The watchmen told King Harald that the troops of King Magnús were approaching the farm. Harald said, “I wonder what our kinsman, King Magnús, has in mind. He surely does not want to fight us.”
Thjóstólf Álason said, “Sire, you will have to take such counsel for yourself and your force [as will be necessary], seeing that King Magnús probably has collected a force all summer long just for this purpose that he intends to fight you as soon as he encounters you.”
Then King Harald arose and bade his men arm themselves. “If Magnús intends to fight, then we too shall fight.” Thereupon the trumpets were blown, and all the troops of King Harald advanced from the buildings to an enclosure of tilled fields and there set up their standards. King Harald had on two coats of mail, whereas his brother Kriströth, who was accounted a man of great bravery, had none. When King Magnús and his men saw the troops of King Harald they put themselves in battle array, extending themselves in such fashion as to surround the troops of King Harald. As says Halldór Skvaldri:
(204.)
572. Magnús by much got him
more support to lengthen—
corpses the ground covered
quite—his line of battle.
Chapter 3. King Magnús Defeats King Harald Gilli
King Magnús had the Holy Cross borne before him in battle. There ensued a great and fierce fight. Kriströth, the brother of the king, had advanced into the lines of King Magnús, hewing with both hands, and men fell back before him on both sides. But a certain influential farmer who had been in King Harald’s army was stationed behind Kriströth. He lifted up his halberd with both hands and thrust it through Kriströth’s shoulders so that it pierced his breast and he fell. Then many who stood by asked why he had done that ill deed. He answered, “Now he was given in return for their slaughtering my cattle, this summer, and ransacking my home, and leading me away against my will to be in their army. This I had in mind to do to him before this, as soon as I got the chance.”
Then the army of King Harald broke in flight—he and all his 1134 troops fled, and many of them had fallen. Ingimar Sveinsson of Ask, a steward of King Harald’s, received a mortal wound there; and nearly sixty of King Harald’s bodyguard fell. King Harald then fled east in the Vík District to his ships, and thereupon proceeded to Denmark to meet King Eirík Eimuni in order to secure his support. They met in the south, in Seeland. King Eirík received him kindly, chiefly because they had sworn brotherhood to one another.1 He assigned the province of Halland to Harald for revenue and visitation and gave him eight warships without equipment. Then King Harald went north about Halland, and many joined him there.
After this battle King Magnús subjected all the land to his rule. He gave quarter to all those who were wounded and had them attended to like his own men. Then he laid claim to all of the realm. He then had the best and most influential men in the land at his disposal. And when they held council together, Sigurth Sigurtharson and Thórir Ingirítharson and all the wisest men were of the opinion that they should keep their troops in the Vík District and be on the watch there, in case Harald should come from the south. But self-willed as he was, King Magnús decided to go north [west] to Bergen; and there he took his residence for the winter and let his troops depart and his landed-men go to their estates.
Chapter 4. Harald Gilli Returns and Exacts Revenge
King Harald arrived at Konungahella with the troops he had with him from Denmark. There they were opposed by the landed-men and townsmen, who assembled in battle array landward from the town. But King Harald disembarked and sent messengers to the army of the farmers, praying them not to keep him from his own country by force, and declaring that he was not claiming more than was his by rights. There were negotiations, and in the end the farmers disbanded and swore allegiance to King Harald. Then Harald, in order to win adherents, gave lands in fief and for revenue to the landed-men, and granted amendments of the laws to those yeomen who would join his forces. Thereupon a great host collected for King Harald. He proceeded west [north] about the Vík District, and made a good peace with all except the adherents of King Magnús. Them he had ransacked or killed whenever he caught them. And when he came west [north] to Sarpsborg, he made prisoners of two landed-men of King Magnús, Ásbjorn and Nereith, his brother, and gave them the choice that one was to hang and the other, to be plunged into the Sarp waterfall, and bade them choose for themselves. Ásbjorn chose to be plunged into the Sarp waterfall because he was the older, and because that mode of death seemed to him the worser, and so it was done. Halldór Skvaldri makes mention of this:
(205.)
573. Ásbjorn, he who ill his
oath did keep to ruler
feeding famished wolf-brood,
forced was Sarp to enter.
Nereith, the Njorth-of-gold,1 in
noose-of-Sigar’s-enemy2
hanged, and thus his hateful
hústhing3 speech repaid him.
After that King Harald advanced north [west] to Túnsberg, where he was well received. There also a great force joined him.
Chapter 5. Magnús Rejects Sigurth Sigurtharson’s Advice
King Magnús while residing in Bergen learned of these happenings. Then he had called in for counsel the chieftains who were in the town and asked their advice as to what should be done. Then Sigurth Sigurtharson answered, “For that I can give good advice: have a small craft manned with a good crew, and let me or some other landed-man steer it and sail to meet King Harald, your kinsman, and offer him a reconciliation in accordance
with what righteous men in the land agree upon between you; to wit, that he is to share the realm with you. And it seems likely to me that, with the pleading of men of good will, King Harald will consent to that offer and that then there will be peace between you.”
Then King Magnús answered, “That course I will not take; for else, what good was it that we won the whole kingdom, last
fall, if now we are to share it between us? Let me have other advice!”
Sigurth leaves the king.
Then answered Sigurth Sigurtharson, “It appears to me that those landedmen who last fall asked for leave to go home, now sit at home and refuse to join you. At that time you acted straight contrary to my advice in allowing the great force we had then to scatter; because I suspected that Harald and his retainers would return to Vík as soon as they learned that there was no one in command there. Now here is still another alternative—a bad one, yet one that might be successful; and that is, to send your guests,1 reinforced by other troops to your landed-men, and kill those who refuse to answer your call when you need them; and to give their possessions to those few who are steadfast in your support, even though they were reckoned of not great account before. Let them herd together your forces, taking with them the evil characters as well as the good, and then proceed east against Harald, with the force you thus obtain, and do battle against him.”
The king replied, “It would create much ill will against me to do to death many men of influence and to elevate men of little account to high position. They have often proved to be as unreliable and managed the land more poorly. I want to hear still other counsel from you.”
Sigurth answered, “It is difficult for me to give you further advice since you will neither seek an agreement nor fight. So let us proceed north to Trondheim, where the greater part of the countryside is for us, and on the way there gather all the men we can get. Maybe the men from the [Gaut Elf] River will weary of being after us.”
The king replied, “I don’t want to be fleeing from the men whom we chased last summer—give me better counsel.”
Then Sigurth arose and made ready to go and said, “Then I shall counsel you to do what I see you want to do anyway and which will happen: remain here in Bergen till Harald comes with a big army; and then either death or disgrace will be in store for you.” Nor did Sigurth say any more.
Chapter 6. King Magnús Prepares for the Defence of Bergen
King Harald proceeded west along the land and had a very large force. That winter was called múga winter.1 Harald arrived at Bergen on the day before Christmas and anchored his ships in Flóravág Bay and did 1135 not want to do battle at Christmas because of the Holy Season. King Magnús on his part prepared for the defence of the town. He had a catapult erected out on the Hólm and had iron chains and some timber booms stretched across the bay from the royal hall. He had caltrops forged and strewn over the Jóans Meadows; and no more than three days during Yule did the smiths stop work.
But on the Twelfth-night King Harald had the trumpets sounded for his fleet to leave the harbor. Nine hundred [1080] men [additionally ?] had gathered about King Harald during the Yule season.
Chapter 7. King Magnús Is Taken Prisoner
King Harald made a vow to Saint Óláf that he would at his own expense build a church in his honor in the town there if he granted him victory. King Magnús arrayed his troops in the yard of Christ Church, whereas Harald rowed his ships first to Northness, but when King Magnús and his troops saw that they turned to the town and to the inner end of the bay. But as they passed through the Street,1 many townsfolk ran into their courtyards and homes whilst those who crossed the Meadows ran onto the caltrops. Then King Magnús and his men saw that Harald and all his fleet had rowed over to Hegravík and there landed on the hill above the town. Then King Magnús turned back along the Street, whilst his men fled from him—some up to the mountain, some up past the Nunnery, some into the churches or hid away in other places. King Magnús went on board his ship, but there was no chance to escape because the iron chains barred his egress.
Bergen. From Íslenzk Fornrit, Vol. 28. Courtesy of Hið Íslenzka Fornritafélag, Reykjavík.
Also, few men followed the king and so were not capable of making any resistance. As says Einar Skúlason in his Haraldsdrápa:
(206.)
574. Bergen’s Bay was
barred a week long:
chains no choice of
channel to ships left.
Shortly afterwards King Harald’s men boarded the ships. Then King Magnús was taken prisoner—he sat aft in the middle of his ship on the chest near the high-seat—and with him Hákon Fauk, his mother’s brother, a very handsome man but not in full possession of his wits: also, 1135 Ívar Ozurarson and many other friends of his were taken prisoner, and some, killed at once.
Chapter 8. King Magnús Is Blinded and Mutilated
Thereupon, King Harald had a meeting with his counsellors, asking them for their advice; and they finally arrived at the decision to depose Magnús and uncrown him. Then he was committed to the charge of the king’s thralls, and they mutilated him, putting out his eyes and cutting off one of his feet; and finally they gelded him. Ívar Ozurarson was blinded and Hákon Fauk killed.
After that the whole land was subjected to the rule of King Harald. Then much inquiry was made who had most befriended King Magnús and who might know best about his treasures and valuables. Magnús had had the Holy Cross with him ever since the battle of Fyrileif, and he refused to tell what had become of it.
Bishop Reinald in Stavanger was of English origin and said to be very avaricious. He was a close friend of King Magnús, and it was thought that great treasures and many valuables had been given to him for safekeeping. Messengers were sent to him, and he came to Bergen. These charges were then preferred against him, but he denied them, offering to undergo the ordeal. Harald refused that and commanded the bishop to pay him fifteen marks of gold. The bishop said that he would not impoverish his church to that extent and that he would rather risk his life. Thereupon they hanged Bishop Reinald on the Hólm by the catapult. When he walked to the gallows he kicked the boot off his foot and said on his oath, “I have no knowledge of King Magnús’ treasure other than is in this boot.” A gold ring was found in it. Bishop Reinald was interred on Northness by the Church of Saint Michael. This action earned [Harald] much reproach.
Thereafter, King Harald was sole king in Norway while he lived.
Chapter 9. Portents in Konungahella Alarm the Townspeople
Five years after the death of King Sigurth important events took 1135 place in Konungahella. At that time the king’s stewards, Guthorm, the son of Harald Flettir, and Sæmund [nicknamed] “Mistress of the House,” were there. Guthorm was married to Ingibjorg, a daughter of the priest Andréás Brúnsson. Their sons were called Pál Flíp and Gunni Físs. Ásmund was the name of an illegitimate son of Sæmund. Andréás Brúnsson was a man of mark. He officiated in the Church of the Holy Cross. Solveig was his wife. It was in their home that Jóan Loptsson1 was fostered and brought up. He was eleven years old then. The priest Lopt Sæmundarson, Jóan’s father, was also there at that time. The daughter of Andréás the Priest and Solveig was called Helga and was married to Einar.
It happened in Konungahella, on the Saturday night following Easter Week, that a great din was heard outside in the streets all about town, as great as when the king came through with all his men; and the dogs became so vicious that they got out of hand and could not be confined. And all of them that got out grew rabid and bit all they came across, both people and cattle, and all that were bitten so that blood showed, became mad; and all of the dogs that were with young lost their litters and became mad. These portents occurred nearly every night from Easter till Ascension Day. People were greatly alarmed by these marvels. Many got ready to depart from the town, and sold their property, moving to the country or to other towns. And the wisest even were greatly perturbed, fearing that this might herald great events which had not yet manifested themselves. And Andréás the Priest delivered a long and eloquent sermon at Whitsuntide, and concluded by speaking about the difficulties besetting the townsmen and praying people to take courage and not desert that noble place, but rather to keep watch over themselves, to take counsel, and guard against all that might occur, against fire or hostilities, and pray to God for mercy.
The
people flee from Konungahella.
Chapter 10. A Wendish Fleet Attacks Konungahella
Thirteen merchant ships made ready to sail from the town to Bergen; and eleven of them sank with crew and lading and everything on board. The twelfth was shipwrecked. Its crew was saved, but the lading was lost. But Lopt, the priest, sailed to Bergen and got there unscathed. It was on the day before Saint Lawrence Mass [August 10th] that the merchantmen sank. Eirík, the king of Denmark, and Archbishop Ozur both sent messengers to Konungahella, asking the citizens to be on the alert because the Wends had mustered a large army and harried Christian lands far and wide and always were victorious.
The townsfolk paid too little attention to the matter, and they neglected and forgot about it the more, the longer time passed since this terror that had befallen them.
On the day before Saint Lawrence Mass, when high mas was being read, Réttibur,1 the king of the Wends, arrived at Konungahella with five hundred and fifty [660] Wendish swift sailing vessels, and on every boat there were forty-four men and two horses. Dúnímiz was the name of the king’s sister’s son, and Únibur, that of a chieftain who headed a great part of the force. These two chieftains and some of their fleet rowed up the eastern fork [of the river] past the island of Hísing, and thus came upon the town from above, and part of the force proceeded up the western branch to the town. They made land by the piles and put their horsemen ashore. These rode over Bratsás Ridge and then up around the town. Einar, the son-in-law of Andréás, brought news of this up to the Castle Church, because the townsfolk had gone there to listen to high mass, and Einar arrived just as Andréás was preaching. Einar told them that an army was moving toward the town with a multitude of ships and that part of the troops rode over Bratsás Ridge. Then many said that very likely this was Eirík, king of the Danes, and that they expected [only] peace from him.
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