Heimskringla

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24. MIRACLE OF KING OLAF.

In the time of Harald Gille's sons, it happened that a man called
Haldor fell into the hands of the Vindland people, who took him
and mutilated him, cut open his neck, took out the tongue through
the opening, and cut out his tongue root. He afterwards sought
out the holy King Olaf, fixed his mind entirely on the holy man,
and weeping besought King Olaf to restore his speech and health.
Thereupon he immediately recovered his speech by the good king's
compassion, went immediately into his service for all his life,
and became an excellent trustworthy man. This miracle took place
a fortnight before the last Olafsmas, upon the day that Cardinal
Nikolas set foot on the land of Norway.

25. MIRACLES OF KING OLAF ON RICHARD.

In the Uplands were two brothers, men of great family, and men of
fortune, Einar and Andres, sons of Guthorm Grabard, and brothers
of King Sigurd Haraldson's mother; and they had great properties
and udal estates in that quarter. They had a sister who was very
handsome, but did not pay sufficient regard to the scandal of
evil persons, as it afterwards appeared. She was on a friendly
footing with an English priest called Richard, who had a welcome
to the house of her brothers, and on account of their friendship
for him she did many things to please him, and often to his
advantage; but the end of all this was, that an ugly report flew
about concerning this girl. When this came into the mouth of the
public all men threw the blame on the priest. Her brothers did
the same, and expressed publicly, as soon as they observed it,
that they laid the blame most on him. The great friendship that
was between the earl and the priest proved a great misfortune to
both, which might have been expected, as the brothers were silent
about their secret determination, and let nothing be observed.
But one day they called the priest to them, who went, expecting
nothing but good from them; enticed him from home with them,
saying that they intended to go to another district, where they
had some needful business, and inviting him to go with them.
They had with them a farm-servant who knew their purpose. They
went in a boat along the shore of a lake which is called Rands
lake, and landed at a ness called Skiptisand, where they went on
shore and amused themselves awhile. Then they went to a retired
place, and commanded their servant-man to strike the priest with
an axe-hammer. He struck the priest so hard that he swooned; but
when he recovered he said, "Why are ye playing so roughly with
me?" They replied, "Although nobody has told thee of it before,
thou shalt now find the consequence of what thou hast done."
They then upbraided him; but he denied their accusations, and
besought God and the holy King Olaf to judge between them. Then
they broke his leg-bones, and dragged him bound to the forest
with them; and then they put a string around his head, and put a
board under his head and shoulders, and made a knot on the
string, and bound his head fast to the board. Then the elder
brother, Einar, took a wedge, and put it on the priest's eye, and
the servant who stood beside him struck upon it with an axe, so
that the eye flew out, and fell upon the board. Then he set the
pin upon the other eye, and said to the servant, "Strike now more
softly." He did so, and the wedge sprang from the eye-stone, and
tore the eyelid loose. Then Einar took up the eyelid in his
hand, and saw that the eye-stone was still in its place; and he
set the wedge on the cheek, and when the servant struck it the
eye-stone sprang out upon the cheek-bone. Thereafter they opened
his mouth, took his tongue and cut it off, and then untied his
hands and his head. As soon as he came to himself, he thought of
laying the eye-stones in their place under the eyelids, and
pressing then with both hands as much as he could. Then they
carried him on board, and went to a farm called Saeheimrud, where
they landed. They sent up to the farm to say that a priest was
lying in the boat at the shore. While the message was going to
the farm, they asked the priest if he could talk; and he made a
noise and attempted to speak. Then said Einar to his brother,
"If he recover and the stump of his tongue grow, I am afraid he
will get his speech again." Thereupon they seized the stump with
a pair of tongs, drew it out, cut it twice, and the third time to
the very roots, and left him lying half dead. The housewife in
the farm was poor; but she hastened to the place with her
daughter, and they carried the priest home to their farm in their
cloaks. They then brought a priest, and when he arrived he bound
all his wounds; and they attended to his comfort as much as they
were able. And thus lay the wounded priest grievously handled,
but trusting always to God's grace, and never doubting; and
although he was speechless, he prayed to God in thought with a
sorrowful mind, but with the more confidence the worse he was.
He turned his thoughts also to the mild King Olaf the Saint,
God's dear favourite, of whose excellent deeds he had heard so
much told, and trusted so much more zealously on him with all his
heart for help in his necessity. As he lay there lame, and
deprived of all strength, he wept bitterly, moaned, and prayed
with a sore heart that the dear King Olaf would help him. Now
when this wounded priest was sleeping after midnight, he thought
he saw a gallant man coming to him, who spoke these words, "Thou
art ill off, friend Richard, and thy strength is little." He
thought he replied to this assentingly. Then the man accosted
him again, "Thou requirest compassion?" The priest replies, "I
need the compassion of Almighty God and the holy King Olaf." He
answered, "Thou shalt get it." Thereupon he pulled the tongue-
stump so hard that it gave the priest pain; then he stroked with
his hands his eyes, and legs, and other wounded members. Then
the priest asked who he was. He looked at him, and said, "Olaf,
come here from Throndhjem;" and then disappeared. But the priest
awoke altogether sound, and thus he spoke: "Happy am I, and
thanks be to the Almighty God and the holy King Olaf, who have
restored me!" Dreadfully mishandled as he had been, yet so
quickly was he restored from his misfortune that he scarcely
thought he had been wounded or sick. His tongue was entire; both
his eyes were in their places, and were clear-sighted; his broken
legs and every other wound were healed, or were free from pain;
and, in short, he had got perfect health. But as a proof that
his eyes had been punched out, there remained a white scar on
each eyelid, in order that this dear king's excellence might be
manifest on the man who had been so dreadfully misused.

26. KING INGE AND SIGURD HOLD A THING.

King Eystein and King Sigurd had quarrelled, because King Sigurd
had killed King Eystein's court-man Harald, the Viken man, who
owned a house in Bergen, and also the priest Jon Tapard, a son of
Bjarne Sigurdson. On account of this affair, a conference to
settle it was appointed in winter in the Uplands. The two sat
together in the conference for a long time, and so much was known
of their conference that all three brothers were to meet the
following summer in Bergen. It was added, that their conference
was to the effect that King Inge should have two or three farms,
and as much income as would keep thirty men beside him, as he had
not health to be a king. When King Inge and Gregorius heard this
report, they came to Bergen with many followers. King Sigurd
arrived there a little later, and was not nearly so strong in
men. Sigurd and Inge had then been nineteen years kings of
Norway (A.D. 1155). King Eystein came later still from the south
than the other two from the north. Then King Inge ordered the
Thing to be called together on the holm by the sound of trumpet;
and Sigurd and Inge came to it with a great many people.
Gregorius had two long-ships, and at the least ninety men, whom
he kept in provisions. He kept his house-men better than other
lendermen; for he never took part in any entertainment where each
guest brings his liquor, without having all his house-men to
drink with him. He went now to the Thing in a gold-mounted
helmet, and all his men had helmets on. Then King Inge stood up,
and told the assembly what he had heard; how his brothers were
going to use him, and depose him from his kingdom; and asked for
their assistance. The assembled people made a good return to his
speech, and declared they would follow him.

27. OF GREGORIUS DAGSON.

Then King Sigurd stood up and said it was a false accusation that
King Inge had made against him and his brother, and insisted that
Gregorius had invented it; and insinuated that it would not be
long, if he had his will, before they should meet so that the
golden helmet should be doffed; and ended his speech by hinting
that they could not both live. Gregorius replied, that Sigurd
need not long so much for this, as he was ready now, if it must
be so. A few days after, one of Gregorius's house-men was killed
out upon the street, and it was Sigurd's house-men who killed
him. Gregorius would then have fallen upon King Sigurd and his
people; but King Inge, and many others, kept him back. But one
evening, just as Queen Ingerid, King Inge's mother, was coming
from vespers, she came past where Sigurd Skrudhyrna, a courtman
of King Inge, lay murdered. He was then an old man, and had
served many kings. King Sigurd's courtmen, Halyard Gunnarson,
and Sigurd, a son of Eystein Trafale, had killed him; and people
suspected it was done by order of King Sigurd. She went
immediately to King Inge, and told him he would be a little king
if he took no concern, but allowed his court-men to be killed,
the one after the other, like swine. The king was angry at her
speech; and while they were scolding about it, came Gregorius in
helmet and armour, and told the king not to be angry, for she was
only saying the truth. "And I am now," says he, "come to thy
assistance, if thou wilt attack King Sigurd; and here we are,
above 100 men in helmets and armour, and with them we will attack
where others think the attack may be worst." But the most
dissuaded from this course, thinking that Sigurd would pay the
mulct for the slaughter done. Now when Gregorius saw that there
would be no assault, he accosted King Inge thus: "Thou wilt
frighten thy men from thee in this way; for first they lately
killed my house-man, and now thy court-man, and afterwards they
will chase me, or some other of thy lendermen whom thou wouldst
feel the loss of, when they see that thou art indifferent about
such things; and at last, after thy friends are killed, they will
take the royal dignity from thee. Whatever thy other lendermen
may do, I will not stay here longer to be slaughtered like an ox;
but Sigurd the king and I have a business to settle with each
other to-night, in whatever way it may turn out. It is true that
there is but little help in thee on account of thy ill health,
but I should think thy will should not be less to hold thy hand
over thy friends, and I am now quite ready to go from hence to
meet Sigurd, and my banner is flying in the yard."

Then King Inge stood up, and called for his arms, and ordered
every man who wished to follow him to get ready, declaring it was
of no use to try to dissuade him; for he had long enough avoided
this, but now steel must determine between them.

28. OF KING SIGURD'S FALL.

King Sigurd sat and drank in Sigrid Saeta's house ready for
battle, although people thought it would not come to an assault
at all. Then came King Inge with his men down the road from the
smithy shops, against the house. Arne, the king's brother-in-
law, came out from the Sand-bridge, Aslak Erlendson from his own
house, and Gregorius from the street where all thought the
assault would be worst. King Sigurd and his men made many shots
from the holes in the loft, broke down the fireplaces, and threw
stones on them. Gregorius and his men cut down the gates of the
yard; and there in the port fell Einar, a son of Laxapaul, who
was of Sigurd's people, together with Halvard Gunnarson, who was
shot in a loft, and nobody lamented his death. They hewed down
the houses, and many of King Sigurd's men left him, and
surrendered for quarter. Then King Sigurd went up into a loft,
and desired to be heard. He had a gilt shield, by which they
knew him, but they would not listen to him, and shot arrows at
him as thick as snow in a snow-shower, so that he could not stay
there. As his men had now left him, and the houses were being
hewn down, he went out from thence, and with him his court-man
Thord Husfreyja from Viken. They wanted to come where King Inge
was to be found, and Sigurd called to his brother King Inge, and
begged him to grant him life and safety; but both Thord and
Sigurd were instantly killed, and Thord fell with great glory.
King Sigurd was interred in the old Christ church out on the
holm. King Inge gave Gregorius the ship King Sigurd had owned.
There fell many of King Sigurd's and King Inge's men, although I
only name a few; but of Gregorius's men there fell four; and also
some who belonged to no party, but were shot on the piers, or out
in the ships. It was fought on a Friday, and fourteen days
before Saint John the Baptist's day (June 10, 1155). Two or
three days after King Eystein came from the eastward with thirty
ships, and had along with him his brother's son Hakon, a son of
King Sigurd. Eystein did not come up to the town, but lay in
Floruvagar, and good men went between to get a reconciliation
made. But Gregorius wanted that they should go out against him,
thinking there never would be a better opportunity; and offered
to be himself the leader. "For thou, king, shalt not go, for we
have no want of men." But many dissuaded from this course, and
it came to nothing. King Eystein returned back to Viken, and
King Inge to Throndhjem, and they were in a sort reconciled; but
they did not meet each other.

29. OF GREGORIUS DAGSON.

Somewhat later than King Eystein, Gregorius Dagson also set out
to the eastward and came to his farm Bratsberg in Hofund; but
King Eystein was up in the fjord at Oslo, and had his ships drawn
above two miles over the frozen sea, for there was much ice at
that time in Viken. King Eystein went up to Hofund to take
Gregorius; but he got news of what was on foot, and escaped to
Thelemark with ninety men, from thence over the mountains, and
came down in Hardanger; and at last to Studla in Etne, to Erling
Skakke's farm. Erling himself had gone north to Bergen; but his
wife Kristin, a daughter of King Sigurd, was at home, and offered
Gregorius all the assistance he wanted; and he was hospitably
received. He got a long-ship there which belonged to Erling, and
everything else he required. Gregorius thanked her kindly, and
allowed that she had behaved nobly, and as might have been
expected of her. Gregorius then proceeded to Bergen, where he
met Erling, who thought also that his wife had done well.

30. RECONCILIATION OF EYSTEIN AND INGE.

Then Gregorius went north to Throndhjem, and came there before
Yule. King Inge was rejoiced at his safety, and told him to use
his property as freely as his own, King Eystein having burnt
Gregorius's house, and slaughtered his stock of cattle. The
ship-docks which King Eystein the Elder had constructed in the
merchant town of Nidaros, and which had been exceedingly
expensive, were also burnt this winter, together with some good
vessels belonging to King Inge. This deed was ascribed to King
Eystein and Philip Gyrdson, King Sigurd's foster-brother, and
occasioned much displeasure and hatred. The following summer
King Inge went south with a very numerous body of men; and King
Eystein came northwards, gathering men also. They met in the
east (A.D. 1156) at the Seleys, near to the Naze; but King Inge
was by far the strongest in men. It was nearly coming to a
battle; but at last they were reconciled on these conditions,
that King Eystein should be bound to pay forty-five marks of
gold, of which King Inge should have thirty marks, because King
Eystein had occasioned the burning of the docks and ships; and,
besides, that Philip, and all who had been accomplices in the
deed, should be outlawed. Also that the men should be banished
the country, against whom it could be proved that they gave blow
or wound to King Sigurd; for King Eystein accused King Inge of
protecting these men; and that Gregorius should have fifteen
marks of gold for the value of his property burnt by King
Eystein. King Eystein was ill pleased with these terms, and
looked upon the treaty as one forced upon him. From that meeting
King Inge went eastward to Viken, and King Eystein north to
Throndhjem; and they had no intercourse with each other, nor were
the messages which passed between them very friendly, and on both
sides they killed each other's friends. King Eystein, besides,
did not pay the money; and the one accused the other of not
fulfilling what was promised. King Inge and Gregorius enticed
many people from King Eystein; among others, Bard Standale
Brynjolfson, Simon Skalp, a son of Halkel Huk, Halder
Brynjolfson, Jon Halkelson, and many other lendermen.

31. OF EYSTEIN AND INGE.

Two years after King Sigurd's fall (A.D. 1157) both kings
assembled armaments; namely, King Inge in the east of the
country, where he collected eighty ships; and King Eystein in the
north, where he had forty-five, and among these the Great Dragon,
which King Eystein Magnuson had built after the Long Serpent; and
they had on both sides many and excellent troops. King Inge lay
with his ships south at Moster Isle, and King Eystein a little to
the north in Graeningasund. King Eystein sent the young Aslak
Jonson, and Arne Sturla, a son of Snaebjorn, with one ship to
meet King Inge; but when the king's men knew them, they assaulted
them, killed many of their people, and took all that was in the
ship belonging to them. Aslak and Arne and a few more escaped to
the land, went to King Eystein, and told him how King Inge had
received them. Thereupon King Eystein held a House-thing, and
told his followers how ill King Inge had treated his men, and
desired the troops to follow him. "I have," said he, "so many,
and such excellent men, that I have no intention to fly, if ye
will follow me." But this speech was not received with much
favour. Halkel Huk was there; but both his sons, Simon and Jon,
were with King Inge. Halkel replied, so loud that many heard
him, "Let thy chests of gold follow thee, and let them defend thy
land."

32. KING EYSTEIN'S DEATH.

In the night many of King Eystein's ships rowed secretly away,
some of them joining King Inge, some going to Bergen, or up into
the fjords; so that when it was daylight in the morning the king
was lying behind with only ten ships. Then he left the Great
Dragon, which was heavy to row, and several other vessels behind;
and cut and destroyed the Dragon, started out the ale, and
destroyed all that they could not take with them. King Eystein
went on board of the ship of Eindride, a son of Jon Morner,
sailed north into Sogn, and then took the land-road eastwards to
Viken. King Inge took the vessels, and sailed with them outside
of the isles to Viken. King Eystein had then got east as far as
Fold, and had with him 1200 men; but when they saw King Inge's
force, they did not think themselves sufficiently strong to
oppose him, and they retired to the forest. Every one fled his
own way, so that the king was left with but one man. King Inge
and his men observed King Eystein's flight, and also that he had
but few people with him, and they went immediately to search for
him. Simon Skalp met the king just as he was coming out of a
willow bush. Simon saluted him. "God save you, sire," said he.

The king replied, "I do not know if thou are not sire here."

Simon replied, "That is as it may happen."

The king begged him to conceal him, and said it was proper to do
so. "For there was long friendship between us, although it has
now gone differently."

Simon replied, it could not be.

Then the king begged that he might hear mass before he died,
which accordingly took place. Then Eystein laid himself down on
his face on the grass, stretched out his hands on each side, and
told them to cut the sign of the cross between his shoulders, and
see whether he could not bear steel as King Inge's followers had
asserted of him. Simon told the man who had to put the king to
death to do so immediately, for the king had been creeping about
upon the grass long enough. He was accordingly slain, and he
appears to have suffered manfully. His body was carried to Fors,
and lay all night under the hill at the south side of the church.
King Eystein was buried in Fors church, and his grave is in the
middle of the church-floor, where a fringed canopy is spread over
it, and he is considered a saint. Where he was executed, and his
blood ran upon the ground, sprang up a fountain, and another
under the hill where his body lay all night. From both these
waters many think they have received a cure of sickness and pain.
It is reported by the Viken people that many miracles were
wrought at King Eystein's grave, until his enemies poured upon it
soup made of boiled dog's flesh. Simon Skalp was much hated for
this deed, which was generally ascribed to him; but some said
that when King Eystein was taken Simon sent a message to King
Inge, and the king commanded that King Eystein should not come
before his face. So King Sverre has caused it to be written; but
Einar Skulason tells of it thus: --

"Simon Skalp, the traitor bold,
For deeds of murder known of old,
His king betrayed; and ne'er will he
God's blessed face hereafter see."

SAGA OF HAKON HERDEBREID (HAKON THE BROAD-SHOULDERED) (1)

PRELIMINARY REMARKS.

This saga describes the feud between Hakon Sigurdson and his
uncle Inge.

The only skald quoted is Einar Skulason.

ENDNOTES:
(1) The period is from A.D. 1157 to 1161. -- L.

1. BEGINNING OF HAKON HERDEBREID.

Hakon, King Sigurd's son, was chosen chief of the troop which had
followed King Eystein, and his adherents gave him the title of
king. He was ten years old. At that time he had with him
Sigurd, a son of Halvard Hauld of Reyr, and Andreas and Onund,
the sons of Simon, his foster-brothers, and many chiefs, friends
of King Sigurd and King Eystein; and they went first up to
Gautland. King Inge took possession of all the estates they had
left behind, and declared them banished. Thereafter King Inge
went to Viken, and was sometimes also in the north of the
country. Gregorius Dagson was in Konungahella, where the danger
was greatest, and had beside him a strong and handsome body of
men, with which he defended the country.

2. OF GREGORIUS DAGSON.

The summer after (A.D. 1158) Hakon came with his men, and
proceeded to Konungahella with a numerous and handsome troop.
Gregorius was then in the town, and summoned the bondes and
townspeople to a great Thing, at which he desired their aid; but
he thought the people did not hear him with much favour, so he
did not much trust them. Gregorius set off with two ships to
Viken, and was very much cast down. He expected to meet King
Inge there, having heard he was coming with a great army to
Viken. Now when Gregorius had come but a short way north he met
Simon Skalp, Haldor Brynjolfson, and Gyrd Amundason, King Inge's
foster-brothers. Gregorius was much delighted at this meeting,
and turned back with them, being all in one body, with eleven
ships. As they were rowing up to Konungahella, Hakon, with his
followers, was holding a Thing without the town, and saw their
approach; and Sigurd of Reyr said, "Gregorius must be fey to be
throwing himself with so few men into our hands." Gregorius
landed opposite the town to wait for King Inge, for he was
expected, but he did not come. King Hakon put himself in order
in the town, and appointed Thorliot Skaufaskalle, who was a
viking and a robber, to be captain of the men in the merchant
ships that were afloat in the river; and King Hakon and Sigurd
were within the town, and drew up the men on the piers, for all
the townspeople had submitted to King Hakon.

3. KING HAKON'S FLIGHT.

Gregorius rowed up the river, and let the ship drive down with
the stream against Thorliot. They shot at each other a while,
until Thorliot and his comrades jumped overboard; and some of
them were killed, some escaped to the land. Then Gregorius rowed
to the piers, and let a gangway be cast on shore at the very feet
of Hakon's men. There the man who carried his banner was slain,
just as he was going to step on shore. Gregorius ordered Hal, a
son of Audun Halson, to take up the banner, which he did, and
bore the banner up to the pier. Gregorius followed close after
him, held his shield over his head, and protected him as well as
himself. As soon as Gregorius came upon the pier, and Hakon's
men knew him, they gave way, and made room for him on every side.
Afterwards more people landed from the ships, and then Gregorius
made a severe assault with his men; and Hakon's men first moved
back, and then ran up into the town. Gregorius pursued them
eagerly, drove them twice from the town, and killed many of them.
By the report of all men, never was there so glorious an affair
as this of Gregorius; for Hakon had more than 4000 men, and
Gregorius not full 400. After the battle, Gregorius said to Hal
Audunson, "Many men, in my opinion, are more agile in battle than
ye Icelanders are, for ye are not so exercised as we Norwegians;
but none, I think, are so bold under arms as ye are." King Inge
came up soon after, and killed many of the men who had taken part
with Hakon; made some pay heavy fines, burnt the houses of some,
and some he drove out of the country, or treated otherwise very
ill. Hakon fled at first up to Gautland with all his men; but
the winter after (A.D. 1159), he proceeded by the upper road to
Throndhjem, and came there before Easter. The Throndhjem people
received him well, for they had always served under that shield.
It is said that the Throndhjem people took Hakon as king, on the
terms that he should have from Inge the third part of Norway as
his paternal heritage. King Inge and Gregorius were in Viken,
and Gregorius wanted to make an expedition against the party in
the north; but it came to nothing that winter, as many dissuaded
from it.