Sacred Texts Index  Northern European Index  Heimskringla Index  Previous  Next 

 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.
 
 
 
 4. FALL OF GYRD AND HAVARD.
 
 King Hakon left Throndhjem in spring with thirty ships nearly;
 and some of his men sailed before the rest with seven ships, and
 plundered in North and South More.  No man could remember that
 there ever before had been plundering between the two towns
 (Bergen and Nidaros).  Jon the son of Halkel Huk collected the
 bondes in arms, and proceeded against them; took Kolbein Ode
 prisoner, killed every woman's son of them in his ship.  Then
 they searched for the others, found them all assembled in seven
 ships, and fought with them; but his father Halkel not coming to
 his assistance as he had promised, many good bondes were killed,
 and Jon himself was wounded.  Hakon proceeded south to Bergen
 with his forces; but when he came to Stiornvelta, he heard that
 King Inge and Gregorius had arrived a few nights before from the
 east at Bergen, and therefore he did not venture to steer
 thither.  They sailed the outer course southwards past Bergen,
 and met three ships of King Inge's fleet, which had been
 outsailed on the voyage from the east.  On board of them were
 Gyrd Amundason, King Inge's foster-brother, who was married to
 Gyrid a sister of Gregorius, and also lagman Gyrd Gunhildson, and
 Havard Klining.  King Hakon had Gyrd Amundason and Havard Klining
 put to death; but took lagman Gyrd southwards, and then proceeded
 east to Viken.
 
 
 
 5. OF THE CONSULTATIONS OF KING INGE.
 
 When King Inge heard of this he sailed east after them, and they
 met east in the Gaut river.  King Inge went up the north arm of
 the river, and sent out spies to get news of Hakon and his fleet;
 but he himself landed at Hising, and waited for his spies.  Now
 when the spies came back they went to the king, and said that
 they had seen King Hakon's forces, and all his ships which lay at
 the stakes in the river, and Hakon's men had bound the stems of
 their vessels to them.  They had two great East-country trading
 vessels, which they had laid outside of the fleet, and on both
 these were built high wooded stages (castles).  When King Inge
 heard the preparations they had made, he ordered a trumpet to
 call a House-thing of all the men; and when the Thing was seated
 he asked his men for counsel, and applied particularly to
 Gregorius Dagson, his brother-in-law Erling Skakke, and other
 lendermen and ship-commanders, to whom he related the
 preparations of Hakon and his men.
 
 Then Gregorius Dagson replied first, and made known his mind in
 the following words: -- "Sometimes we and Hakon have met, and
 generally they had the most people; but, notwithstanding, they
 fell short in battle against us.  Now, on the other hand, we have
 by far the greatest force; and it will appear probable to the men
 who a short time ago lost gallant relations by them, that this
 will be a good occasion to get vengeance, for they have fled
 before us the greater part of the summer; and we have often said
 that if they waited for us, as appears now to be the case, we
 would have a brush with them.  Now I will tell my opinion, which
 is, that I will engage them, if it be agreeable to the king's
 pleasure; for I think it will go now as formerly, that they must
 give way before us if we attack them bravely; and I shall always
 attack where others may think it most difficult."
 
 The speech was received with much applause, and all declared they
 were ready to engage in battle against Hakon.  Then they rowed
 with all the ships up the river, until they came in sight of each
 other, and then King Inge turned off from the river current under
 the island.  Now the king addressed the lendermen again, and told
 them to get ready for battle.  He turned himself especially to
 Erling Skakke, and said, what was true, that no man in the army
 had more understanding and knowledge in fighting battles,
 although some were more hot.  The king then addressed himself to
 several of the lendermen, speaking to them by name; and ended by
 desiring that each man should make his attack where he thought it
 would be of advantage, and thereafter all would act together.
 
 
 
 6. ERLING'S SPEECH.
 
 Erling Skakke replied thus to the king's speech: "It is my duty,
 sire, not to be silent; and I shall give my advice, since it is
 desired.  The resolution now adopted is contrary to my judgment;
 for I call it foolhardy to fight under these circumstances,
 although we have so many and such fine men.  Supposing we make an
 attack on them, and row up against this river-current; then one
 of the three men who are in each half room must be employed in
 rowing only, and another must be covering with the shield the man
 who rows; and what have we then to fight with but one third of
 our men?  It appears to me that they can be of little use in the
 battle who are sitting at their oars with their backs turned to
 the enemy.  Give me now some time for consideration, and I
 promise you that before three days are over I shall fall upon
 some plan by which we can come into battle with advantage."
 
 It was evident from Erling's speech that he dissuaded from an
 attack; but, notwithstanding, it was urged by many who thought
 that Hakon would now, as before, take to the land.  "And then,"
 said they, "we cannot get hold of him; but now they have but few
 men, and we have their fate in our own hands."
 
 Gregorius said but little; but thought that Erling rather
 dissuaded from an attack that Gregorius's advice should have no
 effect, than that he had any better advice to give.
 
 
 
 7. OF HAKON'S FLEET.
 
 Then said King Inge to Erling, "Now we will follow thy advice,
 brother, with regard to the manner of attacking; but seeing how
 eager our counsellors are for it, we shall make the attack this
 day."
 
 Erling replied, "All the boats and light vessels we have should
 row outside the island, and up the east arm of the river, and
 then down with the stream upon them, and try if they cannot cut
 them loose from the piles.  Then we, with the large ships, shall
 row from below here against them; and I cannot tell until it be
 tried, if those who are now so furiously warm will be much
 brisker at the attack than I am."
 
 This counsel was approved by all.  There was a ness stretched out
 between their fleet and Hakon's, so that they could not see each
 other.  Now when Hakon and his men, who had taken counsel with
 each other in a meeting, saw the boat-squadron rowing down the
 river, some thought King Inge intended to give them battle; but
 many believed they did not dare, for it looked as if the attack
 was given up; and they, besides, were very confident, both in
 their preparations and men.  There were many great people with
 Hakon: there were Sigurd of Reyr, and Simon's sons; Nikolas
 Skialdvarson; Eindride, a son of Jon Mornef, who was the most
 gallant and popular man in the Throndhjem country; and many other
 lendermen and warriors.  Now when they saw that King Inge's men
 with many ships were rowing out of the river, Hakon and his men
 believed they were going to fly; and therefore they cut their
 land-ropes with which they lay fast at the piles, seized their
 oars, and rowed after them in pursuit.  The ships ran fast down
 with the stream; but when they came further down the river,
 abreast of the ness, they saw King Inge's main strength lying
 quiet at the island Hising.  King Inge's people saw Hakon's ships
 under way, and believed they were coming to attack them; and now
 there was great bustle and clash of arms, and they encouraged
 each other by a great war-shout.  Hakon with his fleet turned
 northwards a little to the land, where there was a turn in the
 bight of the river, and where there was no current.  They made
 ready for battle, carried land-ropes to the shore, turned the
 stems of their ships outwards, and bound them all together.  They
 laid the large East-country traders without the other vessels,
 the one above, the other below, and bound them to the long-ships.
 In the middle of the fleet lay the king's ship, and next to it
 Sigurd's; and on the other side of the king's ship lay Nikolas,
 and next to him Endride Jonson.  All the smaller ships lay
 farther off, and they were all nearly loaded with weapons and
 stones.
 
 
 
 8. SIGURD OF REYR'S SPEECH.
 
 Then Sigurd of Reyr made the following speech: "Now there is hope
 that the time is come which has been promised us all the summer,
 that we shall meet King Inge in battle.  We have long prepared
 ourselves for this; and many of our comrades have boasted that
 they would never fly from or submit to King Inge and Gregorius,
 and now let them remember their words.  But we who have sometimes
 got the toothache in our conflicts with them, speak less
 confidently; for it has happened, as all have heard, that we very
 often have come off without glory.  But, nevertheless, it is now
 necessary to fight manfully, and stand to it with steadiness; for
 the only escape for us is in victory.  Although we have somewhat
 fewer men than they, yet luck determines which side shall have
 the advantage, and God knows that the right is on our side.  Inge
 has killed two of his brothers; and it is obvious to all men that
 the mulct he intends to pay King Hakon for his father's murder is
 to murder him also, as well as his other relations, which will be
 seen this day to be his intent.  King Hakon desired from the
 beginning no more of Norway than the third part, which his father
 had possessed, and which was denied him; and yet, in my opinion,
 King Hakon has a better right to inherit after his father's
 brother, King Eystein, than Inge or Simon Skalp, or the other men
 who killed King Eystein.  Many of them who would save their
 souls, and yet have defiled their hands with such bloody deeds as
 Inge has done, must think it a presumption before God that he
 takes the name of king; and I wonder God suffers such monstrous
 wickedness as his; but it may be God's will that we shall now put
 him down.  Let us fight then manfully, and God will give us
 victory; and, if we fall, will repay us with joys unspeakable for
 now allowing the might of the wicked to prevail over us.  Go
 forth then in confidence, and be not afraid when the battle
 begins.  Let each watch over his own and his comrade's safety,
 and God protect us all."  There went a good report abroad of this
 speech of Sigurd, and all promised fairly, and to do their duty.
 King Hakon went on board of the great East-country ship, and a
 shield-bulwark was made around him; but his standard remained on
 the long-ship in which it had been before.
 
 
 
 9. OF KING INGE'S MEN.
 
 Now must we tell about King Inge and his men.  When they saw that
 King Hakon and his people were ready for battle, and the river
 only was between them, they sent a light vessel to recall the
 rest of the fleet which had rowed away; and in the meantime the
 king waited for them, and arranged the troops for the attack.
 Then the chiefs consulted in presence of the army, and told their
 opinions; first, which ships should lie nearest to the enemy; and
 then where each should attack.
 
 Gregorius spoke thus: "We have many and fine men; and it is my
 advice, King Inge, that you do not go to the assault with us, for
 everything is preserved if you are safe.  And no man knows where
 an arrow may hit, even from the hands of a bad bowman; and they
 have prepared themselves so, that missiles and stones can be
 thrown from the high stages upon the merchant ships, so that
 there is less danger for those who are farthest from them.  They
 have not more men than we lendermen can very well engage with.  I
 shall lay my ship alongside their largest ship, and I expect the
 conflict between us will be but short; for it has often been so
 in our former meetings, although there has been a much greater
 want of men with us than now."  All thought well of the advice
 that the king himself should not take part in the battle.
 
 Then Erling Skakke said, "I agree also to the counsel that you,
 sire, should not go into the battle.  It appears to me that their
 preparations are such, that we require all our precaution not to
 suffer a great defeat from them; and whole limbs are the easiest
 cured.  In the council we held before to-day many opposed what I
 said, and ye said then that I did not want to fight; but now I
 think the business has altered its appearance, and greatly to our
 advantage, since they have hauled off from the piles, and now it
 stands so that I do not dissuade from giving battle; for I see,
 what all are sensible of, how necessary it is to put an end to
 this robber band who have gone over the whole country with
 pillage and destruction, in order that people may cultivate the
 land in peace, and serve a king so good and just as King Inge who
 has long had trouble and anxiety from the haughty unquiet spirit
 of his relations, although he has been a shield of defence for
 the whole people, and has been exposed to manifold perils for the
 peace of the country."  Erling spoke well and long, and many
 other chiefs also; and all to the same purpose -- all urging to
 battle.  In the meantime they waited until all the fleet should
 be assembled.  King Inge had the ship Baekisudin; and, at the
 entreaty of his friends, he did not join the battle, but lay
 still at the island.
 
 
 
 10. BEGINNING OF THE BATTLE.
 
 When the army was ready they rowed briskly against the enemy, and
 both sides raised a war-shout.  Inge's men did not bind their
 ships together, but let them be loose; for they rowed right
 across the current, by which the large ships were much swayed.
 Erling Skakke laid his ship beside King Hakon's ship, and ran the
 stem between his and Sigurd's ship, by which the battle began.
 But Gregorius's ship swung upon the ground, and heeled very much
 over, so that at first she could not come into the battle; and
 when Hakon's men saw this they laid themselves against her, and
 attacked Gregorius's ship on all sides.  Ivar, Hakon Mage's son,
 laid his ship so that the stems struck together; and he got a
 boat-hook fastened on Gregorius, on that part of his body where
 the waist is smallest, and dragged him to him, by which Gregorius
 stumbled against the ship's rails; but the hook slipped to one
 side, or Gregorius would have been dragged over-board. 
 Gregorius, however, was but little wounded, for he had on a plate
 coat of armour.  Ivar called out to him, that he had a "thick
 bark."  Gregorius replied, that if Ivar went on so he would
 "require it all, and not have too much."  It was very near then
 that Gregorius and his men had sprung overboard; but Aslak Unge
 threw an anchor into their ship, and dragged them off the ground.
 Then Gregorius laid himself against Ivar's ship, and they fought
 a long while; but Gregorius's ship being both higher sided and
 more strongly manned, many people fell in Ivar's ship, and some
 jumped overboard.  Ivar was so severely wounded that he could not
 take part in the fight.  When his ship was cleared of the men,
 Gregorius let Ivar be carried to the shore, so that he might
 escape; and from that time they were constant friends.
 
 
 
 11. KING HAKON'S FLIGHT.
 
 When King Inge and his men saw that Gregorius was aground, he
 encouraged his crew to row to his assistance.  "It was," he said,
 "the most imprudent advice that we should remain lying here,
 while our friends are in battle; for we have the largest and best
 ship in all the fleet.  But now I see that Gregorius, the man to
 whom I owe the most, is in need of help; so we must hasten to the
 fight where it is sharpest.  It is also most proper that I should
 be in the battle; for the victory, if we win it, will belong to
 me.  And if I even knew beforehand that our men were not to gain
 the battle, yet our place is where our friends are; for I can do
 nothing if I lose the men who are justly called the defence of
 the country, who are the bravest, and have long ruled for me and
 my kingdom."  Thereupon he ordered his banner to be set up, which
 was done; and they rowed across the river.  Then the battle
 raged, and the king could not get room to attack, so close lay
 the ships before him.  First he lay under the East-country
 trading ship, and from it they threw down upon his vessel spears,
 iron-shod stakes, and such large stones that it was impossible to
 hold out longer there, and he had to haul off.  Now when the
 king's people saw that he was come they made place for him, and
 then he laid alongside of Eindride Jonson's ship.  Now King
 Hakon's men abandoned the small ships, and went on board the
 large merchant vessels; but some of them sprang on shore.  Erling
 Skakke and his men had a severe conflict.  Erling himself was on
 the forecastle, and called his forecastlemen, and ordered them to
 board the king's ship; but they answered, this was no easy
 matter, for there were beams above with an iron comb on them.
 Then Erling himself went to the bow, and stayed there a while,
 until they succeeded in getting on board the king's ship: and
 then the ship was cleared of men on the bows, and the whole army
 gave way.  Many sprang into the water, many fell, but the greater
 number got to the land.  So says Einar Skulason: --
 
      "Men fall upon the slippery deck --
      Men roll off from the blood-drenched wreck;
      Dead bodies float down with the stream,
      And from the shores witch-ravens scream.
      The cold blue river now runs red
      With the warm blood of warriors dead,
      And stains the waves in Karmt Sound
      With the last drops of the death-wound.
 
      "All down the stream, with unmann'd prow,
      Floats many an empty long-ship now,
      Ship after ship, shout after shout,
      Tell that Kign Hakon can't hold out.
      The bowmen ply their bows of elm,
      The red swords flash o'er broken helm:
      King Hakon's men rush to the strand,
      Out of their ships, up through the land."
 
 Einar composed a song about Gregorius Dagson, which is called the
 River-song.  King Inge granted life and peace to Nikolas
 Skialdvarson when his ship was deserted, and thereupon he went
 into King Inge's service, and remained in it as long as the king
 lived.  Eindride Jonson leaped on board of King Inge's ship when
 his own was cleared of men, and begged for his life.  King Inge
 wished to grant it; but Havard Klining's son ran up, and gave him
 a mortal wound, which was much blamed; but he said Eindride had
 been the cause of his father's death.  There was much lamentation
 at Eindride's death, but principally in the Throndhjem district.
 Many of Hakon's people fell here, but not many chiefs.  Few of
 King Inge's people fell, but many were wounded.  King Hakon fled
 up the country, and King Inge went north to Viken with his
 troops; and he, as well as Gregorius, remained in Viken all
 winter (A.D. 1160).  When King Inge's men, Bergliot and his
 brothers, sons of Ivar of Elda, came from the battle to Bergen,
 they slew Nickolas Skeg, who had been Hakon's treasurer, and then
 went north to Throndhjem.
 
 King Hakon came north before Yule, and Sigurd was sometimes home
 at Reyr; for Gregorius, who was nearly related to Sigurd, had
 obtained for him life and safety from King Inge, so that he
 retained all his estates.  King Hakon was in the merchant-town of
 Nidaros in Yule; and one evening in the beginning of Yule his men
 fought in the room of the court, and in this affray eight men
 were killed, and many were wounded.  The eighth day of Yule, King
 Hakon's man Alf Rode, son of Ottar Birting, with about eighty
 men, went to Elda, and came in the night unexpectedly on the
 people, who were very drunk, and set fire to the room; but they
 went out, and defended themselves bravely.  There fell Bergliot,
 Ivar's son, and Ogmund, his brother, and many more.  They had
 been nearly thirty altogether in number.  In winter died, north
 in the merchant-town, Andres Simonson, King Hakon's foster-
 brother; and his death was much deplored.  Erling Skakke and
 Inge's men, who were in Bergen, threatened that in winter they
 would proceed against Hakon and his men; but it came to nothing.
 Gregorius sent word from the east, from Konungahella, that if he
 were so near as Erling and his men, he would not sit quietly in
 Bergen while Hakon was killing King Inge's friends and their
 comrades in war north in the Throndhjem country.
 
 
 
 12. THE CONFLICT UPON THE PIERS.
 
 King Inge and Gregorius left the east in spring, and came to
 Bergen; but as soon as Hakon and Sigurd heard that Inge had left
 Viken, they went there by land.  When King Inge and his people
 came to Bergen, a quarrel arose between Haldor Brynjolfson and
 Bjorn Nikolason.  Bjorn's house-man asked Haldor's when they met
 at the pier, why he looked so pale.
 
 He replied, because he had been bled.
 
 "I could not look so pale if I tried, at merely being bled." 
 
 "I again think," retorted the other, "that thou wouldst have
 borne it worse, and less manfully."  And no other beginning was
 there for their quarrel than this.  Afterwards one word followed
 another, till from brawling they came to fighting.  It was told
 to Haldor Brynjolfson, who was in the house drinking, that his
 house-man was wounded down on the pier and he went there
 immediately.  But Bjorn's house-men had come there before, and as
 Haldor thought his house-man had been badly treated, he went up
 to them and beat them; and it was told to Bjorn Buk that the
 people of Viken were beating his house-men on the pier.  Then
 Bjorn and his house-men took their weapons, hurried down to the
 pier, and would avenge their men; and a bloody strife began.  It
 was told Gregorius that his relation Haldor required assistance,
 and that his house-men were being cut down in the street; on
 which Gregorius and his men ran to the place in their armour. 
 Now it was told Erling Skakke that his sister's son Bjorn was
 fighting with Gregorius and Haldor down on the piers, and that he
 needed help.  Then he proceeded thither with a great force, and
 exhorted the people to stand by him; saying it would be a great
 disgrace never to be wiped out, if the Viken people should
 trample upon them in their own native place.  There fell thirteen
 men, of whom nine were killed on the spot, and four died of their
 wounds, and many were wounded.  When the word came to King Inge
 that Gregorius and Erling were fighting down on the piers, he
 hastened there, and tried to separate them; but could do nothing,
 so mad were they on both sides.  Then Gregorius called to Inge,
 and told him to go away; for it was in vain to attempt coming
 between them, as matters now stood.  He said it would be the
 greatest misfortune if the king mixed himself up with it; for he
 could not be certain that there were not people in the fray who
 would commit some great misdeed if they had opportunity.  Then
 King Inge retired; and when the greatest tumult was over,
 Gregorius and his men went to Nikolas church, and Erling behind
 them, calling to each other.  Then King Inge came a second time,
 and pacified them; and both agreed that he should mediate between
 them.
 
 When King Inge and Gregorius heard that King Hakon was in Viken,
 they went east with many ships; but when they came King Hakon
 fled from them, and there was no battle.  Then King Inge went to
 Oslo, and Gregorius was in Konungahella.
 
 
 
 13. MUNAN'S DEATH.
 
 Soon after Gregorius heard that Hakon and his men were at a farm
 called Saurby, which lies up beside the forest.  Gregorius
 hastened there; came in the night; and supposing that King Hakon
 and Sigurd would be in the largest of the houses, set fire to the
 buildings there.  But Hakon and his men were in the smaller
 house, and came forth, seeing the fire, to help their people.
 There Munan fell, a son of Ale Uskeynd, a brother of King Sigurd
 Hakon's father.  Gregorius and his men killed him, because he was
 helping those whom they were burning within the house.  Some
 escaped, but many were killed.  Asbjorn Jalda, who had been a
 very great viking, escaped from the house, but was grievously
 wounded.  A bonde met him, and he offered the man money to let
 him get away; but the bonde replied, he would do what he liked
 best; and, adding that he had often been in fear of his life for
 him, he slew him.  King Hakon and Sigurd escaped, but many of
 their people were killed.  Thereafter Gregorius returned home to
 Konungahella.  Soon after King Hakon and Sigurd went to Haldor
 Brynjolfson's farm of Vettaland, set fire to the house, and burnt
 it.  Haldor went out, and was cut down instantly with his house-
 men; and in all there were about twenty men killed.  Sigrid,
 Haldor's wife, was a sister of Gregorius, and they allowed her to
 escape into the forest in her night-shift only; but they took
 with them Amunde, who was a son of Gyrd Amundason and of Gyrid
 Dag's daughter, and a sister's son of Gregorius, and who was then
 a boy about five years old.
 
 
 
 14. OF THE FALL OF GREGORIUS DAGSON.
 
 When Gregorius heard the news he took it much to heart, and
 inquired carefully where they were.  Gregorius set out from
 Konungahella late in Yule, and came to Fors the thirteenth day of
 Yule, where he remained a night, and heard vespers the last day
 of Yule, which was a Saturday, and the holy Evangel was read
 before him.  When Gregorius and his followers saw the men of King
 Hakon and Sigurd, the king's force appeared to them smaller than
 their own.  There was a river called Befia between them, where
 they met; and there was unsound ice on the river, for there went
 a stream under the ice from it.  King Hakon and his men had cut a
 rent in the ice, and laid snow over it, so that nobody could see
 it.  When Gregorius came to the ice on the river the ice appeared
 to him unsound, he said; and he advised the people to go to the
 bridge, which was close by, to cross the river.  The bonde-troops
 replied, that they did not know why he should be afraid to go
 across the ice to attack so few people as Hakon had, and the ice
 was good enough.  Gregorius said it was seldom necessary to
 encourage him to show bravery, and it should not be so now.  Then
 he ordered them to follow him, and not to be standing on the land
 while he was on the ice, and he said it was their council to go
 out upon the dangerous ice, but he had no wish to do so, or to be
 led by them.  Then he ordered the banner to be advanced, and
 immediately went out on the ice with the men.  As soon as the
 bondes found that the ice was unsound they turned back. 
 Gregorius fell through the ice, but not very deep, and he told
 his men to take care.  There were not more than twenty men with
 him, the others having turned back.  A man of King Hakon's troop
 shot an arrow at Gregorius, which hit him under the throat, and
 thus ended his life.  Gregorius fell, and ten men with him.  It
 is the talk of all men that he had been the most gallant
 lenderman in Norway that any man then living could remember; and
 also he behaved the best towards us Icelanders of any chief since
 King Eystein the Elder's death.  Gregorius's body was carried to
 Hofund, and interred at Gimsey Isle, in a nunnery which is there,
 of which Gregorius's sister, Baugeid, was then the abbess.
 
 
 
 15. KING INGE HEARS OF GREGORIUS'S FALL.
 
 Two bailiffs went to Oslo to bring the tidings to King Inge. 
 When they arrived they desired to speak to the king: and he
 asked, what news they brought.
 
 "Gregorius Dagson's death," said they.
 
 "How came that misfortune?" asked the king.
 
 When they had told him how it happened, he said, "They gave
 advice who understood the least."
 
 It is said he took it so much to heart that he cried like a
 child.  When he recovered himself he said, "I wanted to go to
 Gregorius as soon as I heard of Haldor's murder; for I thought
 that Gregorius would not sit long before thinking. of revenge.
 But the people here would think nothing so important as their
 Yule feasts, and nothing could move them away; and I am confident
 that if I had been there, he would either have proceeded more
 cautiously, or I and Gregorius would now have shared one lodging.
 Now he is gone, the man who has been my best friend, and more
 than any other has kept the kingdom in my hands; and I think it
 will be but a short space between us.  Now I make an oath to go
 forth against Hakon, and one of two things shall happen: I shall
 either come to my death, or shall walk over Hakon and his people;
 and such a man as Gregorius is not avenged, even if all were to
 pay the penalty of their lives for him."
 
 There was a man present who replied, "Ye need not seek after
 them, for they intend to seek you."
 
 Kristin, King Sigurd's daughter and King Inge's cousin, was then
 in Oslo.  The king heard that she intended going away.  He sent a
 message to her to inquire why she wished to leave the town.
 
 She thought it was dangerous and unsafe for a female to be there. 
 The king would not let her go. "For if it go well with me, as I
 hope, you will be well here; and if I fall, my friends may not
 get leave to dress my body; but you can ask permission, and it
 will not be denied you, and you will thereby best requite what I
 have done for you."
 
 
 
 16. OF KING INGE.
 
 On Saint Blasius' day (February 3, 1161), in the evening, King
 Inge's spies brought him the news that King Hakon was coming
 towards the town.  Then King Inge ordered the war-horns to call
 together all the troops up from the town; and when he drew them
 up he could reckon them to be nearly 4000 men.  The king let the
 array be long, but not more than five men deep.  Then some said
 that the king should not be himself in the battle, as they
 thought the risk too great; but that his brother Orm should be
 the leader of the army.  The king replied, "I think if Gregorius
 were alive and here now, and I had fallen and was to be avenged,
 he would not lie concealed, but would be in the battle.  Now,
 although I, on account of my ill health, am not fit for the
 combat as he was, yet will I show as good will as he would have
 had; and it is not to be thought of that I should not be in the
 battle."
 
 People say that Gunhild, who was married to Simon, King Hakon's
 foster-brother, had a witch employed to sit out all night and
 procure the victory for Hakon; and that the answer was obtained,
 that they should fight King Inge by night, and never by day, and
 then the result would be favourable.  The witch who, as people
 say, sat out was called Thordis Skeggia; but what truth there may
 be in the report I know not.
 
 Simon Skalp had gone to the town, and was gone to sleep, when the
 war-shouts awoke him.  When the night was well advanced, King
 Inge's spies came to him, and told him that King Hakon and his
 army were coming over the ice; for the ice lay the whole way from
 the town to Hofud Isle.
 
 
 
 17. KING INGE'S SPEECH.
 
 Thereupon King Inge went with his army out on the ice, and he
 drew it up in order of battle in front of the town.  Simon Skalp
 was in that wing of the array which was towards Thraelaberg; and
 on the other wing, which was towards the Nunnery, was Gudrod, the
 king of the South Hebudes, a son of Olaf Klining, and Jon, a son
 of Svein Bergthor Buk.  When King Hakon and his army came near to
 King Inge's array, both sides raised a war-shout.  Gudrod and Jon
 gave King Hakon and his men a sign, and let them know where they
 were in the line; and as soon as Hakon's men in consequence
 turned thither, Gudrod immediately fled with 1500 men; and Jon,
 and a great body of men with him, ran over to King Hakon's army,
 and assisted them in the fight.  When this news was told to King
 Inge, he said, "Such is the difference between my friends.  Never
 would Gregorius have done so in his life!"  There were some who
 advised King Inge to get on horseback, and ride from the battle
 up to Raumarike; "where," said they, "you would get help enough,
 even this very day."  The king replied, he had no inclination to
 do so.  "I have heard you often say, and I think truly, that it
 was of little use to my brother, King Eystein, that he took to
 flight; and yet he was a man distinguished for many qualities
 which adorn a king.  Now I, who labour under so great
 decrepitude, can see how bad my fate would be, if I betook myself
 to what proved so unfortunate for him; with so great a difference
 as there is between our activity, health, and strength.  I was in
 the second year of my age when I was chosen king of Norway, and I
 am now twenty-five; and I think I have had misfortune and sorrow
 under my kingly dignity, rather than pleasure and peaceful days.
 I have had many battles, sometimes with more, sometimes with
 fewer people; and it is my greatest luck that I have never fled.
 God will dispose of my life, and of how long it shall be; but I
 shall never betake myself to flight."
 
 
 
 18. KING INGE'S FALL.
 
 Now as Jon and his troop had broken the one wing of King Inge's
 array, many of those who were nearest to him fled, by which the
 whole array was dispersed, and fell into disorder.  But Hakon and
 his men went briskly forwards; and now it was near daybreak.  An
 assault was made against King Inge's banner, and in this conflict
 King Inge fell; but his brother Orm continued the battle, while
 many of the army fled up into the town.  Twice Orm went to the
 town after the king's fall to encourage the people, and both
 times returned, and went out again upon the ice to continue the
 battle.  Hakon's men attacked the wing of the array which Simon
 Skalp led; and in that assault fell of King Inge's men his
 brother-in-law, Gudbrand Skafhogson.  Simon Skalp and Halvard
 Hikre went against each other with their troops, and fought while
 they drew aside past Thraelaberg; and in this conflict both Simon
 and Halvard fell.  Orm, the king's brother, gained great
 reputation in this battle; but he at last fled.  Orm the winter
 before had been contracted with Ragna, a daughter of Nikolas
 Mase, who had been married before to King Eystein Haraldson; and
 the wedding was fixed for the Sunday after Saint Blasius's mass,
 which was on a Friday.  Orm fled east to Svithjod, where his
 brother Magnus was then king; and their brother Ragnvald was an
 earl there at that time.  They were the sons of Queen Ingerid and
 Henrik Halte, who was a son of the Danish king Svein Sveinson.
 The princess Kristin took care of King Inge's body, which was
 laid on the stone wall of Halvard's church, on the south side
 without the choir.  He had then been king for twenty-three years
 (A.D. 1137-1161).  In this battle many fell on both sides, but
 principally of King Inge's men.  Of King Hakon's people fell Arne
 Frirekson.  Hakon's men took all the feast and victuals prepared
 for the wedding, and a great booty besides.
 
 
 
 19. OF KING HAKON AND QUEEN KRISTIN.
 
 Then King Hakon took possession of the whole country, and
 distributed all the offices among his own friends, both in the
 towns and in the country.  King Hakon and his men had a meeting
 in Halvard's church, where they had a private conference
 concerning the management of the country.  Kristin the princess
 gave the priest who kept the church keys a large sum of money to
 conceal one of her men in the church, so that she might know what
 Hakon and his counsellors intended.  When she learnt what they
 had said, she sent a man to Bergen to her husband Erling Skakke,
 with the message that he should never trust Hakon or his men.
 
 
 
 20. OF OLAF'S MIRACLE.
 
 It happened at the battle of Stiklestad, as before related, that
 King Olaf threw from him the sword called Hneiter when he
 received his wound.  A Swedish man, who had broken his own sword,
 took it up, and fought with it.  When this man escaped with the
 other fugitives he came to Svithjod, and went home to his house.
 From that time he kept the sword all his days, and afterwards his
 son, and so relation after relation; and when the sword shifted
 its owner, the one told to the other the name of the sword and
 where it came from.  A long time after, in the days of Kirjalax
 the emperor of Constantinople, when there was a great body of
 Varings in the town, it happened in the summer that the emperor
 was on a campaign, and lay in the camp with his army.  The
 Varings who had the guard, and watched over the emperor, lay on
 the open plain without the camp.  They changed the watch with
 each other in the night, and those who had been before on watch
 lay down and slept; but all completely armed.  It was their
 custom, when they went to sleep, that each should have his helmet
 on his head, his shield over him, sword under the head, and the
 right hand on the sword-handle.  One of these comrades, whose lot
 it was to watch the latter part of the night, found, on awakening
 towards morning, that his sword was gone.  He looked after it,
 and saw it lying on the flat plain at a distance from him.  He
 got up and took the sword, thinking that his comrades who had
 been on watch had taken the sword from him in a joke; but they
 all denied it.  The same thing happened three nights.  Then he
 wondered at it, as well as they who saw or heard of it; and
 people began to ask him how it could have happened.  He said that
 his sword was called Hneiter, and had belonged to King Olaf the
 Saint, who had himself carried it in the battle of Stiklestad;
 and he also related how the sword since that time had gone from
 one to another.  This was told to the emperor, who called the man
 before him to whom the sword belonged, and gave him three times
 as much gold as the sword was worth; and the sword itself he had
 laid in Saint Olaf's church, which the Varings supported, where
 it has been ever since over the altar.  There was a lenderman of
 Norway while Harald Gille's sons, Eystein, Inge, and Sigurd
 lived, who was called Eindride Unge; and he was in Constantinople
 when these events took place.  He told these circumstances in
 Norway, according to what Einar Skulason says in his song about
 King Olaf the Saint, in which these events are sung.
 
 
 
 21. OLAF'S MIRACLE IN FAVOUR OF THE VARINGS.
 
 It happened once in the Greek country, when Kirjalax was emperor
 there, that he made an expedition against Blokumannaland.  When
 he came to the Pezina plains, a heathen king came against him
 with an innumerable host.  He brought with him many horsemen, and
 many large waggons, in which were large loop-holes for shooting
 through.  When they prepared for their night quarters they drew
 up their waggons, one by the side of the other, without their
 tents, and dug a great ditch without; and all which made a
 defence as strong as a castle.  The heathen king was blind.  Now
 when the Greek king came, the heathens drew up their array on the
 plains before their waggon-fortification.  The Greeks drew up
 their array opposite, and they rode on both sides to fight with
 each other; but it went on so ill and so unfortunately, that the
 Greeks were compelled to fly after suffering a great defeat, and
 the heathens gained a victory.  Then the king drew up an array of
 Franks and Flemings, who rode against the heathens, and fought
 with them; but it went with them as with the others, that many
 were killed, and all who escaped took to flight.  Then the Greek
 king was greatly incensed at his men-at-arms; and they replied,
 that he should now take his wine-bags, the Varings.  The king
 says that he would not throw away his jewels, and allow so few
 men, however bold they might be, to attack so vast an army.  Then
 Thorer Helsifig, who at that time was leader of the Varings
 replied to the king's words, "If there was burning fire in the
 way, I and my people would run into it, if I knew the king's
 advantage required it."  Then the king replied, "Call upon your
 holy King Olaf for help and strength."  The Varings, who were 450
 men, made a vow with hand and word to build a church in
 Constantinople, at their own expense and with the aid of other
 good men, and have the church consecrated to the honour and glory
 of the holy King Olaf; and thereupon the Varings rushed into the
 plain.  When the heathens saw them, they told their king that
 there was another troop of the Greek king's army come out upon
 the plain; but they were only a handful of people.  The king
 says, "Who is that venerable man riding on a white horse at the
 head of the troop?"  They replied, "We do not see him."  There
 was so great a difference of numbers, that there were sixty
 heathens for every Christian man; but notwithstanding the Varings
 went boldly to the attack.  As soon as they met terror and alarm
 seized the army of the heathens, and they instantly began to fly;
 but the Varings pursued, and soon killed a great number of them.
 When the Greeks and Franks who before had fled from the heathens
 saw this, they hastened to take part, and pursue the enemy with
 the others.  Then the Varings had reached the waggon-
 fortification, where the greatest defeat was given to the enemy.
 The heathen king was taken in the flight of his people, and the
 Varings brought him along with them; after which the Christians
 took the camp of the heathens, and their waggon-fortification.