Part 92 (1/2)
Skalds quoted in this saga are: Thorarin Stutfeld, Einar Skulason, Haldor Skvaldre, and Arne Fjoruskeif.
1. BEGINNING OF THE REIGN OF KING MAGNUS'S SONS.
After King Magnus Barefoot's fall, his sons, Eystein, Sigurd, and Olaf, took the kingdom of Norway. Eystein got the northern, and Sigurd the southern part of the country. King Olaf was then four or five years old, and the third part of the country which he had was under the management of his two brothers. King Sigurd was chosen king when he was thirteen or fourteen years old, and Eystein was a year older. King Sigurd left west of the sea the Irish king's daughter. When King Magnus's sons were chosen kings, the men who had followed Skopte Ogmundson returned home.
Some had been to Jerusalem, some to Constantinople; and there they had made themselves renowned, and they had many kinds of novelties to talk about. By these extraordinary tidings many men in Norway were incited to the same expedition; and it was also told that the Northmen who liked to go into the military service at Constantinople found many opportunities of getting property. Then these Northmen desired much that one of the two kings, either Eystein or Sigurd, should go as commander of the troop which was preparing for this expedition. The kings agreed to this, and carried on the equipment at their common expense. Many great men, both of the lendermen and bondes, took part in this enterprise; and when all was ready for the journey it was determined that Sigurd should go, and Eystein in the meantime, should rule the kingdom upon their joint account.
2. OF THE EARLS OF ORKNEY.
A year or two after King Magnus Barefoot's fall, Hakon, a son of Earl Paul, came from Orkney. The kings gave him the earldom and government of the Orkney Islands, as the earls before him, his father Paul or his Uncle Erland, had possessed it; and Earl Hakon then sailed back immediately to Orkney.
3. KING SIGURD'S JOURNEY OUT OF THE COUNTRY.
Four years after the fall of King Magnus (A.D. 1107), King Sigurd sailed with his people from Norway. He had then sixty s.h.i.+ps. So says Thorarin Stutfeld:--
”A young king just and kind, People of loyal mind: Such brave men soon agree,-- To distant lands they sail with glee.
To the distant Holy Land A brave and pious band, Magnificent and gay, In sixty long-s.h.i.+ps glide away.”
King Sigurd sailed in autumn to England, where Henry, son of William the b.a.s.t.a.r.d, was then king, and Sigurd remained with him all winter. So says Einar Skulason:--
”The king is on the waves!
The storm he boldly braves.
His ocean-steed, With winged speed, O'er the white-flas.h.i.+ng surges, To England's coast he urges; And there he stays the winter o'er: More gallant king ne'er trod that sh.o.r.e.”
4. OF KING SIGURD'S JOURNEY.
In spring King Sigurd and his fleet sailed westward to Valland (A.D.
1108), and in autumn came to Galicia, where he stayed the second winter (A.D. 1109). So says Einar Skulason:--
”Our king, whose land so wide No kingdom stands beside, In Jacob's land next winter spent, On holy things intent; And I have heard the royal youth Cut off an earl who swerved from truth.
Our brave king will endure no ill,-- The hawks with him will get their fill.”
It went thus:--The earl who ruled over the land made an agreement with King Sigurd, that he should provide King Sigurd and his men a market at which they could purchase victuals all the winter; but this he did not fulfil longer than to about Yule. It began then to be difficult to get food and necessaries, for it is a poor barren land. Then King Sigurd with a great body of men went against a castle which belonged to the earl; and the earl fled from it, having but few people. King Sigurd took there a great deal of victuals and of other booty, which he put on board of his s.h.i.+ps, and then made ready and proceeded westward to Spain. It so fell out, as the king was sailing past Spain, that some vikings who were cruising for plunder met him with a fleet of galleys, and King Sigurd attacked them. This was his first battle with heathen men; and he won it, and took eight galleys from them. So says Haldor Skvaldre:--
”Bold vikings, not slow To the death-fray to go, Meet our Norse king by chance, And their galleys advance.
The bold vikings lost Many a man of their host, And eight galleys too, With cargo and crew.”
Thereafter King Sigurd sailed against a castle called Sintre and fought another battle. This castle is in Spain, and was occupied by many heathens, who from thence plundered Christian people. King Sigurd took the castle, and killed every man in it, because they refused to be baptized; and he got there an immense booty. So says Haldor Skvaldre:--
”From Spain I have much news to tell Of what our generous king befell.