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t；　King　Eystein　went　to　the　Thing　before　judgment　was　given　upon　Sigurd　Hranason。　　Now　King　Sigurd　told　the　lagmen　to　pronounce　the　judgment；　but　King　Eystein　replied　thus：　〃I　trust　there　are　here　men　acquainted　sufficiently　with　the　laws　of　Norway；　to　know　that　they　cannot　condemn　a　lendermen　to　be　outlawed　at　this　Thing。〃　　And　he　then　explained　how　the　law　was；　so　that　every　man　clearly　understood　it。　　Then　said　King　Sigurd；　〃Thou　art　taking　up　this　matter　very　warmly；　King　Eystein；　and　it　is　likely　the　case　will　cost　more　trouble　before　it　comes　to　an　end　than　we　intended；　but　nevertheless　we　shall　follow　it　out。　　I　will　have　him　condemned　to　be　outlawed　in　his　native　place。〃　　Then　said　King　Eystein；　〃There　are　certainly　not　many　things　which　do　not　succeed　with　thee；　and　especially　when　there　are　but　few　and　small　folks　to　oppose　one　who　has　carried　through　such　great　things。〃　　And　thus　they　parted；　without　anything　being　concluded　in　the　case。　　Thereafter　King　Sigurd　called　together　a　Gula　Thing；　went　himself　there；　and　summoned　to　him　many　high　chiefs。　　King　Eystein　came　there　also　with　his　suite；　and　many　meetings　and　conferences　were　held　among　people　of　understanding　concerning　this　case；　and　it　was　tried　and　examined　before　the　lagmen。　　Now　King　Eystein　objected　that　all　the　parties　summoned　in　any　cases　tried　here　belonged　to　the　Thing…district；　but　in　this　case　the　deed　and　the　parties　belonged　to　Halogaland。　　The　Thing　accordingly　ended　in　doing　nothing；　as　King　Eystein　had　thus　made　it　incompetent。　　The　kings　parted　in　great　wrath；　and　King　Eystein　went　north　to　Throndhjem。　King　Sigurd；　on　the　other　hand；　summoned　to　him　all　lendermen；　and　also　the　house…servants　of　the　lendermen；　and　named　out　of　every　district　a　number　of　the　bondes　from　the　south　parts　of　the　country；　so　that　he　had　collected　a　large　army　about　him；　and　proceeded　with　all　this　crowd　northwards　along　the　coast　to　Halogaland；　and　intended　to　use　all　his　power　to　make　Sigurd　Hranason　an　outlaw　among　his　own　relations。　　For　this　purpose　he　summoned　to　him　the　Halogaland　and　Naumudal　people；　and　appointed　a　Thing　at　Hrafnista。　　King　Eystein　prepared　himself　also；　and　proceeded　with　many　people　from　the　town　of　Nidaros　to　the　Thing；　where　he　made　Sigurd　Hranason；　by　hand…shake　before　witnesses；　deliver　over　to　him　the　following　and　defending　this　case。　　At　this　Thing　both　the　kings　spoke；　each　for　his　own　side。　　Then　King　Eystein　asks　the　lagmen　where　that　law　was　made　in　Norway　which　gave　the　bondes　the　right　to　judge　between　the　kings　of　the　country；　when　they　had　pleas　with　each　other。　　〃I　shall　bring　witnesses　to　prove　that　Sigurd　has　given　the　case　into　my　hands；　and　it　is　with　me；　not　with　Sigurd　Hranason；　that　King　Sigurd　has　to　do　in　this　case。〃　　The　lagmen　said　that　disputes　between　kings　must　be　judged　only　at　the　Eyra　Thing　in　Nidaros。

King　Eystein　said；　〃So　I　thought　that　it　should　be　there；　and　the　cases　must　be　removed　there。〃

Then　King　Sigurd　said；　〃The　more　difficulties　and　inconvenience　thou　bringest　upon　me　in　this　matter；　the　more　I　will　persevere　in　it。〃　　And　with　that　they　parted。

Both　kings　then　went　south　to　Nidaros　town；　where　they　summoned　a　Thing　from　eight　districts。　　King　Eystein　was　in　the　town　with　a　great　many　people；　but　Sigurd　was　on　board　his　ships。　　When　the　Thing　was　opened；　peace　and　safe　conduct　was　given　to　all；　and　when　the　people　were　all　collected；　and　the　case　should　be　gone　into；　Bergthor；　a　son　of　Svein　Bryggjufot；　stood　up；　and　gave　his　evidence　that　Sigurd　Hranason　had　concealed　a　part　of　the　Laplanders'　taxes。

Then　King　Eystein　stood　up　and　said；　〃If　thy　accusation　were　true；　although　we　do　not　know　what　truth　there　may　be　in　thy　testimony；　yet　this　case　has　already　been　dismissed　from　three　Things；　and　a　fourth　time　from　a　town　meeting；　and　therefore　I　require　that　the　lagmen　acquit　Sigurd　in　this　case　according　to　law。〃　　And　they　did　so。

Then　said　King　Sigurd；　〃I　see　sufficiently；　King　Eystein；　that　thou　hast　carried　this　case　by　law…quirks　（1）；　which　I　do　not　understand。　　But　now　there　remains；　King　Eystein；　a　way　of　determining　the　case　which　I　am　more　used　to；　and　which　I　shall　now　apply。〃

He　then　retired　to　his　ships；　had　the　tents　taken　down；　laid　his　whole　fleet　out　at　the　holm；　and　held　a　Thing　of　his　people；　and　told　them　that　early　in　the　morning　they　should　land　at　Iluvellir；　and　give　battle　to　King　Eystein。　　But　in　the　evening；　as　King　Sigurd　sat　at　his　table　in　his　ship　taking　his　repast；　before　he　was　aware　of　it　a　man　cast　himself　on　the　floor　of　the　forehold；　and　at　the　king's　feet。　　This　was　Sigurd　Hranason；　who　begged　the　king　to　take　what　course　with　regard　to　him　the　king　himself　thought　proper。　　Then　came　Bishop　Magne　and　Queen　Malmfrid；　and　many　other　great　personages；　and　entreated　forgiveness　for　Sigurd　Hranason；　and　at　their　entreaty　the　king　raised　him　up；　took　him　by　the　hand；　and　placed　him　among　his　men；　and　took　him　along　with　himself　to　the　south　part　of　the　country。　　In　autumn　the　king　gave　Sigurd　Hranason　leave　to　go　north　to　his　farm；　gave　him　an　employment；　and　was　always　afterward　his　friend。　　After　this　day；　however；　the　brothers　were　never　much　together；　and　there　was　no　cordiality　or　cheerfulness　among　them。


ENDNOTES：　（1）　　These　law…quirks　show　a　singularly　advanced　state　of　law。　　　　　　and　deference　to　the　Law　Things；　amidst　such　social　disorder　　　　　　and　misdeeds。　　L。



23。　OF　KING　OLAF'S　DEATH。

King　Olaf　Magnuson　fell　into　a　sickness　which　ended　in　his　death。　He　was　buried　in　Christ　church　in　Nidaros；　and　many　were　in　great　grief　at　his　death。　　After　Olaf's　death；　Eystein　and　Sigurd　ruled　the　country；　the　three　brothers　together　having　been　kings　of　Norway　for　twelve　years　（A。D。　1104…1115）；　namely；　five　years　after　King　Sigurd　returned　home；　and　seven　years　before。　　King　Olaf　was　seventeen　years　old　when　he　died；　and　it　happened　on　the　24th　of　December。



24。　MAGNUS　THE　BLIND；　HIS　BIRTH。

King　Eystein　had　been　about　a　year　in　the　east　part　of　the　country　at　that　time；　and　King　Sigurd　was　then　in　the　north。　　King　Eystein　remained　a　long　time　that　winter　in　Sarpsborg。　　There　was　once　a　powerful　and　rich　bonde　called　O1af　of　Dal；　who　dwelt　in　Great　Dal　in　Aumord；　and　had　two　children；　　a　son　called　Hakon　Fauk；　and　a　daughter　called　Borghild；　who　was　a　very　beautiful　girl；　and　prudent；　and　well　skilled　in　many　things。　Olaf　and　his　children　were　a　long　time　in　winter　in　Sarpsborg；　and　Borghild　conversed　very　often　with　King　Eystein；　so　that　many　reports　were　spread　about　their　friendship。　　The　following　summer　King　Eystein　went　north；　and　King　Sigurd　came　eastward；　where　he　remained　all　winter；　and　was　long　in　Konungahella；　which　town　he　greatly　enlarged　and　improved。　　He　built　there　a　great　castle　of　turf　and　stone；　dug　a　great　ditch　around　it；　and　built　a　church　and　several　houses　within　the　castle。　　The　holy　cross　he　allowed　to　remain　at　Konungahella；　and　therein　did　not　fulfill　the　oath　he　had　taken　in　Palestine；　but；　on　the　other　hand；　he　established　tithe；　and　most　of　the　other　things　to　which　he　had　bound　himself　by　oath。　　The　reason　of　his　keeping　the　cross　east　at　the　frontier　of　the　country　was；　that　he　thought　it　would　be　a　protection　to　all　the　land；　but　it　proved　the　greatest　misfortune　to　place　this　relic　within　the　power　of　the　heathens；　as　it　afterwards　turned　out。

When　Borghild；　Olaf's　daughter；　heard　it　whispered　that　people　talked　ill　of　her　conversations　and　intimacy　with　King　Eystein；　she　went　to　Sarpsborg；　and　after　suitable　fasts　she　carried　the　iron　as　proof　of　her　innocence；　and　cleared　herself　thereby　fully　from　all　offence。　　When　King　Sigurd　heard　this；　he　rode　one　day　as　far　as　usually　was　two　days'　travelling；　and　came　to　Dal　to　Olaf；　where　he　remained　all　night；　made　Borghild　his　concubine；　and　took　her　away　with　him。　　They　had　a　son；　who　was　called　Magnus；　and　he　was　sent　immediately　to　Halogaland；　to　be　fostered　at　Bjarkey　by　Vidkun　Jonson；　and　he　was　brought　up　there。　　Magnus　grew　up　to　be　the　handsomest　man　that　could　be　seen；　and　was　very　soon　stout　and　strong。



25。　COMPARISON　BETWEEN　THE　TWO　KINGS。

King　Eystein　and　King　Sigurd　went　both　in　spring　to　guest…quarters　in　the　Uplands；　and　each　was　entertained　in　a　separate　house；　and　the　houses　were　not　very　distant　from　each　other。　　The　bondes；　however；　thought　it　more　convenient　that　both　should　be　entertained　together　by　turns　in　each　house；　and　thus　they　were　both　at　first　in　the　house　of　King　Eystein。　　But　in　the　evening；　when　the　people　began　to　drink；　the　ale　was　not　good；　so　that　the　guests　were　very　quiet　and　still。　　Then　said　King　Eystein；　〃Why　are　the　people　so　silent？　　It　is　more　usual　in　drinking　parties　that　people　are　merry；　so　let　us　fall　upon　some　jest　over　our　ale　that　will　amuse　people；　for　surely；　brother　Sigurd；　all　people　are　well　pleased　when　we　talk　cheerfully。〃　

Sigurd　replies；　bluntly；　〃Do　you　talk　as　much　as　you　please；　but　give　me　leave　to　be　silent。〃

Eystein　says；　〃It　is　a　common　custom　over　the　ale…table　to　compare　one　person　with　another；　and　now　let　us　do　so。〃　　Then　Sigurd　was　silent。

〃I　see；〃　says　King　Eystein；　〃that　I　must　begin　this　amusement。　Now　I　will　take　thee；　brother；　to　compare　myself　with；　and　will