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er　we　have　gained　the　whole　kingdom　in　summer　to　give　away　the　half　of　it　now？　　Give　us　some　other　counsel。〃

Then　Sigurd　Sigurdson　answered；　〃It　appears　to　me；　sire；　that　your　lendermen　who　in　autumn　asked　your　leave　to　return　home　will　now　sit　at　home　and　will　not　come　to　you。　　At　that　time　it　was　much　against　my　advice　that　you　dispersed　so　entirely　the　people　we　had　collected；　for　I　could　well　suppose　that　Harald　would　come　back　to　Viken　as　soon　as　he　heard　that　it　was　without　a　chief。　Now　there　is　still　another　counsel；　and　it　is　but　a　poor　one；　but　it　may　turn　out　useful　to　us。　　Send　out　your　pursuivants；　and　send　other　people　with　them；　and　let　them　go　against　the　lendermen　who　will　not　join　you　in　your　necessity；　and　kill　them；　and　bestow　their　property　on　others　who　will　give　you　help　although　they　may　have　been　of　small　importance　before。　　Let　them　drive　together　the　people；　the　bad　as　well　as　the　good；　and　go　with　the　men　you　can　thus　assemble　against　King　Harald；　and　give　him　battle。〃

The　king　replies；　〃It　would　be　unpopular　to　put　to　death　people　of　distinction；　and　raise　up　inferior　people　who　often　break　faith　and　law；　and　the　country　would　be　still　worse　off。　　I　would　like　to　hear　some　other　counsel　still。〃

Sigurd　replies；　〃It　is　difficult　for　me　now　to　give　advice；　as　you　will　neither　make　peace　nor　give　battle。　　Let　us　go　north　to　Throndhjem；　where　the　main　strength　of　the　country　is　most　inclined　to　our　side；　and　on　the　way　let　us　gather　all　the　men　we　can。　　It　may　be　that　these　Elfgrims　will　be　tired　of　such　a　long　stride　after　us。〃

The　king　replies；　〃We　must　not　fly　from　those　whom　we　beat　in　summer。　　Give　some　better　counsel　still。〃

Then　Sigurd　stood　up　and　said；　while　he　was　preparing　to　go　out；　〃I　will　now　give　you　the　counsel　which　I　see　you　will　take；　and　which　must　have　its　course。　　Sit　here　in　Bergen　until　Harald　comes　with　his　troops；　and　then　you　will　either　suffer　death　or　disgrace。〃

And　Sigurd　remained　no　longer　at　that　meeting。



6。　OF　HARALD'S　FORCE。

King　Harald　came　from　the　East　along　the　coast　with　a　great　army；　and　this　winter　（A。D。　1135）　is　called　on　that　account　the　Crowd…winter。　　King　Harald　came　to　Bergen　on　Christmas　eve；　and　landed　with　his　fleet　at　Floruvagar；　but　would　not　fight　on　account　of　the　sacred　time。　　But　King　Magnus　prepared　for　defence　in　the　town。　　He　erected　a　stone…slinging　machine　out　on　the　holm；　and　had　iron　chains　and　wooden　booms　laid　across　over　the　passage　from　the　king's　house　to　Nordnes；　and　to　the　Monks　bridge。　　He　had　foot…traps　made；　and　thrown　into　Saint　John's　field；　and　did　not　suspend　these　works　except　during　the　three　sacred　days　of　Christmas。　　The　last　holyday　of　Yule；　King　Harald　ordered　his　war…horns　to　sound　the　gathering　of　his　men　for　going　to　the　town；　and；　during　the　Yule　holydays；　his　army　had　been　increased　by　about　900　men。



7。　KING　MAGNUS　TAKEN　PRISONER。

King　Harald　made　a　promise　to　King　Olaf　the　Saint　for　victory；　that　he　would　build　an　Olaf's　church　in　the　town　at　his　own　expense。　　King　Magnus　drew　up　his　men　in　the　Christ　church　yard；　but　King　Harald　laid　his　vessels　first　at　Nordnes。　　Now　when　King　Magnus　and　his　people　saw　that；　they　turned　round　towards　the　town；　and　to　the　end　of　the　shore；　but　as　they　passed　through　the　streets　many　of　the　burgesses　ran　into　their　houses　and　homes；　and　those　who　went　across　the　fields　fell　into　the　foot…traps。　Then　King　Magnus　and　his　men　perceived　that　King　Harald　had　rowed　with　all　his　men　across　to　Hegravik；　and　landed　there；　and　had　gone　from　thence　the　upper　road　up　the　hill　opposite　the　town。　Now　Magnus　returned　back　again　through　the　streets；　and　then　his　men　fled　from　him　in　all　directions；　some　up　to　the　mountains；　some　up　to　the　neighbourhood　of　the　convent　of　nuns；　some　to　churches；　or　hid　themselves　as　they　best　could。　　King　Magnus　fled　to　his　ship；　but　there　was　no　possibility　of　getting　away；　for　the　iron　chains　outside　prevented　the　passage　of　vessels。　　He　had　also　but　few　men　with　him；　and　therefore　could　do　nothing。　　Einar　Skulason　tells　of　this　in　the　song　of　Harald：　

　　　　　〃For　a　whole　week　an　iron　chain　　　　　　Cut　off　all　sailing　to　the　main：　　　　　　Bergen's　blue　stable　was　locked　fast；　　　　　　　Her　floating　wains　could　not　get　past。〃

Soon　after　Harald's　people　came　out　to　the　ships；　and　then　King　Magnus　was　made　prisoner。　　He　was　sitting　behind　in　the　forecastle　upon　the　chests　of　the　high…seat；　and　at　his　side　Hakon　Fauk；　his　mother's　brother；　who　was　very　popular　but　was　not　considered　very　wise；　and　Ivar　Assurson。　　They；　and　many　others　of　King　Magnus's　friends；　were　taken；　and　some　of　them　killed　on　the　spot。



8。　KING　MAGNUS　MUTILATED。

Thereafter　King　Harald　had　a　meeting　of　his　counsellors；　and　desired　their　counsel；　and　in　this　meeting　the　judgment　was　given　that　Magnus　should　be　deposed　from　his　dominions；　and　should　no　longer　be　called　king。　　Then　he　was　delivered　to　the　king's　slaves；　who　mutilated　him；　picked　out　both　his　eyes；　cut　off　one　foot；　and　at　last　castrated　him。　　Ivar　Assurson　was　blinded；　and　Hakon　Fauk　killed。　　The　whole　country　then　was　reduced　to　obedience　under　King　Harald。　　Afterwards　it　was　diligently　examined　who　were　King　Magnus's　best　friends；　or　who　knew　most　of　his　concealments　of　treasure　or　valuables。　　The　holy　cross　King　Magnus　had　kept　beside　him　since　the　battle　of　Fyrileif；　but　would　not　tell　where　it　was　deposited　for　preservation。　　Bishop　Reinald　of　Stavanger；　who　was　an　Englishman；　was　considered　very　greedy　of　money。　　He　was　a　great　friend　of　King　Magnus；　and　it　was　thought　likely　that　great　treasure　and　valuables　had　been　given　into　his　keeping。　　Men　were　sent　for　him　accordingly；　and　he　came　to　Bergen；　where　it　was　insisted　against　him　that　he　had　some　knowledge　of　such　treasure；　but　he　denied　it　altogether；　would　not　admit　it；　and　offered　to　clear　himself　by　ordeal。　　King　Harald　would　not　have　this；　but　laid　on　the　bishop　a　money　fine　of　fifteen　marks　of　gold；　which　he　should　pay　to　the　king。　　The　bishop　declared　he　would　not　thus　impoverish　his　bishop's　see；　but　would　rather　offer　his　life。　　On　this　they　hanged　the　bishop　out　on　the　holm；　beside　the　sling　machine。　　As　he　was　going　to　the　gallows　he　threw　the　sock　from　his　foot；　and　said　with　an　oath；　〃I　know　no　more　about　King　Magnus's　treasure　than　what　is　in　this　sock；〃　and　in　it　there　was　a　gold　ring。　　Bishop　Reinald　was　buried　at　Nordnes　in　Michael's　church；　and　this　deed　was　much　blamed。　　After　this　Harald　Gille　was　sole　king　of　Norway　as　long　as　he　lived。



9。　WONDERFUL　OMENS　IN　KONUNGAHELLA。

Five　years　after　King　Sigurd's　death　remarkable　occurrences　took　place　in　Konungahella　（A。D。　1135）。　　Guthorm；　a　son　of　Harald　Fletter；　and　Saemund　Husfreyja；　were　at　that　time　the　king's　officers　there。　　Saemund　was　married　to　Ingebjorg；　a　daughter　of　the　priest　Andres　Brunson。　　Their　sons　were　Paul　Flip　and　Gunne　Fis。　　Saemund's　natural　son　was　called　Asmund。　　Andres　Brunson　was　a　very　remarkable　man；　who　carried　on　divine　service　in　the　Cross　church。　　His　wife　（1）　was　called　Solveig。　　Jon　Loptson；　who　was　then　eleven　years　old；　was　in　their　house　to　be　fostered　and　educated。　　The　priest　Lopt　Saemundson；　Jon's　father；　was　also　in　the　town　at　that　time。　　The　priest　Andres　and　Solveig　had　a　daughter　by　name　Helga；　who　was　Einar's　wife。　　It　happened　now　in　Konungahella；　the　next　Sunday　night　after　Easter　week；　that　there　was　a　great　noise　in　the　streets　through　the　whole　town　as　if　the　king　was　going　through　with　all　his　court…men。　　The　dogs　were　so　affected　that　nobody　could　hold　them；　but　they　slipped　loose；　and　when　they　came　out　they　ran　mad；　biting　all　that　came　in　their　way；　people　and　cattle。　　All　who　were　bitten　by　them　till　the　blood　came　turned　raging　mad；　and　pregnant　women　were　taken　in　labour　prematurely；　and　became　mad。　　From　Easter　to　Ascension…day；　these　portentous　circumstances　took　place　almost　every　night。　　People　were　dreadfully　alarmed　at　these　wonders；　and　many　made　themselves　ready　to　remove；　sold　their　houses；　and　went　out　to　the　country　districts；　or　to　other　towns。　　The　most　intelligent　men　looked　upon　it　as　something　extremely　remarkable；　were　in　dread　of　it；　and　said；　as　it　proved　to　be；　that　it　was　an　omen　of　important　events　which　had　not　yet　taken　place。　　And　the　priest　Andres；　on　Whit　Sunday；　made　a　long　and　excellent　speech；　and　turned　the　conclusion　of　it　to　the　distressing　situation　of　the　townspeople；　telling　them　to　muster　courage；　and　not　lay　waste　their　excellent　town　by　deserting　it；　but　rather　to　take　the　utmost　care　in　all　things；　and　use　the　greatest　foresight　against　all　dangers；　as　of　fire　or　the　enemy；　and　to　pray　to　God　to　have　mercy　on　them。


ENDNOTES：　（1）　　The　Catholic　priests　appear　to　have　had　wives　at　that　time　　　　　　in　Norway；　and　celibacy　to　have　been　confined　to　the　monks。　　　　　　　L。



10。　THE　RISE　OF　WAR　IN　KONUNGAHELLA。

Thirteen　loaded　merchant　ships　made　ready　to　leave　the　town；　intending　to　proceed　to　Bergen；　but　eleven　of　them　were　lost；　men　and　goods；　and　all　that　was　in　them；　the　twelfth　was　lost　also；　but　the　people　were　saved；　although　the　cargo　went　to　the　bottom。　At　that　time　the　priest　Lopt　went　north　to　Bergen；　with　all　that　belonged　to　him；　and　arrived　safely。　　The　merchant　v