Svein and Thorer proceeded northwards with their men, and plundered far and wide in Halogaland.But while they lay in a fjord called Harm, Thorer and his party saw King Magnus coming under sail towards them; and thinking they had not men enough to fight him, they rowed away and fled.Thorer and Egil brought up at Hesjutun; but Svein rowed out to sea, and some of their people rowed into the fjords.King Magnus pursued Thorer, and the vessels struck together while they were landing.Thorer stood in the forecastle of his ship, and Sigurd Ulstreng called out to him, and asked, "Art thou well, Thorer?" Thorer replied, "I am well in hands, but ill on my feet."Then all Thorer's men fled up the country, and Thorer was taken prisoner.Egil was also taken prisoner, for he would not leave his wife.King Magnus then ordered both of them to be taken out to Vambarholm; and when they were leading Thorer from the ship he tottered on his legs.Then Vidkun called out, "More to the larboard, Thorer!" When he was being led to the gallows he sang:
--
"We were four comrades gay, --
Let one by the helm stay."
When he came to the gallows he said, "Bad counsel comes to a bad end." Then Thorer was hanged; but when he was hoisted up the gallows tree he was so heavy that his neck gave way, and the body fell down to the ground; for Thorer was a man exceedingly stout, both high of stature and thick.Egil was also led to the gallows, and when the king's thralls were about hanging him he said, "Ye should not hang me, for in truth each of you deserves much more to be hanged." People sang these verses about it: --"I hear, my girl, that Egil said, When to the gallows he was led, That the king's thralls far more than he Deserved to hang on gallows-tree.
It might be so; but, death in view, A man should to himself be true, --End a stout life by death as stout, Showing no fear; or care, or doubt."King Magnus sat near while they were being hanged, and was in such a rage that none of his men was so bold as to ask mercy for them.The king said, when Egil was spinning at the gallows, "Thy great friends help thee but poorly in time of need." From this people supposed that the king only wanted to have been entreated to have spared Egil's life.Bjorn Krephende speaks of these things: --"King Magnus in the robbers' gore Dyed red his sword; and round the shore The wolves howled out their wild delight, At corpses swinging in their sight.
Have ye not heard how the king's sword Punished the traitors to their lord?
How the king's thralls hung on the gallows Old Thorer and his traitor-fellows?"7.OF THE PUNISHMENT OF THE THRONDHJEM PEOPLE.
After this King Magnus sailed south to Throndhjem, and brought up in the fjord, and punished severely all who had been guilty of treason towards him; killing some, and burning the houses of others.So says Bjorn Krephende: --"He who despises fence of shields Drove terror through the Throndhjem fields, When all the land through which he came Was swimming in a flood of flame.
The raven-feeder, will I know, Cut off two chieftans at a blow;The wolf could scarcely ravenous be, The ernes flew round the gallows-tree."Svein Harald Fletter's son, fled out to sea first, and sailed then to Denmark, and remained there; and at last came into great favour with King Eystein, the son of King Magnus, who took so great a liking to Svein that he made him his dish-bearer, and held him in great respect.King Magnus had now alone the whole kingdom, and he kept good peace in the land, and rooted out all vikings and lawless men.He was a man quick, warlike, and able, and more like in all things to his grandfather, King Harald, in disposition and talents than to his father.
8.OF THE BONDE SVEINKE, AND SIGURD ULSTRENG.
There was a man called Sveinke Steinarson, who was very wealthy, and dwelt in Viken at the Gaut river.He had brought up Hakon Magnuson before Thorer of Steig took him.Sveinke had not yet submitted to King Magnus.King Magnus ordered Sigurd Ulstreng to be called, and told him he would send him to Sveinke with the command that he should quit the king's land and domain."He has not yet submitted to us, or shown us due honour." He added, that there were some lendermen east in Viken, namely Svein Bryggjufot, Dag Eilifson, and Kolbjorn Klakke, who could bring this matter into right bearing.Then Sigurd said, "I did not know there was the man in Norway against whom three lendermen besides myself were needful." The king replied, "Thou needst not take this help, unless it be necessary." Now Sigurd made himself ready for the journey with a ship, sailed east to Viken, and there summoned the lendermen to him.Then a Thing was appointed to Viken, to which the people were called who dwelt on the Gaut river, besides others; so that it was a numerous assembly.When the Thing was formed they had to wait for Sveinke.They soon after saw a troop of men coming along, so well furnished with weapons that they looked like pieces of shining ice; and now came Sveinke and his people to the Thing, and set themselves down in a circle.All were clad in iron, with glowing arms, and 500 in number.Then Sigurd stood up, and spoke."My master, King Magnus, sends God's salutation and his own to all friends, lendermen and others, his subjects in the kingdom; also to the powerful bondes, and the people in general, with kind words and offers of friendship; and to all who will obey him he offers his friendship and good will.
Now the king will, with all cheerfulness and peace, show himself a gracious master to all who will submit to him, and to all in his dominions.He will be the leader and defender of all the men of Norway; and it will be good for you to accept his gracious speech, and this offer."Then stood up a man in the troop of the Elfgrims, who was of great stature and grim countenance, clad in a leather cloak, with a halberd on his shoulder, and a great steel hat upon his head.
He looked sternly, and said, "Here is no need of wheels, says the fox, when he draws the trap over the ice." He said nothing more, but sat down again.