Now when Sigurd lay in a harbour called Portyrja on Limgard's coast, and watched the ships going to or coming from Viken to plunder them, the Tunsberg men collected an armed force against him, and came unexpectedly upon them while Sigurd and his men were on shore dividing their booty.Some of the men came down from the land, but some of the other party laid themselves with their ships right across the harbour outside of them.Sigurd ran up into his ship, and rowed out against them.Vatnorm's ship was the nearest, and he let his ship fall behind the line, and Sigurd rowed clear past, and thus escaped with one ship and the loss of many men.This verse was made upon Vatnorm (1): --"The water serpent, people say, From Portyrja slipped away."ENDNOTES:
(1) Vatnorm, the name of this man, means the water-serpent, and appears to have been a favourite name for war-ships also;hence the pun in the lines upon Vatnorm.-- L.
6.THE MURDER OF BEINTEIN.
Sigurd Slembidjakn sailed from thence to Denmark; and at that time a man was lost in his ship, whose name was Kolbein Thorliotson of Batald.He was sitting in a boat which was made fast to the vessel, and upset because she was sailing quickly.
When they came south to Denmark, Sigurd's ship itself was cast away; but he got to Alaborg, and was there in winter.The summer after (A.D.1138) Magnus and Sigurd sailed together from the south with seven ships, and came unexpectedly in the night to Lister, where they laid their ships on the land.Beintein Kolbeinson, a court-man of King Inge, and a very brave man, was there.Sigurd and his men jumped on shore at daylight, came unexpectedly on the people, surrounded the house, and were setting fire to the buildings; but Beintein came out of a store-house with his weapons, well armed, and stood within the door with drawn sword, his shield before him, helmet on, and ready to defend himself.The door was somewhat low.Sigurd asked which of his lads had most desire to go in against Beintein, which he called brave man's work; but none was very hurried to make ready for it.While they were discussing this matter Sigurd rushed into the house, past Beintein.Beintein struck at him, but missed him.Sigurd turned instantly on Beintein; and after exchanging blows, Sigurd gave him his death-stroke, and came out presently bearing his head in his hands.
They took all the goods that were in the farm-house, carried the booty to their ships, and sailed away.When King Inge and his friends, and also Kolbein's sons, Sigurd and Gyrd, the brothers of Beintein, heard of Beintein's murder, the king sent a great force against Sigurd Slembe and his followers; and also travelled himself, and took a ship from Hakon Paulson Pungelta, who was a daughter's son of Aslak, a son of Erling Skjalgson of Sole, and cousin of Hakon Mage.King Inge drove Hakon and his followers up the country, and took all their gear.Sigurd Stork, a son of Eindride of Gautdal, and his brother, Eirik Hael, and Andres Kelduskit, son of Grim of Vist, all fled away into the fjords.
But Sigurd Slembe, Magnus the Blind and Thorieif Skiappa sailed outside the isles with three ships north to Halogaland; and Magnus was in winter (A.D.1139) north in Bjarkey Isle with Vidkun Jonson.But Sigurd had the stem and stern-post of his ship cut out, made a hole in her, and sank her in the inner part of Egisfjord, and thereafter he passed the winter at Tialdasund by Gljufrafjord in Hin.Far up the fjord there is a cave in the rock; in that place Sigurd sat with his followers, who were above twenty men, secretly, and hung a grey cloth before the mouth of the hole, so that no person could see them from the strand.
Thorleif Skiappa, and Einar, son of Ogmund of Sand, and of Gudrun, daughter of Einar Arason of Reikiaholar, procured food for Sigurd during the winter.It is said that Sigurd made the Laplanders construct two boats for him during the winter up in the fjord; and they were fastened together with deer sinews, without nails, and with twigs of willow instead of knees, and each boat could carry twelve men.Sigurd was with the Laplanders while they were ****** the boats; and the Laplanders had good ale, with which they entertained Sigurd.Sigurd made these lines on it: --"In the Lapland tent Brave days we spent.
Under the grey birch tree;
In bed or on bank We knew no rank, And a merry crew were we.
"Good ale went round As we sat on the ground, Under the grey birch tree;And up with the smoke Flew laugh and joke, And a merry crew were we."These boats were so light that no ship could overtake them in the water, according to what was sung at the time: --"Our skin-sewed Fin-boats lightly swim, Over the sea like wind they skim.
Our ships are built without a nail;
Few ships like ours can row or sail."
In spring Sigurd and Magnus went south along the coast with the two boats which the Laplanders had made; and when they came to Vagar they killed Svein the priest and his two sons.
7.OF SIGURD'S SLEMBE'S CAMPAIGN.
Thereafter Sigurd came south to Vikar, and seized King Sigurd's lendermen, William Skinnare and Thorald Kept, and killed them both.Then Sigurd turned south-wards along the coast, and met Styrkar Glaesirofa south of Byrda, as he was coming from the south from the town of Nidaros, and killed him.Now when Sigurd came south to Valsnes, he met Svinagrim outside of the ness, and cut off his right hand.From thence he went south to More, past the mouth of the Throndhjem fjord, where they took Hedin Hirdmage and Kalf Kringluauge.They let Hedin escape, but killed Kalf.