They took all the goods that were in the castle; went into the Cross church, and plundered it of all its ornaments.The priest Andres gave King Rettibur a silver-mounted gilt sceptre, and to his sister's son Dunimiz he gave a gold ring.They supposed from this that he was a man of great importance in the town, and held him in higher respect than the others.They took away with them the holy cross, and also the tables which stood before the altar, which Sigurd had got made in the Greek country, and had brought home himself.These they took, and laid flat down on the steps before the altar.Then the heathens went out of the church.
Rettibur said, "This house has been adorned with great zeal for the God to whom it is dedicated; but, methinks, He has shown little regard for the town or house: so I see their God has been angry at those who defended them." King Rettibur gave the priest Andres the church, the shrine, the holy cross, the Bible, the altar-book, and four clerks (prisoners); but the heathens burnt the Castle church, and all the houses that were in the castle.
As the fire they had set to the church went out twice, they hewed the church down, and then it burnt like other houses.Then the heathens went to their ships with the booty; but when they mustered their people and saw their loss, they made prisoners of all the people, and divided them among the vessels.Now priest Andres went on board the king's ship with the holy cross, and there came a great terror over the heathens on account of the portentous circumstance which took place in the king's ship;namely, it became so hot that all thought they were to be burnt up.The king ordered the interpreter to ask the priest why this happened.He replied, that the Almighty God on whom the Christians believed, sent them a proof of His anger, that they who would not believe in their Creator presumed to lay hands on the emblem of His suffering; and that there lay so much power in the cross, that such, and even clearer miracles, happened to heathen men who had taken the cross in their hands.The king had the priest put into the ship's boat, and the priest Andres carried the holy cross in his grasp.They led the boat along past the ship's bow, and then along the side of the next ship, and then shoved it with a boat-hook in beside the pier.Then Andres went with the cross by night to Solbjorg, in rain and dreadful weather; but brought it in good preservation.King Rettibur, and the men he had remaining, went home to Vindland, and many of the people who were taken at Konungahella were long afterwards in slavery in Vindland; and those who were ransomed and came back to Norway to their udal lands and properties, throve worse than before their capture.The merchant town of Konungahella has never since risen to the importance it was of before this event.
12.OF MAGNUS THE BLIND.
King Magnus, after he was deprived of sight, went north to Nidaros, where he went into the cloister on the holm, and assumed the monk's dress.The cloister received the farm of Great Hernes in Frosta for his support.King Harald alone ruled the country the following winter, gave all men peace and pardon who desired it, and took many of the men into his court-service who had been with King Magnus.Einar Skulason says that King Harald had two battles in Denmark; the one at Hvedn Isle, and the other at Hlesey Isle: --"Unwearied champion! who wast bred To stain thy blue-edged weapons red!
Beneath high Hvedn's rocky shore, The faithless felt thy steel once more."And again, thus: --"On Hlesey's plain the foe must quail 'Fore him who dyes their shirts of mail.
His storm-stretched banner o'er his head Flies straight, and fills the foe with dread."13.OF KING HARALD GILLE AND BISHOP MAGNUS.
King Harald Gille was a very generous man.It is told that in his time Magnus Einarson came from Iceland to be consecrated a bishop, and the king received him well, and showed him much respect.When the bishop was ready to sail for Iceland again, and the ship was rigged out for sea, he went to the hall where the king was drinking, saluted him politely and warmly, and the king received him joyfully.The queen was sitting beside the king.
Then said the king, "Are you ready, bishop, for your voyage?"He replied that he was.
The king said, "You come to us just now at a bad time; for the tables are just removed, and there is nothing at hand suitable to present to you.What is there to give the bishop?"The treasurer replies, "Sire, as far as I know, all articles of any value are given away."The king: "Here is a drinking goblet remaining; take this, bishop; it is not without value."The bishop expressed his thanks for the honour shown him.
Then said the queen, "Farewell, bishop! and a happy voyage."The king said to her, "When did you ever hear a noble lady say so to a bishop without giving him something?"She replies, "Sire, what have I to give him?"The king: "Thou hast the cushion under thee."Thereupon this, which was covered with costly cloth, and was a valuable article, was given to the bishop.When the bishop was going away the king took the cushion from under himself and gave it him, saying, "They have long been together." When the bishop arrived in Iceland to his bishop's see, it was talked over what should be done with the goblet that would be serviceable for the king; and when the bishop asked the opinion of other people, many thought it should be sold, and the value-bestowed on the poor.
Then said the bishop, "I will take another plan.I will have a chalice made of it for this church, and consecrate it, so that all the saints of whom there are relics in this church shall let the king have some good for his gift every time a mass is sung over it." This chalice has since belonged to the bishopric of Skalholt; and of the costly cloth with which the cushions given him by the king were covered, were made the choristers' cloaks which are now in Skalholt.From this the generous spirit of King Harald may be seen, as well as from many other things, of which but a few are set down here.
