THE SONS OF HAROLD GILLE (1137-1161).
Queen Ingerid, the widow of Harold Gille, availed herself of the general
indignation against Sigurd Slembedegn, to have her own two-year-old son,
Inge, proclaimed king. She also sent a swift ship to Nidaros, with the
request to the Troenders that they give their allegiance to King Harold's
son, Sigurd, who had reached the age of five. The powerful liegemen, to
whom this arrangement was highly agreeable, made haste to secure the
recognition of the two boys throughout the land.
Sigurd Slembedegn's chances of becoming king were thus very slight. But,
hoping to revive the indignation against Harold Gille and thereby
mitigate his own offence, he took the blind and maimed Magnus, Sigurd
the Crusader's son, out of the monastery, and tried to rally his old
friends and followers about him. In this he had some success, but less
than he had expected. He therefore sailed to the Hebrides for the
purpose of increasing his force, leaving Magnus in charge of Bjoern
Egilsson and Gunnar of Gimse. Before Sigurd had returned, however,
Magnus had been attacked at Minne, in the Oplands, by King Inge's
guardian, Thjostulf Aalesson, and defeated in a bloody battle (1137).
Thjostulf, either to encourage his men, or because he was afraid to
trust him to anybody else, carried the two-year-old king in his girdle
during the battle, while he himself fought with a sword and spear, and
the deadly missiles fell in showers about him. The poor boy, who was
unequal to such hardships, soon began to show the effects of his
premature experience of war. A hump grew on his back and one of his legs
withered away. He therefore received the surname "Crook-Back."
Magnus the Blind fled after the battle into Sweden, where he persuaded
the earl, Charles Sunesson, of Vestergoetland, to come to his assistance;
but was again overwhelmingly beaten at Krokaskogen by Thostulf Aalesson
(1137). The little king, Inge, was again carried under his guardian's
cloak, and heard, though scarcely without fear, the clash of arms and
the fierce tumult of battle. This time Magnus fled to Denmark and
succeeded in inducing King Erik Emune to sail to Norway with a fleet of
240 ships. The Norsemen, however, defended their coast so well that the
Danish king for a long while did not venture to land. At last he burned
the city of Oslo, but was immediately afterward attacked by King Inge
and his liegeman, Aamunde Gyrdsson, at Hornboresund, and all his great
fleet routed. Sigurd Slembedegn, in the meanwhile, had returned from the
Hebrides and was cruising about in the Baltic, fighting in viking
fashion with Wendic pirates, and occasionally harrying on the coasts of
Norway, and injuring the friends of the young kings. He was soon joined
by Magnus, and the two were met by the fleet of the kings, Sigurd and
Inge, at Holmengraa (1139). The battle was fought with great vehemence
on both sides, until suddenly all the Danes fled, and left their allies
in the lurch. Hoping to save the blind Magnus, Reidar Grjotgardsson
lifted him from the bed upon which he was lying, and tried to carry him
on board another ship. But a spear pierced both from behind and they
fell down, dying. Magnus exclaimed as he felt the steel in his vitals:
"That comes seven years too late."
Sigurd Slembedegn leaped overboard and would have escaped, if he had not
been betrayed by one of his own men. He was put to death by the liegemen
with the most horrible tortures. He was scourged until his skin hung in
tatters about him; then his bones were crushed with stones; and at last
he was hanged. His marvellous fortitude during his agony filled even his
executioners with admiration. He talked in a perfectly natural voice,
and not a muscle of his face betrayed what he suffered. Several times he
sank into a swoon; but when he revived, he was calm and unmoved. Never
did a man meet a more horrible death with more heroic equanimity. Sigurd
Slembedegn had the stuff in him for a great king, and if Sigurd the
Crusader had sat upon the throne, when he advanced his claim, instead of
the Irishman, Harold Gilchrist, the history of Norway would have taken a
different turn, and his might have been one of the great names in its
pages. It was true what many, both friends and foes, said after his
death, that "there was no man more capable in all things than Sigurd *
* * but he was born under an unlucky star."
The country now had peace for some years; chiefly because the kings were
too small to have serious quarrels. In 1142, however, came Eystein, a
third son of Harold Gille, from Scotland, and claimed his share of the
kingdom. He was considerably older than the others, and must have been
often mentioned by his father during his lifetime; for no one thought of
disputing his claim, nor was any proof required as to his origin. He was
a dark-haired, corpulent, and somewhat indolent youth, avaricious in the
extreme, and devoid of all personal attractions. Some time elapsed
before he exerted any influence upon the affairs of the country, and we
shall therefore leave him, until his quarrels with his brothers demand
our attention.
The first cause of discord in the royal family was the marriage of the
queen dowager, Ingerid, to the above-mentioned liegeman, Ottar Birting.
King Inge thereby came under the guardianship of his step-father,
whereby the jealousy of other liegemen was aroused. Especially was King
Sigurd indignant, because Ottar had hitherto been one of his most
powerful adherents; while now he became attached to the fortunes of
Inge. Amid this agitation, Ottar Birting was suddenly assassinated, and
it became clear to every one that King Sigurd had caused his death. Many
other circumstances conspired to make Sigurd unpopular, and his personal
qualities were, indeed, such as to repel all who came in contact with
him. It was particularly his immorality which alienated his friends.
When he was but fifteen years old, he had a son, named Haakon, whose
mother was a pretty servant-girl. Many pretenders appeared later, who
claimed him as their father. In appearance he was more of a Norseman
than his brothers--light-haired, blue-eyed, tall of stature, and of
great vigor. His beauty was, however, marred by a pair of ugly thick
lips, from which he derived the surname Mouth (Mund).
[Illustration: LOFOTEN VILLAGE DURING FISHING SEASON.]
He hated his brother Inge, whose popularity caused him uneasiness; and,
as Eystein shared this sentiment, he approached the latter and opened
negotiations with him, with a view to thrusting Inge from the throne.
They were soon agreed, and would perhaps have carried out their plan, if
Inge's faithful friend, Gregorius Dagsson, who had taken Ottar Birting's
place as his guardian and adviser, had not got wind of their purpose.
When, therefore, King Sigurd arrived in Bergen, he found Inge prepared
to receive him; and he contented himself with killing one of his
men-at-arms and threatening "to roll the golden helmet of Gregorius in
the dust," but denied that any agreement existed between him and Eystein
to Inge's detriment. Neither Inge nor Gregorius put any trust, however,
in his assurances; and, after many bickerings and hostile acts on both
sides, Gregorius received Inge's permission to attack his brother.
Sigurd was then surprised in his house and slain (1155), after having
vainly begged for mercy. It is told that the men, whose wives he had
insulted, rushed at him, eager for vengeance, and ran him through with
their swords. He was then but twenty-one years old. Eystein, who knew
that his turn would come next, gathered in haste as many men as he could
induce to join him, in order to take vengeance on Gregorius. But
Gregorius learned of his approach in time to escape with all his men.
His family estate, Bratsberg, was, however, burned by Eystein and his
cattle hewn down. Next, Inge's excellent dockyards, which had been built
by Eystein I., were given over to the flames, and war seemed unavoidable
between the two kings, when Eystein, seeing his brother's superior
strength, proposed to make peace. He agreed to pay Inge 360 marks in
silver, one third of which was to be given to Gregorius as compensation
for the destruction of Bratsberg. This fine, however, he failed to pay;
and, repenting of his placability, sent Inge hostile messages, accusing
him of breach of faith. At last, when they had been exchanging this kind
of civilities for about a year, they met with hostile fleets near Fors
in Ranafylke (1157) and prepared for battle. The greater part of
Eystein's force, however, abandoned him, leaving him no choice but
flight. He was captured by his brother-in-law, Simon Skaalp, who, after
having allowed him to hear mass, coolly murdered him. There is a legend
that a spring with healing powers burst forth on the spot where he was
slain, and there were some who believed him to have been a saint.
Inge was now lord of all the kingdom, although the noble and capable
Gregorius Dagsson conducted the government and was the virtual ruler. A
warm friendship bound the two together, based not only upon community
of interests but upon real attachment. Inge's bad health, which unfitted
him for action in the many serious crises of his life, made him
dependent upon his sagacious and resolute adviser, and Gregorius, who
was equal to his responsibility, kept a vigilant watch upon the king's
enemies, and at the same time exercised, with a wise moderation, the
power which had been put into his hands. It was natural that a man
occupying such a position had many ill-wishers. There were those, of
course, who envied him the place he held in the confidence of the king.
Thus the great chieftain, Erling Skakke (the Lop-Sided), who had married
Sigurd the Crusader's daughter, Christina, thought that he was entitled
to the first place among the liegemen of the land. Erling traced his
descent from the mighty Hoerda-Kaare (who lived in the reigns of Halfdan
the Swarthy and Harold the Fairhaired), and was thus in kinship with
Erling Skjalgsson of Sole, who played so great a part in the times of
Olaf Tryggvesson and Olaf the Saint. He had made a crusade and fought
the Saracens in the Mediterranean, and had received a wound in the neck,
which compelled him to carry his head on one side. His wealth and fame
made him now a conspicuous figure in the land, and it was obvious that
whichever party he should join might thereby gain a preponderance.
Erling was, indeed, himself aware of that fact, and refrained, for this
reason, for a while, from committing himself. He was understood to be
favorably disposed to King Inge and paid him the customary civilities,
but there are indications that Inge did not trust him. At all events,
he had no intention of buying Erling's unequivocal adherence at the only
price at which it could be bought, viz., the dismissal of Gregorius.
This was the situation of affairs when, after King Eystein's death, the
remnants of his and Sigurd Mouth's party rallied around the latter's
ten-year-old son, Haakon, and demanded for him a third part of the
kingdom. Inge answered by outlawing his nephew and all his adherents.
Gregorius was at that time in Konghelle, occupied with defending the
frontier against the rebellious partisans of Haakon who had found a
refuge in Sweden, and Erling Skakke availed himself of his absence to
approach the king. Although the relation between the two liegemen was
constantly growing more strained, the common danger, to which they were
exposed from Haakon's party, made them postpone hostilities. A decisive
battle was at last fought between the latter and King Inge at Konghelle
(1159), and Haakon was defeated. Both Erling and Gregorius were present
and to their valor the victory was largely due. A very slight
provocation was now needed to bring them into collision, and this was
supplied by a quarrel between their men, which soon became a general
fight, and would have become a battle, if King Inge had not personally
interfered. In the meanwhile Haakon, who had gathered under his banner
robbers, outlaws, and all sorts of adventurers, began to ravage the
frontier shires in Viken, and the presence of Gregorius was again needed
to keep him in order. He made an attack upon the estate of Haldor
Brynjulfsson, Gregorius' brother-in-law, and the latter's sister,
Sigrid, was compelled to flee in her night clothes from the burning
house, carrying her five-year-old son in her arms. This wanton
destruction Gregorius resolved to avenge, but during his pursuit of
Haakon's robber band, he ventured too far out upon the insecure ice of
the Bevje-Aa, fell through, and while struggling to get ashore was
killed by an arrow (1161). King Inge wept like a child, when he heard of
his friend's death, and swore either to avenge him or to die in the
attempt. Scarcely a month had elapsed, when he was attacked by Haakon's
band at Oslo, and fought a bloody battle upon the ice of the Folden
Fjord. Here he fell, defending himself desperately, after having been
deserted by King Gudroed of the Hebrides, who by his treason decided the
battle in Haakon's favor (1161).
Inge Crookback was the only one of Harold Gille's sons who was an
honorable man. In spite of his physical weakness, he had courage and
pluck, and a strong sense of loyalty to those who served him well. He
was but twenty-five years old when he died.
It was during his reign, but while his brothers still were alive, that
the Cardinal Nicolas Breakspeare was sent to Norway (1152) by Pope
Eugene III., to arrange the ecclesiastical affairs of the country. He
established an archiepiscopal see in Nidaros, under the jurisdiction of
which were included Norway and all its dependencies among the Scottish
Isles, besides Iceland, Greenland, the Faeroe Isles, and the Isle of
Man. As the first archbishop he appointed, in accordance with the wishes
of King Inge, the Bishop of Stavanger John Birgersson. The bishopric of
Hamar at Lake Mjoesen also owes its foundation to the cardinal's visit.
Nicolas Breakspeare became, later, Pope under the name Hadrian IV., and
always preserved a lively interest in the welfare of the Church in
Norway.
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