Thorgils Halmason and his son Grim had King Olaf's body, and were
anxious about preserving it from falling into the hands of the king's
enemies, and being ill-treated; for they heard the bondes speaking about
burning it, or sinking it in the sea. The father and son had seen a
clear light burning at night over the spot on the battlefield where King
Olaf's body lay, and since, while they concealed it, they had always
seen at night a light burning over the corpse; therefore they were
afraid the king's enemies might seek the body where this signal was
visible. They hastened, therefore, to take the body to a place where
it would be safe. Thorgils and his son accordingly made a coffin, which
they adorned as well as they could, and laid the king's body in it;
and afterwards made another coffin in which they laid stones and straw,
about as much as the weight of a man, and carefully closed the coffins.
As soon as the whole bonde-army had left Stiklestad, Thorgils and his
son made themselves ready, got a large rowing-boat, and took with them
seven or eight men, who were all Thorgil's relations or friends, and
privately took the coffin with the king's body down to the boat, and set
it under the foot-boards. They had also with them the coffin containing
the stones, and placed it in the boat where all could see it; and then
went down the fjord with a good opportunity of wind and weather, and
arrived in the dusk of the evening at Nidaros, where they brought up at
the king's pier. Then Thorgils sent some of his men up to the town to
Bishop Sigurd, to say that they were come with the king's body. As soon
as the bishop heard this news, he sent his men down to the pier, and
they took a small rowing-boat, came alongside of Thorgil's ship, and
demanded the king's body. Thorgils and his people then took the coffin
which stood in view, and bore it into the boat; and the bishop's men
rowed out into the fjord, and sank the coffin in the sea. It was now
quite dark. Thorgils and his people now rowed up into the river past the
town, and landed at a place called Saurhlid, above the town. Then they
carried the king's body to an empty house standing at a distance from
other houses, and watched over it for the night, while Thorgils went
down to the town, where he spoke with some of the best friends of King
Olaf, and asked them if they would take charge of the king's body; but
none of them dared to do so. Then Thorgils and his men went with the
body higher up the river, buried it in a sand-hill on the banks, and
levelled all around it so that no one could observe that people had been
at work there. They were ready with all this before break of day, when
they returned to their vessel, went immediately out of the river, and
proceeded on their way home to Stiklestad.