When King Sigurd sailed into Constantinople, he steered near the land.
Over all the land there are burghs, castles, country towns, the one upon
the other without interval. There from the land one could see into the
bights of the sails; and the sails stood so close beside each other,
that they seemed to form one enclosure. All the people turned out to see
King Sigurd sailing past. The Emperor Kirjalax had also heard of King
Sigurd's expedition, and ordered the city port of Constantinople to be
opened, which is called the Gold Tower, through which the emperor rides
when he has been long absent from Constantinople, or has made a campaign
in which he has been victorious. The emperor had precious cloths spread
out from the Gold Tower to Laktjarna, which is the name of the emperor's
most splendid hall. King Sigurd ordered his men to ride in great state
into the city, and not to regard all the new things they might see;
and this they did. King Sigurd and his followers rode with this great
splendour into Constantinople, and then came to the magnificent hall,
where everything was in the grandest style.
King Sigurd remained here some time. The Emperor Kirjalax sent his men
to him to ask if he would rather accept from the emperor six lispund of
gold, or would have the emperor give the games in his honour which the
emperor was used to have played at the Padreim. King Sigurd preferred
the games, and the messengers said the spectacle would not cost the
emperor less than the money offered. Then the emperor prepared for the
games, which were held in the usual way; but this day everything went
on better for the king than for the queen; for the queen has always the
half part in the games, and their men, therefore, always strive against
each other in all games. The Greeks accordingly think that when the
king's men win more games at the Padreim than the queen's, the king
will gain the victory when he goes into battle. People who have been in
Constantinople tell that the Padreim is thus constructed:--A high
wall surrounds a flat plain, which may be compared to a round bare
Thing-place, with earthen banks all around at the stone wall, on which
banks the spectators sit; but the games themselves are in the flat
plain. There are many sorts of old events represented concerning the
Asas, Volsungs, and Giukungs, in these games; and all the figures are
cast in copper, or metal, with so great art that they appear to be
living things; and to the people it appears as if they were really
present in the games. The games themselves are so artfully and cleverly
managed, that people appear to be riding in the air; and at them also
are used shot-fire (1), and all kinds of harp-playing, singing, and
music instruments.
ENDNOTES: (1) Fireworks, or the Greek fire, probably were used.--L.