Thirteen loaded merchant ships made ready to leave the town, intending
to proceed to Bergen; but eleven of them were lost, men and goods, and
all that was in them; the twelfth was lost also, but the people were
saved, although the cargo went to the bottom. At that time the priest
Lopt went north to Bergen, with all that belonged to him, and arrived
safely. The merchant vessels were lost on Saint Lawrence eve (August
10). The Danish king Eirik and the Archbishop Assur, both sent notice to
Konungahella to keep watch on their town; and said the Vindland people
had a great force on foot with which they made war far around on
Christian people, and usually gained the victory. But the townspeople
attended very little to this warning, were indifferent, and forgot more
and more the dreadful omens the longer it was since they happened. On
the holy Saint Lawrence day, while the words of high mass were spoken,
came to the Vindland king Rettibur to Konungahella with 550 Vindland
cutters, and in each cutter were forty-four men and two horses. The
king's sister's son Dunimiz, and Unibur, a chief who ruled over many
people, were with him. These two chiefs rowed at once, with a part of
their troops, up the east arm of the Gaut river past Hising Isle, and
thus came down to the town; but a part of the fleet lay in the western
arm, and came so to the town. They made fast their ships at the piles,
and landed their horses, and rode over the height of Bratsas, and from
thence up around the town. Einar, a relation of priest Andres, brought
these tidings up to the Castle church; for there the whole inhabitants
of the town were gathered to hear high mass. Einar came just as the
priest Andres was holding his discourse; and he told the people that
an army was sailing up against the town with a great number of ships of
war, and that some people were riding over Bratsas. Many said it must be
the Danish king Eirik, and from him they might expect peace. The people
ran down into the town to their properties, armed themselves, and went
down upon the piers, whence they immediately saw there was an enemy
and an immense army. Nine East-country trading vessels belonging to the
merchants were afloat in the river at the piers. The Vindland people
first directed their course toward these and fought with the merchants,
who armed themselves, and defended themselves long, well, and manfully.
There was a hard battle, and resistance, before the merchant vessels
were cleared of their men; and in this conflict the Vindland people
lost 150 of their ships, with all the men on board. When the battle was
sharpest the townsmen stood upon the piers, and shot at the heathens.
But when the fight slackened the burgesses fled up to the town, and from
thence into the castle; and the men took with them all their valuable
articles, and such goods as they could carry. Solveig and her daughters,
with two other women, went on shore when the Vindlanders took possession
of the merchant vessels. Now the Vindlanders landed, and mustered their
men, and discovered their loss. Some of them went up into the town, some
on board the merchant ships, and took all the goods they pleased;
and then they set fire to the town, and burnt it and the ships. They
hastened then with all their army to assault the castle.