Sigurd Slembidjakn came that summer from the West sea to Norway,
where he heard of his relation King Magnus's unlucky expedition; so he
expected no welcome in Norway, but sailed south, outside the rocks, past
the land, and set over to Denmark, and went into the Sound. He fell in
with some Vindland cutters south of the islands, gave them battle, and
gained the victory. He cleared eight ships, killing many of the men, and
he hanged the others.
He also had a battle off the Island Mon with the Vindland men, and
gained a victory. He then sailed from the south and came to the eastern
arm of the Gaut river, and took three ships of the fleet of Thorer
Hvinantorde, and Olaf, the son of Harald Kesia, who was Sigurd's own
sister's son; for Ragnhild, the mother of Olaf, was a daughter of King
Magnus Barefoot. He drove Olaf up the country.
Thjostolf was at this time in Konungahella, and had collected people to
defend the country, and Sigurd steered thither with his fleet. They shot
at each other, but he could not effect a landing; and, on both sides,
many were killed and many wounded. Ulfhedin Saxolfson, Sigurd's
forecastle man, fell there. He was an Icelander, from the north quarter.
Sigurd continued his course northwards to Viken and plundered far
and wide around. Now when Sigurd lay in a harbour called Portyrja on
Limgard's coast, and watched the ships going to or coming from Viken to
plunder them, the Tunsberg men collected an armed force against him,
and came unexpectedly upon them while Sigurd and his men were on shore
dividing their booty. Some of the men came down from the land, but some
of the other party laid themselves with their ships right across the
harbour outside of them. Sigurd ran up into his ship, and rowed out
against them. Vatnorm's ship was the nearest, and he let his ship fall
behind the line, and Sigurd rowed clear past, and thus escaped with one
ship and the loss of many men. This verse was made upon Vatnorm (1):--
"The water serpent, people say,
From Portyrja slipped away."
ENDNOTES: (1) Vatnorm, the name of this man, means the water-serpent,
and appears to have been a favourite name for war-ships also;
hence the pun in the lines upon Vatnorm.--L.