King Sigurd went to a feast east in Viken along with his court, and rode
past a house belonging to a great bonde called Simon. While the king was
riding past the house, he heard within such beautiful singing that he
was quite enchanted with it, and rode up to the house, and saw a lovely
girl standing at the handmill and grinding. The king got off his horse,
and went to the girl and courted her. When the king went away, the bonde
Simon came to know what the object of the king's visit had been. The
girl was called Thora, and she was Simon the bonde's servant-girl. Simon
took good care of her afterwards, and the girl brought forth a male
child (A.D. 1047), who was called Hakon, and was considered King
Sigurd's son. Hakon was brought up by Simon Thorbergson and his wife
Gunhild. Their own sons also, Onund and Andreas, were brought up with
Hakon, and were so dear to him that death only could have parted them.