King Magnus went eastward to Viken in autumn with a part of his men and
with him Orm, the king's brother; but Earl Erling remained behind in
Bergen to meet the Berkebeins in case they took the sea route. King
Magnus went to Tunsberg, where he and Orm held their Yule (A.D. 1177).
When King Magnus heard that the Birkebeins were up in Re, the king and
Orm proceeded thither with their men. There was much snow, and it was
dreadfully cold. When they came to the farm they left the beaten track
on the road, and drew up their array outside of the fence, and trod a
path through the snow with their men, who were not quite 1500 in number.
The Birkebeins were dispersed here and there in other farms, a few men
in each house. When they perceived King Magnus's army they assembled,
and drew up in regular order; and as they thought their force was larger
than his, which it actually was, they resolved to fight; but when they
hurried forward to the road only a few could advance at a time, which
broke their array, and the men fell who first advanced upon the beaten
way. Then the Birkebeins' banner was cut down; those who were nearest
gave way and some took to flight. King Magnus's men pursued them,
and killed one after the other as they came up with them. Thus the
Birkebeins could never form themselves in array; and being exposed to
the weapons of the enemy singly, many of them fell, and many fled. It
happened here, as it often does, that although men be brave and gallant,
if they have once been defeated and driven to flight, they will not
easily be brought to turn round. Now the main body of the Birkebeins
began to fly, and many fell; because Magnus's men killed all they could
lay hold of, and not one of them got quarter. The whole body became
scattered far and wide. Eystein in his flight ran into a house, and
begged for his life, and that the bonde would conceal him; but the bonde
killed him, and then went to King Magnus, whom he found at Rafnnes,
where the king was in a room warming himself by the fire along with many
people. Some went for the corpse, and bore it into the room, where the
king told the people to come and inspect the body. A man was sitting on
a bench in the corner, and he was a Birkebein, but nobody had observed
him; and when he saw and recognised his chief's body he sprang up
suddenly and actively, rushed out upon the floor, and with an axe he had
in his hands made a blow at King Magnus's neck between the shoulders.
A man saw the axe swinging, and pulled the king to a side, by which the
axe struck lower in the shoulder, and made a large wound. He then raised
the axe again, and made a blow at Orm, the King-brother, who was lying
on a bench, and the blow was directed at both legs; but Orm seeing the
man about to kill him, drew in his feet instantly, threw them over his
head, and the blow fell on the bench, in which the axe stuck fast; and
then the blows at the Birkebein came so thick that he could scarcely
fall to the ground. It was discovered that he had dragged his entrails
after him over the floor; and this man's bravery was highly praised.
King Magnus's men followed the fugitives, and killed so many that they
were tired of it. Thorfin of Snos, and a very great number of Throndhjem
people, fell there.