Heimskringla; Or, The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway

4. OF KING SIGURD'S JOURNEY.

In spring King Sigurd and his fleet sailed westward to Valland (A.D. 1108), and in autumn came to Galicia, where he stayed the second winter (A.D. 1109). So says Einar Skulason:—

     "Our king, whose land so wide
     No kingdom stands beside,
     In Jacob's land next winter spent,
     On holy things intent;
     And I have heard the royal youth
     Cut off an earl who swerved from truth.
     Our brave king will endure no ill,—
     The hawks with him will get their fill."

It went thus:—The earl who ruled over the land made an agreement with King Sigurd, that he should provide King Sigurd and his men a market at which they could purchase victuals all the winter; but this he did not fulfil longer than to about Yule. It began then to be difficult to get food and necessaries, for it is a poor barren land. Then King Sigurd with a great body of men went against a castle which belonged to the earl; and the earl fled from it, having but few people. King Sigurd took there a great deal of victuals and of other booty, which he put on board of his ships, and then made ready and proceeded westward to Spain. It so fell out, as the king was sailing past Spain, that some vikings who were cruising for plunder met him with a fleet of galleys, and King Sigurd attacked them. This was his first battle with heathen men; and he won it, and took eight galleys from them. So says Haldor Skvaldre:—

     "Bold vikings, not slow
     To the death-fray to go,
     Meet our Norse king by chance,
     And their galleys advance.
     The bold vikings lost
     Many a man of their host,
     And eight galleys too,
     With cargo and crew."

Thereafter King Sigurd sailed against a castle called Sintre and fought another battle. This castle is in Spain, and was occupied by many heathens, who from thence plundered Christian people. King Sigurd took the castle, and killed every man in it, because they refused to be baptized; and he got there an immense booty. So says Haldor Skvaldre:—

     "From Spain I have much news to tell
     Of what our generous king befell.
     And first he routs the viking crew,
     At Cintra next the heathens slew;
     The men he treated as God's foes,
     Who dared the true faith to oppose.
     No man he spared who would not take
     The Christian faith for Jesus' sake."