The Heimskringla on King Eystein
Heimskringla > part in the government with his brother Hardaknut. In the same autumn > 18. Of Ivar Ingimundson.
attestation: King Eystein improved Norwegian laws and privileges, strictly observed them, and demonstrated great prudence and understanding in governance.
"King Eystein had in many ways improved the laws and priveleges of the country people, and kept strictly to the laws; and he made himself acquainted with all the laws of Norway, and showed in everything great prudence and understanding."
attestation: Eystein's friendship with Ivar Ingimundson, an Icelandic poet of good family, exemplified the king's generous and caring nature.
"What a valuable man King Eystein was, how full of friendship, and how much he turned his mind to examining and avoiding everything that could be of disadvantage to his friends, may be seen from his friendship to an Iceland man called Ivar Ingimundson. The man was witty, of great family, and also a poet."
attestation: Eystein noticed Ivar's melancholy and systematically tried to guess the cause through a series of questions about displeasure, esteem, and desire.
"The king saw that Ivar was out of spirits, and asked him why he was so melancholy."
attestation: Ivar eventually confessed he was in love with a girl, but his situation was complicated because his own brother possessed her.
"The king: "It is difficult now to guess. Is there any girl here, or in any other country, to whom thy affections are engaged?"
He said it was so."
attestation: Eystein's final remedy was to invite Ivar to speak about the girl daily after meals, reasoning that sorrow lightens when brought out openly.
"Come to me every day after the tables are removed, and, if I am not sitting upon important business, I shall talk with thee about the girl in every way that I can think of; and I shall do so at leisure. It sometimes happens that sorrow is lightened by being brought out openly"
attestation: The king promised Ivar would never leave without a gift, and through these regular conversations Ivar's sorrow gradually wore away and he regained good spirits.
"And now they did so constantly; and when the king was not occupied with weightier affairs he talked with him, and his sorrow by degrees wore away, and he was again in good spirits."
attestation: Eystein offered to use his royal letters, seal, persuasions, and threats to win Ivar's beloved in Iceland, showing the king's willingness to deploy full royal authority for a friend.
"Go to Iceland when spring sets in, and I shall give thee money, and presents, and with these my letters and seal to the men who have the principal sway there; and I know no man there who will not obey my persuasions or threats."
attestation: Eystein proposed a winter journey in guest-quarters so Ivar could see many beautiful girls, provided they were not of royal stock, offering marriage arrangements.
"After Yule I will travel in guest-quarters. Thou shalt come along with me, and thou will have an opportunity of seeing many beautiful girls; and, provided they are not of the royal stock, I will get thee one of them in marriage."
Heimskringla > part in the government with his brother Hardaknut. In the same autumn > 19. Of King Sigurd.
- attestation: The three brothers Eystein, Sigurd, and Olaf ruled Norway together and abolished many burdens the Danes had imposed during Svein Alfifason's rule, earning great popularity.
"When all these brothers, Eystein, Sigurd and Olaf were kings of Norway, they did away with many burthens which the Danes had laid upon the people in the time that Svein Alfifason ruled Norway; and on this account they were much beloved"
Heimskringla > part in the government with his brother Hardaknut. In the same autumn > 20. Of King Sigurd'S Dream.
attestation: The court begged King Eystein to discover the cause of Sigurd's depression, and Eystein reluctantly agreed after much entreaty.
"they begged King Eystein to consider how they could discover the cause why the people who came to the king could get no reply to what they laid before him. King Eystein answered them, that it was difficult to speak with the king about this; but at last, on the entreaty of many, he promised to do it."
attestation: Eystein questioned Sigurd methodically about possible causes: foreign news, desire to travel, or offence by any man, but Sigurd denied all these.
""Is it then, brother," says King Eystein, "that you would like to travel out of the country, and augment your dominions as our father did?"
He answered, that it was not that either."
attestation: Eystein accepted the difficult task despite risk of the king's anger if wrong and public blame if ineffective.
"King Eystein replies, "This is a very difficult matter, sire, on both sides; as I am exposed to thy anger if I cannot interpret it, and to the blame of the public if I can do nothing in the matter; but I will rather fall under your displeasure, even if my interpretation should not be agreeable.""
attestation: Eystein interpreted the bench as their shared kingdom, and Saint Olaf's joyful approach to brother Olaf as meaning Olaf would die first but have all good things hereafter.
"That the bench betokens the kingdom we brothers have; and as you thought King Olaf came with so glad a countenance to our brother, King Olaf, he will likely live the shortest time of us brothers, and have all good to expect hereafter"
attestation: Eystein predicted he himself would live longer than Olaf but not become old, and attributed the saint's lesser glory to his own sins against Saint Olaf's commands.
"I may possibly live a few years longer, but not become old, and I trust his providence will stand over me; but that he did not come to me with the same splendour and glory as to our brother Olaf, that will be because, in many ways, I have sinned and transgressed his command."
attestation: Eystein interpreted the saint's delay in coming to Sigurd not as foretelling death but as promising the longest life, though some heavy accident might befall him.
"If he delayed coming to thee, I think that in no way betokens thy death, but rather a long life; but it may be that some heavy accident may occur to thee"
attestation: Eystein foretold Sigurd would be the oldest brother and rule the kingdom longest, which proved accurate in the historical sequence of their deaths.
"I foretell that thou will be the oldest of us, and wilt rule the kingdom longest."
Heimskringla > part in the government with his brother Hardaknut. In the same autumn > 22. Of The Cases Before The Thing.
attestation: Eystein reluctantly agreed to defend Hranason, acknowledging the difficulty of opposing his brother but citing their family relationship with Hranason.
"King Eystein replied, "This is a difficult matter that you propose to me, to speak against my brother; and there is a great difference between defending a cause and pursuing it in law;""
attestation: King Eystein reminded King Sigurd that Sigurd Hranason was married to their aunt Skialdvor, and offered to pay any penalty on his behalf.
"reminding him of the relationship between them and Sigurd Hranason, who was married to their aunt, Skialdvor; and said he would pay the penalty for the crime committed against the king"
attestation: King Sigurd insisted punishment was better governance, but Eystein argued that proper legal procedure required witnesses at a Thing, not a meeting, under land law rather than Bjarkey law.
"King Eystein replied, "If thou, brother, wilt follow the law, and punish such acts according to the country's privileges, then it would be most correct that Sigurd Hranason produce his witnesses, and that the case be judged at the Thing, but not at a meeting; for the case comes under the law of the land, not under Bjarkey law.""
attestation: King Sigurd summoned parties to the Arnarnes Thing, but Eystein went there and demonstrated the court lacked jurisdiction to outlaw a lenderman at that particular Thing.
"Now King Sigurd told the lagmen to pronounce the judgment; but King Eystein replied thus: "I trust there are here men acquainted sufficiently with the laws of Norway, to know that they cannot condemn a lendermen to be outlawed at this Thing.""
attestation: Eystein's bitter reply implied that Sigurd's crusading achievements made him a bully against small opponents, contrasting military glory with judicial overreach.
"Then said King Eystein, "There are certainly not many things which do not succeed with thee, and especially when there are but few and small folks to oppose one who has carried through such great things.""
attestation: At the Gula Thing, Eystein objected that all summoned parties belonged to the Thing-district but the defendant and deed were from Halogaland, rendering it incompetent.
"Now King Eystein objected that all the parties summoned in any cases tried here belonged to the Thing-district; but in this case the deed and the parties belonged to Halogaland."
attestation: The brothers parted in great wrath after the Gula Thing, with Eystein going north to Throndhjem and Sigurd marshaling a massive army of lendermen, house-servants, and bondes.
"The kings parted in great wrath; and King Eystein went north to Throndhjem. King Sigurd, on the other hand, summoned to him all lendermen, and also the house-servants of the lendermen"
attestation: Eystein also came to Hrafnista and had Hranason formally transfer the case to him by handshake before witnesses, making it a dispute between the two kings.
"King Eystein prepared himself also, and proceeded with many people from the town of Nidaros to the Thing, where he made Sigurd Hranason, by hand-shake before witnesses, deliver over to him the following and defending this case."
attestation: Eystein challenged the lagmen, asking where in Norwegian law bondes had the right to judge between kings, and the lagmen ruled that disputes between kings must be decided only at the Eyra Thing in Nidaros.
"Then King Eystein asks the lagmen where that law was made in Norway which gave the bondes the right to judge between the kings of the country, when they had pleas with each other."
attestation: Eystein argued the case had already been dismissed from three Things and a town meeting, and required the lagmen to acquit Hranason according to law.
"King Eystein stood up and said, "If thy accusation were true, although we do not know what truth there may be in thy testimony, yet this case has already been dismissed from three Things, and a fourth time from a town meeting; and therefore I require that the lagmen acquit Sigurd in this case according to law." And they did so."
Heimskringla > part in the government with his brother Hardaknut. In the same autumn > 25. Comparison Between The Two Kings.
attestation: During a dull feast in the Uplands, King Eystein proposed they compare themselves to liven the mood, despite King Sigurd's blunt reluctance.
"Then said King Eystein, "Why are the people so silent? It is more usual in drinking parties that people are merry, so let us fall upon some jest over our ale that will amuse people; for surely, brother Sigurd, all people are well pleased when we talk cheerfully.""
attestation: Sigurd argued a chief should be conspicuous and powerful in a crowd; Eystein countered that handsomeness and legal knowledge were equally fitting distinctions.
"Eystein: "It is not less a distinction and an ornament that a man is of a handsome appearance, so as to be easily known from others on that account; and this appears to me to suit a chief best, because the best ornament is allied to beauty. I am moreover more knowing in the law than you, and on every subject my words flow more easily than yours.""
attestation: Both kings were seated at the same feast in the Uplands, each usually entertained in separate houses, but the bondes found it more convenient to host them together.
"King Eystein and King Sigurd went both in spring to guest-quarters in the Uplands; and each was entertained in a separate house, and the houses were not very distant from each other. The bondes, however, thought it more convenient that both should be entertained together by turns in each house"
attestation: Eystein initiated the comparison by asserting they had equal reputation, property, birth, and education, setting a frame of equality before competing.
""I will take thee, brother, to compare myself with, and will make it appear so as if we had both equal reputation and property, and that there is no difference in our birth and education.""
attestation: The drinking was described as poor ale, making the guests very quiet and still, prompting Eystein to seek an entertainment.
"in the evening, when the people began to drink, the ale was not good; so that the guests were very quiet and still."
attestation: Eystein defended his supposed promise-breaking as necessary mediation between opposing parties in legal disputes.
"when people bring their cases before me, I wish first to give every man that satisfaction in his affairs which he desires; but afterwards comes the opposite party, and then there is something to be given or taken away very often, in order to mediate between them, so that both may be satisfied."
attestation: Eystein retorted that he had equipped Sigurd for the expedition like outfitting a sister, claiming credit for enabling the crusade.
"Eystein: "Now you touched the tender spot. I would not have brought up this conversation if I had not known what to reply on this point. I can truly say that I equipt you from home like a sister, before you went upon this expedition.""
attestation: Eystein enumerated his domestic accomplishments: building five churches, a harbour at Agdanes, a warping post at Sinholm, and a royal hall in Bergen, all while Sigurd killed heathens abroad.
"I built five churches from the foundations, and a harbour out at Agdanes, where it before was impossible to land, and where vessels ply north and south along the coast. I set a warping post and iron ring in the sound of Sinholm, and in Bergen I built a royal hall"
attestation: Eystein delivered the most cutting rejoinder: had he wished to tie a knot for Sigurd, Sigurd would not have returned as king, since he arrived home with a single ship against Eystein's fleet.
"King Eystein said: "I shall not go and untie the knot which you tied for me; but if I had been inclined to tie a knot for thee, thou wouldst not have been king of Norway at thy return to this country, when with a single ship you came sailing into my fleet.""
attestation: Eystein pointed out that a harbour at Agdanes where landing was previously impossible now served vessels plying north and south, a lasting practical contribution.
"a harbour out at Agdanes, where it before was impossible to land, and where vessels ply north and south along the coast."
attestation: Eystein's promise that it was easy to imitate Sigurd by promising evil to all was a sharp commentary on Sigurd's harsh style of ruling.
"It would be an easy matter for me to do as you do,--to promise evil to all; and I never hear any complain of your not keeping this promise to them."
Heimskringla > part in the government with his brother Hardaknut. In the same autumn > 27. Of King Eystein'S Death.
attestation: King Eystein built a large ship at Nidaros modeled on King Olaf Trygvason's Long Serpent, with gilded dragon head and crooked tail.
"King Eystein built a large ship at Nidaros, which, in size and shape, was like the Long Serpent which King Olaf Trygvason had built. At the stem there was a dragon's head, and at the stern a crooked tail, and both were gilded over."
attestation: Six years after King Olaf's death, King Eystein died on August 29, 1123 at a feast at Hustadir in Stim, and was buried in Christ church in Nidaros.
"King Eystein, at a feast at Hustadir in Stim, was seized with an illness which soon carried him off. He died the 29th of August, 1123, and his body was carried north to Nidaros, and buried in Christ church"
attestation: More mourners stood over Eystein's grave than any in Norway since Magnus the Good, son of Saint Olaf, demonstrating his extraordinary popularity.
"it is generally said that so many mourners never stood over any man's grave in Norway as over King Eystein's, at least since the time Magnus the Good, Saint Olaf's son, died."
attestation: Eystein had been king of Norway for twenty years (1104-1123), after which his brother King Sigurd ruled alone.
"Eystein had been twenty years (A.D. 1104-1123) king of Norway; and after his decease his brother, King Sigurd, was the sole king of Norway as long as he lived."
Heimskringla > part in the government with his brother Hardaknut. In the same autumn > Preliminary Remarks.
- attestation: This saga of conflicts is the final section of Snorri's Heimskringla; King Eystein died in 1177, but Magnus Erlingson reigned until his death in 1184.
"With this saga, which describes a series of conflicts, Snorre's "Heimskringla" ends. King Eystein died in 1177, but Magnus Erlingson continued to reign until his death in 1184."