The Heimskringla on Magnus Barefoot
Heimskringla > part in the government with his brother Hardaknut. In the same autumn > Preliminary Remarks.
attestation: Magnus and his cousin Hakon became kings in 1093, Hakon ruled only two years and died in 1095
"Magnus and his cousin Hakon became kings in 1093, but Hakon ruled only two years and died in 1095."
attestation: King Magnus fell in the year 1103
"King Magnus fell in the year 1103."
Heimskringla > part in the government with his brother Hardaknut. In the same autumn > 1. Beginning Of The Reign Of King Magnus And His Cousin Hakon.
- attestation: Magnus, Olaf's son, was proclaimed king of all Norway at Viken immediately after King Olaf's death
"Magnus, King Olaf's son, was, immediately after King Olaf's death, proclaimed at Viken king of all Norway"
Heimskringla > part in the government with his brother Hardaknut. In the same autumn > 2. Hakon'S Death.
attestation: King Magnus proceeded north to Nidaros and kept seven longships in the river Nid, winter 1094
"King Magnus proceeded north to the merchant town (Nidaros), and on his arrival went straight to the king's house, and there took up his abode. He remained here the first part of the winter (A.D. 1094), and kept seven longships in the open water of the river Nid"
attestation: Magnus was displeased that Hakon's gifts to bondes reduced his own income compared to his predecessors
"King Magnus was ill pleased with the great gifts which Hakon had given to the bondes to gain their favour, and thought it was so much given out of his own property."
attestation: Magnus left Nidaros at night after Candlemas with ships, tents up and lights burning, heading to Gulathing
"King Magnus left the town in the night with his ships; the tents up, and lights burning in the tents."
Heimskringla > part in the government with his brother Hardaknut. In the same autumn > 3. Of A Foray In Halland.
attestation: King Magnus sailed eastward to Viken in winter 1095 and then went southwards to plunder Halland
"King Magnus sailed in winter (A.D. 1095) eastward to Viken; but when spring approached he went southwards to Halland, and plundered far and wide."
attestation: Magnus laid waste Viskardal and many other districts and returned with great booty
"He laid waste Viskardal and many other districts, and returned with a great booty back to his own kingdom."
Heimskringla > part in the government with his brother Hardaknut. In the same autumn > 6. Death Of Thorer And Egil.
attestation: Magnus ordered both Thorer and Egil hanged at Vambarholm; Vidkun mocked Thorer as he was led from the ship, saying 'More to the larboard, Thorer!'
"King Magnus then ordered both of them to be taken out to Vambarholm"
attestation: Magnus was in such rage during the hangings that none dared ask mercy; afterwards he remarked that Egil's great friends helped him poorly, implying he would have spared him if entreated.
"King Magnus sat near while they were being hanged, and was in such a rage that none of his men was so bold as to ask mercy for them. The king said, when Egil was spinning at the gallows, "Thy great friends help thee but poorly in time of need." From this people supposed that the king only wanted to have been entreated to have spared Egil's life"
Heimskringla > part in the government with his brother Hardaknut. In the same autumn > 7. Of The Punishment Of The Throndhjem People.
attestation: After crushing the rebellion, Magnus sailed south to Throndhjem and severely punished those guilty of treason by killing some and burning others' houses.
"After this King Magnus sailed south to Throndhjem, and brought up in the fjord, and punished severely all who had been guilty of treason towards him; killing some, and burning the houses of others"
comparison: Magnus now held the whole kingdom alone, kept good peace, rooted out all vikings and lawless men, and was more like his grandfather Harald in disposition than his father.
"King Magnus had now alone the whole kingdom, and he kept good peace in the land, and rooted out all vikings and lawless men. He was a man quick, warlike, and able, and more like in all things to his grandfather, King Harald, in disposition and talents than to his father"
Heimskringla > part in the government with his brother Hardaknut. In the same autumn > 8. Of The Bonde Sveinke, And Sigurd Ulstreng.
attestation: Magnus sent Sigurd Ulstreng to command Sveinke to leave the kingdom, since Sveinke had not submitted to the king.
"King Magnus ordered Sigurd Ulstreng to be called, and told him he would send him to Sveinke with the command that he should quit the king's land and domain"
attestation: Magnus personally sailed south with five ships to confront Sveinke, suspecting he aimed to make himself king of Norway.
"The king told them he would seek out Sveinke. "For I will not conceal my suspicion that he thinks to make himself king of Norway.""
attestation: Magnus decreed Sveinke must leave the country permanently and forfeit all goods; Kolbjorn persuaded him to let Sveinke keep his property for honour's sake.
"He shall fly the country, and never come back to Norway as long as the kingdom is mine; and he shall leave all his goods behind"
attestation: Magnus accepted the arrangement for the lendermen's sake, saying 'Let him then go forth immediately.'
"The king replied, "Ye treat this matter like men, and, for your sakes, shall all things be as ye desire. Tell him so.""
attestation: Magnus twice sent messages to Sveinke, but Sveinke did not return until Magnus personally met him in Denmark, where they made full reconciliation.
"twice he sent messages to him. But he did not stir until King Magnus himself was south in Denmark, when Sveinke and the king met, and made a full reconciliation"
Heimskringla > part in the government with his brother Hardaknut. In the same autumn > 9. King Magnus Makes War On The Southern Hebudes.
attestation: Magnus undertook a western expedition with many fine men and good ships, first arriving at the Orkney Islands.
"King Magnus undertook an expedition out of the country, with many fine men and a good assortment of shipping. With this armament he sailed out into the West sea, and first came to the Orkney Islands"
attestation: Magnus captured earls Paul and Erlend at Orkney, sent them east to Norway, and installed his son Sigurd as chief of the islands.
"There he took the two earls, Paul and Erlend, prisoners, and sent them east to Norway, and placed his son Sigurd as chief over the islands"
attestation: Magnus proceeded to the Southern Hebrides where he burned, killed, and plundered, causing the population to flee to Scotland, Cantire, and Ireland.
"King Magnus, with his followers, proceeded to the Southern Hebudes, and when he came there began to burn and lay waste the inhabited places, killing the people and plundering wherever he came with his men; and the country people fled in all directions, some into Scotland-fjord, others south to Cantire, or out to Ireland"
Heimskringla > part in the government with his brother Hardaknut. In the same autumn > 10. Of Lagman, King Gudrod'S Son.
attestation: Magnus came to Iona (Holy Island) and gave peace to all men there, opening the door of Columba's Kirk but refusing to enter, decreeing no one should enter thereafter.
"King Magnus came with his forces to the Holy Island (Iona), and gave peace and safety to all men there. It is told that the king opened the door of the little Columb's Kirk there, but did not go in, but instantly locked the door again, and said that no man should be so bold as to go into that church hereafter"
attestation: From Iona, Magnus sailed to Islay where he plundered and burnt, then proceeded south around Cantire, raiding both Scotland and Ireland, and advanced to Man.
"From thence King Magnus sailed to Islay, where he plundered and burnt; and when he had taken that country he proceeded south around Cantire, marauding on both sides in Scotland and Ireland, and advanced with his foray to Man"
attestation: Magnus had Lagman put in irons; Bjorn Krephende celebrated the Agder chief's capture of Lagman at Ness.
"The king put him in irons to secure him"
Heimskringla > part in the government with his brother Hardaknut. In the same autumn > 11. Of The Fall Of Earl Huge The Brave.
attestation: Magnus sailed to Wales and at the sound of Anglesey encountered a Welsh army led by two earls: Hugo the Brave and Hugo the Stout.
"Afterwards King Magnus sailed to Wales; and when he came to the sound of Anglesey there came against him an army from Wales, which was led by two earls--Hugo the brave, and Hugo the Stout"
attestation: Hugo the Brave was fully armoured except for one eye; Magnus and a Halogaland man both shot arrows simultaneously, one hitting the nose-screen and the other penetrating Hugo's eye through his head.
"Huge the Brave was all over in armour, so that nothing was bare about him excepting one eye. King Magnus let fly an arrow at him, as also did a Halogaland man who was beside the king. They both shot at once. The one shaft hit the nose-screen of the helmet, which was bent by it to one side, and the other arrow hit the earl's eye, and went through his head; and that was found to be the king's"
attestation: Magnus won the battle and took Anglesey Isle, the farthest south any Norwegian king had ever ruled.
"King Magnus gained the victory in this battle, and then took Anglesey Isle, which was the farthest south the Norway kings of former days had ever extended their rule. Anglesey is a third part of Wales"
attestation: Magnus and Scottish king Melkolm made peace: all islands west of Scotland that could be passed by a vessel with rudder shipped would belong to the king of Norway.
"a peace was made between them; so that all the islands lying west of Scotland, between which and the mainland he could pass in a vessel with her rudder shipped, should be held to belong to the king of Norway"
attestation: Magnus had a skiff drawn across the Cantire isthmus with the rudder shipped, sitting at the tiller himself, thereby claiming Cantire as an 'island' for Norway.
"when King Magnus came north to Cantire, he had a skiff drawn over the strand at Cantire, and shipped the rudder of it. The king himself sat in the stern-sheets, and held the tiller; and thus he appropriated to himself the land that lay on the farboard side"
Heimskringla > part in the government with his brother Hardaknut. In the same autumn > 12. Death Of The Earls Of Orkney.
attestation: Magnus spent the winter in the southern isles, with his men rowing through all the fjords of Scotland, taking possession of all islands west of Scotland for Norway.
"King Magnus was all the winter in the southern isles, and his men went over all the fjords of Scotland, rowing within all the inhabited and uninhabited isles, and took possession for the king of Norway of all the islands west of Scotland"
relationship: Magnus arranged the marriage of his son Sigurd to Biadmynia, daughter of King Myrkjartan of Connaught, who was son of the Irish king Thialfe.
"King Magnus contracted in marriage his son Sigurd to Biadmynia, King Myrkjartan's daughter. Myrkjartan was a son of the Irish king Thialfe, and ruled over Connaught"
attestation: The following summer Magnus returned east to Norway; Earl Erland died of sickness at Nidaros and Earl Paul died in Bergen.
"The summer after, King Magnus, with his fleet, returned east to Norway. Earl Erland died of sickness at Nidaros, and is buried there; and Earl Paul died in Bergen"
Heimskringla > part in the government with his brother Hardaknut. In the same autumn > 13. Quarrels Of King Magnus And King Inge.
attestation: Magnus claimed the old boundary between Norway and Sweden ran along the Gaut river, then the Vener lake up to Vermaland.
"King Magnus insisted that the boundaries of the countries in old times had been so, that the Gaut river divided the kingdoms of the Swedish and Norwegian kings, but afterwards the Vener lake up to Vermaland"
attestation: Magnus claimed the western districts of Sundal, Nordal, Vear, and Vardyniar, which had long been under Swedish dominion as part of West Gautland.
"King Magnus insisted that he was owner of all the places lying west of the Vener lake up to Vermaland, which are the districts of Sundal, Nordal, Vear, and Vardyniar"
attestation: Magnus rode from Viken to Gautland with a great army, plundering and burning forest settlements until the people submitted.
"King Magnus rode from Viken up to Gautland with a great and fine army, and when he came to the forest-settlements he plundered and burnt all round; on which the people submitted, and took the oath of fidelity to him"
attestation: Magnus built a stronghold of turf and wood on the island of Kvaldinsey in the Vener lake, with a ditch around it, garrisoning it with 300 chosen men under Fin Skoptason and Sigurd Ulstreng.
"he went out to the island Kvaldinsey, and made a stronghold of turf and wood, and dug a ditch around it. When the work was finished, provisions and other necessaries that might be required were brought to it. The king left in it 300 men, who were the chosen of his forces, and Fin Skoptason and Sigurd Ulstreng as their commanders"
Heimskringla > part in the government with his brother Hardaknut. In the same autumn > 15. King Magnus And Giparde.
attestation: Magnus marched against King Inge at night and they met at Foxerne, but when he asked for Giparde before battle, the knight was nowhere to be found.
"in the night time went unsuspectedly against the Swedish king. They met at Foxerne; and when he was drawing up his men in battle order he asked, "Where is Giparde?" but he was not to be found"
attribution: Magnus composed a verse mocking Giparde's absence: 'Cannot the foreign knight abide our rough array?'
"Cannot the foreign knight abide Our rough array?--where does he hide?"
attestation: Magnus won a great victory at Foxerne, slaughtering many Swedes while King Inge escaped by flight.
"There was a great slaughter, and after the battle the field was covered with the Swedes slain, and King Inge escaped by flight. King Magnus gained a great victory"
Heimskringla > part in the government with his brother Hardaknut. In the same autumn > 16. Battle Of Foxerne.
attestation: In spring, Magnus sailed east along the Gaut river with a great army, laying waste Swedish territory.
"The spring after, as soon as the ice broke up, King Magnus, with a great army, sailed eastwards to the Gaut river, and went up the eastern arm of it, laying waste all that belonged to the Swedish dominions"
attestation: At Foxerne a Gautland army overwhelmed the Northmen, driving them to flight and killing many near a waterfall.
"When they came to Foxerne they landed from their vessels; but as they came over a river on their way an army of Gautland people came against them, and there was immediately a great battle, in which the Northmen were overwhelmed by numbers, driven to flight, and many of them killed near to a waterfall"
attestation: Magnus was easily recognized due to his stoutness, red short cloak, and bright yellow silken hair falling over his shoulders.
"King Magnus was easily known. He was a very stout man, and had a red short cloak over him, and bright yellow hair like silk that fell over his shoulders"
attestation: Magnus sailed down the river and north to Viken after the defeat.
"King Magnus then sailed down the river, and proceeded north to Viken"
Heimskringla > part in the government with his brother Hardaknut. In the same autumn > 17. Meeting Of The Kings At The Gaut River.
attestation: A three-king summit was arranged at Konghelle on the Gaut river, attended by Magnus of Norway, Inge of Sweden, and Eirik Sveinson of Denmark, each with safe conduct.
"The following summer a meeting of the kings was agreed upon at Konghelle on the Gaut river; and King Magnus, the Swedish king, Inge, and the Danish king, Eirik Sveinson, all met there, after giving each other safe conduct to the meeting"
attestation: The three kings conferred privately on the plain, then returned to their people and concluded a treaty: each would keep his forefathers' dominions and compensate the other's men for losses.
"they talked with each other a little while. Then they returned to their people, and a treaty was brought about, by which each should possess the dominions his forefathers had held before him; but each should make good to his own men the waste and manslaughter suffered by them"
relationship: Magnus was to marry King Inge's daughter Margaret, who was afterwards called 'Peace-offering'.
"King Magnus should marry King Inge's daughter Margaret, who afterwards was called Peace-offering"
Heimskringla > part in the government with his brother Hardaknut. In the same autumn > 18. King Magnus'S Marriage.
relationship: Magnus had three sons before Margaret: Eystein (by a mean mother), Sigurd (a year younger, by Thora), and Olaf (much younger, by Sigrid daughter of Saxe of Vik).
"The one of his sons who was of a mean mother was called Eystein; the other, who was a year younger, was called Sigurd, and his mother's name was Thora. Olaf was the name of a third son, who was much younger than the two first mentioned, and whose mother was Sigrid, a daughter of Saxe of Vik"
attestation: Magnus and his men brought western clothing habits home from the Hebrides campaign: bare legs, short kirtles, and over-cloaks, earning him the names 'Barefoot' or 'Bareleg'.
"They went about on the streets with bare legs, and had short kirtles and over-cloaks; and therefore his men called him Magnus Barefoot or Bareleg"
attestation: Magnus was also called 'the Tall' and 'the Strife-lover'.
"Some called him Magnus the Tall, others Magnus the Strife-lover"
attribution: Magnus composed verses longing for the emperor's daughter Matilda, lamenting her distance across the sea.
"The ring of arms where blue swords gleam, The battle-shout, the eagle's scream, The Joy of war, no more can please: Matilda is far o'er the seas."
attribution: When Magnus learned the emperor's daughter spoke favourably of him, he composed a verse about affection's thoughts flying in the wind to meet each other.
"Affection's thoughts fly in the wind, And meet each other, true and kind."
attribution: Magnus expressed weariness with Thing affairs, composing 'The time that breeds delay feels long, The skald feels weary of his song.'
"The time that breeds delay feels long, The skald feels weary of his song; What sweetens, brightens, eases life? 'Tis a sweet-smiling lovely wife."
Heimskringla > part in the government with his brother Hardaknut. In the same autumn > 25. War In Ireland.
attestation: King Magnus Barefoot launched his Irish expedition after nine years as king of Norway, around 1094-1102
"When King Magnus had been nine years king of Norway (A.D. 1094-1102), he equipped himself to go out of the country with a great force."
attestation: Magnus sailed west with Norway's most powerful men, including Sigurd Hranason, Vidkun Jonson, Dag Eilifson, and Serk of Sogn
"All the powerful men of the country followed him; such as Sigurd Hranason, Vidkun Jonson, Dag Eilifson, Serk of Sogn, Eyvind Olboge, the king's marshal Ulf Hranason, brother of Sigurd"
attestation: Magnus took Earl Erlend's sons Magnus and Erling from the Orkney Islands before sailing to the Hebrides
"the king sailed west to the Orkney Islands, from whence he took with him Earl Erlend's sons, Magnus and Erling, and then sailed to the southern Hebudes."
attestation: Magnus wintered in Connaught with Myrkjartan in 1102, then both kings campaigned into Ulster in the spring
"King Magnus was in winter (A.D. 1102) up in Connaught with King Myrkjartan, but set men to defend the country he had taken. Towards spring both kings went westward with their army all the way to Ulster"
Heimskringla > part in the government with his brother Hardaknut. In the same autumn > 26. King Magnus'S Foray On The Land.
attestation: Magnus prepared to return to Norway from Ireland, stationing men to defend Dublin
"King Magnus rigged his ships, and intended returning to Norway, but set his men to defend the country of Dublin."
attestation: Magnus sent to Myrkjartan requesting cattle for ship provisions before departing Ulster
"King Magnus sent a message to King Myrkjartan, telling him to send some cattle for slaughter; and appointed the day before Bartholomew's day as the day they should arrive"
attestation: When the cattle failed to arrive, Magnus personally led a foraging party ashore on Bartholomew's mass-day
"On the mass-day itself, when the sun rose in the sky, King Magnus went on shore himself with the greater part of his men, to look after his people, and to carry off cattle from the coast."
attestation: King Magnus wore a helmet, a red shield with a gilded lion, and carried the sword Legbit with an ivory hilt wound with gold
"King Magnus had a helmet on his head; a red shield, in which was inlaid a gilded lion; and was girt with the sword of Legbit, of which the hilt was of tooth (ivory), and handgrip wound about with gold thread"
attestation: Both Magnus and Eyvind wore matching red silk cloaks with embroidered lions
"a red silk short cloak, over his coat, on which, both before and behind, was embroidered a lion in yellow silk; and all men acknowledged that they never had seen a brisker, statelier man. Eyvind had also a red silk cloak like the king's"
Heimskringla > part in the government with his brother Hardaknut. In the same autumn > 27. Fall Of King Magnus.
attestation: Irish forces ambushed the Northmen from concealed positions as they crossed boggy terrain on the return to their ships
"When they came to the mires they went but slowly over the boggy places; and then the Irish started up on every side against them from every bushy point of land, and the battle began instantly."
attestation: Magnus ordered a tactical withdrawal with a shield-wall formation, retreating backwards out of the mires
"Call all the men together with the war-horns under the banner, and the men who shall make a rampart with their shields, and thus we will retreat backwards out of the mires"
attestation: Magnus rebuked Thorgrim's desertion by contrasting it unfavorably with Sigurd Hund's loyalty
"Thou art deserting thy king in an unmanly way. I was foolish in making thee a lenderman, and driving Sigurd Hund out of the country; for never would he have behaved so."
attestation: Magnus was speared through both thighs but broke the spear shaft and urged his men onward
"King Magnus received a wound, being pierced by a spear through both thighs above the knees. The king laid hold of the shaft between his legs, broke the spear in two, and said, "Thus we break spear-shafts, my lads; let us go briskly on. Nothing hurts me.""
attestation: Magnus Barefoot died from an axe blow to the neck by an Irishman
"A little after King Magnus was struck in the neck with an Irish axe, and this was his death-wound."
attestation: Eyvind Olboge and Ulf Hranason both fell alongside King Magnus in the Irish ambush
"There fell with King Magnus, Eyvind Olboge, Ulf Hranason, and many other great people."
Heimskringla > part in the government with his brother Hardaknut. In the same autumn > 28. Of King Magnus And Vidkun Jonson.
attestation: Magnus Barefoot reigned for ten years (1094-1105) and maintained peace within Norway
"King Magnus was ten years king of Norway (A.D. 1094-1105), and in his days there was good peace kept within the country"
attestation: Magnus was beloved by his retainers but considered harsh by the common farmers due to heavy military levies
"King Magnus was beloved by his men, but the bondes thought him harsh."
attribution: Magnus believed kings exist for honor rather than longevity, saying so when warned about recklessness
"The kings are made for honour, not for long life."
attestation: Magnus Barefoot died at approximately thirty years of age
"King Magnus was nearly thirty years of age when he fell."
Heimskringla > part in the government with his brother Hardaknut. In the same autumn > 1. Beginning Of The Reign Of King Magnus'S Sons.
- attestation: After Magnus Barefoot's death, his three sons Eystein, Sigurd, and Olaf divided the kingdom of Norway
"After King Magnus Barefoot's fall, his sons, Eystein, Sigurd, and Olaf, took the kingdom of Norway."