Markus of Skog, and King Sigurd, his foster-son, rode down to Viken towards spring, and there got a ship; but when Erling heard it he went eastwards against them, and they met at Konungahella.
Markus fled with his followers to the island Hising; and there the country people of Hising came down in swarms, and placed themselves in Markus's and Sigurd's array.Erling and his men rowed to the shore; but Markus's men shot at them.Then Erling said to his people, "Let us take their ships, but not go up to fight with a land force.The Hisingers are a bad set to quarrel with, -- hard, and without understanding.They will keep this troop but a little while among them, for Hising is but a small spot." This was done: they took the ships, and brought them over to Konungahella.Markus and his men went up to the forest district, from which they intended to make assaults, and they had spies out on both sides.Erling had many men-at-arms with him, whom he brought from other districts, and they made attacks on each other in turn.
16.BEGINNING OF ARCHBISHOP EYSTEIN.
Eystein, a son of Erlend Himaide, was selected to be archbishop, after Archbishop Jon's death; and he was consecrated the same year King Inge was killed.Now when Archbishop Eystein came to his see, he made himself beloved by all the country, as an excellent active man of high birth.The Throndhjem people, in particular, received him with pleasure; for most of the great people in the Throndhjem district were connected with the archbishop by relationship or other connection, and all were his friends.The archbishop brought forward a request to the bondes in a speech, in which he set forth the great want of money for the see, and also how much greater improvement of the revenues would be necessary to maintain it suitably, as it was now of much more importance than formerly when the bishop's see was first established.He requested of the bondes that they should give him, for determining law-suits, an ore of silver value, instead of what they had before paid, which was an ore of judgment money, of that kind which was paid to the king in judging cases; and the difference between the two kinds of ore was, that the ore he desired was a half greater than the other.By help of the archbishop's relations and friends, and his own activity, this was carried; and it was fixed by law in all the Throndhjem district, and in all the districts belonging to his archbishopric.
17.OF MARKUS AND KING SIGURD.
When Sigurd and Markus lost their ships in the Gaut river, and saw they could get no hold on Erling, they went to the Uplands, and proceeded by land north to Throndhjem.Sigurd was received there joyfully, and chosen king at an Eyra-thing; and many gallant men, with their sons, attached themselves to his party.
They fitted out ships, rigged them for a voyage, and proceeded when summer came southwards to More, and took up all the royal revenues wheresoever they came.At this time the following lendermen were appointed in Bergen for the defence of the country: -- Nikolas Sigurdson, Nokve Palson, and several military leaders; as Thorolf Dryl, Thorbjorn Gjaldkere, and many others.
As Markus and Sigurd sailed south, they heard that Erling's men were numerous in Bergen; and therefore they sailed outside the coast-rocks, and southwards past Bergen.It was generally remarked, that Markus's men always got a fair wind, wherever they wished to sail to.
18.MARKUS AND KING SIGURD KILLED.
As soon as Erling Skakke heard that Sigurd and Markus had sailed southwards, he hastened to Viken, and drew together an armed force; and he soon had a great many men, and many stout ships.
But when he came farther in Viken, he met with a strong contrary wind, which kept him there in port the whole summer.Now when Sigurd and Markus came east to Lister, they heard that Erling had a great force in Viken; so they turned to the north again.But when they reached Hordaland, with the intention of sailing to Bergen, and came opposite the town, Nikolas and his men rowed out against them, with more men and larger ships than they had.
Sigurd and Markus saw no other way of escaping but to row away southwards.Some of them went out to sea, others got south to the sound, and some got into the Fjords.Markus, and some people with him, sprang upon an isle called Skarpa.Nikolas and his men took their ships, gave Jon Halkelson and a few others quarter, but killed the most of them they could get hold of.Some days after Eindride Heidafylja found Sigurd and Markus, and they were brought to Bergen.Sigurd was beheaded outside of Grafdal, and Markus and another man were hanged at Hvarfsnes.This took place on Michaelmas day (September 29, 1163), and the band which had followed them was dispersed.
19.ERLING AND THE PEOPLE OF HISING ISLE.
