Then Erling himself went to the bow, and stayed there a while, until they succeeded in getting on board the king's ship: and then the ship was cleared of men on the bows, and the whole army gave way.Many sprang into the water, many fell, but the greater number got to the land.So says Einar Skulason: --"Men fall upon the slippery deck --Men roll off from the blood-drenched wreck;Dead bodies float down with the stream, And from the shores witch-ravens scream.
The cold blue river now runs red With the warm blood of warriors dead, And stains the waves in Karmt Sound With the last drops of the death-wound.
"All down the stream, with unmann'd prow, Floats many an empty long-ship now, Ship after ship, shout after shout, Tell that Kign Hakon can't hold out.
The bowmen ply their bows of elm, The red swords flash o'er broken helm:
King Hakon's men rush to the strand, Out of their ships, up through the land."Einar composed a song about Gregorius Dagson, which is called the River-song.King Inge granted life and peace to Nikolas Skialdvarson when his ship was deserted, and thereupon he went into King Inge's service, and remained in it as long as the king lived.Eindride Jonson leaped on board of King Inge's ship when his own was cleared of men, and begged for his life.King Inge wished to grant it; but Havard Klining's son ran up, and gave him a mortal wound, which was much blamed; but he said Eindride had been the cause of his father's death.There was much lamentation at Eindride's death, but principally in the Throndhjem district.
Many of Hakon's people fell here, but not many chiefs.Few of King Inge's people fell, but many were wounded.King Hakon fled up the country, and King Inge went north to Viken with his troops; and he, as well as Gregorius, remained in Viken all winter (A.D.1160).When King Inge's men, Bergliot and his brothers, sons of Ivar of Elda, came from the battle to Bergen, they slew Nickolas Skeg, who had been Hakon's treasurer, and then went north to Throndhjem.
King Hakon came north before Yule, and Sigurd was sometimes home at Reyr; for Gregorius, who was nearly related to Sigurd, had obtained for him life and safety from King Inge, so that he retained all his estates.King Hakon was in the merchant-town of Nidaros in Yule; and one evening in the beginning of Yule his men fought in the room of the court, and in this affray eight men were killed, and many were wounded.The eighth day of Yule, King Hakon's man Alf Rode, son of Ottar Birting, with about eighty men, went to Elda, and came in the night unexpectedly on the people, who were very drunk, and set fire to the room; but they went out, and defended themselves bravely.There fell Bergliot, Ivar's son, and Ogmund, his brother, and many more.They had been nearly thirty altogether in number.In winter died, north in the merchant-town, Andres Simonson, King Hakon's foster-brother; and his death was much deplored.Erling Skakke and Inge's men, who were in Bergen, threatened that in winter they would proceed against Hakon and his men; but it came to nothing.
Gregorius sent word from the east, from Konungahella, that if he were so near as Erling and his men, he would not sit quietly in Bergen while Hakon was killing King Inge's friends and their comrades in war north in the Throndhjem country.
12.THE CONFLICT UPON THE PIERS.
King Inge and Gregorius left the east in spring, and came to Bergen; but as soon as Hakon and Sigurd heard that Inge had left Viken, they went there by land.When King Inge and his people came to Bergen, a quarrel arose between Haldor Brynjolfson and Bjorn Nikolason.Bjorn's house-man asked Haldor's when they met at the pier, why he looked so pale.
He replied, because he had been bled.
"I could not look so pale if I tried, at merely being bled.""I again think," retorted the other, "that thou wouldst have borne it worse, and less manfully." And no other beginning was there for their quarrel than this.Afterwards one word followed another, till from brawling they came to fighting.It was told to Haldor Brynjolfson, who was in the house drinking, that his house-man was wounded down on the pier and he went there immediately.But Bjorn's house-men had come there before, and as Haldor thought his house-man had been badly treated, he went up to them and beat them; and it was told to Bjorn Buk that the people of Viken were beating his house-men on the pier.Then Bjorn and his house-men took their weapons, hurried down to the pier, and would avenge their men; and a bloody strife began.It was told Gregorius that his relation Haldor required assistance, and that his house-men were being cut down in the street; on which Gregorius and his men ran to the place in their armour.
Now it was told Erling Skakke that his sister's son Bjorn was fighting with Gregorius and Haldor down on the piers, and that he needed help.Then he proceeded thither with a great force, and exhorted the people to stand by him; saying it would be a great disgrace never to be wiped out, if the Viken people should trample upon them in their own native place.There fell thirteen men, of whom nine were killed on the spot, and four died of their wounds, and many were wounded.When the word came to King Inge that Gregorius and Erling were fighting down on the piers, he hastened there, and tried to separate them; but could do nothing, so mad were they on both sides.Then Gregorius called to Inge, and told him to go away; for it was in vain to attempt coming between them, as matters now stood.He said it would be the greatest misfortune if the king mixed himself up with it; for he could not be certain that there were not people in the fray who would commit some great misdeed if they had opportunity.Then King Inge retired; and when the greatest tumult was over, Gregorius and his men went to Nikolas church, and Erling behind them, calling to each other.Then King Inge came a second time, and pacified them; and both agreed that he should mediate between them.