Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 3.djvu/162

 150 CHRONICLE OF THE SAGA XII. In Jacob's land* next winter spent, On holy things intent ; And 1 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 be- gan 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 be- longed 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 Halldor Skualldre: — " 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 Sintrcf, and fought another battle. This castle is in Spain, and was occupied by many heathens, who from thence i)lundered Christian people. King Sigurd took the castle, and killed every man in it, because they • Jacob's land. Galicia is called Jacob's land by the scald, from baint James of Compostella: the apostle James, whose relics are held in veneration at Compostella in Spain. Portugal appears to have been reckoncl part of Spain, and (ialicia a distinct country. t Smtre, now Cmtra, in Portugal ; then reckoned part of Spain.