remarkable; were in dread of it;
and said, as it proved to be, that it was an omen of important events
which had not yet taken place. And the priest Andres, on Whit Sunday,
made a long and excellent speech, and turned the conclusion of it to
the distressing situation of the townspeople; telling them to muster
courage, and not lay waste their excellent town by deserting it, but
rather to take the utmost care in all things, and use the greatest
foresight against all dangers, as of fire or the enemy, and to pray to
God to have mercy on them.

ENDNOTES: (1) The Catholic priests appear to have had wives at that time
in Norway, and celibacy to have been confined to the monks.
--L.

10. THE RISE OF WAR IN KONUNGAHELLA.

Thirteen loaded merchant ships made ready to leave the town, intending
to proceed to Bergen; but eleven of them were lost, men and goods, and
all that was in them; the twelfth was lost also, but the people were
saved, although the cargo went to the bottom. At that time the priest
Lopt went north to Bergen, with all that belonged to him, and arrived
safely. The merchant vessels were lost on Saint Lawrence eve (August
10). The Danish king Eirik and the Archbishop Assur, both sent notice to
Konungahella to keep watch on their town; and said the Vindland people
had a great force on foot with which they made war far around on
Christian people, and usually gained the victory. But the townspeople
attended very little to this warning, were indifferent, and forgot more
and more the dreadful omens the longer it was since they happened. On
the holy Saint Lawrence day, while the words of high mass were spoken,
came to the Vindland king Rettibur to Konungahella with 550 Vindland
cutters, and in each cutter were forty-four men and two horses. The
king's sister's son Dunimiz, and Unibur, a chief who ruled over many
people, were with him. These two chiefs rowed at once, with a part of
their troops, up the east arm of the Gaut river past Hising Isle, and
thus came down to the town; but a part of the fleet lay in the western
arm, and came so to the town. They made fast their ships at the piles,
and landed their horses, and rode over the height of Bratsas, and from
thence up around the town. Einar, a relation of priest Andres, brought
these tidings up to the Castle church; for there the whole inhabitants
of the town were gathered to hear high mass. Einar came just as the
priest Andres was holding his discour