but beautiful hair. When it came to Sigurd's ears that
his mother said King Magnus was his father, he laid aside all clerkship;
and as soon as he was old enough to be his own master, he left the
country. He was a long time on his travels, went to Palestine; was at
the Jordan river; and visited many holy places, as pilgrims usually do.
When he came back, he applied himself to trading expeditions. One winter
he was in Orkney with Earl Harald, and was with him when Thorkel Fostre
Summarlidason was killed. Sigurd was also in Scotland with the Scottish
king David, and was held in great esteem by him. Thereafter Sigurd went
to Denmark; and according to the account of himself and his men, he
there submitted to the iron ordeal to confirm his paternal descent, and
proved by it, in the presence of five bishops, that he was a son of King
Magnus Barefoot. So says Ivar Ingemundson, in Sigurd's song:--

"The holiest five
Of men alive,--
Bishops were they,--
Solemnly say,
The iron glowing
Red hot, yet showing
No scaith on skin,
Proves cause and kin."

King Harald Gille's friends, however, said this was only a lie, and
deceit of the Danes.

15. SIGURD IN ICELAND.

It is told before of Sigurd that he passed some years in merchant
voyages, and he came thus to Iceland one winter, and took up his lodging
with Thorgils Odson in Saurby; but very few knew where he was. In
autumn, when the sheep were being driven into a fold to be slaughtered,
a sheep that was to be caught ran to Sigurd; and as Sigurd thought the
sheep ran to him for protection, he stretched out his hands to it and
lifted it over the fold dyke, and let it run to the hills, saying,
"There are not many who seek help from me, so I may well help this one."
It happened the same winter that a woman had committed a theft, and
Thorgils, who was angry at her for it, was going to punish her; but
she ran to Sigurd to ask his help, and he set her upon the bench by
his side. Thorgils told him to give her up, and told him what she had
committed; but Sigurd begged forgiveness for her since she had come
to him for protection, and that Thorgils would dismiss the complaint
against her, but Thorgils insisted that she should receive her
punishment. When Sigurd saw that Thorgils would not listen to his
entreaty, he started up, drew his sword, and bade him take her if he
dared; and Thorgils seeing that Sigurd would defend the woman by force
of