Barefoot left three sons, all kings at once, reigning peaceably
together. But to us, at present, the only noteworthy one of them was
Sigurd; who, finding nothing special to do at home, left his brothers
to manage for him, and went off on a far Voyage, which has rendered him
distinguishable in the crowd. Voyage through the Straits of Gibraltar,
on to Jerusalem, thence to Constantinople; and so home through Russia,
shining with such renown as filled all Norway for the time being. A
King called Sigurd Jorsalafarer (Jerusalemer) or Sigurd the Crusader
henceforth. His voyage had been only partially of the Viking type;
in general it was of the Royal-Progress kind rather; Vikingism only
intervening in cases of incivility or the like. His reception in
the Courts of Portugal, Spain, Sicily, Italy, had been honorable and
sumptuous. The King of Jerusalem broke out into utmost splendor and
effusion at sight of such a pilgrim; and Constantinople did its
highest honors to such a Prince of Vaeringers. And the truth is, Sigurd
intrinsically was a wise, able, and prudent man; who, surviving both his
brothers, reigned a good while alone in a solid and successful way. He
shows features of an original, independent-thinking man; something
of ruggedly strong, sincere, and honest, with peculiarities that are
amiable and even pathetic in the character and temperament of him;
as certainly, the course of life he took was of his own choosing, and
peculiar enough. He happens furthermore to be, what he least of all
could have chosen or expected, the last of the Haarfagr Genealogy that
had any success, or much deserved any, in this world. The last of the
Haarfagrs, or as good as the last! So that, singular to say, it is in
reality, for one thing only that Sigurd, after all his crusadings and
wonderful adventures, is memorable to us here: the advent of an
Irish gentleman called "Gylle Krist" (Gil-christ, Servant of Christ),
who,--not over welcome, I should think, but (unconsciously) big with the
above result,--appeared in Norway, while King Sigurd was supreme. Let us
explain a little.

This Gylle Krist, the unconsciously fatal individual, who "spoke Norse
imperfectly," declared himself to be the natural son of whilom Magnus
Barefoot; born to him there while engaged in that unfortunate "Conquest
of Ireland." "Here is my mother come with me," said Gilchrist, "who
declares my real baptismal name to have been Harald, given me by that
great King; and who