Studia Islandica - 01.07.1966, Blaðsíða 19
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the sons of Magnús Berfoettr, who surprisingly enough
managed to rule together with very little discord.1 In fact
they shared the throne at first with Magnús’s third son Óláfr
(1103—1116), hut of course the symbolism of the human
body does not allow of the representation of a tripartite di-
vision, and anyway Óláfr was very young and took no part
in the govemment of Norway.
The lower legs and feet of wood symbolise in some detail
the period of civil war after the death of Sigurðr Jórsalafari,
which is divided into three stages (they hardly correspond
to three reigns). At first the kingdom was divided (“tvískipt
með frændum”) between Sigurðr’s son Magnús Blindi and
Haraldr Gilli, who claimed to be the illegitimate son of
Magnús Berfœttr. It was not long before they were at war
together, and Haraldr captured Magnús and had him
blinded and maimed in 1135 (hence his nickname); this
is probably the had end (“ill endimprk”) referred to at ÓH
680/2—3. This is the first stage, represented by the calves
of the figure (“fótleggir ofan frá kné”), ÓH 679/11—680/4.
Magnús retired to a monastery for a time. Now Sigurðr
Slembidjákn, also claiming to he a son of Magnús Berfœttr,
came to claim the throne. Having failed to win it peaceahly,
he murdered Haraldr Gilli in 1136 (cf. “þar munu brœðr
berask banaspjót eptir”). This is the second stage, represent-
ed by the crossed feet or insteps (“ristrnar”), ÓH 680/5—9.
The third stage, represented by the toes, appears to be
the following period of unrest which lasted until the acces-
sion of Sverrir (1177—1202), in which Sigurðr Slembidjákn
and Magnús Blindi, who had joined forces, were defeated
and killed by their cousins Ingi and Sigurðr, the sons of
Haraldr Gilli (1139), who then reigned together, being
joined in 1142 by their brother Eysteinn. These three soon
quarrelled, and Ingi got rid of Sigurðr in 1155 and Eysteinn
in 1157 (cf. “þeirra afkœmi mun lengi siðan hverr pðrum
1 See ÍF XXVIII 262, 277.
2