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.
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