Rise of tJie Birkibeinar 279 



that we have had to record, so that the wilder spirits 

 who shunned civilisation and quiet had more and more 

 to betake themselves to these inland wooded regions. 



Bands of adventurers and outlaws existed all through 

 the Erling-Magnus reign. They represented a per- 

 petual protest against the new ecclesiastical-feudal 

 regime of Erling and his sou. Presently, out of these 

 scattered elements of disturbance, we see a new band 

 come into existence. They were a ragged regiment. 

 Marching and counter-marching, always pursued, never 

 wholly submitting, they were reduced to the greatest 

 extremities. For shoes they were obliged to betake 

 themselves to the bark of the birch trees which grew 

 abundantly in the forests, so that they gained from the 

 ' respectable classes ' the contemptuous name of Birki- 

 beinar or ' Birch-legs.' 



The first leader of these Birkibeinar was named 

 Eystein Meyla, or 'The Maid,' so called from his girlish 

 appearance. His command dates from a.d. 1174. (Ten 

 years, we see, had passed since Magnus was anointed 

 king by the other Eystein, the Archbishop.) Meyla 

 had claims to the throne, as good as Magnus', perhaps. 

 He was not wanting in courage, but he had not the 

 resources fitting him to be a great leader, and his 

 period of command was short. He made a descent 

 upon Throndhjem in 1176, and succeeded so far that 

 at the Ore Thing lie received the title of king ; but soon 

 after this he was met by a body of Magnus' followers, 

 and was killed in the engagement that ensued. Before, 

 however, the troop of ' Birch-legs ' could be completely 

 dispersed, there rose to the command of it another man 

 of a much more remarkable build, a sort of Napoleon 



