norway old norse norwegian august king norway brothers died adulthood effective rulers country gained fame warrior king owed exclusively year crusade contrast portrayed peace king stayed home norway improved country engaged warfare considerably information written known brother despite year long reign years short nonetheless gained affection people highly regarded saga writers deeds reign longest joint rule norwegian history later saga literature narrates stereotypical accounts kings known improved infrastructure raised buildings churches particularly coast bergen fishing centre north activities especially centered bergen important international trade hub fish time helped construction projects activities bergen included moving royal seat central location city building new royal palace constructing churches died illness august brother sole norwegian king background born son future king born unknown mother recorded low birth death father campaigns ireland king brothers different mothers year younger years younger son accompanied father campaign west returned norway death accounts concerning later characterized literary motifs little value sources life author early 13th century mastered literary style particularly psychologically stories includes called literally comparison men skills deeds attempt similar fashion tells story managed cure melancholy friend agreeing regularly clear time talk troubled physical appearance wrote man seen blue open eyes hair yellow stature tall middle size reliable information particularly building projects offered earlier work monk norwegian chronicler wrote late 12th century reign rule entailed shared kingdom divided fixed borders early years reign nonetheless said stayed practice ruled kings considerably younger died seventeen years old virtually known earliest acts kings passing special law ordained king things abolished royal taxes originated danish rule great early kings popular according sources main motivation taxes gain support population planned crusade years preparations sailed large fleet crusade european king arrived norway hand engage warfare considerably information written notes effected country useful journey gained fame warrior king mainly time crusade portrayed saga writers peace king stayed home improved country remained king nineteen years crusade little controversy historian considered domestic peace probably attributed equally order contrast tells story instead subdued norwegian crown peacefully use gifts diplomacy despite account historical records indicate norwegian rule later reign king known claimed monopoly trade taxation fish increasingly important reign demand europe suitable port bergen main trade hub including trade connections england served import needed goods grain flour trade fishing church built fishing centre sailed north secured route coast constructing port mouth smaller coast port construction compared monk association readily reflected use form pope calls letter existence lost port dated reign supported recent archaeological surveys area says large dry docks built large ship built size shape resembled great ship built king improved shelters mountain passes notably comfortable houses permanent supervision allegedly maintains building projects norway useful country killing devil particularly active bergen role development city probably important king founder city according moved royal seat city eastern shore city core bureaucracy built church probably church nicholas church royal palace according imposing wooden building raised norway monk wrote earlier noted collapsed excessive age built founded abbey church introduced reign died august long seized illness feast tells body taken buried according generally said stood man grave norway king death good reign longest joint rule norwegian history ruled death death family married prominent noble family marriage strategy building alliances daughter maria mother future royal marriage named king norwegian civil war era subsequently defeated forced flee country legacy opinions strongly favourable monk wrote honesty governed subjects wisdom king loved peace manager public affairs christian religion later wrote wise intelligent acquainted laws history knowledge mankind quick counsel words generous merry modest liked beloved people view peaceful domestically active king supported modern historians noting literary disregarded stylized marble bust dated middle 12th century found excavations represents oldest known preserved portrait norwegian king bust inscription originally probably figure statue built wall worn bust said resemble german imperial crown byzantine type according somewhat large eyes correspond bust seen bust bergen unclear account represents independent source physical appearance today bust located collections commemorate status founder fishing town important centre century huge statue raised idea church dedicated constructed according design commemoration construction shelter near village
Eystein I of Norway