mother Asta got Hrane, who was called the fosterfather of kings, to command a ship of war and take Olaf under his charge; for Hrane had often been on war expeditions. When Olaf in this way got a ship and men, the crew gave him the title of king; for it was the custom that those commanders of troops who were of kingly descent, on going out upon a viking cruise, received the title of king immediately, although they had no land or kingdom. Hrane sat at the helm; and some say that Olaf himself was but a common rower, although he was king of the men-at-arms. They steered east along the land, and came first to Denmark. So says Ottar Svarte, in his lay which he made about King Olaf : —

"Young was the king when from his home
He first began in ships to roam,

His ocean-steed to ride

To Denmark o'er the tide.

Well exercised art thou in truth

In manhood's earnest work, brave youth!
Out from the distant north

Mighty hast thou come forth."

Towards autumn he sailed eastward to the Swedish dominions, and there harried and burnt all the country round; for he thought he had good cause of hostility against the Swedes, as they killed his father Harald. Ottar Svarte says distinctly that he came from the east, out by way of Denmark : —

"Thy ship from shore to shore,

With many a well-plied oar,

Across the Baltic foam is dancing,-
Shields, and spears, and helms glancing!
Hoist high the swelling sail

To catch the freshening gale!

CHAPTER V.-Olaf's first Battle.

The same autumn Olaf had his first battle at Sotasker, which lies in the Swedish skerry circle.* He fought there with some vikings, whose leader was Sote. Olaf had much fewer men, but his ships were larger, and he laid his ships between some blind rocks, which made it difficult for the vikings to get alongside; and Olaf's men threw grappling irons into the ships which came nearest, drew them up to their own vessels, and cleared them of men. The vikings took to flight after losing many men. Sigvat the skald tells of this fight in the lay in which he reckons up King Olaf's battles:

* The coast of Sweden and Norway is surrounded by a belt of rocks and islets, within which there is a smooth-water passage generally along the coast. This circle or belt is called the Skiergard-the skerrygard,-being a protection of rocks or skerries against the force of the ocean.-L.

CHAPTER VI.-Foray in Svithiod.

King Olaf steered thereafter eastwards to Svithiod, and into the Lag (the Mælar lake), and ravaged the land on both sides. He sailed all the way up to Sigtuna, and laid his ships close to the old Sigtuna. The Swedes say the stone-heaps are still to be seen which Olaf had laid under the ends of the gangways from the shore to the ships. When autumn was advanced, Olaf Haraldson heard that Olaf the Swedish king was assembling an army, and also that he had laid iron chains across Stoksund (the channel between the Mælar lake and the sea), and had laid troops there; for the Swedish king thought that Olaf Haraldson would be kept in there till frost came, and he thought little of Olaf's force, knowing he had but few people. Now when King Olaf Haraldson came to Stoksund he could not get through, as there was a castle west of the sound, and men-at-arms lay on the south; and he heard that the Swedish king was come there with a great army and many ships. He therefore dug a canal across the flat land Agnafit out to the sea. Over all Svithiod all the running waters fall into the Mælar lake; but the only outlet of it to the sea is so small that many rivers are wider, and when much rain or snow falls the water rushes in a great

* Svithiod, the country about Upsala, was Sweden Proper, and distinct from Gautland and other earldoms subject to Sweden. Scania belonged to Denmark.-L.

cataract out by Stoksund, and the lake rises high and floods the land. It fell heavy rain just at this time; and as the canal was dug out to the sea, the water and stream rushed into it. Then Olaf had all the rudders unshipped, and hoisted all sail aloft. It was blowing a strong breeze astern, and they steered with their oars, and the ships came in a rush over all the shallows, and got into the sea without any damage. Now went the Swedes to their king, Olaf, and told him that Olaf the Great had slipped out to sea; on which the king was enraged against those who should have watched that Olaf did not get away. This pas sage has since been called King's Sound; but large vessels cannot pass through it, unless the waters are very high. Some relate that the Swedes were aware that Olaf had cut across the tongue of land, and that the water was falling out that way; and they flocked to it with the intention to hinder Olaf from getting away, but the water undermined the banks on each side so that they fell in with the people, and many were drowned: but the Swedes contradict this as a false report, and deny the loss of people. The king sailed to Gotland in harvest, and prepared to plunder; but the Gotlanders assembled, and sent men to the king, offering him a scat. The king found this would suit him, and he received the scat, and remained there all winter. So says Ottar Svarte:

"Thou seaman-prince! thy men are paid :

The scat on Gotlanders is laid;

Young man or old

To our seamen bold

The Yngling princes fled,
Eysyssel people bled:

Who can't defend the wealth they have
Must die, or share with the rover brave."

CHAPTER VII.-The Second Battle.

It is related here that King Olaf, when spring set in, sailed east to Eysyssel, and landed and plundered: the Eysyssel men came down to the strand and gave him battle. King Olaf gained the victory, pursued those who fled, and laid waste the land with fire and sword. It is told that when King Olaf first came to Eysyssel they offered him scat, and when the scat was to be brought down to the strand the king came. to meet it with an armed force, and that was not what the bondes there expected; for they had brought no scat, but only their weapons with which they fought against the king, as before related. So says Sigvat the skald :

"With much deceit and bustle
To the heath of Eysyssel

The bondes brought the king,
To get scat at their weapon-thing.
But Olaf was too wise

To be taken by surprise:

Their legs scarce bore them off

O'er the common fast enough."

CHAPTER VIII.-The Third Battle.

After this they sailed to Finland and plundered there, and went up the country. All the people fled to the forest, and they had emptied their houses of all