and merchants he gained the victory, and a great booty. CHAPTER XXVII.-King Olaf's Expedition to Norway. King Olaf left his long-ships* there behind, but made ready two ships of burden; and had with him 220† men in them, well-armed and chosen people. He sailed out to sea northwards in harvest, but encountered a tremendous storm, and they were in danger of being lost; but as they had a chosen crew, and the king's luck with them, all went on well. So says Ottar : "Olaf, great stem of kings, is brave Bold in the fight, bold on the wave. Thy heart comes near. Undaunted, 'midst the roaring flood, Firm at his post each shipman stood; And further he says: "Thou able chief! with thy fearless crew Thou meetest, with skill and courage true, even the largest, were worked with oars, and coasted close to the shore, and at night lay at, or even on, the beach; so that harbours with anchorage were of less importance than flat shores to haul up their vessels on, and the localities cannot be determined by our harbours.-L. * There is a distinction evidently here between the class of vessels called long-ships and the large sea-going vessels. The long-ship has been, like the Crane and the Long Serpent, a vessel intended for rowing up rivers and along the coast, but not for sea voyages, and in autumn not thought suitable for crossing the North Sea.-L. + Two long hundreds and twenty = 260. Though waves mast-high were breaking round, With helm in hand On Sæla's strand." * It is related here that King Olaf came from sea to the very middle of Norway; and the isle is called Sæla where they landed, and is outside of Stad. King Olaf said he thought it must be a lucky day for them, since they had landed at Sæla in Norway; and observed it was a good omen that it so happened. As they were going up in the isle, the king slipped with one foot in a place where there was clay, but supported himself with the other foot. Then said he, "The king falls." "Nay," replies Hrane, "thou didst not fall, king, but set fast foot in the soil." The king laughed thereat, and said, "It may be so if God will." They went down again thereafter to their ships, and sailed to Ulfasund, where they heard that Earl Hakon was south in Sogn, and was expected north as soon as wind allowed with a single ship. it the aken CHAPTER XXVIII. Earl Hakon taken Prisoner in Saudungssund by Olaf. King Olaf steered his ships within the ordinary ships' course when he came abreast of Fialer district, and ran into Saudungssund. There he laid his two vessels one on each side of the sound, with a thick cable between them. At the same moment Sæll means lucky. Sæla resembles this word in sound: hence the king's pun.-L. Hakon, Earl Eirik's son, came rowing into the sound with a manned ship; and as they thought these were but two merchant-vessels that were lying in the sound, they rowed between them. Then Olaf and his men draw the cable up right under Hakon's ship's keel, and wind it up with the capstan.* As soon as the vessel's course was stopped her stern was lifted up, and her bow plunged down; so that the water came in at her fore-end and over both sides, and she upset. King Olaf's people took Earl Hakon and all his men whom they could get hold of out of the water, and made them prisoners; but some they killed with stones and other weapons, and some were drowned. So says Ottar:— "The black ravens wade In the blood from thy blade. Young Hakon so gay, With his ship, is thy prey : His ship, with its gear, Thou hast ta'en; and art here, Thy forefathers' land From the earl to demand." Earl Hakon was led up to the king's ship. He was the handsomest man that could be seen. He had long hair, as fine as silk, bound about his head with a gold ornament. When he sat down in the fore-hold, the king said to him, "It is not false what is said of your family, that ye are handsome people to look at; but now your luck has deserted you.' * Vindáss-windlass, capstan, winch-was a machine consequently in common use in their vessels. From the size of the ships, and the lowering and raising their masts, the practical use of the pulley and of the lever, as applied to sea business, has been understood probably by the Northmen.-L.. Hakon the earl replied, "It has always been the case that success is changeable; and there is no luck in the matter. It has gone with your family as with mine, to have by turns the better lot. I am little beyond childhood in years; and at any rate we could not have defended ourselves, as we did not expect any attack on the way. It may turn out better with us another time." Then said King Olaf, "Dost thou not apprehend that thou art in that condition that, hereafter, there can be neither victory nor defeat for thee?" The earl replies, "That is what thou only canst determine, king, according to thy pleasure." Olaf says, "What wilt thou give me, earl, if for this time I let thee go, whole and unhurt?" The earl asks what he would take. "Nothing," says the king, "except that thou shalt leave the country, give up thy kingdom, and take an oath that thou shalt never go into battle against me." The earl answered, that he would do so. And now Earl Hakon took the oath that he would never fight against Olaf, or seek to defend Norway against him, or attack him; and King Olaf thereupon gave him and all his men life and peace. The earl got back the ship which had brought him there, and he and his men rowed their way. Thus says Sigvat of him : "In old Saudungs sound The king Earl Hakon found, The best and fairest youth CHAPTER XXIX.-Earl Hakon's Departure from Norway. After this [1014] the earl made ready as fast as possible to leave the country and sail over to England. He met King Canute, his mother's brother, there, and told him all that had taken place between him and King Olaf. King Canute received him remarkably well, placed him in his court in his own house, and gave him great power in his kingdom. Earl Hakon dwelt a long time with King Canute. During the time Svein and Hakon ruled over Norway, a reconciliation with Erling Skialgson was effected, and secured by Aslak, Erling's son, marrying Gunhild, Earl Svein's daughter; and the father and son, Erling and Aslak, retained all the fiefs which King Olaf Trygveson had given to Erling. Thus Erling became a firm friend of the earl's, and their mutual friendship was confirmed by oath. CHAPTER XXX.-Asta's Preparations to Receive her Son Olaf. King Olaf went now eastward along the land, holding Things with the bondes all over the country. Many went willingly with him; but some, who were Earl Svein's friends or relations, spoke against him. Therefore King Olaf sailed in all haste eastward to Viken; went in there with his ships; set them on |