CHAPTER VI.—Beginning of the History of Earl Hakon, Sigurd's Son.

Hakon, the son of Earl Sigurd, was up in the interior of the Throndhjem country when he heard this news. Great was the tumult through all the Throndhjem land, and every vessel that could swim was put into the water; and as soon as the people were gathered together they took Earl Sigurd's son Hakon to be their earl and the leader of the troops, and the whole body steered out of Throndhjem fiord. When Gunhild's sons heard of this, they set off southwards to Raumsdal and South More; and both parties kept eye on each other by their spies. Earl Sigurd was killed two years after the fall of King Hakon. So says Eyvind Skaldaspiller in the "Haleygia-tal":

"At Oglo, as I've heard, Earl Sigurd

Was burnt to death by Norway's lord,-
Sigurd, who once on Hadding's grave

A feast to Odin's ravens gave.

In Oglo's hall, amidst the feast,

When bowls went round and ale flowed fast,
He perished: Harald lit the fire

Which burnt to death the son of Tyr."

Earl Hakon, with the help of his friends, maintained himself in the Throndhjem country for three years; and during that time [963-965] Gunhild's sons got no revenues from it. Hakon had many a battle with Gunhild's sons, and many a man lost his life on both sides. Of this Einar Skalaglam* speaks in his

* Einar Skalaglam was an Icelander who came to Norway to Hakon's court about the year 970, or soon thereafter. The Landnama states that he

lay, called "Vellekla," which he composed about Earl Hakon :

"The sharp bow-shooter on the sea

Spread wide his fleet, for well loved he
The battle storm; well loved the earl
His battle-banner to unfurl.

O'er the well-trampled battle-field
He raised the red-moon of his shield;
And often dared King Eirik's son
To try the fray with the Earl Hakon.”

And he also says:

"Who is the man who'll dare to say
That Sigurd's son avoids the fray?
He gluts the raven-he ne'er fears
The arrow's song or flight of spears.
With thundering sword he storms in war,
As Odin dreadful; or from far
He makes the arrow-shower fly
To swell the sail of victory.
The victory was dearly bought,
And many a viking-fight was fought
Before the swinger of the sword

Was of the eastern country lord."

And Einar tells also how Earl Hakon avenged his father's murderer :

was drowned in Iceland. His most famous work was Vell-ekla (Lack-lucre or Lack-gold). There is a pretty full account of him in Egla, chap. 82, and the following passage in Jomsvikinga Saga shows how he got the name Skalaglam, which means Rattle-head. We quote it from Vigfusson's Corpus Poeticum, vol. ii. p. 42.

"On one occasion, Einar, fancying that he was not well treated, grew angry and would not come near the earl (Hakon). The earl finding that Einar was displeased with his treatment of him, sent to bid him come and speak with him; then he took a fair pair of scales, made of pure silver and all gilt, and with them there went two weights, one of gold and the other of silver, that were made after the likeness of men, and were called 'Lots.' And this was the power that was in them :-the earl would lay them in the scales and say which one of them should come up, and if the one that he would came up, it would shake in the scale, so that 'it made a rattle.' The earl gave Einar the scales, and he was very pleased with them, and was ever afterwards called Einar Rattle-scale (Skalaglam),

"I praise the man, my hero he,
Who in his good ship roves the sea,
Like bird of prey, intent to win
Red vengeance for his slaughtered kin.
From his blue sword the iron rain
That freezes life poured down amain
On him who took his father's life,
On him and his men in the strife.
To Odin many a soul was driven,—
To Odin many a rich gift given.

Loud raged the storm on battle-field—
Axe rang on helm, and sword on shield."

The friends on both sides at last laid themselves between, and brought proposals of peace; for the bondes suffered by this strife and war in the land. At last it was brought to this, by the advice of prudent men, that Earl Hakon should have the same power in the Throndhjem land which his father Earl Sigurd had enjoyed; and the kings, on the other hand, should have the same dominion as King Hakon had and this agreement was settled with the fullest promises of fidelity to it. Afterwards a great friendship arose between Earl Hakon and Gunhild, although they sometimes attempted to deceive each other. And thus matters stood for three years longer [966-968], in which time Earl Hakon sat quietly in his dominions.

CHAPTER VII.-Of Harald Grayskin.

King Hakon had generally his seat in Hordaland and Rogaland, and also his brothers; but very often, also, they went to Hardanger. One summer it happened that a vessel came from Iceland belonging to Icelanders, and loaded with skins and peltry. They

sailed to Hardanger, where they heard the greatest number of people were assembled; but when the folks came to deal with them, nobody would buy their skins. Then the steersman went to King Harald, whom he had been acquainted with before, and complained of his ill luck. The king promised to visit him, and did so. King Harald was very condescending, and full of fun. He came with a fully manned boat, looked at the skins, and then said to the steersman, "Wilt thou give me a present of one of these gray-skins?" * 'Willingly," said the steersman, "if it were ever so many." On this the king wrapped himself up in a gray-skin, and went back to his boat; but before they rowed away from the ship, every man in his suite bought such another skin as the king wore for himself. In a few days so many people came to buy skins, that not half of them could be served with what they wanted; and thereafter the king was called Harald Grayskin.

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CHAPTER VIII.-Earl Eirik's Birth.

Earl Hakon came one winter to the Uplands to a feast, and it so happened that he had intercourse with a girl of mean birth. Some time after the girl had to prepare for her confinement; and she bore a child, a boy, who had water poured on him, and was named Eirik. The mother carried the boy to Earl Hakon,

* It is not clear that the "gray-skins" of this story were wolves' skins. It is likely they were fox or seal skins. The wolf is not found in

Iceland.-L.

and said that he was the father. The earl placed him to be brought up with a man called Thorleif the Wise, who dwelt in Medaldal,* and was a rich and powerful man, and a great friend of the earl. Eirik gave hopes very early that he would become an able man, was handsome in countenance, and stout and strong for a child; but the earl did not pay much attention to him. The earl himself was one of the handsomest men in countenance,-not tall, but very strong, and well practised in all kinds of exercises; and withal prudent, of good understanding, and a deadly man at arms.

CHAPTER IX.—King Trygve Olafson's Murder.

It happened one harvest that Earl Hakon, on a journey in the Uplands, came to Hedemark; and King Trygve Olafson and King Gudrod Biornson met him there, and Dale-Gudbrand also came to the meeting. They had agreed to meet, and they talked together long by themselves; but so much only was known of their business, that they were to be friends of each other. They parted, and each went home to his own kingdom. Gunhild and her sons came to hear of this meeting, and they suspected it must have been to lay a treasonable plot against the kings; and they often talked of this among themselves. When spring began to set in, King Harald and his brother King Gudrod proclaimed that they were to make a viking cruise, as usual, either in the West sea, or the

* Now called Meldal.