nd of the King.

Just before his arrival at Jarl Rongvold's house, King Harald had
completed a considerable part of the programme which he had laid down in
the great work of subduing the whole of Norway to himself. And wild
bloody work it had been.

Hearing that several of the small kings had called a meeting in the
uplands to discuss his doings, Harald went, with all the men he could
gather, through the forests to the uplands, came to the place of meeting
about midnight without being observed by the watchmen, set the house on
fire, and burnt or slew four kings with all their followers. After that
he subdued Hedemark, Ringerige, Gudbrandsdal, Hadeland, Raumarige, and
the whole northern part of Vingulmark, and got possession of all the
land as far south as the Glommen. It was at this time that he was
taunted by the girl Gyda, and took the oath not to clip his hair until
he had subdued the whole land--as formerly related. After his somewhat
peculiar determination, he gathered together a great force, and went
northwards up the Gudbrandsdal and over the Doverfielde. When he came
to the inhabited land he ordered all the men to be killed, and
everything wide around to be delivered to the flames. The people fled
before him in all directions on hearing of his approach--some down the
country to Orkadal, some to Gaulerdal, and some to the forests; but many
begged for peace, and obtained it on condition of joining him and
becoming his men. He met no decided opposition till he came to Orkadal,
where a king named Gryting gave him battle. Harald won the victory.
King Gryting was taken prisoner, and most of his men were killed. He
took service himself, however, under the King, and thereafter all the
people of Orkadal district swore fidelity to him.

Many other battles King Harald fought, and many other kings did he
subdue--all of which, however, we will pass over at present, merely
observing that wherever he conquered he laid down the law that all the
udal property should belong to him, and that the bonders--the hitherto
free landholders--both small and great, should pay him land dues for
their possessions. It is due, however, to Harald Fairhair, to say that
he never seems to have aimed at despotic power; for it is recorded of
him that over every district he set an earl, or jarl, to judge
_according to the law of the land and to justice_, and also to collect
the land dues and the fines; and for this each earl received a th