I fought
against my own countrymen to increase the power of the Canute family."
Thereupon Kalf rowed away to the north until he came home to Eggja.
None of these Arnasons appeared at this levy to accompany the king. He
steered with his fleet southwards along the land; but as he could not
hear the least news of any fleet having come from the west, he steered
south to Rogaland, and all the way to Agder; for many guessed that
Trygve would first make his attempt on Viken, because his forefathers
had been there, and had most of their strength from that quarter, and he
had himself great strength by family connection there.

263. KING TRYGVE OLAFSON'S FALL.

When Trygve came from the west he landed first on the coast of
Hordaland, and when he heard King Svein had gone south he went the same
way to Rogaland. As soon as Svein got the intelligence that Trygve had
come from the west he returned, and steered north with his fleet; and
both fleets met within Bokn in Soknarsund, not far from the place where
Erling Skjalgson fell. The battle, which took place on a Sunday, was
great and severe. People tell that Trygve threw spears with both hands
at once. "So my father," said he, "taught me to celebrate mass." His
enemies had said that he was the son of a priest; but the praise must
be allowed him that he showed himself more like a son of King Olaf
Trygvason, for this Trygve was a slaughtering man. In this battle King
Trygve fell, and many of his men with him; but some fled, and some
received quarter and their lives. It is thus related in the ballad of
Trygve:--

"Trygve comes from the northern coast,
King Svein turns round with all his host;
To meet and fight, they both prepare,
And where they met grim death was there.
From the sharp strife I was not far,--
I heard the din and the clang of war;
And the Hordaland men at last gave way,
And their leader fell, and they lost the day."

This battle is also told of in the ballad about King Svein, thus:--

"My girl! it was a Sunday morn,
And many a man ne'er saw its eve,
Though ale and leeks by old wives borne
The bruised and wounded did relieve.
'Twas Sunday morn, when Svein calls out,
'Stem to stem your vessels bind;'
The raven a mid-day feast smells out,
And he comes croaking up the wind."

After this battle King Svein ruled the country for some time, and there
was peace in the land. The winte