reat district, better than the best of the southern isles of the
Hebudes, excepting Man; and there is a small neck of land between it and
the mainland of Scotland, over which longships are often drawn.

12. DEATH OF THE EARLS OF ORKNEY.

King Magnus was all the winter in the southern isles, and his men went
over all the fjords of Scotland, rowing within all the inhabited and
uninhabited isles, and took possession for the king of Norway of all
the islands west of Scotland. King Magnus contracted in marriage his son
Sigurd to Biadmynia, King Myrkjartan's daughter. Myrkjartan was a son of
the Irish king Thialfe, and ruled over Connaught. The summer after, King
Magnus, with his fleet, returned east to Norway. Earl Erland died of
sickness at Nidaros, and is buried there; and Earl Paul died in Bergen.

Skopte Ogmundson, a grandson of Thorberg, was a gallant lenderman, who
dwelt at Giske in Sunmore, and was married to Gudrun, a daughter of
Thord Folason. Their children were Ogmund, Fin, Thord, and Thora, who
was married to Asolf Skulason. Skopte's and Gudrun's sons were the most
promising and popular men in their youth.

13. QUARRELS OF KING MAGNUS AND KING INGE.

Steinkel, the Swedish king, died about the same time (A.D. 1066) as the
two Haralds fell, and the king who came after him in Svithjod was called
Hakon. Afterwards Inge, a son of Steinkel, was king, and was a good
and powerful king, strong and stout beyond most men; and he was king of
Svithjod when King Magnus was king of Norway. King Magnus insisted that
the boundaries of the countries in old times had been so, that the
Gaut river divided the kingdoms of the Swedish and Norwegian kings, but
afterwards the Vener lake up to Vermaland. Thus King Magnus insisted
that he was owner of all the places lying west of the Vener lake up
to Vermaland, which are the districts of Sundal, Nordal, Vear, and
Vardyniar, with all the woods belonging thereto. But these had for a
long time been under the Swedish dominion, and with respect to scat were
joined to West Gautland; and, besides, the forest-settlers preferred
being under the Swedish king. King Magnus rode from Viken up to Gautland
with a great and fine army, and when he came to the forest-settlements
he plundered and burnt all round; on which the people submitted, and
took the oath of fidelity to him. When he came to the Vener lake,
autumn was advanced and he went out to the island Kvaldinsey, and made
a strongho