ch's land,--
With arrow-shower, and storm of war,
Wasted the land of Valdemar.
Aldeiga burns, and Eirik's might
Scours through all Russia by its light."

Earl Eirik was five years in all on this foray; and when he returned
from Gardarike he ravaged all Adalsysla and Eysysla, and took there four
viking ships from the Danes and killed every man on board. So it is told
in the "Banda-drapa":--

"Among the isles flies round the word,
That Eirik's blood-devouring sword
Has flashed like fire in the sound,
And wasted all the land around.
And Eirik too, the bold in fight,
Has broken down the robber-might
Of four great vikings, and has slain
All of the crew--nor spared one Dane.
In Gautland he has seized the town,
In Syssels harried up and down;
And all the people in dismay
Fled to the forests far away.
By land or sea, in field or wave,
What can withstand this earl brave?
All fly before his fiery hand--
God save the earl, and keep the land."

When Eirik had been a year in Sweden he went over to Denmark (A.D. 996)
to King Svein Tjuguskeg, the Danish king, and courted his daughter Gyda.
The proposal was accepted, and Earl Eirik married Gyda; and a year after
(A.D. 997) they had a son, who was called Hakon. Earl Eirik was in
the winter in Denmark, or sometimes in Sweden; but in summer he went
a-cruising.

98. KING SVEIN'S MARRIAGE.

The Danish king, Svein Tjuguskeg, was married to Gunhild, a daughter
of Burizleif, king of the Vinds. But in the times we have just been
speaking of it happened that Queen Gunhild fell sick and died. Soon
after King Svein married Sigrid the Haughty, a daughter of Skoglartoste,
and mother of the Swedish king Olaf; and by means of this relationship
there was great friendship between the kings and Earl Eirik, Hakon's
son.

99. KING BURIZLEIF'S MARRIAGE.

Burizleif, the king of the Vinds, complained to his relation Earl
Sigvalde, that the agreement was broken which Sigvalde had made between
King Svein and King Burizleif, by which Burizleif was to get in marriage
Thyre, Harald's daughter, a sister of King Svein: but that marriage had
not proceeded, for Thyre had given positive no to the proposal to marry
her to an old and heathen king. "Now," said King Burizleif to Earl
Sigvalde, "I must have the promise fulfilled." And he told Earl Sigvalde
to go to Denmark, and bring him Thyre as