they
were to meet. But when King Olaf's friends heard of such speeches, they
dissuaded him from any such expedition. It is related at the king one
day early in spring was walking in the street, and met a man in the
market with many, and, for that early season, remarkably large angelica
roots. The king took a great stalk of the angelica in his hand, and went
home to Queen Thyre's lodging. Thyre sat in her room weeping as the king
came in. The king said, "Set here, queen, is a great angelica stalk,
which I give thee." She threw it away, and said, "A greater present
Harald Gormson gave to my mother; and he was not afraid to go out of the
land and take his own. That was shown when he came here to Norway, and
laid waste the greater part of the land, and seized on all the scat and
revenues; and thou darest not go across the Danish dominions for this
brother of mine, King Svein." As she spoke thus, King Olaf sprang up,
and answered with loud oath, "Never did I fear thy brother King Svein;
and if we meet he shall give way before me!"

101. OLAF'S LEVY FOR WAR.

Soon after the king convoked a Thing in the town, and proclaimed to all
the public, that in summer would go abroad upon an expedition out of the
country, and would raise both ships and men from every district; and at
the same time fixed how many ships would have from the whole Throndhjem
fjord. Then he sent his message-token south and north, both along the
sea-coast and up in the interior of the country, to let an army be
gathered. The king ordered the Long Serpent to be put into the water,
along with all his other ships both small and great. He himself steered
the Long Serpent. When the crews were taken out for the ships, they were
so carefully selected that no man on board the Long Serpent was older
than sixty or younger than twenty years, and all were men distinguished
for strength and courage. Those who were Olaf's bodyguard were in
particular chosen men, both of the natives and of foreigners, and the
boldest and strongest.

102. CREW ON BOARD OF THE LONG SERPENT.

Ulf the Red was the name of the man who bore King Olaf's banner, and
was in the forecastle of the Long Serpent; and with him was Kolbjorn the
marshal, Thorstein Uxafot, and Vikar of Tiundaland, a brother of Arnliot
Gelline. By the bulkhead next the forecastle were Vak Raumason from Gaut
River, Berse the Strong, An Skyte from Jamtaland, Thrand the Strong from
Thelamork, and his brother Uthy