told by many,
that King Olaf had cast off his coat-of-mail under water, and had swum,
diving under the longships, until he came to the Vindland cutter, and
that Astrid's men had conveyed him to Vindland: and many tales have been
made since about the adventures of Olaf the king. Halfred speaks thus
about it:--

"Does Olaf live? or is he dead?
Has he the hungry ravens fed?
I scarcely know what I should say,
For many tell the tale each way.
This I can say, nor fear to lie,
That he was wounded grievously--
So wounded in this bloody strife,
He scarce could come away with life."

But however this may have been, King Olaf Trygvason never came back
again to his kingdom of Norway. Halfred Vandredaskald speaks also thus
about it:

"The witness who reports this thing
Of Trygvason, our gallant king,
Once served the king, and truth should tell,
For Olaf hated lies like hell.
If Olaf 'scaped from this sword-thing,
Worse fate, I fear, befel our king
Than people guess, or e'er can know,
For he was hemm'd in by the foe.
From the far east some news is rife
Of king sore wounded saving life;
His death, too sure, leaves me no care
For cobweb rumours in the air.
It never was the will of fate
That Olaf from such perilous strait
Should 'scape with life! this truth may grieve--
'What people wish they soon believe.'"

123. OF EARL EIRIK, THE SON OF HAKON.

By this victory Earl Eirik Hakonson became owner of the Long Serpent,
and made a great booty besides; and he steered the Serpent from the
battle. So says Haldor:--

"Olaf, with glittering helmet crowned,
Had steered the Serpent through the Sound;
And people dressed their boats, and cheered
As Olaf's fleet in splendour steered.
But the descendent of great Heming,
Whose race tells many a gallant sea-king,
His blue sword in red life-blood stained,
And bravely Olaf's long ship gained."

Svein, a son of Earl Hakon, and Earl Eirik's brother, was engaged at
this time to marry Holmfrid, a daughter of King Olaf the Swedish king.
Now when Svein the Danish king, Olaf the Swedish king, and Earl Eirik
divided the kingdom of Norway between them, King Olaf got four districts
in the Throndhjem country, and also the districts of More and Raumsdal;
and in the east part of the land he got Ranrike, from the Gaut river
to Svinasu