Amidst the whiz of arrows slain,
Has fallen upon Fjalar's plain.
There, by the ocean's rocky shore,
The waves are stained with the red gore
Of stout Earl Hakon Grjotgard's son,
And of brave warriors many a one."
14. HARALD AND THE SWEDISH KING EIRIK.
King Harald came with his fleet eastward to Viken and landed at
Tunsberg, which was then a trading town. He had then been four years in
Throndhjem, and in all that time had not been in Viken. Here he heard
the news that Eirik Eymundson, king of Sweden, had laid under him
Vermaland, and was taking scat or land-tax from all the forest settlers;
and also that he called the whole country north to Svinasund, and west
along the sea, West Gautland; and which altogether he reckoned to his
kingdom, and took land-tax from it. Over this country he had set an
earl, by name Hrane Gauzke, who had the earldom between Svinasund and
the Gaut river, and was a mighty earl. And it was told to King Harald
that the Swedish king said he would not rest until he had as great
a kingdom in Viken as Sigurd Hring, or his son Ragnar Lodbrok, had
possessed; and that was Raumarike and Vestfold, all the way to the isle
Grenmar, and also Vingulmark, and all that lay south of it. In all these
districts many chiefs, and many other people, had given obedience to
the Swedish king. King Harald was very angry at this, and summoned the
bondes to a Thing at Fold, where he laid an accusation against them
for treason towards him. Some bondes defended themselves from the
accusation, some paid fines, some were punished. He went thus through
the whole district during the summer, and in harvest he did the same in
Raumarike, and laid the two districts under his power. Towards winter
he heard that Eirik king of Sweden was, with his court, going about in
Vermaland in guest-quarters.
15. HARALD AT A FEAST OF THE PEASANT AKE.
King Harald takes his way across the Eid forest eastward, and comes out
in Vermaland, where he also orders feasts to be prepared for himself.
There was a man by name Ake, who was the greatest of the bondes of
Vermaland, very rich, and at that time very aged. He sent men to King
Harald, and invited him to a feast, and the king promised to come on the
day appointed. Ake invited also King Eirik to a feast, and appointed the
same day. Ake had a great feasting hall, but it was old; and he made a
new hall, not less than the old one, and had it ornamented in th
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