gvat sang:--

"Rider of dark-blue ocean's steeds!
Allow one skald to sing thy deeds;
And listen to the song of one
Who can sing well, if any can.
For should the king despise all others,
And show no favour to my brothers,
Yet I may all men's favour claim,
Who sing, still of our great king's fame."

King Olaf gave Sigvat as a reward for his verse a gold ring that weighed
half a mark, and Sigvat was made one of King Olaf's court-men. Then
Sigvat sang:--

"I willingly receive this sword--
By land or sea, on shore, on board,
I trust that I shall ever be
Worthy the sword received from thee.
A faithful follower thou hast bound--
A generous master I have found;
Master and servant both have made
Just what best suits them by this trade."

Earl Svein had, according to custom, taken one half of the harbour-dues
from the Iceland ship-traders about autumn (A.D. 1014); for the Earls
Eirik and Hakon had always taken one half of these and all other
revenues in the Throndhjem country. Now when King Olaf came there, he
sent his men to demand that half of the tax from the Iceland traders;
and they went up to the king's house and asked Sigvat to help them. He
went to the king, and sang:--

"My prayer, I trust, will not be vain--
No gold by it have I to gain:
All that the king himself here wins
Is not red gold, but a few skins.
it is not right that these poor men
Their harbour-dues should pay again.
That they paid once I know is true;
Remit, great king, what scarce is due."

42. OF EARL SVEIN.

Earl Svein and Einar Tambaskelfer gathered a large armed force, with
which they came by the upper road into Gaulardal, and so down to
Nidaros, with nearly 2000 men. King Olaf's men were out upon the Gaular
ridge, and had a guard on horseback. They became aware that a force was
coming down the Gaulardal, and they brought word of it to the king about
midnight. The king got up immediately, ordered the people to be wakened,
and they went on board of the ships, bearing all their clothes and arms
on board, and all that they could take with them, and then rowed out of
the river. Then came the earl's men to the town at the same moment, took
all the Christmas provision, and set fire to the houses. King Olaf went
out of the fjord down to Orkadal, and there landed the men from
their ships. From Orkadal they went up to the