on the ship, even until she was
finished. A dragon-ship was she & wrought after the same fashion as the
'Serpent' which the King had brought with him from Halogaland; but was
the new ship much larger in all respects, built with the greater care,
& called he her the 'Long Serpent,' and the other the 'Short Serpent.'
On the 'Long Serpent' were there four-and-thirty benches of oars. Dight
were her head and the crook all over with gold, and the bulwarks thereof
were as high as on sea-faring ships. This was the ship which was ye best
equipped, and the cost thereof was the most money of any ship that ever
hath been built in Norway.

|| Now after the death of Earl Hakon, did Earl Eirik Hakonson and his
brothers, & many others of their kinsmen depart out of the country.

Earl Eirik went east to Sweden, and he and his men were well received by
King Olaf, the King of the Swedes, who bestowed sanctuary on the Earl
and great grants withal, so that in the land could he well maintain
himself and his men. Of this speaketh Thord Kolbeinson:

'Foeman of robbers! Swiftly can fate effect change
Brief space ere the treason of men did Hakon to death,
And to the land that erewhile in fight had that warrior conquered
Came now the son of Tryggvi when fared he from the west.'

|| From Norway passed many men over unto Earl Eirik, to wit, all those
that King Olaf had caused to flee the land; and as the outcome thereof
did Eirik think good to procure himself ships & to go plundering so that
he might get wealth for himself and for his men. First sailed Eirik to
Gotland, and lay off that island a long time in summer-tide & waylaid he
viking craft or merchant-ships even as they were sailing to land, and
when he listed went he ashore and harried far and wide in the parts
bordering on the sea. Thus in the Banda lay it is said:

'In spear-storms many was the Earl thereafter victor:
And did we not learn aforetime
That Eirik won the land?
In those days when the chiefs on Gotland's shores went warring,
Doughty, and peace-making by their might.
More in his mind had Eirik against lord and King
Than spoken word revealed,
As from him might be looked for.
Wrathfully sought the Earl counsel of the Swedish King,
Stubborn were the men of Throndhjem,
Ne'er a one would flee.'

|| Later sailed Earl Eirik southward to Wendland, and there chanced he to
fall in with some viking ships off Staur, and so joined he battle with
t