would he send an
host out of the country, and that it was his will to levy ships & men
from each county, & therewith did he make it known how many ships he
should require from the fjord there.

Then sent he messengers inland both northwards and southwards, and along
the coast on the outside of the islands and inside them along the land,
and called men to arms.

Thereafter did King Olaf launch the 'Long Serpent' & all his other ships
great & small; and the 'Long Serpent' he himself steered, and when men
were taken for a crew, with so much care was choice made that on the
'Long Serpent' was there no man older than sixty nor younger than
twenty. All were chosen with the utmost care for their strength and
courage, & the first taken were King Olaf's body-guard, for composed it
was of the stoutest & boldest men both from home and abroad.

|| Wolf the Red was the name of the man who bore the banner of King Olaf,
and his place was in the prow of the 'Serpent'; there likewise were
Kolbiorn the Marshal, Thorstein Ox-foot and Vikar of Tiundaland, the
brother of Arnliot Gellini. Of the forecastle in the prow were Vak
Raumason of the River, Bersi the Strong, On the Archer of Jamtaland,
Thrond the Stout from Thelemark and Othyrmi his brother; and the
Halogalanders Thrond Squint-eye, Ogmund Sande, Lodvir the Long, from
Saltvik, and Harek the Keen.

From Inner Throndhjem were there Ketil the Tall, Thorfin Eisli, and
Havard and his brothers from Orkadal. Those manning the forehold were
Biorn of Studla, Thorgrim Tiodolfson of Hvin, Asbiorn & Orm, Thord of
Niardalang, Thorstein the White of Oprostad, Anor of More, Hallstein and
Hawk from the Fjords, Eyvind Snak, Bergthor Bestil, Hallkel of Fialir,
Olaf the Boy, Arnfin of Sogn, Sigurd Bild, Einar the Hordalander and
Fin, Ketil the Rogalander, and Griotgard the Quick. In the main-hold
were Einar Tamberskelfir, deemed by the others less able than they for
then was he but eighteen winters old, Hallstein Hlifarson, Thorolf, Ivar
Smetta, and Orm Skoganef.

Many other men of valour were there on the 'Serpent' though we cannot
name them; eight were there to a half-berth, and chosen man by man. It
was a common saying that the crew of the 'Serpent' was for goodliness,
strength, and boldness, as much above other men as the 'Serpent' herself
was above other ships.

Thorkel Nefia, own brother to the King, steered the 'Short Serpent,' and
Thorkel Dydril and Jostein, they that were uncles to hi