Heimskringla. Snorri Sturluson

to give him a death-drink. Thereafter the Throndhjem people took Sigrod to be their king.

      45. KING HARALD'S DEATH.

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      King Harald lived three years after he gave Eirik the supreme authority over his kingdom, and lived mostly on his great farms which he possessed, some in Rogaland, and some in Hordaland. Eirik and Gunhild had a son on whom King Harald poured water, and gave him his own name, and the promise that he should be king after his father Eirik. King Harald married most of his daughters within the country to his earls, and from them many great families are descended. Harald died on a bed of sickness in Hogaland (A.D. 933), and was buried under a mound at Haugar in Karmtsund. In Haugesund is a church, now standing; and not far from the churchyard, at the north-west side, is King Harald Harfager's mound; but his grave-stone stands west of the church, and is thirteen feet and a half high, and two ells broad. One stone was set at head and one at the feet; on the top lay the slab, and below on both sides were laid small stones. The grave, mound, and stone, are there to the present day. Harald Harfager was, according to the report of men of knowledge, or remarkably handsome appearance, great and strong, and very generous and affable to his men. He was a great warrior in his youth; and people think that this was foretold by his mother's dream before his birth, as the lowest part of the tree she dreamt of was red as blood. The stem again was green and beautiful, which betokened his flourishing kingdom; and that the tree was white at the top showed that he should reach a grey-haired old age. The branches and twigs showed forth his posterity, spread over the whole land; for of his race, ever since. Norway has always had kings.

      46. THE DEATH OF OLAF AND OF SIGROD.

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      King Eirik took all the revenues (A.D. 934), which the king had in the middle of the country, the next winter after King Harald's decease. But Olaf took all the revenues eastward in Viken, and their brother Sigrod all that of the Throndhjem country. Eirik was very ill pleased with this; and the report went that he would attempt with force to get the sole sovereignty over the country, in the same way as his father had given it to him. Now when Olaf and Sigrod heard this, messengers passed between them; and after appointing a meeting place, Sigrod went eastward in spring to Viken, and he and his brother Olaf met at Tunsberg, and remained there a while. The same spring (A.D. 934), King Eirik levied a great force, and ships and steered towards Viken. He got such a strong steady gale that he sailed night and day, and came faster than the news of him. When he came to Tunsberg, Olaf and Sigrod, with their forces, went out of the town a little eastward to a ridge, where they drew up their men in battle order; but as Eirik had many more men he won the battle. Both brothers, Olaf and Sigrod, fell there; and both their grave-mounds are upon the ridge where they fell. Then King Eirik went through Viken, and subdued it, and remained far into summer. Gudrod and Trygve fled to the Uplands. Eirik was a stout handsome man, strong, and very manly,—a great and fortunate man of war; but bad-minded, gruff, unfriendly, and silent. Gunhild, his wife, was the most beautiful of women,—clever, with much knowledge, and lively; but a very false person, and very cruel in disposition. The children of King Eirik and Gunhild were, Gamle, the oldest; then Guthorm, Harald, Ragnfrod, Ragnhild, Erling, Gudrod, and Sigurd Sleva. All were handsome, and of manly appearance.

      Hakon the Good's Saga

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       1. HAKON CHOSEN KING.

       2. KING HAKON'S PROGRESS THROUGH THE COUNTRY.

       3. EIRIK'S DEPARTURE FROM THE COUNTRY.

       4. EIRIK'S DEATH.

       5. GUNHILD AND HER SONS.

       6. BATTLE IN JUTLAND.

       7. BATTLE IN EYRARSUND (THE SOUND).

       8. KING HAKON'S EXPEDITION TO DENMARK.

       9. OF KING TRYGVE.

       10. OF GUNHILD S SONS.

       11. KING HAKON AS A LAW-GIVER.

       12. THE BIRTH OF EARL HAKON THE GREAT.

       13. OF EYSTEIN THE BAD.

       14. JAMTALAND AND HELSINGJALAND.

       15. HAKON SPREADS CHRISTIANITY.

       16. ABOUT SACRIFICES.

       17. THE FROSTA-THING.

       18. KING HAKON OFFERS SACRIFICES.

       19. FEAST OF THE SACRIFICE AT MORE.

       20. BATTLE AT OGVALDSNES.

       21. KING HAKON'S LAWS.

       22. CONCERNING EIRIK'S SONS.

       23. OF EGIL ULSERK.

       24. BATTLE AT FREDARBERG.

       25. OF KING GAMLE.

       26. KING GAMLE AND ULSERK FALL.

       27. EGIL ULSERK'S BURIAL-GROUND.

       28. NEWS OF WAR COMES TO KING HAKON.

       29. THE ARMAMENT OF EIRIK'S SONS.

       30. KING HAKON'S BATTLE ARRAY.

       31. FALL OF SKREYJA AND ASKMAN.