Heimskringla; Or, The Chronicle of the Kings of NorwaySnorri Sturluson
History
Heimskringla; Or, The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway
Snorri Sturluson
Iceland -- History; Norway -- History; Sagas -- Translations into English; Scandinavia -- History
This happened fifteen years after the death of Hakon, Athelstan's
foster-son, and thirteen years after that of Sigurd earl of Hlader. The
priest Are Frode says that Earl Hakon was thirteen years earl over his
father's dominions in Throndhjem district before the fall of Harald
Grafeld; but, for the last six years of Harald Grafeld's life, Are Frode
says the Earl Hakon and Gunhild's sons fought against each other, and
drove each other out of the land by turns.
14. GOLD HARALD'S DEATH.
Soon after Harald Grafeld's fall, Earl Hakon came up to Gold Harald, and
the earl immediately gave battle to Harald. Hakon gained the victory,
and Harald was made prisoner; but Hakon had him immediately hanged on a
gallows. Hakon then went to the Danish king, and no doubt easily settled
with him for the killing his relative Gold Harald.
15. DIVISION OF THE COUNTRY.
Soon after King Harald Gormson ordered a levy of men over all his
kingdom, and sailed with 600 ships (1). There were with him Earl Hakon,
Harald Grenske, a son of King Gudrod, and many other great men who had
fled from their udal estates in Norway on account of Gunhild's sons. The
Danish king sailed with his fleet from the south to Viken, where all
the people of the country surrendered to him. When he came to Tunsberg
swarms of people joined him; and King Harald gave to Earl Hakon the
command of all the men who came to him in Norway, and gave him the
government over Rogaland, Hordaland, Sogn, Fjord-district, South More,
Raumsdal, and North More. These seven districts gave King Harald to Earl
Hakon to rule over, with the same rights as Harald Harfager gave with
them to his sons; only with the difference, that Hakon should there, as
well as in Throndhjem, have the king's land-estates and land-tax, and
use the king's money and goods according to his necessities whenever
there was war in the country. King Harald also gave Harald Grenske
Vingulmark, Vestfold, and Agder all the way to Lidandisnes (the Naze),
together with the title of king; and let him have these dominions with
the same rights as his family in former times had held them, and as
Harald Harfager had given with them to his sons. Harald Grenske was then
eighteen years old, and he became afterwards a celebrated man. Harald
king of Denmark returned home thereafter with all his army.
ENDNOTES:
(1) i.e., 720 ships, as they were counted by long hundreds,
100=120.
16. GUNHILD'S SONS LEAVE THE COUNTRY.
Earl Hakon proceeded northwards along the coast with his force; and when
Gunhild and her sons got the tidings they proceeded to gather troops,
but were ill off for men. Then they took the same resolution as before,
to sail out to sea with such men as would follow them away to the
westward (A.D. 969). They came first to the Orkney Islands, and remained
there a while. There were in Orkney then the Earls Hlodver. Arnfid,
Ljot, and Skule, the sons of Thorfin Hausakljufer.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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