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To the earl bold The word is told, That Knut the Brave His aid would crave;The earl, I knew, To friend stands true."The earl would not sleep upon the message of the king, but sailed immediately out of the country, leaving behind his son Earl Hakon to take care of Norway; and, as he was but seventeen years of age, Einar Tambaskelfer was to be at his hand to rule the country for him.
Eirik met King Canute in England, and was with him when he took the castle of London.Earl Eirik had a battle also to the westward of the castle of London, and killed Ulfkel Snilling.So says Thord Kolbeinson: --"West of London town we passed, And our ocean-steeds made fast, And a bloody fight begin, Eng1and's lands to lose or win.
Blue sword and shining spear Laid Ulfkel's dead corpse there, Our Thingmen hear the war-shower sounding Our grey arrows from their shields rebounding."Earl Eirik was a winter in England, and had many battles there.
The following autumn he intended to make a pilgrimage to Rome, but he died in England of a bloody flux.
24.THE MURDER OF EDMUND.
King Canute came to England the summer that King Ethelred died, and had many battles with Ethelred's sons, in which the victory was sometimes on one side, sometimes on the other.Then King Canute took Queen Emma in marriage; and their children were Harald, Hardacanute, and Gunhild.King Canute then made an agreement with King Edmund, that each of them should have a half of England.In the same month Henry Strion murdered King Edmund.
King Canute then drove all Ethelred's sons out of England.So says Sigvat: --"Now all the sons of Ethelred Were either fallen, or had fled:
Some slain by Canute, -- some they say, To save their lives had run away."25.OLAF AND ETHELRED'S SONS.
King Ethelred's sons came to Rouen in Valland from England, to their mother's brother, the same summer that King Olaf Haraldson came from the west from his viking cruise, and they were all during the winter in Normandy together.They made an agreement with each other that King Olaf should have Northumberland, if they could succeed in taking England from the Danes.Therefore about harvest, Olaf sent his foster-father Hrane to England to collect men-at-arms; and Ethelred's sons sent tokens to their friends and relations with him.King Olaf, besides, gave him much money with him to attract people to them.Hrane was all winter in England, and got promises from many powerful men of fidelity, as the people of the country would rather have native kings over them; but the Danish power had become so great in England, that all the people were brought under their dominion.
26.BATTLE OF KING OLAF.
In spring (A.D.1014) King Olaf and King Ethelred's sons set out together to the west, and came to a place in England called Jungufurda, where they landed with their army and moved forward against the castle.Many men were there who had promised them their aid.They took the castle; and killed many people.Now when King Canute's men heard of this they assembled an army, and were soon in such force that Ethelred's sons could not stand against it; and they saw no other way left but to return to Rouen.Then King Olaf separated from them, and would not go back to Valland, but sailed northwards along England, all the way to Northumberland, where he put into a haven at a place called Valde; and in a battle there with the townspeople and merchants he gained the victory, and a great booty.
27.OLAF'S EXPEDITION TO NORWAY.
King Olaf left his long-ships there behind, but made ready two ships of burden; and had with him 220 men in them, well-armed, and chosen people.He sailed out to sea northwards in harvest, but encountered a tremendous storm and they were in danger of being lost; but as they had a chosen crew, and the king s luck with them, all went on well.So says Ottar: --"Olaf, great stem of kings, is brave --Bold in the fight, bold on the wave.
No thought of fear Thy heart comes near.
Undaunted, 'midst the roaring flood, Firm at his post each shipman stood;And thy two ships stout The gale stood out."And further he says: --"Thou able chief! with thy fearless crew Thou meetest, with skill and courage true, The wild sea's wrath On thy ocean path.
Though waves mast-high were breaking round.
Thou findest the middle of Norway's ground, With helm in hand On Saela's strand."It is related here that King Olaf came from the sea to the very middle of Norway; and the isle is called Saela where they landed, and is outside of Stad.King Olaf said he thought it must be a lucky day for them, since they had landed at Saela in Norway; and observed it was a good omen that it so happened.As they were going up in the isle, the king slipped with one foot in a place where there was clay, but supported himself with the other foot.
Then said he "The king falls." "Nay," replies Hrane, "thou didst not fall, king, but set fast foot in the soil." The king laughed thereat, and said, "It may be so if God will." They went down again thereafter to their ships, and sailed to Ulfasund, where they heard that Earl Hakon was south in Sogn, and was expected north as soon as wind allowed with a single ship.
28.HAKON TAKEN PRISONER BY OLAF.