After this battle (A.D.868) King Harald subdued South More; but Vemund, King Audbjorn's brother, still had Firdafylke.It was now late in harvest, and King Harald's men gave him the counsel not to proceed south-wards round Stad.Then King Harald set Earl Ragnvald over South and North More and also Raumsdal, and he had many people about him.King Harald returned to Throndhjem.The same winter (A.D.869) Ragnvald went over Eid, and southwards to the Fjord district.There he heard news of King Vemund, and came by night to a place called Naustdal, where King Vemund was living in guest-quarters.Earl Ragnvald surrounded the house in which they were quartered, and burnt the king in it, together with ninety men.The came Berdlukare to Earl Ragnvald with a complete armed long-ship, and they both returned to More.The earl took all the ships Vemund had, and all the goods he could get hold of.
Berdlukare proceeded north to Throndhjem to King Harald, and became his man; and dreadful berserk he was.
13.DEATH OF EARLS HAKON, AND ATLE MJOVE.
The following spring (A.D.869) King Harald went southwards with his fleet along the coast, and subdued Firdafylke.Then he sailed eastward along the land until he came to Vik; but he left Earl Hakon Grjotgardson behind, and set him over the Fjord district.Earl Hakon sent word to Earl Atle Mjove that he should leave Sogn district, and be earl over Gaular district, as he had been before, alleging that King Harald had given Sogn district to him.Earl Atle sent word that he would keep both Sogn district and Gaular district, until he met King Harald.The two earls quarreled about this so long, that both gathered troops.They met at Fialar, in Stavanger fiord, and had a great battle, in which Earl Hakon fell, and Earl Atle got a mortal wound, and his men carried him to the island of Atley, where he died.So says Eyvind Skaldaspiller: --"He who stood a rooted oak, Unshaken by the swordsman's stroke, Amidst the whiz of arrows slain, Has fallen upon Fjalar's plain.
There, by the ocean's rocky shore, The waves are stained with the red gore Of stout Earl Hakon Grjotgard's son, And of brave warriors many a one."14.HARALD AND THE SWEDISH KING EIRIK.
King Harald came with his fleet eastward to Viken and landed at Tunsberg, which was then a trading town.He had then been four years in Throndhjem, and in all that time had not been in Viken.
Here he heard the news that Eirik Eymundson, king of Sweden, had laid under him Vermaland, and was taking scat or land-tax from all the forest settlers; and also that he called the whole country north to Svinasund, and west along the sea, West Gautland; and which altogether he reckoned to his kingdom, and took land-tax from it.Over this country he had set an earl, by name Hrane Gauzke, who had the earldom between Svinasund and the Gaut river, and was a mighty earl.And it was told to King Harald that the Swedish king said he would not rest until he had as great a kingdom in Viken as Sigurd Hring, or his son Ragnar Lodbrok, had possessed; and that was Raumarike and Vestfold, all the way to the isle Grenmar, and also Vingulmark, and all that lay south of it.In all these districts many chiefs, and many other people, had given obedience to the Swedish king.King Harald was very angry at this, and summoned the bondes to a Thing at Fold, where he laid an accusation against them for treason towards him.Some bondes defended themselves from the accusation, some paid fines, some were punished.He went thus through the whole district during the summer, and in harvest he did the same in Raumarike, and laid the two districts under his power.Towards winter he heard that Eirik king of Sweden was, with his court, going about in Vermaland in guest-quarters.
15.HARALD AT A FEAST OF THE PEASANT AKE.
King Harald takes his way across the Eid forest eastward, and comes out in Vermaland, where he also orders feasts to be prepared for himself.There was a man by name Ake, who was the greatest of the bondes of Vermaland, very rich, and at that time very aged.He sent men to King Harald, and invited him to a feast, and the king promised to come on the day appointed.Ake invited also King Eirik to a feast, and appointed the same day.
Ake had a great feasting hall, but it was old; and he made a new hall, not less than the old one, and had it ornamented in the most splendid way.The new hall he had hung with new hangings, but the old had only its old ornaments.Now when the kings came to the feast, King Eirik with his court was taken into the old hall; but Harald with his followers into the new.The same difference was in all the table furniture, and King Eirik and his men had the old-fashioned vessels and horns, but all gilded and splendid; while King Harald and his men had entirely new vessels and horns adorned with gold, all with carved figures, and shining like glass; and both companies had the best of liquor.Ake the bonde had formerly been King Halfdan the Black s man.Now when daylight came, and the feast was quite ended, and the kings made themselves ready for their journey, and the horses were saddled, came Ake before King Harald, leading in his hand his son Ubbe, a boy of twelve years of age, and said, "If the goodwill I have shown to thee, sire, in my feast, be worth thy friendship, show it hereafter to my son.I give him to thee now for thy service."The king thanked him with many agreeable words for his friendly entertainment, and promised him his full friendship in return.
