s he went to war."

36. OF KING MAGNUS'S BATTLES.

King Magnus remained in Denmark all that winter (A.D. 1046), and sat in
peace. He had held many battles, and had gained the victory in all. So
says Od Kikinaskald:--

"'Fore Michaelmas was struck the blow,
That laid the Vindland vikings low;
And people learned with joy to hear
The clang of arms, and leaders' cheer.
Short before Yule fell out the day,
Southward of Aros, where the fray,
Though not enough the foe to quell,
Was of the bloodiest men can tell."

And Arnor says:--

"Olaf's avenger who can sing?
The skald cannot o'ertake the king,
Who makes the war-bird daily drain
The corpse-blood of his foemen slain.
Four battles won within a year,--
Breaker of shields! with swords and spear,
And hand to hand, exalt thy fame
Above the kings of greatest name."

King Magnus had three battles with Svein Ulfson. So says Thiodolf:--

"To our brave Throndhjem sovereign's praise
The skald may all his skaldcraft raise;
For fortune, and for daring deed,
His song will not the truth exceed.
After three battles to regain
What was his own, unjustly ta'en,
Unjustly kept, and dues denied,
He levied dues in red-blood dyed."

37. OF KING MAGNUS, AND THORFIN AND RAGNVALD, EARLS OF ORKNEY.

While King Magnus the Good, a son of King Olaf the Saint, ruled over
Norway, as before related, the Earl Ragnvald Brusason lived with him.
Earl Thorfin Sigurdson, the uncle of Ragnvald, ruled then over Orkney.
King Magnus sent Ragnvald west to Orkney, and ordered that Thorfin
should let him have his father's heritage. Thorfin let Ragnvald have a
third part of the land along with him; for so had Erase, the father
of Ragnvald, had it at his dying day. Earl Thorfin was married to
Ingebjorg, the earl-mother, who was a daughter of Fin Arnason. Earl
Ragnvald thought he should have two-thirds of the land, as Olaf the
Saint had promised to his father Bruse, and as Bruse had enjoyed as
long as Olaf lived. This was the origin of a great strife between these
relations, concerning which we have a long saga. They had a great battle
in Pentland Firth, in which Kalf Arnason was with Earl Thorfin. So says
Bjarne Gullbrarskald:--

"Thy cutters, dashing through the tide,
Brought aid to Earl Thorfin's side,
Fin's son-in-law, and people say
Thy aid made Br