n all
round the Eastern empire. On this voyage Harald composed sixteen songs
for amusement and all ending with the same words. This is one of them:--

"Past Sicily's wide plains we flew,
A dauntless, never-wearied crew;
Our viking steed rushed through the sea,
As viking-like fast, fast sailed we.
Never, I think, along this shore
Did Norsemen ever sail before;
Yet to the Russian queen, I fear,
My gold-adorned, I am not dear."

With this he meant Ellisif, daughter of King Jarisleif in Novgorod.

16. OF KING HARALD.

When Harald came to Novgorod King Jarisleif received him in the most
friendly way and he remained there all winter (A.D. 1045). Then he took
into his own keeping all the gold and the many kinds of precious things
which he had sent there from Constantinople and which together made up
so vast a treasure that no man in the Northern lands ever saw the
like of it in one man's possession. Harald had been three times in the
poluta-svarf while he was in Constantinople. It is the custom, namely,
there, that every time one of the Greek emperors dies, the Varings are
allowed poluta-svarf; that is, they may go through all the emperor's
palaces where his treasures are and each may take and keep what he can
lay hold of while he is going through them.

17. KING HARALD'S MARRIAGE.

This winter King Jarisleif gave Harald his daughter Elisabeth in
marriage. She is called by the Northmen Ellisif. This is related by Stuf
the Blind, thus:--

"Agder's chief now got the queen
Who long his secret love had been.
Of gold, no doubt, a mighty store
The princess to her husband bore."

In spring he began his journey from Novgorod and came to Aldeigjuborg,
where he took shipping and sailed from the East in summer. He turned
first to Svithjod and came to Sigtuna. So says Valgard o' Val:--

"The fairest cargo ship e'er bore,
From Russia's distant eastern shore
The gallant Harald homeward brings--
Gold, and a fame that skald still sings.
The ship through dashing foam he steers,
Through the sea-rain to Svithjod veers,
And at Sigtuna's grassy shores
His gallant vessel safely moors."

18. THE LEAGUE BETWEEN KING HARALD AND SVEIN ULFSON.

Harald found there before him Svein Ulfson, who the autumn before (A.D.
1045) had fled from King Magnus at Helganes; and when they met they
were very friendly on both sides. Th