Now I am not a man of less power in Norway than they
were then, and my influence is not less than theirs; and the king gave
them the province of Halland to rule over, which he himself had and
owned before. Now it appears to me, sire, that you, if I become your
man and vassal, can allow me to hold of you the fief which my son
Magnus will not deny me, by which I will be bound in duty, and ready, to
undertake all the service belonging to that title."

Erling spoke such things, and much more in the same strain, until it
came at last to this, that Erling became Valdemar's man and vassal; and
the king led Erling to the earl's seat one day, and gave him the title
of earl, and Viken as a fief under his rule. Earl Erling went thereafter
to Norway, and was earl afterwards as long as he lived; and also the
peace with the Danish king was afterwards always preserved. Earl Erling
had four sons by his concubines. The one was called Hreidar, the next
Ogmund; and these by two different mothers: the third was called Fin;
the fourth Sigurd: these were younger, and their mother was Asa the
Fair. The princess Kristin and Earl Erling had a daughter called
Ragnhild, who was married to Jon Thorbergson of Randaberg. Kristin went
away from the country with a man called Grim Rusle; and they went to
Constantinople, where they were for a time, and had some children.

31. BEGINNING OF OLAF.

Olaf, a son of Gudbrand Skafhaug, and Maria, a daughter of King Eystein
Magnuson, were brought up in the house of Sigurd Agnhot in the Uplands.
While Earl Erling was in Denmark (A.D. 1166), Olaf and his foster-father
gathered a troop together, and many Upland people joined them; and Olaf
was chosen king by them. They went with their bands through the
Uplands, and sometimes down to Viken, and sometimes east to the forest
settlements; but never came on board of ships. Now when, Earl Erling got
news of this troop, he hastened to Viken with his forces; and was there
in summer in his ships, and in Oslo in autumn (A.D. 1167) and kept Yule
there. He had spies up the country after this troop, and went himself,
along with Orm, the King-brother, up the country to follow them. Now
when they came to a lake called.... .... (1) they took all the vessels
that were upon the lake.

ENDNOTES: (1) The name of the lake not given.

32. OF ERLING.

The priest who performed divine service at a place called Rydiokul,
close by the lake, invited the earl to a feast