ed by Harald Harfager, that there should be an earl in each
district, was afterward continued for a long time; and thus Earl Hakon
had sixteen earls under him. So says the "Vellekla":--

"Who before has ever known
Sixteen earls subdued by one?
Who has seen all Norway's land
Conquered by one brave hero's hand?
It will be long in memory held,
How Hakon ruled by sword and shield.
When tales at the viking's mast go round,
His praise will every mouth resound."

While Earl Hakon ruled over Norway there were good crops in the land,
and peace was well preserved in the country among the bondes. The Earl,
for the greater part of his lifetime, was therefore much beloved by the
bondes; but it happened, in the longer course of time, that the earl
became very intemperate in his intercourse with women, and even carried
it so far that he made the daughters of people of consideration be
carried away and brought home to him; and after keeping them a week
or two as concubines, he sent them home. He drew upon himself the
indignation of me relations of these girls; and the bondes began to
murmur loudly, as the Throndhjem people have the custom of doing when
anything goes against their judgment.

51. THORER KLAKKA'S JOURNEY.

Earl Hakon, in the mean time, hears some whisper that to the westward,
over the Norh sea, was a man called Ole, who was looked upon as a king.
From the conversation of some people, he fell upon the suspicion that he
must be of the royal race of Norway. It was, indeed, said that this Ole
was from Russia; but the earl had heard that Trygve Olafson had had a
son called Olaf, who in his infancy had gone east to Gardarike, and had
been brought up by King Valdemar. The earl had carefully inquired about
this man, and had his suspicion that he must be the same person who had
now come to these western countries. The earl had a very good friend
called Thorer Klakka, who had been long upon viking expeditions,
sometimes also upon merchant voyages; so that he was well acquainted all
around. This Thorer Earl Hakon sends over the North sea, and told him to
make a merchant voyage to Dublin, many were in the habit of doing, and
carefully to discover who this Ole was. Provided he got any certainty
that he was Olaf Trygvason, or any other of the Norwegian royal race,
then Thorer should endeavor to ensnare him by some deceit, and bring him
into the earl's power.

52. OLAF TRYGVAS