courage, and all kinds of dexterity; and they alone got place in his
ship, for he had a good choice of house-troops from the best men of
every district. King Harald had a great army, many large ships, and many
men of might followed him. Hornklofe, in his poem called "Glymdrapa",
tells of this; and also that King Harald had a battle with the people of
Orkadal, at Opdal forest, before he went upon this expedition.

"O'er the broad heath the bowstrings twang,
While high in air the arrows sang.
The iron shower drives to flight
The foeman from the bloody fight.
The warder of great Odin's shrine,
The fair-haired son of Odin's line,
Raises the voice which gives the cheer,
First in the track of wolf or bear.
His master voice drives them along
To Hel--a destined, trembling throng;
And Nokve's ship, with glancing sides,
Must fly to the wild ocean's tides.--
Must fly before the king who leads
Norse axe-men on their ocean steeds."

10. BATTLE AT SOLSKEL

King Harald moved out with his army from Throndhjem, and went southwards
to More. Hunthiof was the name of the king who ruled over the district
of More. Solve Klofe was the name of his son, and both were great
warriors. King Nokve, who ruled over Raumsdal, was the brother of
Solve's mother. Those chiefs gathered a great force when they heard of
King Harald, and came against him. They met at Solskel, and there was
a great battle, which was gained by King Harald (A.D. 867). Hornklofe
tells of this battle:--

"Thus did the hero known to fame,
The leader of the shields, whose name
Strikes every heart with dire dismay,
Launch forth his war-ships to the fray.
Two kings he fought; but little strife
Was needed to cut short their life.
A clang of arms by the sea-shore,--
And the shields' sound was heard no more."

The two kings were slain, but Solve escaped by flight; and King Harald
laid both districts under his power. He stayed here long in summer to
establish law and order for the country people, and set men to rule
them, and keep them faithful to him; and in autumn he prepared to
return northwards to Throndhjem. Ragnvald Earl of More, a son of Eystein
Glumra, had the summer before become one of Harald's men; and the king
set him as chief over these two districts, North More and Raumsdal;
strengthened him both with men of might and bondes, and gave him
the hel