liant men their relations, had left the country after Earl Hakon's
fall. Earl Eirik went eastwards to Svithjod, to Olaf, the Swedish king,
and he and his people were well received. King Olaf gave the earl peace
and freedom in the land, and great fiefs; so that he could support
himself and his men well. Thord Kolbeinson speaks of this in the verses
before given. Many people who fled from the country on account of King
Olaf Trygvason came out of Norway to Earl Eirik; and the earl resolved
to fit out ships and go a-cruising, in order to get property for himself
and his people. First he steered to Gotland, and lay there long in
summer watching for merchant vessels sailing towards the land, or for
vikings. Sometimes he landed and ravaged all round upon the sea-coasts.
So it is told in the "Banda-drapa":--

"Eirik, as we have lately heard,
Has waked the song of shield and sword--
Has waked the slumbering storm of shields
Upon the vikings' water-fields:
From Gotland's lonely shore has gone
Far up the land, and battles won:
And o'er the sea his name is spread,
To friends a shield, to foes a dread."

Afterwards Earl Eirik sailed south to Vindland, and at Stauren found
some viking ships, and gave them battle. Eirik gained the victory, and
slew the vikings. So it is told in the "Banda-drapa":--

"Earl Eirik, he who stoutly wields
The battle-axe in storm of shields,
With his long ships surprised the foe
At Stauren, and their strength laid low
Many a corpse floats round the shore;
The strand with dead is studded o'er:
The raven tears their sea-bleached skins--
The land thrives well when Eirik wins."

97. EIRIK'S FORAY ON THE BALTIC COASTS.

Earl Eirik sailed back to Sweden in autumn, and staid there all winter
(A.D. 997); but in the spring fitted out his war force again, and sailed
up the Baltic. When he came to Valdemar's dominions he began to plunder
and kill the inhabitants, and burn the dwellings everywhere as he
came along, and to lay waste the country. He came to Aldeigiuburg, and
besieged it until he took the castle; and he killed many people, broke
down and burned the castle, and then carried destruction all around far
and wide in Gardarike. So it is told in the "Banda-drapa":--

"The generous earl, brave and bold,
Who scatters his bright shining gold,
Eirik with fire-scattering hand,
Wasted the Russian monar