the king himself should determine
and please. Thereafter they separated in some shape reconciled, and Olaf
went his way eastward along the coast (A.D. 1016).

59. EILIF OF GAUTLAND'S MURDER.

As soon as it was reported that Olaf had come to Viken, the Danes who
had offices under the Danish king set off for Denmark, without waiting
for King Olaf. But King Olaf sailed in along Viken, holding Things
with the bondes. All the people of the country submitted to him, and
thereafter he took all the king's taxes, and remained the summer (A.D.
1016) in Viken. He then sailed east from Tunsberg across the fjord, and
all the way east to Svinasund. There the Swedish king's dominions begin,
and he had set officers over this country; namely, Eilif Gautske over
the north part, and Hroe Skialge over the east part, all the way to the
Gaut river. Hroe had family friends on both sides of the river, and also
great farms on Hising Island, and was besides a mighty and very rich
man. Eilif was also of great family, and very wealthy. Now when King
Olaf came to Ranrike he summoned the people to a Thing, and all who
dwelt on the sea-coast or in the out-islands came to him. Now when the
Thing was seated the king's marshal, Bjorn, held a speech to them, in
which he told the bondes to receive Olaf as their king, in the same
way as had been done in all other parts of Norway. Then stood up a bold
bonde by name Brynjolf Ulfalde, and said, "We bondes know where the
division-boundaries between the Norway and Danish and Swedish kings'
lands have stood by rights in old times; namely, that the Gaut river
divided their lands between the Vener lake and the sea; but towards the
north the forests until Eid forest, and from thence the ridge of the
country all north to Finmark. We know, also, that by turns they have
made inroads upon each other's territories, and that the Swedes have
long had power all the way to Svinasund. But, sooth to say, I know that
it is the inclination of many rather to serve the king of Norway,
but they dare not; for the Swedish king's dominions surround us, both
eastward, southwards, and also up the country; and besides, it may be
expected that the king of Norway must soon go to the north, where the
strength of his kingdom lies, and then we have no power to withstand the
Gautlanders. Now it is for the king to give us good counsel, for we have
great desire to be his men." After the Thing, in the evening, Brynjolf
was in the king's t