k the axe-blade right into Karl's skull. Many
people now streamed out of Thrand's tent. Karl was carried away dead.
Thrand was much grieved at this event, and offered money-mulcts for his
relations; but Leif and Gille, who had to prosecute the business, would
accept no mulct. Sigurd was banished the country for having wounded
Gille's tent comrade, and Gaut and Thord for the murder of Karl. The
Norway people rigged out the vessel which Karl had with him, and sailed
eastward to Olaf, and gave him these tidings. He was in no pleasant
humour at it, and threatened a speedy vengeance; but it was not allotted
by fate to King Olaf to revenge himself on Thrand and his relations,
because of the hostilities which had begun in Norway, and which are now
to be related. And there is nothing more to be told of what happened
after King Olaf sent men to the Farey Islands to take scat of them. But
great strife arose after Karl's death in the Farey Islands between the
family of Thrand of Gata and Leif Ossurson, and of which there are great
sagas.

154. KING OLAF'S EXPEDITION WITH HIS LEVY.

Now we must proceed with the relation we began before,--that King Olaf
set out with his men, and raised a levy over the whole country
(A.D. 1027). All lendermen in the North followed him excepting Einar
Tambaskelfer, who sat quietly at home upon his farm since his return
to the country, and did not serve the king. Einar had great estates
and wealth, although he held no fiefs from the king, and he lived
splendidly. King Olaf sailed with his fleet south around Stad, and many
people from the districts around joined him. King Olaf himself had a
ship which he had got built the winter before (A.D. 1027), and which
was called the Visund (1). It was a very large ship, with a bison's head
gilded all over upon the bow. Sigvat the skald speaks thus of it:--

"Trygvason's Long Serpent bore,
Grim gaping o'er the waves before,
A dragon's head with open throat,
When last the hero was afloat:
His cruise was closed,
As God disposed.
Olaf has raised a bison's head,
Which proudly seems the waves to tread.
While o'er its golden forehead dashing
The waves its glittering horns are washing:
May God dispose
A luckier close."

The king went on to Hordaland; there he heard the news that Erling
Skjalgson had left the country with a great force, and four or five
ships. He himself had a l