their brother Sigrod
all that of the Throndhjem country. Eirik was very ill pleased with
this; and the report went that he would attempt with force to get the
sole sovereignty over the country, in the same way as his father had
given it to him. Now when Olaf and Sigrod heard this, messengers passed
between them; and after appointing a meeting place, Sigrod went eastward
in spring to Viken, and he and his brother Olaf met at Tunsberg, and
remained there a while. The same spring (A.D. 934), King Eirik levied a
great force, and ships and steered towards Viken. He got such a strong
steady gale that he sailed night and day, and came faster than the news
of him. When he came to Tunsberg, Olaf and Sigrod, with their forces,
went out of the town a little eastward to a ridge, where they drew up
their men in battle order; but as Eirik had many more men he won the
battle. Both brothers, Olaf and Sigrod, fell there; and both their
grave-mounds are upon the ridge where they fell. Then King Eirik went
through Viken, and subdued it, and remained far into summer. Gudrod and
Trygve fled to the Uplands. Eirik was a stout handsome man, strong, and
very manly,--a great and fortunate man of war; but bad-minded, gruff,
unfriendly, and silent. Gunhild, his wife, was the most beautiful
of women,--clever, with much knowledge, and lively; but a very false
person, and very cruel in disposition. The children of King Eirik
and Gunhild were, Gamle, the oldest; then Guthorm, Harald, Ragnfrod,
Ragnhild, Erling, Gudrod, and Sigurd Sleva. All were handsome, and of
manly appearance (1).

ENDNOTES: (1) Of Eirik, his wife, and children, see the following sagas.

HAKON THE GOOD'S SAGA.

PRELIMINARY REMARKS.

Of Eirik Blood-axe's five years' reign Snorre has no separate saga. He
appears not to have been beloved by the people and his queen Gunhild
seems to have had a bad influence on him.

Other accounts of Hakon may be found in "Fagrskinna" (chaps. 25-34),
"Agrip", "Historia", "Norvegiae", and in "Thjodrek" (chap. 4).

The reader is also referred to "Saxo", "Egla", "Laxdaela", "Kormaks
Saga", "Gisle Surssons Saga", "Halfred's Saga", "Floamanna Saga", "Viga
Glum's Saga", and to "Landnamabok".

Skald mentioned in this Saga are:--Glum Geirason, Thord Sjarekson,
Guthorm Sindre, Kormak Ogmundson, and Eyvind Skaldaspiller. In
the "Egla" are found many poems belonging to this epoch by Egil
Skallagrimson.

In "Fagrskinna" is found a poem (not