say that King Olaf must have
drawn off his shirt of mail in the water, dived down away from the
long-ship, and thereafter swum even to the Wendland cutter and so been
brought to shore by the folk of Astrid.

And many are the tales which have been told by certain men of the
journeyings of King Olaf; nevertheless in this wise speaketh Hallfrod:

'I wot not whether he who stilled the raven's hunger
Should of me be praised as of the living or the dead,
Since of a truth his men tell either tale
(Bootless of himself to question) though wounded was he surely.'

But howsoever this may have been, never more returned King Olaf
Tryggvason to his realm of Norway; yet in this wise speaketh Hallfrod
the Troublous-skald:

'He who the tidings told that the lord was living
Had long for Tryggvi's trusted son a fighter been.
'Tis said the King from out the steel-storm came;
Alas, 'tis worse than this, methinks,
for of truth all facts are lacking.'

And this again:

'When the land-host with men in numbers towards the Holder's
War-wont King did fare, it scarce could be (so heard I)
That the King beloved could with life escape
(Folk seemed not truth to tell) from out the battle.
Some men e'en tell this skald that wounded is the King,
Though from the spear-storm saved and eastwards gone.
But tidings from the south now tell the slaying of the King
In the great fight (endure no more can I the wavering talk of men).'

|| With the victory that he encompassed did Earl Eirik Hakonson gain even
the 'Long Serpent' and much booty, and steered he the 'Serpent' far out
of the battle. Thus said Halldor:

'Thither the "Serpent" had borne him,
The helmeted chieftain, to the great sword-play,
(Then were the ships dight).
But south, in the din of the battle,
gladly the Earl took the "Serpent"
(Heming's high-born brother in blood did dye the swords).'

|| Now Svein the son of Earl Hakon even at this time was betrothed to
Holmfrid the daughter of Olaf King of Sweden. When Olaf the Swedish
King, Svein the Danish King and Earl Eirik divided the realm of Norway
between them, then had Olaf the Swedish King four counties, to wit,
Throndhjem, the two Mores & Raumsdal; and eastward to him pertained
Raumariki from the Gaut (Goeta) river to Svinasund.

This dominion did King Olaf make over to Earl Svein on the self-same
conditions as the tribute paying kings or earls had held their lands
aforeti