Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 1.djvu/317

 When King Harald was fifty years of age many of his sons were grown up, and some were dead. Many of them committed acts of great violence in the country, and were in discord among themselves. They drove some of the king's earls out of their pro, and even killed some of them. Then the king called together a numerous Thing in the south part of the country, and summoned to it all the people of the Uplands. At this Thing he gave to all his sons the title of king, and made a law that his descendants in the male line should each succeed to the kingly title and dignity; hut his descendants by the female side only to that of earl. And he divided the country among them thus: —Vingulmark, Raumarige, Westfold, and Thelemark, he bestowed on Olaf, Biorn, Sigtryg, Erode, and Thorgil. Hedemark and Gudbrandsdal he gave to Dag, Ring, and Ragnar. To Snsefrid's sons he gave Ringerige, Hadeland, Thoten, and the lands thereto belonging. His son Guttorm, as before mentioned, he had set over the country from Swinesund to the Glommen, and to defend the country eastwards. King Harald himself generally dwelt in the middle of the country, and Rierek and Gudrod were generally with his court, and had great estates in Hordeland and in Sogn. King Eric was also with his father King Harald; and the king loved and regarded him the most of all his sons, and gave him Halogaland, and North More, and Raumsdale. North in Drontheim he gave Halfdan the Black, Halfdan the White, and Sigurd land to rule over. In each of these districts he gave his sons the one half of his revenues, together with the right to sit on a high seat,—a step higher than cauls, but a step lower than his own high seat. His king's seat each of his sons wanted for himself after his death, but he himself destined it for Eric. The Drontheim people wanted Halfdan the Black to succeed to it. The