Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 1.djvu/325

 people, under his rale as upper king. After the death of Biorn the Merchant, his brother Olaf took the command over Westfold, and took Biorn's son, Gudrod, as his foster-child. Olaf's son was called Tryggve; and the two foster-bothers were about the same age, and were hopeful and clever. Tryggve, especially, was remarkable as a stout and strong man. Now when the people of Viken heard that those of Horden had taken Eric as upper king, they did the same, and made Olaf the upper king in Yiken, which kingdom he retained. Eric did not like this at all. Two years after this, Halfdan the Black died suddenly at a feast in Drontheim, and the general report was, that Gunhild had bribed a witch to give him a death-drink. Thereafter the Drontheim people took Sigrod to be their king.

King Harald lived three years after he gave Eric the supreme authority over his kingdom, and lived mostly on his great farms which he possessed, some in Rogaland, and some in Hordaland. Eric and Gunhild had a son, on whom King Harald poured water, and gave him his own name, and the promise that he should be king after his father Eric. King Harald married most of his daughters within the country to his earls, and from them many great families are descended. King Harald died on a bed of sickness in Rogaland, and was buried under a mound at Hougar in Kormsund. In Hougasund is a church, now standing; and not far from the churchyard, at the north-west side, is King Harald Haarfager's mound; but his grave-stone stands west of the church, and is thirteen feet and a half high, and two ells broad. The grave, mound, and stone, are there to the present day. Harald Ilaarfager was, according to the report