Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 1.djvu/394

 Soon after King Harald Gormson ordered a levy of men over all Iris kingdom, and sailed with 600 ships. There were with him Earl Hakon, Harald Grænske a son of King Gudrod, and many other great men who had fled from their udal estates in Norway on account of Gunhild's sons. The Danish king sailed with his fleet from the south to Viken, where all the people of the country surrendered to him. When he came to Tunsberg swarms of people joined him; and King Harald gave to Earl Hakon the command of all the men who came to him in Norway, and gave him the government over Kogaland, Hordaland, Sogn, Fiorde district, South More, Raumsdal, and North More. These seven districts gave King Harald to Earl Hakon to rule over, with the same rights as Harald Haarfager gave with them to his sons; only with the difference, that Hakon should there, as well as in Drontheim, have the king's land-estates and land-tax, and use the king's money and goods according to his necessities whenever there was war in the country. King Harald also gave Harald Grænske title of king; and let him have these dominions with the same rights as his family in former times had held them, and as Harald Haarfager had given with them to his sons. Harald Grænske was then eighteen years old, and he became afterwards a celebrated man. Harald king of Denmark returned home thereafter with all his army.

Earl Hakon proceeded northwards along the coast with his force; and when Gunhild and her sons got the tidings they proceeded to gather troops, but were ill off for men. Then they took the same resolution as before, to sail out to sea with such men as would follow them away to the westward. They came first to the Orkney Islands, and remained there a while. There were in Orkney then the Earls