Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 1.djvu/430

 Norway the shortest way he could, and told the news. He repaired first to Aasta, and related to her all that had happened on the journey, and also on what errand Harald had visited Queen Sigrid. When Aasta got these tidings she set off directly to her father to the Uplands, who received her well; but both were enraged at the design which had been laid in Sweden, and that King Harald had intended to set her in a single condition. In summer Aasta, Gudbrand's daughter, was confined, and had a boy-child, who had water poured over him, and was called Olaf. Rane himself poured water over him, and the child was brought up at first in the house of Gudbrand and his mother Aasta.

Earl Hakon ruled over the whole outer part of Norway that lies on the sea, and had thus sixteen districts under his sway. The arrangement introduced by Ha¬ rald Haarfager, that there should be an earl in each district, was afterward continued for a long time; and thus Earl Hakon had sixteen earls under him. So says the "Yellekla"—

While Earl Hakon ruled over Norway there were good crops in the land, and peace was well preserved in the country among the bonders. The earl, for the greater part of his lifetime, was therefore much beloved by the bonders; but it happened, in the longer course of time, that the earl became very intemperate in his intercourse with women, and even carried it so far that he made the daughters of people of consideration be carried away, and brought home