Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 2.djvu/25

 KINGS OF NORWAY. 17 hanging over a beam. He was better than any man saga vn. at running in snow-shoes, was a great man at all exercises, was of high family, and rich. The earls Eric and Swend married their sister Bergliot to Einar. Their son was named Eindred. The earls gave Einar great fiefs in Orkedal, so that he was one of the most powerful and able men in Drontheim country, and was also a great friend of the earls, and a great support and aid to them. When Olaf Tryggvesson ruled over Norway, he c 5x T i ER gave his brother-in-law Erling half of the land scatt, Of Eriing and royal revenues between the Naze and Sogn. Skial s sscn - His other sister he married to the Earl Rongvald Ulfsson, who long ruled over West Gotland. Rogn- vald's father, Ulf, was a brother of Sigrid the Haughty, the mother of Olaf the Swedish king. Earl Eric was ill pleased that Erling Skialgsson had so large a dominion, and he took to himself all the king's estates, which King Olaf had given to Erling. But Erling levied, as before, all the land scatt in Ro- galand; and thus the inhabitants had often to pay him the land scatt, otherwise he laid waste their land. The earl made little of the business, for no bailiff of his could live there, and the earl could only come there in guest-quarters, when he had a great many people with him. So says Sigvat : — " Olaf the king Thought the bonder Erling A man who would grace His own royal race. One sister the king • Gave the bonder Erling; And one to an earl, And she saved him in peril." Earl Eric did not venture to fight with Erling, be- cause he had very powerful and very many friends, and was himself rich and popular, and kept always as many retainers about him as if he held a king's VOL. II. c