Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 2.djvu/352

 344 CHRONICLE OF THE SAGA VII. Chapter CCLII. Of the be- ginning of King Swend Alfifason's govern- ment. some of the best friends of King Olaf, and asked them if they would take charge of the king's body; but none of them dared to do so. Then Thorgils and his men went with the body higher up the river, buried it in a sand-hill on the banks, and levelled all around it so that no one could observe that people had been at work there. They were ready with all this before break of day, when they returned to their vessel, went immediately out of the river, and pro- ceeded on their way home to Stiklestad. Swend, a son of King Canute, and of Alfifa, a daughter of Earl Alfrim, had been appointed to govern Jomsberg in Vendland. There came a mes- sage to him from his father King Canute, that he should come to Denmark ; and likewise that afterwards he should proceed to Norway, and take that kingdom under his charge, and assume, at the same time, the title of king of Norway. Swend repaired to Den- mark, and took many people with him from thence, and also Earl Harald and many other people of con- sequence attended him. Thorarin Loftunge speaks of this in the song he composed about King Swend, called the Glelogn song: — (< 'Tis told by fame, How grandly came The Danes to tend Their young king Swend. Grandest was he, That all could see; Then, one by one, Each following man More splendour wore Than him before." Then Swend proceeded to Norway, and his mother Alfifa was with him ; and he was taken to be king at every Law-thing in the country. He had already come as far as Viken at the time the battle was fought at Stiklestad, and King Olaf fell. Swend continued his journey until he came north, in autumn, to the