Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 2.djvu/367

 KINGS OF NORWAY. 359 VTTT v ±±x ' SAGA VIII. East. SAGA OF MAGNUS THE GOOD.* After Yule Magnus Olafsson began his journey from Chapter the East from Novogorod to Ladoga, where he rigged Magnus out his ships as soon as the ice was loosened in spring. °^ on s Arnor, the earl's scald, tells of this in the poem on from the Magnus : — " It is no loose report that he, Who will command on land and sea, In blood will make his foemen feel Olaf 's sword Hneiter's sharp blue steel. This generous youth, who scatters gold, Norway's brave son, but ten years old, Is rigging ships in Russia's lake, His crown, with friends' support, to take." In spring Magnus sailed from the East to Sweden. So says Arnor : — " The young sword-stainer called a Thing, Where all his men should meet their king : Heroes who find the eagle food Before their lord in arms stood. And now the curved plank of the bow Cleaves the blue sea; the ocean -plough, By grey winds driven across the main, Reaches Sigtuna's grassy plain." Here it is related that when King Magnus and his fellow-travellers sailed from the East to Sweden, they brought up at Sigtun. Onund Olafsson was then king in Sweden. Queen Astrid, who had been mar- ried to King Olaf the Saint, was also there. She received very gladly and well her stepson King Mag- nus, and summoned immediately a numerous Thing of Swedes at a place called Hungrar. At the Thing A A 4
 * Magnus reigned from about 1035 to about 1047-