And people dressed their boats, and cheered,
As Olaf's fleet in splendour steered.
But the descendant of great Hemming,
Whose race tells many a gallant sea-king,
His blue sword in red life-blood stained,
And bravely Olaf's long-ship gained."
Swend, a son of Earl Hakon, and Earl Eric's brother, was engaged at this time to marry Holmfrid, a daughter of King Olaf the Swedish king. Now when Swend the Danish king, Olaf the Swedish king, and Earl Eric divided the kingdom of Norway between them, King Olaf got four districts in the Drontheim country, and also the districts of More and Raumsdal; and in the east part of the land he got Ranrige, from the Gotha river to Swinesund. Olaf gave these dominions into Earl Swend's hands, on the same conditions as the sub-kings or earls had held them formerly from the upper-king of the country. Earl Eric got four districts in the Drontheim country, and Halogaland, Naumadal, the Fiord districts, Sogn, Hordaland, Rogaland, and North Agder, all the way to the Naze. So says Thord Kolbeinsson:—
"All chiefs within our land
On Eric's side now stand:
Erling alone, I know,
Remains Earl Eric's foe.
All praise our generous earl,—
He gives, and is no churl:
All men are well content
Fate such a chief has sent.
From Veg to Agder they,
Well pleased, the earl obey;
And all will by him stand,
To guard the Norsemen's land.
And now the news is spread
That mighty Swend is dead,
And luck is gone from those
Who were the Norsemen's foes."
The Danish king Swend retained Viken as he had held it before, but he gave Raumarike and Hedemark to Earl Eric. Swend Hakonson got the title of earl
