1 66 No7"way and the Norwegians 



his at Stordal, south of Molde. King Harald and his 

 brother Erling came by night — by starlight, as the 

 author tells us — and surrounded the house, and set fire 

 to it, burning Earl Sigurd and all his men inside. This 

 act of treachery was of no avail to Griotgaard, nor to 

 the sons of Gunhild. For all the Throndhjem people 

 rose to defend the rights of Sigurd's son, Hakon, a man, 

 moreover, well able to defend himself; and after many 

 years of struggle, Harald had to acknowledge him as 

 the Earl of Lade, with all the powers which his father 

 had possessed. 



Harald, Erik's and Gunhild's son, is represented — 

 despite his many acts of infamous treachery — as a 

 proper man enough in himself, of a good presence, and 

 a brave man of war. He had a good sense of humour 

 too, and he got the nickname of Grafeld, grey-skin, by 

 which he is known in history in the following wise : — 



While he was lying in one of the fjords there came 

 there a trading ship from Iceland full of skins. Many 

 people visited the vessel, but no one bought the skins. 

 Harald was among the number of visitors, and the 

 merchant complained to him that he could do no trade. 

 ' Well,' said the king, ' will you give me one of your 

 skins ? ' ' Willingly,' replied the other, ' as many as you 

 please.' So the king chose out a grey skin, put it on 

 immediately, and went in this guise from the sliip. 

 Before nightfall, everybody who had the money had 

 bought a skin as much like the king's as could be, and 

 the merchant sailed away next day well content. 



Howbeit, an evil time for Norway followed the 

 accession of Gunhild's sons. Earl Hakon, of the 



