2o8 Norway and the Norwegians 



war Olaf, mindful of his old alliance, lent a hand to the 

 sons of ^thelied and Emma acjainst the Dane. He 

 had met them at the Norman court at Eouen, and he 

 joined his fleet Avith theirs when, after the death of 

 their brother, Edmund Ironside, they attempted to 

 drive Cnut from this country. But when their attempts 

 proved quite abortive, and they were obliged to return 

 again to Normandy, Olaf parted company with them, 

 and after plundering a while on the English coast he 

 set sail, with only two ships, for Norway. The spot 

 at which he first landed was Sa^lo, close to Cape Stad. 



Earl Erik's son, Hakon, and his brother, Svein, had 

 succeeded to his rule. Almost immediately on his 

 arrival Olaf had the good fortune to surprise the former 

 of these two earls as he came, ignorant of danger, sailing 

 up the Saudungssund (opposite the Dal Fjord, and just 

 north of Sogne Fjord), with only a single ship, and to 

 take him prisoner. He exacted from Hakon, as the 

 price of his life, an oath renouncing all his claims in 

 Norway, and engaging to leave the country for ever. 



After this Olaf proceeded to the south country, and 

 made his way to the Uplands, where lay the territory 

 ruled over by his step-father, Sigrod Syr. This peace- 

 ful farmer-king was at first little disposed to aid Aasta's 

 son in his daring projects. But Olaf's courage and 

 address, and the influence of his mother, soon formed 

 for the pretender a party in the south of Norway. 

 The petty kings or chiefs in Gudbransdal, Hedemark, 

 Eaumariki, Valders, Hadaland, Thoten (all the country 

 which lies about Lake Mjosen, and as far north as the 

 Dovrefjeld), and the Thing for these districts acknow- 

 ledged the new comer as their sovereign. Olaf's 



