240 Norzvay and the Norivegians 



before long to quarrel with Ulf, and he had him 

 murdered. Ulfs son, Svend — generally called from his 

 mother Svend Estrid's son — became afterwards a pre- 

 tender to the throne of Denmark, and the founder of a 

 new dynasty. 



Cnut left his own son Svend as nominal regent of Nor- 

 way ; but Svend was only a child ; the power belonged 

 to his mother Alfifa. People began to murmur against 

 this state of things, and, as has been said, Cnut had 

 done little to propitiate the two most powerful men in 

 the country, Einar Tambarskelfir and Kalf Arnason. 



A pretender ' presently arose who called himself 

 Tryggvi, and said he was a son of Olaf Tryggvason. He 

 was reported to be the son of a priest; 'but,' says 

 Snorri, ' this praise must be allowed him, that he showed 

 himself more like the son of Olaf Tryggvason ; for 

 this Tryggvi was a slaughtering man.' He could get 

 no great following. The fleet which he collected was 

 met by one under the command of Svend (now grown 

 to maturity), and a battle took place very near the 

 scene of Norway's first historic battle, the Hafirsfjord, 

 and there Tryggvi was slain. 



But this winter there were consultations between 

 Einar and Kalf at Nidaros (Throndlijem), and early 

 next spring they had apparently decided upon their 

 course, for they collected a great retinue of men, and 

 prepared for a journey. Cnut had sent to demand a 

 tribute ' of axes/ and Kalf had refused flatly, nay, with 

 threats. 



The ambassadors left Norway and passed into 

 Sweden. Magnus, the son of King Olaf (whom 

 we may now call St. Olaf), had, since the battle of 



