Har aid's Invasion of England 249 



of the last adventure of Harald Hardradi. We know 

 how Tostig, Godwin's son, the brother of our King 

 Harald, who had been expelled from his earldom of 

 Northumbria, sought on every side from the enemies 

 of Harold and of England for aid in the recovery of 

 his forfeited earldom. He applied first to Duke 

 William of Normandy, who was making, as all men 

 knew, preparations for the invasion of England ; and 

 he got some men and ships from that quarter and 

 harried the southern coasts of England, but was driven 

 off. Most of his crews deserted him when he tried to 

 make a descent upon Northumberland, and he went next 

 to his ally Malcolm (called Caenmore, or Big Head), king 

 of Scotland. Tosti^ could not gain all the assistance 

 which he required in this quarter, so he set sail (at 

 least the northern Sagas say he did this) to Norway, to 

 persuade Harald Hardradi to undertake the invasion 

 of England, of which, as we saw, Harald's nephew and 

 predecessor Magnus had claimed the crown. 



Harald consented, and made vast preparations for 

 the expedition. We see him reviewing the fleet which 

 he had collected by the Sulen Islands (the Ytre Sulen 

 and the Indre Sulen), which lie just at the mouth of 

 the Sogne Fjord. Strange portents warned men what 

 was to be the issue of this adventure, this death-throe, 

 as it proved to be, of the old heroic Norway. 



It is said that one of the companions of the king 

 saw from his ship a huge woman of the troll or 

 demon race, sitting upon the land. She had in one 

 hand a fork, and in the other a bowl, as though for 

 holding blood. And, looking over all the fleet he saw, 

 with the second sight which had come upon him, on 



