Earl Hakon, Sigurd's son, was with the Danish king, Harald Gormson, the winter after he had fled from Norway before Gunhild's sons.During the winter (A.D.969) the earl had so much care and sorrow that he took to bed, and passed many sleepless nights, and ate and drank no more than was needful to support his strength.Then he sent a private message to his friends north in Throndhjem, and proposed to them that they should kill King Erling, if they had an opportunity; adding, that he would come to them in summer.The same winter the Throndhjem people accordingly, as before related, killed King Erling.There was great friendship between Earl Hakon and Gold Harald, and Harald told Hakon all his intentions.He told him that he was tired of a ship-life, and wanted to settle on the land; and asked Hakon if he thought his brother King Harald would agree to divide the kingdom with him if he asked it."I think," replied Hakon, "that the Danish king would not deny thy right; but the best way to know is to speak to the king himself.I know for certain so much, that you will not get a kingdom if you don't ask for it."Soon after this conversation Gold Harald spoke to the king about the matter, in the presence of many great men who were friends to both; and Gold Harald asked King Harald to divide the kingdom with him in two equal parts, to which his royal birth and the custom of the Danish monarchy gave him right.The king was highly incensed at this demand, and said that no man had asked his father Gorm to be king over half of Denmark, nor yet his grandfather King Hordaknut, or Sigurd Orm, or Ragnar Lodbrok; and he was so exasperated and angry, that nobody ventured to speak of it to him.
9.OF GOLD HARALD.
Gold Harald was now worse off than before; for he had got no kingdom, and had got the king's anger by proposing it.He went as usual to his friend Hakon, and complained to him of his fate, and asked for good advice, and if he could help him to get his share of the kingdom; saying that he would rather try force, and the chance of war, than give it up.
Hakon advised him not to speak to any man so that this should be known; "for," said he, "it concerns thy life: and rather consider with thyself what thou art man enough to undertake; for to accomplish such a purpose requires a bold and firm man, who will neither stick at good nor evil to do that which is intended; for to take up great resolutions, and then to lay them aside, would only end in dishonour."Go1d Harald replies -- "I will so carry on what I begin, that Iwill not hesitate to kill Harald with my own hands, if I can come thereby to the kingdom he denies me, and which is mine by right."And so they separated.
Now King Harald comes also to Earl Hakon, and tells him the demand on his kingdom which Gold Harald had made, and also his answer, and that he would upon no account consent to diminish his kingdom."And if Gold Harald persists in his demand, I will have no hesitation in having him killed; for I will not trust him if he does not renounce it."The earl answered, -- "My thoughts are, that Harald has carried his demand so far that he cannot now let it drop, and I expect nothing but war in the land; and that he will be able to gather a great force, because his father was so beloved.And then it would be a great enormity if you were to kill your relation; for, as things now stand, all men would say that he was innocent.But I am far from saying, or advising, that you should make yourself a smaller king than your father Gorm was, who in many ways enlarged, but never diminished his kingdom."The king replies, -- "What then is your advice, -- if I am neither to divide my kingdom, nor to get rid of my fright and danger?""Let us meet again in a few days," said Earl Hakon, "and I will then have considered the matter well, and will give you my advice upon it."The king then went away with his people.
10.COUNCILS HELD BY HAKON AND HARALD.
Earl Hakon had now great reflection, and many opinions to weigh, and he let only very few be in the house with him.In a few days King Harald came again to the earl to speak with him, and ask if he had yet considered fully the matter they had been talking of.
"I have," said the earl, "considered it night and day ever since, and find it most advisable that you retain and rule over the whole of your kingdom just as your father left it; but that you obtain for your relation Harald another kingdom, that he also may enjoy honour and dignity.""What kind of kingdom is that," said the king, "which I can give to Harald, that I may possess Denmark entire?""It is Norway," said the earl."The kings who are there are oppressive to the people of the country, so that every man is against them who has tax or service to pay."The king replies, -- "Norway is a large country, and the people fierce, and not good to attack with a foreign army.We found that sufficiently when Hakon defended that country; for we lost many people, and gained no victory.Besides, Harald the son of Eirik is my foster-son, and has sat on my knee."The earl answers, "I have long known that you have helped Gunhild's sons with your force, and a bad return you have got for it; but we shall get at Norway much more easily than by fighting for it with all the Danish force.Send a message to your foster-son Harald, Eirik's son, and offer him the lands and fiefs which Gunhild's sons held before in Denmark.Appoint him a meeting, and Gold Harald will soon conquer for himself a kingdom in Norway from Harald Grafeld."The king replies, that it would be called a bad business to deceive his own foster-son.
"The Danes," answered the earl, "will rather say that it was better to kill a Norwegian viking than a Danish, and your own brother's son."They spoke so long over the matter, that they agreed on it.
11.HARALD GORMSON'S MESSAGE TO NORWAY.
