Chapter IX.
King Harald's home affairs.
King Harald then returned to Drontheim, where he dwelt during the winter, and always afterwards called it his home. He fixed here his head residence, which is called Lade. This winter he took to wife Asa, a daughter of Earl Hakon Griotgardsson, who then stood in great favour and honour with the king. In spring the king fitted out his ships. In winter he had caused a great frigate (a dragon) to be built, and had it fitted out in the most splendid way, and brought his house-troops and his berserkers on board. The forecastle men were picked men, for they had the king's banner. From the stem to the mid-hold was called rausn[1], or the fore-defence; and there were the berserkers.[2]Such men only were received into King Harald's house-troop as were remarkable for strength, courage, and all kinds of dexterity; and they alone got place in his ship, for he had a good choice of house-troops from the best men of every district. King Harald had a great army, many large ships, and many men of might followed him. Hornklofe, in his poem called "Glymdrapa," tells of this; and also that King Harald had a battle with the people of Orkadal, at Opdal forest, before he went upon this expedition.
"O'er the broad heath the bowstrings twang,
While high in air the arrows sang;
The iron shower drives to flight
The foemen from the bloody fight.
The warder of great Odin's shrine,
The fair-haired son of Odin's line,
Raises the voice which gives the cheer1,
First in the track of wolf or bear.
His master voice drives them along
To Hell—a destined, trembling throng;
- ↑ Rausn is explained by Schoning to have been that part of the vessel where the rise begins to form the bow—the forecastle-deck.
- ↑ Berserker. See note, Chapter 6. Ynglinga Saga."
descendants, and their feuds with each other, prevented the permanency of feudal tenures under the crown; and the holdings being only personal, not hereditary, were of less value than the udal rights to land.
