Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 1.djvu/417

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KINGS OF NORWAY.
403

Then the Danish king turned about with his fleet, and sailed back to Denmark.

Hakon the earl settled habitations again in the country that had been laid waste, and paid no scatt as long as he lived to Denmark.

Chapter XXXVIII.
Harald Gormson's death.

Swend, King Harald's son, who afterwards was called Tweskiæg (forked beard), asked his father King Harald for a part of his kingdom; but now, as before, Harald would not listen to dividing the Danish dominions, and' giving him a kingdom. Swend collected ships of war, and gave out that he was going on a viking cruise; but when all his men were assembled, and the Jomsburg viking Palnatoke had come to his assistance, he ran into Sealand to Iseliord, where his father had been for some time with his ships ready to proceed on an expedition. Swend instantly gave battle, and the combat was severe. So many people flew to assist King Harald, that Swend was overpowered by numbers, and fled. But King Harald received a wound which ended in his death: and Swend was chosen King of Denmark. At this time Sigvald was earl over Jomsburg in Yendland. He was a son of King Strut-Harald, who had ruled over Scania. Heming, and Thorkel the Tall, were Sigvald's brothers. Bue the Thick from Bornholm, and Sigurd his brother, were also chiefs among the Jomsburg vikings: and also Yagn, a son of Aake and Thorgunna, and a sister's son of Bue and Sigurd. Earl Sigvald had taken King Swend prisoner, and carried him to Yendland, to Jomsburg, where he had forced him to make peace with Burislaf, the king of the Yends, and to take him as the peace-maker between them. Earl Sigvald was married to Astrid, a daughter of King Burislaf; and told King Swend that if he did not accept of his terms, he would deliver him into the hands of the Yends. The king knew that they would torture him to death,