Another battle took place, in which Halfdan was again victorious;and Eystein fled northwards, up into the Dales to the herse Gudbrand.There he was strengthened with new people, and in winter he went towards Hedemark, and met Halfdan the Black upon a large island which lies in the Mjosen lake.There a great battle was fought, and many people on both sides were slain, but Halfdan won the victory.There fell Guthorm, the son of the herse Gudbrand, who was one of the finest men in the Uplands.Then Eystein fled north up the valley, and sent his relation Halvard Skalk to King Halfdan to beg for peace.On consideration of their relationship, King Halfdan gave King Eystein half of Hedemark, which he and his relations had held before; but kept to himself Thoten, and the district called Land.He likewise appropriated to himself Hadeland, and thus became a mighty king.
3.HALFDAN'S MARRIAGE
Halfdan the Black got a wife called Ragnhild, a daughter of Harald Gulskeg (Goldbeard), who was a king in Sogn.They had a son, to whom Harald gave his own name; and the boy was brought up in Sogn, by his mother's father, King Harald.Now when this Harald had lived out his days nearly, and was become weak, having no son, he gave his dominions to his daughter's son Harald, and gave him his title of king; and he died soon after.The same winter his daughter Ragnhild died; and the following spring the young Harald fell sick and died at ten years of age.As soon as Halfdan the Black heard of his son's death, he took the road northwards to Sogn with a great force, and was well received.He claimed the heritage and dominion after his son; and no opposition being made, he took the whole kingdom.Earl Atle Mjove (the Slender), who was a friend of King Halfdan, came to him from Gaular; and the king set him over the Sogn district, to judge in the country according to the country's laws, and collect scat upon the king's account.Thereafter King Halfdan proceeded to his kingdom in the Uplands.
4.HALFDAN'S STRIFE WITH GANDALF'S SONS.
In autumn, King Halfdan proceeded to Vingulmark.One night when he was there in guest quarters, it happened that about midnight a man came to him who had been on the watch on horseback, and told him a war force was come near to the house.The king instantly got up, ordered his men to arm themselves, and went out of the house and drew them up in battle order.At the same moment, Gandalf's sons, Hysing and Helsing, made their appearance with a large army.There was a great battle; but Halfdan being overpowered by the numbers of people fled to the forest, leaving many of his men on this spot.His foster-father, Olver Spake (the Wise), fell here.The people now came in swarms to King Halfdan, and he advanced to seek Gandalf's sons.They met at Eid, near Lake Oieren, and fought there.Hysing and Helsing fell, and their brother Hake saved himself by flight.King Halfdan then took possession of the whole of Vingulmark, and Hake fled to Alfheimar.
5.HALFDAN'S MARRIAGE WITH HJORT'S DAUGHTER.
Sigurd Hjort was the name of a king in Ringerike, who was stouter and stronger than any other man, and his equal could not be seen for a handsome appearance.His father was Helge Hvasse (the Sharp); and his mother was Aslaug, a daughter of Sigurd the worm-eyed, who again was a son of Ragnar Lodbrok.It is told of Sigurd that when he was only twelve years old he killed in single combat the berserk Hildebrand, and eleven others of his comrades;and many are the deeds of manhood told of him in a long saga about his feats.Sigurd had two children, one of whom was a daughter, called Ragnhild, then twenty years of age, and an excellent brisk girl.Her brother Guthorm was a youth.It is related in regard to Sigurd's death that he had a custom of riding out quite alone in the uninhabited forest to hunt the wild beasts that are hurtful to man, and he was always very eager at this sport.One day he rode out into the forest as usual, and when he had ridden a long way he came out at a piece of cleared land near to Hadeland.There the berserk Hake came against him with thirty men, and they fought.Sigurd Hjort fell there, after killing twelve of Hake's men; and Hake himself lost one hand, and had three other wounds.Then Hake and his men rode to Sigurd's house, where they took his daughter Ragnhild and her brother Guthorm, and carried them, with much property and valuable articles, home to Hadeland, where Hake had many great farms.He ordered a feast to be prepared, intending to hold his wedding with Ragnhild; but the time passed on account of his wounds, which healed slowly; and the berserk Hake of Hadeland had to keep his bed, on account of his wounds, all the autumn and beginning of winter.Now King Halfdan was in Hedemark at the Yule entertainments when he heard this news; and one morning early, when the king was dressed, he called to him Harek Gand, and told him to go over to Hadeland, and bring him Ragnhild, Sigurd Hjort's daughter.Harek got ready with a hundred men, and made his journey so that they came over the lake to Hake's house in the grey of the morning, and beset all the doors and stairs of the places where the house-servants slept.Then they broke into the sleeping-room where Hake slept, took Ragnhild, with her brother Guthorm, and all the goods that were there, and set fire to the house-servants' place, and burnt all the people in it.
