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ys　the　earl；　〃he　gave　the　matter　into　our　hands；　as　I；　and　many　other　chiefs　and　leading　men　here　in　the　country；　have　often　complained　to　King　Canute　of　the　evil　consequences　to　the　country　of　being　without　a　king；　and　that　former　kings　thought　it　honour　and　power　enough　to　rule　over　the　Danish　kingdom　alone；　and　in　the　times　that　are　past　many　kings　have　ruled　over　this　kingdom。　　But　now　there　are　greater　difficulties　than　have　ever　been　before；　for　we　have　been　so　fortunate　hitherto　as　to　live　without　disturbance　from　foreign　kings；　but　now　we　hear　the　king　of　Norway　is　going　to　attack　us；　to　which　is　added　the　fear　of　the　people　that　the　Swedish　king　will　join　him；　and　now　King　Canute　is　in　England。〃　　The　earl　then　produced　King　Canute's　letter　and　seal；　confirming　all　that　the　earl　asserted。　　Many　other　chiefs　supported　this　business；　and　in　consequence　of　all　these　persuasions　the　people　resolved　to　take　Hardaknut　as　king；　which　was　done　at　the　same　Thing。　　The　Queen　Emma　had　been　principal　promoter　of　this　determination；　for　she　had　got　the　letter　to　be　written；　and　provided　with　the　seal；　having　cunningly　got　hold　of　the　king's　signet；　but　from　him　it　was　all　concealed。　　Now　when　Hardaknut　and　Earl　Ulf　heard　for　certain　that　King　Olaf　was　come　from　Norway　with　a　large　army；　they　went　to　Jutland；　where　the　greatest　strength　of　the　Danish　kingdom　lies；　sent　out　message…tokens；　and　summoned　to　them　a　great　force；　but　when　they　heard　the　Swedish　king　was　also　come　with　his　army；　they　thought　they　would　not　have　strength　enough　to　give　battle　to　both；　and　therefore　kept　their　army　together　in　Jutland；　and　resolved　to　defend　that　country　against　the　kings。　The　whole　of　their　ships　they　assembled　in　Limfjord；　and　waited　thus　for　King　Canute。　　Now　when　they　heard　that　King　Canute　had　come　from　the　West　to　Limfjord　they　sent　men　to　him；　and　to　Queen　Emma；　and　begged　her　to　find　out　if　the　king　was　angry　at　them　or　not；　and　to　let　them　know。　　The　queen　talked　over　the　matter　with　him；　and　said；　〃Your　son　Hardaknut　will　pay　the　full　mulct　the　king　may　demand；　if　he　has　done　anything　which　is　thought　to　be　against　the　king。〃　　He　replies；　that　Hardaknut　has　not　done　this　of　his　own　judgement。　　〃And　therefore；〃　says　he；　〃it　has　turned　out　as　might　have　been　expected；　that　when　he；　a　child；　and　without　understanding；　wanted　to　be　called　king；　the　country；　when　any　evil　came　and　an　enemy　appeared；　must　be　conquered　by　foreign　princes；　if　our　might　had　not　come　to　his　aid。　　If　he　will　have　any　reconciliation　with　me　let　him　come　to　me；　and　lay　down　the　mock　title　of　king　he　has　given　himself。〃　　The　queen　sent　these　very　words　to　Hardaknut；　and　at　the　same　time　she　begged　him　not　to　decline　coming；　for；　as　she　truly　observed；　he　had　no　force　to　stand　against　his　father。　　When　this　message　came　to　Hardaknut　he　asked　the　advice　of　the　earl　and　other　chief　people　who　were　with　him；　but　it　was　soon　found　that　when　the　people　heard　King　Canute　the　Old　was　arrived　they　all　streamed　to　him；　and　seemed　to　have　no　confidence　but　in　him　alone。　　Then　Earl　Ulf　and　his　fellows　saw　they　had　but　two　roads　to　take；　either　to　go　to　the　king　and　leave　all　to　his　mercy；　or　to　fly　the　country。　　All　pressed　Hardaknut　to　go　to　his　father；　which　advice　he　followed。　　When　they　met　he　fell　at　his　father's　feet；　and　laid　his　seal；　which　accompanied　the　kingly　title；　on　his　knee。　　King　Canute　took　Hardaknut　by　the　hand；　and　placed　him　in　as　high　a　seat　as　he　used　to　sit　in　before。　　Earl　UIf　sent　his　son　Svein；　who　was　a　sister's　son　of　King　Canute；　and　the　same　age　as　Hardaknut；　to　the　king。　　He　prayed　for　grace　and　reconciliation　for　his　father；　and　offered　himself　as　hostage　for　the　earl。　　King　Canute　ordered　him　to　tell　the　earl　to　assemble　his　men　and　ships；　and　come　to　him；　and　then　they　would　talk　of　reconciliation。　　The　earl　did　so。



159。　FORAY　IN　SCANIA。

When　King　Olaf　and　King　Onund　heard　that　King　Canute　was　come　from　the　West；　and　also　that　he　had　a　vast　force；　they　sailed　east　to　Scania；　and　allowed　themselves　to　ravage　and　burn　in　the　districts　there；　and　then　proceeded　eastward　along　the　land　to　the　frontier　of　Sweden。　　As　soon　as　the　country　people　heard　that　King　Canute　was　come　from　the　West；　no　one　thought　of　going　into　the　service　of　the　two　kings。

Now　the　kings　sailed　eastward　along　the　coast；　and　brought　up　in　a　river　called　Helga；　and　remained　there　some　time。　　When　they　heard　that　King　Canute　was　coming　eastward　with　his　forces　against　them；　they　held　a　council；　and　the　result　was；　that　King　Olaf　with　his　people　went　up　the　country　to　the　forest；　and　to　the　lake　out　of　which　the　river　Helga　flows。　　There　at　the　riverhead　they　made　a　dam　of　timber　and　turf；　and　dammed　in　the　lake。　　They　also　dug　a　deep　ditch；　through　which　they　led　several　waters；　so　that　the　lake　waxed　very　high。　　In　the　river…bed　they　laid　large　logs　of　timber。　　They　were　many　days　about　this　work；　and　King　Olaf　had　the　management　of　this　piece　of　artifice；　but　King　Onund　had　only　to　command　the　fleet　and　army。　When　King　Canute　heard　of　the　proceedings　of　the　two　kings；　and　of　the　damage　they　had　done　to　his　dominions；　he　sailed　right　against　them　to　where　they　lay　in　Helga　river。　　He　had　a　War…force　which　was　one　half　greater　than　that　of　both　the　kings　together。　　Sigvat　speaks　of　these　things：　

　　　　　〃The　king；　who　shields　　　　　　His　Jutland　fields　　　　　　From　scaith　or　harm　　　　　　By　foeman's　arm；　　　　　　Will　not　allow　　　　　　Wild　plundering　now：　　　　　　‘The　greatest　he；　　　　　　On　land　or　sea。'〃



160。　BATTLE　IN　HELGA　RIVER。

One　day；　towards　evening；　King　Onund's　spies　saw　King　Canute　coming　sailing　along；　and　he　was　not　far　off。　　Then　King　Onund　ordered　the　war…horns　to　sound；　on　which　his　people　struck　their　tents；　put　on　their　weapons；　rowed　out　of　the　harbour　and　east　round　the　land；　bound　their　ships　together；　and　prepared　for　battle。　　King　Onund　made　his　spies　run　up　the　country　to　look　for　King　Olaf；　and　tell　him　the　news。　　Then　King　Olaf　broke　up　the　dam；　and　let　the　river　take　its　course。　　King　Olaf　travelled　down　in　the　night　to　his　ships。　　When　King　Canute　came　outside　the　harbour；　he　saw　the　forces　of　the　kings　ready　for　battle。　　He　thought　that　it　would　be　too　late　in　the　day　to　begin　the　fight　by　the　time　his　forces　could　be　ready；　for　his　fleet　required　a　great　deal　of　room　at　sea；　and　there　was　a　long　distance　between　the　foremost　of　his　ships　and　the　hindmost；　and　between　those　outside　and　those　nearest　the　land；　and　there　was　but　little　wind。　　Now；　as　Canute　saw　that　the　Swedes　and　Norwegians　had　quitted　the　harbour；　he　went　into　it　with　as　many　ships　as　it　could　hold；　but　the　main　strength　of　the　fleet　lay　without　the　harbour。　　In　the　morning；　when　it　was　light；　a　great　part　of　the　men　went　on　shore；　some　for　amusement；　some　to　converse　with　the　people　of　other　ships。　　They　observed　nothing　until　the　water　came　rushing　over　them　like　a　waterfall；　carrying　huge　trees；　which　drove　in　among　their　ships；　damaging　all　they　struck；　and　the　water　covered　all　the　fields。　　The　men　on　shore　perished；　and　many　who　were　in　the　ships。　　All　who　could　do　it　cut　their　cables；　so　that　the　ships　were　loose；　and　drove　before　the　stream；　and　were　scattered　here　and　there。　　The　great　dragon；　which　King　Canute　himself　was　in；　drove　before　the　stream；　and　as　it　could　not　so　easily　be　turned　with　oars；　drove　out　among　Olaf's　and　Onund's　ships。　　As　they　knew　the　ship；　they　laid　her　on　board　on　all　quarters。　　But　the　ship　was　so　high　in　the　hull；　as　if　it　were　a　castle；　and　had　besides　such　a　numerous　and　chosen　crew　on　board；　well　armed　and　exercised；　that　it　was　not　easy　to　attack　her。　　After　a　short　time　also　Earl　Ulf　came　up　with　his　fleet；　and　then　the　battle　began；　and　King　Canute's　fleet　gathered　together　from　all　quarters。　　But　the　kings　Olaf　and　Onund；　seeing　they　had　for　this　time　got　all　the　victory　that　fate　permitted　them　to　gain；　let　their　ships　retreat；　cast　themselves　loose　from　King　Canute's　ship；　and　the　fleets　separated。　　But　as　the　attack　had　not　been　made　as　King　Canute　had　determined；　he　made　no　further　attempt；　and　the　kings　on　each　side　arranged　their　fleets　and　put　their　ships　in　order。　　When　the　fleets　were　parted；　and　each　sailing　its　course；　Olaf　and　Onund　looked　over　their　forces；　and　found　they　had　suffered　no　loss　of　men。　　In　the　meantime　they　saw　that　if　they　waited　until　King　Canute　got　his　large　fleet　in　order　to　attack　them；　the　difference　of　force　was　so　great　that　for　them　there　was　little　chance　of　victory。　　It　was　also　evident　that　if　the　battle　was　renewed；　they　must　suffer　a　great　loss　of　men。　　They　took　the　resolution；　therefore；　to　row　with　the　whole　fleet　eastward　along　the　coast。　　Observing　that　King　Canute　did　not　pursue　them；　they　raised　up　their　masts　and　set　sail。　　Ottar　Svarte　tells　thus　of　it　in　the　poem　he　composed　upon　King　Canute　the　Great：　

　　　　　〃The　king；　in　battle　fray；　　　　　　Drove　the　Swedish　host　away：　　　　　　The　wolf　did　not　miss　prey；　　　　　　Nor　the　raven　on　that　day。　　　　　　Great　Canute　might　deride　　　　　　Two　kings　if　he　had　pride；　　　　　　For　at　Helga　river's　side　　　　　　They　would　not　his　sword　abide。〃

Thord　Sjarekson　also　sang　these　lines　in　his　death　song　of　King　Olaf：　

　　　　　〃King　Olaf；　Agder's　lord；　　　　　　　　　　　Ne'er　shunned　the　Jutland　king；　　　　　　But　with　his　blue…edged　sword　　　　　　　　　　　Broke　many　a　panzer　ring。　　　　　　King　Canute　was　not　slow：　　　　　　　　　　　King　Onund　filled　the　plain　　　　　　With　dead；　killed　by　his　bow：　　　　　　　　　　　The　wolf　howled　o'er　the　slain。〃



161。　KING　OLAF　AND　KING　ONUND'S　PLANS。

King　Olaf　and　King　Onund　sailed　eastward　to　the　Swedish　king's　dominions；　and　one　day；　towards　evening；　landed　at　a　place　called　Barvik；　where　they　lay　all　night。　　But　then　it　was　observed　of　the　Swedes　that　they　were　home…sick；　for　the　greater　part　of　their　forces　sailed　eastward　along　the　land　in　the　night；　and　did　not　stop　their　course　until　they　came　home　to　their　houses。　　Now　when　King　Onund　observed　this　he　ordered；　as　soon　as　the　day　dawned；　to　sound　the　signal　for　a　House…thing；　and　the　whole　people　went　on　shore；　and　the　Thing　sat　down。　　Then　King　Onund　took　up　the　word；　and　spake　thus：　〃So　it　is；　King　Olaf；　that；　as　you　know；　we　have　been　assembled　in　summer；　and　have　forayed　wide　around　in　Denmark；　and　have　gained