When King Harald was fifty years of age many of his sons were grown up,
and some were dead. Many of them committed acts of great violence in the
country, and were in discord among themselves. They drove some of the
king's earls out of their properties, and even killed some of them.
Then the king called together a numerous Thing in the south part of the
country, and summoned to it all the people of the Uplands. At this
Thing he gave to all his sons the title of king, and made a law that his
descendants in the male line should each succeed to the kingly title and
dignity; but his descendants by the female side only to that of earl.
And he divided the country among them thus:--Vingulmark, Raumarike,
Vestfold and Thelamark, he bestowed on Olaf, Bjorn, Sigtryg, Frode, and
Thorgils. Hedemark and Gudbrandsdal he gave to Dag, Hring, and Ragnar.
To Snaefrid's sons he gave Ringerike, Hadeland, Thoten, and the lands
thereto belonging. His son Guthorm, as before mentioned, he had set over
the country from Glommen to Svinasund and Ranrike. He had set him to
defend the country to the East, as before has been written. King Harald
himself generally dwelt in the middle of the country, and Hrorek and
Gudrod were generally with his court, and had great estates in Hordaland
and in Sogn. King Eirik was also with his father King Harald; and the
king loved and regarded him the most of all his sons, and gave him
Halogaland and North More, and Raumsdal. North in Throndhjem he gave
Halfdan the Black, Halfdan the White, and Sigrod land to rule over. In
each of these districts he gave his sons the one half of his revenues,
together with the right to sit on a high-seat,--a step higher than
earls, but a step lower than his own high-seat. His king's seat each of
his sons wanted for himself after his death, but he himself destined it
for Eirik. The Throndhjem people wanted Halfdan the Black to succeed to
it. The people of Viken, and the Uplands, wanted those under whom they
lived. And thereupon new quarrels arose among the brothers; and because
they thought their dominions too little, they drove about in piratical
expeditions. In this way, as before related, Guthorm fell at the mouth
of the Gaut river, slain by Solve Klofe; upon which Olaf took the
kingdom he had possessed. Halfdan the White fell in Eistland, Halfdan
Haleg in Orkney. King Harald gave ships of war to Thorgils and Frode,
with which they went westward on a viking cruise, and plundered in
Scotland, Ireland, and Bretland. They were the first of the Northmen
who took Dublin. It is said that Frode got poisoned drink there; but
Thorgils was a long time king over Dublin, until he fell into a snare of
the Irish, and was killed.