King Svein, the son of Canute the Great, ruled over Norway for some
years; but was a child both in age and understanding. His mother Alfifa
had most sway in the country; and the people of the country were her
great enemies, both then and ever since. Danish people had a great
superiority given them within the country, to the great dissatisfaction
of the people; and when conversation turned that way, the people of
the rest of Norway accused the Throndhjem people of having principally
occasioned King Olaf the Holy's fall, and also that the men of Norway
were subject, through them, to the ill government by which oppression
and slavery had come upon all the people, both great and small; indeed
upon the whole community. They insisted that it was the duty of the
Throndhjem people to attempt opposition and insurrection, and thus
relieve the country from such tyranny; and, in the opinion of the common
people, Throndhjem was also the chief seat of the strength of Norway at
that time, both on account of the chiefs and of the population of
that quarter. When the Throndhjem people heard these remarks of their
countrymen, they could not deny that there was much truth in them, and
that in depriving King Olaf of life and land they had committed a great
crime, and at the same time the misdeed had been ill paid. The chiefs
began to hold consultations and conferences with each other, and the
leader of these was Einar Tambaskelfer. It was likewise the case with
Kalf Arnason, who began to find into what errors he had been drawn by
King Canute's persuasion. All the promises which King Canute had made
to Kalf had been broken; for he had promised him the earldom and the
highest authority in Norway: and although Kalf had been the leader
in the battle against King Olaf, and had deprived him of his life and
kingdom, Kalf had not got any higher dignity than he had before. He felt
that he had been deceived, and therefore messages passed between the
brothers Kalf, Fin, Thorberg, and Arne, and they renewed their family
friendship.