When Harald came to Novgorod King Jarisleif received him in the most
friendly way and he remained there all winter (A.D. 1045). Then he took
into his own keeping all the gold and the many kinds of precious things
which he had sent there from Constantinople and which together made up
so vast a treasure that no man in the Northern lands ever saw the
like of it in one man's possession. Harald had been three times in the
poluta-svarf while he was in Constantinople. It is the custom, namely,
there, that every time one of the Greek emperors dies, the Varings are
allowed poluta-svarf; that is, they may go through all the emperor's
palaces where his treasures are and each may take and keep what he can
lay hold of while he is going through them.