King Eric ruled over Norway one year
after the death of his father king Harold,
before Hacon Athelstan's foster-son,
another son of Harold,
came out of the west from England;
and in that same summer Egil Skallagrimsson went to Iceland.
Hacon went northwards to Throndheim.
He was there accepted as king.
He and Eric were for the winter both king in Norway.
But in the following spring each gathered an army.
Hacon had by far the larger numbers;
the reason of this was that he made it law in
the land that every man should own his patrimony,
where king Harold had enslaved all, rich and poor alike.
Eric saw no other choice but to flee the land;
so he went abroad with Gunnhilda his wife and their children.
Lord Arinbjorn was king Eric's foster-brother,
and foster-father of his son.
Dear to the king was he above all his barons;
the king had set him as ruler over all the Firth-folk.
Arinbjorn was with the king when he left the land;
they first went westwards over the main to the Orkneys.
There Eric gave his daughter
Ragnhildr in marriage to earl Arnfinn.
After that he went south with his force
along the coast of Scotland,
and harried there;
thence still south to England, and harried there.
And when king Athelstan heard of this,
he gathered force and went against Eric.