safe place, except to some old mistress of his, who lives retired in
that neighborhood, and has some pity or regard for the wicked old
Hakon. Old mistress does receive him, pities him, will do all she can
to protect and hide him. But how, by what uttermost stretch of female
artifice hide him here; every one will search here first of all! Old
mistress, by the slave's help, extemporizes a cellar under the floor
of her pig-house; sticks Hakon and slave into that, as the one safe
seclusion she can contrive. Hakon and slave, begrunted by the pigs
above them, tortured by the devils within and about them, passed two
days in circumstances more and more horrible. For they heard, through
their light-slit and breathing-slit, the triumph of Tryggveson
proclaiming itself by Tryggveson's own lips, who had mounted a big
boulder near by and was victoriously speaking to the people, winding
up with a promise of honors and rewards to whoever should bring him
wicked old Hakon's head. Wretched Hakon, justly suspecting his slave,
tried to at least keep himself awake. Slave did keep himself awake
till Hakon dozed or slept, then swiftly cut off Hakon's head, and
plunged out with it to the presence of Tryggveson. Tryggveson,
detesting the traitor, useful as the treachery was, cut off the
slave's head too, had it hung up along with Hakon's on the pinnacle of
the Lade Gallows, where the populace pelted both heads with stones and
many curses, especially the more important of the two. "Hakon the
Bad" ever henceforth, instead of Hakon the Rich.

This was the end of Hakon Jarl, the last support of heathenry in
Norway, among other characteristics he had: a stronghanded,
hard-headed, very relentless, greedy and wicked being. He is reckoned
to have ruled in Norway, or mainly ruled, either in the struggling or
triumphant state, for about thirty years (965-995?). He and his
seemed to have formed, by chance rather than design, the chief