a kinglet, and a great-grandson of Harald Fairhair, a man of great
wealth, prudence, and influence in those countries; in whose house, as
favorite and well-beloved stepson, little Olaf was wholesomely and
skilfully brought up. In Sigurd's house he had, withal, a special
tutor entertained for him, one Rane, known as Rane the Far-travelled,
by whom he could be trained, from the earliest basis, in Norse
accomplishments and arts. New children came, one or two; but Olaf,
from his mother, seems always to have known that he was the
distinguished and royal article there. One day his Foster-father,
hurrying to leave home on business, hastily bade Olaf, no other being
by, saddle his horse for him. Olaf went out with the saddle, chose
the biggest he-goat about, saddled that, and brought it to the door by
way of horse. Old Sigurd, a most grave man, grinned sardonically at
the sight. "Hah, I see thou hast no mind to take commands from me;
thou art of too high a humor to take commands." To which, says
Snorro, Boy Olaf answered little except by laughing, till Sigurd
saddled for himself, and rode away. His mother Aasta appears to have
been a thoughtful, prudent woman, though always with a fierce royalism
at the bottom of her memory, and a secret implacability on that head.

At the age of twelve Olaf went to sea; furnished with a little fleet,
and skilful sea-counsellor, expert old Rane, by his Foster-father, and
set out to push his fortune in the world. Rane was a steersman and
counsellor in these incipient times; but the crew always called Olaf
"King," though at first, as Snorro thinks, except it were in the hour
of battle, he merely pulled an oar. He cruised and fought in this
capacity on many seas and shores; passed several years, perhaps till
the age of nineteen or twenty, in this wild element and way of life;
fighting always in a glorious and distinguished manner. In the hour
of battle, diligent enough "to amass property," as the Vikings termed