swine-sty, and then it never failed that he had dreams. The king
did so, and the following dream was revealed to him. He thought
he had the most beautiful hair, which was all in ringlets; some
so long as to fall upon the ground, some reaching to the middle
of his legs, some to his knees, some to his loins or the middle
of his sides, some to his neck, and some were only as knots
springing from his head. These ringlets were of various colours;
but one ringlet surpassed all the others in beauty, lustre, and
size. This dream he told to Thorleif, who interpreted it thus:
-- There should be a great posterity from him, and his
descendants should rule over countries with great, but not all
with equally great, honour; but one of his race should be more
celebrated than all the others. It was the opinion of people
that this ringlet betokened King Olaf the Saint.

King Halfdan was a wise man, a man of truth and uprightness --
who made laws, observed them himself, and obliged others to
observe them. And that violence should not come in place of the
laws, he himself fixed the number of criminal acts in law, and
the compensations, mulcts, or penalties, for each case, according
to every one's birth and dignity (1).

Queen Ragnhild gave birth to a son, and water was poured over
him, and the name of Harald given him, and he soon grew stout and
remarkably handsome. As he grew up he became very expert at all
feats, and showed also a good understanding. He was much beloved
by his mother, but less so by his father.


ENDNOTES: