Bibliotheca Arnamagnæana - 01.06.1979, Qupperneq 11

Ari’s konunga ævi and the Earliest Accounts
of Håkon Jarl’s Death
By Theodore M. Andersson
The coming of Olaf Tryggvason to Norway and the death of Håkon
jarl at the hånds of his thrall Karkr are related in the greatest detail by
Theodoricus monachus, Oddr Snorrason, and Snorri Sturluson. The
story of how Håkon lures Olaf to Norway in the hope of eliminating a
rival, only to lose his grasp on the realm because of public indignation
over his womanizing, how Håkon takes refuge in a pigsty at Rimull and
is murdered in his sleep, how Karkr takes his head to Olaf with the
expectation of reward and is hanged instead, all this is familiar enough
not to require lengthy retelling. The high points in the three main sources
are the following:
Theodoricus
Olaf stays in England
under the name Ole
Hocon learns of his
location and plots
against him
He intimidates Olafs
uncles with threats of
death and sends them
to England with Tho-
rer klakka, who had
once been with Olaf
Oddr
Håkon learps of Olafs
deeds and plots against
him
He dispatches borir
klakka to Gardariki
together with Olafs
uncles, who are con-
strained by threats of
death
Snorri
Håkon's moral degene-
ration
Håkon learns of a man
named Ali in the west
and suspects it is Olaf
He dispatches borir
klakka westward to
identify Åli and betray
him if possible
Opuscula VI — 1