a month and trade with the men of the land (ch. 46). That same summer, Haraldr Fairhair dies. In order to secure his place as sole King of Norway, Eiríkr Bloodaxe murders his two brothers. He then declares Egil an outlaw in Norway. Berg-Önundr gathers a company of men to capture Egil, but is killed during his attempt to do so. Before escaping from Norway, Egil also slays Rögnvaldr, the son of King Eiríkr and Queen Gunnhildr. He then curses the King and Queen, setting a horse's head on a Nithing pole and saying "Here I set up a níð-pole, and declare this níð against King Eiríkr and Queen Gunnhildr,"—he turned the horse-head to face the mainland—"I declare this níð at the land-spirits there, and the land itself, so that all will fare astray, not to hold nor find their places, not until they wreak King Eiríkr and Gunnhildr from the land." He set up the pole of níð in the cliff-face and left it standing; he faced the horse's eyes on the land, and he carved runes upon the pole, and said all the formal words of the curse. (ch. 57). Gunnhildr also puts a spell on Egil, cursing him to feel restless and depressed until they meet again. Soon afterwards, Eiríkr and Gunnhildr are forced to flee to the Kingdom of Northumbria by Prince Hákon. In Saxon England, they become King and Queen of Northumbria in rivalry with King Athelstan of England. In time, Egil is shipwrecked in Northumbria and learns who rules the land. Egil seeks out the house of his good friend Arinbjörn, where they arm themselves and march to Eiríkr's court. Arinbjörn tells Egil "now you must go and offer the king your head and embrace his foot. I will present your case to him." Arinbjörn presents Egil's case and Egil composes a short drápa, reciting it with Eiríkr's foot in his hand, but Eiríkr is not impressed. He explains that Egil's wrongs to him were far too great to be forgiven so easily. Gunnhildr calls for the immediate execution of Egil, but Arinbjörn convinces the king not to kill him until the morning. Arinbjörn tells Egil that he should stay up all night and compose a mighty head-ransom poem or drápa fit for such a king, a poem in praise of his enemy. In the morning Egil goes back before king Eiríkr and recites