¶ When spring was come King Olaf left Vik and went the round of his manors, and sent he word throughout Vik that come the summer would he call out an host and with it fare northward in the land. ¤ Thereafter went he north (west) to Agdir, and when Lent was drawing to an end sailed northward to Rogoland, and arrived on Easter Eve[§] at Ogvaldsnes in the isle of Kormt, where an Easter festival had been made ready for him. ¤ Nigh upon three hundred men had he with him. That same night Eyvind Well-spring came unto the isle in a long-ship fully manned, and the crew aboard her were all wizards and other folk versed in magic. Eyvind and his band went up ashore from their ship and set to work on their wizardry. Such thick fog & darkness did Eyvind bring about that deemed he it would be impossible for the King and his folk to see them; but no sooner were they come nigh to the house at Ogvaldsnes than lo! it there became broad daylight. Mightily different was this from the desire that Eyvind had conceived, for the darkness which he had wrought by magic enveloped him and his folk so that never a bit more could they see with their eyes than with the napes of their necks, and even round and round went they in a ring. ¤ Now the King’s watchmen saw the wizards as they were moving about, and not knowing what kind of men they might be had the King aroused, and the King & his men got up and clad themselves. When King Olaf saw Eyvind & his folk, bade he his men take their arms and go out to discover what manner of men might these be. Now the King’s folk recognizing Eyvind laid hands on him and the whole band, and brought them into the presence of the King. ¤ Then did Eyvind relate all that had befallen him on his journey. ¤ The King thereafter had them all taken out to a rock which was covered by the sea at high-tide and there let them be bound. Thus Eyvind & the others came by their end. Afterwards was that rock called Skrattasker.
¶ Now it is told that while the King was on this visit at Ogvaldsnes that there came thither one evening an old man; he was one-eyed and wore a slouch hat, but very wise was he in his speech and of all lands could he tell. ¤ This man managed to have speech of the King, & the King found much entertainment in his conversation and questioned him closely on many subjects, & the guest made ready answer to all that he asked him, wherefore sat the King till late in the night conversing with him. ¤ The King asked if he wotted who Ogvald was, whom the ness & homesteads were named after, & the guest answered that Ogvald was a king and a great warrior who made sacrifice above all to a cow, and took the cow with him whithersoever he went, for wholesome did he deem it to drink ever of her milk. King Ogvald fought with that King who is hight Varin, & fell in the combat. He was buried in a barrow not far from the house, and a stone was set up which is still standing. In a place not far from thence was the cow buried, likewise in a barrow. Such things as this told he of kings; and other ancient tidings withal. Now after they had sat thus till late in the night, the bishop reminded the King that it was time for them to rest, & the King did according as the bishop had said. But when the King was unclad and had laid him in his bed, the guest sat himself on the step thereof, and again talked for long with the King; and ever when he had told of one matter did the King long for more. Then spake the bishop to the King saying that it was time for sleep, and the King settled himself for sleep according as the bishop had said & the guest gat him gone, but soon thereafter the King awakened, and asked after his guest, & bade him be called unto him, but nowhere was the guest to be found. On the morrow early the King summoned his cook to him and he who had charge of the drink withal, and asked them if any unknown man had come in to them; & they answered that as they were making ready the food a man had come to them & said that they were boiling but scurvy meat for the King’s table, & therewith he gave them two mighty fat sides of neat & these they boiled with the other flesh. Then commanded the King that all that food should be destroyed, saying that this had not been any man but rather Odin himself, whom heathen men had long believed on, but, said he, never should Odin beguile them.[§]
¶ Now when summer was come called King Olaf together a large host from the east of the country and with it sailed he northward to Throndhjem, going in first to Nidaros. Thereafter sent he round the whole of the fjord bidding men assemble at a Thing, and there gathered at Frosta a Thing of eight counties. ¤ Now the peasants, be it said, had turned this Thing summons into a war-arrow,[§] and to the assembly came men from the whole of the district of Throndhjem, so that when the King arrived at the Thing, thither likewise was come the peasant host fully armed. ¤ The Thing being established, the King addressed the people and bade them accept Christianity, but when he had been speaking but a little while the peasants called out to him, & bade him be silent or otherwise, said they, would they rise against him and drive him away. ‘Thus did we,’ said they, ‘with Hakon Adalstein’s foster-son when he commanded a thing of the kind, and hold we thee in no more respect than held we him.’ ¤ Then did King Olaf seeing the ire of the peasants, and moreover knowing full well that they had so large an host, change his manner of address and made as if he were agreed with them and spake to them thus: ‘It is my wish that we should be friends again, in such good accord as we were aforetime. ¤ Thither will I go wheresoever ye hold your greatest blood-offering, & witness your worship; then will we all take counsel together as to what manner of worship we will have, and be then all of one mind thereon.’ Now when the King spake thus mildly to the peasants, grew they softened in temper, and all the converse went peaceably and in seemly fashion, and at the end was it determined that there should be a midsummer sacrifice at Maerin, and that thither all the chiefs and wealthy peasants should go as the custom was, and that thither likewise King Olaf was to go.
¶ Now there was a certain wealthy yeoman whose name was Skeggi (Iron Beard, called they him) who dwelt at Uphaug in Yriar, and he it was who first spake up against the King at the Thing, and the cause thereof was because he was the spokesman of the peasantry against Christianity. But in the manner aforesaid was the Thing brought to an end, and the peasants went to their homes, and the King across to Ladir.
¶ At this time was King Olaf lying with his ships in the Nid (thirty ships had he, and his folk were of great prowess) but the King himself was ofttimes at Ladir, being kept company by his body-guard. ¤ Now when the time appointed for the blood-offering at Maerin was drawing nigh held King Olaf a mighty feast at Ladir; thither there came to it chieftains and other wealthy peasants from Strind & from places up in Gauldal, in accordance with the bidding of King Olaf. When all things were ready and the guests come, there was held on the first evening a large banquet, and the cups thereat were often charged & men became drunk; that night slept all men there in peace. On the morrow early, after the King was clad, ordered he Mass to be said, and when the Mass was ended his men sounded their horns for a house-Thing, and the Thing being established rose the King to his feet and spake, saying: ‘A Thing held we at Frosta, and thereat I bade the peasantry let themselves be christened; but they in their turn bade me attend a blood-offering with them, even as the foster-son to King Hakon Adalstein had attended one. And there was accord betwixt us inasmuch as it was determined that we should meet at Maerin & make a great blood-offering. ¤ But if I am to turn to sacrificing with you, then will I cause to be made the greatest sacrifice that can be, namely, the sacrifice of men. Nor will I choose as gifts for the gods thralls and evil-doers, but the noblest men, and by this token name I Orm Lygra of Medalhus, Styrkar of Gimsar, Kar of Gryting, Asbiorn Thorbergson of Varnes, Orm of Lyxa, and Haldor of Skerdingsted.’ Added to these named he five other men who were of the noblest there; all these, said he, should be sacrificed for peace and a good year, & he commanded that they should be seized forthwith. ¤ Then the peasants seeing that they were not numerous enough to withstand the King begged for grace and gave the whole matter into his hands, whereupon it was agreed that all those who were come thither should let themselves be baptized, & swear an oath unto the King to hold fast the true Faith, and have naught further to do with sacrificing. ¤ All these men kept the King at his feast until they gave their sons or brothers or other near kin to be hostages.
¶ Then fared King Olaf with all his men in to Throndhjem; and when he was come to Maerin found he there assembled all the chiefs that were of Throndhjem; those who were most zealous to withstand the Christian faith. With them were all the wealthy yeomen who had hitherto upheld blood-offerings in this place, a right goodly gathering of men, even as it had been aforetime at the Frosta-Thing. ¤ The King having required that the Thing should meet, both sides betook themselves to it, and they were fully armed. Then when the Thing was established the King spake and offered the men Christianity, & Iron-Beard answered on behalf of the peasants and said that now even as before would they not suffer the King to break their laws: ‘We desire, King, that thou makest sacrifice, even as other kings in the land have done before thee.’ Greatly was this speaking applauded by the peasants, & they shouted that everything must be according unto the words of Skeggi. Then made the King answer that he would go to the temple and witness their worship when they were sacrificing, and at this were the peasants well pleased, and both sides betook themselves thither accordingly.
¶ Now with King Olaf when he entered into the temple were a certain few of his men & a certain few of the peasants. When the King was come unto the place of the gods where sat Thor, all adorned with gold and silver, then did King Olaf lift up a gold-wrought pike which he had in his hand and smote Thor so that he fell from off his altar, & thereupon the King’s men ran up & cast down all the other gods from their altars. While they were within the temple was Iron-Beard slain before the entrance-door thereof, and this deed was done by the men of the King. Then when the King came forth again to his folk, bade he the peasants choose one of two conditions: and these twain conditions were either that they should accept the Faith of Christ, or in default thereof do battle with him. Now Iron-Beard having been slain was there no man to raise the banner against the King, so then was that condition accepted which meant going over unto the King & doing that which he had commanded. ¤ Then caused King Olaf all the folk who were present to be baptized, and from them took hostages that they would cleave to the new faith that was given them. ¤ Thereafter sent the King his men round to all the different parts of Throndhjem, and durst no man utter a word against the faith of Christ.
¶ Then went King Olaf with his men to Nidaros, and on the banks of the river Nid caused houses to be built, and appointed that on the spot should arise a merchant-town. He gave men sites on which to build them houses, & his own King’s-House built he above Scipa-Krok.[§] ¤ In the autumn caused he to be brought thither such goods as were necessary for a sojourn there during the wintertide; and with him were a great company of men.
¶ After the death of Iron-Beard was his body borne out to Yriar; and he lies in the Skeggi barrow at Austratt.[§] ¤ King Olaf summoned a meeting of the kith of Iron-Beard and forasmuch as his folk had slain this man offered he to pay atonement for the deed, but there were many brave men to make answer on behalf of Iron-Beard. ¤ Now Iron-Beard had a daughter whose name was Gudrun, and in the end was it agreed betwixt those concerned that the King should wed this Gudrun. When the marriage time was come went they both of them into one bed, King Olaf and Gudrun, and the first night as they were lying together no sooner had the King fallen asleep than Gudrun drew forth a knife, and was about to thrust it into the King, when he awoke and wresting the knife from her cried out to his men to tell them what had befallen. Gudrun & all the men who had accompanied her then took their apparel and gat them gone in haste; & never afterwards did Gudrun lie in the same bed with King Olaf.
¶ That same autumn King Olaf caused a great long-ship to be built on the sands at the mouth of the Nid; a cutter was she, and at work on the building thereof were many smiths. ¤ At the beginning of winter she was completed, and there were in her thirty holds, & the prow and stern were lofty withal, yet was she not broad of beam. That ship called he the ‘Crane.’