Heimskringla; Or, The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway
men of importance. When they came to a farm called Hof they heard of the
king; and they remained three nights there. People streamed to them from
all parts, from Lesjar, Loar, and Vagar, who did not wish to receive
Christianity. The king and Bishop Sigurd fixed teachers in Loaf and
in Vagar. From thence they went round Vagarost, and came down into the
valley at Sil, where they stayed all night, and heard the news that a
great force of men were assembled against them. The bondes who were in
Breida heard also of the king's arrival, and prepared for battle. As
soon as the king arose in the morning he put on his armour, and went
southwards over the Sil plains, and did not halt until he came to
Breida, where he saw a great army ready for battle. Then the king drew
up his troops, rode himself at the head of them, and began a speech
to the bondes, in which he invited them to adopt Christianity. They
replied, "We shall give thee something else to do to-day than to be
mocking us;" and raised a general shout, striking also upon their
shields with their weapons. Then the king's men ran forward and threw
their spears; but the bondes turned round instantly and fled, so that
only few men remained behind. Gudbrand's son was taken prisoner; but the
king gave him his life, and took him with him. The king was four days
here. Then the king said to Gudbrand's son, "Go home now to thy father,
and tell him I expect to be with him soon."
He went accordingly, and told his father the news, that they had fallen
in with the king, and fought with him; but that their whole army, in the
very beginning, took flight. "I was taken prisoner," said he, "but the
king gave me my life and liberty, and told me to say to thee that he
will soon be here. And now we have not 200 men of the force we raised
against him; therefore I advise thee, father, not to give battle to that
man."
Says Gudbrand, "It is easy to see that all courage has left thee, and it
was an unlucky hour ye went out to the field. Thy proceeding will live
long in the remembrance of people, and I see that thy fastening thy
faith on the folly that man is going about with has brought upon thee
and thy men so great a disgrace."
But the night after, Gudbrand dreamt that there came to him a man
surrounded by light, who brought great terror with him, and said to him,
"Thy son made no glorious expedition against King Olaf; but still less
honour wilt thou gather for thyself by holding a battle with him. Thou
with all thy people wilt fall; wolves will drag thee, and all thine,
away; ravens wilt tear thee in stripes." At this dreadful vision he was
much afraid, and tells it to Thord Istermage, who was chief over the
valley. He replies, "The very same vision came to me." In the morning
they ordered the signal to sound for a Thing, and said that it appeared
to them advisable to hold a Thing with the man who had come from the
north with this new teaching, to know if there was any truth in it.
Gudbrand then said to his son, "Go thou, and twelve men with thee, to
the king who gave thee thy life." He went straightway, and found the
king, and laid before him their errand; namely, that the bondes would
hold a Thing with him, and make a truce between them and him. The king
was content; and they bound themselves by faith and law mutually to hold
the peace so long as the Thing lasted. After this was settled the men
returned to Gudbrand and Thord, and told them there was made a firm
agreement for a truce. The king, after the battle with the son of
Gudbrand, had proceeded to Lidstad, and remained there for five days:
afterwards he went out to meet the bondes, and hold a Thing with them.
On that day there fell a heavy rain. When the Thing was seated, the
king stood up and said that the people in Lesjar, Loaf, and Vagar
had received Christianity, broken down their houses of sacrifice, and
believed now in the true God who had made heaven and earth and knows all
things.
Thereupon the king sat down, and Gudbrand replies, "We know nothing of
him whom thou speakest about. Dost thou call him God, whom neither thou
nor any one else can see? But we have a god who call be seen every day,
although he is not out to-day, because the weather is wet, and he will
appear to thee terrible and very grand; and I expect that fear will mix
with your very blood when he comes into the Thing. But since thou sayest
thy God is so great, let him make it so that to-morrow we have a cloudy
day but without rain, and then let us meet again."
The king accordingly returned home to his lodging, taking Gudbrand's
son as a hostage; but he gave them a man as hostage in exchange. In
the evening the king asked Gudbrand's son what like their god was. He
replied, that he bore the likeness of Thor; had a hammer in his hand;
was of great size, but hollow within; and had a high stand, upon which
he stood when he was out. "Neither gold nor silver are wanting about
him, and every day he receives four cakes of bread, besides meat." They
then went to bed, but the king watched all night in prayer. When day
dawned the king went to mass, then to table, and from thence to the
Thing. The weather was such as Gudbrand desired. Now the bishop stood up
in his choir-robes, with bishop's coif upon his head, and bishop's staff
in his hands. He spoke to the bondes of the true faith, told the many
wonderful acts of God, and concluded his speech well.
Thord Istermage replies, "Many things we are told of by this horned man
with the staff in his hand crooked at the top like a ram's horn; but
since ye say, comrades, that your god is so powerful, and can do so many
wonders, tell him to make it clear sunshine to-morrow forenoon, and then
we shall meet here again, and do one of two things,--either agree with
you about this business, or fight you." And they separated for the day.
119. DALE-GUDBRAND IS BAPTIZED.
There was a man with King Olaf called Kolbein Sterke (the strong), who
came from a family in the Fjord district. Usually he was so equipped
that he was girt with a sword, and besides carried a great stake,
otherwise called a club, in his hands. The king told Kolbein to stand
nearest to him in the morning; and gave orders to his people to go down
in the night to where the ships of the bondes lay and bore holes in
them, and to set loose their horses on the farms where they were; all
which was done. Now the king was in prayer all the night, beseeching God
of His goodness and mercy to release him from evil. When mass was ended,
and morning was grey, the king went to the Thing. When he came there
some bondes had already arrived, and they saw a great crowd coming
along, and bearing among them a huge man's image glancing with gold and
silver. When the bondes who were at the Thing saw it they started up,
and bowed themselves down before the ugly idol. Thereupon it was set
down upon the Thing-field; and on the one side of it sat the bondes, and
on the other the king and his people.
Then Dale-Gudbrand stood up, and said, "Where now, king, is thy god? I
think he will now carry his head lower; and neither thou, nor the man
with the horn whom ye call bishop, and sits there beside thee, are so
bold to-day as on the former days; for now our god, who rules over all,
is come, and looks on you with an angry eye; and now I see well enough
that ye are terrified, and scarcely dare to raise your eyes. Throw away
now all your opposition, and believe in the god who has all your fate in
his hands."
The king now whispers to Kolbein Sterke, without the bondes perceiving
it, "If it come so in the course of my speech that the bondes look
another way than towards their idol, strike him as hard as thou canst
with thy club."
The king then stood up and spoke. "Much hast thou talked to us this
morning, and greatly hast thou wondered that thou canst not see our God;
but we expect that he will soon come to us. Thou wouldst frighten us
with thy god, who is both blind and deaf, and can neither save himself
nor others, and cannot even move about without being carried; but now
I expect it will be but a short time before he meets his fate: for turn
your eyes towards the east,--behold our God advancing in great light."
The sun was rising, and all turned to look. At that moment Kolbein gave
their god a stroke, so that the idol burst asunder; and there ran out of
it mice as big almost as cats, and reptiles, and adders. The bondes were
so terrified that some fled to their ships; but when they sprang out
upon them they filled with water, and could not get away. Others ran to
their horses, but could not find them. The king then ordered the bondes
to be called together, saying he wanted to speak with them; on which the
bondes came back, and the Thing was again seated.
The king rose up and said, "I do not understand what your noise and
running mean. Ye see yourselves what your god can do,--the idol ye
adorned with gold and silver, and brought meat and provisions to. Ye
see now that the protecting powers who used it were the mice and adders,
reptiles and paddocks; and they do ill who trust to such, and will not
abandon this folly. Take now your gold and ornaments that are lying
strewed about on the grass, and give them to your wives and daughters;
but never hang them hereafter upon stock or stone. Here are now two
conditions between us to choose upon,--either accept Christianity,
or fight this very day; and the victory be to them to whom the God we
worship gives it."
Then Dale-Gudbrand stood up and said, "We have sustained great damage
upon our god; but since he will not help us, we will believe in the God
thou believest in."
Then all received Christianity. The bishop baptized Gudbrand and his
son. King Olaf and Bishop Sigurd left behind them teachers, and they
who met as enemies parted as friends; and Gudbrand built a church in the
valley.
120. HEDEMARK BAPTIZED.
King Olaf proceeded from thence to Hedemark, and baptized there; but
as he had formerly carried away their kings as prisoners, he did not
venture himself, after such a deed, to go far into the country with few
people at that time, but a small part of Hedemark was baptized; but
the king did not desist from his expedition before he had introduced
Christianity over all Hedemark, consecrated churches, and placed
teachers. He then went to Hadaland and Thoten, improving the customs of
the people, and persisting until all the country was baptized. He then
went to Ringerike, where also all people went over to Christianity. The
people of Raumarike then heard that Olaf intended coming to them, and
they gathered a great force. They said among themselves that the journey
Olaf had made among them the last time was not to be forgotten, and he
should never proceed so again. The king, notwithstanding, prepared for
the journey. Now when the king went up into Raumarike with his forces,
the multitude of bondes came against him at a river called Nitja; and
the bondes had a strong army, and began the battle as soon as they met;
but they soon fell short, and took to flight. They were forced by this
battle into a better disposition, and immediately received Christianity;
and the king scoured the whole district, and did not leave it until
all the people were made Christians. He then went east to Soleys, and
baptized that neighbourhood. The skald Ottar Black came to him there,
and begged to be received among his men. Olaf the Swedish king had died
the winter before (A.D. 1021), and Onund, the son of Olaf, was now the
sole king over all Sweden. King Olaf returned, when the winter (A.D.
1022) was far advanced, to Raumarike. There he assembled a numerous
Thing, at a place where the Eidsvold Things have since been held. He
made a law, that the Upland people should resort to this Thing, and that