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While Olaf lay in the Scilly Islands he heard of a seer, who could tell beforehand things not yet done, and what he foretold many believed was really fulfilled. Olaf became curious

to try this man's gift of prophecy. He therefore sent one of his men, who was the handsomest and strongest, clothed him magnificently, and bade him say he was the king; for Olaf was known in all countries as handsomer, stronger, and braver than all others, although, after he had left Russia, he retained no more of his name than that he was called Ole, and was Russian. Now when the messenger came to the seer and gave himself out for the king, he got the answer, "Thou art not the king, but I advise thee to be faithful to thy king." And more he would not say to that man. The man returned and told Olaf, and his desire to meet the seer was increased; and now he had no doubt of his being really a seer.

Olaf himself went to him and, entering into conversation, asked him if he could foresee how it would go with him with regard to his kingdom, or of any other fortune he was to have. The seer replied in a holy spirit of prophecy, "Thou wilt become a renowned king and do celebrated deeds. Many men wilt thou bring to faith and baptism, and both to thy own and others' good; and that thou mayst have no doubt of the truth of this answer, listen to these tokens: When thou comest to thy ships many of thy people will conspire against thee, and then a battle will follow in which many of thy men will fall, and thou wilt be wounded almost to death, and carried upon a shield to thy ship; yet after seven days thou shalt be well of thy wounds, and immediately thou shalt let thyself be baptized."

Soon after Olaf went down to his ships, where he met some mutineers and people who would destroy him and his men. A fight took place, and the result was what the seer had predicted. Olaf was wounded, and carried upon a shield to his ship, and his wound was healed in seven days. Then Olaf perceived that the man had spoken truth. Olaf went once more to the seer, and asked particularly how he came to have such wisdom in foreseeing things to be. The hermit replied

that the Christian's God himself let him know all that he desired, and he brought before Olaf many great proofs of the power of the Almighty. In consequence of this encouragement Olaf agreed to let himself be baptized, and he and all his followers were baptized forthwith. He remained here a long time, took the true faith, and got with him priests and other learned men.

From the Scilly Islands Olaf proceeded to England. He did not ravage the country, because he was now a Christian.

At this time a summons to a Thing 1 went through the country, that all men should come to hold a Thing. Now when the Thing was assembled, a queen called Gyda came to it, a daughter of Olaf Kvaran, who was king of Dublin in Ireland. She had been married to a great earl in England, and after his death she was at the head of his dominions. In her territory there was a man called Alfin, who was a great champion and single-combat man. He had paid his addresses to her; but she answered that she herself would choose what man in her dominions she would take in marriage; and on that account the Thing was assembled. Alfin came to the assembly dressed in his best clothes, and there were many well-dressed men at the meeting. Olaf had come there also; but had on his bad-weather clothes, and a coarse over-garment, and stood with his people apart from the rest of the crowd. Gyda went round and looked at each, to see if any appeared to her a suitable man. Now when she came to where Olaf stood, she looked at him straight in the face, and asked, "What sort of man are you?"

He said, "I am called Ole; and I am a stranger here." Gyda replied, "Wilt thou have me if I choose thee?" "I will not say no to that," answered he; and he asked what her name was, and her family, and descent.

"I am called Gyda," said she, "and am the daughter of the king of Ireland, and was married in this country to an earl who ruled over this territory. Since his death I have ruled

1 A.general assembly.

over it, and many have courted me, but none to whom I would choose to be married."

She was a young and handsome woman. They afterwards talked over the matter together and agreed, and so Olaf and Gyda were betrothed.

Alfin was very ill pleased with this. It was the custom then in England, if two men strove for anything, to settle the matter by single combat; and now Alfin challenged Olaf to fight about this business. The time and place for the duel were settled. Each combatant was to have twelve men with him. When they met, Olaf told his men to do exactly as they saw him do. He had a large ax; and when Alfin was going to cut at him with his sword, he hewed away the sword out of his hand and with the next blow struck down Alfin himself. He then bound him fast. It went in the same way with all Alfin's men. They were beaten down, bound, and carried to Olaf's lodging. Thereupon he ordered Alfin to quit the country, and never appear in it again; and Olaf took all his property. Olaf in this way got Gyda in marriage, and lived sometimes in England and sometimes in Ireland.

33. Olaf as King of Norway1

After living several years in the British Isles, Olaf went to Norway, then under the unpopular rule of Earl Haakon. The Norwegians unanimously accepted Olaf as king. He now set about the conversion of the country to Christianity. One of his first acts was to get rid of the heathen magicians, who exerted much influence over the people.

Then Olaf proceeded to Tunsberg, and held a Thing, at which he declared in a speech that all the men of whom it should be known to a certainty that they dealt with evil spirits or in witchcraft should be banished from the land. Thereafter the king had all the neighborhood ransacked for such people, and called them all before him; and when they were brought to the Thing, there was a man among them called Eyvind

1 Olaf Trygvesson's Saga, chs. 69, 75-76, 92.

Kellda, a sorcerer, and particularly knowing in witchcraft. Olaf let all these men be seated in one room, which was weil adorned, and made a great feast for them and gave them strong drink in plenty. Now when they were all very drunk, he ordered the house to be set on fire, and all the people within it were consumed, except Eyvind Kellda, who contrived to escape by the smoke hole in the roof. And when he had got a long way off, he met some people on the road going to the king, and he told them to tell the king that Eyvind Kellda had slipped away from the fire and would never come again in Olaf's power, but would carry on his arts of witchcraft as much as ever.

How Olaf spread Christianity by the sword is thus related.

King Olaf went with all his forces into the Drontheim country; and when he came to Mære, all among the chiefs of the Drontheim people who were most opposed to Christianity were assembled, and had with them all the great bonders1 who had before made sacrifice at that place. Now the king let the people be summoned to the Thing, where both parties met armed; and when the Thing was seated the king made a speech, in which he told the people to go over to Christianity. Jern Skiægge (Iron Beard) replied on the part of the bonders and said that the will of the bonders was now, as formerly, that Olaf should not break their laws. "We want, king," said he, "that thou shouldst offer sacrifice, as other kings before thee have done." All the bonders applauded his speech with a loud shout and said they would have all things according to what Jern Skiægge said. Then Olaf said he would go into the temple of their gods with them and see what the practices were when they sacrificed. The bonders thought well of this proceeding, and both parties went to the temple.

Now Olaf entered into the temple with a few of his men and a few bonders; and when the king came to where their gods were, Thor, as the most considered among their gods, sat there adorned with gold and silver. Olaf lifted up his gold-inlaid

1 Landowners.

ax, which he carried in his hands, and struck Thor so that the image rolled down from its seat. Then the king's men turned to and threw down all the gods from their seats; and while the king was in the temple, Jern Skiægge was killed outside of the temple doors, and the king's men did it. When Olaf came forth out of the temple he offered the bonders two conditions - that all should accept Christianity forthwith, or that they should fight with him. But as Jern Skiægge was killed, there was no leader in the bonders' army to raise the banner against Olaf; so they took the other condition, to surrender to his will and obey his order. Then Olaf had all the people present baptized and took hostages from them for their remaining true to Christianity; and he sent his men around to every district, and no man in the Drontheim country opposed Christianity, but all people took baptism.

Olaf's character and personality are thus described.

Olaf was more expert in all exercises than any man in Norway whose memory is preserved to us in sagas; and he was stronger and more agile than most men, and many stories are written down about it. One is, that he ascended the Smalsar Horn and fixed his shield upon the very peak. Another is, that one of his followers had climbed up the peak after him until he came to where he could neither get up nor down; but the king came to his help, climbed up to him, took him under his arm, and bore him to the flat ground. Olaf could run across

men were rowing it.

the oars outside of his vessel while his He could play with three daggers, so that one was always in the air, and he took the one falling by the handle. He could walk all round upon the ship's rails, could strike and cut equally well with both hands, and could cast two spears at once. Olaf was a merry, frolicsome man; gay and social; had great taste in everything; was very generous; was very finical in his dress, but in battle he exceeded all in bravery. He was distinguished for cruelty when he was enraged, and tortured many of his enemies. Some he burnt in fire; some he had torn in pieces

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