ledge to direct a government; also manly courage in battle to gain victories, and good luck in killing his enemies. So says Thorleif Raudfeldson

"In Norway's land was never known
A braver earl than the brave Hakon.
At sea, beneath the clear moon's light,
No braver man e'er sought the fight.
Nine kings to Odin's wide domain
Were sent, by Hakon's right hand slain !
So well the raven-flocks were fed-

*

So well the wolves were filled with dead!"

Earl Hakon was very generous; but the greatest misfortunes attended even such a chief at the end of his days and the great cause of this was that the time was come when heathen sacrifices and idolatrous worship were doomed to fall, and the holy faith and good customs to come in their place.

CHAPTER LVII.-Olaf Trygveson elected King at a
General Thing.

Olaf Trygveson was chosen at Throndhjem by the General Thing to be the king over the whole country, as Harald Harfager had been. The whole public and the people throughout all the land would listen. to nothing else than that Olaf Trygveson should be king. Then Olaf went round the whole country, and brought it under his rule, and all the people of Norway gave in their submission; and also the chiefs in the Uplands and in Viken, who before had held their lands as fiefs from the Danish king, now became

*Thorleif Raudfeldson (Red Cloak's son), is mentioned in Landnama and in Svarfdaela.

King Olaf's men, and held their lands from him. He went thus through the whole country during the first winter [996] and the following summer. Earl Eirik, the son of Earl Hakon, his brother Svein, and their friends and relations, fled out of the country, and went east to Sweden to King Olaf the Swede, who gave them a good reception. So says Thord Kolbeinson :

"O thou whom bad men drove away,
After the bondes, by foul play,
Took Hakon's life! Fate will pursue
These bloody wolves, and make them rue.
When the host came from out the West,
Like some tall stately war-ship's mast,
I saw the son of Trygve stand,
Surveying proud his native land."

And again,

"Eirik has more upon his mind,

Against the new Norse king designed,
Than by his words he seems to show-
And truly it may well be so.
Stubborn and stiff are Throndhjem men,
But Throndhjem's earl may come again;
In Swedish land he knows no rest-
Fierce wrath is gathering in his breast."

CHAPTER LVIII.-Lodin's Marriage.

Lodin was the name of a man from Viken who was rich and of good family. He went often on merchant voyages, and sometimes on viking cruises. It happened one summer that he went on a merchant voyage with much merchandise in a ship of his own. He directed his course first to Esthonia, and was there at a market in summer. To the place at which

the market was held many merchant goods were brought, and also many thralls or slaves for sale. There Lodin saw a woman who was to be sold as a slave; and on looking at her he knew her to be Astrid, Eirik's daughter, who had been married to King Trygve. But now she was altogether unlike what she had been when he last saw her; for now she was pale, meagre in countenance, and ill clad. He went up to her, and asked her how matters stood with her. She replied, "It is heavy to be told; for I have been sold as a slave, and now again I am brought here for sale." After speaking together a little Astrid knew him, and begged him to buy her, and bring her home to her friends. "On this condition," said he, “I will bring thee home to Norway,-that thou wilt marry me." Now as Astrid stood in great need, and moreover knew that Lodin was a man of high birth, rich, and brave, she promised to do so for her ransom. Lodin accordingly bought Astrid, took her home to Norway with him, and married her with her friends' consent. Their children were Thorkel Nefia, Ingirid, and Ingigerd. Ingibjorg and Astrid were daughters of Astrid by King Trygve. Eirik Biodaskalle's sons were Sigurd Karlshofud, Jostein, and Thorkel Dydril, who were all rich and brave people who had estates east in the country. In Viken, in the east, dwelt two brothers, rich and of good descent; one called Thorgeir, and the other Hyrning; and they married Lodin and Astrid's daughters, Ingirid and Ingigerd.

CHAPTER LIX.-King Olaf Baptizes the Country of Viken.

When Harald Gormson, king of Denmark, had adopted' Christianity, he sent a message over all his kingdom that all people should be baptized, and converted to the true faith. He himself followed his message, and used power and violence where nothing else would do. He sent two earls, Urguthriot and Brimilskiar, with many people to Norway, to proclaim Christianity there.* In Viken,

which stood directly under the king's power, this succeeded, and many were baptized of the country folk. But when Svein Forked-beard, immediately after his father King Harald's death, went out on war expeditions in Saxon-land, Friesland, and at last in England, the Northmen who had taken up Christianity returned back to heathen sacrifices, just as before; and the people in the north of the country did the same. But now [996] that Olaf Trygveson was king of Norway, he remained long during the summer in Viken, where many of his relatives and some of his brothers-in-law were settled, and also many who had been great friends of his father; so that he was received with the greatest affection. Olaf called together his mother's brothers, his stepfather Lodin, and his brothers-in-law Thorgeir and Hyrning, to speak with them, and to disclose with the greatest care the business which he de

* In the Jomsvikinga Saga it is stated that Emperor Otto sent the earls. Their names are neither Norse nor German, and no trace is to be found of them in German sources.

sired they themselves should approve of, and support with all their power; namely, the proclaiming Christianity over all his kingdom. He would, he declared, either bring it to this, that all Norway should be Christian, or die. "I shall make you all," said he,

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great and mighty men in promoting this work; for I trust to you most, as blood relations or brothers-inlaw." All agreed to do what he asked, and to follow him in what he desired. King Olaf immediately made it known to the public that he recommended Christianity to all the people in his kingdom, which message was well received and approved of by those who had before given him their promise; and these being the most powerful among the people assembled, the others followed their example, and all the inhabitants of the east part of Viken allowed themselves to be baptized. The king then went to the north part of Viken, and invited every man to accept Christianity; and those who opposed him he punished severely, killing some, mutilating others, and driving some into banishment. At length he brought it so far, that all the kingdom which his father King Trygve had ruled over, and also that of his relation Harald Grenske, accepted of Christianity; and during that summer [996] and the following winter [997] all Viken was made Christian.

CHAPTER LX. Of the Hordaland People.

Early in spring [997] King Olaf set out from Viken with a great force northwards to Agder, and proclaimed that every man should be baptized. And thus the