heimskringla-第76节

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n；　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　Eidsvold　laws　should　be　good　through　all　the　districts　of　the　Uplands；　and　wide　around　in　other　quarters；　which　also　has　taken　place。　　As　spring　was　advancing；　he　rigged　his　ships；　and　went　by　sea　to　Tunsberg。　　He　remained　there　during　the　spring；　and　the　time　the　town　was　most　frequented；　and　goods　from　other　countries　were　brought　to　the　town　for　sale。　　There　had　been　a　good　year　in　Viken；　and　tolerable　as　far　north　as　Stad；　but　it　was　a　very　dear　time　in　all　the　country　north　of　there。



121。　RECONCILIATION　OF　THE　KING　AND　EINAR。

In　spring　（A。D。　1022）　King　Olaf　sent　a　message　west　to　Agder；　and　north　all　the　way　to　Hordaland　and　Rogaland；　prohibiting　the　exporting　or　selling　of　corn；　malt；　or　meal；　adding；　that　he；　as　usual；　would　come　there　with　his　people　in　guest…quarters。　　The　message　went　round　all　the　districts；　but　the　king　remained　in　Viken　all　summer；　and　went　east　to　the　boundary　of　the　country。　Einar　Tambaskelfer　had　been　with　the　Swedish　king　Olaf　since　the　death　of　his　relation　Earl　Svein；　and　had；　as　the　khag's　man；　received　great　fiefs　from　him。　　Now　that　the　king　was　dead；　Einar　had　a　great　desire　to　come　into　friendship　agreement　with　Olaf；　and　the　same　spring　messages　passed　between　them　about　it。　　While　the　king　was　lying　in　the　Gaut　river；　Einar　Tambaskelfer　came　there　with　some　men；　and　after　treating　about　an　agreement；　it　was　settled　that　Einar　should　go　north　to　Throndhjem；　and　there　take　possession　of　all　the　lands　and　property　which　Bergliot　had　received　in　dower。　　Thereupon　Einar　took　his　way　north；　but　the　king　remained　behind　in　Viken；　and　remained　long　in　Sarpsborg　in　autumn　（A。D。　1022）；　and　during　the　first　part　of　winter。



122。　RECONCILIATION　OF　THE　KING　AND　ERLING。

Erling　Skjalgson　held　his　dominion　so；　that　all　north　from　Sogn　Lake；　and　east　to　the　Naze；　the　bondes　stood　under　him；　and　although　he　had　much　smaller　royal　fiefs　than　formerly；　still　so　great　a　dread　of　him　prevailed　that　nobody　dared　to　do　anything　against　his　will；　so　that　the　king　thought　his　power　too　great。　There　was　a　man　called　Aslak　Fitiaskalle；　who　was　powerful　and　of　high　birth。　　Erling's　father　Skjalg；　and　Aslak's　father　Askel；　were　brother's　sons。　　Aslak　was　a　great　friend　of　King　Olaf；　and　the　king　settled　him　in　South　Hordaland；　where　he　gave　him　a　great　fief；　and　great　income；　and　ordered　him　in　no　respect　to　give　way　to　Erling。　　But　this　came　to　nothing　when　the　king　was　not　in　the　neighbourhood；　for　then　Erling　would　reign　as　he　used　to　do；　and　was　not　more　humble　because　Aslak　would　thrust　himself　forward　as　his　equal。　　At　last　the　strife　went　so　far　that　Aslak　could　not　keep　his　place；　but　hastened　to　King　Olaf；　and　told　him　the　circumstances　between　him　and　Erling。　　The　king　told　Aslak　to　remain　with　him　until　he　should　meet　Erling；　and　sent　a　message　to　Erling　that　he　should　come　to　him　in　spring　at　Tunsberg。　　When　they　all　arrived　there　they　held　a　meeting　at　which　the　king　said　to　him；　〃It　is　told　me　concerning　thy　government；　Erling；　that　no　man　from　Sogn　Lake　to　the　Naze　can　enjoy　his　freedom　for　thee；　although　there　are　many　men　there　who　consider　themselves　born　to　udal　rights；　and　have　their　privilege