Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 1.djvu/453

 to the gods; and for this I select Orm Lyrgia of Medalhouse, Styrkar of Gimsar, Kaare of Gryting, Asbiorn Thorbergson of Varness, Orm of Lyra, Haldor of Sldrdfngstedia;" and besides these he named five others of the principal men. All these, he said, he would offer in sacrifice to the gods for peace and a fruitful season; and ordered them to be laid hold of immediately. Now when the bonders saw that they were not strong enough to make head against the king, they asked for peace, and submitted wholly to the king's pleasure. So it was settled that all the bonders who had come there should be baptized, and should take an oath to the king to hold by the right faith, and to renounce sacrifice to the gods. The king then kept all these men as hostages who came to his feast, until they sent him their sons, brothers, or other near relations.

King Olaf wrent in with all his forces into the Drontheim country; and when he came to Masre all among the chiefs of the Drontheim people who were most opposed to Christianity were assembled, and had with them all the great bonders who had before made sacrifice at that place. There was thus a greater multitude of bonders than there had been at the Froste Thing. 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. Jernskisegge replies on the part of bonders, and says that the will of the bonders is now, as formerly, that the king 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 Skisegge said. Then the king said he would go into the temple of their gods with them, and see