Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 1.djvu/454

 what the practices were when they sacrificed. The bonders thought well of this proceeding, and both parties went to the temple.

Now King Olaf entered into the temple with some 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. The king lifted up his goldinlaid axe 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, Jernskiægge was killed outside of the temple doors, and the king's men did it. When the king came forth out of the temple he offered the bonders two conditions,—that all should accept of Christianity forthwith, or that they should fight with him. But as Skiægge was killed, there was no leader in the bonders' army to raise the banner against King Olaf; so they took the other condition, to surrender to the king's will and obey his order. Then King Olaf had all the people present baptized, and took hostages from them for their remaining true to Christianity; and he sent his men round to every district, and no man in the Drontheim country opposed Christianity, but all people took baptism.

King Olaf with his people went out to Nidaros, and made houses on the flat side of the river Nid, which he raised to be a merchant town, and gave people ground to build houses upon. The king's house he had built just opposite the ships' creek; andhe transported to it, in harvest, all that was necessary for his winter residence, and had many people about him there.

King Olaf appointed a meeting with the relations of Jernskiægge, and offered them the compensation or penalty for his bloodshed; for there were many