Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 2.djvu/162

 154 CHRONICLE OF THE SAGA VII. Chapter CXVIII. The story of Dale Gudbrand. and was all night on a farm called Naes. The king took his lodging in a loft, where he slept himself; and it stands to the present day*, without any thing in it having been altered since. The king was five days there, and summoned by message-token the people to a Thing, both for the districts of Yaage, Loar, and Hedal; and gave out the message along with the token, that they must either receive Chris- tianity and give their sons as hostages, or see their habitations burnt. They came before the king, and submitted to his pleasure ; but some fled south down the valley. There was a man called Dale Gudbrand, who was like a king in the valley (Gudbrandsdal), but was only hersirf in title. Sigvat the scald compared him for wealth and landed property to Erling Skialgsson. Sigvat sang thus concerning Erling : — " I know but one who can compare With Erling for broad lands and gear — Gudbrand is he, whose wide domains Are most like where some small king reigns. These two great bonders, I would say, Equal each other every way. He lies who says that he can find One by the other left behind." Gudbrand had a son, who is here spoken of. Now when Gudbrand received the tidings that King Olaf was come to Loar, and obliged people to accept Christianity, he sent out a message-token, and sum- moned all the men in the valley to meet him at a farm called Hundthorp.J All came, so that the to have been standing within these few years, although only of wood. f Hersir (quere, if Sir may not be derived from this word ?) appears to have been merely a title of respect, like Sir with us, applied to per- sons of property or consideration ; not like Lenderman, Earl, or Baron, a title conferred by the kings, with function belonging to it. 4. Hundthorp is a farm on the side of the river Laugen in Gud- brandsal, with several mounds about it. It is a station-house for tra- vellers.
 * The house on this farm of Naes in which King Olaf lodged is said