Not yet content with blood and flame, he crossed to Wales and ravaged
there, then sailed to France to do there what mischief he could. After
a while he turned back, and sighted the Scilly Isles, and then ran his
fleet into the harbour of S. Mary's, the largest of the isles. Here
Olaf heard tell of a hermit who lived in a cell among the granite
crags, and who was believed to have the gift of prophecy.
"I will test his powers," said Olaf.
Then he dressed up one of his men in his armour, gave him his spear and
red-cross shield, and sent him to consult the old man.
But no sooner did the hermit see the fellow than he said, "Thou art not
King Olaf, thou art a servant. Beware that thou be not false to him,
that is my rede to thee." No more would he say.
Then the party returned to the ship and told Olaf. He was highly
pleased, and went ashore in a boat with a small following, that he
might consult the anchorite as to the prospect of his being able to
recover the kingdom of his ancestors.
The hermit was undoubtedly a Cornish Briton, and Olaf was obliged to
hold communication with him through an interpreter from Ireland or
Wales.
The old man said to him, "There is a great future in store for thee,
Olaf. Thou wilt have to pass through much conflict, but in the end wilt
reign in thine own land; and when that comes to pass remember to
advance the faith, and to use every opportunity to turn men from their
idols."
Now the interpreter knew that there was discontent simmering among the
followers of the prince. They wanted to return to their homes with the
plunder they had acquired, but Olaf set his face against this.
The interpreter, knowing that the men were mutinous, said a few words
in Welsh or Irish to the hermit. He was afraid of himself giving
warning to Olaf, lest the mutineers should wreak their resentment on
him. So the anchorite told the king that there were those amongst his
followers who plotted, and purposed seizing the opportunity of his
being on land to execute their design of revolt.
Olaf precipitately returned to his ships, and found that the mutineers
were making off with some of the ships. He hurried on board, gave
chase, and a fight ensued. Finally the mutiny was quelled, but not
without Olaf being wounded. His vessel then put into Tresco harbour,
where were monks to whom Athelstan had granted land in 936. He was
carried into the monastery, carefully tended, and was induced to
receive baptism. Hitherto, though convinced that Christianity was the
true religion, Olaf had never formally been enrolled in the Church.
Unhappily, Olaf could not speak Cornish, and the abbot was ignorant of
the Norse tongue, so that all communication had to go on through the
interpreter, and Olaf did not receive much religious instruction.
Nevertheless, as far as his lights went, he was sincere.
Then he returned to Norway to proclaim his right to the throne.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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