Heimskringla; Or, The Chronicle of the Kings of NorwaySnorri Sturluson
History
Heimskringla; Or, The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway
Snorri Sturluson
Iceland -- History; Norway -- History; Sagas -- Translations into English; Scandinavia -- History
84. HALOGALAND MADE CHRISTIAN.
The spring after (A.D. 999) King Olaf fitted out and manned his ships,
and commanded himself his ship the Crane. He had many and smart people
with him; and when he was ready, he sailed northwards with his fleet
past Bryda, and to Halogaland. Wheresoever he came to the land, or to
the islands, he held a Thing, and told the people to accept the right
faith, and to be baptized. No man dared to say anything against it, and
the whole country he passed through was made Christian. King Olaf was
a guest in the house of Harek of Thjotta, who was baptized with all his
people. At parting the king gave Harek good presents; and he entered
into the king's service, and got fiefs, and the privileges of lendsman
from the king.
85. THORER HJORT'S DEATH.
There was a bonde, by name Raud the Strong, who dwelt in Godey in
Salten fjord. Raud was a very rich man, who had many house servants; and
likewise was a powerful man, who had many Fins in his service when he
wanted them. Raud was a great idolater, and very skillful in witchcraft,
and was a great friend of Thorer Hjort, before spoken of. Both were
great chiefs. Now when they heard that King Olaf was coming with a great
force from the south to Halogaland, they gathered together an army,
ordered out ships, and they too had a great force on foot. Raud had
a large ship with a gilded head formed like a dragon, which ship had
thirty rowing benches, and even for that kind of ship was very large.
Thorer Hjort had also a large ship. These men sailed southwards with
their ships against King Olaf, and as soon as they met gave battle. A
great battle there was, and a great fall of men; but principally on the
side of the Halogalanders, whose ships were cleared of men, so that a
great terror came upon them. Raud rode with his dragon out to sea, and
set sail. Raud had always a fair wind wheresoever he wished to sail,
which came from his arts of witchcraft; and, to make a short story, he
came home to Godey. Thorer Hjort fled from the ships up to the land:
but King Olaf landed people, followed those who fled, and killed them.
Usually the king was the foremost in such skirmishes, and was so now.
When the king saw where Thorer Hjort, who was quicker on foot than any
man, was running to, he ran after him with his dog Vige. The king said,
"Vige! Vige! Catch the deer." Vige ran straight in upon him; on which
Thorer halted, and the king threw a spear at him. Thorer struck with his
sword at the dog, and gave him a great wound; but at the same moment the
king's spear flew under Thorer's arm, and went through and through him,
and came out at his other-side. There Thorer left his life; but Vige was
carried to the ships.
86. KING OLAF'S VOYAGE TO GODEY.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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