"But what wouldst thou have?" he asked Harald. "Men," replied
the boy. "And how many?" "So many that in a single meal they would eat
all of Halfdan's cows," was the answer. The king laughed, and said to
Aasta: "Here, mother, thou art bringing up a king." "And more is not
related of them on this occasion," says the saga; but the prophecy was
fulfilled, for Harald, Sigurd's son, in time became king of Norway.
The Swedish king broke the promises he had given at the Upsala Thing,
and did not send his daughter Ingegerd to the appointed meeting-place
on the boundary, when King Olaf of Norway came to fetch his bride.
Shortly afterward the Swedes revolted, and the Swedish king again had
to make concessions, and promise to make peace with the king of Norway.
The latter had, in the meanwhile, against the wishes of her father,
married Astrid, a younger half-sister of Ingegerd. At the peace of
Konungahella, where the kings finally met, this marriage was approved
by the Swedish king, the boundary lines between the two countries were
finally agreed upon, and friendly relations were established.
After the peace of Konungahella, King Olaf was able to pay more
attention to the domestic affairs of the country. He went north,
and in the fall came to Nidaros, where he prepared to take up his
winter residence. He made careful inquiries as to the condition of
Christianity, and learned to his regret that it was not observed at
all up north, in Halogaland, and was not observed as it should be in
Naumdal and the interior of the Throndhjem country. In the spring
Olaf started on an expedition north to Naumdal, where he summoned the
peasants to meet him, and at every Thing he was accepted as king. He
had the laws read to the people, and threatened them with loss of life,
limbs, and property, if they would not subject themselves to Christian
law. They all promised to obey, and the rich men made great feasts
for the king. Thus he proceeded north to Halogaland, where Harek of
Thiotta, a mighty man of the family of Harald the Fairhaired, after
having made a feast for the king, was made lenderman, and was given the
same privileges he had enjoyed under former rulers. The king remained
most of the summer in Halogaland, went to all the Things, and baptized
all the people. Thorer Hund, who lived on the island Biarkey and was
one of the most powerful men in that northern country, also became one
of Olaf's lendermen. Toward the end of the summer King Olaf sailed back
to Throndhjem.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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