Saga of Olaf Haroldson

72. OLAF'S JOURNEY TO THE UPLANDS.

When King Olaf had despatched Bjorn and his followers to
Gautland, he sent other people also to the Uplands, with the
errand that they should have guest-quarters prepared for him, as
he intended that winter (A.D. 1018) to live as guest in the
Uplands; for it had been the custom of former kings to make a
progress in guest-quarters every third year in the Uplands. In
autumn he began his progress from Sarpsborg, and went first to
Vingulmark. He ordered his progress so that he came first to
lodge in the neighbourhood of the forest habitations, and
summoned to him all the men of the habitations who dwelt at the
greatest distance from the head-habitations of the district; and
he inquired particularly how it stood with their Christianity,
and, where improvement was needful, he taught them the right
customs. If any there were who would not renounce heathen ways,
he took the matter so zealously that he drove some out of the
country, mutilated others of hands or feet, or stung their eyes
out; hung up some, cut down some with the sword; but let none go
unpunished who would not serve God. He went thus through the
whole district, sparing neither great nor small. He gave them
teachers, and placed these as thickly in the country as he saw
needful. In this manner he went about in that district, and had
300 deadly men-at-arms with him; and then proceeded to Raumarike.
He soon perceived that Christianity was thriving less the farther
he proceeded into the interior of the country. He went forward
everywhere in the same way, converting all the people to the
right faith, and severely punishing all who would not listen to
his word.

73.TREACHERY OF THE UPLAND KINGS.

Now when the king who at that time ruled in Raumarike heard of
this, he thought it was a very bad affair; for every day came men
to him, both great and small, who told him what was doing.
Therefore this king resolved to go up to Hedemark, and consult
King Hrorek, who was the most eminent for understanding of the
kings who at that time were in the country. Now when these kings
spoke with each other, they agreed to send a message to Gudrod,
the valley-king north in the Gudbrandsdal, and likewise to the
king who was in Hadaland, and bid them to come to Hedemark, to
meet Hrorek and the other kings there. They did not spare their
travelling; for five kings met in Hedemark, at a place called
Ringsaker. Ring, King Hrorek's brother, was the fifth of these
kings. The kings had first a private conference together, in
which he who came from Raumarike first took up the word, and told
of King Olaf's proceedings, and of the disturbance he was causing
both by killing and mutilating people. Some he drove out of the
country, some he deprived of their offices or property if they
spoke anything against him; and, besides, he was travelling over
the country with a great army, not with the number of people
fixed by law for a royal progress in guest-quarters. He added,
that he had fled hither upon account of this disturbance, and
many powerful people with him had fled from their udal properties
in Raumarike. "But although as yet the evil is nearest to us, it
will be but a short time before ye will also be exposed to it;
therefore it is best that we all consider together what
resolution we shall take." When he had ended his speech, Hrorek
was desired to speak; and he said, "Now is the day come that I
foretold when we had had our meeting at Hadaland, and ye were all
so eager to raise Olaf over our heads; namely, that as soon as he
was the supreme master of the country we would find it hard to
hold him by the horns. We have but two things now to do: the one
is, to go all of us to him, and let him do with us as he likes,
which I think is the best thing we can do; or the other is, to
rise against him before he has gone farther through the country.
Although he has 300 or 400 men, that is not too great a force for
us to meet, if we are only all in movement together: but, in
general, there is less success and advantage to be gained when
several of equal strength are joined together, than when one
alone stands at the head of his own force; therefore it is my
advice, that we do not venture to try our luck against Olaf
Haraldson."

Thereafter each of the kings spoke according to his own mind some
dissuading from going out against King Olaf, others urging it;
and no determination was come to, as each had his own reasons to
produce.

Then Gudrod, the valley-king, took up the word, and spoke: -- "It
appears wonderful to me, that ye make such a long roundabout in
coming to a resolution; and probably ye are frightened for him.
We are here five kings, and none of less high birth than Olaf.
We gave him the strength to fight with Earl Svein, and with our
forces he has brought the country under his power. But if he
grudges each of us the little kingdom he had before, and
threatens us with tortures, or gives us ill words, then, say I
for myself, that I will withdraw myself from the king's slavery;
and I do not call him a man among you who is afraid to cut him
off, if he come into your hands here up in Hedemark. And this I
can tell you, that we shall never bear our heads in safety while
Olaf is in life." After this encouragement they all agreed to
his determination.

Then said Hrorek, "With regard to this determination, it appears
to me necessary to make our agreement so strong that no one shall
fail in his promise to the other. Therefore, if ye determine
upon attacking Olaf at a fixed time, when he comes here to
Hedemark, I will not trust much to you if some are north in the
valleys, others up in Hedemark; but if our resolution is to come
to anything, we must remain here assembled together day and
night."

This the kings agreed to, and kept themselves there all
assembled, ordering a feast to be provided for them at Ringsaker,
and drank there a cup to success; sending out spies to Raumarike,
and when one set came in sending out others, so that day and
night they had intelligence of Olaf's proceedings, and of the
numbers of his men. King Olaf went about in Raumarike in
guest-quarters, and altogether in the way before related; but as
the provision of the guest-quarter was not always sufficient,
upon account of his numerous followers, he laid it upon the
bondes to give additional contributions wherever he found it
necessary to stay. In some places he stayed longer, in others,
shorter than was fixed; and his journey down to the lake Miosen
was shorter than had been fixed on. The kings, after taking
their resolution, sent out message-tokens, and summoned all the
lendermen and powerful bondes from all the districts thereabout;
and when they had assembled the kings had a private meeting with
them, and made their determination known, setting a day for
gathering together and carrying it into effect; and it was
settled among them that each of the kings should have 300 (1)
men. Then they sent away the lendermen to gather the people, and
meet all at the appointed place. The most approved of the
measure; but it happened here, as it usually does, that every one
has some friend even among his enemies.

74. MUTILATING OF THE UPLAND KINGS.

Ketil of Ringanes was at this meeting. Now when he came home in
the evening he took his supper, put on his clothes, and went down
with his house-servants to the lake; took a light vessel which he
had, the same that King Olaf had made him a present of, and
launched it on the water. They found in the boat-house
everything ready to their hands; betook themselves to their oars,
and rowed out into the lake. Ketil had forty well-armed men with
him, and came early in the morning to the end of the lake. He
set off immediately with twenty men, leaving the other twenty to
look after the ship. King Olaf was at that time at Eid, in the
upper end of Raumarike. Thither Ketil arrived just as the king
was coming from matins. The king received Ketil kindly. He said
he must speak with the king in all haste; and they had a private
conference together. There Ketil tells the king the resolution
which the kings had taken, and their agreement, which he had come
to the certain knowledge of. When the king learnt this he called
his people together, and sent some out to collect riding-horses
in the country; others he sent down to the lake to take all the
rowing-vessels they could lay hold of, and keep them for his use.
Thereafter he went to the church, had mass sung before him, and
then sat down to table. After his meal he got ready, and
hastened down to the lake, where the vessels were coming to meet
him. He himself went on board the light vessel, and as many men
with him as it could stow, and all the rest of his followers took
such boats as they could get hold of; and when it was getting
late in the evening they set out from the land, in still and calm
weather. He rowed up the water with 400 men, and came with them
to Ringsaker before day dawned; and the watchmen were not aware
of the army before they were come into the very court. Ketil
knew well in what houses the kings slept, and the king had all
these houses surrounded and guarded, so that nobody could get
out; and so they stood till daylight. The kings had not people
enough to make resistance, but were all taken prisoners, and led
before the king. Hrorek was an able but obstinate man, whose
fidelity the king could not trust to if he made peace with him;
therefore he ordered both his eyes to be punched out, and took
him in that condition about with him. He ordered Gudrod's tongue
to be cut out; but Ring and two others he banished from Norway,
under oath never to return. Of the lendermen and bondes who had
actually taken part in the traitorous design, some he drove out
of the country, some he mutilated, and with others he made peace.
Ottar Black tells of this: --

"The giver of rings of gold,
The army leader bold,
In vengeance springs
On the Hedemark kings.
Olaf the bold and great,
Repays their foul deceit --
In full repays
Their treacherous ways.
He drives with steel-clad hand
The small kings from the land, --
Greater by far
In deed of war.
The king who dwelt most north
Tongueless must wander forth:
All fly away
In great dismay.
King Olaf now rules o'er
What five kings ruled before.
To Eid's old bound
Extends his ground.
No kings in days of yore
E'er won so much before:
That this is so
All Norsemen know."

King Olaf took possession of the land these five kings had
possessed, and took hostages from the lendermen and bondes in it.
He took money instead of guest-quarters from the country north of
the valley district, and from Hedemark; and then returned to
Raumarike, and so west to Hadaland. This winter (A.D. 1018) his
stepfather Sigurd Syr died; and King Olaf went to Ringerike,
where his mother Asta made a great feast for him. Olaf alone
bore the title of king now in Norway.

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