第134章

These Farey men understood the king's words so, that they must dread the turn the matter might take if they did not submit to all that the king desired.Although they held several meetings about the business before it ended, the king's desire at last prevailed.Leif, Gille, and Thoralf went into the king's service, and became his courtmen; and they, with all their travelling companions, swore the oath to King Olaf, that the law and land privilege which he set them should be observed in the Farey Islands, and also the scat be levied that he laid upon them.Thereafter the Farey people prepared for their return home, and at their departure the king gave those who had entered into his service presents in testimony of his friendship, and they went their way.Now the king ordered a ship to be rigged, manned it, and sent men to the Farey Islands to receive the scat from the inhabitants which they should pay him.It was late before they were ready; but they set off at last: and of their journey all that is to be told is, that they did not come back, and no scat either, the following summer; for nobody had come to the Farey Isles, and no man had demanded scat there.

137.OF THE MARRIAGE OF KETIL AND OF THORD TO THE KING'S SISTERS.

King Olaf proceeded about harvest time to Viken, and sent a message before him to the Uplands that they should prepare guest-quarters for him, as he intended to be there in winter.

Afterwards he made ready for his journey, and went to the Uplands, and remained the winter there; going about in guest-quarters, and putting things to rights where he saw it needful, advancing also the cause of Christianity wheresoever it was requisite.It happened while King Olaf was in Hedemark that Ketil Kalf of Ringanes courted Gunhild, a daughter of Sigurd Syr and of King Olaf's mother Asta.Gunhild was a sister of King Olaf, and therefore it belonged to the king to give consent and determination to the business.He took it in a friendly way; for he know Ketil, that he was of high birth, wealthy, and of good understanding, and a great chief; and also he had long been a great friend of King Olaf, as before related.All these circumstances induced the king to approve of the match, and so it was that Ketil got Gunhild.King Olaf was present at the wedding.From thence the king went north to Gudbrandsdal, where he was entertained in guest-quarters.There dwelt a man, by name Thord Guthormson, on a farm called Steig; and he was the most powerful man in the north end of the valley.When Thord and the king met, Thord made proposals for Isrid, the daughter of Gudbrand, and the sister of King Olaf's mother, as it belonged to the king to give consent.After the matter was considered, it was determined that the marriage should proceed, and Thord got Isrid.Afterwards Thord was the king's faithful friend, and also many of Thord's relations and friends, who followed his footsteps.From thence King Olaf returned south through Thoten and Hadaland, from thence to Ringerike, and so to Viken.In spring (A.D.1025) he went to Tunsberg, and stayed there while there was the market-meeting, and a great resort of people.He then had his vessels rigged out, and had many people about him.

138.OF THE ICELANDERS.

The same summer (A.D.1025) came Stein, a son of the lagman Skapte, from Iceland, in compliance with King Olaf's message; and with him Thorod, a son of Snorre the gode, and Geller, a son of Thorkel Eyjolfson, and Egil, a son of Hal of Sida, brother of Thorstein Hal.Gudmund Eyjolfson had died the winter before.

These Iceland men repaired to King Olaf as soon as they had opportunity; and when they met the king they were well received, and all were in his house.The same summer King Olaf heard that the ship was missing which he had sent the summer before to the Farey Islands after the scat, and nobody knew what had become of it.The king fitted out another ship, manned it, and sent it to the Farey Islands for the scat.They got under weigh, and proceeded to sea; but as little was ever heard of this vessel as of the former one, and many conjectures were made about what had become of them.

139.HERE BEGINS THE STORY OF CANUTE THE GREAT.

During this time Canute the Great, called by some Canute the Old, was king of England and Denmark.Canute the Great was a son of Svein Haraldson Forkedbeard, whose forefathers, for a long course of generations, had ruled over Denmark.Harald Gormson, Canute's grandfather, had conquered Norway after the fall of Harald Grafeld, Gunhild's son, had taken scat from it, and had placed Earl Hakon the Great to defend the country.The Danish King, Svein Haraldson, ruled also over Norway, and placed his son-in-law Earl Eirik, the son of Earl Hakon, to defend the country.