dly with the bondes, their answer was appeased,
and their conference with the king went off peacefully. At the close
of it a midsummer sacrifice was fixed to take place in Maeren, and all
chiefs and great bondes to attend it as usual. The king was to be at it.

73. JARNSKEGGE OR IRON BEARD.

There was a great bonde called Skegge, and sometimes Jarnskegge, or
Iron Beard, who dwelt in Uphaug in Yrjar. He spoke first at the Thing
to Olaf; and was the foremost man of the bondes in speaking against
Christianity. The Thing was concluded in this way for that time,--the
bondes returned home, and the king went to Hlader.

74. THE FEAST AT HLADER.

King Olaf lay with his ships in the river Nid, and had thirty vessels,
which were manned with many brave people; but the king himself was often
at Hlader, with his court attendants. As the time now was approaching at
which the sacrifices should be made at Maeren, the king prepared a
great feast at Hlader, and sent a message to the districts of Strind,
Gaulardal, and out to Orkadal, to invite the chiefs and other great
bondes. When the feast was ready, and the chiefs assembled, there was a
handsome entertainment the first evening, at which plenty of liquor went
round, and the guests were made very drunk. The night after they all
slept in peace. The following morning, when the king was dressed, he had
the early mass sung before him; and when the mass was over, ordered to
sound the trumpets for a House Thing: upon which all his men left the
ships to come up to the Thing. When the Thing was seated, the king stood
up, and spoke thus: "We held a Thing at Frosta, and there I invited the
bondes to allow themselves to be baptized; but they, on the other hand,
invited me to offer sacrifice to their gods, as King Hakon, Athelstan's
foster-son, had done; and thereafter it was agreed upon between us that
we should meet at Maerin, and there make a great sacrifice. Now if I,
along with you, shall turn again to making sacrifice, then will I make
the greatest of sacrifices that are in use; and I will sacrifice men.
But I will not select slaves or malefactors for this, but will take the
greatest men only to be offered to the gods; and for this I select
Orm Lygra of Medalhus, Styrkar of Gimsar, Kar of Gryting, Asbjorn
Thorbergson of Varnes, Orm of Lyxa, Haldor of Skerdingsstedja;" and
besides these he named five others of the principal men. All these, he
said, he would offer in sacrifice t