hat they should fight with him.
But as Skegge was killed, there was no leader in the bondes' army to
raise the banner against King Olaf; so they took the other condition, to
surrender to the king's will and obey his order. Then King Olaf had
all the people present baptized, and took hostages from them for their
remaining true to Christianity; and he sent his men round to every
district, and no man in the Throndhjem country opposed Christianity, but
all people took baptism.

77. A TOWN IN THE THRONDHJEM COUNTRY.

King Olaf with his people went out to Nidaros, and made houses on the
flat side of the river Nid, which he raised to be a merchant town, and
gave people ground to build houses upon. The king's house he had built
just opposite Skipakrok; and he transported thither, in harvest, all
that was necessary for his winter residence, and had many people about
him there.

78. KING OLAF'S MARRIAGE.

King Olaf appointed a meeting with the relations of Jarnskegge, and
offered them the compensation or penalty for his bloodshed; for there
were many bold men who had an interest in that business. Jarnskegge had
a daughter called Gudrun; and at last it was agreed upon between the
parties that the king should take her in marriage. When the wedding day
came King Olaf and Gudrun went to bed together. As soon as Gudrun, the
first night they lay together, thought the king was asleep, she drew a
knife, with which she intended to run him through; but the king saw it,
took the knife from her, got out of bed, and went to his men, and told
them what had happened. Gudrun also took her clothes, and went away
along with all her men who had followed her thither. Gudrun never came
into the king's bed again.

79. BUILDING OF THE SHIP CRANE.

The same autumn (A.D. 998) King Olaf laid the keel of a great long-ship
out on the strand at the river Nid. It was a snekkja; and he employed
many carpenters upon her, so that early in winter the vessel was ready.
It had thirty benches for rowers, was high in stem and stern, but
was not broad. The king called this ship Tranen (the Crane). After
Jarnskegge's death his body was carried to Yrjar, and lies there in the
Skegge mound on Austrat.

80. THANGBRAND THE PRIEST GOES TO ICELAND.

When King Olaf Trygvason had been two years king of Norway (A.D. 997),
there was a Saxon priest in his house who was called Thangbrand, a
passionate, ungovernable man, and a great man-slayer; but