OLAF'S ATONEMENT.
"King Olaf," rang out the priest's deep voice, "we are unwilling that
you should violate our religion. The wish of us all is that you
should offer sacrifice as other kings before you have done, and even
as Jarl Hakon did. When King Hakon, foster son of King Athelstan of
England, wished to proclaim the White Christ, he found the bonders
too strong for him, and he yielded to the old faith. The only proper
plan for you is to do likewise, for our minds have not changed since
that Assembly wherein you promised to visit this temple at this time."
Ironbeard sat down, and his speech was loudly applauded by the
bonders who sat around, and by the great crowd without. Olaf flushed
at the chief's proud demands, but controlling his temper, he rose.
"My friends, I promised to visit your temple, and I shall do so now,
before the sacrifices. The Assembly is closed."
With this he motioned to Sigurd, and, followed by his men, who had
laid aside their arms, he walked to the door of the temple. Olaf
held in his hand a gold-mounted staff of heavy wood, and as they
entered he said to Sigurd:
"Jarl, do just as I do, and act quickly."
Inside they saw many images around the temple, and occupying the
place of honor was a large idol, heavily adorned with gold and
silver. The temple was now full of Olaf's men, while Ironbeard and
the bonders stood in the doorway, watching him.
Without another word the King walked up to the large idol, and
raising his heavy staff, struck it. The idol toppled over, fell to
the stone floor, and broke in two parts. At the same instant Sigurd
and his men rushed at the other images and swept them from their
pedestals.
A loud cry of horror arose from the bonders, and Ironbeard, seizing a
spear, poised it, in the act of hurling it at the King. As he did
so, one of Olaf's men, who was outside, pierced him with an arrow,
and he fell at the temple threshold.
The bonders drew back, in terror, and the King turned angrily.
"Who fired that arrow?" he shouted. The man who had done so stepped
to the door.
"It was I, King Olaf, and I did it to save your life. Ironbeard had
poised a spear at you--see, it is even now in his hand!"
Olaf looked at the fallen leader, and saw that the man spoke truly.
"Order the Assembly called," he said to Sigurd. "Bid them have no
fear."
When the people had taken their places again, Olaf came out of the
temple and addressed them from the steps:
"Friends and bonders, I did not come here to shed blood, and I am
bitterly grieved that Ironbeard drew his fate on himself. As I told
you a little time ago, I will compel no man to leave his faith; I
have discovered the wickedness of that course. But a few days ago
your other chiefs, some of whom stand at my side, accepted from my
hands the Cross of Christ, and now I offer it to you also.
"You have seen how your gods have fallen and broken. Where is their
power, think you? The true God has protected me, has brought me to
this kingdom and given it into my hand without a struggle, and
whether you will it or not, his faith will prevail in Norway before
many more years have passed."
The King paused, and one of the bonders arose to reply.
"Oh, King, your words to-day have fallen pleasantly on our ears, and
we easily perceive that you have truth and justice in your heart. We
see, too, that the gods are dead, and that they have no power before
the Cross of the White Christ. But, King Olaf, the slaying of
Ironbeard was an evil deed, whether you intended it or not, and
before we say more on this subject we would like to know whether you
will punish his murderer."
The bonder sat down amid a faint murmur of applause, and the Assembly
fixed their eyes on Olaf. For a moment the King sat in silence, and
it was evident that he was struggling with himself; then his face
cleared.
"My people, I will not punish the man, for he saved my life. Wait!
I am not through. Are there any relatives of Ironbeard present?"
Two men stood up. "We are distant relatives of his, oh, King, but he
has left no others to mourn him save a single daughter."
King Olaf took off his helm. "My people, this is a lawful Assembly,
able to give judgment and to punish criminals, with power to inflict
penalty for offenses. I appoint you two bonders judges, and I take
upon my own head the blood of Ironbeard. Whatever you shall think
right, I will agree to, in compensation for his death. Whether you
demand my life, or my exile, or a scat in money, these will I give,
and you shall fear no punishment from my men."
At these words a silence fell on the host, and Sigurd gazed at Olaf
in love and admiration. Truly, old Bishop Sigurd had not spoken in
vain! A murmur of appreciation of Olaf's generous offer passed from
mouth to mouth, and presently the two relatives of Ironbeard, after
conferring together, stood up.
"King Olaf, by these words of yours you have indeed shamed us, who
came to this Assembly with arms, and with war in our hearts. It is a
new departure in Norway, that her Kings should offer themselves under
the laws like common men; and yet it seems not unfair to us that you
should do so. The laws declare that for the shedding of blood the
relatives of the dead man may claim the life of the slayer, or they
may claim a scat in lands or goods. Now, King Olaf, Ironbeard has
left no family save a daughter, who has no lack of wealth and is of
good family. We, therefore, her relatives, lay this judgment upon
you: that you make her your lawful wife and bestow upon her lands
befitting her position as Queen."
The King's men uttered a growl of protest, even Sigurd looking
somewhat blank, for the King had thought of marrying one of the
daughters of the Swedish King, to make an alliance between the two
nations. Olaf, however, checked the murmur with a gesture, and
replied to the bonders:
"My friends, this is a lawful judgment, and I accept it with good
will. I will expect you two men to look to it that the maid is sent
to Nidaros before Eastertide, at which time I shall marry her and
make her the Queen of this land. It is the least I can do, methinks,
after my men have killed her father and left her alone in the world.
Should this plan not meet with her consent, I will expect you to
appoint other penalty, which I will fulfill most faithfully, and this
I swear on the Cross."
Olaf sat down amid a shout of approval and joy from the bonders, and
a dozen men rose at once to speak. Making one of their number
spokesman, he addressed the King.
"My lord, when I left home it was my firm intention to resist your
faith to the last drop of my blood; but now I am proud to take
baptism from your hands, and to swear anew my allegiance to you."
Olaf started up in surprise, and one by one the other bonders rose
and declared their intention to be baptized. Then Olaf sent for
Bishop Sigurd, whom he had left at the ships, fearing that Ironbeard
might attack him, and turned to the bonders.
"My people, nothing that you could do would give me more pleasure
than this thing. It is the dearest wish of my heart that this land
of Norway should become Christian, and once you and the other leaders
of Thrandheim and the districts around have received baptism, we will
meet with little opposition from the rest of the land. In pledge of
your earnestness I ask that you complete the destruction of this your
temple to the old gods, and on its site I will erect at my own
expense a church to the true God."
Shouting and clashing their arms, the bonders sprang up without an
instant's hesitation. They ran to the temple, carried out the broken
images, and piled them in the snow, while others stripped the temple
of its furnishings and set fire to it. As the pile of idols broke
into flame, old Bishop Sigurd arrived from the ships.
He had been told the whole story on the way up the hill, and he
gripped Olaf's hand silently but heartily as the King met him. At
once the work of baptism was begun, Sigurd and the rest of the King's
men taking part in the service, and standing as godfathers to the new
converts.
When this was finished the afternoon was nearly spent, and after
arranging with the leaders of the people for the building of a
church, for the burial of Ironbeard, and for the sending of his
daughter Gudrun to Nidaros at Easter, Olaf's men embarked, and the
King sailed back down the Firth to Nidaros.
A few days before this the Firth had opened, for although it was
still winter, the weather had warmed somewhat, and a channel had been
made from above Moeri to the open sea. When the fleet came to the
harbor that night, they found the town alight with torches, and lying
in the harbor were several newly arrived ships, or rather cutters,
for they were small.
"I wonder what this means?" said the King, as they drew into the
anchorage. "I had no tidings of visitors, when we left the city
yesterday, and it is strange that the town is all alight!"
So before the ships had come to anchor, Olaf and Sigurd leaped into a
small boat and were rowed ashore. Their ships had been seen
entering, for great fires were lit on either side of the harbor,
making everything plain to the sight, and a crowd of men met them as
they landed.
"What is all this excitement about?" demanded the King, looking
around in wonder.
A confused talking answered him. "Here, one at a time!" shouted
Olaf, and one of the men stepped to his side.
"We have been driven from home, my lord King, and we come from the
north. There two chiefs, Raud the Strong and Thori Hart, have
revolted against the White Christ, have gathered a fleet, and are
sailing against you. They are preparing to restore the temples of
Thor and Odin and to burn the churches you have built; we, who are
Christians, have barely escaped with our lives, fleeing in our small
boats. The heathen will enter the Firth in a few days, unless you
meet them first!"