OF GEST ODDLEIF'S SON.
Gest Oddleif's son dwelt at Hagi on Bardastrand, He was one of the
wisest of men, so that he foresaw the fates and fortunes of men. He made
a feast for Thangbrand and his men. They fared to Hagi with sixty men.
Then it was said that there were two hundred heathen men to meet them,
and that a Baresark was looked for to come thither, whose name was
Otrygg, and all were afraid of him. Of him such great things as these
were said, that he feared neither fire nor sword, and the heathen men
were sore afraid at his coming. Then Thangbrand asked if men were
willing to take the faith, but all the heathen men spoke against it.
"Well," says Thangbrand, "I will give you the means whereby ye shall
prove whether my faith is better. We will hallow two fires. The heathen
men shall hallow one and I the other, but a third shall he unhallowed;
and if the Baresark is afraid of the one that I hallow, but treads both
the others, then ye shall take the faith."
"That is well-spoken," says Gest, "and I will agree to this for myself
and my household."
And when Gest had so spoken, then many more agreed to it.
Then it was said that the Baresark was coming up to the homestead, and
then the fires were made and burned strong. Then men took their arms and
sprang up on the benches, and so waited.
The Baresark rushed in with his weapons. He comes into the room, and
treads at once the fire which the heathen men had hallowed, and so comes
to the fire that Thangbrand had hallowed, and dares not to tread it, but
said that he was on fire all over. He hews with his sword at the bench,
but strikes a cross-beam as he brandished the weapon aloft. Thangbrand
smote the arm of the Baresark with his crucifix, and so mighty a token
followed that the sword fell from the Baresark's hand.
Then Thangbrand thrusts a sword into his breast, and Gudleif smote him
on the arm and hewed it off. Then many went up and slew the Baresark.
After that Thangbrand asked if they would take the faith now?
Gest said he had only spoken what he meant to keep to.
Then Thangbrand baptised Gest and all his house and many others. Then
Thangbrand took counsel with Gest whether he should go any further west
among the firths, but Gest set his face against that, and said they were
a hard race of men there, and ill to deal with, "but if it be foredoomed
that this faith shall make its way, then it will be taken as law at the
Althing, and then all the chiefs out of the districts will be there".
"I did all that I could at the Thing," says Thangbrand, "and it was very
uphill work."
"Still thou hast done most of the work," says Gest, "though it may be
fated that others shall make Christianity law; but it is here as the
saying runs, 'No tree falls at the first stroke'."
After that Gest gave Thangbrand good gifts, and he fared back south.
Thangbrand fared to the Southlander's Quarter, and so to the Eastfirths.
He turned in as a guest at Bergthorsknoll, and Njal gave him good gifts.
Thence he rode east to Alftafirth to meet Hall of the Side. He caused
his ship to be mended, and heathen man called it "Iron-basket". On board
that ship Thangbrand fared abroad, and Gudleif with him.