King Olaf collected a great army in the east of the country towards
summer, and sailed with it north to Nidaros in the Throndhjem country.
From thence he sent a message-token over all the fjord, calling the
people of eight different districts to a Thing; but the bondes changed
the Thing-token into a war-token; and called together all men, free and
unfree, in all the Throndhjem land. Now when the king met the Thing,
the whole people came fully armed. After the Thing was seated, the king
spoke, and invited them to adopt Christianity; but he had only spoken a
short time when the bondes called out to him to be silent, or they
would attack him and drive him away. "We did so," said they, "with Hakon
foster-son of Athelstan, when he brought us the same message, and we
held him in quite as much respect as we hold thee." When King Olaf saw
how incensed the bondes were, and that they had such a war force that he
could make no resistance, he turned his speech as if he would give way
to the bondes, and said, "I wish only to be in a good understanding
with you as of old; and I will come to where ye hold your greatest
sacrifice-festival, and see your customs, and thereafter we shall
consider which to hold by." And in this all agreed; and as the king
spoke mildly and friendly 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.