When King Olaf had nearly rigged out his fleet in Nidaros, he appointed
men over the Throndhjem country in all districts and communities. He
also sent to Iceland Gissur the White and Hjalte Skeggjason, to proclaim
Christianity there; and sent with them a priest called Thormod, along
with several men in holy orders. But he retained with him, as hostages,
four Icelanders whom he thought the most important; namely, Kjartan
Olafson, Haldor Gudmundson, Kolbein Thordson, and Sverting Runolfson.
Of Gissur and Hjalte's progress, it is related that they came to
Iceland before the Althing, and went to the Thing; and in that Thing
Christianity was introduced by law into Iceland, and in the course of
the summer all the people were baptized (A.D. 1000).