The winter after King Olaf had baptized Halogaland, he and Queen Thyre
were in Nidaros; and the summer before Queen Thyre had brought King Olaf
a boy child, which was both stout and promising, and was called
Harald, after its mother's father. The king and queen loved the infant
exceedingly, and rejoiced in the hope that it would grow up and inherit
after its father; but it lived barely a year after its birth, which both
took much to heart. In that winter were many Icelanders and other clever
men in King Olaf's house, as before related. His sister Ingebjorg,
Trygve's daughter, King Olaf's sister, was also at the court at that
time. She was beautiful in appearance, modest and frank with the people,
had a steady manly judgment, and was beloved of all. She was very fond
of the Icelanders who were there, but most of Kjartan Olafson, for he
had been longer than the others in the king's house; and he found it
always amusing to converse with her, for she had both understanding and
cleverness in talk. The king was always gay and full of mirth in his
intercourse with people; and often asked about the manners of the
great men and chiefs in the neighbouring countries, when strangers
from Denmark or Sweden came to see him. The summer before Halfred
Vandredaskald had come from Gautland, where he had been with Earl
Ragnvald, Ulf's son, who had lately come to the government of West
Gautland. Ulf, Ragnvald's father, was a brother of Sigurd the Haughty;
so that King Olaf the Swede and Earl Ragnvald were brother's and
sister's children. Halfred told Olaf many things about the earl: he said
he was an able chief, excellently fitted for governing, generous with
money, brave and steady in friendship. Halfred said also the earl
desired much the friendship of King Olaf, and had spoken of making court
Ingebjorg, Trygve's daughter. The same winter came ambassadors from
Gautland, and fell in with King Olaf in the north, in Nidaros, and
brought the message which Halfred had spoken of,--that the earl desired
to be King Olaf's entire friend, and wished to become his brother-in-law
by obtaining his sister Ingebjorg in marriage. Therewith the ambassadors
laid before the king sufficient tokens in proof that in reality they
came from the earl on this errand. The king listened with approbation
to their speech; but said that Ingebjorg must determine on his assent to
the marriage. The king then talked to his sister about the matter, and
asked her opinion about it. She answered to this effect,--"I have been
with you for some time, and you have shown brotherly care and tender
respect for me ever since you came to the country. I will agree
therefore to your proposal about my marriage, provided that you do not
marry me to a heathen man." The king said it should be as she wished.
The king then spoke to the ambassadors; and it was settled before they
departed that in summer Earl Ragnvald should meet the king in the east
parts of the country, to enter into the fullest friendship with each
other, and when they met they would settle about the marriage. With this
reply the earl's messengers went westward, and King Olaf remained all
winter in Nidaros in great splendour, and with many people about him.