The spring thereafter (A.D. 1016) King Olaf Haraldson calls out an army
from the Throndhjem land, and makes ready to proceed eastward. Some of
the Iceland traders were then ready to sail from Norway. With them King
Olaf sent word and token to Hjalte Skeggjason, and summoned him to come
to him, and at the same time sent a verbal message to Skapte the lagman,
and other men who principally took part in the lawgiving of Iceland, to
take out of the law whatever appeared contrary to Christianity. He sent,
besides, a message of friendship to the people in general. The king
then proceeded southwards himself along the coast, stopping at every
district, and holding Things with the bondes; and in each Thing he
ordered the Christian law to be read, together with the message of
salvation thereunto belonging, and with which many ill customs and much
heathenism were swept away at once among the common people: for the
earls had kept well the old laws and rights of the country; but with
respect to keeping Christianity, they had allowed every man to do as he
liked. It was thus come so far that the people were baptized in the most
places on the sea-coast, but the most of them were ignorant of Christian
law. In the upper ends of the valleys, and in the habitations among the
mountains, the greater part of the people were heathen; for when the
common man is left to himself, the faith he has been taught in his
childhood is that which has the strongest hold over his inclination. But
the king threatened the most violent proceedings against great or small,
who, after the king's message, would not adopt Christianity. In the
meantime Olaf was proclaimed king in every Law Thing in the country,
and no man spoke against him. While he lay in Karmtsund messengers went
between him and Erling Skjalgson, who endeavoured to make peace between
them; and the meeting was appointed in Whitings Isle. When they met
they spoke with each other about agreement together; but Erling found
something else than he expected in the conversation: for when he
insisted on having all the fiefs which Olaf Trygvason, and afterwards
the Earls Svein and Hakon, had given him, and on that condition would
be his man and dutiful friend, the king answered, "It appears to me,
Erling, that it would be no bad bargain for thee to get as great fiefs
from me for thy aid and friendship as thou hadst from Earl Eirik, a man
who had done thee the greatest injury by the bloodshed of thy men;
but even if I let thee remain the greatest lenderman in Norway, I will
bestow my fiefs according to my own will, and not act as if ye lendermen
had udal right to my ancestor's heritage, and I was obliged to buy your
services with manifold rewards." Erling had no disposition to sue for
even the smallest thing; and he saw that the king was not easily dealt
with. He saw also that he had only two conditions before him: the one
was to make no agreement with the king, and stand by the consequences;
the other to leave it entirely to the king's pleasure. Although it was
much against his inclination, he chose the latter, and merely said to
the king, "The service will be the most useful to thee which I give with
a free will." And thus their conference ended. Erling's relations and
friends came to him afterwards, and advised him to give way, and proceed
with more prudence and less pride. "Thou wilt still," they said, "be the
most important and most respected lenderman in Norway, both on account
of thy own and thy relations' abilities and great wealth." Erling found
that this was prudent advice, and that they who gave it did so with a
good intention, and he followed it accordingly. Erling went into the
king's service on such conditions as the king himself should determine
and please. Thereafter they separated in some shape reconciled, and Olaf
went his way eastward along the coast (A.D. 1016).