The first day the Thing sat, King Olaf was seated on a stool, and his
court stood in a circle around him. Right opposite to him sat Earl
Ragnvald and Thorgny in the Thing upon one stool, and before them the
earl's court and Thorgny's house-people. Behind their stool stood the
bonde community, all in a circle around them. Some stood upon hillocks
and heights, in order to hear the better. Now when the king's messages,
which are usually handled in the Things, were produced and settled, the
marshal Bjorn rose beside the earl's stool, and said aloud, "King Olaf
sends me here with the message that he will offer to the Swedish king
peace, and the frontiers that in old times were fixed between Norway and
Svithjod." He spoke so loud that the Swedish king could distinctly hear
him; but at first, when he heard King Olaf's name spoken, he thought the
speaker had some message or business of his own to execute; but when he
heard of peace, and the frontiers between Norway and Svithjod, he saw
from what root it came, and sprang up, and called out that the man
should be silent, for that such speeches were useless. Thereupon Bjorn
sat down; and when the noise had ceased Earl Ragnvald stood up and made
a speech.
He spoke of Olaf the Thick's message, and proposal of peace to Olaf the
Swedish king; and that all the West Gautland people sent their entreaty
to Olaf that he would make peace with the king of Norway. He recounted
all the evils the West Gautlanders were suffering under; that they must
go without all the things from Norway which were necessary in their
households; and, on the other hand, were exposed to attack and hostility
whenever the king of Norway gathered an army and made an inroad on them.
The earl added, that Olaf the Norway king had sent men hither with the
intent to obtain Ingegerd the king's daughter in marriage.
When the earl had done speaking Olaf the Swedish king stood up and
replied, and was altogether against listening to any proposals of peace,
and made many and heavy reproaches against the earl for his impudence
in entering into a peaceful truce with the thick fellow, and making up
a peaceful friendship with him, and which in truth he considered treason
against himself. He added, that it would be well deserved if Earl
Ragnvald were driven out of the kingdom. The earl had, in his opinion,
the influence of his wife Ingebjorg to thank for what might happen; and
it was the most imprudent fancy he could have fallen upon to take up
with such a wife. The king spoke long and bitterly, turning his speech
always against Olaf the Thick. When he sat down not a sound was to be
heard at first.