It is related that once upon a time, while King Olaf was in Russia, it
happened that the son of an honest widow had a sore boil upon his neck,
of which the lad lay very ill; and as he could not swallow any food,
there was little hope of his life. The boy's mother went to Queen
Ingegerd, with whom she was acquainted, and showed her the lad. The
queen said she knew no remedy for it. "Go," said she, "to King Olaf, he
is the best physician here; and beg him to lay his hands on thy lad, and
bring him my words if he will not otherwise do it." She did as the queen
told her; and when she found the king she says to him that her son is
dangerously ill of a boil in his neck, and begs him to lay his hand on
the boil. The king tells her he is not a physician, and bids her go to
where there were physicians. She replies, that the queen had told her
to come to him; "and told me to add the request from her, that you would
would use the remedy you understood, and she said that thou art the best
physician here in the town." Then the king took the lad, laid his hands
upon his neck, and felt the boil for a long time, until the boy made
a very wry face. Then the king took a piece of bread, laid it in the
figure of the cross upon the palm of his hand, and put it into the boy's
mouth. He swallowed it down, and from that time all the soreness left
his neck, and in a few days he was quite well, to the great joy of his
mother and all his relations. Then first came Olaf into the repute of
having as much healing power in his hands as is ascribed to men who have
been gifted by nature with healing by the touch; and afterwards when his
miracles were universally acknowledged, this also was considered one of
his miracles.