378 EELIGION. IDOLS AND WORSHIP OF MEN, ANIMALS, ETC. 



" When King Olaf (Tryggvason) had been a short while in 

 Thrandheim he heard a rumour that some men in Thrand- 

 heim still kept up heathendom, and that the idol of Frey 

 stood there unbroken, and that those men who were there 

 sacrificed to the idol. When he heard this he was displeased, 

 and at the time he got these evil tidings lie was at a feast. 

 There were also some men from Thrandheim with him. He 

 accused them of sacrificing to Frey as some witnesses had 

 told him, and as they knew that they were not guiltless they 

 did not deny it boldly, but would not acknowledge it. He 

 said : ' It will be seen how much of your words is true, and I 

 will try it in this way I command you to break the idol 

 of Frey, to which I am told you sacrifice, and if yon will not 

 do that I believe that the accusation I bring against you is 

 true.' They answered : ' We will not break the idol of Frey, for 

 we have served him long, and it has helped us well.' He said : 

 ' I and my men will break it though you forbid it.' They 

 answered : ' Certainly we will forbid and hinder the destruction 

 of Frey, though we expect that he will valiantly defend him- 

 self and help us if we follow him boldly, for he has more 

 power than thou thinkest.' He said : ' This shall be tried. 

 You shall defend Frey and I will attack him with God's 

 grace and the help of good men. Let him then defend him- 

 self if he is able. To-morrow we shall hold a Thing where I 

 appoint. I will take Frey there and judge him boldly, and 

 slay him, and do the good for you which God teaches me, 

 if you will leave your false belief.' They did not think this 

 very advisable, but saw" it had to be as the king wished. 

 They went to their ships and rowed in the fjord and strove 

 with both sails and oars. The luck of the king was stronger than 

 the witchcraft of Frey and the evil belief of those who followed 

 him, and therefore it happened as the best one (God) wished, 

 and the king's ship went much faster and he got first to the 

 temple. When he came ashore his men saw some stud horses 

 near the road which they said belonged to Frey. The king 

 mounted a stallion and let others take the geldings, and they 

 rode to the temple. He alighted from the stallion, went into 

 the temple, and struck down the gods from their altars. Then 

 he took Frey under his arm and carried him out to the horse, 

 and shut up the temple. He rode with Frey to the meeting 

 and came before those summoned. His land-tent was pitched, 

 and he waited there. Now the men of Thrandheim came to 

 the temple and opened it and went in. They saw that Frey 

 had disappeared and the other gods were maimed, and they 

 knew for certain that the king had caused this. They went 

 to the meeting. When they had come there the king spoke 



