X IH-:STROYS AN IDOL. 471 



" Kolbein the Strong, who was with King Olaf, bad his kins- 

 men in the Fjords. He was always so dressed that he was 

 girt with a sword, and had a large stick in his hand 

 which some call 'club.' The king told him that he should 

 stand next him that morning, and then said to his men : 

 Go this night to the boats of the bcendr and bore holes 

 in all of them, and take away their horses from the farms 

 where they are and ride on them. This was done. The king 

 stayed all night at the farm, and prayed (.rod to clear this 

 difficulty with His mercy and grace. After the matins, about 

 daybreak, he went to the Thing. When he came some of the 

 bcendr had arrived. They saw a large crowd of bcendr coming 

 to the Tiling, carrying a large image, ornamented all 

 over with gold and silver. When the bcendr present saw it, 

 they all rushed up and bowed to the monster. Then it was 

 placed on the middle of the Thing-plain. On one side sat the 

 bcendr, on the .other the king and his men. Then Dala- 

 Gudbrand rose and said : ' Where is your god now, king ; 1 

 think he now carries his chin rather low. It seems to me 

 that your boasting, and that of the horned man whom 

 you call bishop, sitting at your side, is less than yester- 

 day. It is because our god, who rules all, has come, and looks 

 on you with keen eyes ; and I see that you are full of terror 

 now, and dare scarcely look up with your eyes. Now throw 

 off your superstition and believe in our god, who has 

 you altogether in his power.' He ended his speech. The 

 king said to Kolbein the Strong, so that the bcendr did 

 not hear : ' If during my speech it happens that they look 

 away from their god, then strike him as hard a blow 

 as thou art able with the club.' Then he rose and said : 

 ' Many things hast thou (Gudbrand) spoken to us this morn- 

 ing ; thou wonderest that thou art not able to see our God, but 

 we expect He will soon come to us. Thou dost threaten us 

 with thy god, who is blind and deaf, and can neither help 

 himself nor others, and can move nowhere from his place 

 unless he is carried : I expect that in a short time evil 

 will happen to him. Now look into the east; there conies our 

 God with great light.' The sun was rising, and all the bcendr 

 looked towards it. At the same moment Kolbein struck their 

 god so that he burst all asunder, and mice large as cats, and 

 vipers and worms, ran out. The bcendr were so frightened that 

 they fled, some to their ships ; but when they launched them they 

 were filled with water, and they could not get on them. Those 

 who ran to their horses found them not. The king had them 

 called to him, and said he wished to speak with them, and 

 they came back to the Thing. Then the king rose and said : 



