472 THE STRUGGLE BETWEEN PAGANISM AND CHRISTIANITY. 



( I do not know why you make this tumult and uproar ; now 

 you can see what power your god had to whom you brought 

 gold and silver, food and provisions ; you saw what beings 

 had eaten him, mice and worms, vipers and adders. Those 

 who believe in such things, and will not leave off their 

 folly, are the worse for it. Take your gold and costly 

 things scattered on the plain ; bring them home to your 

 wives, and never hereafter ornament tree or stones with them. 

 Now here are two choices : either you accept Christianity now, 

 or fight a battle against me to-day, and may those get the 

 victory whom the God in whom we believe wills.' Dala- 

 Gudbrand rose and said : ' A great loss have we suffered in our 

 god, but as he could not help us we will BOW believe in the 

 God in whom, thou believest.' They all accepted Christianity, 

 and the bishop baptized Gudbrand and his son. King Olal 

 and Sigurd the bishop left teachers there ; and those who 

 were foes parted as friends, and Gudbrand had a church made 

 in the Dalir " (St. Olaf, Heirnskringla, 117-119). 



But even in early times, before Christianity had made any 

 advance among the Northmen, there were sceptics such as 

 Hrolf Kraki, Orvar Odd, and others, who had little or no 

 belief. Examples are given in the Sagas of others in later 

 times, when Christianity had gained a looting in the country, 

 who also had no belief. When King Olaf Tryggvason asked 

 Eindridi what was his religious belief, the latter answered : 



" ' I have made up my mind never to believe in logs or stones, 

 though they be in the shape of fiend or man, whose power I 

 don't understand ; and though I have been told that they 

 have great power, it seems to me very unlikely, for I find that 

 those images which are called gods are in every way uglier 

 and less powerful than myself.' The king asked : ' Why dost 

 thou then not believe in the true God, who is all powerful, 

 and let thyself be baptized in his name ? ' ' Because,' Eindridi 

 replied, ' it has never before been put before me, and no one 

 on your behalf has told me about this God, whom you call 

 almighty ; but another more important reason is that, as I 

 would not believe what my father and kinsmen told me about 

 their gods, I have decided never to hold that belief which is 

 in every way so unlike theirs, unless I am fully convinced that 

 your God is as almighty as you call him ' " (Fornmanna Sogur). 



When Christianity predominated among the people, we 

 find that sacrifices and worship of heathen gods were for- 

 bidden. 



