Christianisatio7i of Norway 183 



he should proceed to the same ends by force (as the 

 Emperor Otto had done with Haiald Bluetooth), he 

 would still swell the araiy of believers. 



He besian bv callin" into council his own relations. 

 He would carry it so far, he told them, that all Norway 

 should become Christian, or he would die in the attempt. 

 And he promised to make these relatives of his, who 

 were great men in the Viken country, the foremost in 

 the promotion of the work, and great and mighty men 

 in Norway if they would aid him. This they consented 

 to do, and the result was that Viken — which we have 

 said may have already received some seeds of Chris- 

 tianity, while it alone of Norway acknowledged the 

 suzerainty of Harald of Denmark — accepted the new 

 creed, as it had accepted the new ruler, without demur. 



But it did not always go so smoothly for Olaf. It 

 was not so easy to persuade the peasants of other 

 districts assembled at their Things. The first meeting 

 at which Olaf sought to propagate his views took place 

 at a Thing held in Eogaland (in what is now Stavan- 

 geramt). The king spoke first, and, as the Saga says, 

 good-humouredly to tlie people. For all that he let 

 them see plainly enough before he had done that he 

 was bent on their accepting Christianity, and that who- 

 ever refused to do so might expect his heavy dis- 

 pleasure. 



Now, before the Thing assembled, the bonders had 

 selected three of the best speakers of their number, who 

 were charged to answer whatever the king might say. 

 Olaf Tryggvason was as well known for a ready and 

 clever speaker as for a famous wielder of arms ; and the 

 bonders were anxious to find spokesmen who should 



