Olaf ami the Throiidhj enters 185 



thing there. This Meera lay up the Throndhjem Ijord 

 very near to the present village of that name. Times 

 were, however, changed since the davs of Hakon, The 

 heathen party was not so strong as it fancied itself, and 

 it had a stronger and a most cunniiifr antafjonist. Olaf 

 made a great feast at Lade (a place of which we have 

 often had to speak ^), and invited all the hcrsar and 

 principal bonders thereto. They ate and drank well. 

 But Olaf had stationed a sufficient bodyguard of his 

 trustv men-at-arms about the house. The next morn- 

 ing the Thing was summoned. Olaf spoke to the 

 people and reminded them how he on his side had 

 invited them to come and be baptized ; while they 

 for their part had bade him meet them and make sacri- 

 fice to their gods. ' Now if I,' said Olaf, ' with you 

 will turn a^ain to making' sacrifices, then will I make 

 the greatest of sacrifices that are in use ; I will sacrifice 

 men. But I will not select slaves nor malefactors for 

 this, but I will take the greatest men only to offer to 

 the gods. And for this I select Orm Lygra of Medal- 

 house, Styrcar of Gimsum, Kaar of Gryting, Asbjorn 

 Thorgbergsson of Varness, Orm of Lyxa, Haldor of 

 Skirdingstead, and five more of the principal men 

 beside.' It need not be said that the chiefs who were 

 in Olaf's power showed no willingness to press him to 

 carry out the sacrifice, but on the contrary, accepted 

 baptism ; and a peace was made. 



These stories show us the various means which the 

 king adopted for the conversion of his subjects. The 

 heathen powers earthly and spiritual did what they 

 could. "We have one account how Olaf was bewitched 



1 Lade is the first station on the Throndlijem-Storlien railway into 

 Sweden. 



