164 
SKALHOLT. 
extending some paces beyond that of the present 
building, does not appear to admit of its having 
been what we should call a large or even a mo¬ 
derately sized edifice. A bishopric was established 
in Iceland at this place in the year 1057, eighty- 
three years after the introduction of Christianity, 
till which period the natives were worshippers 
of idols. The bishop that first filled the see 
was Isleif * the son of one Gissw *, who, together 
with a person of the name of Hialte-Skeggesen # , 
preached the doctrine of Christianity with so much 
* Of these persons Povelsen and Olafsen relate the fol¬ 
lowing anecdote from the Khristni-Saga .—It was Oluf- 
“ Tryggveson, king of Norway, who, after having been at 
“ much pains to induce the Icelanders to embrace the new 
“ religion, sent them these two men to complete the work 5 
“ but their proceedings were near failing of the purposed 
“ end ; for the volcanic eruption then took place which pro- 
“ duced the lava called Thurraarrhraun , and just at the time 
“ when they were preaching to their countrymen, some mes- 
“ sengers arrived with the grievous intelligence f: whence 
“ the pagans were led to believe that they saw in this erup- 
<e tion a proof of the anger of their gods, at the blasphemous 
ff discourses of the partisans of Christianity. It was not a 
“■little fortunate then, that at a moment, as critical as it was 
“ decisive, one of the pagans named Snorro-Godi , a priest, 
f “ Ecce autem vir cursu anhelus : ignem subterraneum in Olfus eru- 
“ pisse, et jam villae Thoroddi pontificis imminere nunciat. Turn ethnici: 
“ non mirum, si ejusmodi sermonibus excandescerent Dii, vociferantur. 
“ At Snorrius pontifex : ( quid igilur excanduerunt Dii , cum scopulus cui 
t( nunc insistimus coriflagravit f ’ ” Khristni-Saga, cap. ii. p. 88-90. 
