there, he made him be called; and when the earl came on board to speak with the king, after a few words only had passed between them, the king says the earl must allow himself to be baptized, and all the people of the country also, or he should be put to death directly; and he assured the earl he would lay waste the islands with fire and sword, if the people did not adopt Christianity. In the position the earl found himself, he preferred becoming Christian, and he and all who were with him were baptized. Afterwards the earl took an oath to the king, went into his service, and gave him his son, whose name was Whelp, or Dog, as an hostage; and the king took Whelp to Norway with him. Thereafter Olaf went out to sea to the eastward, and made the land at Moster Island, where he first touched the ground of Norway. He had high mass sung in a tent, and afterwards on the spot a church was built. Thorer Klakke said now to the king, that the best plan for him would be not to make it known who he was, or to let any report about him get abroad; but to seek out Earl Hakon as fast as possible, and fall upon him by surprise. King Olaf did so, sailing northward day and night, when wind permitted, and did not let the people of the country know who it was that was sailing in such haste. When he came north to Agdaness[1], he heard that the earl was in the fiord, and was in discord with the bonders. On hearing this, Thorer saw that things were going in a very different way from what he expected; for after the battle with the Jomsburg vikings all men in Xorway were the most sincere friends of the earl on account of the victory he had gained, and of the peace and security he had given to the country; and now it unfortunately turns out
- ↑ Agdaness, the south point of the mouth of Drontheim fiord.
