land, and the
mountain ridge, or keel of the country, the northern: and the Swedish
king took scat of Helsingjaland, and also of Jamtaland. Now, thought the
king of Norway, Olaf, in consequence of the agreement between him and
the Swedish king, the scat of Jamtaland should be paid differently than
before; although it had long been established that the Jamtaland people
paid their scat to the Swedish king, and that he appointed officers over
the country. The Swedes would listen to nothing, but that all the land
to the east of the keel of the country belonged to the Swedish king.
Now this went so, as it often happens, that although the kings were
brothers-in-law and relations, each would hold fast the dominions which
he thought he had a right to. King Olaf had sent a message round in
Jamtaland, declaring it to be his will that the Jamtaland people should
be subject to him, threatening them with violence if they refused; but
the Jamtaland people preferred being subjects of the Swedish king.

148. STEIN'S STORY.

The Icelanders, Thorod Snorrason and Stein Skaptason, were ill-pleased
at not being allowed to do as they liked. Stein was a remarkably
handsome man, dexterous at all feats, a great poet, splendid in his
apparel, and very ambitious of distinction. His father, Skapte, had
composed a poem on King Olaf, which he had taught Stein, with the
intention that he should bring it to King Olaf. Stein could not now
restrain himself from making the king reproaches in word and speech,
both in verse and prose. Both he and Thorod were imprudent in their
conversation, and said the king would be looked upon as a worse man than
those who, under faith and law, had sent their sons to him, as he now
treated them as men without liberty. The king was angry at this. One day
Stein stood before the king, and asked if he would listen to the poem
which his father Skapte had composed about him. The king replies, "Thou
must first repeat that, Stein, which thou hast composed about me." Stein
replies, that it was not the case that he had composed any. "I am no
skald, sire," said he; "and if I even could compose anything, it, and
all that concerns me, would appear to thee of little value." Stein then
went out, but thought he perceived what the king alluded to. Thorgeir,
one of the king's land-bailiffs, who managed one of his farms in
Orkadal, happened to be present, and heard the conversation of the king
and Stein, and soon afterwards Thorgeir