o go to Iceland, as before
related. He remained there (A.D. 1027) with King Olaf, but was ill
pleased that he was not free to travel where he pleased. Early in
winter, King Olaf, when he was in Nidaros, made it known that he would
send people to Jamtaland to collect the scat; but nobody had any great
desire to go on this business, after the fate of those whom King Olaf
had sent before, namely, Thrand White and others, twelve in number, who
lost their lives, as before related; and the Jamtalanders had ever
since been subject to the Swedish king. Thorod Snorrason now offered
to undertake this journey, for he cared little what became of him if he
could but become his own master again. The king consented, and Thorod
set out with eleven men in company. They came east to Jamtaland, and
went to a man called Thorar, who was lagman, and a person in high
estimation. They met with a hospitable reception; and when they had been
there a while, they explained their business to Thorar. He replied, that
other men and chiefs of the country had in all respects as much power
and right to give an answer as he had, and for that purpose he would
call together a Thing. It was so done; the message-token was sent
out, and a numerous Thing assembled. Thorar went to the Thing, but the
messengers in the meantime remained at home. At the Thing, Thorar laid
the business before the people, but all were unanimous that no scat
should be paid to the king of Norway; and some were for hanging the
messengers, others for sacrificing them to the gods. At last it was
resolved to hold them fast until the king of Sweden's sheriffs arrived,
and they could treat them as they pleased with consent of the people;
and that, in the meantime, this decision should be concealed, and the
messengers treated well, and detained under pretext that they must wait
until the scat is collected; and that they should be separated, and
placed two and two, as if for the convenience of boarding them. Thorod
and another remained in Thorar's house. There was a great Yule feast and
ale-drinking, to which each brought his own liquor; for there were many
peasants in the village, who all drank in company together at Yule.
There was another village not far distant, where Thorar's brother-in-law
dwelt, who was a rich and powerful man, and had a grown-up son. The
brothers-in-law intended to pass the Yule in drinking feasts, half of it
at the house of the one and half with the other; and the feas