; adding, that he believed it to be God's
will and providence that it should be so. Now when they found he was
determined on travelling to Norway, they offered him all the assistance
to his journey that he would accept from them. The king thanked them
in many fine words for their good will; and said that he accepted
from them, with no ordinary pleasure, what might be necessary for his
undertaking.

203. OF KING OLAF'S JOURNEY FROM RUSSIA.

Immediately after Yule (A.D. 1080), King Olaf made himself ready; and
had about 200 of his men with him. King Jarisleif gave him all the
horses, and whatever else he required; and when he was ready he set off.
King Jarisleif and Queen Ingegerd parted from him with all honour;
and he left his son Magnus behind with the king. The first part of his
journey, down to the sea-coast, King Olaf and his men made on the
ice; but as spring approached, and the ice broke up, they rigged their
vessels, and when they were ready and got a wind they set out to sea,
and had a good voyage. When Olaf came to the island of Gotland with
his ships he heard the news--which was told as truth, both in Svithjod,
Denmark, and over all Norway--that Earl Hakon was missing, and Norway
without a head. This gave the king and his men good hope of the issue
of their journey. From thence they sailed, when the wind suited, to
Svithjod, and went into the Maelar lake, to Aros, and sent men to
the Swedish King Onund appointing a meeting. King Onund received
his brother-in-law's message in the kindest manner, and went to him
according to his invitation. Astrid also came to King Olaf, with the
men who had attended her; and great was the joy on all sides at this
meeting. The Swedish king also received his brother-in-law King Olaf
with great joy when they met.

204. OF THE LENDERMEN IN NORWAY.

Now we must relate what, in the meantime, was going on in Norway. Thorer
Hund, in these two winters (A.D. 1029-1030), had made a Lapland journey,
and each winter had been a long time on the mountains, and had gathered
to himself great wealth by trading in various wares with the Laplanders.
He had twelve large coats of reindeer-skin made for him, with so much
Lapland witchcraft that no weapon could cut or pierce them any more than
if they were armour of ring-mail, nor so much. The spring thereafter
Thorer rigged a long-ship which belonged to him, and manned it with his
house-servants. He summoned the bondes, demanded a lev