Gudrun lie in the same
bed with King Olaf.

|| That same autumn King Olaf caused a great long-ship to be built on the
sands at the mouth of the Nid; a cutter was she, and at work on the
building thereof were many smiths.

At the beginning of winter she was completed, and there were in her
thirty holds, & the prow and stern were lofty withal, yet was she not
broad of beam. That ship called he the 'Crane.'

[Illustration]

|| Now when King Olaf had been two winters in Norway there came to dwell
with him a Saxon priest whose name was Thangbrand; violent was he &
murderous, but a goodly clerk withal and an active man. So headstrong
was he, howsoever, that the King would not keep him with him, but sent
him to Iceland to make that country Christian.

Thangbrand was given a merchant ship, & of his voyage it may be related
that he fared to Iceland, and reached the eastern fjords in southern
Alptafjord, & the winter thereafter abode with Hall at Sida. Thangbrand
preached Christianity in the islands and Hall and his folk and many
other chiefs let themselves be baptized according to his word; but there
were many others who spake against the new faith. Thorvald and Vetrlidi
the skald made lampoons about Thangbrand, but he slew them both.
Thangbrand abode three winters in Iceland, and was the slayer of three
men or ever he departed thence.

|| A certain man was there named Sigurd & another who was called Hawk;
they were Halogalanders, and oft-times made voyages for the conveyance
of merchandise.

One summer fared they to England. When they were returned to Norway
sailed they northward along the coast, & in North More fell in with the
fleet of King Olaf.

Now when the King was told that some heathen men, skippers, from
Halogaland were there, summoned he them to him & asked them if they
would allow themselves to be baptized, and thereto answered they nay.
Thereafter did the King talk to them after diverse fashions, but it
availed nothing; then he vowed that death or maiming should be their
lot, but they obeyed him none the more for that. Then did he cause them
to be put in irons, and kept them in durance for a while, and in fetters
were they, and the King talked often with them, but naught prevailed.

Then one night made they off, and no one knew anything about them, or in
what manner they had gotten away; but in the autumn were they arrived
north, at Harek of Tiotta's, and right welcome were they made.

There dw