While Hakon Athelstan's foster-son was over Norway there was peace, and merchant traffic from Throndhjem to Jamtaland; and, as he was an excellent king, the Jamtalanders came from the east to him, paid him scat, and he gave them laws and administered justice.They would rather submit to his government than to the Swedish king's, because they were of Norwegian race; and all the Helsingjaland people, who had their descent from the north side of the mountain ridge, did the same.This continued long after those times, until Olaf the Thick and the Swedish king Olaf quarrelled about the boundaries.Then the Jamtaland and Helsingjaland people went back to the Swedish king; and then the forest of Eid was the eastern boundary of the 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 Ieven 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 returned home.
One night Stein left the city, and his footboy with him.They went up Gaularas and into Orkadal.One evening they came to one of the king's farms which Thorgeir had the management of, and Thorgeir invited Stein to pass the night there, and asked where he was travelling to.Stein begged the loan of a horse and sledge, for he saw they were just driving home corn.
Thorgeir replies, "I do not exactly see how it stands with thy journey, and if thou art travelling with the king's leave.The other day, methinks, the words were not very sweet that passed between the king and thee."Stein said, "If it be so that I am not my own master for the king, yet I will not submit to such treatment from his slaves;"and, drawing his sword, he killed the landbailiff.Then he took the horse, put the boy upon him, and sat himself in the sledge, and so drove the whole night.They travelled until they came to Surnadal in More.There they had themselves ferried across the fjord, and proceeded onwards as fast as they could.They told nobody about the murder, but wherever they came called themselves king's men, and met good entertainment everywhere.One day at last they came towards evening to Giske Isle, to Thorberg Arnason's house.He was not at home himself, but his wife Ragnhild, a daughter of Erling Skjalgson, was.There Stein was well received, because formerly there had been great friendship between them.It had once happened, namely, that Stein, on his voyage from Iceland with his own vessel, had come to Giske from sea, and had anchored at the island.At that time Ragnhild was in the pains of childbirth, and very ill, and there was no priest on the island, or in the neighbourhood of it.There came a message to the merchant-vessel to inquire if, by chance, there was a priest on board.There happened to be a priest in the vessel, who was called Bard; but he was a young man from Westfjord, who had little learning.The messengers begged the priest to go with them, but he thought it was a difficult matter:
for he knew his own ignorance, and would not go.Stein added his word to persuade the priest.The priest replies, "I will go if thou wilt go with me; for then I will have confidence, if Ishould require advice." Stein said he was willing; and they went forthwith to the house, and to where Ragnhild was in labour.