as　to　sprinkling　with　horse…blood；　drinking　Yule…beer；　eating　horse…flesh；　and　the　other　distressing　rites；　the　whole　of　which　Hakon　abhorred；　and　with　all　his　steadfastness　strove　to　reject　utterly。　Sigurd；　Jarl　of　Lade　（Trondhjem）；　a　liberal　heathen；　not　openly　a　Christian；　was　ever　a　wise　counsellor　and　conciliator　in　such　affairs；　and　proved　of　great　help　to　Hakon。　　Once；　for　example；　there　having　risen　at　a　Yule…feast；　loud；　almost　stormful　demand　that　Hakon；　like　a　true　man　and　brother；　should　drink　Yule…beer　with　them　in　their　sacred　hightide；　Sigurd　persuaded　him　to　comply；　for　peace's　sake；　at　least；　in　form。　　Hakon　took　the　cup　in　his　left　hand　（excellent　hot　_beer_）；　and　with　his　right　cut　the　sign　of　the　cross　above　it；　then　drank　a　draught。　　〃Yes；　but　what　is　this　with　the　king's　right　hand？〃　cried　the　company。　　〃Don't　you　see？〃　answered　shifty　Sigurd；　〃he　makes　the　sign　of　Thor's　hammer　before　drinking！〃　which　quenched　the　matter　for　the　time。
  Horse…flesh；　horse…broth；　and　the　horse　ingredient　generally；　Hakon　all　but　inexorably　declined。　　By　Sigurd's　pressing　exhortation　and　entreaty；　he　did　once　take　a　kettle　of　horsebroth　by　the　handle；　with　a　good　deal　of　linen…quilt　or　towel　interposed；　and　did　open　his　lips　for　what　of　steam　could　insinuate　itself。　　At　another　time　he　consented　to　a　particle　of　horse…liver；　intending　privately；　I　guess；　to　keep　it　outside　the　gullet；　and　smuggle　it　away　without　swallowing；　but　farther　than　this　not　even　Sigurd　could　persuade　him　to　go。　　At　the　Things　held　in　regard　to　this　matter　Hakon's　success　was　always　incomplete；　now　and　then　it　was　plain　failure；　and　Hakon　had　to　draw　back　till　a　better　time。　　Here　is　one　specimen　of　the　response　he　got　on　such　an　occasion；　curious　specimen；　withal；　of　antique　parliamentary　eloquence　from　an　Anti…Christian　Thing。
  At　a　Thing　of　all　the　Fylkes　of　Trondhjem；　Thing　held　at　Froste　in　that　region；　King　Hakon；　with　all　the　eloquence　he　had；　signified　that　it　was　imperatively　necessary　that　all　Bonders　and　sub…Bonders　should　become　Christians；　and　believe　in　one　God；　Christ　the　Son　of　Mary；　renouncing　entirely　blood　sacrifices　and　heathen　idols；　should　keep　every　seventh　day　holy；　abstain　from　labor　that　day；　and　even　from　food；　devoting　the　day　to　fasting　and　sacred　meditation。　　Whereupon；　by　way　of　universal　answer；　arose　a　confused　universal　murmur　of　entire　dissent。　　〃Take　away　from　us　our　old　belief；　and　also　our　time　for　labor！〃　murmured　they　in　angry　astonishment；　〃how　can　even　the　land　be　got　tilled　in　that　way？〃　　〃We　cannot　work　if　we　don't　get　food；〃　said　the　hand　laborers　and　slaves。　　〃It　lies　in　King　Hakon's　blood；〃　remarked　others；　〃his　father　and　all　his　kindred　were　apt　to　be　stingy　about　food；　though　liberal　enough　with　money。〃　　At　length；　one　Osbjorn　（or　Bear　of　the　Asen　or　Gods；　what　we　now　call　Osborne）；　one　Osbjorn　of　Medalhusin　Gulathal；　stept　forward；　and　said；　in　a　distinct　manner；　〃We　Bonders　（peasant　proprietors）thought；　King　Hakon；　when　thou　heldest　thy　first　Thing…day　here　in　Trondhjem；　and　we　took　thee　for　our　king；　and　received　our　hereditary　lands　from　thee　again　that　we　had　got　heaven　itself。　　But　now　we　know　not　how　it　is；　whether　we　have　won　freedom；　or　whether　thou　intendest　anew　to　make　us　slaves；　with　this　wonderful　proposal　that　we　should　renounce　our　faith；　which　our　fathers　before　us　have　held；　and　all　our　ancestors　as　well；　first　in　the　age　of　burial　by　burning；　and　now　in　that　of　earth　burial；　and　yet　these　departed　ones　were　much　our　superiors；　and　their　faith；　too；　has　brought　prosperity　to　us。　　Thee；　at　the　same　time；　we　have　loved　so　much　that　we　raised　thee　to　manage　all　the　laws　of　the　land；　and　speak　as　their　voice　to　us　all。　　And　even　now　it　is　our　will　and　the　vote　of　all　Bonders　to　keep　that　paction　which　thou　gavest　us　here　on　the　Thing　at　Froste；　and　to　maintain　thee　as　king　so　long　as　any　of　us　Bonders　who　are　here　upon　the　Thing　has　life　left；　provided　thou；　king；　wilt　go　fairly　to　work；　and　demand　of　us　only　such　things　as　are　not　impossible。　　But　if　thou　wilt　fix　upon　this　thing　with　so　great　obstinacy；　and　employ　force　and　power；　in　that　case；　we　Bonders　have　taken　the　resolution；　all　of　us；　to　fall　away　from　thee；　and　to　take　for　ourselves　another　head；　who　will　so　behave　that　we　may　enjoy　in　freedom　the　belief　which　is　agreeable　to　us。　　Now　shalt　thou；　king；　choose　one　of　these　two　courses　before　the　Thing　disperse。〃　〃Whereupon；〃　adds　the　Chronicle；　〃all　the　Bonders　raised　a　mighty　shout；　'Yes；　we　will　have　it　so；　as　has　been　said。'〃　So　that　Jarl　Sigurd　had　to　intervene；　and　King　Hakon　to　choose　for　the　moment　the　milder　branch　of　the　alternative。＇4＇　　At　other　Things　Hakon　was　more　or　less　successful。　　All　his　days；　by　such　methods　as　there　were；　he　kept　pressing　forward　with　this　great　enterprise；　and　on　the　whole　did　thoroughly　shake　asunder　the　old　edifice　of　heathendom；　and　fairly　introduce　some　foundation　for　the　new　and　better　rule　of　faith　and　life　among　his　people。　　Sigurd；　Jarl　of　Lade；　his　wise　counsellor　in　all　these　matters；　is　also　a　man　worthy　of　notice。
  Hakon's　arrangements　against　the　continual　invasions　of　Eric's　sons；　with　Danish　Blue…tooth　backing　them；　were　manifold；　and　for　a　long　time　successful。　　He　appointed；　after　consultation　and　consent　in　the　various　Things；　so　many　war…ships；　fully　manned　and　ready；　to　be　furnished　instantly　on　the　King's　demand　by　each　province　or　fjord；　watch…fires；　on　fit　places；　from　hill　to　hill　all　along　the　coast；　were　to　be　carefully　set　up；　carefully　maintained　in　readiness；　and　kindled　on　any　alarm　of　war。　　By　such　methods　Blue…tooth　and　Co。's　invasions　were　for　a　long　while　triumphantly；　and　even　rapidly；　one　and　all　of　them；　beaten　back；　till　at　length　they　seemed　as　if　intending　to　cease　altogether；　and　leave　Hakon　alone　of　them。　　But　such　was　not　their　issue　after　all。　　The　sons　of　Eric　had　only　abated　under　constant　discouragement；　had　not　finally　left　off　from　what　seemed　their　one　great　feasibility　in　life。　　Gunhild；　their　mother；　was　still　with　them：　　a　most　contriving；　fierce…minded；　irreconcilable　woman；　diligent　and　urgent　on　them；　in　season　and　out　of　season；　and　as　for　King　Blue…tooth；　he　was　at　all　times　ready　to　help；　with　his　good…will　at　least。
  That　of　the　alarm…fires　on　Hakon's　part　was　found　troublesome　by　his　people；　sometimes　it　was　even　hurtful　and　provoking　（lighting　your　alarm…fires　and　rousing　the　whole　coast　and　population；　when　it　was　nothing　but　some　paltry　viking　with　a　couple　of　ships）；　in　short；　the　alarm…signal　system　fell　into　disuse；　and　good　King　Hakon　himself；　in　the　first　place；　paid　the　penalty。　　It　is　counted；　by　the　latest　commentators；　to　have　been　about　A。D。　961；　sixteenth　or　seventeenth　year　of　Hakon's　pious；　valiant；　and　worthy　reign。　　Being　at　a　feast　one　day；　with　many　guests；　on　the　Island　of　Stord；　sudden　announcement　came　to　him　that　ships　from　the　south　were　approaching　in　quantity；　and　evidently　ships　of　war。　　This　was　the　biggest　of　all　the　Blue…tooth　foster…son　invasions；　and　it　was　fatal　to　Hakon　the　Good　that　night。　　Eyvind　the　Skaldaspillir　（annihilator　of　all　other　Skalds）；　in　his　famed　_Hakon's　Song_；　gives　account；　and；　still　more　pertinently；　the　always　practical　Snorro。　　Danes　in　great　multitude；　six　to　one；　as　people　afterwards　computed；　springing　swiftly　to　land；　and　ranking　themselves；　Hakon；　nevertheless；　at　once　deciding　not　to　take　to　his　ships　and　run；　but　to　fight　there；　one　to　six；　fighting；　accordingly；　in　his　most　splendid　manner；　and　at　last　gloriously　prevailing；　routing　and　scattering　back　to　their　ships　and　flight　homeward　these　six…to…one　Danes。　　〃During　the　struggle　of　the　fight；〃　says　Snorro；　〃he　was　very　conspicuous　among　other　men；　and　while　the　sun　shone；　his　bright　gilded　helmet　glanced；　and　thereby　many　weapons　were　directed　at　him。　　One　of　his　henchmen；　Eyvind　Finnson　（_i。e。_　Skaldaspillir；　the　poet）；　took　a　hat；　and　put　it　over　the　king's　helmet。　　Now；　among　the　hostile　first　leaders　were　two　uncles　of　the　Ericsons；　brothers　of　Gunhild；　great　champions　both；　Skreya；　the　elder　of　them；　on　the　disappearance　of　the　glittering　helmet；　shouted　boastfully；　'Does　the　king　of　the　Norsemen　hide　himself；　then；　or　has　he　fled？　　Where　now　is　the　golden　helmet？'　　And　so　saying；　Skreya；　and　his　brother　Alf　with　him；　pushed　on　like　fools　or　madmen。　　The　king　said；　'Come　on　in　that　way；　and　you　shall　find　the　king　of　the　Norsemen。'〃　　And　in　a　short　space　of　time　braggart　Skreya　did　come　up；　swinging　his　sword；　and　made　a　cut　at　the　king；　but　Thoralf　the　Strong；　an　Icelander；　who　fought　at　the　king's　side；　dashed　his　shield　so　hard　against　Skreya；　that　he　tottered　with　the　shock。　　On　the　same　instant　the　king　takes　his　sword　〃quernbiter〃　（able　to　cut　_querns_　or　millstones）　with　both　hands；　and　hews　Skreya　through　helm　and　head；　cleaving　him　down　to　the　shoulders。　　Thoralf　also　slew　Alf。　　That　was　what　they　got　by　such　over…hasty　search　for　the　king　of　the　Norsemen。＇5＇
  Snorro　considers　the　fall　of　these　two　champion　uncles　as　the　crisis　of　the　fight；　the　Danish　force　being　much　disheartened　by　such　a　sight；　and　King　Hakon　now　pressing　on　so　hard　that　all　men　gave　way　before　him；　the　battle　on　the　Ericson　part　became　a　whirl　of　recoil；　and　in　a　few　minutes　m