his　people　there。　　For　this　was　a　serious；　vital；　all…comprehending　matter；　devil…worship；　a　thing　not　to　be　tolerated　one　moment　longer　than　you　could　by　any　method　help！　　Olaf's　success　was　intermittent；　of　varying　complexion；　but　his　effort；　swift　or　slow；　was　strong　and　continual；　and　on　the　whole　he　did　succeed。　　Take　a　sample　or　two　of　that　wonderful　conversion　process：
  At　one　of　his　first　Things　he　found　the　Bonders　all　assembled　in　arms；　resolute　to　the　death　seemingly；　against　his　proposal　and　him。　Tryggveson　said　little；　waited　impassive；　〃What　your　reasons　are；　good　men？〃　　One　zealous　Bonder　started　up　in　passionate　parliamentary　eloquence；　but　after　a　sentence　or　two；　broke　down；　one；　and　then　another；　and　still　another；　and　remained　all　three　staring　in　open…mouthed　silence　there！　　The　peasant…proprietors　accepted　the　phenomenon　as　ludicrous；　perhaps　partly　as　miraculous　withal；　and　consented　to　baptism　this　time。
  On　another　occasion　of　a　Thing；　which　had　assembled　near　some　heathen　temple　to　meet　him；temple　where　Hakon　Jarl　had　done　much　repairing；　and　set　up　many　idol　figures　and　sumptuous　ornaments；　regardless　of　expense；　especially　a　very　big　and　splendid　Thor；　with　massive　gold　collar　round　the　neck　of　him；　not　the　like　of　it　in　Norway；King　Olaf　Tryggveson　was　clamorously　invited　by　the　Bonders　to　step　in　there；　enlighten　his　eyes；　and　partake　of　the　sacred　rites。　　Instead　of　which　he　rushed　into　the　temple　with　his　armed　men；　smashed　down；　with　his　own　battle…axe；　the　god　Thor；　prostrate　on　the　ground　at　one　stroke；　to　set　an　example；　and；　in　a　few　minutes；　had　the　whole　Hakon　Pantheon　wrecked；　packing　up　meanwhile　all　the　gold　and　preciosities　accumulated　there　（not　forgetting　Thor's　illustrious　gold　collar；　of　which　we　shall　hear　again）；　and　victoriously　took　the　plunder　home　with　him　for　his　own　royal　uses　and　behoof　of　the　state。　In　other　cases；　though　a　friend　to　strong　measures；　he　had　to　hold　in；　and　await　the　favorable　moment。　　Thus　once；　in　beginning　a　parliamentary　address；　so　soon　as　he　came　to　touch　upon　Christianity；　the　Bonders　rose　in　murmurs；　in　vociferations　and　jingling　of　arms；　which　quite　drowned　the　royal　voice；　declared；　they　had　taken　arms　against　king　Hakon　the　Good　to　compel　him　to　desist　from　his　Christian　proposals；　and　they　did　not　think　King　Olaf　a　higher　man　than　him　（Hakon　the　Good）。　　The　king　then　said；　〃He　purposed　coming　to　them　next　Yule　to　their　great　sacrificial　feast；　to　see　for　himself　what　their　customs　were；〃　which　pacified　the　Bonders　for　this　time。　　The　appointed　place　of　meeting　was　again　a　Hakon…Jarl　Temple；　not　yet　done　to　ruin；　chief　shrine　in　those　Trondhjem　parts；　I　believe　：　there　should　Tryggveson　appear　at　Yule。　　Well；　but　before　Yule　came；　Tryggveson　made　a　great　banquet　in　his　palace　at　Trondhjem；　and　invited　far　and　wide；　all　manner　of　important　persons　out　of　the　district　as　guests　there。　　Banquet　hardly　done；　Tryggveson　gave　some　slight　signal；　upon　which　armed　men　strode　in；　seized　eleven　of　these　principal　persons；　and　the　king　said：　　〃Since　he　himself　was　to　become　a　heathen　again；　and　do　sacrifice；　it　was　his　purpose　to　do　it　in　the　highest　form；　namely；　that　of　Human　Sacrifice；　and　this　time　not　of　slaves　and　malefactors；　but　of　the　best　men　in　the　country！〃　　In　which　stringent　circumstances　the　eleven　seized　persons；　and　company　at　large；　gave　unanimous　consent　to　baptism；　straightway　received　the　same；　and　abjured　their　idols；　but　were　not　permitted　to　go　home　till　they　had　left；　in　sons；　brothers；　and　other　precious　relatives；　sufficient　hostages　in　the　king's　hands。
  By　unwearied　industry　of　this　and　better　kinds；　Tryggveson　had　trampled　down　idolatry；　so　far　as　form　went；how　far　in　substance　may　be　greatly　doubted。　　But　it　is　to　be　remembered　withal；　that　always　on　the　back　of　these　compulsory　adventures　there　followed　English　bishops；　priests　and　preachers；　whereby　to　the　open…minded；　conviction；　to　all　degrees　of　it；　was　attainable；　while　silence　and　passivity　became　the　duty　or　necessity　of　the　unconvinced　party。
  In　about　two　years　Norway　was　all　gone　over　with　a　rough　harrow　of　conversion。　　Heathenism　at　least　constrained　to　be　silent　and　outwardly　conformable。　　Tryggveson；　next　turned　his　attention　to　Iceland；　sent　one　Thangbrand；　priest　from　Saxony；　of　wonderful　qualities；　military　as　well　as　theological；　to　try　and　convert　Iceland。　　Thangbrand　made　a　few　converts；　for　Olaf　had　already　many　estimable　Iceland　friends；　whom　he　liked　much；　and　was　much　liked　by；　and　conversion　was　the　ready　road　to　his　favor。　　Thangbrand；　I　find；　lodged　with　Hall　of　Sida　（familiar　acquaintance　of　〃Burnt　Njal；〃　whose　Saga　has　its　admirers　among　us　even　now）。　　Thangbrand　converted　Hall　and　one　or　two　other　leading　men；；　but　in　general　he　was　reckoned　quarrelsome　and　blusterous　rather　than　eloquent　and　piously　convincing。　　Two　skalds　of　repute　made　biting　lampoons　upon　Thangbrand；　whom　Thangbrand；　by　two　opportunities　that　offered；　cut　down　and　did　to　death　because　of　their　skaldic　quality。　　Another　he　killed　with　his　own　hand；　I　know　not　for　what　reason。　　In　brief；　after　about　a　year；　Thangbrand　returned　to　Norway　and　king　Olaf；　declaring　the　Icelanders　to　be　a　perverse；　satirical；　and　inconvertible　people；　having　himself；　the　record　says；　〃been　the　death　of　three　men　there。〃　King　Olaf　was　in　high　rage　at　this　result；　but　was　persuaded　by　the　Icelanders　about　him　to　try　farther；　and　by　a　wilder　instrument。　　He　accordingly　chose　one　Thormod；　a　pious；　patient；　and　kindly　man；　who；　within　the　next　year　or　so；　did　actually　accomplish　the　matter；　namely；　get　Christianity；　by　open　vote；　declared　at　Thingvalla　by　the　general　Thing　of　Iceland　there；　the　roar　of　a　big　thunder…clap　at　the　right　moment　rather　helping　the　conclusion；　if　I　recollect。　　Whereupon　Olaf's　joy　was　no　doubt　great。
  One　general　result　of　these　successful　operations　was　the　discontent；　to　all　manner　of　degrees；　on　the　part　of　many　Norse　individuals；　against　this　glorious　and　victorious；　but　peremptory　and　terrible　king　of　theirs。　　Tryggveson；　I　fancy；　did　not　much　regard　all　that；　a　man　of　joyful；　cheery　temper；　habitually　contemptuous　of　danger。　　Another　trivial　misfortune　that　befell　in　these　conversion　operations；　and　became　important　to　him；　he　did　not　even　know　of；　and　would　have　much　despised　if　he　had。　　It　was　this：　　Sigrid；　queen　dowager　of　Sweden；　thought　to　be　amongst　the　most　shining　women　of　the　world；　was　also　known　for　one　of　the　most　imperious；　revengeful；　and　relentless；　and　had　got　for　herself　the　name　of　Sigrid　the　Proud。　　In　her　high　widowhood　she　had　naturally　many　wooers；　but　treated　them　in　a　manner　unexampled。　　Two　of　her　suitors；　a　simultaneous　Two；　were；　King　Harald　Graenske　（a　cousin　of　King　Tryggveson's；　and　kind　of　king　in　some　district；　by　sufferance　of　the　late　Hakon's）；this　luckless　Graenske　and　the　then　Russian　Sovereign　as　well；　name　not　worth　mentioning；　were　zealous　suitors　of　Queen　Dowager　Sigrid；　and　were　perversely　slow　to　accept　the　negative；　which　in　her　heart　was　inexorable　for　both；　though　the　expression　of　it　could　not　be　quite　so　emphatic。　　By　ill…luck　for　them　they　came　once；from　the　far　West；　Graenske；　from　the　far　East；　the　Russian；and　arrived　both　together　at　Sigrid's　court；　to　prosecute　their　importunate；　and　to　her　odious　and　tiresome　suit；　much；　how　very　much；　to　her　impatience　and　disdain。　　She　lodged　them　both　in　some　old　mansion；　which　she　had　contiguous；　and　got　compendiously　furnished　for　them；　and　there；　I　know　not　whether　on　the　first　or　on　the　second；　or　on　what　following　night；　this　unparalleled　Queen　Sigrid　had　the　house　surrounded；　set　on　fire；　and　the　two　suitors　and　their　people　burnt　to　ashes！　　No　more　of　bother　from　these　two　at　least！　　This　appears　to　be　a　fact；　and　it　could　not　be　unknown　to　Tryggveson。
  In　spite　of　which；　however；　there　went　from　Tryggveson；　who　was　now　a　widower；　some　incipient　marriage　proposals　to　this　proud　widow；　by　whom　they　were　favorably　received；　as　from　the　brightest　man　in　all　the　world；　they　might　seem　worth　being。　　Now；　in　one　of　these　anti…heathen　onslaughts　of　King　Olaf's　on　the　idol　temples　of　Hakon（I　think　it　was　that　case　where　Olaf's　own　battle…axe　struck　down　the　monstrous　refulgent　Thor；　and　conquered　an　immense　gold　ring　from　the　neck　of　him；　or　from　the　door　of　his　temple）；a　huge　gold　ring；　at　any　rate；　had　come　into　Olaf's　hands；　and　this　he　bethought　him　might　be　a　pretty　present　to　Queen　Sigrid；　the　now　favorable；　though　the　proud。　　Sigrid　received　the　ring　with　joy；　fancied　what　a　collar　it　would　make　for　her　own　fair　neck；　but　noticed　that　her　two　goldsmiths；　weighing　it　on　their　fingers；　exchanged　a　glance。　　〃What　is　that？〃　exclaimed　Queen　Sigrid。　　〃Nothing；〃　answered　they；　or　endeavored　to　answer；　dreading　mischief。　　But　Sigrid　compelled　them　to　break　open　the　ring；　and　there　was　found；　all　along　the　inside　of　it；　an　occult　ring　of　copper；　not　a　heart　of　gold　at　all！　　〃Ha；〃　said　the　proud　Queen；　flinging　it　away；　〃he　that　could　deceive　in　this　matter　can　deceive　in　many　others！〃　　And　was　in　hot　wrath　with　Olaf；　though；　by　degrees；　again　she　took　milder　thoughts。
  Milder　thoughts；　we　say；　and　consented　to　a　meeting　next　autumn；　at　some　half…way　station；　where　their　great　busine