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