第186章

(1) This may probably have referred not to witnesses of an act, but to the class of witnesses in the jurisprudence of the Middle Ages called compurgators, who testified not the fact, but their confidence in the statements of the accused; and from which, possibly, our English bail for offenders arose.

-- L.

254.OF KING OLAF'S SANCTITY.

This winter (A.D.1031) many in the Throndhjem land began to declare that Olaf was in reality a holy man, and his sanctity was confirmed by many miracles.Many began to make promises and prayers to King Olaf in the matters in which they thought they required help, and many found great benefit from these invocations.Some in respect of health, others of a journey, or other circumstances in which such help seemed needful.

255.OF EINAR TAMBASKELFER.

Einar Tambaskelfer was come home from England to his farm, and had the fiefs which King Canute had given him when they met in Throndhjem, and which were almost an earldom.Einar had not been in the strife against King Olaf, and congratulated himself upon it.He remembered that King Canute had promised him the earldom over Norway, and at the same time remembered that King Canute had not kept his promise.He was accordingly the first great person who looked upon King Olaf as a saint.

256.OF THE SONS OF ARNE.

Fin Arnason remained but a short time at Eggja with his brother Kalf; for he was in the highest degree ill-pleased that Kalf had been in the battle against King Olaf, and always made his brother the bitterest reproaches on this account.Thorberg Arnason was much more temperate in his discourse than Fin; but yet he hastened away, and went home to his farm.Kalf gave the two brothers a good long-ship, with full rigging and other necessaries, and a good retinue.Therefore they went home to their farms, and sat quietly at home.Arne Arnason lay long ill of his wounds, but got well at last without injury of any limb, and in winter he proceeded south to his farm.All the brothers made their peace with King Svein, and sat themselves quietly down in their homes.

257.BISHOP SIGURD'S FLIGHT.

The summer after (A.D.1031) there was much talk about King Olaf's sanctity, and there was a great alteration in the expressions of all people concerning him.There were many who now believed that King Olaf must be a saint, even among those who had persecuted him with the greatest animosity, and would never in their conversation allow truth or justice in his favour.

People began then to turn their reproaches against the men who had principally excited opposition to the king; and on this account Bishop Sigurd in particular was accused.He got so many enemies, that he found it most advisable to go over to England to King Canute.Then the Throndhjem people sent men with a verbal message to the Uplands, to Bishop Grimkel, desiring him to come north to Throndhjem.King Olaf had sent Bishop Grimkel back to Norway when he went east into Russia, and since that time Grimkel had been in the Uplands.When the message came to the bishop he made ready to go, and it contributed much to this journey that the bishop considered it as true what was told of King Olaf's miracles and sanctity.

258.KING OLAF THE SAINT'S REMAINS DISINTERRED.

Bishop Grimkel went to Einar Tambaskelfer, who received him joyfully.They talked over many things, and, among others, of the important events which had taken place in the country; and concerning these they were perfectly agreed.Then the bishop proceeded to the town (Nidaros), and was well received by all the community.He inquired particularly concerning the miracles of King Olaf that were reported, and received satisfactory accounts of them.Thereupon the bishop sent a verbal message to Stiklestad to Thorgils and his son Grim, inviting them to come to the town to him.They did not decline the invitation, but set out on the road immediately, and came to the town and to the bishop.They related to him all the signs that had presented themselves to them, and also where they had deposited the king"s body.The bishop sent a message to Einar Tambaskelfer, who came to the town.Then the bishop and Einar had an audience of the king and Alfifa, in which they asked the king's leave to have King Olaf's body taken up out of the earth.The king gave his permission, and told the bishop to do as he pleased in the matter.At that time there were a great many people in the town.

The bishop, Einar, and some men with them, went to the place where the king's body was buried, and had the place dug; but the coffin had already raised itself almost to the surface of the earth.It was then the opinion of many that the bishop should proceed to have the king buried in the earth at Clement's church;and it was so done.Twelve months and five days (Aug.3, A.D.