The Heimskringla on Dale-Gudbrand
Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > 118. The Story Of Dale-Gudbrand.
attestation: Dale-Gudbrand held king-like power in Gudbrandsdal but bore only the title of herse.
"There was a man called Dale-Gudbrand, who was like a king in the valley (Gudbrandsdal), but was only herse in title"
attestation: Dale-Gudbrand summoned all men in the valley to Hundthorp when he learned King Olaf had come to Lear forcing Christianity.
"when Gudbrand received the tidings that King Olaf was come to Lear, and obliged people to accept Christianity, he sent out a message-token, and summoned all the men in the valley to meet him at a farm called Hundthorp"
attestation: Gudbrand expressed confidence that if their god Thor was carried out of the temple, Olaf's god would melt away.
"if we carry Thor, who has always stood by us, out of our temple that is standing upon this farm, Olaf's god will melt away, and he and his men be made nothing so soon as Thor looks upon them"
attestation: The bondes chose 700 men to go northward to Breida to watch King Olaf's movements, led by Gudbrand's eighteen-year-old son.
"They chose out 700 men to go northwards to Breida, to watch his movements. The leader of this band was Gudbrand's son, eighteen years of age"
attestation: Gudbrand's son reported the defeat to his father, saying the army fled at the battle's start, and advised against fighting Olaf.
"they had fallen in with the king, and fought with him; but that their whole army, in the very beginning, took flight. "I was taken prisoner," said he, "but the king gave me my life and liberty, and told me to say to thee that he will soon be here. And now we have not 200 men of the force we raised against him; therefore I advise thee, father, not to give battle to that man.""
attestation: Gudbrand scorned his son's defeat, saying it would live long in people's memory as a disgrace.
"It is easy to see that all courage has left thee, and it was an unlucky hour ye went out to the field. Thy proceeding will live long in the remembrance of people"
attestation: Gudbrand dreamt of a man surrounded by light who warned him he and all his people would fall to Olaf, with wolves and ravens tearing them.
"Gudbrand dreamt that there came to him a man surrounded by light, who brought great terror with him, and said to him, "Thy son made no glorious expedition against King Olaf; but still less honour wilt thou gather for thyself by holding a battle with him. Thou with all thy people wilt fall; wolves will drag thee, and all thine, away; ravens wilt tear thee in stripes.""
attestation: Gudbrand and Thord agreed to hold a Thing with the king to hear his new teaching, and sent Gudbrand's son with twelve men to arrange a truce.
"they ordered the signal to sound for a Thing, and said that it appeared to them advisable to hold a Thing with the man who had come from the north with this new teaching, to know if there was any truth in it. Gudbrand then said to his son, "Go thou, and twelve men with thee, to the king who gave thee thy life.""
attestation: Gudbrand challenged Olaf by saying they knew nothing of his invisible God, and proposed a test: a cloudy day without rain the next day.
"We know nothing of him whom thou speakest about. Dost thou call him God, whom neither thou nor any one else can see? But we have a god who call be seen every day"
attestation: Gudbrand described their god as terrifying and grand, and challenged Olaf's God to control the weather.
"he will appear to thee terrible and very grand; and I expect that fear will mix with your very blood when he comes into the Thing. But since thou sayest thy God is so great, let him make it so that to-morrow we have a cloudy day but without rain"
Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > 119. Dale-Gudbrand Is Baptized.
attestation: Dale-Gudbrand taunted Olaf, saying their god looked upon him with an angry eye and held his fate in his hands.
"Where now, king, is thy god? I think he will now carry his head lower; and neither thou, nor the man with the horn whom ye call bishop, and sits there beside thee, are so bold to-day as on the former days; for now our god, who rules over all, is come, and looks on you with an angry eye"
attestation: Dale-Gudbrand conceded that since their god would not help them, they would believe in Olaf's God.
"Then Dale-Gudbrand stood up and said, "We have sustained great damage upon our god; but since he will not help us, we will believe in the God thou believest in.""