KINGS OF NORWAY. 79 turn to the earl with letters* which the king's daugh- saga vh. ter Ingigerd sent to the earl and Ingeborg. Hialte also let them give a hint to the earl about the con- versation he had had with Ingigerd, and her answer thereto ; and the messengers came with it to the earl a little before Yule. When King Olaf had despatched Biorn and his Chapter followers to Gotland, he sent other people also to the oiafs jour- Uplands, with the errand that they should have ^ y ia nt JJ e guest-quarters prepared for him, as he intended that winter to live as guest in the Uplands ; for it had been the custom of former kings to make a progress in guest-quarters every third year in the Uplands. In autumn he began his progress from Sarpsborg, and went first to Vingulmark. He ordered his pro- gress so that he came first to lodge in the neigbour- hood of the forest habitations, and summoned to him all the men of the habitations who dwelt at the greatest distance from the head-habitations of the dis- trict ; and he inquired particularly how it stood with their Christianity, and, where improvement was need- ful, he taught them the right customs. If any there were who would not renounce heathen ways, he took the matter so zealously that he drove some out of the country, mutilated others of hands or feet, or stung their eyes out; hung up some, cut down some with the sword; but let none go unpunished who would not serve God. He went thus through the whole district, sparing neither great nor small. He gave them teachers, and placed these as thickly in the country as he saw needful. In this manner he went about in that district, and had 300 deadly men-at- arms with him ; and then proceeded to Raumarige. He soon perceived that Christianity was thriving less
- This seems the first notice we have in the sagas of written letters
being sent instead of tokens and verbal messages.
