Thorod Snorrason had remained in Norway, according to King Olaf's commands, when Geller Thorkelson got leave to go to Iceland, as before related.He remained there (A.D.1027) with King Olaf, but was ill pleased that he was not free to travel where he pleased.Early in winter, King Olaf, when he was in Nidaros, made it known that he would send people to Jamtaland to collect the scat; but nobody had any great desire to go on this business, after the fate of those whom King Olaf had sent before, namely, Thrand White and others, twelve in number, who lost their lives, as before related; and the Jamtalanders had ever since been subject to the Swedish king.Thorod Snorrason now offered to undertake this journey, for he cared little what became of him if he could but become his own master again.The king consented, and Thorod set out with eleven men in company.They came east to Jamtaland, and went to a man called Thorar, who was lagman, and a person in high estimation.They met with a hospitable reception;and when they had been there a while, they explained their business to Thorar.He replied, that other men and chiefs of the country had in all respects as much power and right to give an answer as he had, and for that purpose he would call together a Thing.It was so done; the message-token was sent out, and a numerous Thing assembled.Thorar went to the Thing, but the messengers in the meantime remained at home.At the Thing, Thorar laid the business before the people, but all were unanimous that no scat should be paid to the king of Norway; and some were for hanging the messengers, others for sacrificing them to the gods.At last it was resolved to hold them fast until the king of Sweden's sheriffs arrived, and they could treat them as they pleased with consent of the people; and that, in the meantime, this decision should be concealed, and the messengers treated well, and detained under pretext that they must wait until the scat is collected; and that they should be separated, and placed two and two, as if for the convenience of boarding them.Thorod and another remained in Thorar's house.There was a great Yule feast and ale-drinking, to which each brought his own liquor; for there were many peasants in the village, who all drank in company together at Yule.There was another village not far distant, where Thorar's brother-in-law dwelt, who was a rich and powerful man, and had a grown-up son.The brothers-in-law intended to pass the Yule in drinking feasts, half of it at the house of the one and half with the other; and the feast began at Thorar's house.The brothers-in-law drank together, and Thorod and the sons of the peasants by themselves; and it was a drinking match.In the evening words arose, and comparisons between the men of Sweden and of Norway, and then between their kings both of former times and at the present, and of the manslaughters and robberies that had taken place between the countries.Then said the peasants sons, "If our king has lost most people, his sheriffs will make it even with the lives of twelve men when they come from the south after Yule; and ye little know, ye silly fools, why ye are kept here." Thorod took notice of these words, and many made jest about it, and scoffed at them and their king.
When the ale began to talk out of the hearts of the Jamtalanders, what Thorod had before long suspected became evident.The day after Thorod and his comrade took all their clothes and weapons, and laid them ready; and at night, when the people were all asleep, they fled to the forest.The next morning, when the Jamtalanders were aware of their flight, men set out after them with dogs to trace them, and found them in a wood in which they had concealed themselves.They brought them home to a room in which there was a deep cellar, into which they were thrown, and the door locked upon them.They had little meat, and only the clothes they had on them.In the middle of Yule, Thorar, with all his freeborn men, went to his brother's-in-law, where he was to be a guest until the last of Yule.Thorar's slaves were to keep guard upon the cellar, and they were provided with plenty of liquor; but as they observed no moderation in drinking, they became towards evening confused in the head with the ale.As they were quite drunk, those who had to bring meat to the prisoners in the cellar said among themselves that they should want for nothing.Thorod amused the slaves by singing to them.
They said he was a clever man, and gave him a large candle that was lighted; and the slaves who were in went to call the others to come in; but they were all so confused with the ale, that in going out they neither locked the cellar nor the room after them.
