Part #2

Settlements of Steinolf, Slettu-Bjorn, Olaf Belg, and Gisl Skeid-neb.

Chapter XXI. Steinolf the Low, the son of 'hersir' Hrolf from Adgir, took land up from Clove-Stones to Grit-mead-Mull (Grjótvallar-múli), and abode at Steinolfs-Hill, in Fairdale; he walked inland up to the top of the mountain, and saw to the landward a broad dale all over grown with wood; a glen he found in the dale, and there he let rear a homestead, which he called Saurby (Sowerby), by reason of the much bogland that was there; the same name he gave to all the dale; now the spot is named Turfness, where the homestead was planted. Steinolf had for wife Erny, the daughter of Thidrandi; their son was Thorstein the Bonder, but their daughter Arndis the Wealthy, the mother of Thord, the father of Thorgerd, whom Odd had for wife; the son of these were Hrafn the Limerick-trader, who had for wife Vigdis, the daughter of Thorarin 'Fylsenni.' Their son was Smart, the father of Jodis, whom Eyolf, the son of Hallbjorn, had for wife; their daughter was Halla, whom Atli, the son of Tami, had for wife, and the daughter of these was Yngvild, whom Snorri, the son of Hunbogi, had for wife. Steinolf missed three swine, which two winters afterwards were found in Swinedale, there being then thirty swine. Steinolf also took to himself Steinolfs-dale in Crook-firth.
        'Sléttu'-Bjorn was the name of a man who had for wife Thurid, the daughter of Steinolf the Low; by the counsel of Steinolf he settled the western side of the valley of Saurby; he abode at 'Sléttu'-Bjorns-stead, up from Thwartfell; his own son was Thjodrek, who had for wife Arngerd, the daughter of Thorbjorn, the son of Shield-Bjorn; their sons were Fight-Sturla, who built the homestead of Stead-Knoll, and Knott, the father of Asgeir, and of Thorbjorn and of Thjodrek, by whom the 'burgh' (volcanic peak) on Kollfirth-heath is named. Thjodrek, son of 'Sléttu'-Bjorn, found the lands of Saurby too narrow, and therefore he betook himself to Icefirth. There is laid the Saga of Thorbjorn and Howard the Halt.
        Olaf 'Belg,' whom Orm the Slender drove away out of Olafs-wick, took for himself Belg-dale, and abode at Belg-stead, until Thjodrek, he and his, drove him away; then he settled land in from Gritmead-mull, and abode in Olafsdale; his son was Thorvald, who handselled to Ogmund, the son of 'Völu'-Stein, a lawsuit against Thorarin the Yelling for sheep-lifting; for that cause Thorarin slew Ogmund at the Codfirth-Thing.
        Gisl 'Skeid'-neb settled Gilsfirth, between Olafsdale and Crookfirth-mull, and lived at the Cliffs; his son was Hedin, the father of Haldor the godi, of Garps-dale, who was the father of Thorvald, of Garpsdale, who had Gudrnu, the daughter of Osvif, for wife.

Settlements of Thorarin Crook, Ketil Broad-sole and Ulf the Squinter. Ari is drifted over the ocean to Whiteman's land or Ireland the Great, conjectured to be South America.

Chapter XXII. Thorarin Crook settled Crooksfirth from Crookfirth-ness to Goatfell; he strove with Steinolf the Low about Steinolfs-dale, and rowed with nine men after him, when he went home from an outlying pasture-dairy with six men; they fought on the shingle shore by Fairdaleriver-mouth, and from a neighbouring house there came men to the holp of Steinolf; there Thorarin Crook fell together with four others, and on Steinolf's side there fell seven; their barrows are on the spot.
        Ketil Broad-sole settled Bearfirth; he was the son of Thorbjorn 'Talkni'; his daughter was Thorarna, whom Hergils 'Hnappraz,' the son of Thrand Spindle-shanks, had for wife; their son was named Ingjald, who was the father of Thorarin, who had for wife Thorgerd, the daughter of Glum, the son of Geiri; their son was 'Helgu'-Steinar. Thrand Spindle-shanks had for wife the daughter of Gils 'Skeid'-neb, and their daughter was Thorarna, whom Hrolf, the son of Helgi the Lean, had for wife. Thorbjorg 'Knarrarbingu' was another daughter of Gils 'Skeid'-neb; a son of his was Herfid, who dwelt at Crooksfirth.
        Ulf the Squinter, son of Hogni the White, took the whole of Reekness between Codfirth and Goatfell; he had for wife Bjorg, the daughter of Eyvind Eastman, and sister to Helgi the Lean; their son was Atli the Red, who had for wife Thorbjorg, the sister of Steinolf the Low; their son was Mar of (Reek-) Knolls, who had for wife Thorkatla, the daughter of Hergils 'Hnappraz'; their son was Ari, who was drifted over the ocean to Whitemans'-land, which some call Ireland the Great, (71) and lies west away in the ocean anigh to Vineland the Good; thither men hold that there is six days' sailing from Ireland due west. Ari could not get back from this country and there he was christened. This tale was first told by Hrafn the Limerick trader who had spent a long time in Limerick in Ireland. Thorkel, the son of Gellir said that Icelanders, who had heard Earl Thorfin of Orkney tell the tale, avowed that Ari had been recognised in Whitemans'-land, and that he had not been able to get away from there, and was held there in much honour. Ari had for wife Thorgerd, the daughter of Alf o' Dales, and their sons were Thorgils and Gudleif and Illugi; this is the race of the Reeknessings. Jorund was the name of a son of Ulf the Squinter, he had for wife Thorbjorg 'Knarrarbringa,' and their daughter was Thjodhild, whom Eirek the Red had for wife, and their son was Leif the Lucky of Greenland. A son of Atli the Red was named Jorund, he had for wife Thordis the daughter of Thorgeir 'Suða' (Seething? or Humming?) and their daughter was Otkatla, whom Thorgils, the son of Koll, had for wife. Jorund was also father to Snorri.

Hallstein settles Codfirth; makes High-seat posts from driftwood. Thorbjorn "Loki" settles Deepfirth to Steamfirth. Ketil "Gufa" comes from Viking raids in Ireland and settles Gufuscales and Gufuness. Flight and feuds of his thralls. "Burning in," by thralls at Lambistead. The burning in is avenged.

Chapter XXIII. Hallstein, the son of Thorolf Mostbeard settled Codfirth, and abode at Hallstein's-ness; he made a blood-offering to the end, that Thor would send him high-seat posts; after that a tree drifted aland sixty three ells long, with a span of two fathoms in thickness. This was used for high-seat posts, and out of it are made high-seat posts well-nigh at every homestead throughout the cross-firths (the smaller firths that cut into the land off the main bay); the ness where the tree came ashore is now called Spruceness (Grenitrés-nes). Hallstein had harried Scotland and taken there the thralls which he brought out with him; these he sent for salt-making out into 'Svefn'-isles ............. (72) Hallstein had for wife Osk, the daughter of Thorstein the Red; their son was Thorstein Swart who found out the 'summer-eke.' (73) Thorstein Swart had for wife _______ , their son was Thorarin and their daughters were Thordis, whom Thorkel 'Trefill' had for wife, and Osk, whom Stein Muchsailing had in wedlock, their son was named Thorstein the White; a bastard son of Thorstein the Red was called Sam, he who quarrelled with 'Trefill' about the inheritance after Thorstein, which he (Sam) wanted to secure for the children of Thorarin (the son of Thorstein).
        Thorbjorn 'Loki' was the name of a man who was the son of Bodmod from Skut. He went to Iceland, and settled Deepfirth and Groness on to Steamfirth; his son was Thorgils of Thorgilsstead in Deepfirth, the father of Koll, who had for wife Thurid, the daughter of Thorir, the son of Earl Hallad, the son of Rognvald, the Earl of Mæri (in Norway). The son of Koll and Thurid was Thorgils, who had for wife Ottkatla, the daughter of Jorund, the son of Atli the Red; their son was Jorund, who had for wife Hallveig, the daughter of Oddi, who was the son of Yr and Ketil 'Gufa.' A son of Jorund was Snorri, who had for wife Asny, the daughter of Fight-Sturla; their son was Gils, who had for wife Thordis, the daughter of Gudlaug and of Thorkatta, the daughter of Haldor, the son of Snorri godi; but the son of Gils was Thord who had for wife Vigdis, the daughter of Sverting, and their son was Sturla of Hvamm.
        There was a man called Ketil 'Gufa,' a son of Orlyg, the son of Bodvar, the son of Vigsterk; Orlyg had for wife Signy, the daughter of Obland, and sister of Hogni the White. Ketil, their son, came out to Iceland late in the 'land-take-tide'; he had been on Viking raids in the west, and brought with him out of the west-roving some Irish thralls; one called Thormod, another Floki, a third Kori, fourth Swart, and two by the name of Skorri. Ketil took to himself Whalerus-ness and sat out the first winter at 'Gufu'-Scales, but in the spring he flitted further east up the Nesses, and sat the next winter at 'Gufu'-ness. Then Skorri the older and Floki ran away from him with two women and a deal of goods. They kept in hiding in Skorris-holt within Skorris-dale, but they were slain in Flokisdale and Skorris-dale. Ketil had got no settled abiding place about the Nesses, so he went up into Burgfirth and sat a third winter at 'Gufu'-Scales by Steamriver; but early next spring he went west to Broadfirth to look out lands for himself; there he stayed at Geirmundsstead and wooed Yr the daughter of Geirmund and got her for wife. Geirmund pointed out lands to Ketil on the west side of the firth. But while Ketil was in the west, his thralls ran away and came by night down upon Lambistead where, at that time, there dwelt Thord, the son of Thorgeir Lumbi and of Thordis, the daughter of Yngrar; and Thordis was the sister of the mother of Egil Skallagrimsson. The thralls bore fire against the house and burnt in his home Thord and all his household; they broke there open a store-house and took away many goods and chattels, whereupon they drove home horses and loaded them and set off on their way to Swanness. That morning Lambi the Strong, the son of Thord, came home from the Thing, when they were off and on their way already; he set off after them, and men flocked to him from the homesteads in the neighbourhood, and when the thralls saw this, they all bolted each his own way. They laid hands on Kori in Korisness, but some of the thralls plunged out a-swimming; Swart they caught in Swartskerry; and Skorri in Skorrisey off the Moors, and Thormod out in Thormodskerry being a sea mile out away from the land. But when Ketil 'Gufa' came back (from the west) to fetch his belongings, he set off westward again passing the Moors, and spent the fourth winter at 'Gufu'-Scales on Snowfellness. After this he settled 'Gufu'-firth and Scaleness even unto Kollfirth. Ketil and Yr had two sons, one being Thorhall, the father of Hallvor, whom for wife had Bork, the daughter of Thormod, the son of Thjost; the other was Oddi, who had for wife Thorlang, the daughter of Hrolf of 'Ballara' and of Thorid, the daughter of Valthjof, the son of Orlyg from Esjaberg.

Koll, Knjuk, Geirstein, Geirleif and sundry other settlers.

Chapter XXV. Koll, the son of Hrvald, settled Kollfirth and Kvigand-ness and Kvigand-firth and sold to sundry people from his landtake.
        Knjuk was the name of a son of Thorolf Sparrow, he came out to Iceland with Orlyg, and was called Ness-Knjuk, he took for himself all the nesses from Kvigand-firth to Bardistrand. Another son of Knjuk was Einar, the father of Steinolf, the father of Salgerd, the mother of Bard the Swart. A daughter of Knjuk'' was called Thora, whom for wife had Thorvald, the son of Thord, the son of Viking, and their son was Moor-Knjuk, the father of Steinolf, the father of Halla, the mother of Steinun, the mother of Hrafn of Eyri and of Herdis, whom the Speaker-at-law, Gizur, the son of Hall, had for wife. The daughter of Rafn was Steinun, the mother of Rafn, a knight, and of Halla and Herdis, whom Svarthofti, the son of Dugfus, had for wife, their son being Oli, who had for wife Salgerd, the daughter of Jon; their daughter was Steinun, whom Hawk the son of Erlend had for wife. Knjuk had in marriage Ey, the daughter of Ingjald, the son of Helgi the Lean; their son was Eyolf, the father of Thorgrim (called) Katla's son. Glum had Katla to wife before (Thorgrim had her) and their daughter was Thorbjorg Coalbrow, about whom Thormod sang his songs. A son of Thorgrim's was named Steingrim, who was the father of Yngvild, whom Ulfhestin of Willow-moor had for wife.
        Geirstein 'Kjalki' settled 'Kjalka'-firth and Herdness, by the counsel of Knjuk. He was the son of Thorgils, who had for wife Thora, the daughter of Vestar of Eyri; their son was Stein the Danish, who had for wife Hallgerd, the daughter of Ornolf, the son of Armod the Red. Ornolf had for wife Vigdis, the daughter of Thorgils. The name of a daughter of Stein the Danish and Hallgerd was Vigdis, whom Illugi Steinbjornson had for wife; their daughter was Thorun, the mother of Thorgeir Longhead.
        Geirleif, the son of Eirek, the son of Hogni the White, settled Bardistand, between Waterfirth and 'Berghliðar,' he was the father of Oddleif and Helgi Skarf. Oddleif was the father of Gest the Sage as well as of Thorstein and of Æsa whom Thorgils, the son of Grim from Grims-ness had for wife; their sons were Jorund of Miding (Midmead) and Thorarin of Bowerfell. Gest had for wife ______ ; their children were Thord and Halla, whom Snorri, the son of Alf o' Dales, had for wife; their son was Thorgils. Another daughter of Gests was Thorey, whom Thorgils had for wife; their son was Thorarin the father of Jodis, the mother of Illugi, the father of Birna, the mother of Illugi and Arnor, and Eyvind the father of Steingrim, the father of Helga, the mother of Jorun, the mother of Hawk, son of Erlend. Helgi Skarf was father to Thorbjorg 'Katla' whom Thorstein the son of Salmund, had for wife; their sons were Ref in 'Brynja'-dale and Thord, the father of Illugi, the father of Hrodny, whom Thorgrim 'Sviði' (singer) had for wife. Thordis was the name of another daughter of Helgi Skarf, she was the wife of Thorstein, the son of Asbjorn, from Kirkby in the East; their son was Surth, the father of Sighvat, the Speaker-at-law. Geirleif had for wife Jora, the daughter of Helgi. Thorfin was the name of a third son of Geirleif; he had for wife Gudrun, the daughter of Asolf; their son was named Asmund and he had for wife Hallkatla, the daughter of Bjorn, the son of Mar, the son of Asmund. The son of Asmund and Hallkatla was called Hlenni, he had for wife Ægileif, the daughter of Thorstein, the son of Krafla; their son was called Thorfid, who was the father of Thorgeir Longhead; Thorstein the son of Oddleif was the father of Isgerd, whom Bolverk, the son of Eyolf the Grey, had for wife; their son was Gellir the Speaker-at-law; still another daughter of Thorstein was Veny, the mother of Thord Crowneb, from whom the Crowneblings are sprung.

Notes:
71. Whiteman's land or Ireland the Great--- to which Ari was drifted over the ocean, is supposed to have been South America as being nigh to Vineland the Good, or North America. [Back]
72. A sentence of seven words here, incomprehensible. [Back]
73. Sumar auki = the summer-eke = the interculary week, an Icelandic calendar term; the ancient heathen year consisted of 364 days, or 12 months of 30 days each, plus 4 days which were the auka nætr, or eke nights --- the remaining day and a fraction was inserted every sixth or seventh year at the end of summer, which in such years was 191 days long; the summer-eke was introduced by Thorstein the Wise, in the middle of the tenth century, and is still observed in Iceland. [Back]