Part #2

Settlements of the descendents of Grimkell. Thorarin Korni the hamramr mjök, i.e., the great wizard who could change his shape.

Chapter VIII. There was a man called Grimkel, the son of Ulf Crow, the son of Heidar, the brother of Gunnbjorn, after whom the Gunnbjornskeries are named; he settled land from Beruvikhraun (36) to Neshraun and out onward over the ness, and dwelt at Saxihvoli. He drove out thence Saxi, the son of Alfarin, the son of Vali, and he dwelt afterwards in Hraun, at Saxihvoli. Grimkel married Thorgerd, daughter of Valthjof the Old; their son was Thorarin Korni, he was of exceeding great strength, and lies in Kornis How. Thorsteinn Korni married Jorunn, the daughter of Einar, in Stafaholt; their daughter was Jarngerd, who was married to Ulf, the son of Uggi. There was another son of Grimkel named Klæng, he married Oddfrid, the daughter of Helgi, from Hvanneyri, their son was Kolli, who married Thurid, the daughter of Asband, from Kamb. Their son was Skeggi, the father of Thorkatla, who was the wife of Illugi, the son of Thorvald, the son of Find; Illugi was the father of Gils, who slew Gjafvald. Another son of Kolli was named Bord; he married Valgerd, the daughter of Vidar; their daughter was Vigdis, who was married to Thorbjorn the Stout; their daughter was Thordis, who was the wife of Thorbrand at Olvus-water. Thorir was their son and Bjarni in Breidabolstead, and Torfi, but their daughter was Valgerd, who married Runolf, the son of the Bishop, i.e. Bishop Ketil. Another daughter of Bard was named Asdis; she was first married to Thorbjorn, the son of Thorvald, the brother of Mana Ljot, of the same mother; their daughter was Thurid, who was married to Thorgrim, the son of Odd; their children were Geirmund in Mafahlid and fourteen others. Asdis was married a second time to Skuli, the son of Jorund. Valgerd, from Mossfell, was their daughter. Alfarinn, the son of Vali, had first settled the ness between Bervikhraun and Enni; his sons were Hoskuld, who dwelt at Hoskuld's river, and Ingjald, who dwelt in Ingjaldshovl, and Got at Gotilæk, and Holm Kell at Fors, (37) by Holmkel's river. There was a man named Olaf the Bellows who settled land inward from Enni to Frodis river, and abode in Olaf's Vik.

Geirvid accused of witchcraft. Her trial by Duradóm is broken up by a free fight. Settlement of Herjolf. Slays a wood bear.

Chapter IX. There was a man named Orm the Slender who brought his ship to the mouth of Frodis river, and dwelt at Brimilsvellir for a while. He drove away Olaf Bellows and settled the whole Vik or Bay between Enni and Hofdi, and dwelt then at Frodis water. His son was Thorbjorn the Stout; he married first Thurid, daughter of Asbrand from Kamb, and their children were Ketil Kappi, Hallstein and Gunnlaug, and Thorgerd, who was wife of Onund Sjoni. Thorbjorn afterwards married Thurid, the daughter of Bork the Stout, and Thordis, the daughter of Sur. Thorbjorn the Stout summoned Geirvid, the daughter of Bægifot, for witchcraft after that Gunnlaug his son died of that illness which he had caught when he went to learn the art of magic from Geirvid. She was the mother of Thorarin in Mafahlid. In this action Arnkell the godi was challenged for a verdict of twelve neighbours, and he declared Geirvid not guilty because Thorarin took the oath upon the altar ring, and so caused the action to collapse. After that some studhorses of Thorbjorn were lost upon the fell; he charged Thorarin with that and went to Mafahlid and set up a door-doom (ok setti duradóm). (38) They were twelve together, but Thorarin and his were seven in the house before them, to wit, Alfgeir from the Hebrides, and Nagli and Bjorn the Eastman, and three house-karles; they broke up the court and fought in the inclosure (tun), near the house. Aud the wife of Thorarin called upon the women to separate them; one man fell of the party of Thorarin, and two of the party of Thorbjorn. Thorbjorn then went away and bound up their wounds by the stackgarth on the Vogar. The hand of Aud was found in the enclosure. Therefore went Thorarin after them and found them by the stackgarth. Nagi ran weeping (greeting) past them, and so rushed forth upon the fell. There Thorarin slew Thorbjorn and wounded Hallsteinn to death. Five men fell there of the party of Thorbjorn. Arnkell and Vermund gave aid to Thorarin, and sat together at Arnkel's house. Snorri the godi took up the blood-suite after Thorbjorn and at the Thorsness Thing made them all guilty who had taken part in the fight. Afterwards he burnt the ship of Algeir and his companions at the mouth of the salt eyr (39) river. Arnkel purchased a ship for them in Dogurdarness, and saw them off until they had cleared all islands; hence hostilities broke out between Arnkel and Snorri the godi. Ketil Kappi was at that time abroad; he was the father of Hrodny, the wife of Thorstein, the son of Vig-Styr. Sigurd Svinhofdi was a great warrior, he dwelt at Kvernvogastrand. Herjolf, his son, was there eight winters, when he slew a wood-bear for tearing to pieces a goat of his. Respecting this fact there were these verses:
                Bruin bottom-singed
                Bit a goat for Herjolf,
                But Herjolf hulky-bottomed
                Avenged his goat on Bruin.
        Herjolf was twelve winters old when he avenged the death of his father. He was a man most mighty of his hands. Herjolf went to Iceland in his old age and settled the land between Bulandshofdi and Kirkfirth, or Kirkjufjordr. His son was Thorstein Kolskegg, the father of Thorolf, the father of Thorarin the Black, the Mafhliding (or of Mafahlid), and Gudny, whom Vermund the Slender married; their son was Brand the Bounteous, and their daughter was Thorfinna, whom Thorstein Kaggason had for wife. Vestar, the son of Thorolf Blodruskalli, or Bladderpate, married Svand, the daughter of Herrod; their son was Asgeir. Vestar went to Iceland with his father in his extreme old age, and settled Eyrland (40) and Kirkfirth; he dwelt at Ondurd-Eyr. Vestar and Thorolf were howed both of them at Skallaness. Asgeir, the son of Vestar, married Helga, the daughter of Kjarlak; their son was Thorlak, and the sons of him and Thurid, the daughter of Audun Stoffi, were Steinthorr and Thord Blig, who married Ottkatla, the daughter of Thorvald, the son of Thormod the godi; a third son was Thormod, who married Thorgerd, the daughter of Thorbrand, from Alpta fiord (Swan firth); a fourth son was Bergthor, who fell at Vigrfirth; their sister was Helga, whom Asmund, the son of Thorgest, had to wife. Steinthor had to wife Thurid, the daughter of Thorgils, the son of Ari; Gunlaug was their son, who had to wife Thurid the Sage, the daughter of Snorri the godi.

Settlements upon the lava plains. Appearances of a mysterious horse.

Chapter X. There was a man named Kol who settled land from the west from Firthhorn, east to Trollhals (Troll's Neck or Hause), and out about Beserk's eyr to Hraunfjord (Lava Firth), his sons were Thorarin and Thorgrim from whom the Kolsons' Fell received its name. Father and son dwelt at Kolgrafir (Kolsgraves), from them the Kolgreflings are descended. Audun Stoti, son of Vali the Strong, settled all the land of Lava Firth up above the lava, between Swine water or Svinavatn and Trolls' Hause; he dwelt in Lava Firth and was a mighty man of his hands; from him are the Lava firthers descended. Audun married Myruna, the daughter of Maddad, King of the Irish. Audun saw about Autumn how a dapple grey horse ran down from Herdwater to his stud, and knocked under his stallion. Then Audun caught the dappled grey horse, and yoked it to a two-ox sledge, and carted in with it all the hay of his field. Until mid-day the horse was workable, but as the day wore, it sunk with its hoofs into the ground up to the fetlock, and after sunset it broke all the harness to pieces, and went to the lake, and was seen never afterwards. The son of Audun was Stein, the father of Helga, who married An of Hraun (the Lava); their son was Mar, the father of Gudrid, the mother of Kjartan and An of Kirkfell. Another son of Audun was named Asbjorn, the third Svarthofdi, and a daughter he had, Thurid, who married Thorlak, the son of Asgeir of Eyr.

Descendants of Ketil Flatnose. Dispute with Harald Fairhair. Hrolf the Ganger.

Chapter XI. There was a man named Bjorn, the son of Ketil Flatnose, and Yngvild, the daughter of Ketil Wether, a hersir of Hringriki. Bjorn remained at home in the possessions of his father, when Ketil went to the Hebrides or Sodor. But when Ketil withheld the tribute due to King Harald Fairhair, then the King drove Bjorn from his father's estates, and took them under himself. Then Bjorn went west over the sea, but would not settle there; thence he was called Bjorn the Easterner; he married Gjaflaug, the daughter of Kjallak, the sister of Bjorn the Strong. Bjorn the Easterner went to Iceland and settled land between Lava Firth and Staff river, and dwelt in Bjorn Haven, at Borgholt, and he had a pasture dairy (Sel) up at Sel, and kept a lordly house. He died at Bjorn Haven and was howed at Borglæk, because he was the only unbaptised son of Ketil Flatnose.
        The son of Bjorn and Gjaflaug was called Kjallak the Old; he dwelt at Bjorn Haven after his father, together with Ottar, the father of Bjorn, the father of Vigfus, in Drapahlid, whom Snorri the godi caused to be slain. Another son of Ottar was Helgi; he harried Scotland, and took thence captives, Midbjorg, the daughter of Bjolan the King, and Kadlin, the daughter of Gaungu Hrolf or Rolf the Ganger; he married her, and thier son was Osvif the Sage, and Einar Skalaglam who was drowned in Einar's Skerry, in Selasund (Sealsound), and his shield came ashore in Skjaldey or Shield Island, and his cloak at Feldar Holm or Cloak Holm. Einar was the father of Thorgerd, the mother of Herdis, the mother of Stein the Skald. Osvif married Thordis, daughter of Thjodolf, from Haven; their children were Ospak, father of Ulf the Marshal, the father of Ion at Rowan-wall (Reyrvöll), father of Erlend Himaldi, the father of Eystein the Archbishop, and Thorolf, Torrad, Einar, Thorbjorn and Thorkel; they were outlawed on account of the slaughter of Kjartan, the son of Olaf. A daughter of Osvif was Gudrun, the mother of Gellir and Bolli and Florleik and Thord Cat. The son of Bjorn the Easterner was named Vilgeirr. Kjallak the Old married Astrid the daughter of Hrolf, a hersir, and of Ondott, the sister of Olvir Bairnkarl; their son was Thorgrim the godi, he married Thorhlid, the daughter of Thord the Yeller; their sons were Viga Styrr and Vermand the Slender, and Brand, the father of Thorleik. The daughters of Kjallak the Old were: Gerd, whom Thormod the godi had to wife, and Helga, the wedded wife of Asgeirr at Eyri.

Settlement of Thorolf Mostbeard, A.D. 884. His high seat posts come to land in Broadfirth. He finds them at Temple Stead on Holy Fell. Temple set up there and District Assembly. Fight and consequent feud between the men of Thorsness and the followers of Kiallak the Old, A.D. 932 to 934.

Chapter XII. Thorolf, (41) son of Ornolf = fishdriver, dwelt in Most Isle. He was called Mostbeard; he was much devoted to offering up sacrifices and believed in Thor. He emigrated to Iceland on account of the tyranny of Harald Fairhair, and sailed by the southern part of the land; but when he came west, off Broadfirth, he threw overboard the high seat posts, whereon Thor was carved. And he prayed thus over them that Thor as he called the posts or pillars might there come to land where the God wished him to settle, and he promised that he would dedicate all the land of his settlement (landnám sitt) to Thor, and name it after him. Thorolf then sailed into the Firth, and gave a name to the Firth, and called it Broadfirth (Breiðafjörd). He settled land on the south side, near the middle of the Firth. There he found Thor cast aland, upon a point of land which is now called Thorsness (Thorsnes), on that account. They landed further up the ness in the Bay, which is now called Temple Bay (Hofsvag). There he reared his home and there he built a large temple, and consecrated it to Thor, (42) and now the place is called Temple Stead (Hofstadir). Before his time the Firth had been very sparsely settled, or probably had not been settled at all. Thorolf settled land (nam land) from Staff river (Stafa), inwards to Thors river (Thorsar), and called all that part Thorsness (Thorsnes). He had so great a reverence for that fell which stands on the ness, and which he called Helgafell (43) (= Holy Fell), that he enjoined that thither should no man unwashen look, and there was so great place hallowedness (sanctuary) that nothing should be destroyed on the mountain, neither cattle nor people, unless they should go away on their own accord.
        That was the belief of them (Thorolf and his kinsmen), that they should die into the mountain. There on the ness where Thorr (= Thor's Pillar or High Seat Post, carved with Thor's image), came ashore, Thorolf had all the Dooms (= law courts), and there was set up the District Assembly (legislative) by the advice of all the men of the countryside, i.e. the dependants of Thorolf, who formed his Temple Parish, as it were, he being their Temple Priest. But while men were at the Thing, easements should surely not be made on land (i.e. it was strictly forbidden for men to go on nature's errands on the land), and for that purpose was set apart that skerry (seacliff) which is called Dirt Skerry (Dritsker), for they should not defile such a Holy place as this was. But when Thorolf was dead and Thorstein his son still young, then they (to wit, Thorgrim, son of Kallak the Old, and Asgeir, his son-in-law and their party), would not go into the skerry upon their errands (easements). This the Thoressings would not allow, that they should defile so Holy a spot, therefore they fought (to wit, Thorstein Codbiter and Thorgeir Staple), against those (to wit, against Thorgrim and Asgeir), there at the Thing about the Skerry, and certain men fell there and many more were wounded before they could be parted. Thord the Yeller (Thord Geller) appeased them, and whereas neither side would yield, and the Holy Place had been defiled by the blood of the deadly feud (heipt = implacable or mortal hostility), this counsel was taken to remove the Thing away therefrom, and take it up into the ness, where it now is. There was there then a place a great hallowedness (sanctity), and there still stands the stone of Thor, (44) over which they broke those men whom they sacrificed, and close to this was that Doom Ring (dómhríngr), where people were doomed or condemned to sacrifice.
        There also Thord the Yeller (45) placed the quarter Parliament, by the counsel of all the men in the quarter.
        The son of Thorolf Mostbeard was Hallstein, Priest of the men of Codfirth (Thorskafjardargodi), father of Thorstein the Black, a Seer. Osk was the mother of Thorstein the Black, and daughter of Thorstein the Red.
        Another son of Thorolf was Thorstein Codbiter. He had to wife Thora, the daughter of Olaf Feilan, sister of Thord the Yeller. Their son was Thorgrim, father of Snorri the Priest, and Bork the Big, father of Sam, whom Asgir slew.

Notes:
36. Both these names from Hraun = Lava. [Back]
37. Force or Waterfall. [Back]
38. Dyradómr = a court at the door of the defendent. [Back]
39. Eyrr or Eyri is the name of the gravelly bank of a river or of the small tongue of land that adjoins the river's mouth. [Back]
40. See meaning of Eyrr above. [Back]
41. Respecting Thorolf's early history, I have translated and condensed the following from the Eyrbyggja Saga --- Thorolf (originally Rolf) lived in Most, an island of Hordarland, in Norway. He changed his name from Rolf to Thorolf on account of his devotion to Thor. He was a mighty chieftain of great strength and stature. His flowing beard and the place of his abode obtained for him the nickname of Mostbeard. For affording shelter to Biorn Ketilson, son of Ketil Flatnose, named in chapter XI, made an outlaw by King Harald, Thorolf was himself made an outlaw, and followed the fortunes of his friend Ingolf, the first settler in Iceland. Before setting out, Thorolf pulled down the temple of Thor, and took with him most of the timbers that were therein, and the mould from under the seat where Thor sat. [Back]
42. The site of the Temple is still shown close to the hamlet Hofstead, on the west side of the Peninsula. For description of Thorolf's Temple see note at the end of this chapter. [Back]
43. Helgafell. About noon I arrived at the western base of Helgafell, a low mountain, consisting of trapp, or an irregular kind of basalt, perpendicular on the north and east sides, but accessible from the west and south sides where it is for the most part covered with grass. Helgafell was the abode of Snorri Godi, priest of Thor, and one of the most powerful chiefs in the west of Iceland. The Eyrbyggja Saga is almost wholly taken up with a detail of his intrigues, his prosecutions and his cruelties. One of the first churches was built here on the public adoption of the Christian religion, and in A.D. 1183 the monastery of Flatey was transferred to this place. It became one of the richest in Iceland, and at the time of the reformation possessed ninety-six farms, when it was secularized and its lands were added to the Danish Crown. ---- Henderson's Travels. [Back]
44. For "The Stone of Thor" and "Doom Ring," see note at the end of this chapter. [Back]
45. Thord Yeller instituted courts called Quarter Courts in A.D. 964. The land was politically divided into Quarters called the East, West, North, and South Quarters. Each Quarter had a Court called the Quarter Court. At a later date a fifth High Court, called Fimtar-domr = Fifth Court, was erected about A.D. 1004. [Back]