Part #2

Settlements of Armod, Thorolf Sparrow, Ketil Broadsole, and Orn. An Redfell harries Ireland in a Viking-raid to the west, afterwards settles in Iceland with his relations.

Chapter XXVI. Armod the Red, son of Thorbjorn and foster-brother of Geirleif, took for himself Redsand; his sons were Ornolf and Thorbjorn, the father of Hrolf the Redsander.
        Thorolf Sparrow came out with Orlyg, and took to himself the western side of Patreksfirth and the Wicks west of Bard, except Kollswick; there Koll the foster-brother of Orlyg abode. Thorolf also took to him Logwick (Keflavik) to the south of Bard, and dwelt at Whale-'látr.' These were the sons of Thorolf Sparrow: Ness-Knjuk, and Ingolf the Stark, and Geirthjof. A daughter of Ingolf's was Thorarna, whom Thorstein, son of Oddleif, had for wife.
        Thorbjorn 'Talkni' and Thorbjorn 'Skuma,' the sons of Bodvar Bladderpate, came out with Orlyg, they settled one half of Patreksfirth and the whole of Talkni's-firth unto 'Kopa'-ness.
        Ketil Broadsole, son of Thorbjorn 'Talkni,' took to him all the dales from 'Kopa'-ness unto Dufans-dale; he gave Thorarna, his daughter, in marriage to Hergils 'Hnappraz'; whereupon he betook himself south to Broadfirth, and settled Bearfirth by Reekness.
        Orn was the name of a man most worthy, a kinsman of Geirmund Hellskin, who had to leave Rogaland before the tyranny of King Harald Fairhair; he took for himself land in Ornfirth as wide as it liked him, and sat the winter out in Tentness, because the sun did not vanish there through the shortest days.
        An Redfell, the son of Grim Shaggy-cheek from Hrafnista and of Helga, the daughter of An Bow-swayer, fell into disfavour with King Harald Fairhair and for that reason left the land for Viking-raiding in the west; he harried in Ireland and got for wife there Grelad the daughter of Earl Bjartmar; they went to Iceland and came into Ornfirth a winter later than Orn. An spent the first winter in Dunfansdale, where Grelad deemed the earth smelt of ill fragrance. Orn heard of his kinsman, Hamund Hellskin, that he was north in Eyja-firth, and he was taken by a longing to go thither. Therefore he sold to An Redfell all the land between Langness and 'Stapi.' An set up a manor at 'Eyri' and there Grelad deemed the herbage gave out a honeyed fragrance. A freedman of An was Dufan; he abode behind in Dufans-dale. A son of An was Bjartmar who was the father of two sons of the name of Vegest and also of Helgi, the father of Thurid 'Arnkatla' whom Hergils had for wife; their daughter was Thurid 'Arnkatla' whom Helgi, the son of Eythjof, had for wife. A daughter of Bjartmar was Thorhild whom Vestein, the son of Vigeir had for wife; their children were Vestein and Aud. A freedman of An was Hjallkar; his son was Bjorn, who was a thrall of Bjartmar; he gave freedom to Bjorn, who thereupon gathered wealth together; but Vegest made a-do thereover and thrust Bjorn through with a spear while (at the same time) Bjorn smote him unto death with a hoe.
        Geirthjof the son of Vathhjof took land in Ormfirth: Forcefirth, to wit and Reekfirth, Trostansfirth and Geirthjofsfirth, and dwelt at Geirthjofsfirth; he had for wife Valgerd the daughter of Ulf the Squinter; their son was Hogni, who had for wife Aud, the daughter of Olaf 'Jafnakollr' and of Thora, the daughter of Gunstein. Their son was Atli, who had for wife Thurid the daughter of Thorleif, the son of Eyvind Knee and of Thorun Bedsow. Thorleif had for wife Gro, the daughter of Thorolf 'Brækir.' A son of Atli was named Hoskuld, the father of Atli, the father of Bard the Swart, the father of Sveinbjorn, the father of Rafn, the father of Steinun, the mother of Rafn the Knight.

Eirek settles Ditch Dale. Vestein and Dyra settle Dyrafirth. Thord son of Harald Fairhair and his connections.

Chapter XXVII. There was a man named Eirek, who settled Ditch-dale south of Dyrafirth as well as 'Slétta'-ness all unto 'Stapi' and to the outer Neck in Dyrafirth; he was the father of Thorkel, the father of Thord, the father of Thorkel, the father of Steinolf, the father of Thord, the father of Thorleif, the mother of Thorgerd, the mother of Thora, the mother of Gudmund Pig, who got for wife Solveig, the daughter of Jon Loptson and by whom he had these children; Magnus the godi, and Thorlak, the father of Bishop Arni, and Thora, the mother of Earl Gizur. --- Thorleif was the mother of Lina, the mother of Cecilia, the mother of Bard and of Thorgerd, whom Bjorn the English had for wife; their children were Arnis the abbot, and Thora whom Amundi, the son of Thorberg had for wife.
        Vestein, the son of Vegeir, and brother to Vebjorn, the champion of Sogn-folk took to him land between the Necks in Dyrafirth and abode at Hawkdale; he had for wife Thorild, the daughter of Bjartmar, and their children were Vestein and Aud. Thorbjorn Sour came out when the land was all settled, and to him Vestein gave one-half of Hawkdale; the sons of Thorbjorn were Gisli, Thorkel and Ari; his daughter was Thordis whom Thorgrim had for wife and their son was Snorri godi. Later on Bork the Stout had Thordis for wife, and their daughter was Thurid who in her first wedlock was the wife of Thorbjorn the Stout, in her second of Thorod 'Skattkaupandi,' and their son was Kjartan of Frodis-river.
        There was a man of great worth, named Dyri who, by the counsel of Earl Rognvald, and yet in truth by reason of the tyranny of Harald Fairhair, went away from south-'Mæri' to Iceland. Dyri settled Dyrafirth and abode at Necks; his son was Hrafn of 'Ketilseyri,' the father of Thurid, whom Vestein the son of Vestein had for wife; their sons were Berg and Helgi.
        Thord was the name of a man, the son of Viking, or of King Harald Fairhair; he fared to Iceland and took to him land between 'Thufa' (Hummock) on Hillness and Landslip-gill; he had house in 'Alvidra' (Allweather-spot). Thord had for wife Thiodhild, the daughter of Eyvind Eastman and sister to Helgi the Lean. Their son was Thorkel the Wealthy, the champion of 'Alvidra.' He had for wife ________ and one of their sons was named Thord, another Eyolf, the father of Gisli who had for wife Hallgerd the daughter of Vermund the Slender, and their son was Brand, the father of Gudmund priest of Herdholt, but their daughter was Thora, whom Brand, the son of Thorhad, had for wife; their daughter was Steinvor, the mother of Ranveig, the mother of Sæhild whom Gizur had for wife. Another son of Eyolf was named Helgi, and his children were Olaf and Gudleif, whom 'Fjarska'-Finn had for wife. Another son of Thord Vikingson was named Thorvald the White; he had for wife Thora, the daughter of Ness-Knjuk, their son was 'Myra'-Knjuk, the father of Thorgant, the father of Steinolf who had for wife Herdis the daughter of Tind; their children were these: Thorkell of 'Myrar' and Halla whom Thord, the son of Oddleif, had for wife. Another son of Thorvald the White was Thord the Lefthanded, who had for wife Asdis, the daughter of Thorgrim, the son of Hard-Ref. The mother of Asdis was Ranveig, the daughter of Grjosgard, Earl of Ladir. Asdis was the mother of Ulf the Marshal but she was sister to Ljot the Sage and to Halldis, whom Thorbjorn, the son of Thjodrek, had for wife. A daughter of Thord Lefthanded and Asdis was Ottkatla whom Hurla Thjodrekson had for wife; their son was Thord, who had for wife Hallbera a daughter of Snorri the Godi; their daughter was Thurid, whom Haflidi, the son of Mar had for wife. A son of Thord, the son of Sturla, was Snorri, who had for wife Oddbjorg, the daughter of Grim, the son of Lodmund; and their children were 'Flugu'-Grim and Hallbera, whom 'Mag'-Snorri had for wife. The daughters of Sturla were six together: one was Asny, whom Snorri, son of Jorund, had for wife; their daughter was Thordis, the mother of Hoskuld the leech, who was the father of Margret the mother of Thorfinn the Abbot. A son of Snorri and Asny was Gils, the father of Thord, the father of Sturla of Hvamm.

Settlements of Ingjald and Ljot the Sage. Gest foretells the death of Ljot. The sons of Grim "Kogr" fulfil the prophecy. (74)

Chapter XXVIII. Ingjald, the son of Bruni, took to himself Ingjaldsand between Hillness and 'Ofæra'; he was the father of Hard-Ref, the father of Thorgrim, the father of Ljot the Sage and his sisters as is written afore.
        Ljot the Sage, the son of Thorgrim the son of Hard-Ref, his mother being Ranveig the daughter of Earl Grjotgard, dwelt at Ingjaldsand. Thorgrim Cur (Dog) was a son of Ljots. A sister of Ljots, Halldis, Thorbjorn, son of Thjodrek, had for wife, while Ospak, the son of Osvif, carried off Asdis, another sister of Ljot's. For that misdeed Ljot brought a lawsuit unto outlawry against Ospak. Ulf was named the son of Ospak and Asdis, and he was brought up at Ljot's. Grim 'Kögar' dwelt at Brink, and his sons were Sigurd and Thorkel, little men and small. A foster-son of Ljot's was named Thorarin. Ljot bought meat off Grim to the worth of twenty hundreds, and paid for it a brook that ran between their lands and was called 'Osómi' (Mischief). Grim turned the brook on his meadows (for irrigation) and dug the land belonging to Ljot, and he held Grim guilty of a breach of a breach of the law therein, and therefore they had but little to do with one another. Ljot met a Norwegian in 'Vadill' and took him in, and he fell in love with Asdis. Gest the son of Oddleif, being bidden, came to an autumn feast at Ljot's; at that time there came thither Egill, the son of 'Volu'-Stein, and prayed Gest to give some counsel to the end that his father might get some ease from the grief unto death that he strove with for the loss of his son Ogmund. Gest then composed the beginning of Ogmund's-drapa.
        Ljot asked Gest, what kind of man Thorgrim Cur would turn out. Gest said that Thorarin, his foster-son, would be the more renowned of the two, and bade Thorarin look to it, lest that hair which lay on his tongue should twist around his head. This Ljot took as a slight, and asked, the next morning, what might be in store for Thorgrim. Gest said, his sister's son, Ulf, would be the more renowned of the two. Then Ljot grew wroth; still he rode out a-way with Gest to see him off, and asked: "What will it be that brings about my death?" Gest said, he could not see his fate, but bade him stand well with his neighbours. Ljot asked: "Will the earth-lice, the sons of Grim 'Kogr,' bring about my death?" "Sore stings a starving louse," quoth Gest. "Where will it happen then?" quoth Ljot. "Near here," quoth Gest. The Norwegian road with Gest up unto the heath, and steadied him on horse-back when his nag stumbled under him. Then spake Gest: "Good hap sought thee now, and soon another will; look thou to it, that it may not be a mishap to thee!" The Norwegian found buried silver, when he returned home, and took for himself twenty pennies thereof, being minded that he would find his way to it later on; but when he made the search he found it not; but Ljot got him caught, when he was digging (for the treasure) and made him pay three hundred for every penny (of the twenty he had first taken). That autumn was slain Thorbjorn the son of Thjodrek. In the spring Ljot sat on a certain hillrise looking after his thralls; he had over him a cape the hood of which was tied round the neck, and a one-sleeved cape it was. The sons of 'Kogr' rushed upon the hill and hewed at him both at once and therewith Thorkel swiftly turned the hood over his head. Ljot bade them behave in a kind neighbourly manner but they all tumbled down from the hill unto the road where Gest had ridden, there Ljot came by his death. The sons of Grim went to Howard the Halt. Eyolf the Grey and Steingrim his son gave them all his aid.

Settlements of Onund, Hallward Soughing, Thurid Soundfiller, Helgi son of Hrolf, Eyvind Knee, Vebjorn, Gunnstein and Haldor.

Chapter XXIX. Onund Vikingson, the brother of Thord in 'Alvidra' took Onund-firth and abode at 'Eyri.'
        Hallward Soughing fought in the battle of Hafursfirth against King Harald; on account of that war he went to Iceland and took to him Soughings-firth and Scalewick unto Stile (Stigi) and abode there.
        Thurid Sound-filler and 'Völu'-Stein, her son, fared from Halogaland to Iceland and took for themselves Bolung-wick and kept house at Waterness. For this was she called Sound-filler, that in a hard year in Halogaland she brought it about by wizardry that every sound was filled with fish; she also settled where should be the fishing point of 'Kviarmið' on Icefirth-Deep, and bespoke for herself in return a polled ewe from every good-man throughout Icefirth. The sons of 'Völu'-Stein were Ogmund and Egil.
        Helgi was the name of a son of Hrolf from Gnup-fell; he was begotten in the east (Norway) and was an Uplander by his mother's kindred. Helgi went to Iceland to look up his kinsmen and came into Ey-firth where by that time all land was settled; after that he betook himself abroad, and was driven back by stress of into Soughing's-firth, and was through the winter with Hallward; but in the spring he went to look out for a place of abidance and he came upon a certain firth where, on the foreshore he found a 'skutill' (harpoon) and called the firth 'Skutils'-firth (Harpoon-firth), and there he abode afterwards. His son was Thorstein Evil-luck, who went abroad and slew one of the body-guard of Earl Hakon, the son of Grjotguard, but Eyvind, the counsellor of the Earl, sent Thorstein unto Vebjorn, Sognfolk-trusty (=Champion of Sogn-folk above, and below), and he took Thorstein in, notwithstanding that Vedis, his sister warned him against it. For this reason Vebjorn sold his lands and went to Iceland when he mistrusted himself of the power of keeping the man safe.
        Thorolf 'Brækir' took some part of 'Skutils'-firth and Scale-wick, and abode there.
        Eyvind Knee went out from Agdir to Iceland together with Thurid Bedsow, his wife. They took for themselves Swanfirth and 'Seydis'-firth, and abode there. Their son was Thorleif, who was mentioned before, and another, Valbrand, the father of Hallgrim and Gunnar and Bjargey whom Howard the Halt had for wife and whose son was Olaf.
        Geir was the name of a man of exceeding worth in Sogn, he was called Vegeir, in that he was a great man of blood-offerings; he had many children: Vebjorn the Champion of Sogn-folk was the oldest of his sons, these, to wit: Vestein, Vethorm, Vemund, Vegest, and Vethorn; Vedis being a daughter. After the death of Vegeir, Vebjorn fell into unfriendly ways with Earl Hakon, as was said before, and therefore brother and sister (Vebjorn and Vedis) went to Iceland. They had a sea-faring hard and long and made Barn-wick (Hlðu-vik) west of Horn-head in the autumn. Then Vebjorn arranged a great blood-offering; and that day, he said, Earl Hakon was making a sacrifice for the undoing of them. Now, whenas he was in the midst of the ceremony, his brothers egged him to put off (speedily), so he heeded not the offering, and they put out to sea; that day, in foul weather, they wrecked their ship beneath huge crags, and there they got up with much trouble, Vebjorn leading; that is now called Sogn-man's cliff. But through the winter they were all taken in by Atli of Fleet, the thrall of Geirmund Hellskin. And when Geirmund knew this ready deed of Atli's, he gave him freedom, and therewithal the manor which he had to look after; later on Atli became a great man. In the following spring Vebjorn took to himself land between Scate-firth and Horsefirth, as wide as he might walk round in a day, with so much more to boot as he called 'Foal-foot.' Vebjorn was a great man of fights, and there goes a great Saga of him. He gave Vedis in wedlock to Grimolf in Delight-dale (Unaðsdalr); they (afterwards) fell foul of each other, and Vebjorn slew Grimolf at Grimolf's-waters and for this Vebjorn was slain at a Quarter-court Thing on Thorsness and three men beside.
        Gunnstein and Haldor were the names of the sons of Gunnbjorn, the son of Ulf Crow, from whom the Gunnbjornskerris take their name; they settled Scate-firth and 'Laugar'-dale and 'Ogr'-wick unto Narrowfirth. The son of Haldor was Bersi, the father of Thormod Coalbrow-skald. There, in 'Laugar'-dale abode afterwards Thorbjorn Thjodrekson, who slew Olaf, the son of Howard the Halt and of Bjargey, the daughter of Valbrand. Therefrom sprung the Saga of the Icefirthers and the slaughter of Thorbjorn.

Notes:
74. The tragic event narrated herein forms the historic basis for the Saga of Howard the Halt. [Back]