Northern Fiction - The Saga of Freydis Eiriksdattir
Chapter 2
When Aran had quickly completed errand and taken a seat at the table, Hrolf began: “I will tell you of the family of our Lady Freydis.” Both were youthful enough to greedily enjoy an unaccustomed mid-morning treat. Leaning on their elbows and bent across the table so that their heads were together the young priest said to Aran: “Eirik, Freydis’ father, was born in Norway to a wealthy family in about the year 950 AD. The youthful Eirik was serving in the bodyguard of Earl Haakon when his father Thorvald, son of Asvald, son of Ulf Oxen-Thorirsson, committed manslaughter and was exiled from Norway. Eirik immediately joined his father and they left and went Iceland. They had high hopes that things would turn out well there because that island had been discovered by Naddon, a brother of Eirik’s grandfather’s grandfather, a hundred years earlier. In Iceland Thorvald soon learned that all the good land had been taken up already and he was only able to settle a homestead in the northwestern corner of Iceland where the coast was icy and the land poor. A place called the Hornstrands, High Rock, With small prospects a lesser man would have picked and scratched his life away. But Eirik was a fine and handsome man with red hair and beard, just like Thor in all the stories, and he soon married well.”
“Eirik’s bride was named Thorhild, later as a Christian she was known as Thjodhild. She was the daughter of Jorund and Thorbjorg Ship-Bosom, who was married to Thorbjorn the Haukader when her daughter met Eirik. Thjodhild’s family owned land in Huakadale, a much richer farmland than Eirik’s holdings at Hornstrands, so Eirik soon moved to Huakadale and established his own farm. There Eirik and Thjodhild had three sons: Leif, Thorvald, and Thorstein. Eric remained a pagan all his life, but Thjodhild became a Christian after the family were settled in Greenland. Eirik also had a bastard daughter by a pagan serving woman who died in childbirth, and that child was Freydis, Freydis Eiriksdatter.”
“The children were all born in Iceland. They were all physically perfect and remarked to be comely and fine by all who saw them, but the family seems to have a blood curse. One day a servant of Eirik’s caused a landslide that damaged a neighbors buildings, and buried a farmer called Valthiof who was the owner. The slaves fled but were pursued and killed by Eyolf Saur. Eyolf the Foul was a relative of Valthiof who had died in the landslide. Eirik and Eyolf quarreled. Eirik killed him. Then a professional avenger named Duel-Fighting Hravn was hired by Eyolf’s family to challenge Eirik. Eirik killed Hravn in fair fight too. Finally, Eyolf’s family succeeded in having Eirik declared an outlaw by a popular vote in the Thing where they had influence. Eirik lost his slaves, his property at Haukadale, and was forced to move out of the district. He first went to Broadfjord, but the area was not suitable for farming.”
“When he left Haukadale Eirik loaned his setstokkars, the columns at the back of his chieftain’s high seat, to a farmer named Thorgest. As you know, Aran, the dais posts are the visible symbols of a chieftain's rank. They are family heirlooms. The pagans even believe that they have a magical significance when carved with the likeness of Thor. Eirik, who was a true believer in Thor, held his posts in high regard. He was also touchy on his honor. Thorgest had said he merely wanted to have a similar pair of setstokkars carved for himself, but then Thorgest had Eirik’s setstokkars built into his house instead of having them copied. When Eirik found a suitable homestead site on the island of Oxney he went back to Thorgest to reclaim his columns. Thorgest dared Eirik to take them back at his own risk.”
“Considering the family and Eirik’s reputation, Thorgest doesn’t sound overly bright,” Aran observed.
“Indeed, but Eirik was already outlawed. Thorgest then had his men set upon Eirik in an ambush, but Eirik killed two of Thorgest’s sons, and some other men as well.”
Aran: “All for the setstokkars?”
A nod: “That, and honor. Thorgest, who was married to the daughter of Thord Gellir, a leading chieftain in all Iceland, demanded that Eirik be punished. He brought the matter to the Thorsness Thing, but the popular assembly only succeeded in having Eirik outlawed for three years.”
“Eirik was then forced to leave Iceland?” Aran asked.
“Yes, Eirik sailed from Iceland in 981 AD with his family and a few followers. He went looking for land reported to the west of Iceland, even west of the islands known Gunnbjorn’s Skerries that had been discovered by Gunnbjorn Ulf Dragesson in 877 AD. That land lay beyond the skerries seems to have been general knowledge, although it had not been explored until Eirik’s voyage. There were reports that a man named Snaebjorn Hogand, and some followers, had wintered on what was to be known as Greenland in 980 AD. The Icelanders of course had been hunting in those icy waters to the west of Iceland for years in search of walrus, seals, and polar bears and they had undoubtedly sighted the high mountains and seen the glaciers many times. The east coast of Greenland is a terrible place. Still, even if none of them had landed, it is certain that men must have discussed the sightings. Simply because that is what men do over drinks, when the long winter evenings keep men close about the fire, and the wind howls wildly at the smoke hole.
“Did I not hear that Irish churchmen had sailed to the west. Even before our ancestors came to Iceland? Were not Irish monks at Greenland before the Norse? Were they not even to lands further to the west called Greater Ireland and White Man Land? Land somewhere hereabouts in Vinland?”
“Yes Aran, Hvitramannaland, which some call Irland Mikkla is mentioned in the Landnamabok that records the early history of our people in Iceland. However, I know of no known contact made with those early Irish churchmen, nor whether they returned home, or died somewhere beyond the seas. Perhaps Eirik had heard rumors of these men too. Perhaps he suspected they were living out in the west somewhere when he sailed from Iceland.”
“Thorbjorn, Eyjolf, and Styr accompanied Eirik out from Iceland. They parted at sea as friends. then Eirik sailed on westward from Gunnbjorn’s Skerries. He raised sight of land at the ice-mountain formerly called Midjokul, and coasted south seeking habitable shores. Then Eirik did what no known man had done before, he sailed around the southern end of the coast, and found it was a much more friendly place. He wintered at Eirik’s Island. When Spring came he left Eiriksey and sailed into a deep fjord that he named Eiriksfjord. He discovered that whereas the coast was bleak and inhospitable inland was green with meadows of lush grasses. The country was most suitable for herds of hundreds of sheep and scores of cattle. A perfect place to support a Norse farmer’s way of life. Streams of fresh water from the glaciers teamed with salmon and trout and low trees offered fuel and building materials. He decided that this was a rich and green land. He named the country ‘Greenland’ saying that he believed a good name would attract other settlers. The party took burning brands and marched out boundaries of a settlement, this was done in accordance with tradition and the laws of Iceland. Eirik suddenly rose from Icelandic outlaw to the Landtaker of these virgin shores. The more settlers he could bring to the land the greater his name and his power would be to all time.”
“That summer Eirik explored the Vestri Obygdir, traveling along hundreds of miles of coastline of the Western Wilderness. He discovered, entered, and named fjords, and bays, and islands by the score and he found the entire region uninhabited. He marked where settlements would be possible and which lands were suitable for his followers both great and small. As he sailed north the land became less hospitable, but two regions, later the Vestri/Mid Bygd, the Western Settlement and the Vestri/Ostri Bygd , the Eastern Settlement were well suited to Norse needs and the land would support the herds that provided most of the daily sustenance required. One problem existed. The land would not yield a grain crop. Grain for bread and beer needed to be imported from the beginning; but, the grain problem aside, the land was very rich. There was space available for the taking by all the land hungry Icelanders who could find no room for additional settlement at home and no other people lived there to contest their claims. The second winter he spent at Holm near Hrafnsgnipa and the third summer Eirik sailed north again before returning south to winter at Eiriksey at the mouth of Eiriksfjord. The following summer, his exile ended, he returned to Iceland and landed at Breidafjord where he wintered and spread word of his new land.”
“The following summer Eirik prepared to colonize his landtaking as the newly named Greenland. Early settlers to Iceland had so named the island to discourage too many people from coming to the place and Eirik tempted people to go there because it had an attractive name. At that time settlement in a new land was tempting to Icelanders because they had been experiencing such a famine that men had eaten ravens and foxes and other loathsome things, even things that should not be eaten.”
Aran: “Even People?”
“I could not say, but many settlers had starved to death. Some had the old, the sick, and the weak murdered and cast over the cliffs. Even outlaws killed other outlaws after a law was past declaring that to kill three outlaws would let a condemned man go free. Needless to say, in such desperate times Eirik found many men willing to follow him to a new rich land that seemed to promise so much. When he set out he had twenty-five shiploads of settlers and their livestock. Some ships turned back, others were lost at sea, and fourteen reached Greenland. This took place fourteen years before Christianity reached Iceland. The people of Greenland therefore were heathen at this time. It is said that one man alone among the passengers on the ship of Herjolf, the son of Bard, was a Christian. He composed the 'Song of the Whirling Seas.' A verse from the Hafgerdinger Drapa contains the verse:
To give us a safe voyage.
May the King of Heaven
Hold his hand over me.
“Eirik settled in Eiriksfjord and built his main farm, called Brattahlid, Steep Slope, on the best land in all of Greenland, as was his right as Landtaker and leading citizen. Herjolf settled at Herjolfsfjord, Thorkell Farseeker, the son of Eirik the Red’s sister, took land at Hvalseyfjord and he dwelt at Einarsfjord. Ketil at Ketilsfjord; Harfn at Harfnsfjord; Solve at Solvedale; and Arnlog at Arnlogsfjord. These were a few of the principal followers of Eirik the Red who were first settlers of the new land.”
“When did this take place Hrolf? In what year?”
Hrolf thought a moment, and then replied: “Eirik first sailed to Greenland in 981 AD and settled the land in 985 AD.”
Aran: “And, . . . when was Freydis born?”
The answer was slow in coming, for even Hrolf was doubtful of his knowledge of the facts, “Here is the strange part of the story, Aran. Freydis was born, and was a child, before 981 AD. I would say, perhaps she was five years of age; perhaps more but certainly not much less.”
“Hrolf!” Aran exclaimed: “This is the year of Our Lord 1072 AD.” A quick calculation, then: “Therefore, Freydis is at least ninety-six years old! How can that be? She certainly doesn’t look that old. It is impossible! Who lives to such an age?”
“Fast with your figures Aran, and correct.”
Hrolf continued: “We live with this daily, yet it is seldom spoken of aloud. Who could believe by all appearances that Freydis is, indeed, that old. Rarely do people attain such an age, and certainly never look at very most just one third those years! If it is indeed so, I suspect that her age is no gift of God. Something sinister is certainly at work.” Then Hrolf continued darkly: “I have reason to believe it is a curse. A curse laid upon her by her brother Leif. Sometime ago, even generations ago.”
Aran, in disbelief: “She was given a curse of life? That doesn’t sound to terrible.”
“Not exactly a curse of long life. Rather, I understand that it is a curse of no-death. No rest. No peace for her body or her soul until she is penitent for her deeds. Judging by her behavior lately she might be around some time at this rate. She did not seem very penitent to me this day.”
Aran: “What could she possibly have done? Do you know? Tell me!”
The young priest looked at the youth a moment: “Therein lies a tale. But I must speak with Freydis again before I tell -- even you -- what I suspect. No one alive seems to know the whole story, other than the old crone herself.” Hrolf rose from the stool and walked to his cell door.
“This is somewhat like the tale of Saint Alan,” he said, turning to Aran.
Aran cast a glance at the ceiling, he thought: “There he goes, off the subject of Freydis. He’s about to go on about some irrelevant episode from his collection of saints’ lives.” The youth rolled his eyes at the prospect of another of Hrolf’s dreary, and often off target, spiritual homilies. Aran said to himself, “You a handsome guy. You certainly mean well. And, Christ know’s you’ve got one fine strong bodied that hot in bed, but . .,” Aran thought that sometimes Hrolf could be so, “well, somewhat. . . ‘vague’ or unsettled in his mind at times.” But, Aran knew from whence came his cheese curds and apples. “Like Saint Alan? Really? In what way?” he queried brightly. Aran stuffed a large spoon filled with the soft curds into his mouth. He rolled the curds about with his tongue very slowly to savor this unexpected mid-morning treat. He licked the spoon clean before passing it to Hrolf who scooped up a mouthful of whey and curds.
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