Færeyinga Saga
Part 1
COMMONLY CALLED THE TALE OF THE
MEN OF THE FÆREYS
§ I. HOW THROND BECAME A RICH MAN.
[1] There was a man named Grim Camban. He first settled the Færeys in the days of Harold Fairhair. For before the king's overbearing many men fled in those days. Some settled in the Færeys and began to dwell there, and some sought to other waste lands. Aud the deeply wealthy fared to Iceland, and on her way thither she came to the Færeys, and there she gave Olof the daughter of Thorstan the Red in marriage: whence is come the greatest lineage of the Færey-folk, whom they call the Gatebeards, that dwell in Eastrey.
Thrond fares to Denmark.
[2] Thorbeorn was the name of a man who was nicknamed Gatebeard. He dwelt in Eastrey in the Færeys; Gudrun was the name of his wife. They had two sons. The elder was named Thorlac, but the younger Thrond. They were likely men. Thorlac was both tall and strong; so far Thrond was like him when he was full grown, but there was a great unlikeness between the two brothers. (1) Thorbeorn was a wealthy man, and was already old when these things came to pass. Thorlac took him a wife there in the islands, but he dwelt at home with his father at Gate. Now, soon after Thorlac was married, Thorbeorn Gate-beard died, and he was laid in the barrow and buried after the old way; for in those days all the Færey-folk were heathens. His sons shared the heritage between them, and each of them wanted to have the homestead at Gate, for that was the greatest treasure. So they cast lots for it, and the lot fell to Thrond. After the lot fell, Thorlac begged Thrond to let him have the homestead, and himself take the more part of the chattels; but Thrond would not do that. Then Thorlac went abroad, and gat him another dwelling there in the islands. Thrond let out the land at Gate to many men, and took the highest rent; and in the summer he took ship, albeit he had little merchandise, and fared to Norway, and there he had his dwelling through the winter, seeming always moody of mind.
In those days Harold Grayfell was ruling over Norway. Next summer Thrond fared south to Denmark with certain merchantmen, and came to Haleyre while the summer still lasted. There was at that time a very great gathering of people. And it is said that ever there comes thither the greatest gathering of men of all the Northlands while the market stands. In those days King Harald Gormsson, who was called Blue-tooth, ruled over Denmark. King Harald was at Haleyre that summer, and a great following with him. Two of the king's henchmen [brethren] are named of them that were there with him. The one was named Sigurd, the other Harec. These brothers went together into the market to buy them the best and biggest gold ring they could find. They came into a booth that was right well stocked, and in it there sat a man who greeted them well, and asked them what they would buy. They said they wished to buy a gold ring, both big and good. He said that there was a good choice there. Then they asked him his name, and he said his name was Holmgar the Wealthy. Then he unpacked his treasures, and showed them a thick gold ring. The greatest treasure it was, but it was so dear they could not see how they were to get all the silver that he wanted for it there on the spot; so they begged him to wait till the morrow for it, and he agreed to do so. And with that they went off, and so the night passed. Now in the morning Sigurd went forth out of his booth, but Harec stayed behind; and after a while Sigurd came outside to the edge of the tilt and called out. "Kinsman Harec," said he, "give me here quickly the purse with the silver in it, that we got ready for buying the ring, for the bargain is just struck; but do thou wait here the while and take care of the booth." Then he [Harec] gave him the silver out through the edge of the tilt.
Thrond's Counsel.
[3] Now not long after this Sigurd came into the booth to his brother, and said, "Take thou now the silver, for the bargain is just struck." He answered him, "I gave thee the silver a short while ago." "Nay," said Sigurd, "I have had none of it." Then they began to wrangle about it, but afterwards they went and told the king about it, and the king and other folk soon saw that their money had been stolen. Then the king laid his ban on all that were there, that no ship should sail thence while things stood in this way. And many thought this a great hinderance that they should be bound to stay there after the market was over. Whereupon the Northmen held a meeting among themselves to take counsel over it. Thrond was at their meeting, and he called out, "Men are sorely lacking in counsel here." Then they asked him, "Knowest thou counsel for this case?" "So it seems," says he. "Put forth thy counsel!" said they. "It must be paid for, then," he said. They asked him what he wanted for it. He answered, "Each of you must give me an ounce of silver." They said that was a great deal. But they made this bargain withal, that each man should give him half an ounce there in hand, and another half ounce afterwards if his counsel turned out well. Now the next day after this the king held a moot, and spake to this end there, that no man whatever should leave the haven till all about the theft was found out. Then there stood up to speak a certain young man; he had a shock head of red hair, and was freckled of face and right grim of look, and he called out, "Men are mighty badly off for counsel here," says he. The king's counsellors asked him what counsel he saw for the matter. He answered, "This is my counsel, that every man that is come here lay down so much silver as the king shall say, and when that money is got together in one place, then they shall be paid out of it who have suffered this harm, and that which remains over the king shall take to himself for his fee, and I know he will be well pleased with his share; and men will lie here no longer as though they were weather-bound, to their great hinderance, such a crowd as have come together here." This was quickly taken up by the whole people, and they said they would sooner lay out their money in feeing the king than sit there to their hinderance. And this counsel was taken, and the money was got together; and it was a great sum. And straightaway upon this a great many of the ships sailed abroad. Then the king held a moot, and there they looked through that great sum of money, and the brothers were paid for their loss out of it. Then the king talked with his men of what was to be done with this great sum. Then a man got up to speak, and said, "My lord, what think ye he deserves that gave the counsel?" Then they looked about to find the young man who had given the counsel in this matter, and there he was before the king. Then spake King Harold, "This money shall be dealt into two halves; my men shall have one half, and the other half I shall deal into two lots, and this young man shall have one lot, and I will look after the other." Thrond thanked the king with fair words and blithe. And it was such a great sum of money that Thrond got that it was hard work to tell it out into marks. Then King Harold sailed away, and all the multitude of men that had been there also. Thrond fared to Norway with the merchants that had come thither with him, and they paid him the money he had asked for; and he bought him there a merchant ship both big and good, and loaded it with the great goods that he had gotten on that voyage. Then he held on his course in this ship to the Færeys, and came thither with all his goods safe and sound. And he took up his dwelling in Gate the spring after; and he felt no lack of chattels now. Thrond was a big man of growth, and red-haired he was, and red-bearded, freckled and grim of look, gloomy of mind, cunning and shrewd towards all men, bad to deal with, and ill-natured to most folk, yet fair of speech to greater men than himself; but in his heart he was ever false.
Notes:
1. Thrond was red-haired and freckled of face, and of a frowning countenance. One may supply---[Thorlac was fair of hair and skin, and of a kindly temper.] [Back]
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