Part #1

Ingolf sets out to settle in Iceland, A.D. 874.

Chapter VI. That summer when Ingolf set out with his companions to settle Iceland, Harald Fairhair had had been for twelve years King over Norway. There had elapsed from the creation of the world six thousand and seventy three winters, and from the Incarnation of our Lord eight hundred and seventy four years. They held together until they sighted Iceland, then they seperated. When Ingolf sighted Iceland he cast overboard his high seat pillars for an omen, and he made the vow that he would settle there wherever his high seat pillar came ashore.
        Ingolf landed at the place which is now called Ingolf's Head, and Hjorleif was driven to the west, along the land, when a great want of water overtook him. Then the Irish slaves formed the plan of mixing meal and butter together, and they called that unthirsty fare (úþorslátt = not thirst awaking); they named it also minnthak (12) but when this had been fully prepared there came a great rain and they collected the rain-water in their awnings, and when the ninnthak began to mould, they threw it overboard, and it came to land in the place which is now called Minnthakseyr. (13)
        Hjorleif let make there two Scales (14) and the one toft (15) was 18 fathoms long, and the other 19 fathoms. Hjorleif resided there during the winter; and in the following spring he determined to make a seed time or sowing.
        He had one ox, but he made his slaves draw the plough. When Hjorleif was employed about the Scale, Dufthak gave this advice to the others, that they should kill the ox, and say a wood-bear had slain it, and that, when Hjorleif and his companions should seek for the bear, they should set upon them. Afterwards they told this story to Hjorleif, and then they went to seek the bear, and when they were dispersed in the woods, the slaves set upon them separately and murdered them all, as many as they were themselves. Then they ran away with their women, and the chattels, and the boat. The slaves went to those islands which they saw out at sea, towards the south-west, and took up their abode there for awhile. Vifill and Karli were the names of two slaves of Ingolf whom he sent westward along the sea coast, to try and find his High Seat posts, and when they came to Hjorleif's hof, they found Hjorleif dead and went back and told Ingolf the tidings; he took the fate of Hjorleif much to heart.

Chapter VII. After that Ingolf went west to Hjorleif's hof, and, when he saw Hjorleif dead, he exclaimed "little indeed went here to the undoing of a brave man and true, that slaves should have put him to death, and thus I see it goes with every one who will do no sacrifice." Ingolf let array the burial of Hjorleif and his companions, and took charge of their ship and chattels. He then ascended the headland and observed some islands which lay out at sea, towards the south-west, and the thought came into his mind that they might have escaped thither, inasmuch as the boat had vanished. So they went to seek for the slaves, whom they found in the Islands, at a place which is now called Eid. (16) They were at meat when Ingolf came upon them. They fled, terror struck, each his own way. Ingolf slew them all. The place where Dufthak was killed is now called Dufthak's-scor or scar. The greater part of them threw themselves from the rocks which have taken their names from them. And these islands (17) where the slaves were slain have since been called the Westmens' Islands, (18) because those who were slain there were Westmen. Ingolf and his men took with them the widows of the men who had been murdered, and returned to Hjorleif's hof. Ingolf was there another winter, and in the following summer he went west, along the sea coast. He passed the third winter under Ingolf's fell, to the west of Olfu's river (and some say that he was interred there.) (19) In those seasons Vifill and Karli found his High Seat Pillars in Orn's Knoll, beneath the Heath.

Settlement at Reykjavik.

Chapter VIII. Ingolf went, in the following spring, down over the Heath. He took up his abode where the High Seat Pillar had come to land. He dwelt at Reykjavik. There are now his High Seat Pillars there in the Eldhouse = Fire House. Then Ingolf took for himself land between Olfu's (20) river and Hvalfjardar, or Whale Firth, west of Brinjadel's river, and all between that and the Axe-river and all the nesses to the south-ward. Then said Karli, "To an evil end did we pass through goodly country-sides that we should take up abode on this outlying ness." He ran away and a bondswoman with him. Ingolf gave to Vifil his freedom, and he settled at Vifil's Tofts; and from him is named the mountain called 'Vifil's Fell.' There he abode for a long time and was an upright man. Ingolf let rear a Scale upon Scale-Fell ---- thence he saw Reek = smoke or vapour, against Olfus water, and found Karli there.

Thing first set up. Thorkell Moon Lawspeaker. Christianity introduced A.D. 1000.

Chapter IX. Ingolf was the most renowned of all the settlers of Iceland; for he came here to an uninhabited land, and was the first to set up an abode upon it, and the others who settled there afterwards did so induced by his example. Ingolf married Hallveig, the daughter of Frodi, the sister of Lopt the aged. Their son was Thorstein, who set up the Thing at Kjalarness, before the Althing was established.
        The son of Thorstein was Thorkell Moon, the Lawspeaker, who, according to the general opinion of the men of that time, was the best amongst heathen men. In his last illness he caused himself to be borne out to where the rays of the sun would fall upon him, and committed himself into the hands of that God who had shaped the sun. His life was so pure that it was comparable with the lives of the best of the Christians.
        His son was Thormod, who held the supreme priesthood when Christianity was the first brought to the Island.
        His son was Hamal, the father of Mar and Thormod and Torfi. Sigurd was the son of Mar, the father of Hamal, the father of Gudmund, the father of Thormod, the godi of Skeid.

Chapter X. Here the tale is of Bjorn Buna. There was a man, Bjorn Buna, a renowned 'hersir,' in Norway, the son of Verdrar-Grim, a 'hersir' of Sogni. The mother of Grim was Hervör, the daughter of Thorgerd, the daughter of Eylaug, a 'hersir' (21) from Sogn. From Bjorn are descended almost all the renowned men in Iceland. He was married to Velaug, the sister of Vermund the old; they had three sons, one was Ketil flatnose; another was Hrapp; the third Helgi. They were famous men, and of their descendants many things are told in this book.
        Of Thord Skeggi, the son of Hrapp. There was a man named Thord Skeggi; he was the son of Hrapp, the son of Bjorn Cuna. Thord married Vilborg, the daughter of Osvald. Their daughter was named Helga, whom Ketilbjorn the Old, married. Thord went to Iceland, and with the advice of Ingolf, took land in his landtake between Ulfar's river and Leiruvag. He dwelt at Skeggistead. From Thord are descended many distinguished men in Iceland.

Chapter XI. There was a man named Hall the godless. He was the son of helgi the godless, neither father nor son would sacrifice but they trusted in their own might. Hall went to Iceland and took land with the advice of Ingolf from Leiruvag to Mogil's river. The son of Hall was Helgi, who married Thurid, the daughter of Ketilbjorn. Their son was Thord, in Alfsnes, who married Gudny, the daughter of Hrafnkel. Hall resided in Muli.
        Harald the Fairhaired harried west over sea as is related in his Saga. He subdued to his power all Sodor, (22) = The Hebrides, so far west that no king of Norway has conquered further since his time. But when he returned from the west, Vikings threw themselves into those Islands as well as Scotchmen and Irishmen, and harried and plundered wide about. When Harald heard this, he sent to the west Ketil Flatnose, son of Bjorn Cuna, to recover those Islands. Ketil married Yngvild, daughter of Ketil Wether, a lord from Hringariki. Their sons were these: Bjorn the Easterner and Helgi Bjola; Aud the deep-minded, and Thorun the horned were their daughters. He subdued the whole of Sodor = The Hebrides, and made himself lord thereover, but paid no tribute for them as had been agreed upon, to Harald the King; then the King confiscated his possessions, which were in Norway, and expelled Bjorn his son.
        Of Helgi Bjola. Helgi Bjola, the son of Ketil Flatnose, went to Iceland from Sodor = The Hebrides. He was with Ingolf the first winter, and settled under his advice the whole of Kjalarness, between Mogil's river and Mydal's river. He dwelt at Hof. His sons were Slaughter Hrapp, and Kollsvein, father of Thorgerd, the mother of Thord, the mother of Ogmund, the father of Bishop John, the Holy.

Chapter XII. Orlyg was the name of a man who was the son of Hrapp, the son of Bjorn Cuna; he was brought up by the Holy Patrick, Bishop of Sodor. He conceived the desire to go to Iceland, and asked the Bishop St. Patrick who had brought him up that he would make provision for his setting out. The Bishop provided him with wood, suitable for building a church and a plenarium and an iron bell, a golden penny and consecrated earth, to be put under the corner pillars. Afterwards the Bishop told him that he should take land where he should see two mountains rising out of the sea, and rear his dwelling under the southernmost mountain; in either mountain there should be a valley, and there he should take up his abode, and let build there a church and should consecrate it to the Saint Columba. (23) With Orlyg there was in the ship a man named Koll, his foster-brother, and another named Thorbjorn sparrow; a third named Thorbjorn talkni, and his brother Thorbjorn Skuma, they were the sons of Bodvar bladder pate.
        These went to sea along with Orlyg, and they had a hard and difficult voyage and knew not whither they were going. Then Orlyg besought St. Patrick that he might have a landing, and vowed that he would assign his name as the place name to whatever land he might take. They were thenceforth but a little while upon the ocean until they sighted land, and discovered that they had come west around the country. They brought their ship to port at Orlygshaven, and the bay which stretches inward from thence they called Patricksfirth. They were there for one winter, and in spring Orlyg fitted up his ship, and, taking all his possessions with him, sailed round Bard by the west, but when he had passed Faxemoth to the south, he saw there two mountains and a dale in each, and he recognised the mountains which had been before designated to him. He held there towards the southern mountain, which was Kjalarness, which Helgi his cousin had settled already.

Notes:
12. From a Gaelic word min = flour. [Back]
13. Minnthak's Beach. [Back]
14. Icelandic "Skáli = Cumberland Scale, as Peat Scale. Also in Place Names as Scales; Seascale; Scale Hill; Sand Scale; Nether Scales. [Back]
15. Toft = Cumberland Toft. [Back]
16. Eid means Isthmus. [Back]
17. See Westmannaeyjar in the Map. [Back]
18. Westmenn or those who came from the Western, or British Islands, as distinguished from the Eastmenn, or Norwegians. [Back]
19. This passage not found in some early copies of Landnama. [Back]
20. See Olvus vatn on the Map. [Back]
21. Hersir, a chief or lord, was the name of the Norse chiefs of the earliest age; especially before the time of Harald Fairhair and the settlement. [Back]
22. See note Chapter II. [Back]
23. St. Columba, Apostle to the Hebrides and West of Scotland, born 521 A.D., died at Iona, 597, A.D. [Back]