Part #3

Quick voyage of Thrand much sailing from the Orkneys. Grim slays Ondott. Grim burned in his house by the sons of Ondott. Terrible conflict resulting therefrom.

Chapter XV. Ondott Crow, who was mentioned before, became a mighty man when Bjorn his brother-in-law died. Grim the Hersir claimed for the King all his inheritance, inasmuch as he was a foreigner and his sons were west beyond sea. Ondott held to the wealth on behalf of Thrand his sister's son, and when Thrand heard of the death of his father, he sailed from the Hebrides by such a swift sailing that he was on that account named Thrand much-sailing. When he had taken possession of his inheritance he went to Iceland and took a settlement on the South land as will be related later on, and because he did not receive the inheritance on behalf of the King therefore Grim slew Ondott, and then in the same night Signy, the wife of Ondott, carried on board their ship all their chattels and went with their sons Asgrim and Asmund, to Sighvat, her fater, and then sent her sons to Hedin, her foster father, in Sokndale; not feeling at home there, however, they wanted to go back to their mother; they came at Yule-tide to Ingjald the Trusty in Hvin, and he took them in at the entreaty of Gyda his wife.
        In the summer after, Grim the Chieftain prepared an entertainment for Audun, the Earl of King Harald, and in the night when the ale was being brewed at the house of Grim, the sons of Ondott burned him in his home and took then a boat (92) belonging to Ingjald their foster father and rowed away. Audun came to the entertainment as had been bespoken, and missed there a friend instead; and early in the morning came the sons of Ondott there to the sleeping-bower, i.e., bedroom where Audun lay, and hurled a beam at the door. Asmund kept watch over the two house carles of the Earl and Asgrim placed his spear point before the breast of the Earl and bade him deliver up the weregild for his father; he then handed over to him three gold rings and a kirtle of costly stuff, from thence Asgrim gave to the Earl a nickname and called him Audun Goat (i.e. coward.)
        Afterwards they went to Sorreldale (Surnadalr) to the house of Eirek Ale-fain, who took them in; then dwelt there Hallstein Horse, another landed man, (93) and they held their Yule-drink together. Eirek first entertained Hallstein well and faithfully, then Hallstein afterwards entertained Eirek, but in an unfriendly manner and struck him with a deer's horn; (94) from thence Eirek went home but Hallstein sat behind with his house carles; then Asgrim went in and dealt to Hallstein a great wound, but the house carles gave out they had killed Asgrim, but he got out into the wood and a woman took him into a house underground and healed him so that he was quite whole of his hurt. (95)
        That summer Asmund went to Iceland and found that Asgrim his brother was dead. Helgi the Lean gave to Asmund, Krækling-slope, and he dwelt at Gler river, the southernmost, and when Asgrim was whole of his wounds Eirek gave him a long ship and he harried to the west by sea, but Hallstein died of his wounds. When Asgrim returned from the wars Eirek gave him Geirhild, his daughter, in marriage, and Asgrim went to Iceland. He dwelt at Gler river the northermost. Harald the King sent Thorgeir from Hvin to slay Asgrim; he was for one winter on the Keel in Hvinmen's-dale and brought nought about concerning the blood revenge. The son of Asgrim was Ellidagrim, the father of Asgrim, the father of Sigfus, the father of Thorgerd, the mother of Grim, the father of Sverting, the father of Vigdis, the mother of Sturla of Hvamm.

Settlement of Hamund "hellskin," Audun, Thorgeir, sons-in-law, and Ingjald, son of Helgi the Lean.

Chapter XVI. ---Helgi the Lean gave Hamund his son-in-law, land between Merkgill and Skjalgdale's river, and he dwelt at Asp-knoll the southernmost, his son was Thorir, who abode there afterwards; he had for wife Thordis, the daughter of Kadal, their sons were Thorarin, who dwelt at Asp-knoll the northermost, and Thorvald Crook at Grund, but Thorgrim of Madder-fell was not her son, Vigdis was their daughter.
        Helgi gave Thora his daughter, together with land up from Skjalgdales river to Neck or Haws, to Gunnar, the son of Ulfljot, who brought out laws to Iceland. He dwelt at Deepdale, their children were Thorstein, Ketill, and Steinmod, and their daughter Yngvild and Thorlaug.
        Helgi gave Helga, his daughter, to Audun Rotten, the son of Thorolf Butter, the son of Thorstein Scurf, the son of Grim Kamban, together with land up from Neck or Haws to Villingdale; he dwelt in Saurby. Their children were Einar, the father of Eyjolf, the son of Valgerd, and Vigdis, the mother of Halli the White, the father of Orm, the father of Gellir, the father of Orm, the father of Halli, the father of Thorgeir, the father of Thorvard and Asi, the father of Gudmund the Bishop.
        Einar, the son of Audun, had for wife Valgerd, the daughter of Runolf, their son was Eyjolf, who had for wife Hallbera, the daughter of Thorolf Helm, and they resided at Jorunstead for a long time, and afterwards at Madder-meads. Hallfrid was the daughter of Einar, the son of Eyjolf; she was the mother of Halldor, the father of Snorri, the father of Gudrun, the mother of Hrein the Abbot, the father of Valdis, the mother of Snorri, the father of Hallbera, whom Markus the son of Thord had for wife.
        Vigfus, the son of Fighting-Glum, slew Bard, the son of Halli the White, and on him was written the Poem of Bard wherein this is the refrain: ---

                Bard cuts with the "skid" (96) of harbours,
                The land of billows pathway. (97)

        But Brúsi the brother of Bard and Orm composed these verses when Glum ran away from the Thing: ---

                Oh, Gondul of the border! (98)
                We have an even share in
                The honours of this fighting
                With steering trunks o' the stem-stud: (99)
                Yet Hlokk (100) that years for splendour,
                Methinks the trunks o' the fire
                O' the ship's garth (101) hied yet faster,
                Down brink than I e'er recked of.

        Hamund "hellskin" married Helga, the daughter of Helgi, after Ingun her sister died, and their daughter was Yngvild, who was called Sister-of-all, whom Ornolf had for wife. Helgi gave to Hrolf, his son, all the lands to the east of Island-firth river, from Orn's-knoll upward, and he dwelt at Gnupufell, and raised there a great temple; he married Thorarna, the daughter of Thrand Spindleshanks, their children were Haflidi the bountiful, and Valthjof, Vidar, Grani, and Bödvar, Ingjald, and Eyvind, and a daughter Gudlaug, whom Thorkell the Black had for wife. Valthjof was the father of Helgi, the father of Thorir, the father of Arnor, the father of Thurid, the mother of Thordis, the mother of Vigdis, the mother of Sturla of Hvamm.
        Helgi the Lean gave to Ingjald, his son, land out from Orn's-knoll to Thwart river the outer, he dwelt at Thwart river the inner and raised there a great temple; he had for wife Salgerd, the daughter of Steinolf, their son was Eyjolf, the father of Fighting-Glum, and Steinolf, the father of Thorarin the Evil, and of Arnor the Good of Red River (Rauðæingr.) Fighting-Glum was the father of Mar, the father of Thorkatla, the mother of Thord, the father of Sturla.
        Helgi gave Hlif, his daughter, to Thorgeir, the son of Thord the Beam, together with land out from Thwart river to Ward-gorge (Varð-gjá), they resided at Fishbrook, their children were Thord and Helga.
        There was a man of much renown in Mæri (in Norway) named Skagi, the son of Skopti, he had a dispute with Eystein Glumra (= the clatterer) and went out thence to Iceland. He settled by the advice of Helgi, Islandfirthstrand, the easternmost out from Ward-gorge to Hnjoskadale's river and dwelt at Sigluvik, his son was Thorbjorn, the father of Hedin the bounteous, who caused Svalbard to be built sixteen years before the Christian religion was introduced into Iceland; he had for wife Ragneid, the daughter of Eyjolf, the son of Valgerd.

Gaut clears his forecastle of Vikings by a blow of his tiller, hence called Tiller-Gaut. Verses on his settlement. Thorir worships the grove. Verses in welcome of Hallstein.

Chapter XVII. There was a man named Thorir Snip, son of Ketill Seal (brimil); (102) he arrayed himself for a journey to Iceland: a shipmate of his was named Gaut, but while they lay ready for sea some Vikings came upon them and were minded to plunder them, but Gaut struck the man upon the forecastle with the tiller of his helm (hjálmunvölr) and thereat the Vikings made off. After that he was called Hjalmun-Gautr, i.e. Tiller-Gaut.
        Thorir and his companions came to Iceland and brought their ship in at the mouth of the Skjalfandafljot. (103) Thorir settled Cold-chine between Shadow-rocks and Lightwater-pass; he did not remain there but migrated thence; then he sang this: ---

                Driver of keels! here lieth
                Cold-chine throughout all time;
                But hence, O Tiller-Gaut, we
                All put off, well beholden.

        Thorir afterwards settled all Hnjoskadale to Odeila, and dwelt at Lund (104) = the Grove. He worshipped the grove. (105) His son was Orm Wallet-back, the father of Hlenni the Old, and Thorkell the Black in Hleidrargard, he had for wife Gudlaug, the daughter of Hrolf, their sons were Aungull the Black, and Hrafn, the father of Thord at Stock-lade (Stokkahladir) and Gudrid, whom Thorgeir, the godi at Lightwater, had for wife.
        Thengil much-sailing went from Halogaland to Iceland, he settled land with the advice of Helgi out from Hnjosk river to Furwick; he dwelt at Head; his sons were Vemund, the father of Asolf of Head, and Hallstein, who sang this verse (106) when he returned home from sea and heard of the death of his father: ---

                Now droops the Head
                For Thengill dead ---
                Fell slopes laugh greeting
                At Hallstein's meeting.

        There was a man named Thormod, who settled Firwick and Whale-litter, and all the Strands out to Thorgeirsfirth, his son was Snart, from whom the Snartlings are descended. There was a man named Thorgeir, who settled Thorgeirsfirth and Whalewaterfirth.
        There was a man named Lodin Angle, he was brought up in Angle-isle in Halogaland, he set out for Iceland on account of the tyranny of Earl Hakon, son of Grjotgard, and died at sea, and Eyvind, his son, settled Flateydale up to Gunn-stones, which he worshipped. There lies Odeila between his land and the landtake of Thorir Snip. Asbjörn Dettias (Falling Beam) was the son of Eyvind, the father of Finnbogi the Strong, the father of Narfi, the father of Yngvild, the mother of Jodis, the mother of Halla, the mother of Thorgils, the father of Geirny, the mother of Valgerd, the mother of Helga, whom Snorri, the son of Markus of Melar had for wife.

Notes:
92. Icelandic Bátr, a boat of two or four oars. [Back]
93. Lendr madr is a cheiftain who holds lands from the King. [Back]
94. The deer's horn was generally used, as on the present occasion, for a drinking cup. [Back]
95. In an old Landnama Text (that of the Mela bok) which differs in some places much from the Copenhagen edition (1843) there is a curious addition to this story. It is there said that when Asgrim was in the wood overcome by the cold that the servants of Hallstein overtook him and wounded him fearfully with their spears. He afterwards came to an old woman (Kerling) who having killed a calf, which she had, placed the entrails upon him in such a way that when the servants of Hallstein came there after, they thought that these were his own entrails and that he was wounded to death. When they returned home however, the old woman tended and cured him in a cave. [Back]
96. "Skid." A well-known word as used by coach drivers for an iron slip for wheels to rest in on going down hill; is the same word as Icelandic skið, Norwegian "Ski," the ancient name being öndurr, in English commonly rendered snow shoe-" Skid of harbours = ship. [Back]
97. The land of billows pathway = the tract over which the wave finds its way = surface of the sea, hence, sea, ocean. [Back]
98. Gondul, a Valkyrja; G. of the border = woman. [Back]
99. Stem-stud = ships; steering trunks = commanders; the whole kenning = sea rovers, warriors, men. [Back]
100. Hlokk, a valkyrja; H. that yearns for splendour = woman fond of ornaments, or of white shining flaxen garments. [Back]
101. Ship's garth = shield; the fire thereof = flashing sword, the trunk thereof = warrior, man. [Back]
102. Brimill = phoca fetida masc; a large kind of seal. [Back]
103. The Icelandic word "fljot" which enters into the composition of this place name and also into many other place names in the Book of the Settlement, means "river" in its more modern application, and we seem to have it in a like usage in English river names, as the Fleet river in London --- hence Fleet Street; North Fleet and South Fleet in Kent. Fljot is the name of a County in the North of Iceland. [Back]
104. Lund was applied as the name of a sacred grove, is used in place names, and also surnames in the North of England. [Back]
105. Hann blotaði lundinn = he worshipped the grove. See Exodus xxxiv, 13, --- "But ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cast down their groves." Judges, vi, 25, --- "Throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath and cut down the grove that is by it." [Back]
106. This verse is used metaphorically of the country, of which the hills are said to laugh in welcoming a guest among them and to droop at his departure from them. "Why hop ye so ye high hills" is a phrase used in the Psalms. [Back]