Part #4

Eyvind Carp settles near Allmen's-Fleet. Ketil the Foolish from the Hebrides settles between Geirland's-river and Firth-river --- lives at Kirkby, former abode of the Papar. Vilbald from Ireland comes ashore at Kudafljot's-mouth and dwells at Buland.

Chapter XI. Eyvind Carp settled land between Allmen's-Fleet and Geirland's-river, and dwelt at Fors to the west of Modolfsgnup; his sons were these: Modolf, the father of Hrolf and Ketil and Astrid Manwit-breaker, another was Onund, father of Thraslaug, the mother of Tyrfing and of Halldor, the father of Tyrfing, the father of Teit. Before Allmens'-Fleet burst out (of the glacier) the stream there was called Rafter's-brook.
        There was a man named Ketil the Foolish, son of Jorun Manwit-breaker, the daughter of Ketil Flatnose; he went from Sodor to Iceland. He was a Christian and settled land between Geirland's-river and Firth-river above Newcome. Ketil dwelt at Kirkby (Kirkjubæ) --- there the Papar had formerly had their abode, and no heathen men might settle there. Ketil was father of Asbjorn, the father of Thorstein, the father of Surt, the father of Sigvat the Speaker-at-law, the father of Kolbein. The daughter of Asbjorn was named Hild, the mother of Thorir, the father of Hild, whom Skarphedin had for wife. Thorbjorg was the name of the daughter of Ketil the Foolish; her Vali, the son of Lodmund the Old, had for wife.
        There was a man named Bodmod, who settled between Driving and Firth-river and up to Bodmod's-horn; he dwelt at Bodmod's-Tongue. His son was Oleif, from whom Oleif's-Burg received its name: he lived at Holt. His son was Vestar, the father of Helgi, the father of Gro, whom Glasdir had for wife. Eystein the Big went from Sunnmæri to Iceland; he settled to the east of Geirland's-river, over against the claim of Ketil the Foolish, and dwelt in Geirland; his son was Thorstein of Ditch-Peak. Eystein, son of Hrani, the son of Hildir Parak, went from Norway to Iceland: he bought lands of Eystein the Big, which he had settled there and which he said were called Middle-lands; he dwelt at Skard; his children were Hildir and Thorljot, whom Thorstein at Ditch Peak had for wife. Hildir wished to flit his dwelling to Kirkby after Ketil, thinking that a heathen might dwell there, but when he came near the fence of the homefield, he died very suddenly and he lies there in Hildir's-Howe.
        There was a man named Vilbald, brother of Askel Knokkan; he went from Ireland to Iceland and he had that ship which he called 'Kudi,' and he came to Kuda-fljots-mouth; he settled Tongueland between Shaft-river and Holm's-river, and dwelt at Buland; his children were Bjolan, father of Thorstein and Olver Mouth and Bjollok, whom Aslak 'orgodi' had for wife.
        There was a man named Leidolf Champion; he settled land to the east of Shaft-river unto Driving and dwelt at River to the east of Shaft-river out from Skal, and he had another homestead at Leidolf-stead under Leidolf's-fell, and there were at that time many dwellings. Leidolf was father of Thorun, the mother of Hroar Tongue-godi. Hroar married Arngunn, the daughter of Hamund, a sister of Gunnar from Hlidarendi; their children were Hamund the Halt, and Ormhild. The son of Hroar and a bondwoman was named Vebrand; Hroar seized Thorun Brow, the daughter of Thorgils from Hvamm in Midgedale; their son was named Thorfinn. Hroar dwelt first at Ridges, afterwards he took Loon-Peak's-land (Lomagnupsland) from Eystein, son of Thorstein Titling and of Aud, the daughter of Eyvind, a sister of Modolf and Brandi.
        Thraslaug was the daughter of Thorstein Titling, and her Thord Freysgodi had for wife. Onund Walletback, a kinsman of the children of Thorstein, challenged Hroar to the Holmgang at Skaplafell Thing and fell at the feet of Hroar. Thorstein Upplending took Thorun Brow and had her with him abroad. Hroar also went abroad and in that journey he slew Thrast the Bearserk at the Holmgang, because he wished to marry Sigrid, his wife, against her will, but Thorstein and Hroar made peace between them. (23) The sons of Modolf were at the slaughter of Hroar, also Thorir their brother-in-law, Brandi from Peaks, and Steinolf his neighbour. Hamund took vengeance for the slaughter of Hroar and his company.

Hrafn Haven-Key foretells a volcanic eruption. Death song of Vermund the Blacksmith. Mould-Gnup the Blacksmith, his brother, settles Kudafleet and Swan's-haunts. Bjorn, his son, dreams of the rock-dweller; his great prosperity resulting therefrom.

Chapter XII. There was a man named Isolf. He came out late in the Landnamtide and challenged Vilbald to the Holmgang for his lands. Vilbald would not fight but went away from Buland. He then became possessed of land between Kudafljot and Shaft-river. His son was Hrani of Hranastead, and his daughter was Bjorg, whom Onund, the son of Eyvind the Carp, had for wife. Thraslaug was their daughter, whom Thorarin, son of Olvir at Head, had for wife.
        Hrafn Haven-Key was a great Viking, he came to Iceland to settled land between Holm's-river and Isle's-river and dwelt at Din-Shaws (Dynskogar). He foretold a volcanic eruption, and moved his dwelling to Low-isle (Lágey): his son was Aslak 'orgodi' and from him the Lowislanders are descended. There was a man named Hrolf the Hewing, he dwelt at Nordmæri, at a place named Mould-Town (Molda-tún); his sons were Vermund and Mould-Gnup; they were men great at manslaughters and smiths in iron. Vemund sang the following, once when he was in his smithy: ---

                Alone I bore
                From those eleven (24)
                The weird of bane (25):
                Blow thou faster.

        Gnup went to Iceland on account of his own and his brother's manslaughters and settled land between Kuda-fleet and Isles-river, and all Swans Haunts (Alftaver); there was a great standing-water then and swan catches thereon. Molda Gnup sold from his landtake to many men, and it became thickly peopled, until the earth-fire i.e. lava flowed adown there; when they fled westward to Head-Brink (Hofda-brekka), and made there tent-dwellings in the place which now is called Tent-field (Tjaldavöllr). But Vermund, the son of Sigmund Kleykir, would not allow them abidance there, so they went to Horse-garth (Hrossgard) and made a house there and sat there over the winter and quarrels and manslaughters befell there among them. But in the following spring Molda-Gnup and his companions went west to Grind-wick and took up their abode there. They had a scanty store of livestock. By then the sons of Mould (Molda) Gnup, Bjorn and Gnup, Thorstein Hrungnir and Thord Leg-wielder, were of ripe age.
        Bjorn dreamed one night that a rock-dweller came to him and made him an offer of partnership and he thought he accepted it; whereupon a he-goat (hafr) came to his goats, and his flocks then bred so quickly that he was speedily rolling in riches; thence he was called Hegoat-(Hafr) Bjorn (Bjorn of the he-goat). Men who had the power of second sight saw that all the guardian spirits of the land followed Hegoat-Bjorn to the Thing, and that they accompanied Thorstein and Thord in hunting and fishing.
        Hegoat-Bjorn had for wife Jorun, the step-daughter of Gnup his brother; their son was Sverting, who had for wife Hungerd, the daughter of Thorodd, the son of Tungu-Odd and of Jofrid the daughter of Gunnar. Their daughter was Thorbjorg, the mother of Sveinbjorn, the father of Botolf, the father of Thordis, the mother of Helga, the mother of Gudny, the mother of the sons of Sturla. Gnup, son of Molda-Gnup, had for wife Arnbjorg, the daughter of Rathorm; a daughter of Molda-Gnup was called Idun, whom Tjorvar of Swans-ness had for wife; a son of theirs was Thormod, as has been written before.

Eystein wrecks his vessel and settles Fairdale. Olver, son of Eystein, settles land east of Grim's-river. Sigmund Kleykir settles land from Grim's-river to Carlines-river. Names of most distinguished settlers in Eastfirth's Quarter.

Chapter XIII. There was a man named Eystein, son of Thorstein-Drangakarl (that is fond of climbing sea-rocks, 'drangar'); he went to Iceland from Halogaland (26) and wrecked his ship and was hurt himself among the spars. He settled Fairdale, but a Carline (old woman) was washed ashore from his ship into Carlines (27) Firth (Kerlingarfjord) where now there is Headriver-sand (Höfdársandr). Olver, son of Eystein, settled land to the east of Grim's-river; no man had dared to settle there on account of the guardian spirits of the land since Hjorleif was slain. (28) Olver dwelt at Head; his son was Thorarin at Head, a brother by one and the same mother of Halldor, the son of Ornolf, whom Mord Orækja slew under Hamrar and brother by one and the same mother of Arnor, whom Flosi and Kolbein, the sons of Thord Freysgodi, slew at Skaptafells Thing.
        Sigmund Kleykir was the son of Onund Bill, he took land between Grim's-river and Carlines-river, which fell there to the west of Head; from Sigmund are three Bishops descended, Thorlak, and Pal, and Brand. There was a man named Bjorn, rich and a great dandy, he went to Iceland from Valdres and settled land between Carlines-river and Hegoat-river, and dwelt at Reynir (i.e. the Rowan Trees). He had ill dealings with Lodmund the Old. From Reyni-Bjorn the Holy Bishop Thorlak is descended. Lodmund the Old settled land between Hegoat's-river and Foul-brook, as was writ afore; what was then named Foul-brook is now called Jokul's-river on Sunhome-sand, which divides the land quarters. Lodmund the Old, at Solheim, had six sons or more; one of his sons was named Vali, the father of Sigmund, who married Oddlaug, the daughter of Eyvind from Orkney. Another son of Lodmund was named Sumarlidi, the father of Thorstein Hollowmouth in Mark, the father of Thora, the mother of Stein, the father of Thora, the mother of Surt the White, the step-son of Skapti, he was the son of Sumarlid. Skapti the Lawspeaker married Thora later than Sumarlidi, as is told in the landtake of the race of the Olfusings. The third son of Lodmund was named Vermund, the father of Thorkatla, whom Thorstein Vifil had for wife; their daughter was Arnkatla, the mother of Hroi and Thordis, whom Stein Brandsson had for wife; their daughter was Thora. The fourth was named Ari, the fifth was named Hroald, the sixth son of Lodmund was named Oleif, a bastard, he had to wife Thraslaug, the daughter of Eyvind from Orkney; she was sister to Oddlaug; from all these many men are descended.
        Now has been written of the landtakes of the Eastfirth Quarter, according to what able and learned men have said; in that quarter there have been many men of greatness and many matters for great sagas have befallen there. These have been the greatest settlers, namely: Thorstein the White, Brynjolf the Old, Porridge-Atli, and Ketil, the sons of Thridrandi-Hrafnkel the godi, Bodvar the White, Hrollaug, son of Earl Rögnvald, Ozur, son of Asbjorn, son of Asbjorn, the son of Heyjang-Bjorn, from whom the Freysgydlings are descended; Ketil the Foolish and Leidolf Champion.

Notes:
23. That is in respect of Thorstein's robbery of Thorun Brow, the concubine of Hroar. [Back]
24. "I bore it from the eleven" = it rests on me, it is the burden of fate I carry away from the encounter, I slew them all. [Back]
25. Letale fatum. [Back]
26. "Halogaland" means literally "the land of the northern lights," and is the country in Norway which begins to the north of Naumdale. [Back]
27. Carline, Icelandic Kerling, still means old woman or witch in the west of Scotland. [Back]
28. For an account of the murder of Hjorleif, see Book of Settlement, Part I, Chapter 6. [Back]