Landnámabók
Part #5
The East Firths were settled first in Iceland; between Hornfjardar and Reykjanes they were latest in being fully settled, as there the storm and the surf impeded men's progress in settlement, on account of the harbourless and storm-swept coast.
Some that came out first settled close to the mountains and marked out for themselves the best land, as their cattle selected the pasturage between the coast and the mountain. Those who came out later on, deemed that the former settlers had appropriated too extensive lands to themselves; but King Harald made them agree to this, that no man should appropriate more land to himself than he and his ship's crew could carry fire across in one day.
They should make fires when the sun was rising in the east (and also smokes should be raised to give them an idea of each others bearings) but the fires that they made in the east were to burn until nightfall, meantime they should walk (carrying fire) until the sun reached the west, and there they were to make other fires (which with the fires they had made in the morning were to form the bounds of the landtake). (1)
Thrasi settles between Kaldaklof-river and Jokul's-river. Hrafn the Foolish settles between Kaldaklof-river and Lambfell-river.
Chapter I. There was a man named Thrasi, the son of Thorolf Hornbreaker, he went from Hordaland to Iceland and took land between Kaldaklof-river and Jokul's-river; he abode at Skogar the easternmost; he was a man of exceeding great strength, and had quarrels with Lodmund the Old as is written before. The son of Thrasi was Geirmund, the father of Thorbjorn, the father of Brand of Skorgar.
Hrafn the Foolish was the name of a man, the son of Valgard, the son of Vermund Wordplane, the son of Thorolf 'Vaganef,' the son of Hrærek Ringslinger, the son of Harald Hildtooth --- the King of the Danes. He went out of Thrandheim to Iceland and took land between Kaldaklof-river and Lambfell-river; he abode at Raudfell the easternmost and was the noblest of Lords. His children were these; Jorund the godi, and Helgi Bluelog and Freygerd.
Asgeir "Kneif" settles land between Lambfell-river and Seljaland-river. Thorgeir settles land between Lambfell-river and Ira-river. Asgerd upon the murder of Ofeig, her husband, by Harald Fairhair, sets out for Iceland with her children; settles between Seljaland-mull and Mark-fleet. Ancestors of Burnt Nial.
Chapter II. There was a man named Asgeir "Kneif," the son of Olaf the White, the son of Skæring, the son of Thorolf, his mother was Thorhild, the daughter of Thorstein Howebreaker; Asgeir went to Iceland and took land between Lambfell-river and Seljaland-river, and dwelt at the place now called Audnar (Wastes); his sons were Jorund and Thorkel, the father of Ogmund, the father of Bishop Jon the Holy. The daughter of Asgeir was Helga, the mother of Thorun, the mother of Thorlak, the father of Thorhall, the father of Bishop Thorlak the Holy.
Thorgeir of Hordaland, the son of Bard Wheghorn, set out from Viggjar in Thrandheim for Iceland, he bought land from Asgeir Kneif between Lambfell-river and Ira-river and abode at Holt. A few winters later he wedded Asgerd, the daughter of Ask the Speechless, and their sons were Thorgrim the Mickle and Holt-Thorir, father of Thorleif Crow and Skor-Geir.
Ofeig was the name of a renowned man in Raumsdalefolk, he had for wife Asgerd, the daughter of Ask the Speechless. Ofeig came to be at enmity with King Harald Fairhair, and on that account arranged himself for a journey to Iceland, and when he was all ready King Harald sent men upon him who took his life, but Asgerd set off with their children. She took up land between Seljaland-mull and Mark-fleet and the whole of Longness all up to Jalda-stone, and abode in the northern skirt of Kataness. The children of Ofeig and Asgerd were these: Thorgeir "gollner" and Thorstein Bottlebeard, Thorbjorn the Quiet and Alof Ellidi-shield, whom Thorberg Cornmull had for wife; their children were Eystein and Hafthora, whom Eid, the son of Skeggi, had for wife. Another daughter of Ofeig was Thorgerd, whom Finn, the son of Otkel, had for wife.
Thorolf, the brother of Asgerd, took land by her counsel to the west of the Fleet, between two rivers both called Dealing-river, and he abode at Thorolf's-fell; there he brought up Thorgeir "gollner," who afterwards abode there; his son was Nial, who was burnt in his house. Asbjorn, the son of Reyrketil, and Steinfinn took land above Cross-river to the east of the Fleet. Steinfinn abode at Steinfinn's-stead, and from him no offspring is come. Asbjorn hallowed his land unto Thor and called it Thorsmark; his son was Ketil the Wealthy, who had for wife Thurid, the daughter of Gollnir; their children were called Helgi and Asgerd.
Ketil Salmon avenges the murder of Thorolf by burning in their house Harek and Hrærek, two of Thorolf's deadliest enemies; afterwards goes to Iceland and settles land between Rang-river and Hroars-brook. His son, Sighvat the Red, settles above the Dealing or 'dividing' river. Three cornered plot of land hallowed by fire and set apart for a Temple.
Chapter III. Ketil Salmon was the name of a much renowned man in Naumdale-folk, a son of Thorkel the Earl of Naumdale, and Hrafnhild the daughter of Ketil Salmon out of Hrafnista. Ketil was then abiding in Naumdale, when King Harald Fairhair sent Hallward Hardfare and Sigtrygg Swiftfarer to Thorolf, the son of Kveldulf, who was a kinsman of Ketil. Then Ketil drew together a band and was minded to give aid to Thorolf; but King Harald went by inland ways over Eldueid and got ships in Naumdale-folk and thus went north to Sandness in Alost and took the life of Thorolf Kveldulf's son, and then went from the north by an outer course and came upon many men who were minded to go and aid Thorolf and his people. At the same time the King dispersed them. But a short time afterwards Ketil Salmon went north to Torgar and burnt within their house Harek and Hrærek, sons of Hildirid, who had slandered Thorolf with a slander unto death, but after this Ketil betook himself to a journey to Iceland, together with Ingun his wife, and their sons.
He brought his ship unto Rang-river mouth and was the first winter at Hrafn-tofts. Ketil took unto him all the lands between Thiors-river (Steers-river) and Mark-fleet, and within there by the counsel of Ketil, many noble men afterwards took lands. Ketil made especially his own the land between Rang-river and Hroars-brook, all down below Frontwater and abode at Hof. So when Ketil had brought most of his goods to Hof, his wife gave birth to Hrafn, who was the first Speaker-at-Law in Iceland, hence the place is called Hrafn-tofts. Salmon kept to himself all lands east of Rang-river the easternmost, together with Vatnsfell all unto the brook that flows east of Broad-lair-stead, as well as the lands above Cross or Thwart-river (Thvera) all but Dafthak's-holt and the moor which he gave to a man called Dafthak; Salmon was a man of exceeding great strength. Another son of Salmon was called Helgi, he had for wife Valdis Jolgeir's daughter, and their daughter was Helga, whom Oddbjorn Ash-smith had for wife; after him Addbjorn's tomb bears its name. The children of Oddbjorn and Helga were these: Hroald, Kolbein, Holfinna, and Asvor. A third son of Salmon was Horolf, whose children were these: Orm the Strong, Otkel, and Hrafnhild, whom Gunnar, the son of Baug, had for wife; their son was Hamund, the father of Gunnar of Lithe-end. A fourth son of Salmon was called Vestar, who had for wife her who was called Moeid; their daughter was Asmy, who was the wife of Ofeig Snake; their children were these: Asmund Beardless, Asbjorn, Aldis, the mother of Brand of Vellir, and Asvor, the mother of Helgi the Swart; another daughter was called Asa. A fifth son of Salmon was called Herjolf, who was the father of Sumarlidi, the father of Vetrlidi the Scald, both of whom lived at Sumarlidis-by, a place that now is called Under-Brinks (Undir-Brekkum). Thangbrand the Priest and Gudleif Arason of Reek-Holar slew Vetrlidi for lampooning them, Sæbjorn the godi was a son of Hrafn, the son of Hœng (Salmon), he had for wife Unn, the daughter of Sigmund; a son of theirs was called Arngeir.
Sighvat the Red was the name of a noble man in Halogaland, who had for wife Rannveig, the daughter of Eyvind Lambi and of Sigrid, whom Thorolf, the son of Kveldulf, had had for wife before. Rannveig was the sister of Finn the Squinter. Sighvat went to Iceland by his own desire, and took land by the counsel of Salmon in his landtake, to the west of Markfleet, the Mark of Einhyrning, to wit above Dealing-river, and he abode at Lairstead (Bolstad); his son was Sigmund, the father of Mord Gig, (2) and of Sigfus in Hlid, and of Lambi at Lambi's-stead, and of Rannveig, whom Hamund Gunnar's son had for wife, and of Thorgerd, whom Onund Bill in Floi had for wife. Another son of Sighvat was Barek, the father of Thord, the father of Stein. Jorund the godi, the son of Raven the Foolish, settled to the west of the Fleet at a place now called Sverting's-stead, where he reared a great temple. A three-cornered plot of land lay unappropriated to the east of the Fleet, between Cross-river and Jalda-stone. This plot of land Jorund went round by fire and set it aside for the temple. Jorund had for wife Thurid, the daughter of Thorbjorn from Gaular; their son was Valgard the godi, the father of Mord, and Ulf the "orgodi," from whom are descended the men of Oddi and the Sturlungs, and from Jorund are come many great men in Iceland.
Thorkel Bandaged-leg took land by the counsel of Salmon, round the Three Corner (Thríhyrning) and abode beneath that mountain, he was a man of exceeding great strength. The children of Thorkel were these: Bork the Bluetooth-beard, the father of Starkad beneath Three Corner, and Thorny, whom Orm the Strong had for wife, and Dagrun the mother of Bersi.
Notes:
1. This portion has been put in Italics as it appears in Italics in the original Icelandic. ---- Translator. [Back]
2. Gig = Fiddle: and in the Saga of Burnt Nial, of which he is one of the most distinguished characters, he is called Fiddle Mord. See Dasent's "Burnt-Niall." [Back]
<< Previous Page Next Page >>
© 2004-2007 Northvegr.
Most of the material on this site is in the public domain. However, many people have worked very hard to bring these texts to you so if you do use the work, we would appreciate it if you could give credit to both the Northvegr site and to the individuals who worked to bring you these texts. A small number of texts are copyrighted and cannot be used without the author's permission. Any text that is copyrighted will have a clear notation of such on the main index page for that text. Inquiries can be sent to info@northvegr.org. Northvegr™ and the Northvegr symbol are trademarks and service marks of the Northvegr Foundation.
|