1085

Part #4

HISTORY OF THORIR THE SILENT
The son of Bodvar was Thorstein, who had for wife Thordis, the daughter of Ozur Keiliselg, the son of Hrollaug; their son was Side Hall; he married Joreid, the daughter of Thidrandi, and from thence are descended a great kindred. Thorstein was a son of theirs, he was the father of Amundi, the father of Gudrun, the mother of Thordis, the mother of Helga, the mother of Gudny, the mother of the sons of Sturla. Brandonund settled to the north of Mula-Kambsdale and Melrakkanes, and up to Hamar's river, and many men are descended from him.
Thord Skeggi, son of Hrapp, son of Bjorn buna, married Vilborg, daughter of Osvald, and of Ulfrun, the daughter of Eadmund. Thord went to Iceland and settled in Lon, to the north of Jokul's river, between it and Lon's Heath, and dwelt at Bær or By for ten winters longer. There he heard news of his High Seat Pillars being found (17) in Leiruvag or Miry-Creek, south of the Heath (18) so he betook himself westward thither and abode at Skeggistead as was written before. He then sold his lands in the Lon to Ulfljot, (19) who brought laws out hither from Norway to Iceland. The daughter of Thord was Helga, whom Ketilbjorn at Mosfell had for wife.

[It was the beginning of the preamble of the heathen laws that men should not take ships to sea with carved figure heads upon their stems, but if they did, they should take them off before they came in sight of land and not sail to land with gaping heads or yawning snouts lest the guardian feys of the land should be scared thereat.
A ring weighing two ounces or more should lie on the stall in every chief Temple, and this ring should every chief or godi have upon his arm at all public law-motes (logthing) at which he should be at the head of affairs, having first reddened it in the blood of a neat which he himself had sacrificed there. Every man who was there to transact any business, as by law provided by the Court, should first take an oath upon that ring and name for the purpose two or more witness in evidence, he was to say, that I take oath upon the ring, a lawful one (lögeid) so help me Frey and Niord and the Almighty God, to this end that I shall in this case prosecute or defend or bear witness or give award or pronounce doom according to what I know to be most right and most true and most lawful, and that I will deal lawfully with all such matters in law as I have to deal with while I am at this Thing." Then was the land divided into Quarters, and it was decided that there should be three Things in each Quarter and three Temples in each Thing Commune (20) i.e. Thing District or Community, and that men should be selected according to wisdom and righteousness to have ward of the Temple, and they were to nominate Courts of Judges at the Things and to regulate the proceedings of lawsuits, and therefore were they called godar or Priests; and every man should pay toll to the Temple as now they pay tithes to the Church.]

Thorstein Leg goes from the Hebrides to Iceland --- settles all lands from north of the Horn to Jokul's-river --- returns to the Hebrides. Rögnvald Earl of Mæri and his three sons, of whom Hrollaug is sent to Iceland and Einar volunteers for the Orkneys.

Chapter VIII. Thorstein Leg, (21) son of Bjorn Bluetooth, went from the Hebrides to Iceland, and settled all lands from the north of the Horn to Jokul's-river in Lon, and dwelt at Bodvarsholt three winters, and then sold his lands again and went back to the Hebrides.
Rögnvald, Earl of Mæri, son of Eystein Glumra, the son of Ivar, an Earl of the Upplendings, the son of Halfdan the Old, had for wife Ragnhild, the daughter of Hrolf the Beaked; their son was Ivar, who fell in the Hebrides, fighting with King Harald Fairhair. Another son was Gaungu-Hrolf (22) who conquered Normandy; from him are descended the Earls of Rouen and the Kings of England; the third was Earl Thorir the Silent, who had for wife Alof Year-betterment, the daughter of King Harald Fairhair, and their daughter was Bergljot, the mother of Earl Hakon the Mighty.
Earl Rögnvald had three base-born sons: one called Hrollaug, another Einar, a third Hallad, who tumbled from his station of Earl in the Orkneys, and when Earl Rögnvald heard thereof, he called together his sons and asked who of them was then minded to go to the islands, and Thorir bade the Earl do as he pleased concerning his journey; the Earl said he had spoken well, but said he should abide there (at Mæri) and have that dominion there after his day. Then Hrolf stepped forward and volunteered to go (to Orkney); Rögnvald said it suited him well, inasmuch as he was both strong and valiant, but he was minded to think that his temper was too wild for him to settle down now already in the rule of lands. Then Hrollaug stepped forward and asked if it was his will that he should go; but Rögnvald said he would not be likely to become an Earl; thy ways lead out to Iceland; in that land thou wilt be deemed a noble man and become prosperous in thy kindred, but here destiny hath nought in store for thee. Then Einar stepped forward and said: let me go to Orkney, and I will promise thee what thou wilt deem the best, that thereafter I shall never come within the sight of thine eyes. The Earl answers: I am well content that thou go away, however scanty hope I have about thee, for all thy mother's kin is thrall-born. Thereupon Einar fared west and subdued to him the islands as is told in his saga. But Hrollaug betook himself to King Harald and stayed with him for a while, because, after this, father and son could not agree together.

Voyage and Settlement of Hrollaug --- keeps up allegiance with Harald Fairhair --- accepts from him sword, alehorn, and gold ring. Settlement of Hrollaug's sons.

Chapter IX. Hrollaug went to Iceland by the advice of King Harald, and had with him his wife and sons. He came up in the east at Horn and there cast overboard his High Seat Pillars, which were borne to land in Hornfirth, but he himself was driven away beyond the land to the westward and fell in with a rough tossing about with scarcity of water. They landed in Miry-Creek in the Nesses; there he was the first winter. Then he had news of his High Seat Pillars, and from thence he went to the east; he was for another winter under Ingolf's-fell. Thence he went eastward to Hornfirth and took land eastward of Horn in westward to Folds'-river, and resided first under Skard-brink in Hornfirth, but afterwards he abode at Breidabols-stead in Fellshverfi. By then he had parted with those lands which were north from Borgarhofn, but he retained until the day of his death the lands which were south from Hreggsgerdismuli. Hrollaug was a great lord and kept up friendship with King Harald, but never went aboad. King Harald sent to Hrollaug a sword, an alehorn and a gold ring which weighed five ounces.
Afterwards Kol, son of Side Hall, owned that sword, and Kolskegg Deep-in-lore had seen the horn. Hrollaug was father of Ozur Keilis-elk, who married Gro, the daughter of Thord Evilmind; their daughter was Thordis, the mother of Hall o' Side. Another son of Hrollaug was Hroald, father of Ottar Hvalro, the father of Gudlaug, the mother of Thorgerd, the mother of Jarngerd, the mother of Valgerd, the mother of Bodvar, the father of Gudny, the mother of the Sturlungs. Onund was the third son of Hrollaug. Hall o' Side had for wife Joreid, the daughter of Thidrandi; their son was Thorstein, the father of Magnus, the father of Einar, the father of Magnus the Bishop. Another son of Hall was Egil, father of Thorgerd, the mother of Bishop John the Holy. Thorvard, the son of Hall, was the father of Thordis, the mother of Jorun, the mother of Hall the Priest, the father of Gizur, the father of Bishop Magnus, and of Thorvald, the father of Earl Gizur. Yngvild, the daughter of Hall, was mother of Thorey, the mother of Sæmund the Priest Deep-in-lore. Thorstein, the son of Hall, was father of Gudrid, the mother of Joreid, the mother of Ari the Priest Deep-in-lore. Thorgerd, the daughter of Hall, was the mother of Yngvild, the mother of Ljot, the father of Jarngerd, the mother of Valgerd, the mother of Bodvar, the father of Gudny, the mother of the sons of Sturla.

Ketil, Audun the Red and Thorstein the Squinter buy land of Hrollaug. Vors-Ulf settles Papyli and Breidabolstead. Thord Evilmind wrecks his ship upon Broadriversand. Settles between Jokul's-river and Folds-river. Sons of Asbjorn settle round Ingolf's-stead. Peak-bird settles Fljotshverfi and the Peaks.

Chapter X. There was a man named Ketil, to whom Hrollaug sold Hornfirthstrand, east of Horn, west to Hamrar; he dwelt at Middlefell; from him are the Hornfirthers descended. Audun the Red bought land of Hrollaug westward from Hamrar and out on the other side to Vidbord; he dwelt at Hofsfell or Templefell, and raised there a great Temple; from him are the Hofsfellings descended. Thorstein the Squinter bought land of Hrollaug, all from Vidbord south over the Meres and to Heinaberg-river; his son was Vestmar, from whom the Meremen are descended. Ulf from Vors bough land of Hrollaug south from Honeberg-river to Hreggsgerdismuli, and dwelt at Scalefell first of all men; from him are the Vorsmen descended. Afterwards Ulf moved his abode to Papyli and dwelt at Breidabolstead and there is his burial mound and also the burial mound of Thorgeir. Thorgeir was the son of Vors-Ulf and dwelt at Hof in Papyli.
Thord Evilmind, son of Eyvind Oak-crook, wrecked his ship at Broadriversand. Hrollaug gave him land between Jokul's-river and Folds-river and he dwelt under the fell at Broad-river; his sons were Örn the Strong, who quarrelled with Thordis, the Earl's daughter, the sister of Hrollaug, and Eyvind the Smith; his daughters were Groa, whom Ozur had for wife, and Thordis, the mother of Thorbjorg, the mother of Thordis, the mother of Thord Evilmind, who slew Fighting-Skuli.
There was a man named Asbjorn, son of Heyjang-Bjorn, a hersir from Sogn, he was the son of Helgi, the son of Helgi, the son of Bjorn Buna. Asbjorn went to Iceland and died at sea, but Thorgerd his wife, and their sons came out and settled all the countryside of Ingolf's-head between Folds-river and Jokul's-river, and she dwelt at Sandfell; and Gudlaug, the son of her and Asbjorn, after her; from him the Sandfellings are descended. Another of their sons was Thorgils, from whom the Hnappfellings are descended; the third was Ozur, the father of Thord Freys-godi, from whom many men are descended.
Helgi was another son of Heyjang-Bjorn, he went to Iceland and dwelt at Redbrook; his son was Hildir, from whom the Redbrookmen are descended. Bard, who has been mentioned before, was a third son of Heyjang-Bjorn, he first settled Barddale in the north, and then he went south over Hope Pass by the Bardgate (Bardargata) and settled all Fljotshverfi, and dwelt at Peaks; then he was called Peak's-Bard. His sons were Thorstein and Sigmund, third Egil, fourth Gisli, fifth Nefstein, sixth Thorbjorn Krum, seventh Hjor, eighth Thorgrim, ninth Bjorn, the father of Geiri at Lundar, the father of Thorkel the Leech, the father of Geiri, the father of Thorkel the Canon regular, a friend of Bishop Thorlak the Saint, who founded the monastery at Thickby.

Notes:
17. A.D. 927. [Back]
18. That is south of the Heath of Mossfell, Miry Creek being in the neighbourhood of Reykjavik. [Back]
19. For institution of Althing, see page 26. In another MS. of the Landnama it is stated that Ulfljot brought out law from Norway to Iceland in 927, when he was 60 years old; and that three years after this he instituted the Althing. [Back]
20. Originally a shire having a meeting or Parliament of its own. [Back]
21. Throughout the Book of the Settlement is found evidence, as in this instance, of the settlement of the Norsemen in the Hebrides, and of their passing to and from Iceland. The Place Names of the Hebrides bear abundant testimony to this. There we find that almost every local name is Norse. The names of the farms end as in Norway in seter and ster, and the hills are called how, hog, and holl. The names of the smaller burghs have the Norwegian suffix vœ as Westvœ, Aithsvœ, Laxvœ, and Hammavœ. We find also Burrafiord, Saxaford, Lerwick, and Sandwick. [Back]
22. Gaungu-Hrolf = Rolf the Ganger, see chapter on Harald Fairhair in the Introduction to this volume. [Back]