Icelandic Sagas - Erik The Red, Part 1
Please enjoy the first half of the saga of Erik the Red! It is believed that the Icelandic Sagas were written down in the 13th and 14th centuries. They recount the family tales of Icelanders from the 10th and 11th centuries. The Norse explorer Erik the Red is credited with being the first European to found a settlement in Greenland...and one of his sons, Leif Erikson is credited with being the first European to find North America!
Transcript
Hello Thank you so much for joining me for this reading of the saga of Erik the Red from the sagas of the Icelanders which is a large collection of stories from medieval times in Iceland It's believed the sagas were written down in the 13th and 14th centuries and they describe families and events from the 10th and 11th centuries in Iceland There's often a lot of struggles and conflicts in these stories and They're a fascinating Insight into life back then Erik the Red is often credited with founding the first European settlement in Greenland and one of his sons,
Leif Erikson,
Is Also credited as being the first European to Find the Americas,
North America so interesting family of explorers and Let's dive into the saga of Erik the Red Chapter 1 Olaf,
Who was called Olaf the White,
Was styled a warrior king He was the son of King Ingjald,
The son of Helgi,
The son of Olaf,
The son of Gudreth,
The son of Haltein Whiteleg,
King of the Uplands in Norway He led a harrying expedition of sea rovers into the West and conquered Dublin in Ireland and Dublin Shire,
Over which he made himself king He married Ord,
The deep-minded daughter of Ketil Flatnose,
Son of Björn the Ungarted,
A nobleman from Norway Their son was named Þorstein the Red Olaf fell in battle in Ireland and Then Ord and Þorstein went into the Suðreyr,
The Hebrides There Þorstein married Þorrid,
Daughter of Eivind the Easterling,
Sister of Helgi the Lean,
And They had many children Þorstein became a warrior king and formed an alliance with Earl Sigurðr the Great,
Son of Æstein the Rattler They conquered Caithness,
Sutherland,
Ross and Moray and more than half Scotland Over these Þorstein was king Until the Scots plotted against him and he fell there in battle Ord was in Caithness when she heard of Þorstein's death Then she caused a merchant ship to be secretly built in the wood and when she was ready Directed her course out into the Orkneys There she gave in marriage Þorstein the Red's daughter,
Gróð,
Who became mother of Grellad Whom Earl Þorfinn,
The Skullcleaver,
Married Afterwards,
Ord set out to seek Iceland,
Having 20 free men in her ship Ord came to Iceland and passed the first winter in Bjarnahut,
Björnshaven,
With her brother Bjarn Afterwards,
She occupied all the Dale country between the Dogadara,
Daymeal River and the Skrömmarlöpsa,
River of the giantess's leap,
And dwelt at Kvam She had prayer meetings at Krosholar,
Cross hills,
Where she caused crosses to be erected For she was baptized and deeply devoted to the faith There came with her to Iceland many men worthy of honor who had been taken captive in sea roving expeditions to the west and who were called bondmen One of these was named Vifil He was a man of high family and had been taken captive beyond the western main and was also called a bondman before Ord set him free And when Ord granted dwellings to her ship's company,
Vifil asked why she gave no abode to him like unto the others Ord replied that it was of no moment to him for She said he would be esteemed in Whatever place he was as one worthy of honor She gave him Vifilsdal Vifilsdale,
And he dwelt there and married His sons were Thorbjörn and Thorger Promising men and they grew up in their father's house Chapter two There was a man named Thorvald the son of Asvald,
The son of Ulf,
The son of Iksna Thoris His son was named Eirik Father and son removed from Jæðar in Norway to Iceland because of manslaughter and occupied land in Hjortstrandir and dwelt at Drangar There Thorvald died and Eirik then married Fjólthild daughter of Jorund,
The son of Atli and of Thorbjörk,
The ship-breasted Whom afterwards Thorbjörn of the Haukadalur Haukdal family married He it was who dwelt at Eirikstæðr after Eirik removed from the north It is near Vatslhor Then did Eirik's thralls cause a landslip on the estate of Valthjof at Valthjofstæðr Eiljólf the Foul,
His kinsmen,
Slew the thralls beside Skæðbrekkur slopes of the racecourse above Vatslhor In return Eirik slew Eiljólf the Foul He slew also Hrapp the Jeweller at Leikskællr play booths Gerstein and Odd of Jorfi kinsmen of Eiljólf were found willing to follow up his death by a legal prosecution and Then was Eirik banished from Haukadalur He occupied then Brokei and Eiksne and dwelt at Træðir in Suðre the first winter At this time did he lend to Þorgest pillars for seat stocks Afterwards Eirik removed into Eiksne and dwelt at Eirikstæðr he then claimed his pillars and Got them not Then went Eirik and fetched the pillars from Breiðarbólstæðr and Þorgest went after him they fought at a short distance from the hayyard at Drangar and There fell two sons of Þorgest and some other men After that,
They both kept a large body of men together Styr gave assistance to Eirik as Also did Eiljólf of Svine Þorbjörn,
Vifilsson and the sons of Þorbrand of Alptafjallr,
Svanfjörð but the sons of Þorðgellir as also Þorgeir of Hittardalur Hotdale Aslak of Langadalur Longdale and Eillogi his son gave assistance to Þorgest Eirik and his people were outlawed at Þorsnes þing he prepared a ship in Eiriksfager creek and Eiljólf concealed him in Dimmunnafager whilst Þorgest and his people sought him among the islands Eirik said to his people that he purposed to seek for the land which Gunnbjörn the son of Ulf the crow saw when he was driven westwards over the ocean and discovered Gunnbjörnaskir Gunnbjörns rock or skerry He promised that he would return to visit his friends if he found the land Þorbjörn and Eiljólf and Styr accompanied Eirik beyond the islands They separated in the most friendly manner Eirik saying that he would be of the like assistance to them if he should be able so to be and They should happen to need him Then he sailed oceanwards under Snæfellsjökull snow mountain glacier and Arrived at the glacier called Blauserkur blue shirt Thence he journeyed south to see if there were any inhabitants of the country He passed the first winter at Eiriksey near the middle of the Vestribyggd western settlement The following spring he proceeded to Eiriksfjöllur and fixed his abode there During the summer he proceeded into the unpeopled districts in the west And was there a long time Giving names to the places far and wide The second winter he passed in Eirikshölmur Isles of Kvarsnupur,
Peak of disappearance Cape Farewell And the third summer he went altogether northwards to Snæfellsjökull and into Hrapsfjöllur Ravensfjöllur Considering then that he had come to the head of Eiriksfjöllur He turned back and passed the third winter in Eiriksey before the mouth of Eiriksfjöllur Now Afterwards during the summer he proceeded to Iceland and came to Breidefjöllur Broadfjöllur This winter he was with Ingolf at Holmlater,
Island litter During the spring Thorgesten he fought and Eirik met with defeat After that they were reconciled In the summer Eirik went to live in the land which he had discovered and which he called Greenland because said he men will desire much the more to go there if the land Has a good name Chapter three Thorger Vifilsson married and took to wife Arnor daughter of Einar from Løygebrekker The slope of the hot spring The son of Sigmund,
The Aeon of Kettil Thistil who had occupied Thistilsfjöllur The second daughter of Einar was named Halthey Thorger Vifilsson took her to wife and Received with her the land of Løygebrekker at Hettlisfjöll The cave hill to that spot Thorbjørn removed his abode and became great and worshipful He was the temple priest and had a magnificent estate Thorbjørns daughter was Gudrith the fairest of women and Of peerless nobility in all her conduct There was a man named Orn Who dwelt at Arnastapi Eagle Rock and he had a wife who was named Halthis he was a well-to-do Franklin a great friend of Thorbjørn and Gudrith lived at his house as his foster child for a long time There was a man named Thorger who dwelt at Thorgersfjöll fell He was mighty rich in cattle and had been made a freed man He had a son whose name was Einar a handsome man well-mannered and a great dandy Einar at this time was a traveling merchant sailing from land to land with great success and He always passed his winter either in Iceland or in Norway Now After this,
I have to tell how that one autumn when Einar was in Iceland He proceeded with his wares along Snæfellsnes with the object of selling He came to Arnastapi Orn invited him to stay there and Einar accepted his invitation because there was friendship between him and Orn's people and His wares were earned into a certain outhouse There he unpacked his merchandise showed it to Orn and the housemen and Bade Orn take there from such things as he would Orn accepted the offer And pronounced Einar to be a goodly gallant traveler and a great favorite of fortune When now they were busy with the wares a woman passed before the door of the outhouse Einar inquired of Orn Who that fair woman might be?
Passing before the door.
I have not seen her here before said he That is Gudrith my foster child said Orn Daughter of Thorbjörn the Franklin from Løgabreka She must be a good match said Einar Surely,
She has not been without suitors who have made proposals for her has she?
Orn answered Proposals have certainly been made friend but this treasure Is not to be had for the picking up It is found that she will be particular in her choice as Well as also her father Well In spite of that Quoth Einar She is the woman whom I have it in my mind to propose for and I wish that in this suit of mine you approach her father on my part and Apply yourself to plead Diligently for me For which I shall pay you in return a perfect friendship the Franklin Thorbjörn May reflect that our families would be suitably joined in the bonds of affinity for He is a man in a position of great honor and owns a fine abode But his personal property I am told is greatly on the decrease neither I nor my father lack lands or personal property and If this alliance should be brought about The greatest assistance would accrue to Thorbjörn Then answered Orm of a surety I Consider myself to be thy friend and yet Am I not willing to bring forward this suit?
For Thorbjörn is of a proud mind and with all a very ambitious man Einar replied that he desired no other thing Than that his offer of marriage should be made known Orm then consented to undertake his suit and Einar journeyed south again until he came home a While After Thorbjörn had a harvest feast as He was bound to have because of his great rank There were present Orm from Arnastapi and many other friends of Thorbjörn Orm entered into conversation with Thorbjörn and told him how that Einar had lately been to see him from Thorkellsfjall and Was become a promising man He now began the wooing on behalf of Einar and said that an Alliance between the families would be very suitable on account of certain interests There may arise to thee Franklin.
He said great assistance in thy means from this alliance But Thorbjörn answered I Did not expect the like proposal from thee That I should give my daughter in marriage to the son of a thrall and So thou perceivest that my substance is decreasing Well,
Then My daughter shall not go home with thee since thou considerest her worthy of so poor a match Then went Orm home again and each of the other guests to his own household and Gudrid remained with her father and Stayed at home that winter Now In the spring Thorbjörn made a feast to his friends and a goodly banquet was prepared There came many guests and the banquet was of the best Now at the banquet Thorbjörn called for a hearing and thus spake Here have I dwelt a long time I have experienced the goodwill of men and their affection towards me and I consider that our dealings with one another have been mutually agreeable But now Do my money matters Begin to bring me uneasiness Although to this time my condition has not been reckoned contemptible I Wish therefore to break up my household before I Lose my honor to remove from the country before I disgrace my family So now I Purpose to look after the promises of Eirik the Red my friend which he made when we separated at Bredafjörður I purpose to depart for Greenland in the summer if Events proceed as I could wish These tidings about this design appeared to the guests to be important For Thorbjörn had long been beloved by his friends They felt that he would only have made so public a declaration That it might be held of no avail to attempt to dissuade him from his purpose Thorbjörn distributed gifts among the guests and then the feast was brought to an end and They departed to their own homesteads Thorbjörn sold his lands and Bought a ship which had been laid up on shore at the mouth of the harbor of the lava field 30 men ventured on the expedition with him There was Orm from Arnstæpi and his wife and Those friends of Thorbjörn who did not wish to be separated from him Then they launched the ship Then they launched the ship and set sail with a favourable wind but When they came out into the open sea the favourable wind ceased and they experienced great gales And made but an ill-sped voyage throughout the summer In addition to that trouble there came a great storm fever upon the expedition and Orm died and Haltis his wife and half the company Then the sea waxed rougher And they endured much toil and misery in many ways and only reached Herjólfsnes in Greenland at the very beginning of winter There dwelt at Herjólfsnes the man who was called Þorkell He was a useful man and most worthy Franklin He received Thorbjörn and all his ship's company for the winter assisting them in right noble fashion This pleased Thorbjörn well and his companions in the voyage Chapter four At that time there was a great dearth in Greenland Those who had been out on fishing expeditions had caught little and some had not returned There was in the settlement the woman whose name was Thorbjörn She was a prophetess spy queen and was called Littilvolfa Little Sibyl She had had nine sisters And they were all spy queens And she was the only one now living It was a custom of Thorbjörn in the winter time to make a circuit and people invited her to their houses especially those who had any curiosity about the season or desired to know their fate and In as much as Thorkell was chief Franklin thereabouts He considered that it concerned him To know when the scarcity which overhung the settlement should cease He invited therefore the spy queen to his house And prepared for her a hearty welcome As was the custom wherever a reception was accorded a woman of this kind A high seat was prepared for her And a cushion laid thereon In which were poultry feathers Now When she came in the evening Accompanied by the man who had been sent to meet her She was dressed in such wise that she had a blue mantle over her with strings for the neck And it was inlaid with gems quite down to the skirt On her neck she had glass beads On her head.
She had a black hood of lambskin lined with ermine A staff She had in her hand with a knob thereon It was ornamented with brass and inlaid with gems round about the knob Around her she wore a girdle of soft hair And therein was a large skin bag In which she kept the talismans needful to her in her wisdom She wore hairy calfskin shoes on her feet With long and strong looking thongs to them And great knobs of latin at the ends On her hands she had gloves of ermine skin And they were white and hairy within Now When she entered all men thought it their bounden duty to offer her becoming greetings And these she received according as the men were agreeable to her the franklin Took the wise woman by the hand and led her to the seat prepared for her He requested her to cast her eyes over his herd his household and his homestead she remained silent altogether During the evening the tables were set And now I must tell you what food was made ready for the spy queen there was prepared for her porridge of kids milk and Hearts of all kinds of living creatures there found Were cooked for her She had a brazen spoon and a knife with a handle of walrus tusk Which was mounted with two rings of brass and the point of it was broken off When the tables were removed the franklin advanced to Thorbjörg and asked her how she liked his homestead or the appearance of the men or How soon she would ascertain that which he had asked and which the men desired to know she replied that She would not give answer before the morning After she had slept there for the night And when the next day was far spent The preparations were made for her which she required for the exercise of her enchantments She begged them to bring to her Those women who were acquainted with the law needed for the exercise of the enchantments And which is known by the name of weird songs But no such women came forward Then was search made throughout the homestead if any woman was so learned Then answered Gudrith I am not skilled in deep learning Nor am I a wise woman Although Haltis,
My foster mother,
Taught me in Iceland the law which she called weird songs Then art thou wise in good season answered Thorbjörg But Gudrith replied That law and the ceremony are of such a kind that I purpose to be of no assistance therein because I am a Christian woman Then answered Thorbjörg Thou mightest perchance afford thy help to the men in this company And yet be none the worse woman than thou wast before But to Thorkell Give I charge to provide here the things that are needful Thorkell thereupon urged Gudrith to consent And she yielded to his wishes The women formed a ring round about and Thorbjörg Ascended the scaffold and the seat prepared for her enchantments Then sang Gudrith the weird song in so beautiful and Excellent a manner that to no one there did it seem that he had ever before Heard the song in voice so beautiful as now The spy queen thanked her for the song Many spirits said she Have been present under its charm And were pleased to listen to the song Who before would turn away from us and grant us no such homage And now Are Many things clear to me which before were hidden both from me and others and I am able this to say that the dearth will last No longer The season improving as spring advances The epidemic of fever Which has long oppressed us will disappear quicker than we could have hoped And thee Gudrith Will I recompense straight away for that aid of thine Which has stood us in good stead because thy destiny Is now clear to me and foreseen thou Shalt make a match here in Greenland a most honorable one Though It will not be a long-lived one for thee because Thy way lies out to Iceland And there shall arise from thee a line of descendants both numerous and goodly And over the branches of thy family shall shine a bright ray And so fare thee now well and happily my daughter Afterwards the men went to the wise woman and each inquired after what he was most curious to know She was also liberal of her replies And what she said proved true After this came one from another homestead after her and she then went there Thorbjorn was invited because he did not wish to remain at home while such heathen worship was performing The weather soon improved when once spring began as Thorbjörg had said Thorbjörn made ready his ship And went on until he came to Bratallif the steep slope Eirik received him with the utmost cordiality Saying he had done well to come there Thorbjörn and his family were with him during the winter And in the following spring Eirik gave to Thorbjörn land at Stocknes And handsome farm buildings were there built for him And he dwelt there afterwards Chapter five Eirik had a wife Who was named Þjóðhilp and two sons The one was named Þorstein and the other Líf These sons of Eirik were both promising men Þorstein was then at home with his father And there was at that time No man in Greenland who was thought so highly of as he Líf had sailed to Norway and was there with king Olaf Tryggvason Now when Líf sailed from Greenland during the summer he and his men Were driven out of their course to the Sudreyr They were slow in getting a favorable wind from this place And they stayed there a long time during the summer Reaching Norway about harvest tide He joined the bodyguard of king Olaf Tryggvason And the king formed an excellent opinion of him And it appeared to him that Líf was a well-bred man Once upon a time the king entered into conversation with Líf and asked him Dost thou purpose sailing to Greenland in summer?
Líf answered I should wish so to do If it is your will The king replied I think it may well be so Thou shalt go my errand and preach christianity in Greenland Líf said that he was willing to undertake it but that for himself he considered that message a difficult one to proclaim in Greenland But the king said that he knew no man who was better fitted for the work than he And thou shalt carry said he good luck with thee in it That can only be said Líf if I carry yours with me Líf set sail as soon as he was ready He was tossed about a long time out at sea And lighted upon lands of which before he had no expectation There were fields of wild wheat And the vine tree in full growth There were also the trees which were called maples And they gathered of all this certain tokens Some trunks so large that they were used in house building Líf came upon men who had been shipwrecked And took them home with him And gave them sustenance during the winter Thus did he show his great magnificence and his graciousness When he brought christianity to the land and saved the shipwrecked crew He was called Líf the lucky Líf reached land in Eiriksfjörður and proceeded home to Brattarlif The people received him gladly He soon after preached christianity and catholic truth throughout the land Making known to the people the message of king Ólaf Tryggvason And declaring how many renowned deeds and what great glory accompanied this faith Eirik took Coldly to the proposal to forsake his religion But his wife Þjóðhild Promptly yielded and caused a church to be built Not very near the houses The building was called Þjóðhild's church In that spot she offered her prayers And so did those men who received christ and they were many After she accepted the faith Þjóðhild would have no intercourse with Eirik And this was a great trial to his temper After this There was much talk About making ready to go to the land which Líf had discovered Þorstein,
Eirik's son,
Was chief mover in this A worthy man wise and much liked Eirik was also asked to go And they believed that his luck and foresight would be of the highest use he was For a long time against it,
But did not say nay When his friends exhorted him to go They made ready the ship which Þorbjörn had brought there And there were 20 men who undertook to start in her They had little property but chiefly weapons and food On the morning when Eirik left home he took a little box Which had in it gold and silver He hid the money and then Went forth on his journey He had proceeded however,
But a little way When he fell from his horse And broke his ribs and injured his shoulder and cried out At this accident he sent word to his wife that She should take away the money that he had hidden Declaring his misfortune to be a penalty paid on account of having hid the money Afterwards They sailed away out of Eirikfjörður with gladness as their plan seemed to promise success They were driven about for a long time on the open sea and came not into the track which they desired They came in sight of Iceland And also met with birds from the coast of Ireland And then was their ship tossed to and fro on the sea They returned about harvest tide Worn out by toil and much exhausted And reached Eirikfjörður at the beginning of winter Then spake Eirik You were in better spirits in the summer When you went forth out of the firth than you are in now and yet For all that there is much to be thankful for Thorstein replied It is a chieftain's duty now to look after some arrangement For these men who are without shelter And to find them food Eirik answered That is an ever true saying You know not until you have got your answer I will now take thy counsel about this All those who had no other abodes were to go with the father and the son Then came they to land and went forth home Chapter seven There was a man named Þorfinn Kallsefni son of Þorðr Horsehead Who dwelt in the north of Iceland at Reynines In Skagafjörður as it is now called Kallsefni Was a man of good family and very rich His mother's name was Þorinn He engaged in trading journeys and seemed a goodly bold and gallant traveler One summer Kallsefni Prepared his ship intending to go to Greenland Snorri Þorfrann's son from Alptafjörður Resolved to travel with him And there were 30 men in the company There was a man named Bjartni Grimov's son A man of Breidafjörður,
Broad Firth Another called Þorhall son of Gamli A man from the east of Iceland They prepared their ship the very same summer as Kallsefni With intent also to go to Greenland They had in the ship 40 men The two ships Launched out into the open sea As soon as they were ready It is not recorded how long a voyage they had But after this I have to tell you that both these ships came to Eiriksfjörður about autumn Eirik rode down to the ships with other men of the land And a market fair was promptly instituted The captains invited Gudrith to take such of the merchandise as she wished And Eirik displayed on his part much magnificence in return In as much as he invited both these ships companies home with him to pass the winter in Bratachlid The merchants accepted the invitation And went home with Eirik Afterwards their merchandise was removed to Bratachlid where a good and large outhouse was not lacking in which to store the goods The merchants were well pleased to stay with Eirik during the winter When now Jól was drawing nigh Eirik began to look more gloomy than he was wont to be Presently Kallsefni entered into conversation with him and said Aren't thou in trouble Eirik?
It appears to me that thou art somewhat more taciturn than thou hast been Still thou helpest us with much liberality and We are bound to reward thee according As we have means thereto Say now,
What causes thy cheerlessness?
Eirik answered You receive hospitality well And like worthy men Now I have no mind that our intercourse together should be expensive to you but So it is that It will seem to me an ill thing if it is heard that You never spent a worse Jól than this Just now beginning when Eirik the Red entertained you at Bratachlid in Greenland Kallsefni answered It must not come to such a pass We have in our ships malt meal and corn And you have right and title to take there from whatever you wish and to make your entertainment such as consorts with your magnificence And Eirik accepted the offer Then was preparation made for the Jólfeast And so Magnificent was it That the men thought they had scarcely ever seen so grand a feast And after Jól Kallsefni broached to Eirik the subject of a marriage with Gudrid Which he thought might be under Eirik's control And the woman appeared to him to be both beautiful and of excellent understanding Eirik answered and said that for his part he would willingly undertake his suit And said moreover that she was worthy of a good match It is also likely he thought that she will be following out her destiny Should she be given to him?
And moreover The report which comes to me of him Is good The proposals were now laid before her and she Allowed the marriage with her to be arranged which Eirik wished to promote However I will not now speak at length how this marriage took place.
The Jól festival was prolonged and Made into a marriage feast Great joy was there in Bratachlidh during the winter Much playing at backgammon and telling of stories went on and Many things were done that ministered to the comfort of the household Chapter eight During this time Much talk took place in Bratachlidh About making ready to go to Vinland the good And it was asserted that they would there find good choice lands The discourse came to such conclusion that Kallseppni and Snorri prepared their ship With the intention of seeking Vinland during the summer Bjarni and Thorhall Ventured on the same expedition with their ship and the retinue which had accompanied them There was a man named Thorvald He married Freyðis natural daughter of Eirik the red He set out with them likewise as also Thorvald a son of Eirik There was a man named Thorvald He was a son-in-law of Eirik the red Þorhall was called the sportsman He had for a long time been Eirik's companion in hunting and fishing expeditions during the summers And many things had been committed to his keeping Þorhall was a big man dark and of gaunt appearance rather advanced in years overbearing in temper of melancholy mood silent at all times underhand in his dealings and with all given to abuse And always inclined towards the worst He had kept himself aloof from the true faith when it came to Greenland He was but little encompassed with the love of friends But yet Eirik had long held conversation with him He went in the ship With Thorvald and his man because he was widely acquainted with the unpeopled districts They had the ship which Thorbjörn had brought to Greenland and they ventured on the expedition with Carsepni and the others And most of them in this ship were Greenlanders There were 160 men in their ships They sailed away from land Then to the Vestribyggf and to Bjartneir the Bear Islands Thence they sailed away from Bjartneir with northerly winds They were out at sea two half days Then they came to land And rode along it in boats and explored it and found their flat stones Many and so great that two men might well lie on them stretched on their backs with heel to heel Polar foxes were there in abundance This land they gave name to and called it Hetluland Stone land Then they sailed with northerly winds two half days And there was then land before them and on it a great forest and many wild beasts An island lay in the southeast off the land and they found bears thereon And called the island Bjartneir Bear island,
But the mainland where the forest was they called Markland Forestland Then when two half days were passed they saw land And sailed under it There was a cape to which they came.
They cruised along the land Leaving it on the starboard side There was a harbourless coastland And long sandy strands They went to the land in boats And found the keel of a ship And called the place Kjallrnes Keelness They gave also name to the strands calling them Fyrðustrandir Wondershore because It was tedious to sail by them Then the coast became indented with creeks And they directed their ships along the creeks Now before this when Leif was with King Olaf Tryggvason and the king had requested him to preach Christianity in Greenland He gave him two Scotch people The man called Hakki and the woman called Heikkja The king requested Leif to have recourse to these people if ever he should want fleetness Because they were swifter than wild beasts Eirik and Leif had got these people to go with Kjallrnes Now When they had sailed by Fyrðustrandir They put the Scotch people on land and requested them to run into the southern regions Seek for choice land and come back After three half days were passed They were dressed in such wise that they had on the garment which they called bierfall It was made with a hood at the top Open at the sides without sleeves and was fastened between the legs a button and a loop Held it together there and elsewhere they were without clothing Then did they cast anchors from the ships and lay there to wait for them And when three days were expired the Scotch people leapt down from the land and one of them had in his hand a bunch of grapes And the other an ear of wild wheat They said to Kjallrnes that they considered they had found good and choice land Then they received them into their ship and proceeded on their journey to where the shore was cut into by a firth They directed the ships within the firth There was an island Lying out in front of the firth and there were great currents Currents around the island which they called strømsø,
Stream island There were so many birds on it that scarcely was it possible to put one's foot down for the eggs They continued their course up the firth which they called strømsfjörðr And carried their cargo ashore from the ships and there they prepared to stay They had with them cattle of all kinds And for themselves they sought out the produce of the land thereabout There were mountains and the place was fair to look upon They gave no heed to anything except to explore the land And they found large pastures They remained there during the winter Which happened to be a hard one With no work doing And they were badly off for food And the fishing failed Then they went out to the island Hoping that something might be got there from fishing or from What was drifted ashore?
In that spot there was little however to be got for food But their cattle found good sustenance After that they called upon god praying that he would send them some little store of meat But their prayer was not so soon granted as they were eager that it should be Þorhattl disappeared from sight And they went to seek him And sought for three half days continuously On the fourth half day Kallseppni and Bjarni found him on the peak of a crag He lay With his face to the sky With both eyes and mouth and nostrils wide open clawing and pinching himself and Reciting something They asked why he had come there he replied that It was of no importance begged them not to wonder there at as for himself he Had lived so long they needed not to take any account of him They begged him to go home with them And he did so A little while after a whale was driven ashore And the men crowded around it and cut it up And still they knew not what kind of whale it was even Kallseppni recognized it not Though he had great knowledge of whales.
It was cooked by the cook boys and they ate thereof though Bad effects came upon all from it afterwards Then began Thorhall and said Has it not been that the red beard has proved a better friend than your christ?
This was my gift for the poetry which I composed about Thor my patron Seldom has he failed me Now when the men knew that None of them would eat of it And they threw it down from the rocks And turned with their supplications to god's mercy Then was granted to them opportunity of fishing And after that there was no lack of food that spring They went back again from the island within Strömsfjörður And obtained food from both sides from hunting on the mainland And from gathering eggs and fishing on the side of the sea
