Eirik the Reds Saga | Page 6

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. Leif 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
munificence and his graciousness when he brought Christianity to the
land, and saved the shipwrecked crew. He was called Leif the Lucky.
Leif reached land in Eiriksfjordr, and proceeded home to Brattahlid.
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 Olaf 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, Thjodhild, promptly
yielded, and caused a church to be built not very near the houses. The
building was called Thjodhild'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, Thjodhild 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 Leif had discovered. Thorstein, 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 Thorbjorn
had brought there, and there were twenty 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, "Aiai!" 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 Eiriksfjordr 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. 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 Eiriksfjordr 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.
5. Now, after this, I have to tell you how Thorstein, Eirik's son, began
wooing Gudrid, Thorbjorn's daughter. To his proposals a favourable
answer was given, both by the maid herself, and also by her father. The
marriage was also arranged, so that Thorstein went to take possession
of his bride, and the bridal feast was held at Brattahlid in the autumn.
The banquet went off well, and was numerously attended. Thorstein
owned a homestead in the Vestribygd on the estate known as
Lysufjordr (shining firth). The man who was called Thorstein owned
the other half of the homestead. His wife was called Sigrid. Thorstein
went, during the autumn, to Lysufjordr, to his namesake, both he and
Gudrid. Their reception was a welcome one. They were there during
the winter. When little of the winter was past, the event happened there
that fever broke out on their estate. The overseer of the work was
named Garth. He was an unpopular man. He took the fever first and
died. Afterwards, and with but little intermission, one took the fever
after another and died. Then Thorstein, Eirik's son, fell ill, and also
Sigrid, the wife of his namesake Thorstein. [And one evening Sigrid
left