Laxdæla Saga | Page 3

all the land between Staff-river and Lavafirth, and abode in the place
that ever after was called Bjornhaven. He was called Bjorn the Eastman.
[Sidenote: Ketill's doings in Scotland] His wife, Gjaflaug, was the
daughter of Kjallak the Old. Their sons were Ottar and Kjallak, whose
son was Thorgrim, the father of Fight-Styr and Vemund, but the
daughter of Kjallak was named Helga, who was the wife of Vestar of
Eyr, son of Thorolf "Bladder-skull," who settled Eyr. Their son was
Thorlak, father of Steinthor of Eyr. Helgi Bjolan brought his ship to the
south of the land, and took all Keelness, between Kollafirth and
Whalefirth, and lived at Esjuberg to old age. Helgi the Lean brought his
ship to the north of the land, and took Islefirth, all along between
Mastness and Rowanness, and lived at Kristness. From Helgi and
Thornunn all the Islefirthers are sprung.

CHAP. IV
Ketill goes to Scotland, A.D. 890
Ketill Flatnose brought his ship to Scotland, and was well received by
the great men there; for he was a renowned man, and of high birth.
They offered him there such station as he would like to take, and Ketill
and his company of kinsfolk settled down there--all except Thorstein,
his daughter's son, who forthwith betook himself to warring, and
harried Scotland far and wide, and was always victorious. Later on he
made peace with the Scotch, and got for his own one-half of Scotland.
He had for wife Thurid, daughter of Eyvind, and sister of Helgi the
Lean. The Scotch did not keep the peace long, but treacherously
murdered him. [Sidenote: Of Unn the Deep-minded] Ari, Thorgil's son,
the Wise, writing of his death, says that he fell in Caithness. Unn the
Deep-minded was in Caithness when her son Thorstein fell. When she
heard that Thorstein was dead, and her father had breathed his last, she
deemed she would have no prospering in store there. So she had a ship
built secretly in a wood, and when it was ready built she arrayed it, and

had great wealth withal; and she took with her all her kinsfolk who
were left alive; and men deem that scarce may an example be found
that any one, a woman only, has ever got out of such a state of war with
so much wealth and so great a following. From this it may be seen how
peerless among women she was. Unn had with her many men of great
worth and high birth. A man named Koll was one of the worthiest
amongst her followers, chiefly owing to his descent, he being by title a
"Hersir." There was also in the journey with Unn a man named Hord,
and he too was also a man of high birth and of great worth. When she
was ready, Unn took her ship to the Orkneys; there she stayed a little
while, and there she married off Gro, the daughter of Thorstein the Red.
She was the mother of Greilad, who married Earl Thorfinn, the son of
Earl Turf-Einar, son of Rognvald Mere-Earl. Their son was Hlodvir,
the father of Earl Sigurd, the father of Earl Thorfinn, and from them
come all the kin of the Orkney Earls. After that Unn steered her ship to
the Faroe Isles, and stayed there for some time. [Sidenote: Unn leaves
the Faroe Isles] There she married off another daughter of Thorstein,
named Olof, and from her sprung the noblest race of that land, who are
called the Gate-Beards.

CHAP. V
Unn goes to Iceland, A.D. 895
Unn now got ready to go away from the Faroe Isles, and made it known
to her shipmates that she was going to Iceland. She had with her Olaf
"Feilan," the son of Thorstein, and those of his sisters who were
unmarried. After that she put to sea, and, the weather being favourable,
she came with her ship to the south of Iceland to Pumice-Course
(Vikrarskeid). There they had their ship broken into splinters, but all
the men and goods were saved. After that she went to find Helgi, her
brother, followed by twenty men; and when she came there he went out
to meet her, and bade her come stay with him with ten of her folk. She
answered in anger, and said she had not known that he was such a churl;
and she went away, being minded to find Bjorn, her brother in
Broadfirth, and when he heard she was coming, he went to meet her

with many followers, and greeted her warmly, and invited her and all
her followers to stay with him, for he knew his sister's high-mindedness.
She liked that right well, and thanked him for his lordly behaviour. She
stayed there all the winter, and was entertained in the grandest