The Northmen, Columbus and Cabot, 985-1503 | Page 9

of Thorfinn Karlsefni
and Snorri Thorbrandsson.[14-2]--Olaf was the name of a warrior-king,
who was called Olaf the White. He was the son of King Ingiald, Helgi's
son, the son of Olaf, Gudraud's son, son of Halfdan Whiteleg, king of
the Uplands-men.[14-3] Olaf engaged in a Western freebooting
expedition and captured Dublin in Ireland and the Shire of Dublin, over
which he became king.[14-4] He married Aud the Wealthy, daughter of
Ketil Flatnose, son of Biorn Buna, a famous man of Norway. Their son
was called Thorstein the Red. Olaf was killed in battle in Ireland, and
Aud and Thorstein went then to the Hebrides; there Thorstein married
Thurid, daughter of Eyvind Easterling, sister of Helgi the Lean; they
had many children. Thorstein became a warrior-king, and entered into
fellowship with Earl Sigurd the Mighty, son of Eystein the Rattler.
They conquered Caithness and Sutherland, Ross and Moray, and more
than the half of Scotland. Over these Thorstein became king, ere he was
betrayed by the Scots, and was slain there in battle. Aud was at
Caithness when she heard of Thorstein's death; she thereupon caused a
ship to be secretly built in the forest, and when she was ready, she
sailed out to the Orkneys. There she bestowed Groa, Thorstein the
Red's daughter, in marriage; she was the mother of Grelad, whom Earl
Thorfinn, Skull-cleaver, married. After this Aud set out to seek Iceland,
and had on board her ship twenty freemen. Aud arrived in Iceland, and
passed the first winter at Biarnarhöfn with her brother, Biorn. And
afterwards took possession of all the Dale country between Dögurdar
river and Skraumuhlaups river. She lived at Hvamm, and held her
orisons at Krossholar, where she caused crosses to be erected, for she
had been baptized and was a devout believer. With her there came out

[to Iceland] many distinguished men, who had been captured in the
Western freebooting expedition, and were called slaves. Vifil was the
name of one of these: he was a highborn man, who had been taken
captive in the Western sea, and was called a slave, before Aud freed
him; now when Aud gave homesteads to the members of her crew,
Vifil asked wherefore she gave him no homestead as to the other men.
Aud replied, that this should make no difference to him, saying, that he
would be regarded as a distinguished man wherever he was. She gave
him Vifilsdal, and there he dwelt. He married a woman whose name
was...;[15-1] their sons were Thorbiorn and Thorgeir. They were men
of promise, and grew up with their father.[15-2]
Eric the Red finds Greenland.--There was a man named Thorvald; he
was a son of Asvald, Ulf's son, Eyxna-Thori's son. His son's name was
Eric. He and his father went from Jaederen[15-3] to Iceland, on account
of manslaughter, and settled on Hornstrandir, and dwelt at Drangar.
There Thorvald died, and Eric then married Thorhild, a daughter of
Jorund, Atli's son, and Thorbiorg the Ship-chested, who had been
married before to Thorbiorn of the Haukadal family. Eric then removed
from the North, and cleared land in Haukadal, and dwelt at Ericsstadir
by Vatnshorn. Then Eric's thralls caused a land-slide on Valthiof's farm,
Valthiofsstadir. Eyiolf the Foul, Valthiof's kinsman, slew the thralls
near Skeidsbrekkur above Vatnshorn. For this Eric killed Eyiolf the
Foul, and he also killed Duelling-Hrafn, at Leikskalar. Geirstein and
Odd of Jorva, Eyiolf's kinsmen, conducted the prosecution for the
slaying of their kinsmen, and Eric was, in consequence, banished from
Haukadal. He then took possession of Brokey and Eyxney, and dwelt at
Tradir on Sudrey, the first winter. It was at this time that he loaned
Thorgest his outer daïs-boards;[16-1] Eric afterwards went to Eyxney,
and dwelt at Ericsstad. He then demanded his outer daïs-boards, but did
not obtain them. Eric then carried the outer daïs-boards away from
Breidabolstad, and Thorgest gave chase. They came to blows a short
distance from the farm of Drangar. There two of Thorgest's sons were
killed and certain other men besides. After this each of them retained a
considerable body of men with him at his home. Styr gave Eric his
support, as did also Eyiolf of Sviney, Thorbiorn, Vifil's son, and the
sons of Thorbrand of Alptafirth; while Thorgest was backed by the

sons of Thord the Yeller, and Thorgeir of Hitardal, Aslak of Langadal
and his son, Illugi. Eric and his people were condemned to outlawry at
Thorsness-thing. He equipped his ship for a voyage, in Ericsvag; while
Eyiolf concealed him in Dimunarvag, when Thorgest and his people
were searching for him among the islands. He said to them, that it was
his intention to go in search of that land which Gunnbiorn, son of Ulf
the Crow, saw when he was driven out of his course, westward across
the main,