The Sagas of the Icelanders

by Smilely, Jane

  Thorkel said, ‘It was bad advice to follow, not to accept compensation for your brother, when he told you earlier that you would gain nothing else; and now you have neither money nor revenge. However, because you have come to my home to ask for advice, then I will go with you and seek a settlement.’

  Thorkel then met the brothers and asked whether they would settle with Hunrod if the chance arose; they reacted coolly to this and said that it was no better to make a settlement with him now than when one was offered to him earlier.

  Thorkel said, ‘You must now do one of two things – go abroad, as stipulated earlier, or I will not advise you further.’

  They said that his advice was well worth paying heed to, ‘for the last thing that we want is to have you against us’.

  They then went abroad and arrived in Trondheim.

  Then Throttolf said, ‘It is not as it should be that Hunrod, a good man, should have become penniless, mostly on our account, while his slave Skum grows as rich as Njord.’

  Then they went and killed him, and seized all his money and sent it to Hunrod. A little later Throttolf travelled to Iceland and went to meet with Thorkel Scratcher and told him to seek a settlement between them and Hunrod. Thorkel said that he would. He then went to meet Hunrod, and through his wisdom and goodwill he brought about a full settlement, so that both sides were happy with what he had decreed.

  Thorkel grew old and when he lay in his final illness, he summoned his friends, kinsmen and thingmen.

  Thorkel then said, ‘I wish to make it known to you that I have contracted a sickness, and it seems to me likely that it will result in the parting of our ways. You have had faith in my foresight and shown me respect and obedience; accept my thanks for this.’

  With that he died and this was a great sorrow to his thingmen, and all men of the region, because he seemed – as was indeed the case – a great district leader, and a man blessed with great luck, and the man most like the old Vatnsdal men such as Thorstein and Ingimund. However, Thorkel surpassed them in that he was a man of the true faith, and loved God, and prepared himself for his death in a Christian way. And with that we make an end of the saga of the people of Vatnsdal.

  Translated by ANDREW WAWN

  THE SAGA OF THE PEOPLE OF LAXARDAL

  Laxddla saga

  Time of action: 890–1030

  Time of writing: 1250–70

  The Saga of the People of Laxardal is vast in conception. Its story includes important characters from other major sagas, and its time span is well over a century. The grand sweep of its action – at whose centre is the greatest of all saga heroines, Gudrun Osvifsdottir – takes in the Viking realms in Britain and Ireland, and has been shaped by continental literary traditions and several types of saga. This is a family saga, describing the line of Ketil Flat-nose, and more particularly that of his daughter Unn the Deep-minded, the matriarchal settler of Dalir, in west Iceland. It is also a heroic tragedy in which conflicting loyalties subvert the bonds of family and lead to enmity and vengeance; a dramatic account of social ambition that also probes the rights of women, the lowly-born and the illegitimate; the history of a regional feud over land, wealth and status; and above all the story of the life and loves of Gudrun, her feminine nature coming to terms with the tragic forces of the heroic man’s world.

  When Ketil flees King Harald in Norway, he and Unn head for the Viking kingdoms in Scotland and Ireland, rather than for Iceland; he is of high birth and does not intend ‘to spend my old age in that fishing camp’. After Unn loses her husband and son – both kings – in successive battles, she marries her daughters into the Orkney and Faroese nobility. Unn settles in west Iceland, as authoritative a family head as any male settler, holding sway over the community and dispensing land to her kinsmen, other settlers and even freed slaves – among them, incidentally, the Irish grandfather of Gudrid Thorbjarnardottir, the heroine of the Vinland sagas. Although her gifts of land are inspired by Christian charity, they sow the seeds of conflict among later generations who will fight over boundaries and inheritances when

  Laxardal

  Family Ties in Laxardal

  Gudrun s Family and Husbands

  Iceland is fully populated. Not once but three times, fierce conflicts divide the community when half-brothers or foster-brothers clash (Hoskuld and Hrut, Thorleik and Olaf Peacock, Kjartan and Bolli), but we only see the full disintegration of Ketil Flat-nose’s line with the rivalry between Kjartan and Bolli for the love of Gudrun. All three players in this love triangle are descendants of Ketil, five or six generations removed.

  Unn’s loss of husband and son and her attempts to shape her own fate establish certain themes that expand into Gudrun Osvifsdottir’s tragedy, her four marriages and love for Kjartan. Gudrun’s fate is also foretold in a dream, a familiar saga device. It is not the events of the plot as such that engage us, but rather its unravelling as a narrative of the predicament of individuals who are caught up in the relentless onward march of events and social change. Certainly the upheavals that Ketil Flat-nose’s descendants experience do not stop when the settlers make new homes for themselves in Iceland. As a young Viking Age mother, Gudrun brings up her son to wreak vengeance on his father’s killers, but she ends her life in Christian piety as an anchoress in a completely different ethical world.

  The saga is symphonic in its structure, with subtle repetitions, parallels and echoes in gradually changing circumstances. And although the plot has striking similarities to the cycle of eddic poems about Brynhild, Sigurd, Gunnar and Gudrun, this is only one aspect of its literary context. The characterization highlights nobility, splendour and physical appearance, with a colour more akin to medieval romance than to brawny Viking heroism. Nonetheless, in their actions the male characters tend not to live up to the grandeur and hyperbole with which they are presented. At foreign courts their stature is aristocratic, but at home in Iceland they are farmers with few outlets other than words and smart clothes for their aspirations to nobility. This is a saga in which even slaves are high-born, descended from the kings of Ireland. The women in The Saga of the People of Laxardal are much more complex and memorable than the men, as if the men buckle beneath the weight of the heroic legacy they are forced to bear.

  The Saga of the People of Laxardal belongs to the earliest group of sagas and was written shortly after the middle of the thirteenth century. By focusing on divisive claims to land, authority and rank it seems to mirror the issues of the fierce civil war that raged while it was being written. Arguments have been put forward claiming that the saga, with its focus on women as leaders or instigators, its firm grasp of female psychology, its close attention to the details of women’s routine life and its insights into the position and lot of women – from the highest to the lowest ranks of life – must surely be the work of a woman author.

  Many manuscripts of The Saga of the People of Laxardal have been preserved. The version in Mb’druvallabók (AM 132 fol., dated 1330–70) is the only intact vellum manuscript, and all printed versions have been based upon it, with minor amendments and variant readings from other manuscripts. The saga is translated here by Keneva Kunz from the version printed in Íslenzk fornrit, vol. 5 (Reykjavik 1934), with a few variant readings from Kristian Kålund’s critical edition (Samfund til udgivelse af gammel nordisk litteratur, vol. 19 (Copenhagen 1896)).

  I A man called Ketil Flat-nose, the son of Bjorn Buna, was a powerful hersir in Norway and came from a prominent family. He lived in Romsdal in the Romsdal district, between South More and North More. Ketil Flat-nose was married to Yngvild, the daughter of Ketil Ram, a man of good family. They had five children: one of their sons was Bjorn the Easterner, another Helgi Bjolan. One of their daughters, Thorunn Hyrn;i, was married to Helgi the Lean. Helgi the Lean was the son of Eyvind the Easterner and Rafarta, the daughter of Kjarval, the king of the Irish. Another of Ketil’s daughters, Unn the Deep-minded, was married to Olaf the White. Olaf the White was the son of Ingjald, son of Frodi the Valiant, w
ho was killed by the descendants of Earl Sverting. Ketil’s third daughter was called Jorunn Manvitsbrekka.* Jorunn was the mother of Ketil the Lucky Fisher, who settled at the farm Kirkjubaer. His son was Asbjorn, the father of Thorstein who was the father of Surt, who was the father of Sighvat the Lawspeaker.

  2 During Ketil’s later years King Harald Fair-hair grew so powerful in Norway that no petty king or other man of rank could thrive in Norway unless he had received his title from the king. When Ketil learned that the king had intended to offer him the same terms as others, namely to submit to his authority without receiving any compensation for kinsmen who had been killed by the king’s forces, he called a meeting of his kinsmen and addressed them, saying:

  ‘All of you know of our dealings with King Harald in the past, so there is no need to go into that here, but all the more need to discuss the difficulties at hand. Of King Harald’s animosity towards us there is proof enough; it seems to me we should expect little friendship from that direction. We seem to have two choices before us: to flee the country or to be killed off, one by one. Although I would prefer to meet my death as my kinsmen have done, I do not wish to make a decision on my own which will make things difficult for all of you. I know only too well the character of my kinsmen and friends: you would not want us to go our separate ways despite the trials that following me would involve.’

  Ketil’s son Bjorn answered: ‘I can tell you at once what I want to do. I want to follow the example of other worthy men and flee this country. I see little honour to be gained in sitting at home waiting for King Harald’s henchmen to chase us off our lands, or even in meeting death at their hands.’

  They applauded his words as being boldly spoken. Then they decided to leave the country, since Ketil’s sons were greatly in favour of the idea and no one opposed it. Bjorn and Helgi wanted to go to Iceland, as they claimed they had heard many favourable reports of the country; there was enough good land available, they said, without having to pay for it. There were reported to be plenty of beached whales and salmon fishing, and good fishing every season.

  To this Ketil answered, ‘I do not intend to spend my old age in that fishing camp.’

  Ketil said he preferred to travel to the west; there, he said, they seemed to live a good life. He knew the country well, for he had gone raiding through much of the area.

  3 Afterwards Ketil held an excellent feast, and it was here that he gave his daughter Thorunn to Helgi the Lean in marriage. He then prepared to leave the country and sail westward. His daughter Unn went with him, along with many of his other kinsmen. Ketil’s sons and their brother-in-law Helgi the Lean set out for Iceland the same summer. Bjorn Ketilsson made land in the bay of Breidafjord in the west and followed the southern shore of the bay until he reached a fjord stretching inland. A high mountain rose up from a headland on the far side of the fjord, with an island just offshore. Bjorn said they should stop there a while. He went ashore with several others and made his way along the coast. There was only a short distance between the mountains and the sea, and he thought it looked a good place to settle. In one inlet he found his high-seat pillars had drifted ashore, and they took this to be a sign of where they should settle.

  Following this Bjorn took all the land between the Stafa river and Hraunsfjord and made his home at the place which has since been called Bjarnarhofn (Bjorn’s Harbour). He was called Bjorn the Easterner. Bjorn’s wife was Gjaflaug, the daughter of Kjallak the Old. Their sons were Ottar and Kjallak, whose son was Thorgrim, the father of Killer-Styr and Vermund. Kjallak’s daughter was named Helga. She was married to Vestar of the Eyri farm, the son of Thorolf Blister-pate who settled at Eyri. Their son was Thorlak, the father of Steinthor of Eyri.

  Helgi Bjolan made land in the south and took all the Kjalarnes headland between Kollafjord and Hvalfjord. He lived at Esjuberg into his old age.

  Helgi the Lean made land in the north of Iceland and took all of Eyjafjord between the Siglunes and Reynisnes headlands. He lived at Kristnes. The people of Eyjafjord trace their descent from Helgi and Thorunn.

  4 Ketil Flat-nose made land in Scotland, where he was well received by the men of high rank, being both renowned and of a prominent family. They offered to let him settle wherever he wished. Ketil and the rest of his kinsfolk made their homes there, with the exception of Thorstein, his grandson. He set off immediately to go plundering and raiding in many parts of Scotland, and was everywhere successful. He later made peace with the Scots and became the ruler of half of the Scottish kingdom. He married Thurid, the daughter of Eyvind and sister of Helgi the Lean. The Scots only kept the peace for a short time before breaking their pact with Thorstein. He was killed at Caithness, according to Ari Thorgilsson the Learned.

  Unn was at Caithness when her son Thorstein* was killed. Upon learning that her son had been killed, and as her father had died as well, she felt her future prospects there were rather dim. She had a knorr built secretly in the forest. When it was finished, she made the ship ready and set out with substantial wealth. She took along all her kinsmen who were still alive, and people say it is hard to find another example of a woman managing to escape from such a hostile situation with as much wealth and so many followers. It shows what an exceptional woman Unn was.

  Unn also took along with her many other people of note and from prominent families. One of the most respected was a man named Koll and called Dala-Koll. He came from a renowned family and was himself a hersir. Another man of both rank and distinction making the journey with Unn was named Hord.

  Her preparations complete, Unn sailed to the Orkneys, where she stayed for a short while. There she arranged the marriage of Groa, Thorstein the Red’s daughter. Groa was the mother of Grelod, who was married to Earl Thorfinn, the son of Earl Turf-Einar and grandson of Rognvald, Earl of More. Their son was Hlodver, the father of Earl Sigurd, who was the father of Earl Thorfinn, from whom all the earls of Orkney are descended. Unn then sailed to the Faroe Islands, where she also stayed a while and arranged the marriage of Olof, another of Thorstein’s daughters. The most prominent family in that country, the so-called Gotuskeggi clan, are descended from Olof.

  5 Unn then made ready to leave the Faroe Islands, and told her sailing companions that she intended to sail to Iceland. With her she took Olaf Feilan, Thorstein the Red’s son, and his sisters who were still unmarried. She set sail and had a smooth journey, making land at Vikrarskeid on the south shore. The ship was wrecked upon landing but all those aboard survived and managed to save their property. Taking twenty men with her, Unn set off to seek her brother Helgi. He came to meet her as she approached and offered to put her up along with nine others. She answered him angrily, saying she had hardly expected such stinginess of him, and departed. She then set off to visit her brother Bjorn in Breidafjord. When he learned of her coming, he went out to meet her with a large company, welcomed her warmly and invited her to stay with him along with all her companions, as he knew well his sister’s grand style. This was much to her liking, and she thanked him for his generosity.

  Unn stayed there over the winter, and was given generous treatment, as Bjorn was well off and unsparing with his wealth. In the spring she crossed Breidafjord, arriving at a promontory where they had a morning meal and which has since been known as Dagverdarnes (Morning Meal Point). The point juts out into the sea from the coast of Medalfellsstrond. Unn then sailed her ship into Hvammsfjord until she came to another promontory where she also made a brief stop. She lost a comb there and the point has since been called Kambsnes (Comb Point). Afterwards she travelled through all the valleys of Breidafjord and took as much land as she wished.

  Unn sailed to the head of the fjord. Finding that her high-seat pillars had floated ashore there, she felt it was clear that this was where she should make her home. She had a farm built at the site, now called Hvamm, and lived there. The same spring that Unn was building her farm in Hvamm, Dala-Koll married Thorgerd, the daughter of Thorstein the Red. Unn held the marriage feast and gave Thorger
d all of Laxardal as a dowry. Koll set up a farm on the south bank of the Laxa river and was held in high esteem. Their son was Hoskuld.

  6 Unn subsequently gave away portions of the land she had taken to various other men. To Hord she gave all of Hordadal, as far as the Skraumuhlaupsa river. He lived at Hordabolstad and was an important man with many notable descendants. His son was Asbjorn the Wealthy, who lived at Asbjarnarstadir in Ornolfsdal. He was married to Thorbjorg, the daughter of Skeggi of Midfjord. Their daughter was Ingibjorg who was married to Illugi the Black. Their sons were Hermund and Gunnlaug Serpent-tongue. They are known as the Gilsbakki family.

  Unn spoke to her followers: ‘For your services you will be rewarded; we have now no lack of means to repay you for your efforts and your loyalty. You are aware of the fact that I have made a free man of Erp, the son of Earl Meldoon. It was far from my intention that such a well-born man be called a slave.’

  Unn then gave him land at Saudafell between the Tungua and Mida rivers. His children were Orm, Asgeir, Gunnbjorn and Halldis, who was married to Alf of Dalir. To Sokkolf she gave the valley Sokkolfsdal, where he lived into his old age.

  One of her freed slaves, Hundi, who was of Scottish descent, was given the valley Hundadal. A fourth slave was named Vifil, and she gave him Vifilsdal.

  Thorstein the Red had a fourth daughter, Osk, the mother of the wise Thorstein Surt (Black), who devised the ‘leap week’ in summer.* Thorhild, a fifth daughter, was the mother of Alf of Dalir, to whom many people trace their ancestry. Alf’s daughter was Thorgerd, the wife of Ari Masson of Reykjanes. His father, Mar, was the son of Atli, son of Ulf the Squinter and Bjorg Eyvindardottir, the sister of Helgi the Lean. The people of Reykjanes are descended from them. Vigdis was the sixth daughter of Thorstein the Red. Her descendants are the people of Hofdi in Eyjafjord.