Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV
Part V
Part VI
Part VII : The Hauksbók version

There was a king named Olaf who was known as Olaf the White: he was a son of king Ingjald, son of Helgi, son of Olaf, son of Gudrod, son of Halfdan Whiteleg the Upplanders' king. Olaf went raiding in the west and conquered Dublin in Ireland along with the Dublin territory, and made himself its king. He married Aud the Deep-minded, the daughter of Ketil Flatnose, son of Bjorn Buna, a man of rank from Norway; and the name of their son was Thorstein the Red. Olaf fell in battle there in Ireland, after which Aud and Thorstein made their way to the Hebrides, where Thorstein married Thurid the daughter of Eyvind Eastman and sister of Helgi Magri. They had many children.

Thorstein became warrior-king and allied himself with earl Sigurd the Mighty, the son of Eystein Glumra, and they conquered Caithness and Sutherland, Ross and Moray, and more than half Scotland. Thorstein made himself king there, till the Scots betrayed him and he fell there in battle. Aud was in Caithness when she heard tell of Thorstein's death. She had a merchant ship built secretly in the forest, and once she was ready hoisted sail for the Orkneys and found a husband there for Thorstein the Red's daughter Groa, the mother of that Grelod whom earl Thorfinn Skull-splitter married. After that she set off to seek Iceland and had twenty freemen on board her ship. She reached Iceland and spent the first winter in Bjarnarhofn with her brother Bjorn. Later Aud took in settlement all Dalelands between Dogurdara and Skraumuhlaupsa. She made her home at Hvamm and had a place for her devotions at Krossholar, where she had crosses erected, for she had been baptized and held strongly to the Christian faith.

Many notable men accompanied her to Iceland who had been taken prisoner during the raiding west and were, in a manner of speaking, slaves. One of these was called Vifil. He was a man of good family who had been taken prisoner over the western sea and was, nominally at least, a slave till Aud set him free. When Aud gave homes to her ship's crew, Vifil asked why she didn't give him one like the rest of them, but Aud said it would signify little. He would be counted a fine man, she said, whatever his position. Still, she gave him Vifilsdal and he made his home there. He married a wife, and their sons were Thorgeir and Thorbjorn. These were promising men and grew up with their father.

There was a man by the name of Thorvald who was the son of Asvald, son of Ulf Oxen-Thorir's son. Thorvald's son was called Eirik the Red, and both father and son left the Jaeder (in Norway) for Iceland because of some killings. They settled in the Hornstrandir and made a home at Drangar, where Thorvald died. Eirik then married Thjodhild, the daughter of Jorun Ulfsson and Thorbjorg the Haukadaler. Eirik now left the north and cleared land in Haukadal and made his home at Eiriksstadir alongside Vatnshorn. In time Eirik's thralls caused a landslide to crash down upon the farm of Valthjof at Valthjofsstadir, whereupon Valthjof's kinsman Eyjolf Saur killed the thralls by Skeidsbrekkur above Vatnshorn. For this offence Eirik killed Eyjolf Saur. He killed Holmgang-Hrafn too at Leikskalar. Gerstein and Odd of Jorvi, both kinsmen of Eyjolf's, took up this case, and Eirik was thrown out of Haukadal. He then took possession of Brokey, and lived at Tradir in Sudrey. But that first winter he went on to Oxney, and it was now that he lent Thorgest his dais-beams. Eirik made his home at Eirisstadir. He asked for his beams, but failed to get them. Eirik went to Breidabolstad to fetch the beams away, but Thorgest gave chase, and they came to blows a short way from the house at Drangar. Two of Thorgest's sons fell there as well as certain other men.

From now on both sides kept a large body of men under arms. Styr and Eyjolf from Sviney, Thorbjorn Vifilsson and the sons of Thorbrand from Alpafjord backed Eirik, while backing Thorgest were the sons of Thord Gellir together with Thorgeir from Hitardal, Aslak from Langadal, and Illugi his son.

Eirik and his following were outlawed at the Thorsnes Thing. He put his ship all ready in Eiriksvag, while Eyjolf kept him in hiding in Dimunarvag for as long as Thorgest and his men were combing the islands for him. Thorbjorn, Eyjolf, and Styr escorted Eirik out past the islands, and they parted on warm terms of friendship, Eirik promising that they should receive just such help themselves, should it lie in his power to provide it and the occasion arise that they had need of him. He told them he meant to look for that land Gunnbjorn Ulf-Krakuson sighted the time he was storm-driven west across the ocean, when he discovered Gunnbjarnarsker, Gunnbjor's Skerries. He would be coming back, he said, to get in touch with his friends should he discover that land.

Eirik sailed to the open sea by way of Snæfellsjokul and made his landfall at the glacier which is called Blaserk, Blacksark. From there he headed south, to discover whether the land was habitable in that direction. He spent his first winter at Eiriksey, near the middle of the Eastern Settlement and the following spring went on to Eiriksfjord where he sited his house. In the summer he made his way into the western wilderness (H. adds spending a good deal of time there), and bestowing place-names far and wide. He spent his second winter at Eiriksholmar off Hvarfsgnipa, but during the third summer pressed on north the whole way to Snæfell and into Hrafnsfjord. He now considered he had got as far as the head of Eiriksfjord, so turned back and spent the third winter at Eiriksey off the mouth of Eiriksfjord.

The following summer he returned to Iceland and reached Breidafjord. He spent the winter with Ingolf at Holmat. In the spring he came to blows with Thorgest, and Eirik got the worst of it, but later they reached peace terms between them. This same summer Eirik went off to colonize that land he had discovered, calling it Greenland, for he argued that men would be all the more drawn to go there if the land had an attractive name.

Thorgeir Vifilsson found himself a wife, marrying Arnora the daughter of Einar of Laugarbrekka, the son of Sigmund, the son of Ketil Thistle who had settled Thistilfjord. The second of Einar's daughters was called Hallveig, whom Thorbiorn Vifilsson married, getting land at Laugarbrekka, at Hellisvellir, along with her. Thorbjorn moved house there and became a man of great note. He was a good farmer (557. a godord-man) and had a fine estate. His daughter, Gudrid by name, was a most beautiful woman and distinguished in everything she did and was.

Living at Arnarstapi was a man by the name of Orm, who had a wife named Halldis. Orm was a good farmer and a close friend of Thorbjorn's, and Gudrid was there a good long time with him as his foster-child.

Living at Thorgeirsfell was a man by the name of Thorgeir. He was prosperous and in his day had been freed from bondage. He had a son named Einar, a handsome, accomplished sort of person, and a great dandy too. He made his living by trading overseas, and had done well at it. He spent his winters in Iceland and Norway alternately. It must now be told how one autumn when Einar was here in Iceland he set off with his wares out along Snæfellsnes, with the intention of selling them there. He came to Arnarstapi, where Orm offered him hospitality which he accepted, for they were on very friendly terms together. Einar's goods were earned into a certain storehouse there, after which he unpacked them, showed them to Orm and his household, and invited him to help himself to anything he liked. Orm accepted, vowing that Einar was a good trader and one of fortune's favourites.

As they were busying themselves with the wares a woman walked past the storehouse door. Who could she be, Einar asked Orm, that lovely woman who walked past the doorway there? 'I have not seen her here before.' 'That is my foster-child Gudrid,' replied Orm, 'franklin Thorbjorn's daughter from Laugarbrekka.' 'She must be a fine match,' said Einar. 'Have not quite a lot of men come asking for her?' 'Why yes, she has been asked for, friend naturally,' Orm told him, 'but she is not just for the picking up. It is the general opinion that she will be rather particular in her choice of a husband, and her father too.' 'All the same,' said Einar, 'she is the woman I mean to try for, so I should like you to put a case for me to her father, and make an effort to see that it succeeds, for I shall repay you with the full weight of my friendship. Master Thorbjorn must surely see that such family ties would suit us both admirably. He is a man` of high reputation and great estate, yet his means I am told are diminishing fast; whereas I and my father with me are short of neither land nor money, and it would do Thorbjorn a world of good if this marriage could be arranged.' 'Certainly I regard myself as your friend,' said Orm, 'but I am not at all eager to put forward this proposal, even so, for Thorbjorn is proud man, and ambitious too.'

Einar was emphatic that nothing would satisfy him but for his proposal to be put to Thorbjorn, so Orm agreed he should have his way. Einar then travelled back east (MSS. south) until he reached home again.

Some time later Thorbjorn held a harvest feast as was his custom, for he was a princely sort of man. Orm attended from Arnarstapi, together with a good many other friends of Thorbjorn's. Orm found an opportunity to talk to Thorbjorn. He told him how Einar from Thorgeirsfell had visited him recently, and what a promising sort of man he was turning out to be, then went on to raise the question of marriage on Einar's behalf, claiming it would prove a good thing for more persons and reasons than one. 'It could well prove of great assistance to you, franklin, from the money point of view.' 'I did not expect such words from you', replied Thorbjorn, 'as that I should marry daughter of mine to the son of a slave. You must be convinced my money is running out, and she shall not go back home with you, since you consider her worth so poor a marriage.'

After this Orm returned home, and all the other guests to their respective households. But Gudrid stayed behind with her father and spent the winter in her own home.

Then in the spring Thorbjorn sent out invitations to his friends, and a fine feast was prepared. A lot of people attended. In the course of the feast Thorbjorn called for silence, then spoke as follows: 'I have lived here a long while and had strong proof of men's goodwill and affection for me. And I believe we have got on well together, you and I. But now my affairs are taking a turn for the worse, though so far my estate has been held a not dishonourable one. Now I prefer to uproot my home rather than destroy my good name, and will sooner depart the country than bring shame on my family. I plan to fall back on the promise of my friend Eirik the Red, which he made when we parted from each other in Breidafjord, and if things go as I would have them, I mean to go to Greenland this summer.'

(H. This change of plan of his dumbfounded his hearers; for Thorbjorn was a man with many friends; yet they felt sure that Thorbjorn had committed himself so deeply in speaking of this that there could be no question of dissuading him.) Thorbjorn gave presents to his guests, the feast came to an end, and with that everyone returned home. Thorbjorn sold his lands and bought himself a ship which had been laid up in Hraunhafnaros. Thirty men decided to undertake this voyage with him, among whom were Orm from Arnarstapi, together with his wife, and those of Thorbjorn's friends who could not bring themselves to part from him. In due course they put to sea. As they set off the weather was fine, but once they were out at sea the good wind dropped; they were caught in a great storm, and made slow progress the whole summer through. Next sickness broke out in their company, and Orm died, as did Halldis his wife, and half their ship's company. A big sea got up, and they suffered great hardship and misery of all kinds, yet with it all reached Herjolfsnes in Greenland right at the start of winter. Living there at Herjolfsnes was a man by the name of Thorkel, a man of many skills and an excellent farmer. He took Thorbjorn into his house for the winter with his entire crew, and right royally he entertained them. Thorbjorn and all his shipmates had a very good time there.

At this same time there was a great famine in Greenland; men who had gone out fishing and hunting made poor catches, and some never came back. There was a woman there in the Settlement whose name was Thorbjorg; she was a seeress and was called the Little Sibyl. She had had nine sisters (H. adds all of them were seeresses), but now only she was left alive. It was Thorbjorg's practice of a winter to attend feasts, and those men in particular invited her to their homes who were curious to know their future or the season's prospects. Because Thorkel was the leading householder there it was considered his responsibility to find out when these hard times which now troubled them would come to an end, so he invited her to his home, and a good reception was prepared for her, as was the custom when a woman of this kind should)d be received. A high-seat was prepared for her, and a cushion laid down, in which there must be hen's feathers.

When she arrived in the evening, along with the man who had been sent to escort her, this is how she was attired: she was wearing a blue cloak with straps which was set with stones right down to the hem; she had glass beads about her neck, and on her head a black lambskin hood lined inside with white catskin. She had a staff in her hand, with a knob on it; it was ornamented with brass and set around with stones just below the knob. Round her middle she wore a belt made of touchwood, and on this was a big skin pouch in which she kept those charms she needed for her magic. On her feet she had hairy calf-skin shoes with lengthy, strong-looking thongs to them, and on the thong-ends big knobs of lateen. She had on her hands catskin gloves which were white inside and furry.

Now when she came inside everyone felt bound to offer her fit and proper greetings, which she received according as their donors found favour with her. Master Thorkel took the prophetess by the hand and led her to the seat which had been made ready for her. Thorkel then asked her to run her eyes over household and herd and likewise the home. She had little comment to make about anything. During the evening tables were brought in, and what food was prepared for the seeress must now be told of. There was porridge made for her of goat's beestings, and for her meat the hearts of all living creatures that were available there. She had a brass spoon and a walrus-ivory-handled knife mounted with a double ring of copper, with its point broken off. Then when the tables were cleared away farmer Thorkel walked up to Thorbjorg and asked what she thought of the household there and men's state and condition, and how soon he (H. she) would be informed as to the things he had asked her and which men wanted to know. She replied that she would haven nothing to announce till the following morning, when she had slept there the night through.

But on the morrow, in the latter part of the day, she was fitted out with the apparatus she needed to perform her spells. She asked too to procure her such women as knew the lore which was necessary for performing the spell, and bore the name Varblokur (H. Varblokkur), Spirit-locks. But no such women were to be found, so there was a search made right through the house to find whether anyone was versed in these matters.

'I am unversed in magic,' was Gudrid's reply, 'neither am I a prophetess, yet Halldis my foster-mother taught me in Iceland the lore (H. chant) which she called Varblokur.' 'Then you are wiser than I dared hope,' said Thorbjorg. 'But this is a kind of lore and proceeding I feel I cannot assist in,' said Gudrid, 'for I am a Christian woman.' 'Yet it might happen,' said Thorbjorg, 'that you could prove helpful to people in this affair, and still be no worse a woman than before. Still, I leave it to Thorkel to procure me the things I need here.'

Thorkel now pressed Gudrid hard, till she said she would do as he wished. The women now formed a circle all round, while Thorbjorg took her seat up on the spell-platform. Gudrid recited the chant so beautifully and well that no one present could say he had ever heard the chant recited by a lovelier voice. The seeress thanked her for the chant, saying that she had attracted many spirits there who thought it lovely to lend ear to the chant-- spirits 'who before wished to hold aloof from us, and pay us no heed. And now many things stand revealed to me which earlier were hidden from me as from others. And I can tell you that this famine will not last longer (H. adds than this winter), and that the season will mend when spring comes. The sickness which has long afflicted us, that too will mend sooner than was expected. As for you, Gudrid, I shall repay you here and now for the help we have derived from you, for your future is now an open book to me. You will make a match here in Greenland, the most distinguished there is, yet it will not prove of long duration; for your ways lie out to Iceland, where there will spring from you a great and goodly progeny, and over this progeny of yours shall a bright ray shine. And so, my daughter, farewell now, and happiness go with you.'

After this men approached the prophetess and inquired one by one about what they were most concerned to know. She was free with her information, and small part indeed of what she said failed to come true. Next she was sent for from another house, and off she went, and then Thorbjorn was sent for, because he was not prepared to stay in the house while such heathendom was practiced. The weather quickly improved with the advent of spring, just as Thorbjorg had announced. Thorbjorn put his ship in readiness and journeyed on till he reached Brattahlid. Eirik welcomed him with open arms, expressing warm satisfaction that he had come there. Thorbjorn spent the winter with him together with his family (H. adds but they found lodgings for the crew among the farmers). Later in the spring Eirik gave Thorbjorn land at Stokkaness, a fine house was built there, and there he lived from that time forward.

Eirik had a wife whose name was Thjodhild, and two sons, one called Thorstein and the other Leif, both of them promising men. Thorstein was living at home with his father, and no man then in Greenland was held as promising as he. Leif had sailed to Norway, where he was resident with king Olaf Tryggvason.

But when Leif sailed from Greenland in the summer, they were driven off course to the Hebrides. They were a long time getting a good wind thence, and had to remain there for much of the summer. Leif took a fancy to a woman by the name of Thorgunna. She was a lady of good birth, and Leif had an idea she saw farther into things than most. As he made ready to sail away Thorgunna asked to come with him. Leif wanted to know whether her people were likely to approve of this, to which she answered that that was of no importance. Leif replied that he thought it imprudent to carry off so high-born a lady in a strange country. 'We are too few for it.'

'Don't assume,' said Thorgunna, 'you will necessarily find you have chosen the wiser course.' 'That is a risk I must take,' said Leif. 'Then let me tell you,' said Thorgunna, 'that it is not just a question of me alone. I am carrying a child, and that, let me tell you, is your doing. I believe too that when this child is born it will be a boy, and for all Your indifference now, the boy and send him to you in Greenland once he can take his place among other men. I believe too that having this son will prove just such an asset to you as your present abandonment of me deserves. And I am thinking I may come to Greenland myself before the game is played out.'

Leif gave her a gold ring for her finger, a cloak of Greenland woollen, and a walrus-ivory belt. This boy came to Greenland, declaring that his name was Thorgils, and Leif admitted his paternity. It is some men's tale that this same Thorgils came to Iceland the summer before the Froda-marvels. He certainly came to Greenland thereafter, and there was thought to be something rather queer about him before the finish.

Leif and his men set sail from the Hebrides and reached Norway in the autumn, where he proceeded into the court of king Olaf Tryggvason. The king paid him many honours, feeling sure he was a man of great ability.

Then came the day when the king found occasion to speak with Leif. 'Are you proposing to sail to Greenland this summer?' he asked him. 'I am,' said Leif, 'if such is your will.' 'I think it will be a good thing,' replied the king. 'You shall carry out a mission for me there and preach Christianity in Greenland.' Leif said it was for the king to command, but added that he thought this mission would be a hard one to carry out in Greenland. The king said he had never seen a man better fitted for it than he. 'You will bring it luck.' 'That will be the case,' said Leif, 'only if I enjoy your luck too.'

Leif put to sea as soon as he was ready, was storm-tossed a long time, and lighted on those lands whose existence he had not so much as dreamt of before. There were wheat fields growing wild (lit. self-sown) there and vines too. There were also those trees which are called maple (mösurr ), and they fetched away with them samples of all these things (H. adds some trees so big that they were used in housebuilding. Leif found men on a wreck and) carried them home with him, and provided them all with lodgings for the winter, showing great magnanimity and gallantry in this as in so much else, since it was he who introduced Christianity into the country, besides rescuing these men; and ever afterwards he was called Leif the Lucky.

Leif landed in Eiriksfjord and went home to Brattahlid, where everybody welcomed him with open arms. He soon preached Christianity and the Catholic Faith throughout the country, unfolding to men the message of king Olaf Tryggvason, and telling how much excellence and what great glory went with this religion. Eirik took coldly to the notion of abandoning his faith, but Thjodhild embraced it at once and had a church built, though not over near the farm. This church was called Thjodhild's Church, and it was there that she offered up her prayers, along with those men who adopted Christianity, who were many. Thjodhild would not live with Eirik as man and wife once she had taken the faith, a circumstance which vexed him very much.

There was now a lot of talk to this end that men (557. he) should go and find this land which Leif had discovered. Thorstein Eiriksson was the leader in this, a good man, and shrewd and popular too. Eirik likewise was invited along, for men felt that his luck and good management would prove their best asset. He took his time over it, but did not refuse when his friends pressed him. So now they fitted out that ship Thorbjorn had brought to Greenland, and twenty men were chosen as her crew. They had few goods with them, weapons for the most part, and provisions. The morning Eirik rode from home he took with him a little box which had gold and silver in it. He hid this treasure, then went on his way, but when he was still hardly any distance from home he fell off his horse, broke some ribs, damaged his shoulder joint, and cried aloud 'A jai!' Because of this mishap he sent word to his wife Thiodhild that she must remove the money he had hidden, for he reckoned he had paid this price for concealing it. Later they sailed out of Eiriksfjord as merry as can be, for they had high hopes of their venture. But for a long time they were storm-tossed on the ocean and could not hold to the course they intended. They came in sight of Iceland and encountered birds from Ireland likewise. Then their ship was driven away out and about the ocean, and in the autumn they turned back very battered and worn, and made Eiriksfjord at the beginning of winter.

'You were merrier in the summer sailing out of the fjord than you are now,' said Eirik. 'And yet you have much to be thankful for.' 'Be that as it may,' replied Thorstein, 'a leader's business just now is to hit on some plan for these men who are on their beam ends here, and make provision for them.' Eirik agreed. 'It is true enough what they say, no one is wise till he knows the answer, and such will be the case here. You shall have your way in this.'

So all those who had nowhere else to go went along with that father and son. Later (H. they went home to Brattahlid and spent the winter there).

The story now goes on to tell how Thorstein Eiriksson asked for Gudrid Thorbjarnardottir in marriage, and his proposal found favour with both her and her father. So that was what they settled on, that Thorstein should marry Gudrid, and the wedding took place at Brattahlid in the autumn. The festivities went off well and there was a big gathering present. Thorstein owned an estate in the Western Settlement on a holding known as Lysufjord. Another man, also named Thorstein, owned a half share in this estate. His wife's name was Sigrid. Thorstein and Gudrid with him went to Lysufjord in the autumn, to his namesake's, where they got a warm welcome and stayed on over the winter. What happened now was that sickness attacked the homestead quite early in the winter. The foreman there was called Gardar, and very unpopular he was too. He was the first to fall ill and die, and after that it was not long till they were falling ill and dying one after the other. Next Thorstein Eiriksson fell ill, and Sigrid too, the wife of his namesake. One evening Sigrid wanted to go to the privy which stood opposite the outer door. Gudrid went with her, and they were seated there facing this door when 'Oh,' cried Sigrid, 'oh!' 'We have acted rashly,' said Gudrid, 'and you are in no fit state to be about in the cold, so let us get back in as quickly as we can.' 'I cannot go as things are now,' replied Sigrid. 'Here is the entire host of the dead before the door, and in their company I recognize Thorstein your husband, and I recognize myself there too. How dreadful it is to see such a thing!' And when this passed off, (H. adds 'Let us go now, Gudrid,') she said, 'I do not see the host any longer. ' The foreman too had disappeared, who she thought earlier had had a whip in his hand and was trying to scourge the company.

After this they went back indoors, and before morning came she was dead, and a coffin was made for her body.

This same day men were planning to row out fishing, and Thorstein saw them down to the waterside. At twilight he went down to see what they had caught. Then Thorstein Eiriksson sent word to his namesake that he should come and see him, saying that things looked far from healthy there, and that the lady of the house was trying to get on her feet and under the clothes with him. And by the time he arrived back indoors she had worked her way up on to the edge of the bed alongside him. He caught her by the hands and laid a pole-axe to her breast.

Thorstein Eiriksson died towards nightfall. The other Thorstein told Gudrid to lie down and sleep, promising that he would himself keep watch over the bodies throughout the night. She did so, and soon fell asleep, but when only a little of the night was past Thorstein Eiriksson raised himself up and said it was his wish that Gudrid should be summoned to him, for he desired to speak to her. 'God wills that this hour is granted me by way of remission and for the amendment of my state.' Farmer Thorstein went to find Gudrid and woke her, bidding her cross herself and pray God to help her. 'Thorstein Eiriksson has spoken to me, that he wants to see you, but it is for you to decide what course you will take, for I cannot direct you one way or the other.' 'It may be', she replied, 'that this wondrous event is intended as one of those things which are to be stored in our hearts for ever; yet I trust that God's keeping will stand over me. And under God's mercy I will risk speaking with him; for I cannot escape, if I am fated to suffer hurt. I have no wish for him to haunt us further-and that, I suspect, is the alternative.'

So Gudrid went now and found her Thorstein, and it seemed to her that he was weeping. He spoke certain words quietly in her ear, so that she alone heard them; but what he did say (H. adds so that everyone heard) was that those men would be truly blest who kept their faith well, for salvation and mercy attended upon it; though many, he added, kept their faith ill. 'Nor is that a good usage which has obtained here in Greenland since the coming of Christianity, to lay men down in unconsecrated ground with only a brief service sung over them. I want to be borne to church, and those others likewise who have taken place here this winter.' He spoke to her further of her own affairs, declaring that her future would be a notable one. He bade her beware of marrying a Greenlander, and urged her too to bestow their money upon the church, or give it to the poor; and then he sank back for the second time.

It had been the custom in Greenland, ever since the coming of Christianity, that men were buried on the farms where they died, in unconsecrated ground. A stake would be set up, leading from the breast and in due course, when clergy came that way, the stake would be pulled up and holy water poured into the place, and a service sung over them, even though this might be a good while later.

The bodies of Thorstein Eiriksson and the rest were borne to the church at Eirisfjord, and services sung over them by the clergy. Later Thorstein died, and his entire estate passed to Gudrid. Eirik took her into his own home, and looked after her and hers well.

Living in the north of Iceland, at Reynisnes in Skagafjord (the place is now called (Stad)), was a man known as Thorfinn Karlsefni, the son of Thord Horse-head. He was a man of good family and very well-to-do. His mother's name was Thorunn. Thorfinn was a trader overseas, and had the name of a good merchant. One summer Karlsefni fitted out his ship with Greenland in mind. Snorri Thorbrandsson from Alptafjord decided to go with him, and they had forty men with them. A man by the name of Bjarni Grimolfsson, a Breidafjord man, and another named Thorhall Gamlason, an Eastfirther, made their ship ready the same summer as Karlsfeni, proposing to sail to Greenland, and they too had forty men aboard. They put to sea with these two ships as soon as they were fitted out. There is no record of how long they were at sea, but this can be said, that both ships made Eiriksfjord in the autumn. Eirik and other of the settlers rode to the ships, and they promptly started a brisk buying and selling. The skippers invited Eirik to help himself to anything he liked from among their wares; and Eirik showed himself no less generous in return, for he invited the two ships' crews to come and spend the winter with him at Brattahlid. the merchants accepted this offer, off they went with Eirik and their goods were now transferred to Brattahlid, where there was no lack of fine bid storehouses to keep them in. (H. adds Nor was there a noticeable lack of anything else they needed). The merchants had a very good time at Eirik's over the winter.

But as the time wore on towards Yule Eirik came to look less cheerful than was his habit. So one day Karlsefni came and had a word with him. 'Is something the matter Eirik? I can't help thinking you are rather more silent than you were. You are treating us with great hospitality, and we feel bound to repay you to the best of our means and ability. So tell me now the reason for your low spirits.' 'You have been kind and gracious guests,' replied Eirik, 'and it does not so much as enter my mind that you have treated me other than perfectly. (H. What troubles me rather is whether once you find yourselves in other parts it will be noised abroad how you never spent a poorer Yule than this now coming in, when Eirik the Red was your host at Brattahlid in Greenland.)' 'That will not be so,' Karlsefni assured him. 'On board our ships we have malt and meal and corn, and you are welcome to help yourself to anything you please, and prepare a feast as splendid as your ideas of hospitality would have it.'

Eirik accepted this offer, and a Yule feast was now prepared, and one so choice and costly that men thought they had rarely seen such high living (H. adds in a poor country). Then after Yule Karsefni put to Eirik a proposal for Gudrid's hand, for as he saw it this lay in Eirik's competence, and he thought her a beautiful and accomplished lady. Eirik answered yes, he would welcome his suit-she deserved a good match, he said. 'And it is likely that she will be fulfilling her destiny,' were she given to him. He had heard nothing but good of Karlsefni, he said. His proposal was now put to her, she declared herself content with whatever Eirik decided for her, so without more ado the match was made, the feast augmented, and the wedding held. there was great and merry entertainment at Brattahlid the winter through,with much playing of board-games and story-telling, and many things to comfort and cheer the household.

This same winter long discussions took place at Brattahlid. Karlsefni and Snorri resolved to go and find Vinland, and men debated this a good deal. The upshot was that Karlsefni and Snorri fitted out their ship, meaning to go and find Vinland in the summer. Bjarni and Thorhall resolved to make the journey with their ship and the crew which had served with them. There was a man by the name of Thorvald, a son-in-law of Eirik the Red. Thorhall was nicknamed Hunter; for a long while now he had been out on hunting expeditions with Eirik in the summers, and had much business in his charge. He was tall of stature, dark and ogrish, was getting on in years, of difficult disposition, taciturn and of few words as a rule, underhand and offensive of speech, and always busied to a bad end. He had had little truck with the Faith since it came to Greenland. Thorhall had hardly a friend to his name, yet Eirik had long been accustomed to consult with him. He was aboard ship with Thorvalrd and his crew, for he had an extensive knowledge of the unsettled regions. they had that same ship which Thorbjorn had fetched to Greenland. They resolved to go along with Karlsefni and his men, and for the most part they were Greenlanders who went. They had a hundred and sixty men on board their ships. They then sailed away for the Western Settlement and for Bjarneyjar, Bear Isles. From Bjarneyjar they sailed with a north wind, were at sea two days, and then found land. They rowed ashore in boats and explored the country, finding many flat stones there, so big that a pair of men could easily clap sole to sole on them. There were many arctic foxes there. They gave the land a name, calling it Helluland, Flatsone Land. Then they sailed with a north wind for two days, when land lay ahead of them, with a great forest and many wild animals. Off the land to the south-east lay an island, where they found a bear, so called it Bjarney, Bear Island. But the land where the forest was they called Markland, Wood Land.

Then when two days were past they sighted land, and sailed to the land. Where they arrived there was a cape. They beat along the coast and left the land to starboard; it was an open harbourless coast there, with long beaches and sands. They put ashore in boats, came across the keel from a ship, so called the place Kjalarnes, Keelness. Likewise they gave a name to the beaches, calling them Furdustrandir, Marvelstrands, it was such a long business sailing past them. Then the land became bay-indented, and towards these bays they headed their ships.

It happened when Leif was with king Olaf Tryggvason, and he commissioned him to preach Christianity in Greenland, that the king gave him two Scots, a man named Haki, and a woman Hekja. The king told Leif to make use of these people if he had need of fleetness, for they were fleeter than deer. These people Leif and Eirik provided to accompany Karlsefni. So when they had sailed past Furdustrandir they put the Scots ashore, ordering them to run into the region lying south, spy out the quality of the land, and come back before three days were past. They were so attired that they were wearing the garment which they called 'bjafal': this was so put together that there was a hood on top, it was open at the sides and sleeveless, and buttoned between the legs, where a button and a loop held it together; while for the rest they were naked. They cast anchor and lay there this while, and when three days were past they came running down from the land, and one of them had grapes in his hand and the other self-sown wheat. Karlsefni said they appeared to have found choice, productive land. They took them on board ship and went their ways until the land was indented by a fjord. They laid the ships' course up into this fjord, off whose mouth there lay an island, and surrounding the island strong currents. This island they called Straumsey. There were so many birds there that a man could hardly set foot down between the eggs. They held on into the fjord, and called it Straumsfjord, and here they carried their goods off the ships and made their preparations. They had brought all sorts of livestock with them, and looked around at what the land had to offer. There were mountains there, and the prospect round was beautiful. They paid no heed to anything save exploiting the country. There was tall (or abundant) grass there. They spent the winter there, and a hard winter it proved, with no provision made for it; they were in a bad way for food, and the hunting and fishing failed. Then they went out to the island, hoping it would yield something by way of hunting or fishing or something drifted ashore. But small store of food was there, though their stock did well there. So now they prayed to God, that he should send them something to eat, but their prayers were not answered as quickly as they craved. Thorhall disappeared, and men set off to look for him; this continued for three whole days. On the fourth day Karlsefni and Bjarni found him on the peak of a crag, staring up at the sky, with both his eyes and mouth and nostrils agape, scratching and pinching himself, and reciting something. They asked him why he had come to such a place. It was none of their business, he retorted, and told them not to look so dumbstruck; he had lived long enough, he said, not to need them troubling their heads over him. They urged him to return home with them, which he did. A little later a whale came in; they hurried to it and cut it up, yet had no notion what kind of whale it was. Karlsefni had a wide knowledge and experience of whales, but for all that did not recognize this one. The cooks boiled this whale and they ate of it and were all taken ill of it, at which Thorhall came forward and said, 'Was it not the case, that Red Beard proved a better friend than your Christ? This is what I get for the poem I made about Thor my patron. Seldom has he failed me.' But the moment men heard this, no one would make use of the food; they threw it over the cliff, and committed their cause to the mercy of God. And then they were enabled to row out fishing, and there was no shortage of provisions. In the spring they went up into Straumsfjord and got supplies from both sources, hunting on the mainland, eggs in the breeding grounds and fishing from the sea.

Now they talked over their expedition and made plans. Thorhall the Hunter wished to proceed north by way of Furdustrandir and Kjalarnes and so look for Vinland, but Karlsefni wished to travel south along the coast, and east of it, believing that the land which lay further south was more extensive, and it seemed to him wiser to explore in both directions. So now Thorhall began making ready out by the islands, and there were not more than nine men going with him, for the rest of their company went with Karlsefni. And one day, when Thorhall was carrying water to his ship, he took a drink, and chanted this poem:

'They told me, wartrees bold,
This land held, once we found it,
Such drink as men ne'er drank of;
My curse then--all men hear it!
This sucking at the bucket,
This wallowing to spring's welling,
Fine work for helm-god's war-oak!
No wine's passed lips of mine.'

Later they put to sea, and Karlsefni saw them out past the islands. Before they hoisted sail Thorhall chanted a verse.

'Back sail we now where beckon
Hands of our own Greenlanders;
Have steed of seabed's heaven
Search out the streams of ocean:
While here these brisk sword-stirrers,
This precious country's praisers,
On Furdustrand far-stranded,
Boil whale for wambling bellies.'

Afterwards they parted company and sailed north by way of Furdustrandir and Kjalarnes, and wished to beat to westward there. They met with a storm and were shipwrecked off Ireland, where they were badly beaten and enslaved. It was then Thorhall lost his life.

Karlsefni sailed south along the land with Snorri and Bjarni and the rest of their company. They journeyed a long time till they reached a river which flowed down from the land into a lake and so to the sea. There were such extensive bars off the mouth of the estuary that they were unable to get into the river except at full flood. Karlsefni and his men sailed into the estuary, and called the place Hop, Landlock Bay. There they found self-sown fields of wheat where the ground was low-lying, and vines wherever it was hilly. Every brook there was full of fish. They dug trenches at the meeting point of land and high water, and when the tide went out there were halibut in the trenches. There were vast numbers of animals of every kind in the forest. They were there for a fortnight enjoying themselves and saw nothing and nobody. They had their cattle with them.

Then early one morning when they looked about them they saw nine (H. a great multitude of) skin-boats, on board which staves were being swung which sounded just like flails threshing --and their motion was sunwise. 'What can this mean?' asked Karlsefni. 'Perhaps it is a token of peace,' replied Snorri. 'So let us take a white shield and hold it out towards them.' They did so, and those others rowed towards them, showing their astonishment, then came ashore. They were small (H. dark), ill favoured men, and had ugly hair on their heads. They had big eyes and were broad in the cheeks. For a while they remained there, astonished, and afterwards rowed off south past the headland. Karlsefai and his men built themselves dwellings up above the lake; some of their houses stood near the mainland, and some near the lake. They now spent the winter there. No snow fell, and their entire stock found its food grazing in the open. But once spring came in they chanced early one morning to see how a multitude of skin-boats came rowing from the south round the headland, so many that- the bay appeared sown with coals, and even so staves were being swung on every boat. Karlsefni and his men raised their shields, and they began trading together. Above all these people wanted to buy red cloth (H. adds in return for which they had furs to offer and grey pelts). They also wanted to buy swords and spears, but this Karlsefni and Snorri would not allow. They had dark unblemished skins to exchange for the cloth, and were taking a span's length of cloth for a skin, and this they tied round their heads. So it continued for a while, then when the cloth began to run short they cut it up so that it was no broader than a fingerbreadth, but the Skrælings gave just as much for it, or more.

The next thing was that the bull belonging to Karlsefni and his mates ran out of the forest bellowing loudly. The Skrælings were terrified by this, raced out to their boats and rowed south past the headland, and for three weeks running there was neither sight nor sound of them. But at the end of that period they saw a great multitude of Skræling boats coming up from the south like a streaming torrent. This time all the staves were being swung anti-sunwise, and the Skrælings were all yelling aloud, so they took red shields and held them out against them. (H. adds The Skrælings ran from their boats and with that) they clashed together and fought. There was a heavy shower of missiles, for the Skrælings had warslings too. Karlsefni and Snorri could see the Skrælings hoisting up on poles (H. a pole) a big ball-shaped object (H. adds more or less the size of a sheep's paunch), and blue-black in colour, which they sent flying (H. adds from the pole) inland over Karlsefni's troop, and it made a hideous noise where it came down. Great fear now struck into Karlsefni and all his following, so that there was no other thought in their heads than to run away up along the river (H. adds for they had the impression that the Skræling host was pouring in upon them from all sides. They made no stop till they came) to some steep rocks, and there put up a strong resistance.

Freydis came out-of-doors and saw how they had taken to their heels. 'Why are you running from wretches like these?' she cried. 'Such gallant lads as you, I thought for sure you would have knocked them on the head like cattle. Why, if I had a weapon, I think I could put up a better fight than any of you!'

They might as well not have heard her. Freydis was anxious to keep up with them, but was rather slow because of her pregnancy. She was moving after them into the forest when the Skrælings attacked her. She found a dead man in her path, Thorbrand Snorrason--he had a flat stone sticking out of his head. His sword lay beside him; she picked it up and prepared to defend herself with it. The Skrælings were now making for her. She pulled out her breasts from under her shift and slapped the sword on them, at which the Skrælings took fright, and ran off to their boats and rowed away. Karlsefni's men came up to her, praising her courage. Two of Karlsefni's men had fallen, and four (H. a great many) Skrælings, but even so they had been overrun by sheer numbers. They now returned to their booths (H. adds and bandaged their wounds), puzzling over what force it was which had attacked them from the land side. For now it looked to them as though there had been only the one host, which came from the boats, and that the rest of the host must have been a delusion.

Further, the Skrælings had found a dead man whose axe lay beside him. One of them (H. adds picked up the axe and cut at a tree with it, and so they did one after the other, and thought it a great treasure, and one which cut well. Afterwards one of them set to and) cut at a stone, the axe broke, and then he thought it useless because it could not stand up to the stone, so threw it down.

It now seemed plain to Karlsefni and his men that though the quality of the land was admirable, there would always be fear and strife dogging them there on account of those who already inhabited it. So they made ready to leave, setting their hearts on their own country, and sailed north along the coast and found five Skrælings in fur doublets asleep near the sea, who had with them wooden containers in which was animal marrow mixed with blood. They felt sure that these men would have been sent out from that country, so they killed them. Later they discovered a cape and great numbers of animals. To look at, this cape was like a cake of dung, because the animals lay there the nights through.

And now Karlsefni and his followers returned to Straumsfjord (H. adds where there was abundance of everything they had need of). It is some men's report that Bjarni and Freydis (H. Gudrid) had remained behind there, and a hundred men with them, and proceeded no farther, while Karlsefni and Snorri had travelled south with forty men, yet spent no longer at Hop than a bare two months, and got back again that same summer. Then Karlsefni set off with one ship to look for Thorhall the Hunter, while the rest of their party stayed behind. They went north past Kjalarnes, and then bore away west, with the land on their port side. There was nothing but a wilderness of forest-land (H. adds to be seen ahead, with hardly a clearing anywhere). And when they had been on their travels for a long time, there was a river flowing down off the land from east to west. They put into this river-mouth and lay at anchor off the southern bank. It happened one morning that Karlsefni and his men noticed up above the clearing a kind of speck as it were glittering back at them, and they shouted at it. It moved--it was a uniped--and hopped down to the river-bank off which they were lying. Thorvald Eirik the Red's son was sitting by the rudder, and the uniped shot an arrow into his guts. He drew out the arrow. 'There is fat round my belly!' he said. 'We have won a fine and fruitful country, but will hardly be allowed to enjoy it.' Thorvald died of this wound a little later. The uniped skipped away and back north, and Karlsefni and his men gave chase, catching sight of him every now and again. The last glimpse they had of him, he was leaping for some creek or other. Karlsefni and his men then turned back. (557. It happened one morning Karlsefni and his men noticed up above a clearing a kind of speck as it were glittering back at thern. It moved--it was a uniped--and hopped down to where they were lying (scil. Karlsefni and) Thorvald Eirik the Red's son. Then said Thorvald: 'We have won a fine country.' The uniped then skipped away and back north, and shot an arrow into Thorvald's guts. He drew out the arrow and 'There is fat round my belly!' he said. They gave chase to the uniped, catching sight of him every now and again, and it looked as if he was getting away. He leaped out to a creek.) Then one of the men sang this ditty:

Men went chasing,
I tell you no lie,
A one-lagger racing
The seashore by:
But this man-wonder,
Curst son of a trollop,
Karlsefni, pray ponder,
Escaped at a gallop.

Then they moved away and back north, believing they had sighted Einfætingaland, Uniped Land. They were unwilling to imperil their company any longer. They proposed to explore all the mountains, those which were at Hop and those they discovered. (H. They concluded that those mountains which were at Hop and those they had now discovered were one and the same (range), that they therefore stood directly opposite (in line with?) each other, and lay (or extended) the same distance on both sides of Straumfjord.)

They went back and spent that third winter in Straumsfjord. There was bitter quarrelling (H. adds on account of the women), for the unmarried men fell foul of the married (H. adds which led to serious disturbances). Karlsefni's son Snorri was born there the first autumn and was three years old when they left.

(H. When they sailed from Vinland) they got a south wind and reached Markland, where they found five Skrælings, one of them a grown man with a beard, two women, and two children. Karlsefni captured the boys but the others escaped and sank down into the ground. These boys they kept with them, taught them their language, and they were baptized. They gave their mother's name as Vætilldi, that of their father as Uvægi. They said that kings ruled over Skrælingaland? one of whom was called Avalldamon and the other Valldidida.There were no houses there, they said: the people lodged in caves or holes. A country lay on the other side,they said, opposite their own land, where men walked about in (H. lived who wore) white clothes and whooped loudly, and carried poles and went about with (H. carried) flags. They concluded that this must be Hvitramannaland (H. adds or Ireland the Great).(But Bjarni GrimolLsson was carried into the Greenland (H. Ireland) Sea and came into wormy waters, and before they knew it the ship grew worm-eaten underthem. They talked over what plan they should adopt. They had a tow-boat which was coated withseal-tar, and it is common knowledge that the shell-worm does not bore into timber which is coated with seal-tar. The voice of the majority was to man this boat with as many of the men as she would take. But when it came to the point, the boat would not take more than half the ship's company. Then Bjarni proposed that they should go into the boat, but go by lot, and not by rank. But every living soul wanted to go into the boat, and she just could not take them all, which was why they adopted this plan of transferring men from ship to boat by lot. And the way the lot fell out, it fell to Bjarni to go into the boat, and roughly half the crew with him.)

And now they came to Greenland and spent the winter with Eirik the Red.

So those who had drawn lucky transferred from ship to boat. When they had got into the boat, a young Icelander who had been Bjarni's shipmate, called out: 'D'you mean to leave me here, Bjarni?' 'That is the way of it,' replied Bjarni. 'This', said he, 'is not what you promised me when I followed you from my father's house in Iceland.' 'I see nothing else for it,' said Bjarni. 'But answer me, what do you suggest?' 'I suggest we change places. That you come here, and I go there.' 'So be it,' replied Bjarni. 'For I see you are greedy for life, and think it a hard thing to die.' Then they changed places. This man went into the boat, and Bjarni aboard ship, and men reckon that Bjarni perished there in the wormy sea, and those men who remained on board with him. But the boat and those who were in her went their ways till they reached land (H. adds at Dublin in Ireland), where they afterwards told this story.

Two summers later Karlsefni returned to Iceland, and Snorri (H. Gudrid) with him, and went home to his place at Reynisnes. His mother considered he had made a poor marriage and did not stay in the same house with them that first winter. But once she found Gudrid to be so remarkable a woman, she returned home, and they lived happily together.

The daughter of Karlsefni's son Snorri was Hallfrid, the mother of bishop Thorlak Runolfsson. Karlsefni and Gudrid had a son whose name was Thorbjorn, whose daughter's name was Thorunn, mother of bishop Bjorn. There was a son of Snorri Karlsefni's son by the name of Thorgeir, the father of Yngvild, mother of bishop Brand the first. And that is the end of this saga.

In place of this last sentence Hauk Erlendsson supplies a genealogy leading to himself: Steinunn too was a daughter of Snorri Karlsefni's son, she who was married to Einar the son of Grundar-Ketil, son of Thorvald Krok, son of Thorir from Espihoi. Their son was Thorstein Ranglat, who was father of that Gudrun whom Jorund from Keldur married. Their daughter was HaHa, mother of Flosi, father of Valgerda, mother of Herra Erlend Sterki father of Herra Hauk the Lawman. Another daughter of Flosi was Thordis, mother of the lady Ingigerd the Mighty, whose daughter was the lady Hallbera, abbess of Reynisnes at Stad. Many other distinguished people in Iceland are descended from Karlsefni and Gudrid, who are not catalogued here. God be with us. Amen.

Then after Yule Karlsefni put before Eirik a proposal of marriage for Gudrid, for as he saw it this lay in Eirik's competence. Eirik gave him a favourable answer, reckoning she must follow her fate, and that he had heard nothing but good of Karlsefni. So that was how it ended: Thorfinn married Gudrid, the feast was augmented, their wedding held and drunk to, and they spent the winter at Brattahlid.

There were long discussions at Brattahlid, that men ought to go and find Vinland the Good, and it was the general opinion it would be found a good and fruitful country out there. And so it came about that Karlsefni and Snorri fitted out their ship to go and find that country in the spring. The man Bjarni and his fellow Thorhall, who have already been mentioned, went with them in their own ship. There was a man by the name of Thorvard, who was married to Eirik the Red's natural daughter Freydis, who was went along with them, together with Eirik's son Thorvald, and {that other} Thorhall who was nicknamed the Hunter. He had been with Eirik a long time now, acting as hunter for him in the summers, and during the winters as hi bailiff. He was a big, strong, dark and ogrish man, taciturn, but when he did speak abusive, and he was always advising Eirik for the worse. He was a bad Christian, but he had a wide knowledge of the unsettled regions. He was on board ship with Thorvard and Thorvald (they had that same ship which Thorbjorn Vifilsson had fetched to Greenland). In all they had a hundred and sixty men when they set sail for the Western Settlement and from there to Bjarney, Bear Isle. From there they sailed south for two days and then sighted land. They launched their boats and explored the countryside, finding huge flat stones there, many of them twelve cells across. There were large numbers of arctic foxes there. They gave the land a name, calling it Helluland. Then they sailed onwards for two days and changed course from south to south-east, and found a land heavily forested, with many wild animals. Offshore to the South-east lay an island. They killed a bear on it, so called the island Bjarney, Bear Island, and the land Markland.

From here they sailed south along the land for a long while till they came to a cape. The land lay to starboard: there were long beaches and sands there. They rowed ashore and found there on the cape the keel from a ship, so called the place Kjalarnes. The beaches they called Furdustrandir, Marvelstrands, because it was such a long business sailing past them. Then the land became bay-indented, and into one of these bays they headed their ships.

King Olaf Tryggvason had given Leif two Scots, a man named Haki, and a woman Hekja, who were fleeter than deer. They were on board Karlsefni's ship, and once they sailed past Furdustrandir they put the Scots ashore, ordering them to run across the country southwards and spy out the quality of the land, and come back before three days were past. They were wearing the garment which they called 'kjafal': this was so put together that there was a hood on top, it was open at the sides and sleeveless, and buttoned between the legs with a button and loop; while for the rest they werenaked. They waited there a while, and when the Scots came back the one had a bunch of grapes in his hand and the other an ear of new sown (sic) wheat; so with that they went back on board ship and afterwards sailed on their way.

They sailed into a fjord off whose mouth there lay an island surrounded by strong currents. So they called this island Straumey. There were so many eider-duck on the island that a man could hardly take a step for the eggs. The place itself they called Straumfjord, and here they carried their goods off the ships and made their preparations. They had brought all sorts of livestock with them, and the country round was very fine. They paid no heed to anything save exploring the country; they spent the winter there, but made no provision for this all the summer; the hunting and fishing failed, and they were in a bad way for food. Then Thorhall the Hunter disappeared. Before this they had prayed to God for food, but their prayers were not answered as quickly as their needs craved. They were looking for Thorhall three whole days, and found him where he was lying on the peak of a crag, staring up at the sky with his mouth and nostrils both agape, and reciting something. They asked him why he had gone to such a place, but he told them that was none of their business. They urged him to return home with them, which he did. A little later a whale came in. They went to it and cut it up, yet never a man of them knew what kind of whale it was. Once the cooks had boiled it, they ate and were all taken ill of it. Then said Thorhall, 'Read Beard proved a better friend now than your Christ. This is what I get for the poem I made about Thor my patron. Seldom has he failed me.' But the moment they heard this, they disposed of the entire whale into the sea and committed their cause to God. With that the weather improved, enabling them to row out to sea fishing, and from then on there was no shortage of provisions, for there was hunting of animals on the mainland, eggs in the island breeding grounds, and fish from the sea.

The story now goes that Thorhall wished to proceed north by way of Furdustrandir to look for Vinland, whereas Karlsefni wished to travel south along the coast. Thorhall began making ready out by the island, and they were not more than nine men all told, for all the rest of the company went with Karlsefni. And when Thorhall was carrying water to his ship and had taken a drink of it, he chanted his poem.

After this they sailed north by way of Furdustrandir and Kjalarnes, and wished to beat to westwards, but met with a west wind and were shipwrecked in Ireland, where they were beaten and enslaved, and Thorhall lost his life, according to what traders have reported.