_A Brief History of Eric the Red._[45-2]--There was a man named Thorvald,
a son of Osvald, Ulf's son, Eyxna-Thori's son. Thorvald and Eric the Red,
his son, left Jaederen [in Norway], on account of manslaughter, and went
to Iceland. At that time Iceland was extensively colonized. They first
lived at Drangar on Horn-strands, and there Thorvald died. Eric then
married Thorhild, the daughter of Jorund and Thorbiorg the Ship-chested,
who was then married to Thorbiorn of the Haukadal family. Eric then
removed from the north, and made his home at Ericsstadir by Vatnshorn.
Eric and Thorhild's son was called Leif.
After the killing of Eyiulf the Foul, and Duelling-Hrafn, Eric was
banished from Haukadal, and betook himself westward to Breidafirth,
settling in Eyxney at Ericsstadir. He loaned his outer dais-boards to
Thorgest, and could not get these again when he demanded them. This gave
rise to broils and battles between himself and Thorgest, as Eric's Saga
relates. Eric was backed in the dispute by Styr Thorgrimsson, Eyiulf of
Sviney, the sons of Brand of Alptafirth and Thorbiorn Vifilsson, while
the Thorgesters were upheld by the sons of Thord the Yeller and Thorgeir
of Hitardal. Eric was declared an outlaw at Thorsnessthing. He thereupon
equipped his ship for a voyage, in Ericsvag, and when he was ready to
sail, Styr and the others accompanied him out beyond the islands. Eric
told them, that it was his purpose to go in search of that country which
Gunnbiorn, son of Ulf the Crow, had seen, when he was driven westward
across the main, at the time when he discovered Gunnbiorns-skerries; he
added, that he would return to his friends, if he should succeed in
finding this country. Eric sailed out from Snaefellsiokul, and found the
land. He gave the name of Midiokul to his landfall; this is now called
Blacksark. From thence he proceeded southward along the coast, in search
of habitable land. He passed the first winter at Ericsey, near the middle
of the Eastern Settlement, and the following spring he went to
Ericsfirth, where he selected a dwelling-place. In the summer he visited
the western uninhabited country, and assigned names to many of the
localities. The second winter he remained at Holmar by Hrafnsgnipa, and
the third summer he sailed northward to Snaefell, and all the way into
Hrafnsfirth; then he said he had reached the head of Ericsfirth. He then
returned and passed the third winter in Ericsey at the mouth of
Ericsfirth. The next summer he sailed to Iceland, landing in Breidafirth.
He called the country, which he had discovered, Greenland, because, he
said, people would be attracted thither, if the country had a good name.
Eric spent the winter in Iceland, and the following summer set out to
colonize the country. He settled at Brattahlid in Ericsfirth, and learned
men say, that in this same summer, in which Eric set out to settle
Greenland, thirty-five ships sailed out of Breidafirth and Borgarfirth;
fourteen of these arrived there safely, some were driven back and some
were lost. This was fifteen years before Christianity was legally adopted
in Iceland.[46-1] During the same summer Bishop Frederick[46-2] and
Thorvald Kodransson went abroad [from Iceland]. Of those men, who
accompanied Eric to Greenland, the following took possession of land
there: Heriulf, Heriulfsfirth, he dwelt at Heriulfsness; Ketil,
Ketilsfirth; Hrafn, Hrafnsfirth; Solvi, Solvadal; Helgi Thorbrandsson,
Alptafirth; Thorbiorn Gleamer, Siglufirth; Einar, Einarsfirth; Hafgrim,
Hafgrimsfirth and Vatnahverfi; Arnlaug, Arnlaugsfirth; while some went to
the Western Settlement.
_Leif the Lucky Baptized._--After that sixteen winters had lapsed, from
the time when Eric the Red went to colonize Greenland, Leif, Eric's son,
sailed out from Greenland to Norway. He arrived in Drontheim in the
autumn, when King Olaf Tryggvason was come down from the north, out of
Halagoland. Leif put in to Nidaros with his ship, and set out at once to
visit the king. King Olaf expounded the faith to him, as he did to other
heathen men who came to visit him. It proved easy for the king to
persuade Leif, and he was accordingly baptized, together with all of his
shipmates. Leif remained throughout the winter with the king, by whom he
was well entertained.
_Biarni goes in Quest of Greenland._--Heriulf was a son of Bard
Heriulfsson. He was a kinsman of Ingolf, the first colonist. Ingolf
allotted land to Heriulf between Vag and Reykianess, and he dwelt at
first at Drepstokk. Heriulf's wife's name was Thorgerd, and their son,
whose name was Biarni, was a most promising man. He formed an inclination
for voyaging while he was still young, and he prospered both in property
and public esteem. It was his custom to pass his winters alternately
abroad and with his father. Biarni soon became the owner of a
trading-ship, and during the last winter that he spent in Norway, [his
father] Heriulf determined to accompany Eric on his voyage to Greenland,
and made his preparations to give up his farm. Upon the ship with Heriulf
was a Christian man from the Hebrides, he it was who composed the
Sea-Rollers' Song, which contains this stave:[47-1]
Mine adventure to the Meek One,
Monk-heart-searcher, I commit now;
He, who heaven's halls doth govern,
Hold the hawk's-seat ever o'er me!
Heriulf settled at Heriulfsness, and was a most distinguished man. Eric
the Red dwelt at Brattahlid, where he was held in the highest esteem, and
all men paid him homage. These were Eric's children: Leif, Thorvald, and
Thorstein, and a daughter whose name was Freydis; she was wedded to a man
named Thorvard, and they dwelt at Gardar, where the episcopal seat now
is. She was a very haughty woman, while Thorvard was a man of little
force of character, and Freydis had been wedded to him chiefly because of
his wealth. At that time the people of Greenland were heathen.
Biarni arrived with his ship at Eyrar [in Iceland] in the summer of the
same year, in the spring of which his father had sailed away. Biarni was
much surprised when he heard this news, and would not discharge his
cargo. His shipmates inquired of him what he intended to do, and he
replied that it was his purpose to keep to his custom, and make his home
for the winter with his father; "and I will take the ship to Greenland,
if you will bear me company." They all replied that they would abide by
his decision. Then said Biarni, "Our voyage must be regarded as
foolhardy, seeing that no one of us has ever been in the Greenland Sea."
Nevertheless they put out to sea when they were equipped for the voyage,
and sailed for three days, until the land was hidden by the water, and
then the fair wind died out, and north winds arose, and fogs, and they
knew not whither they were drifting, and thus it lasted for many
"doegr." Then they saw the sun again, and were able to determine the
quarters of the heavens; they hoisted sail, and sailed that "doegr"
through before they saw land. They discussed among themselves what land
it could be, and Biarni said that he did not believe that it could be
Greenland. They asked whether he wished to sail to this land or not. "It
is my counsel" [said he], "to sail close to the land." They did so, and
soon saw that the land was level, and covered with woods, and that there
were small hillocks upon it. They left the land on their larboard, and
let the sheet turn toward the land. They sailed for two "doegr" before
they saw another land. They asked whether Biarni thought this was
Greenland yet. He replied that he did not think this any more like
Greenland than the former, "because in Greenland there are said to be
many great ice-mountains." They soon approached this land, and saw that
it was a flat and wooded country. The fair wind failed them then, and
the crew took counsel together, and concluded that it would be wise to
land there, but Biarni would not consent to this. They alleged that they
were in need of both wood and water. "Ye have no lack of either of
these," says Biarni--a course, forsooth, which won him blame among his
shipmates. He bade them hoist sail, which they did, and turning the prow
from the land they sailed out upon the high seas, with southwesterly
gales, for three "doegr," when they saw the third land; this land was
high and mountainous, with ice-mountains upon it. They asked Biarni then
whether he would land there, and he replied that he was not disposed to
do so, "because this land does not appear to me to offer any
attractions." Nor did they lower their sail, but held their course off
the land, and saw that it was an island. They left this land astern, and
held out to sea with the same fair wind. The wind waxed amain, and
Biarni directed them to reef, and not to sail at a speed unbefitting
their ship and rigging. They sailed now for four "doegr," when they saw
the fourth land. Again they asked Biarni whether he thought this could
be Greenland or not. Biarni answers, "This is likest Greenland,
according to that which has been reported to me concerning it, and here
we will steer to the land." They directed their course thither, and
landed in the evening, below a cape upon which there was a boat, and
there, upon this cape, dwelt Heriulf,[49-1] Biarni's father, whence the
cape took its name, and was afterwards called Heriulfsness. Biarni now
went to his father, gave up his voyaging, and remained with his father
while Heriulf lived, and continued to live there after his father.
_Here begins the Brief History of the Greenlanders._--Next to this is now
to be told how Biarni Heriulfsson came out from Greenland on a visit to
Earl Eric,[50-1] by whom he was well received. Biarni gave an account of
his travels [upon the occasion] when he saw the lands, and the people
thought that he had been lacking in enterprise, since he had no report to
give concerning these countries, and the fact brought him reproach.
Biarni was appointed one of the Earl's men, and went out to Greenland the
following summer. There was now much talk about voyages of discovery.
Leif, the son of Eric the Red, of Brattahlid, visited Biarni Heriulfsson
and bought a ship of him, and collected a crew, until they formed
altogether a company of thirty-five men. Leif invited his father, Eric,
to become the leader of the expedition, but Eric declined, saying that he
was then stricken in years, and adding that he was less able to endure
the exposure of sea-life than he had been. Leif replied that he would
nevertheless be the one who would be most apt to bring good luck, and
Eric yielded to Leif's solicitation, and rode from home when they were
ready to sail. When he was but a short distance from the ship, the horse
which Eric was riding stumbled, and he was thrown from his back and
wounded his foot, whereupon he exclaimed, "It is not designed for me to
discover more lands than the one in which we are now living, nor can we
now continue longer together." Eric returned home to Brattahlid, and Leif
pursued his way to the ship with his companions, thirty-five men; one of
the company was a German named Tyrker. They put the ship in order, and
when they were ready, they sailed out to sea, and found first that land
which Biarni and his ship-mates found last. They sailed up to the land
and cast anchor, and launched a boat and went ashore, and saw no grass
there; great ice mountains lay inland back from the sea, and it was as a
[tableland of] flat rock all the way from the sea to the ice mountains,
and the country seemed to them to be entirely devoid of good qualities.
Then said Leif, "It has not come to pass with us in regard to this land
as with Biarni, that we have not gone upon it. To this country I will now
give a name, and call it Helluland." They returned to the ship, put out
to sea, and found a second land. They sailed again to the land, and came
to anchor, and launched the boat, and went ashore. This was a level
wooded land, and there were broad stretches of white sand, where they
went, and the land was level by the sea. Then said Leif, "This land shall
have a name after its nature, and we will call it Markland." They
returned to the ship forthwith, and sailed away upon the main with
north-east winds, and were out two "doegr" before they sighted land.
They sailed toward this land, and came to an island which lay to the
northward off the land. There they went ashore and looked about them,
the weather being fine, and they observed that there was dew upon the
grass, and it so happened that they touched the dew with their hands,
and touched their hands to their mouths, and it seemed to them that they
had never before tasted anything so sweet as this. They went aboard
their ship again and sailed into a certain sound, which lay between the
island and a cape, which jutted out from the land on the north, and they
stood in westering past the cape. At ebb-tide there were broad reaches
of shallow water there, and they ran their ship aground there, and it
was a long distance from the ship to the ocean; yet were they so anxious
to go ashore that they could not wait until the tide should rise under
their ship, but hastened to the land, where a certain river flows out
from a lake. As soon as the tide rose beneath their ship, however, they
took the boat and rowed to the ship, which they conveyed up the river,
and so into the lake, where they cast anchor and carried their hammocks
ashore from the ship, and built themselves booths there. They afterwards
determined to establish themselves there for the winter, and they
accordingly built a large house. There was no lack of salmon there
either in the river or in the lake, and larger salmon than they had ever
seen before. The country thereabouts seemed to be possessed of such
good qualities that cattle would need no fodder there during the
winters. There was no frost there in the winters, and the grass withered
but little. The days and nights there were of more nearly equal length
than in Greenland or Iceland. On the shortest day of winter the sun was
up between "eyktarstad" and "dagmalastad."[52-1] When they had completed
their house Leif said to his companions, "I propose now to divide our
company into two groups, and to set about an exploration of the country;
one half of our party shall remain at home at the house, while the other
half shall investigate the land, and they must not go beyond a point
from which they can return home the same evening, and are not to
separate [from each other.]" Thus they did for a time; Leif himself, by
turns, joined the exploring party or remained behind at the house. Leif
was a large and powerful man, and of a most imposing bearing, a man of
sagacity, and a very just man in all things.
_Leif the Lucky finds Men upon a Skerry at Sea._--It was discovered one
evening that one of their company was missing, and this proved to be
Tyrker, the German. Leif was sorely troubled by this, for Tyrker had
lived with Leif and his father for a long time, and had been very devoted
to Leif, when he was a child. Leif severely reprimanded his companions,
and prepared to go in search of him, taking twelve men with him. They had
proceeded but a short distance from the house, when they were met by
Tyrker, whom they received most cordially. Leif observed at once that his
foster-father was in lively spirits. Tyrker had a prominent forehead,
restless eyes, small features, was diminutive in stature, and rather a
sorry-looking individual withal, but was, nevertheless, a most capable
handicraftsman. Leif addressed him, and asked: "Wherefore art thou so
belated foster-father mine, and astray from the others?" In the beginning
Tyrker spoke for some time in German, rolling his eyes and grinning, and
they could not understand him; but after a time he addressed them in the
Northern tongue: "I did not go much further [_than you_], and yet I have
something of novelty to relate. I have found vines and grapes." "Is this
indeed true, foster-father?" said Leif. "Of a certainty it is true,"
quoth he, "for I was born where there is no lack of either grapes or
vines." They slept the night through, and on the morrow Leif said to his
shipmates: "We will now divide our labors, and each day will either
gather grapes or cut vines and fell trees, so as to obtain a cargo of
these for my ship." They acted upon this advice, and it is said, that
their after-boat was filled with grapes. A cargo sufficient for the ship
was cut, and when the spring came, they made their ship ready, and sailed
away; and from its products Leif gave the land a name, and called it
Wineland. They sailed out to sea, and had fair winds until they sighted
Greenland, and the fells below the glaciers; then one of the men spoke
up, and said, "Why do you steer the ship so much into the wind?" Leif
answers: "I have my mind upon my steering, but on other matters as well.
Do ye not see anything out of the common?" They replied, that they saw
nothing strange. "I do not know," says Leif, "whether it is a ship or a
skerry that I see." Now they saw it, and said, that it must be a skerry;
but he was so much keener of sight than they, that he was able to discern
men upon the skerry. "I think it best to tack," says Leif, "so that we
may draw near to them, that we may be able to render them assistance, if
they should stand in need of it; and if they should not be peaceably
disposed, we shall still have better command of the situation than they."
They approached the skerry, and lowering their sail, cast anchor, and
launched a second small boat, which they had brought with them. Tyrker
inquired who was the leader of the party. He replied that his name was
Thori, and that he was a Norseman; "but what is thy name?" Leif gave his
name. "Art thou a son of Eric the Red of Brattahlid?" says he. Leif
responded that he was. "It is now my wish," says Leif, "to take you all
into my ship, and likewise so much of your possessions as the ship will
hold." This offer was accepted, and [with their ship] thus laden, they
held away to Ericsfirth, and sailed until they arrived at Brattahlid.
Having discharged the cargo, Leif invited Thori, with his wife, Gudrid,
and three others, to make their home with him, and procured quarters for
the other members of the crew, both for his own and Thori's men. Leif
rescued fifteen persons from the skerry. He was afterward called Leif the
Lucky. Leif had now goodly store both of property and honor. There was
serious illness that winter in Thori's party, and Thori and a great
number of his people died. Eric the Red also died that winter. There was
now much talk about Leif's Wineland journey, and his brother, Thorvald,
held that the country had not been sufficiently explored. Thereupon Leif
said to Thorvald: "If it be thy will, brother, thou mayest go to Wineland
with my ship, but I wish the ship first to fetch the wood, which Thori
had upon the skerry." And so it was done.
_Thorvald goes to Wineland._--Now Thorvald, with the advice of his
brother, Leif, prepared to make this voyage with thirty men. They put
their ship in order, and sailed out to sea; and there is no account of
their voyage before their arrival at Leif's-booths in Wineland. They laid
up their ship there, and remained there quietly during the winter,
supplying themselves with food by fishing. In the spring, however,
Thorvald said that they should put their ship in order, and that a few
men should take the after-boat, and proceed along the western coast, and
explore [the region] thereabouts during the summer. They found it a fair,
well-wooded country; it was but a short distance from the woods to the
sea, and [there were] white sands, as well as great numbers of islands
and shallows. They found neither dwelling of man nor lair of beast; but
in one of the westerly islands, they found a wooden building for the
shelter of grain. They found no other trace of human handiwork, and they
turned back, and arrived at Leif's-booths in the autumn. The following
summer Thorvald set out toward the east with the ship, and along the
northern coast. They were met by a high wind off a certain promontory,
and were driven ashore there, and damaged the keel of their ship, and
were compelled to remain there for a long time and repair the injury to
their vessel. Then said Thorvald to his companions: "I propose that we
raise the keel upon this cape, and call it Keelness," and so they did.
Then they sailed away, to the eastward off the land, and into the mouth
of the adjoining firth, and to a headland, which projected into the sea
there, and which was entirely covered with woods. They found an anchorage
for their ship, and put out the gangway to the land, and Thorvald and all
of his companions went ashore. "It is a fair region here," said he, "and
here I should like to make my home." They then returned to the ship, and
discovered on the sands, in beyond the headland, three mounds; they went
up to these, and saw that they were three skin-canoes, with three men
under each. They thereupon divided their party, and succeeded in seizing
all of the men but one, who escaped with his canoe. They killed the eight
men, and then ascended the headland again, and looked about them, and
discovered within the firth certain hillocks, which they concluded must
be habitations. They were then so overpowered with sleep that they could
not keep awake, and all fell into a [heavy] slumber, from which they were
awakened by the sound of a cry uttered above them; and the words of the
cry were these: "Awake, Thorvald, thou and all thy company, if thou
wouldst save thy life; and board thy ship with all thy men, and sail with
all speed from the land!" A countless number of skin-canoes then advanced
toward them from the inner part of the firth, whereupon Thorvald
exclaimed: "We must put out the war-boards, on both sides of the ship,
and defend ourselves to the best of our ability, but offer little
attack." This they did, and the Skrellings, after they had shot at them
for a time, fled precipitately, each as best he could. Thorvald then
inquired of his men, whether any of them had been wounded, and they
informed him that no one of them had received a wound. "I have been
wounded in my arm-pit," says he; "an arrow flew in between the gunwale
and the shield, below my arm. Here is the shaft, and it will bring me to
my end! I counsel you now to retrace your way with the utmost speed. But
me ye shall convey to that headland which seemed to me to offer so
pleasant a dwelling-place; thus it may be fulfilled, that the truth
sprang to my lips, when I expressed the wish to abide there for a time.
Ye shall bury me there, and place a cross at my head, and another at my
feet, and call it Crossness for ever after." At that time Christianity
had obtained in Greenland; Eric the Red died, however, before [the
introduction of] Christianity.
Thorvald died, and when they had carried out his injunctions, they took
their departure, and rejoined their companions, and they told each other
of the experiences which had befallen them. They remained there during
the winter, and gathered grapes and wood with which to freight the ship.
In the following spring they returned to Greenland, and arrived with
their ship in Ericsfirth, where they were able to recount great tidings
to Leif.
_Thorstein Ericsson dies in the Western Settlement._--In the meantime it
had come to pass in Greenland, that Thorstein of Ericsfirth had married,
and taken to wife Gudrid, Thorbiorn's daughter, [she] who had been the
spouse of Thori Eastman,[56-1] as has been already related. Now Thorstein
Ericsson, being minded to make the voyage to Wineland after the body of
his brother, Thorvald, equipped the same ship, and selected a crew of
twenty-five men of good size and strength, and taking with him his wife,
Gudrid, when all was in readiness, they sailed out into the open ocean,
and out of sight of land. They were driven hither and thither over the
sea all that summer, and lost all reckoning, and at the end of the first
week of winter they made the land at Lysufirth in Greenland, in the
Western Settlement. Thorstein set out in search of quarters for his crew,
and succeeded in procuring homes for all of his shipmates; but he and his
wife were unprovided for, and remained together upon the ship for two or
more days. At this time Christianity was still in its infancy in
Greenland. It befell early one morning, that men came to their tent, and
the leader inquired who the people were within the tent. Thorstein
replies: "We are twain," says he; "but who is it who asks?" "My name is
Thorstein, and I am known as Thorstein the Swarthy, and my errand hither
is to offer you two, husband and wife, a home with me." Thorstein
replied, that he would consult with his wife, and she bidding him decide,
he accepted the invitation. "I will come after you on the morrow with a
sumpter-horse, for I am not lacking in means wherewith to provide for you
both, although it will be lonely living with me, since there are but two
of us, my wife and myself, for I, forsooth, am a very hard man to get on
with; moreover, my faith is not the same as yours, albeit methinks that
is the better to which you hold." He returned for them on the morrow,
with the beast, and they took up their home with Thorstein the Swarthy,
and were well treated by him. Gudrid was a woman of fine presence, and a
clever woman, and very happy in adapting herself to strangers.
Early in the winter Thorstein Ericsson's party was visited by sickness,
and many of his companions died. He caused coffins to be made for the
bodies of the dead, and had them conveyed to the ship, and bestowed
there; "for it is my purpose to have all the bodies taken to Ericsfirth
in the summer." It was not long before illness appeared in Thorstein's
home, and his wife, whose name was Grimhild, was first taken sick. She
was a very vigorous woman, and as strong as a man, but the sickness
mastered her; and soon thereafter Thorstein Ericsson was seized with the
illness, and they both lay ill at the same time, and Grimhild, Thorstein
the Swarthy's wife, died, and when she was dead Thorstein went out of the
room to procure a deal, upon which to lay the corpse. Thereupon Gudrid
spoke. "Do not be absent long, Thorstein mine!" says she. He replied,
that so it should be. Thorstein Ericsson then exclaimed: "Our house-wife
is acting now in a marvellous fashion, for she is raising herself up on
her elbow, and stretching out her feet from the side of the bed, and
groping after her shoes." At that moment Thorstein, the master of the
house, entered, and Grimhild laid herself down, wherewithal every timber
in the room creaked. Thorstein now fashioned a coffin for Grimhild's
body, and bore it away, and cared for it. He was a big man, and strong,
but it called for all [his strength], to enable him to remove the corpse
from the house. The illness grew upon Thorstein Ericsson, and he died,
whereat his wife, Gudrid, was sorely grieved. They were all in the room
at the time, and Gudrid was seated upon a chair before the bench, upon
which her husband, Thorstein, was lying. Thorstein, the master of the
house, then taking Gudrid in his arms [carried her] from the chair, and
seated himself, with her, upon another bench, over against her husband's
body, and exerted himself in divers ways to console her, and endeavored
to reassure her, and promised her that he would accompany her to
Ericsfirth with the body of her husband, Thorstein, and those of his
companions: "I will likewise summon other persons hither," says he, "to
attend upon thee, and entertain thee." She thanked him. Then Thorstein
Ericsson sat up, and exclaimed: "Where is Gudrid?" Thrice he repeated the
question, but Gudrid made no response. She then asked Thorstein, the
master, "Shall I give answer to his question, or not?" Thorstein, the
master, bade her make no reply, and he then crossed the floor, and seated
himself upon the chair, with Gudrid in his lap, and spoke, saying: "What
dost thou wish, namesake?" After a little while, Thorstein replies: "I
desire to tell Gudrid of the fate which is in store for her, to the end
that she may be better reconciled to my death, for I am indeed come to a
goodly resting-place. This I have to tell thee, Gudrid, that thou art to
marry an Icelander, and that ye are to have a long wedded life together,
and a numerous and noble progeny, illustrious, and famous, of good odor
and sweet virtues. Ye shall go from Greenland to Norway, and thence to
Iceland, where ye shall build your home. There ye shall dwell together
for a long time, but thou shalt outlive him, and shalt then go abroad and
to the South, and shalt return to Iceland again, to thy home, and there a
church shall then be raised, and thou shalt abide there and take the
veil, and there thou shalt die." When he had thus spoken, Thorstein sank
back again, and his body was laid out for burial, and borne to the ship.
Thorstein, the master, faithfully performed all his promises to Gudrid.
He sold his lands and live-stock in the spring, and accompanied Gudrid to
the ship, with all his possessions. He put the ship in order, procured a
crew, and then sailed to Ericsfirth. The bodies of the dead were now
buried at the church, and Gudrid then went home to Leif at Brattahlid,
while Thorstein the Swarthy made a home for himself on Ericsfirth, and
remained there as long as he lived, and was looked upon as a very
superior man.
_Of the Wineland Voyages of Thorfinn and his Companions._--That same
summer a ship came from Norway to Greenland. The skipper's name was
Thorfinn Karlsefni; he was a son of Thord Horsehead, and a grandson of
Snorri, the son of Thord of Hoefdi. Thorfinn Karlsefni, who was a very
wealthy man, passed the winter at Brattahlid with Leif Ericsson. He very
soon set his heart upon Gudrid, and sought her hand in marriage; she
referred him to Leif for her answer, and was subsequently betrothed to
him, and their marriage was celebrated that same winter. A renewed
discussion arose concerning a Wineland voyage, and the folk urged
Karlsefni to make the venture, Gudrid joining with the others. He
determined to undertake the voyage, and assembled a company of sixty men
and five women, and entered into an agreement with his shipmates that
they should each share equally in all the spoils of the enterprise. They
took with them all kinds of cattle, as it was their intention to settle
the country, if they could. Karlsefni asked Leif for the house in
Wineland, and he replied, that he would lend it but not give it. They
sailed out to sea with the ship, and arrived safe and sound at
Leif's-booths, and carried their hammocks ashore there. They were soon
provided with an abundant and goodly supply of food, for a whale of good
size and quality was driven ashore there, and they secured it, and
flensed it, and had then no lack of provisions. The cattle were turned
out upon the land, and the males soon became very restless and vicious;
they had brought a bull with them. Karlsefni caused trees to be felled,
and to be hewed into timbers, wherewith to load his ship, and the wood
was placed upon a cliff to dry. They gathered somewhat of all of the
valuable products of the land, grapes, and all kinds of game and fish,
and other good things. In the summer succeeding the first winter,
Skrellings were discovered. A great troop of men came forth from out the
woods. The cattle were hard by, and the bull began to bellow and roar
with a great noise, whereat the Skrellings were frightened, and ran away,
with their packs wherein were gray furs, sables, and all kinds of
peltries. They fled towards Karlsefni's dwelling, and sought to effect an
entrance into the house, but Karlsefni caused the doors to be defended
[against them]. Neither [people] could understand the other's language.
The Skrellings put down their bundles then, and loosed them, and offered
their wares [for barter], and were especially anxious to exchange these
for weapons, but Karlsefni forbade his men to sell their weapons, and
taking counsel with himself, he bade the women carry out milk to the
Skrellings, which they no sooner saw, than they wanted to buy it, and
nothing else. Now the outcome of the Skrellings' trading was, that they
carried their wares away in their stomachs, while they left their packs
and peltries behind with Karlsefni and his companions, and having
accomplished this [exchange] they went away. Now it is to be told, that
Karlsefni caused a strong wooden palisade to be constructed and set up
around the house. It was at this time that Gudrid, Karlsefni's wife, gave
birth to a male child, and the boy was called Snorri. In the early part
of the second winter the Skrellings came to them again, and these were
now much more numerous than before, and brought with them the same wares
as at first. Then said Karlsefni to the women: "Do ye carry out now the
same food, which proved so profitable before, and nought else." When they
saw this they cast their packs in over the palisade. Gudrid was sitting
within, in the doorway, beside the cradle of her infant son, Snorri, when
a shadow fell upon the door, and a woman in a black namkirtle entered.
She was short in stature, and wore a fillet about her head; her hair was
of a light chestnut color, and she was pale of hue, and so big-eyed, that
never before had eyes so large been seen in a human skull. She went up to
where Gudrid was seated, and said: "What is thy name?" "My name is
Gudrid; but what is thy name?" "My name is Gudrid," says she. The
housewife, Gudrid, motioned her with her hand to a seat beside her; but
it so happened, that at that very instant Gudrid heard a great crash,
whereupon the woman vanished, and at that same moment one of the
Skrellings, who had tried to seize their weapons, was killed by one of
Karlsefni's followers. At this the Skrellings fled precipitately, leaving
their garments and wares behind them; and not a soul, save Gudrid alone,
beheld this woman. "Now we must needs take counsel together," says
Karlsefni, "for that I believe they will visit us a third time, in great
numbers, and attack us. Let us now adopt this plan: ten of our number
shall go out upon the cape, and show themselves there, while the
remainder of our company shall go into the woods and hew a clearing for
our cattle, when the troop approaches from the forest. We will also take
our bull, and let him go in advance of us." The lie of the land was such
that the proposed meeting-place had the lake upon the one side, and the
forest upon the other. Karlsefni's advice was now carried into execution.
The Skrellings advanced to the spot which Karlsefni had selected for the
encounter, and a battle was fought there, in which great numbers of the
band of the Skrellings were slain. There was one man among the
Skrellings, of large size and fine bearing, whom Karlsefni concluded must
be their chief. One of the Skrellings picked up an axe, and having looked
at it for a time, he brandished it about one of his companions, and
hewed at him, and on the instant the man fell dead. Thereupon the big man
seized the axe, and after examining it for a moment, he hurled it as far
as he could, out into the sea; then they fled helter-skelter into the
woods, and thus their intercourse came to an end. Karlsefni and his party
remained there throughout the winter, but in the spring Karlsefni
announces, that he is not minded to remain there longer, but will return
to Greenland. They now made ready for the voyage, and carried away with
them much booty in vines and grapes, and peltries. They sailed out upon
the high seas, and brought their ship safely to Ericsfirth, where they
remained during the winter.
_Freydis causes the Brothers to be put to Death._--There was now much
talk anew, about a Wineland-voyage, for this was reckoned both a
profitable and an honorable enterprise. The same summer that Karlsefni
arrived from Wineland, a ship from Norway arrived in Greenland. This ship
was commanded by two brothers, Helgi and Finnbogi, who passed the winter
in Greenland. They were descended from an Icelandic family of the
East-firths. It is now to be added, that Freydis,[62-1] Eric's daughter,
set out from her home at Gardar, and waited upon the brothers, Helgi and
Finnbogi, and invited them to sail with their vessel to Wineland, and to
share with her equally all of the good things which they might succeed in
obtaining there. To this they agreed, and she departed thence to visit
her brother, Leif, and ask him to give her the house which he had caused
to be erected in Wineland, but he made her the same answer [as that which
he had given Karlsefni], saying, that he would lend the house, but not
give it. It was stipulated between Karlsefni and Freydis, that each
should have on shipboard thirty able-bodied men, besides the women; but
Freydis immediately violated this compact, by concealing five men more
[than this number], and this the brothers did not discover before they
arrived in Wineland. They now put out to sea, having agreed beforehand,
that they would sail in company, if possible, and although they were not
far apart from each other, the brothers arrived somewhat in advance, and
carried their belongings up to Leif's house. Now when Freydis arrived,
her ship was discharged, and the baggage carried up to the house,
whereupon Freydis exclaimed: "Why did you carry your baggage in here?"
"Since we believed," said they, "that all promises made to us would be
kept." "It was to me that Leif loaned the house," says she, "and not to
you." Whereupon Helgi exclaimed: "We brothers cannot hope to rival thee
in wrong-dealing." They thereupon carried their baggage forth, and built
a hut, above the sea, on the bank of the lake, and put all in order about
it; while Freydis caused wood to be felled, with which to load her ship.
The winter now set in, and the brothers suggested, that they should amuse
themselves by playing games. This they did for a time, until the folk
began to disagree, when dissensions arose between them, and the games
came to an end, and the visits between the houses ceased; and thus it
continued far into the winter. One morning early, Freydis arose from her
bed, and dressed herself, but did not put on her shoes and stockings. A
heavy dew had fallen, and she took her husband's cloak, and wrapped it
about her, and then walked to the brothers' house, and up to the door,
which had been only partly closed by one of the men, who had gone out a
short time before. She pushed the door open, and stood, silently, in the
doorway for a time. Finnbogi, who was lying on the innermost side of the
room, was awake, and said: "What dost thou wish here, Freydis?" She
answers: "I wish thee to rise, and go out with me, for I would speak with
thee." He did so, and they walked to a tree, which lay close by the wall
of the house, and seated themselves upon it. "How art thou pleased here?"
says she. He answers: "I am well pleased with the fruitfulness of the
land, but I am ill-content with the breach which has come between us,
for, methinks, there has been no cause for it." "It is even as thou
sayest," says she, "and so it seems to me; but my errand to thee is, that
I wish to exchange ships with you brothers, for that ye have a larger
ship than I, and I wish to depart from here." "To this I must accede,"
says he; "if it is thy pleasure." Therewith they parted, and she returned
home, and Finnbogi to his bed. She climbed up into bed, and awakened
Thorvard with her cold feet, and he asked her why she was so cold and
wet. She answered, with great passion: "I have been to the brothers,"
says she, "to try to buy their ship, for I wished to have a larger
vessel, but they received my overtures so ill, that they struck me, and
handled me very roughly; what time thou, poor wretch, wilt neither avenge
my shame nor thy own, and I find, perforce, that I am no longer in
Greenland, moreover I shall part from thee unless thou wreakest vengeance
for this." And now he could stand her taunts no longer, and ordered the
men to rise at once, and take their weapons, and this they did, and they
then proceeded directly to the house of the brothers, and entered it,
while the folk were asleep, and seized and bound them, and led each one
out, when he was bound; and as they came out, Freydis caused each one to
be slain. In this wise all of the men were put to death, and only the
women were left, and these no one would kill. At this Freydis exclaimed:
"Hand me an axe!" This was done, and she fell upon the five women, and
left them dead. They returned home, after this dreadful deed, and it was
very evident that Freydis was well content with her work. She addressed
her companions, saying: "If it be ordained for us, to come again to
Greenland, I shall contrive the death of any man who shall speak of these
events. We must give it out, that we left them living here, when we came
away." Early in the spring, they equipped the ship, which had belonged to
the brothers, and freighted it with all of the products of the land,
which they could obtain, and which the ship would carry. Then they put
out to sea, and, after a prosperous voyage, arrived with their ship in
Ericsfirth early in the summer. Karlsefni was there, with his ship all
ready to sail, and was awaiting a fair wind; and people say, that a ship
richer laden, than that which he commanded, never left Greenland.
_Concerning Freydis._--Freydis now went to her home, since it had
remained unharmed during her absence. She bestowed liberal gifts upon all
of her companions, for she was anxious to screen her guilt. She now
established herself at her home; but her companions were not all so
close-mouthed, concerning their misdeeds and wickedness, that rumors did
not get abroad at last. These finally reached her brother, Leif, and he
thought it a most shameful story. He thereupon took three of the men, who
had been of Freydis's party, and forced them all at the same time to a
confession of the affair, and their stories entirely agreed. "I have no
heart," says Leif, "to punish my sister, Freydis, as she deserves, but
this I predict of them, that there is little prosperity in store for
their offspring." Hence it came to pass, that no one from that time
forward thought them worthy of aught but evil. It now remains to take up
the story from the time when Karlsefni made his ship ready, and sailed
out to sea. He had a successful voyage, and arrived in Norway safe and
sound. He remained there during the winter, and sold his wares, and both
he and his wife were received with great favor by the most distinguished
men of Norway. The following spring he put his ship in order for the
voyage to Iceland; and when all his preparations had been made, and his
ship lying at the wharf, awaiting favorable winds, there came to him a
Southerner, a native of Bremen in the Saxonland, who wished to buy his
"house-neat."[65-1] "I do not wish to sell it," said he. "I will give
thee half a 'moerk' in gold for it," says the Southerner. This Karlsefni
thought a good offer, and accordingly closed the bargain. The Southerner
went his way, with the "house-neat," and Karlsefni knew not what wood it
was, but it was "moesur," come from Wineland.
Karlsefni sailed away, and arrived with his ship in the north of
Iceland, in Skagafirth. His vessel was beached there during the winter,
and in the spring he bought Glaumboeiar-land, and made his home there,
and dwelt there as long as he lived, and was a man of the greatest
prominence. From him and his wife, Gudrid, a numerous and goodly
lineage is descended. After Karlsefni's death, Gudrid, together with her
son, Snorri, who was born in Wineland, took charge of the farmstead; and
when Snorri was married, Gudrid went abroad, and made a pilgrimage to
the South, after which she returned again to the home of her son,
Snorri, who had caused a church to be built at Glaumboer. Gudrid then
took the veil and became an anchorite, and lived there the rest of her
days. Snorri had a son, named Thorgeir, who was the father of Ingveld,
the mother of Bishop Brand. Hallfrid was the name of the daughter of
Snorri, Karlsefni's son; she was the mother of Runolf, Bishop Thorlak's
father. Biorn was the name of [another] son of Karlsefni and Gudrid; he
was the father of Thorunn, the mother of Bishop Biorn. Many men are
descended from Karlsefni, and he has been blessed with a numerous and
famous posterity; and of all men Karlsefni has given the most exact
accounts of all these voyages, of which something has now been
recounted.