<i>The Suit for the Slaying of Thorgils Makson</i>.
A man hight Thorgils abode at Reek-knolls in those days, he was the
son of Ari, the son of Mar, the son of Atli the Red, the son of Ulf
the Squinter, who settled at Reekness; the mother of Thorgils Arisen
was Thorgerd, the daughter of Alf a-Dales; another daughter of Alf was
Thorelf, mother of Thorgeir Havarson. There had Thorgeir good kinship
to trust in, for Thorgils was the greatest chief in the Westfirthers'
quarter. He was a man of such bountifulness, that he gave food to any
free-born man as long as he would have it, and therefore there was at
all times a throng of people at Reek-knolls; thus had Thorgils much
renown of his house-keeping. He was a man withal of good will and
foreknowledge. Thorgeir was with Thorgils in winter, but went to the
Strands in summer.
After the slaying of Thorgils Makson, Thorgeir went to Reek-knolls and
told Thorgils Arisen these tidings; Thorgils said that he was ready to
give him harbour with him, "But, methinks," he says, "that they will
be heavy in the suit, and I am loth to eke out the troubles. Now I
shall send a man to Thorstein and bid weregild for the slaying of
Thorgils; but if he will not take atonement I shall not defend the
case stiffly."
Thorgeir said he would trust to his foresight. In autumn Thorgils
sent a man to Thorstein Kuggson to try settling the case, but he was
cross-grained to deal with as to the taking money for the blood-suit
of Thorgils Makson; but about the other man-slayings, he said he
would do as wise men should urge him. Now when Thorgils heard this, he
called Thorgeir to him for a talk, and asked him what kind of aid he
now deemed meetest for him; Thorgeir said that it was most to his mind
to go abroad if he should be outlawed. Thorgils said that should be
tried. A ship lay up Northriver in Burgfirth; in that keel Thorgils
secretly paid faring for the foster-brothers, and thus the winter
passed. Thorgils heard that Asmund and Thorstein drew together many
men to the Althing, and sat in Liarskogar. He drew out the time of
riding from home, for he would that Asmund and Thorstein should have
ridden by before him to the south, when he came from the west; and
so it fell out. Thorgils rode south, and with him rode the
foster-brothers. In this ride Thorgeir killed Bundle-Torfi of
Marswell, and Skuf withal, and Biarni in Dog-dale; thus says Thormod
in Thorgeir's-Drapa--
"Mighty strife the warrior made,
When to earth was Makson laid,
Well the sword-shower wrought he there,
Flesh the ravens got to tear;
Then when Skuf and Biarni fell,
He was there the tale to tell;
Sea-steed's rider took his way
Through the thickest of the fray."
Thorgils settled the peace for the slaying of Skuf and Biarni then
and there in the Dale, and delayed no longer than his will was before;
Thorgeir went to ship, but Thorgils to the Althing, and came not
thither until men were going to the courts.
Then Asmund the Greyhaired challenged the defence for the blood-suit
on the slaying of Thorgils Makson. Thorgils went to the court and
offered weregild for the slaying, if thereby Thorgeir might become
free of guilt; he put forth for defence in the suit whether they had
not free catch on all common foreshores. The lawman was asked if this
was a lawful defence. Skapti was the lawman, and backed Asmund for the
sake of their kinship. He said this was law if they were equal men,
but said that bonders had a right to take before batchelors. Asmund
said that Thorgils had offered an even sharing to the foster-brothers
in so much of the whale as was uncut when they came thereto; and
therewith that way of defence was closed against them. Now Thorstein
and his kin followed up the suit with much eagerness, and nought was
good to them but that Thorgeir should be made guilty.
Thorgils saw that one of two things was to be done, either to set on
with many men, not knowing what might be gained thereby, or to suffer
them to go on as they would; and, whereas Thorgeir had been got on
board ship, Thorgils let the suit go on unheeded.
Thorgeir was outlawed, but for Thormod was taken weregild, and he to
be quit. By this blood-suit Thorstein and Asmund were deemed to have
waxed much. And now men ride home from the Thing.
Some men would hold talk that Thorgils had lightly backed the case,
but he heeded their talk little, and let any one say thereon what he
would.