There was a man named Thorgeir who dwelt at Lightwater; he was
the son of Tjorfi, the son of Thorkel the Long, the son of Kettle
Longneck. His mother's name was Thoruna, and she was the
daughter of Thorstein, the son of Sigmund, the son of Bard of the
Nip. Gudrida was the name of his wife; she was a daughter of
Thorkel the Black of Hleidrargarth. His brother was Worm Wallet-
back, the father of Hlenni the Old of Saurby (1).
The Christian men set up their booths, and Gizur the White and
Hjallti were in the booths of the men from Mossfell. The day
after both sides went to the Hill of Laws, and each, the
Christian men as well as the heathen, took witness, and declared
themselves out of the other's laws, and then there was such an
uproar on the Hill of Laws that no man could hear the other's
voice.
After that men went away, and all thought things looked like the
greatest entanglement. The Christian men chose as their Speaker
Hall of the Side, but Hall went to Thorgeir, the priest of
Lightwater, who was the old Speaker of the law, and gave him
three marks of silver (2) to utter what the law should be, but
still that was most hazardous counsel, since he was an heathen.
Thorgeir lay all that day on the ground, and spread a cloak over
his head, so that no man spoke with him; but the day after men
went to the Hill of Laws, and then Thorgeir bade them be silent
and listen, and spoke thus: "It seems to me as though our matters
were come to a dead lock, if we are not all to have one and the
same law; for if there be a sundering of the laws, then there
will be a sundering of the peace, and we shall never be able to
live in the land. Now, I will ask both Christian men and heathen
whether they will hold to those laws which I utter?"
They all said they would.
He said he wished to take an oath of them, and pledges that they
would hold to them, and they all said "yea" to that, and so he
took pledges from them.
"This is the beginning of our laws," he said, "that all men shall
be Christian here in the land, and believe in one God, the
Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, but leave off all idol-
worship, not expose children to perish, and not eat horseflesh.
It shall be outlawry if such things are proved openly against any
man; but if these things are done by stealth, then it shall be
blameless."
But all this heathendom was all done away with within a few
years' space, so that those things were not allowed to be done
either by stealth or openly.
Thorgeir then uttered the law as to keeping the Lord's day and
fast days, Yuletide and Easter, and all the greatest highdays and
holidays.
The heathen men thought they had been greatly cheated; but still
the true faith was brought into the law, and so all men became
Christian here in the land.
After that men fare home from the Thing.