him a good welcome, but Gunnhild a much better. With many fair words
they begged him to stay with them, and Olaf agreed to it, and both he
and Orn entered the king's court. King Harald and Gunnhild set so
great a store by Olaf that no foreigner had ever been held in such
honour by them. Olaf gave to the king and Gunnhild many rare gifts,
which he had got west in Ireland. King Harald gave Olaf at Yule a set
of clothes made out of scarlet stuff. So now Olaf stayed there quietly
all the winter. [Sidenote: Olaf goes home] In the spring, as it was
wearing on, Olaf and the king had a conversation together, and Olaf
begged the king's leave to go to Iceland in the summer, "For I have
noble kinsfolk there I want to go and see." The king answered, "It
would be more to my mind that you should settle down with us, and take
whatever position in our service you like best yourself." Olaf
thanked the king for all the honour he was offering him, but said he
wished very much to go to Iceland, if that was not against the king's
will. The king answered, "Nothing shall be done in this in an
unfriendly manner to you, Olaf. You shall go out to Iceland in the
summer, for I see you have set your heart on it; but neither trouble
nor toil shall you have over your preparations, for I will see after
all that," and thereupon they part talking. King Harald had a ship
launched in the spring; it was a merchant ship, both great and good.
This ship the king ordered to be laden with wood, and fitted out with
full rigging. When the ship was ready the king had Olaf called to him,
and said, "This ship shall be your own, Olaf, for I should not like
you to start from Norway this summer as a passenger in any one else's
ship." Olaf thanked the king in fair words for his generosity. After
that Olaf got ready for his journey; and when he was ready and a fair
wind arose, Olaf sailed out to sea, and King Harald and he parted with
the greatest affection. That summer Olaf had a good voyage. He brought
his ship into Ramfirth, to Board-Ere. The arrival of the ship was soon
heard of, and also who the captain was. Hoskuld heard of the arrival
of Olaf, his son, and was very much pleased, and rode forthwith north
to Hrutafjord with some men, and there was a joyful meeting between
the father and son. Hoskuld invited Olaf to come to him, and Olaf said
he would agree to that; so he set up his ship, but his goods were
brought (on horseback) from the north. And when this business was
over Olaf himself rode with twelve men home to Hoskuldstead, and
Hoskuld greeted his son joyfully, and his brothers also received him
fondly, as well as all his kinsfolk; but between Olaf and Bard was
love the fondest. [Sidenote: Melkorka receives Olaf] Olaf became very
renowned for this journey; and now was proclaimed the descent of Olaf,
that he was the daughter's son of Myrkjartan, king of Ireland. The
news of this spread over the land, as well as of the honour that
mighty men, whom he had gone to see, had bestowed on him. Melkorka
came soon to see Olaf, her son, and Olaf greeted her with great joy.
She asked about many things in Ireland, first of her father and then
of her other relations. Olaf replied to everything she asked. Then she
asked if her foster-mother still lived. Olaf said she was still alive.
Melkorka asked why he had not tried to give her the pleasure of
bringing her over to Iceland. Olaf replied, "They would not allow me
to bring your foster-mother out of Ireland, mother." "That may be so,"
she replied, and it could be seen that this she took much to heart.
Melkorka and Thorbjorn had one son, who was named Lambi. He was a tall
man and strong, like his father in looks as well as in temper.
[Sidenote: Hoskuld's advice to Olaf] When Olaf had been in Iceland a
month, and spring came on, father and son took counsel together. "I
will, Olaf," said Hoskuld, "that a match should be sought for you, and
that then you should take over the house of your foster-father at
Goddistead, where still there are great means stored up, and that
then you should look after the affairs of that household under my
guidance." Olaf answered, "Little have I set my mind on that sort of
thing hitherto; besides, I do not know where that woman lives whom to
marry would mean any great good luck to me. You must know I shall look
high for a wife. But I see clearly that you would not have broached
this matter till you had made up your mind as to where it was to end."
Hoskuld said, "You guess that right. There is a man named Egil. He is
Skallagrim's son. He lives at Borg, in Borgarfjord. This Egil has a
daughter who is called Thorgerd, and she is the woman I have made up
my mind to woo on your behalf, for she is the very best match in all
Borgarfjord, and even if one went further afield. Moreover, it is to
be looked for, that an alliance with the Mere-men would mean more
power to you." [Sidenote: Olaf's proposal] Olaf answered, "Herein I
shall trust to your foresight, for if this match were to come off it
would be altogether to my liking. But this you must bear in mind,
father, that should this matter be set forth, and not come off, I
should take it very ill." Hoskuld answered, "I think I shall venture
to bring the matter about." Olaf bade him do as he liked. Now time
wears on towards the Thing. Hoskuld prepares his journey from home
with a crowded company, and Olaf, his son, also accompanies him on the
journey. They set up their booth. A great many people were there. Egil
Skallagrim's son was at the Thing. Every one who saw Olaf remarked
what a handsome man he was, and how noble his bearing, well arrayed as
he was as to weapons and clothes.
CHAP. XXIII
The Marriage of Olaf Peacock and Thorgerd, the Daughter of Egil, A.D.
959
It is told how one day the father and son, Hoskuld and Olaf, went
forth from their booth to find Egil. Egil greeted them well, for he
and Hoskuld knew each other very well by word of mouth. Hoskuld now
broaches the wooing on behalf of Olaf, and asks for the hand of
Thorgerd. She was also at the Thing. Egil took the matter well, and
said he had always heard both father and son well spoken of, "and I
also know, Hoskuld," said Egil, "that you are a high-born man and of
great worth, and Olaf is much renowned on account of his journey, and
it is no wonder that such men should look high for a match, for he
lacks neither family nor good looks; but yet this must be talked over
with Thorgerd, for it is no man's task to get Thorgerd for wife
against her will." Hoskuld said, "I wish, Egil, that you would talk
this over with your daughter." Egil said that that should be done.
[Sidenote: Thorgerd's refusal] Egil now went away to find his
daughter, and they talked together. Egil said, "There is here a man
named Olaf, who is Hoskuld's son, and he is now one of the most
renowned of men. Hoskuld, his father, has broached a wooing on behalf
of Olaf, and has sued for your hand; and I have left that matter
mostly for you to deal with. Now I want to know your answer. But it
seems to me that it behoves you to give a good answer to such a
matter, for this match is a noble one." Thorgerd answered, "I have
often heard you say that you love me best of all your children, but
now it seems to me you make that a falsehood if you wish me to marry
the son of a bonds-woman, however goodly and great a dandy he may be."
Egil said, "In this matter you are not so well up, as in others. Have
you not heard that he is the son of the daughter of Myrkjartan, king
of Ireland? so that he is much higher born on his mother's side than
on his father's, which, however, would be quite good enough for us."
Thorgerd would not see this; and so they dropped the talk, each being
somewhat of a different mind. The next day Egil went to Hoskuld's
booth. Hoskuld gave him a good welcome, and so they fell a-talking
together. Hoskuld asked how this wooing matter had sped. Egil held out
but little hope, and told him all that had come to pass. Hoskuld said
it looked like a closed matter, "Yet I think you have behaved well."
Olaf did not hear this talk of theirs. After that Egil went away. Olaf
now asks, "How speeds the wooing?" Hoskuld said, "It pointed to slow
speed on her side." [Sidenote: Olaf proposes himself] Olaf said, "It
is now as I told you, father, that I should take it very ill if in
answer (to the wooing) I should have to take shaming words, seeing
that the broaching of the wooing gives undue right to the wooed. And
now I shall have my way so far, that this shall not drop here. For
true is the saw, that 'others' errands eat the wolves'; and now I
shall go straightway to Egil's booth." Hoskuld bade him have his own
way. Olaf now dressed himself in this way, that he had on the scarlet
clothes King Harald had given him, and a golden helmet on his head,
and the gold-adorned sword in his hand that King Myrkjartan had given
him. Then Hoskuld and Olaf went to Egil's booth. Hoskuld went first,
and Olaf followed close on his heels. Egil greeted him well, and
Hoskuld sat down by him, but Olaf stood up and looked about him. He
saw a woman sitting on the dais in the booth, she was goodly and had
the looks of one of high degree, and very well dressed. He thought to
himself this must be Thorgerd, Egil's daughter. Olaf went up to the
dais and sat down by her. Thorgerd greeted the man, and asked who he
was. Olaf told his own and his father's name, and "You must think it
very bold that the son of a slave should dare to sit down by you and
presume to talk to you!" She said, "You cannot but mean that you must
be thinking you have done deeds of greater daring than that of talking
to women." [Sidenote: Thorgerd accepts Olaf] Then they began to talk
together, and they talked all day. But nobody heard their
conversation. And before they parted Egil and Hoskuld were called to
them; and the matter of Olaf's wooing was now talked over again, and
Thorgerd came round to her father's wish. Now the affair was all
easily settled and the betrothal took place. The honour was conceded
to the Salmon-river-Dale men that the bride should be brought home to
them, for by law the bride-groom should have gone to the bride's home
to be married. The wedding was to take place at Hoskuldstead when
seven weeks summer had passed. After that Egil and Hoskuld separated.
The father and son rode home to Hoskuldstead, and all was quiet the
rest of the summer. After that things were got ready for the wedding
at Hoskuldstead, and nothing was spared, for means were plentiful. The
guests came at the time settled, and the Burgfirthmen mustered in a
great company. Egil was there, and Thorstein, his son. The bride was
in the journey too, and with her a chosen company out of all the
countryside. Hoskuld had also a great company awaiting them. The feast
was a brave one, and the guests were seen off with good gifts on
leaving. Olaf gave to Egil the sword, Myrkjartan's gift, and Egil's
brow brightened greatly at the gift. Nothing in the way of tidings
befell, and every one went home.
CHAP. XXIV
The Building of Herdholt, A. D. 960
Olaf and Thorgerd lived at Hoskuldstead and loved each other very
dearly; it was easily seen by every one that she was a woman of very
high mettle, though she meddled little with every-day things, but
whatever Thorgerd put her hand to must be carried through as she
wished. Olaf and Thorgerd spent that winter turn and turn about at
Hoskuldstead, or with Olaf's foster-father. In the spring Olaf took
over the household business at Goddistead. [Sidenote: Thord's death]
The following summer Thord fell ill, and the illness ended in his
death. Olaf had a cairn raised over him on the ness that runs out into
the Salmon-river and is called Drafn-ness, with a wall round which is
called Howes-garth. After that liegemen crowded to Olaf and he became
a great chieftain. Hoskuld was not envious of this, for he always
wished that Olaf should be consulted in all great matters. The place
Olaf owned was the stateliest in Salmon-river-Dale. [Sidenote: The new
house built] There were two brothers with Olaf, both named An. One was
called An the White and the other An the Black. They had a third
brother who was named Beiner the Strong. These were Olaf's smiths, and
very valiant men. Thorgerd and Olaf had a daughter who was named
Thurid. The land that Hrapp had owned all lay waste, as has been told
before. Olaf thought that it lay well and set before his father his
wishes on the matter; how they should send down to Trefill with this
errand, that Olaf wished to buy the land and other things thereto
belonging at Hrappstead. It was soon arranged and the bargain settled,
for Trefill saw that better was one crow in the hand than two in the
wood. The bargain arranged was that Olaf should give three marks of
silver for the land; yet that was not fair price, for the lands were
wide and fair and very rich in useful produce, such as good salmon
fishing and seal catching. There were wide woods too, a little further
up than Hoskuldstead, north of the Salmon-river, in which was a space
cleared, and it was well-nigh a matter of certainty that the flocks of
Olaf would gather together there whether the weather was hard or mild.
One autumn it befell that on that same hill Olaf had built a dwelling
of the timber that was cut out of the forest, though some he got
together from drift-wood strands. This was a very lofty dwelling. The
buildings stood empty through the winter. The next spring Olaf went
thither and first gathered together all his flocks which had grown to
be a great multitude; for, indeed, no man was richer in live stock in
all Broadfirth. Olaf now sent word to his father that he should be
standing out of doors and have a look at his train as he was moving to
his new home, and should give him his good wishes. Hoskuld said so it
should be. Olaf now arranged how it should be done. He ordered that
all the shiest of his cattle should be driven first and then the
milking live stock, then came the dry cattle, and the pack horses came
in the last place; and men were ranged with the animals to keep them
from straying out of straight line. When the van of the train had got
to the new homestead, Olaf was just riding out of Goddistead and there
was nowhere a gap breaking the line. Hoskuld stood outside his door
together with those of his household. [Sidenote: The naming of
Herdholt] Then Hoskuld spake, bidding Olaf his son welcome and abide
all honour to this new dwelling of his, "And somehow my mind forebodes
me that this will follow, that for a long time his name will be
remembered." Jorunn his wife said, "Wealth enough the slave's son has
got for his name to be long remembered." At the moment that the
house-carles had unloaded the pack horses Olaf rode into the place.
Then he said, "Now you shall have your curiosity satisfied with regard
to what you have been talking about all the winter, as to what this
place shall be called; it shall be called Herdholt." Every one thought
this a very happy name, in view of what used to happen there.[2] Olaf
now sets up his household at Herdholt, and a stately one it soon
became, and nothing was lacking there. And now the honour of Olaf
greatly increased, there being many causes to bring it about: Olaf was
the most beloved of men, for whatever he had to do with affairs of
men, he did so that all were well contented with their lot. His father
backed him up very much towards being a widely honoured man, and Olaf
gained much in power from his alliance with the Mere-men. Olaf was
considered the noblest of all Hoskuld's sons. The first winter that
Olaf kept house at Herdholt, he had many servants and workmen, and
work was divided amongst the house-carles; one looked after the dry
cattle and another after the cows. The fold was out in the wood, some
way from the homestead. [Sidenote: Hrapp's ghost] One evening the man
who looked after the dry cattle came to Olaf and asked him to make
some other man look after the neat and "set apart for me some other
work." Olaf answered, "I wish you to go on with this same work of
yours." The man said he would sooner go away. "Then you think there is
something wrong," said Olaf. "I will go this evening with you when you
do up the cattle, and if I think there is any excuse for you in this I
will say nothing about it, but otherwise you will find that your lot
will take some turn for the worse." Olaf took his gold-set spear, the
king's gift, in his hand, and left home, and with him the house-carle.
There was some snow on the ground. They came to the fold, which was
open, and Olaf bade the house-carle go in. "I will drive up the cattle
and you tie them up as they come in." The house-carle went to the
fold-door. And all unawares Olaf finds him leaping into his open arms.
Olaf asked why he went on so terrified? He replied, "Hrapp stands in
the doorway of the fold, and felt after me, but I have had my fill of
wrestling with him." Olaf went to the fold door and struck at him
with his spear. Hrapp took the socket of the spear in both hands and
wrenched it aside, so that forthwith the spear shaft broke. Olaf was
about to run at Hrapp but he disappeared there where he stood, and
there they parted, Olaf having the shaft and Hrapp the spear-head.
After that Olaf and the house-carle tied up the cattle and went home.
Olaf saw the house-carle was not to blame for his grumbling. The next
morning Olaf went to where Hrapp was buried and had him dug up. Hrapp
was found undecayed, and there Olaf also found his spear-head. After
that he had a pyre made and had Hrapp burnt on it, and his ashes were
flung out to sea. After that no one had any more trouble with Hrapp's
ghost.
[Footnote 2: _i.e._, in view of the fact stated above that Olaf's
flocks would always be gathering there.]
CHAP. XXV
About Hoskuld's Sons
[Sidenote: Of Thorliek Hoskuldson] Now Hoskuld's sons shall be told
about. Thorliek, Hoskuld's son, had been a great seafarer, and taken
service with men in lordly station when he was on his merchant voyages
before he settled down as a householder, and a man of mark he was
thought to be. He had also been on Viking raids, and given good
account of himself by reason of his courage. Bard, Hoskuld's son, had
also been a seafarer, and was well accounted of wherever he went, for
he was the best of brave men and true, and a man of moderation in all
things. Bard married a Broadfirth woman, named Astrid, who came of a
good stock. Bard's son was named Thorarin, and his daughter Gudney,
who married Hall, the son of Fight Styr, and from them are descended
many great families. Hrut, Herjolf's son, gave a thrall of his, named
Hrolf, his freedom, and with it a certain amount of money, and a
dwelling-place where his land joined with Hoskuld's. [Sidenote: Hrut's
quarrel with Thorliek] And it lay so near the landmark that Hrut's
people had made a mistake in the matter, and settled the freedman down
on the land belonging to Hoskuld. He soon gained there much wealth.
Hoskuld took it very much to heart that Hrut should have placed his
freedman right up against his ear, and bade the freedman pay him money
for the lands he lived on "for it is mine own." The freedman went to
Hrut and told him all they had spoken together. Hrut bade him give no
heed, and pay no money to Hoskuld. "For I do not know," he said, "to
which of us the land belonged." So the freedman went home, and goes on
with his household just as before. A little later, Thorliek, Hoskuld's
son, went at the advice of his father to the dwelling of the freedman
and took him and killed him, and Thorliek claimed as his and his
father's own all the money the freedman had made. Hrut heard this, and
he and his sons liked it very ill. They were most of them grown up,
and the band of kinsmen was deemed a most forbidding one to grapple
with. Hrut fell back on the law as to how this ought to turn out, and
when the matter was searched into by lawyers, Hrut and his son stood
at but little advantage, for it was held a matter of great weight that
Hrut had set the freedman down without leave on Hoskuld's land, where
he had made money, Thorliek having slain the man within his and his
father's own lands. Hrut took his lot very much to heart; but things
remained quiet. [Sidenote: The birth of Bolli] After that Thorliek had
a homestead built on the boundary of Hrut and Hoskuld's lands, and it
was called Combness. There Thorliek lived for a while, as has been
told before. Thorliek begat a son of his wife. The boy was sprinkled
with water and called Bolli. He was at an early age a very promising
man.
CHAP. XXVI
The Death of Hoskuld, A.D. 985
[Sidenote: Hoskuld's death] Hoskuld, Koll o' Dales' son, fell ill in
his old age, and he sent for his sons and other kinsfolk, and when
they were come Hoskuld spoke to the brothers Bard and Thorliek, and
said, "I have taken some sickness, and as I have not been much in the
way of falling ill before, I think this may bring me to death; and
now, as you know, you are both begotten in wedlock, and are entitled
to all inheritance left by me. But there is a third son of mine, one
who is not born in wedlock, and I will ask you brothers to allow him,
Olaf to wit, to be adopted, so that he take of my means one-third with
you." Bard answered first, and said that he would do as his father
wished, "for I look for honour from Olaf in every way, the more so the
wealthier he becomes." Then Thorliek said, "It is far from my wish
that Olaf be adopted; he has plenty of money already; and you, father,
have for a long time given him a great deal, and for a very long time
dealt unevenly with us. I will not freely give up the honour to which
I am born." Hoskuld said, "Surely you will not rob me of the law that
allows me to give twelve ounces to my son, seeing how high-born Olaf
is on his mother's side." To this Thorliek now agreed. Then Hoskuld
took the gold ring, Hakon's gift, that weighed a mark, and the sword,
King's gift whereon was half a mark of gold, and gave them to Olaf,
his son, and therewith his good luck and that of the family, saying he
did not speak in this way because he did not know well enough that the
luck had already come to him. Olaf took his gifts, and said he would
risk how Thorliek would like it. Thorliek liked it very ill, and
thought that Hoskuld had behaved in a very underhand way to him. Olaf
said, "I shall not give up the gifts, Thorliek, for you agreed to the
gift in the face of witnesses; and I shall run the risk to keep it."
Bard said he would obey his father's wishes. [Sidenote: The funeral
feast postponed] After that Hoskuld died, and his death was very much
grieved for, in the first place by his sons, and next by all his
relations and friends. His sons had a worthy cairn made for him; but
little money was put into it with him. And when this was over, the
brothers began to talk over the matter of preparing an "arvale"
(burial feast) after their father, for at that time such was the
custom. Olaf said, "It seems to me that we should not be in a hurry
about preparing this feast, if it is to be as noble as we should think
right; now the autumn is very far worn, and the ingathering of means
for it is no longer easy; most people who have to come a long way
would find that a hard matter in the autumn days; so that it is
certain that many would not come of the men we most should like to
see. So I will now make the offer, next summer at the Thing, to bid
men to the feast, and I will bear one-third of the cost of the
wassail." The brothers agreed to that, and Olaf now went home.
Thorliek and Bard now share the goods between them. Bard had the
estate and lands, which was what most men held to, as he was the most
popular; but Thorliek got for his share more of the chattels. Olaf and
Bard got on well together, but Olaf and Thorliek rather snappishly.
Now the next winter passed, and summer comes, and time wears on
towards the Thing. The sons of Hoskuld got ready to go to the Thing.
It was soon seen clearly enough how Olaf took the lead of the
brothers. When they got to the Thing they set up three booths, and
make themselves comfortable in a handsome manner.
CHAP. XXVII
The Funeral Feast for Hoskuld