VISITS NORWAY AND MARRIES TWICE
After these events Thorgrim and his brothers divided up the property
between them. Thorgrim took the movable property and Thorgeir the lands.
Then Thorgrim went inland to Midfjord and bought some land at Bjarg
with the aid of Skeggi. He married Thordis, the daughter of Asmund
from Asmund's peak who had land in Thingeyrasveit. They had a son named
Asmund, a great man and strong, also wise, and notable for his abundance
of hair, which turned grey very early. He was called Longhair.
Thorgrim occupied himself with the management of his estate and kept all
the men of his household hard at work. Asmund did not want to work,
so that he and his father got on rather badly together. This continued
until Asmund was grown up, when he asked his father to give him the
means to go abroad. Thorgrim said he should have little enough, but he
gave him some ready cash. So Asmund went away and soon increased his
capital. He sailed to divers lands, became a great trader and very
wealthy. He was popular and enjoyed good credit, and had many friends
among the leading men of Norway.
One autumn Asmund was in the East on a visit to a certain magnate named
Thorsteinn. His family came from the Upplands, and he had a sister named
Rannveig who had excellent prospects. Asmund asked this girl in marriage
and obtained her through the interest of her brother Thorsteinn; he
settled there for a time and was highly thought of. He and Rannveig had
a son named Thorsteinn, who became a handsome man, strong, and with a
powerful voice. He was very tall and rather sluggish in his movements,
wherefore he was nicknamed Dromund. When young Thorsteinn was half grown
up his mother fell ill and died, and Asmund cared no more for Norway.
Thorsteinn was taken over by his mother's relations along with his
property, while Asmund went on voyages and became famous.
Asmund came in his ship to Hunavain, where Thorkell Krafla was chief
of the Vatnsdalers. On hearing of Asmund's arrival Thorkell went to the
ship and invited him to stay, and Asmund went to visit him in Marsstadir
in Vatnsdal where he lived. Thorkell was a son of Thorgrim, the Godi of
Karnsa, and a man of great experience. This was soon after the arrival
of Bishop Fridrek and Thorvald the son of Kodran, who were living at
Laekjamot when these events happened, preaching Christianity for the
first time in the North of the island. Thorkell and many of his men
received the prima signatio. Many things might be told of the dealings
between the bishop's men and the Northerners, which, however, do not
belong to this saga.
There was a girl named Asdis who was being brought up in Thorkell's
house. She was a daughter of Bard the son of Jokull, the son of Ingimund
the Old, the son of Thorsteinn, the son of Ketil Raum. Her mother's
name was Aldis, whom we have already heard of as the daughter of Ofeig
Grettir. Asdis was not betrothed as yet, and was a most desirable match,
both on account of her connections and her wealth. Asmund now became
sick of travelling about and wanted to settle down in Iceland. So he
spoke up and asked for Asdis as his wife. Thorkell knew all about him
and knew that he was a man of wealth, able to manage his affairs, so the
marriage was arranged. Asmund married Asdis, and became a close friend
of Thorkell. He was a great man of affairs, learned in the law and
very strenuous. Soon afterwards Thorgrim Greyhead died at Bjarg; Asmund
succeeded to his property and took up his residence at Bjarg.