There was a rich and powerful man who was called Amunde, who dwelt in
Hrossey at Sandvik, in Hlaupandanes. His son, called Thorkel, was one
of the ablest men in the islands. Amunde was a man of the best
understanding, and most respected in Orkney. One spring Earl Einar
proclaimed a levy for an expedition, as usual. The bondes murmured
greatly against it, and applied to Amunde with the entreaty that he
would intercede with the earl for them. He replied, that the earl was
not a man who would listen to other people, and insisted that it was of
no use to make any entreaty to the earl about it. "As things now stand,
there is a good understanding between me and the earl; but, in my
opinion, there would be much danger of our quarrelling, on account of
our different dispositions and views on both sides; therefore I will
have nothing to do with it." They then applied to Thorkel, who was also
very loath to interfere, but promised at last to do so, in consequence
of the great entreaty of the people. Amunde thought he had given his
promise too hastily. Now when the earl held a Thing, Thorkel spoke on
account of the people, and entreated the earl to spare the people from
such heavy burdens, recounting their necessitous condition. The earl
replies favourably, saying that he would take Thorkel's advice. "I had
intended to go out from the country with six ships, but now I will only
take three with me; but thou must not come again, Thorkel, with any such
request." The bondes thanked Thorkel for his assistance, and the earl
set out on a viking cruise, and came back in autumn. The spring after,
the earl made the same levy as usual, and held a Thing with the bondes.
Then Thorkel again made a speech, in which he entreated the earl to
spare the people. The earl now was angry, and said the lot of the bondes
should be made worse in consequence of his intercession; and worked
himself up into such a rage, that he vowed they should not both come
next spring to the Thing in a whole skin. Then the Thing was closed.
When Amunde heard what the earl and Thorkel had said at the Thing, he
told Thorkel to leave the country, and he went over to Caithness to Earl
Thorfin. Thorkel was afterwards a long time there, and brought up the
earl in his youth, and was on that account called Thorkel the Fosterer;
and he became a very celebrated man.