The saga of Erik the red
EIRÍKS SAGA RAUÐA
Sagas of Icelanders
© 2024 We Vikings translation
of Eiríks saga rauða (e. The Saga of Erik the Red)
from Old Norse to English.
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Table of contents
1
Of Aud the Deep-Minded and Vifil.
There was a warlord named Olaf, who was called Olaf the White. He was the son of King Ingjald Helgason, son of Olaf, son of Gudrod, son of Halfdan Whiteleg, King of the Uplanders (Norway).
Olaf raided as a viking in the west and conquered Dublin in Ireland and Dublinshire. There he became king. He married Aud the Deep-Minded, daughter of Ketil Flatnose, Bjorn’s son Buna, a distinguished man from Norway. They had a son named Thorstein the Red.
Olaf fell in battle in Ireland, and Aud and Thorstein then went to the South Isles (The Hebrides). There, Thorstein married Thurid, daughter of Eyvind the Easterner, sister of Helgi the Lean. They had many children.
Thorstein became a warlord. He allied himself with Earl Sigurd the Mighty, son of Eystein Glumra. They conquered Caithness and Sutherland, Ross, Moray, and more than half of Scotland. Thorstein became king there before the Scots betrayed him, and he fell in battle.
Aud was in Caithness when she heard of Thorstein’s fall. She had a knarr (a type of ship) secretly built in a forest, and when she was ready, she sailed to the Orkneys. There she married off Groa, Thorstein the Red’s daughter. Groa was the mother of Grelad, who was married to Earl Thorfinn Skull-Splitter.
After that, Aud set out to find Iceland. She had twenty free men on her ship. Aud arrived in Iceland and spent the first winter at Bjarnahofn with Bjorn, her brother. Then Aud claimed all the lands of the Dales between Dogurdar River and Skraumuhlaup River. She settled in Hvamm. She held religious services at Krossholar. She had crosses erected there because she was baptized and a devout Christian. With her came many noble men who had been taken captive in western raids and were called thralls.
One of them was named Vifil. He was a man of noble lineage and had been taken captive across the sea and called a thrall before Aud freed him. When Aud gave her crew members homesteads, Vifil asked why she did not give him a homestead like the others. Aud said it would not matter, saying he would be considered noble wherever he was. She gave him Vifilsdal, and he settled there. He had a wife named — –. Their sons were Thorbjorn and Thorgeir. They were promising men and grew up with their father.
2
Erik the Red Discovers Greenland.
There was a man named Thorvald. He was the son of Asvald Ulfsson, son of Ox-Thorir. His son was named Erik the Red. The father and son left Jadri for Iceland due to killings and settled on the Hornstrandir and lived at Drangar. Thorvald died there.
Erik then married Thjodhild, the daughter of Jorund Ulfsson and Thorbjorg Knarrarbringa, who was then married to Thorbjorn of the Haukadal. Erik then moved from the north, cleared land in Haukadal, and lived at Erik’s Stead near Vatnshorn.
Then Erik’s slaves caused a landslide on the farm of Valthjof at Valthjof’s Stead. Eyjolf Saurr, his kinsman, killed the slaves at Skeidsbrekkur above Vatnshorn. For this, Erik killed Eyjolf Saurr. He also killed Holmgang-Hrafn at Leikskalar. Geirstein and Odd of Jorvi, Eyjolf’s kinsmen, demanded compensation for him.
Erik was then made an outlaw from Haukadal. He then claimed Brokey and Oxney and lived at Trod in the South Island the first winter. He then lent Thorgest wooden beams. Later, Erik moved to Oxney and lived at Erik’s Stead. He then demanded the return of the beams but did not get them. Erik went to Breidabolstad to retrieve the beams, and Thorgest pursued him. They fought near the farm at Drangar. There, two of Thorgest’s sons and several other men fell.
After that, both sides gathered large followings. Styrr supported Erik, along with Eyjolf from Swiney, Thorbjorn Vifilsson, and the sons of Thorbrand from Alftafjord. Thorgest was supported by the sons of Thord Gellir, Thorgeir from Hitardal, Aslak from Langadal, and his son Illugi.
Erik and his followers were declared outlaws at the Thorsness Assembly. Erik prepared a ship in Eriksbay, while Eyjolf hid him in Dimunbay while Thorgest and his men searched for him around the islands. Thorbjorn, Eyjolf, and Styrr accompanied Erik through the islands, and they parted with the greatest friendship. Erik told them he would repay their trust if he could, and if they ever needed him. He told them he planned to search for the land that Gunnbjorn, son of Ulf the Crow, had seen when he was driven westward across the sea and discovered Gunnbjarnarsker. Erik said he would return to his friends if he found the land.
Erik sailed out to sea from Snaefellsjokull. He arrived at the glacier known as Blaserkr. From there, he traveled south to explore if the land was inhabitable.
He spent the first winter on Eriksey near the middle of the eastern settlement. The following spring, he traveled to Eriksfjord and settled there. That summer, he explored the western uninhabited areas and named many places. He spent the second winter on Eriksholms near Hvarfsgnipa, and the third summer, he traveled north to Snaefell and into Hrafnsfjord. He believed he had reached the head of Eriksfjord. He then turned back and spent the third winter on Eriksey at the mouth of Eriksfjord.
The following summer, he went to Iceland and arrived in Breidafjord. He spent that winter with Ingolf at Holmlatr. In the spring, Erik and Thorgest fought, and Erik was defeated. After that, they reconciled.
That summer, Erik set out to settle the land he had discovered, which he named Greenland, because he said people would be eager to go there if the land had a pleasant name.
[Ari Thorgilsson states that the same summer, thirty-five ships sailed to Greenland from Breidafjord and Borgarfjord, but only fourteen arrived. Some were driven back, and some were lost. This was fifteen years before Christianity was made law in Iceland. Erik later claimed Eriksfjord and lived in Brattahlid.]
3
Thorbjorn Vifilsson Travels to Greenland.
Thorgeir Vifilsson got married and took Arnora, daughter of Einar from Laugarbrekka, son of Sigmund, son of Ketil Thistil, who had settled Thistilsfjord.
Another daughter of Einar was named Hallveig. She was married to Thorbjorn Vifilsson, and they took land at Laugarbrekka, on Hellisvellir. Thorbjorn moved there and became a very prominent man. He was a good farmer and a great mediator. Thorbjorn’s daughter was named Gudrid. She was the most beautiful and accomplished of women in all her activities.
There was a man named Orm, who lived at Arnarstapi. He was married to a woman named Halldis. Orm was a good farmer and a great friend of Thorbjorn’s, and Gudrid often stayed with him as a foster child.
There was a man named Thorgeir who lived at Thorgeirsfell. He was wealthy and had once been a freedman. He had a son named Einar. Einar was a handsome and well-mannered man and very stylish. Einar was a trader between lands, and he did well at it. He usually spent his winters either in Iceland or Norway.
Now it is to be told that one autumn, when Einar was in Iceland, he traveled with his merchandise along the Snaefellsnes coast to sell. He arrived at Arnarstapi. Orm invited him to stay, and Einar accepted because they were friends. Einar’s merchandise was brought into an outhouse. Einar unpacked his goods and showed them to Orm and the household, offering Orm whatever he wanted. Orm accepted this and said that Einar was a good merchant and a very fortunate man. While they were handling the merchandise, a woman came to the door of the outhouse.
Einar asked Orm who the beautiful woman was that walked past the door, saying, “I have not seen her here before.”
Orm answered, “That is Gudrid, my foster daughter, the daughter of Thorbjorn of Laugarbrekka.”
Einar said, “She must be a good match. Have any men come to ask for her hand?” Orm replied, “Indeed, she has been courted, but nothing has come of it. It seems she is very selective about men, as is her father.”
“Well, despite that,” said Einar, “this is the woman I intend to ask for, and I would like you to speak to Thorbjorn, her father, on my behalf and put all your effort into making this happen. I will reward you in perfect friendship if I succeed. Thorbjorn can see that this match would be advantageous, as he is a respectable man, and owns a great abode, but I hear his movable wealth is rather diminished. I lack neither land nor wealth, and neither does my father. This would be a great support for Thorbjorn if it were to happen.”
Orm said, “I certainly consider myself your friend, but I am not eager to undertake this, as Thorbjorn is a proud and ambitious man.”
Einar insisted that Orm present the proposal. Orm then agreed. Einar then traveled back south until he returned home.
A while later, Thorbjorn held his autumn feast, as was his custom, for he was a very prominent man. Orm from Arnarstapi and many other friends of Thorbjorn attended.
Orm spoke to Thorbjorn and said that Einar from Thorgeirsfell had been there recently and that he was a very promising man. Orm then presented the proposal on Einar’s behalf and said it would be advantageous for several reasons. “You, farmer, would gain great support due to his wealth.”
Thorbjorn replied, “I did not expect such words from you, that I would marry my daughter to the son of a thrall. You now sense that my wealth is dwindling if you offer me such advice. And she shall no longer stay with you, as you thought she was worth such a poor match.”
Then Orm went home, and each of the other guests returned to his home. Gudrid stayed with her father and remained at home that winter.
In the spring, Thorbjorn held a feast for his friends, and many people came, and it was a splendid feast. During the feast, Thorbjorn asked for silence and spoke: “I have lived here for a long time, and I have experienced goodwill and affection from the people. I consider our dealings to have been good. But now my situation is becoming difficult because of my lack of movable wealth, though I have always maintained a position of honor. Now I would rather give up my farm than lose my dignity. I intend to leave the country rather than disgrace my family and to fulfill the promise I made to my friend Erik the Red when we parted in Breidafjord. I plan to go to Greenland this summer if all goes as I wish.”
People thought this was a significant change of plans because Thorbjorn was a popular man, but they realized that Thorbjorn had decided firmly enough that it would be useless to try to dissuade him. Thorbjorn gave gifts to the people, and the feast ended. Then everyone went home.
Thorbjorn sold his lands and bought a ship that was moored in Hraunhafnaros. Thirty people prepared to travel with him. Among them were Orm from Arnarstapi, his wife, and other friends of Thorbjorn who did not want to part with him.
Then they set sail, but when they were at sea, the wind died. They got lost at sea, and their journey went poorly that summer. Next, sickness struck their party, and Orm and his wife Halldis and half of their party died. The sea began to grow rough, and they endured great hardships and suffering in many ways, but they eventually reached Herjolfsnes in Greenland at the beginning of winter.
There was a man named Thorkell who lived at Herjolfsnes. He was an excellent farmer. He took in Thorbjorn and all his crew for the winter. Thorkell treated them generously.
4
About the Seeress Thorbjorg.
At that time, there was a great famine in Greenland. Those who had gone on hunting trips had caught little, and some had yet to return.
There was a woman in the settlement named Thorbjorg. She was a seeress and was called Little Volva (Little Prophetess). She had nine sisters, all of whom were seeresses, but she was the only one still alive.
It was Thorbjorg’s custom during the winters to go to feasts, and she was most often invited by those who were curious to know their fate or the outlook for the coming year. Since Thorkell was the most prominent farmer there, it was thought fitting for him to know when this famine, which they were enduring, might end. Thorkell invited the seeress to his home, and she was well received, as was the custom when welcoming such women. A high seat was prepared for her, and a cushion was placed under her. It was filled with hen feathers.
When she arrived in the evening, after someone had been sent for her, she was dressed in such a way that she wore a blue mantle fastened with strings, and gems were set into it to the hem. She had glass beads on her neck, and a black lambskin hood lined with white cat’s fur on her head. She held a staff in her hand, which had a brass knob inlaid with stones at the top. She wore a belt, and on it hung a large pouch in which she kept the charms she needed for her knowledge. She wore calfskin shoes lined with fur, long laces, and large tin buttons at the ends. She had cat’s fur gloves on her hands, white on the inside and furry.
When she came in, it was considered obligatory for everyone to greet her with due respect. She accepted the greetings as people wished. Farmer Thorkell took her hand and led her to the seat that had been prepared for her. Thorkell then asked her to cast her eyes over the household, the livestock, and the homestead. She was silent about everything.
Tables were set up in the evening, and it is worth mentioning what food was prepared for the seeress. She was served porridge made from goat’s milk and prepared hearts from all the animals that were available there. She had a brass spoon and a knife with a handle made from a walrus tooth, with two copper rings, and the tip was broken off.
After the tables were cleared, Farmer Thorkell went to Thorbjorg and asked how she liked the place and the people there, and how soon she would be able to give an answer to the questions he had asked, and that everyone were most eager to know. She said she would not say anything until the next morning after she had slept through the night.
The next morning, as the day wore on, she was given the preparations she needed to perform her magic. She also asked for women who knew the knowledge necessary for the magic called Varðlokur. But such women were not to be found. Then it was sought out around the homestead if anyone knew them.
Then Gudrid spoke up: “I am neither skilled in magic nor a wise woman, but Halldis, my foster mother, taught me in Iceland the song she called Varðlokur.”
Thorkell said, “Then you are fortunate.”
She said, “This is the one activity in which I am reluctant to participate, for I am a Christian woman.”
Thorbjorg replied, “It could be that you would be of help to the people here, and you would not be any worse of a woman than before. But I will leave it to Thorkell to provide the items that are needed.”
Thorkell now urged Gudrid, and she said she would do as he wished. The women formed a ring around the platform, and Thorbjorg sat on top. Gudrid then sang the chant so beautifully and well that no one present thought they had ever heard a chant sung with a fairer voice.
The seeress thanked her for the chant and said that many spirits had now come to them and found it pleasing to hear, as the chant had been so well performed. “They previously wished to part from us and give us no heed. But now many things are clear to me that were previously hidden, as well as many other things. But I can tell you this, Thorkell, that this famine will not last beyond this winter, and things will improve as spring arrives. The sickness that has plagued us will also improve sooner than expected. And to you, Gudrid, I will give thanks for the help you have given us, for your fate is now very clear to me. You will make a marriage here in Greenland, which will be most honorable, though it will not last long, for your path lies to Iceland. There, both a great and good lineage will come from you, and brighter rays will shine over your descendants than I have the power to foresee accurately. Now go well and safely, dear daughter.”
Afterward, people approached the seeress, and each asked about what they were most curious to know. She was generous with her prophecies, and what she said did not miss the mark. Soon after, she was sent for from another farm. Then Thorbjorn was sent for, as he did not want to stay at home while such pagan rituals were being conducted.
The weather improved quickly, just as Thorbjorg had said. Thorbjorn prepared his ship and sailed until he arrived at Brattahlid. Erik received him warmly and said it was good that he had come. Thorbjorn and his family stayed with him over the winter, while the crew lodged with the farmers. The following spring, Erik gave Thorbjorn land at Stokkanes, where a respectable farm was built, and he lived there thereafter.
5
Leif the Lucky found Vinland.
Erik had a wife named Thjodhild, and they had two sons. One was named Thorstein, and the other Leif. Both were promising men. Thorstein stayed at home with his father and was considered the most personable man in Greenland. Leif had sailed to Norway and was with King Olaf Tryggvason.
When Leif sailed from Greenland in the summer, they were driven to the South Isles (Hebrides). They did not get favorable winds for a long time, so they stayed there a while during the summer.
Leif became fond of a woman named Thorgunna. She was a woman of high birth, and Leif understood that she had much knowledge.
When Leif was preparing to leave, Thorgunna asked to go with him. Leif asked whether her relatives approved of this. She said she did not care.
Leif said he could not see it wise to take such a high-born woman to an unknown land, “and we are few in number.”
Thorgunna said, “It is not certain that you will think it better advised.”
“I will still take this risk,” said Leif.
“Then I tell you,” said Thorgunna, “that I will not go alone, and I am with child. I will say that it is of your doing. I expect it to be a boy when born. But if you do not care, I will raise the boy and send him to Greenland to you when possible with other men. And I expect the benefit of having a son will be as great as our separation. But I plan to come to Greenland before the end.”
Leif gave her a gold ring, a wadmal cloak from Greenland, and a tooth-belt. This boy came to Greenland and was named Thorgils. Leif acknowledged him as his own son. Some say that this Thorgils came to Iceland before the haunting at Froda during that summer. But Thorgils was later in Greenland, and there it was still considered unusual of what became of him before the end.
Leif and his men sailed away from the South isles and reached Norway in the autumn. Leif went to the court of King Olaf Tryggvason. The king held him in high regard and thought that he was a well educated man.
One time, the king spoke with Leif and said, “Do you plan to go to Greenland this summer?”
“I do,” said Leif, “if that is your wish.”
The king replied, “I think that would be good, and you should go there with my mission to proclaim Christianity.”
Leif said he would do as the king wished, but he thought that the mission would be difficult in Greenland.
The king said he saw no one better suited for the task than Leif, “and you will carry good fortune with you.”
“That will only be the case,” said Leif, “if I have your support.”
Leif put out to sea and was away for a long time, encountering lands he had never expected to find. There were self-sown wheat fields and grapevines growing there. There were also trees called “mosurr” (maple), and they took some samples of everything, including some trees so large they were used for building houses.
Leif found men on a shipwreck and brought them home with him. In doing this, he showed great nobility and honor, as in many other things when he brought Christianity to the land. From then on, he was always called “Leif the Lucky.”
Leif landed in Eriksfjord and then went home to Brattahlid. Everyone there welcomed him warmly. He soon began preaching Christianity throughout the land and spreading the general faith. He showed people King Olaf Tryggvason’s message and spoke of the many marvels and great glory that came with this faith.
Erik was slow to accept the idea of abandoning his old beliefs, but Thjodhild quickly embraced Christianity and had a church built not far from the main house. This building was called Thjodhild’s Church. There she and those who converted to Christianity would pray. Thjodhild refused to have marital relations with Erik after she converted, which greatly displeased him.
There was much talk about exploring the land that Leif had discovered. The leader of this expedition was Thorstein Eriksson, a wise and popular man. Erik was also invited, as people had great faith in his luck and foresight. He was initially reluctant but did not refuse when his friends urged him to go. They prepared the ship that Thorbjorn had brought, and twenty men were selected for the journey. They took little property with them, mainly weapons and provisions.
The morning Erik set out, he took a chest containing gold and silver. He concealed it and then continued on his way, but he fell from his horse, breaking his ribs and injuring his shoulder. He told his wife Thjodhild about the incident, instructing her to take the treasure away, saying he had been punished for hiding it.
They then sailed out of Eriksfjord with great joy, feeling hopeful about their mission. However, they were tossed about at sea for a long time and did not reach the intended destination. They sighted Iceland and also had birds from Ireland. Their ship drifted aimlessly, and they returned in the autumn, greatly fatigued and exhausted, arriving back at Eriksfjord in the middle of winter.
Erik said, “We sailed out of the fjord more cheerfully this summer than we are now, but there are still many good things to be found.”
Thorstein replied, “It is a noble gesture to see to it that all these men who are now without provisions are taken care of for the winter.”
Erik responded, “It is always true, as the saying goes, that one does not know until it is answered, and so it will be here. We will now follow your advice on this.”
All those without other provisions went with Erik and Thorstein. They then returned home to Brattahlid and stayed there for the winter.
6
Of Thorstein Eriksson
Now it is to be told that Thorstein Eriksson proposed marriage to Gudrid, and both she and her father gave favorable answers. The arrangements were made accordingly. Thorstein married Gudrid, and the wedding took place in Brattahlid in the autumn. The celebration went well and many people attended.
Thorstein owned a farm in the Western Settlement at a place called Lysufjord. He shared the farm with another man named Thorstein. His wife was named Sigrid. In the autumn, Thorstein and Gudrid traveled to Lysufjord to visit his namesake. They were warmly received and stayed there for the winter.
An illness broke out on their farm early in the winter. The overseer there was named Gardar. He was not a popular man. He was the first to fall ill and die. Shortly thereafter, many others also succumbed.
Then Thorstein Eriksson and Sigrid, the wife of his namesake Thorstein, fell ill. One evening, Sigrid felt the need to go to the outhouse, which stood opposite the main entrance. Gudrid accompanied her, and when they looked towards the main door. Then Sigrid cried out loudly.
Gudrid said, “We have ventured out carelessly, and you should not stay where you could get cold. Let’s go back home as quickly as possible.”
Sigrid replied, “It’s not possible to return now. Before the door, I see all the dead and your husband Thorstein, and I recognize myself among them. It is such a horror to see.”
When this vision passed, she said, “Let’s go now, Gudrid. I do not see the crowd anymore.”
By then, Thorstein had disappeared. Earlier, she thought she had seen him holding a whip and that he was wanting to strike the crowd.
They then went inside, and before morning came, Sigrid died. A coffin was made for her body.
And on that same day, men intended to row out to sea, and Thorstein led them to the shore, he then came around for the second time to see what they had caught. Then Thorstein Eriksson sent word to his namesake Thorstein that he should come to him, saying that things were not calm and the housewife wanted to get up and lie under the covers with him. When he entered, she had gotten up on the edge of the bed. He took her by the hands and laid a trunk-axe on her chest.
Thorstein Eriksson died near sunset. Thorstein the farmer asked Gudrid to lie down and sleep, he said he would watch over the body during the night. She did so.
Shortly into the night, Thorstein Eriksson sat up and spoke, saying he wanted Gudrid to be called to him, and said he wanted to talk to her: “God’s will is that this moment is given to me to improve my ways.”
Thorstein the farmer went to Gudrid and woke her up, asking her to make the cross sign and pray to God for help, telling her what Thorstein Eriksson had said to him: “He wishes to see you. It is up to you to decide what you want to do, as I can neither advise for nor against it.”
She replied, “It may be that this is meant for some purpose that will be remembered later, this strange event, but I trust that God’s protection will be over me. I will venture with God’s mercy to meet him and see what he wants to say, for I cannot avoid it if harm is meant to befall me. I would not want him to wander further. But I suspect that this will be a pressing matter.”
Now Gudrid went and met Thorstein. It seemed to her as though he shed tears. He whispered a few words into her ear, so that only she knew them, but then he spoke so that everyone could hear him, that those people who held to the faith were blessed, that it brought all help and mercy, though he added that many upheld it poorly. “It is no custom, as it has been in Greenland since Christianity came here, to bury people in unconsecrated ground with little singing. I want to be taken to the church along with the other men who have died here, but I want Gardar to be burned on a pyre as soon as possible, for he is responsible for all the hauntings that have occurred here this winter.” He also told her about his own affairs and said that her fate would be significant, but he advised her to avoid marrying Greenlandic men. He asked her to donate their wealth to the church and some to the poor. Then he fell back once more.
Since Christianity came to Greenland, the custom had been that people were buried at the farms where they died, in unconsecrated ground. A stake was to be set up from the chest of the dead, and later, when clergymen arrived, the stake was to be pulled out, holy water poured in, and a service held there, even if it was much later.
The bodies of Thorstein and the others were taken to the church in Eriksfjord and given proper rites by the clergy. Erik took Gudrid into his care and became like a father figure to her.
A little later Thorbjorn died. All the wealth was then passed to Gudrid. Erik brought her under his care and ensured she was well looked after.
7
Thorfinn Karlsefni marries Gudrid
There was a man named Thord, who lived at Hofdi on Hofdastrond. He was married to Thorgerd, the daughter of Thorir Hima, and Fridgerd, the daughter of Kjarval, king of Ireland. Thord was the son of Bjorn Byrdusmjor, son of Hroald Spine, son of Aslak, son of Bjorn Ironside, son of Ragnar Lothbrok. They had a son named Snorri. He married Thorhild Rjupa, the daughter of Thord Gellir. Their son was Thord Horsehead. Thorfinn Karlsefni was the son of Thord. Thorfinn’s mother was named Thorunn. Thorfinn was a merchant and was considered a good traveler.
One summer, Karlsefni prepared his ship and planned to go to Greenland. Snorri Thorbrandsson from Alftafjord went with him, along with forty more men on the ship.
There was a man named Bjarni Grimolfsson, a native of Breidafjord. Another man was named Thorhall Gamlason, a man from the Eastfjords. They also prepared their ship that same summer and planned to go to Greenland. They also had forty men on their ship.
Karlsefni set sail with these two ships once they were ready. It is not mentioned how long they were at sea, but it is said that both ships arrived at Eriksfjord in the autumn.
Erik rode to the ship along with other locals. They quickly struck up a trade agreement. The captains offered Erik to take whatever he wanted from their goods. Erik, in turn, showed them great generosity, as he invited these two ship crews to stay with him for the winter at Brattahlid. The merchants accepted this offer and thanked him. Their goods were then transported home to Brattahlid. There were large outbuildings there to store their goods. There was not much lacking there that they needed, and the merchants were pleased with their winter stay.
As Yule approached, Erik became very depressed and was more downcast than usual.
One day, Karlsefni spoke to Erik and said, “Are you troubled, Erik? People seem to notice that you are more downcast than usual. You have treated us with the greatest generosity, and we are obliged to repay you as best we can. Now tell us, what causes your sadness.”
Erik replied, “You accept this well and nobly. It is not that I think you will lack anything in our dealings. Rather, it troubles me to think that when you go elsewhere, it will be said that you have never had a worse Yule than the one coming now, which Erik the Red hosted for you in Brattahlid in Greenland.”
“That will not happen, my friend,” said Karlsefni. “We have both malt and grain on our ship, so take whatever you need and prepare a feast as grand as you like.”
Erik accepted this, and preparations were made for the Yule feast, which turned out to be very splendid, so that people thought they had rarely seen such generosity in a poor country.
After Yule, Karlsefni brought up the subject of marriage with Erik regarding Gudrid, as he thought Erik would have authority over her. Erik responded favorably and said that she would follow her destiny, and he had only good things to say about Karlsefni. Thus, it ended when Thorfinn was betrothed to Gudrid, the feast was extended and their wedding was celebrated, then they stayed in Brattahlid for the winter.
8
Karlsefni’s Land Exploration
In Brattahlid, there were many discussions about the exploration of the good Vinland, and it was said that it would be worth visiting due to its favorable land conditions. Consequently, Karlsefni and Snorri prepared their ship to search for this land in the spring. Bjarni and Thorhall also joined the expedition with their ship and crew.
There was a man named Thorvard, who was married to Freydis, the illegitimate daughter of Erik the Red. He also accompanied them, along with Thorvald, Erik’s son, and Thorhall, who was called the huntsman. Thorhall had been with Erik for a long time, serving as his hunter in the summers and his steward in the winters. He was a large, strong man with a dark, imposing appearance, quiet and harsh in speech, often couraging Erik towards wrong doing. He was poorly Christianized and had extensive knowledge of the wilderness. He was on the ship with Thorvard and Thorvald. They used the ship that Thorbjorn had previously taken out.
They had a crew of one hundred and sixty men when they sailed to the Western Settlement and from there to Bjarney. From there, they sailed for two days southwards. Then they saw land, launched a boat, and explored it, finding large, flat stones, many of which were twelve ell wide. There were also many arctic foxes. They named the place Helluland (Flat-stone land).
From there, they sailed south for two days, and then they turned southeast. Where they found a forested land with many animals. An island lay offshore to the southeast, there they killed a bear and subsequently named it Bjarney (Bear Island), while the mainland they called Markland (Forest land).
From there they sailed south along the coast for a long time and came to a cape. The land lay on their right side. There were long shores and sandy beaches. They rowed to shore and found there on the cape the keel of a ship and called it Kjalarnes (Keel Cape). They also named the shores Furdustrandir (Wonder beaches) because it took a long time to sail by them. Then the land became indented with bays. They kept their ships in one of the bays.
King Olaf Tryggvason had given Leif two Scottish people. The man was named Haki, and the woman Hekja. They were swifter than animals. These people were on the ship with Karlsefni.
When they had sailed past Furdustrandir, they let the Scottish people go ashore and asked them to run south on the land to explore the land’s qualities and return before three days had passed.
They had garments that they called kjafal. It was made in such a way that there was a hood at the top, open at the sides, no sleeves, and it was fastened together between the legs with a button and a loop, but otherwise they were bare.
They waited there for a while. But when they came back, one had in their hand a grapevine cluster, and the other a self-sown wheat. They went on board the ship, and then they sailed onwards.
They sailed into a fjord. There lay an island outside it. There were strong currents around it. Therefore, they called it Straumey (Stream Island). There were so many eider ducks on the island that one could hardly walk without stepping on eggs. They called the fjord Straumfjord (Stream Fjord).
They unloaded their cargo from the ships and made their camp there. They had with them all kinds of livestock. The landscape was beautiful. They did not concern themselves with exploring the land. They remained there throughout the winter, and no work was done during the summer. The hunting then failed, and it became difficult to find food.
Then Thorhall the hunter disappeared. They had previously prayed to God for food, and it did not arrive as quickly as they thought they needed. They searched for Thorhall for three days and found him on a high cliff. He was lying there looking up at the sky, with his mouth and nose open, chanting something. They asked why he was there. He said it was none of their concern. They asked him to come home with them, and he did so.
Shortly afterward, a whale came there, they went to it and cut it up, but no one recognized what kind of whale it was. When the cooks boiled it, they ate it, and all of them became sick from it.
Then Thorhall said: “The red-bearded one has proven more helpful now than your Christ. I have this reward now for the poem I composed about Thor, my patron. He has seldom failed me.”
And when the people heard this, they threw the entire whale back into the sea and prayed to God. The weather then improved, allowing them to row out, thereafter they were not short of provisions, for there was game on the land, eggs on the island, and fish in the sea.
9
About Thorhall the Hunter
It is said that Thorhall the hunter wanted to go north past the Furdustrandir and Kjalarnes to explore Vinland, while Karlsefni wanted to go south along the coast. Thorhall prepared his ship under the island, and there were no more than nine men with him, while the rest of the crew went with Karlsefni. As Thorhall was carrying water to his ship and drinking, he recited a verse:
The trees of the metal assembly (warriors) said
I would have the best drink when I came here.
It is fitting for me to praise the land before people
rather than to blame it.
The servant of the storm of the helmet of battle (warrior)
must draw the best drink.
Instead, I stoop to the well. No wine comes to my lips.
And when they were ready, they hoisted the sail. Then Thorhall recited:
Let’s go back to where our
land is, men of the sand-sky,
Let the one who knows the home of the ship
explore the broad sea-path,
While the bull-hiders, dwellers
in the hall of fish broth,
praise the land at the Furdustrandir.
Then they sailed north past the Furdustrandir and Kjalarnes and wanted to head west. Then a west wind struck them, and they were driven to Ireland, where they were beaten and endured suffering. Thorhall lost his life there, according to what the merchants have said.
10
Karlsefni's Stay in Vinland
Now it is to be told about Karlsefni, that he traveled south along the coast with Snorri and Bjarni and their people. They journeyed for a long time until they came to a river that flowed down from the land into a lake, emptying into the sea. Large sandbanks were there, and it was only possible to enter the river at high tide.
Karlsefni and his men sailed into the river mouth and called the place Hop. On the land, they found wild wheat growing in the lowlands and grapevines growing on the hills. Every brook was full of fish. They made pits where the land met the highest tide line, and when the tide went out, there were holy fish in the pits. The forest was teeming with all kinds of animals. They stayed there for half a month, enjoying themselves and encountering no trouble. They had their livestock with them.
One morning, when they were looking around, they saw a great number of skin boats, with wooden poles being waved on the boats, looking like stalks of straw being waved around in the direction that the sun travels.
Karlsefni said, “What could this signify?”
Snorri Thorbrandsson replied, “It could be a sign of peace, so let’s take a white shield and show it to them.”
And they did so. The strangers rowed towards them and were amazed at those who were already there. They went ashore. These men were black and fierce-looking, with messy hair on their heads. They had large eyes and broad cheeks. They stayed for a while, marveling at those they encountered, then rowed away south around the headland.
Karlsefni and his men had built their settlement away from the lake, some of the houses were near the water, and some were further away. They stayed there for the winter. No snow came, and all their livestock grazed freely.
11
Battle with the Skrælings
When spring arrived, one morning they saw a great number of skin boats rowing south past the headland, so many that it looked like coal had been scattered in front of Hop. Trees were being waved from each boat.
Karlsefni and his men raised their shields, and when they met, they began trading. The natives wanted red cloth more than anything. In exchange, they offered furs and grey pelts. They also wanted to buy swords and spears, but Karlsefni and Snorri prohibited it. The Skrælings took a span-length of red cloth for a grey pelt and tied it around their heads. This trading continued for some time. Then the supply of red cloth with Karlsefni’s group began to run out, so they cut it into small pieces no wider than a finger’s breadth, yet the Skrælings still gave the same amount in return or even more.
It so happened that a bull belonging to Karlsefni’s group ran out of the woods and bellowed loudly. This frightened the Skrælings, who ran to their boats and rowed away south along the coast. They were not seen again for three weeks.
When this time had passed, they saw a great number of Skræling boats coming from the south, as if a stream was flowing. The tree poles were waved opposite the sun’s motion, and all the Skrælings howled loudly. Karlsefni and his men took up a red shield and went to meet them.
The Skrælings jumped out of their boats, and then they fought. A fierce battle ensued, as the Skrælings had slingshots.
Karlsefni and his men saw that the Skrælings raised a large ball attached on a pole, almost the size of a sheep’s stomach, and rather blue in color. They hurled it from the pole onto the land over Karlsefni’s men, making a terrifying noise when it landed.
This frightened Karlsefni and all his men so much that they wanted nothing more than to flee. They retreated up the river, as they felt the Skrælings’ forces were attacking from all sides, and they did not stop until they reached some cliffs, where they made a strong defense.
Freydis came out and saw that Karlsefni and his men were retreating, and she called out: “Why do you run away from these wretches, you who are such strong men, that I think you could strike them down like cattle? And if I had weapons, I think I would fight better than any of you.”
They paid no attention to her words. Freydis wanted to follow them but fell behind because she was not well. She nevertheless walked after them into the woods, with the Skrælings pursuing her. She came across a dead man. It was Thorbrand Snorrason, with a flat stone standing out of his head. His sword lay beside him. She picked it up and prepared to defend herself. Then the Skrælings came at her. She pulled out her breast from her clothes and slapped it with the naked sword. At this, the Skrælings were frightened, fled to their boats and rowed off. Karlsefni and his men found her and praised her fortune.
Two of Karlsefni’s men had fallen, but many of the Skrælings. Karlsefni and his men were overwhelmed and returned to their camp. They dressed their wounds and reflected on the number of people who had attacked them from the land. It seemed to them that the attackers must have been only those who came from the boats, while the other people were just illusions.
The Skrælings also found a dead man with an axe lying beside him. One of them picked up the axe, struck a tree with it, and passed it around, finding it to be a valuable tool that cut well. Then one of them struck a stone with it, and the axe broke. They deemed it worthless if it couldn’t withstand stone and threw it away.
Karlsefni and his men now understood that although the land had good qualities, there would always be fear and conflict with the inhabitants.
They prepared to leave and intended to return to their homeland. They sailed north along the coast and found five Skrælings in skin boats, asleep near the shore. They had with them vessels containing animal marrow mixed with blood. Karlsefni and his men thought these men must have been exiled from their land. They killed them. Then they found a headland teeming with animals. The headland looked as if it were covered with manure because the animals lay there at night.
Karlsefni and his men returned to Straumfjord, where they found an abundance of everything they needed.
Some say that Bjarni and Gudrid stayed there with hundred men and did not go further, while Karlsefni and Snorri went south with forty men and stayed in Hop for less than two months before returning that same summer.
Karlsefni then set out with one ship to search for Thorhall the Hunter, while the rest of the group stayed behind. They sailed north past Kjalarnes, with the land on their left side. They saw nothing but desolate wilderness and hardly any clearings. After a long time, they came to a river flowing from the east to the west. They sailed into the river’s mouth and anchored by the southern bank.
12
Departure from Vinland
One morning, Karlsefni and his men saw something shining on a hill above the clearing and shouted at it. It moved, revealing itself to be a one-legged creature. It shot down to the riverbank where they were. Thorvald Eriksson, the son of Erik the Red, was steering and was hit in the intestines by an arrow shot by the creature.
Thorvald pulled out the arrow and said, “There is fat around the entrails. We have found a good land with many qualities, but we can hardly enjoy it.” Thorvald died from this wound shortly afterward.
Then the one-legged creature ran away southward. Karlsefni and his men chased after it and saw it occasionally. The last sighting they had of it was when it jumped into a fjord. Then Karlsefni and his men returned. One man recited this verse:
“Men chased,
it was all true,
a single-legged one
down to the shore,
but a strange man
tried hard to run.
Hear, Karlsefni.”
They then left and went back north, and they believed they saw the land of the one-legged creatures. They did not want to risk their crew any further. They concluded that all the mountains in Hop and the ones they found here were equally far from Straumfjord in both directions.
They spent their third winter in Straumfjord. People wandered widely, and there were disputes over women, as the unmarried men wanted to take women from those who were married, which caused great unrest. That autumn, Snorri, the son of Karlsefni, was born. He was three years old when they left.
When they sailed away from Vinland, they encountered southern winds and reached Markland, where they found five Skrælings, one bearded man, two women, and two children. Karlsefni and his men took the boys, but the others escaped and sank into the ground. They brought the two boys with them. They taught them their language and baptized them. They named their mother Vethild and their father Uvægi. The boys said that two kings ruled over the Skrælings, one named Avaldamon and the other Avaldidida. They said there were no houses; people lived in caves or holes. They mentioned a land across from their own, inhabited by people in white clothes who carried poles with cloth attached and shouted loudly, believed to be the land of the white men or Great Ireland.
They then returned to Greenland and stayed with Erik the Red for the winter.
13
The Death of Bjarni Grimolfsson
Bjarni Grimolfsson’s ship was carried to the Irish Sea, where it entered a sea full of worms, causing the ship to sink considerably beneath them. Their boat had been treated with seal tar, which shipworms cannot penetrate. They boarded the boat but realized that it could not hold all of them.
Then Bjarni said, “Since the boat cannot take more than half of our men, my advice is that we draw lots to decide who will go in the boat, as this should not be done based on rank.”
Everyone thought this suggestion was so noble that no one objected. They drew lots among the men, and Bjarni was chosen to go in the boat along with half the crew, as it could take no more.
When they had boarded the boat, an Icelandic man who had followed Bjarni from Iceland said, “Bjarni, do you intend to part from me here?”
Bjarni replied, “So it must be now.”
The man responded, “You promised my father something different when I left Iceland with you, that we would share the same fate.”
Bjarni answered, “It shall not be so. You come here into the boat, and I will go up into the ship, as I see that you are so eager for life.”
Then Bjarni went up into the ship, and the man into the boat, and they then continued their journey until they reached Dublin in Ireland, where they told this story.
It is the belief of most people that Bjarni and the men who stayed with him on the ship perished in the sea full of shipworms, as nothing was heard from them afterward.
14
Karlsefni and Gudrid Travel to Iceland
The next summer, Karlsefni and Gudrid went to Iceland and settled at Reynines. His mother initially thought he had made a poor match and did not stay home the first winter. However, once she got to know Gudrid and saw that she was a remarkable woman, she returned home, and their relationship was good.
Snorri Karlsefni’s daughter’s name was Hallfrid, mother of Bishop Thorlak Runolfsson. They had a son named Thorbjorn. His daughter was named Thorunn, mother of Bishop Bjorn. Snorri Karlsefni’s son was named Thorgeir, father of Yngvild, mother of the first Bishop Brand.
And thus this story concludes.
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