1. THE IMMIGRANTS
IT was in the days of King Harald Fine-Hair1 that a man called Hallfred brought his ship to Iceland, putting in at Breiddale east of the Fljotsdale District. On board were his wife and their fifteen-year-old son Hrafnkel, a handsome and promising youngster.
Hallfred built himself a home. The following winter a foreign bondwoman called Arnthrud died there, and that is why the place has been known as Arnthrudarstead ever since. In the spring Hallfred moved house north across the moor and made his new home at Geitdale.
One night he dreamed that a man came to him and said, ‘There you lie, Hallfred, but that’s not a prudent thing to do. Move house west across Lagarwater, your good luck awaits you there.’ Then he woke up.
He moved house west to the other side of Rang River in Tongue, to a place which is now known as Hallfredarstead, and lived there till old age. But he happened to leave behind a male goat and a barren she-goat, and on the very day he moved out, a landslide fell on the farmstead killing these two beasts, which is why this place has been called Geitdale ever since.
2. THE YOUNG CHIEFTAIN
Hrafnkel made it his custom in the summer to go riding over the moors. At that time Jokulsdale had been fully settled as far up as the bridge. When Hrafnkel was riding across Fljotsdale Moor he saw that an uninhabited valley branched off from Jokulsdale, and it seemed to him more suitable for farming than any other valley he had ever seen.
When Hrafnkel came back home, he asked his father to divide up their property and said he wanted to start a farm of his own. His father gave his approval, and Hrafnkel built a home in that valley and called his farm Adalbol. Hrafnkel married Oddbjorg Skjoldolf’s daughter of Laxriverdale and they had two sons; the elder was called Thorir and the younger Asbjorn.2
When Hrafnkel had settled at Adalbol, he had a large temple built and held great sacrifices to the gods. He loved Frey above all the other gods and gave him a half-share in all his best treasures.
Hrafnkel took possession of the entire valley and gave land to other settlers, on condition that he should be their overlord. He became their priest and chieftain,3 so he was given the nickname Frey’s-Priest.4 Hrafnkel was a bully despite his many qualities, and he forced the men of Jokulsdale to submit to his authority. He was kind and considerate to his own men, but harsh and ruthless to his enemies and to them he showed no justice. Hrafnkel fought many duels, but refused to pay compensation for the men he killed, and no one got any redress for the wrongs that Hrafnkel committed.
Fljotsdale Moor is stony and boggy and difficult to travel over, yet Hrafnkel and his father used to visit each other frequently, for they were on very affectionate terms. Hallfred thought the usual path across the moor was much too rough, so he looked for an alternative route south of the hills which rise on the moor, and there he found a drier but slightly longer way. This path has been called Hallfredargata ever since, and it can only be used by those who are thoroughly familiar with the moor.
3. FREYFAXI
A man called Bjarni lived at Laugarhouse in Hrafnkelsdale. He was married and had two sons by his wife, called Sam and Eyvind. They were handsome and likely fellows. Eyvind stayed at home with his father, but Sam married and settled down to farm at Leikskalar in the northern part of the valley. Sam was a wealthy man; he was a skilled lawyer and very conceited. Later Eyvind became a sea-going trader and sailed to Norway where he stayed for one winter. From there he travelled all the way to Constantinople where he lived for some time and enjoyed high favours from the Byzantine Emperor.5
Hrafnkel had one treasured possession which he held dearer than anything else he owned. It was a pale-dun stallion, with a black mane and a black stripe down the back. He called the horse Freyfaxi and gave his patron Frey a half-share in it. Hrafnkel loved this horse so passionately that he swore a solemn oath to kill anyone who rode the stallion without his permission.6
4. THE SHEPHERD
Bjarni had a brother called Thorbjorn who lived at Hol in Hrafnkelsdale, on the east side of the river across from Adalbol. Thorbjorn had slender means but a large family to support. His eldest son was called Einar, a tall man and very accomplished.
One spring Thorbjorn told Einar that he would have to look elsewhere for work. ‘The reason is, I can run the farm with the help of my other children, and a man of your ability should find it easy enough to get a job. It’s not for any lack of love that I’m sending you away, I love you more than my other children, but I’ve been driven to this by my poverty and lack of means. My other children are getting big enough for work now and you’ll be able to get better employment than ever they could.’
Einar replied, ‘You’re rather late in telling me this, now all the best jobs have been taken by others. I don’t like the idea of getting something no one else wants.’
One day Einar fetched his horse and rode over to Adalbol. Hrafnkel was sitting in the hall and gave him a friendly welcome. Einar asked Hrafnkel if he would hire him.
‘Why are you so late in asking this?’ said Hrafnkel. ‘I’d rather have hired you than anyone else, but now I’ve already engaged servants for every job, except for one you couldn’t possibly want.’
Einar asked him what he meant, and Hrafnkel said he’d not engaged a shepherd, although he needed one urgently. Einar replied he didn’t mind what he did, whether it was this or something else. He also said he wanted to be hired for a whole year.
‘I’ll make you a quick offer,’ said Hrafnkel. ‘You’re to herd fifty milch ewes at my shieling,7 and gather in all the firewood for the summer as well. In return for this you can have your keep here for a whole year.
‘There is one condition I must impose on you as I have on all my other shepherds. Freyfaxi grazes with his herd in the upper part of the valley, and you’re to look after him in summer and winter. But I must warn you against one thing: I want you never to ride this horse, however urgent the need may seem to you, for I’ve sworn an oath to kill anyone who rides him. Some ten or twelve other horses go with Freyfaxi and you’re free to use any of them, whenever you like, by day or night. Do as I tell you, for it’s an old saying that “warning wards off blame”. Now you know what I’ve sworn to do.’
Einar said that he would never be so wicked as to ride the one horse which was forbidden to him, particularly since there were plenty of other horses at his disposal.
5. TEMPTATION
Einar went home to fetch his clothes and came back to Adalbol to stay. Soon afterwards it was time to drive the ewes up to Grjotteigs Shieling in the upper reaches of Hrafnkelsdale. Einar was very good at his job and never lost a single sheep until about midsummer. Then some thirty sheep strayed one night, and Einar scoured all the pastures for them, but without success. The sheep were missing for nearly a week.
Early one morning Einar went outside and saw that the drizzle and mist had cleared up in the south. He took a staff, a bridle, and a saddle-cloth, and waded across Grjotteigs River which flows past the shieling. The sheep which had been there the night before were lying on the gravel flats down by the river. He drove them up to the shieling and set out in search of the missing ones. Then he noticed the horses farther down by the river and decided to catch one of them to ride on, for he kept thinking how much more ground he could cover by riding than by walking. But when he came closer, all the mares bolted away from him, and he chased them without success. They had never been so shy before. Only Freyfaxi remained behind; he was as still as if he were anchored to the ground.
Einar realized the morning was wearing on, and decided to ride the stallion, thinking that Hrafnkel would never find out. So he bridled Freyfaxi, fixed the saddle-cloth on his back, and rode up along Grjotargill, south to the glacier and then west along the edge of the ice to the source of Jokuls River. From there he followed the river down to Reykja Shieling. He inquired at all the shielings whether any of the shepherds had seen his ewes, but no one had.
Einar rode Freyfaxi from dawn to mid-evening,8 travelling fast and far, for this was an outstanding horse. Then it occurred to Einar that he had better drive in the sheep at the shieling, even though he had failed to find the others. So he rode east across the ridges over to Hrafnkelsdale, and when he came down to Grjotteig he heard the bleating of sheep beside the ravine which he had passed earlier in the morning. When he turned in that direction he saw thirty ewes come running towards him, and these were the sheep which had been missing for a week. He drove them in with the rest of the ewes. Then he led the stallion back to the herd and walked up to the shieling.
Freyfaxi was all running with sweat; and every hair on his body was dripping. He was covered in mud and panting with exhaustion. He rolled over a dozen times, and then neighed loudly and started to race down the path. Einar chased after him, hoping to catch him and bring him back to the mares, but the horse was so wild that Einar could not get anywhere near him.
Freyfaxi galloped down the valley without a pause, all the way to Adalbol. Hrafnkel was sitting at table. The horse came up to the door and neighed loudly. Hrafnkel told the woman who was serving at table to go to the door. ‘A horse was neighing, and it sounded like Freyfaxi,’ he said.
The woman went to the door and saw Freyfaxi standing outside in a filthy state. She told Hrafnkel that Freyfaxi was there and looking very dirty.
‘What could the champion want? Why has he come home?’ asked Hrafnkel. ‘There can be no good reason for this.’
He went outside, and when he saw Freyfaxi he said to him, ‘It grieves me to see how you have been treated, my fosterling. You had your wits about when you came to me, and this shall be avenged. Go back to your herd.’
The stallion left immediately and went up the valley to his mares.
6. THE SHEPHERD’S DEATH
Hrafnkel went to bed that evening and slept soundly through the night. In the morning he had a horse brought in and saddled, and rode up to the shieling. He was wearing blue clothing and carrying an axe in his hand, and that was the only weapon he had.
Einar had just driven the ewes into the fold and was lying on the wall, counting them. The women were milking. They all greeted Hrafnkel, and he in turn asked how Einar was getting on.
Einar replied, ‘I’ve not been doing so well; thirty ewes were lost for nearly a week, but now they’ve all been found.’
Hrafnkel said he didn’t mind about the sheep. ‘But hasn’t something more serious happened? Why, the sheep haven’t strayed nearly as often as I’d have expected. Is it true that you rode my Freyfaxi yesterday?’
Einar said he could not deny it.
Hrafnkel said, ‘Why did you ride this one horse which was forbidden to you, when there were plenty of other horses you were free to ride? I’d have forgiven this single offence if I’d not sworn so great an oath. You’ve made a frank enough confession, but my faith tells me that nothing good can happen to people who break their solemn vows.’
Then he dismounted and killed Einar with a single blow.
Hrafnkel rode back home to Adalbol and told the news. He sent another man to the shieling to herd the sheep and had Einar’s body buried on the hillock west of the shieling, where he raised a cairn over the grave. The cairn is called Einarsvarda, and the shieling people use it to mark the middle of the evening.
7. THE SHEPHERD’S FATHER
Thorbjorn of Hol heard how his son Einar had been killed, and he grieved at the news. He fetched his horse, rode over to Adalbol, and asked Hrafnkel for compensation for his son.
Hrafnkel replied that this was not the first man he had killed. ‘Surely you must know I never pay compensation for anyone and people will have to put up with it. But I must admit this killing seems to me one of the worst acts I’ve ever committed.
‘You have been my neighbour for a long time, and up till now I’ve liked you well, and you have also got on well with me. Einar and I would never have fallen out if he hadn’t ridden the horse. How often we regret saying too much, and how seldom saying too little!
‘I’m going to show how much worse I consider this killing than all the others I’ve done: I’ll supply your household with plenty of milk in the summer and meat in the autumn, and I’ll keep on doing this every year for as long as you choose to live on your farm. I’ll also provide for your sons and daughters to give them a good start in life. And from now on you need only tell me if there’s anything in my possession which you want and you’ll have it and never have to do without. You can keep on farming for as long as you like, but move over here and stay with me when you tire of it, and I’ll look after you for the rest of your life.
‘This, then, must be a final settlement between us, and I’d expect everyone would agree with me that your son’s been generously compensated for.’
‘I will not accept this offer,’ said Thorbjorn.
Hrafnkel asked, ‘What do you want then?’
‘I want us to choose arbitrators to settle the issue between us,’ said Thorbjorn.
‘Then you consider yourself my equal, and we can never be reconciled on those terms,’ said Hrafnkel.
Thorbjorn went away and rode down the valley. He arrived at Laugarhouse and saw his brother Bjarni. Thorbjorn told him what had happened and asked him for help in the court action over Einar’s killing.
Bjarni replied that he for one didn’t consider himself to be Hrafnkel’s equal. ‘It’s true that I’m a man of some property, but that doesn’t mean I should take it on myself to quarrel with Hrafnkel, for it’s a true enough saying that he’s a wise man who knows himself. Hrafnkel has been known to crush wealthier opponents than me. In my opinion you’ve acted very stupidly, refusing his generous offer, and I’ll have nothing to do with this.’
Thorbjorn had a good many harsh things to say to his brother and said the more people expected of him, the more his courage failed. With that he rode off, and so the brothers parted, hardly on the best of terms.
Thorbjorn rode on his way until he came to Leikskalar. He knocked on the door, and someone answered. Thorbjorn asked for Sam who came outside and gave his uncle a hearty welcome. When Sam invited Thorbjorn to stay he didn’t answer and Sam realized that Thorbjorn was in an unhappy mood and asked him what had happened. Thorbjorn told him how Einar had been killed.
‘It’s nothing new that Hrafnkel’s killing men,’ said Sam. ‘He’s always been free with his axe.’
Thorbjorn asked Sam if he was willing to help him in any way. ‘The fact of the matter is that although I’m the nearest of kin, the blow struck not so far from yourself.’
‘Have you asked for any compensation from Hrafnkel?’ asked Sam.
Thorbjorn told him precisely what had happened between Hrafnkel and himself.
‘I’ve never known Hrafnkel to make such an offer before,’ said Sam. ‘I’ll ride with you up to Adalbol; we must approach Hrafnkel humbly and ask him if his original offer still holds. He’ll certainly be generous in one way or another.’
‘There are two objections,’ said Thorbjorn. ‘Hrafnkel will no longer be willing and the arrangement is no more agreeable to me now than it was when I left him.’
Sam said, ‘In my opinion Hrafnkel’s going to be a hard man to oppose in a court action.’
Thorbjorn replied, ‘The reason why you young men get nowhere is that you overestimate the obstacles every time. I don’t believe anyone could have such wretches for kinsmen as I have. I think men like you are despicable; you consider yourself a good lawyer and are keen on petty law-suits, but you refuse to take on this case, urgent though it is. You’ll come in for a great deal of criticism over this, and not without reason, for you’re the most conceited of all of our kin. I can see now what the outcome of my case is likely to be.’
‘In what way will it benefit you, if I take over this action and the two of us are humiliated?’ said Sam.
‘It would mean a great deal to me if you were to take this case,’ said Thorbjorn, ‘no matter what comes of it.’
‘I’m very reluctant to bring an action against Hrafnkel,’ said Sam. ‘I’ll do so only because we’re kinsmen, but I want you to know that in my opinion I’m helping a fool in helping you.’
Sam held out his hand and formally took over the action from Thorbjorn.
8. THE LAWYER
Sam had a horse brought in and rode up the valley to a certain farm, and there he gave notice of the charge against Hrafnkel for the killing. Hrafnkel heard about this and thought it amusing that Sam had started proceedings against him.
The summer passed, and the following winter. In the spring at summons days9 Sam rode from home up to Adalbol and served a summons on Hrafnkel for the killing of Einar. Then Sam rode down the valley and cited the neighbours who would ride to the Althing with him, and after that he stayed quietly at home until it was time to get ready for the Althing.10
Hrafnkel sent men down to Jokulsdale to gather forces, and altogether he got seventy men from his district. With this force he rode east across Fljotsdale Moor, then round the head of the lake and across the ridge over to Skridudale, up through that valley, south over Oxar Moor to Berufjord, and from there he followed the usual route to Sida. The journey from Fljotsdale to Thingvellir takes seventeen days.
When Hrafnkel had left the district Sam gathered forces, and the neighbours he had already cited were the only farmers to accompany him; and the rest were vag rants. He supplied these men with weapons, clothes and food. Sam took a different route out of the valley. He rode north to the bridge and crossed the river there, then over Modrudale Moor and spent the night at Modrudale. From there they rode to Herdibreidstongue, and then down by Blafell and over to Kroksdale, and so south to Sand near Sandafell and then to Thingvellir. When they came there, Hrafnkel had not yet arrived. Sam furnished a booth11 for his men far from the place where the Eastfjords people usually stay.
Shortly afterwards Hrafnkel arrived at the Althing. He fitted out his booth as usual, and when he heard that Sam was also present at the Althing he thought it vastly amusing.
The Althing was well attended. Most of the chieftains in the land were present. Sam went to every one of them for their help and support, but they all gave the same answer: that they did not stand in such debt to Sam that they were willing to get involved in a quarrel with Hrafnkel the Priest and so risk their reputations. They argued that those who had brought actions against Hrafnkel at previous assemblies had all suffered the same humiliation, for Hrafnkel had got the better of it in every single lawsuit which had been brought against him.
Sam went back to his booth. He and Thorbjorn were disheartened and feared they would not only lose their case but also be ashamed and humiliated because of it. They were in such a state they could neither eat nor sleep. All the chieftains refused to help them, even those they had expected to give them support.
9. THE BENEFACTOR
Early one morning old Thorbjorn woke up. He roused Sam and asked him to get up. ‘I can’t sleep,’ he said.
Sam got up and dressed. They went outside and down to Oxar River below the bridge, and there they washed themselves.
Thorbjorn said to Sam, ‘My advice is that we have our horses brought and get ready to ride back home, for it’s obvious that humiliation is all we can expect here.’
Sam answered, ‘That’s very interesting, for it was you who insisted on bringing this lawsuit against Hrafnkel and refused an offer which would have satisfied any other man taking action over the killing of a kinsman. You questioned the courage of all of us who were reluctant to help you with this lawsuit. That’s the reason why I’ll never give up until it’s utterly past hope that I could achieve anything at all.’
When Sam had spoken these words Thorbjorn was so moved that he wept.
Then they noticed a group of five men walking from a certain booth on the west bank of the river, some distance farther down. The man in the lead was tall, but not strongly built; he was wearing a leaf-green tunic and carrying an ornamented sword in his hand; he had regular features and a ruddy face, and there was an air of distinction about him; he had a fine head of hair, and was easily recognized because of a light lock on the left side.
‘We must get moving,’ said Sam, ‘and go west across the river to meet these people.’
They walked down by the river, and this man in the lead was the first to greet them and ask who they were. They told him, and Sam asked him his name. He said he was called Thorkel Thjostarsson. Sam also asked him about his home and background, and Thorkel replied that he belonged to the Westfjords by family and origin and that his home was in Thorskafjord.
‘Are you a chieftain?’ asked Sam.
He said far from it.
‘Are you a farmer then?’ said Sam.
He said he was not.
‘What kind of a man are you then?’ said Sam.
‘I’m a wanderer,’ he replied. ‘I returned from abroad the year before last, after I’d been away from Iceland for six years and travelled south to Constantinople where I was in service with the Emperor of Byzantium. But now I’m staying with my brother Thorgeir.’
‘Is he a chieftain?’ said Sam.
‘He certainly is,’ said Thorkel. ‘His authority extends over Thorskafjord and some parts of the Westfjords as well.’
‘Is he present at the Althing?’ said Sam.
‘Yes, he is.’
‘How many men has he got with him?’
‘Seventy,’ said Thorkel.
‘Are there more of you brothers?’ said Sam.
‘There’s a third brother,’ said Thorkel.
‘Who is he?’ asked Sam.
‘His name’s Thormod,’ said Thorkel, ‘and he lives at Gardar in Alptaness. He is married to Thordis, the daughter of Thorolf Skallagrimsson of Borg.’12
‘Will you give us some help?’ said Sam.
‘What do you want?’ asked Thorkel.
‘The help and support of chieftains,’ said Sam, ‘for we’re bringing a lawsuit against Hrafnkel the Priest for killing Einar Thorbjarnarson. We can depend on my pleading all right as long as we have the benefit of your support.’
‘I’ve already told you that I’m no chieftain,’ said Thorkel.
‘Why were you disinherited?’ said Sam. ‘You’re a chieftain’s son just like your brothers.’
‘I never said I didn’t hold the chieftaincy,’ said Thorkel. ‘But I handed over my share in it to my brother Thorgeir before I went abroad. I’ve not resumed my authority since, for I consider it in good hands as long as he’s in charge of it. You’d better go and see Thorgeir and ask for his support. He’s a man of the highest principles, brave and capable in everything he does, and young and ambitious too. He’s the kind of man most likely to give you real support.’
‘We’ll never get anything from him,’ said Sam, ‘unless you plead with him on our behalf.’
‘I promise to be for you rather than against,’ said Thorkel, ‘for it seems to me that to take legal action over the killing of a close kinsman is a very urgent matter indeed.
‘Go across into his booth right away. The people there are still asleep. You’ll see two hammocks near the inner gable of the booth; I sleep in one of them, and my brother Thorgeir has the other. He’s had a great boil on his foot since he came to the Althing, so he’s slept little at night, but early this morning the boil burst and the core’s out. He’s been sleeping since, and now he’s stretched his foot from under the bedclothes and on to the foot-board, to ease the inflammation in the foot.
‘The old man had better go into the booth first and in along the floor – he looks half-blind and decrepit to me. When you, old man, come up to the hammock you’re to stumble heavily and fall on to the foot-board, catch hold of the bandaged toe and jerk it towards you. We’ll see how Thorgeir responds to this treatment.’
‘You probably mean well,’ said Sam, ‘but this doesn’t seem wise to me.’
Thorkel answered, ‘Either do as I tell you, or go to someone else for advice.’
‘We’d better do as he tells us,’ said Sam.
Thorkel told them he would be coming along later. ‘I’m waiting for my men,’ he said.
10. THE BROTHERS
Sam and Thorbjorn walked over to the booth and went in. All the men inside were still asleep, and they could see where Thorgeir was lying. The old man was in the lead, stumbling heavily, and when he came to the hammock he fell across the foot-board, snatched at the ailing toe and pulled it hard towards him. Thorgeir woke up with a start, jumped out of the hammock and asked who these clumsy people were, trampling on the feet of the sick. Sam and Thorbjorn could think of nothing to say.
Then Thorkel stepped into the booth and said to his brother Thorgeir, ‘Don’t be so quick to lose your temper over this, kinsman, for you’ll come to no harm. People’s actions are often worse than their intentions, and they find it particularly difficult to pay full attention to everything when they have a lot on their minds. Your excuse, kinsman, is that your foot is tender and it’s given you a lot of trouble. That’s a pain only you can feel. It could be that an old man won’t feel any less suffering over the death of his son, particularly since he has no means of redress and is completely helpless. That’s a pain only he can feel. It stands to reason that a man with so much on his mind can’t be expected to pay full attention to things.’
‘I don’t see why he should put the blame on me,’ said Thorgeir. ‘I didn’t kill his son, so there’s no need for him to take it out on me.’
‘He didn’t mean to take it out on you,’ said Thorkel, ‘but he came at you harder than he intended and for that you can only blame his feeble eyesight. He was hoping that you would help him, and really, it would be a noble gesture to aid this poor old man, for it’s necessity and not greed that makes him take legal action over the killing of his son. All the chieftains have refused to help these men, which only shows how small-minded they really are.’
‘Whom are these men accusing?’ said Thorgeir.
‘Hrafnkel the Priest has killed Thorbjorn’s son for no reason,’ said Thorkel. ‘He commits one crime after another and, whatever he does, he refuses to pay any compensation.’
Thorgeir answered, ‘I shall do exactly the same as the other chieftains, for I don’t think I’m in any sense indebted to these men so that I’d want to start an argument with Hrafnkel. Every summer he seems to give the same treatment to anyone who tries to prosecute him: they always finish up without the least satisfaction to their honour. I’ve seen this happen to every one of them. That’s why most people aren’t keen to get involved in a lawsuit against Hrafnkel, unless they’re driven to it by sheer necessity.’
‘If I were a chieftain I might behave exactly like the other chiefs and find it just as hard to fight with Hrafnkel,’ said Thorkel. ‘But I don’t think so, because the man who’d beaten every previous opponent is the one I’d like most as my adversary. In my opinion it would be greatly to the credit of any chieftain if somehow or other he could restrain Hrafnkel, and even if I failed like everyone else before me I shouldn’t feel humbled, I could accept what has happened to so many others – nothing ventured, nothing gained.’
‘Now I can see what you have in mind,’ said Thorgeir. ‘You want me to help these men. I’m going to hand our chieftaincy and authority over to you, and then you’ll be in charge for the same time as I’ve held it already. Afterwards we can share it equally between us, but meanwhile you can help anyone you want.’
‘I think it would be in our best interest if you were to manage our chieftaincy for a long time to come,’ said Thorkel. ‘I’d like you rather than anyone else to be in charge of it, for in many respects you’re the ablest of us brothers. As for myself, I’ve not quite made up my mind what I’ll be doing in the near future. As you know, kinsman, I’ve not meddled in many affairs since I came back to Iceland. I can see now how much my advice is appreciated, so I’m not going to press the matter any further for the time being. But it’s quite possible that Thorkel Lock13 may go somewhere else, where his word will carry more weight than it does here.’
Thorgeir said, ‘Now I can see what the matter is, kinsman. You’re offended, and I can’t stand the thought of that; so we’d better help these men just as you wish, whatever comes of it.’
‘I only want you to know,’ said Thorkel, ‘that it will please me if you do me this favour.’
‘What do these men think they can achieve?’ said Thorgeir. ‘What contribution can they make to the success of their lawsuit?’
‘As I was saying earlier this morning,’ said Sam, ‘we need the backing of chieftains; but I can conduct the actual pleading myself.’
Thorgeir said in that case it would be easy to help him. ‘And now, it’s important to prepare the case as well as possible,’ he said. ‘I think Thorkel would like you to come and see him before the court convenes. You’ll then reap something from your stubbornness, one way or the other, either some comfort or else even greater humiliation, disappointment and disgrace. Go back to your booth now and keep cheerful for you’ll need to show some confidence if you’re to stand up against Hrafnkel. But don’t tell anyone about our promise to help you.’
When Sam and Thorbjorn came back to their own booth they were feeling happy. Their followers were surprised to see how suddenly their mood had changed for they’d been in low spirits when they’d left.
11. HRAFNKEL’S HUMILIATION
They waited quietly till the court convened, and then Sam called on his men to go with him to the Law Rock. The court was sitting and Sam went boldly before the judges, named his witnesses at once and pleaded his case against Hrafnkel the Priest in full accordance with the laws of the land. He did so forcefully and without any flaws in procedure. Then the Thjostarssons came up with a large following. All the farmers from the West supported them, and it was obvious that the Thjostarssons had a great number of friends. Sam conducted his case to the point where Hrafnkel was invited to present his defence. Anyone else in court who was willing and competent to defend him legally could have done so on his behalf. There was a loud applause at Sam’s speech, but no one present was willing to take over the defence on Hrafnkel’s part.
Some people rushed over to Hrafnkel’s booth to tell him what had happened. He wasted no time, called on his men and went to the court, not expecting to meet with any opposition. He was determined to discourage men of little account from bringing lawsuits against him, for he intended to break up the court by force and so put an end to Sam’s action. But there was no chance of that now, because a large number of people had gathered there and Hrafnkel could get nowhere near the court. He was barred from approaching it by sheer weight of numbers, so he couldn’t even hear what the prosecutor was saying and it was impossible for him to present his legal defence. Sam followed up his case demanding the maximum penalty, and so it came about that Hrafnkel was sentenced to full outlawry then and there at the Althing.
Hrafnkel went back to his booth, had his horses brought in and rode away from the Althing. He was very annoyed at the outcome of the case, for nothing like this had ever happened to him before. He rode east across Lyngdale Moor, from there east to Sida, and didn’t stop until he reached home again at Adalbol in Hrafnkelsdale. He stayed at home as if nothing had happened.
Sam remained behind at the Althing and went about with a swagger. Many people were delighted that Hrafnkel had been so humiliated for they called to mind all the injustice he had shown to others on previous occasions.
12. THE NEXT MOVE
Sam waited until the Althing was dissolved and people were ready to go home. He thanked the brothers for their help. Thorgeir laughed and asked him what he thought of the outcome, and Sam replied he was very pleased.
‘Do you really think you’re any better off now than you were before?’ asked Thorgeir.
‘In my opinion Hrafnkel has suffered great humiliation and it will long be remembered,’ said Sam. ‘And then there’s a good deal of money involved too.’
‘The man isn’t a full outlaw until the court of confiscation has been held, and that must be done at his legal domicile, fourteen days after the weapontake.’ (Weapontake is when people ride home from the Althing.) 14
‘I suppose Hrafnkel will be back home by now,’ Thorgeir went on, ‘and that he’ll be intending to remain at Adalbol. I think he’ll keep his chieftaincy too, in spite of you. But you’ll be meaning to ride back home and at best stay there – if you’re lucky enough. I suppose you’ll gain this much from your lawsuit that you can now call him “your outlaw”, but he’ll no doubt carry on bullying everyone just as he always did, and the only difference will be that you’ll now have to grovel lower than ever.’
‘That doesn’t bother me in the least,’ said Sam.
‘You’re a brave man!’ said Thorgeir. ‘But I don’t think my brother Thorkel is going to leave you in the lurch. He means to give you all the help he can until you’ve settled your business with Hrafnkel once and for all, and then you can live in peace. It’s our obvious duty to keep on supporting you to the hilt since we’re already so much involved, so we’re going with you to the Eastfjords. Do you know of any route to the east that’s not commonly used?’
Sam said he’d follow the same route back that he had taken from the east, and he was very pleased with the offer.
13. TORTURE
Thorgeir picked out forty men to go with them, and Sam had another forty, all of them well equipped with weapons and horses. They went off following the same route as before, and reached Jokulsdale at dawn on the day the court of confiscation was due to take place. Then they crossed the river by bridge.
Thorgeir asked how they could best take Hrafnkel by surprise, and Sam said he knew the answer to that. He turned sharply away from the path and up the mountainside and then along the ridge between Hrafnkelsdale and Jokulsdale until they reached the mountain above the farm at Adalbol. There were grassy hollows stretching up to the moor there and the hillside sloped steeply down to the farm in the valley below.
Sam dismounted and said, ‘If you take my advice, we’ll all get off here. We’ll leave the horses behind, with twenty men to watch them, and the remaining sixty will make a rush down to the farm. The slope’s so steep we’ll be quicker without the horses. I don’t expect many people at Adalbol will be up at this hour.’
They did as Sam suggested; this place has been known as Hrossageilar15 ever since. They set off running and raced down so fast that they reached the farmstead just after rising time16 but the people hadn’t got up yet. They rammed the door with a log and charged into the house.
Hrafnkel was still in bed. They seized him and all the other able-bodied men and took them outside. The women and children were herded into one room. In the home meadow there stood a store-house and between it and the wall of the farmhouse there was a beam for drying clothes. They led Hrafnkel up to the beam. He kept pleading for himself and his men, and when he realized that all his efforts were in vain, he asked the lives of his men be spared.
‘They’ve done you no harm,’ he said, ‘but you can kill me without any discredit to yourselves. I’m not going to plead for my life, but I ask you not to torture me, for that would bring you no credit.’
Thorkel said, ‘We’ve heard about how little mercy you’ve shown to your own opponents, and it’s only fair you should be made to feel the pain now.’
Then they got hold of Hrafnkel and his men and tied their hands behind their backs. After that they broke open the store-house and took some ropes down off the pegs. Then they drew their knives, cut through the prisoners’ heels behind the tendon, pulled the rope through the holes, strung the eight men together and hung them from the clothes’ beam.
‘You’re getting just what you deserve, Hrafnkel,’ said Thorgeir. ‘You must have thought it very unlikely you’d ever be so humiliated by anyone as you are now. Which do you prefer, Thorkel: to stay here and keep an eye on Hrafnkel and his men, or go with Sam an arrow-shot from the farmstead and hold the court of confiscation on a stony mound, away from fields and meadows?’
(This had to be done with the sun due south.)
‘I’ll stay here with Hrafnkel,’ said Thorkel, ‘It seems to me the easier job of the two.’
Thorgeir and Sam went off and held the court of confiscation. Afterwards they came back to the farmhouse, took Hrafnkel and his men down and laid them on the ground. Their eyes were all bloodshot.
Thorgeir said to Sam that he could do what he liked with Hrafnkel. ‘I think he’s manageable now,’ he added. ‘It’s easy to see Hrafnkel never expected to find himself in your hands.’
‘I’m giving Hrafnkel a choice of two things,’ said Sam. ‘One, that he’ll be taken to a place I’ll choose and be put to death there. But since he has so many dependents in his care I’m willing to give him the chance of looking after them. If he wants me to spare his life he’s to leave Adalbol with his entire household and take away with him only such goods as I let him, which will be very little indeed. I’ll take away your authority and estate, Hrafnkel. You and your heirs are never to claim these back, and you’re never to settle on this side of Fljotsdale Moor. If you are willing to accept these terms, shake hands on them now.’
‘Most people would prefer a quick death to such a humiliation,’ said Hrafnkel, ‘but I’ll do as many others have done and choose life as long as I have the chance. I’m doing this mostly for the sake of my sons, for they’ll have little hope of success if I die now.’
When Hrafnkel had agreed to Sam’s terms, he was set free and Sam doled out to him what he saw fit, which was very little indeed. On that very day Hrafnkel moved out of Adalbol with his entire family and the few belongings he was allowed to take.
Thorkel said to Sam, ‘I can’t understand why you’re doing this. You’ll have good reason to regret you’ve spared Hrafnkel’s life.’
Sam said that was the way it was going to be.
14. NEW LIFE
Hrafnkel travelled east across Fljotsdale Moor and over to the far side of Fljotsdale, east of Lagarwater. There was a little farm called Lokhilla at the head of the lake, and he bought it on credit, as all he had were some provisions for his household.
There was a great deal of talk about this, how his arrogance had been deflated, and many people called to mind the old saying that ‘Short is the life of the proud’.
The land that Hrafnkel bought was extensive and heavily wooded, but the farm buildings were poor, which was the reason he could buy it at such a low price. But Hrafnkel spared no expense: he felled a lot of timber, for there was plenty of it, and built a fine house. The place has been known as Hrafnkelsstead ever since and is still considered a good farm.
Hrafnkel lived the first year there in great hardship, but he improved his resources by sending his men fishing. Hrafnkel himself worked very hard while he was building the house. He raised every calf and every kid the first year, and he was so successful with his livestock that hardly any of his beasts failed; in fact they were so productive they gave him almost double the normal yield. That summer Lagarwater was teeming with trout, which proved very profitable for the farmers in the district, and this continued for a good many years.
15. FREYFAXI’S DEATH
A little after Sam had taken over the farm at Adalbol from Hrafnkel, he held a magnificent feast to which he invited all the farmers who had been Hrafnkel’s supporters and offered to be their chieftain in his place. They accepted this but some of them had misgivings about it.
The Thjostarssons advised him to be kind, generous and helpful to his men and to support them in anything they needed.
‘They would be worthless men if they failed to give you loyal support then, whenever you needed it. We’re giving you this advice because we want you to succeed in everything and we think you’re really a very brave man. Be careful now and stay on your guard, one must always watch out for the wicked.’
Later that day the Thjostarssons had Freyfaxi and his herd sent for and said they wanted to see these animals about which there’d been so much talk, as they were supposed to be exceptionally fine horses. The horses were brought in and the brothers looked them over.
‘I think these mares could be of some help on the farm,’ said Thorgeir, ‘and it is my advice that they should be put to some useful work until they’re too old to live. But the stallion doesn’t seem better than any other horse, rather worse in fact, since he’s been the cause of so much trouble. I don’t want any more killings to be caused by him than have taken place already, and it’s only proper that his present owner should have him.’
They led the stallion across the meadow and then down along the river. Below the farmstead there are high cliffs and a waterfall with a deep pool underneath. They led the stallion on to the bluff. Then the Thjostarssons pulled a bag over Freyfaxi’s head, tied long heavy poles to his flanks, fastened a stone to his neck, and with the poles they pushed the horse over the cliff. So the horse perished, and the bluff has been known as Freyfaxahamar ever since.
Down there stood Hrafnkel’s temple, and Thorgeir decided to burn it. He had all the gods stripped, set fire to the temple and burnt everything to ashes.
Then they went back to the farm. The guests got ready to leave, and Sam chose fine gifts for everyone. The brothers also made arrangements for their departure, and Sam gave them splendid gifts. They exchanged firm vows of friendship and parted on affectionate terms. The brothers rode the shortest way to the Westfjords and came back home to Thorskafjord with their reputation greatly enhanced.
Sam placed Thorbjorn at Leikskalar and told him to farm there. Sam’s wife joined him at Adalbol, and he lived there for some time.
16. HRAFNKEL’S NEW CHIEFTAINCY
East in Fljotsdale, Hrafnkel heard what the Thjostarssons had done, the killing of his Freyfaxi and the burning of the gods and the temple in Hrafnkelsdale.
Then Hrafnkel said, ‘I think it’s a vain thing to believe in the gods.’ He declared he wouldn’t worship them any longer, and he kept his vow, for he never held any sacrifices again.
Hrafnkel lived at Hrafnkelsstead and got very rich. He soon gained a position of power in the district, and everyone was eager to stand or sit, just as Hrafnkel wished. In those days there were regular sailings from Norway to Iceland, and most of the district was settled in Hrafnkel’s time. No one was allowed to live there without Hrafnkel’s leave and every farmer had to promise him his support; in return Hrafnkel gave them his protection. He gained authority over all the districts east of Lagarwater, so his new chieftaincy soon became much larger in area and contained a greater number of people than the one he had controlled before, for it reached as far north as Selwater and south into Skridudale, covering the entire Lagarwater region.
Hrafnkel was a changed man now, and much better liked than he used to be. He could still be as helpful and generous as before, but he’d become gentler and quieter in every way.
Sam and Hrafnkel often met at assemblies, but they never spoke about their dealings. Sam enjoyed his high position for six years. He was well liked by his supporters, for he didn’t forget the advice the brothers had given him and was quiet and gentle and ready to solve everyone’s problems.
17. THE TRAVELLER
One summer a ship put in at Reydarfjord; its captain was Eyvind Bjarnason. He had been abroad for seven years and had greatly improved himself and now he was a highly successful man. He was soon told what had happened, but he didn’t say much about it, being a man who never meddled in other people’s affairs.
When Sam heard of his brother’s arrival he rode to the ship, and there was a happy reunion between them. Sam invited Eyvind to come west and stay with him and he accepted readily but asked Sam first to ride home and send him horses for the luggage. Then Eyvind had his ship hauled ashore and saw to the cargo, while Sam did as his brother suggested, went home, had some horses brought in and sent servants with them to fetch Eyvind. When Eyvind had seen to his cargo, he loaded the pack-horses and made ready to ride west to Hrafnkelsdale, travelling up along Reydarfjord.
There were five men riding together; the sixth was Eyvind’s servant-boy, who was an Icelander and closely related to Eyvind and Sam. Eyvind had saved this boy from utter poverty before he left Iceland, had taken him abroad and treated him just like himself. This noble gesture brought Eyvind a great deal of credit, and everyone agreed that there were few men like him.
They rode up to Thordale Moor and drove sixteen pack-horses before them. Two of the men were Sam’s servants, and the remaining four were travellers. These wore coloured clothing and carried bright shields. They rode across Skridudale and then over the ridge into Fljotsdale through Bulungavellir, and down to Gilsareyr which lies to the east of the lake between Hallormsstead and Hrafnkelsstead. Then they continued their ride up along Lagarwater, below the home meadow at Hrafnkelsstead, round the head of the lake, and crossed Jokuls River at Skala Ford. It was then half-way between rising time and mid-morning.
Down by the lake a servant was washing her clothes, and when she saw the riders she bundled together the linen and ran up to the farm. She threw the laundry down beside the log-pile outside the door and burst into the room. Hrafnkel had not yet got up, and some of his most trusted men were resting in the hall, but all the farmhands had gone to work. This was the haymaking season.
The woman started talking as soon as she came in. ‘The old saying is true enough, “The older a man, the feebler.” The honour a man’s given early in life isn’t worth much, if he has to give it all up in disgrace, and hasn’t the courage to fight for his rights ever again. It’s a peculiar thing indeed to happen to those who were once thought brave. As for those who grew up with their father and who seemed to you utterly worthless compared to yourself, it’s a different story, for as soon as they reached manhood they went abroad, travelling from country to country, and when they come back they’re thought very highly of, even above chieftains. Eyvind Bjarnason was just crossing the river at Skala Ford carrying a bright shield that shone in the sun. He’s a worthy target for revenge, an outstanding man like him.’
The woman kept on gabbling.
Hrafnkel got to his feet and spoke to her. ‘There’s probably a lot of truth in what you’re saying, but your motives hardly do you credit, so you deserve some extra trouble. Hurry over to Vidivellir and ask the sons of Hallstein, Sighvat and Snorri, to come here as quickly as they can with all their able-bodied men.’
Hrafnkel sent another woman out to Hrolfsstead for Thord and Halli, the sons of Hrolf, and other able-bodied men there, all brave and capable men. Hrafnkel also sent for his own farmhands and including them there were eighteen men altogether. They armed themselves resolutely, and rode across the river where the others had forded before.
18. THE TRAVELLER’S DEATH
When Hrafnkel was riding across the valley, Eyvind and his men had already reached the moor and they continued their ride till they came west of the middle of the moor, to a place called Bersagotur. There is a swamp there, and one has to ride through watery slush, with the mud reaching up to the horse’s knee or mid-leg, sometimes even up to its belly; but underneath the mud the rock is very firm so there’s no risk of sinking any deeper. West of this bog the terrain is very stony, and Eyvind and his men rode on to it.
When they came to the rocky ground, the boy looked back and said to Eyvind, ‘There are some men riding after us, eighteen or twenty of them. One of the riders is a tall man in blue and he seems to me very like Hrafnkel, though I’ve not set eyes on him for quite a long time.’
‘What’s that to do with us?’ said Eyvind. ‘As far as I know I’ve nothing to fear from Hrafnkel’s movements, for I’ve never done him any harm. He must be on his way to the valley to see his friends there.’
‘I have a feeling it’s you he wants to see,’ said the boy.
‘I’m not aware there’s been any clash between him and my brother Sam since they made their agreement,’ said Eyvind.
The boy said, ‘I’d like you to ride ahead west to the valley; then you’ll be safe. I know Hrafnkel’s temper well enough to be certain we’ve nothing to fear from him should he fail to get you. All’s well as long as you’re kept out of danger, for there’s nothing to tempt them then. Whatever happens, we’ll come to no harm.’
Eyvind said he wasn’t going to ride away. ‘I’m not even sure who these men are, and I’d be the laughing-stock of everyone if I ran off without further proof.’
They rode on west across the rocky ground, and then they came to another swamp which is called Oxmire. It’s very grassy and has a good many soft patches which make it almost impassable. This bog is about as wide as the previous one but much softer, so that travellers have to dismount. That is why old Hallfred used to take the upper path, even though it was longer; in his opinion these two swamps were almost total barriers.
Eyvind and his men rode west into the swamp, and they were so often bogged down they were very much delayed. The pursuers, with no pack-horses to slow them down, were travelling much faster. When Hrafnkel and his men rode into the bog, the others were just clear of it. Eyvind and his men could now clearly recognize Hrafnkel and his two sons among the pursuers, and many others besides.
Eyvind’s companions urged him to ride away. ‘All the obstacles are behind us now, and it’s an easy ride west from the moor. You can reach Adalbol while they’re tackling the swamp, and once you’re there you’re safe.’
Eyvind said, ‘I’m not going to run away from someone I’ve never wronged.’
They rode west from the swamp and up the ridge. West of the ridge there’s a fine grassy valley, and west of the valley another ridge, and west of the second ridge lies Hrafnkelsdale. They rode up the easternmost ridge. There are some humps on the ridge, and on the slope stands a steep knoll, with lyme grass on top but eroded by the wind on all sides. This is fine land for grazing, but near it lies a bog. Eyvind rode away from the path and into the hollow east of the lyme knoll. He dismounted and told his companions to let their horses graze there for a while.
‘Now we’ll soon find out what our lot is to be,’ he said, ‘and whether these men will turn on us or go about their business west to the valley.’
By this time, Hrafnkel and his men had almost caught up with them. Eyvind hobbled his horse, and went up on to the knoll with his companions; then they tore up some stones from the sides of the knoll. Hrafnkel turned from the path and south to the knoll, and without a single word to Eyvind he attacked them at once. Eyvind defended himself with courage and determination.
Eyvind’s servant thought he wasn’t strong enough to fight, so he took his horse, rode west across the ridge over to Adalbol, and told Sam what was happening. Sam wasted no time and sent for help to the neighbouring farms. He got twenty men, all of them well equipped, and with these he rode east to the moor where the encounter had taken place. When he arrived on the scene it was all over. Hrafnkel was riding east across the moor having completed his mission and Eyvind and all his men lay there dead. The first thing Sam did was to see whether there was any sign of life in his brother, but the killers had done their work thoroughly. They were all dead; twelve of Hrafnkel’s men were dead too, but six of them had got away.
Sam wasted no time there, but told his men to ride after them at once. ‘They have tired horses, but ours are all fresh, and maybe we’ll just be able to catch up with them before they get away from the moor.’
By this time Hrafnkel had already cleared Oxmire, and the chase was on. When Sam and his men had passed through the bog and come to the rocky part, Hrafnkel had just crossed it, so this was the only obstacle between them. While Sam was tackling the rocks, Hrafnkel widened the distance between them, but Sam and his men rode on till they reached the edge of the moor and saw Hrafnkel far away down the hill-side. Sam realized then that Hrafnkel would get away down to the farms.
Sam told his men not to ride any farther. ‘We must turn back, because Hrafnkel will find it easy to gather forces, and then we’d be completely in his power.’
So Sam turned back and came to the place where Eyvind lay dead. He set to work and raised a burial mound over him and his dead companions. The places there are called Eyvindartorfa, Eyvindarfell, and Eyvindardale.
19. SAM’S HUMILIATION
Sam told his men to round up Eyvind’s horses, and then they loaded the pack-horses and drove them down to Adalbol. As soon as he got back home Sam sent for forces throughout Hrafnkelsdale, asking all his supporters to be there early in the morning, for he intended to ride east across the moor.
‘We’ll see how our trip goes,’ he said.
When Sam went to bed in the evening, a number of men had already gathered at Adalbol.
Hrafnkel rode back home to Hrafnkelsstead that evening and told the news. After he had had a meal he gathered forces and got together seventy men. With this force he rode west across the moor, came unexpectedly to Adalbol, caught Sam in bed, and gave him a choice of two alternatives.
‘Now, Sam, you find yourself in a position which can’t have seemed likely to you some time ago,’ said Hrafnkel. ‘Your life’s in my hands. I’ll be just as generous to you as you were to me, and give you the same choice: to live or to be killed. If you choose to live, the terms will be solely up to me.’
Sam said he’d prefer to live, though either alternative would be harsh.
Hrafnkel told him he could be certain of that, ‘for I owe you nothing less. I’d have treated you much better if you’d deserved it. You’re to leave Adalbol, move down to Leikskalar and settle there on your farm. You can take away with you all the goods Eyvind brought with him, but you’ll not be allowed to take anything else away from here, unless people are willing to testify you brought it with you to Adalbol. Such belongings you may carry off with you. I’ll resume my authority and chieftaincy over this district, and take over the estate with all the other possessions that used to be mine. I can see there’s been a vast increase in my wealth, but you won’t benefit from it, as I’ll be taking it all for myself. You’ll get no compensation for your brother Eyvind, because of the cruel revenge you took for the killing of your other kinsman, and you’ve had more than enough compensation for your cousin Einar while you’ve been enjoying my power and wealth all this time. I don’t believe the killing of Eyvind was any worse than the torture I was made to suffer, nor was the death of his companions any worse than the maiming of my men. You had me outlawed from my own district, but I’ll allow you to live at Leikskalar as long as you don’t let your pride be your downfall. You’ll be my subordinate for the rest of our lives, and you can be sure your position will be lower than it’s ever been.’
Then Sam moved over to Leikskalar with his family and settled down on his farm.
20. APPEAL FOR HELP
Hrafnkel took over the farm at Adalbol and brought his household there; it was a prosperous and well-stocked farm. He left his son Thorir in charge at Hrafnkelsstead, with a housekeeper to help him. Hrafnkel now held authority over many districts. His son Asbjorn came to Adalbol to stay with his father, since he was the younger.
Sam stayed that winter at Leikskalar. He was taciturn and kept very much to himself, and it was obvious to everyone that he was unhappy with the way things were going. Late in the winter when the days grew longer, Sam had his horses shod and hired a groom to accompany him on a journey. They had three horses, one of them carrying Sam’s clothes. They rode over the bridge and then across Modrudale Moor and forded Jokuls River up in the mountains. Then they rode on to Mywater, and from there across Fljots Moor and Ljosawater Pass; they kept going without a halt until they reached Thorskafjord. Sam was given a good welcome there. Thorkel had just arrived from abroad where he’d been for four years.
Sam stayed there for a week enjoying the rest. Then he told the brothers about his dealings with Hrafnkel and asked them for help and support as before.
On this occasion it was Thorgeir who spoke on behalf of the brothers. He said they were very unlike Sam, and that he lived too far away from them. ‘Your home is in the east, but ours is here in the west. We thought we’d made your position safe before we’d left, so it should have been easy for you to maintain it. However, it’s turned out exactly as I expected when you spared Hrafnkel’s life: I thought you’d live to regret this bitterly. We urged you to have Hrafnkel killed – that seemed the sensible thing to do – but you insisted on having it your own way. Now it’s clear how much shrewder Hrafnkel is than you, for he left you in peace until he could first get rid of the man he knew to be wiser than you. We’ve no wish to have anything more to do with your bad luck and we are not so eager to clash with Hrafnkel again that we want to risk our position for the second time. But the main reason for our refusal is that you live so far away, and we think it is rather too much to travel all the way to the Eastfjords. We’d like to invite you and your family to come here and put yourselves under our care, for you’ll find it less uncomfortable than living so close to Hrafnkel.’
Sam said he couldn’t be bothered to move house from the Eastfjords, and the only help they could give was to do as he asked. Then he told them he wanted to make ready for the ride back home, and asked them to exchange horses with him, which they did willingly.
The brothers wanted to give Sam fine gifts but he wouldn’t accept them, and said they were small-minded men. Then he set out for home, and they parted on bad terms. Sam settled down on his farm and lived there till old age, without ever, for the rest of his life, being able to avenge himself on Hrafnkel.
Hrafnkel remained on his farm and for some years he enjoyed great prestige. He didn’t live to a great age and died in his bed. His burial mound stands in Hrafnkelsdale, north of Adalbol. His sons inherited his authority and chieftaincy. They met to divide the property between them but agreed to own the chieftaincy jointly. Thorir got Hrafnkelsstead and lived there, but Asbjorn took charge of Adalbol, and people thought them both men of mettle.
And so ends the saga of Hrafnkel.