The Eyrbyggja Saga on Biorn

Chapter 1 - Herein Is Told How Ketil Flatneb Fares To West-Over-Sea.

• attestation: Biorn son of Ketil was fostered in Iamtaland by Earl Kiallak, a wise and renowned man

  "Biorn, the son of Ketil, was fostered east in Iamtaland with that earl who was called Kiallak, a wise man, and most renowned"

Chapter 1 - Herein Is Told How Ketil Flatneb Fares To West-Over-Sea. > Chapter 2 - Of Biorn Ketilson and Thorolf Most-Beard.

• attestation: Biorn son of Ketil Flatneb remained in Iamtaland until Earl Kiallak died

  "Biorn the son of Ketil Flatneb was in Iamtaland till Kiallak the earl died"

• relationship: Biorn married Giaflaug, the earl's daughter

  "he gat to wife Giaflaug the earl's daughter"

• attestation: Biorn seized his father's confiscated Norwegian lands and expelled Harald's bailiffs

  "took to himself those lands which his father had owned, and drove away the bailiffs that King Harald had set over them"

• attestation: Biorn fled south by sea during winter and took refuge on the island of Most in South-Hordaland with Rolf son of Ornolf the Fish-driver

  "Biorn fared on till he came to the island called Most which lies off South-Hordaland, and there a man hight Rolf took him in, who was the son of Ornolf the Fish-driver"

• attestation: Biorn sheltered secretly at Most for one winter while Harald's men returned to claim his lands

  "There lay Biorn privily the winter through. But the king's men turned back when they had settled Biorn's lands and set men over them."

Chapter 1 - Herein Is Told How Ketil Flatneb Fares To West-Over-Sea. > Chapter 5 - Biorn Ketilson Comes West-Over-The-Sea, But Will Not Abide There.

• attestation: Biorn sailed West-over-the-sea after parting from Thorolf Most-beard

  "Biorn, the son of Ketil Flatneb, that he sailed West-over-the-sea when he and Thorolf Most-beard sundered as is aforesaid"

• attestation: Biorn found his siblings Helgi and his sisters had converted to a different faith, which he considered unmanly and contrary to their ancestral beliefs

  "Biorn saw that they had another troth, and nowise manly it seemed to him that they had cast off the faith that their kin had held"

• attestation: Biorn spent one winter with his sister Auth and her son Thorstein despite refusing to settle there

  "Yet was he the winter through with Auth his sister and Thorstein her son."

• attestation: Biorn's kin gave him the nickname 'the Easterner' because of his refusal to stay in the western settlements

  "they called him Biorn the Easterner, and deemed it ill that he would not abide there"

Chapter 1 - Herein Is Told How Ketil Flatneb Fares To West-Over-Sea. > Chapter 6 - Biorn Comes Out To Iceland.

• attestation: Biorn spent two winters in the South-isles before sailing to Iceland

  "Biorn was two winters in the South-isles before he dight him to fare to Iceland"

• attestation: Biorn settled at Burgholt in Bearhaven on Thorolf's advice, taking land between Staff-river and Lavafirth

  "they made haven at Broadfirth, and took land out from Staff-river, betwixt that and Lavafirth, by Thorolf's rede. Biorn dwelt at Burgholt in Bearhaven"

Chapter 1 - Herein Is Told How Ketil Flatneb Fares To West-Over-Sea. > Chapter 7 - Of The Kin Of Kiallak.

• attestation: Biorn the Easterner was the first of the Broadfirth settlers to die and was buried at Burgbrook

  "Biorn the Easterner died the first of these land-settlers, and was buried at Burgbrook."

• relationship: Biorn left two sons: Kiallak the Old who dwelt at Bearhaven, and Ottar

  "He left behind two sons: one was Kiallak the Old, who dwelt at Bearhaven after his father."

Chapter 1 - Herein Is Told How Ketil Flatneb Fares To West-Over-Sea. > Chapter 9 - Of Thorstein Codbiter. Battle At Thorsness Thing.

• attestation: The Kiallekings were the mightiest kindred in all Broadfirth owing to the many kinsmen of Biorn

  "so many were the kinsmen of Biorn that there was no kindred so mighty in all Broadfirth"

Chapter 1 - Herein Is Told How Ketil Flatneb Fares To West-Over-Sea. > Chapter 18 - Men Will Ransack At Mewlithe; Thorarin Falls To Fight.

• attestation: Biorn the skipper lodged at Ere with Steinthor, while Alfgeir stayed at Mewlithe with Thorarin the Swart

  "he went to dwell at Ere with Steinthor. The other half was owned by South- islanders, and Alfgeir was their skipper; he went to dwell at Mewlithe with Thorarin the Swart"

Chapter 1 - Herein Is Told How Ketil Flatneb Fares To West-Over-Sea. > Chapter 40 - Of Biorn, The Champion Of The Broadwickers, And His Dealings With Thurid Of Frodis-Water.

• attestation: Brothers Biorn and Arnbiorn arrived at Lavahaven-mouth that same summer; Biorn later gained the byname Champion of the Broadwickers

  "That same summer came out to Lavahaven-mouth those brothers Biorn and Arnbiorn, and Biorn was afterwards called the Champion of the Broadwickers"

• attestation: Biorn was stately, handsome, and had adopted the customs of foreign chiefs during his travels

  "Biorn his brother was a very stately man when he came out, and fair was his mien, for that he had shaped himself after the customs of outland chiefs"

• attestation: Biorn spoke privately with Thurid of Frodis-water at an assembly north of the heath, drawing no criticism

  "Biorn went to talk with her; and no man laid a word on them therefor, for they deemed that it was to be looked for that they should have much to say to each other, so long as it was since they met last"

• attestation: Biorn composed a verse implying that Kiartan was actually his own son, not Thorod's, noting the boy's resemblance to Thurid

  "The young tree I saw there, the eager-eyed sapling, The youngling, the very own image of her"

• attestation: Biorn's stave suggests that those around Kiartan have concealed his true father's identity

  "They who waste wide the flame of Morn's river, meseemeth Have been hitherto heedful to hide from the stripling The name of the father who erewhile begat him"

Chapter 1 - Herein Is Told How Ketil Flatneb Fares To West-Over-Sea. > Chapter 42 - Thorbrand's Sons Make An Onslaught On Arnbiorn.

• attestation: Biorn and the Broadwick men spotted a man in colored clothes on the roof at Bank and rode to intervene

  "then saw they a man in coloured clothes up on the house-roof at Bank, and they wotted well that it was not the attire of Arnbiorn. Then Biorn and his folk spurred on their horses, and turned their way thitherward"

• attestation: Biorn of Broadwick stayed with his son Guest at Templegarth, Guest being the father of Templegarth-Ref

  "Snorri the Priest rode in the evening south to Templegarth, whereas Biorn dwelt as then with his son Guest, who was the father of Templegarth-Ref"

Chapter 1 - Herein Is Told How Ketil Flatneb Fares To West-Over-Sea. > Chapter 43 - Of Egil The Strong.

• attestation: Biorn and Arnbiorn were barred from the games except against each other, because their strength was too great

  "Those brethren withal, Biorn and Arnbiorn, were not deemed meet to play because of their strength, unless they played one against the other"

Chapter 1 - Herein Is Told How Ketil Flatneb Fares To West-Over-Sea. > Chapter 44 - The Battle In Swanfirth.

• attestation: Biorn and the Broadwick men rode after Steinthor and were on Ulfar's-fell-neck during the fight on the scree

  "they take their horses and ride after Steinthor at their swiftest, and they were on Ulfar's-fell-neck whiles the fight was on the scree"

• attestation: Biorn urged Steinthor to turn back and press the attack, but Steinthor refused to break his truce with Snorri

  ""Nay, I will hold to the truce I have made with Snorri the Priest, in whatso ways matters may go betwixt us hereafter.""

Chapter 1 - Herein Is Told How Ketil Flatneb Fares To West-Over-Sea. > Chapter 47 - Of Thorod Scat-Catcher And Snorri And Biorn The Champion Of The Broad-Wickers.

• attestation: Biorn was caught outside unarmed, working on a wain with only a small axe and a span-long whittle

  "Biorn was without in the home-mead working on a wain, and no man by him, and without weapons, save a little axe and a big whittle, with which he was widening the mortices of the wain; the whittle was a span long from the haft down"

• attestation: Biorn neutralized the ambush by grabbing Snorri's cape sleeve while holding a knife ready to thrust into Snorri's chest

  "Biorn caught hold of the sleeve of his cape with one hand, and held the knife in the other, in such wise as it was handiest to thrust it into Snorri's breast if need should be"

• attestation: Biorn openly acknowledged his guilt regarding Thurid and confronted Snorri directly while holding him at knifepoint

  ""So it is, goodman Snorri, that I will not hide that I have played such a game with thee that ye may well hold me guilty, and it is told me that thy mind is heavy against me.""

• attestation: Biorn admitted he might lack the willpower to stay away from Thurid while they lived in the same district

  ""That only will I promise thee which lies in my might; nor do I wot if I have might enow for this, if Thurid and I are in one country together.""

• attestation: Biorn promised Snorri and Thorod would have no further grief from his meetings with Thurid for the coming winters

  ""I will promise thee that thou and Thorod shall have no more grief of heart from the meetings of me and Thurid for the next winters.""

• attestation: Biorn rode the next day to a ship at Lavahaven and took passage that summer

  "Next day Biorn rode south to the ship at Lavahaven, and took a berth for himself there that summer"

• attestation: Biorn's ship encountered a northeaster and was not heard of for a long time afterward

  "they fell in with a northeaster, which prevailed long that summer, and nought was heard of that ship for long after"