The Eyrbyggja Saga on Gudleif

Chapter 1 - Herein Is Told How Ketil Flatneb Fares To West-Over-Sea. > Chapter 64 - The Last Tidings Of Biorn The Champion Of The Broadwickers.

• attestation: Gudleif was the son of Gunnlaug the Wealthy of Streamfirth and the brother of Thorfin, ancestor of the Sturlungs

  "There was a man named Gudleif, the son of Gunnlaug the Wealthy of Streamfirth, the brother of Thorfin, from whom are come the Sturlungs."

• attestation: Gudleif was a prominent merchant and seafarer who owned a large cargo ship

  "Gudleif was much of a seafarer, and he owned a big ship of burden"

• attestation: Late in King Olaf the Holy's reign, Gudleif sailed from Dublin for Iceland but was driven far west and southwest by storms

  "late in the days of King Olaf the Holy, Gudleif went a merchant voyage west to Dublin, and when he sailed from the west he was minded for Iceland, and he sailed round Ireland by the west, and fell in with gales from east and north-east, and so drove a long way west into the main and south-westward"

• attestation: Gudleif and his crew eventually sighted an unknown great land and decided to make landfall rather than continue on the open sea

  "they were ware of land; a great land it was, but they knew nought what land. Then such rede took Gudleif and his crew, that they should sail unto land, for they thought it ill to have to do any more with the main sea"

• attestation: Upon landing, natives who appeared to speak Irish seized, bound, and drove the Icelanders inland to a moot for judgment

  "men came to meet them whereof none knew aught, though they deemed somewhat that they spake in the Erse tongue. At last they came in such throngs that they made many hundreds, and they laid hands on them all, and bound them, and drove them up into the country, and they were brought to a certain mote and were doomed thereat."

• attestation: Some of the natives wanted the captives killed while others wanted them enslaved

  "some would that they should be slain, and othersome that they should be allotted to the countryfolk, and be their slaves."

• attestation: A large, elderly, hoary-haired man arrived with a retinue and banner, and was treated as lord by all present

  "they see a company of men come riding, and a banner borne over the company, and it seemed to them that there should be some great man amongst these; and so as that company drew nigh, they saw under the banner a man riding, big and like a great chief of aspect, but much stricken in years, and hoary withal"

• attestation: The old lord spoke Norse and questioned Gudleif closely about the prominent men of Burgfirth and Broadfirth

  "he spake to them in the tongue of the Northmen, and asked them whence of lands they were."

• attestation: The old lord granted Gudleif and his crew leave to depart, warning that the local people were untrustworthy and hostile to foreigners

  "I for my part will give you leave to go your ways whithersoever ye will; and though ye may well deem that the summer wears late now, yet will I counsel you to get you gone hence, for here dwelleth a folk untrusty and ill to deal with, and they deem their laws to be already broken of you."

• attestation: The old man refused to identify himself, saying he did not want kinsmen or foster-brothers to attempt the same dangerous voyage

  "I should be ill- content that any of my kin or my foster-brethren should make such a voyage hither as ye would have made, had I not been here for your avail"

• attestation: The old man acknowledged his advanced age, saying death from old age could come any day

  "my days have come so far, that on any day it may be looked for that eld shall stride over my head"

• attestation: The old man gave Gudleif a gold arm-ring and a sword as parting gifts before they sailed

  "he drew a gold ring from off his arm, and gave it into Gudleif's hand, and therewithal a good sword"

• attestation: The old man explicitly forbade anyone from seeking him out, saying the land was dangerous and harbours difficult to find

  "I forbid one and all to go seek me, for this land lacks all peace, unless to such as it may befall to come aland in such lucky wise as ye have done; the land also is wide, and harbours are ill to find therein"

• attestation: Gudleif sailed to Ireland, wintered in Dublin, then returned to Iceland and delivered the gifts the following summer

  "Gudleif and his men put to sea, and made Ireland late in the autumn, and abode in Dublin through the winter. But the next summer Gudleif sailed to Iceland, and delivered the goodly gifts there"