The Eyrbyggja Saga on Thorarin the Swart

Chapter 1 - Herein Is Told How Ketil Flatneb Fares To West-Over-Sea. > Chapter 15 - Of Snorri The Priest, Of The Mewlithe-Folk.

• attestation: Thorarin the Swart son of Geirrid was a big, strong, ugly, and quiet man nicknamed the Peace-maker

  "Thorarin the Swart, her son. He was a big man and a strong; ugly he was, and moody and quiet in his daily guise: he was called the Peace-maker."

• attestation: Thorarin's enemies mocked him as having more of a woman's heart than a man's because he avoided conflict

  "So little of a meddler was he, that his foes said that he had no less the heart of a woman than a man."

• relationship: Thorarin married Aud, and his sister Gudny married Vermund the Slender

  "He was a married man, and his wife was called Aud; Gudny was his sister, whom Vermund the Slender had to wife."

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: Thorarin challenged the legality of Thorbiorn's ransacking, asking whether proper law-seers had been consulted

  "Is this ransacking taken up according to law; or have ye called any lawful law-seers to search into this case"

• attestation: A fight broke out in which Thorarin killed one of Thorbiorn's house-carles and Alfgeir killed another

  "Thorarin slew a house-carle of Thorbiorn's, and Alfgeir another, and there fell also a housecarle of Thorarin's"

• attestation: Thorarin struck Thorbiorn's head with his sword, cleaving it down to the jaw-teeth, killing him

  "Thorarin rushed at Thorbiorn and smote his sword into his head, and clave it down to the jaw-teeth"

• attestation: Thorarin severed Thorir Ernson's leg at the thickest part of the calf and killed both of Thorir's companions

  "Thorarin cut the leg from Thorir at the thickest of the calf, and slew both his fellows"

• attestation: Two of Thorarin's house-carles also died in the battle

  "there too were slain two housecarles of Thorarin"

• attestation: Thorarin composed a verse for his mother Geirrid boasting of having answered her earlier challenge about cowardice

  "The word of a woman wherewith I was wited Have I warded away now where war dared the warrior"

Chapter 1 - Herein Is Told How Ketil Flatneb Fares To West-Over-Sea. > Chapter 19 - The Lay Of The Mewlithers.

• attestation: Thorarin stayed only one night at Mewlithe after the killings before considering where to go

  "For one night was Thorarin at home at Mewlithe"

• attestation: Thorarin composed a verse expressing hope that Arnkel and Vermund would protect him from legal prosecution

  "The wakener of law-wrong shall nowise meseemeth This winter that waneth lay blood-wite on me, For yonder is Arnkel"

Chapter 1 - Herein Is Told How Ketil Flatneb Fares To West-Over-Sea. > Chapter 25 - Of Vermund And Thorarin In Norway; Of Those Bareserks.

• attestation: Thorarin departed that same autumn for the British Isles with Alfgeir, and Vermund gave them his share in the ship

  "Thorarin went thence straightway that same autumn West-over-the-sea with Alfgeir, and Vermund gave them his share in the ship; and henceforward Thorarin has nought to do with this tale"