The Hrafnkel's Saga (Hrafnkels saga Freysgoða) on Sámr

The Story of Hrafnkell, Frey's Priest

• attribution: Sámr lived at Leikskálar on the northern side of the valley, was skilled in law, and was described as turbulent.

  "Sámr was married, and had his abode on the northern side of the valley at a place called Leikskálar, and was right well off for live-stock. Sámr was a turbulent fellow, and skilled in law withal"

• attestation: Sámr took over the blood-suit from Thorbjörn by handshake, accepting legal responsibility for pursuing Hrafnkell for Einarr's killing.

  "Then Sámr gave his hand, and took the case off Thorbjörn's hand."

• attestation: Sámr formally declared the manslaughter and gathered men to oppose Hrafnkell, who laughed at the idea of Sámr bringing a suit against him.

  "Now Sámr took a horse, and rode up the valley unto a certain stead, where he declared the manslaughter, and after that he gathered men against Hrafnkell. Hrafnkell heard of this, and thought it a laughable affair that Sámr should have undertaken a blood-suit against him."

• attestation: Sámr arrived at Þingvellir before Hrafnkell and set up his booth away from the Eastfirth men's usual location.

  "Sámr tilts a booth for his men, but nowhere near where the Eastfirth-men were wont to tilt."

• attestation: All chieftains at the Þing refused to help Sámr against Hrafnkell, saying they had nothing to gain by joining a legal contest against him.

  "Sámr went to all the chieftains, asking them for help and avail, but they all answered one way, saying each that they had nothing good to requite Sámr so as to join him in strife at law against priest Hrafnkell and thus to hazard their honour."

• attestation: Sámr asked Thorkell to back them against Hrafnkell, saying chieftain support was needed because he himself could handle the pleading.

  ""To be backed up by the might of chieftains," says Sámr, "for we have affairs at law on hand against Hrafnkell the priest, for the manslaughter of Einarr Thorbjarnar-son; and if thou shouldst back us up, we, as plaintiffs, are confident of the case.""

• attestation: People at the Þing were puzzled by the sudden change in Sámr and Thorbjörn's demeanour from despair to cheerfulness.

  "People wondered much at this, how they had so suddenly come to change their mind, seeing how downcast they were when they went away."

• attestation: At the Mount of Laws, Sámr pleaded his case boldly and correctly in law against Hrafnkell, supported by the sons of Thjóstar and a large following of West-country men.

  "Then Sámr came boldly forth to the court; calling witnesses forthwith, he pleaded his cause in a manner good in law against Hrafnkell the priest, without making mistakes and with a frank and fearless manner of pleading. Then came up the sons of Thjóstar with a large following of men, all men from the west country joining them"

• attestation: Hrafnkell was declared a full outlaw at the Þing by Sámr's successful pleading.

  "Sámr pushed the suit to the full extent of law, until Hrafnkell, at this very "Þing," was made full outlaw."

• attestation: Sámr agreed to return by the same eastern road he had come, and was glad of the offer of support from the sons of Thjóstar.

  "Sámr said he would go back the same way he had come from the east, and was now right glad at this offer."

• attestation: The band approached Aðalból by a mountain route between Hrafnkelsdalr and Jökuldalr rather than by the main road to achieve surprise.

  "out of the road he turned and up to the mountain side, and so along the neck, between Hrafnkelsdalr and Jokuldalr, until they came to the outer spur of the mountain, beneath which stood the homestead of Aðalból."

• attestation: Sixty men rushed the farmstead of Aðalból at dawn, captured Hrafnkell and his housecarls in their beds, and separated women and children into one chamber.

  "They were swiftly upon the farm. The time for rising was past, and yet the people had not got up. They broke the door open by a beam and rushed in. Hrafnkell lay in his bed, and him, together with all his housecarls, those who were able to bear weapons, they made prisoners; but women and children they drove all into one chamber."

• attestation: Sámr gave Hrafnkell two choices: death, or exile east of Fljótsdalshérað and surrender of Aðalból, property, and his rule over men, with no future claims by him or his heirs.

  ""one to be taken outside the stead, together with those of thy men that I choose, and to be slaughtered ... the second choice is, if thou wilt have thy life, that thou betake thyself from Aðalból with all thy folk and with so much money only as I share to thee ... and to neither shalt thou ever raise a claim, nor thy heirs, nor shalt thou ever live nearer this place than somewhere to the east of Fljotsdalsherað""

• attestation: Sámr held a great banquet at Aðalból and offered lordship to Hrafnkell's former retainers, who accepted despite misgivings.

  "Sámr set up his house at Aðalból after Hrafnkell, and set up a great banquet there, and invited to him all those who formerly had been Hrafnkell's retainers. Sámr offered to be the lord over them instead of Hrafnkell, and they accepted the offer, although they had various misgivings about the matter."

• attestation: Sámr gave the brothers precious gifts; they confirmed a firm friendship and parted well.

  "Sámr presented the brothers with things most precious, and they bespoke a firm friendship between them, and thereupon parted the best of friends."

• attestation: Sámr settled Thorbjörn at Leikskálar and had his own wife move to Aðalból, where he farmed.

  "Sámr settled Thorbjörn in the house at Leikskálar, where he was to keep house; but the wife of Sámr went to his house at Aðalból where he farmed for a while."

• attribution: Sámr was well liked during the six years at Aðalból, being gentle, quiet, and generous, following the counsel of the sons of Thjóstar.

  "Sámr also was well liked among his retainers, for he was gentle and quiet and ready to help, and bore in mind always the counsel which those brothers had given him"

• attestation: Sámr pursued Hrafnkell eastward over the heath on fresh horses while Hrafnkell's men rode jaded horses.

  "Sámr made a short stay here, and rode, together with his men, in pursuit of Hrafnkell, who rode away as fast as they could on their weary horses. Then said Sámr: "We shall be able to overtake them, they having their horses jaded, ours being all fresh""

• attestation: Sámr abandoned pursuit of Hrafnkell at the heath brow, seeing Hrafnkell had reached the valley and would have men to help him.

  "Sámr reaches the brow of the heath, and saw that Hrafnkell had already got far down the slopes, and perceives that he will be able to fly away into the country-side, and said: "Now here we must return, for Hrafnkell will have no lack of men to help him.""

• attestation: Sámr returned to where Eyvindr lay and built a burial mound over him and his followers.

  "Sámr returns, at things thus done, and came back to the spot where Eyvindr was lying, and set about throwing up a how over Eyvindr and his followers."

• attestation: Sámr sat at Leikskálar through the winter, taciturn and discontented, before riding to Thorskafjörðr to seek help from the sons of Thjóstar.

  "Now Sámr sat at Leikskálar this winter: he was few-spoken and unmeddlesome, and many people found that he was right ill-content with his lot. But in the winter, when the days began to lengthen, Sámr rode in company with another man ... never halting on his way until he made Thorskafjörðr"

• attestation: Sámr refused the offer of relocation, declined gifts from the brothers, and rode home to live at Leikskálar until old age without ever gaining redress against Hrafnkell.

  "Sámr said he was not of a mind to close such a bargain; said he wanted to be home again ... Sámr rode home unto his house of Leikskálar, where he lived unto old age, nor ever, as long as he lived, did he get a redress against Hrafnkell."