The Hrafnkel's Saga (Hrafnkels saga Freysgoða) on Thorbjörn
The Story of Hrafnkell, Frey's Priest
attestation: Thorbjörn, brother of Bjarni, lived at Hóll in Hrafnkelsdalr across the valley from Aðalból, a man of limited means with many dependants.
"A man was hight Thorbjörn, brother of Bjarni, who dwelt at a stead in Hrafnkelsdalr, called Hóll, situated across the valley right against Aðalból, on the eastern side. Thorbjörn was a man of scanty means, but of many useless mouths."
attestation: Thorbjörn rode to Aðalból to demand weregild from Hrafnkell for the killing of his son Einarr.
"The news of Einarr, his son's, death, was brought over to Thorbjörn at Hóll, and he was mightily grieved at the tidings. He now took his horse, and rode over to Aðalból to ask Hrafnkell to do boot for his son."
attestation: Thorbjörn refused Hrafnkell's compensation offer and demanded arbitration instead, which Hrafnkell took as an insult implying equality between them.
""This offer I will not accept," says Thorbjörn. "What then?" says Hrafnkell. Then spake Thorbjörn: "I will, that we name an umpire between us." Answered Hrafnkell: "Then thou holdest thyself as good a man as I; the peace between us is at an end.""
attestation: Thorbjörn went to Sámr at Leikskálar and persuaded him to take up the legal case against Hrafnkell, citing kinship obligation.
"Thorbjörn asks if Sámr was minded to lend him any help ... Sámr said: "I am right unwilling to engage in this, and it is only for the sake of kinship that I do it""
attribution: Thorbjörn shamed Sámr into action by calling him a milksop who would flinch at everything, arguing that a man skilled in law should take up an urgent case.
""I am minded to think that no man has got such milksops for kinsmen as I have. It seems to me that a man like you is putting himself in a right false position, being skilled in law and eager for petty cases, but refusing to take up this case, a great and urgent one.""
attestation: Thorbjörn urged Sámr to abandon the case and return home in disgrace, but Sámr refused to give up.
"Thorbjörn spake to Sámr, "It is my counsel now, that thou cause our horses to be driven up, and that we get ready to return home, for it is easy to see that here nothing is awaiting us but utter shame." Sámr answered: "That is well enough, since thou wouldst hear of nothing but striving with Hrafnkell ... I shall never give in, until I deem that all hope is past""
attestation: Old Thorbjörn stumbled onto Thorgeirr's sleeping bag and clutched his sore toe as Thorkell had devised, waking Thorgeirr in pain and anger.
"The old carl Thorbjörn went first, and in a stumbling manner he walked. But when he came up to the sleeping-bag, then he stumbled on to the footboard and clutched at the sore toe and pulled hard at it, while Thorgeirr woke and jumped up in the sleeping-bag, and asked who he was who was going on so headlong as to rush upon people's sore feet."