WINELAND THE GOOD 



called Breidvikinge-kjaempe, and his exploits. He bore illicit 

 love to Snorre Code's sister, Thurid of FroSa, the wife of 

 Thorodd, and had by her an illegitimate son, Kjartan. 

 Finally he had to leave Iceland on account of this love; but 

 his ship viras not ready till late in the autumn. They put to 

 sea with a north-east wind, which held for a long time that 

 autumn. Afterwards the ship was not heard of for many a 

 day. 



Gudleif Gudlaugsson was the name of a great sailor and merchant; he owned 

 a large merchant vessel. In the last years of St. Olaf's reign he was on a 

 trading voyage to Dublin, "when he sailed westward from thence he was 

 making for Iceland. He sailed to the west of Ireland, encountered there a 

 strong north-east wind, and was driven far to the west and south-west in the 

 ocean," until they finally came to a great land which was unknown to them. 

 They did not know the people there, "but thought rather that they spoka 

 Irish." Soon many hundred men collected about them, seized and bound 

 them, and drove them up into the country. They were brought to an assem- 

 bly and sentence was to be pronounced upon them. They understood as much 

 as that some wanted to kill them, while others wanted to make slaves of them. 

 While this was going on, a great band of men came on horseback with a ban- 

 ner, and under it rode a big and stately man of great age, with white hair, 

 whom they guessed to be the chief, for all bowed before him. He sent for 

 them; when they came before him he spoke to them in Norse and asked from 

 what country they came, and when he heard that most of them were Iceland- 

 ers, and that Gudleif was from Borgarf jord, he asked after nearly all the more 

 important men of Borgarfjord and Breidafjord, and particularly Snorre Gode, 

 and Thurid of Fr6?a, his sister, and most of all after Kjartan, her son, who 

 was now master there. After this big man had discussed the matter at length 

 with the men of the country, he again spoke to the Icelanders and gave them 

 leave to depart, but although the summer was far gone, he advised them to get 

 away as soon as possible, as the people there were not to be relied upon. He 

 would not tell them his name; for he did not wish his kinsmen such a voyage 

 thither as they would have had if he had not helped them; but he was now so 

 old that he might soon be gone, and moreover, said he, there were men of more 

 influence than he in that country, who would show little mercy to foreigners. 

 After this he had the ship fitted out, and was himself present, until there came 

 a favorable wind for them to leave. When they parted, this man took a gold 

 ring from his hand, gave it to Gudleif, and with it a good sword, and said: 

 " If it be thy lot to reach Iceland, thou shalt bring this sword to Kjartan, mas- 

 ter of Frofa, and the ring to Thurid, his mother." When Gudleif asked him 

 who he was to say was the sender of these costly gifts, he answered: " Say he 

 sent them who was more a friend of the mistress of FroSa than of the * gode ' 

 of Helgafell, her brother. . . ." Gudleif and his men put to sea and ar- 



49 



