14 DANIEL BRUUN. 
one of the houses on the valley side. On entering one steps onto a flat 
stone threshold after which one stands on a hardbeaten clay floor in 
a lobby which is divided from the chiefroom, the living room by a 
wall of boards. Along the middle of the latter, socalled “Langeldar” 
(long fires) had been lighted. A kitchen fireplace was in the one corner, 
and all along one of the long walls was a platform or earthern bench 
either to sleep or sit on. There was no doubt of the compartment bemg 
a room, with an opening in the roof to let the smoke out and the light 
in. Behind this house lay another, the entrance to which was through 
the lobby. This was evidently a stock-house. A little isolated house, 
in which was a fireplace, lay in front of the entrance. There are only 
uncertain traces of other outhouses. 
Eric the Red had now become a farmer in the valley of Haukadal; 
up to now he had lived far away from neighbours, but now they were 
near enough. It will not be astonishing that he, with his fiery, confliet- 
loving and arrogant mind, soon got into trouble with the inhabitants 
of the valley. More to the east, further up the valley to the south of 
the brook there lived a peasant called Valthiof on his farm Valthiofs- 
stad, It is related in the Landnamabök that Eric’s slave hurled a mount- 
ain slide over the farm, for which Valthiof’s kinsman Zyjolf Saur 
killed the slaves near some slopes above the farm Vatnshorn. Eric 
was not long in taking revenge, he killed Zyjolf and slayed in addi- 
tion the single combatant Hrafn on the farm Leikskali (lymg north of 
the brook opposite Valthiofsstad). The cause of the last manslaughter 
is not mentioned, but probably Hrafn stood on Eyjolfs side in the fight. 
Now the latter’s, kinsmen, Geirsteinn and Odd belonging to the farm 
Jörfi near Valthiofsstad interfered and brought an action against Erie 
the Red for manslaughter. The consequence was that he was banished 
from Haukadal; it was a mild punishment, which according to the jud- 
gement of those times shows that Eric must be considered to have had 
some reason for his act; slaves are property, and the putting to death 
of them requires retribution, not that one reckoned a slave’s life for 
anything special but because it was personal property. 
Consequently Eric had to leave again. Ericsstad was abandoned, and 
as we have already heard to be refound and dug out at the present time. 
He did not go far this time — only as far as some islands amongst 
the rocks in the mouth of Hvammsfiord. 
In “Landnama” we read: “Eric was then banished from the Hauka- 
dal and therefore took the islands Brokey and Üxney in possession; 
but lived in Tödum (or Trödum) on Sudrey during the first winter. 
Не lent Thorgest (a peasant in Breidabolstad in Snæfellsness, Snowfells- 
ness, Opposite the islands) his Setstokkar!. Later on Eric moved to 
Oxney and lived at Ericsstad. He then demanded his “Setstokkar” 
1 means “benchstocks”. 
