The Icelandic Colonization of Greenland. 111 
dafell in the west of the country in the neighbourhood of Hvamsfiord. 
She would see no strangers, and the poem now gives a tragic description 
of, how she, after having got an inkling of Helgi’s place of residence, 
leaves Iceland to search him at Brattahlid. 
“An autumn she went to Norway 
there the wintertide passed, 
in spring-time a vessel 
to Greenland was fitted out.” 
She travelled with it, and in the autumn they came to the eastern 
settlement. The ship lay to, and on the shore a booth was raised. 
When Helgi came down to trade: 
“There suddenly she cheered 
at most unlooked-for sight. 
Right heartfelt, the beauty, 
he pressed to his breast 
who can depict entirely 
what each now felt. 
Helgi was unfortunately for them bound by his marriage to Thorun; 
but Katla was all the same invited to stay the winter at Brattahlid. 
“So well Thorun tended 
the loving pairs doings 
that Helgi, Katla, could 
never a love-word say.” 
The winter passed, and the Norwegian men prepared to travel home: 
“in spring’s bland days.” 
“The heavy winter faded 
in hard distress it was.” 
Thorun who thus had been clever enough to let Katla live at Bratta- 
hlid, where she was under control, hastened now to get her rival away. 
At the end she allowed her husband, nevertheless, to take leave of Katla 
in private 
“whilst three fires out burned.” 
Now, the lovers longed for meeting took place: 
“In a separate chamber 
with the door ajar.” 
