THE STORY OF THE ERE-DWELLERS
("Eyrbyggja Saga")

Online Medieval and Classical Library Release #33

Originally written in Icelandic (Old Norse) sometime around the middle of the 13th century. Author unknown, although some scholars have suggested a connection with the author of the "Laxdaela Saga".

The text of this edition is based on that published as "THE SAGA LIBRARY, VOL. II: THE STORY OF THE ERE-DWELLERS, translated by William Morris & Eirikr Magnusson (Bernard Quaritch, London, 1892). This edition is in the PUBLIC DOMAIN in the United States.

This electronic edition was edited, proofed, and prepared by Douglas B. Killings ([email protected]), January 1998.

CONTENTS

• PREFACE
• CHAPTER I: Herein Is Told How Ketil Flatneb Fares To West-Over-Sea.
• CHAPTER II: Of Biorn Ketilson and Thorolf Most-Beard.
• CHAPTER III: Thorolf Most-Beard Outlawed By King Harald Hairfair.
• CHAPTER IV: Thorolf Most-Beard Comes Out To Iceland, And Sets Up House There.
• CHAPTER V: Biorn Ketilson Comes West-Over-The-Sea, But Will Not Abide There.
• CHAPTER VI: Biorn Comes Out To Iceland.
• CHAPTER VII: Of The Kin Of Kiallak.
• CHAPTER VIII: Of Thorolf Halt-Foot.
• CHAPTER IX: Of Thorstein Codbiter. Battle At Thorsness Thing.
• CHAPTER X: Peace Made.
• CHAPTER XI: Of Thorgrim The Priest, The Death Of Thorstein Codbiter.
• CHAPTER XII: Of Arnkel The Priest And Others.
• CHAPTER XIII: Of Snorri Thorgrimson.
• CHAPTER XIV: Snorri Gets Holyfell.
• CHAPTER XV: Of Snorri The Priest, Of The Mewlithe-Folk.
• CHAPTER XVI: Gunnlaug Is Witch-Ridden, Geirrid Summoned, Of Thorarin.
• CHAPTER XVII: Strife At The Thorsness Thing; Snorri Goes Between.
• CHAPTER XVIII: Men Will Ransack At Mewlithe: Thorarin Falls To Fight.
• CHAPTER XIX: The Lay Of The Mewlithers.
• CHAPTER XX: The End Of Katla And Odd.
• CHAPTER XXI: They Take Rede About The Blood-Feud.
• CHAPTER XXII: Snorri Summons Thorarin.
• CHAPTER XXIII: Of Vigfus And Biorn And Mar.
• CHAPTER XXIV: Of Eric the Red.
• CHAPTER XXV: Of Vermund And Thorarin In Norway; Of Those Bareserks.
• CHAPTER XXVI: Of Vigfus And Swart The Strong. The Slaying Of Vigfus.
• CHAPTER XXVII: Arnkel Takes Up The Blood-Feud For Vigfus.
• CHAPTER XXVIII: Of The Bareserks And The Wooing of Asdis, Stir's Daughter.
• CHAPTER XXIX: Of Thorod Scat-Catcher And Of Biorn Asbrandson, And Of The Slaying OfThe Sons Of Thorir Wooden-Leg.
• CHAPTER XXX: Of The Evil Dealings Of Thorolf Halt-Foot.
• CHAPTER XXXI: Of Thorolf Halt-Foot And Snorri The Priest.
• CHAPTER XXXII: The Slaying Of Ulfar; Thorbrand's Sons Claim The Heritage.
• CHAPTER XXXIII: Of The Death Of Thorolf Halt-Foot.
• CHAPTER XXXIV: Thorolf Halt-Foot Walks; The Second Burial Of Him.
• CHAPTER XXXV: Arnkel Slays Hawk.
• CHAPTER XXXVI: Thorleif Would Slay Arnkel, And Is Slain.
• CHAPTER XXXVII: The Slaying Of Arnkel.
• CHAPTER XXXVIII: The Blood-Suit For Arnkel.
• CHAPTER XXXIX: Of Thorleif Kimbi And His Dealings With Arnbiorn.
• CHAPTER XL: Of Biorn, The Champion Of The Broadwickers, And His Dealings With Thurid Of Frodis-Water.
• CHAPTER XLI: Of Thorleif Kimbi And Thord Wall-Eye.
• CHAPTER XLII: Thorbrand's Sons Make An Onslaught On Arnbiorn.
• CHAPTER XLIII: Of Egil The Strong.
• CHAPTER XLIV: The Battle In Swanfirth.
• CHAPTER XLV: The Battle In Swordfirth.
• CHAPTER XLVI: The Peace-Making After These Battles.
• CHAPTER XLVII: Of Thorod Scat-Catcher And Snorri And Biorn The Champion Of The Broad-Wickers.
• CHAPTER XLVIII: Of Thorbrand's Sons In Greenland.
• CHAPTER XLIX: Of The Coming Of Christ's Faith To Iceland.
• CHAPTER L: Of Thorgunna, And How She Came To Frodis-Water.
• CHAPTER LI: It Rains Blood At Frodis-Water. Of Thorgunna, And How She Died And Was Buried At Skalaholt.
• CHAPTER LII: The Beginning Of Wonders At Frodis-Water.
• CHAPTER LIII: Now Men Die At Frodis-Water, More Wonders.
• CHAPTER LIV: The Death Of Thorod Scat-Catcher; The Dead Walk At Frodis-Water.
• CHAPTER LV: A Door-Doom At Frodis-Water.
• CHAPTER LVI: Of Snorri The Priest And The Blood-Suit After Stir.
• CHAPTER LVII: Of Uspak Of Ere In Bitter, And Of His Injustice.
• CHAPTER LVIII: Uspak Robs Alf The Little. Thorir Chases Uspak.
• CHAPTER LIX: Uspak And His Men At The Strands. They Give Up Their Work.
• CHAPTER LX: Uspak Goes Back To Ere In Bitter: He Robs And Slays.
• CHAPTER LXI: Snorri Sends For Thrand The Strider.
• CHAPTER LXII: Snorri And Sturla Win The Work At Ere In Bitter.
• CHAPTER LXIII: Of The Walking Of Thorolf Halt-Foot. He Is Dug Up And Burned. Of The Bull Glossy.
• CHAPTER LXIV: The Last Tidings Of Biorn The Champion Of The Broadwickers.
• CHAPTER LXV: The Kindred Of Snorri The Priest; The Death Of Him.
• APPENDIX A: The Children Of Snorri The Priest.

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SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY:

ORIGINAL TEXT --

Sveinsson, Einar Olafur (Ed.): "Islenzk Fornrit, vol. IV: Eyrbyggja Saga" (University of Iceland, Reykjavik, 1935).

OTHER TRANSLATIONS --

Palsson, Hermann & Paul Edwards (trans): "Eyrbyggja Saga" (Penguin Classics, London, 1972, 1989).

RECOMMENDED READING --

Anonymous: "Egil's Saga" (Translation: Hermann Palsson & Paul Edwards, Penguin Classics, London, 1976).

Anonymous: "Saga of Grettir the Strong" (Translation: G.A. Hight, London, 1914; released as Online Medieval and Classical Library E-Text #9, 1995).

Anonymous: "The Story of the Heath Slayings" (Translation: William Morris & Eirikr Magnusson, Bernard Quaritch, London, 1892; released as Online Medieval and Classical Library E-text #34, 1998).

Anonymous: "Laxdaela Saga" (Translation: Muriel Press; The Temple Classics, London, 1899; released as Online Medieval and Classical Library E-text #32, 1997).

Anonymous: "Life and Death of Cormac the Skald" (Translation: W.G. Collingwood & J. Stefansson; Ulverston, 1901; released as Online Medieval and Classical Library E-text #7, 1995).

Anonymous: "The Story of Burnt Njal" (Translation: George W. DaSent, London, 1861; released as Online Medieval and Classical Library E-text #11, 1995).

Anonymous: "The Vinland Sagas" (Translation: Magnus Magnusson & Hermann Palsson; Penguin Classics, London, 1965) Contains translations of "Greenlanders Saga" and "Eirik the Red's Saga".

Jones, Gwyn: "History of the Vikings" (Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1968, 1973, 1984).

Sturluson, Snorri: "The Heimskringla" (Translation: Samual Laing, London, 1844; released as Online Medieval and Classical Library E-text #15, 1996).