Here’s the next instalment of Hrafnkel’s Saga (only 16 months after the previous one, but they will be more regular from now on).

 

Kveðja

Alan

 

295 Þetta þing var harðla fjölmennt. Váru þar flestir höfðingjar,
þeir er váru á Íslandi. Sámr finnr alla höfðingja ok bað sér
trausts ok liðsinnis, en einn veg svöruðu allir, at engi kvazk
eiga svá gott Sámi upp at gjalda, at ganga vildi í deild við
Hrafnkel goða ok hætta svá sinni virðingu, segja ok þat einn
300 veg flestum farit hafa, þeim er þingdeilur við Hrafnkel hafa
haft, at hann hafi alla menn hrakit af málaferlum þeim, er við
hann hafa haft.

Sámr gengr heim til búðar sinnar, ok var þeim frændum
þungt í skapi ok uggðu, at þeira mál mundi svá niðr falla, at
305 þeir mundi ekki fyrir hafa nema skömm ok svívirðing. Ok svá
mikla áhyggju hafa þeir frændr, at þeir njóta hvárki svefns né
matar, því at allir höfðingjar skárusk undan liðsinni við þá
frændr, jafnvel þeir, sem þeir væntu, at þeim mundi lið veita.

 

And for those who are just beginning, a summary of the story so far:

 

Hrafnkel, aged 15, arrives in Iceland with his parents, and settled in Fljotsdale District, East Iceland.

 

Hrafnkel leaves home and settles at Aðalbol farm in Hrafnkel´s Dale,  marries Oddborg, has two sons Þorir and Asbjorn, and becomes priest and a harsh chieftain over all the other inhabitants of the valley. He treasured his stallion Freyfaxi, named in honour of the god Frey, who Hrafnkel worshipped above all others, and swore to kill anyone who rode him without his permission.

 

Bjarni, a settler in Hrafnkel´s Dale has two sons Sam and Eyvind, and a brother Þorbjorn, also settled in Hrafnkel´s Dale, who had a son, Einar.

 

Einar gains employment as Hrafnkel’s shepherd, and Hrafnkel warns him never to ride Freyfaxi, but allows him to ride other horses.

 

On one particlar morning while working at Grjotteig’s Shieling, in the upper reaches of the dale, Einar decides to ride Freyfaxi to look for missing sheep, when he can’t manage to catch any of the other horses which he usually rode, thinking that Hrafnkel would never find out.

 

At the end of the day’s riding, Freyfaxi is exhausted, covered in sweat, and dirty, but, in the evening, after Einar dismounts, Freyfaxi suddenly gallops off down the valley until he reaches Aðalbol and Hrafnkel sees his condition.

 

Next morning, Hrafnkel rides to the Shieling and asks Einar if he had ridden Freyfaxi. Einar admits it, and Hrankel kills him.

 

Einar´s father asks Hrafnkel for compenation for his son´s slaying. Hrafnkel, who never pays anyone compensation, admits that this act was one of his worst, and so offers to provide for Þorbjorn and his family as long as they remain in the dale.

 

Þorbjorn declines the offer and intends to seek court action over the matter, first seeking the help of his brother Bjarni., who declined saying Þorbjorn was foolish not to accept Hrafnkel´s offer. Þorbjorn then seeks the help of his nephew, Bjarni´s son, Sam. Sam also thinks Þorbjorn foolish not to have accepted Hrafnkel´s offer, but reluctantly agrees, on the grounds of kinship, to help him bring the court action against Hrafnkel.

 

Sam gives formal notice of the charge against Hrafnkel, and the following Spring, both parties gathered their supporters to them and ride off to the Althing, and set up their booths.