23. kafli
Vigfús sonur Bjarnar Óttarssonar bjó í Drápuhlíð sem fyrr segir. Hann átti
Þorgerði
Vigfus, son of Bjorn Ottar’s son, lived in Drapuhlid as was previously
mentioned. He was married to Thorgerd

Þorbeinisdóttur. Hann var gildur bóndi og ódældarmaður mikill. Með honum var
á vist
Thorbein’s daughter. He was a worthy farmer and a very overbearing man. On
a visit with him was

systursonur hans er Björn hét. Hann var örorður maður og ógegn.
his sister’s son who was named Bjorn. He was an outspoken man and
unreasonable.

Um haustið eftir Máhlíðingamál fundust stóðhross Þorbjarnar digra á fjalli
og hafði hesturinn
During the fall after the Mahlidinga case, Thorbjorn the thick’s stallion
was found in the fells and the horse had

eigi haldið högum fyrir hesti Þórarins og hafði fennt hrossin og fundust öll
dauð.
not protected (his) pasture from Thorarinn’s horse and snow had covered the
horses and all were found dead.

Þetta sama haust áttu menn rétt fjölmenna í Tungu milli Laxá upp frá
Helgafelli. Þangað fóru til
That same fall, men had a sheep gathering of a great crowds of men in Tongue
between Lax River up from Helgafell.

réttar heimamenn Snorra goða. Var Már Hallvarðsson föðurbróðir Snorra fyrir
þeim. Helgi hét
Priest Snorri’s house servants went thither to the sheep gathering. Mar
Hallvard’s son, Snorri’s uncle led them. Helgi was the name

sauðamaður hans. Björn frændi Vigfúss lá á réttargarðinum og hafði
fjallstöng í hendi. Helgi dró
of his shepherd. Bjorn, Vigfus’ kinsman, lay on the wall of the sheep fold
and had a fellman’s staff in hand. Helgi gathered

sauði. Björn spurði hvað sauð það væri er hann dró. En er að var hugað þá
var mark Vigfúss á sauðnum.
sheep. Bjorn asked what sheep those were which he gathered. And when (it)
was looked at then Vigfus’ mark was on the sheep.

Björn mælti: "Slundasamlega dregur þú sauðina í dag Helgi."
Bjorn spoke, “You catch the sheep sloppily today, Helgi.”

"Hættara mun yður það," segir Helgi, "er sitjið í afrétt manna."
“More risky will it be for you,” says Helgi, “when you sit in people’s
common pasture.”

"Hvað mun þjófur þinn vita til þess," segir Björn og hljóp upp við og laust
hann með stönginni svo að hann féll í óvit.
“What will you, a thief, know of this,” says Bjorn and leapt up at that and
struck him with the staff so that he fell unconscious.

Og er Már sá þetta brá hann sverði og hjó til Bjarnar og kom á höndina upp
við öxl og varð það
And when Mar saw that he drew a sword and hewed at Bjorn and (the blow) came
on the arm up by the shoulder and it was a

mikið sár. Eftir það hljópu menn í tvo staði en sumir gengu í milli og
skildu þá svo að eigi varð fleira til tíðinda þar.
serious wound. After that men ran in two places and some went between and
parted them so that (there) not more news happened there.

Um morguninn eftir reið Vigfús ofan til Helgafells og beiddi bóta fyrir
vansa þenna en Snorri
During the next morning Vigfus rode down to Helgafell and demanded
reparation for this disgrace, but Snorri

sagði að hann kveðst eigi mun gera þeirra atburða er þar höfðu orðið. Þetta
líkaði Vigfúsi illa og
said that he will not judge their occurrences which had happened there.
Vigfuss was not pleased with this and

skildu þeir með hinum mesta styttingi.
they parted with the greatest coldness.

Um vorið bjó Vigfús áverkamálið til Þórsnessþings en Snorri drepið til
óhelgi við Björn og urðu
During the spring, Vigfus prepared the misdeed case for the Thor’s Ness
Thing, but Snorri charged? Bjorn with outlawry and

þau málalok að Björn varð óheilagur af frumhlaupinu við Helga og fékk engar
bætur fyrir
the end of the cases turned out that Bjorn was outlawed for personal assault
and no compensation was given

áverkann en hann bar í fatla höndina jafnan síðan.
for the misdeed and he was afflicted with a disabled arm ever after.

Fred & Grace Hatton
Hawley, Pa.