Egla, 07

Chapter 7

Of Bjorgolf

There was a man in Halogaland named Bjorgolf; he dwelt in Torgar. He was a baron, powerful and wealthy; in strength, stature, and kindred half hill-giant. He had a son named Brynjolf, who was like his father. Bjorgolf was now old, and his wife was dead; and he had given over into his son's hands all business, and found him a wife, Helga, daughter of Kettle Hæing of Hrafnista. Their son was named Bard; he soon grew to be tall and handsome, and became a right doughty man.

One autumn there was a banquet where many men were gathered, Bjorgolf and his son being there the most honourable guests. In the evening they were paired off by lot to drink together, as the old custom was. Now, there was at the banquet a man named Hogni, owner of a farm in Leka, a man of great wealth, very handsome, shrewd, but of low family, who had made his own way. He had a most beautiful daughter, Hildirida by name; and it fell to her lot to sit by Bjorgolf. They talked much together that evening, and the fair maiden charmed the old man. Shortly afterwards the banquet broke up.

That same autumn old Bjorgolf journeyed from home in a cutter of his own, with thirty men aboard. He came to Leka, and twenty of them went up to the house, while ten guarded the ship. When they came to the farm, Hogni went out to meet him, and made him welcome, invited him and his comrades to lodge there, which offer Bjorgolf accepted, and they entered the room. But when they had doffed their travelling clothes and donned mantles, then Hogni gave orders to bring in a large bowl of beer; and Hildirida, the daughter of the house, bare ale to the guests.

Bjorgolf called to him Hogni the goodman, and said, 'My errand here is this: I will have your daughter to go home with me, and will even now make with her a hasty wedding.'

Hogni saw no choice but to let all be as Bjorgolf would; so Bjorgolf bought her with an ounce of gold, and they became man and wife, and Hildirida went home with Bjorgolf to Torgar. Brynjolf showed him ill-pleased at this business.

Bjorgolf and Hildirida had two sons; one was named Harek, the other Hærek.

Soon after this Bjorgolf died; but no sooner was he buried than Brynjolf sent away Hildirida and her sons. She went to her father at Leka, and there her sons were brought up. They were good-looking, small of stature, naturally shrewd, like their mother's kin. They were commonly called Hildirida's sons. Brynjolf made little count of them, and did not let them inherit aught of their father's. Hildirida was Hogni's heiress, and she and her sons inherited from him and dwelt in Leka, and had plenty of wealth. Bard, Brynjolf's son, and Hildirida's sons were about of an age.

Bjorgolf and his son Brynjolf had long held the office of going to the Finns, and collecting the Finns' tribute.

Northwards, in Halogaland is a firth called Vefsnir, and in the firth lies an island called Alost, a large island and a good, and in this a farm called Sandness. There dwelt a man named Sigurd, the richest man thereabouts in the north; he was a baron, and wise of understanding. He had a daughter named Sigridr; she was thought the best match in Halogaland, being his only child and sole heiress to her father.

Bard Brynjolf's son journeyed from home with a cutter and thirty men aboard northwards to Alost, and came to Sigurd at Sandness. There he declared his business, and asked Sigridr to wife. This offer was well received and favourable answered, and so it came about that Bard was betrothed to the maiden. The marriage was to take place the next summer. Bard was then to come north for the wedding.

Kafli 7

Af Björgólfi

Björgólfur hét maður á Hálogalandi. Hann bjó í Torgum. Hann var lendur maður, ríkur og auðigur, en hálfbergrisi að afli og vexti og kynferð. Hann átti son er hét Brynjólfur. Hann var líkur föður sínum. Björgólfur var þá gamall og önduð kona hans og hafði hann selt í hendur öll ráð syni sínum og leitað honum kvonfangs. Brynjólfur átti Helgu, dóttur Ketils hængs úr Hrafnistu. Bárður er nefndur sonur þeirra. Hann var snemma mikill og fríður sýnum og varð hinn mesti atgervismaður.

Það var eitt haust að þar var gildi fjölmennt og voru þeir Björgólfur feðgar í gildinu göfgastir menn. Þar var hlutaður tvímenningur á öftnum sem siðvenja var til. En þar að gildinu var sá maður er Högni hét. Hann átti bú í Leku. Hann var maður stórauðigur, allra manna fríðastur sýnum, vitur maður og ættsmár og hafði hafist af sjálfum sér. Hann átti dóttur allfríða er nefnd er Hildiríður. Hún hlaut að sitja hjá Björgólfi. Töluðu þau margt um kveldið, leist honum mærin fögur. Litlu síðar var slitið gildinu.

Það sama haust gerði Björgólfur gamli heimanför sína og hafði skútu er hann átti og á þrjátíu menn. Hann kom fram í Leku og gengu þeir heim til húss tuttugu en tíu gættu skips. En er þeir komu á bæinn þá gekk Högni á mót honum og fagnaði vel, bauð honum þar að vera með sínu föruneyti en hann þekktist það og gengu þeir inn í stofu. En er þeir höfðu afklæðst og tekið upp yfirhafnir þá lét Högni bera inn skaptker og mungát. Hildiríður bóndadóttir bar öl gestum.

Björgólfur kallar til sín Högna bónda og segir honum að „erindi er það hingað að eg vil að dóttir þín fari heim með mér og mun eg nú gera til hennar lausabrullaup.“

En Högni sá engan annan sinn kost en láta allt svo vera sem Björgólfur vildi. Björgólfur keypti hana með eyri gulls og gengu þau í eina rekkju bæði. Fór Hildiríður heim með Björgólfi í Torgar. Brynjólfur lét illa yfir þessi ráðagerð.

Þau Björgólfur og Hildiríður áttu tvo sonu. Hét annar Hárekur en annar Hrærekur.

Síðan andast Björgólfur. En þegar hann var út hafinn þá lét Brynjólfur Hildiríði á brott fara með sonu sína. Fór hún þá í Leku til föður síns og fæddust þar upp synir Hildiríðar. Þeir voru menn fríðir sýnum, litlir vexti, vel viti bornir, líkir móðurfrændum sínum. Þeir voru kallaðir Hildiríðarsynir. Lítils virti Brynjólfur þá og lét þá ekki hafa af föðurarfi þeirra. Hildiríður var erfingi Högna og tók hún og synir hennar arf eftir hann og bjuggu þá í Leku og höfðu auð fjár. Þeir voru mjög jafnaldrar, Bárður Brynjólfsson og Hildiríðarsynir. Þeir feðgar, Brynjólfur og Björgólfur, höfðu lengi haft finnferð og finnskatt.

Norður á Hálogalandi heitir fjörður Vefsnir. Þar liggur ey í firðinum og heitir Álöst, mikil ey og góð. Í henni heitir bær á Sandnesi. Þar bjó maður er Sigurður hét. Hann var auðgastur norður þar. Hann var lendur maður og spakur að viti. Sigríður hét dóttir hans og þótti kostur bestur á Hálogalandi. Hún var einbirni hans og átti arf að taka eftir Sigurð föður sinn.

Bárður Brynjólfsson gerði heimanferð sína, hafði skútu og á þrjá tigu manna. Hann fór norður í Álöst og kom á Sandnes til Sigurðar. Bárður hefir uppi orð sín og bað Sigríðar. Því máli var vel svarað og líklega og kom svo að Bárði var heitið meyjunni. Ráð þau skyldu takast að öðru sumri. Skyldi þá Bárður sækja norður þangað ráðið.