The Story of Hen Thorir - Chapters 1 to 5

Chapter 1 - Of Men of Burgfirth

There was a man hight Odd, the son of Onund Broadbeard, the son of Wolf of Fitiar, the son of Thorir the Stamper; he dwelt at Broadlairstead in Reekdale of Burgfirth. His wife was Jorun, a wise woman and well spoken of. Four children had they, two sons of good conditions, and. two daughters: one of their sons hight Thorod, and the other Thorwald; Thurid was one daughter of Odd, and Jofrid the other. Odd was by-named Odd-a-Tongue; he was not held for a man of fair dealings.

A man named Torn, the son of Valbrand, the son of Valthiof, the son of Orlyg of Esjuberg, had wedded Thurid, daughter of Odd-a-Tongue, and they dwelt at the other Broadlairstead.

There was a man hight Arngrim, the son of Helgi, the son of Hogni, who came out with Hromund; he dwelt at Northtongue; he was called Arngrim the priest, and his son was Helgi.

There was a man hight Blundketil, son of Geir the Wealthy, the son of Ketil Blund, after whom as Blundwater named: he dwelt at Ornolfsdale somewhat above where the house now standeth; there were many steads upward from it; and his son was Herstein. Blundketil was the wealthiest of all men, and the best conditioned of all men of the ancient faith; thirty tenants he had, and was the best-beloved man of the countryside.

There was a man called Thorkel Welt, the son of Red Biorn; he dwelt at Swigniskarth, west-away of Northwater. Helgi his brother dwelt at Hwamm in Northwaterdale.; another brother was Gunnwald, who had to wife Helga, daughter of Thorgeir of Withymere. Thorkel Welt was a wise man and well-befriended, very wealthy of goods.

There was a certain man hight Thorir, needy of money, not well-loved of the folk: his wont it was to go a-huokstering in summer-tide from one countryside to the other, selling in one place what he had bought in another; by which peddling his wealth waxed fast; and on a time when he went from the south over Holtbeacon Heath, he had hens with him in his journey to the north country, and sold them with his other wares, wherefore was he called Hen Thorir.

Now throve Thorir so much that he bought him land at a place called the Water, up from North-tongue, and but a few winters had he set up house before he became so very wealthy that he had moneys out with well-nigh every man. Yet though his fortune were amended, yet still prevailed his ill favour amongst men, for hardly was there any so well-hated as was Hen Thorir.


Chapter 2 - Hen-Thorir fosters Helgi Arngrimson

On a day Thorir went his ways from home and rode to Northtongue to see Arngrim the priest, and craved to have the fostering of a child of his. "I would," said he, "take to me Helgi thy son, and heed him all I can, and have thy friendship in return, and furtherance herein, to wit, the getting of my rights from men."

Arngrim answered: "Little furtherance to me do I see in this fostering." Answered Thorir: "I will give the lad my money to the half-part rather than lose the fostering of him : but thou shalt right me and be bound thereto, with whomsoever I may have to do."

Arngrim answered: "Sooth to say, I will not put from me so good an offer."

So Helgi went home with Thorir, and the stead has been called thenceforward Heigiwater. And now Arngrim gave an eye to Thorir's business, and straightway men deemed him harder yet to deal with; he got his rights now of every man, and throve exceedingly in wealth, and became an exceeding rich man, but his ill favour stuck to him.

On a summer came a ship into Burgfirth, but lay not in the river-mouth, but in the roads without. Erne was the shipmaster's name, a man well-liked, and the best of chapman-lads. Now Odd heard of the ship's coming, and he was wont to come in good time to the opening of markets, and settle the prices of men's ladings, for he had the rule of

the countryside; neither durst any man fall to chaffer before they wotted what he would do. So now he went to the chapmen, and asked them what they had a mind to do about their voyage, and how soon they would have their market; and therewithal he told them of his wont of settling the prices of men's ladings. Erne answered : "We have a mind to be masters of our own for all thou mayst have to say; since not a penny's worth in the lading is thine; so this time thy words will be mightier than thy deeds."

Odd answered: "I misdoubt me that it will do worse for thee than for me: so be it then; for hereby I proclaim that I forbid all men to have any chaffer with you, or to land any goods; yea, I shall take money from all such as give you any help ; and I know that ye shall not away out of the haven before the spring-tide."

Erne answered: "Say what thou wilt; but none the more for that will we let ourselves be cowed."

Now Odd rides home, but the Eastmen lie in the haven wind-bound.


Chapter 3 - Blundketil takes the Eastmen to him

The next day Herstein, Blundketil's son, rode west to Akraness, and he met the Eastmen as he came back, and found an old acquaintance in the master, and that was much to his mind.

Erne told Herstein what great wrong Odd had offered them. "And," quoth he, "we misdoubt us how we shall go about; our affair." So they talked together daylong and at eve rides Herstein home, and tells his father of the mariners to what pass their business has come. Blundketil answered: "I know the man now from thy story of him, for I was with his father when I was a child, nor ever fell I in with a fellow better at need than was he; so ill it is that his son is hard bestead, and his father would look to me to take some heed to his fortune if need were; so betimes tomorrow shalt thou ride down to the Haven, and bid him hither with as many men as he will; or he be liefer thereto, then will I flit him north or south, or where he will; and I will help him with all my heart as far as in me lies."

Herstein said it was good rede and manly: "Yet it is to be looked for that we shall have some folks' displeasure for it." Blundketil answered: "Whereas we have to carry about nought worse than Odd, we may lightly bear it." So weareth the night, and betimes on the morrow Blundketil let gather horses from the pastures, and when all was ready Herstein drave an hundred horses to meet the chapmen, nor need they crave any from any other stead. So he came thither to them, and told Erne what his father had taken on himself. Erne said he would take that with a good heart, but that he deemed the father and son would have the enmity of others for it; but Herstein said they heeded it nought. Then said Erne : "Well, my crew shall be flitted into other countrysides, for the risk is enough, though we be not all in one and the same house." So Herstein had Erne and his lading home with him, and left not before all the chapmen were gone, and the ship laid up, and all brought into due order.

Blundketil received Erne wondrous well, and there he abode in good entertainment.

But now were tidings brought to Odd of what Blundketil had done, and men talk over it, and say that he had set himself up against Odd thereby. Odd answereth: "So may folk say; but Blundketil is such a man as is both sturdy and well-beloved, so I will even let the matter alone."

And so all is quiet.


Chapter 4 - Hay-Need this Season

That summer was the grass light and bad, and hay-harvest poor because of the wet, and men had exceeding small hay-stores. Blundketil went round to his tenants that autumn, and told them that he would have his rents paid in hay on all his lands: "For I have much cattle to fodder, and little hay enow; but I will settle how much is to be slaughtered this autumn in every house of my tenants, and then will matters go well." Now weareth summer away and cometh winter, and there soon began to be exceeding scarcity north about the Lithe, and but little store there was to meet it, and men were hard pressed. So weareth the time over Yule, and when Thorri-tide was come folk were sore pinched, and for many the game was up.

But on an evening came to Blundketil one of his tenants, and told him that hay had failed him, and prayed deliverance of him. Master Blundketil answered: "How cometh that? I deemed that I had so looked to it in the autumn that things would be like to go well."

The man answered that less had been slaughtered than he had commanded. . Then said Blundketil: "Well, let us make a bargain together: I will deliver thee from thy trouble this time, but thou shalt tell no man thereof; because I would not that folk should fall to coming on me: all the less since ye have not kept my commandment"

So that man fared home, and told his friend that Blundketil was peerless among men in all dealings, and that he had helped him at his need ; and that man in turn told his friend, and so the matter became known all over the countryside.

Time wore and Goi came, and therewith came two more of the tenants to Blundketil, and told him that they were out of hay. Blundketil answered ; "Ye have done ill in departing from my counsel; for so it is, that though I have hay good store, yet have I more beasts therewithal: now if I help you, then shall I have nought for my own stock; lo you! that is the choice herein. But they pressed the case, and bewailed their misery, till he thought it pity of their moans, and so let drive home an hundred and forty horses, and let slay forty of the worst of them, and gave his tenants the fodder these should have had: so they fare home glad at. heart. But the winter worsened as it wore, and the hope of many a man was quenched.


Chapter 5 - Blundketil would buy Hay of Hen Thorir

Now when One-month was come came two more of Blundketil's tenants to him; they were somewhat better to do, but their hay had failed them now, arid they prayed him to deliver them. He answered and said that he had not wherewithal, and that he would slaughter no more beasts. Then they asked if he knew of any man who had hay to sell, and he said he knew not for certain; but they drive on the matter, saying that their beasts must; die if they get no help of him ; he said : "It is your own doing; but I am told that Hen Thorir will have hay to sell."

They said : "We shall get nought of him unless thou go along with us, but he will straightway sell to us if thou become our surety in the bargain."

He answers: "I may do as much as to go?with you, for it is meet that they should sell who have."

So they fare betimes in the morning, and there was a drift of wind from the north, which Was somewhat cold ; master Thorir was standing without at the time, and when he saw folk coming toward the garth, in he walks again, shuts to the door, draws the bolt, and goes to his day-meal. Now was the door smitten on, and the lad Helgi took up the word and said : "Go thou out, foster-father, for here be men come to see thee." Thorir said he would eat his meat first; but the lad ran from the table, and came to the door and greeted the new-comers well. Blundketil asked ,if Thorir were within and the lad said that so it was. "Bid him come out to us then" said Blundketil. The lad did so, and said that Blundketil was without, and would seeThorir. He answered: "Wherefore must Blundketil be sniffing about here? It is wondrous if he come for any good. I have nought to do with him." Then goes the lad and says that Thorir will not come out. "Then shall we go in" said Blundketil.

So they go into the chamber and are greeted there; but Thorir held his peace. "Things are come to this, Thorir" said Blundketil "that we would buy hay of thee."

Thorir answered: "Thy money is no better to me than mine own."

"That is as it may be," said Blundketil. Thorir said: "How comest thou, rich man as thou art, to lack hay?". "Nay, I am not come to that,"said Blundketil; "I am dealing for my tenants here, who verily need help, and. I would fain get it for them if it were to be got." Said Thorir: "Thou art right welcome to give to others of thine own, but not of mine."

Blundketil answered: "We will not ask a gift: let Odd and Arngrim be thine umpires, and I will give thee gifts moreover."

Thorir said: "I have no hay to sell;, and, moreover, I will not sell it." Then went Blundketil out, and those fellows and the lad with them; and then Blunketil took up the word and said : "Which is it, that thy foster-father has no hay, or that he will not sell it?"

"Hay enough he has to sell if he would," answers the lad. Blundketil said: "Bring us to where the haystacks are."

He did so, and then Blundketil made a reckoning of the fodder for Thorir's stock, and made out that if they were all stall-fed up to the time of the Althing, there would still be of the hay five stacks over; so herewith they go in again, and Blundketil says: " I reckon about thy stock of hay, Thorir, that if all thy beasts were fed at stall till the Althing, there would yet be a good deal left over; and that would I buy of thee.' Thorir answered : "And ' what shall I do for hay next winter then, if it is like this or worse?" Says Blundketil: "I will give thee the choice to take just the same lot of hay and no worse in the summer, and I will bring it into thy garth for thee."

Thorir answered: "If thou hast no store of hay now, why shouldst thou have more in the summer? but I know there is such odds of might between us, that thou mayest take my hay in despite of me if thou wilt."

Blundketil answers: "That is not the way to take it: thou wottest that silver goeth in all the markets of the land here, and therein will I pay thee."

"I will not have thy silver," said Thorir.

"Then take thou such wares as Odd and Arn-grim shall award thee," said Blundketil.

"Here are but few workmen," said Thorir, "and I like going about but little, nor will I be dragged hither and thither in such dealings."

Blundketil answereth: " Then shall I let bear the goods home for thee." Thorir said: "I have no house-room for them, and they shall certainly be spoilt.

Answereth Blundketil: "I shall get thee hides, then, to do over them, so that they shall be safe."

Thorir answers: "I will not have other men scratching about in my storehouses."

Says Blundketil: "Then shall they be at my house through the winter, and I will take care of them for thee."

"I know all thy babble now," said Thorir, "and

I will in no wise deal with thee;"

Blundketil said: "Then must things go a worser road; for the hay will we have all the same, though thou forbid it, and lay the price thereof in its stead, making the most of it that we are many."

Then Thorir held his peace, but his mind was nothing good. Blundketil let take ropes and bind up the hay, and then they hove it up in loads on to the horses and bore it away; but made up the price in full