1. Þorbjǫrn hét maður ok var kallaðr selagnúpr;1 hann bjó í Tálknafirði2 at Kvígandafelli; Þórdís hét kona hans; en Ásgerðr dóttir. 2. Þessarar konu biðr Þorkell Súrsson ok getr hana3 at eiga; en Gísli Súrsson bað systur Vésteins, Auðar Vésteinsdóttur, ok fékk hana; búa nú báðir saman í Haukadal. 3. Eitthvert4 vár átti Þorkell enn auðgi Þórðarson,5 fǫr suðr til Þórsnessþings, ok fylgðu hánum Súrssynir. 4. Í Þórsnesi bjó þá Þorsteinn þorskabítr6 Þórólfsson Mostrarskeggs; hann átti Þóru Ólafsdóttur, Þorsteinssonar; bǫrn þeira váru þau Þórdís7 ok Þorgrímur ok Bǫrkr enn digri. 5. Þorkell lauk málum sínum á þinginu. En eptir þingit bauð Þorsteinn heim Þorkeli auðga ok Súrssonum, ok gaf þeim góðar gjafir at skilnaði; en þeir buðu heim Þorsteinssonum vestr þangat, annat vár til þings. Ok nú fara þeir heim. 6. En at ǫðru vári fara þeir vestr þangat, Þorsteinssynir, tólf saman, til Valseyrarþings,8 ok hittuz þeir þar ok Súrssynir; bjóða þeir þá Þorsteinssonum heim af þinginu; en áðr skyldu þeir vera at heimboði hjá Þorkeli auðga. 7. Eptir þat fara þeir til Súrssona ok þiggja þar veizlu góða. Þorgrími líz systir þeira brœðra væn, ok biðr hennar, ok því næst er hón hánum fǫstnuð,9 ok er þá þegar gǫrt brúðkaupið, ok fylgir henni heiman Sœból10 ok réz Þorgrímr vestr þangat;11 en Bǫrkr er eptir í Þórsnesi, ok hjá hánum systursynir12 hans Saka-Steinn ok Þóroddur. 8. Nú býr Þorgrímur á Sæbóli, en þeir Súrssynir fara á Hól13 ok reisa þar góðan bœ; ok liggja þar saman14 garðar15 á Hóli og Sæbóli. 9. Nú búa þeir þar hvárir ok er vinfengi þeira gott. Þorgrímr hefir goðorð, ok er þeim brœðrum at hánum styrkr mikill. 10. Þeir fara nú til várþings eitt vár með fjóra togu manna, ok váru allir í litklæðum;16 þar var í fǫr Vésteinn, mágr Gísla, ok allir Surdœlir.
1: sela-gnúpr, perhaps “seal rock”; this man is otherwise unknown, perhaps he was the grandson of Þorbjǫrn tálkni, see below. ↩
2: Tálknafirði, the fjord (named after the landnámsmaðr Þorbjǫrn tálkni) lay south of Arnarfjǫrðr; the settlement Kvígandafell) lies on the north side of the fjord. ↩
3: hana, The gen. (hennar) is more common in this usage. ↩
5: Þórðarson, this is an element, as in M following Víkingssonar (as in Landn.) that should have appeared earlier in the text. ↩
6: Þorsteinn þorskabítr, one of the primary figures in the first part of Eyrb. (c. 7-11). The nickname simply means, “fish-eater.” ↩
7: Þórdis, is not named in the Eyrb. (c. 7-11); the Landn. records one Þórdís as a daughter of Þorsteinn surtr; perhaps this is a synthesis of that source. ↩
8: Valseyrarþings, “the thing on Valseyrr”; one of the thing locations for the residents of the Dýrafjords and other neighboring districts, was undoubtedly on Valseyrr (in the interior of the fjord on the north side). For more about this location, where some of the thing grounds are still visible, Kålund I, 576-77; Árbók hins ísl. fornleifafjelags 1883, s. 10-15 u. 1884-85, s. 7-20. ↩
9: fǫstnuð, the usual legal engagement continued. The wedding could follow soon after. ↩
10: fylgir–Sœból, i.e. Sæbol made up her heimangylgja. This word is usually translated as, “dowry.” More accurately, this is the wealth and property she brought with her into the marriage. ↩
11: réz (see entry V. 3. B. reflexive)–þangat_, “decided to move there.” ↩
12: systursynir, this pair of brothers, who are immediately introduced here for the first time, does not appear in the Eyrb., or anywhere else. Nevertheless there is no reason to doubt the existence of these brothers. ↩
13: Hól, a settlement that is first recorded here; later called Gíslahóll. About the excavations carried out there, see Árbók fornleifafjelags 1888-92, s. 135. ↩
14: liggja–saman, “bordering with each other.” ↩