Before leaving Eirik summoned all his Landmen and
the larger bondis to meet him. Eirik the jarl
was an able ruler, and they had much discussion regarding
the laws and their administration. It was considered
a scandal in the land that pirates and berserks should
be able to come into the country and challenge respectable
people to the holmgang for their money or their women,
no weregild being paid whichever fell. Many
had lost their money and been put to shame in this
way; some indeed had lost their lives. For this
reason jarl Eirik abolished all holmgang in Norway
and declared all robbers and berserks who disturbed
the peace outlaws. Thorfinn the son of Kar of
Haramarsey, being a man of wise counsel and a close
friend of the jarl, was present at the meeting.
The worst of these ruffians were two brothers named
Thorir Paunch and Ogmund the Bad. They came
from Halogaland and were bigger and stronger than
other men. When angry they used to fall into
the berserk’s fury, and nothing escaped that
was before them. They used to carry off men’s
wives, keep them for a week or two and then send them
back. Wherever they came they committed robberies
and other acts of violence. Jarl Eirik had declared
them outlaws throughout Norway. The man who had
been most active in getting them outlawed was Thorfinn,
and they were determined to pay him out in full for
his hostility.
The jarl’s expedition is told of in his saga,
and the government of Norway was left in the hands
of jarl Sveinn, with the regency.
Thorfinn returned home and remained there until about
Yule-tide, as has already been told. Towards
Yule-tide he made ready to go on a journey to his
farm called Slysfjord on the mainland, whither he
had invited a number of his friends. He could
not take his wife with him, because their grown-up
daughter was lying sick, so they both had to stay
at home. Grettir and eight of the serving men
remained with them. Thorfinn went with thirty
freemen to the Yule festival, at which there was much
gladness and merriment.
Yule-eve set in with bright and clear weather.
Grettir, who was generally abroad in the daytime,
was watching the vessels which came along the coast,
some from the North, some from the South, meeting
at the places agreed upon for their drinking-bouts.
The bondi’s daughter was then better and could
go out with her mother. So the day passed.
At last Grettir noticed a ship rowing up to the island,
not large, covered with shields amidships and painted
above the water-line. They were rowing briskly
and making for Thorfinn’s boat-houses.
They ran the boat on to the beach and all sprang ashore.
Grettir counted the men; there were twelve in all,
and their aspect did not look peaceful.
