Kotkell and Grima and their sons for theft and witchcraft, and claimed outlawry as award.  He laid the case to the Althing, and then returned to his ship.  Hallbjorn and Stigandi came home when Thord had got out but a little way from land, and Kotkell told his sons what had happened there.  The brothers were furious at that, and said that hitherto people had taken care not to show them in so barefaced a manner such open enmity.  Then Kotkell had a great spell-working scaffold made, and they all went up on to it, and they sang hard twisted songs that were enchantments.  And presently a great tempest arose.  Thord, Ingun’s son, and his companions, continued out at sea as he was, soon knew that the storm was raised against him.  Now the ship is driven west beyond Skalmness, and Thord showed great courage with seamanship.  The men who were on land saw how he threw overboard all that made up the boat’s lading, saving the men; and the people who were on land expected Thord would come to shore, for they had passed the place that was the rockiest; but next there arose a breaker on a rock a little way from the shore that no man had ever known to break sea before, and smote the ship so that forthwith up turned keel uppermost.  There Thord and all his followers were drowned, and the ship was broken to pieces, and the keel was washed up at a place now called Keelisle.  Thord’s shield was washed up on an island that has since been called Shieldisle.  Thord’s body and the bodies of his followers were all washed ashore, and a great howe was raised over their corpses at the place now called Howesness.

[Footnote 3:  i.e., at home at Laugar.]

CHAP.  XXXVI

About Kotkell and Grima

[Sidenote:  The birth of Thord Cat] These tidings spread far and wide, and were very ill-spoken of; they were accounted of as men of doomed lives, who wrought such witchcraft as that which Kotkell and his had now shown.  Gudrun took the death of Thord sorely to heart, for she was now a woman not hale, and coming close to her time.  After that Gudrun gave birth to a boy, who was sprinkled with water and called Thord.  At that time Snorri the Priest lived at Holyfell; he was a kinsman and a friend of Osvif’s, and Gudrun and her people trusted him very much.  Snorri went thither (to Laugar), being asked to a feast there.  Then Gudrun told her trouble to Snorri, and he said he would back up their case when it seemed good to him, but offered to Gudrun to foster her child to comfort her.  This Gudrun agreed to, and said she would rely on his foresight.  This Thord was surnamed the Cat, and was father of the poet Stuf.  After that Gest Oddleifson went to see Hallstein, and gave him choice of two things, either that he should send away these wizards or he said that he would kill them, “and yet it comes too late.”  Hallstein made his choice at once, and bade them rather be off, and put up nowhere west of Daleheath, adding that it was more justly