Chapter 80 - Steinarr grazed his cattle on Þorstein's land.

Aunund Sjoni dwelt at Anabrekka, while Egil dwelt at Borg. Aunund married Thorgerdr daughter of Thorbjorn the Stout, of Snæfell-strand: the children of Aunund and his wife were a son Steinar, and a daughter Dalla. And when Aunund grew old and his sight was dim, then he gave up the housekeeping to Steinar his son. Father and son had much wealth.

Steinar was above other men tall and strong, ill-favoured, with a stoop, long in the legs, short in the body. He was a very quarrelsome man, vehement, overbearing, and obstinate, a most headstrong fellow. And when Thorstein Egil's son came to dwell at Borg, there was at once a coolness between him and Steinar. South of Hafs-brook lies a moor called Stack-moor. In winter this is under water, but in spring, when the ice breaks up, such good grazing for cattle is there, that it was deemed equal to stacked hay. Hafs-brook by old custom marked the boundary; but in spring Steinar's cattle encroached much on Stack-moor, when driven out to Hafs-brook, and Thorstein's house-carles complained of it. Steinar took no notice of this; and so matters went on for the first summer without anything happening. But in the second spring Steinar continued to take the pasturage; wherefore Thorstein spoke with him about it, but quietly, asking him to control the grazing of his kine, as had been the old usage. Steinar said the cattle should go where they would. He spoke on the whole matter with obstinacy, and he and Thorstein had words about it. Thorstein then had the cattle turned back to the moor beyond Hafs-brook. This when Steinar knew, he charged Grani his thrall to sit by the cattle on Stack-moor, and he sat there every day. This was in the latter part of the summer: all the pasture south of Hafs-brook had been grazed by then.

Now it happened one day that Thorstein had mounted a knoll to look round. He saw where Steinar's cattle were moving. Out he went on to the moor: it was late in the day. He saw that the cattle had now come far out on the fenny hollow. Thorstein ran out on the moor. And when Grani saw that, he drove the cattle away apace till they came to the milking-shed. Thorstein followed, and he and Grani met in the gate. Thorstein slew him there: and it has been called since Grani's gate: it is in the wall of the enclosure. Thorstein pulled down the wall over Grani, and so covered his body. Then he went home to Borg, but the women who came to the milking-shed found Grani where he lay. After that they carried him home to the house, and told Steinar these tidings. Steinar buried him up on the hillside, and soon got another thrall to go with the cattle, whose name is not told. Thorstein made as though he knew nothing about the pasture for the remainder of the summer.

It now happened that Steinar in the early part of the winter went out to Snæfell-strand and stayed there awhile. There he saw a thrall named Thrand, who was tall and strong above other men. Steinar, wishing to buy him, bid a large sum: but his owner valued him at three marks of silver, which was twice the price of a common thrall, and at this sum the bargain was made. Steinar took Thrand home with him, and when they came home, then spoke Steinar with Thrand: 'Now stand matters so that I will have work of you. But as all the work is already arranged, I will put on you a task of but little trouble: you shall sit by my cattle. I make a great point of their being well kept at pasture. I would have you go by no man's rule but your own, take them wherever the pasture on the moor is best. I am no judge of a man's look if you have not courage and strength enough to hold your own against any house-carle of Thorstein's.'

Steinar delivered into Thrand's hand a large axe. whose blade was an ell long, it was keen as a razor. 'This I think of you, Thrand,' said Steinar, 'that you would not regard the priesthood of Thorstein if ye two were face to face.' Thrand answered: 'No duty do I, as I deem, owe to Thorstein; and methinks I understand what work you have laid before me. You think you risk little where I am; and I believe I shall come well out of it if I and Thorstein try our strength together.'

After this Thrand took charge of the cattle. He understood, ere he had been long there, whither Steinar had had his cattle taken, and he sat by them on Stack-moor. When Thorstein was aware of this, he sent a house-carle to seek Thrand, bidding him tell Thrand the boundary between his land and Steinar's. When the house-carle came to Thrand, he told him his errand, and bade him take the cattle otherwither, saying that the land on which they were belonged to Thorstein Egil's son. Thrand said, 'I care not a jot who owns the land; I shall take the cattle where I think the pasture is best.' Then they parted: the house-carle went home and told him the thrall's answer. Thorstein let the matter rest, and Thrand took to sitting by the cattle night and day.


 



80. kafli - Steinarr beitti land Þorsteins.

Önundr sjóni bjó at Ánabrekku, þá er Egill bjó at Borg. Önundr sjóni átti Þorgerði, dóttur Bjarnar ins digra af Snæfellsströnd. Börn þeira Önundar váru þau Steinarr ok Dalla, er átti Ögmundr Galtason, þeira synir Þorgils ok Kormákr. Ok er Önundr gerðist gamall ok sýndr lítt, þá seldi hann af hendi bú. Tók þá við Steinarr, sonr hans. Þeir feðgar áttu auð fjár. Steinarr var allra manna mestr ok rammr at afli, ljótr maðr, bjúgr í vexti, fóthár ok miðskammr. Steinarr var uppivöðslumaðr mikill ok ákafamaðr, ódæll ok harðfengr, inn mesti kappsmaðr.

Ok er Þorsteinn Egilsson bjó at Borg, þá gerðist þegar fátt um með þeim Steinari. Fyrir sunnan Háfslæk liggr mýrr, er heitir Stakksmýrr. Standa þar yfir vötn á vetrinn, en á várit, er ísa leysir, þá er þar útbeit svá góð nautum, at þat var kallat jafnt ok stakkr töðu. Háfslækr réð þar landamerkjum at fornu fari. En á várum gengu naut Steinars mjök á Stakksmýri, er þau váru rekin útan at Háfslæk, en húskarlar Þorsteins vönduðu um. Steinarr gaf at því engan gaum, ok fór svá fram it fyrsta sumar, at ekki varð til tíðenda.

En annat vár, þá helt Steinarr beitinhi, en Þorsteinn lagði þá í umræðu við hann ok ræddi þó stilliliga, bað hann Steinar halda beit búfjár síns, svá sem at fornu hafði verit. Steinarr segir, at fé myndi ganga þar, sem þat vildi. Hann ræddi um allt heldr festiliga, ok skiptust þeir Þorsteinn við nökkurum orðum. Síðan lét Þorsteinn hnekkja nautunum út á mýrar yfir Háfslæk, ok er Steinarr varð þess varr, þá fekk hann til Grana, þræl sinn, at sitja at nautunum á Stakksmýri, ok sat hann þar alla daga. Þetta var inn efra hlut sumars. Beittust þá upp allar engjar fyrir sunnan Háfslæk.

Nú var þat einn dag, at Þorsteinn hafði gengit upp á Borg at sjást um. Hann sá, hvar naut Steinars fóru. Hann gekk út á mýrar. Þat var síð dags. Hann sá, at nautin váru þá komin langt út í holtasundit. Þorsteinn rann út um mýrarnar, ok er Grani sá þat, þá rak hann nautin óvægiliga, til þess er þau kómu á stöðul. Þorsteinn kom þá eftir, ok hittust þeir Grani í garðshliðinu. Þorsteinn vá hann þar. Þat heitir Granahlið síðan. Þat er á túngarðinum. Þorsteinn hratt garðinum ofan á Grana ok hulði svá hræ hans. Síðan fór Þorsteinn heim til Borgar, en konur þær, er til stöðuls fóru, fundu Grana, þar er hann lá. Eftir þat fóru þær heim til húss ok sögðu Steinarí þessi tíðendi. Steinarr leiddi hann uppi í holtunum, en síðan fekk Steinarr til annan þræl at fylgja nautunum, ok er sá eigi nefndr. Þorsteinn lét þá sem hann vissi eigi um beit, þat sem eftir var sumarsins.

Þat varð til tíðenda, at Steinarr fór inn fyrra hlut vetrar út á Snsefellsströnd ok dvalðist þar um hríð. Steinarr sá þá þræl, er Þrándr hét. Hann var allra manna mestr ok sterkastr. Steinarr falaði þræl þann ok bauð til verð mikit, en sá, er átti þrælinn, mat hann fyrir þrjár merkr silfrs ok mat hann hálfu dýrra en meðalþræl, ok var þat kaup þeira. Hann hafði Þránd með sér heim.

Ok er þeir kómu heim, þá ræðir Steinarr við Þránd: "Nú er svá til farit, at ek vil hafa verknað af þér. Er hér skipat áðr til verka allra. Nú mun ek verk fyrir þik leggja, er þér er lítit erfiði í. Þú skalt sitja at nautum mínum. Þykkir rnér þat miklu skipta, at þeim sé vel til haga haldit. Vil ek, at þú hafir þar engis manns hóf við nema þitt, hvar hagi er beztr á mýrum. Má ek eigi á manni sjá, ef þú hefir eigi til þess hug eða afl at halda til fulls við einn hvern húskarl Þorsteins."

Steinarr seldi í hendr Þrándi öxi mikla, nær álnar fyrir munn, ok var hon hárhvöss.

"Svá lízt mér á þik, Þrándr," segir Steinarr, "sem eigi sé sýnt, hversu mikils þú metr goðorð Þorsteins, ef þit sjáizt tveir á."

Þrándr svarar: "Engan vanda ætla ek mér á við Þorstein, en skilja þykkjumst ek, hvert verk þú hefir fyrir mik lagt. Muntu þykkjast litlu til verja, þar sem ek em. En ek ætla mér vera góðan kost, hvárr sem upp kemr, ef vit Þorsteinn skulum reyna með okkr."

Síðan tók Þrándr til nautagæzlu. Honum hafði þat skilizt, þótt hann hefði eigi lengi verit, hvert Steinarr hafði nautum sínum látit halda, ok sat Þrándr at nautum á Stakksmýri.

Ok er Þorsteinn varð þess varr, þá sendi hann húskarl sinn til fundar við Þránd ok bað segja honum landamerki með þeim Steinari. Ok er húskarl hitti Þránd, þá sagði hann honum erendi sín ok bað hann halda nautunum annan veg, sagði, at þat var land Þorsteins Egilssonar, er nautin váru þá í komin.

Þrándr segir: "Þat hirði ek aldri, hvárr þeira land á. Mun ek naut haf a þar, sem mér þykkir hagi beztr."

Síðan skilðust þeir. Fór húskarl heim ok segir Þorsteini svör þrælsins. Þorsteinn lét þá kyrrt vera, en Þrándr tók þá at sitja at nautum nætr ok daga.

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