[Olaf, who was called Olaf the White, was styled a warrior king. He
was the son of King Ingjald, the son of Helgi, the son of Olaf, the
son of Gudred, the son of Halfdan Whiteleg, king of the Uplands (in
Norway). He led a harrying expedition of sea-rovers into the west, and
conquered Dublin, in Ireland, and Dublinshire, over which he made
himself king. He married Aud the Deep-minded, daughter of Ketil
Flatnose, son of Bjorn the Ungartered, a noble man from Norway. Their
son was named Thorstein the Red. Olaf fell in battle in Ireland, and
then Aud and Thorstein went into the Sudreyjar (the Hebrides). There
Thorstein married Thorid, daughter of Eyvind the Easterling, sister of
Helgi the Lean; and they had many children. Thorstein became a warrior
king, and formed an alliance with Earl Sigurd the Great, son of
Eystein the Rattler. They conquered Caithness, Sutherland, Ross, and
Moray, and more than half Scotland. Over these Thorstein was king
until the Scots plotted against him, and he fell there in battle. Aud
was in Caithness when she heard of Thorstein's death. Then she caused
a merchant-ship to be secretly built in the wood, and when she was
ready, directed her course out into the Orkneys. There she gave in
marriage Thorstein the Red's daughter, Gro, who became mother of
Grelad, whom Earl Thorfinn, the Skullcleaver, married. Afterwards Aud
set out to seek Iceland, having twenty free men in her ship. Aud came
to Iceland, and passed the first winter in Bjarnarhofn (Bjornshaven)
with her brother Bjorn. Afterwards she occupied all the Dale country
between the Dogurdara (day-meal river) and the Skraumuhlaupsa
(river of the giantess's leap), and dwelt at Hvamm. She had prayer meetings
at Krossholar (Crosshills), where she caused crosses to be erected,
for she was baptised and deeply devoted to the faith. There came with
her to Iceland many men worthy of honour, who had been taken captive
in sea-roving expeditions to the west, and who were called bondmen.
One of these was named Vifil; he was a man of high family, and had
been taken captive beyond the western main, and was also called a
bondman before Aud set him free. And when Aud granted dwellings to her
ship's company, Vifil asked why she gave no abode to him like unto the
others. Aud replied, "That it was of no moment to him, for," she said,
"he would be esteemed in whatever place he was, as one worthy of
honour." She gave him Vifilsdalr (Vifilsdale), and he dwelt there and
married. His sons were Thorbjorn and Thorgeir, promising men, and they
grew up in their father's house.
Eirik the Red's Saga
by Anonymous
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Chapter 2
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