The Saga of Eric the Red,
also called The Saga of Thorfinn Karlsefni and Snorri Thorbrandsson

Olaf was the name of a warrior-king[1], who was called Olaf the White. He was the son of King Ingiald, Helgi’s son, the son of Olaf, Gudraud’s son, son of Halfdan Whiteleg[3], king of the Uplands-men(8). Olaf engaged in a Western freebooting expedition and captured Dublin in Ireland and the Shire of Dublin, over which he became king(9). He married Aud the Wealthy[4], daughter of Ketil Flatnose[5], son of Biorn Buna[6], a famous man of Norway. Their son was called Thorstein the Red[7]. Olaf was killed in battle in Ireland, and Aud(10) and Thorstein went then to the Hebrides(11); there Thorstein married Thurid[8], daughter of Eyvind Easterling[9], sister of Helgi the Lean[10]; they had many children. Thorstein became a warrior-king, and entered into fellowship with Earl Sigurd the Mighty[11], son of Eystein the Rattler[12]. They conquered Caithness and Sutherland, Ross and Moray, and more than half of Scotland. Over these Thorstein became king, ere he was betrayed by the Scots, and was slain there in battle. Aud was at Caithness when she heard of Thorstein’s death; she thereupon caused a ship¹(12) to be secretly built in the forest, and when she was ready, she sailed out to the Orkneys. There she bestowed Groa, Thorstein the Red’s daughter, in marriage; she was the mother of Grelad[13], whom Earl Thorfinn, Skull-cleaver[14], married. After this Aud set out to seek Iceland, and had on board her ship twenty freemen(13). Aud arrived in Iceland, and passed the first winter at Biarnarhöfn with her brother, Biorn. Aud afterwards took possession of all the Dale country(14) between Dögurdar river and Skraumuhlaups river. She lived at Hvamm, and held her orisons at Krossholar, where she caused crosses to be erected, for she had been baptized and was a devout believer. With her there came out [to Iceland] many distinguished men, who had been captured in the Western freebooting expedition, and were called slaves. Vifil was the name of one of these: he was a highborn man, who had been taken captive in the Western sea, and was called a slave, before Aud freed him; now when Aud gave homesteads to the members of her crew, Vifil asked wherefore she gave him no homestead as to the other men. Aud replied, that this should make no difference to him, saying, that he would be regarded as a distinguished man wherever he was. She gave him Vifilsdal(15), and there he dwelt. He married a woman whose name was …..[15]; their sons were Thorbiorn and Thorgeir. They were men of promise, and grew up with their father.

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