the treasures and kept the sword at his bed-head,
and the winter wore on toward Yule, so that little else fell out to be
told of.

CHAP. XIX.

<i>Of Yule at Haramsey, and how Grettir dealt with the Bearserks</i>.

Now the summer before these things Earl Eric Hakonson made ready to
go from his land west to England, to see King Knut the Mighty, his
brother-in-law, but left behind him in the rule of Norway Hakon, his
son, and gave him into the hands of Earl Svein, his brother, for the
watching and warding of his realm, for Hakon was a child in years.

But before Earl Eric went away from the land, he called together lords
and rich bonders, and many things they spoke on laws and the rule of
the land, for Earl Eric was a man good at rule. Now men thought it an
exceeding ill fashion in the land that runagates or bearserks called
to holm high-born men for their fee or womankind, in such wise, that
whosoever should fall before the other should lie unatoned; hereof
many got both shame and loss of goods, and some lost their lives
withal; and therefore Earl Eric did away with all holm-gangs and
outlawed all bearserks who fared with raids and riots.

In the making of this law, the chief of all, with Earl Eric, was
Thorfinn Karrson, from Haramsey, for he was a wise man, and a dear
friend of the Earls.

Two brothers are named as being of the worst in these matters,
one hight Thorir Paunch, the other Ogmund the Evil; they were of
Halogaland kin, bigger and stronger than other men. They wrought the
bearserks'-gang and spared nothing in their fury; they would take away
the wives of men and hold them for a week or a half-month, and then
bring them back to their husbands; they robbed wheresoever they came,
or did some other ill deeds. Now Earl Eric made them outlaws through
the length and breadth of Norway, and Thorfinn was the eagerest of men
in bringing about their outlawry, therefore they deemed that they owed
him ill-will enow.

So the Earl went away from the land, as is said in his Saga; but Earl
Svein bore sway over Norway. Thorfinn went home to his house, and sat
at home till just up to Yule, as is aforesaid; but at Yule he made
ready to go to his farm called Slysfirth, which is on the mainland,
and thither he had bidden many of his friends. Thorfinn's wife could
not go with her husband, for her daughter of ripe years lay ill
a-bed, so they both abode at home. Grettir was at home too, and
eight house-carles. Now Th