Battle at Orlygsstað

This major battle was fought on August 21, 1238, when the forces under Kolbein the Young and Gizur Thorvaldsson surprised the army of Sighvatr Sturlason and Sturla Sighvatrson .

Kolbein ungi rode away from the district, as was written earlier, with one hundred and fifty men. He rode south from Kil, when he had freed those among Sturla's men who had been taken at Valadal. When he came down from the fell he rode to meet Gizur. He stayed at Hroarsholt in the summer, and had had the stores which he had seized from Dufgus brought there. When the kinsmen met one another, they at once decided that men should be sent down over Mosfellsheið and all around Gizur's district. That was so managed that all the men went who were thought fit for war service; a large force quickly assembled. They sent to Rangarvellir for men, but of the brothers there none would join the forces except Bjorn. He came with four other men; they stayed at Tunga for the feast day and gathered a force there. After the mass-day they went to the fell. Kolbein sent men ahead to the north to his friends, summoning all those who were willing to support him to meet him there.

Gizur and his men went on until they reached Kiðjaskarð in the north. Many Vatnsdalers and many men from the west joined them there; horstein from Hvamm and Þorstein Hjalmsson were at their head. They had so arranged the march from the south that Gizur rode in the rear and was to watch out that no one turned back, while Kolbein rode at the head and directed his scouts. The scouts were so organized that some were continually coming to Kolbein, while others, who had arrived earlier, were at Gizur's side. They rode on in this order to Skiðastaðalaugar. Then Brand Kolbeinsson rode off with some men. He had been south with Kolbein his kins–man. He rode into the district, gathered men from around Sæmund–-arhlið, Langaholt, and Hegranes, and from east across Heraðs–vatn, as well as many more from below Flugumyr; in this way he collected a large company. They had nine hundred men from the south; when they were near Reykjalaug they were nearly thirteen hundred. They arrived there on a Friday evening and Brand arrived there early on Saturday morning with one hundred men.

Before the events which are now to follow, there were many premonitions, although few are recorded here.

Brynjolf was the name of a man at Kjalarnes, who dreamed that he saw a huge man with the back of his head struck off and a wound in his neck. He spoke this verse: 

Homes stand empty and waste. 
Storms wreathe the world; 
Harshly men meet on the heath: 
We are all struck down. 
I too awaited Njorð's hell 
When I fell at the northerners' side
The gray spear spills the mighty, 
Wounded men fall to their death, 
Wounded men fall to their death.

The priest Hafliði Ljotsson heard this recited in Halleyjarhol: 

Let us all ride on
To the battle ahead,
Kinsmen in enmity;
Wherever men fight,
Mighty men fight.

Þorarin Gilsson dreamt that a woman spoke this: 

Now will I go 
To heave my rocks 
Where Bjorn and Sighvat 
Are struggling to win.

Einar kláp dreamt that this was composed: 

Dead is our leader. 
Dead our champion, 
Dead the companions, 
As flames are prepared for me, 
Flames are prepared for me.

There was a man named Snæbjorn who lived in Sandvik out from Hofðahverfi. He went out one night before Christmas, in the winter before the battle at Orlygsstað. Then a woman came into the home-field; she was big and strong, dreary and red of face. She wore a dark blue kirtle, and a linked belt; she spoke this verse, turning towards him: 

Slayer of men will I here become. 
Savage the strife throughout the land. 
A plague I will be now for you 
As vengeance for many impels me. 
Death and destruction will not miss our foes 
But come ever closer to all who are fighting. 
The voice of the dead calls out loudly;
The voice of the dead calls out loudly.

And this also she recited: 

Raging I fare away 
To savaging battles. 
I wing over holt, over heath 
In the paths of black ravens. 
I come to the vale where all is dark, 
The valley of death which awaits me. 
Sorrow-harmed I hurry ahead 
To endure the torment of famine, 
The torment of famine my fate.

Halldora was the name of another woman; she was Þorð's daughter, and lived in Fljot. She dreamt in the summer before the battle at Orlygsstað that a man appeared to her and spoke this: 

The heavens darken,
Blood rains down.
The helmeted head
Is struck from the body.

This verse was spoken in his sleep before Ormstein the priest, also before the battle at Orlygsstað: 

Mist shrouds the earth, 
Dark are the skies. 
Now tell of the arrows 
Shafted in poison. 
Ever alarums, clamor renewed, 
Where men are fighting, 
There men are numbered

            West in Svartardal this verse was spoken to a woman, when a big, ugly man appeared to her: 

Summer will spawn 
Never-ending . . .

Jon Grettisson was the name of a man who dreamt that a man appeared to him and spoke this: 

Beware! beware! 
For the wind blows high. 
Blood will rain down 
On men's bared bodies. 
Point and edge will share 
All men's inheritance, 
Now that the sword-age 
Cuts sharply upon us. 

This was spoken to Sturla Sighvatsson at home at Sau5afel in the summer, before he went to Orlygsstað. A woman came to him and said: 

Neither to you nor to others 
Is it given to foresee 
Who will be victor, 
Who conqueror there.

And it seemed to Sturla that the woman spoke sobbingly.

In the summer, also before the battle at Orlygsstað, a woman named Þurið at Fellsendi in the Dales dreamt that she thought Sturla Sighvatsson came to her and spoke this: 

Who washes me 
In warm blood? 
Tell me, O tell me
Who wounds me in the play? 
Worthy men trust 
And Tumi well knows, 
I rejoice, I rejoice
That I'll repay Gizur.

This single verse was spoken to Sturla Þorðarson also before the battle: 

Where the men are slain,
Blood wells from; the brave.
Where hawk slits the warm vein,
There must I go.

This verse was recited to a man named Berg: 

Now northerners will tell over 
Such woes or worse
For Sighvat's sons. 
Bloodied, banefully wounded 
We will venture ahead 
Roughly in conflict, 
To redden our sword, 
Where swords must be reddened.

This was recited before a woman a short way from Þingeyrastað in bright daylight, but she did not see the man, although the verse was recited aloud: 

There's sport in the north
Where the warriors play.
They'll sweep round Gizur,
Embrace him with spears.
They can sweep round Gizur
And embrace him with spears.

Þorgeir was the name of a priest who dreamt before the battle that a woman came to him and spoke this: 

I pass through men's hearts 
Through the world's darkened homes. 
Men will grievously pay 
For this grim passage: 
Wound will requite wound 
Where men fell one another. 
Each savage assault will breed another 
Which men are shortly to bear.

Sigurð Styrbjarnarson dreamt before the battle at Orlygsstað that it seemed to him he saw two ravens, each of whom spoke his line in the following verse: 

Whom will the warrior attack? 
Who is most ready for battle? 
Who of the champions will fall, 
Kolbein's father or Sturla?
Swiftly battle-fear bruises, 
Sword severs limbs. 
The greatest of men, most beloved,
Are those who fall in such battles.

Eyjolf forna dreamt, when he was sleeping, near Skytja in Skagafjorð, that a woman spoke this: 

Sleep while you can, 
For fire flames around you.

When Sturla came to Miklabær late on Friday, he rode up to Saurbær to meet his father; they talked together for a while. When he rode down, he came to Viðivellir. His brother Kolbein went outside with his men, a handsome company and well equipped.

Sturla mentioned this: "You have a fine company, brother."

"I think so," said Kolbein.

"So it is," said Sturla, "and so it needs to be; for they are to be the first to ride forward when they come down from the tongue of land between the rivers. I advise you to go straight up to the house, for it is a good vantage point, and we will come there quickly to help you."

"Everything will be done as you have arranged," said Kolbein.

"That is good," said Sturla and rode off to Miklabær.

He posted watchmen there as usual. Sturla spent the night in his locked-bed with the priest Illugi Þórarinsson near him. In another locked‑bed lay Sturla Þorðarson with Einar osið near him. The hall was entirely taken up by the men.

Gizur and his men spent the night at Reykjalaug; early in the morning he and Kolbein arose and wakened their men. Gizur told Kolbein and Brand his dream, for he and Brand had come before they were all dressed. 

"I dreamt," said Gizur, "that it seemed to me that Bishop Magnus, my father's brother, came to me and spoke as follows: `Stand up, kinsman,' he said, `I will follow you: Then I woke up."

"That's well dreamt," said Kolbein, "don't you think?"

"It seems to me better dreamt than not dreamt," said Gizur.

Kolbein went to confession at Reykir with the priest Þórð, and gave into his seeping a good sword which he owned, but kept a halberd in his hands.

Gizur then spoke to his forces to spur the men on to attack. "I don't want you," said he, "to use me as a cover from the swords' points ahead of you, as the Skagafirðings used my kinsman Kolbein Tumason when he fell at Viðines. They themselves, however, at the beginning of the battle at once ran off so frightened that they did not even know when they were running across the Jokulsa; and when they thought they had their shields on their backs they bore their saddles there!  Try to follow the example of valiant men; men who bravely followed King Sverri or other chieftains, and whose fame and great valor will live forever. Doubt not that I shall be near you, if you fight well, for I expect the best from you. It is also true that that man will never be thought a hero who does not drive back this band of rovers. And now, may God protect us all," said Gizur.

All the men loudly applauded the speech. After that they rode east over Tungusveit, and at the same time all their other forces arrived. They stationed themselves at the river opposite Viðivellir.

Sturla woke up shortly after sunrise. He sat up and his face was sweating; he stroked his chin with his hand and said, “There's not much meaning in dreams." After that he got up and went to the outhouse; Illugi the priest was with him. When he came back he lay down for a little while, until a man came into the hall and called out: "The group of southerners is riding in now, and it's a whole army!"

At once the men ran to their weapons. When Sturla came out of the door and saw the army of Gizur and his allies he said, "They are not so few as they are paltry, so let us gather our forces, and call the stable hands to drive away the horses."

The horses were scattered around the moor down to the river. Sturla went to the church then, took a scroll from his small bag, and recited the Augustinian prayer while the men were getting ready. Afterwards they went up out of the yard and stationed themselves on the upper side of Viðivellir.

When the southerners were riding toward Jokulsa, a man named Þorleif spaði fell off his horse - he was then living south, at Hrutsstað - and men cried out to him. Gizur bade them not stop shouting and that became their war cry.  Sturla and his men were silent until Kolbein came up to meet them with his force. Then they all shouted and turned up into the enclosed field named Orlygsstað. A sheep house stood in the field. But the field was low-lying, so that it was not good for defense.

When he came south around the house Sturla took up his position between the house and the rim of the field. He wore a blue woolen cloak, until Hall Arason threw over him a russet-flecked one with sleeves, and a little byrnie. Some of Sturla's men went forward to the yard and took up their positions; there was meadow between them and where Sturla stood. Their shields were bound in their packs and they were not loosened. One shield only was freed, on which the crucifix had been marked. That was meant for Sturla, but he didn't take it.

Gizur rode with his force to Viðivellir; there they dismounted and proceeded on foot. Kolbein ungi and the greater part of his force were on horseback and they went nearer the side of the hill. Sighvat then rode down along the side of the hill with his troop. Gizur and his men took up their positions southwest of the enclosure; but Kolbein ungi and his men rode right up to the yard before they dismounted.

Then a man who was standing by the yard said to Sturla: "Shouldn't we run at them right now, while they're dismounting?"

"No," said Sturla, "here we will stay, nor will we run from here."

Nevertheless, some men did run out of the field against them Svarthofði Dufgusson and the sons of Skarð-Snorri, Barð and Sigmund, Orm kistil, Hall of Jorva, seven in all. But they turned back quickly.

Kolbein's men turned boldly to meet them, and Morð Eiriksson ran back to the field first. Then many followed him and eagerly egged each other on to drive back those few enemies in flight. At that moment Sighvat rode down into the field, but two of Kolbein's men killed two of his men before they got off their horses - those who rode last, including Þórð Kolsson, his homeman. Sigurð Eldjdarnsson killed him. Then Kolbein and his men turned up alongside the yard; right up among the foremost with him were his followers Einar dragi Illugason, his brother Þorstein golt, Jon kjappi, Olaf Hoskuldsson chaim, Sigurð Eldjarnsson, Þoralf Bjarnason and many others, and they made a heavy attack.

Kolbein said, as he led his men in attack on the field: "May things now turn out according to God's will." Kolbein and his men advanced so swiftly along the yard that there were no men behind them when those in the forefront had attacked and met a most vigorous defense.

Gizur attacked the yard from the southwest; Sturla's men turned to meet them, and there met strong resistance. Sturla took up a stone which Gizur's men had thrown into the field, and threw it back against Gizur and his force. Narfi Svartsson was in front, and it hit his steel hat above the skull; he fell backwards so fast that his feet nearly flew up over his head. He sprang straight up because his skull was not hurt, and was then very angry.

A man in Gizur's force spoke: "That's one Borgarfjorð man who will know, before the sun goes down in the evening, whether or not the southerner is a coward."

Eirik birkibein, who wore a white coat-of-mail, threw a stone at this man; it struck his buckler and he fell backwards. He stood straight up then and wheeled around at Sturla's men, but many of them wounded him and he fell. Gizur's men began to hurl stones at Sturla's men, but Gizur said: "Don't throw the stones at them now or you will receive hard blows from those very stones when they throw them back at you."

Askel, the son of Skeggi Arnason, had been with Sturla and had gone out to see to the horses in the morning. He was in such a dangerous spot that he had to run among the southerners' forces and move with them toward the battlefield. But when the forces came together he got over to his own men and there found his companion Þorkel, and said: "Well, my ruse succeeded. I have been in among the southern men so that they didn't know it."

Then one of the southern men said: "You won't need to keep boasting about that any longer."

Askel's steel hat was askew on his head and the cheekpieces unfastened. Þorkel said, "Set your hat on your head better while I am protecting you."

But just then a stone struck Þorkel and he turned to face his attackers. One man struck him with a spear, but he cut it off at the shaft. Then the man drew a sword, but Þorkel struck his arm, and many others also struck him. Þorkel came out of the fray alive, but Askel fell there. At that moment a shout went to Sturla's men that their enemies had come up behind them, and Kolbein and his men were there. Sturla's men turned then to meet them but they were in the narrow pen and had to deploy their force north into the field. Ogmund Kolbeinsson fell in the pen; then Kolbein Sighvatsson and his men came on in flight from the yard.

The men of Eyjafjorð had come into the field by then, and Guðmund Gislsson struck Hall Þorsteinsson of Glaumbær so that he fell to the ground. Sighvat then moved southwards, back toward the yard, to meet the men of Skagafjorð. He was wearing a blue kirtle and had a steel hat on his head; he was carrying an old inlaid axe called Stjarna in his hand; he held it by the shaft down below the eye, with the edge turned away from him, and was swinging it by the shaft. A man who saw him coming out of the field said to him: "Don't go out there, Sighvat; for your enemies are outside there."

Sighvat made no answer but went straight on. Þorvarð from Saurbær was with him and Sighvat Runolfsson, with Sam, one of Þorvarð's housecarls. Arni Auðunarson went forward with Sighvat, striking out on both sides. Kolbein's men asked why he, an old, small man, was conducting himself so rashly.

"I do not intend to leave this field," he said.

Sighvat with his three companions fell south of the enclosure.  Bjorn Leifsson from Ás came up, held a shield over Sighvat and supported his head with both hands, for Sighvat was exhausted with weariness although he had few or no wounds. Kolbein ungi came up and asked: "Who is that hunkering by the enclosure there?"

"Sighvat," they said.

"Why don't you kill him?" Kolbein asked.

"Because Bjorn is protecting him," they said.

"Then kill him first," Kolbein said.

Bjorn fled. Kolbein struck Sighvat with a spear, at the junction of his neck and shoulders; but it was a slight wound, for the point of the spear had been broken off.

Sighvat said: "Let us talk with one another for you have the upper hand now in our affair."

But then Einar dragi ran up and struck Sighvat in the head; that was sufficient for a fatal wound but many others wounded him besides. When Sighvat djakn saw this he threw himself down on top of his namesake, and he also was slain there. Sighvat Sturluson had seventeen wounds. He was in his sixty-eighth year.

Árni Auðunarson there met his death with great renown. Þorvarð from Saurbær was wearing a byrnie which was called Full‑trui, which no spear could penetrate. This protected him until Kolbein gave him his life. Sam fell there. Árni was past seventy. They stripped Sighvat then of all his clothes except for his undertrousers.

At the same time it is told of Sturla that he was severely attacked and that he defended himself nobly. Markus Þorgilsson was the name of one young man who jumped from Sturla's group on top of the wall early in the battle. He was thrust through by a spear yet he defended himself afterwards as best he could. Then he got another spear through him so that his bowels fell out, and he died. Sturla retreated from the pen below the sheephouse and so to the west. Lauga-Snorri went ahead of Sturla, covering him with a buckler; he held his sword under the buckler as men do when they fence; Sturla had his own buckler over Lauga-Snorri's head. The attack on Sturla was severe, but Snorri covered Sturla, not himself, and therefore received many grave wounds before he himself fell. Sturla defended himself with his spear, which was named Grasiða, an ancient, inlaid, but not very strong spear. He continuously laid about him so hard with this spear that men fell before him, but the spear bent and several times he had to straighten it out under his foot.

Hunroð, the son of Magnus Hunroðarson, thrust his spear at Sturla but Sturla made a counter thrust so that Hunroð fell. He was a little man with a good byrnie and was not wounded. Then Koran Svarthofðason sought out Sturla and struck at him with his spear.

Sturla said to him: "Are you here too, you devil?"

Koran answered: "Where else would you expect to see me?"

Many men said that Sturla hadn't a scratch at that time. Then Hunroð stood up, struck his spear into Sturla's right cheek so that it bit into the bone. Sturla burst out: "Now the lesser devils are tormenting me."

Then two men attacked Sturla at the same time. Hjalti the bishop's son struck his left cheek and the spear cut its way out at his tongue; that was a wound to the bone, Boðvar kampi, the son of Einar Nautbæling, struck his spear into Sturla's throat and ran it up into his mouth. Sturla struck at Hjalrn of Viðivellir, and killed him.

When Sturla was wounded three times, he said to Hjalti: "Give quarter, kinsman."

"You shall have quarter from me," said Hjalti.

Sturla was by then exhausted to death and losing blood badly. He steadied himself with his arm on Hjalti's shoulders, and so they walked out of the field; Hjalti put one hand to Sturla's back and supported him that way. Sturla threw himself down when he had gone a short way from the field; his speech was indistinct, but Hjalti thought he asked for a priest. Hjalti went away then, and Olaf tott, a kinsman of Flosi the priest stood by; he held his shield over Sturla, and Gizur's kinsman Jatgeir Teitsson held his buckler over him. Then Gizur came up, threw off these protections and also Sturla's steel helmet, and said: "Here am I to do the work."

He took a broadaxe from the hand of Þórð Valdason and struck Sturla mightily on the head from the left, behind the eye, a deep but narrow wound. The men who were near said that Gizur leapt into the air with both feet when he struck Sturla, so that they saw the sky between his feet and the earth. Klaæeng Bjarnarson struck Sturla in the throat in the wound he already had there, and up Into his mouth. All these wounds were so wide that one might put three fingers in them. Then Einar Þhorvaldsson came up and told of the death of Sighvat.

"I don't find that cause for sorrow," said Gizur.

Onund the bishop's kinsman cut away Sturla's purse and gave it to Gizur. Another man pulled from his finger the gold ring which he had had from Saemund in Oddi; it had a dark stone and was engraved with his seal. Gizur took Sturla's ring and weapon. Markus Marðarson struck his spear into Sturla's belly on the right side above the navel. He had three wounds on the left side in his chest. A man by the name of Nadd struck Sturla in his windpipe. Of all the wounds after Gizur struck none bled.

Þorarin Sveinsson was always near Sturla and bore himself well; Gizur gave him quarter when he recognized him, for the sake of his relationship to Groa, Gizur's wife. Þorarin washed Sturla's body and wrapped it about, when they had stripped him naked. Martein Þorkelsson fell a short distance from Sturla.

Kolbein Sighvatsson and the greater part of the fleeing host took their position on a stony mound under the hillside above the field. Gisli of Sand came up there with his company; he was mounted and men begged him to come down to help those still in the pen; he told the Vestfirðings to urge on their men. Then Mani of Gnupufel came down there and said that both Sighvat and Sturla had fallen; he told Kolbein to seek whatever refuge he could. Kolbein ran to the church at Miklabær with all the men who fled, some into the church, some into the house. A little later Gizur came up to the church.

Gisli from Rauðasand and Tumi Sighvatsson fled up into the mountains with many men, and on to Eyjafjorð. Markus Sighvatsson was wounded to death in the field. Afterwards he was taken to Viðivellir, laid himself face down and received extreme unction. Brand Ulfheðinsson sat by him. Gizur sent word to Simon knut and Gizur glaði to kill Brand; Bork, the son of Þorbjorn stol Sigurðarson, killed him.

Þórð Guðmundarson defended himself from the doorway of the house at Miklabær, until his adversaries sought to get behind him by a secret doorway. Then he retreated into the room and defended himself there long and manfully, until he was overcome. Gizur glaði struck him fatally with a two-handed blow.

When Gizur reached the church, quarter was offered to the men, and first to the Eyfirðings. Gizur and Klæng offered quarter to Sturla þorðarson; he stipulated that Asgrim BergÞorsson should be granted quarter with him, which was swiftly granted. Quarter was extended to the sons of Dufgus at the pleading of Olaf Svartsson. Svarthofði Dufgusson and Kolbein gron were up on the church. In the end quarter was granted and peace was promised to all but six of the men.

Sturla asked Kolbein Sighvatsson whether he wanted them to go out. Kolbein asked them to go out and said that it would help most of all if they would make some space in the church for people were about to suffocate.

Kolbein asked them to seek quarter for him when they came out, and to offer in his name all that he might in honor give for has life; he offered to go to Norway and never return. But they would not even consider his offer and threatened to burn down the church - which, they said, was not consecrated - if they did not come out. They were there until sunset that evening. Then Kolbein asked that they be allowed to go out to the privy, and that was granted. It was growing dark when they came out of the church; they went through the hall, which was full of wounded men and those to whom quarter had been granted. They were all glad that Kolbein and his men had come out unscathed but Kolbein said, "That certainly is fortunate; nevertheless, no quarter has been given to us."

When they had finished at the outhouse, they came back outside and Kolbein spoke to those who were inside the hall: "Do you want to see a mighty stroke?"

But they could not speak a word. Kolbein said to Gizur when he came out, "I want you to strike me down before my brother Þórð.

Gizur said that it should be so. Einar koll struck Kolbein.  Þórð was led up to be slain. A man with Kolbein ungi said, "Aren't you going to ask quarter for the boy, your kinsman Þórð?"

Kolbein said, "He who has just died is a far greater loss.”

Brand Þorleifson killed Þórð. Hrafn's sons were slain there - Krak and Sveinbjdrn; Herstein, the son of Berg the priest, slew them.  Þorir jokul was killed by a man who thought thus to avenge his brother whom Þorir had slain at the battle in Bær. þorir spoke this verse before he fell beneath the blow: 

You must climb the keel, 
Though cold the sea-drift; 
Cast your heart high 
Though here you must die. 
Old you are, and heavy your brow, 
Still, scowl not at these showers
For long you've shared in maidens' love, 
And one day every man must die.

Then Hermund Hermundarson was led to death. He had a very handsome head of hair and said that he would fasten his hair up so that it would not get bloody. So he did, and was looking up at the sky when Geirmund Þjof slew him. Klæng had given the order to him. They were all slain with Sighvat's axe, Stjarna. The bodies of Sighvat, Markus, Sturla, and Þórð were taken to Þvera, but Kolbein's body was taken to Grenjaðarstað.

These men died at the battle of Orlygsstað, counting those who died of their wounds: from the west: Sturla Sighvatsson, Arni Auðunarson, Snorri Þórðarson, Vigfus Ivarsson, Orm Halldorsson, Martein Þorkelsson, Markus Þorgilsson, Gizur Þorarinsson, Hermund Hermundarson, Þorir Steinfinnsson, Valdi and Askel Skeggjason, Bersi Þorsteinsson; from the West Fjords: Krak and Sveinbjorn Hrafn's sons, Markus Magnusson, Helgi Sveinsson, Þórð Guðmundarson, Eindrið smið, Þórð Hallkelsson and Amundi, Ogmund Kolbeinsson, Jon kaupi, Dalk Þorgilsson; and from the north: Sighvat Sturluson, Þórð and Markus his sons; Sighvat Runolfsson, Ingjald stami, Þórð daufi, Einar Ingjaldsson, Bjorn Gizurarson, Bjorn Þorarinsson, Eyjolf, Guðmund Halldorsson. Sam, Þórð Eysteinsson, Eirik Þorsteinsson, Bjorn horgrimsson; and from farther north: Kolbein Sighvatsson, Pal Magnusson, Þorgeir Bjarnarson, Odd Karsson, Skeggi Hallsson, Sigurð Guðmundarson, Brand Þorkelsson, Brand Einarsson, Ljot, Loðin Helgason. These died on Gizur's side: Jatgeir Þorarinsson, Sigfus Tofason, Þorlak Barkarson, Þorgils Steinason, Þórð Snorrason, Þorbjorn, Þorodd, a housecarl of Teit Þorvaldsson.

On Sunday most of the men went away out of Skagafjorð, those who could travel despite their wounds. Again men from the west were plundered at Jokulsarbakka by Kolbein's followers, and some were beaten. They might have received the worst possible treatment there if Þorstein Jonsson and the Vatnsdalers had not helped them. Kolbein was in every way more savage than Gizur after the battle. Many wounded men lay behind in Skagafjorð, including the sons of Skarð-Snorri, Sigmund and Barð; to both these men their wounds brought lasting mutilation, and they lay all winter at Silfrastað. The Stolungs had wounded them; Barð had fallen south of the yard and Sigmund at the northwest

From Sturlunga Saga, edited by Julia H. McGrew (New York: The American- Scandinavian Foundation, 1970)

This text is copyrighted by The American-Scandinavian Foundation.  We thank them for allowing us to publish this section.