Old Norse literature -- Translations into English; Sagas
An island lay in the south-east off the
land, and they found bears thereon, and called the island Bjarney
(Bear Island); but the mainland, where the forest was, they called
Markland (forest-land). Then, when two half-days were passed, they saw
land, and sailed under it. There was a cape to which they came. They
cruised along the land, leaving it on the starboard side. There was a
harbourless coast-land, and long sandy strands. They went to the land
in boats, and found the keel of a ship, and called the place
Kjalar-nes (Keelness). They gave also name to the strands, calling
them Furdustrandir (wonder-shore), because it was tedious to sail by
them. Then the coast became indented with creeks, and they directed
their ships along the creeks. Now, before this, when Leif was with
King Olaf Tryggvason, and the king had requested him to preach
Christianity in Greenland, he gave him two Scotch people, the man
called Haki, and the woman called Hækja. The king requested Leif to
have recourse to these people if ever he should want fleetness,
because they were swifter than wild beasts. Eirik and Leif had got
these people to go with Karlsefni. Now, when they had sailed by
Furdustrandir, they put the Scotch people on land, and requested them
to run into the southern regions, seek for choice land, and come back
after three half-days[C] were passed. They were dressed in such wise
that they had on the garment which they called _biafal_. It was made
with a hood at the top, open at the sides, without sleeves, and was
fastened between the legs. A button and a loop held it together there;
and elsewhere they were without clothing. Then did they cast anchors
from the ships, and lay there to wait for them. And when three days
were expired the Scotch people leapt down from the land, and one of
them had in his hand a bunch of grapes, and the other an ear of wild
wheat.
[Footnote B: Later on in the Saga he is called a son of Eirik. The
text would appear to be somewhat corrupt here, as the passage in
square brackets from Hauks-bok seems to show.]
[Footnote C: The word “dœgr,” both here and above, is translated
“half-day,” though it may possibly mean a period of twenty-four
hours. It is to be noticed, however, that these Scotch people return
after three “dagar,” which can only mean periods of twenty-four
hours.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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