During that summer in which Christianity was adopted by law in Iceland
(1000 A.D.), it happened that a ship came to land at Snowfell Ness.
It was a Dublin vessel, manned by Irish and Hebrideans, with few
Norsemen on board. They lay there for a long time during the summer,
waiting for a favourable wind to sail into the firth, and many people
from the Ness went down to trade with them. There was on board a
Hebridean woman named Thorgunna, of whom her shipmates said that she
owned some costly things, the like of which would be difficult to find
in Iceland. When Thurid, the housewife at Froda, heard of this she
was very curious to see the articles, for she was a woman that was
fond of show and finery. She went to the ship and asked Thorgunna
whether she had any woman's apparel that was finer than the common.
Thorgunna said that she had nothing of the kind to sell, but had some
good things of her own, that she might not be affronted at feasts or
other gatherings. Thurid begged a sight of these, and Thorgunna
showed her treasures. Thurid was much pleased with them, and thought
them very becoming, though not of high value. She offered to buy
them, but Thorgunna would not sell. Thurid then invited her to come
and stay with her, because she knew that Thorgunna was well provided,
and thought that she would get the things from her in course of time.
Thorgunna answered, "I am well pleased to go to stay with you, but you
must know that I have little mind to pay for myself, because I am well
able to work, and have no dislike to it, though I will not do any
dirty work. I must be allowed to settle what I shall pay for myself
out of such property as I have."
Although Thorgunna spoke in this fashion, yet Thurid would have her to
go with her, and her things were taken out of the ship; these were in
a large chest with a lock and a small box, and both were taken home to
Froda. When Thorgunna arrived there she asked for her bed to be shown
her, and was given one in the inner part of the hall. Then she opened
up the chest, and took bed-clothes out of it: they were all very
beautiful, and over the bed she spread English coverlets and a silken
quilt. Out of the chest she also brought a bed-curtain and all the
hangings that belonged to it, and the whole outfit was so fine that
folk thought they had never seen the like of it.
Then said Thurid the housewife: "Name the price of all your bed-
clothes and hangings".
Thorgunna answered, "I will not lie among straw for you, although you
are so stately, and bear yourself so proudly".
Thurid was ill pleased at this, and offered no more to buy the things.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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