Gripla - 20.12.2016, Qupperneq 113

113
Nú búast þeir allir brott ór Miðfirði; reið Eyvindr með þeim. Ok er
þeir kómu á þá borg, er Bessaborg heitir, þá sneri Þórðr aptr ok leit
á fjörðinn ok mælti: “fagr ertu þó Miðfjörðr, þó at ek verði nú við
þik at skilja; mun þeim nú höfðingjunum þykja af einn inn ólmasti,
er ek em á burtu. En þat læt ek um mælt, at þeir, sem mestir menn
eru í Miðfirði, verði aldri samhuga, svá at árum skipti. ok þat annat,
at þat haldist, ... at hér er fólk orðslaugarmeira ok ósannorðara en
í flestum sveitum öðrum. Þat it þriðja, at af takist hafskipalægi i
Miðfirði. Þat mæli eg ok um, sakir þess at mér er vel við sveitina,
at hér sé menn gestrisnari en annars staðar og buandi þó betr. Þat
annat, at hér sé bóndaval betra en víða annars staðar ok komi sjaldan
óár. Þat it þríðja, at sá maðr er hér vex upp, verði aldri hengdr.65
[they prepared now all to leave Miðfjörður and Eyvindur went with
them. and when they got to the rock which is called Bessaborg,
Þórður turned around and looked back at the fjord and spoke:
“although you are lovely, Miðfjörður, I must separate myself from
you now. I come away from one who must be considered the most
horrible of chieftains. and I permit myself to say, that those who are
most powerful in Miðfjörður will never be able to agree on anything,
even as the years pass. and I say further, that it is considered that
here people are more prone to exaggeration and dishonesty than
people in most other districts. for another thing, harborage is not
very good in Miðfjörður. But I will add, since I do like the district,
that people are more friendly with visitors than other places and the
farms nicer. for another thing, the selection of farmland is better
than most other places and there is seldom famine. finally, no one
that grows up in Miðfjörður is ever hung.]
In the Complete version of the saga, this speech is referenced as the final
comment on the whole saga:
Mikil ætt er komin frá Þórði hreðu og margir göfgir menn, bæði
í Nóregi ok íslandi. Þat er mál manna, at þat hafi orðit at áhríns-
orðum, er Þórðr mælti, at jafnan mundi vera nökkurar hreður í
Miðfirði; hefir þar jafnan verið deilugjarnara en í öðrum heruðum.
65 “Þórðar saga hreðu,” 240.
COMPLETING Þ Ó R Ð A R S A G A H R E Ð U