Gripla - 20.12.2017, Blaðsíða 47

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could intimidate Halldórr into submitting. When they called at the farm
in the early months of 1026, Halldórr Óláfsson guessed their purpose and
ensured that he had protection from threats. Þorsteinn was angry to have
his time wasted by Halldórr, but Þorkell successfully diffused the situa-
tion and the cousins returned to Þorsteinn’s farm at Ljárskógar. Halldórr
retained Hjarðarholt.
Grettis saga ch. 68; Laxdœla saga ch. 76; Resensannáll 1027.
Þorkell prepared to leave for his own farm at Easter and Þorsteinn re-
peatedly attempted to dissuade him, even unloading Þorkell’s cargo from
his ship. finally, he conceded to Þorkell’s will, and allowed him to leave.
Þorsteinn had a premonition that his cousin would drown in a severe
storm once he set out, and this happened as predicted. the following year,
1027, Þorsteinn Kuggason was killed. this apparently precipitated some
anger from Snorri goði against his son Þóroddr and his half-brother Sámr
Barkarson. Sámr was later killed by a man named Ásgeirr.
Þorsteinn’s personality
a strikingly consistent element of Þorsteinn Kuggason’s appearance in
the sagas is that he is described as a disruptive individual. Þorsteinn’s
introductions in both Grettis saga and Bjarnar saga say as much, and he is
accused of similar behaviour by Halldórr óláfsson in Laxdœla saga. These
three sagas are the ones in which he appears more than simply in passing,
and Grettis saga and Bjarnar saga unequivocally ally him with the epony-
mous heroes of those tales. these sagas describe him using surprising
terms for a character that the audience is ostensibly meant to think well
of. According to Grettis saga, Þorsteinn was an ofstopamaðr [overbearing
man], and Bjarnar saga tells us that he was an ójafnaðarmaðr [inequitable
man].20 These sentiments are echoed by Halldórr óláfsson in Laxdœla
saga, who finds himself on the receiving end of Þorsteinn’s threatening
behaviour and responds with reference to “ofsa þínum ok ójafnaði” [your
arrogance and inequity].21
20 Grettis saga, ed. Guðni Jónsson, Íslenzk fornrit, vol. 7 (reykjavík: Hið íslenzka fornrita-
félag, 1936), 90; Bjarnar saga, 180.
21 Laxdœla saga, ed. Einar Ól. Sveinsson, Íslenzk fornrit, vol. 5 (reykjavík: Hið íslenzka
fornritafélag, 1934), 220. translations are my own.
THE MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF ÞORSTEINN KUGGASON