Christmas in Iceland - 15.12.1940, Blaðsíða 17

while his wife, three sons and thirty-five ot-
her victims were burned to death. In the foll-
owing winter Gissur slew seven o fthe leaders
who had raield his home.
What a Woman!
To prevent English or Irish traders from
frequenting Iceland without the permission
of Christian the First of Denmark, an Ice-
landic warrior, Bjorn I>orleifsson, was given
a commission as “protector” in 1453.
In 1456 he sailed into the small harbour
of Rif to collect from English traders the duty
of six per cent which was at that time impos ■
ed on English merchandise. But he war.
attacked in the harbour by the British trad-
ers and together with seven of his followers
was killed. His wife Oloff escaped in a fog
leaving her son Thorleif in enemy hands.
When Oloff received the mangled body of
her husband which the foreigners had cut in
pieces, this highspirited woman deceared that
she would shed no tear for him, but take care
that his death should not be unavenged.
Having first ransomed her son she puton a
coat of mail, atttacked, and after a bloody
contest defeated the strangers, taking 50 of
them prisoners and seizing three of their
ships. She generously spared them their lives
and soon after restored them to liberty. Later,
however, she sailed to Denmark, and King
Christian to avenge his “protectors” death
sailed to England and captured four vessels
from London and Bristol.
Some Sport.
There eventually came a time when ..Hum-
anity” was no longer accounted a stain on the
character of an Icelandic Chief as happened
to Olver Barnakarl, that is, “the children’s
old man”.
He was thus named by his heathen contem-
poraries, because in his piratical expeditions
he would not join in the then much practised
sport of tossing captive infants into the air
and catching them on their spear points!
For any readers information this sport was
last practised round about 1011.
CHRISTMAS IN ICELAND
15