The Icelandic Canadian - 01.09.2000, Page 22

Vol. 56 #1
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
20
Gudridur was loath to chant the Vardlokur as
she and her parents were Christian. However,
after Thorkell requested that she chant the
Vardlokur she agreed to do so.
The women in the group formed a circle
around the elevated seat on which Lorbjorg
sat. Gudridur recited the Vardlokur (spirit
chant) in beautiful tones for which Porbjorg
was so thankful that she proceeded to proph-
esy as follows.
Now many things are very clear to me
which formerly were unknown to me, as to
others. I wish to advise you Thorkell, that this
food shortage will remain only this winter,
and when spring comes conditions will
improve. The sickness so prevalent now with
us will, also, leave us shortly. And you
Gudridur, you shall receive your reward at
once for your help, for your future is now
clear to me. You will be married here in
Greenland, the best match possible, yet it may
be of short duration for your future lies in
Iceland, where your descendants will make
great and good contributions, and branches of
your family will be more illustrious than I
have the power to see and describe. Thus part
with us, my daughter, with health and happi-
ness.
The following spring Porbjom, Hallveig,
Gudridur and their crew sailed up the
Greenland coast, along innumerable ljords,
until they entered Eirik's fjord where Eirik's
home Brattahlid, was located up on a small
slope. Eirik welcomed f’orbjorn with joy and
invited his household to spend the winter at
Brattahlid, while his crew would be lodged at
neighbouring farms. During their stay at
Brattahlid, Gudridur heard stories of Bjarni
Herjolfsson's sightings of land to the west of
Greenland. Theses stories may have kindled a
spark in her heart of visions of brave Vikings
exploring that unknown land.
True to his promise of many years ago,
Eirik gave E’orbjom land at Stokkanes, on the
far side of the fjord. Totbjorn built a good
home there and Gudridur settled into life in
Greenland, where she had the friendship of
Eirik's wife Pjodhild, as well as Eiriks' two
younger sons, Porvaldur and Porsteinn.
When Leifur, the eldest son, returned from a
visit in Norway with King Olaf Tryggvason
he brought priests with him to spread
Christianity in Greenland. Pjodhild, Eirik's
wife and their three sons embraced the
Christian faith but Eirik refused to give up his
gods. He continued to worship at his own
temple at Brattahlid. However, he donated
land so that Pjodhild could have a church
built for all who embraced the Christian faith.
This church became known a f’jodhildar
Church.
Bjarni Herjolfsson, who had first sighted
land west of Greenland, settled at
Herjolfsness. One year he went to Norway
and spent some time there. When he returned
Leifur Eiriksson became very interested in
exploring this new land. He bought Bjarni's
ship and gathered together a crew of thirty
five men. They traveled west from Greenland
and discovered and named Helluland,
Markland and south from there a bountiful
place which he named Vinland. They spent
the winter at Vinland, then returned to
Greenland, their ship laden with wood, vines
and grapes. Because of these discoveries
Leifur became known as Leif the Lucky.
When Leifur's younger brothers heard
about Vinland and the bountiful supply of
wood and food there, they too longed to go to
Vinland. E*orvaldur, who was an explorer at
heart, decided he wanted to go and make fur-
ther explorations in this new land. He sailed
on Leifur's ship into numerous fjords on fur-
ther discoveries. However he was killed by a
skroeling's (natives of the area) arrow and this
brave young Viking was buried in Vinland, at
a place they named Krossanes.
E’orsteinn Eiriksson was considered to be
the most promising young man in Greenland
at the time. He was charmed by Gudridur’s
beauty and grace and asked Porbjorn for her
hand in marriage. This was granted for
Gudridur was drawn to this young Viking's
spirit and courage. The wedding took place at
Brattahlid and the young couple settled at
Lysufjordur in the southern part of the
Western Settlement in Greenland. When
fVirsteinn was told of Lorvaldur's sad and
untimely death he was determined to sail to
Vinland, to bring back his brother's body for
burial in consecrated ground in Ljddhildar's
Churchyard. It is possible that he, too, desired
to distinguish himself, as his older brothers
had, by further exploration of Vinland.
Porsteinn was accompanied on this
Vinland voyage by a crew of twenty five men,