Vápnfirðinga saga

Vápnfirðinga saga or Vopnfirðinga saga ( listen ), named after Vopnafjörður, Iceland, is one of the sagas of Icelanders. It in basic terms tells of Helgi Þorgilsson, relative to Erik red, of his murder and subsequent retaliation. The saga provides a window into how a feud might develop between Icelandic chieftains and demonstrates how the dispute could persist over multiple generations.

A Note from the Tucker Translation: "The Saga of the People of Vopnafjord is translated from Islendinga sogur. The text is very badly preserved; apart from one vellum leaf only late paper manuscripts exist, all clearly derived from the same damaged manuscript and sharing the same lacunae, which correspond roughly to two pages of vellum. The resulting gap detracts considerably from the overall effect of the saga, its deft characterisations and dramatic chain of events."

Chapters 1-9

The saga begins by introducing the protagonist, Helgi Thorgilsson or Brodd-Helgi, and describes him as a headstrong, vigilant, and unpredictable. As a youth, Helgi took pity on a bull who was unable to defend himself against the other animals. So, he fixed a spur upon the bulls head, giving it an advantage. It is from this story that Helgi earned the moniker Brodd-Helgi or Spur-Helgi.

When Helgi reaches the age of twelve, he confronts a ruthless villain named Svart, who terrorizes the people of Hof. Helgi takes extreme displeasure at this news. He protects himself with a chest-piece made of flagstone and meets Svart in armed combat. Helgi maims Svart who responds by pronouncing a curse upon Helgi and his family, saying that "…Your family will be plagued by such sorrow henceforth that it will be remembered for all ages while the land is inhabited".

Now a wealthy chieftain, Helgi becomes inseparable friends with Geitir Lytingson of Krossavik, another chieftain, and marries his sister Halla Lyting. As a show of goodwill, Geitir fosters Helgi's son, Bjarni.

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