Íslendingabók

keypti at Þorgeiri lǫgsǫgumanni, at hann skyldi

made a bargain with Thorgeir the lawspeaker that he should

upp segja, en hann vas enn þá heiðinn. En síðan es menn

proclaim it, though he was still a heathen then. And after men

kvómu í búðir, þá lagðisk hann niðr Þorgeirr. ok

came to their booths, Thorgeir lay down, and

breiddi feld sinn á sik ok hvílði þann dag allan

spread his cloak over himself and rested all that day

ok nóttina eptir ok kvað ekki orð. En of morguninn

and the night after, and did not speak a word. And in the morning

eftir settisk hann upp. ok gørði orð, at menn

after, he sat up and sent word that men

skyldi ganga til lǫgbergis. En þá hóf hann tǫlu

should go to the Law Rock. And then he began

sína upp, es menn kvómu þar, ok sagði, at hónum þótti

his speech, when men had come there, and said that it seemed to him

þá komit hag manna í ónýtt efni, ef menn skyldi

that men's affairs would then have come to a hopeless pass if men were

eigi hafa allir lǫg ein á landi hér, ok talði fyrir

not all to have one law here in the land; and he put it to

mǫnnum á marga vega, at þat skyldi eigi láta verða,

men in many ways that they should not let that happen,

ok sagði, at þat mundi at því ósætti verða, es vísa ván

and said that it would lead to such discord that it could surely be

vas, at þær barsmíðir gørðisk á miðli manna,

expected that such fighting would arise among men

es landit eyddisk af. Hann sagði frá því, at

as would lay the land waste. He told how

konungar ýr Norvegi ok ýr Danmǫrku hǫfðu haft

kings from Norway and from Denmark had kept up

ófrið ok orrostur á miðli sín langa tíð til þess unz

war and battles between them for a long time, until

landsmenn gørðu frið á miðli þeira, þótt þeir vildi eigi.

the people of the lands made peace between them, though they did not want it.

En þat ráð gørðisk svá, at af stundu sendusk þeir

And that course worked out so that within a short time they were sending each other

gersemar á miðli, enda helt friðr sá, meðan þeir

treasures, and that peace held as long as they

lifðu.„ En nú þykkir mér þat ráð,“ kvað hann,„ at vér

lived. “And now it seems advisable to me,” he said, “that we

látim ok eigi þá ráða, es mest vilja í gegn gangask

also do not let those prevail who most wish to oppose each other,

, ok miðlum svá mál á miðli þeira, at hvárirtveggju

and that we so settle matters between them that each side

hafi nakkvat síns máls, ok hǫ́fum allir ein

has something of its case, and that we all have one

lǫg ok einn sið. Þat mon verða satt, es vér slítum í

law and one faith. It will prove true that if we tear

sundr lǫgin, at vér munum slíta ok friðinn.“ En

the law apart, we will tear apart the peace too.” And

hann lauk svá máli sínu, at hvárirtveggju játtu því,

he ended his speech in such a way that both sides agreed

at allir skyldi ein lǫg hafa, þau sem hann réði upp

that all should have the one law which he would decide to

at segja. Þá vas þat mælt í lǫgum, at allir menn

proclaim. Then it was laid down in law that all men

skyldi kristnir vesa ok skírn taka, þeir es áðr

should be Christian and receive baptism, those who before

váru óskírðir á landi hér; en of barnaútburð

were unbaptised here in the land; but on the exposure of infants

skyldu standa en fornu lǫg ok of hrossakjǫtsát

the old laws should stand, and on the eating of horse-meat.

. Skyldu menn blóta á laun, ef vildu, en varða

People might sacrifice in secret if they wished, but it would carry

fjǫrbaugsgarð, ef váttum of kvæmi við. En

fjǫrbaugsgarðr [lesser outlawry] if witnesses came forward. But

síðarr fám vetrum vas sú heiðni af numin sem ǫnnur

a few years later that heathenism was abolished like the rest