however, both from Norway and the Western Isles settlers began to come in. Aud, widow of Olaf the White, King of Dublin, came, bringing with her many of mixed blood, for the Gaedhil (pronounced Gael, Irish) and the Gaill (pronounced Gaul, strangers) not only fought furiously, but made friends firmly, and often intermarried. Indeed, the Westmen were among the first arrivals, and took the best parts of the island—on its western shore, appropriately enough. After a time the Vikings who had settled in the Isles so worried Harold and his kingdom, upon which they swooped every other while, that he drew together a mighty force, and fell upon them wheresoever he could find them, and followed them up with fire and sword; and this he did twice, so that in those lands none could abide but folk who were content to be his men, however lightly they might hold their allegiance. Hence it was to Iceland that all turned who held to the old ways, and for over sixty years from the first comer there was a stream of hardy men pouring in, with their families and their belongings, simple yeomen, great and warwise chieftains, rich landowners, who had left their land “for the overbearing of King Harold,” as the Landnamabók[1] has it. “There also we shall escape the troubling of kings and scoundrels,” says the Vatsdælasaga. So much of the best blood left Norway that the king tried to stay the leak by fines and punishments, but in vain.
- ↑ Landtaking-book—landnam, landtaking, from at nema land, whence also the early settlers were called landnámsmenn.
