(Fornmanna Sögur vi., Harald Hardrádi.)
Captives in war formed the chief supply of slaves, who consequently came from many different countries whither expeditions were made, as Hunaland, Friesland, Valland (France), Britain, Ireland, Scotland, Spain, and other countries on the shores of the Mediterranean.
“When Egil went to Iceland from a journey to England, Norway, and Vermaland, the district (south-western part of Iceland) was all settled; the first settlers were dead, but their sons or grandsons dwelt there. Ketil Gufa had come to Iceland when the land was much settled; he was the first winter at Gufuskalar in Rosmhvalanes; he had come from Ireland across the sea, and had many Irish thralls with him” (Egil’s Saga, c. 80).
“Leif (Ingólf’s foster-brother) went on warfare in the west; he made war in Ireland, and there found a large underground house; he went into it, and it was dark, until a sword which a man wore made it light. Leif slew him and took the sword and much property; then he was called Hjörleif (Sword-Leif). Hjörleif made war widely in Ireland, and got much booty; he took there ten thralls, Dufthak, Geirröd, Skjaldbjörn, Haldór, Drafdrit; the others are not named” (Landnáma).
Purchases of slaves took place wherever the people traded.
“Thangbrand (a priest) bought a fair Irish maiden; he went home to Brimaborg (Bremen) with Bishop Albertus, and took the maiden with him” (Fornmanna Sögur, i., 81).
“It happened in the beginning of the summer that King Hákon the good went with a ship-host eastward to Brenneyjar to make peace (renew treaties) on behalf of his country according to the laws. This meeting between chiefs (höfdingi)[[495]] was to take place every third summer, and matters on which the kings (of Norway, Denmark, and Sweden) had to decide were settled there. It was thought a pleasant journey to go to this meeting, for men came there from almost all lands of which we have tidings. Höskuld (an Icelander) launched his ship; he also wanted to go there, for he had not seen the king during the winter, and a fair was held there at the same time. This meeting was very large; there was a great deal of amusement, drinking, and games, and all kinds of merriment. Nothing remarkable happened there. Höskuld met with many of his kinsmen who lived in Denmark. One day when Höskuld walked with some others to amuse himself he saw a splendid tent far from the other booths. He walked there and entered the tent, in which sat a man in clothes of gudvef (a costly stuff), with a Gardariki hat on his head. Höskuld asked for his name. He called himself Gilli, from Gardariki. Höskuld said he had often heard his name mentioned, and that he was the richest of all traders. Höskuld said: ‘Thou art likely to have things to sell us which we want to buy.’ Gilli asked what they wanted to buy. The followers of Höskuld said that he wanted to buy a bondmaid, if he had any to sell. Gilli said: ‘You mean to get me into difficulty, when you demand for purchase things which you think I have not got; but it is not sure that I have them not.’ Höskuld saw that there was a curtain hanging across the booth; this Gilli lifted, and Höskuld saw twelve women sitting inside. Gilli told Höskuld to go to them and see if he liked to buy any of these women. Höskuld did so. They sat all together from wall to wall in the booth. Höskuld looked carefully at them; he saw that one poorly dressed sat next to the edge of the tent; he thought she was beautiful of face as far as he could see. He asked: ‘How dear will that woman be, if I want to buy her?’ Gilli said: ‘Thou must pay for her three marks of silver.’ Höskuld said: ‘I think thou valuest this bondmaid rather high, for this is the price of three.’ Gilli said: ‘Thou art right; I value her higher than the others; choose any of those eleven, and pay for her a mark of silver, and let this one be my property.’ Höskuld said: ‘First I will see how much silver there is in my money-bag (sjód), which I have at my belt.’ He asked Gilli to take the scales. Then Gilli said: ‘This matter shall be without guile from my side; the woman had a great defect, and I want thee to know it, Höskuld, before we make this bargain.’ Höskuld asked what it was. Gilli said: ‘She is dumb; I have tried to get her to talk in many ways, but I have never got a word from her; it is certainly my belief that this woman cannot speak.’ Then Höskuld said: ‘Come with the scales and let us see how much the money-bag which I have here weighs.’ Gilli did so; he weighed the silver, and it was three marks. Then Höskuld said: ‘Now it has happened that this will be our bargain; take thou this silver, and I will take this woman; I think that thou hast shown thyself generous in this matter, for surely thou didst not want to cheat me.’ Then Höskuld went home to his booth. Next morning when people dressed Höskuld said: ‘Little liberality is seen on the dress which Gilli the Wealthy has given to thee; it is also true that it was more difficult for him to dress twelve than it is to dress one.’ Höskuld then opened a chest and took up a fine woman’s dress and gave it her; and all people said that fine clothes suited her. When the chiefs had settled matters according to law, the feast and the meeting ended. Then Höskuld went to find King Hákon, and greeted him honourably, as was fit. The King looked at him and said: ‘We should have accepted thy greeting, Höskuld, even hadst thou greeted us a little earlier; but still we will do it now.’
“It occurred one morning when Höskuld went out to look over his farm (bœr), and the weather was fine, and the sun shone and was low above the horizon, that he heard some talking; he went to where a brook flowed in front of the slope of the tun (grass-plot). He there saw two people, and recognised them; it was his son Olaf and his mother (the bondwoman); then he saw that she was not dumb, for she talked much to the boy. Then Höskuld went to them and asked for her name, and told her it would not do to conceal it longer. She said she would not. They sat down on the slope; then she said: ‘If thou wantest to know my name, it is Melkorka.’ Höskuld asked her to tell more about her kin. She said: ‘My father is named Myrkjartan; he is king in Ireland, and I was taken captive thence fifteen winters old.’ Höskuld said she had too long been silent about such good kin. Then Höskuld went in and told Jorun (his wife) about what had happened on his walk. Jorun said she knew not whether she told the truth, and that she did not like uncouth people, and then they left off speaking; Jorun was not friendlier to her than before, but Höskuld somewhat more. A little later, when Jorun went to bed, Melkorka pulled off her shoe-clothes (skóklædi = shoes and stockings) and laid them on the floor. Jorun took the stockings and struck her head with them. Melkorka got angry and struck Jorun’s nose with her fist so that blood spurted out. Höskuld came and parted them. Thereafter Höskuld let Melkorka go away, and gave her a bœr in Laxárdal; it has since been called Melkorkustadir, and is now waste; it is south of the Laxá (a river). Melkorka had a household there, to which Höskuld gave all that was needed, and Olaf their son went with her; it was soon seen in Olaf, when he grew up, that he would surpass other men in beauty and good manners” (Laxdæla, c. 12, 13).
“Astrid, Olaf Tryggvason’s mother, went with her son, who was then three winters old, on board a trading-ship bound to Gardariki; her brother Sigurd was with King Valdimar there.
“On their voyage eastward Vikings met them; they were Eistr (Esthonians); they took the property and the people and killed some of them, while they divided the others among themselves as slaves. Olaf was parted from his mother, and Klerkon, an Esthonian, took him and Thórólf and Thorgils (two of Astrid’s followers). Klerkon thought Thórólf too old for a thrall and unfit for work, and killed him; but took the boys with him and sold them to a man called Klerk, and got for them a very good he-goat. Another man bought Olaf for a good rain-cloak; his name was Reas, that of his wife Rekon, of his son, Rekoni. Olaf stayed there long, and was well kept and liked by the bóndi, and remained six winters in Eistland in this outlawry” (Olaf Tryggvason, c. 5).