The Greenlanders - Jane Smiley [1]
Olaf Finnbogason, Asgeir’s foster son
KETILS STEAD FOLK:
Ketil Erlendsson, another wealthy farmer, Asgeir’s neighbor and rival.
Sigrun Ketilsdottir, his daughter, mother of Ketil the Unlucky
Erlend Ketilsson, his quarrelsome son
Vigdis, Erlend’s wife or mistress
Thordis, Vigdis’ daughter
Their sons: Geir, Kollbein, Hallvard, Jon Andres (born 1374)
GARDAR FOLK (PRIESTS):
Ivar Bardarson, Norwegian, caretaker of the Episcopal See of Gardar
Bishop Alf, bishop of Gardar, from Stavanger district, in Norway
Sira Jon, priest, nephew of Alf
Sira Petur, a priest hastily ordained in Norway after the Black Death
Sira Pall Hallvardsson, another priest in Alf’s entourage, of mixed Icelandic and Flemish descent
Sira Audun, a Greenlander, designated a priest but not officially ordained
Sira Eindridi Andresson, another Greenlander, Sira Audun’s cousin, designated but not ordained
Sira Andres, son of Sira Eindridi
Larus the Prophet, a Greenlander, originally a cowherd
SOLAR FELL FOLK:
Ragnvald Einarsson, first owner of Solar Fell
St. Olaf the Greenlander, his grandson
Bjorn Bollason, from Dyrnes, second owner of Solar Fell
Signy, his wife
Sigrid, their daughter
Their sons: Bolli, Sigurd, Hoskuld, Ami
ICELANDERS:
Bjorn Einarsson Jorsalfari
Solveig, his wife
Einar, his foster-son
Snorri, captain of an Icelandic ship
Thorstein Olafsson, a teller of tales
Thorgrim Solvason, a prominent Icelander
Steinunn Hrafnsdottir, Thorgrim’s wife
Thorunn Hrafnsdottir, Steinunn’s sister
NORWEGIANS:
Thorleif, ship’s captain, called the Magnificent by the Greenlanders
Skuli Gudmundsson, a boy on Thorleif’s ship, later a hirdman of Kollbein Sigurdsson
Kollbein Sigurdsson, last representative of the Norwegian king to Greenland, 1373–1376
RICHES
ASGEIR GUNNARSSON FARMED AT GUNNARS STEAD NEAR Undir Hofdi church in Austfjord. His homefield was nearly as large as the homefield at Gardar, where the absent bishop had his seat, and he had another large field as well. From the time he took over the farm upon the death of his father, this Asgeir had a great reputation among the Greenlanders for pride. It happened that when he was a young man he went off on the king’s knarr to Norway, and when he returned to Gunnars Stead two years later, he brought with him an Icelandic wife, whose name was Helga Ingvadottir. She carried with her two wallhangings and six white ewes with black faces, as well as other valuable goods, and for pride folk said that Asgeir was well matched in her.
Asgeir built a special pen for these Icelandic ewes at the edge of his second field, and this pen was visible from the steading. Each morning Asgeir liked to open the door of the steading and gaze out upon his ewes cropping the rich grass of his second field, and when Helga brought him his bowl of sourmilk, he would turn and set his eyes upon her elaborate headdress and the silver brooches that lay against her throat. Thus he would contemplate his luck. About this time, Helga Ingvadottir gave birth to a child who was named Margret, and who was a sturdy, quiet child and a great source of pride to the mother.
Also visible from the door of the steading was the turf hut belonging to Thorunn Jorundsdottir, and the bit of land surrounding this hut cut a notch in the Gunnars Stead property where it met the property of Ketil Erlendsson, Asgeir’s nearest neighbor. This Thorunn was an old woman, who kept one cow and only a few sheep and goats. She supplemented her meager provisions by going about to nearby farms and begging for some of this and some of that. She was also given much to whispering, and folk in the district were not disinclined to hear what she had to say, although they were disinclined to speak of it.
There was nothing about this Thorunn that Helga Ingvadottir cared for, neither her whispering, nor her begging, nor the sight of her hovel on the horizon, nor the way that the one cow and the few sheep and goats often strayed among Gunnars Stead beasts. One day Thorunn came to Gunnars Stead, as she was in the habit