this winter.”  He spake to Gudrid also about her own state, saying that her destiny would be a great one, and begged her to beware of marrying Greenland men.  He begged her also to pay over their property to the Church and some to the poor; and then he sank down for the second time.] It had been a custom in Greenland, after Christianity was brought there, to bury men in unconsecrated ground on the farms where they died.  An upright stake was placed over a body, and when the priests came afterwards to the place, then was the stake pulled out, consecrated water poured therein, and a funeral service held, though it might be long after the burial.  The bodies were removed to the church in Eiriksfjordr, and funeral services held by the priests.  After that died Thorbjorn.  The whole property then went to Gudrid.  Eirik received her into his household, and looked well after her stores.

6.  There was a man named Thorfinn Karlsefni, son of Thord Horsehead, who dwelt in the north (of Iceland), at Reynines in Skagafjordr, as it is now called.  Karlsefni was a man of good family, and very rich.  His mother’s name was Thorun.  He engaged in trading journeys, and seemed a goodly, bold, and gallant traveller.  One summer Karlsefni prepared his ship, intending to go to Greenland.  Snorri, Thorbrand’s son, from Alptafjordr, resolved to travel with him, and there were thirty men in the company.  There was a man named Bjarni, Grimolf’s son, a man of Breidafjordr (Broadfirth); another called Thorhall, son of Gamli, a man from the east of Iceland.  They prepared their ship the very same summer as Karlsefni, with intent also to go to Greenland.  They had in the ship forty men.  The two ships launched out into the open sea as soon as they were ready.  It is not recorded how long a voyage they had.  But, after this, I have to tell you that both these ships came to Eiriksfjordr about autumn.  Eirik rode down to the ships with other men of the land, and a market-fair was promptly instituted.  The captains invited Gudrid to take such of the merchandise as she wished, and Eirik displayed on his part much magnificence in return, inasmuch as he invited both these ships’ companies home with him to pass the winter in Brattahlid.  The merchants accepted the invitation, and went home with Eirik.  Afterwards their merchandise was removed to Brattahlid, where a good and large outhouse was not lacking in which to store the goods.  The merchants were well pleased to stay with Eirik during the winter.  When now Yule was drawing nigh, Eirik began to look more gloomy than he was wont to be.  Presently Karlsefni entered into conversation with him, and said, “Art thou in trouble, Eirik? it appears to me that thou art somewhat more taciturn than thou hast been; still thou helpest us with much liberality, and we are bound to reward thee according as we have means thereto.  Say now what causes thy cheerlessness.”  Eirik answered, “You receive hospitality well, and like worthy men.  Now, I have no mind that