SAGA-BOOK - Viking Society Web Publications

On Arons saga Hjbrleifssonar 137
contained men of admirable qualities, though not ones
blessed, or cursed, with the over-riding ambition for
wealth and power which marked many of the descendants
of Hvamm-Sturla.
Another of the Sturlungs has an important connection
with Aron for apart from the biography of his life which
is known as Arons saga the other main source of
information about him is the islendinga saga of Snorri's
nephew, Sturla I>6rtlarson. These two sources corroborate,
contradict, and supplement each other in a highly
interesting fashion, especially in the rather contrasting
pictures they provide of Aron's character, as I shall show
later.
Arons saga tells us that Hjorleifr, his wife Sigri6r, and
their family lived at Miklaholt on the Smefellsnes
peninsula. Hjorleifr himself is said to have been a wellto-do,
generous and popular man, who was renowned
for his accomplishments, one of, which was his curious
ability to behead any ox one-handed or two oxen if he
swung his axe in both hands. It appears that some time
before 1210 he and his wife separated. Sigr16r moved out
of Miklaholt with Aron and her third son, Barbr, and went
to stay at Hitardalr with a distant relative, I>orlakr
Ketilsson. I>orlakr was a close friend of Sighvatr
Sturluson and he was acting as foster-father to the young
Sturla, so it was here that the two future enemies first
met as children. Initially they got along well enough
together, but the author notes that their games were
subjects of fierce contest, and that their friendly
relationship began to worsen. At this point Aron left
Hitardalr in the company of his uncle Helgi, who
eventually took him to Flatey in Breioafjoror. where he
stayed with Eyj6lfr Karsson, Eyj6lfr had married
Herdis, one of the daughters of Hrafn Sveinbjarnarson,
who was of the Seldrelir family to which Aron's mother
also belonged. This family tie was later to prove of
great benefit to Aron in his outlawry. Eyjolfr was,