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The Date of the Saga of the Greenlanders 57
and which is also used by Snarri in H eimskringla, viz.
that to Leifr Eiriksson (the missionary!) belongs the
honour of discovering Vinland, while Grrenlendinga
pattr names instead the otherwise unknown Bjarni
Herj6lfsson - a tradition which, in spite of some
troublesome details, may well be the older and sounder
one."l
There can be no doubt that Sigurl'5ur Nardal is on the
right track here and that he has laid the foundation on
which future views of the age and trustworthiness of the
Saga of the Greenlanders will be based. In my opinion,
however, he might have gone further. I believe that the
Saga of the Greenlanders is older than the Saga of Eirikr
and that it was known to the author of the latter, who
deviated from it, influenced by other sources, particularly
the Saga of Olafr by the monk, Gunnlaugr. In support of
this view, certain arguments will now be advanced.
Towards the end of the two sagas, genealogies are
traced from Karlsefni and Gul'5ril'5r down to Bishop Brandr
Ssemundarson of Holar (II63-IZOI), Bishop :Porlakr
Run6lfsson of Skalholt (III8-II33) and Bishop Bjorn
Gilsson of H6lar (II47-II6z). Both sagas certainly
contained these genealogies from the time of their
composition, as may be seen from prophecies recorded in
them earlier about the descendants of Gul'5ril'5r. The
Saga ofthe Greenlanders says that :Porsteinn Eiriksson, the
husband of Gul'5ril'5r, uttered the following shortly after
his death:
"I am desirous of telling Gul'5ri6r her fate in order that
she may bear my death better, for I have reached a
goodly and restful haven. As for you, Gul'5ril'5r, you
will be married to an Icelandic man, and have with him
a long wedded life and many descendants who will be
vigorous, bright and famous, sweet and ofgood odour."2
1 Nordisk kultur VIII B (1952), 248-249.
• islenzk fornrit IV (1935),259-260.