Reading from the sagas volume I: Hrafnkels saga chapter 7

16. Hrafnkell eignaðist goðorð meira enn áðr.
Hrafnkell spurði austr í Fljótsdal, at Þjóstarssynir höfðu týnt Freyfaxa ok brennt hofit.
   Þá svarar Hrafnkell: "Ek hygg þat hégóma at trúa á goð". Ok sagðist hann þaðan af aldri skyldu á goð trúa, ok þat efndi hann síðan, at hann blótaði aldri.
   Hrafnkell sat á Hrafnkelsstöðum ok rakaði fé saman. Hann fekk brátt miklar virðingar í heraðinu. Vildi svá hverr sitja ok standa sem hann vildi. Í þenna tíma kómu sem mest skip af Noregi til Íslands. Námu menn þá sem mest land í heraðinu um Hrafnkels daga. Engi náði með frjálsu at sitja, nema Hrafnkel bæði orlofs. Þá urðu ok allir honum at heita sínu liðsinni. Hann hét ok sínu trausti. Lagði hann land undir sik allt fyrir austan Lagarfljót. Þessi þinghá varð brátt miklu meiri ok fjölmennari en sú, er hann hafði áðr haft. Hon gekk upp um Skriðudal ok upp allt með Lagarfljóti. Var nú skipan á komin á land hans.
   Maðrinn var miklu vinsælli en áðr. Hafði hann ina sömu skapsmuni um gagnsemð ok risnu, en miklu var maðrinn nú vinsælli ok gæfari ok hægri en fyrr at öllu. Oft fundust þeir Sámr ok Hrafnkell á mannamótum, ok minntust þeir aldri á sín viðskipti. Leið svá fram sjau vetr.
   Sámr var vinsæll af sínum þingmönnum, því at hann var hægr ok kyrr ok góðr órlausna ok minntist á þat, er þeir bræðr höfðu ráðit honum. Sámr var skartsmaðr mikill.

Hrafnkel was informed east in Fljotsdal, that the sons of Thostr had destroyed Freyfaxi and burned the Temple.

Then answered Hrafnkel: “I think it folly to believe in the gods”-- and said that from that point forward he would never trust in the gods, and he fulfilled this afterwards, that he sacrificed never.

Hrafnkel sat at Hrafnkelstadhir and gathered together resources. He attained quickly great esteem in the district. Each man would sit and stand as he willed.

In that time a great deal of ships came from Norway to Iceland. Men often took land in the district around Hrafnkel’s time. No man could sit freely, save that he ask permission of Hrafnkel. Then all men came to vow to him their aid. He vowed also his protection. He gathered land to himself from east of Lagarfljot. This legislative district became soon much greater and more populous than that which he had before owned. It went up around Skridhudal and up along Lagarfljot. Now was a change come upon his temperament. The man was much more popular than before. He had the same disposition in aid and hospitality, and yet the man was greatly more popular and mild and easy-going than before.

Oft they met, Sam and Hrafnkel, in meeting, and spoke never on their dealings. Six winters went so forward.

Sam was popular with his followers, because he was easy-going and quiet and good in difficult times and kept in mind that which the brothers had counseled him. Sam was a considerable dandy.