Thorbjorg "Ship-Breast" Gilsdóttir

Thorbjorg Gilsdottir (Old Norse: Þorbjǫrg knarrarbringa Gilsdóttir) is a tenth century Icelandic woman mentioned several times in Icelandic sagas primarily in relation to her son-in-law, Erik the Red.

Thorborg, daughter of Gils Herfinnsson the original settler of Gilsfjord, marries Jorund Atlason but by the time of their daughter Thjodhild's marriage to Erik Jorund has died and Thorborg is remarried to a man named Thorbjorn. Together they are all living at Thorbjorn's family's farm in the Haukadale area of Iceland and Erik relocates to this same region.

Thorborg's byname "knarrarbringa" is a combination of the Old Norse words knǫrr and bringa which translate literally to English as "ship" and "breast". The exact intent behind the byname is a matter of speculation though most scholars agree that it refers to her having large breasts or being more generally a very large lady.

Parents:

Gils "skeiðarnef" Herfinnsson (c. 840 Norway - d. unknown), mother unknown.

Married:

1. before about 940 in Iceland with Jorund Atlason.
2. before about 970 in Iceland with Thorbjorn the Haukadaler

Children of Thorbjorg and Jorund:

1. Thjodhild Jörundsdóttir (c. 940 Iceland – aft. 1000 Greenland)

Further Reading

• The Saga of Erik the Red in various languages including Old Norse.
• http://heimskringla.no/wiki/Landnamabogen_2
• Old Norse Nicknames by Paul R. Peterson (specifically pages 68 and 180.
• The early Viking ship types by Eldar Heide specifically section 4.1 starting on page 99.

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http://heimskringla.no/wiki/Landnamabogen_2 (94)

En søn af Ulf den Skeløjede hed Jørund, han var gift med Thorbjørg den Barmfagre. De havde datteren Tjodhild, som blev gift med Erik den Røde og med ham fik sønnen Leif den Lykkelige på Grønland.

http://snerpa.is/net/snorri/landnama.htm

(35) Eiríkur fékk þá Þjóðhildar, dóttur Jörundar Atlasonar og Þorbjargar knarrarbringu, er þá átti Þorbjörn hinn haukdælski; réðst Eiríkur þá norðan og ruddi lönd í Haukadal; hann bjó á Eiríksstöðum hjá Vatnshorni.

(43) Jörundur hét son Úlfs hins skjálga; hann átti Þorbjörgu knarrarbringu. Þeirra dóttir var Þjóðhildur, er átti Eiríkur rauði, þeirra son Leifur hinn heppni á Grænlandi.

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