Died Hjörleifshöfði, Iceland | ||
Hjörleifr Hródmarsson (modern Icelandic Hjörleifur Hróðmarsson) was an early settler in Iceland. The story of the early settlement of Iceland is told in the compilation known as Landnámabók.
Hjörleifr Hródmarsson' was the brother-in-law of Ingólfr Arnarson, the first settler of Iceland in the later 9th century. While raiding in Ireland, he found an underground passage and killed a man to take his sword. From this event his original name Leifr was lengthened to Hjörleifr (Old Norse hjörr 'sword'). Hjörleifur Hróðmarsson settled on land on the mountain Hjörleifshöfði (east of Vik) which was named after him. He was later murdered by his Irish slaves. The fugitive slaves were killed by Ingólfur Arnarson, thereby saving all the women who were held captive by the slaves.