Ravnur Hólmgarðsfari

Ravnur Hólmgarðsfari ( 10th century in Tunsberg , Norway ; also Ravn Holmgårdsfarer ) was a Norwegian navigator and trader mentioned in the Faroese saga .

Hólmgarð was the Nordic name for Novgorod , Hólmgarðsfari means Novgorod driver . According to this, Ravnur was a long-distance trader during the Viking Age . This report in the Faroese saga is important for our image of the Viking Age in the Faroe Islands , as it testifies to trade relations at this time over this spatial distance. However, the Faroese saga does not report which goods Ravnur was trading in at that time.

Ravnur came to Tórshavn , the capital of the Faroe Islands , in the summer of 970 . There the chief Tróndur í Gøtu offered him his two foster sons Sigmundur Brestisson and Tóri Beinersson (then 9 and 11 years old respectively) as slaves for sale. Ravnur became aware that these were the two children of the Brestir and Beinir brothers whom Tróndur had previously murdered . Therefore, according to the Faroese saga, he declined the offer with thanks.

When Tróndur in turn offered him money so that he could just get the two boys away from the Faroe Islands, Ravnur agreed. He promised to take them to Norway. The saga says that he treated them very well and brought them to Vík in southern Norway, where they stayed with him for the winter.