Króka-Refs saga () or the Saga of Ref the Sly is one of the Icelanders' sagas. Written in the 14th century the saga relates the adventures of Ref Steinsson, whose unpromising origins lead him to greatness in both combat and subterfuge. History Although first recorded between 1350-1400 AD, the only completely preserved saga is dated to the second half of the fifteenth century. Taking place between 950-1050 AD, the saga spans much of the Norse world, including Iceland, Greenland, Norway, and Denmark. The Christianization of Scandinavia occurs during the timeline of the saga, with the main character, Ref, converting as well. Synopsis The saga begins in Iceland with an old man named Stein, who has a wife named Thorgerd (Þorgerðr). They have a son named Ref who is known for being very lazy. Stein has a neighbor named Thorbjorn (Þorbjörn), an unpopular man that has committed many manslaughters and never paid retribution. For the most part, there is little conflict between the men and they are able to settle any disputes. However, after Stein dies from illness and Thorgerd is left to run the farm by herself, Thorbjorn allows his livestock to graze on Thorgerd's land. Thorgerd then hires a man named Bardi (Barði) to help keep Thorbjorn's livestock off her land. After some encouragement from his wife, Thorbjorn slays Bardi in his own shed. After learning of Bardi's death, Thorgerd callsd her son Ref a coward for being useless and doing nothing at such a time. Ref then goes to Thorbjorn's farmhouse and kills Thorbjorn with a spear. Thorgerd sends Ref to her brother Gest while the killing is settled. There, Ref finds that he is an exceptional craftsman and builds one of the greatest ships ever to have been built in Iceland, after having only seen a toy model of a boat. Ref uses this ship to sail to Greenland, where he meets a man named Bjorn, who asks Ref to put up buildings on his land. Bjorn has a daughter named Helga, and Bjorn grants Ref his daughter's hand in marriage. Ref and Helga have three sons named Stein, Bjorn, and Thormod, and take over running the farm, with Bjorn continuing to live there. Near their farm lives a man named Thorgils, a hateful and difficult man. Thorgils and his sons begin spreading slanderous rumors about Ref around the area, so Ref goes to Thorgil's farm seeking