 During the closing years of the tenth century , Olaf 's kinsman and friend Gunnar became embroiled in a blood feud with several neighboring landowners . A settlement was reached whereby Gunnar would accept " lesser outlawry , " a three @-@ year exile , but after agreeing to the settlement Gunnar refused to leave Iceland . Olaf tried to protect his kinsman but was unsuccessful , and Gunnar was killed by his enemies . Olaf 's favorite son Kjartan traveled abroad with his beloved cousin Bolli Þorleiksson . The two were very close . Ultimately , however , they grew apart when Bolli married Kjartan 's lover Guðrún Ósvífrsdóttir . According to Oddr Snorrason , Olaf had predicted that strife would ensue between Kjartan and Bolli . Tensions between the cousins grew until a full @-@ blown blood feud ended with Kjartan being killed by Bolli in 1003 . Ironically , Bolli killed Kjartan with the sword " Leg @-@ biter , " which had been given to him as a gift by his cousin Thurid , Kjartan 's sister . Olaf refused to prosecute Bolli for the killing , and arranged for him to pay a fine instead ; by sharp contrast , he had Gudrun 's brothers , who had goaded Bolli to fight his cousin , driven into exile . Jesse Byock contrasted Olaf 's magnanimity towards Bolli with the blood feud mentality of his wife Thorgerd : 
