The Sagas of the Icelanders (57 page)

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There was little affection in the relations between Geirmund and Thurid, and the coolness was also mutual. Geirmund stayed at Olaf’s farm for three years before declaring he wished to go abroad and leave behind Thurid and their daughter Groa, who was a year old, without any means of support. This pleased neither mother nor daughter and both of them complained to Olaf.

Olaf said, ‘Why, Thorgerd, is your easterner not quite as generous now as he was that autumn when he asked you for your daughter’s hand?’

They could not provoke Olaf into taking action, as he sought to resolve differences wherever possible and avoided trouble. He said that in any case the child should remain there until she was of an age to travel. In parting, Olaf made Geirmund a present of the merchant ship, completely outfitted. Geirmund thanked him well and said it was a most generous gift. He made ready and sailed from the mouth of the Laxa river on a light north-easterly breeze, but the wind died as they reached the islands. The ship lay at anchor off Oxney for a fortnight, without gaining a favourable wind for its departure.

During that time Olaf had to leave to oversee the collecting of driftwood on beaches he owned. After his departure Thurid summoned several servants and told them to accompany her. They were a party of ten, counting her infant daughter, whom she also took along. She had them launch a ferry which Olaf owned, and sail or row out to the mouth of Hvammsfjord. When they reached the islands, she told them to set out the boat which was on
board the ferry. Thurid got into the boat along with two others, telling those who remained behind to look after the ferry until she returned. Taking the child in her arms, Thurid instructed the men to row across the current so that they could reach the ship. From the storage chest in the bow of the boat Thurid took an auger which she handed to one of her companions. She told him to make his way to the ship’s boat and bore holes in it, so that it would be unusable if it were needed in a hurry. She then had them row her and the child ashore. By this time it was dawn. She walked up the gangway and on board the ship. Everyone aboard was asleep. Thurid made her way to Geirmund’s leather sleeping sack where his sword Leg-biter hung. She placed the child in the sack, took the sword and made her way off the ship and back to her companions.

The child soon began to cry and woke Geirmund. He sat up and, recognizing his daughter, suspected who was behind all this. Jumping to his feet, he reached for his sword, only to find it gone, as might be expected. Running up on deck he saw Thurid and her companions rowing their boat away. Geirmund called out to his men to jump into the ship’s boat and row after them. They did so, but hadn’t gone far when they noticed the sea water flooding in and turned back to the ship.

Geirmund then called to Thurid to come back and return his sword Leg-biter – ‘and take your daughter with you and whatever wealth you want’.

Thurid said, ‘Do you mind the loss of your sword so much?’

Geirmund replied, ‘I’d have to lose a great deal of money before I minded it as much as the loss of that sword.’

She said, ‘Then you will never have it, as you have treated me dishonourably in more ways than one. This will be the last you’ll see of me.’

Geirmund then spoke: ‘That sword will bring you no luck.’

She replied that she would take that chance.

‘Then I lay this curse upon it,’ Geirmund said, ‘that it will be the death of that man in your family who will most be missed and least deserve it.’

Thurid then returned to Hjardarholt. Olaf had returned and was not at all pleased at her escapade, but no action was taken. Thurid gave the sword Leg-biter to her kinsman Bolli, as she was no less fond of him than of her own brothers, and Bolli wore the sword for many years afterwards.

A favourable wind arose, and Geirmund and his men sailed out to sea, making land in Norway that autumn. One night they ran aground on rocks
near Stad, and Geirmund and all aboard were drowned, bringing Geirmund’s story to an end.

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As written earlier, Olaf Hoskuldsson lived on his farm and enjoyed the respect of others.

A man named Gudmund Solmundarson lived at Asbjarnarnes in Vididal in north Iceland. Gudmund was a wealthy man. He asked for Thurid’s hand in marriage and she was betrothed to him with a large dowry. Thurid was a shrewd, determined woman, quick to anger and demanding. They had four sons, named Hall, Bardi, Stein and Steingrim, and two daughters, Gudrun and Olof.

Olaf’s daughter, Thorbjorg, was a good-looking, heavy-set woman. She was called Thorbjorg the Stout and was married to Asgeir Knattarson, a man of good family, in Vatnsfjord in the West Fjords. Their son Kjartan was the father of Thorvald, who was the father of Thord, who was the father of Snorri, who was the father of Thorvald. The people of Vatnsfjord trace their descent to them. Thorbjorg was married a second time, to Vermund Thorgrimsson. Their daughter Thorfinna was married to Thorstein Kuggason.

A third daughter, Bergthora, was married to Thorhall, a godi in Djupifjord in the West Fjords, who was the son of Oddi Yrarson. Their son was Kjartan, the father of Smid-Sturla, who fostered Thord Gilsson, the father of Sturla.

Olaf Peacock had many prime animals among his livestock. One of them was an ox, called Harri, which was dapple grey in colour and larger than other steers, with four horns. Two of them were large and well formed, but a third grew straight out and the fourth curved from his forehead down below his eyes. He used it as an icebreaker. He pawed the snow away to get at the grass like the horses.

During one long, hard winter which killed off great numbers of livestock Harri went from the farm at Hjardarholt to a place now called Harrastadir in the valley of Breidafjord. He ranged there all winter with sixteen steers and managed to find enough grass for all of them. In the spring he returned to the pastureland now known as Harrabol (Harri’s Lair) at Hjardarholt. When he had reached the age of eighteen years the icebreaker fell from his forehead. Olaf had him slaughtered that autumn. The following night Olaf dreamed that a large, angry-looking woman approached him.

She spoke to him: ‘Are you asleep?’

He replied that he was awake.

The woman said, ‘You are asleep but you might just as well be awake. You have had my son killed and sent him to me disfigured, and for that I will make sure you see a son of yours covered with blood. I will also choose the one whom I know you will least want to part with.’

She then disappeared.

Olaf woke up with the image of the woman still before him. The dream made a strong impression on him and he told it to friends, but no one could interpret it for him to his satisfaction. He was most inclined to believe those who said that his dream was only a false indication of things to come.

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A man named Osvif was the son of Helgi, the son of Ottar, the son of Bjorn the Easterner, the son of Ketil Flat-nose, the son of Bjorn Buna. His mother was Nidbjorg, the daughter of Kadlin, the daughter of Hrolf the Walker, the son of Ox-Thorir, who was a hersir of good family in Vik [in Norway]. He was called Ox-Thorir because he owned three islands with eighty oxen on each of them. He gained much renown by giving one of the islands, together with its oxen, to King Hakon.

Osvif was a very wise man. He lived at Laugar in Saelingsdal. The farm is located to the south of the Saelingsdalsa river, across from the Tunga farm. His wife was Thordis, the daughter of Thjodolf the Short. They had five sons, Ospak, Helgi, Vandrad, Torrad and Thorolf, all of them bold fighters.

They had a daughter named Gudrun. She was the most beautiful woman ever to have grown up in Iceland, and no less clever than she was good-looking. She took great care with her appearance, so much so that the adornments of other women were considered to be mere child’s play in comparison. She was the shrewdest of women, highly articulate, and generous as well.

One member of Osvif’s household, a woman named Thorhalla, called the Chatterbox, was distantly related to him. She had two sons named Odd and Stein, hardy men who shouldered their load and more on the farm. They were as talkative as their mother but unpopular, although they could always rely on the support of Osvif’s sons.

The farmer at Tunga was Thorarin, the son of Thorir Saeling, and a successful farmer himself. Thorarin was a big man and strong. He had plenty of land but not enough livestock. Osvif had plenty of livestock and not enough land, and wanted to purchase land from Thorarin. They agreed that Osvif should purchase from Thorarin all the land on both sides of the valley
extending from the Gnupuskord pass as far up as Stakkagil. This is good, fertile grassland and Osvif used it for a shieling. He had a fair number of servants and enjoyed great respect in the district.

West at Saurbaer, two brothers named Thorkel Pup and Knut lived with their brother-in-law on a farm called Hoi. Their brother-in-law, Thord, was identified with his mother Ingunn and called Ingunnarson. His father was Glum Geirason. Thord was a fine, strapping figure of a man, highly capable, and often involved in lawsuits. Thord was married to the brothers’ sister Aud, a woman who was neither good-looking nor exceptional in other ways, and Thord had little affection for her. He had married primarily for wealth, which Aud had brought him in quantity. The farm had prospered ever since Thord had joined up with the others.

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A man called Gest Oddleifsson lived at Hagi on the Bardastrond coast of the West Fjords. He was an important chieftain and especially wise man, who could foretell many events of the future. Most of the foremost men of the country were on good terms with him and many sought his advice. He attended the Althing every summer and generally spent the night at Hoi on his way.

On one occasion when Gest was on his way to the Althing and had stayed overnight at Hoi, as usual, he was up and preparing to continue his journey early the next day, as he still had a long way before him. He intended to ride as far as the farm at Thykkvaskog that evening to his brother-in-law Armod, who was married to his sister Thorunn. They had two sons, Ornolf and Halldor.

He rode from Saurbaer and came to the hot springs Saelingsdalslaug, where he stopped awhile. Gudrun came down to the springs to greet her kinsman. Gest was pleased to see her and they struck up a conversation; their discussion was both shrewd and lengthy.

Later in the day, however, Gudrun said, ‘I’d like to invite you, kinsman, to ride up to the farm, along with all your followers, and spend the night with us. It’s my father’s suggestion as well, but he’s done me the honour of making me his messenger, and he also wanted to invite you to stop with us every time you journey through.’

Gest thanked her well, saying the offer was a generous one indeed, but said he would continue according to his original plan.

Gudrun said, ‘I’ve had many dreams this winter, and four of them especially have caused me much concern. No one has yet been able to interpret them to my satisfaction, although I don’t insist that they be favourably interpreted.’

Gest then replied, ‘Tell me your dreams. I might be able to make something of them.’

Gudrun said, ‘I seemed to be standing outdoors, by a stream, wearing a tall head-dress that I felt did not suit me well at all. I wanted to change the head-dress but many people advised against it. I refused to listen to them, tore the head-dress from my head and threw it into the stream. The dream ended there.’

She continued: ‘In the beginning of the second dream I seemed to be standing by a lake. I seemed to have a silver ring on my arm which belonged to me and suited me especially well. I treasured it greatly and intended to keep it long and with great care. But the ring slid from my arm when I least expected it and fell into the lake and I never saw it again. I was filled with a sense of loss much greater than I should have felt at losing a mere object. After that I awoke.’

To this Gest replied only: ‘No less remarkable is this dream.’ Gudrun continued on: ‘In the third dream I seemed to have a gold ring on my arm; it was my own and seemed to make up for my loss. I expected to have the pleasure of owning this one longer than the previous one. All the same it wasn’t as if it suited me so very much better, not if compared with how much more costly gold is than silver. Then I fell and reached out my hand to break my fall, but the gold ring struck a stone and broke in two, and I thought I saw blood seep from the pieces. My feelings afterwards were more like grief than regret. I realized that there had been a flaw in the ring, and upon examining the pieces I could see other flaws. All the same I had the impression that if I’d looked after it better the ring might still have been in one piece. The dream ended here.’

Gest answered: ‘The source of your dreams is far from drying up.’ Once more Gudrun spoke: ‘In my fourth dream I seemed to have a gold helmet on my head, set with many gems. This treasure was mine. But it did seem to me that it was too heavy for me to bear. I could hardly manage it and held my head bowed. I didn’t blame the helmet for this, however, nor did I intend to get rid of it. But it fell suddenly from my head and into the waters of Hvammsfjord, after which I woke up. Now I have told you all the dreams.’

Gest replied: ‘I can clearly see what the dreams mean, but you may find the fare lacking in variety, as I would interpret them all in a very similar way. You will have four husbands; I expect that the first man to whom you
are married will not be a match to your liking. As you thought you bore a great head-dress, which you felt suited you poorly, you will care little for this man. And since you removed the head-dress and threw it into the water, this means that you will leave him. People say things have been cast to the tide when they refer to getting rid of possessions and getting nothing in return.’

Gest continued: ‘In your second dream you thought you had a silver ring on your arm. This means you will be married to a second, fine man for whom you will care greatly and enjoy only a short time. It would not surprise me if he were drowned. There is no need to dwell any longer on this dream. In your third dream you thought you had a gold ring on your arm. This represents your third husband. He will not surpass his predecessor to the same extent that you felt that metal to be rarer and more precious. But if my guess is right, there will be a change in religion around that time and this husband of yours will have adopted the new religion, which seems to be much nobler. When the ring appeared to break in two, in part because of your own carelessness, and blood to seep from its parts, this signifies that this husband will be killed. It is then that you will see most clearly the faults of that marriage.’

Once more Gest spoke: ‘It was in your fourth dream that you bore a gold helmet set with gems on your head, which was a heavy weight for you. This signifies that you will marry a fourth time and this husband will far surpass you. The helmet seemed to fall into the waters of Hvammsfjord, which indicates that this fourth husband will have an encounter with that same fjord on the final day of his life. I can make no more of this dream.’

Gudrun had grown blood-red while listening to her dreams being interpreted, but kept silent until Gest had finished.

Then she spoke: ‘You would have made a prettier prediction if I had given you the material for it, and I thank you for interpreting the dreams for me. I will have plenty to think about if all of this comes to pass as you say.’

Gudrun then repeated her invitation to Gest to visit with them for the day, saying he and Osvif would have many interesting things to discuss.

He answered, ‘I will ride onwards as I have planned, but give my greetings to your father and tell him that the time will come when the distance between our dwelling places will be shorter than at present. It will be easier for us to carry on a conversation then, if we are still allowed to talk.’

Gudrun then returned home, while Gest rode off. He met a servant of
Olaf’s near a hayfield wall, who invited him to Hjardarholt on his master’s bidding. Gest said he wished to see Olaf but would be staying the night at Thykkvaskog. The servant returned home at once and gave Olaf the message. Olaf had horses brought and rode to meet Gest along with several other men. They met near the Lja river. Olaf welcomed Gest and invited him and all his men to stay with them. Gest thanked him for the offer and said he would accompany him home and have a look at the farmhouse, but would stay the night with Armod. Gest made only a short visit, but was shown around much of the farm, which he admired, saying Olaf had obviously spared no expense.

Olaf followed him a short distance along his onward journey, down to the Laxa river. The two foster-brothers had been swimming in the river that day, a sport in which the Olafssons took the lead. Many other young men from nearby farms had joined them in swimming. As the group approached Kjartan and Bolli came running back from their swim and were almost fully dressed when Gest and Olaf came riding up. Gest looked at the two young men a moment and then told Olaf which was Bolli and which Kjartan. After that he pointed his spear at and identified each of the other Olafssons who were there. But although there were many other handsome young men who had come out of the water and sat on the riverbank near Kjartan and Bolli, Gest said that he could not see any resemblance to Olaf in any of them.

Olaf then said, ‘The stories of your cleverness are hardly exaggerated if you can identify men whom you have never seen before. I want to ask you which of these young men will be the most outstanding.’

Gest replied, ‘It will be much as your own affections predict, as Kjartan will be thought the most outstanding of them, as long as he lives.’

With that Gest prodded his horse and rode off.

A short while later his son Thord drew alongside him and asked, ‘Why, Father, are there tears in your eyes?’

Gest answered, ‘No need to mention it, but since you ask, I won’t conceal it from you either, as you’ll live to see it happen. I wouldn’t be surprised if Bolli should one day stoop over Kjartan’s corpse and in slaying him bring about his own death, a vision all the more saddening because of the excellence of these young men.’

They rode on to the Althing which passed without event.