The Sagas of the Icelanders (67 page)

64
After mounting their horses, Thorgils and his men set out at good speed and soon left the wood behind. They saw four riders leave the shieling, urging their horses on quickly.

Some of Thorgils’s companions said they should give chase at once, but Thorleik Bollason replied, ‘Let’s go up to the shieling first and see what men are there. I think these riders are hardly Helgi and his companions they look to me only to be women.’

More of the men opposed him than agreed, but Thorgils said that they should follow Thorleik’s advice, for he knew him to be the most keen-sighted of men. They then approached the shieling.

Hrapp charged onward ahead of them, brandishing a puny spear he held in his hand, lunging forward with it and saying it was high time to show what they could do. Before Helgi and his men knew what was happening, Thorgils and his party attacked the shieling. Helgi and his men shut the door and took up their weapons. Hrapp ran up to the shieling straight away and asked whether Reynard was at home.

Helgi answered, ‘You will find the fox here inside fierce enough, since he dares to bite so near his lair.’

As he said this, Helgi thrust his spear from the shieling window right: through Hrapp, who fell to earth dead.

Thorgils told his men to approach with caution and protect themselves from injury. ‘We should have more than enough strength to take the shieling and Helgi there inside it, as I think there are few men with him.’

The shieling was built with a single roof beam, which reached from one gable to the other and protruded at the ends, with a thatch of turf only a
year old which had not yet fully taken root. Thorgils told several men to take each end of the roof beam and put enough pressure on it to break it or loosen the rafters from it. Others were to watch the doors, in case they should attempt to come out. Helgi and his companions in the shieling were five in number, including his son Hardbein, who was twelve years old, his shepherd and two other men, named Thorgils and Eyjolf, who were outlaws and had sought his protection that summer. Thorstein the Black stood at the door of the shieling along with Svein, the son of Alf from Dalir, while their companions set to work in two groups tearing the roof off the shieling. Hunbogi the Strong took hold of one end of the roof beam along with the Armodssons; Thorgils and Lambi and Gudrun’s sons took the other. When they lifted the beam upwards sharply it split apart in the middle. At that moment Hardbein thrust his halberd out through a gap where the door had been broken. The point struck Thorstein’s steel helmet and pierced his forehead, causing a bad wound. At this Thorstein said, as was true enough, that there must be men inside.

Helgi then charged out through the door so forcefully that those men standing next to it fell back. Thorgils was standing close by and struck at him with his sword, landing a blow on his shoulder that left a large wound.

Helgi turned towards him with a wood-axe in his hand, saying, ‘This old fellow still dares to face others.’

He threw the axe at Thorgils, striking him on the foot and giving him a severe wound. When Bolli saw this he charged at Helgi with Leg-biter in his hand and thrust it through Helgi, dealing him his death wound. At once Helgi’s companions and Hardbein rushed out of the shieling. Thorleik Bollason turned to face Eyjolf, who was a strong man. Thorleik struck him a blow with his sword on the thigh just above the knee which cut off his leg, and he fell to the ground dead. Hunbogi the Strong charged at Thorgils and swung his axe at him, striking him on the spine and splitting him in two in the middle. Thord the Cat was standing nearby when Hardbein ran out of the shieling and wanted to charge at him.

When he saw this, Bolli ran up and told him not to harm Hardbein, saying, ‘No base deeds are to be done here; Hardbein is to be spared.’

Helgi had another son called Skorri. He was being brought up on the farm called England in southern Reykjadal.

65
After these events Thorgils and his men rode over the ridge into Reykjadal to declare responsibility for the killings. They then took the same route back as they had come, not slowing their pace until they had come to Hordadal. There they related what had happened on their journey. The foray became renowned and the slaying of a fighter the likes of Helgi was thought a deed of great note. Thorgils thanked the men warmly for making the journey, as did both of Bolli’s sons. The men who had accompanied Thorgils then went their separate ways. Lambi rode northward to Laxardal, stopping on his way at Hjardarholt, where he told his kinsmen the details of the events which had taken place in Skorradal. They were greatly upset by his part in it and criticized him angrily. His actions, they maintained, showed him to be more the descendant of Thorbjorn the Pock-marked than Myrkjartan, king of the Irish. Lambi grew very angry at their words and said their scolding him showed their own lack of manners, ‘as I have managed to have all of you spared from certain death’. They exchanged few more words, with both sides even more displeased than before, and Lambi rode home to his farm.

Thorgils Holluson then rode to Helgafell, accompanied by Gudrun’s sons and his foster-brothers, Halldor and Ornolf. When they arrived late in the evening everyone had gone to his bed. Gudrun got up at once and told the servants to get up and wait upon them. She went into the main room to greet Thorgils and all his party and hear their news. Thorgils responded to Gudrun’s greeting after removing his cloak and weapons and sat leaning against the posts of the wall. He was dressed in a reddish brown tunic with a wide belt of silver. Gudrun sat down on the bench beside him and Thorgils spoke this verse:

Gudrun asked more closely about the events occurring on their journey. Thorgils answered whatever she asked. Gudrun said their journey had turned out splendidly and thanked them all. After that they were waited
upon and when they had had their fill they were shown to their beds, where they slept until the night was past.

The following day Thorgils spoke to Gudrun alone, saying, ‘The situation is, as you know, Gudrun, that I have carried out this foray as you asked me to. I feel I have done my part completely and I hope it has been worth my while. You will remember what you have promised me in return, and I feel that I am now entitled to collect my bargain.’

Gudrun then spoke: ‘Hardly has the time which has passed since we spoke of this been so long as to make me forget it. I have no intention of doing otherwise than fulfilling the bargain we agreed upon completely. Do you remember what it was that we agreed upon?’

Thorgils said she must remember that.

Gudrun answered, ‘I think I promised you I would marry no other man in the country except you; do you have any objection to make to that?’

Thorgils said she remembered correctly.

‘It is well that we both are agreed on this. I will not conceal from you any longer that I do not intend you to be so fortunate as to have me for your wife. I keep every word of my promise to you though I marry Thorkel Eyjolfsson, for he is at present not in this country.’

Thorgils then spoke, becoming very flushed as he did so. ‘Clearly do I see, where the current came from that sent this wave; they have generally been cold, the counsels that Snorri the Godi has sent my way.’

Thorgils broke off the conversation, sprang to his feet in fury, went to his companions and told them he wished to leave at once. Thorleik was displeased at the way Thorgils had been offended, but Bolli supported his mother’s wishes. Gudrun offered to give Thorgils handsome gifts to soften his anger, but Thorleik said that this would be to no avail.

‘Thorgils is too proud a man to bow down for a few trinkets.’

Gudrun said he would then have to return home and console himself. On this note Thorgils made his departure from Helgafell along with his foster-brothers. He returned home to Tunga highly displeased with his lot.

66
Osvif was taken ill and died that winter. His passing was thought a great loss, for he had been among the wisest of men. Osvif was buried at Helgafell, where Gudrun had had a church built.

Gest Oddleifsson became ill that same winter and as his condition worsened, he summoned his son Thord the Short and spoke to him, saying, ‘If my suspicions are correct, this illness will make an end of our life together.
I wish to have my body taken to Helgafell, as it will be the most prominent seat in the district. I have also often seen brightness there.’

Gest died soon afterwards.

The winter had been a cold one, and there was a thick layer of ice along the shore and far out into the bay of Breidafjord, preventing ships from setting out from the Bardastrond shore. On the second night Gest’s body had lain at Hagi, a storm blew up with winds so strong that the ice was driven from the shore. The following day the weather was mild and calm. Thord laid Gest’s body in a boat and that day they headed south across the bay of Breidafjord, reaching Helgafell in the evening. Thord was well received and stayed the night there. Gest’s body was buried the following morning in the same grave as Osvif. The prediction made by Gest now came true, as the distance between the two was now much shorter than when one lived at Bardastrond and the other in Saelingsdal. Thord the Short returned home after concluding his errand. The following night a wild storm raged, driving all the ice back to the shore. It remained thus for most of the winter, preventing all journeys by boat. That the chance to transport Gest’s body had arisen was thought to be a great omen, as all travelling was impossible both before and afterwards.

67
A man named Thorarin lived in Langadal. He held a godord, but was a man of no influence. His son Audgisl was a man quick to act. Thorgils Holluson had dispossessed them of their godord and they considered this a grievous insult. Audgisl approached Snorri, told him of the ill-treatment which they had suffered and asked for his support.

Snorri replied positively, but made light of it all saying, ‘So Halla’s layabout is getting ambitious and pushing people around, is he? When is Thorgils going to run into someone who won’t let him have his way in everything? It’s true enough that he’s a tough, strong fellow but other men of the sort have been done away with before now.’

When Audgisl departed Snorri made him a present of an inlaid axe.

That spring Thorgils Holluson and Thorstein the Black journeyed south to Borgarfjord and offered Helgi’s sons and kinsmen compensation for his slaying. A settlement was reached in the matter which gave them honourable recompense. Thorstein paid two-thirds of the compensation for the killing, and Thorgils was to pay one-third, with payment to be made at the Althing. Thorgils rode to the Althing that summer, and as he and his party reached the lava field at Thingvellir they saw a woman coming towards them of very great size. Thorgils rode towards her, but she turned aside, speaking this verse:

She then proceeded on her way.

Thorgils said, ‘Seldom did you, when the future looked bright for me, leave the site of the Althing as I arrived.’

Thorgils then rode on to the Althing and to the site of his booth, and the first days of the session passed without incident until a portent occurred one day during the Althing. Clothing had been hung out to dry. A black, hooded cloak belonging to Thorgils had been spread out on the wall of the booth. People heard the cloak speak this verse:

This was thought a great wonder. The following day Thorgils crossed over to the west side of the river where he was to pay his compensation to Helgi’s sons. Accompanied by his foster-brother Halldor and several other men, he sat down on the rock above the booth sites. Helgi’s sons came to meet them. Thorgils had begun counting out the silver when Audgisl Thorarinsson passed by, and, just as Thorgils said ten, Audgisl swung at him; everyone thought they could hear his head say eleven as it flew off his body.

Audgisl ran off immediately to the booth of the men of Vatnsfjord, but Halldor ran after him and dealt him his death blow in the entrance way. News of these events, and that Thorgils Holluson had been slain, soon came to Snorri the Godi’s booth.

Snorri said, ‘You can’t have understood; Thorgils will have done the slaying.’

The man replied, ‘Still, it was his head that flew off his body.’

‘Then perhaps the news is true,’ said Snorri.

A settlement was reached regarding the slaying, as is related in the saga of Thorgils Holluson.

68
The same summer that Thorgils Holluson was slain a ship owned by Thorkel Eyjolfsson arrived in Bjarnarhofn. By that time he was a man of such wealth, that he owned two knorrs making voyages to Iceland. The other sailed into Hrutafjord and landed at Bordeyri. Both of them were laden with timber. When Snorri learned of Thorkel’s arrival he rode to his ship at once. Thorkel welcomed him warmly. He also had a good supply of drink aboard his ship and it was served up generously. They had much to talk of. Snorri asked for news from Norway and Thorkel spoke both at length and in detail.

In return, Snorri told him of the events which had occurred while he had been abroad. ‘Now seems to me a suitable time,’ Snorri said, ‘to do as I advised you before you sailed abroad: make an end to your sailing, settle down and take yourself the wife that we spoke of then.’

Thorkel answered, ‘I understand what you’re about, and I’m of the same mind now as I was when we spoke then. Far be it from me to pass up the chance of such a worthy match if it can be arranged.’

Snorri spoke: ‘I am more than ready and willing to support this proposal on your behalf. Both of the difficult obstacles which you felt prevented your marrying Gudrun have now been removed. Bolli has been avenged and Thorgils done away with.’

Thorkel spoke: ‘Your counsels run deep, Snorri, and I’ll certainly follow this course.’

Snorri stayed on board the ship for several nights, after which they took a ten-oared boat floating alongside the merchant vessel, made their preparations and set out for Helgafell, a party of twenty-five in number.

Gudrun received Snorri especially warmly and they were waited on amply.

When they had spent the night there, Snorri asked to speak privately with Gudrun and said, ‘The situation is this. I made this journey on behalf of my friend Thorkel Eyjolfsson. He has come here, as you can see, and for the purpose of asking for your hand in marriage. Thorkel is a worthy man; you know all about his family and his deeds, and he has no lack of wealth. To my mind he’s the man most likely to have the makings of a leader in him here, if he has a mind to become one. Thorkel is held in high esteem out here in Iceland, but in much higher repute when he is in Norway among noblemen.’

Gudrun then answered, ‘My sons, Thorleik and Bolli, will have the deciding say in this matter, but you are the third man to whom I look most for counsel, Snorri, when I feel the outcome to be important, as for many years now you have proved a good adviser to me.’

Snorri said he thought it very clear that Thorkel should not be rejected. He then had Gudrun’s sons summoned and raised the question with them, explaining how much a match with Thorkel would strengthen their position, both because of his money and guidance, putting his case very convincingly.

Bolli answered, ‘My mother will know what is best and I agree to her wishes, but we certainly feel the fact that you support this proposal, Snorri, lends it considerable weight, for you have done much to our great benefit.’

Gudrun then spoke: ‘We should make every effort to follow Snorri’s guidance in this matter, because your counsel has been good counsel to us.’

Snorri’s every word was an encouragement, and the match between Thorkel and Gudrun was thus decided.

Snorri offered to hold the wedding feast, which suited Thorkel well – ‘I have no lack of supplies to provide whatever you please.’

Gudrun then spoke: ‘It is my wish that this feast be held here at Helgafell. I am not concerned about the cost involved, and I will ask neither Thorkel nor anyone else to take a hand in it.’

‘You have shown more than once, Gudrun,’ Snorri said, ‘that you are the most determined of women.’

It was decided that the wedding should be held at Helgafell, when seven weeks remained of summer. Both Snorri and Thorkel then departed, Snorri to return home and Thorkel to his ship. He divided his time that summer between his ship and visiting Snorri at Tunga.

The time of the feast approached. Gudrun had made extensive preparations and laid in great stores of provisions. Snorri the Godi accompanied Thorkel to the wedding feast and their party numbered almost sixty people. It was a select group, as almost all of them wore fine, coloured clothing. Gudrun had invited well over a hundred guests herself. The brothers Bolli and Thorleik went out to receive Snorri and his party, accompanied by their mother’s guests. Snorri and his followers were given a good welcome; they were relieved of their horses and their outer garments and led into the main room. Thorkel and Snorri were given the positions of highest honour on one upper bench, while Gudrun’s guests occupied the opposite one.