The Sagas of the Icelanders (68 page)

69
That autumn Gunnar, who was called Thidrandabani (Slayer of Thidrandi), had been sent to Gudrun for shelter and protection; she had accepted him into her household and concealed his true name. Gunnar had been outlawed for slaying Thidrandi Geitisson of Krossavik, as is related in the saga of the People of Njardvik. He took great pains to conceal himself, as there were many powerful men who sought recourse in the case. The first evening of the feast, when people went to wash, a large man stood by the water, broad-shouldered and deep-chested, wearing a hat on his head. When Thorkel asked who he was, he answered with the first thing that came into his head.

Thorkel answered, ‘You won’t be telling the truth. You are more like the descriptions of Gunnar Thidrandabani, and if you are as much of a warrior as people say, you can’t wish to conceal your name.’

Gunnar answered, ‘Since you press the point so forcefully, I suppose I need not conceal it from you. You have spotted your man fairly enough what do you have in mind for me?’

Thorkel said he intended to make that known soon enough, and ordered his men to seize him.

Gudrun sat in the centre of the cross-bench with the other women, all with linen veils on their heads. When she realized what was happening she stood up from the bridal bench and urged her followers to assist Gunnar. She also told them to spare no one who brought on violence. Gudrun had a much larger following and things appeared to be headed in a direction other than that intended.

Snorri interceded between them and told them to calm the storm – ‘You, Thorkel, should obviously not pursue this matter so forcefully. You must see just how determined a woman Gudrun is, as she dares to overrule us both.’

Thorkel protested, saying that he had promised his namesake, Thorkel Geitisson, ‘who is a great friend of mine’, to kill Gunnar if he made his way to the west of Iceland.

Snorri said, ‘You’re under a greater obligation to do my bidding, and it’s absolutely necessary for your own sake – you’ll never get another woman the likes of Gudrun for your wife, though you search far and wide.’

At Snorri’s urging, and since he could see for himself that Snorri spoke the truth, Thorkel calmed down, while Gunnar was escorted away that evening. The feast proceeded well, and was highly impressive. At its conclusion people prepared to depart. Thorkel had rich gifts to give Snorri at
parting, and for all the other worthy guests. Snorri invited Bolli Bollason to come and stay with him whenever and for as long as he wished. Bolli accepted his offer and rode back to Tunga with him.

Thorkel settled in at Helgafell and took over the running of the farm. It soon became obvious that he was no less adept at this than at merchant voyages. He had the hall torn down that autumn, and the rafters were raised over a new one, large and impressive, by the next winter. Gudrun and Thorkel grew to love one another very deeply. The winter passed and the following spring Gudrun asked him what he wished to do about Gunnar.

Thorkel said she should decide that. ‘You have taken such strong measures that you won’t be satisfied unless he is given decent treatment at parting.’

Gudrun said that he had drawn the right conclusion on that point. ‘I want you,’ she said, ‘to give him your ship and with it anything that he cannot do without.’

Thorkel answered with a smile, ‘You’re not one to think on a small scale, Gudrun. A petty husband would never suit you; nor would he be a match for a spirit like yours. It will be as you wish.’

When the arrangements were made, Gunnar accepted the gift with great thanks: ‘Never will my reach extend far enough to repay you all the honour that the two of you have shown me.’

Gunnar then sailed abroad, making land in Norway whence he proceeded to his own estate. He was very wealthy, and a truly worthy and trusty man.

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Thorkel Eyjolfsson became a prominent chieftain, and did much to make himself popular and respected. His was the leading voice in the district and he often took part in lawsuits. No mention is made of his legal disputes here, however. Next to Snorri, Thorkel was the most powerful man in Breidafjord, until his own death. Thorkel looked after his farm well; he rebuilt all the buildings at Helgafell, making them large and sturdy. He also marked out the foundations for a church and declared his intention to go abroad to obtain the timber for it. Thorkel and Gudrun had a son called Gellir. From a young age he was extremely promising. Bolli Bollason divided his time between Tunga and Helgafell, and Snorri treated him exceedingly well. His brother Thorleik lived at Helgafell. The two brothers were large and capable men, with Bolli the more outstanding of the two. Thorkel treated his stepchildren well.

Of all her children, it was Bolli whom Gudrun loved the most. He was now sixteen years of age and Thorleik twenty.

Thorleik then spoke to his stepfather Thorkel and his mother of his wish to travel abroad. ‘I am bored by sitting at home like the women do. I want: to ask you to provide me with the means to journey abroad.’

Thorkel answered, ‘To my mind, I’ve seldom opposed the wishes of you brothers since our family bonds were tied. And I can understand only too well your longing to go abroad and learn foreign ways, since I expect you will be considered a stalwart fellow among capable men everywhere.’

Thorleik said he did not wish to take a great amount of wealth, ‘because it’s far from certain that I would be able to handle it properly; I’m young and inexperienced in many ways’.

Thorkel told him to take what he wished.

Thorkel then purchased a share in a ship, which had been beached at Dagverdarnes, for Thorleik. He accompanied Thorleik to his ship and made sure he was well equipped in every respect. Thorleik sailed abroad that summer and his ship made land in Norway. At that time King Olaf the Saint ruled in Norway. Thorleik made his way directly to King Olaf. The king received him well and recognized his lineage. He invited him to join him and Thorleik accepted. He spent the winter with the king and became his follower. The king thought highly of him. Thorleik was considered the most courageous of men and spent a number of years with the king.

The story now returns to Bolli Bollason. In the spring when he turned eighteen he told Thorkel, his stepfather, and his mother that he wished to be given his share of his father’s inheritance. Gudrun asked what he was planning that made him ask them to make over the money.

Bolli answered, ‘I want to have a request of marriage made on my behalf, and I want you, Thorkel,’ he said, ‘as my stepfather to do the asking, so that it will be successful.’

Thorkel asked what woman he intended to seek and Bolli answered, ‘The woman is named Thordis, and she is the daughter of Snorri the Godi. She is the woman I have my mind set on marrying, and I won’t be marrying in the near future if I don’t make this match. It means a great deal to me that this should succeed.’

Thorkel answered, ‘You’re entitled to my support in this, stepson, if you think it will make a difference. I expect Snorri will be more than willing to give his consent, as he will see well enough that in your case he’ll be making a fine match.’

Gudrun spoke: ‘I can say at once, Thorkel, that I wish nothing to be spared in order that Bolli obtain the wife he wishes. Both because he is dearest to me and because he has always been the one among my children most loval in doing as I wished.’

Thorkel said he intended to see to it that Bolli received proper treatment at parting, ‘and he deserves it for more than one reason, especially since I expect he will prove the best of men’.

Shortly after that Thorkel and Bolli, together with a large number of followers, set out on a journey to Tunga. Snorri welcomed them well and warmly, and showed them the greatest hospitality. Thordis Snorradottir lived at home with her father. She was both fine looking and a woman to be taken seriously. When they had been at Tunga several nights, Thorkel brought up the question of a family alliance with Snorri on Bolli’s behalf by proposing his marriage to Snorri’s daughter, Thordis.

Snorri answered, ‘You have made a worthwhile proposal, as I would have expected of you. I want to answer it well, because I think Bolli is the most promising of men, and any woman married to him is well married, to my mind. But it will depend mainly on how Thordis feels about it, because she will only be betrothed to a man of her liking.’

When the question was put to Thordis she replied that she would abide by her father’s guidance. She would rather, she said, marry Bolli, a local man, than a stranger from far away. When Snorri realized that she was not opposed to a marriage with Bolli, he then agreed to the proposal and the two were betrothed. Snorri was to hold the wedding feast, which was to be at midsummer. This done, Bolli and Thorkel rode home to Helgafell where Bolli remained until the date of the wedding arrived.

Bolli and Thorkel then made their preparations for the journey, along with the others who were to attend. It was both a large and imposing group who rode to Tunga where they were given a fine welcome. There was a great number of guests and the wedding feast was highly impressive. After the conclusion of the feasting, as people were preparing to depart, Snorri gave both Thorkel and Gudrun worthy gifts, and did the same for his other friends and kinsmen. Everyone who had attended the feast then returned home. Bolli stayed at Tunga, and he and Thordis soon came to love one another dearly. Snorri was also determined to do well by Bolli and treated him in all respects better than he treated his own children. Bolli responded well to his kindness and spent the next year in comfort at Tunga.

The following summer an ocean-going vessel sailed into the Hvita river. Thorleik Bollason owned a half-share in the ship and Norwegians the other half. When Bolli learned of the arrival of his brother, he rode immediately
south to Borgarfjord to the ship. The brothers were very glad to see each other, and Bolli spent several nights there. They then rode west to Helgafell. Both Thorkel and Gudrun gave them the warmest of welcomes, and invited Thorleik to spend the winter with them, which he accepted. Thorleik stayed at Helgafell awhile, then returned south to the Hvita river to have his ship beached and the goods transported westward. Thorleik had got on well in the world, earning both wealth and respect, as he had become the follower of that most noble of men, King Olaf. He spent that winter at Helgafell and Bolli at Tunga.

71
That winter the brothers met regularly, spending their time talking privately to one another and showing little interest in games or other entertainment. Once, when Thorleik visited Tunga, the two brothers spent days talking. Snorri felt that they were certain to be planning some major venture, and eventually he approached them while they were talking. They greeted him well and immediately broke off their conversation.

He responded well to their greetings and said, ‘What are you planning that makes you forget about eating and sleeping meanwhile?’

Bolli answered, ‘You would hardly call it planning, for there is little point in what we are discussing.’

Snorri realized that they wished to conceal from him whatever it was that occupied their thoughts, but suspected that what they spoke most about would cause major problems if it materialized.

Snorri spoke to them, saying, ‘I suspect all the same that you wouldn’t spend so much time speaking of nonsense or jesting, and I can understand that well enough. But I ask you now to tell me about it without concealing anything from me; the three of us will be no less capable of making plans, as I will not oppose anything that will be to your greater honour.’

Thorleik was pleased by Snorri’s response. He said briefly that the brothers had been planning to attack the Olafssons, and mete them out a harsh punishment. He said they felt that in their present position they lacked nothing to enable them to even scores with the Olafssons, since Thorleik had become the follower of King Olaf and Bolli the son-in-law of a godi of Snorri’s stature.

Snorri answered, ‘Bolli’s killing has been avenged fully enough with the vengeance on Helgi Hardbeinsson. More than enough hostility has already resulted without pursuing the question further.’

Bolli then said, ‘How does it happen, Snorri, that you aren’t as ready to
offer your support as you professed to be just a short while ago? Thorleik wouldn’t have told you of the plan if he had asked me about telling you first. And regarding your contention that Bolli was avenged with the killing of Helgi, everyone knows that compensation was paid for Helgi’s killing, whereas my father remains unredressed.’

When Snorri saw that he would not be able to change their minds, he offered to seek a settlement with the Olafssons to avoid any killing and the brothers agreed to this.

Snorri then rode with several men to Hjardarholt where Halldor received him well and asked him to stay the night with them.

Snorri said he would be returning that same evening, ‘but I have something I must discuss with you’.

The two of them then conferred and Snorri explained the purpose of his visit, saying he had learned that Bolli and Thorleik were no longer content to have received no compensation from the Olafssons for their father, ‘but I wanted to seek a settlement and see if it weren’t possible to bring the ill fortunes of your family kinsmen to an end.’

Halldor did not reject the possibility, and answered, ‘I know well enough that Thorgils Holluson and the brothers intended to attack me or my brothers before you turned their vengeance aside, with the result that they decided to kill Helgi Hardbeinsson. You have for your part acted well in that instance, whatever your earlier involvement in the dealings between us kinsmen.’

Snorri spoke: ‘To my mind it’s very important to achieve my purpose in coming here, and to accomplish what I have in mind, to reconcile you and these kinsmen of yours properly, because I know the natures of these men you are dealing with; they will abide well and fully by any settlement which they conclude.’

Halldor answered, ‘I will agree, if it is the wish of my brothers as well, to pay such compensation for the slaying of Bolli as is awarded by the men selected as arbitrators. But this must exclude all outlawry, together with my godord and farm property. This also applies to the farms where my brothers dwell; I wish them to be excluded from any award of compensation.’

Snorri said, ‘This is an honourable and generous offer. The brothers will accept it if they pay any heed to my advice.’

Snorri then returned home and told the brothers the outcome of his journey, adding that he would offer them no further support if they failed to agree to this.

Bolli said that he should decide for them, ‘and I want you to arbitrate on our behalf’.

Snorri then sent word to Halldor that a settlement had been arranged and asked him to choose someone to serve as his counterpart in deciding the terms. Halldor chose Steinthor Thorlaksson from Eyri to act on his behalf. The settlement was to be decided at Drangar on the Skogarstrond shore when four weeks of the summer had passed. Thorleik Bollason returned to Helgafell and the winter passed without event. When the time set for the meeting approached, Snorri accompanied the Bollasons to the site; they made a party of fifteen, the same number as Steinthor and his party. Snorri and Steinthor discussed the matter and reached agreement. They then decided on the compensation, but it is not reported here how high was the figure they set, only that it was paid as stipulated and the men honoured the settlement. Payment took place at the Thorsnes Assembly. Halldor gave Bolli a handsome sword and Steinthor Olafsson gave Thorleik a shield, both of which were fine weapons. Following this the assembly was dissolved, and both parties were felt to have risen in esteem as a result.