The Sagas of the Icelanders (70 page)

76
Early on the morning of Maundy Thursday Thorkel made preparations to leave.

Thorstein tried hard to dissuade him, saying, ‘It looks like unfavourable weather is brewing.’

Thorkel said the weather would serve him fine, ‘and don’t attempt to advise me against it, kinsman, for I intend to be home before Easter’.

Thorkel had the ferry set afloat and loaded. Thorstein immediately unloaded again all that Thorkel and his companions loaded on board – until Thorkel spoke: ‘Now stop delaying our journey, kinsman; you won’t have your way this time.’

Thorstein answered, ‘The one of us who decides, then, will be the worse for it; this will be a journey of great event.’

Thorkel wished him farewell until they met again, and Thorstein returned home very sadly. He went into the main room and asked for something to rest his head upon, and the servant woman saw the tears streaming from his eyes on to the cushion.

A short while later the roar of a great wind could be heard in the room, and Thorstein spoke: ‘There you can hear the roaring of my kinsman Thorkel’s killer.’

The story now returns to Thorkel and his journey. As the party of ten sailed the length of Breidafjord that day, the wind began to rise and turned into a great storm before it subsided again. They pressed on determinedly, as they were the hardiest of men. Thorkel had his sword Skofnung with him, in a chest. They sailed onwards until they reached Bjarnarey – with people watching their crossing from both shores – but when they had reached the island, a gust of wind filled the sail and capsized the boat. Thorkel was drowned there along with all the men who were with him. The timber was washed ashore on islands all around: the corner posts on an island which has been called Stafey (Pillar Island) ever since. Skofnung had lodged in
the inner timbers of the ferry itself and washed ashore on Skofnungsey (Skofnung’s Island).

In the evening of the same day that Thorkel and his men were drowned Gudrun went to the church at Helgafell after the household had gone to bed. As she passed through the gate of the churchyard, she saw a ghost standing before her.

It bent down towards her and spoke: ‘News of great moment, Gudrun,’ it said, and Gudrun answered, ‘Then keep silent about it, you wretch.’

Gudrun went towards the church as she had intended, and when she had reached the church she thought she saw that Thorkel and his companions had arrived home and stood outside the church. She saw the seawater dripping from their clothing. Gudrun did not speak to them but entered the church and stayed there as long as she cared to. She then returned to the main room, thinking that Thorkel and his companions would have gone there. When she reached the house there was no one there. Gudrun was then very shaken by all these occurrences.

On Good Friday Gudrun sent men to check on Thorkel’s journey, some in along Skogarstrond and others out to the islands. By that time the timber had drifted ashore on many islands and on both sides of the bay. On the Saturday before Easter Sunday the news reached them, and was thought momentous, as Thorkel was a great chieftain. Thorkel had completed the eighth year of his fifth decade when he died, and it was four years before the fall of King Olaf the Saint. Gudrun was greatly stricken by Thorkel’s death, but bore her grief with dignity. Only a little of the timber for the church was recovered. Gellir was fourteen years old at the time. He took over the running of the farm, together with his mother, along with Thorkel’s duties as godi. It was soon clear that he had the makings of a leader of men.

Gudrun became very religious. She was the first Icelandic woman to learn the Psalter, and spent long periods in the church praying at night. Herdis Bolladottir usually went with her to her nightly prayers, and Gudrun loved Herdis dearly. It is said that one night young Herdis dreamed that a woman approached her. She wore a woven cape and a folded head-dress, and her expression was far from kindly.

She said to Herdis, ‘Tell your grandmother that I care little for her company; she tosses and turns on top of me each night and pours over me tears so hot that I burn all over. I am telling you this because I prefer your company, although you have a strange air about you. All the same I could get along with you, if the distress caused me by Gudrun were not so great.’

Herdis then awoke and told Gudrun her dream. Gudrun thought it was a revelation and the following morning she had the floorboards in the church removed at the spot where she was accustomed to kneel in prayer and the ground below dug up. There they found bones, which were blackened and horrible, along with a chest pendant and a large magician’s staff. People then decided that a prophetess must have been buried there. The bones were moved to a remote place little frequented by men.

77
Four winters after the drowning of Thorkel Eyjolfsson, a ship owned by Bolli Bollason sailed into Eyjafjord. Most of the crew were Norwegians. Bolli had brought with him a great deal of wealth from abroad and many treasures given him by princes. He had become such a fine dresser by the time he returned from his journey abroad that he wore only clothes of scarlet or silk brocade and all his weapons were decorated with gold. He became known as Bolli the Elegant. He declared to his crew that he intended to go westward to visit his own district and left the ship and its cargo in their hands. He took eleven men with him, and all of them were dressed in clothes of scarlet and mounted on gilded saddles. They were all comely men, but Bolli was in a class by himself. He wore a suit of silk brocade given to him by the emperor of Byzantium, with a cloak of red scarlet outermost. About his waist he had girded the sword Leg-biter, now inlaid with gold at the top and shank, and gold bands wound about its hilt. On his head he wore a gilded helmet and he held a red shield at his side with the figure of a knight drawn on it in gold. He had a lance in his hand, as is common in foreign parts. Wherever the group stopped for the night, the women could do nothing but gaze at Bolli and the finery which he and his companions bore.

In such style did Bolli ride westward, until he and his companions reached Helgafell, where Gudrun was delighted to receive her son. Bolli did not stay there long before riding to Saelingsdalstunga to his father-in-law, Snorri, and his wife Thordis. Their reunion was a joyous one. Snorri invited Bolli to stay there with as many of his companions as he wished and Bolli accepted. He and the men who had ridden south with him stayed with Snorri that winter. Bolli became renowned for this journey abroad. Snorri made no less effort to treat Bolli with great affection now than when he had stayed with him in former times.

78
After Bolli had been a year in Iceland Snorri the Godi was taken ill. His illness advanced only slowly and Snorri lay abed for a lengthy time. When his illness had worsened he summoned his kinsmen and dependants.

He then addressed Bolli, ‘It is my wish that you take over my farm and godord after me, as I wish to show you no less honour and affection than my own sons. The son of mine whom I expect to be foremost among them,, Halldor, is not in this country now.’

Snorri then died, aged threescore years and seven, one year after the fall of King Olaf the Saint, according to the priest Ari the Learned. Snorri was buried at Tunga and Bolli and Thordis took over the farm at Tunga, as Snorri had requested. Snorri’s sons were not displeased, and Bolli became a highly capable and popular man.

Herdis Bolladottir grew up at Helgafell and was the loveliest of women. Orm, the son of Hermund Illugason, asked for and received her hand in marriage. Their son Kodran married Gudrun Sigmundardottir, and Kodran’s son Hermund married Ulfheid, the daughter of Runolf, the son of Bishop Ketil. Their sons were Ketil, who became the abbot at Helgafell, Hrein, Kodran and Styrmir. Thorvor, the daughter of Herdis and Orm, was married to Skeggi Brandsson and their descendants are the people of Skogar.

Bolli and Thordis had a son named Ospak, whose daughter Gudrun was married to Thorarin Brandsson. Their son Brand endowed the church at Husafell. His son Sighvat became a priest and lived there for a long time.

Gellir Thorkelsson married Valgerd, the daughter of Thorgils Arason of Reykjanes. Gellir journeyed abroad and served with King Magnus the Good, receiving from him twelve ounces of gold and a great deal of additional wealth. Gellir’s sons were named Thorgils and Thorkel, and Ari the Learned was the son of Thorgils. Ari’s son was named Thorgils and his son was Ari the Strong.

Gudrun was now well advanced in years and burdened with her grief, as was related earlier. She was the first woman in Iceland to become a nun and anchoress. It was also widely said that Gudrun was the most noble among women of her rank in this country.

It is said that once when Bolli was visiting Helgafell, he sat with his mother, because Gudrun was always pleased when he came to see her, talking of many things for a long time.

Then Bolli spoke: ‘Will you tell me something, Mother, that I’m curious to know? Which man did you love the most?’

Gudrun answered: ‘Thorkel was the most powerful of men and most
outstanding chieftain, but none of them was more valiant and accomplished than Bolli. Thord Ingunnarson was the wisest of these men and the most skilled in law. Of Thorvald I make no mention.’

Bolli then spoke: ‘I understand clearly enough what you say of the qualities of each of your husbands, but you have yet to answer whom you loved the most. You’ve no need to conceal it any longer.’

Gudrun answered, ‘You press me hard on this point, my son,’ she said. ‘If I wished to say this to anyone, you would be the one I would choose.’

Bolli asked her to do so.

Gudrun then spoke: ‘Though I treated him worst, I loved him best.’

‘That I believe,’ said Bolli, ‘you say in all sincerity’, and thanked her for satisfying his curiosity.

Gudrun lived to a great age and is said to have lost her sight. She died at Helgafell and is buried there.

Gellir Thorkelsson lived at Helgafell into his old age and many remarkable stories are told of him. He figures in many sagas, although he is mentioned but little here. He had a very fine church built at Helgafell, as is stated explicitly by Arnor the Earl’s Poet in the memorial poem he composed about Gellir. When Gellir had reached an advanced age he made preparations for a journey abroad. He went first to Norway, but stayed there only briefly before leaving to travel south to Rome on a pilgrimage to St Peter the Apostle. His journey was a lengthy one; he returned northwards as far as Denmark where he was taken ill and, after a lengthy illness, received the last rites. He then died and is buried in Roskilde. Gellir had taken Skofnung abroad with him, and the sword was never recovered after that. It had been taken from the burial mound of Hrolf Kraki. When news of Gellir’s death reached Iceland, his son Thorkel took over his father’s estate at Helgafell. Thorgils, another of Gellir’s sons, had drowned in Breidafjord at an early age, along with all those who were with him aboard ship. Thorkel Gellisson was a practical and worthy man and was said to be among the most knowledgeable of men.

Here ends the saga.

Translated by
KENEVA KUNZ

1
At the same time as Bolli Bollason lived at Tunga, as was spoken of earlier, a man called Arnor Crone’s-nose, the son of Bjarni Thordarson of Hofdi, lived on the farm Miklabaer in Skagafjord.

Another man, named Thord, lived with his wife Gudrun at Marbaeli. They were fine, upstanding farmers with wealth in plenty. Their son Olaf was still a boy at the time and a most promising young man. Gudrun, Thord’s wife, was a near relative of Bolli Bollason, as her mother was his aunt. Gudrun’s son Olaf was named after Olaf Peacock of Hjardarholt.

At Hof in Hjaltadal lived Thord and Thorvald Hjaltason, two prominent leaders.

A man called Thorolf Stuck-up lived at Thufur. He had an unfriendly nature and was often uncontrollable when angry. He owned a very aggressive grey bull. Thord of Marbaeli had sailed on merchant voyages with Arnor. Thorolf Stuck-up was married to a kinswoman of Arnor’s and was one of the thingmen of the Hjaltasons. He was on hostile terms with his neighbours and was used to making trouble, of which the people of Marbaeli bore the brunt. After he was driven home from the summer pastures, Thorolf’s bull caused a great deal of trouble. He wounded farm animals and could not be chased off with stones. He also damaged stacks of hay and did much other mischief.

Thord of Marbaeli went to Thorolf and asked him to see to it that the bull did not wander around loose.

‘We don’t want to have to put up with his rampages.’

Thorolf said he did not intend to stand guard over his livestock, and Thord returned home with this reply.

Not long afterwards Thord noticed that the bull was tearing apart stacks of peat. He ran over to the spot with a spear in his hand, and when the bull caught sight of him it began moving towards him with such heavy steps that it sank into the ground almost over its hooves. Thord lunged at it with his spear and the bull fell to the earth dead. Thord then went to Thorolf to tell him the bull was dead.

‘The deed does you little honour,’ Thorolf replied, ‘and I should like to treat you to something just as unpleasant.’

Thorolf was furious and his every word bore menace.

Soon Thord had to leave his farm. His son Olaf, then seven or eight years of age, went off some distance from the farmhouse to build himself a play house, as children often do. There Thorolf came upon him and pierced him with his spear. He then returned home and told his wife of it.

She replied, ‘This is a vile and unmanly deed and you’ll reap an ill reward.’

Since his wife responded so negatively, Thorolf rode off and did not slow his pace until he came to Arnor at Miklabaer.

They exchanged news and Thorolf told him of the slaying of Olaf, saying, ‘I look to you for support because of our family connections.’

‘You’ll go looking blindly for that in this case,’ Arnor said, ‘as I do not value my connections with you more highly than my own honour. No protection can you expect from me.’

Thorolf then went to Hof in Hjaltadal, where he sought out the Hjaltasons.

He told them of his situation and that ‘I look to the two of you for support.’

Thord answered, ‘This is a base deed, and I will give you no protection in this matter.’

Thorvald had nothing to say, and Thorolf got nothing from them in this instance. He rode off and farther up into Hjaltadal to Reykir where he bathed in the hot spring. That evening he rode down the valley again and as he neared the fence around the farmhouse at Hof he spoke to himself, as if to someone standing there, who greeted him and asked who he was.

‘My name is Thorolf,’ he said.

‘Where are you headed and what is your problem?’ asked the unseen man.

Thorolf told him of all that had happened – ‘I asked the Hjaltasons for protection,’ he said, ‘as I’m in need of help.’

The man who was supposed to be there with him answered, ‘They have now left the place where they held the wake attended by so many people
that there were twelve hundred at table; such leaders have surely fallen in stature if they won’t now offer a single man protection.’

Thorvald was standing outside and heard the conversation.

He came over and took hold of the reins of Thorolf’s horse and told him to dismount, ‘though it is hardly likely to bring much honour to help a man as feckless as you’.