Egil’s Saga (21 page)

Egil made ready in the spring a cheaping-ship for Iceland-faring. Arinbiorn counselled him that, to take not up his abode in Norway while the might of Gunnhild was so great, “For she is all heavy against thee,” saith Arinbiorn; “and that hath spoilt things greatly when thou and Eyvind met together off Jutland”.

And when Egil was ready and had wind at will, then saileth he into the main sea, and it speedeth him well of his journey. He came about autumn to Iceland and stood in to Burgfirth. He had then been abroad twelve winters.

Skallagrim was then become an old man. Joyful was he then, when Egil came home. Egil fared to Burg for lodging, and with him Thorfinn the Strong and very many along with them. They were with Skallagrim for the winter. Egil had then fee beyond all telling. But it is not told that Egil shared that silver which King Athelstane had put into his hands, neither with Skallagrim nor with other men.

That winter gat Thorfinn to wife Saeunn, Skallagrim’s daughter, and afterward in the spring Skallagrim found them homestead at Longwater-force and land in from Leirulech betwixt Longwater and Alptawater all up to the fell. The daughter of Thorfinn and Saeunn was Thordis, whom Arngeir of Holm had to wife, the son of Bersi the Godless. Their son was Biorn the Hitdale Champion.
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Egil tarried now with Skallagrim certain winters. He took to him the management of fee and the household business no less than Skallagrim. Egil was become bald-headed too.

Then was the neighbourhood begun to be settled far and wide. Hromund, brother of Grim the Halogalander, settled then in Thwartwater-lithe, and his shipmates. Hromund was father of Gunnlaug, the father of Thurid Dandle, the mother of Illugi the Black.
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Egil had then been, while many winters came and went,
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at Burg. Then was it, of a certain summer, when ships came out of Norway to Iceland, that these tidings were heard from the east, that Biorn the Franklin was dead. There followed that tale, that all that fee which had belonged to Biorn, Bergonund had taken up, his son-in-law: he had flitted home to his own place all the loose goods, and the estates he had settled and set apart for himself all the land-rents. He had withal seized unto himself all those estates that had belonged to Biorn.

And when Egil heard these things, then asked he carefully whether perchance Bergonund had by his own redes gone forward in these things, or had he put his trust there in greater men. It was said to him, that Onund was come into great friendship with King Eric, and withal into dearer friendship yet with Gunnhild.
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Egil let that rest for the autumn. But when winter wore and it began to be spring, then let Egil set forth a ship that he had, that had been berthed in the shed by Longwater-force: he made ready that ship for the main sea, and gat him men. Asgerd his wife was minded for that journey, but Thordis, Thorolf’s daughter, stayed behind. Egil sailed into the main sea when he was ready. Of his faring is nought to say until he came to Norway: he betook him straight to find Arinbiorn, the first he might. Arinbiorn took to him well, and bade Egil be with him. He took that thankfully: they fared, both he and Asgerd, thither, and certain men with them.

Egil came soon to talk with Arinbiorn about those fee-claims that Egil thought he had there in the land. Arinbiorn saith, “That suit seemeth to me unhopeful. Bergonund is hard, and ill to deal with, wrongful and greedy of fee, and he hath now great upholding of the King and the Queen. Now, Gunnhild is thy most unfriend, as thou knowest before; and she will not press Onund to make an agreement in the suit”.

Egil saith, “The King will let us have the law and our rights in this suit. Besides, with thee to aid me, that groweth nought great in mine eye, to go to law with Bergonund”.

They took that rede at last, that Egil mans a cutter: fared they aboard of her nigh twenty men. They fared south to Hordaland and come their ways to Ask. Go they there to the house, and meet with Onund. Then beareth Egil up his suit, and craveth of Onund a sharing of Biorn’s inheritance, and saith that the daughters of Biorn were equal heirs of him at law, “Though it seemeth to me”, quoth Egil, “as if Asgerd would seem to be born of much better lineage than Gunnhild, thy wife”.

Then saith Onund very loud and saucily,
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“Thou’rt a marvellous bold man, Egil, an outlaw of King Eric’s, that thou farest hither into his land and thinkest here to attack his men. Thou mayst so bethink thee, Egil, that I have bowled over such as thou art, and for less cause than methinks is here, when thou claim’st heritage for behalf of thy wife; seeing ’tis known to all the folk that she’s thrall-born o’ the mother’s side”.

Onund was wild spoken for a time. And when Egil saw that Onund would make no agreement in this suit, then Egil summoneth him to the Thing, and leaveth the suit to the Gula-Thing’s
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Law. Onund saith, “Come will I to the Gula-Thing. And well I would that thence thou come not hale away”.

Egil saith that he will take the hazard of this, to come yet to the Thing for all that: “Be it then as may, howso our suits shall end”.

And now fare Egil and his men away, and when he came home he saith to Arinbiorn of his journey and of Onund’s answers. Arinbiorn was exceeding wroth that Thora, his father’s sister, was called bondwoman.
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Arinbiorn fared to see King Eric: bare up before him this suit. The King took his suit somewhat heavily, and saith that Arinbiorn had long much followed up Egil’s suits: “He hath had thee to thank for this, that I have let him be here in the land. And now ’twill seem to me a steep thing,
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if thou uphold him in this, to go against friends of mine”.

Arinbiorn saith, “Thou wilt let us have the law in this suit”.

The King was somewhat sulky at this suit. Arinbiorn deemed that the Queen would yet be much more ill-willed. Arinbiorn fareth back, and said that things turned somewhat unhopefully.

Weareth now the winter, and the time cometh when men fare to the Gula-Thing. Arinbiorn gathered great throng of men for the Thing. Egil was a-faring with him. King Eric was there, and had great throng of men. Bergonund was in the King’s following and those brethren of his, and they had a great following. But when the Thing was to try the suits of men, then went they of either side thither where the court was set, to bring forward their proofs. Onund was then full of big words. But there, where the court was set, was a level field, and there were set hazel-poles in the field in a ring, and laid thereon on the outer side twisted ropes round about. That was called the hallowed bands. But in the inside of the ring sat the judges, twelve from the Firthfolk, and twelve from the Sognfolk, twelve from the Hordafolk: those three twelves of men must there judge the suits of men. Arinbiorn had the ruling in this, who the judges were from the Firthfolk, and Thord of Aurland, who they were from Sogn. They were all of one party.

Arinbiorn had had great throng of men to the Thing. He had a snake-ship all manned and had withal a mort of small ships, cutters and rowing-ferries, which the bonders steered. King Eric had there a great host: long-ships, six or seven. There was withal great throng of men of the bonders.

Egil so began his suit, that he craved that the judges should give him lawful judgement in his suit betwixt him and Onund. Then he set forth what proofs he had in his claim touching that fee that had been Biorn Bryniolfson’s. He said that Asgerd, daughter of Biorn and wedded wife of Egil, was come into the inheritance, and that she was odal-born
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and of landed men born in all branches of her kin, and noble-born
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too further back in her lineage. He craved this of the judges, to adjudge unto the hand of Asgerd half of Biorn’s heritage, lands and loose goods.

But when he ceased from his talking, then Bergonund took up the word.
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“Gunnhild, my wife,” said he, “is daughter of Biorn and of Alof, that woman whom Biorn had lawfully wed. Gunnhild is right heir of Biorn. For that cause took I up all that fee which Biorn had owned and left after him, because I knew that there was besides only that other daughter of Biorn who had no right to take heritage. Her mother was took by war, and thereafter taken like a harlot (and not by rede of her kinsfolk) and flitted from land to land. But thou, Egil, think’st to fare here, even as in other places wheresoever thou comest, with thine overmastery and unjustness. And now will that not avail thee here, because King Eric and Queen Gunnhild have promised me this, that I shall have my rights in every suit, there where their might standeth aloft. I will bring forward true witnesses before the King and the judges, that Thora Jewel-hand, the mother of Asgerd, was war-taken from the house of Thorir her brother, and another time from Aurland, from Bryniolf’s. Fared she then abroad out of the land with vikings and outlaws of the King, and in that outlawry was gotten by Biorn of her a daughter, this Asgerd. Now is a marvel here, of Egil, when he thinketh to make unspoken
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all the words of King Eric: that first, sith thou, Egil, hast been here in the land since King Eric made thee an outlaw—and that, though thou hast gotten to wife a bondwoman, to call her rightful heir. This will I crave of the judges, that they adjudge unto me all Biorn’s inheritance, but adjudge Asgerd the King’s bondwoman, because she was so begotten that then was her father (and her mother too) in outlawry of the King.”

Then Arinbiorn took up the word: “Witness will we bring forward, King Eric, to this (and let oaths follow), that that was settled in the atonement betwixt Thorir my father, and Biorn the Franklin, that Asgerd, the daughter of Biorn and Thora, was brought into the inheritance after Biorn, her father, and that withal, which to yourself is known, King, that thou madest Biorn be lawfully within the land, and then was an end put to all that matter that before had stood i’ the way of men’s being set at one”.

The King maketh no speedy answer to his suit.

Then quoth Egil:
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He saith, this Thorn of Thornes,

My thorn-bearer thrall-born is.

This Onund so, meseemeth,

To serve his self-greed deemeth.

My brooch-goddess, spear-brandisher,

A bride to heirship born is:

Oath-true is that: take now,

Rich man, the oaths we’ll make now.

Arinbiorn then let bear forward his witness twelve men, and all of good credit, and they had all been there and heard the atonement betwixt Thorir and Biorn, and offered then to the King and to the judges to swear thereto. The judges were willing to take their oaths, if the King banned it not. The King said he would not meddle there either way, to give leave for that or ban it.

Then took up the word Gunnhild the Queen: said as thus: “This is a wonder, King, how thou lettest this great Egil tangle all suits in thy despite. Or whether wouldst thou not open thy mouth against him, though he claimed thy kingdom at thine hand? But though thou wilt give no ruling when that might be of help to Onund, yet shall I not bear it that Egil tread so under foot friends of mine, that he take with his wrongfulness this fee from Onund. But where art thou, Ashman?
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Fare thou to’t with thy following, there where the judges be, and let them not judge this wrongful judgement”.

Therewith leapt Ashman and they of his following to the court: cut asunder the hallowed bands and brake down the poles and scattered the judges. Then was made a great uproar at the Thing; but men were there all weaponless.

Then spake Egil: “Whether can Bergonund hear my words?”

“I hear,” said he.

“Then will I bid thee to the holmgang:
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and this, that we fight here at the Thing. Let that one have this fee, lands and loose goods, that shall get the victory. And be thou every man’s dastard, if thou durst not.”

Then answereth Eric the King: “If thou, Egil, art bent on fighting, then shall we now give thee that”.

Egil answereth: “I will not fight with thee, nor with overmastering odds. But before an even strength of men, then will I not flee, if that be granted me. And I should not pick and choose
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then, neither”.

Then spake Arinbiorn: “Fare we away. Nought shall we get done here, as for this time, that can help us”. Therewith turned he away, and all his folk with him.

Then turned Egil back, and said: “Unto this call I to witness thee, Arinbiorn, and thee, Thord, and all those men that now may hear my words, landed men and lawmen, and all the common sort, that I ban all those estates that Biorn hath owned, whether to settle or to work: ban I thee, Bergonund, and all other men, inland and outland, with titles of honour or without, and upon whatsoever man shall do that, lay I withal law-breaking against the rights of the land, and truce-sundering, and the anger of the Gods”.
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Then Egil gat him gone with Arinbiorn. Fared they now to their ships, over a rising brow whereby the ships could not be seen from the Thing.

But when Arinbiorn came to his ship, he spake: “That is known of all men, in what sort here the Thing hath ended, that we have not gotten the law; but the King is wroth so exceedingly that methinks ’tis to be looked for that our men will suffer a hard choice from him, if he may. I will now that every man fare to his own ships and fare home”, Then spake he with Egil, “Go thou now aboard thy ship, and thy companions, and get you away, and ward yourselves, because the King will seek to bring about a meeting betwixt you and him. Seek then to find us, whatever may befall betwixt you and the King”.

Egil did as he spake. They went aboard a cutter, thirty men, and fared at their hardest. The ship was exceeding swift. Then rowed a throng of other ships out of the haven, that were Arinbiorn’s, cutters and rowing-ferries. But a long-ship, that was Arinbiorn’s, fared last because she was heaviest under oars. But Egil’s cutter gat swiftly ahead. Then quoth Egil a stave:
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The liar that lies to heirship

Looks to sweep heirship from me: