Egil’s Saga (30 page)
Authors: E. R. Eddison
And now set he on thitherward where his companions warded the path against eight men. They were then wounded of either party. And when Egil came to it, then fled straightway the Vermlanders, but the wood was hard by. There came off there five, and all much wounded, but three fell there. Egil had many wounds and none big. Fared they now on their way. He bound the wounds of his companions, and they were none like to be bane-wounds. They sat them then in the sledges, and drove for what was left of the day.
But those Vermlanders, that came off, took their horses and dragged themselves east out of the wood to the settled parts. Then were bound their wounds. They gat them conveyance till they came to meet the Earl, and say unto him their ill faring. They say that either Wolf is fallen, and dead were five-and-twenty men, “But five alone came off with life, and they yet all wounded and battered”.
The Earl asked what then might be the tidings of Egil and his companions.
They answered: “Nought clearly knew we, how much they were wounded; but boldly enough they set on against us. Then when we were eight, but they four, then fled we. Came we five to the wood, but three perished, and we saw nought else but what Egil and his should be then span-new”.
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The Earl said that their journey was fallen out the worst it might: “Content might I have been with that, that we had great loss of men, if ye had slain those Northmen. But now when they come west out of the wood and say these tidings unto Norway’s King, then have we to look for of him the hardest of choices”.
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The stave is lost. E. R. E.
E
GIL fared till he came west out of the wood. Sought they then to Thorfinn’s at eventime, and gat there all good welcome. Then were bounden the wounds of Egil and his men. Certain nights were they there. Helga, the daughter of the bonder, was then on her feet and well of her hurt. She and all they gave thanks to Egil for that. They rested them there and their draught-horses. But that man who had scored runes for Helga was a short way from there. That came up then, that he had bidden her to wife, but Thorfinn would not give her. Then would the bonder’s son have beguiled her, but she would not. Then thought he to have scored love-runes for her, but he knew not how, but he had scored that for her that she gat her hurt from.
And when Egil was ready to fare away, then Thorfinn brought him on his journey, he and his son. They were then in company ten or twelve. Fared they then all that day with them for safety because of Armod and his housecarles. And when these tidings were spread, that Egil and his had fought against overmastering odds in the wood and had the victory, then Armod thought there was no hope that he should be able to lift shield with Egil. Sat Armod therefore at home with all his men.
Egil and Thorfinn gave and took gifts at their parting, and spake to friendship betwixt them. And now fared Egil and his on their way, and it is not said that aught befell to tell of on their journey before they came to Thorstein’s. There were their wounds healed. Tarried they there, Egil and his, till spring.
But Thorstein found him messengers to Hakon the King, to bring him that scat that Egil had fetched from Vermland. And when they came and found the King, then said they unto him those tidings that had come about in Egil’s journey, and brought him the scat. The King thought he knew then that that would be true, which before he had been jealous of, that Earl Arnvid must have let slay his two sets of messengers that he had sent east. Said the King, that Thorstein should then have his abiding in the land and be in peace with him. Fare the messengers therewithal on their homeward way. And when they come back to Thorstein, then say they to him that the King made much of that journey, and Thorstein should then be in peace and friendship with the King.
King Hakon fared into the Wick east that summer, but thence made he his journey east to Vermland with a great host. Earl Arnvid fled away, but the King took large gild off those bonders that he thought were guilty at his hands, by the saying of them that fetched home the scat. Set he there another Earl over them, and took hostages of him and of the bonders.
King Hakon fared in that journey wide about western Gautland and laid that under him, even as is said in his saga, and is found in those songs that have been wrought upon him.
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Then is it said too that he fared to Denmark and harried wide there: then cleared he, with two ships, twelve ships of the Danes; and then gave he the king’s name to Tryggvi Olafson, his brother’s son, and dominion over the Wick eastaway.
Egil made ready his cheaping-ship that summer, and gathered a ship’s company; but that long-ship which he had had in the autumn out of Denmark he gave to Thorstein at parting.
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Thorstein gave Egil good gifts, and they spake to great friendship betwixt them. Egil sent messengers to Thord at Aurland, his kinsman-in-law, and gave him charge to take order for those estates that Egil owned in Sogn and in Hordaland, and bade him sell if there were buyers for them.
And when Egil was ready for his journey and had wind at will, then sailed they out down by the Wick, and so on their way coasting north by Norway, and so out into the main sea. It blew for them fair enough: came from the main sea into Burgfirth, and Egil held his ship’s course in up the firth and to harbour a short way from his own homestead, and let flit home his cargo and put his ship on the rollers.
Egil fared home to his own house. Men were joyful to see him. Tarried Egil there that winter.
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HEN these tidings were befallen, that Egil was come out again from this journey, then was the neighbourhood all settled. Then were dead all the land-taking men, but their sons lived, or sons’ sons, and they dwelt then in the neighbourhood.
Ketil Gufa came to Iceland then when the land was much settled. He was the first winter at Gufascales at Rosmhvalness. Ketil had come from west over seas from Ireland. He had with him many Irish thralls.
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The lands were all settled at Rosmhvalness in that time; Ketil took rede therefore to get him gone thence, and inland to the Nesses, and sat a second winter at Gufaness and gat there no settled abode. So now fared he up into Burgfirth and sat there the third winter, where it is since called Gufascales, but the river [is called] Gufa, that there had its outfall, wherein he had his ship that winter.
Thord Lambison dwelt then at Lambistead. He was married, and had a son who was named Lambi: he was then grown man, big and strong for his age. The summer after, then when men rode to the Thing, rode Lambi to the Thing. But Ketil Gufa was then fared west into Broadfirth to look there for a place to dwell in. Then ran his thralls away. They came a-night-time to Thord’s at Lambistead, and bare there fire to the houses, and burnt there within-door Thord and all his household folk, but brake open his store-house and bare out treasures and wares. Therewith, drave they home horses and loaded them, and fared therewith out to Alptaness.
That morning, about sunrise time, came Lambi home, and he had seen the fire through the night. They were some few men in company. He rode straightway to look for the thralls: ride there men from the farmstead to meet him. And when the thralls saw that hue and cry, they made haste away and let go their robbery-takings. Leapt some out to the Myres, but some out along by the sea, till the firth was before them. Then set on after them Lambi and his men, and slew there that one that was named Kori (therefore is it called there since Korisness), but Skorri and Thormod and Swart dived in and swam from land. And now looked Lambi and his men for ships, and rowed to look for them, and they found Skorri in Skorrey and slew him there. Then rowed they out to Thormodskerry, and slew there Thormod: after him is the skerry called. They laid hand on yet more thralls, there where since are place-names called after them.
Lambi dwelt thenceforth at Lambistead, and was a worthy bonder. He was stout and able: nowise was he a quarrelsome man.
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Ketil Gufa fared thereafter west to Broadfirth and set up house in Codfirth. After him is called Gufadale and Gufafirth. He had to wife Yrr, daughter of Geirmund Hellskin. Vali was a son of theirs.
There was a man named Grim, and was Sverting’s son.
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He dwelt at Mossfell below the Heath: he was wealthy and of great kin. Rannveig was his sister by the same mother, whom Thorodd the Priest in Olfus had to wife. A son of theirs was Skapti,
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the Speaker of the Law. Grim too was Speaker of the Law later He bade to wife Thordis, Thorolf’s daughter, Egil’s brother’s daughter and his stepdaughter. Egil loved Thordis no whit less than his own children. She was the fairest of women. But because Egil knew that Grim was a worshipful man and that that match was good, then was that determined of. Thordis was given to Grim. Egil then let go out of hand her father’s heritage. She went to keep house with Grim, and they dwelt long at Mossfell.
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HERE was a man named Olaf,
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son of Hauskuld, Dale-Koll’s son, and of Melkorka, dáughter of Muir-Kiartan the Erse-King. Olaf dwelt at Herdholt in Laxriverdale, west in the Broadfirth dales. Olaf was exceeding wealthy of fee. Fairest to look upon was he of those men that then were in Iceland. He was a lordly man.
Olaf bade to wife Thorgerd, daughter of Egil. Thorgerd was a comely woman and the tallest of women, wise and somewhat proud-minded, but of gentle ways from day to day. Egil understood every deal about Olaf, and knew that that match was worshipful, and therefore was Thorgerd given to Olaf. She went to keep house with him in Herdholt. Their children were these: Kiartan, Thorberg, Halldor, Steindor, Thurid, Thorbiorg, Bergthora: her, Thorhall the Priest, Odd’s son, had to wife. Thorbiorg was had to wife first by Asgeir Knattarson, and later by Vermund Thorgrimson.
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Thurid, Gudmund Solmundson had to wife: their sons were Hall and Slaying Bardi.
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Ozur Eyvindson, brother of Thorodd of Olfus, gat to wife Bera, daughter of Egil.
Bodvar, son of Egil, was then well grown. He was the best make of man, fair to look upon, big and strong, like as had been Egil or Thorolf at his age. Egil loved him greatly, and Bodvar withal was dearly fond of him.
That was one summer, that a ship was in Whitewater, and there was there a great cheaping-fair. Egil had there bought much wood and let flit it home ashipboard: his housecarles went, and had an eight-oared ship that belonged to Egil. That was then on a time, that Bodvar begged to fare with them, and they granted him that. Fared he then up to the Meads
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with the housecarles. They were six in company in the eight-oared ship, and when they should fare down again then was the flood-tide late in the day, and since they needs must bide for it, then fared they late in the evening. Then leapt up a raging south-wester, and there went against it the outfall of the tide. Then it made heavy seas in the firth, as there can oft-times befall there. Ended it so, that the ship foundered under them, and they were all lost.
But the day after were the bodies thrown up ashore. Bodvar’s body came in by Einarsness, but some came on the south side of the firth, and thither drave the ship: that was found up by Reekhammer. That day learned Egil these tidings, and straightway rode he to look for the bodies. He found, washed ashore, the body of Bodvar. Took he that up, and set it on his knees, and rode with it out to Digraness, to Skallagrim’s howe. He let then open the howe, and laid Bodvar down there beside Skallagrim. Thereafter was the howe shut again; and the work was not ended until about day-set time. After that, rode Egil home to Burg.
And when he came home, then went he straightway to that shut-bed
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that he was wont to sleep in. He laid him down and shot to the lock. None durst crave speech of him. Now so, it is said, was Egil arrayed, then when they set Bodvar down, that his hose were tied fast at the leg: he had a kirtle of red fustian, tight in the upper part, and laced at the sides. But that is the tale of men, that he was swollen so that the kirtle burst on him, and the hose likewise.
But the day after, Egil opened not the shut-bed. He had then, too, neither meat nor drink. Lay he there that day and the night after. Not a man durst to speak with him.
But the third morning, soon as it was light, Asgerd let set a man a-horseback: rode that one his hardest west to Herdholt, and let say to Thorgerd all these tidings at once. And that was about the time of nones
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when he came there. He said that withal, that Asgerd had sent word to her to come, first she might, south to Burg. Thorgerd let straightway saddle her a horse, and there followed her two men. Rode they that evening and through the night, until they came to Burg. Thorgerd walked straightway into the fire-house.
Asgerd hailed her, and asked whether they had eaten supper.
Thorgerd saith loudly: “Nought have I had of supper, nor nought will I, till it be at Freyja’s.
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Know I no better rede for me than my father’s. No will have I to live after my father and brother”.
She went to the shut chamber and called, “Father, open up the door. I will that we two fare one way, both of us”.
Egil sprang the lock. Thorgerd went up into the bed-chamber and locked the door behind her. She laid her down in another bed that was there. Then spake Egil: “Well doest thou, daughter, sith thou wilt follow thy father. Dear love hast thou shown unto me. What hope is there that I should have the will to live with this sorrow?”
