Six Sagas of Adventure (17 page)

She asked him not to talk like that, and said that he was obliged to offer his brother help on his journey. At that point they broke off their conversation.

A little later, Ketil came to meet King Hrolf and explained about all the disgrace that he had suffered in Russia. King Hrolf said that the way it had gone was only to be expected—“because you thought you’d accomplish everything by your own ambition.”

Ketil asked King Hrolf to go on the journey with him—“because I think I have too few forces to set right the dishonor that was done to me.” Ketil was in a competely foul mood.

The king said to him that all his hot-headedness and bragging would come to nothing—“I don’t think you’re likely to get vengeance against such men as we have to deal with, because you’ll need both numbers and firmness. First, you should go home to your kingdom and gather ships and men. Send word to King Ingjald in Denmark for him to do the same. Both of you come here in the summer, and then we’ll see what seems the best course.”

And after that, Ketil went home to his realm. Everyone made plans and preparations for this expedition.

CHAPTER XVIII

It’s said that when summer and winter had passed, Ketil and Ingjald came to Sweden with forty ships, well equipped with men and weapons. King Hrolf had readied thirty ships, with his dragon-ship in the forefront. All these ships were crewed with a huge host of well-armed men, and they awaited a favorable wind. King Hrolf asked the queen how she felt in her heart about how their journey would turn out. She said that she expected it would end well, but said that she had dreamed that they would be in dire straits on one occasion on this journey, such that they’d be put to the test.

When the wind turned favorable, they hoisted their sails and set out at once, each as he was ready. There was very little wind at first. King Hrolf was the last to set out. The dragon-ship moved little, because it needed a strong wind. They sailed along the route to Russia. When they had sailed for a while, the wind began to pick up, and the dragon-ship swiftly followed the other ships. Then the wind grew strong. The king ordered them to tie the ships together and find out whether they could hold out like that, but when they tried to do it, such a gale broke out that the ships were separated at once. They had to take in their sails and run before the wind. After that came a wild northeaster, and they couldn’t run before the wind any longer, and they had to reef almost all of the sail. Such a great gale blew up that their rigging tore, the mast-stays and the halyards broke, and so much water came at them that few of the crewmen expected to live. When this storm was at its most furious, King Hrolf’s dragon-ship tore loose and drifted towards an island. But because there was a good harbor, the ship was trusty, and the crewmen were skilled, they reached land safe and sound. It was late in the evening; the wind fell, and the weather grew very mild. King Hrolf said that he wanted to land on the island and find out if he could see anything new. Asmund went with him, along with eight more men, but he ordered the rest of his men to wait by the ships and told them to wait till noon of the next day, if he didn’t send them word before then.

After that, they went up onto the island. It was large and thickly covered with forest. When they had been walking for a while, they found a hut on the island, both large and strongly built, and they thought they had never seen a house so tall. The door was closed. The king ordered them to open it. They took turns charging at the door but couldn’t get it open.

The king said, “Whoever usually opens this door must have strength in his claws. I’ll find out whether it opens.” The king walked up to it and opened it with one hand.

They went right in and searched around and found a fire; they lit torches and carried them around the hut. They saw that there was no lack of all sorts of goods. There was a bed there, very well made and enormously large. The king lay down on the bed. He saw that, even if someone as tall as he were to lie down at his feet, the bed would still be much longer. They realized that the master of this house was no little man.

There was a single pillar in front of the bed, reaching up underneath the roof-beam. A very large sword was hanging on it, so high up that the king couldn’t reach it. King Hrolf said, “Should some of our men spend the night here and wait for the man who is master of this house, and dare to find out what he’s like at home? Or do you want to go to the ship and not risk meeting him?”

They asked him to decide, but said that they weren’t willing to stay.

The king said, “I am more inclined to wait for the man of the house, but it may be that he’ll find us too large a multitude, and he will be shy of so many guests. I shall now divide our forces. Four men shall go to the ship, but Asmund and I and four more shall stay behind. The four men should explain what’s keeping us. If we don’t come to the ship before breakfast, then be off on your way. There’ll be no point in waiting then, because I suppose that a multitude wouldn’t be of use against this man, for he’ll overcome many just as well as few, if he is as brawny as I think. People will understand rather more clearly what became of Hrolf Gautreksson and his companions if you can get away and tell what you’ve seen. It seems to me that that the fellow who lives in this hut may have planned for our coming, and he wants our meeting to go ahead. I shall stay here all night.”

After that, those whom the king had addressed left, and went to the ship and told what they’d heard from the king. They were all very afraid of what would happen to him.

CHAPTER XIX

Now we turn to how King Hrolf and his men were in the house at evening. The king said, “I would like to get that great sword which is hanging up.”

     “What is your plan?” said Asmund.

The king said, “You are to climb up on my back, and find out if you can manage to take down the sword if you stand on my shoulders.”

Asmund said, “I think that sword is so heavy that I wouldn’t be able to handle it.”

The king said, “Steady yourself against the pillar with one hand, and lift the sword from below with the other hand. As soon as you feel that it’s loose, let it fall down against the pillar. Then I’ll take it.”

Asmund did as the king asked. He got onto his shoulders and lifted the sword from below, and the king got it.

The evening passed. They heard a loud clatter outside, and just then a man came in. Then they didn’t wonder why the hut was tall and grand, because the man was the most fearsome giant. None of them had ever seen so large a man before. He wasn’t so ugly as to be monstrous, although his features were coarse. He was dressed well, and he was carrying a gray bear on his back and a huge bow in his hand. He was extremely tired, and they thought that he must have walked a long way. He went to the other side of the fire and flung down the bear. King Hrolf greeted him, but he acted as if he didn’t hear. He swiftly and skillfully butchered the bear, hung up the kettle, and boiled the meat. After that, he took a table, spread out a cloth and set out the food and drink. Everyone thought that he had arranged things well. After that he began his meal, eating and drinking quite boldly.

Once he was fed, he looked around at everything that was going on. It is said that he set the table a second time, much more courteously; he set out wash-basins with clean towels.
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After that he began to speak: “You must not think I’ve been very hospitable to you, up to now, but now it’s time to come dine with your men, King Hrolf. I am not so poorly off that I would regret giving some men food for the night, even less distinguished men than you. You are very famous from the many brave deeds which you have accomplished, more so than other kings.”

The king said, “This is well offered, in grand style, as it’s likely that you are of a grand nature, both in this and other things. But we had enough food and drink before we left the ship, and we don’t need them right now. What is your name?”

He answered, “I am called Grimnir, and I am the son of Grimolf, and I am the brother of the Grimar whom you killed. There you took many treasures which I wanted to own. Now it’s true that you deserve nothing good from me, and you shall have no good from me, and even if you were here with all your forces, you should never get away. I invited you to dine because I supposed that you wouldn’t be terrified by it. That great storm that caught you, I sent at you and Asmund and the dragon-ship’s crew, until the ship broke loose. I didn’t think much of the other ships, and they’ve gone wherever they want, because I gave them gentle winds. But now you’ve come here with your men, safe and sound, since you were on the dragon-ship, and you shall never get away, because it’s the best ship in your fleet. I shall also take savage vengeance for my brother, even without axe or sword, because it’s all too easy for you to fall before my weapons. I’ll give you and Asmund a truce for the length of the night, and then devise tortures for you that will test your resolve most severely. But as soon as I knew that you had separated from your men, I gave them a gentle wind, and they’ve gone where they wanted, because I didn’t care to have any trouble from your huge host.”

The giant had thrust an iron poker into the fire, and one end was split, resembling a pair of spears. That was a dangerous implement.

“I didn’t know,” said King Hrolf, “that I had struck so near to your heart. It’s true what they say, ‘there’s compensation for everything,’ and it must be so in this case. Will you accept compensation for your brother?”

The giant said, “You’re afraid now, little man. That’s to be expected, because now I shall show you the little game that I play with small boys who come here.”

He brought up the iron poker and stabbed the points through two of the king’s men and threw them dead into the flames. After that, he skewered another two, and threw them dead on top of the others. Then he shook the poker so hard that there seemed to be four points on the shafts. He said, “There’s no need for you to be so afraid, king. You’ll have so much longer and worse tortures when the morning comes.”

King Hrolf said, “‘When evil’s on the way, it’s best to delay.’ I find it amusing to watch these games of yours, or any others.”

The giant said, “There’s an animal skin laying on the seat, which you two may spread under yourselves where you lie down for the night, because I am a light sleeper, and I wouldn’t enjoy listening to your muttering over me.”

King Hrolf said, “We’ll make our beds here by the fire, and spread skins under us as well, because we’ll fall asleep quickly.”

The giant said, “If you two can sleep, you’re much less afraid than I thought.” Then he slammed the door and said, “Now I’m sure you won’t escape our hut.”

     King Hrolf said, “We won’t try. We think we’ve found such a good householder that it’s no use for us to do anything other than what he asks.”

“You two can think about this,” said the giant, “that you’d be best off if you didn’t give me any trouble and lie as quietly as possible.” They said that they would do so.

Now both of them lay down to sleep. The giant had grown weary, and he fell asleep quickly. King Hrolf said, “How’s your situation, sworn brother Asmund?”

“Seldom worse that this. I think that troll’s bad to deal with, and not disposed to be helpful.”

The king said, “This enemy of ours will never overcome us. Some other fate must lie in store for us.”

The king then took a plank and knocked it against the partition next to the giant. The giant woke up and told them to lie still, “or else I’ll strike you both down into Hel with my fist.” After that he fell asleep. King Hrolf knocked again with the plank. The giant turned onto his other side without waking up; he said nothing to them and fell asleep soundly. The king knocked a third time as loudly as he could, and the giant didn’t wake up at that.

King Hrolf said, “Now we have to follow this plan. First I want to get the sword, and I think it likely that it will bite the giant.
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Now we’ll proceed as we did this evening.” They did so, and King Hrolf managed to get the sword. He said, “Now our chances look more promising to me. We have to follow this plan. You must stick the giant’s poker into the fire and get it glowing, and I want you to put the two points into the giant’s eyes at the moment when I stab him with the sword. If it goes off, we’ll save ourselves as quickly as possible under the bed
.
”

King Hrolf drew the sword. The king picked up a stick and boldly went to the bed and stripped the bedclothes from him, and he looked dreadfully trollish. The king stabbed with the sword so forcefully that it went right through him at once, under his left arm. Just as quickly, Asmund stuck the poker into his eyes.
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After that they hurried under the bed. King Hrolf flung the stick out the door, and it hit the woodpile and knocked against it loudly. The giant ran at the door hard and furiously, fumbling with his hands and trying to grab them and squeeze them without mercy, but with his terrible wounds and mighty struggles, he collapsed onto the door, shattering it into small pieces. They ran up and bashed the giant with huge logs until he was dead, though he held on to life strongly. After that they carried him out of the hut, and they had to dismember him before they could get out.

The morning was well along, and they prepared to leave. They hadn’t gone far before they saw their men coming to meet them, clashing their weapons loudly. They were glad to see the king unharmed. They had meant to find the giant and avenge their lord if necessary, and they didn’t think it better to outlive their king. They carried a great store of wealth out of the hut, and many good treasures. The king kept the sword, Giant’s Gift. It was so large that no man could wield it except for King Hrolf, and it was heavy even for him.
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CHAPTER XX

After that brave deed, they sailed away and got a favorable wind, and arrived in Russia near the king’s seat, early in the morning. There they recognized their own men. There was a joyful reunion. Ketil and his men had also just arrived. They asked about King Hrolf’s journey, and he told how it had gone. They felt that things had turned out luckily for him, yet splendidly, and everyone praised his exploit and his boldness.

Ketil asked his brother King Hrolf whether they shouldn’t go at once, fully prepared for war, and make an attack on the king. The king said that he didn’t want to do that. “I will send men to meet the king and tell him that I have arrived, and what our errand is. I want you to make this journey, Asmund. Tell King Halfdan that if he will not make my brother Ketil his son-in-law, he will have our enmity. We will wait for the king for half a month; let him summon his forces and prepare for battle. But we intend to win the hand of the maiden for Ketil.”

Asmund now went with some men, and he came to the halls where the king was sitting at the drinking-table with his household. There was great merriment. Asmund came into the hall, pushing past the unwilling guards at the doors. He went before the king and set forth his errand, well and frankly, as King Hrolf intended.

King Halfdan answered, “We have heard that King Hrolf Gautreksson is an excellent man. But since we’ve already refused this engagement to Ketil, we do not see fit to agree, even though you’ve arrived with larger forces than Ketil had at the time. We choose to decide this matter in battle, since King Hrolf has well said that we may summon our forces.”

Then said Thorir Ironshield, the king’s chief man, “My lord, my advice is that you not fight with King Hrolf, because that will take all your strength. Your daughter is quite honorably married if Ketil weds her; he is a brave man and full of courage. Wherever King Hrolf is, you will have trusty supporters, because we know of no one in the Northlands more famous for all his boldness, wisdom and bravery. I tell you the certain truth that your honor would be lost if you were to fight him. But since you do not wish to heed my advice, there’s no chance that you’ll get any help from me, and I will not bear my shield against King Hrolf.”