Six Sagas of Adventure (26 page)

They said that they’d explain later,
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and asked what her name was and why she was there, imprisoned so cruelly. She said that she was called Hleid, the sister of King Godmund of Glæsisvellir in the east. “The troll-woman who ruled here kidnapped me with her sorcery, intending for me to lead the sacrifices in the temple and be the abbess here when she was dead. But I’d rather be burned to death.”

“You’d be good to the man who freed you from here,” said Herraud.

She said she knew that it couldn’t be done.

Herraud said, “Will you marry me, if I bring you away?”

“I don’t know of a human so repulsive,” she said, “that I wouldn’t marry him instead of being worshipped in this temple. But what is your name?”

“I’m called Herraud,” he said, “son of King Hring of East Gautland. You don’t need to be afraid of the priestess, because Bosi and I have sung a Requiem over her skull.
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You may assume that I think I’ll get benefits from you, if I release you from here.”

“I have nothing more to pledge than myself,” she said, “if my kinsmen are willing.”

“I’m not asking them for a dowry,” said Herraud, “and I’ll have no delay, because I think I’m no less well-born than you. But I shall release you, all the same.”

“I don’t know a man I’d rather marry than you,” she said, “of all the men I’ve seen.”

They released her. Herraud asked whether she’d rather go home with them and be married to him, or have him send her east to her brother so she’d never see him again. She chose to go with him, and each pledged their troth to the other.

After that, they carried the gold and treasures out of the temple. They set fire to the temple at once and burned it to the ground, so that not a particle was left but ashes. They left with their spoils and didn’t stop until they came to farmer Hoketil’s home. They didn’t stay there long, but they gave him much wealth, and they carried the gold and treasures on many horses to their ship. Their men were glad to see them.

CHAPTER IX

They sailed away from Bjarmaland when they got a favorable wind, and nothing is said about their journey until they arrived at home in Gautland. They had been away for two winters. They came before the king, and Bosi brought him the egg. There was a crack in the shell, but it was worth ten marks of gold.
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The king used the shell as a drinking cup. Bosi gave the king the bowl that he had taken from Jomali, and now they were reconciled.

At that time, the queen’s brothers, Dagfari and Nattfari, came to the king’s household. They had been sent there by King Harald Wartooth with a request for help, because the time had been appointed for the Battle of Bravellir, the largest battle in the Northlands, as it says in the saga of Sigurd Hring, the father of Ragnar Shaggy-Breeches.
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King Hring asked Herraud to go in his place, and said that in the meantime he would look after his bride, and they would be reconciled overe everything that had happened between them. Herraud did as his father asked, and he and Bosi went with the brothers and five hundred men, and met King Harald. King Hring fell in that battle, and a hundred and fifteen kings fell with him, as it says in his saga, along with many other champions greater than kings. Dagfari and Nattfari fell there. Herraud and Bosi were both wounded, but they survived the battle.

By then, events in Gautland had taken a new turn while they were away, which must be told about.

CHAPTER X

Since it’s not possible to tell more than one story at a time, we must now explain what’s previously happened in the saga. We must begin with Hleid, King Godmund’s sister, and her disappearance from Glæsisvellir. When the king missed her, he had her searched for both on sea and land, but he couldn’t get any news of her.

Hraerek and Sigurd were brothers who were with the king. The king ordered Siggeir to lead the search for Hleid, and he’d earn betrothal with her. Siggeir said that he didn’t think it would be easy to find her, if the priestess of Bjarmaland didn’t know about her. They prepared to leave; they had five ships, and traveled to Bjarmaland. They met King Harek and told him their mission. He told them to go to the temple, and said that she wouldn’t be easy to get, if Jomali or the priestess didn’t know where she was. They went to the temple and found a heap of ashes, and not a particle of what had been there.

Now they traveled through the forest and came to Hoketil’s farm, and asked whether they knew who had destroyed the temple. The old man said that he didn’t know, but that two men from Gautland had been anchored by the Dvina Forest for a very long time, and one was called Herraud and the other Crooked Bosi. He said that they seemed likeliest to have committed such an outrage. The farmer’s daughter said that she had met them on their way to the ship, and they had Hleid with them, the sister of King Godmund of Glaesisvellir. They told her that if anyone wanted to find her, they could look for them.

When the brothers found this out, they told the king. They summoned forces from all Bjarmaland, and got twenty-three ships. They sailed to Gautland at once, and arrived at the time that the sworn brothers were fighting in the Battle of Bravellir. King Hring was at home with only a few men, and they ordered him to fight or else give up the maiden. The king chose to fight, but the battle soon took a turn for the worse. King Hring fell there, with the greater part of his forces. The brothers took the maiden, plundered all the wealth, and went away. They didn’t stop until they came home to Glaesisvellir. King Godmund was glad to see his sister, and thanked the brothers well for their expedition, which was thought to be quite successful.

Siggeir asked for Hleid’s hand, but she was reluctant, and said that it was fitting for the one who had freed her from the trolls’ clutches to have her. The king said that Siggeir had won her fairly, and said that he himself had to decide whom she’d marry—“and no foreign chieftain has a chance of marrying you, even if you won’t abide by our decision.” It had to be as the king willed.

Now we’ll let them get ready for the wedding, because they think they’re doing well—but it’s possible that the guests’ comfort will be spoiled at the feast.

CHAPTER XI

Now it’s time to tell how Herraud and Bosi came home to Gautland half a month after Siggeir and Hraerek had sailed away. They missed their friends there and took counsel among themselves, and Bosi sought out his father for advice. He said that they would be too late if they summoned large forces—but instead, they might get the king’s daughter with deep-laid plans and fast action. They made their plans, readying one ship with thirty men. Smid was to come with them and have complete command of their journey. The old man gave them plenty of advice, as did Busla.

They sailed as soon as they were ready. Smid always had a favorable wind when he steered,
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and their journey was faster than seemed likely. They arrived at Glaesisvellir more quickly than expected, and anchored their ship alongside a desolate forest. Smid cast a magical helm of protection over their ship.

Herraud and Bosi went onto land. They came to a humble little house where an old man and woman lived. They had a beautiful and knowledgeable daughter. The farmer offered them a night’s lodging, and they accepted. It was a good household. There was good hospitality for them, and then the tables were taken away and ale was served to them. The farmer was taciturn and didn’t ask any questions. The farmer’s daughter was the kindest one there, and she poured ale for the guests. Bosi was cheerful and cast little flirting glances at her, and she did the same back to him.

In the evening they were shown to their beds, and as soon as the light was extinguished, Crooked Bosi came to where the farmer’s daughter was lying and lifted the bedclothes from her. She asked who was there, and Crooked Bosi told her his name.

“What do you want here?” she said.

“I want to water my foal at your wine-spring,” he said.

“Will that be easy, my man?” she said. “He’s not used to the kind of well-house that I’ve got.”

“I’ll lead him forward,” he said, “and shove him in the well, if he won’t drink any other way.”

“Where’s your foal, my dear?” she said.

“Between my legs, my love,” he said, “and you can hold him—but gently, because he’s very skittish.”

She took his cock and stroked it and said, “This is a frisky foal, but he’s very stiff-necked.”

“His head’s not well set,” he said, “but he tosses his mane better once he’s had a drink.”
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“Now it’s up to you,” she said.

“Lie with your legs as far apart as you can,” he said, “and stay as still as possible.”

Now he watered his foal so very lavishly that he was completely submerged. The farmer’s daughter was so completely carried away by this that she could hardly speak. “Aren’t you drowning the foal?” she said.

“He has to have all he can stand,” he said, “for I often find that he’s unmanageable when he doesn’t get to drink as much as he wants.”

He set to doing what he liked, and then they rested. The farmer’s daughter wondered where the wetness in her crotch had come from, because the whole bed underneath her was lathered. She said, “Could it be that your foal has drunk more than was good for him, and he’s thrown up more than he’s drunk?”

“Something or other’s affecting him,” he said, “because he’s as soft as a lung.”

“He must be sick from drinking ale,” she said, “like other drunkards.”

“That’s certain,” he said.

Now they amused themselves as they pleased, and the farmer’s daughter took turns on top and underneath. She said that she’d never ridden a more steady-paced foal than this one.

After plenty of fun and games, she asked who he was. He told her the truth, and asked in return what was happening in the land. She said that the latest news was that the brothers Hraerek and Siggeir had captured the king’s sister Hleid and killed King Hring in Gautland. “They’ve become so famous from this expedition that no one in the Eastern realms can compare to them, and the king has betrothed his sister to Siggeir, though it’s quite against her will. The wedding has to be held within three nights. But they’re so cautious that they have spies on every road and in every port, and they can’t be taken unawares. They don’t believe they can ever rule out that Herraud and Bosi might come after the maid. The king has had a hall built, so large that in it are a hundred doors, with the same distance between all of them: a hundred men can sit comfortably between each door. There are two door-wardens at each door, and no one can come in who isn’t recognized at one of the doors. Whoever isn’t recognized at any of the doors is taken into custody until it is shown who he is. A bed stands in the center of the hall, and to reach it you have to go up five steps. The bride and groom are to lie there, and all the household has to keep watch all around, and no one can come upon them unawares.”

“What people are with the king whom he esteems most?” said Bosi.

“The one called Sigurd,” she said. “He’s the king’s counselor, and such a master at playing musical instruments, especially the harp, that you’d never find his equal, though you were to search far and wide. He’s gone to see his concubine. She’s the daughter of a farmer here, near the woods. He has her sew his clothes as he tunes his instruments.”

Their conversation ended, and they slept through the night.

CHAPTER XII

Early in the morning, Bosi came to Herraud and told him what he had found out that night, and at once they prepared to leave the farmer’s home. Bosi gave the farmer’s daughter a gold ring. They traveled according to her directions, until they saw the farm where Sigurd was. They saw him walking with a servant, heading home to the hall. They got onto the path ahead of Sigurd. Bosi ran him through with a spear, and Herraud strangled the servant to death. Bosi then flayed the skin off them both and went to the ship at once, and told Smid what they had accomplished. Now they made their plan. Smid put a mask made from Sigurd’s face onto Bosi, and wore the servant’s face himself. He dressed in the clothes that the servant had worn, and Bosi wore those that Sigurd had worn. They told Herraud everything that he was to do, and they went to the fortress and came to the doors of the hall, with King Godmund standing before them. He thought he recognized Sigurd, and welcomed him warmly and led him in. Sigurd took charge of the king’s treasuries and ale-vessels and cellars, and decided which ale would be served first, and told the cup-bearers ahead of time how keen they should be to pour the drink. He said that it was most important that the men should get as drunk as possible on the first evening, because the effects would last longest that way. Then the chieftains were arranged on their seats, and the bride was led in and seated on a bench, and many courtly maidens with her.

King Godmund sat in the high seat with the bridegroom by his side. Hraerek served the bridegroom. The tale doesn’t say how the chieftains were placed, but it’s said that Sigurd played the harp before the bride and her ladies. When the ale for the memorial toast was brought in, Sigurd played so well that men said that his like would never be found, but he said that it wasn’t worth notice at the beginning. The king asked him not to quit. And when the ale blessed to Thor was brought in, Sigurd struck up a tune again. Everything that was loose began to stir, knives and dishes and everything that no one was holding. Many men jumped out of their seats and danced on the floor, and this went on for a long time.
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Then the ale hallowed to all the gods was brought in. Sigurd began playing again and tuned his harp to such a pitch that the echo resounded in the hall. Everyone inside stood up, except for the bride and groom and the king. Everything moved around throughout the hall, and it went on like this for a long time. The king asked if he knew some other tunes, and he said there would be some ditties later, and asked the people to rest first. The people sat down to drinking. He played “Song of the Ogress”, “The Braggart,” and “The Lay of Hjarrandi.”