Gisli Sursson's Saga and The Saga of the People of Eyri

by Martin Regal

  He walked farther into the house and up to the bed closet where his sister, Thordis, and Thorgrim slept. The door was pulled to, and they were both in bed. He went to the bed, felt about inside it and touched his sister’s breast. She was sleeping on the near side.

  Then Thordis said, ‘Why is your hand so cold, Thorgrim?’ – and thereby woke him up.

  Thorgrim replied, ‘Do you want me to turn towards you?’

  She thought it had been his hand that touched her. Gisli waited a little longer, warming his hand inside his tunic, while the couple fell asleep again. Then he touched Thorgrim lightly, waking him. Thorgrim thought that Thordis had roused him and he turned towards her. Gisli then pulled the bedclothes off them with one hand, and with the other he plunged Grasida through Thorgrim so that it stuck fast in the bed.

  Then Thordis cried out, ‘Everyone wake up. Thorgrim, my husband, has been killed!’

  Gisli turned quickly towards the byre, leaving the way he had planned, and then locked up securely after himself. He headed home the same way he had come, leaving no sign of his tracks. Aud unbolted the door as he arrived, and Gisli went to his bed as if nothing were amiss and as though he had done nothing.

  All the men at Saebol were exceedingly drunk and no one knew what to do. They had been caught off guard, and therefore did nothing that was either useful or appropriate in the situation.

  17 Eyjolf spoke, ‘An evil and serious thing has happened here and no one has his wits about him. I think we had better light the lamps and man the doors quickly to prevent the killer from getting out.’

  That was done, but when there was no trace of the killer, everyone thought it must have been one of their own number who did the deed.

  It was not long until dawn came. Then Thorgrim’s body was taken and the spear removed, and he was made ready for burial. Sixty men set out to Gisli’s farm at Hol. Thord the Coward stood outside and when he saw the band of men he ran inside and said that an army was approaching the farm. He was jabbering wildly.

  ‘This is good,’ said Gisli, and he spoke a verse:

  9.

  Words could not fell me,

  by the fullest of means.

  I, battle-oak, have brought battle-oak: warrior

  death’s end to many a man,

  making my sword’s mouth speak.

  Let us go our ways silently;

  though the cove-stallion’s rider cove-stallion’s rider: seafarer,

  be fallen, trouble is astir. i.e. warrior

  Thorkel and Eyjolf came to the farmhouse and walked over to the bed closet where Gisli and his wife lay. Thorkel, Gisli’s brother, went right up to the closet and saw that Gisli’s shoes were lying there, covered in ice and snow. He pushed them under the footboard so that no one else would see them.

  Gisli greeted them and asked what news they brought. Thorkel told him that there were ill tidings and of great magnitude, then asked Gisli what lay behind all this and what they should do.

  ‘Great deeds and ill deeds often fall within each other’s shadow,’ said Gisli. ‘We will take it upon ourselves to make a burial mound for Thorgrim. This we owe you, and it is our duty to carry it out with honour.’

  They accepted his offer and all returned to Saebol together to build a mound. They laid Thorgrim out in a boat and raised the mound in accordance with the old ways.

  When the mound had been sealed, Gisli walked to the mouth of the river and lifted a stone so heavy it was more like a boulder. He dropped it into the boat with such a resounding crash that almost every plank of wood gave way.

  ‘If the weather shifts this,’ he said, ‘then I don’t know how to fasten a boat.’

  Some people remarked that this was not unlike what Thorgrim had done with Vestein when he spoke of the Hel-shoes.

  Everyone then prepared to go home from the funeral.

  Gisli said to his brother, Thorkel, ‘I believe you owe it to me that we be as friendly as we have ever been in the past – and now let’s begin the games.’

  Thorkel agreed to this readily, and they both returned home. Gisli had a good many men at his house, and when the feast was over, he bestowed good gifts on all his guests.

  18 They drank at Thorgrim’s wake and Bork gave good gifts of friendship to many of the company.

  The next matter of account was that Bork paid Thorgrim Nef to perform a magic rite, and to this effect – that however willing people might be to help the man who slew Thorgrim, their assistance should be of no avail. A nine-year-old gelding ox was given to Thorgrim for the magic rite, which he then performed. He prepared what he needed to carry it out, building a scaffold on which he practised his obscene and black art in devilish perversity.

  Another thing happened that was accounted strange – the snow never settled on the south-west of Thorgrim’s burial mound, nor showed any sign of frost. People suggested that Frey had found the sacrifices Thorgrim made to him so endearing that the god had not wanted the ground between them to freeze.

  Such was the situation throughout the winter while the brothers jointly held their games. Bork moved in with Thordis and married her. She was with child at the time, and soon gave birth to a boy. He was sprinkled with water and at first named Thorgrim after his father. However, when he grew up he was thought to be so bad-tempered and restless that his name was changed to Snorri25 the Godi. Bork lived there for a while and took part in the games.

  There was a woman named Audbjorg who lived farther up the valley at Annmarkastadir. She was Thorgrim Nef’s sister and once had a husband whose name was Thorkel, but who was nicknamed Annmarki (Flaw). Her son, Thorstein, was one of the strongest at the games, aside from Gisli. Gisli and Thorstein were always on the same side in the games, pitched against Bork and Thorkel.

  One day, a great crowd of people came to see the game because they wanted to find out who was the strongest and the best player. And it was the same here as anywhere else – the more people arrived to watch, the greater the eagerness to compete. It is reported that Bork made no headway against Thorstein all day, and finally he became so angry that he broke Thorstein’s bat in two. In response to this, Thorstein tackled him and laid him out flat on the ice.

  When Gisli saw this he told Thorstein that he must put his all into playing against Bork, and then he said, ‘I’ll exchange bats with you.’

  This they did, then Gisli sat down and fixed the bat. He looked towards Thorgrim’s burial mound; there was snow on the ground and the women sat on the slope. His sister Thordis was there and many others. Gisli then spoke a verse which should not have been spoken:

  10.

  I saw the shoots reach up

  through the thawed earth Thor: i.e. man;

  on the grim giant-Thor’s mound; giant-Thor: word-play on Thorgrim’s name

  I slew that Gaut of battle-gleam. Gaut (Odin) of battle-gleam (sword): warrior

  Thrott’s helmet Thrott’s (Odin’s) helmet: warrior

  has silenced the spear-rattler,

  given one, greedy for land,

  a plot of his own, forever.

  Thordis remembered the verse, went home and interpreted what it meant. The game then came to a close and Thorstein went home.

  There was a man named Thorgeir, and known as Orri (Grouse), who lived at Orrastadir. There was another man, named Berg, and known as Skammfot (Short-leg), who lived at Skammfotarmyri (Short-leg’s marsh) on the east side of the river.

  As the men made their way home from the game, Thorstein and Berg began to talk about how it was played, and eventually they began to argue. Berg supported Bork, while Thorstein spoke out against him. Berg hit Thorstein with the back of his axe, but Thorgeir came between them and prevented Thor-stein from responding. Thorstein went home to his mother, Audbjorg, and she bound up his wound. She was displeased about what had befallen him.

  Old Audbjorg was so uneasy that she had no sleep that night. It was cold outside, but the air was still and the sky cloudless. She walked several times withershins around the o
utside of the house, sniffing in all directions. As she did this, the weather broke and a heavy, blustering snowstorm started up. This was followed by a thaw in which a flood of water gushed down the hillside and sent an avalanche of snow crashing into Berg’s farmhouse. It killed twelve men. The traces of the landslide can be seen to this day.

  19 Thorstein went to meet Gisli, who gave him shelter. From there, he went south to Borgarfjord and then abroad. When Bork received news of the disaster at Berg’s house, he went to Annmarkastadir and had Audbjorg seized. From there she was taken out to Saltnes and stoned to death.

  After this, Gisli left his home and went to Nefsstadir, seized Thorgrim Nef and took him to Saltnes where a sack was placed over his head26 before he was stoned to death. He was covered over with mud and stones, beside his sister, on the ridge between Haukadal and Medaldal.

  All was quiet now, and the spring wore on. Bork went south to Thorsnes and was going to settle down there. He felt that his journey west had brought him no honour – he had lost a man of Thorgrim’s calibre and matters had not been put right. He now prepared to go, leaving plans and instructions for what he wanted done at the farm in his absence, since he intended to return to fetch his possessions and his wife. Thorkel Sursson also decided to settle at Thorsnes, and made preparations to accompany Bork, his brother-in-law.

  The story has it that Thordis Sursdottir, who was Gisli’s sister and Bork’s wife, went part of the way with Bork.

  Bork spoke: ‘Now, tell me why you were so upset when we broke up the games in the autumn. You promised to tell me before I left here.’

  They had arrived at Thorgrim’s burial mound while they spoke. Suddenly, Thordis stopped and said she would venture no farther. Then she recited the verse that Gisli had composed when he looked at Thorgrim’s burial place.

  ‘And I suspect,’ she said, ‘that you need not look elsewhere concerning Thorgrim’s slaying. He will rightly be brought to justice.’

  Bork became enraged at this, and said, ‘I want to turn back right now and kill Gisli. On the other hand, I can’t be sure,’ he said, ‘how much truth there is in what Thordis says. It’s just as likely that there’s none. Women’s counsel is often cold.’

  Thorkel persuaded them to ride on until they reached Sandar estuary, where they stopped and rested their horses. Bork spoke very little. Thorkel said he wanted to meet his friend, Onund, and rode off so fast that he was soon out of sight.

  Then, he changed direction and rode to Hol, where he told Gisli what had happened, how Thordis had discovered the truth and solved the meaning of the verse: ‘You’ll have to regard the matter as out in the open now.’

  Gisli fell silent. Then he spoke a verse:

  11.

  My sister, too taken

  with her fine clothes,

  lacks the firm-rooted spirit Gudrun, Gjuki’s daughter: tragic

  of Gudrun, Gjuki’s daughter, heroine of The Saga of the Volsungs

  that sea-fire’s goddess, sea-fire: gold; its goddess: woman

  amber-Freyja, who killed amber-Freyja: woman

  her husband with undaunted courage

  to avenge her brave brothers.

  ‘I don’t think I deserved this from her,’ said Gisli. ‘I thought I made it clear several times that her honour meant no less to me than my own. There were even times when I put my life in danger for her sake, and she has pronounced my death sentence. But what I need to know now, brother, is what I can expect from you, considering what I have done.’

  ‘I can give you warning if there is an attempt on your life,’ said Thorkel, ‘but I can afford you no help that might lead to my being accused. I feel I have been greatly wronged by the slaying of Thorgrim, my brother-in-law, my partner and my close friend.’

  Gisli answered him, ‘It was unthinkable that a man such as Vestein should not be avenged. I would not have answered you as you now answer me, nor would I do what you propose to do.’

  Then they parted. Thorkel went to meet Bork and from there they went south to Thorsnes, where Bork put his house in order. Thorkel bought some land at Hvamm on Bardastrond.

  Then the Summons Days came round, and Bork travelled west with forty men to summon Gisli to the Thorsnes Assembly. Thorkel Sursson was in his party, as were Thorodd and Outlaw-Stein, Bork’s nephews. There was also a Norwegian with them, named Thorgrim. They rode out to the Sandar estuary.

  Then Thorkel said, ‘I have a debt to collect at a small farm down here, a little farther on’, and he named the farm. ‘So I’ll ride out there and pick up what’s due to me. Follow me at your own pace.’

  Thorkel then rode on ahead and when he reached the farmstead he had mentioned, he asked the farmer’s wife if he might take one of the horses there and let his own stand by the front door.

  ‘And throw some homespun cloth over the saddle of my horse,’ he said, ‘and when my companions arrive, tell them I’m sitting in the main room counting the silver.’

  She lent him a horse and he rode with great haste to the woods at Haukadal, where he met Gisli and told him what was happening – that Bork had come from the west.

  20 Now, to return to Bork. He prepared a case against Gisli for the slaying of Thorgrim to be presented at the Thorsnes Assembly. At the same time, Gisli had sold his land to Thorkel Eiriksson and received payment in cash, which was especially convenient for him.

  He asked his brother Thorkel for advice. In other words, he wanted to know what Thorkel was prepared to do for him and whether he would assist him. Thorkel’s answer was the same as before – he would keep Gisli informed of any planned assault, but stay clear himself of any possible accusations.

  Then Thorkel rode off and took a route that brought him up behind Bork and the others, thereby slowing down their pace a little.

  Gisli took two cart-horses and headed for the woods with his valuables. His slave, Thord the Coward, went with him.

  Gisli said, ‘You have often shown obedience to me and done what I wanted, and I owe you some reward.’

  As usual, Gisli was wearing his black cloak and was well dressed.

  He removed his cape and said, ‘I want to give you this cloak, my friend, and I want you to enjoy its use right away. Put it on and sit behind on the sled, and I’ll lead the horses and wear your cloak.’

  And that is what they did. Then Gisli said, ‘Should some men call out to you, make sure you do not answer. If they intend to do you harm, make for the woods.’

  Thord had as much wits as he had courage, for he had none of either. Gisli led the oxen and Thord, who was a big man, sat high up on the sled thinking he was very finely dressed and showing off. Now Bork and his men saw them as they made their way towards the woods, and they quickly pursued them. When Thord saw what was happening, he jumped down off the sled and made for the woods as fast as he could. They thought he was Gisli and chased him, calling out to him loudly as they ran. Thord made no reply. Instead, he ran as fast as his feet could carry him. The Norwegian, Thorgrim, threw his spear at Thord, catching him so hard between the shoulder-blades that he fell face forward to the ground. That was his death blow.

  Then Bork said, ‘That was a perfect throw.’

  The brothers, Outlaw-Stein and Thorodd, agreed that they would pursue the slave and see whether he had any fight in him, and they turned off into the woods.

  To return to Bork and the others – they came up to the man in the black cloak and pulled back his hood to discover that they had been rather less lucky than they imagined. They had killed Thord the Coward when they had meant to kill Gisli.

  The story has it that the brothers, Outlaw-Stein and Thorodd, reached the woods and that Gisli was already there. He saw them and they saw him. Then one of them threw a spear at Gisli, which he caught in mid-flight and threw back at Thorodd. It struck the middle of his body and flew right through him. Outlaw-Stein returned to his companions and told them it was difficult to move around in the woods, but Bork wanted to go there anyway, so that is where they went. When they c
ame to the woods, Thorgrim the Norwegian saw a branch move in one place and threw his spear directly at it, hitting Gisli in the calf of his leg. Gisli threw the spear back and it pierced right through Thorgrim and killed him.

  The rest of them searched the woods, but they could not find Gisli so they returned to Gisli’s farm and initiated a case against him for killing Thorgrim. They rode home, having taken no valuables from the house. Gisli went up the mountainside behind the farm and bound up his wound while Bork and the others were down at his farmstead. When they left, Gisli returned home. Gisli now prepared to leave. He got a boat and loaded it up with his valuables. His wife, Aud, and his foster-daughter, Gudrid, accompanied him to Husanes, where they all went ashore. Gisli went to the farm at Husanes and met a man there who asked him who he was. Gisli told the man as much as he thought he ought to know, but not the truth. Then he picked up a stone and threw it out to a small islet that lay offshore and asked the farmer to have his son do the same thing when he came home – then they would know who he was. But there was no man who could manage it, and thus it was proven once again that Gisli was more accomplished than most other men. After this, Gisli returned to the boat and rowed out around the headland and across to Arnarfjord, and from there across a smaller fjord that lies within it, known as Geirthjofsfjord. Here he prepared to settle down, and built himself a homestead where he stayed for the whole winter.

  21 The next thing that happened was that Gisli sent word to Vestein’s uncles, Helgi, Sigurd and Vestgeir, the sons of Bjartmar, asking them to go to the assembly and offer a settlement for him so that he would not be outlawed.

  They went to the assembly, but they made no headway with a settlement. Indeed, it was said that they handled matters so badly that they were close to tears before it was over. They related the outcome to Thorkel the Wealthy, saying that they dared not face Gisli to tell him he had been outlawed. Aside from Gisli’s sentence nothing else of note took place at the assembly. Thorkel the Wealthy went to meet Gisli to tell him that he had been outlawed.