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

by Martin Regal

  There was a widow named Katla living west of Mavahlid at Holt. She was good-looking but there was something peculiar about her. Her son was named Odd, and he was a big, energetic man, boisterous and very talkative, a troublemaker and a slanderer.

  Gunnlaug, the son of Thorbjorn the Stout, was eager for knowledge and spent a lot of time at Mavahlid learning from Geirrid Thorolfsdottir because she was very knowledgeable about magic.

  One day Gunnlaug called in at Holt on his way over to Mavahlid and had a long talk with Katla. She asked him whether he was going to Mavahlid again ‘to stroke the old woman’s groin’.

  Gunnlaug said that was not his purpose, adding ‘you are hardly so young, Katla, that you can afford to blame Geirrid for ageing’.

  ‘I wasn’t thinking of comparisons, but it makes no difference,’ Katla replied. ‘No woman except Geirrid will be able to please you now, but there are other women who know a thing or two apart from her.’

  Katla’s son Odd often accompanied Gunnlaug to Mavahlid. When they were late coming back Katla often invited Gunnlaug to stay the night but he always went home.

  16 Early in the first winter after Snorri had set up his farm at Helgafell, Gunnlaug Thorbjarnarson went to Mavahlid with Odd Kotluson. Gunnlaug and Geirrid spent the whole day talking together.

  Late in the evening, Geirrid said to Gunnlaug, ‘I don’t want you to go home tonight, because it’s a night of much spirit-movement and many a witch wears a fair face. You don’t strike me as a lucky-looking man right now.’

  ‘Nothing can happen to me while the two of us are together,’ Gunnlaug replied.

  ‘You won’t get much help from Odd,’ said Geirrid. ‘Indeed, you alone will pay for your wilfulness.’

  With that Gunnlaug and Odd left and walked until they reached Holt. Katla had already gone to bed by that time. She asked Odd to invite Gunnlaug to stay the night. He said he had already offered, ‘but he wants to go home’.

  ‘Let him go, just as he’s determined it, then,’ she said.

  Gunnlaug did not arrive home that evening and there was some discussion about mounting a search for him but nothing came of it. During the night Thorbjorn looked outside and saw his son Gunnlaug lying unconscious in front of the door. He was carried indoors and when his clothes were pulled off, his shoulders were all bruised and bloody and the flesh was torn from the bone. His injuries kept him in bed for the whole winter and were the subject of much discussion. Odd Kotluson suggested that Geirrid must have ridden him, adding that they had parted abruptly that evening. Most people were inclined to agree with him.

  The next spring on the Summons Days, Thorbjorn rode to Mavahlid and summonsed Geirrid, accusing her of being a night-rider and having caused injury to Gunnlaug. The case went before the Thorsnes Assembly with Snorri the Godi supporting his brother-in-law, Thorbjorn, and Arnkel the Godi defending the charge on behalf of his sister Geirrid. A panel of twelve was appointed to judge the case but neither Snorri nor Arnkel could give a decision in the case because of their kinship with the plaintiff and the defendant. Helgi, the godi of Hofgard, was called on to deliver the verdict. He was the father of Bjorn, grandfather of Gest, and great-grandfather of Ref the Poet.

  Arnkel the Godi went up to the court and swore an oath on the altar-ring that Geirrid had not caused Gunnlaug’s injuries. Thorarin and ten other men swore the same oath. After that Helgi announced the verdict, and Snorri and Thorbjorn’s case was quashed, which brought them dishonour.

  17 At the same assembly, Thorgrim Kjallaksson and his sons quarrelled with Illugi the Black over the dowry and bride-price of Illugi’s wife, Ingibjorg Asbjarnardottir, which had been entrusted to Tin-Forni. There were wild storms at the time of the assembly so that no one from Medalfellsstrond could reach the site, and Thorgrim’s strength in numbers was very much weakened by his kinsmen’s absence. Illugi had a hundred well-chosen men and he pressed on with his case, but the Kjalleklings went into the court with the intention of breaking it up. The result was a great throng and even more men became involved in separating them. In the end, Tin-Forni paid out the money as Illugi demanded.

  The poet Odd said this in his drapa on Illugi:

  1.

  There was a throng in the west

  at the Thorsnes Thing

  when the luck-studded fighter

  firmly demanded the hoard.

  Then the load of Forni’s purse

  landed in the hands of the resolute

  feeder of battle-swallows. battle-swallows: ravens; their

  Settlement was made in danger. feeder: warrior

  After that the storm let up and the Kjalleklings arrived from the west of Medalfellsstrond. Thorgrim Kjallaksson no longer wanted to hold to the agreement and attacked Illugi and his men. A fight broke out and Snorri the Godi appealed for mediators who managed to arrange a truce between them. Three of the Kjalleklings’ men were killed and four of Illugi’s men. Styr Thorgrimsson killed two men there.

  Odd said this about it in his drapa on Illugi:

  2.

  They openly breached the settlement,

  and three stirrers of wakeful shields stirrers of wakeful shields:

  fell there before the bearer warriors

  of the ice-sharp blade; bearer of the ice-sharp

  until Snorri – the warrior who feeds blade: warrior

  the giant-wife’s wolf-kin – giant-wife’s wolf-kin:

  fixed a settlement between them. carrion beasts

  His leadership grew famous.

  Illugi thanked Snorri the Godi for his support and offered to pay him, but Snorri said he did not want payment for his first offer of support. Illugi then invited him home and Snorri accepted, and he received valuable gifts while he was there. Snorri and Illugi were then friends for the time being.

  18 That summer, Thorgrim Kjallaksson died and his son Vermund the Slender took over the farm at Bjarnarhofn. He was a clever man and always reliable in his advice. At that time, Styr had been living for a while at Hraun inland from Bjarnarhofn. He was a clever and courageous man. He was married to Thorbjorg, the daughter of Thorstein Sleet-nose. Their sons were Thorstein and Hall, and their daughter was named Asdis, an honourable woman but rather strong-willed. Styr had a lot of influence in the area and many followers.14 He was also involved in a lot of disputes because he had committed many killings without ever paying any compensation. The same summer a ship that was half-owned by Norwegians arrived in Salteyraros estuary. Their skipper was named Bjorn and he went to stay with Steinthor at Eyri. The other half-share of the ship belonged to some Hebrideans and Alfgeir was the name of their skipper. He went to stay with Thorarin the Black at Mavahlid and was accompanied by his friend Nagli, who was a large man and fleet of foot. He was of Scottish origin.

  Thorarin had a good fighting stallion which he grazed up on the mountain. Thorbjorn the Stout also grazed many stud horses up on the mountain pastures and each autumn he used to choose a few of them for slaughter. That autumn it happened that Thorbjorn’s horses could not be found. A thorough search was made for them, but the weather was particularly severe that autumn.

  Early in the winter Thorbjorn sent Odd Kotluson south across the heath to Hraun to where a man called Seer-Gils lived. He had foresight and a sixth sense for solving thefts or other things he wanted to get to the bottom of. Odd asked whether Thorbjorn’s horses had been stolen by men from abroad, or men from another district, or by his own neighbours.

  ‘Tell Thorbjorn exactly what I am telling you,’ Seer-Gils answered, ‘that I believe his horses have not strayed far from their usual pasture. But it is difficult to name the men and it is better to carry one’s loss than to end up in serious trouble.’

  But once Odd returned to Froda, Thorbjorn and his men believed that Seer-Gils had implicated the people of Mavahlid in this matter. Odd added that Seer-Gils had said that those most likely to be the horse thieves were those who were short of money themselves, but who had a larger household than usual to provide for. It seem
ed to Thorbjorn that this wording implied the people of Mavahlid.

  After that, Thorbjorn rode from home with eleven men. His son Hallstein was in the party, but his other son, Ketil the Champion, was abroad at the time. Thorbjorn’s neighbour, Thorir Arnarson of Arnarhvol, was with them and he was the bravest of men. Odd Kotluson was also on the expedition. When they arrived at Katla’s place at Holt, she gave her son a dark-brown tunic which she had just made. Then they rode to Mavahlid where Thorarin and his men were outside, and they watched the party approaching. They greeted Thorbjorn and asked his news.

  ‘Our purpose in coming here, Thorarin,’ said Thorbjorn, ‘is to look for the horses that were stolen from me last autumn. We would like to make a search of your property.’

  ‘Is this search being done according to the law, and have you appointed appropriate witnesses to investigate this case?’ asked Thorarin. ‘Can you assure us of our safety during the search? And how far afield are you conducting this search of yours?’

  ‘We don’t expect we’ll need to search farther afield,’ replied Thorbjorn.

  ‘Then we flatly refuse your request to search, if you wish to go about it unlawfully,’ Thorarin said.

  ‘Then we’ll assume you’re guilty of the crime if you will not co-operate with the search,’ Thorbjorn answered.

  ‘Do as you like, then,’ said Thorarin.

  After that Thorbjorn established a door court15 and named six men to judge the case. Thorbjorn brought a charge of horse-theft against Thorarin. Just at that moment, Geirrid came out the door and saw what was happening.

  ‘That judgement is all too true,’ she said, ‘that you, Thorarin, have as much a woman’s disposition as a man’s, when you tolerate every disgrace from Thorbjorn the Stout. I don’t understand why I have such a son.’

  Then Alfgeir, the ship’s skipper, said to Thorarin, ‘We will support you in any way we can, whatever action you decide to take.’

  ‘I don’t feel like standing around here any longer,’ replied Thorarin. At that, Thorarin and his men ran out intending to break up the court. There were seven of them in all, and a fight began immediately. Thorarin killed a farmhand of Thorbjorn’s and Alfgeir another. A farmhand of Thorarin’s was also killed there. But no weapon could touch Odd Kotluson. Aud, the mistress of the house, called on the women to separate them and they threw clothes over their weapons. Thorarin and his men went indoors after that and Thorbjorn and his men rode away intending to take the matter up at the Thorsnes Assembly. They rode up along the estuary and bandaged their wounds under a haystack wall at a place named Korngard.

  In the hayfield at Mavahlid a hand was found where the fight had taken place. It was shown to Thorarin, and he saw that it was the hand of a woman. He asked where Aud was, and was told that she was lying in her bed. He went in to see her and asked her whether she was wounded. Aud told him not to worry about it, but he realized none the less that it was her hand that had been cut off. He called his mother in and asked her to bandage the wound.

  Then Thorarin went out with his companions and ran after Thorbjorn and his men. When they were a short distance from the haystack they overheard Thorbjorn and his men talking. Hallstein was speaking.

  ‘Thorarin fought off any suggestion of cowardice today,’ he said.

  ‘He fought boldly,’ said Thorbjorn, ‘but many a man becomes brave in dire straits, though they’re not at all brave the rest of the time.’

  ‘Thorarin may be the best of fighters,’ replied Odd, ‘but it will be considered a mishap that he chopped off his wife’s hand.’

  ‘Is that true?’ said Thorbjorn.

  ‘True as daylight,’ said Odd.

  With that they all fell about laughing and ridiculing Thorarin. At that moment, Thorarin and his men came upon them, with Nagli at the forefront. But when Nagli saw them brandishing their weapons he lost his nerve and ran away up on to the mountain, scared out of his wits. Thorarin went for Thorbjorn and struck him on the head with his sword, splitting it in two down to the jaw. Then Thorir Arnarson and two other men attacked him and Hallstein and a second man fought Alfgeir. Odd Kotluson and another man set upon Alfgeir’s companion. Three of Thorbjorn’s men fought two of Thorarin’s men and the fighting between them was very fierce.

  The result was that Thorarin cut off Thorir’s leg at the thickest part of the calf, and killed both his companions. Hallstein was mortally wounded by Alfgeir, and once Thorarin was free, Odd Kotluson ran off with two other men. He was not wounded because no weapon could get through his tunic. All their other companions were left lying there, and both of Thorarin’s farmhands were dead.

  Thorarin and his men took Thorbjorn’s horses and rode them home. On the way, they saw Nagli running along the hillside. By the time they reached the hayfield, they saw that Nagli had passed the farm and was headed towards the promontory named Bulandshofdi. There he ran into two of Thorarin’s slaves who were driving sheep back from the brink of the promontory. He told them about the clash and what the odds were. He said he was certain that Thorarin and his men were all dead. Just at that moment they saw men riding towards them from the farmstead across the field. Thorarin and his men began to gallop because they wanted to help Nagli and stop him from jumping into the sea or over the cliffs.

  When Nagli and the slaves saw that the men were riding furiously towards them they assumed it must be Thorbjorn and his men. They all raced off again towards the promontory and ran until they came to the place now called Thraelaskrida. Thorarin and his men finally caught up with Nagli there because his lungs had almost exploded from panting, but the slaves ran ahead and jumped off the promontory and were killed, which was to be expected because the cliff is so high that everything perishes that goes over it.

  Then Thorarin and his company went home. Geirrid was waiting in the doorway and asked them how it had gone. Thorarin then spoke this verse:

  3.

  I – murderous wielder of the death-edge – death-edge: sword

  defended myself against women’s

  taunts when I dared to fight;

  the eagle got to eat fresh corpses.

  I didn’t spare the sword there

  in the stir of slay-adders. slay-adders: swords; their stir: battle

  I seldom boast of this

  in front of the war-god’s worshippers.

  ‘Are you announcing the killing of Thorbjorn?’ asked Geirrid.

  Thorarin replied:

  4.

  My razor-sharp sword

  sought its mark under his hood

  and the bloody flood streamed

  from the fight-seeker. fight-seeker: warrior

  Blood poured from his ears

  and filled his fame-room fame-room: mouth

  but his sword still

  strayed too close to me.

  ‘The whetting paid off, then,’ Geirrid replied. ‘Come in and let’s see to your wounds.’ And so it was.

  Now to return to Odd Kotluson. He went on until he came to Froda and announced the news. Thurid, the mistress of the house, assembled men to go and fetch the bodies and bring home the wounded. Thorbjorn was laid in a burial mound but his son Hallstein recovered from his injuries. Thorir of Arnarhvol also recovered but walked with a wooden leg after that, so he was called Thorir Wood-leg. He married Thorgrima Magic-cheek, and their sons were Orn and Val, who were both honourable men.

  19 Thorarin spent one night at home at Mavahlid. The next morning, Aud asked him what his plans were.

  ‘We don’t want to kick you out,’ she said, ‘but I fear that there will be more door courts this winter because I know that Snorri the Godi will mount a case following the killing of his brother-in-law, Thorbjorn.’

  Then Thorarin said:

  5.

  The wily law-wrecker

  won’t outlaw me this winter

  if I can get hold of Vermund,

  the hastener of battle-din. hastener of battle-din: warrior

  I have to praise my protector,


  if my hopes are to have a chance.

  I made the raven’s young

  rejoice on the field of the dead.

  ‘It would be most prudent, now,’ said Geirrid, ‘to seek help from kinsmen such as Vermund or my brother Arnkel.’

  ‘It is more likely that both of them will be needed before the end of this case, though I will begin by placing my trust in Vermund,’ Thorarin replied.

  That same day all those who had been involved in the killings rode east along the fjords and arrived at Bjarnarhofn in the evening, going inside after everyone had already taken their seats. Vermund greeted them and at once made room on the high seat for Thorarin and his men. When they had sat down Vermund asked their news.

  Thorarin spoke:

  6.

  I shall tell the clash-trees clash-trees: warriors

  the whole story –

  how the trees of battle, shield-bearers, trees of battle: warriors

  bullied me with the law.

  Listen to me meanwhile:

  men of iron should expect men of iron: warriors;

  arrow-sport. arrow-sport: battle

  I saw the valkyrie’s hand-reed valkyrie’s hand-reed: sword

  reddened by blood.

  ‘What more is there to be told, kinsman?’ asked Vermund.

  Thorarin spoke again:

  7.

  They attacked me at home,

  sword-gods who imperil lives: sword-gods: warriors

  in the fight, the flash of battle flash of battle: sword

  cut the keeper of the spears’ path. keeper of the spears’ path:

  So, attacking, we offered warrior

  the sword-god few options.

  I did not break the sport sport of comfort: peace

  of comfort willingly.