Six Sagas of Adventure

by Ben Waggoner (trans)

  Ingolf was the name of a powerful man who ruled over the shire of Namdalen.[3] He had a son named Sturlaug. Sturlaug was exceedingly tall in stature from an early age, fair of hair and skin, courteous in all his conduct and well-formed in all his body, cheerful in his speech with his men, even-tempered, and free with his money. For those reasons, he was blessed with a great many friends. He practiced archery and swimming and all manner of sports. Ingolf, his father, had his seat at the estate called Skartastadir.[4] He was the most magnificent man, and maintained a great many men in his household. He had another estate on the island called Njardey,[5] and there were also many people there. He owned four more estates.

  There was a man named Asgaut who lived at the estate called Tunglaheim,[6] a man of much importance. He was married to a woman named Grima. They had two sons. One was named Jokul, and the other was Guttorm. They were sturdy men, and well-bred like their father.

  There was a man named Thorgaut, who lived on the island called Loka.[7] His wife was named Helga. They had two sons. One of the sons was named Soti, and the other was named Hrolf Nose.

  There was a man named Hrafn, a farmer who lived on the island called Urga. His wife was named Helga. They had a son named Sighvat. He was physically strong and well-mannered.

  There was a woman named Jarngerd who lived at the estate called Berg, not far from Ingolf. She had a son named Aki, who was a very mighty man. Of the men at that time, he came closest to Sturlaug in all accomplishments. Aki and Sturlaug were playmates in childhood.

  All these men that we have listed played together as children. They took up all kinds of sports and skills that it was customary for men to teach their sons back then, and they swore brotherhood with each other. They all lived prosperously with their fathers.

  CHAPTER II

  There was a woman named Vefreyja[8], stately and wealthy. She had settled at the estate called Ve.[9] She had two sons. One was named Raud, and the other was Hrafn. Both of them were big strong men, and well outfitted with weapons and clothes. Vefreyja’s foster-son was named Svipud, and both he and she were knowledgeable and wise about most things.[10] She had a fine house, with two doors in it. She sat there every day and turned to face a different door each day. Few things came upon her unawares. She was always spinning linen and sitting on a chair. She had grown very red-eyed from old age, yet she saw anything that came to her yard, whatever it was, because few things caught her unawares. Asa the Fair stayed there as her foster-daughter when she was young, and she learned knowledge there. Vefreyja loved her deeply, and Asa loved her.

  CHAPTER III

  On one occasion, Ingolf said to Sturlaug and his sworn brothers, “How long will this go on that you sworn brothers play children’s games, like girls flirting with men? It would be the way of bold warriors to try to do some renowned deeds instead, or at least to ask to marry a wife and settle down on a farm, and administer the land and livestock with your fathers.”

  Sturlaug said, “Where should I ask for a wife, since you’re pushing this so hard?”

  Ingolf said, “Jarl Hring has a daughter named Asa the Fair. She is a beautiful woman and gifted with wisdom.”

  Sturlaug said, “I’m still not very old for courting a wife, and not very keen on it in my mind, but I’ll try this. Yet I expect that it won’t amount to much.”

  Now they prepared for their journey, sixteen men all together, well provided with weapons and clothes and horses. They went on their way, and came at evening to Jarl Hring, and they were received warmly. The jarl held a fine and splendid feast in their honor. They stayed there for three nights. And one day, they went with the jarl to Asa’s bower, and Sturlaug carried out his errand and asked Asa for her hand in marriage. The jarl turned to her and told his daughter about the men, and said, “You have to answer your suitor now, daughter.”

  Asa said, “Why would I marry a man who’s always milking the cows at home with his mother, doing nothing to distinguish himself?”

  Sturlaug was very angry at these words, and he rode away to his home.

  CHAPTER IV

  In the spring, the sworn brothers sailed away with ten ships. They raided in the Eastern realms and always won victory, wherever they went. They let merchants go in peace, but they forced robbers to submit to them.[11] They were out on raids in the summer, but went home in winter to stay with their fathers.

  Now they wished to leave this occupation and divide up all their booty. The sworn brothers took their wealth and brought it to their fathers, but they let their men set out raiding in their own ships. Sturlaug and his sworn brothers stayed there peacefully.

  CHAPTER V

  The next thing to tell is that King Harald’s queen became ill and breathed her last. The king felt that that was a terrible loss, because he had grown so old, and he was distressed by her death. The king’s counselors and retainers advised him to ask a woman to marry him and be queen—“and then you might forget about your lady’s passing, and no longer pine for her.”

  The king said, “Where should I go to ask for a woman’s hand in marriage?”

  They said, “Jarl Hring has a daughter named Asa. If you wanted, you could have her as soon as you like.”[12]

  The king said that it would be so. He prepared for his journey, taking a hundred men with him. They rode until they came to Jarl Hring. He was outside, and men were playing sports before him. The king rode up so swiftly that men had to jump out of the way in both directions. The king gave him two options: betroth his daughter to him, or be killed on the spot.

  The jarl said, “Let’s go to Asa’s bower and talk with her, so that we can find out what her answers are.”

  “No,” said the king, “I don’t want to wait around for your daughter. Choose quickly, one or the other.”

  The jarl thought it over, and realized that he would be overpowered. He extended his hand and betrothed his daughter to the king. She would have to stay betrothed for three years.[13] The king turned away and rode home, well pleased with his journey. The jarl stayed behind, not very content with his lot. He stood up and went to Asa’s bower, sat down and sighed sadly. Asa said, “What grief has come to you, my father, that you are so silent? Have you any new tidings to tell?”

  “Here’s some important news,” said the jarl. “I had to betroth you, against my will.”

  “Who is the man?” she said.

  “King Harald has betrothed you,” he said, “and you must stay engaged to him for three years.”

  She answered, “He’s not the least important man to offer his hand, but one never knows what this news might mean. I may be meant to marry someone else, and things may change in a moment. Be cheerful, father.”

  The jarl said, “I think it would be better if you were betrothed to Sturlaug.”

  She answered, “I don’t know what would be for the best.”

  Now time passed, and matters were quiet for a while.

  CHAPTER VI

  One day, it so happened that Jarl Hring was out on the playing field, and his retainers were with him. They saw a huge man come riding out of the forest. His horse was fully armored and so was he, with a black shield at his side and a hewing-spear[14] in his hand. He rode so swiftly that men had to jump out of the way in both directions. He rode up, mounted on his horse, and he aimed his spear forward right between the horse’s ears, and said “Greetings, lord.”

  The jarl accepted his greeting and asked who he might be.

  He said, “I am called Kol the Crooked,[15] and I’ve come here to ask for your daughter Asa’s hand in marriage.”[16]

  The jarl said, “Don’t you know that she is betrothed to King Harald?”

  Kol said, “It’s no worse for me to have her. Now do one of two things: break off the engagement, or I’ll run you through with the spear.”

  The jarl thought it over, and realized that neither cho
ice was good. He chose to live, but felt that nothing but grief would come of it. He didn’t concern himself with how badly the confrontation between King Harald and Kol would go, and he broke off her engagement to Harald.

  Kol said, “Tell King Harald that I challenge him to single combat, eastwards along the Gota River, when half the winter has passed. Let him who wins have the maiden. Should he not come, or should he not dare to fight, then may he bear a coward’s reputation in the eyes of every man, as long as he lives. Stay well, lord.” At once Kol turned his horse around and rode away, thinking that matters had gone well.

  The jarl was not very content with his lot. He stayed behind for a while, and then stood up and went to his daughter’s bower. He sat down next to her and could hardly speak. Asa said, “Are you sick, father?”

  The jarl said, “It would be better to be sick and die quickly, than to suffer such shame as to betroth one’s own daughter against her will.”

  Asa said, “To whom am I betrothed now?”

  The jarl said, “He is called Kol the Crooked.”

  She said, “Rather than marrying the worst man, matters may change for the better. Our situation may improve from what we can expect now. One of them must win, but not both. And it might happen that neither of them will win, if we are lucky. Be cheerful, father.”

  The jarl said, “It would be well if it could be as you say, but I’m afraid that that won’t happen if they kill each other—but that would be what I’d prefer.” Now they parted for the time being.

  CHAPTER VII

  King Harald now heard this news, and he felt that matters were no better than before. He sought advice on the matter from his friends. In the end, the king sent his men to find Heming and invite him to the Yule feast, and to tell him that he would not go away without gifts. He got a certain man named Kolli to take the message. Now they went north to Namdalen to meet Heming, and they greeted him and brought the king’s message. Heming had been the greatest dueler, but now he was bowed down by age, and he had had a falling-out with King Harald for some time.

  The messenger spoke his message. Heming answered, “I don’t recall that the king has invited me to his home before. There are two choices at hand now: to stay home and ignore the king’s invitation, or else to get to the bottom of this. Since an old man has nothing to lose,[17] let it happen as it may. Someone will survive, as long as my son Sighvat lives.”

  Now Heming prepared for his visit, with twelve men, and they arrived on the first evening of Yule and went into the hall before the king, and greeted him well. The king accepted their greeting warmly and cleared the high seat and seated Heming next to himself, and they gladly drank the Yule toasts, highly honored. But on the last day of Yule, the Heming and the king took counsel together. The king said, “I have been summoned to single combat, and I was looking to you to redeem me from Kol the Crooked.”

  Heming said, “I don’t know that you’ve offered me so much that I’d risk my life for you. I suspect that we’re not dealing with a strong man, but rather with a troll.”

  The king said, “I’ve sought out your help because I believe that you were the greatest champion in the land. I think it likely that if you fall short, such a man as you are, then no one can do it. And if you come back from this journey, I will richly reward you with gold or silver.”

  Heming said, “It’s true what they say: an old man has nothing to lose. But ‘an old tree can be expected to fall’, and I will go on your errand.”

  The king said, “Bravest of all warriors on sea or land, I expect that you will succeed.”

  Now Heming prepared to go on his journey, and rode off on his way and didn’t stop until he came to the east bank of the Gota. Kol was there ahead of him. When they met, Kol asked what Heming was going to do. Heming said, “I mean to fight you.”

  Kol said, “That would be a shameful end for me, if you killed me on the field. I have killed men who were stronger and more promising than you are. Go back home, but give me your weapon and admit that you were overcome and didn’t dare to fight me.”

  Heming said, “I would rather die than bear the name of coward before any man.”

  Kol said, “I won’t hold back from killing you, dog, if that’s all you want.”

  In the evening, they put up their tents and went to sleep for the night. In the morning, Heming stood up and saw that Kol had gone to the island where the duel was to take place.[18] He went to the island with his men. They spread a cloak under their feet, and Kol pronounced the law of combat.[19] Then they came together and fought, and in the end Heming fell before Kol.

  Kol said to Heming’s men, “Now you must go back to the king and tell him to do one of two things: come to fight me himself, or get a man with some fortitude to come on his behalf, if he wants the woman for himself. Otherwise, he must give her up.” The men who had left their home turned back quickly and went north to Namdalen, to meet with King Harald and tell him about all these events and Kol the Crooked’s declaration.

  CHAPTER VIII

  The king felt this was bad news. Again he sought out advice, and he adopted a plan to send Kolli the messenger to Sturlaug and his father, and invite them to a feast lasting half a month, with as many men as they wanted to have with them. These words passed between father and son: Sturlaug asked his father whether they should accept the invitation. His father said, “I want us to stay home and not go anywhere.”

  Sturlaug said, “I have no mind to ignore the king’s invitation, but I know that there must be something behind it. Yet I want to go. The saga about us will be short, if we can’t visit another man when we are invited. One never knows whether what happens on our journey might bring us honor.”

  Ingolf said, “You’ll want to decide about our travels, whether they go well or badly.”

  After that, they prepared for their journey. They were sixty men all together, all well provided with weapons and clothes. They rode to meet King Harald and came there on the first evening of Yule. The king welcomed them gladly and set them on the high seat next to himself, and the finest feast was set. But when Yule was over, the king went to take counsel with Ingolf and his son Sturlaug.

  Sturlaug told his men, “Make ready our horses while we talk.” They did so.

  The king said, “I have been summoned to a single combat. I see that you, Sturlaug, such a man as you are, might redeem me from going to fight Kol the Crooked, because I am an old man.”

  Sturlaug said, “Give over to me the betrothal that you forced from Jarl Hring, because this won’t be without a price.”

  “The price you’ve set seems high to me,” said the king.

  “If you accept it, then I’ll risk it,” said Sturlaug, “however it goes between me and Kol.”

  The king said, “I wasn’t aware that you would impose this condition. It would be the greatest disgrace for me to agree to it.”

  Sturlaug said, “It’s time to choose which option seems better for you.”

  The king said, “Yet I will choose for you to go and fight the combat with Kol. It will go with us as it’s fated to go.”

  Sturlaug replied, “Give up your betrothal first.”

  The king did so, though he was unwilling, because the company of sworn brothers seemed paltry to him.

  They rode away to meet with Jarl Hring. He welcomed them, and invited them to accept his hospitality. They told him how their dealings had gone, and how it had gone with them and King Harald. The jarl cheered up to hear that, and invited them to go to Asa’s bower, and so they did. And when they arrived, Asa welcomed them well.

  Hring said, “You have to receive and give your answer to a suitor here, daughter.”

  “Who is the man?” she asked.

  “His name is Sturlaug.”

  Asa said, “I’m not short of husbands now.”

  Sturlaug said, “It
’s been decided that I won’t wait for your answer any longer.”

  Asa said that it would be as they willed. A splendid feast was prepared, and nothing needful was spared. Sturlaug went to marry Asa the Fair, and right away they went to lie in the same bed. The feasting continued, and men were sent home with good gifts. Ingolf and his men rode home, and Asa and Sturlaug stayed behind and were quite content with their marriage.[20]

  CHAPTER IX

  One morning, as Asa and Sturlaug were lying in their bed, Asa said to Sturlaug, “Have you been challenged to single combat, Sturlaug?”

  “It’s true,” he said.

  “With whom?” she said.

  “With Kol the Crooked,” he said. “What can you tell me about him?”

  She answered, “Go and find Vefreyja, my foster-mother. Take her advice, and it will serve you well. Here is a gold ring that you must bring her as a token. Tell her that it’s very important to me for her to receive you well.”

  Sturlaug now went with his sworn brothers, twelve all together. They rode until they came to the home of the old woman. Sturlaug leaped from the back of his horse and rushed through the doors to the old woman. He laid his arms around her neck and kissed her, saying, “Greetings and blessings, my lady.”

  She quickly turned away from him and stared at him. “Who is this son of a bitch who treats me so disgracefully? No one has ever dared to do anything like this. I’ll pay you back frightfully for this.”