The Sagas of the Icelanders

by Smilely, Jane

  Later, well into the evening, he heard a great din outside, and a man then came in, leading a horse behind him. He was of massive size, with shoulder-length locks of fair hair. Thorstein thought him a very handsome fellow. Then the man stirred up the fire, having first led his horse to its stall. He put out a washing basin, washed his hands and dried them on a white cloth. From a cask he poured fine drink into a large goblet, and then he began to eat. Everything about this man’s behaviour seemed to Thorstein very refined and remarkable. He was much larger than Ketil, his father, and seemed, as indeed he was, a mountain of a man.

  When the hall-dweller had finished eating, he sat by the fire, gazed into it and said: ‘There’s been some disturbance here; the fire has burned down more than I expected; I think that it has been stirred recently. I don’t know what this means; it may be that men have come here, and have designs on my life – and not without reason. I will go and search the house.’

  He then took up a smouldering brand, and went off searching, and came to where the pile of goods stood. It was so arranged that someone could get from this pile to the big chimney which opened into the hall. By the time the robber searched the pile, Thorstein was outside, and the hall-dweller could not find him, because it was not Thorstein’s destiny to be killed there. The hall-dweller searched the house three times and found nothing.

  Then he said, ‘I will leave things as they are for now; the shape of events is not clear, and it may work out in my affairs, as the saying goes, that “bad counsel turns out badly”. ’

  He then went to his bed and took off his short-sword. Thorstein regarded this sword as a great treasure and very likely to cut well, and he felt that the weapon would serve his purpose if he could get hold of it. He recalled his father’s incitement – that strength and daring would be needed to accomplish this or any other bold deeds, but that glory and glittering coins would be the reward, and he would then be deemed to have done better than by sitting at his mother’s hearth. He then also recalled that his father had said that he was no better at wielding a weapon than a daughter or any other woman, and that it would better serve his kinsmen’s honour if there were a gap in the family line rather than having him. This drove Thorstein on, and he looked for an opportunity to avenge single-handedly the wrongs done to many people; yet, on the other hand, it seemed to him that the man would be a great loss.

  In time the hall-dweller fell asleep and Thorstein tested how soundly he slept by making a noise. At this the man woke up and turned on to his side. More time passed and Thorstein tried again and once more the man stirred, though less than before. On the third occasion Thorstein approached and struck a mighty blow on the bed-post – and found that all was quiet with the man. Then Thorstein stirred up some flames in the fire and approached the bed; he wanted to see if the man was still there. Thorstein saw him lying there – he was sleeping face upwards in a gold-embroidered silk shirt. Thorstein then drew the short-sword and thrust at the mighty man’s chest and dealt him a deep wound. The man turned sharply and grabbed hold of Thorstein and pulled him up on to the bed alongside himself, and the sword remained in the wound – so strongly had Thorstein struck him that the sword-tip was stuck in the bed. This man was amazingly strong, however, and let the sword stay where it was; and Thorstein lay between him and the bed panel.

  The wounded man said, ‘Who is this man who has dealt me such a blow?’

  He answered, ‘My name is Thorstein, and I am the son of Ketil the Large.’

  The man said, ‘I thought that I knew your name before, but I feel that I have in no way deserved this from you and your father, for I have done you both little or no harm. You have been rather too hasty and I rather too slow because I was ready to go away and abandon my wicked ways; but now I have complete power over you as to whether I let you live or die. If I treat you as you deserve and have laid yourself open to, then no one would be able to say a word about our dealings. But I think that the wisest course would be to spare your life, and it may be that I may derive some benefit from you if things work out well. I want now to tell you my name. I am Jokul, son of Ingimund, earl of Gotland; and in the manner of sons of mighty men, I won riches for myself, though in a rather violent way, but now I was ready to leave. If this gift of your life seems worth anything to you, then go and meet my father, but speak first with my mother who is named Vigdis and tell her on her own of our dealings and give her my loving greetings and ask her to seek reconciliation and friendship on your behalf with the earl so that he will let you marry Thordis, his daughter and my sister. Here now is gold which you must take as a token that it is I who send you. And though the news about me will seem a great grief to her, I believe that she will pay more heed to my love and message than to your deserts; something tells me that you will be a man of good fortune. And if you or your boys are blessed with sons, do not allow my name to die out – it is from this that I hope to derive some benefit, and I want this in return for sparing your life.’

  Thorstein told him to do what he liked about sparing his life and any other matters, and said that he would not plead for anything. Jokul said that his life was now in his hands – ‘but you must have been sorely provoked into this by your father, and his plan has touched me to the quick, and I see that you would be quite content even if both of us were to die, but a greater future is in store for you. With you at their head no one will be without leadership, because of your daring and manliness, and my sister will be better looked after if you take her as your wife than if Vikings seize her as some spoil of war. Moreover, even if you are invited to rule in Gotland, return instead to your estate in Romsdal, because my father’s kinsmen will not grant you authority after his death, and it may be that terrible killings would lie in store for your kith and kin, and men would lose their innocent kinsmen. Do not mention my name in public except to your father and my kinsmen, because my life has been an ugly one and now has the reward it deserves, and that’s the way it goes with most wrongdoers. Take the gold here and keep it as a token, and draw out the short-sword – after this our conversation will not be a long one.’

  Thorstein then drew out the short-sword and Jokul died.

  4 After these events, Thorstein rode home, and as he approached the farm, he saw many men riding towards him, and he spotted his father and many people whom he knew and all were on their way to look for him; and when they met each other, Ketil greeted his son warmly and felt that he had reclaimed him from death’s door – ‘I straight away rued the words which I spoke to you in taunt and reproach.’

  Thorstein answered and said that little had his father known whether or when he would return home, but that good fortune had sustained his cause so that he had returned safe and sound.

  Though they bandied heated words, they were soon fully reconciled. Thorstein then told his father about everything that had happened on his journey. Thorstein received great praise from everyone for this exploit, as was to be expected. Later Thorstein had the assembly summoned and all the householders in the region attended.

  At this assembly Thorstein stood up and said, ‘It can now be made known to all of you that the fear of highway robbers which has troubled us here for some time, with people unable to go on their journeys – that fear is now removed and at an end. The main reason for my calling this assembly is that I want every man to take the items which belong to him, and I will keep whatever is left.’

  This was greeted with acclaim by those present, and Thorstein gained great honour from all his efforts. People did not come to know the name of the highwayman, because it was little noised abroad.

  5 One day Thorstein said to his father that he intended to travel east to meet Earl Ingimund as he had promised Jokul.

  Ketil said that it was not advisable to put himself into the hands of his enemies and asked him rather to stay at home – ‘and though the earl might not want to hurt you, it may be, however, that some people will be hostile to you and not well disposed’.

  Thorstein replied, ‘I will
carry out my promise to Jokul; and even if I bring neither foot back in one piece, I will go there just the same.’

  Then Thorstein made preparations and journeyed to Gotland and proceeded until, early one day, he came to the earl’s home. The earl had gone hunting, as was the custom of great men. Thorstein went into the drinking room and seated himself on a bench along with his retinue. Then the earl’s wife entered the room and looked at the people who had arrived and saw that they must be foreigners. She asked who they were.

  Thorstein said that he was a Norwegian – ‘and I have a private message for you; let us walk together, just the two of us’.

  They did so.

  Thorstein then said, ‘I have some news to report to you – the killing of Jokul, your son.’

  She answered, ‘This may seem grievous news to me, but it is not unexpected, because of his scheming and his wicked deeds. But what is it that has made you tell this tale of woe and travel all this way?’

  Thorstein replied, ‘There is much which leads me to do this; I promised him faithfully when we parted that I would seek you out and tell the truth about our parting. There is no hiding the fact that I was his killer, for our men were unwilling to sit meekly under his control because of his killings and robberies, and yet, to speak to you in good faith, I came under his sway and he had the chance to kill me had he wished to do so, but he spared my life, and laid on me the obligation to go and seek you out with a message from him, and you can see that it would have been easier for me to stay at home than to take a chance on your forgiveness. Now I have gold here which he said you would recognize and he told me to bring it as a token, so that you might make my peace with the earl with the proposition that I take Thordis your daughter as my wife. Jokul also said that he believed you would pay more heed to his message and wishes than to my actions.’

  Vigdis blushed deeply at this and said, ‘You must be a bold man, but I think that you are telling the truth about your meeting with my son; and if Jokul spared your life, then it is my decision that you will keep it, because you have the look of a lucky man about you; and, for the sake of my son Jokul’s request, I will plead your cause with the earl, but first you must hide yourself.’

  When the earl came home, the queen went to meet him and said, ‘There is some news to tell you which touches us both.’

  The earl replied, ‘You must be talking about the death of Jokul my son.’

  She said that this was the case.

  The earl said, ‘He will not have died of any sickness.’

  She replied, ‘It is true that he was killed, and before that he showed great nobility; he spared the life of his killer, and sent him here into our power with trustworthy tokens so that you might pardon and forgive his offences, grievous though they are. The man might also become a source of strength for you if you ennoble him by marriage and give him your daughter as Jokul proposed. Jokul also believed that you would show some respect to his last wish. You can also see how faithful the man has been to his promises, in that he has come from his own home estate into a hostile land here and into our power. Now, for the sake of my words and of your son’s wishes, I hope that you will do as I request, and examine the tokens here.’ She showed him the gold.

  Then the earl sighed wearily and said, ‘You have spoken a good deal – and very boldly at that – that I should honour the man who has killed my son; such a man deserves death rather than a friendly gift.’

  The queen replied, ‘My lord, you ought to consider what else there is to take account of – the word of Jokul, and the integrity of this man in placing himself at your mercy; also, your advanced years, and your need for someone to manage things on your behalf, and this fellow may prove well suited for this. Just as Jokul granted Thorstein his life, having had the power to do anything with him, and just as Thorstein received good fortune at Jokul’s hands, unpromisingly as he was situated, so is it now clear that we ought not to destroy that victory or this man’s luck, or the noble purpose of our son; and it is a great achievement to act as Jokul did in sparing the life of a man who has done us such harm, and it would be the greatest possible disgrace to harm him, now that he has come into our power.’

  The earl said, ‘You support this man very strongly, and think that he has a promising look about him; I will certainly see him, and judge for myself what I think he is worth, and it will matter a lot to him whether or not I like the look of him.’

  Then Thorstein was led forward and stood before the earl, and the queen had so contrived it that most of Ingimund’s anger had left him.

  Thorstein said, ‘My lord, my whole fate is in your hands. You now know the message which I have brought here. I wish to ask you to be reconciled with me, but I have no fear of anything else which you may wish to have done. It is the custom of leaders to spare the lives of those who voluntarily place themselves at their mercy.’

  The earl said, ‘I like the look of you sufficiently to spare your life. It may also be the best way of atoning for my son that you take his place, if you are willing to live here with me, because you have the mark of good fortune about you. It is dishonourable to harm a man who places himself in another man’s power.’

  Thorstein thanked the earl for sparing his life, and stayed there for a while, and the two men got to know each other. The earl soon found out that Thorstein was a wise man, remarkable in every way.

  On one occasion, Thorstein said to the earl, ‘Now I want to know, my lord, what are my chances of becoming your son-in-law?’

  The earl replied, ‘I have no wish to refuse this, because it may be that it will work to the good fortune of our family. But I want you to live here with us.’

  Thorstein said, ‘I agree to this while you are alive, and am grateful to you; but your men will not grant me respect after your days are up, and each man must then fashion his own destiny.’

  The earl said that this was fittingly spoken.

  6 Shortly afterwards, Thorstein rode home and told his father about all the plans and asked him to travel back there with him, and Ketil did so. The earl prepared a feast, and Thorstein attended with the Romsdal people and many men of distinction and the feast was splendid with its fine fare. It drew to a close with the greatest honour and with lavish gifts, and Ketil and the earl parted on the friendliest of terms. Thorstein stayed on there with his wife. He always heard the earl address him in a friendly way. A strong love soon developed between Thorstein and Thordis.

  It is said that one evening men came to the earl with the news of the death of Ketil the Large, and also that men wanted Thorstein to return to his family estate and authority. Thorstein reported this news to his wife and the earl. She told him that it was his decision and said that it was her wish to go along with whatever he wanted. He said that above all he wanted to return home, reckoning that his inheritance there would be the source of least envy, and that everyone would grant him full honour. The earl agreed with this plan of action, and said that it was more likely that Thorstein would secure advancement at home than among strangers. Shortly after this the earl fell ill.

  He summoned Thorstein, his son-in-law, and also his daughter, and said, ‘Prepare now for your journey away from here, so that it can be honoured with great riches, and our kinsmen should be content with the fact that all control of the land here is handed over to them along with everything that goes with it. And if you are blessed with a son, let him take my name.’

  Thorstein said that this should be so, but declared that he would not seek the title of earl, because his kinsmen were untitled.

  7 Earl Ingimund died shortly afterwards, and Thorstein went home to his estates and took over his father’s inheritance. He went raiding each summer and won wealth and honour, and stayed at home on his estate during the winters, and was reckoned a very worthy man.

  There was a man named Ingjald who lived on Hefne, an island in Halogaland in the north. He was a worthy farmer and went raiding by summer, but did not stir during the winters. Ingjald and Thorstein were good
friends. Ingjald was a good farmer and a man of many talents. Thorstein and his wife had a son, and when the boy was born, he was presented to his father.

  Thorstein looked at him and said, ‘This boy will be named Ingimund after his mother’s father, and I expect that he will enjoy good fortune because of his name.’

  The boy was very mature from an early age.

  Ingjald and Thorstein held a feast together each autumn, when they returned home from their Viking raids.

  Once when Ingjald was feasting with Thorstein, the boy Ingimund ran up to Ingjald. Ingjald then said, ‘You are a lucky-looking boy, and because of my friendship with your father, I want to invite you to my home and foster you in the best way I can.’

  Thorstein said that he would accept the offer, and the boy went home with Ingjald. Ingjald had a son named Grim, and another one named Hromund. They were promising young men and became Ingimund’s foster-brothers. Thorstein and Ingjald continued as before with their visits and feasts, and men felt that in Thorstein they had compensation for the loss of Ketil, even though he was neither as big nor as strong.

  It was on one occasion, when Ingimund met his father, that he said, ‘You have secured good fostering for me, but now I would like you to give me a ship; I want to go raiding this summer just like my ancestral kinsmen. I am now of an age when I can do this successfully, and I want the two of us to pay for this journey and not my foster-father, though I know that I can have anything I want from him.’