They said, ‘You are wrong in behaving like this, when you are so much in Ingimund’s debt. He received you, gave you both a place to live and fishing rights, and many other benefits, whereas before this you did not seem fit company for worthy men.’
Hrolleif said that he did not have to vacate the river at the behest of wretched slaves and let fly with a stone at one of them so that he lay on the ground stunned; Hrolleif said that it did not do for their tongues to wag so freely.
When they returned home the household was seated at the table; they rushed in. Ingimund asked why they had arrived with such a commotion. They said that they had been driven from the river by Hrolleif with blows and harsh words.
Jokul answered, ‘He must want to become the Vatnsdal godi and to treat us like he treated others before, but it will never be the case that this devil of a man will lord it over us.’
Thorstein said that Hrolleif had gone too far, but that it was best to deal with this calmly – ‘and it was a mistake ever to have had anything to do with Hrolleif.’
‘There is much truth in this,’ said Ingimund, ‘but nevertheless you would do well to reach a settlement with him because you have more at stake. He is a man out of Hel,* and you can be sure of trouble from him.’
Jokul said that he would soon see whether Hrolleif would leave the river, and sprang up from the table and rushed out.
Ingimund said, ‘Thorstein, my son, I trust you best to keep calm in everything; go along with your brothers.’
Thorstein said that he was not sure how easy it would be to control Jokul – ‘and I will not stand idly by if he gets into a fight with Hrolleif’.
When they came to the river, they saw that Hrolleif was fishing there.
Then Jokul said, ‘Get out of the river, you villain, and don’t you dare tangle with us, or else we will have it out between us once and for all.’
Hrolleif said, ‘All the same, though there are three or four of you, I will go about my business despite your cursing.’
Jokul said, ‘You, evil creature, must have faith in your mother’s witchcraft, if you on your own intend to dispute the fishing against all of us.’
Jokul then waded into the river towards him, but Hrolleif stood his ground.
Thorstein said, ‘Stop being so stubborn, Hrolleif; it will be the worse for you if we do not get our rights from you. It may be that others will have to pay the price. It simply will not do for you to lord it over men with your evil deeds.’
Then Jokul said, ‘Let’s kill the devil.’
Hrolleif then made for the riverbank at a point where there were some stones, and threw these at them and they returned fire across the river; and some hurled spears at him, but Hrolleif was never in danger. Jokul wanted to cross the river and attack him at another place, and said it would be no ordinary humiliation if they failed to overcome him.
Thorstein said, ‘My advice is different – hold back here and remain in control rather than tangle with mother and son, because I believe that she is nearby. Coping with their sorceries would not be like fighting against honourable men.’
Jokul said that this would never worry him and sought to advance, while his brothers threw stones and spears at Hrolleif.
Then a man came running back to Hof and told Ingimund that things had come to a parlous state and that the men were fighting each other across the river, ‘and your neighbour is like few others’.
Ingimund said, ‘Get my horse ready, and I will ride out there.’
He was by then old and almost blind. He had given up the management of his affairs and also the farm itself. A boy was found to attend him. Ingimund was wearing a black cape. The boy led him on horseback.
When they came to the riverbank, his sons saw him.
Thorstein said, ‘Our father has arrived; let us withdraw; he will want us to follow his wishes, but I am worried about his coming here,’ and he urged Jokul to restrain himself.
Ingimund rode into the river and said, ‘Leave the river, Hrolleif, and think about what is right and proper for you.’
When Hrolleif saw him, he hurled a spear at him, and it hit him in the midriff.
And when Ingimund received the wound, he rode back to the bank, and said, ‘You, boy, lead me home.’
He did not meet his sons and when they arrived home, the evening was well advanced.
As Ingimund came to dismount, he said, ‘I am now stiff; we old men grow shaky on our feet.’
When the boy helped him down, there was a sucking noise from the wound. At that moment the boy saw that the spear had gone right through him.
Ingimund said, ‘You have been loyal to me for a long time; do now what I ask of you; it is more than likely that I will be asking few things of you after this. Go now and tell Hrolleif that before morning comes I think it likely that my sons will be on his trail to see about avenging their father; and he should be sure to have left by daybreak. I am no better avenged by his death and, no matter what happens later, as long as I have any say in things, it is right for me to protect the person whom I have previously agreed to help.’
He snapped off the shaft from the spear head and went inside with the help of the boy and sat down on his high seat and asked him not to kindle a light before his sons arrived home.
The boy returned to the river and saw the many salmon which Hrolleif had caught there.
The boy said, ‘Truly is it said that you are the most miserable dog of a man. You have done something for which we can never look for compensation; you have dealt my master Ingimund his death wound, and he asked me to say that you should not stay at home until morning, and said that he believed his sons would seek to avenge their father’s death on you; and I am doing this more at his request than out of any wish that my words should save you from the brothers’ axes.’
Hrolleif answered, ‘I believe what you say, and you would not have left here in one piece if you had not passed on this news.’
23 To return to Ingimund’s sons, they headed home in the evening and agreed among themselves that Hrolleif was a most despicable man.
Thorstein said, ‘We do not yet know exactly what evil we may have suffered from him, but I have an uneasy feeling about our father’s journey.’
They arrived home and Thorstein went into the fire-hall and, stumbling, stuck out his hand and said, ‘Why is the floor wet, mistress?’
She replied, ‘I think that something may have run from the clothes of Ingimund, my master.’
Thorstein answered, ‘This is as slippery as blood; kindle a light at once,’ and this was done.
Ingimund was sitting in his high seat and was dead. The spear stood there piercing him right through.
Jokul said, ‘It is terrible to know about a noble man like this, that a wretch like Hrolleif should have done him to death; let us be off at once and kill him.’
Thorstein said, ‘You know nothing of our father’s goodness if he has not helped Hrolleif to escape; where is the boy who went with him?’
He was nowhere to be seen.
Thorstein said, ‘I don’t think we can expect Hrolleif to be at home, and we must have a plan in searching for him and not rush in headlong; and we can take comfort in the huge difference that there is between my father and Hrolleif, and for this my father will be rewarded by him who created the sun and all the world, whoever he is – we can be sure that someone must have been its creator.’
Jokul was so furious that they could hardly control him. At that moment the boy came in and told them of his errand. Jokul said that it had been wrong.
Thorstein said, ‘We must not be angry with him, because he did what our father wanted.’
Ingimund was laid in the small boat from the ship Stigandi and afforded every honour, as was then customary with noble men. This was then reported far and wide, and it seemed – as indeed it was – great and grave news.
Thorstein said to his brothers, ‘I think it would be a good idea for us not to sit in our father’s seat, whether at home or as
other men’s guests, while he remains unavenged.’
They kept to this, and were little in evidence at games or other gatherings of men.
But when Eyvind the Proud heard this, he said to his foster-son, ‘Go and tell my friend Gaut what I am going to do; it seems to me that he ought to do the same.’
He then drew a short-sword from under his cloak, and had himself fall on it and so died.
And when Gaut heard of this he said, ‘Life is not worth living for the friends of Ingimund, and I will follow the example of my friend Eyvind,’ and put his sword to his breast and killed himself.
Eyvind’s sons were called Hermund and Hromund the Lame, who will be mentioned later.
24 Let this pass for now; something must be said about Hrolleif. He met his mother and told her the news. She said that no one lived beyond their allotted span, and that Ingimund had enjoyed a long life.
‘My advice is,’ she said, ‘that, first, you must get away from here because blood nights are the most furious. Come and see me here when I judge it most likely that some benefit will arise from my plotting, but I cannot tell which will prevail, Thorstein’s guile and good luck or my scheming.’
Then Hrolleif went north to Skagafjord and came to Saemundarhlid; Saemund was dead by then and Geirmund was in charge of the estate. His brother was named Arnald. Geirmund asked what the news was. Hrolleif said that he had to report the death of Ingimund from Hof.
‘There’s an able man gone; what was the cause of his death?’
Hrolleif said, ‘He was used as a target,’ and then described the whole incident.
Geirmund replied, ‘I can see that you are an utter wretch; be off with you, evil creature, and never come here again.’
Hrolleif said that he would not leave, ‘and I will be killed here, to your great shame; I still remember the fact that my father fell when in the service of your father and Ingimund, and this came about because of you and your men’.
Geirmund said that falling in battle was the lot of brave men, ‘but I will hand you over the moment that the sons of Ingimund arrive’.
Hrolleif said that he had expected as much, or worse. He hid there in a harness shed.
The sons of Ingimund remained at home during the winter; they sat on the lower bench and went to no games nor assembly meetings and were very downcast.
And shortly before the summer, Thorstein summoned his brothers for a discussion and said, ‘I think we are all agreed that it seems high time for us to seek to avenge our father, but this is not very easily done. I think it would be a good idea that whoever has the wit to take on the task should choose as a reward one valuable item from our inheritance.’
They said that this was their wish, ‘and you are the best suited of any of us because of your good sense’.
25 One morning Thorstein was up early and said to his brothers, ‘Let us now make preparations for journeying north into the country, no matter what tasks await us there.’ They were five brothers in all and no one else. Late one evening they came to where Geirmund lived and he welcomed them warmly, and they enjoyed fine hospitality during their night’s stay.
In the morning Thorstein said to his brothers, ‘You will play at a board game today and I will talk with Geirmund.’
They did so.
Thorstein said to Geirmund, ‘We brothers have come here because we are looking for Hrolleif, whom we think is here with you. You are under a big obligation to help us, as it was you and your family who sent our father this wretch from whom so much harm has come, even though this was not your wish. He has no good kinsmen to look to except you.’
Geirmund replied, ‘All this is true and you have searched shrewdly, but Hrolleif is not here now.’
Thorstein said, ‘I believe it more true to say that he is sitting in your shed. Take this hundred of silver, and have him leave, and I will so arrange it that he is not seized while in your safe custody here, so that no blame can be laid at your door; but we will seek him out, even though it is little enough revenge for our father. Tell him that you do not feel safe in protecting him against us, and in bearing the brunt of our hostility, when you would otherwise enjoy our friendship.’
Geirmund answered, ‘Now I will admit that he is here, and everyone may make of this what he wishes; I will do as you suggest and tell him to go away, and you may then look for him, when he is no longer with me.’
‘So be it,’ said Thorstein.
Then Geirmund met with Hrolleif and said, ‘The sons of Ingimund have come here and are looking for you. You may no longer stay here with me, because I will not put myself or my assets at risk on account of you and your evil cause; the brothers are both shrewd and aggressive.’
Hrolleif replied, ‘It was to be expected that you would behave shamefully, and no thanks are due to you for your assistance.’
Geirmund said, ‘Be off with you, at once.’
He met Thorstein later and said, ‘I think it would be best for me if you were to do nothing in haste and remain here today.’
Thorstein said that this should be so.
Then next day they got ready and went west over the mountains; and there had been a thaw and they saw a man’s footsteps in the snow.
Then Thorstein said, ‘Let us now sit down, and I will tell you of my conversation with Geirmund. I was aware that Hrolleif was there.’
Jokul said, ‘You’re a strange man; you were content to sit and do nothing, and your father’s killer was right by you. If I’d known that, things would not have remained altogether quiet.’
Thorstein said that this was not unexpected, ‘but it looked better not to show up Geirmund in this. We will travel in day-long journeys and see if we can make it to the west no later than Hrolleif does, because his footsteps must point towards his home, and Ljot, his mother, will now be sacrificing to celebrate the beginning of summer, as is her custom in accordance with their faith, and there will be no revenge achieved if the sacrifice has already been made.’
Jokul said, ‘Let’s hurry then.’
He led the way for them all.
He then looked back and said, ‘Woe betide those men who are as feeble in size and speed as Thorstein, my brother; vengeance will escape us if we don’t move quickly.’
Thorstein replied, ‘It is not yet clear that my plans and schemes will be worth any less than your witless rushing around.’
Late in the evening they descended to the farm at Hof, and men were sitting at table there.
26 Thorstein met his shepherd outside and said, ‘Go to As and knock on the door and take note of how quickly the door is answered, and recite a verse while you are waiting. Announce it as your errand that you are enquiring about stray sheep, and you will be asked whether we have returned home, and you must say that we have not.’
The shepherd set off and came to As and knocked on the door, and no one answered before he had recited twelve verses. Then a farmhand came out and asked what the news was and whether the brothers had arrived home. He said that they had not, and asked about his sheep. The farmhand said that they had not come there.
The shepherd returned home and told Thorstein how many verses he had recited.
Thorstein said that he had stood outside long enough for a great deal to have gone on inside in the meantime, ‘but did you go in at all?’
He said that he had gone in and looked around.
Thorstein asked, ‘Was there a bright fire in the hearth or not?’
He answered, ‘It looked rather as if it had been kindled just a short time before.’
Thorstein said, ‘Did you see anything strange in the house?’
He said that he had seen a great pile of things and there was red clothing sticking out from underneath.
Thorstein said, ‘It must have been Hrolleif and his sacrificial garments that you saw. We must now go and search there. Let us get ready at once and take on this risk, whatever happens.’
They journeyed and came to As and there was no one outside. They saw firewood pil
ed against the wall on both sides of the gable. They also saw a little hut standing in front of the door, and a gap between it and the door to the main building.
Thorstein said, ‘That must be the place of sacrifice, and Hrolleif is meant to go there when his mother has completed her rites and all her witchcraft – but I don’t much like it all. Go now and wait round the corner by the house and I will sit up above the door with a stick in my hand; and if Hrolleif comes out, I will then throw the stick towards you, and you must all then run over to me.’
Jokul said, ‘It’s easy to see, brother, that you want to gain honour from this as from everything else, but I won’t have it, and I will sit with the stick.’
Thorstein said, ‘You want your own way, even though things will not go any better, because it seems to me that you are liable to be the cause of some mishap.’
Jokul positioned himself in the pile of firewood, and soon a man came out and looked around by the door, and did not see the men who had come there. Then a second man came out and a third, and this was Hrolleif. Jokul recognized him clearly and gave a violent start, and the log pile collapsed, but he was still able to throw the stick to his brothers, and jumped down and managed to grab Hrolleif so that he could not run away. There was no difference in their strength, and they both rolled down the bank, each lying alternately on top and underneath.
When the brothers approached, Hogni said, ‘What monster is this coming towards us here? I do not know what it is.’
Thorstein replied, ‘This is Ljot the old witch – look how bizarrely she has got herself up.’
The Sagas of the Icelanders Page 35