The Sagas of the Icelanders

by Smilely, Jane

  Then the elder lad spoke: ‘Who owns the ship that is sailing in now?’

  Hallbjorn told him it belonged to Bork the Stout.

  ‘And who is that, sailing in next?’

  ‘Gest the Wise,’ he said.

  ‘And that ship, coming in behind him, and putting up at the horn of the fjord?’

  ‘That is Thorkel Sursson,’ said Hallbjorn.

  They watched as Thorkel came ashore and sat down somewhere while the crew carried their goods and provisions on to to dry ground, out of reach of the tides, and Bork set up their booth. Thorkel was wearing a Russian hat and a grey fur cloak that was pinned at the shoulder with a gold clasp. He carried a sword in his hand. Then Hallbjorn went over to where Thorkel was sitting, and the young men went with him.

  One of the lads spoke – it was the elder. He said, ‘Who is this noble-looking man sitting here? Never have I seen such a fine and handsome man.’

  The man answered, ‘Well spoken. My name is Thorkel.’

  Then the lad said, ‘That must be a very good sword you have there in your hand. Would you allow me to look at it?’

  Thorkel answered him, ‘Your behaviour is rather unusual, but all right, I’ll allow you to,’ and he handed him the sword.

  The young man took it, turned to one side, unfastened the peace straps and drew the sword.

  When Thorkel saw that he said, ‘I did not give you permission to draw the sword.’

  ‘I did not ask your permission,’ said the lad.

  Then he raised the sword in the air and struck Thorkel on the neck with such a fearsome blow that it took off his head.

  When this had happened, Hallbjorn leapt up and the lad threw down the blood-stained sword. He grabbed his staff and he ran off with Hallbjorn and the others in his band, who were almost out of their wits with fear, and they all ran past the booth that Bork had set up. People thronged around Thorkel, but no one seemed to know who had done this deed. Bork asked why there was so much noise and commotion around Thorkel just as Hallbjorn and about fifteen of his band ran past the booth. The younger lad was named Helgi, while his older companion, who had done the killing, was named Berg.

  It was Helgi who answered: ‘I’m not sure what they are discussing, but I think they’re arguing about whether Vestein left only daughters behind him, or whether he had a son.’

  Hallbjorn ran to his booth, and the lads hurried to some nearby woods and could not be found.

  29 People ran into Hallbjorn’s booth and asked what had happened. The road-farers told them that two young men, about whom they knew nothing, had come into their group and that they had no idea this would happen. Then they gave descriptions of them and repeated what the young men had said. From what Helgi said Bork surmised that they were Vestein’s sons.

  Then Bork went to meet Gest and discuss with him what should be done.

  Bork said, ‘I bear a greater responsibility than anyone else to bring a suit in the wake of my brother-in-law Thorkel’s slaying. We think it not unlikely that Vestein’s sons did this deed. No one else could have had anything against Thorkel. And it looks as if they’ve escaped for the moment. Tell me how I should proceed with the case.’

  Gest answered him, ‘I know what I’d do if I had done the killing. I’d get out of it by changing my name, so that any case brought against me would come to nothing.’

  And he discouraged Bork from pursuing the accusation. People were reasonably sure that Gest had conspired with the lads because he was a blood-relation of theirs.

  They broke off their talk and the case was dropped. Thorkel was buried according to the old customs, and then everyone went home. Nothing else of note took place at the assembly. Bork was as displeased with this trip as he had often been with the others, and this matter brought much disgrace and dishonour to him.

  The young men travelled until they reached Geirthjofsfjord, where they spent five days and five nights out in the open. By night they went to Aud’s farm – where Gisli was staying – and knocked on the door. Aud went to the door to greet them and asked their business. Gisli lay in bed in the underground hideout, and she would have raised her voice if he had needed to be on his guard. They told her of Thorkel’s slaying and what the situation was, and also how long they had gone without food.

  ‘I’m going to send you,’ said Aud, ‘across the ridge to Mosdal, to Bjartmar’s sons. I’ll give you some food and some tokens so that they will give you shelter for a while, and I’m doing this because I’m in no mind to ask Gisli to help you.’

  The young men went into the woods, where they could not be traced and, having gone without food for a long time, they ate. When they had satisfied their hunger, they lay down to sleep because by then they were very tired.

  30 At this point, the story turns to Aud. She went to Gisli and said, ‘Now, it means a great deal to me how you will act and whether you choose to honour me more than I deserve.’

  He answered her quickly, ‘I know you are going to tell me of my brother Thorkel’s death.’

  ‘It is so,’ said Aud, ‘and the lads have come and want to join you. They feel they have no one else to rely on.’

  Gisli answered, ‘I could not bear to see my brother’s killers or to be with them’, and he jumped up and went to draw his sword as he spoke this verse:

  23. Who knows, but Gisli may

  again draw cold sword

  from sheath when warriors

  from the assembly report

  the slaying of Thorkel

  to the polishers of rings. polishers of rings: men

  We will dare great deeds,

  even to the very death.

  Aud told him they had already left – ‘for I had sense enough not to risk their tarrying here’.

  Gisli said it was better that they did not meet. Then he soon calmed down and things were quiet for a while.

  It is said that at this time, according to the prophecy of the dream-woman, Gisli had only two years of life remaining to him. As time passed, Gisli stayed in Geirthjofsfjord and all his dreams and restless nights began again. Now it was mainly the bad dream-woman who came to him, although the good one also appeared sometimes.

  One night, Gisli dreamed again that the good dream-woman came to him. She was riding a grey horse, and she invited him to come home with her, to which he agreed. They arrived at a house, which was more like a great hall, and she led him inside. He saw cushions on the raised benches and the whole place was beautifully decorated.

  She told him they would stay there and take their pleasure – ‘and this is where you will come when you die,’ she said, ‘and enjoy wealth and great happiness’.

  Then Gisli awoke and spoke several verses concerning what he had dreamed:

  24. The thread-goddess invited thread-goddess: woman

  the praise-maker to ride praise-maker: poet

  on a grey steed to her home.

  And as we rode along

  she was gentle to me,

  that bearer of the ale-born bearer of the ale-born: woman

  swore she would heal me.

  I remember her words.

  25.

  The good dream-woman

  led me, the poet, to sleep

  there, where soft beds lay.

  From my mind this will not fade.

  The thread-goddess led me

  to her soft resting place,

  so perfectly arranged,

  and there I lay me down.

  26.

  ‘Here will you lie down

  and breathe your last with me,’

  said the Hild of the rings. Hild of the rings: the dream-woman

  ‘And here, my warrior,

  you will rule over all this wealth

  and have dominion over me,

  and we will have riches

  beyond gold’s measure.’

  31 It is said that on one occasion when Helgi was sent again to spy in Geirthjofsfjord – where everyone believed Gisli to be staying – a man named Havard went w
ith him. He had come to Iceland earlier that summer and was a kinsman of Gest Oddleifsson. They were sent into the woods to cut timber for building, and although that was the apparent purpose of their journey, it was really a ploy for them to look for Gisli and to see whether they could locate his hideout. One evening they saw a fire on the ridge, south of the river. This was at dusk, but it was very dark.

  Then Havard asked Helgi what they should do – ‘For you are more used to all this than I am,’ he said.

  ‘There is only one thing to do,’ said Helgi, ‘and that is to build a cairn here on this hillock, where we are now, so that it can be found tomorrow when it grows light enough to see.’

  This is what they decided to do. When they had built the cairn, Havard said that he was so drowsy that he could do nothing else than go to sleep -- which he then did. Helgi stayed awake and finished off building the cairn, and when he was done, Havard awoke and told him to sleep for a while, saying that he would keep watch. Then Helgi slept for a spell, and while he was sleeping, Havard began carrying away every single stone of the cairn under the cover of darkness. When he had done that, he took a great boulder and hurtled it down on the rock-face near Helgi’s head so hard that the ground shook. Helgi sprang to his feet, shaking with fear, and asked what had happened.

  Havard said, ‘There’s a man in the woods. Many such boulders have been cast down here tonight.’

  ‘That must have been Gisli,’ said Helgi, ‘and he must know we’re here. You must surely realize, my friend, that every bone in our bodies would have been smashed to pieces if that rock had hit us. There’s nothing else to do but get out of here as quickly as possible.’

  Then Helgi ran as fast as he could, and Havard went after him and asked him not to run so far ahead. But Helgi took no notice and ran as fast as his feet would carry him. Finally, they both reached the boat, jumped into it and rowed hard without pause until they came to Otradal. Helgi said that he now knew of Gisli’s whereabouts.

  Eyjolf acted quickly. He left immediately with eleven men – Helgi and Havard among them – and journeyed until they came to Geirthjofsfjord. They scanned the whole wood for the cairn and Gisli’s hideout, but found neither. Then Eyjolf asked Havard where they had built the cairn.

  He answered, ‘I couldn’t tell you. Not only was I so tired that I hardly knew what was going on around me, but it was Helgi who finished building the cairn while I slept. I think Gisli must have been aware of us being there, then taken the cairn apart when it was light and we were gone.’

  Then Eyjolf said, ‘Fortune is not with us in this matter, so we will turn back.’

  And they did just that. But first Eyjolf wanted to go and see Aud. They reached the farmhouse and went in, where Eyjolf sat down to talk to Aud, and these were his words – ‘I want to make a deal with you, Aud,’ he said. ‘You tell me where Gisli is and I will give you three hundred pieces of silver, which I have received as the price on his head, and you will not be present when we take his life. In addition, I will arrange a marriage for you that will be superior in every way to this one. And you must consider,’ he said, ‘how impractical it would be for you to linger in this deserted fjord and suffer from Gisli’s ill fortune, never seeing your family and kinfolk again.’

  This was her reply: ‘I don’t expect,’ she said, ‘that we’ll reach agreement on your ability to find me as good a match as this one. Yet, it’s true what they say, “death’s best consolation is wealth”, so let me see whether this silver is as plentiful or as fine as you say.’

  So he poured the silver into her lap, and she held it there while he counted it and showed her its value.

  Gudrid, her foster-daughter, began to cry.

  32 Then Gudrid went to meet Gisli and told him, ‘My foster-mother has lost her senses and means to betray you.’

  Gisli said, ‘Think only good thoughts, for my death will never be the result of Aud’s treachery.’

  Then he spoke a verse:

  27. The fjord-riders claim fjord-riders: seafarers, strangers

  the mead-goddess has sold mead-goddess: Gisli’s wife

  her man, with a mind

  deep and treacherous as the sea.

  But I know the land of gold sits and weeps. land of gold: woman

  I do not think this true

  of the proud sea-flame’s wearer. sea-flame: gold; its wearer: woman

  After that the girl went home, but did not say where she had been. By that time Eyjolf had counted all the silver.

  Aud spoke: ‘By no means is this silver any less or worse than you have said. And now you must agree that I may do with it whatever I choose.’

  Eyjolf gladly agreed, and told her that, of course, she might do as she wished with it. Aud took the silver and put it in a large purse, then she stood up and struck Eyjolf on the nose, and blood spurted all over him.

  ‘Take that for your gullibility,’ she said, ‘and all the harm that ensues from it. There was never any hope that I would render my husband into your hands, you evil man. Take this now for your cowardice and your shame, and remember, you wretch, for as long as you live, that a woman has struck you. And you will not get what you desire, either.’

  Then Eyjolf said, ‘Seize the cur and kill it, though it be a bitch.’

  Then Havard spoke. ‘Our expedition has gone badly enough without this disgraceful deed. Stand up to him, men. Don’t let him do this.’

  Eyjolf said, ‘The old saying is true, “the treachery of a friend is worse than that of a foe”.’

  Havard was a popular man, and many of the party were ready to show him their support, as well as to prevent Eyjolf from carrying out this disgraceful act. So Eyjolf conceded to them and having done that he left.

  But before Havard left, Aud spoke to him: ‘It would be wrong to hold back the debt that Gisli owes you. Here is a gold ring I want you to have.’

  ‘But it is not a debt I was looking to recover,’ said Havard.

  ‘Even so,’ said Aud, ‘I want to pay you back.’

  Actually, she gave him the gold ring for his help.

  Havard got himself a horse and rode south to Gest Oddleifsson at Bardastrond, for he had no desire to remain any longer with Eyjolf. Eyjolf went back home to Otradal, and was thoroughly displeased with the outcome of his journey, especially since most people regarded it as disgraceful.

  33 As the summer wore on, Gisli stayed in his underground hideout and was very much on his guard. He had no intention of leaving and, besides, he felt that no other refuge was left him since the tally of years in his dreams had now passed away.

  It happened that one summer night Gisli once again had a very fitful and restless sleep, and when he awoke Aud asked him what he had dreamed.

  He told her that the bad dream-woman had come to him and said, ‘Now I will destroy everything that the good dream-woman has said to you, and I will make certain that nothing comes of what she has promised.’ Then Gisli spoke a verse:

  28. ‘Never shall the two of you

  abide together. Your great love

  will slowly turn to poison

  and become sorrow,’

  said the dread woman.

  ‘He who rules all has sent you

  alone from your house

  to explore the other world.’

  ‘Then in a second dream,’ he said, ‘this woman came to me and tied a blood-stained cap on my head, and before that she bathed my head in blood and poured it all over me, covering me in gore.’

  And he spoke a verse:

  29. I dreamed a dream of her,

  woman of the serpent’s lair.

  She washed my hair in Odin’s fire Odin’s fire: blood

  spilled from the well of swords. well of swords: wound

  And it seemed to me

  those hands of the ring-goddess, ring-goddess: woman

  blood-red, were bathed

  and drenched in gold-breaker’s gore. gold-breaker: man

  Then he spoke another verse:

  30.
I thought I felt how

  the valkyrie’s hands,

  dripping with sword-rain, sword-rain: blood

  placed a bloody cap

  upon my thickly grown,

  straight-cut locks of hair.

  That is how the thread-goddess thread-goddess: woman

  woke me from my dream.

  Gisli began to have so many dreams that he became very frightened of the dark and dared not be alone any longer. Whenever he closed his eyes, he saw the same woman. On yet another night, Gisli slept badly and Aud asked him what happened to him in his dream.

  ‘I dreamed,’ said Gisli, ‘that some men came upon us. Eyjolf was among them and many others. We confronted each other, and I know there was an exchange of blows between us. One of them came first, really howling, and I think I must have cut him in two at the waist. I thought he had the head of a wolf. Then many others attacked me. I felt I had my shield in my hand and that I fought them off for a long while.’

  Then Gisli spoke a verse:

  31. My foes sought me out,

  swinging their swords,

  but I did not fall then.

  I was outnumbered,

  yet I fed the raven’s maw. fed the raven’s maw: killed men

  But your white bosom

  was reddened and steeped

  in my crimson blood.

  Then he spoke another:

  32. They could not mar my shield

  with their resounding blows.

  It protected the poet well.

  I had courage enough,

  but they were too many

  and I was overcome,

  swords singing loud

  in the air around me.