_THE STORY OF GRETTIR THE STRONG_
About nine hundred years ago, more or less, there lived in Iceland, at
a homestead called Biarg, two old folks named Asmund the Greyhaired
and his wife Asdis. At the time our story begins they had two sons,
Atli the eldest, and Grettir, besides daughters; sixteen years later
another son was born to them, named Illugi. Atli was a general
favourite, in disposition good-natured and yielding, in this the very
opposite of Grettir, who held to his own way, and was, besides,
silent, reserved, and rough in manner. But he is described as fair to
look on, broad-faced, short-faced, red-haired and much freckled, not
of quick growth in his childhood. There was little love lost between
him and his father, but his mother loved the boy right well. So
matters sped till Grettir was ten years old, when, one day, his father
told him to go and watch the geese on the farm, fifty of them, besides
many goslings. The boy went, but with an ill grace, and shortly
afterwards the geese were found all dead or dying, with many of their
necks wrung, at which Asmund was mightily vexed. Again, one evening,
being cold, he asked the boy to warm him by rubbing his back, but
Grettir, taking up a wool-carder's comb, dropped it down his father's
back. The old man was furiously angry, and would have beaten Grettir,
had he not run away, while Asdis, though vexed, tried her best to make
peace between them.
Next, Grettir was sent to tend the horses, amongst which was a
favourite mare called Keingala, who always preferred the coldest and
windiest spots to graze in; the boy was ill-clad and half-starved with
cold, so, by way of paying Keingala out for her uncomfortable choice
of pasture, he drew a sharp knife right across her shoulder and along
both sides of her back. When Asmund next saw the mare and stroked her
back, the hide came off beneath his hand. He taxed Grettir with the
deed, but the boy sneered mockingly and said nothing. Keingala had to
be killed. Such and many other scurvy tricks did Grettir play in his
childhood, but meanwhile he grew in body and strength, though none as
yet knew him to be strong beyond his years.
This first came to be known shortly afterwards at Midfirth Water,
where some ball games were being held on the ice. Grettir was now
fourteen; and was matched to play with one Audun, several years older
than himself. Audun struck the ball over Grettir's head, so that he
could not catch it, and it bounded far away along the ice; Grettir
brought it back, and in a rage threw it at Audun's forehead; Audun
struck at him with his bat, but Grettir closed with him and wrestled,
for a long time holding his own; but Audun was a man of full strength,
and at last prevailed. Grettir's next performance brought him into
more trouble. Asmund had a bosom friend named Thorkel Krafla, who paid
him a visit at Biarg on his way to the Thing, or Icelandic parliament,
with a retinue of sixty followers, for Thorkel was a great chief, and
a man of substance. Each traveller had to carry his own provisions for
the journey, including Grettir, who joined Thorkel's company.
Grettir's saddle turned over, however, and his meal bag was lost, nor
could he find it, notwithstanding a long search. Just then he saw a
man who was in like plight with himself, having also lost his meal
sack: his name was Skeggi, one of Thorkel's followers. All of a sudden
Skeggi darted off, and Grettir saw him stoop and pick up a mealsack,
which Skeggi claimed as his own. Grettir was not satisfied, and they
fought for it; Skeggi cut at Grettir with his axe, but he wrenched it
out of his hand, and clove his head in twain. Thorkel then allowed
Grettir his choice: whether to go on to the Thing, or return home. He
chose the first alternative; but a lawsuit was set on foot by the
heirs of the dead man. Thorkel paid the necessary fines, but Grettir
was outlawed, banished from the country, and had to stay abroad three
years.
Asmund entrusted his son to the keeping of a man called Haflidi, the
captain of a ship that was sailing for Norway; father and son parted
with but little sorrow between them, but Asdis accompanied the boy
part of the way, and gave him a sword which had been owned by Jokul,
her grandfather; for which Grettir thanked her well, saying he deemed
it better than things of more worth, so he came to the ship. With the
sailors he was no more popular than he had been elsewhere, for he
would work only by fits and starts, as he pleased; besides, he had a
gift of making very biting rhymes, which he indulged in at the expense
of all on board. But when he did condescend to work he was a match for
any four, or, as some say, for any eight men by reason of his
strength. After they had sailed some way east over the sea, and had
much thick weather, one night they ran aground on a rock near an
island which turned out to be Haramsey, off Norway. The lord of that
island was called Thorfinn, son of Karr the Old. When day dawned he
sent down a boat to rescue the shipwrecked sailors, who were saved,
with their merchandise, but their vessel broke up. Grettir remained
with Thorfinn some time; and was fond of rambling about the island,
going from house to house; and he made friends with one Audun, not, of
course, the one who has already been mentioned.
One night the two noticed a great blaze on a ness or headland, and
Grettir asked the reason of it, adding, that in his country such a
fire would only burn above hidden treasure. Audun told him he had
better not inquire too closely into the matter, which, however, as one
might expect, only whetted his curiosity the more. He was told
accordingly that on that headland Karr the Old was buried; that at
first father and son had but one farm on the island, but since Karr
died he had so haunted the place that all the farmers who owned land
were driven away. Thorfinn, therefore, now held the whole island, and
to such good purpose, that whosoever enjoyed his protection was not
worried by the ghost. Grettir determined to investigate, and providing
himself with spades and tools, set off with Audun to dig into the
'barrow,' as these mounds of earth are called, which northern races
and others used to raise over their dead. Leaving Audun to guard the
rope by which he descended, Grettir found the interior of the cavern
very dark, and a smell therein none of the sweetest. First he saw
horse-bones, then he stumbled against the arm of a high chair wherein
was a man sitting; great treasures of gold and silver lay heaped
together, and under the man's feet a small chest full of silver. All
this Grettir carried towards the rope, but while doing so he was
suddenly seized in a strong grip; whereupon he let go the treasure and
rushed at the Thing which lived in the barrow; and now they set on one
another unsparingly enough. There was a battle, first one, then the
other gaining a slight advantage, but at last the barrow-wight fell
over on his back with a huge din; whereupon Grettir drew his sword,
'Jokul's gift,' and cut off Karr's head, laying it beside the thigh,
for, in this way only, men said, could a ghost be laid. Grettir took
the treasure and brought it to Thorfinn, who was not ill-pleased that
his father's tomb had been rifled, for he held that wealth hidden in
the ground was wealth wrongly placed, in which we shall probably agree
with him.
[Illustration: GRETTIR FEELS KARR'S GRIP.]
After the events just described, Thorfinn went away with thirty of his
men to one of his farms on the mainland, in order to keep the
Yule-tide feast (Christmas). His wife and daughter, the latter of whom
was ill in bed, remained at home. Now Thorfinn, some time previously,
had taken a leading part in passing a law, the object of which was
that all berserkers should be outlawed. These berserkers were roving
bands of pirates, brave fighters, but respecting no man's property; on
the contrary, their chief object was to lay violent hands on women and
goods to which they had no title. It is easily to be understood that
Thorfinn, in consequence of his action, had incurred their bitterest
enmity. One day Grettir observed a ship approaching, rowed by twelve
men; it landed near Thorfinn's boat-stand, wherein was his boat which
was never launched by less than thirty men; nevertheless these twelve
pushed it down to the water's edge, laid their own boat upon it, and
bore it into the boat-stand.
Grettir's suspicions being aroused, he went down, and after giving
them a hearty welcome, asked who they were. The leader told him he was
known as Thorir Paunch; that his brother was Ogmund, and the rest
fellows of theirs. Grettir told them they could not have come at a
better time, if, as he thought, they had some grudge against Thorfinn,
for he was away from home, and would not be back till Yule was past,
but his wife and daughter were in the house. 'Now am I well enough
minded to take revenge on Thorfinn,' said Thorir, 'and this man is
ready enough of tidings, and no need have we to drag the words out of
him.' So they all went up to the farm, but the women were distracted
with fear, thinking that Grettir had played false. He, however,
induced the berserkers to lay aside their arms, and when evening was
come, brought them beer in abundance, and entertained them with tales
and merry jests. After a while he proposed to lead them to Thorfinn's
treasure house: nothing loth they followed readily; when they were all
inside he managed to slip out and lock them in. He then ran back for
weapons: a broad-headed barbed spear, his sword and helmet. Now the
berserkers knew they had been entrapped; breaking down the panelling
of a wall they rushed out into the passage, where in the nick of time
arrived Grettir, who thrust Thorir through with his spear; Ogmund the
Evil was pressing close behind, so that the same thrust which pierced
the one transfixed the other also. The remainder defended themselves
with logs and whatever lay ready to hand, or tried to escape; but
Grettir slew all of them save two, who for the moment escaped, but
were found next day under a rock, dead from cold and wounds.
Shortly afterwards Thorfinn returned, and when he was told of the
wondrous deeds of Grettir, who had thus saved the honour of his house,
he bade him come to him whenever he needed aid; and the two were now
close friends; moreover, Grettir's fame began to spread abroad, and he
became renowned all over Norway. Leaving his friend Thorfinn, he took
passage in a ship belonging to one Thorkel, who lived in Heligoland.
He welcomed Grettir heartily to his house, but with a man called
Biorn, who lived there with him, the Icelander could by no means
agree, nor indeed did others find it easy, for Biorn's temper was
hasty and difficult.
It happened that a savage bear wrought havoc at that time, being so
grim that it spared neither man nor beast, so one night Biorn set out
to slay it. The bear was in its cave, in the track leading to which
Biorn lay down, with his shield over him, to wait for the beast to
stir abroad as its manner was. But the beast suspected the presence of
the man, and was slow to move; delayed so long indeed that Biorn fell
asleep. Now the bear became brisk enough, sallied forth, hooked its
claws in Biorn's shield, and threw it over the cliff. Biorn woke
suddenly and ran, just escaping its clutch; but the whole proceedings
had been watched, and he had to endure many taunts and jeers. Grettir
went afterwards and killed the beast, though not without a terrible
struggle, in which they both fell over the rocks, but the bear was
underneath, and Grettir was able to stab it to the heart. More than
ever then on account of this did ill-will against Grettir rankle in
Biorn's breast. He sailed west to England, as master of Thorkel's
ship; when he returned he met Grettir at a place called
Drontheim-firth. The two took up their old quarrel again, fought on
the strand, and Biorn was killed.
At that time Earl Svein was ruling over Norway as regent, the rightful
king being but a boy. At the court in the Earl's service was Biorn's
brother, Hiarandi, who was exceedingly wroth when he heard of Biorn's
death, and begged the Earl's assistance in the matter. Svein therefore
sent for Thorfinn and Grettir, but Hiarandi would not agree to any
terms proposed, and lay in wait to take Grettir's life. With five
others he sprang out from a certain court gate, dealt a blow at him
with an axe, and wounded him; but Grettir and a companion turned on
them and slew them all save one, who escaped and told the Earl. There
remained yet another brother of Biorn and Hiarandi to take up the
feud, but he fared no better, and was also slain. Earl Svein was now
'wondrous wroth' at this tale, for said he, 'Grettir has now slain
three brothers, one at the heels of the other, and I will not thus
bring wrongs into the land so as to take compensation for such
unmeasured misdeeds'; so he would not listen to any proposals by
Thorfinn to pay blood-money. However, many more added their words to
Thorfinn's, and prayed the Earl to spare Grettir's life, for, after
all, he had acted in self-defence, and if his life were to be forfeit,
there would be slayings throughout the whole land. These arguments at
length prevailed, Grettir was allowed to go in peace, and went back to
Iceland, the term of his outlawry being expired.
Being now grown to man's estate, and having waxed greatly in bodily
strength, he roamed about the country to see if there were any with
whom he might match himself, and took it very ill that he found none.
About this time, strange rumours were flying about to the effect that
a farm belonging to one Thorhall was haunted. Thorhall was an honest
man and very rich in cattle and livestock, but could hardly get a
shepherd to stay in his service; whereat, being sore perplexed, he
went for advice to Skapti the Lawman. Skapti promised to get him a
shepherd called Glam, a Swede, for which Thorhall thanked him. On his
return he missed two dun cows, went to look for them, and on the way
met a man carrying faggots, who said his name was Glam. He was great
of stature, uncouth in appearance, his eyes grey and glaring, and his
hair wolf-grey. Thorhall told him Skapti had recommended him, adding
that the place was haunted, but Glam made light of this: 'Such bugs
will not scare me,' quoth he. There was a church at Thorhall-stead,
but Glam loathed church-song, being godless, foul-tempered and surly,
and no man could abide him, Thorhall's wife least of all. So time wore
on till Christmas-eve, when Glam called for his meat, but was told
that no Christian man would eat meat on that day. He insisted; and the
housewife gave it, though prophesying evil would come of it. Glam took
the food and went out growling and grumbling.
He was heard in the early morning on the hills, but not as the day
wore on; then a snowstorm came, and Glam returned not that night nor
yet the day following, so search parties were sent out, who found the
sheep scattered wide about in fens, beaten down by the storm, or
strayed up into the mountains. Then they came to a great beaten place
high up in a valley, where it seemed as though there had been
wrestling, stones and earth torn up, and signs of a severe struggle;
looking closer, they found Glam dead, his body blue and swollen to the
size of an ox. They tried to bring the body down to the church, but
could only move it a very little way; they returned, therefore, and
told how they had tracked steps as great as if a cask bottom had been
stamped down, leading from the beaten place up to beneath sheer rocks
high up the valley, and along the track great stains of blood. From
this men thought that the evil wight which had killed Glam had got
such wounds as had sufficed for him, but none ever could say for
certain.
The second day after Christmas men were sent again to bring Glam's
body to the church, but though horses were put to drag it, they could
not move the corpse except down hill, so Glam was buried where he lay.
Now within a little time men became aware that Glam lay not quiet; he
walked well-nigh night and day, and took to riding the house roofs at
night, so much so that he nearly broke them in. The folk were
exceedingly afraid thereat; many fainted or went mad, while others
incontinently fled there and then. Another shepherd, big and strong,
came to take Glam's place; he was nowise dismayed by the hauntings,
but deemed it good sport rather than not when Glam rode the
house-roofs. But when another Christmas came the shepherd was missed;
search was made, and he was found on the hill-side by Glam's cairn,
his neck broken, and every bone in his body smashed. Then Glam waxed
more mighty than ever; the cattle bellowed and roared, and gored each
other; the byre cracked, and a cattle-man who had been long in
Thorhall's service was found dead, his head in one stall and feet in
another. None could go up the dale with horse or hound, because it was
straightway slain, and it was no easy task to get servants to remain
at the steading.
Things had come to this pass when Grettir rode over to Thorhall-stead,
where the owner gave him good welcome, though warning him that few
cared to stay long under his roof. Grettir's horse was locked up in
the stable, and the first night nothing happened; but on the second
the stable was broken into, the horse dragged out to the door, and
every bone of him broken. Next night Grettir sat up to watch; and when
a third of the night was past, he heard a terrible din as of one
riding the roof, and driving his heels against the thatch so that
every rafter cracked again. He went to the door, and saw Glam, whose
head, as it appeared to him, was monstrously big. Glam came slowly in
and took hold of a bundle lying on the seat, but Grettir planted his
foot against a beam, seized the bundle also, and pulled against Glam
with such strength that the wrapper was rent between them. Glam
wondered who might this be that pulled with such strength against him,
when Grettir rushed in, seized him round the waist, and tried to force
him down backwards; but he shrank all aback by reason of Glam's
strength, which, indeed, seemed to be almost greater than his own. A
wondrous hard wrestling bout was that; but at last Grettir, gathering
up his strength for a sudden effort, drove against Glam's breast, at
the same moment pushing with both feet against the half-sunken stone
that stood in the threshold of the door. For this Glam was not ready,
therefore he reeled backwards and spun against the door, so that his
shoulders caught against the upper part of it; the roof burst--both
rafters and frozen thatch--and he fell open-armed backwards out of the
house with Grettir over him.
It was bright moonlight without, with drift scudding over the moon; at
that instant the moon's face cleared, and Glam glared up against her.
By that sight only Grettir confessed himself dismayed beyond all that
he had ever seen; nor, for weariness and fear together, could he draw
his sword to strike off Glam's head withal. But Glam was crafty beyond
other ghosts, so that now he spoke: 'Exceeding eager hast thou been to
meet me, Grettir, but it will be deemed no wonder if this meeting work
thee harm. This must I tell thee, that thou now hast but half the
strength and manhood which was thy lot if thou hadst not met me; I may
not take from thee the strength that was thine before, but this may I
rule--that thou shalt never be mightier than thou now art. Hitherto
thou hast earned fame by thy deeds, but henceforth will wrongs and
manslayings fall on thee, and the most part of thy doings will turn to
thy woe and ill-hap, an outlaw shalt thou be made, and ever shall it
be thy lot to dwell abroad. Therefore this fate I lay upon thee, ever
in those days to see these eyes of mine with thine eyes, and thou wilt
find it hard to be alone, and that shall drag thee unto death.'
Grettir's wits came back to him, and therewith he drew his short
sword, cut off Glam's head, and laid it at his thigh. Glam's body was
burnt, the ashes put into a beast's skin and buried. Thorhall,
overjoyed at the deliverance, treated Grettir handsomely, giving him a
good horse and decent clothes, for his own had been torn to pieces in
the struggle. Grettir's fame spread far abroad for this deed, and none
was deemed his equal for boldness and prowess. Yet Glam's curse began
already to work, for Grettir dared not go out after nightfall, for
then he seemed to see all kinds of horrors. It became a proverb in the
land that Glam gives Glam-sight to those who see things otherwise than
as they are, which we now express by the word 'glamour.'
Now Grettir had a strong wish to go to Norway, for Earl Svein had fled
the country after being beaten in a battle, and Olaf the Saint held
sole rule as king. There was also a man named Thorir of Garth who had
been in Norway, and was a friend of the king; this man was anxious to
send out his sons to become the king's men. The sons accordingly
sailed, and came to a haven at Stead, where they remained some days,
during stormy weather. Grettir also had sailed after them, and the
crew bore down on Stead, being hard put to it by reason of foul
weather, snow and frost; and they were all worn, weary and wet. To
save expense they did not put into the harbour, but lay to beside a
dyke, where, though perished with cold, they could not light a fire.
As the night wore on they saw that a great fire was burning on the
opposite side of the sound up which they had sailed, and fell to
talking and wondering whether by possibility any man might fetch that
fire. Grettir said little, but made ready for swimming; he had on but
a cape and sail-cloth breeches. He girt up the cape and tied a rope
strongly round his middle, and had with him a cask; then he leaped
overboard and swam across. There he saw a house, and heard much
talking and noise, so he turned towards it, and found it to be a house
of refuge for coasting sailors; twelve men were inside sitting round a
great fire on the floor, drinking, and these were the sons of Thorir.
When Grettir burst in he knew not who was there, he himself seemed
huge of bulk, for his cape was frozen all over into ice; therefore the
men took him to be some evil troll, and smote at him with anything
that lay to hand; but Grettir put all blows aside, snatched up some
firebrands, and swam therewith back to the ship. Grettir's comrades
were mightily pleased, and bepraised him and his journey and his
prowess.
[Illustration: GRETTIR OVERTHROWS THORIR REDBEARD]
Next morning they crossed the sound, but found no house, only a great
heap of ashes, and therein many bones of men. They asked if Grettir
had done this misdeed; but he said it had happened even as he had
expected. The men said wherever they came that Grettir had burnt those
people; and the news soon spread that the victims were the sons of
Thorir of Garth. Grettir therefore now grew into such bad repute that
he was driven from the ship, and scarcely anyone would say a good word
for him. As matters were so hopeless he determined to explain all to
the king, and offer to free himself from the slander by handling hot
iron without being burned. His ill-luck still pursued him, for when
all was ready in the church where the ceremony was about to take
place, a wild-looking lad, or, as some said, an unclean spirit,
started up from no one knew where, and spoke such impertinent words to
Grettir that he felled him with a blow of his fist. After this the
king would not allow the ceremony to go on: 'Thou art far too
luckless a man to abide with us, and if ever man has been cursed, of
all men must thou have been,' said he; and advised him to go back to
Iceland in the summer. Meanwhile Asmund the Greyhaired died, and was
buried at Biarg, and Atli succeeded to his goods, but was soon
afterwards basely murdered by a neighbouring chief who bore him
ill-will for his many friendships, and grudged him his possessions.
Thorir of Garth brought a suit at the Thing to have Grettir outlawed
for the burning of his sons; but Skapti the Lawman thought it scarcely
fair to condemn a man unheard, and spoke these wise words: 'A tale is
half told if one man tells it, for most folk are readiest to bring
their stories to the worser side when there are two ways of telling
them.' Thorir, however, was a man of might, and had powerful friends;
these between them pushed on the suit, and with a high hand rather
than according to law obtained their decree. Thus was Grettir outlawed
for a deed of which he was innocent. These three pieces of bad news
greeted him all at once on his return to Iceland: his father's death,
his brother's murder, and his own outlawry.
One of the first things he did was to avenge his brother's murder, but
there was a price on his head, and he wandered about from place to
place in the wilderness. On one occasion, as he lay asleep, some men
of Icefirth came upon him, and though they were ten in number they had
much ado to take him; but at last they bound him, and put up a
gallows, for they intended to hang him. Fortunately for Grettir, at
that moment there rode along the wife of the ruling chief of that
district, who interposed and set him free, on his promise not to stir
up strife in that neighbourhood. His next adventure was at a place
called Ernewaterheath where he had built himself a hut, and lived by
fishing in the river. There were other outlaws, who, on hearing that
Grettir was in the neighbourhood, made a bargain with one Grim that he
should slay him. Grim begged Grettir to take him into his hut, which
he agreed to do, as he was so frightened when alone in the dark;
nevertheless, having his suspicions of the man, he kept his short
sword always within reach. One day Grim came back from fishing, and
thought Grettir was asleep, for he made no movement when Grim suddenly
stamped his foot; thinking he now had his chance, he stole on tip-toe
to the bedside, took Grettir's short sword and unsheathed it. But at
the very moment when Grim had it raised aloft to stab Grettir, the
supposed sleeping man sprang up, knocked Grim down, wrenched the sword
out of his hand and killed him. Next, Grettir's enemy Thorir of Garth
heard of his whereabouts, and prevailed upon one Thorir Redbeard to
attempt to slay him. So Redbeard laid his plans, with the object, as
it is quaintly phrased, of 'winning' Grettir. He, however, declined to
be 'won,' for Redbeard fared no better than Grim. He tried to slay the
outlaw while he was swimming back from his nets, but Grettir sank like
a stone and swam along the bottom till he reached a place where he
could land unseen by Redbeard. He then came on him from behind, while
Redbeard was still looking for his appearance out of the water; heaved
him over his head, and caused him to fall so heavily that his weapon
fell out of his hand. Grettir seized it and smote off his head.
Thorir of Garth was anything but satisfied with the result of his
endeavour to have Grettir killed, and gathered together a force of
nearly eighty men to take him; but this time Grettir was forewarned by
a friend, and took up a position in a very narrow pass. When Thorir's
men came up and attacked him he slew them one by one till he had
killed eighteen and wounded many more, so that Thorir said, 'Lo, now
we have to do with trolls and not men,' and bade the rest retire.
Shortly afterwards he collected some twenty men and rode off again to
search for Grettir. This time he was within an ace of coming upon the
outlaw unawares; but Grettir and a friend had just time to conceal
themselves when Thorir rode by. After the party had passed, an idea
occurred to Grettir. 'They will not deem their journey good if we be
not found,' he said; so, though much against the advice of his friend,
he disguised himself in a slouch hat and other clothes, took a staff
and intercepted Thorir's band at a point where he knew they must pass.
They asked him whether he had seen any men riding over the heath.
'Yes,' he said, 'the men you seek I have seen, and you have missed
them only by a very little; they are there on the south side of these
bogs to the left.' On hearing this, off galloped Thorir and his men,
but the bogs were a sort of quagmire, wherein the horses stuck fast;
and remained wallowing and struggling for the greater part of the day,
while the riders 'gave to the devil withal the wandering churl who had
so befooled them.'
Grettir now deemed it advisable to go about the country in disguise,
and, under the name of Guest, came to a place called Sandheaps, much
haunted by trolls. Two winters before he arrived the husband of the
good-wife had mysteriously disappeared during her absence, none knew
whither; her name was Steinvor. A loud crashing had been heard in the
night about the man's bed, but the folk were too frightened to rise
and find out the cause; in the morning Steinvor came back, but her
husband was gone. Again, the next year, while she was away at church,
a house-servant remained behind; but he too vanished, and bloodstains
were found about the outer door. Grettir was told of this when he came
to Sandheaps on Christmas-eve, staying there under the name of Guest.
Steinvor, as usual, went away to worship, and remained absent that
night, leaving Grettir at home. He sat up to watch, and about midnight
he heard a great noise outside, shortly after which there came into
the hall a huge troll-wife, with a trough in one hand and a monstrous
chopper in the other. Seeing Grettir she rushed at him, but he closed
with her, and there was a terrible wrestling match. She was the
stronger, and dragged him from the house, breaking down all the
fittings of the door; down she dragged him to the river which flowed
through the farm, and Grettir, exhausted with the struggle, was
well-nigh at the limit of his endurance. Making one last great effort,
he managed to draw his short sword and strike off the hag's arm at the
shoulder; then was he free, and she fell into the gulf and was carried
down the rapids. This, at least, was Grettir's story; but the men of
the neighbourhood say that day dawned on them while they were still
wrestling, and that therefore the troll burst; for this trolls do,
according to Norse tradition, if they happen to be caught above ground
by the rising sun.
Steinvor came back with the priest, who asked Grettir where he thought
the two men were who had disappeared. He replied they were, he
thought, in the gulf; but if the priest would help him he would find
out. The priest agreed. Accordingly, taking a rope with them, they
followed the stream down to a waterfall where they saw a cave up under
the cliff--a sheer rock the cliff was, nearly fifty fathoms down to
the water. The priest's heart misgave him, but Grettir determined to
make the attempt; so, driving a peg into the ground, he made the rope
fast to it and bade the priest watch it; then he tied a stone to the
end and let it sink into the water. When all was ready, he took his
short sword and leapt into the water. Disappearing from the priest's
view, he dived under the waterfall--and hard work it was, for the
whirlpool was strong; but he reached a projecting rock on which he
rested awhile. A great cave was under the waterfall, and the river
fell over it from the sheer rocks. Grettir climbed into the cave,
where he found a great fire flaming, and a giant sitting beside it,
huge and horrible to look upon. He smote at the new-comer with a
broadsword, but Grettir avoided the blow, and returned such a mighty
stroke with his own sword that the giant fell dead at once. The priest
on the bank, seeing blood washed down by the swirling waters, and
thinking Grettir was killed, fled in alarm and spread the report of
his death. Grettir meanwhile stayed in the cave till far on into the
night; he found there the bones of two men, which he put in a bag;
swimming with them to the rope, he shook it, but as the priest had
gone he had to draw himself up by strength of hands. He took the bones
to the church, where he left them, returning himself to Sandheaps.
When the priest saw Grettir, the latter taxed him with breach of faith
in quitting the rope, which charge the priest must needs admit;
however, no great harm had resulted, the bones were buried, and the
district was freed from hauntings. Grettir received much credit, in so
far as he had cleansed the land from these evil wights who had wrought
the loss of the men there in the dale.
Our hero remained in hiding at Sandheaps, but Thorir of Garth heard of
him and sent men to take him. Grettir accordingly left the place and
went to Maddervales, to Gudmund the Rich, of whom he begged shelter.
Gudmund, however, dared not harbour him, but advised him to seek
shelter in an isle called Drangey in Skagafirth. The place, he said,
was excellent for defence, for without ladders no one could land.
Grettir agreed to go, and went home to Biarg to bid his mother
farewell. His brother, Illugi, was now fifteen years old, a handsome
boy, and he overheard Grettir's conversation with his mother about his
proposed departure to Drangey. 'I will go with thee, brother,' said
he, 'though I know not that I shall be of any help to thee, unless
that I shall be ever true to thee, nor run from thee whiles thou
standest up.' Asdis bade them farewell, warning Grettir against
sorcery; yet well she knew that she would never see either of her sons
again. They left Biarg, going north towards Drangey; and on the way
met with a big ill-clad loon called Thorbiorn Noise, a man too lazy to
work, and a great swaggerer; but they allowed him to join them.
Now Drangey was an island whose cliffs rose sheer up from the sea;
there was good pasturage on it, and many sheep and cattle, owned by
about twenty men, who amongst them held the island in shares. Two men
called Hialti and Thorbiorn Angle, being the richest men, had the
largest shares. When the men got ready to fetch their beasts from the
island for slaughter, they found it occupied, which they thought
strange; but supposing the men in possession to be shipwrecked
sailors, they rowed to the place where the ladders were, but found
these drawn up. Persuasion was of no avail, so the baffled owners
retired, and in one way or another made over their respective shares
to Angle, on the understanding that he would free the island from
these unwelcome intruders. The months wore on, and brought no change;
but now Grettir said he would go to the mainland and get victuals.
Disguising himself, he carried out his plan, leaving Illugi and Noise
to guard the ladders. Sports were being held at a place called
Heron-ness, and the stranger was asked if he would wrestle. 'Time
was,' he said, 'when he had been fond of it, but he had now given it
up; yet, upon condition of peace and safe conduct being assured to him
until such time as he returned home, he was willing to try a bout.'
This was agreed to, whereupon he cast aside his disguise, and stood
revealed as Grettir the outlaw. All saw that they had been beguiled,
yet, for their oath's sake, they could do nothing. First Hialti alone
tried to throw Grettir, but met with nothing but a mighty fall; then
he and his brother Angle tried together, but though each of them had
the strength of two men they were no match for their antagonist, and
had to retire discomfited.
Then Grettir went back to Drangey. Two winters had now been spent on
the island, but firewood was hard to come by; Noise was sent down to
gather drifted logs from the sea, but he grew lazier and grumbled more
and more every day, letting the fire out on one occasion, whereas his
duty was to keep it burning. Grettir determined to swim to the
mainland and bring back wood; in this he was successful, though the
distance was a sea mile, whereat all said his prowess both on land and
sea was marvellous. Meanwhile Angle, having been baffled in a second
attempt to land and drive out Grettir, induced a young man called
Hoering, an expert climber, to try to scale the cliffs, promising
him if successful a very large reward. Angle rowed him over, and
Hoering did, indeed, scale the precipice, but young Illugi was on
the watch, chased him round the island, and Hoering, sore pressed,
leapt over the cliff and was killed.
[Illustration: The Witch Thurid cuts a charm on the log.]
About this time, Grettir having been so many years in outlawry, many
thought that the sentence should be annulled; and it was deemed
certain that he would be pardoned in the next ensuing summer; but they
who had owned the island were exceedingly discontented at the
prospect of his acquittal, and urged Angle either to give back the
island or slay Grettir. Now Angle had a foster-mother, Thurid; she was
old and cunning in witchcraft, which she had learnt in her youth; for
though Christianity had now been established in the island, yet there
remained still many traces of heathendom. Angle and she put out in a
ten-oared boat to pick a quarrel with Grettir, of which the upshot was
that the outlaw threw a huge stone into the boat, where the witch lay
covered up with wrappings, and broke her leg. Angle had to endure many
taunts at the failure of all his attempts to outplay Grettir. One day,
Thurid was limping along by the sea, when she found a large log, part
of the trunk of a tree. She cut a flat space on it, carved magic
characters, or runes, on the root, reddened them with her blood, and
sang witch-words over them; then she walked backwards round it, and
widdershins--which means in a direction against the sun--and thrust
the log out to sea under many strong spells, in such wise that it
should drive out to Drangey. In the teeth of the wind it went, till it
came to the island, where Illugi and Grettir saw it, but knowing it
boded them ill, they thrust it out from shore; yet next morning was it
there again, nearer the ladders than before; but again they drove it
out to sea. The days wore on to summer, and a gale sprang up with wet;
the brothers being short of firewood, Noise was sent down to the shore
to look for drift, grumbling at being ordered out in bad weather,
when, lo! the log was there again, and he fetched it up.
Grettir was angry with Noise, and not noticing what the log was, hewed
at it with his axe, which glanced from the wood and cut into his leg,
right down to the bone. Illugi bound it up, and at first it seemed as
though the wound was healed. But after a time his leg took to paining
Grettir, and became blue and swollen, so that he could not sleep, and
Illugi watched by him night and day. At this time Thurid advised
Angle to make another attempt on the island; he therefore gathered a
force of a dozen men together, and set sail in very foul weather, but
no sooner had they reached open sea than the wind lulled, so they came
to Drangey at dusk. Noise had been told to guard the ladders, and had
gone out as usual with very ill grace; he thought to himself he would
not draw them up, so he lay down there and fell asleep, remaining all
day long in slumber till Angle came to the island. Mounting the
ladders, he and his men found Noise snoring at the top; arousing him
roughly, they learned from him what had happened, and how Grettir lay
sick in the hut with Illugi tending him. Angle thrashed Noise soundly
for betraying his master, and the men made for the hut. Illugi guarded
the door with the greatest valour, and when they thrust at him with
spears he struck off all the spear heads from the shafts. But some of
the men leapt up on to the roof, tore away the thatch, and broke one
of the rafters. Grettir thrust up with a spear and killed one man, but
he could not rise from his knee by reason of his wound; the others
leapt down and attacked him; young Illugi threw his shield over him
and made defence for both in most manly wise. Grettir killed another
man, whose body fell upon him, so that he could not use his sword;
wherefore Angle at that moment was able to stab him between the
shoulders, and many another wound they gave him till they thought he
was dead. Angle took Grettir's short sword and struck at the head of
the body with such force that a piece of the sword-blade was nicked
out. So died Grettir, the bravest man of all who ever dwelt in
Iceland.
The gallant young Illugi was offered his life by Angle if he would
promise not to try to avenge Grettir; but he scorned the offer, and
was slain next day; the brothers were buried in a cairn on the island.
Noise was taken aboard the boat, but bore himself so ill that he too
was killed. Now Angle thought to claim from Thorir of Garth the
reward set upon Grettir's head; but the murderer was very ill spoken
of in the land: first, because he had used sorcery, which was against
the law; next, that he had acted a cowardly part in bearing arms
against a half-dead man. A suit of outlawry was brought against him in
the Thing; but seeing that it would go against him he escaped to
Norway. In that country lived an elder half-brother of Grettir, who
had heard of his fate and determined to avenge him; neither knew the
other by sight. Angle, however, becoming uneasy, went to Micklegarth
(Constantinople), whither he was followed by Thorstein Dromond. One
day, at a weapon-showing, or exhibition of arms, Angle drew the short
sword which had belonged to Grettir; it was praised by all as a good
weapon, but the notch in the edge was a blemish. Angle related how he
had slain Grettir, and how the notch came to be there. Thereupon
Thorstein, who was present, knew his man, and asked to be allowed,
like the rest, to see the short sword; Angle gave it to him, whereupon
Thorstein clove his head in two with it, and Angle fell to earth dead
and dishonoured.
Thus Grettir was avenged.
The End.
* * * * *