<i>How Grettir would fain bear Iron before the King</i>.
Now on a day when the king sat in council, Grettir went before the
king and greeted him well. The king looked at him and said, "Art thou
Grettir the Strong?"
He answered, "So have I been called, and for that cause am I come to
thee, that I hope from thee deliverance from the evil tale that is
laid on me, though I deem that I nowise wrought that deed."
King Olaf said, "Thou art great enough, but I know not what luck thou
mayest bear about to cast off this matter from thee; but it is like,
indeed, that thou didst not willingly burn the men."
Grettir said he was fain to put from him this slander, if the king
thought he might do so; the king bade him tell truthfully, how it had
gone betwixt him and those men: Grettir told him all, even as has been
said before, and this withal, that they were all alive when he came
out with the fire--
"And now I will offer to free myself in such wise as ye may deem will
stand good in law therefor."
Olaf the king said, "We will grant thee to bear iron for this matter
if thy luck will have it so."
Grettir liked this exceeding well; and now took to fasting for the
iron; and so the time wore on till the day came whereas the trial
should come off; then went the king to the church, and the bishop and
much folk, for many were eager to have a sight of Grettir, so much as
had been told of him.
Then was Grettir led to the church, and when he came thither, many of
those who were there before gazed at him and said one to the other,
that he was little like to most folk, because of his strength and
greatness of growth.
Now, as Grettir went up the church-floor, there started up a lad of
ripe growth, wondrous wild of look, and he said to Grettir--
"Marvellous is now the custom in this land, as men are called
Christians therein, that ill-doers, and folk riotous, and thieves
shall go their ways in peace and become free by trials; yea, and what
would the evil man do but save his life while he might? So here now
is a misdoer, proven clearly a man of misdeeds, and has burnt sackless
men withal, and yet shall he, too, have a trial to free him; ah, a
mighty ill custom!"
Therewith he went up to Grettir and pointed finger, and wagged head at
him, and called him mermaid's son, and many other ill names.
Grettir grew wroth beyond measure hereat, and could not keep himself
in; he lifted up his fist, and smote the lad under the ear, so that
forthwith he fell down stunned, but some say that he was slain there
and then. None seemed to know whence that lad came or what became
of him, but men are mostly minded to think, that it was some unclean
spirit, sent thither for Grettir's hurt.
Now a great clamour rose in the church, and it was told the king, "He
who should bear the iron is smiting all about him;" then King Olaf
went down the church, and saw what was going on, and spake--
"A most unlucky man art thou," said he, "that now the trial should not
be, as ready as all things were thereto, nor will it be easy to deal
with thine ill-luck."
Grettir answered, "I was minded that I should have gained more honour
from thee, Lord, for the sake of my kin, than now seems like to be;"
and he told withal how men were faring to King Olaf, as was said
afore, "and now I am fain," said he, "that thou wouldest take me to
thee; thou hast here many men with thee, who will not be deemed more
like men-at-arms than I?"
"That see I well," said the king, "that few men are like unto thee for
strength and stoutness of heart, but thou art far too luckless a man
to abide with us: now shall thou go in peace for me, wheresoever thou
wilt, the winter long, but next summer go thou out to Iceland, for
there will it be thy fate to leave thy bones."
Grettir answered, "First would I put from me this affair of the
burning, if I might, for I did not the deed willingly."
"It is most like," said the king; "but yet, because the trial is now
come to nought for thy heedlessness' sake, thou will not get this
charge cast from thee more than now it is, <i>For ill-heed still to
ill doth lead</i>, and if ever man has been cursed, of all men must
thou have been."
So Grettir dwelt a while in the town thereafter, but dealt no more
with the king than has been told.
Then he fared into the south country, and was minded east for
Tunsberg, to find Thorstein Dromond, his brother, and there is nought
told of his travels till he came east to Jadar.