<i>How Grettir was taken by the Icefirth Carles</i>.
When Grettir came over Codfirth-heath down into Longdale, he swept up
unsparingly the goods of the petty bonders, and had of every man what
he would; from some he took weapons, from some clothes; and these folk
gave up in very unlike ways; but as soon as he was gone, all said they
gave them unwillingly.
In those days dwelt in Waterfirth Vermund the Slender, the brother of
Slaying-Styr; he had to wife Thorbiorg, the daughter of Olaf Peacock,
son of Hoskuld. She was called Thorbiorg the Big; but at the time that
Grettir was in Longdale had Vermund ridden to the Thing.
Now Grettir went over the neck to Bathstead. There dwelt a man called
Helgi, who was the biggest of bonders thereabout: from there had
Grettir a good horse, which the bonder owned, and thence he went to
Giorvidale, where farmed a man named Thorkel. He was well stored with
victuals, yet a mannikin withal: therefrom took Grettir what he would,
nor durst Thorkel blame him or withhold aught from him.
Thence went Grettir to Ere, and out along the side of the firth, and
had from every farm victuals and clothes, and dealt hardly with many;
so that most men deemed him a heavy trouble to live under.
Now he fared fearlessly withal, and took no keep of himself, and
so went on till he came to Waterfirth-dale, and went to the
mountain-dairy, and there he dwelt a many nights, and lay in the woods
there, and took no heed to himself; but when the herdsmen knew that,
they went to the farm, and said that to that stead was a fiend come
whom they deemed nowise easy to deal with; then the farmers gathered
together, and were thirty men in all: they lurked in the wood, so that
Grettir was unaware of them, and let a shepherd spy on Grettir till
they might get at him, yet they wotted not clearly who the man was.
Now so it befell that on a day as Grettir lay sleeping, the bonders
came upon him, and when they saw him they took counsel how they should
take him at the least cost of life, and settled so that ten men should
leap on him, while some laid bonds on his feet; and this they did, and
threw themselves on him, but Grettir broke forth so mightily that they
fell from off him, and he got to his knees, yet thereby they might
cast the bonds over him, and round about his feet; then Grettir
spurned two of them so hard about the ears that they lay stunned on
the earth. Now one after the other rushed at him, and he struggled
hard and long, yet had they might to overcome him at the last, and so
bound him.
Thereafter they talked over what they should do with him, and they
bade Helgi of Bathstead take him and keep him in ward till Vermund
came home from the Thing. He answered--
"Other things I deem more helpful to me than to let my house-carles
sit over him, for my lands are hard to work, nor shall he ever come
across me."
Then they bade Thorkel of Giorvidale take and keep him, and said that
he was a man who had enow.
But Thorkel spake against it, and said that for nought would he do
that: "Whereas I live alone in my house with my Carline, far from
other men; nor shall ye lay that box on me," said he.
"Then, Thoralf of Ere," said they, "do thou take Grettir and do well
to him till after the Thing; or else bring him on to the next farm,
and be answerable that he get not loose, but deliver him bound as now
thou hast him."
He answers, "Nay, I will not take Grettir, for I have neither victuals
nor money to keep him withal, nor has he been taken on my land, and I
deem it more trouble than honour to take him, or to have aught to do
with him, nor shall he ever come into my house."
Thereafter they tried it with every bonder, but one and all spake
against it; and after this talk have merry men made that lay which is
hight Grettir's-faring, and added many words of good game thereto for
the sport of men.
So when they had talked it over long, they said, with one assent, that
they would not make ill hap of their good-hap; so they went about and
straightway reared up a gallows there in the wood, with the mind to
hang Grettir, and made great clatter thereover.
Even therewith they see six folk riding down below in the dale, and
one in coloured clothes, and they guessed that there would goodwife
Thorbiorg be going from Waterfirth; and so it was, and she was
going to the mountain-dairy. Now she was a very stirring woman, and
exceeding wise; she had the ruling of the neighbourhood, and settled
all matters, when Vermund was from home. Now she turned to where the
men were gathered, and was helped off her horse, and the bonders gave
her good welcome.
Then said she, "What have ye here? or who is the big-necked one who
sits in bonds yonder?"
Grettir named himself, and greeted her.
She spake again, "What drove thee to this, Grettir," says she, "that
thou must needs do riotously among my Thing-men?"
"I may not look to everything; I must needs be somewhere," said he.
"Great ill luck it is," says she, "that these milksops should take
thee in such wise that none should fall before thee. What are ye
minded to do with him?"
The bonders told her that they were going to tie him up to the gallows
for his lawlessness.
She answers, "Maybe Grettir is guilty enough therefor, but it is
too great a deed for you, Icefirthers, to take his life, for he is a
famous man, and of mighty kin, albeit he is no lucky man; but now what
wilt thou do for thy life, Grettir, if I give it thee?"