chieftain and a sage; was fore-seeing in many things and in good
friendship with all the great men, and many came to him for counsel. He
rode every summer to the Thing, and always would put up at Hol. One time
it so happened once more that Gest rode to the Thing and was a guest at
Hol. [Sidenote: Meeting of Gudrun and Gest] He got ready to leave early
in the morning, for the journey was a long one and he meant to get to
Thickshaw in the evening to Armod, his brother-in-law's, who had for
wife Thorunn, a sister of Gest's. Their sons were Ornolf and Haldor.
Gest rode all that day from Saurby and came to the Saelingsdale spring,
and tarried there for a while. Gudrun came to the spring and greeted her
relative, Gest, warmly. Gest gave her a good welcome, and they began to
talk together, both being wise and of ready speech. [Sidenote: Gudrun's
dreams] And as the day was wearing on, Gudrun said, "I wish, cousin, you
would ride home with us with all your followers, for it is the wish of
my father, though he gave me the honour of bearing the message, and told
me to say that he would wish you to come and stay with us every time you
rode to or from the west." Gest received the message well, and thought
it a very manly offer, but said he must ride on now as he had purposed.
Gudrun said, "I have dreamt many dreams this winter; but four of the
dreams do trouble my mind much, and no man has been able to explain them
as I like, and yet I ask not for any favourable interpretation of them."
Gest said, "Tell me your dreams, it may be that I can make something of
them." Gudrun said, "I thought I stood out of doors by a certain brook,
and I had a crooked coif on my head, and I thought it misfitted me, and
I wished to alter the coif, and many people told me I should not do so,
but I did not listen to them, and I tore the hood from my head, and cast
it into the brook, and that was the end of that dream." Then Gudrun said
again, "This is the next dream. I thought I stood near some water, and I
thought there was a silver ring on my arm. I thought it was my own, and
that it fitted me exceeding well. I thought it was a most precious
thing, and long I wished to keep it. But when I was least aware of it,
the ring slipped off my arm and into the water, and nothing more did I
see of it afterwards. I felt this loss much more than it was likely I
should ever feel the loss of a mere keepsake. Then I awoke." Gest
answered this alone: "No lesser a dream is that one." Gudrun still
spoke: "This is the third dream, I thought I had a gold ring on my hand,
which I thought belonged to me, and I thought my loss was now made good
again. And the thought entered my mind that I would keep this ring
longer than the first; but it did not seem to me that this keepsake
suited me better than the former at anything like the rate that gold is
more precious than silver. Then I thought I fell, and tried to steady
myself with my hand, but then the gold ring struck on a certain stone
and broke in two, and the two pieces bled. What I had to bear after this
felt more like grief than regret for a loss. And it struck me now that
there must have been some flaw in the ring, and when I looked at the
pieces I thought I saw sundry more flaws in them; yet I had a feeling
that if I had taken better care of it, it might still have been whole;
and this dream was no longer." Gest said, "The dreams are not waning."
Then said Gudrun, "This is my fourth dream. I thought I had a helm of
gold upon my head, set with many precious stones. And I thought this
precious thing belonged to me, but what I chiefly found fault with was
that it was rather too heavy, and I could scarcely bear it, so that I
carried my head on one side; yet I did not blame the helm for this, nor
had I any mind to part with it. Yet the helm tumbled from my head out
into Hvammfirth, and after that I awoke. Now I have told you all my
dreams." [Sidenote: Gest's reading of the dreams] Gest answered, "I
clearly see what these dreams betoken; but you will find my unravelling
savouring much of sameness, for I must read them all nearly in the same
way. You will have four husbands, and it misdoubts me when you are
married to the first it will be no love match. Inasmuch as you thought
you had a great coif on your head and thought it ill-fitting, that shows
you will love him but little. And whereas you took it off your head and
cast it into the water, that shows that you will leave him. For that,
men say, is 'cast on to the sea,' when a man loses what is his own, and
gets nothing in return for it." And still Gest spake: "Your second dream
was that you thought you had a silver ring on your arm, and that shows
you will marry a nobleman whom you will love much, but enjoy him for but
a short time, and I should not wonder if you lose him by drowning. That
is all I have to tell of that dream. And in the third dream you thought
you had a gold ring on your hand; that shows you will have a third
husband; he will not excel the former at the rate that you deemed this
metal more rare and precious than silver; but my mind forebodes me that
by that time a change of faith will have come about, and your husband
will have taken the faith which we are minded to think is the more
exalted. And whereas you thought the ring broke in two through some
misheed of yours, and blood came from the two pieces, that shows that
this husband of yours will be slain, and then you will think you see for
the first time clearly all the flaws of that match." Still Gest went on
to say: "This is your fourth dream, that you thought you had a helm on
your head, of gold set with precious stones, and that it was a heavy one
for you to bear. This shows you will have a fourth husband who will be
the greatest nobleman (of the four), and will bear somewhat a helm of
awe over you. And whereas you thought it tumbled out into Hvammfirth, it
shows that that same firth will be in his way on the last day of his
life. And now I go no further with this dream." Gudrun sat with her
cheeks blood red whilst the dreams were unravelled, but said not a word
till Gest came to the end of his speech. [Sidenote: Gest and Gudrun
part] Then said Gudrun, "You would have fairer prophecies in this matter
if my delivery of it into your hands had warranted; have my thanks all
the same for unravelling the dreams. But it is a fearful thing to think
of, if all this is to come to pass as you say." Gudrun then begged Gest
would stay there the day out, and said that he and Osvif would have many
wise things to say between them. He answered, "I must ride on now as I
have made up my mind. But bring your father my greeting and tell him
also these my words, that the day will come when there will be a shorter
distance between Osvif's and my dwellings, and then we may talk at ease,
if then we are allowed to converse together." Then Gudrun went home and
Gest rode away. [Sidenote: Gest visits Olaf] Gest met a servant of
Olaf's by the home-field fence, who invited Gest to Herdholt, at the
bidding of Olaf. Gest said he would go and see Olaf during the day, but
would stay (the night) at Thickshaw. The servant returned home and told
Olaf so. Olaf had his horse brought and rode with several men out to
meet Gest. He and Gest met up at Lea-river. Olaf greeted him well and
asked him in with all his followers. Gest thanked him for the
invitation, and said he would ride up to the homestead and have a look
and see how he was housed, but he must stay with Armod. Gest tarried but
a little while, yet he saw over the homestead and admired it and said,
"No money has been spared for this place." Olaf rode away with Gest to
the Salmon-river. The foster-brothers had been swimming there during the
day, and at this sport the sons of Olaf mostly took the lead. There were
many other young men from the other houses swimming too. Kjartan and
Bolli leapt out of the water as the company rode down and were nearly
dressed when Olaf and Gest came up to them. Gest looked at these young
men for a while, and told Olaf where Kjartan was sitting as well as
Bolli, and then Gest pointed his spear shaft to each one of Olaf's sons
and named by name all of them that were there. But there were many other
handsome young men there who had just left off swimming and sat on the
river-bank with Kjartan and Bolli. Gest said he did not discover the
family features of Olaf in any of these young men. Then said Olaf:
"Never is there too much said about your wits, Gest, knowing, as you
do, men you have never seen before. Now I wish you to tell me which of
those young men will be the mightiest man." [Sidenote: Gest's prophecy]
Gest replied, "That will fall out much in keeping with your own love,
for Kjartan will be the most highly accounted of so long as he lives."
Then Gest smote his horse and rode away. A little while after Thord the
Low rode up to his side, and said, "What has now come to pass, father,
that you are shedding tears?" Gest answered, "It is needless to tell it,
yet I am loath to keep silence on matters that will happen in your own
days. To me it will not come unawares if Bolli one day should _have_ at
his feet the head of Kjartan slain, and should by the deed bring about
his own death, and this is an ill thing to know of such sterling men."
Then they rode on to the Thing, and it was an uneventful meeting.
CHAP. XXXIV
Gudrun's First Marriage, A.D. 989
Thorvald was the name of a man, son of Haldor Garpdale's Priest. He
lived at Garpsdale in Gilsfirth, a wealthy man, but not much of a
hero. At the Thing he wooed Gudrun, Osvif's daughter, when she was
fifteen years old. [Sidenote: Gudrun marries Thorvald] The matter was
not taken up in a very adverse manner, yet Osvif said that against
the match it would tell, that he and Gudrun were not of equal
standing. Thorvald spoke gently, and said he was wooing a wife, not
money. After that Gudrun was betrothed to Thorvald, and Osvif settled
alone the marriage contract, whereby it was provided that Gudrun
should alone manage their money affairs straightway when they came
into one bed, and be entitled to one-half thereof as her own, whether
their married life were long or short. He should also buy her jewels,
so that no woman of equal wealth should have better to show. Yet he
should retain his farm-stock unimpaired by such purchases. And now men
ride home from the Thing. Gudrun was not asked about it, and took it
much to heart; yet things went on quietly. The wedding was at
Garpsdale, in Twinmonth (latter part of August to the latter part of
September). Gudrun loved Thorvald but little, and was extravagant in
buying finery. There was no jewel so costly in all the West-firths
that Gudrun did not deem it fitting that it should be hers, and
rewarded Thorvald with anger if he did not buy it for her, however
dear it might be. [Sidenote: Her friendship with Thord] Thord, Ingun's
son, made himself very friendly with Thorvald and Gudrun, and stayed
with them for long times together, and there was much talk of the love
of Thord and Gudrun for each other. Once upon a time Gudrun bade
Thorvald buy a gift for her, and Thorvald said she showed no
moderation in her demands, and gave her a box on the ear. Then said
Gudrun, "Now you have given me that which we women set great store by
having to perfection--a fine colour in the cheeks--and thereby have
also taught me how to leave off importuning you." That same evening
Thord came there. Gudrun told him about the shameful mishandling, and
asked him how she should repay it. Thord smiled, and said: "I know a
very good counsel for this: make him a shirt with such a large
neck-hole that you may have a good excuse for separating from him,
because he has a low neck like a woman." Gudrun said nothing against
this, and they dropped their talk. That same spring Gudrun separated
herself from Thorvald, and she went home to Laugar. After that the
money was divided between Gudrun and Thorvald, and she had half of all
the wealth, which now was even greater than before (her marriage).
They had lived two winters together. That same spring Ingun sold her
land in Crookfirth, the estate which was afterwards called Ingunstead,
and went west to Skalmness. Glum Gierison had formerly had her for
wife, as has been before written. At that time Hallstein the Priest
lived at Hallsteinness, on the west side of Codfirth. He was a mighty
man, but middling well off as regards friends.
CHAP. XXXV
Gudrun's Second Marriage, A.D. 991
[Sidenote: Kotkell the wizard] Kotkell was the name of a man who had
only come to Iceland a short time before, Grima was the name of his
wife. Their sons were Hallbjorn Whetstone-eye, and Stigandi. These
people were natives of Sodor. They were all wizards and the greatest
of enchanters. Hallstein Godi took them in and settled them down at
Urdir in Skalm-firth, and their dwelling there was none of the best
liked. That summer Gest went to the Thing and went in a ship to Saurby
as he was wont. He stayed as guest at Hol in Saurby. The
brothers-in-law found him in horses as was their former wont. Thord
Ingunson was amongst the followers of Gest on this journey and came to
Laugar in Salingsdale. Gudrun Osvif's daughter rode to the Thing, and
Thord Ingunson rode with her. It happened one day as they were riding
over Blueshaw-heath, the weather being fine, that Gudrun said, "Is it
true, Thord, that your wife Aud always goes about in breeches with
gores in the seat, winding swathings round her legs almost to her
feet?" Thord said, "He had not noticed that." "Well, then, there must
be but little in the tale," said Gudrun, "if you have not found it
out, but for what then is she called Breeches Aud?" Thord said, "I
think she has been called so for but a short time." Gudrun answered,
"What is of more moment to her is that she bear the name for a long
time hereafter." After that people arrived at the Thing and no tidings
befell there. Thord spent much time in Gest's booth and always talked
to Gudrun. [Sidenote: Thord separates from Aud] One day Thord Ingunson
asked Gudrun what the penalty was for a woman who went about always in
breeches like men. Gudrun replied, "She deserves the same penalty as a
man who is dressed in a shirt with so low a neck that his naked breast
be seen--separation in either case." Then Thord said, "Would you
advise me to proclaim my separation from Aud here at the Thing or in
the country by the counsel of many men? For I have to deal with
high-tempered men who will count themselves as ill-treated in this
affair." Gudrun answered after a while, "For evening waits the idler's
suit." Then Thord sprang up and went to the law rock and named to him
witnesses, declared his separation from Aud, and gave as his reason
that she made for herself gored breeches like a man. Aud's brothers
disliked this very much, but things kept quiet. Then Thord rode away
from the Thing with the sons of Osvif. When Aud heard these tidings,
she said, "Good! Well, that I know that I am left thus single." Then
Thord rode, to divide the money, west into Saurby and twelve men with
him, and it all went off easily, for Thord made no difficulties as to
how the money was divided. [Sidenote: Thord marries Gudrun] Thord
drove from the west unto Laugar a great deal of live stock. After
that he wooed Gudrun and that matter was easily settled; Osvif and
Gudrun said nothing against it. The wedding was to take place in the
tenth week of the summer, and that was a right noble feast. Thord and
Gudrun lived happily together. What alone withheld Thorkell Whelp and
Knut from setting afoot a lawsuit against Thord Ingunson was, that
they got no backing up to that end. The next summer the men of Hol had
an out-dairy business in Hvammdale, and Aud stayed at the dairy. The
men of Laugar had their out-dairy in Lambdale, which cuts westward
into the mountains off Salingsdale. Aud asked the man who looked after
the sheep how often he met the shepherd from Laugar. He said nearly
always as was likely since there was only a neck of land between the
two dairies. Then said Aud, "You shall meet the shepherd from Laugar
to-day, and you can tell me who there are staying at the
winter-dwelling[3] or who at the dairy, and speak in a friendly way of
Thord as it behoves you to do." The boy promised to do as she told
him. And in the evening when the shepherd came home Aud asked what
tidings he brought. The shepherd answered, "I have heard tidings which
you will think good, that now there is a broad bedroom-floor between
the beds of Thord and Gudrun, for she is at the dairy and he is
swinging at the rear of the hall, he and Osvif being two together
alone at the winter-dwelling." "You have espied well," said she, "and
see to have saddled two horses at the time when people are going to
bed." The shepherd did as she bade him. [Sidenote: Aud's revenge] A
little before sunset Aud mounted, and was now indeed in breeches. The
shepherd rode the other horse and could hardly keep up with her, so
hard did she push on riding. She rode south over Salingsdale-heath and
never stopped before she got to the home-field fence at Laugar. Then
she dismounted, and bade the shepherd look after the horses whilst she
went to the house. Aud went to the door and found it open, and she
went into the fire-hall to the locked-bed in the wall. Thord lay
asleep, the door had fallen to, but the bolt was not on, so she walked
into the bedroom. Thord lay asleep on his back. Then Aud woke Thord,
and he turned on his side when he saw a man had come in. Then she drew
a sword and thrust it at Thord and gave him great wounds, the sword
striking his right arm and wounding him on both nipples. So hard did
she follow up the stroke that the sword stuck in the bolster. Then Aud
went away and to her horse and leapt on to its back, and thereupon
rode home. Thord tried to spring up when he got the blow, but could
not, because of his loss of blood. Then Osvif awoke and asked what had
happened, and Thord told that he had been wounded somewhat. Osvif
asked if he knew who had done the deed on him, and got up and bound up
his wounds. Thord said he was minded to think that Aud had done it.
Osvif offered to ride after her, and said she must have gone on this
errand with few men, and her penalty was ready-made for her. Thord
said that should not be done at all, for she had only done what she
ought to have done. Aud got home at sunrise, and her brothers asked
her where she had been to. Aud said she had been to Laugar, and told
them what tidings had befallen in her journey. They were pleased at
this, and said that too little was likely to have been done by her.
Thord lay wounded a long time. His chest wound healed well, but his
arm grew no better for work than before (_i.e._ when it first was
wounded). All was now quiet that winter. [Sidenote: Ingun changes her
dwelling] But in the following spring Ingun, Thord's mother, came west
from Skalmness. Thord greeted her warmly: she said she wished to place
herself under his protection, and said that Kotkell and his wife and
sons were giving her much trouble by stealing her goods, and through
witchcraft, but had a strong support in Hallstein the Priest. Thord
took this matter up swiftly, and said he should have the right of
these thieves no matter how it might displease Hallstein. He got
speedily ready for the journey with ten men, and Ingun went west with
him. [Sidenote: The drowning of Thord] He got a ferry-boat out of
Tjaldness. Then they went to Skalmness. Thord had put on board ship
all the chattels his mother owned there, and the cattle were to be
driven round the heads of the firths. There were twelve of them
altogether in the boat, with Ingun and another woman. Thord and ten
men went to Kotkell's place. The sons of Kotkell were not at home. He
then summoned Kotkell and Grima and their sons for theft and
witchcraft, and claimed outlawry as award. He laid the case to the
Althing, and then returned to his ship. Hallbjorn and Stigandi came
home when Thord had got out but a little way from land, and Kotkell
told his sons what had happened there. The brothers were furious at
that, and said that hitherto people had taken care not to show them in
so barefaced a manner such open enmity. Then Kotkell had a great
spell-working scaffold made, and they all went up on to it, and they
sang hard twisted songs that were enchantments. And presently a great
tempest arose. Thord, Ingun's son, and his companions, continued out
at sea as he was, soon knew that the storm was raised against him. Now
the ship is driven west beyond Skalmness, and Thord showed great
courage with seamanship. The men who were on land saw how he threw
overboard all that made up the boat's lading, saving the men; and the
people who were on land expected Thord would come to shore, for they
had passed the place that was the rockiest; but next there arose a
breaker on a rock a little way from the shore that no man had ever
known to break sea before, and smote the ship so that forthwith up
turned keel uppermost. There Thord and all his followers were drowned,
and the ship was broken to pieces, and the keel was washed up at a
place now called Keelisle. Thord's shield was washed up on an island
that has since been called Shieldisle. Thord's body and the bodies of
his followers were all washed ashore, and a great howe was raised over
their corpses at the place now called Howesness.
[Footnote 3: _i.e._, at home at Laugar.]
CHAP. XXXVI
About Kotkell and Grima
[Sidenote: The birth of Thord Cat] These tidings spread far and wide, and
were very ill-spoken of; they were accounted of as men of doomed lives,
who wrought such witchcraft as that which Kotkell and his had now shown.
Gudrun took the death of Thord sorely to heart, for she was now a woman
not hale, and coming close to her time. After that Gudrun gave birth to a
boy, who was sprinkled with water and called Thord. At that time Snorri
the Priest lived at Holyfell; he was a kinsman and a friend of Osvif's,
and Gudrun and her people trusted him very much. Snorri went thither (to
Laugar), being asked to a feast there. Then Gudrun told her trouble to
Snorri, and he said he would back up their case when it seemed good to
him, but offered to Gudrun to foster her child to comfort her. This Gudrun
agreed to, and said she would rely on his foresight. This Thord was
surnamed the Cat, and was father of the poet Stuf. After that Gest
Oddleifson went to see Hallstein, and gave him choice of two things,
either that he should send away these wizards or he said that he would
kill them, "and yet it comes too late." Hallstein made his choice at once,
and bade them rather be off, and put up nowhere west of Daleheath, adding
that it was more justly they ought to be slain. [Sidenote: Kotkell's
horses] After that Kotkell and his went away with no other goods than four
stud-horses. The stallion was black; he was both great and fair and very
strong, and tried in horse-fighting. Nothing is told of their journey till
they came to Combeness, to Thorliek, Hoskuld's son. He asked to buy the
horses from them, for he said that they were exceeding fine beasts.
Kotkell replied, "I'll give you the choice. Take you the horses and give
me some place to dwell in here in your neighbourhood." Thorliek said,
"Will the horses not be rather dear, then, for I have heard tell you are
thought rather guilty in this countryside?" Kotkell answers, "In this you
are hinting at the men of Laugar." Thorliek said that was true. Then
Kotkell said, "Matters point quite another way, as concerning our guilt
towards Gudrun and her brothers, than you have been told; people have
overwhelmed us with slander for no cause at all. Take the horses, nor let
these matters stand in the way. Such tales alone are told of you,
moreover, as would show that we shall not be easily tripped up by the folk
of this countryside, if we have your help to fall back upon." [Sidenote:
Thorliek shelters Kotkell] Thorliek now changed his mind in this matter,
for the horses seemed fair to him, and Kotkell pleaded his case
cunningly; so Thorliek took the horses, and gave them a dwelling at
Ludolfstead in Salmon-river-Dale, and stocked them with farming beasts.
This the men of Laugar heard, and the sons of Osvif wished to fall
forthwith on Kotkell and his sons; but Osvif said, "Let us take now the
counsel of Priest Snorri, and leave this business to others, for short
time will pass before the neighbours of Kotkell will have brand new cases
against him and his, and Thorliek, as is most fitting, will abide the
greatest hurt from them. In a short while many will become his enemies
from whom heretofore he has only had good will. But I shall not stop you
from doing whatever hurt you please to Kotkell and his, if other men do
not come forward to drive them out of the countryside or to take their
lives, by the time that three winters have worn away." Gudrun and her
brothers said it should be as he said. Kotkell and his did not do much in
working for their livelihood, but that winter they were in no need to buy
hay or food; but an unbefriended neighbourhood was theirs, though men did
not see their way to disturbing their dwelling because of Thorliek.
CHAP. XXXVII
About Hrut and Eldgrim, A.D. 995