Saelingsdale-Tongue, and it soon became a stately one. Bolli and Gudrun
begat a son. To that boy a name was given, and he was called Thorleik;
he was early a very fine lad, and a right nimble one. Halldor Olafson
lived at Herdholt, as has before been written, and he was in most
matters at the head of his brothers. [Sidenote: Thorgerd and the
shepherd lad] The spring that Kjartan was slain Thorgerd Egil's
daughter placed a lad, as kin to her, with Thorkell of Goat-Peaks, and
the lad herded sheep there through the summer. Like other people he
was much grieved over Kjartan's death. He could never speak of Kjartan
if Thorkell was near, for he always spoke ill of him, and said he had
been a "white" man and of no heart; he often mimicked how Kjartan had
taken his death-wound. The lad took this very ill, and went to
Herdholt and told Halldor and Thorgerd and begged them to take him in.
Thorgerd bade him remain in his service till the winter. The lad said
he had no strength to bear being there any longer. "And you would not
ask this of me if you knew what heart-burn I suffer from all this."
Then Thorgerd's heart turned at the tale of his grief, and she said
that as far as she was concerned, she would make a place for him
there. [Sidenote: The killing of Thorkell] Halldor said, "Give no heed
to this lad, he is not worth taking in earnest." Then Thorgerd
answered, "The lad is of little account," says she, "but Thorkell has
behaved evilly in every way in this matter, for he knew of the ambush
the men of Laugar laid for Kjartan, and would not warn him, but made
fun and sport of their dealings together, and has since said many
unfriendly things about the matter; but it seems a matter far beyond
you brothers ever to seek revenge where odds are against you, now that
you cannot pay out for their doings such scoundrels as Thorkell is."
Halldor answered little to that, but bade Thorgerd do what she liked
about the lad's service. A few days after Halldor rode from home, he
and sundry other men together. He went to Goat-Peaks, and surrounded
Thorkell's house. Thorkell was led out and slain, and he met his death
with the utmost cowardice. Halldor allowed no plunder, and they went
home when this was done. Thorgerd was well pleased over this deed, and
thought this reminder better than none. That summer all was quiet, so
to speak, and yet there was the greatest ill-will between the sons of
Olaf and Bolli. The brothers bore themselves in the most unyielding
manner towards Bolli, while he gave in to his kinsmen in all matters
as long as he did not lower himself in any way by so doing, for he was
a very proud man. Bolli had many followers and lived richly, for there
was no lack of money. Steinthor, Olaf's son, lived in Danastead in
Salmon-river-Dale. He had for wife Thurid, Asgeir's daughter, who had
before been married to Thorkell Kuggi. Their son was Steinthor, who
was called "Stone-grig."
CHAP. LIII
Thorgerd's Egging, A.D. 1007
[Sidenote: Thorgerd goes to see Tongue] The next winter after the
death of Olaf Hoskuldson, Thorgerd, Egil's daughter, sent word to her
son Steinthor that he should come and meet her. When the mother and
son met she told him she wished to go up west to Saurby, and see her
friend Aud. She told Halldor to come too. They were five together, and
Halldor followed his mother. They went on till they came to a place in
front of the homestead of Saelingsdale Tongue. Then Thorgerd turned her
horse towards the house and asked, "What is this place called?"
Halldor answered, "You ask this, mother, not because you don't know
it. This place is called Tongue." "Who lives here?" said she. He
answered, "You know that, mother." [Sidenote: She eggs on her sons]
Thorgerd said and snorted, "I know that well enough," she said. "Here
lives Bolli, the slayer of your brother, and marvellously unlike your
noble kindred you turn out in that you will not avenge such a brother
as Kjartan was; never would Egil, your mother's father, have behaved
in such a manner; and a piteous thing it is to have dolts for sons;
indeed, I think it would have suited you better if you had been your
father's daughter and had married. For here, Halldor, it comes to the
old saw: 'No stock without a duffer,' and this is the ill-luck of
Olaf I see most clearly, how he blundered in begetting his sons. This
I would bring home to you, Halldor," says she, "because you look upon
yourself as being the foremost among your brothers. Now we will turn
back again, for all my errand here was to put you in mind of this,
lest you should have forgotten it already." Then Halldor answered, "We
shall not put it down as your fault, mother, if this should slip out
of our minds." By way of answer Halldor had few words to say about
this, but his heart swelled with wrath towards Bolli. The winter now
passed and summer came, and time glided on towards the Thing. Halldor
and his brothers made it known that they will ride to the Thing. They
rode with a great company, and set up the booth Olaf had owned. The
Thing was quiet, and no tidings to tell of it. There were at the Thing
from the north the Willowdale men, the sons of Gudmund Solmundson.
Bardi Gudmundson was then eighteen winters old; he was a great and
strong man. The sons of Olaf asked Bardi, their nephew, to go home
with them, and added many pressing words to the invitation. Hall, the
son of Gudmund, was not in Iceland then. Bardi took up their bidding
gladly, for there was much love between those kinsmen. Bardi rode west
from the Thing with the sons of Olaf. They came home to Herdholt, and
Bardi tarried the rest of the summer time.
CHAP. LIV
Halldor prepares to avenge Kjartan
[Sidenote: They plan revenge,] Now Halldor told Bardi in secret that
the brothers had made up their minds to set on Bolli, for they could
no longer withstand the taunts of their mother. "And we will not
conceal from you, kinsman Bardi, that what mostly lay behind the
invitation to you was this, that we wished to have your help and
fellowship." Then Bardi answered, "That will be a matter ill spoken
of, to break the peace on one's own kinsmen, and on the other hand it
seems to me nowise an easy thing to set on Bolli. He has many men
about him and is himself the best of fighters, and is not at a loss
for wise counsel with Gudrun and Osvif at his side. Taking all these
matters together they seem to me nowise easy to overcome." Halldor
said, "There are things we stand more in need of than to make the most
of the difficulties of this affair. Nor have I broached it till I knew
that it must come to pass, that we make earnest of wreaking revenge on
Bolli. And I hope, kinsman, you will not withdraw from doing this
journey with us." Bardi answered, "I know you do not think it likely
that I will draw back, neither do I desire to do so if I see that I
cannot get you to give it up yourselves." "There you do your share in
the matter honourably," said Halldor, "as was to be looked for from
you." Bardi said they must set about it with care. [Sidenote: and
prepare to attack Bolli] Halldor said he had heard that Bolli had sent
his house-carles from home, some north to Ramfirth to meet a ship and
some out to Middlefell strand. "It is also told me that Bolli is
staying at the out-dairy in Saelingsdale with no more than the
house-carles who are doing the haymaking. And it seems to me we shall
never have a better chance of seeking a meeting with Bolli than now."
So this then Halldor and Bardi settled between them. There was a man
named Thorstein the Black, a wise man and wealthy; he lived at
Hundidale in the Broadfirth-Dales; he had long been a friend of Olaf
Peacock's. A sister of Thorstein was called Solveig; she was married
to a man who was named Helgi, who was son of Hardbein. Helgi was a
very tall and strong man, and a great sailor; he had lately come to
Iceland, and was staying with his brother-in-law Thorstein. Halldor
sent word to Thorstein the Black and Helgi his brother-in-law, and
when they were come to Herdholt Halldor told them what he was about,
and how he meant to carry it out, and asked them to join in the
journey with him. Thorstein showed an utter dislike of this
undertaking, saying, "It is the most heinous thing that you kinsmen
should go on killing each other off like that; and now there are but
few men left in your family equal to Bolli." But though Thorstein
spoke in this wise it went for nought. [Sidenote: Thorgerd goes with
her sons] Halldor sent word to Lambi, his father's brother, and when
he came and met Halldor he told him what he was about, and Lambi
urged hard that this should be carried out. Goodwife Thorgerd also
egged them on eagerly to make an earnest of their journey, and said
she should never look upon Kjartan as avenged until Bolli paid for him
with his life. After this they got ready for the journey. In this raid
there were the four sons of Olaf and the fifth was Bardi. There were
the sons of Olaf, Halldor, Steinthor, Helgi, and Hoskuld, but Bardi
was Gudmund's son. Lambi was the sixth, the seventh was Thorstein, and
the eighth Helgi, his brother-in-law, the ninth An Brushwood-belly.
Thorgerd betook herself also to the raid with them; but they set
themselves against it, and said that such were no journeys for women.
She said she would go indeed, "For so much I know of you, my sons,
that whetting is what you want." They said she must have her own way.
CHAP. LV
The Death of Bolli
[Sidenote: The journey] After that they rode away from home out of
Herdholt, the nine of them together, Thorgerd making the tenth. They
rode up along the foreshore and so to Lea-shaws during the early part
of the night. They did not stop before they got to Saelingsdale in the
early morning tide. There was a thick wood in the valley at that
time. Bolli was there in the out-dairy, as Halldor had heard. The
dairy stood near the river at the place now called Bolli's-tofts.
Above the dairy there is a large hill-rise stretching all the way down
to Stack-gill. Between the mountain slope above and the hill-rise there
is a wide meadow called Barni; it was there Bolli's house-carles were
working. Halldor and his companions rode across Ran-meads unto
Oxgrove, and thence above Hammer-Meadow, which was right against the
dairy. They knew there were many men at the dairy, so they got off
their horses with a view to biding the time when the men should leave
the dairy for their work. Bolli's shepherd went early that morning
after the flocks up into the mountain side, and from there he saw the
men in the wood as well as the horses tied up, and misdoubted that
those who went on the sly in this manner would be no men of peace. So
forthwith he makes for the dairy by the straightest cut in order to
tell Bolli that men were come there. Halldor was a man of keen sight.
He saw how that a man was running down the mountain side and making
for the dairy. He said to his companions that "That must surely be
Bolli's shepherd, and he must have seen our coming; so we must go and
meet him, and let him take no news to the dairy." They did as he bade
them. [Sidenote: Bolli prepares to meet them] An Brushwood-belly went
the fastest of them and overtook the man, picked him up, and flung him
down. Such was that fall that the lad's back-bone was broken. After
that they rode to the dairy. Now the dairy was divided into two parts,
the sleeping-room and the byre. Bolli had been early afoot in the
morning ordering the men to their work, and had lain down again to
sleep when the house-carles went away. In the dairy therefore there
were left the two, Gudrun and Bolli. They awoke with the din when they
got off their horses, and they also heard them talking as to who
should first go on to the dairy to set on Bolli. Bolli knew the voice
of Halldor, as well as that of sundry more of his followers. Bolli
spoke to Gudrun, and bade her leave the dairy and go away, and said
that their meeting would not be such as would afford her much pastime.
Gudrun said she thought such things alone would befall there worthy of
tidings as she might be allowed to look upon, and held that she would
be of no hurt to Bolli by taking her stand near to him. Bolli said
that in this matter he would have his way, and so it was that Gudrun
went out of the dairy; she went down over the brink to a brook that
ran there, and began to wash some linen. Bolli was now alone in the
dairy; he took his weapon, set his helm on his head, held a shield
before him, and had his sword, Footbiter, in his hand: he had no mail
coat. Halldor and his followers were talking to each other outside as
to how they should set to work, for no one was very eager to go into
the dairy. Then said An Brushwood-belly, "There are men here in this
train nearer in kinship to Kjartan than I am, but not one there will
be in whose mind abides more steadfastly than in mine the event when
Kjartan lost his life. When I was being brought more dead than alive
home to Tongue, and Kjartan lay slain, my one thought was that I would
gladly do Bolli some harm whenever I should get the chance. [Sidenote:
Bolli is wounded] So I shall be the first to go into the dairy." Then
Thorstein the Black answered, "Most valiantly is that spoken; but it
would be wiser not to plunge headlong beyond heed, so let us go warily
now, for Bolli will not be standing quiet when he is beset; and
however underhanded he may be where he is, you may make up your mind
for a brisk defence on his part, strong and skilled at arms as he is.
He also has a sword that for a weapon is a trusty one." Then An went
into the dairy hard and swift, and held his shield over his head,
turning forward the narrower part of it. Bolli dealt him a blow with
Footbiter, and cut off the tail-end of the shield, and clove An
through the head down to the shoulder, and forthwith he gat his death.
Then Lambi went in; he held his shield before him, and a drawn sword
in his hand. In the nick of time Bolli pulled Footbiter out of the
wound, whereat his shield veered aside so as to lay him open to
attack. So Lambi made a thrust at him in the thigh, and a great wound
that was. Bolli hewed in return, and struck Lambi's shoulder, and the
sword flew down along the side of him, and he was rendered forthwith
unfit to fight, and never after that time for the rest of his life was
his arm any more use to him. [Sidenote: Bolli's death] At this brunt
Helgi, the son of Hardbien, rushed in with a spear, the head of which
was an ell long, and the shaft bound with iron. When Bolli saw that he
cast away his sword, and took his shield in both hands, and went
towards the dairy door to meet Helgi. Helgi thrust at Bolli with the
spear right through the shield and through him. Now Bolli leaned up
against the dairy wall, and the men rushed into the dairy, Halldor and
his brothers, to wit, and Thorgerd went into the dairy as well. Then
spoke Bolli, "Now it is safe, brothers, to come nearer than hitherto
you have done," and said he weened that defence now would be but
short. Thorgerd answered his speech, and said there was no need to
shrink from dealing unflinchingly with Bolli, and bade them "walk
between head and trunk." Bolli stood still against the dairy wall, and
held tight to him his kirtle lest his inside should come out. Then
Steinthor Olafson leapt at Bolli, and hewed at his neck with a large
axe just above his shoulders, and forthwith his head flew off.
Thorgerd bade him "hale enjoy hands," and said that Gudrun would have
now a while a red hair to trim for Bolli. [Sidenote: Gudrun's courage]
After that they went out of the dairy. Gudrun now came up from the
brook, and spoke to Halldor, and asked for tidings of what had
befallen in their dealings with Bolli. They told her all that had
happened. Gudrun was dressed in a kirtle of "ram"-stuff,[7] and a
tight-fitting woven bodice, a high bent coif on her head, and she had
tied a scarf round her with dark-blue stripes, and fringed at the
ends. Helgi Hardbienson went up to Gudrun, and caught hold of the
scarf end, and wiped the blood off the spear with it, the same spear
with which he had thrust Bolli through. Gudrun glanced at him and
smiled slightly. Then Halldor said, "That was blackguardly and
gruesomely done." Helgi bade him not be angry about it, "For I am
minded to think that under this scarf end abides undoer of my life."
Then they took their horses and rode away. Gudrun went along with them
talking with them for a while, and then she turned back.
[Footnote 7: Unknown what stuff.]
CHAP. LVI
Bolli Bollison is born, A.D. 1008
The followers of Halldor now fell a-talking how that Gudrun must think
but little of the slaying of Bolli, since she had seen them off
chatting and talked to them altogether as if they had done nothing
that she might take to heart. Then Halldor answered, "That is not my
feeling, that Gudrun thinks little of Bolli's death; I think the
reason of her seeing us off with a chat was far rather, that she
wanted to gain a thorough knowledge as to who the men were who had
partaken in this journey. Nor is it too much said of Gudrun that in
all mettle of mind and heart she is far above other women. Indeed, it
is only what might be looked for that Gudrun should take sorely to
heart the death of Bolli, for, truth to tell, in such men as was Bolli
there is the greatest loss, though we kinsmen, bore not about the good
luck to live in peace together." After that they rode home to
Herdholt. These tidings spread quickly far and wide and were thought
startling, and at Bolli's death there was the greatest grief.
[Sidenote: Snorri counsels Gudrun] Gudrun sent straightway men to
Snorri the Priest, for Osvif and she thought that all their trust was
where Snorri was. Snorri started quickly at the bidding of Gudrun and
came to Tongue with sixty men, and a great ease to Gudrun's heart his
coming was. He offered her to try to bring about a peaceful
settlement, but Gudrun was but little minded on behalf of Thorleik to
agree to taking money for the slaughter of Bolli. "It seems to me,
Snorri, that the best help you can afford me," she said, "is to
exchange dwellings with me, so that I be not next-door neighbour to
the Herdholtings." At that time Snorri had great quarrels with the
dwellers at Eyr, but said he would do this for the sake of his
friendship with Gudrun. "Yet, Gudrun, you will have to stay on this
year at Tongue." Snorri then made ready to go away, and Gudrun gave
him honourable gifts. And now Snorri rides away, and things went
pretty quietly on that year. [Sidenote: The birth of Bolli Bollison]
The next winter after the killing of Bolli Gudrun gave birth to a
child; it was a male, and he was named Bolli. He was at an early age
both big and goodly, and Gudrun loved him very much. Now as the winter
passed by and the spring came the bargain took place which had been
bespoken in that Snorri and Gudrun changed lands. Snorri went to
Tongue and lived there for the rest of his life, and Gudrun went to
Holyfell, she and Osvif, and there they set up a stately house. There
Thorleik and Bolli, the sons of Gudrun, grew up. Thorleik was four
years old at the time when Bolli his father was slain.
CHAP. LVII
About Thorgils Hallason, A.D. 1018
There was a man named Thorgils Hallason; he was known by his mother's
name, as she lived longer than his father, whose name was Snorri, son
of Alf o' Dales. Halla, Thorgil's mother, was daughter of Gest
Oddliefson. Thorgils lived in Horddale at a place called Tongue.
Thorgils was a man great and goodly of body, the greatest swaggerer,
and was spoken of as one of no fairness in dealings with men. Between
him and Snorri the Priest there was often little love lost, for Snorri
found Thorgils both meddlesome and flaunting of demeanour. Thorgils
would get up many errands on which to go west into the countryside,
and always came to Holyfell offering Gudrun to look after her affairs,
but she only took the matter quietly and made but little of it all.
Thorgils asked for her son Thorleik to go home with him, and he stayed
for the most part at Tongue and learnt law from Thorgils, for he was a
man most skilled in law-craft. At that time Thorkell Eyjolfson was
busy in trading journeys; he was a most renowned man, and of high
birth, and withal a great friend of Snorri the Priest. He would always
be staying with Thorstein Kuggison, his kinsman, when he was out here
(in Iceland). [Sidenote: The outlaw Grim] Now, one time when Thorkell
had a ship standing up in Vadil, on Bardistrand, it befell, in
Burgfirth, that the son of Eid of Ridge was killed by the sons of
Helga from Kropp. Grim was the name of the man who had done the
manslaughter, and that of his brother was Nial, who was drowned in
White-river; a little later on Grim was outlawed to the woods because
of the manslaughter, and he lay out in the mountains whilst he was
under the award of outlawry. He was a great man and strong. Eid was
then very old when this happened, so the case was not followed up.
People blamed Thorkell very much that he did not see matters righted.
[Sidenote: Thorkell goes to find Grim] The next spring when Thorkell
had got his ship ready he went south across Broadfirth-country, and
got a horse there and rode alone, not stopping in his journey till he
got as far as Ridge, to Eid, his kinsman. Eid took him in joyfully.
Thorkell told him his errand, how that he would go and find Grim his
outlaw, and asked Eid if he knew at all where his lair was. Eid
answered, "I am nowise eager for this; it seems to me you have much
to risk as to how the journey may speed, seeing that you will have to
deal with a man of Hel's strength, such as Grim. But if you will go,
then start with many men, so that you may have it all your own way."
"That to me is no prowess," said Thorkell, "to draw together a great
company against one man. But what I wish is, that you would lend me
the sword Skofnung, for then I ween I shall be able to overcome a mere
runagate, be he never so mighty a man of his hands." "You must have
your way in this," said Eid, "but it will not come to me unawares, if,
some day, you should come to rue this wilfulness. But inasmuch as you
will have it that you are doing this for my sake, what you ask for
shall not be withheld, for I think Skofnung well bestowed if you bear
it. But the nature of the sword is such that the sun must not shine
upon its hilt, nor must it be drawn if a woman should be near. If a
man be wounded by the sword the hurt may not be healed, unless the
healing-stone that goes with the sword be rubbed thereon." Thorkell
said he would pay careful heed to this, and takes over the sword,
asking Eid to point out to him the way to where Grim might have his
lair. Eid said he was most minded to think that Grim had his lair
north on Twodays-Heath by the Fishwaters. Then Thorkell rode northward
upon the heath the way which Eid did point out to him, and when he
had got a long way onward over the heath he saw near some great water
a hut, and makes his way for it.
CHAP. LVIII
Thorkell and Grim, and their Voyage Abroad