DROMUND
Thorsteinn Dromund was a wealthy man and highly thought of. On hearing
of Angle's departure to Constantinople he handed over his property to
his kinsmen and followed him, dogging his movements as he went,
without Angle knowing. He reached Constantinople very soon after Angle,
intending at all costs to kill him. Neither knew of the other.
Both wanted to be received into the Varangian Guards, and their offer
was well received directly it was known that they were Norsemen. At that
time Michael Catalactus was king over Constantinople. Thorsteinn Dromund
watched for an opportunity of meeting Angle where he might recognise
him, but failed amidst the crowd, so he kept on the watch, caring little
for his own well-being and ever thinking how much he had lost.
The next thing that happened was that the Varangians were ordered on
field service for the defence of the country. The custom and the law
were that before they marched a review was held for the inspection
of their weapons; this was done on the present occasion. On the day
appointed for the review all the Varangians and all who were marching
with them had to appear and show their arms. Thorsteinn and Angle both
presented themselves. Thorbjorn was the first to show his weapons and
he presented the sword Grettisnaut. As he showed it all marvelled and
declared that it was indeed a noble weapon, but said it was a bad fault
that a piece was out of the middle of the edge, and they asked how that
had come about. Angle said that was a tale worth telling.
"The first thing I must tell you," he said, "is that out in Iceland I
slew a hero named Grettir the Strong. He was a tremendous warrior and so
valorous that no one could succeed in killing him until I came. But as
I was destined to be his slayer, I overcame him, although he was many
times stronger than I am. I cut off his head with this sword and broke a
piece out of the edge."
Those who stood by said he must have had a hard skull, and they showed
the sword round. From this Thorsteinn came to know which was Angle, and
asked to be shown the sword with the others. Angle willingly showed it
to him, for they were all praising his strength and courage, and he,
having no notion of its being Thorsteinn or any relation of Grettir,
thought he would do likewise. Dromund took the sword, at once raised it
aloft and struck a blow at Angle. It came into his head with such force
that it penetrated to his jaw and Thorbjorn fell dead to the ground.
Thereupon all the men became silent. The officer of the place put
Thorsteinn under arrest and asked him why he had committed such a breach
of discipline in the sanctity of the Assembly. Thorsteinn said he was a
brother of Grettir the Strong and that he had never been able to obtain
his vengeance till that moment. Then many of them stood up for him and
said there was much excuse for a man who had come such a long way to
avenge his brother. The elders of the town thought that this might be
true, but as there was no one present to bear out his word they fell
back upon their own law, which declared that any man who slew another
should lose nothing else than his life.
Judgment was quickly passed upon Thorsteinn, and it was rather hard.
He was to sit in a dark chamber in a dungeon and there await his death
unless some one came to pay a ransom for him. When he reached the
dungeon he found a man who had been there a long time and was all but
dead from misery. It was both foul and cold. Thorsteinn asked him: "How
do you find your life?"
"Most evil," he replied; "no one will help me, for I have no kinsmen to
pay a ransom."
"There are many ways out of a difficulty," said Thorsteinn, "let us be
happy and do something to cheer ourselves."
The man said he had no joy in anything.
"We will try it," said Thorsteinn.
Then he began to sing songs. He was such a singer that it would be hard
to find his like, and he spared nothing. The dungeon was close to the
public road and Thorsteinn sang so loud that it resounded from the
walls; the man who before was half dead had much joy therefrom. In this
way he sang every evening.