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Grettir The Strong

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Grettir stayed but a few nights with Grim, for he did not want it
to become known that he was about to travel North across the
Heath. Grim told him to come back to visit him if he needed
protection. "Yet," he said, "I would gladly avoid the penalty of
being outlawed for harbouring you."

Grettir bade him farewell and said: "It is more likely that I
shall need your good services still more later on."

Then Grettir rode North over the Tvidaegra Heath to Bjarg, where
he arrived at midnight. All were asleep except his mother. He
went to the back of the house and entered by a door which was
there, for he knew all the ways about. He entered the hall and
went to his mother's bed, groping his way. She asked who was
there. Grettir told her. She sat up and turned to him, heaving
a weary sigh as she spoke:

"Welcome, my kinsman! My hoard of sons has quickly passed away.
He is killed who was most needful to me; you have been declared
an outlaw and a criminal; my third is so young that he can do
nothing."

"It is an ancient saying," said Grettir, "that one evil is mended
by a worse one. There is more in the heart of man than money can
buy; Atli may yet be avenged. As for me, there will be some who
think they have had enough in their dealings with me."

She said that was not unlikely. Grettir stayed there for a time,
but few knew of it, and he obtained news of the movements of the
men of the district. It was not known then that he had come to
Midfjord. He learned that Thorbjorn Oxmain was at home with few
men. This was after the hay-harvest.




CHAPTER XLVIII

DEATH OF THORBJORN OXMAIN


One fine day Grettir rode to the West across the ridge to
Thoroddsstad, where he arrived about noon and knocked at the
door. Some women came out and greeted him, not knowing who he
was. He asked for Thorbjorn, and they told him that he was gone
out into the fields to bind hay with his sixteen-year-old son
Arnor. Thorbjorn was a hard worker and was scarcely ever idle.
Grettir on hearing that bade them farewell and rode off North on
the road to Reykir. There is some marsh-land stretching away
from the ridge with much grass-land, where Thorbjorn had made a
quantity of hay which was just dry. He was just about to bind it
up for bringing in with the help of his son, while a woman
gathered up what was left. Grettir rode to the field from below,
Thorbjorn and his son being above him; they had finished one load
and were beginning a second. Thorbjorn had laid down his shield
and sword against the load, and his son had his hand-axe near
him.

Thorbjorn saw a man coming and said to his son: "There is a
man riding towards us; we had better stop binding the hay and see
what he wants."

They did so; Grettir got off his horse. He had a helmet on his
head, a short sword by his side, and a great spear in his hand
without barbs and inlaid with silver at the socket. He sat down
and knocked out the rivet which fastened the head in order to
prevent Thorbjorn from returning the spear upon him.

Thorbjorn said: "This is a big man. I am no good at judging men
if that is not Grettir the son of Asmund. No doubt he thinks
that he has sufficient business with us. We will meet him boldly
and show him no signs of fear. We must act with a plan. I will
go on ahead towards him and see how we get on together, for I
will trust myself against any man if I can meet him alone. Do
you go round and get behind him; take your axe with both hands
and strike him between the shoulders. You need not fear that he
will hurt you, for his back will be turned towards you."

Neither of them had a helmet. Grettir went along the marsh and
when he was within range launched his spear at Thorbjorn. The
head was not so firm as he had intended it to be, so it got loose
in its flight and fell off on to the ground. Thorbjorn took his
shield, held it before him, drew his sword and turned against
Grettir directly he recognised him. Grettir drew his sword, and,
turning round a little, saw the boy behind him; so he kept
continually on the move. When he saw that the boy was within
reach he raised his sword aloft and struck Arnor's head with the
back of it such a blow that the skull broke and he died. Then
Thorbjorn rushed upon Grettir and struck at him, but he parried
it with the buckler in his left hand and struck with his sword a
blow which severed Thorbjorn's shield in two and went into his
head, reaching the brain. Thorbjorn fell dead. Grettir gave him
no more wounds; he searched for the spear-head but could not find
it. He got on to his horse, rode to Reykir and proclaimed the
slaying.

The woman who was out in the field with them witnessed the
battle. She ran home terrified and told the news that Thorbjorn
and his son were killed. The people at home were much taken
aback, for no one was aware of Grettir's arrival. They sent to
the next homestead for men, who came in plenty and carried the
body to the church. The blood-feud then fell to Thorodd
Drapustuf, who at once called out his men.

Grettir rode home to Bjarg and told his mother what had happened.

She was very glad and said he had now shown his kinship to the
Vatnsdal race. "And yet," she said, "this is the root and the
beginning of your outlawry; for certain I know that your dwelling
here will not be for long by reason of Thorbjorn's kinsmen, and
now they may know that they have the means of annoying you."

Grettir then spoke a verse:

"Atli's death was unatoned;
fully now the debt is paid."

Asdis said it was true: "but I know not what counsel you now mean
to take."

Grettir said he meant now to visit his friends and kinsmen in the
western regions, and that she should have no unpleasantness on
his account. Then he made ready to go, and parted with much
affection from his mother. First he went to Melar in Hrutafjord
and recounted to his brother-in-law Gamli all his adventure with
Thorbjorn. Gamli begged him to betake himself away from
Hrutafjord while the kinsmen of Thorbjorn were abroad with their
men, and said they would support him in the suit about Atli's
slaying to the best of their power. Then Grettir rode to the
West across the Laxardal Heath and did not stop before he reached
Ljarskogar, where he stayed some time in the autumn with
Thorsteinn Kuggason.




CHAPTER XLIX

GRETTIR VISITS THORSTEINN KUGGASON AND SNORRI GODI


Thorodd Drapustuf now made inquiries who it was who had killed
Thorbjorn and his son. They went to Reykir, where they were told
that Grettir had proclaimed the slaying. Thorodd then saw how
matters stood and went to Bjarg, where he found many people and
asked whether Grettir was there. Asdis said that he was gone,
and that he would not hide if he were at home.

"You can be well content to leave things as they are. The
vengeance for Atli was not excessive, if it be reckoned up. No
one asked what I had to suffer then, and now it were well for it
to rest."

Then they rode home, and it seemed as if there were nothing to be
done. The spear which Grettir had lost was never found until
within the memory of men now living. It was found in the later
days of Sturla the Lawman, the son of Thord, in the very marsh
where Thorbjorn fell, now called Spearmarsh. This is the proof
that he was killed there and not in Midfitjar, as has been
elsewhere asserted.

Thorbjorn's kinsmen learned of Grettir's being in Ljarskogar and
called together their men with the purpose of going there. Gamli
heard of this at Melar and sent word to Thorsteinn and Grettir of
their approach. Thorsteinn sent Grettir on to Tunga to Snorri
the Godi, with whom he was then at peace, and advised Grettir to
ask for his protection, and if it were refused to go West to
Thorgils the son of Ari in Reykjaholar, "who will surely take you
in for the winter. Stay there in the Western fjords until the
affair is settled."

Grettir said he would follow his counsel. He rode to Tunga where
he found Snorri and asked to be taken in. Snorri answered: "I am
now an old man, and have no mind to harbour outlaws, unless in a
case of necessity. But what has happened that the old man should
have turned you out?"

Grettir said that Thorsteinn had often shown him kindness; "but
we shall need more than him alone to do any good."

Snorri said: "I will put in my word on your behalf, if it will be
of any use to you. But you must seek your quarters elsewhere
than with me."

So they parted. Grettir then went West to Reykjanes. The men of
Hrutafjord came with their followers to Samsstad, where they
heard that Grettir had left Ljarskogar, and went back home.




CHAPTER L

GRETTIR WINTERS WITH THORGILS AT REYKJAHOLAR IN COMPANY WITH THE
FOSTER-BROTHERS


Grettir came to Reykjaholar towards the beginning of the winter
and asked Thorgils to let him stay the winter with him. Thorgils
said he was welcome to his entertainment, like other free men;
"but," he said, "we do not pay much attention to the preparation
of the food."

Grettir said that would not trouble him.

"There is another little difficulty," Thorgils continued. "Some
men are expected here who are a little hot-headed, namely, the
foster-brothers Thorgeir and Thormod. I do not know how it will
suit you to be together with them. They shall always have
entertainment here whenever they wish for it. You may stay here
if you will, but I will not have any of you behaving ill to the
others."

Grettir said that he would not be the first to raise a quarrel
with any man, more especially since the bondi had expressed his
wish to him.

Soon after the foster-brothers came up. Thorgeir and Grettir did
not take very kindly to one another, but Thormod behaved with
propriety. Thorgils said to them what he had said to Grettir,
and so great was the deference paid to him that none of them
spoke an improper word to the other, although they did not always
think alike. In this way the first part of the winter was
passed.

Men say that the islands called Olafseyjar, lying in the fjord
about a mile and a half from Reykjanes, belonged to Thorgils. He
had there a valuable ox, which he had not brought away in the
autumn. He was always saying that he wanted him to be brought in
before Yule. One day the foster-brothers prepared to go and
fetch the ox, but wanted a third man to help them. Grettir
offered to go with them and they were very glad to have him. So
the three set out in a ten-oared boat. The weather was cold and
the wind from the North; the boat was lying at Hvalshausholm.
When they left the wind had freshened a little; they reached the
island and caught the ox. Grettir asked whether they preferred
to ship the ox or to hold the boat, for there was a high surf
running on the shore. They told him to hold the boat. He stood
by her middle on the side away from the land, the sea reaching
right up to beneath his shoulders, but he held the boat firmly so
that she could not drift. Thorgeir took the ox by the stern and
Thormod by the head, and so they hove him into the boat. Then
they started heading for the bay, Thormod taking the bow-oars
with Thorgeir amidships and Grettir in the stern. By the time
they reached Hafraklett the wind was very high. Thorgeir said:
"The stern is slackening."

Grettir said: "The stern will not be left behind if the rowing
amidships is all right."

Thorgeir then bent his back to the oars and pulled so violently
that both the rowlocks carried away. He said:

"Pull on, Grettir, whilst I mend the rowlocks."

Grettir pulled vigorously whilst Thorgeir mended the rowlocks.
But when Thorgeir was about to take over the oars again they were
so damaged that on Grettir giving them a shake on the gunwale
they broke. Thormod said it would be better to row less and not
to break the ship. Then Grettir took two spars which were on
board, bored two holes in the gunwale, and rowed so energetically
that every timber creaked. As the boat was well found and the
men in good condition they reached Hvalshausholm. Grettir asked
whether they would go on home with the ox or whether they would
beach the boat. They preferred to beach the boat, and they did
so with all the water that was in her all frozen. Grettir got
off the ox, which was very stiff in its limbs and very fat and
tired; when they got to Titlingsstad it could go no more. The
foster-brothers went home, for none of them would help the other
at his job. Thorgils asked after Grettir; they told him how they
had parted, and he sent men out to him. When they came below
Hellisholar they saw a man coming towards them with an ox on his
back; it was Grettir carrying the ox. They all admired his great
feat, but Thorgeir became rather jealous of Grettir's strength.

One day soon after Yule Grettir went out alone to bathe.
Thorgeir knew of it and said to Thormod: "Let us go out now and
see what Grettir does if I attack him as he comes out of the
water."

"I don't care to do that," Thormod said; "and I do not think you
will get any good from him."

"I mean to go," Thorgeir said.

He went down to the bank, carrying his axe aloft. Grettir was
just coming out of the water, and when they met Thorgeir said:
"Is it true, Grettir, that you once said you would not run away
from any single person."

"I don't know whether I did," Grettir said; "but I have scarcely
run away from you."

Thorgeir raised his axe. In a moment Grettir ran at him and
brought him over with a heavy fall. Thorgeir said to Thormod:
"Are you going to stand there while this devil knocks me down?"

Thormod then got Grettir by the leg and tried to drag him off
Thorgeir but could not. He was wearing a short sword, and was
just about to draw it when Thorgils came up and told them to
behave themselves and not to fight with Grettir. They did as he
bade and made out that it was all play. They had no more strife,
so far as has been told, and men thought Thorgils blessed by
fortune in having been able to pacify men of such violent
tempers.

When the spring set in they all departed. Grettir went on to
Thorskafjord. When some one asked him how he liked his
entertainment at Reykjaholar he answered: "Our fare was such that
I enjoyed my food very much--when I could get it." Then he
went West over the heath.




CHAPTER LI

GRETTIR'S CASE OVERBORNE AT THE ALL-THING


Thorgils, the son of Ari, rode to the Thing with a large
following. All the magnates were there from all parts of the
country, and he soon met with Skapti the Lawman and had some talk
with him. Skapti said:

"Is it true, Thorgils, that you have been giving winter
entertainment to three of the most unruly men in the country, all
three of them outlaws, and that you kept order so well that none
of them did any harm to the other?"

Thorgils said it was true.

Skapti said: "Well, I think it shows what authority you possess.
But how did their characters appear to you? Who is the most
valorous among them?"

"They are all entirely valiant," he answered, "but of two of them
I will not say that they never fear; only there is a difference.
Thormod fears God, and is a man of great piety; and Grettir fears
the dark. He will not, if he may follow his own inclination,
venture anywhere after nightfall. But Thorgeir, my kinsman, he I
think cannot fear."

"They must be each of them as you say," said Skapti, and there
their conversation ended.

At the Thing Thorodd Drapustuf laid his complaint in the matter
of the slaying of Thorbjorn Oxmain, for he had failed in the
Hunavatn Thing through the influence of Atli's kinsmen. Here he
thought that there was less likelihood of his case being
overborne. Atli's party sought counsel of Skapti the Lawman; he
said that their defence appeared to him a good one, and that full
blood-money would have to be paid for Atli. Then the case was
brought before the judges, and the opinion of the majority was
that the slaying of Atli was set off by that of Thorbjorn.
Skapti when he heard of it went to the judges and asked them on
what grounds their decision rested; they said that the two slain
bondis were of equal rank.

Skapti asked: "Which happened first, the outlawing of Grettir or
the death of Atli?"

They reckoned up and found that a week had elapsed between the
two events. Grettir was outlawed at the All-Thing and Atli was
killed just after it.

"That was what I expected," Skapti said. "You have overlooked
the facts; you have treated as a party to the suit a man who was
an outlaw, a man who was stopped from appearing either as
plaintiff or defendant. I maintain that Grettir has no standing
in the case, and that it must be brought by the kinsmen of the
deceased who are nearest at law."

Thorodd Drapustuf said: "Who then is to answer for the slaying of
my brother Thorbjorn?"

"See to that yourself," said Skapti. "Grettir's kinsmen are not
liable to pay for his deeds unless his sentence be removed."

When Thorvald the son of Asgeir learned of Grettir's status in court
having been disallowed, inquiry was made for Atli's nearest of kin,
and these were found to be Skeggi the son of Gamli at Melar and
Ospak the son of Glum of Eyr in Bitra. Both were valiant and
strenuous men. Thorodd was then mulcted in blood-money for the
slaying of Atli and had to pay two hundreds of silver.

Then Snorri the Godi spoke:

"Men of Hrutafjord! Are you willing now to agree to the
remission of the fine in consideration of Grettir's sentence
being commuted? I expect that as an outlaw he will bite you
sorely."

Grettir's kinsmen welcomed this proposal, and said they did not
care about the money if Grettir could have peace and freedom.
Thorodd said he saw that his case was beset with difficulties,
and that for his part he was willing to accept the proposal.
Snorri said that inquiry must first be made whether Thorir of
Gard would agree to Grettir being freed. When Thorir heard of it
he was furious, and said that never should Grettir either go or
come out of his outlawry. So far from consenting to his being
amnestied, he would put a higher price upon his head than was put
upon any other outlaw.

When they knew that he would take it so ill, nothing more was
said about the amnesty. Ospak and Skeggi took the money that was
paid and kept it, while Thorodd Drapustuf got no compensation for
his brother Thorbjorn. He and Thorir each offered a reward of
three marks of silver for Grettir's head; this seemed to men to
be an innovation, for never before had more than three marks in
all been offered. Snorri said it was very unwise to make such
efforts to keep a man outlawed who could do so much mischief, and
that many would suffer for it. Then they parted and men rode
home from the Thing.




CHAPTER LII

GRETTIR IS CAPTURED BY FARMERS AND RELEASED BY THORBJORG


Grettir went over the Thorskafjord Heath to Langadal, where he
let his hands sweep over the property of the smaller cultivators,
taking what he wanted from every one. From some he got weapons,
from others clothes. They gave up their property very variously,
but when he was gone all said that they had been compelled to do
it.

There dwelt on the Vatnsfjord one Vermund the Slender, a brother
of Viga-Styr, who had married Thorbjorg the daughter of Olaf
Peacock, the son of Hoskuld, called Thorbjorg the Fat. At the
time when Grettir was in Langadal Vermund was away at the Thing.
He went across the ridge to Laugabol where a man named Helgi was
living, one of the principal bondis. Thence Grettir took a good
horse belonging to the bondi and rode on to Gervidal, where dwelt
a man named Thorkell. He was well provided but in a small way of
business. Grettir took from him what he wanted, Thorkell daring
neither to withhold anything nor to protest. Thence Grettir went
to Eyr and on to the coast of the fjord, obtaining food and
clothes from every homestead and making himself generally
disagreeable, so that men found it hard to live while he was
about.

Grettir went boldly on, taking little care of himself. He went
on until he came to Vatnsfjardardal and entered a dairy shelter,
where he stayed several nights. There he lay sleeping in the
forest, fearing for nothing. When the shepherds learned of it
they reported in the homesteads that a fiend had come into the
place who they thought would be hard to deal with. All the
farmers came together and a band of thirty of them concealed
themselves in the forest where Grettir could not know of them.
They set one of the shepherds to watch for an opportunity of
seizing him, without however knowing very clearly who the man
was.

One day when Grettir was lying asleep the farmers came up to him.

They considered how they should take him with least danger to
themselves, and arranged that ten should fall upon him while
others laid bonds round his feet. They threw themselves on to
him, but Grettir struggled so violently that he threw them all
off and came down on his hands and knees. Then they threw ropes
round his feet. Grettir kicked two of them in the ears and they
fell senseless. One came on after the other; long and hard he
struggled, but at last they succeeded in getting him down and
binding him. Then they began to ask themselves what they were
going to do with him. They asked Helgi of Laugabol to take him
over and look after him until Vermund returned from the Thing.

He said: "I have something better to do than to keep my men
guarding him. I have labour enough with my lands, and he shall
not come in my way."

Then they asked Thorkell of Gervidal to take him and said he had
sufficient means. He objected strongly and said he had no
accommodation for him, "I lie at home with my wife, far from
other men. You shall not bring your basket to me."

"Then you, Thoralf of Eyr," they said; "you take Grettir and
look after him well while the Thing lasts, or else hand him on to
the next farm; only be answerable for his not escaping. Give him
over bound, just as you receive him."

He said: "I am not going to take Grettir. I have neither means
nor money to keep him, nor was he captured on my property. So
far as I can see much more trouble than credit is to be got by
taking him or having anything to do with him. He shall not enter
my house."

Each of the bondis was asked, but all refused. Some witty person
wrote a poem about these confabulations and called it "Grettir's
Faring," adding many jests of his own for the dilectification of
men. After parleying for a long time they all came to an
agreement that they would not throw away their luck, and set to
work to raise a gallows there and then in the forest upon which
Grettir should hang. Their delight over this proposal was
uproarious.

Then they saw three people riding along the valley from below,
one of them in a dyed dress. They guessed that it must be
Thorbjorg the mistress of Vatnsfjord on her way to the dairy, and
so it was. Thorbjorg was a person of great magnificence, and
tremendously wise. She was the leading personage of the district
and managed everything when Vermund was away. She came up to
where the crowd was gathered and was lifted from her horse; the
bondis saluted her respectfully. She said:

"What is your meeting about? Who is this thick-necked man
sitting there in bonds?"

Grettir told his name and saluted her.

"What has moved you, Grettir," she said, "to commit violence upon
my Thing-men?"

"I cannot overlook everything," he said. "I must be somewhere."

"You are indeed unfortunate," she said, "that a pack of churls
like these should have captured you and that none of them should
have paid for it. What are you men going to do with him?"

The bondis said that they were going to hoist him on to a gallows
for his misdeeds.

She said: "It may be that Grettir has deserved it, but it will
bring trouble upon you men of Isafjord if you take the life of a
man so renowned and so highly connected as Grettir, ill-starred
though he be. Now what will you do for your life, Grettir, if I
give it to you?"

"What do you wish me to do?"

"You shall swear never to commit any violence here in Isafjord;
nor shall you take revenge upon those who have had a hand in
capturing you."

Grettir said it should be as she desired, and he was released.
He said it was the greatest effort of self-restraint that he ever
made that he did not thrash the men who were there triumphing
over him. Thorbjorg told him to come home with her and gave him
a horse to ride on. So he went to Vatnsfjord and stayed there
well cared for by the mistress until Vermund returned. She
gained great renown from this deed through the district. Vermund
was very much put out when he got home and asked why Grettir was
there. Thorbjorg told him everything which had happened with the
Isafjord men.

"To what does he owe it that you gave him his life?" he asked.

"Many reasons there were," she said. "The first is that you
might be the more respected as a chief for having a wife who
would dare to do such a thing. Next, his kinswoman Hrefna will
surely say that I could not let him be slain; and thirdly,
because he is in many respects a man of the highest worth."

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