Egil’s Saga Read online

  Oliver spake long and readily, for he was a man apt of word. Many other friends of Oliver’s went before the King and pushed this suit.

  The King looked about him. He saw that a man stood at the back of Oliver and was by a head taller than other men, and bald. “Is that he, Skallagrim?” said the King: “The big man?”

  Grim said that he guessed aright.

  “I will, then,” said the King, “if thou biddest boot for Thorolf, that thou become my man, and go here into the lay of my bodyguard, and serve me. May be it shall like me so well of thy service, that I shall bestow on thee atonement after thy brother, or other honour, no smaller than I bestowed on him, on Thorolf thy brother; and thou must know better how to keep it than he did, if I make thee so great a man as he was become.”

  Skallagrim answereth: “That was known, how greatly Thorolf was beyond what I am in all that belonged to him, and no good hap bare he of his serving thee, King. Now will I not take that rede. I will not serve thee; for I know that I shall not bear that good hap in doing thee service, that I should wish for and worthy were. I think that in more things should I be found wanting than was Thorolf”.

  The King was silent, and was set blood-red to look upon.

  Oliver turned straight away and bade Grim and his go out. They did so: went out, and took their weapons. Oliver bade them fare away at their swiftest. Oliver went on their way with them as far as the water, and a many men with him. Before he and Skallagrim parted, Oliver spake: “Another way turned out thy faring to the King, kinsman Grim, than I would choose. Much I urged thy coming hither, and now will I pray this, that thou fare home at thy speediest: and this withal, that thou come not to see King Harald unless there be better agreement betwixt you than meseemeth now things turn toward. And guard thee well against the King, and against his men”.

  And now fared Grim and his over the water, but Oliver and his folk went where those ships were that were drawn up aland by the water-side, and hewed them so that they were not seaworthy: because they saw faring of men down from the King’s house: they were many men together, and much weaponed, and fared hastily. Those men had King Harald sent after them for this, to slay Grim.

  The King had taken up the word a little after Grim and his had gone out: said as thus: “That see I in that great bald-head, that he is choke-full of wolfishness, and needs must he do a hurt to some of those men that we should feel the loss of, if he catch them. You may make up your minds for this, you men whom he may reckon he hath some quarrel against, that that bald-head will spare no single man of you if he but come across you. Fare then now after him, and slay him”.

  Therewith fared they, and came to the water and found there not a ship that was sea-worthy. So now fared they back again, and said to the King of their journey, and that too, that Grim and his should by then be gotten over the water.

  Skallagrim went his ways with his company till he came home. Skallagrim said unto Kveldulf of their journey. Kveldulf deemed well of it that Grim had not fared on this errand to the King to go under the hand of him; said too, as aforetime, that there would befall them from the King scathe only and no upholding.

  Kveldulf and Skallagrim talked oft of what counsel they should take, and that came always to an agreement betwixt them: so said, that they might in no wise be there in the land, no more than other men, such as were out of atonement with the King; and that this should be their rede, to fare abroad out of the land. And they thought that a thing to be desired, to seek to Iceland, because it was then well spoken of for the choice of land there. Thither were by then come friends of theirs and folk of their knowing, Ingolf Arnarson and his fellows, and had taken choice of land there and taken up their dwelling in Iceland. Men might there take to themselves land unboughten, and pick their dwelling-place. That was firmest set in their rede-taking, that they would break up their household and fare abroad out of the land.

  Thorir Hroaldson4 had been in his childhood’s days at fostering with Kveldulf, and he and Skallagrim were much of an age: there was dear love there in that fosterbrotherhood. Thorir was become landed man unto the King when these things betided: but the friendship betwixt him and Skallagrim held fast always.

  Early in the spring Kveldulf and his folk made ready their ships. They had great choice of ships, and good: made ready two great round-ships5 and had aboard each thirty men, of them that were fit for fighting, and, over and above these, women and young folk. They had with them all their loose goods that they might come away with. But their lands durst no man buy, because of the King’s might. So when they were ready, then sailed they away. They sailed to those islands that are named the Solunds:6 these be many islands and big, and so much shorn with bays that it is said that there will few men know all the havens.

  CHAPTER XXVI. OF THE CHILDREN OF DUKE GUTTHORM.

  GUTTHORM1 was the name of a man, son of Sigurd Hart. He was mother’s brother of Harald the King. He was fosterfather of the King and governor over his land, for the King was then in his childhood when first he came to power. Gutthorm was war-duke of the host of Harald the King then when he won the land under him; and he was in all the battles that the King had when he gat unto him the land of Norway. But when Harald was become sole King over all the land, and sat him down in quiet, then gave he unto Gutthorm his kinsman Westfold and East Agdir and Ring-realm and all that land that had belonged to Halfdan the Black, his father.

  Gutthorm had two sons and two daughters. His sons were named Sigurd and Ragnar, and his daughters Ragnhild and Aslaug.

  Gutthorm took a sickness, and when it grew heavy on him, then sent he men to find Harald the King and prayed him see to his children and his realm. A little after, he died. But when the King heard of his death, then let he call to him Hallvard Hardfarer, him and his brother: said that they must fare on a sending of his east into the Wick. The King was then stopping in Thrandheim.

  Those brethren made them ready for their journey in stateliest wise: picked their host and had the best ship they might get. That ship they had which had been Thorolf Kveldulfson’s, and they had taken from Thorgils the Yeller. But when they were ready for their journey, then said the King unto them their errand, that they must fare east to Tunsberg.2 There was then a cheaping-stead: there had Gutthorm had his seat.

  “You shall”, said the King, “fetch me the sons of Gutthorm, but his daughters shall be bred up there until I give them in marriage. I shall find men to take ward of the realm and to give fostering to the maidens.”

  So when those brethren were ready, then fare they on their way, and had wind at will. They came in the spring-time into the Wick, east to Tunsberg, and there bare forward their errand. Hallvard and his take up the sons of Gutthorm and much of loose goods. Fare they then, when they are ready, on their way back. They were somewhat later then in getting a fair wind, but there befell nought to tell of in their journey until they were a-sailing north of the Sogn-sea, with a good breeze and bright weather, and were then all merry.

  CHAPTER XXVII. THE SLAYING OF HALLVARD AND SIGTRYGG: AND HOW KVELDULF AND SKALLAGRIM FARED TO ICELAND.

  KVELDULF and Skallagrim and their folk held espial all the summer in along the highway of the sea. Skallagrim was of all men the keenest sighted: he saw the sailing of Hallvard and his and knew the ship, for he had seen that ship before, when Thorgils fared with her. Skallagrim kept watch on their faring, where they laid her in haven at eventide; and now fareth he back to his folk and saith to Kveldulf that which he had seen, and that, too, that he had known the ship for that which Hallvard and his men had taken from Thorgils, and had been Thorolf s, and that there would be some of those men along with her who should make them good hunting.

  So now make they ready, and make ready both the boats, and had twenty men aboard of each: Kveldulf steered one, and the other Skallagrim. Row they now, and look for the ship; but when they come there where the ship lay, then put they in to land.

  Hallvard and his had tilted their ship and had then laid them down to sleep; but wh
en Kveldulf and his came at them, then leapt up the watchmen that sat by the gangway head, and called out to the ship: bade men stand up: said that unpeace was come upon them. Hallvard and his leapt to their weapons. But when Kveldulf and his came to the gangway head,1 then went he out on the stern gangway, but Skallagrim went on the fore gangway. Kveldulf had in his hand a byrny-troll.2 But when he was come aboard the ship then bade he his men go on the outer side along the gunwale and hew the tilt out of its props, but himself raged aft towards the poop; and so it is said, that there he ran berserk, and many were they of his company that then ran berserk. They slew all those men that came in the way of them; in like same manner wrought Skallagrim, whereso he went upon the ship. That father and son slacked not until the ship was cleared.

  But when Kveldulf came aft to the poop, he swung aloft the byrny-troll and hewed at Hallvard through helm and head, and it sank all in to the shaft: wrenched he it then so hard towards him that he bare Hallvard up in the air and slung him overboard.

  Skallagrim cleared the fore-stem and slew Sigtrygg: a mort of men leapt into the water, but Skallagrim’s men took the boat that they had thither had and rowed to them and slew all them that were swimming: there perished of Hallvard’s men, in all, more than fifty men, but Skallagrim and his took the ship that Hallvard and his had had thither, and all the fee that was aboard her.

  They laid hand on two or three men, them that seemed to them of least might or worth, and gave them peace and had of them tidings: learnt what men had been aboard that ship, and likewise what manner of journey they had been bound on. And when they understood all the truth, then kenned they the slain, that which lay on the ship: found they then that for sure, that a greater lot of the men had leapt overboard and had been lost than had fallen on the ship. Those sons of Gutthorm had leapt overboard and had been lost: then was one of them twelve winters old, and the other ten, and the hopefullest of men.

  So now let Skallagrim go free those men that he had given peace to, and bade them go find Harald the King and say unto him carefully these tidings that were there come about, and this too, who had been in it. “You shall”, said he, “bear to the King this ditty:3

  Now’s hersir righted

  And King quited:

  Corpse-bird and beast

  On Yngling’s bairns feast.

  Hurl’d hewn on the sea

  Floats Hallvard’s bodie.

  Grey eagles tear

  Wounds of Sharp-fare.”

  Thereafter Grim and his folk flitted the ship with her lading out to their own ships; changed then the ships: loaded her which they had then won, and emptied that which they had before and which was smaller: bare stones aboard of her, and brake holes in her, and sank her: sailed therewithal out into the deep, soon as a fair breeze blew.

  So is it said of those men that were shape-strong or of them on whom was the berserk-gang, that for so long as that held, they were so strong that there was no holding against them, but forthwith when that was passed over, then were they unmightier than of wont. And it was so with Kveldulf that, as soon as the berserk rage was gone from him, then knew he his weariness after those onslaughts he had made, and then was he altogether without might, so that he laid him down in his bed.

  Now the breeze bare them out into the deep. Kveldulf captained that ship which they had taken from Hallvard and his men. They had a fair breeze and held much together in their voyage, so that they had for long whiles sight each of other. But when the main deep was passed, then took Kveldulf’s sickness the upper hand with him. And when it drew toward this, that he was like to die, then called he his shipmates to him and said to them that he thought that likely, that now would soon be a parting of ways for them: “I have not”, said he, “been a man used to sickness, and if so it fare as methinks now likeliest, that I die, then make me a chest and let me fare overboard; and this goeth all another way than I deemed it should be, if I shall not come to Iceland and there take land. Ye shall bear my greeting unto Grim, my son, then when ye find one another, and say to him this withal: if so betide that he come to Iceland, and it so come about (though that may be thought unlikely) that I be there before you, then let him take to him his dwelling as near as may be to that place where I shall have come aland”.

  A little thereafter died Kveldulf. His shipmates did so, even as he before had spoken, and laid him in a chest and thereafter shot it overboard.

  There was a man named Grim, the son of Thorir the son of Ketil Keelfarer, a man of great kindred and a wealthy. He was a shipmate of Kveldulf’s. He had been an old friend of that father and son, and had been on journeys both with them and with Thorolf. And he had gotten the wrath of the King for that sake. He took charge of the ship after Kveldulf was dead. But when they were come off Iceland, then sailed they from the south toward the land: they sailed west along the land, because they had heard say that Ingolf had there taken up his dwelling, but when they came round Reekness4 and they saw the firth open up before them, then stood they in to the firth with both their ships. The gale blew fierce, and great rain and fog; and now the ships parted. They sailed in up Burgfirth till there was an end of all skerries; then cast anchor till the gale abated and the air cleared; then waited they for flood-tide, and therewith flitted their ship up into a certain river-mouth: that is called Gufa. They brought the ship up the river so far as they might: and now bare the lading off the ship, and made their dwelling there the first winter. They kenned the land along by the sea both up the firth and down, and when they had fared but a short way, then found they where in a certain wick was cast ashore the chest of Kveldulf. They flitted the chest to that ness that was there,5 set it down there, and piled it with stones.

  CHAPTER XXVIII. OF SKALLAGRIM’S LAND-TAKING.

  SKALLAGRIM came there aland where a great ness went out into the sea, and a narrow neck landward of the ness, and there bare the lading off the ship. That called they Knarrarness.

  Thereafter Skallagrim kenned the land, and there was great marshlands and wide woods,1 long betwixt fell and foreshore, seal-takings enow and great catch of fish. But when they kenned the land south along the sea, then was there before them a great firth;2 but when they fared in along that firth then stayed they not from their faring until they found their fellows, Grim the Halogalander and those fellows of his. That was a joyful meeting: said they unto Skallagrim of his father’s death, and that withal, that Kveldulf was there come aland and they had laid him in earth there. And now brought they Skallagrim to the place, and so it seemed to him as if it should be but a short way thence to where a good stead would be for building of a house.

  Fared Grim then away and back to his shipmates, and they sate there, of either part, through the winter where they had come aland. Then took Skallagrim land betwixt fell and foreshore, all the Myres out as far as Selalon and inland as far as Burglava, and south to Havenfell, and all that land that is marked off by the river-waters falling to the sea. He flitted his ship next spring south to the firth and in into that inlet which was nearest to that where Kveldulf had come to land, and set his house there, and called it Burg, and the firth Burgfirth; and so too the countryside up from there they named after the firth.

  To Grim the Halogalander gave he dwelling south of Burgfirth, there where it was called Hvanneyri.3 A short way out from thence stretches inland a wick, nought great: they found there many ducks, and called it Andakil,4 and Andakilswater that which there fell into the sea. Up from that river to the river that was called Grimswater, there between them had Grim his land.

  In the spring, when Skallagrim let drive his livestock up along the sea-shore then came they to a certain little ness, and caught there some swans, and called it Alptaness.

  Skallagrim gave land to his shipmates.5 To Ani gave he land betwixt Longwater and Hafslech, and he dwelt at Anisbrent: his son was Onund Sjoni,6 by whom arose the strife between Thorstein and Odd-a-Tongue.

  Grani dwelt at Granistead in Digraness.

  To Thorbiorn Krumm gave he land up by
Gufa, and to Thord Beigaldi. Krumm dwelt at Krummsknolls and Thord at Beigaldi.

  To Thorir the Giant, him and his brother, gave he land up from Einkunnir and to the outer side along Longwater. Thorir the Giant dwelt at Giantstead; his daughter was Thordis Stang that dwelt at Stangarholt thereafter. Thorgeir dwelt at Jardlangstead.

  Skallagrim kenned the land up about the countryside: fared first in along Burgfirth till the firth ended, and after that along the river on the western side, that he called Whitewater7 because he and his fellows had never before seen those waters that were fallen out of the jokulls: it seemed to them that river was of a wondrous look. They fared up along Whitewater, till that river was before them that fell out of the north from the fells: that called they Northwater, and fared up along that river till there was yet again a river before them, and therein was but little fall of water. Fared they over that river and still up along Northwater: saw then soon where the little river fell out of gorges, and called that Gorgewater. And now fared they over Northwater and fared back again to Whitewater and up along it; it was then but a short way to that river that was athwart their way before them and fell into Whitewater; that called they Thwartwater; they were ware of this, that there was every water full of fishes.

  And now fared they out again, back to Burg.

  CHAPTER XXIX. OF THE WORKS OF SKALLAGRIM.

  SKALLAGRIM was a great workman. He had with him always a mort of men: let fetch in much those takings that were at hand and were needful for the keep of men: because at first had they little livestock as against that which was needed for that throng of men there was; and what there was of livestock went then every winter self-feeding in the woods.

  Skallagrim was a great ship-builder, and there was no lack of driftwood west along the Myres. He let make a farmstead at Alptaness and had there a second dwelling: let work from there out-rowings and seal fisheries and egg-takings, seeing there was then enough of all those takings, and so too of driftwood to let flit home to him. Then also were there great comings of whales ashore, and a man might shoot as he would: all was then quiet in the fishing-steads, for the wild things were without knowledge of man.