The Sagas of the Icelanders (58 page)

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A man named Thorvald, the son of Halldor the Godi of Garpsdal, lived at Garpsdal in Gilsfjord. He was a wealthy man but hardly a hero. He asked for Gudrun Osvifsdottir’s hand in marriage at the Althing when she was fifteen years of age. His suit was not rejected but Osvif felt the difference in their means would be evident in the marriage conditions. Thorvald spoke indulgently, though, and maintained he was seeking a wife and not a fortune. Gudrun was eventually betrothed to Thorvald according to conditions which Osvif himself decided upon. He declared that Gudrun should control their common finances once they were married and would acquire the right to half of the estate, whether the marriage was a brief or a lengthy one.

Thorvald was also obliged to purchase whatever finery Gudrun required in order that no other woman of equal wealth should own better, although not to the point of ruining the farm. Having agreed to this, the men rode home from the Althing. Gudrun was not asked for her opinion and, although she was rather against the idea, nothing was done. The wedding was to be held at Garpsdal at hay-time. Gudrun cared little for Thorvald and was avid in demanding purchases of precious objects. There were no treasures in all the West Fjords so costly that Gudrun felt she did not deserve them, and vented her anger on Thorvald if he failed to buy them, however dear they were.

Thord Ingunnarson made a point of befriending Thorvald and Gudrun and spent a great deal of time at their farm, until soon rumours of the growing affection between Thord and Gudrun spread. When Gudrun subsequently asked Thorvald to buy her a new treasure, he retorted that there was no limit to her demands and slapped her in the face.

To this Gudrun replied: ‘Fine rosy colour in her cheeks is just what every woman needs, if she is to look her best, and you have certainly given me this to teach me not to displease you.’

When Thord came to the farm that same evening, Gudrun told him of her humiliation and asked how she should repay Thorvald.

At this Thord smiled and replied, ‘I know just the thing. Make him a shirt with the neck so low-cut that it will give you grounds for divorcing him.’
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Gudrun did not oppose the idea and their conversation ended.

That same spring Gudrun announced she was divorcing Thorvald and went home to Laugar. When their estate was divided Gudrun received half of all the property, which was larger than before. She had been married to Thorvald for two years. The same spring Ingunn sold her farm in Kroksfjord, which has since then been called Ingunnarstadir, and moved west to Skalmarnes. She had been married to Glum Geirason, as was previously mentioned.

At this time Hallstein the Godi lived at Hallsteinsnes on the western shore of Thorskafjord. Although he was a powerful man he was not especially popular.

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A man named Kotkel had only recently immigrated to Iceland, along with his wife, Grima, and their sons Hallbjorn Slickstone-eye and Stigandi. They were from the Hebrides, all of them skilled in witchcraft and accomplished magicians. Hallstein had received them on their arrival and settled them at Urdir in Skalmarfjord, where their presence was anything but welcome.

That summer Gest attended the Althing, travelling by boat to Saurbaer as he was accustomed to do. He stayed the night at Hol where he borrowed horses for the journey as usual. Thord Ingunnarson accompanied him in this instance and came to Laugar in Saelingsdal. Gudrun Osvifsdottir was going to the Althing and Thord accompanied her.

One day, as they were riding across the Blaskogar heath in fine weather, Gudrun asked Thord ‘whether the rumour is true, that your wife Aud is often dressed in breeches, with a codpiece and long leggings?’
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He replied that he had not noticed.

‘You can’t pay her much attention, in that case,’ said Gudrun, ‘if you haven’t noticed such a thing, or what other reason is there then for her being called Breeches-Aud?’

Thord said, ‘She can’t have been called that for long.’

Gudrun replied, ‘What is more important is how long the name will follow her.’

They arrived at the Althing soon after that, where the proceedings were without event. Thord spent most of his time at Gest’s booth talking to Gudrun. One day he asked her what consequences it could have for a woman if she wore trousers like the men.

Gudrun answered: ‘If women go about dressed as men, they invite the same treatment as do men who wear shirts cut so low that the nipples of their breasts can be seen – both are grounds for divorce.’

Thord then asked, ‘Would you advise me to announce my divorce from Aud here at the Althing or at home before the local assembly? I’ll have to collect a number of supporters because those whom I will offend by so doing will be determined on revenge.’

After only a moment, Gudrun replied, ‘Tarry-long brings little home.’

Thord then jumped to his feet and made his way to the Law Rock. He named witnesses and announced he was divorcing Aud on the grounds that she had taken to wearing breeches with a codpiece like a masculine woman. Aud’s brothers were not at all pleased but nothing was done. Thord rode home from the Althing with the Osvifssons.

When Aud learned the news she said,

Thord rode west to Saurbaer with a party of eleven men to claim his share of the property, which was accomplished without difficulty since Thord was prepared to be generous about his wife’s share. He drove a large herd of livestock back to Laugar and proceeded to ask for Gudrun’s hand in marriage. Osvif agreed readily and Gudrun raised no objection, so they decided to hold the wedding feast at Laugar when ten weeks of summer remained. The feast was impressive and the marriage of Thord and Gudrun a happy one. Thorkel and Knut would have made an attempt to start a case against Thord but hadn’t managed to convince others to help them do so.

The following summer Aud and other people from Hol were staying in the shieling with the milking ewes in Hvammsdal. The people of Laugar took their ewes to a shieling in Lambadal, which runs west up the mountain from the main valley of Saelingsdal. Aud asked the farmhand who looked after the ewes how often he expected to meet his counterpart from Laugar. The boy replied that this would probably happen frequently as there was only a single ridge separating the two valleys.

Aud then said, ‘See if you can’t run into the shepherd from Laugar today, then, and find out for me who is staying in their shieling and who is at home. Make sure you always speak of Thord in the friendliest of terms.’

The boy promised to do as she asked. When he returned that evening Aud asked what he had discovered.

The shepherd replied: ‘I learned such news as will be pleasing to your ears, that there is a great distance separating the beds of Thord and Gudrun these days, since she is in the shieling while he is working feverishly at building a hall; only he and Osvif are at home.’

‘You’ve done a fine job of spying,’ Aud said. ‘Have two horses saddled for me when the others go to bed.’

The shepherd did as she asked and shortly before sundown Aud mounted her horse, dressed in breeches, to be sure. The boy followed her on the second horse, but could hardly keep up with her flying pace. She rode southward over the Saelingsdal heath, not stopping until she reached the wall of the hayfield at Laugar. There she dismounted and told the shepherd to look after the horses while she proceeded to the house. She went up to the door, which was unlocked, into the fire-hall and found the bed closet where Thord lay sleeping. The door was closed but not latched. She entered the bed closet, where Thord slept on his back facing upwards. She woke Thord, but he only turned over on his side when he saw some man had come in. She drew her short-sword and struck him a great wound on his right arm which cut across both breasts. She struck with such force that the sword lodged in the wood of the bed. Aud then returned to her horse, sprang into the saddle and rode home. Roused by the attack, Thord tried to get to his feet, but was weakened by the wound and loss of blood. Osvif woke up at the disturbance and asked what was happening, and Thord replied that he had been wounded. While he dressed Thord’s wound, Osvif asked if he knew who had attacked him. Thord replied that he suspected it was Aud, and Osvif offered to ride after her, as she would have brought few followers and deserved punishment. Thord told him not to think of doing so, as what Aud had done was only evening the score.

It was sunrise when Aud returned home, and her brothers asked where she had gone. Aud told them she had gone to Laugar and the news of her visit there. They were pleased but said Thord deserved worse. Thord was a long time recuperating from the wounds; the ones on his chest healed well but he never regained much use of his right arm.

The winter passed without event, but in the spring Thord’s mother Ingunn came from her farm at Skalmarnes to visit him. Thord welcomed his mother warmly. She said she had come to him for help and protection, as Kotkel and his wife and sons were making her life miserable, stealing her livestock and practising sorcery under the protection of Hallstein the Godi. Thord responded at once and said he would not allow these thieves to get
away with this even if Hallstein opposed him. He got ready to travel west immediately with Ingunn and nine others to accompany him. He took a ferry from Tjaldanes and they continued west to Skalmarnes.

Thord had all the property there which belonged to his mother loaded on the ferry and ordered men to herd the livestock overland. There were twelve of them aboard the boat, including Ingunn and one other woman. Thord rode to Kotkel’s farm with nine men. Kotkel’s two sons were not at home. Before witnesses, Thord charged Kotkel and his wife and sons with theft and sorcery, an offence punishable by full outlawry. They would have to answer the charges at the Althing. This accomplished he went back to the boat. Hallbjorn and Stigandi returned home just after Thord and the others had set sail, and were only a short distance from shore. Kotkel told his sons what had happened. The two brothers were furious and claimed none of their enemies had ever dared treat them like this. Kotkel then prepared a high platform for witchcraft which they all mounted. Then they chanted powerful incantations, which were sorcery. A great blizzard came up.

Thord Ingunnarson and his companions at sea felt how the force of the weather was directed at them and the ship was driven west beyond the headland at Skalmarnes. Thord struggled valiantly on board the ship. People on shore saw him throw everything overboard that could weigh the ship down except the travellers themselves. They expected that the ship would be able to make land after that, as they had passed the worst of the skerries, but all of a sudden a breaker rose where no one could ever recall having seen a skerry and rammed the ship so that it capsized at once. Thord and all his companions were drowned and the ship smashed into small pieces, the keel washing ashore on an island which has since been called Kjalarev (Keel Island). Thord’s shield drifted ashore on an island called Skjaldarev (Shield Island). His body and the bodies of his companions drifted ashore directly afterwards and are buried in a mound at Haugsnes (Mound point).

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The news of these events spread and was condemned; men capable of such sorcery as Kotkel and his family had performed were considered truly evil. Gudrun, who was pregnant and had only a short time left before she gave birth, was stricken with grief at Thord’s death. She soon gave birth to a boy, who was sprinkled with water and named Thord.

At this time Snorri the Godi lived at Helgafell. He was Osvif’s kinsman and friend and a source of great support to both him and Gudrun. When
he visited them Gudrun told him of her dilemma and he promised to help her in the way he thought best. To give Gudrun some consolation he offered to foster her son, which she accepted; she agreed to follow his advice. The boy Thord was later given the nickname ‘the Cat’ and was the father of the poet Stuf.

Gest Oddleifsson then approached Hallstein and offered him a choice: Hallstein would either have to get rid of these sorcerers or else Gest would kill them, ‘even though it’s already too late’.

Hallstein was not long in choosing and told the family they would have to find another dwelling place at least as far away as the other side of the highlands of the Dalir heath, though they did not deserve to escape with their lives. Kotkel and his family then left, taking no possessions except a stud of four horses with them. The stallion was black, large and powerful and had proven its fighting prowess. Nothing is mentioned of their journey until they arrived at the farm of Thorleik Hoskuldsson at Kambsnes. He expressed an interest in purchasing the horses, which he could see were prime animals.

Kotkel answered, ‘I’ll give you the chance to own them: you provide me with a place to live near you and the horses are yours.’

Thorleik replied, ‘I’ll end up paying a high price for the horses if I do that – aren’t you a wanted man in this district?’

Kotkel answered, ‘The men of Laugar have told you that.’

Thorleik admitted this to be true.

Kotkel then spoke: ‘The truth of our doings against Gudrun and her brothers is somewhat different from what you’ve been told. Accusations have been heaped on us of deeds we had no part in – accept the stallions in return for protecting us. If all the stories we hear of you are true, we won’t be helpless prey for the dwellers of this district if we have your backing.’

Thorleik decided to accept the offer, as he was drawn both by the fine horses and Kotkel’s cleverly convincing speech. He found the family a place to live at Leidolfsstadir in Laxardal, and supplied them with livestock, taking the horses into his charge in return.

When the men of Laugar learned of this, Osvif’s sons wanted to attack Kotkel and his family at once.

Their father, however, said, ‘We should take the advice of Snorri the Godi and leave this to others. It won’t be long until their neighbours will have new complaints against them, and it will be Thorleik who’ll suffer for
it, which is so much the better. He’ll soon have enemies where he once had supporters. But I won’t try and dissuade you from doing whatever you like with Kotkel and his clan if three years pass without anyone driving them out of the district or putting an end to them once and for all.’

Gudrun and her brothers agreed to this.

Although Kotkel and his family were seldom seen working, they purchased neither hay nor food during the winter. They were anything but popular with the people of the district, but no one dared to raise a hand against them because of Thorleik.