The Sagas of the Icelanders (59 page)

37
One summer when Thorleik was attending the Althing, a large man entered his booth and greeted him. Thorleik returned the greeting and asked the man his name or origin. He said his name was Eldgrim and he lived in the Borgarfjord district on the farm called Eldgrimsstadir, located in the valley now called Grimsdal which runs westward up the mountain between the farms of Muli and Grisartunga.

Thorleik said, ‘I’ve heard of you, and if the stories are true you’re a man to be reckoned with.’

Eldgrim responded: ‘My purpose in coming here is to purchase those fine horses which Kotkel made you a present of last summer.’

Thorleik answered, ‘The horses are not for sale.’

Eldgrim said, ‘I’m offering you an equal number of horses in exchange, plus a sizeable additional payment. Some people would say you’d be getting double the normal price.’

Thorleik answered, ‘I’m not much of a horse-dealer, and you’re not going to get those horses even if you offer me triple the price.’

Eldgrim said, ‘People who told me you were arrogant and headstrong were obviously not lying. If I had my way you’d end up losing the horses and getting considerably less than I’ve been offering you.’

Thorleik grew very red in the face at his words, and replied, ‘You’ll need more than threats, Eldgrim, if you intend to take the horses from me by force.’

Eldgrim responded, ‘You may think it unlikely that I should end up getting the better of you, but I’ll go and take a look at the horses this summer, and we’ll see which one of us ends up owning them after that.’

Thorleik answered, ‘You can make good your threat any time, so long as you don’t intend to outnumber me when you make your attack.’

The conversation ended on that note. People who overheard them said
the two would end up with no more than they deserved. The Althing came to a close and everyone returned home without incident.

Early one morning a farmhand at Hrutsstadir returned from his morning chores and Hrut Herjolfsson asked him whether he had any news to tell.

The man replied that he had seen nothing except someone riding across the far side of the tidal flats towards where Thorleik’s horses were grazing, ‘then he dismounted and caught the horses’.

Hrut asked where the horses had been and the farmhand replied, ‘They kept to their usual grazing area; they were in your meadow below the hayfield wall.’

Hrut answered, ‘It’s true that my kinsman Thorleik is not one to be choosy about his pasture, and I don’t think those horses will have been herded off with his consent.’

With that Hrut sprang to his feet, dressed only in a shirt and linen breeches, pulled on a grey fur garment and took up a gold-inlaid halberd which King Harald had given him. He walked briskly out and saw a man driving several horses below the hayfield wall. He approached them and recognized the man as Eldgrim. When Hrut greeted him Eldgrim responded somewhat reluctantly, and Hrut then asked where he was taking the horses.

Eldgrim answered, ‘I won’t try to conceal from you, although I know you and Thorleik are close kin, that I intend to see to it that he won’t get his hands on these horses again. I am only carrying out what I told him at the Althing that I intended to do, and I’ve not sought the horses by means of superior forces either.’

Hrut replied, ‘There’s hardly much prestige in driving the horses off while Thorleik is in bed asleep. If you really intend to keep your word, as the two of you agreed, you should face him before you ride off with his horses.’

Eldgrim said, ‘Tell Thorleik if you wish; as you can see, I left home prepared to meet him,’ and brandished the barbed spear which he held in his hand.

He was also wearing a helmet and coat of mail, with a sword at his waist and a shield at his side.

‘I’m not about to make the journey to Kambsnes on my slow legs, but I don’t intend to stand by while Thorleik is robbed, if I can do anything about it, even if he’s no favourite relation of mine,’ said Hrut.

‘You don’t mean you intend to take the horses from me?’ asked Eldgrim.

‘I’ll offer you other horses instead, if you let these loose again, although they’re no match for them,’ said Hrut.

‘Good of you to make the offer, Hrut,’ Eldgrim replied, ‘but now that I’ve got my hands on these horses of Thorleik’s, neither bribes nor threats will make me let go of them again.’

Hrut then answered, ‘Then I’m afraid your choice will turn out badly for both of us.’

Eldgrim was about to leave and prodded his horse, but when Hrut saw this he raised his halberd and struck Eldgrim between his shoulder blades. The mail-coat split asunder at the blow and the halberd cut right through the body. Eldgrim fell from his horse dead, as might be expected. Hrut buried the corpse at the spot called Eldgrimsholt (Eldgrim’s rise), south of Kambsnes.

Afterwards Hrut rode to Kambsnes to tell Thorleik the news. Thorleik responded with anger and felt that he had been put to shame, while Hrut thought he had done him a real service. Thorleik said his actions were not only badly meant, they would also have serious consequences. Hrut said he could do as he chose, and the two parted on the worst of terms.

Hrut was over eighty when he killed Eldgrim, and gained a great deal of respect as a result of the deed. The fact that Hrut rose in esteem did not improve Thorleik’s feelings towards him. Thorleik was convinced that he himself would have had the best of Eldgrim, since Hrut had made short work of him.

Thorleik then approached his tenants, Kotkel and Grima, to ask them to take some action to discredit Hrut. They agreed readily and promised to get right to work. Thorleik returned home and shortly afterwards Kotkel, Grima and their sons set out at night for Hrut’s farm, where they began to practise strong magic rites. As the magic proceeded, the inhabitants of the farmhouse were puzzled by the sounds. The chants were sweet to the ear.

Only Hrut realized what the sounds meant and told his household that no one was to leave the house to see what was going on, ‘but everyone is to remain awake, if he possibly can, and if we manage to do so no harm will come to us’.

Eventually, however, they all fell asleep. Hrut managed to keep awake the longest, but finally even he fell asleep. Hrut’s son Kari was twelve years old at the time and the most promising of his children. He was a great favourite with his father. Kari slept lightly and uneasily, as the incantations
were directed at him. Eventually he sprang to his feet and looked outside. He went outside into the magic and was struck dead immediately. The next morning Hrut awoke, along with the rest of his household, to find his son was missing. His dead body was found a short distance from the entrance to the house. It was a great blow to Hrut and he had a burial mound made for Kari.

He then paid a visit to Olaf Hoskuldsson to tell him what had happened. Olaf was furious at the news and said it showed great foolishness to have allowed such evildoers as Kotkel and his clan to settle so close by. He also said that Thorleik had repaid Hrut badly for his actions, and that things had doubtless turned out worse than Thorleik intended.

Olaf said that Kotkel and his sons should be put to death at once – ‘even though it’s already too late’.

Olaf and Hrut set out with fifteen others, but when Kotkel and his family saw riders approaching they fled towards the mountains. Hallbjorn Slickstone-eye was the first to be caught, and a sack was pulled over his head. Several men were left behind to guard him while the others went after Kotkel, Grima and Stigandi. Kotkel and Grima were taken on the ridge between Haukadal and Laxardal. They were stoned to death and their bodies placed in a shallow grave heaped with stones, the remains of which are still visible. It is called ‘Sorcerers’ Cairn’. Stigandi managed to make it through the pass and into Haukadal, where they lost sight of him. Hrut and his sons rowed out to sea with Hallbjorn. They removed the sack and tied a stone about his neck.

As they did so, Hallbjorn looked landwards with anything but a gentle gaze, saying, ‘It was no lucky day for us, when my family approached Thorleik here on Kambsnes. I lay this curse that Thorleik will know little enjoyment here for the rest of his days, and that anyone who takes his place will know but ill fortune.’ Events are thought to have proved how effective was his curse. They then drowned him and rowed back to shore.

Shortly afterwards Hrut went to Olaf and told him that he did not feel he had settled his affairs with Thorleik, and asked Olaf to lend him men to accompany him in a foray to Kambsnes.

Olaf replied, ‘It’s not right that you kinsmen should come to blows, even though Thorleik’s actions have turned out very badly. I would rather try to negotiate a settlement between you. You have more than once had to wait to receive your due.’

Hrut answered, ‘There’s no question of that now; things will never be
settled between us, and I don’t want both of us to live here in Laxardal in the future.’

Olaf answered, ‘It won’t do you any good to attack Thorleik against my wishes; if you do you may find you’ve bitten off more than you can chew.’

Hrut then realized there was little he could do in this situation, and returned home very dissatisfied with the results. The following years passed without event.

38
To return to Stigandi, he became an outlaw and difficult to deal with. A man named Thord lived in Hundadal, a rich man but hardly exceptional. One summer the number of sheep rounded up in Hundadal was lower than normal. People noticed that a slave-woman who looked after the sheep in Hundadal had acquired many new possessions, and had often disappeared for hours at a time without anyone knowing of her whereabouts. Thord had her threatened to try to find out the truth.

When suitably frightened, the woman revealed that a man came to her, ‘a large man, and handsome, he seemed to me’.

Thord then asked when she thought this man would return and she said she expected him to come soon.

Thord then approached Olaf and told him that it was very likely Stigandi was not far away and asked him to gather some men together and go after him. Olaf was quick to respond and went up to Hundadal, where the slave-woman was brought before him. Olaf asked where Stigandi’s camp was, but she said she did not know. He then offered to buy her her freedom if she would deliver Stigandi into their hands, and she accepted his offer.

That day she watched over her sheep as usual and Stigandi came to her. She welcomed him warmly and offered to search his hair for lice. He lay down with his head in her lap and soon fell asleep. She then crawled out from under him and went to Olaf and his men to tell them how matters stood. They went to where Stigandi lay and were determined not to let him see anything he could put a curse on, as his brother had done, so they drew a sack over his head. Stigandi awoke and offered no resistance for there were many of them against him alone. There was a tear in the sack through which Stigandi could see the slope opposite. It was a fertile bit of land, green with grass, but suddenly it was as if a tornado struck it. The land was transformed and never again did grass grow there. It is now called ‘The
Fire-Site’. Following this they stoned Stigandi to death and placed him in a shallow grave there. Olaf kept his promise to the slave-woman and gave her her freedom, and she returned to Hjardarholt with them.

Hallbjorn’s Slickstone-eye’s body washed up on the beach a short while after he was drowned. He was placed in a shallow grave at the spot called Knarrarnes, and haunted the area frequently.

A man called Thorkel the Bald lived at Thykkvaskog on a farm he had inherited from his father. He was a courageous man and extremely strong. One evening a cow was missing at Thykkvaskog and Thorkel and one of his farmhands went to look for her. It was after nightfall and there was a moon in the sky. Thorkel said they should split up and divide the area between them. When Thorkel was alone he thought he saw a cow on a rise before him. As he approached it turned out to be Slickstone-eye rather than a cow and they fought with one another. Hallbjorn had to give way and, just when Thorkel least expected it, he slipped out of his hands and let himself sink down into the ground. Thorkel returned home afterwards. His servant had already come home with the cow. After this Hallbjorn did no more harm.

By this time both Thorbjorn the Pock-marked and Melkorka were dead. They were buried in a mound in Laxardal and their son Lambi lived on their farm. He was a bold fighter and well off. He enjoyed more respect than his father had because of his mother’s family, and the relations between him and Olaf were warm.

The winter following the killing of Kotkel and his family passed and the next spring the brothers Olaf and Thorleik met. Olaf asked whether Thorleik intended to continue farming at Kambsnes, and Thorleik replied that this was his intention.

Olaf said, ‘I would like to ask you instead, kinsman, to change your plans and sail abroad. You will enjoy the respect of everyone wherever you go. But I’m afraid our kinsman Hrut cares little for your company, and I would rather not take the chance of having the two of you at such close quarters much longer. Hrut is a powerful man, and his sons are bold warriors and hotheads. For the sake of our family ties, I would rather avoid a clash between you two kinsmen.’

Thorleik replied, ‘I’m not afraid of not being able to stand up to Hrut and his sons, and won’t leave the country because of that. But if it makes a great difference to you, kinsman, and has put you into a difficult position, then I will do so at your request, and because I was more contented when
I was abroad. Nor do I fear that you will treat my son Bolli any less well though I am not nearby, and he is dearer to me than anyone else.’

Olaf answered, ‘You’re doing the right thing in agreeing to my request in this matter. And, as far as Bolli is concerned, I intend to continue as before, and treat him no less well than I do my own sons.’

Following this the brothers parted with great affection. Thorleik sold his property and used the proceeds to prepare for his journey abroad. He purchased a ship which was beached at Dagverdarnes, and when it was ready to sail went aboard accompanied by his wife and others of his family They had a good passage and made land in Norway that autumn. From there he travelled south to Denmark, as he did not feel satisfied in Norway, his friends and relatives had died or been driven out of the country. From Denmark he travelled to Gotland. According to most people, Thorleik was not one to grow old gracefully, but was nevertheless respected as long as he lived. The story of Thorleik ends here.