Chapter 21
One day Arngrim asked Steinolf if he would go down with him to Grund to a club-feast, and stay two or three nights. He replied, I will stay at home now and go some other time when you are here. Arngrim expressed a hope that he would wait for his return, if he would not accompany him, and he went on to Grund, but Steinolf stayed over the night. In the morning Steinolf was sitting by the fire, with some work in hand; it was a certain casket which belonged to the lady of the house. At that moment Arngrim returned home with Thorvald the crooked, and as they came into the sitting-room Steinolf was bending down over his work. Then Arngrim struck him on the head in such a way as to cause his death; but the mistress of the house came up to him and exclaimed, Wretch that thou are to strike this blow! This is the work of wiser men than thou art; but from this day I will never be they wife. She went to the house of Arnor Kerlingarnef and never came together with Arngrim again; but before she rode off she said, It will be some consolation, Arngrim, that your days are to be few, for those which are to come will be worse for you. Afterwards she became the wife of Asgrim, Ellidagrims son.
Arngrim and Thorvald rode to Espihole and told Thorarin what had happened, asking for his protection, and adding that whilst they had neither the wisdom nor the popularity to hold their own against Glum, he (Thorarin) had abundance of both. He replied to them and said that the deed seemed to be bad, and one from which apprehended evil consequences. Thorvald thought it was no use to find fault with what had been done, and that if he did not support them, he would soon have greater difficulties on his hands. They hoped to get other people to help them, if he would speak on their behalf. My counsel, says Thorarin, is that you should both remove from Grund and Mödrufell, and that we should collect men as soon as we may, and join our households together, before Glum is informed of it. They did this before Glum heard what had occurred; but when he learnt it he assembled his people, who proceeded to attack them. However, there was no opportunity for doing so with effect, as the men of Espihole had the larger force, and so they remained quiet for the winter. Glum, on the other hand, was never to be got at; he was so cautious about himself that he never slept in the bed which had been prepared for him. Very often he rested little at night, but he and Márr walked up and down and talked about lawsuits. One night Márr asked him how he had slept, and Glum answered by a stanza--
Mid all this strife and tumult nowSleep doth mine eyelids flee.These men will find it hard, I trow,To make their peace with me,
Before upon their crests shall ringMy sword in battle-fray.Ive slain men for a small thing,And why not these, I pray?
Now I will tell you of my dream. Methought I went out of the homestead here by myself and without arms, and Thorarin seemed to come at me with a large whetstone in his hand, and I felt ill prepared for our meeting; but whilst I was thinking about it I saw another whetstone lying close by me, so I cuaght it up and attacked him, and when we met either tried to strike the other, but the two stones came against one another and there was a tremendous crash. Was it such, asked Márr, as might be considered a conflict between the two houses? More than that, replied Glum. Did it seem that it might represent a conflict between the two districts? Yes, said Glum, the omen may well be reckoned such, for I thought the crash could be heard all over the district, and when I woke I sung as follows
I thought this night to see in sleepthat chief, who o'er the seaguides the fierce raven of the deep,Smite with a stone at me.
The lord of Limafirths broad strandCame on in all his pride,I met him fearless hand to handAnd dashd the blow aside.
Márr observed it was very likely the old saying would come true, Each of you will smite the other with and evil stone before it is over. Yes, said Glum, it is not improbable; there are many bodings tending that way. There is another dream to tell you. Methought I was standing out of doors, and that I saw two women who had a trough between them, and they took their stations at Hrisateig and sprinkled the whole district with blood. I woke up, and I think this portends something which is to happen. Then I sung these verses--
The gods--methought, they swept alongAcross the path of men.the clash of swords and the javelins songWe shall hear full soon again.
I saw the maids of carnage stand,In grim and vengeful mood,As the battle ragd, and they drenchd the landIn slaughterd warriors blood.
That morning Márr rode to Mödrufell, with seventeen other men, to summon Arngrim for the death of Steinolf; but Glum remained at home with five men besides himself, and told them to be quick in getting back again. In the house with Glum were Jöd, and Eyiolf, the son of Thorleif the tall, Thorvald Tafalld, Glums nephew, and two thralls.
Chapter 22
Helga, Glum's sister, who had been married to Steingrim of Sigluvik, had at that time come to Laugaland; she was the mother of Thorvald Tafalld, who was then eighteen years of age. There was a man named Thorvard, the son of Ornolf and of Yngvillda, who went by the name of Everybodys sister. He lived at Krisnes, and had a son named Gudbrand, who was then twelve years old. Thorvard was a prudent man, and tolerably well inclined to help any one, but he was then old. That morning he was early a-foot, and told his man to get his horses. Then they rode to Thverà, and when they got there Márr had just started. Glum welcomed Thorvard well, and the latter inquired if any attempt had been made to procure a settlement between the parties. Glum told him None. Thorvard asked, Is the suit set on foot? Glum said it was not. Then said the other, A day like this would be a good one for this business: there is much mist, and no one would know what was going on, if one went quietly about it. Glum went on to say how matters stood, and how six men only remained at home. Thorvard answered, You have rather a small number with you, but the steps you have taken will no doubt be sufficient. Then Thorvard rode to Espihole, and when he came thither the men were not up; but he found Thorarin, and inquired, What do you intend to do? Do you intend to offer Glum any composition for the death? Thorarin answered, We do not think it an easy matter to offer to compound with Glum. Is the suit set on foot? asked Thorvard. I have not heard, said Thorarin; but what do you know about the matter? Oh, replied he, Márr rode off this morning with seventeen others to proceed with the suit, and Glum remained at home with five men; no doubt it would now be a famous chance for setting matters straight, but you fellows here never get the best of it, because you are not so sharp in your movements as Glum is. Well, said Thorarin, the fact is I do not like to set up mere gossip and nonsense on our side to meet this charge. Thorvard answered, Whether there was any sufficient cause or not is a point which ought to have been considered before Steinolf was killed. Did he not try to seduce Arngrims wife? Of a surety I think such a matter as that is not to be reckoned as nothing. Thorarin persisted, I do not like having to do with such a business. What do you mean, said Thorvard, by talking thus? Glum got something by that outlawry of your relative, Sigmund, and your clear course is not to let yourself be thus insulted by him. I am not sure, said Thorarin, whether that is or is not a wise course.
After this conversation the people of the house got up, and Thorvald the crooked pressed that they should ride to Upsal and give notice of outlawry as against Steinolf for his conduct to Arngrims wife, so that he might be taken to have been rightly killed. Thorarin said, That does not seem very advisable, but we will do it. There were fifteen of them in all, of whom seven are named, that is to say, Thorarin, Thorvald the crooked, his son Ketill, Arngrim, Eystein the Berserker, Thord the son of Rafn, who lived as Stockahlad, and had married Vigdis, the daughter of Thorir and widow of Sigmund, and Eyvind, the Norwegian who was staying with Thord. They went to Upsal, but Thorvard rode to Öngulstad (where there lived a good yeoman, Halli the fat), and sent his son to Thverà, desiring him to tell Glum the purpose of the men of Espihole, and afterwards, he added, you will ride back quickly to meet me.
When Thorvard came to Öngulstad, Halli asked what news he had to tell. Nothing as yet, he replied; but then he told him what was the position of things, and Halli thought he saw pretty clearly that Thorvard had brought all this trouble on, and he told him that such men as he were born for mischief, inasmuch as he desired that every man should be at variance with his neighbour; and he added, It would serve you right if you were killed. Then Halli went in a great hurry with all the people, men and women, whom he had got, with the intention of interfering between the two parties, if it were necessary. Gudbrand, Thorvards son, got to Thverà, and said that his father had sent him thither; he told Glum what had occurred, and how my father thought himself bound to tell you this which concerns you nearly, that the men of Espihole intend to give notice of outlawry as attaching to Steinolf. Glums answer was, Why did not your father come himself? The lad said, I consider it all the same which of us two came. Glum replied, Your father has done well in sending you hither, if we are in want of men: so he made him dismount, and fastened up his horse. Gudbrand exclaimed, My father told me I must get back quickly. Oh, rejoined Glum, it cannot be so; he was desirous, no doubt, that you should show your manhood to-day.
In the meantime Thorvard began to say, My son Gudbrand is late. Halli inquired whither he had sent him. I sent him to Thverà, answered Thorvard. It is well, said Halli, that you should meet with some cunning people, and it serves you right.
The men of Espihole rode across the river with the intention of passing at the Ship-ford. Glum saw them riding, and remarked that Márr was somewhat too late. Then he ran out of the homestead with six men, of whom Gudbrand was one, and followed the other party. He had his shield and a halberd, with his sword by his side, and hastened on the road, with his men after him, to come up with them. When Thorarin saw them coming he had his people ride their own way, no faster and no slower on that account, and no one can blame us for that. Thord, the son of Rafn, asked Thorarin whether they with twenty men were to let themselves be chased by Glum with his six? Thorarins answer was, Let us ride on, for Glums object is to delay us and to wait for his own people. Thord said, It is no wonder that when he stands on equal vantage-ground with us we often get the worst of it with Glum; seeing that now, when he has only a few men with him, you do not dare to wait for him; but he shall not make me run, and so he dismounted. Eystein the Berserker said too that he would not ride away from Glum, so that they should profess to have driven us off. Thorarin observed that this course seemed to him inexpedient; but when Glum saw that they did not go on, he slackened his pace, and addressed Thorarin, asking what their errand was at Upsal. Thorarin replied that they had determined to proclaim Steinolf as liable to outlawry. Then Glum said, Is not this rather too strong a measure? Should not some offer of satisfaction be tried first, and we might possibly hit upon some method for bringing this suit to a close. Thorarin said that he wanted to delay them and had them ride on, and so they did. Glum asked them, Will you stay a little bit longer? but they rode away from him, and as they rode slower, so Glum slackened his pace and waited for his men, and said, Your cause will not find much favour, if you rake up a parcel of lies, and it will end only in disgrace. We shall not look to that now, replied Thorarin; it is a hard matter to come to terms with you. Whilst they rode on, Glum kept going forward alongside of them, talking with them, and thus delayed them. But when he saw he could not keep them back any longer, and felt sure of his own men coming up, then he threw his spear at Arngrim so that it went through the mans thigh and the saddle-bow also, and Arngrim was disabled for the day. Eystein was the first who then rushed at Glum, but Thorvald Tafalld stood out to meet him, and they two fought with each other. Every other man thought he was well off in proportion as he kept away from them; for they were both full of courage and strength, and each of them dealt the other many and sore strokes. Thorvald the crooked attacked Glum sharply and many more with him, but Glum and his men got out of their way and protected themselves as well as they could. Thorarin did not get off his horse, for he thought that they were quite enough to set on one man.
Chapter 23
Whilst they were fighting a man came up at full speed, wearing a hood of skins, with a sword in his hand. He came where Thorvald Tafalld had fallen before Eystein, and rushing at the latter, gave him a death-blow. Then he joined himself to Glums side, and Glum called out to him, Good luck to you Thundarbenda! I made a good bargain when I bought you. You will pay me well to-day for the outlay. Now Glum had a thrall who was called by that name, and that is why he spoke thus; but in reality it was Vigfuss, Glums son, though few or none except Glum himself knew him, for he had been three winters outlawed and living in concealment, so that most people thought he had gone abroad. It happened that whilst Glum was getting away he fell, and lay on the ground, and his two thralls lay over him, and were killed with spear-thrusts; but at that moment Márr with his men came up. Then Thorarin got off his horse, and he and Márr fought, without any other men meddling with them. Glum sprung up, and joined heartily in the fight, and there was then no advantage of number on either side. A servant of Thorarins, named Eirik, who had been about his work in the morning, came too his maters aid with a club in his hand, but without other arms of offence of defence; and Glum suffered much by him because his men were injured both in person and in their arms by that club which he bore. It is told too that Halldor, Glums wife, called on the women to go with her, saying, We will bind up the wounds of those men who have any hope of life, whichever party they belong to. When she came up Thorarin was just struck down by Márr, his shoulder was cut away in such fashion that the lungs were exposed. But Halldor bound up his wound, and kept watch over him till the fight was over.
Halli the fat was the first who came up to interfere, and may men were with him. The end of the combat was that five men of those from Espihole were killed, that is to say, Thorvald the crooked, Arngrim, Eysein, Eirik, and Eyvind the Norwegian. On Glums side there fell Thorvald Tafalld, Eyiolf son of Thorleif, Jöd, and the two thralls. Thorarin got home with his people; Glum also returned with his men, and had the dead carried into an outbuilding, where the utmost honour was done to the body of Thorvald, for garments were placed under it, and it was sewn up in a skin. When the men had returned, Glum said to Halldora, Our expedition to-day would have been successful, if you had staid at home, and if Thorarin had not escaped with his life. She replied, There is little of life in Thorarin, and if he lives you will not be able to remain in the district long; but if he dies you will not be able to remain in the country at all. After this Glum said to Gudbrand, You got much honour by your prowess to-day in killing Thorvald the crooked, and you did us good service. Gudbrand replied that nothing of the sort had happened; he had only defended himself as well as he could. Oh, said Glum, that is all very well. I saw clearly what took place; a mere child in age to kill such a champion as Thorvald! You will always be talked of for this deed. I got credit abroad in the same way for killing the Berserker. I never slew Thorvald, answered Gudbrand. It is no use trying to conceal it, my good friend, you gave him the wound which killed him. Do not shirk the good luck which has fallen to you. Glum maintained his point with Gudbrand till the latter believed what he said, admitted that he had done it, and thought it an honour to himself, so that it could no longer be concealed, and the death was formally laid to his charge. This seemed to those who took up the suit for Thorvalds slaughter to be less promising than had been expected: Thorvald was chosen as the man whose death was to be avenged.
People report a speech of Glums--One thing I do not like, and that is that Márr should have his head tied up, though he has gat a bump on it. What he called a bump was in fact a cut crosswise over his head. Márrs answer was, I should not need this so much if I had lain down and use a couple of thralls as a shield. Well, my lad, said Glum, our field Hrisateig (Bush acre) was hard to mow to-day. Márr replied, It will turn out a bad mowing for you in one way, for you have mowed the land at Thverà out of your own hands. I do not think you know that for a certainty, rejoined Glum. I may not know it, but it will turn out for you as if I did now it, was Márrs answer. Now, when Helga, Glums sister, heard the tidings, she came over to Thverà and asked how her son had borne himself. There was no better man, said Glum. I should like to see him dead, said she, if that is all that is left for me. they allowed her to do so, and she caused him to be lifted into the waggon, and tenderly handled, and when she got home she cleansed his wounds and bound them up, and dealt with him in such a way that he recovered his speech.
The law was then that if an equal number of men were killed on either side they were set off against each other, though there might be a difference in the men themselves; but if one party had the worst of it they had to select the man for whom atonement was to be demanded. If anything however, happened to turn up afterwards, by which it would have seemed better to have made a different choice, they could not change their selection. When Thorarin heard that Thorvald Tafalld was alive, he chose his own brother Thorvald the crooked, as the man to be atoned for. When, however, he found a little afterwards that the latters death was laid to the charge of Gudbrand, he would gladly have selected another man, but he had to abide by his first choice. Then they found Einar the son of Eyiolf, and Thorarin told him he should now take advantage of that agreement which they had formerly made with each other. Einar replied, My mind is the same now that it was formerly when Bárd was killed. he then took up the suit to carry it on at the Thing, in the summer, and he made the charge against Glum. Thorarin was laid up with his wounds the whole summer, and so was Thorvald Tafalld, but they both recovered. Glum had a great number of men with him at the Thing, and so in fact had both parties. An attempt was now made by persons of consideration connected with both sides to bring about a settlement of the case. The suit was compounded on these conditions, that is to say, that the death of Steinolf was to be considered as atoned for, if Vigfuss, Glums son, were proclaimed free from his penalty. Gudbrand, however, was convicted of the death of Thorvald, and Glum got him taken abroad. They returned home with affairs in this condition; but Thorvard and Thorarin were very much dissatisfied, and the latter thought he had obtained no honourable satisfaction for the death of his brother Thorvald. Glum remained at home much looked up to, and in the course of the winter there got abroad a stanza which he had lately composed:
She asks--he nymph that pours the wine--the deeds of death that I have done.Theyre past and gone, those deeds of mine;But no man yet has talked of one.
Chapter 24
One day, when men had got together at the warm bath of Hrafnagil, Thorvard came thither. He was a merry fellow, and amused himself in many ways. What men, he asked, have you got here who can entertain us with some fresh stories? There is plenty of amusement and fun where you are, they said. Well, he replied, nothing amuses me more than reciting Glums verses; but I keep thinking over what can be the faulty reckoning he speaks of in one of his stanzas, when he says he did not get credit for all the people he had killed. What are we to suppose to be the real state of the case? Which is more likely, that Gudbrand killed Thorvald, or that Glum did it? This view seemed to many men worth consideration, and Thorvard rode to meet Thorarin, and said to him, I have been thinking the matter out, and I am convinced that the truth has not been known about the death of Thorvald the crooked. You will find in Glums verses, that he says he has not got credit for all the men he has killed. Thorarin answered, I can hardly take the case up again, though you should be right, and so things shall remain as they are. Thorvard rejoined, That is not a proper course, although if the matter had not been revived, all might have gone on quietly; no I shall talk of it publicly, and there will fall on you disgrace greater than any which has yet ensued in this affair. Well, said Thorarin, it seems to me an awkward matter to carry this cause to the Althing, in the face of the power of Glum and his kinsmen. Thorvard replied, I can give you a piece of advice on that point. Summon him to the Hegranes Thing: you have plenty of kinsmen there, and he will find it hard to defend the case. That we will do, said Thorarin, an so they parted.
The spring was a bad one, and everything became difficult to procure. At that time Thorarin set on foot the suit as against Glum at Hegranes Thing, inasmuch as all the priests of the different division in the district who belonged to that Thing, were bound to Thorarin by the ties of kindred. It was scarcely possible to get across the moors with horses, on account of the snow. So Glum adopted the plan of putting a large vessel into the charge of his brother, Thorstein, who was to sail in her to the westward, and convey arms and provisions to the Thing. When, however, they came off Ulfsdal, the ship went to pieces, and all the men and property on board her were lost. Glum got to the Thing with a hundred and twenty men, but he could not encamp nearer to the place itself than in the outer circle, or verge of the court. Einar, the son of Eyiolf, with the men of Espihole, was already there. Word was sent to Glum that he was to present himself to the court, and produce his plea in answer to the indictment. Glum went accordingly, but the men were drawn up on both sides in such a way that there was not more space than would allow of one man passing, and Glum was desired to go into the enclosure if he wanted to get to the court. He did not think this an advisable course, so he said to his men, It is easy to see that they think they have got our affair in their own hands now. Well, it may be so, but I should like you to fall back and change your order. I will march first, then two men following me in a line, and then four in a line after them, and so on; and we will march right at them, keeping our spears before us, and this sort of wedge must make its way in if you follow close up. They did this, and pushed without interruption right into the ring which was cleared for the court, but it was night long before they could be got of the ground again, so as to allow the court to sit; so great was the crush and press. At last it was brought about that the court was reconstituted, and they were proceeding to sum up the case when Glum came forward on the bank were the court was held, and called his witnesses to the fact that the sun had risen again on the field of the Thing; then he protested solemnly against any judgment being given in the case before them. It followed from this protest that every suit before the court at once discontinued and fell to the ground. Men rode away, and the people of Espihole were very ill pleased with what had happened.
Thorarin declared that Glum had dealt vexatiously with them, but Einar replied, The matter does not appear to me to be so very ugly, for the suit may be taken up again at the point where it left off. Afterwards the men of Espihole rode to the Althing with Einar, and with many of their friends who had promised them their support against glum. Glums kinsmen gave him their help also in securing the benefit of the point of law, and the matter was settled by the advice of skilled men, on condition that Glum would take an oath in the case to the effect that he did not kill Thorvald the crooked. So when many men interceded, they compounded the matter on these terms--that Glum should swear he had not slain him; and the time was appointed when the oath should be taken, that is to say, in the autumn, five weeks before winter. They followed up the suit with such vigour that they were determined to bring it on again, if he did not take the necessary oath in three temples on the Eyjafirth, and if it were not done at the prescribed time the right to clear himself by the oath was to be forfeited. There was much talk about this business, and what Gums oaths would be, and how he would get on with them.
Chapter 25
Now men returned from the Thing, and Glum staid at home all the summer: everything was quiet in the district till it came to the time of the Leet, when they assembled at that court. Glum, however, was not there, and nothing was heard of him. Márr was at home in his dwelling; but in the autumn, five weeks before winter, he held a wedding-feast, and invited men to it, so that not less than a hundred and twenty people came together. This invitation appeared strange to everybody, for those who were concerned in the wedding were not persons of any consequence. That evening all the men of Eyjafirth were seen riding in from the dales two or five at a time, and the people who came down into the district were all collected in one body. Glum was there, and Asgrim, and Gizor, with three hundred and sixty men, and they came in the course of the night to the homestead, and sat at the wedding-feast.
The morning after Glum sent to find Thorarin, and told him to come to Diupadal, not later than six in the morning, to hear the oaths. Thorarin bestirred himself and got together a hundred and twenty men, and when they came to the temple, six people went into it, that is to say, Gizor and Asgrim with Glum, and Einar and Hlenni the old with Thorarin. Whoever had to take the temple oath laid hold with his hand of the silver ring, which was stained red with the blood of the cattle sacrificed, and which ought not to weigh less than three ounces. Then Glum said word for word thus: I name Asgrim to bear witness, and Gizor in the second place to bear witness, that I take the temple oath, on the ring, and I say it to the God. When Thorvald the crooked got his death-blow--
Vark at þar--ok vák ek þar--ok raudk at þ odd ok egg.
Now let those men who are skilled in such matters, and who stand by, look to my oath.
Thorarin and his friends were not prepared to find any fault, but they said they had never heard the form of words used before. In the same manner the oaths were taken by Glum at Gnupafell and at Thverà. Gizor and Asgrim stayed some nights at Thverà, and when they went away Glum gave Gizor the blue cloak, and he gave Asgrim the gold-mounted spear (which Vigfuss had given him).
In the course of the winter Thorvard met Thorarin, and asked him, Did Glum take the oath properly? We found nothing to take hold of, said Thorarin. It is a wonderful thing, replied Thorvard, that wise people should make such mistakes. I have known men who have declared themselves to have slain others, but I have never known a case of a man swearing explicitly that he was guilty, as Glum did. How could he say more than he did when he declared that he was there at the doing of the deed, that he took part in the death, and that he reddened point and edge, when Thorvald the crooked fell at Hrisateig?--though I admit that he did not pronounce the words as they are commonly pronounced. That scandal will never be done away with. Thorarin replied, I did not observe this, but I am tired of having to do with Glum. Well, said Thorvard, if you are tired because your health is not equal to it, let Einar take the matter up. He is a prudent man, with a great kindred, and many will follow him. His brother Gudmund will not be neutral, and he himself is most anxious for one thing-to get to Thverà. Then they met Einar and consulted with him, and Thorarin said, If you will take the lead in the suit many men will back you in it, and we will bring it about that you shall have Glums land, at a price not exceeding that which he paid to Thorkel the tall. Einar observed, Glum has now parted with those two things, his cloak and his spear, which his mothers father, Vigfuss, gave him, and bad him keep, if he wished to hold his position, telling him that he would fall away in dignity from the time that he let them out of his hands. Now will I take up the suit and follow it out.