EGIL’S SAGA: CHAPTER 87; The end of Egil’s Saga

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Adils, Aki, Alfgeir, Arinbjorn, Armod Beard, Asgerd, Athelstan, Atli the Short, Æthelstan, Bard, Bera, Berg-Onund, Bjorgolf, Bjorn, Bodvar, Borg, Brynjolf, Courland, Danes, Egil, Einer, Eirik Bloodaxe, England, Eyvind, Finnmark, Fjord Province, Geir, Godrek, Grim, Gunnhild, Hakon, Halberd, Hallvard, Halogaland, Hildirid, Hildiridarsons, Hogni, Hring, Iceland, intrigue, Isle of Torg, Karelians, Ketil Trout, King Arnvid, King Æthelstan, King Faravid, King Harald, Kveldulf, Kvenland, Kylfings, Lapps, Ljot the Pale, Namdalen, Norway, Norwegians, Olaf the Red, Olvir, Onund Sjoni, Oslo Fjord, Rognvald, Sandness, Scandanavia, Scots, Shape-changer, Sigrid, Sigtrygg, Skallagrimsson, slander, Snorri Sturluson, Sweden, Thora, Thorfinn, Thorgils Gjallandi, Thorolf, Thorunn, treachery, Trondheim, Vikings, Welch, Yngvar

My son Thorstein received baptism when Christianity came to Iceland. He had a church built at Borg. He was true to the faith, and a good man. He lived to be old, and died in his bed. He was buried at Borg by the church which he had built.

From Thorstein have come numerous descendants; many great men and many poets. They are the stock of the Myra-men; as are all who sprang from my loins. The men were tall and great warriors; some also were of prophetic sight. They were of two distinct types. Many in that stock have been born the handsomest men in Iceland, like Thorstein, my son.  Likewise, Kjartan Olaf’s son, sister’s son of Thorstein, and Hall Gudmund’s son, also Helga the fair, Thorstein’s daughter about whom Gunnlaug Worms-tongue and Skald-raven quarrelled. But the more part of the Myra-men were very ill-favoured.

Of the brothers, sons of Thorstein, Thorgeir was the strongest, Skuli was the tallest. He dwelt at Borg after the days of Thorstein his father. Skuli was long time out engaging in the old practice of viking. He was forecastleman of Earl Eric on the Iron Ram when king Olaf Tryggvason fell. Skuli was in seven battles, and was deemed a great warrior and  brave. He afterwards came out to Iceland, settled in the house at Borg, and dwelt there till old age. Many have been his descendants.

And so ends this story.

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EGIL’S SAGA: CHAPTER 86; Egil’s bones

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Adils, Aki, Alfgeir, Arinbjorn, Armod Beard, Asgerd, Athelstan, Atli the Short, Æthelstan, Bard, Bera, Berg-Onund, Bjorgolf, Bjorn, Bodvar, Borg, Brynjolf, Courland, Danes, Egil, Einer, Eirik Bloodaxe, England, Eyvind, Finnmark, Fjord Province, Geir, Godrek, Grim, Gunnhild, Hakon, Halberd, Hallvard, Halogaland, Hildirid, Hildiridarsons, Hogni, Hring, Iceland, intrigue, Isle of Torg, Karelians, Ketil Trout, King Arnvid, King Æthelstan, King Faravid, King Harald, Kveldulf, Kvenland, Kylfings, Lapps, Ljot the Pale, Namdalen, Norway, Norwegians, Olaf the Red, Olvir, Onund Sjoni, Oslo Fjord, Rognvald, Sandness, Scandanavia, Scots, Shape-changer, Sigrid, Sigtrygg, Skallagrimsson, slander, Snorri Sturluson, Sweden, Thora, Thorfinn, Thorgils Gjallandi, Thorolf, Thorunn, treachery, Trondheim, Vikings, Welch, Yngvar

 

Not long after my death Iceland accepted Christianity. Thordis had my bones moved to the churchyard.

Sometime later a priest called Skapti Thoraarinsson the Priest had me dug up. People were very impressed with the size of my bones; especially my skull.

Skapti placed my skull on a fencepost. Of course my skull was ridged all over like a scallop shell. Skapti wanted to determine how thick it was so he gave it a good whack with an axe.

Nothing happened; other than when the axe bounced back it almost killed Skapti.

My skull neither broke nor cracked. The only thing that changed was a little white mark where the axe had landed.

Then they came to their senses and put my bones back in the grave.

 

EGIL’S SAGA: CHAPTER 85; (Part 2) Egil’s death

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Adils, Aki, Alfgeir, Arinbjorn, Armod Beard, Asgerd, Athelstan, Atli the Short, Æthelstan, Bard, Bera, Berg-Onund, Bjorgolf, Bjorn, Bodvar, Borg, Brynjolf, Courland, Danes, Egil, Einer, Eirik Bloodaxe, England, Eyvind, Finnmark, Fjord Province, Geir, Godrek, Grim, Gunnhild, Hakon, Halberd, Hallvard, Halogaland, Hildirid, Hildiridarsons, Hogni, Hring, Iceland, intrigue, Isle of Torg, Karelians, Ketil Trout, King Arnvid, King Æthelstan, King Faravid, King Harald, Kveldulf, Kvenland, Kylfings, Lapps, Ljot the Pale, Namdalen, Norway, Norwegians, Olaf the Red, Olvir, Onund Sjoni, Oslo Fjord, Rognvald, Sandness, Scandanavia, Scots, Shape-changer, Sigrid, Sigtrygg, Skallagrimsson, slander, Snorri Sturluson, Sweden, Thora, Thorfinn, Thorgils Gjallandi, Thorolf, Thorunn, treachery, Trondheim, Vikings, Welch, Yngvar

 

In the later days of Hakon the Great I was in my ninth decade of years, and save for my blindness was a hale and hearty man. One summer, when men made ready to go to the Althing, I asked Grim that I might ride with him to the Althing. Grim was slow to grant this. And when Grim and Thordis talked together, Grim told her what I had asked.

One of the servants told me about their conversation. Grim asked her to find out what I had in mind.

Thordis then came to talk with me.  I always found great pleasure to talk to her. And when she met me she asked “Is it true, uncle, that you wish to ride to the Althing? I want you to tell me what plan you have in this?”

“I will tell you,” I said, “what I have thought of. I mean to take with me to the Althing two chests that king Athelstan gave me, each of which is full of English silver. I mean to have these chests carried to the Hill of Laws just when it is most crowded. Then I mean to broadcast the silver. I shall be surprised if they share it fairly between them. I think there will be blows and kicks. It will end in a general fight of the assembled Althing.”

Thordis said “A famous plan, and it will be remembered so long as Iceland is inhabited.”

They, Thordis and Grim, foiled my plan. While everyone else was enjoying the Althing I sat at home; blind and brooding.

But I did not brood for nothing. I made a plan. I forced two of Grim’s servants to ready a horse for a ride to the hot springs. I took my two chests of English silver and rode out. No one ever saw the two chests or the two slaves again.

I finally confessed to Grim that I killed the two slaves.

In the autumn following I fell sick and died. When I was dead, Grim had me dressed in my blue and gold embroidered cloak. He carried me down to Tjalda-ness. Then he made a sepulchral mound. There I was temporarily buried, with my weapons and beautiful clothes.

People still find silver English coins in a certain river. They are sure that it is part of the two chests that I buried. On the other hand I may have put them in the bog.

EGIL’S SAGA: CHAPTER 85; (Part 1) Egil’s humble days

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Adils, Aki, Alfgeir, Arinbjorn, Armod Beard, Asgerd, Athelstan, Atli the Short, Æthelstan, Bard, Bera, Berg-Onund, Bjorgolf, Bjorn, Bodvar, Borg, Brynjolf, Courland, Danes, Egil, Einer, Eirik Bloodaxe, England, Eyvind, Finnmark, Fjord Province, Geir, Godrek, Grim, Gunnhild, Hakon, Halberd, Hallvard, Halogaland, Hildirid, Hildiridarsons, Hogni, Hring, Iceland, intrigue, Isle of Torg, Karelians, Ketil Trout, King Arnvid, King Æthelstan, King Faravid, King Harald, Kveldulf, Kvenland, Kylfings, Lapps, Ljot the Pale, Namdalen, Norway, Norwegians, Olaf the Red, Olvir, Onund Sjoni, Oslo Fjord, Rognvald, Sandness, Scandanavia, Scots, Shape-changer, Sigrid, Sigtrygg, Skallagrimsson, slander, Snorri Sturluson, Sweden, Thora, Thorfinn, Thorgils Gjallandi, Thorolf, Thorunn, treachery, Trondheim, Vikings, Welch, Yngvar

I grew old and infirm. Now that I had lost the power of intimidation people made fun of me. That was fine with me. I had a good run through this life of sailing, pillaging, fighting long-ship to long-ship. I had raised my sons to the best of my ability and had amassed a great deal of wealth and land.

My movements were slow, my eye-sight was failing and I could not hear a damn word that anyone spoke.

This all occurred while I was living with Grim and Thordis.

One day I hobbled outside the wall. I stumbled and fell. Some of the women there saw my embarrassment.

Some of them laughed, saying: “You are now quite gone, Egil, if you fall when alone.”

Then my son Grim said, “Women jeered at us less when we were younger.” I believe he used the term “we” just to make me feel better.

I made a verse.

‘Old haltered horse I waver,
Bald-head I weakly fall:
Hollow my failing leg-bones,
The fount of hearing dry.’

I became quite blind. And it was so that one day, when the weather was cold, I went to the fire to warm myself. Whereupon the cook said that it was a great wonder, so mighty a man as I had been, that he should lie in her way so that she could not do her work.

“Be you civil,” I said, “though I bask by the fire, remember your place.”

“Stand you up” she retorted, “go to your seat, and let me do my work.”

I stood up, and went to my place and made a verse.

Blind near the blaze I wander,
Beg of the fire-maid pardon,
Crave for a seat. Such sorrow
From sightless eyes I bear.
Yet England’s mighty monarch
Praised me with precious gold:
The wild king once
Was tamed by my words

 

Again, once when I went to the fire to warm myself, a man asked me whether my feet were cold and warned me not to put them too near the fire.

“That shall be so,” I said, “but it is not easy steering my feet now that I cannot see. Being blind is a dismal thing.” Then I made my last verse.

Time passes slowly,
I tarry here alone,
An old, senile elder
From kings’ courts exiled.
I walk on these two widows,
Once true women,
Bedfellows now needing
Blaze of fire.

EGIL’S SAGA: CHAPTER 84; (Part 2) Thorgier Blund

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HVIT RIVER

One day I was talking to Thorstein and the subject of Thorgier Blund arose. Thorstein told me that he had enough of Thorgier’s meddling in the business of Stiener. I asked Thorstein to expand on the subject.

As it turned out, Thorgier had been talking to Steiner and he foolishly mentioned that Thorstein would be coming to the feast. Possibly, the two of them, Steiner and Thorgeir, had planned the whole thing on the dunes. I made the following verse.

 

Time was when I tricked

The troublesome Steiner,

I thought I would help Thorgeir

And earn his thanks:

But the fellow failed me

For all his fine promises;

Why he sought to cause suffering

I will never understand.

 

Thorstein ensured that Thorgeir moved far away from Anabrekka.

Tongue-Odd became a leading chieftain and head priestof the temple at Hvit River.

The other farmers paid tribute, in the form of dues, to the temple.

EGIL’S SAGA: CHAPTER 84; (Part 1) Thorstein and Steiner

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There was a man named Thorgeir, a kinsman and friend of Thorstein: he dwelt then at Swan-ness. This relative of Thorstein held a feast every autumn. He invited Thorstein to the next feast and Throstein accepted.

The day of departure Thorstein had four people with him; his son Grim, a house guest from Norway and two house servants.

Steiner was made aware that Thorstein would be coming to the autumn feast. He awaited at a shoreline but far enough away to not be seen.

Finally he saw Thorstein coming from a far distance. Steiner rushed Thorstein. Thorstein sent his son Grim up into a wooded section and told him to stay there. Several nearby farmers attempted to stop the clash between Steiner and Thorstein. Before the battle could be broken up two of Thorstein’s servants were dead as well as one of Steiner’s.

Thorstein looked for Grim and found him wounded. Laying next to him was the dead son of Steiner. Thorstein lifted Grim and rode away looking for care for his son.

Steiner made some disparaging remarks to Thorstein as he rode away. Grim died before they could find help for him. They buried him and rode on to the feast that Thorgeir was hosting. He spent three days there.

On his way home Thorstein kept an eye open for Steiner. He knew that he would be waiting for his return.

Steiner spyed Thorstein but Steiner himself was being spied on. It was Lambi who grabbed Stiener from behind in a bear-hug. They wrestled about for some time. As Thorstein approached them Lambi threw Steiner down the dune and quickly departed. Steiner ran after him and buried his sword in the locked door of Lambi.

Thorstein reached home safely.

EGIL’S SAGA: CHAPTER 83; Thorstein receives a warning

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My nephew, Thorgeir Blund, was there at the Althing, and had given Thorstein much help in this suit. He asked Thorstein and I to give him some land out there on the Moors. He had dwelt south of White-river below Blunds-water. I received the request well, and persuaded Thorstein to let him have some land. So we gave to Thorgeir, Anabrekka, Steiner’s lost property.

Steinar moved beyond Lang River and settled down at Leiru-brook.

There was a man with Thorstein named Iri, fleet of foot and keen of sight above others; he was a foreigner, a freedman of Thorstein’s. Iri was in charge of gathering loose sheep and herd them for grazing.

One day, not to long afer Removal Days, Thorstein and some of his men were directing others in building a substantial fence across Grisor Tongue.

Iri came up to Thorstein and said that he had seen severel spear points shine in the daylight. He told him exactly where he had seen it. Thorstein spoke out in a loud voice “Well if he must see me I suppose we should honor his request.”

He then directed his men to follow him to Olvals’s home because there was a matter of importance.

They rode through the marshes all the way to Gufu River. There they found some of Olval’s men tending cattle. Thorstein asked if all was well at Olval’s farm. They answered positively and said that Olval was cutting timber up in the woods.

Thorstein correctly surmised that Steiner was up in the woods waiting to ambush him.

Thorstein and his men rode directly back to Borg and Thorstein’s home.

EGIL’S SAGA: CHAPTER 82; Egil’s Verdict

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The next day I went to the Thing-brink, and with me Thorstein and all his men. Also there were Onund and Steinar, Tongue-Odd and Einar, and company. When the law pleadings were finished, I stood up and said “Are Steinar and Onund, father and son, present, so that they can hear my words?’

Onund answered that they were.

Then I said, “I now deliver my judgment between Steinar and Thorstein. I begin the case with this; Grim my father came to this island, and took all the land of Myrar and the district round about, and chose for himself a homestead at Borg. However, he gave to his friends choice  land which they have since settled. To Ani he gave a homestead at Anabrekka, where Onund and Steinar have hitherto dwelt. We all know this, Steinar, what are the borders between Borg and Anabrekka, the main border being Hafs-brook. Now therefore not from ignorance, Steinar, did you act in grazing on Thorstein’s land. You, Steinar, and you, Onund, might know that Ani received the land of my father Grim. However, you have encroached on this land, thinking that Thorstein would be so weak as to submit to your robbery. But Thorstein slew two slaves of yours. Now it is evident to everyone that these slaves died for their ill-deeds. Therefore unatonable, even if they had been free men, no fine could have been claimed for them. But as for you, Steinar, seeing that you devised to rob my son Thorstein of his property which he took with my authority, and I took by inheritance after my father, you shall therefore lose your land at Anabrekka, and have no payment for the same. And further, you shall have neither homestead nor lodging here in the district south of Long-river. And you must quit Anabrekka before Removal Days are past. Otherwise, immediately after Removal Days, you may be slain with impunity by any who wish to help Thorstein. If you refuse to go away or break any of these terms that I have pronounced, you are subject to death by friends of Thorstein.”

But when Egil sat down, then Thorstein named witnesses to his decision.

Then spoke Onund Sjoni. “Twill be said, Egil, that this judgment which you have given and pronounced is very crooked. And what I have to say is this; hitherto I have done all I could to prevent strife, but henceforth I shall not spare to do what I can to harm Thorstein.”

I stood and said “This I forebid. The longer our quarrel lasts the worse will be the fortune of you and your son. You must have known, Onund, that I have held my own before men quite as great as you and your son. But for Odd and Einar, who have so eagerly thrust themselves into this case, they have reaped their dishonour.”

EGIL’S SAGA: CHAPTER 81: (Part 6) The Agreement

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The men then went to their temporary homes; their booths. Thorstein had his men lead three oxen to my booth where they were slaughtered for the Althing banquet.

Tongue-Odd and Steinar went to their own, booth. Odd spoke to Steiner.

“Now that you have handed, to your father, the issue of your suit I declare myself free of debt to you. For it was agreed between us that I should help you in carrying through your suit. I am free of whatever may be the terms adjudged you by Egil.”

Steinar said that Odd had helped him well and manfully, and their friendship should be closer than before. “I pronounce you,” he said, “free of debt to me in regard of this matter.”

In the evening the judges went out; but nothing happened that needs to be told.

EGIL’S SAGA: CHAPTER 81; (Part 5) The arguments of old friends

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I stood up and spoke with loud voice: “Is Onund Sjoni here on the Thing-brink?”

Onund replied that he was there. And he said, “I am glad, Egil, that you came. This will set right the dispute between these men.”

“Is it by your counsel,” said I, “that your son Steinar brings a charge against my son Thorstein, and has gathered much people to this end; to make Thorstein an outcast?”

“Of this I am not the cause,” replied Onund, “that they are quarrelling. I have spent many a word and begged Steinar to be reconciled with Thorstein; for in any case I would have spared your son Thorstein disgrace: and good cause for this is the loving friendship of old that has been between us two, Egil, since we grew up here as next-door neighbours.”

“It will soon be clear,’ I answered, “whether you speak this as truth or vain words; though I think this latter can hardly be. I remember the day when either of us had deemed it incredible that one should be accusing the other, or that we should not control our sons from going on with such folly as I hear this is like to prove. To me this seems right counsel, while we both live and are so nearly concerned with their quarrel, that we take this cause into our own hands and quash it, and let not Tongue-Odd and Einar match our sons together like fighting horses. Let them henceforth find some other way than this of making money.”

Onund spoke “Rightly say you, Egil; and it ill-fits us to be at Althing where our sons quarrel. Never shall that shame be ours, that we lacked the manhood to reconcile them.”

Onund continued with “Now, Steinar, lay this case in my hands and let me deal with it as I please.”

After some discussion Steiner allowed Onund to settle the case with me.

Onund approached me and said “Egil, in this matter decide as you will, for I trust you best to deal with my cause as you have with all others.”

Then Thorstein and Onund named witnesses to this agreement; declaring that I, Egil Skallagrimsson, should alone judge this case, without appeal, then and there at the Althing.

And that ended this suit.

However, the compensation decision was yet to be made by me alone; without appeal.