Laxdaela Saga Part 11

When four winters were pa.s.sed from the drowning of Thorkell Eyjolfson a s.h.i.+p came into Islefirth belonging to Bolli Bollison, most of the crew of which were Norwegians. [Sidenote: Bolli's splendour] Bolli brought out with him much wealth, and many precious things that lords abroad had given him. Bolli was so great a man for show when he came back from this journey that he would wear no clothes but of scarlet and fur, and all his weapons were bedight with gold: he was called Bolli the Grand. He made it known to his s.h.i.+pmasters that he was going west to his own countrysides, and he left his s.h.i.+p and goods in the hands of his crew. Bolli rode from the s.h.i.+p with twelve men, and all his followers were dressed in scarlet, and rode on gilt saddles, and all were they a trusty band, though Bolli was peerless among them. He had on the clothes of fur which the Garth-king had given him, he had over all a scarlet cape; and he had Footbiter girt on him, the hilt of which was dight with gold, and the grip woven with gold; he had a gilded helmet on his head, and a red s.h.i.+eld on his flank, with a knight painted on it in gold. He had a dagger in his hand, as is the custom in foreign lands; and whenever they took quarters the women paid heed to nothing but gazing at Bolli and his grandeur, and that of his followers. In this state Bolli rode into the western parts all the way till he came to Holyfell with his following. Gudrun was very glad to see her son. Bolli did not stay there long till he rode up to Saelingsdale Tongue to see Snorri, his father-in-law, and his wife Thordis, and their meeting was exceeding joyful. Snorri asked Bolli to stay with him with as many of his men as he liked. Bolli accepted the invitation gratefully, and was with Snorri all the winter, with the men who had ridden from the north with him. Bolli got great renown from this journey. [Sidenote: Snorri's death] Snorri made it no less his business now to treat Bolli with every kindness than death when he was with him before.

CHAP. LXXVIII

The Death of Snorri, and the End, A.D. 1031

[Sidenote: Snorri' death] When Bolli had been one winter in Iceland Snorri the Priest fell ill. That illness did not gain quickly on him, and Snorri lay very long abed. But when the illness gained on him, he called to himself all his kinsfolk and affinity, and said to Bolli, "It is my wish that you shall take over the manor here and the chieftains.h.i.+p after my day, for I grudge honours to you no more than to my own sons, nor is there within this land now the one of my sons who I think will be the greatest man among them, Halldor to wit."

Thereupon Snorri breathed his last, being seventy-seven years old.

That was one winter after the fall of St. Olaf, so said Ari the Priest "Deep-in-lore." Snorri was buried at Tongue. [Sidenote: The descendants of Herdis] Bolli and Thordis took over the manor of Tongue as Snorri had willed it, and Snorri's sons put up with it with a good will. Bolli grew a man of great account, and was much beloved. Herdis, Bolli's daughter, grew up at Holyfell, and was the goodliest of all women. Orm, the son of Hermund, the son of Illugi, asked her in marriage, and she was given in wedlock to him; their son was Kodran, who had for wife Gudrun, the daughter of Sigmund. The son of Kodran was Hermund, who had for wife Ulfeid, the daughter of Runolf, who was the son of Bishop Kelill; their sons were Kelill, who was Abbot of Holyfell, and Reinn and Kodran and Styrmir; their daughter was Thorvor, whom Skeggi, Bard's son, had for wife, and from whom is come the stock of the Shaw-men. Ospak was the name of the son of Bolli and Thordis. The daughter of Ospak was Gudrun, whom Thorarin, Brand's son, had to wife. Their son was Brand, who founded the benefice of Housefell. Gellir, Thorleik's son, took to him a wife, and married Valgerd, daughter of Thorgils Arison of Reekness. Gellir went abroad, and took service with King Magnus the Good, and had given him by the king twelve ounces of gold and many goods besides. The sons of Gellir were Thorkell and Thorgils, and a son of Thorgils was Ari the "Deep-in-lore." The son of Ari was named Thorgils, and his son was Ari the Strong. Now Gudrun began to grow very old, and lived in such sorrow and grief as has lately been told. She was the first nun and recluse in Iceland, and by all folk it is said that Gudrun was the n.o.blest of women of equal birth with her in this land. It is told how once upon a time Bolli came to Holyfell, for Gudrun was always very pleased when he came to see her, and how he sat by his mother for a long time, and they talked of many things. [Sidenote: Bolli questions his mother] Then Bolli said, "Will you tell me, mother, what I want very much to know? Who is the man you have loved the most?" Gudrun answered, "Thorkell was the mightiest man and the greatest chief, but no man was more shapely or better endowed all round than Bolli. Thord, son of Ingun, was the wisest of them all, and the greatest lawyer; Thorvald I take no account of." Then said Bolli, "I clearly understand that what you tell me shows how each of your husbands was endowed, but you have not told me yet whom you loved the best. Now there is no need for you to keep that hidden any longer." Gudrun answered, "You press me hard, my son, for this, but if I must needs tell it to any one, you are the one I should first choose thereto." Bolli bade her do so. Then Gudrun said, "To him I was worst whom I loved best." "Now," answered Bolli, "I think the whole truth is told," and said she had done well to tell him what he so much had yearned to know. Gudrun grew to be a very old woman, and some say she lost her sight. Gudrun died at Holyfell, and there she rests. [Sidenote: The end of Gellir] Gellir, Thorkell's son, lived at Holyfell to old age, and many things of much account are told of him; he also comes into many Sagas, though but little be told of him here. He built a church at Holyfell, a very stately one, as Arnor, the Earls' poet, says in the funeral song which he wrote about Gellir, wherein he uses clear words about that matter.

When Gellir was somewhat sunk into his latter age, he prepared himself for a journey away from Iceland. He went to Norway, but did not stay there long, and then left straightway that land and "walked"

south to Rome to "see the holy apostle Peter." He was very long over this journey; and then journeying from the south he came into Denmark, and there he fell ill and lay in bed a very long time, and received all the last rites of the church, whereupon he died, and he rests at Roskild. Gellir had taken Skofnung with him, the sword that had been taken out of the barrow of Holy Kraki, and never after could it be got back. When the death of Gellir was known in Iceland, Thorkell, his son, took over his father's inheritance at Holyfell. Thorgils, another of Gellir's sons, was drowned in Broadfirth at an early age, with all hands on board. Thorkell Gellirson was a most learned man, and was said to be of all men the best stocked of lore. Here is the end of the Saga of the men of Salmon-river-Dale.

_The_ 'Laxdale Saga'--_one of the great Sagas of Iceland--is herewith introduced for the first time to English readers. The translation has been made by_ Mrs. Muriel Press. _The original text presents many difficulties, and the ma.n.u.script translation has had the advantage of being revised by a competent Icelander. Many doubtful pa.s.sages have been elucidated by him. The accompanying Note gives his interpretation of the obscure verses on page 234. In addition to these kind services, he has specially prepared for this volume the Map of the Places mentioned in the Saga. It is to be hoped that_ Mrs. Press's _efforts to popularise this famous Saga may be successful, and may warrant the publication of other Sagas, and Masterpieces of Northern literature, in the Series, notably_ 'Njala-Saga,' 'Volsunga-Saga,' _and the_ 'Eddas.'

I.G.

_October 13, 1899,_

NOTE

These lines may be thus interpreted:--

"Hangs a wet hood on the wall; It knoweth of a trick; Though it be at most times 'dry,'

I hide not now it knoweth two."

The ditty points to the fact that Snorri had given Audgisl Thorarinson a "chased axe" (one trick), and that, at Snorri's secret behest, Audgisl was now on the eve of taking the hood-owner's (Thorgils Hallason's) life (two). This, the hood says, it knows, though at most times it is '_dry_.' 'Dry' here seems clearly to stand in the sense of 'clear of,' 'free from,' _expers, immunis_; practically, _ignorant_.

At most times the hood is ignorant of such 'tricks' threatening Thorgils' life, though now it knows of one, even two. With this use of 'urr,' _cf._ Sturlunga^2 ii. 227_{37}--"Um sum illvirki eirra er at sumum monnum eigi tvimaelis-laust, hvart er muni _urt_ hafa um seti allar vitundir" = "As to some misdeeds of theirs, it is to some men (a matter) not free from double speech whether you will have sat (by) '_dry_' of all knowledge (_i.e._ complicity) therein," _i.e._, concerning certain of their misdeeds some persons will have their doubts as to whether you be 'clear of' all complicity therein.

Of course it is Thorgils' 'Fylgja' (Fetch) that speaks through the cloak.