grettir the outlaw 18

grettir the outlaw 18

CHAPTER XX.*

 

*OF WHAT BEFELL AT BIARG.*

 

 

_Thorbiorn’s Servant—Ali at Biarg—Seeking a Quarrel—A Fair

Answer—Atli’s Dilemma—Thorbiorn’s Revenge—The Slaying of

Atli—Atli’s Grave_

 

 

Whilst Grettir was in Norway, that ill-luck which pursued him did not

fail to touch and trouble his Icelandic home as well.

 

It will be remembered that Grettir had been forced to fight the

Slowcoach, and had killed him. Now the cousin of this man was Thorbiorn

Oxmain, who lived in the Ramsfirth. This Thorbiorn had got a

serving-man named Ali, a somewhat lazy man, strong, but unruly. As he

did his work badly, and was slow about it, his master rebuked him, and

when rebukes failed, he threatened him. Threats also proved unavailing,

so Thorbiorn one day took the stick to his back, and beat him till he

danced. After this Ali would remain no longer in his service; he ran

away, crossed the ridge to the Midfiord, and came to Biarg, where he

presented himself before Atli, who asked him what he wanted.

 

The fellow said that he was in quest of service.

 

"But," said Atli, "you are, I understand, one of Thorbiorn’s workmen."

 

"I was so, but I have left his service because I was badly treated. He

beat me till I was black and blue; no one can remain with him, he is so

rough with his men, and he exacts of them too much work. I have come

here because I hear that you treat your servants well."

 

Atli replied: "I have hands enough, you had better go back to Thorbiorn,

for I do not want you."

 

"I will never go back to him, that I declare," said the churl. "If you

turn me away, I have nowhere to which I can go."

 

So he remained for a few nights at Biarg; and Atli did not like to turn

him out of the house. Then one day he went to work with Atli’s men, and

worked hard and well, for he was a powerful man. So time passed. Atli

did not agree to pay him any wage, and he did not send him away. He did

not feel best pleased at having the man there, but he was too

kind-hearted to drive him away.

 

Not only did he remain there and work well, but he showed himself ready

to turn his hand to anything, and was the most useful man about the

place.

 

Now Thorbiorn heard that his churl was at Biarg. The death of Slowcoach

had rankled in his breast. He had felt that it was his duty to take up

the case and demand recompense, yet he had not done so; now he was

angered that Atli had opened his doors to his runaway servant. He had

covenanted with the man for a year, but the fellow was so disagreeable

that he would have gladly dispensed with his service; but that Atli

should have received him, and that the man should be making himself

useful at Biarg,—that made him very angry indeed.

 

So he mounted his horse and rode to Biarg, attended by two men, and

called out Atli to talk with him.

 

Atli came forth and welcomed him.

 

Then Thorbiorn said: "You are determined to pick up fresh occasion of

quarrel, and stir ill-will between us. Why have you enticed away my

servant? You had no right to behave thus to me."

 

Atli replied quietly: "You are mistaken. I did not entice him away.

The fellow came to me. I did not know for certain that he was your

servant, nor did I know for how long he was engaged to you. Show me that

I have done wrong and I will make reparation. If he is yours, reclaim

him, I will not keep him. At the same time I do not like to shut him

out of my house."

 

"I claim the man," said Thorbiorn; "I forbid him to do a stroke of work

here. I expect him returned to me."

 

"Nay," said Atli, "take the man, you are welcome to him; but I cannot

bind him hand and foot and convey him to your house. If you can get him

to go with you, well and good, I will not detain him."

 

Atli had answered fairly, but this did not satisfy Thorbiorn; he knew

that he could not drag the man back to his farm, nor could he persuade

him to follow, so he rode home in a mighty bad temper, his heart boiling

with anger against Atli. And now he thought that he would at one and

the same time punish Atli for taking away his servant, and wipe out the

wrong of the slaying of the Slowcoach.

 

In the evening when the men came in from work, Atli said that Thorbiorn

had been there and had reclaimed his churl, and Atli bade the fellow

depart and go back to his master.

 

Then the man said: "That’s a true proverb, He who is most praised is

found most faulty at the test. I came to you because I heard so much

good of you, and now that I have toiled for you without wages all the

early summer, as I have worked for none else, you want to kick me out of

doors as winter draws on. I will not go. You will have to beat me as

Thorbiorn beat me to make me leave this house, and then, even, I am not

sure but that I shall remain in spite of being beaten."

 

Atli did not know exactly what to do. He did not wish to ill-treat the

fellow, and yet without ill-treatment there was no getting rid of him.

So he let him remain on.

 

One day a warm wet rainy mist covered the land, the hills were enveloped

in cloud; Atli sent out some of his men to mow at a distance where there

was some grass, and others he sent out fishing. He remained at home

himself with only two or three men.

 

That day Thorbiorn rode over the ridge that divided the dales, with a

helmet on his head, a sword at his side, and a barbed spear in his hand.

He came to Biarg, and no one noticed his approach. He went to the main

door, and knocked at it. Then he drew back behind the buildings, so

that no one might see him from the door. In Iceland the walls of a

house between the gables are buttressed with turf—thick walls or

buttresses that project several feet, and are about six or nine feet

thick. Such buttresses stood one on each side of the hall door at

Biarg, and behind one of these Thorbiorn concealed himself.

 

When he had knocked at the door, a woman came to it, unbarred and looked

up and down the terrace or platform on which the house was built, but

saw no one. Thorbiorn peeped from behind the wall of turf and caught a

glimpse of her, and then backed again into his hiding-place. The woman

then returned into the house, and told Atli that there was no one

outside.

 

She had hardly spoken before Thorbiorn knocked again. Then Atli jumped

up and said: "There must be someone there, and I will go and see myself

who it is."

 

Then he went forth and looked out of the door, but saw no one, as

Thorbiorn had again retreated behind the bank of turf. The water was

streaming down, so Atli did not go from under cover, but laid a hand on

each of the door-posts, and looked up and down the valley.

 

Just as he was looking away from where Thorbiorn was concealed, that man

suddenly swung himself round the bank of turf, and with all his might

drove the spear against Atli, using both his hands. The spear entered

him below the ribs, and ran right through him. Atli uttered no cry, and

fell forward over the threshold. At that the women rushed forth, and

they took Atli up, but he was dead.

 

Then Thorbiorn, who had run to his horse, which was tied up behind the

house, rode out on the terrace, and halting before the door proclaimed

that he had done this deed.

 

Now this was a formality which, according to Icelandic law, made his act

to be not regarded as a murder. A murder by law was the slaying of a

man by one who concealed his name.

 

Then Thorbiorn rode home.

 

The goodwife, Asdis, sent for her men, and Atli’s body was laid out, and

he was buried beside his father, old Asmund, who had died during the

winter. There was a church in those days at Biarg, but there is none

there now. When I was there I asked of the farmer now living in Biarg

where was the old churchyard, but its site was lost; so I could not tell

where were the graves of Atli the kind-hearted, honourable man, and the

rest of the family.

 

Great was the lamentation through the district at the death of one so

loved and respected, and hard things were said of Thorbiorn for what he

had done.

 

 

 

 

*CHAPTER XXI.*

 

*THE RETURN OF GRETTIR.*

 

 

_An Old Charge—Trial in Absence—Three Messengers of Ill—Grettir

and his Mother—Grettir goes to Revenge Atli_

 

 

That same summer news reached Iceland of the burning of the hostel by

Grettir. When Thorir of Garth heard of the death of his sons he was

furious. He rode to the great annual assize at Thingvalla, with a large

retinue, and charged Grettir with having killed his boys maliciously;

and he demanded that for this offence Grettir should be outlawed.

 

Then Skapti the judge said: "If things are as reported, then surely

Grettir has committed an evil deed; but we have only heard one side of

the story, and we only know of what has happened at third hand, by