grettir the outlaw 34

grettir the outlaw 34

The brothers liked this place of exile, as there was no dearth of eggs

and birds, besides which, some drift-wood was thrown upon the strand,

and served as fuel.

 

Grettir and Illugi spent their days in clambering among the rocks, and

rifling nests, and the occupation of the thrall was to collect drift

timber and keep up the fire in the hut. He was expected to remain awake

and watch the fire whilst the others slept. He got very tired of his

life on the islet, became idle, morose, and reserved. One night,

notwithstanding Grettir’s warnings to him to be more careful, as they

had no boat, he let the fire go out. Grettir was very angry, and told

Glaum that he deserved a sound thrashing for his neglect. The thrall

replied that he loathed the life he led; and that it seemed it was not

enough to Grettir that he should keep him there as a prisoner, he must

also maltreat him.

 

Grettir consulted his brother what was best to be done, and Illugi

replied that the only thing that could be done was to await the arrival

of a boat from the friendly farmer at Reykir.

 

"We shall have to wait long enough for that," said Grettir. "The

bonders have taken it ill that he has favoured us, and he is now

unwilling to be seen visiting Drangey. The only chance is for me to

swim ashore and secure a light."

 

"Do not attempt that!" exclaimed Illugi. "That is what you did in

Norway, and that led to all your misfortune."

 

"This case is different," answered Grettir. "Then I brought fire for

ill-conditioned men, now it is for ourselves. Then I knew not who was

on the other side, but now I can get the fire for the asking from

Thorwald."

 

"But the distance is so great!" remonstrated Illugi.

 

"Do not fear for me," said Grettir; "I was not born to be drowned."

 

From Drangey to Reykir is, as already said, about five English miles.

 

Grettir prepared for swimming, by dressing in loose thin drawers and a

sealskin hood; he tied his fingers together, that they might offer more

resistance to the water when he struck out.

 

The day was fine and warm. Grettir started in the evening, when the

tide was in his favour, setting in; and his brother anxiously watched

him from the rocks. At sunset he reached the land, after having floated

and swum the whole distance. Immediately on coming ashore, he went to

the warm spring and bathed in it, before entering the house. The hall

door was open, and Grettir stepped in. A large fire had been burning on

the hearth, so that the room was very warm; Grettir was so thoroughly

exhausted that he lay down beside the hot embers, and was soon fast

asleep. In the morning he was found by the farmer’s daughter, who gave

him a bowl of milk, and brought her father to him. Thorwald furnished

him with fire, and rowed him back to the island, astonished beyond

measure at his achievement, in having swum such a distance.

 

Now, the farmers on the Skagafiord began to taunt Thorbiorn Hook with

his unprofitable purchase of the island, and Hook was greatly irritated

and perplexed what to do.

 

During the summer, a ship arrived in the firth, the captain of which was

a young and active man called Hœring. He lodged with Thorbiorn Hook

during the autumn, and was continually urging his host to row him out to

Drangey, that he might try to climb the precipitous sides of the island.

The Hook required very little pressing; and one fine afternoon he rowed

his guest out to Drangey, and put him stealthily ashore, without

attracting the notice of those on the height. For in some places the

cliffs overhung, so that a boat passing beneath could not be seen from

above. Now Hœring had lain in the bottom of the boat, covered with a

piece of sailcloth, so that the brothers saw nothing of him as the boat

was approaching the islet.

 

They saw and recognized Thorbiorn Hook and his churls, and at once drew

up the ladder. Now it was whilst they were watching at the

landing-place that Thorbiorn put Hœring out on another point, where the

cliffs seemed possible to be climbed by a very skilful man, and then

came on to the usual landing place, and there shouted to Grettir.

Grettir replied, and then Thorbiorn began the usual arguments to

persuade the outlaw to leave the isle. He promised to give him shelter

in his house the winter, if he would do so. All was in vain. What he

sought was to divert Grettir’s attention so as to allow time and

occasion for Hœring to climb the cliffs unobserved and unresisted.

 

The discussion went on but led to nothing. In the meantime Hœring had

managed most cleverly to get up by a way never ascended by man before or

after; and when he came to the top and had his feet on the turf, he saw

where the brothers stood with their backs turned towards him, and he

thought that now an opportunity had come for him to make himself a great

name. Grettir suspected nothing, and continued talking to Thorbiorn,

who was getting, or feigning to get, angry, and used big and violent

words.

 

Now, as luck would have it, Illugi chanced to turn his head, and he saw

a man approaching from behind.

 

Then he cried out, "Brother! Brother! Here comes a man at us with

uplifted axe!"

 

"You go after him," said Grettir. "I will watch at the ladder."

 

So Illugi started to his feet and went to meet Hœring, and when the

young merchant saw that he was discovered, he fled away across the

islet, and Illugi went after him. And when Hœring came to the edge he

leaped down, hoping to fall into the sea; but he had missed his

reckoning, and he went upon some skerries over which the waves tossed,

and broke every bone in his body, and so ended his life. The spot is

called Hœring’s Leap to this day.

 

Illugi came back, and Grettir asked him what had been the end of the

encounter. Illugi told him.

 

"Now, Thorbiorn," shouted Grettir; "we have had enough of profitless

talk. Go round to the other side of the island and gather up the

remains of your friend."

 

The Hook pushed off from the strand and returned home, ill pleased with

the result of the expedition, and Grettir remained unmolested on Drangey

the ensuing winter.

 

 

 

 

*CHAPTER XXXVIII.*

 

*OF THE ATTEMPT MADE BY GRETTIR’s FRIENDS.*

 

 

_The New Law-man—The Outlawry almost at an End_

 

 

The ensuing summer, that is to say, the summer of 1031, at the great

annual assize at Thingvalla, all Grettir’s kin and friends brought up

the matter of outlawry, and contended that he ought to have his sentence

done away with. They said that no man could be an outlaw all his life,

that was not a condition contemplated by their laws. They said that he

had been outlawed first in 1011 for the slaying of Skeggi, and that he

had been in outlawry ever since, which made nineteen years.

 

The old law-man was dead, and now there was another at the assize, whose

name was Stein. He laid down that no man might by law be in outlawry

more than twenty years. Now, when they came to reckon since 1011 it was

nineteen years. It was true that he had been outlawed thrice, once for

Skeggi, then by King Olaf, and lastly by the court for the burning of

the sons of Thorir of Garth, still—the fact remained that for nineteen

years he had been an outlaw, and Stein laid down that by next assize,

that is to say in one year, his outlawry would have expired.

 

Thereat Grettir’s kinsfolk were pleased, for they thought that he would

only have to spend one winter more on Drangey, and afterwards his

troubles would be at an end; Thorir of Garth and his other foes could no

more pursue him, and the price set on his head would fall away.

 

But on the other hand, Thorir of Garth, who had not become more

charitable and forgiving as he grew old, became still more incensed and

impatient to have Grettir killed before this year would expire, also

Thorbiorn Hook cast about how he might be avenged for the deprivation of

his rights over Drangey. The men who had sold their claims came to

Thorbiorn, and told him he must do one of two things: get rid of Grettir

and assert his rights by turning out sheep on the islet, or they would

regard the sale as quashed, by his non-usance of the pasture, and they

would reclaim their shares of the island as soon as Grettir’s outlawry

was at an end, and he left the place.

 

 

 

 

*CHAPTER XXXIX.*

 

*OF THE OLD HAG.*

 

 

_The Hook’s Foster-mother—The Hag’s Request—The Witch in the

Boat—The Hag’s Dooming—An Unlucky Throw—Working Bane—The Magic

Runes_

 

 

Now it was so, that Thorbiorn Hook had a foster-mother, a woman advanced

in age, and of a very malicious disposition. When the people of Iceland

accepted Christianity, she, in her heart, remained a heathen, and would

not be baptized and have anything to do with the new religion. She had

always been reckoned a witch, but with the introduction of Christianity

witchcraft had been made illegal, and anyone who had recourse to sorcery

was severely dealt with. The old woman had not forgotten her

incantations and strange ceremonies, whereby she thought to be able to

conjure the spirits of evil, and send ill on such as offended her.

 

When Thorbiorn Hook found that he could contrive in no way to get

Grettir out of Drangey, and when he saw that if his expulsion were

delayed, and Grettir left of his own accord, he would forfeit the money